The Anne Frank Project took its third delegation of students to Rwanda during J-Term. You are invited to hear these students share the lessons and stories they experienced in Rwanda during the following presentations. In the past, these presentations have been very popular, so please come early to get a seat.

Monday, February 23, 1:00–2:00 p.m., Butler Library 210
"Together We Move Forward," by Timothy Lane

Tuesday, February 24, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.), Savage Theater and Communication Building 209
"Life Is Balance," by Robert Sherman
"Detachment Inhibits Healing," by Molly Bader
"Captain's Finding! Smiles Create Forgiveness," by Sam Merriman

Thursday, February 26, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.), Savage Theater and Communication Building 209
"Community Creates Connections," by Ashley Weselak
"Stories Are the Building Blocks of Life," by Rebecca Cannizzaro

Interested in catching up on their experiences? Read the students' blogs, browse our Rwanda 2015 photo albums, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Feel free to invite colleagues using this e-mail.

Please join us for one of three informational meetings on Buffalo State's Siena Program on Wednesday, February 11, or Thursday, February 12. Two information sessions will be held on Wednesday, February 11: one at 10:00 a.m. in Bacon Hall 115 and another at 4:00 p.m. in Bacon Hall 117.

A third session, "The Colors, Flavors, and Sounds of Siena," will be held on Thursday, February 12, at 6:00 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115. This session will include presentations by Daniela Perozzi, director of the Siena Program in Italy; presentations by recent alumni of the program and alumni from the '60s; an introduction of the faculty; and an overview of the program. Refreshments will be served.

Established in 1961, the Buffalo State Siena Program is the oldest study-away program in the SUNY system. The academic program in Siena revolves around a core of courses including Italian Language, Survey of Italian Literature, Dante’s Divina Commedia, Contemporary Italian Civilization, History of Italy, Art and Architecture, Hospitality Marketing, Tourism Management, Wine Essentials, Ceramics, and Painting.

An electrical shutdown affecting the Technology Building will take place from 5:00 a.m. to approximately 8:00 a.m. on Friday, February 6. Building occupants are asked to shut down computers and peripherals before the interruption. This planned service disruption will accommodate the adjustment of electrical breaker settings in the building. This notification will also be posted on Technology Building entrances.

Your patience is greatly appreciated. Questions about this interruption may be e-mailed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

Applications are now being accepted for the Ron Brown ITEC Scholarship. This scholarship will be given to a Buffalo State student enrolled in the fall 2014 semester who shows promise in the study of computing and technology.

Applications and information on the selection criteria are available on the ITEC website. The application must be submitted electronically by midnight Sunday, March 1.

Finalists will be interviewed by the selection committee. The selection committee's decision is final. Final notification to all applicants will be sent via e-mail.

Today is the last day to place advance orders for the Hospice Spring Bouquet Sale. Support Hospice Buffalo by purchasing a beautiful mixed bouquet for $8 or a large tribute bouquet for $30. For each tribute bouquet sold, an $8 bouquet will be given to a current Hospice patient. Bouquets will be delivered to Cleveland Hall 307 on Monday, March 2. To place an order or for more information, please contact Donna Doyle, secretary 1 in College Relations, ext. 4201. Payment can be made at the time of order or at the time of pickup. Cash or checks only. Please make checks payable to Hospice Foundation.

Every bouquet sold truly does make a difference. Thank you for your support.

Sarah Zimmerman, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Western Washington University, will present "The Misappropriation of History: West African Soldiers and Wives in France's Colonization of Morocco, 1908–1918" on Friday, February 13, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in Classroom Building C122. Her talk will be held as part of Black History and Women's History Month celebrations.

Zimmerman will explore race, slavery, and gender in the unification of Morocco under Sultan Moulay Ismail (r. 1672–1727) and its conquest by the French in 1908–1918. In addition to exploring (mis)representations of African colonial soldiers known as Tirailleurs Sénégalais and their wives, her talk will include an analysis of gender and race in the French military’s “Villages Negres” in Morocco.

This event is free and open to the public thanks to the sponsorship of the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Grant Allocation Committee, the History and Social Studies Education Department, and the African and African American studies program.

Readers see your writing as a reflection of how you think. The academic style of writing requires clarity and conciseness. Knowing the guidelines to write more clearly and concisely will help keep your writing direct and logical. Increase your writing power and communicate effectively with these tips for polished annual report writing during this workshop on Tuesday, May 12, from noon to 2:00 p.m. in the Professional Development Center, E. H. Butler Library 181B.

Lunch provided. Register online through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

Please contact Lauren Turner, professional development assistant, with questions.

Please join us for the professional development workshop "Creativity in the Workplace" on Wednesday, April 15, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Butler Library 181B.

How can we look at problems with an open mind, flex our creative muscles, and develop an aptitude for thinking out of the box? Learn some techniques that will get you unstuck, fill you with new ideas, and provide an innovative approach to generate new results in the workplace. Refreshments will be provided.

Please register online through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

Employees who “quit but stay” are not giving their talents, creativity, energy, or passion to their jobs and are exacting an immeasurable tax on the organization. There are many reasons for disengagement, but one of the greatest is a lack of feeling trusted. When employees fail to meet expectations, leaders have the difficult challenge of determining how much to trust employees with future tasks or projects. The distrust-disengagement cycle is self-perpetuating and will cripple an organization. Stephen Covey’s unique methodology will focus on the “what” and the “how” to effect practical, sustainable change in this professional development workshop on Tuesday, March 17, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Butler Library 181B. Refreshments provided.

Please register online through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

A StrengthsQuest workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 3, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Professional Development Center, Butler Library 181B. StrengthsQuest is a 30-minute online assessment designed to identify your top five talents or strengths (Clifton StrengthsFinder). The underlying principle of StrengthsQuest is that focusing on strengths, rather than concentrating on improving weaknesses, is the key to success. I'm looking for individuals who are interested in finding out their strengths or talents. This offer is limited, so RSVP to Ottilie Woodruff, director of professional staff development, by Wednesday, February 25. You'll receive a StrengthsFinder 2.0 book and a code to take the assessment online before the workshop. You'll find that StrenghtsQuest is a lifelong adventure!

Again, this is a limited offer; register by February 25. Snacks will be provided.