Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "Plant-Animal Interactions in a Drying, Shrinking American Desert" by Joshua Ness, associate professor in the Biology Department and Environmental Studies program at Skidmore College, on Monday, September 8, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

The Residence Life Office invites students to attend our Weeks of Academic Success (WOAS) September 2–11. These programs are held in the beginning of the semester in our residence halls to provide educational, informative, and interactive programs that promote academic, professional, and personal development. These enriching events take place during the week; times vary from 8:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. Light refreshments and “study bucks” will be provided to attendees.

Please contact Roselyn Cabrera, complex director of Towers 3 and 4, or Brian Dubenion, assistant director of residence life for student success, with questions.

Buffalo State will serve as a drop-off location for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, September 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m in Lot R-4 and the Cleveland Circle.

The detection of prescription drugs in drinking water has caused concern about the impact on human health. Also, storing expired or unwanted medications in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning. Help protect our water and your safety by disposing of medicines properly through collection and incineration by bringing your unused medications to Buffalo State or any of the other 40 drop-off locations in numerous counties on Saturday.

Please bring medications in their original labeled containers (blacken out personal information). The following items will be accepted for drop-off, no questions asked:

• Controlled substances
• Expired, unusable, or unwanted household prescriptions
• Syringes
• Sharps containers
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Inhalers
• Liquids
• Ointments
• Patches

Note: Please DO NOT bring mercury-containing or radioactive products.

A full list of drop-off locations and more information are available on the DEA website.

Active Minds is a national student-run mental health awareness, education, and advocacy group on college campuses throughout North America, and it has been active at Buffalo State since spring 2010. Active Minds is dedicated to increasing students’ awareness of mental health issues, providing information and resources regarding mental health and mental illness, and encouraging students to seek help as soon as it is needed. Active Minds also serves as a liaison between students and the mental health community.

The Buffalo State chapter of Active Minds has spearheaded several innovative initiatives focused on mental health awareness, such as cosponsoring nationally known keynote speakers Eric Weaver from Overcoming the Darkness and Maggie Bertram and Jordan Burnham from the National Active Minds Speakers Bureau, the BeSeCret (Post-Secret) Community Art Project, and Send Silence Packing.

Please encourage students to attend the next chapter meeting on Thursday, September 18, at 12:15 p.m. in the Counseling Center conference room, Weigel Health Center 203. New officers will be nominated this semester, and the organization provides great leadership opportunities for students' résumés. Students interested in mental health, advocacy, leadership, empowerment, and connecting with others will really enjoy their involvement with Active Minds. For more information, visit the Facebook page or contact Suzanne Johnson in the Counseling Center, ext. 4436.

The first meeting of the student Marketing Club at Buffalo State will be held today, September 4, at 5:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall 2 (second floor). The Marketing Club is a collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association and is open to students of every major. Everyone is welcome. The Marketing Club is active and is a fun way to meet people and learn marketing skills.

The Buffalo State Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), University Police, and the American Red Cross will sponsor a workshop on citizen preparedness for emergency situations on Friday, September 26, at 9:30 a.m. in Butler Library 210. The workshop will run about 90 minutes.

The presentation will give a comprehensive overview on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and manmade disasters. The session will provide information on types of common disasters; ways to prepare as an individual, family, and community member; and what to do when disaster strikes.

Registration is required. Please register online through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for an informative and interactive discussion featuring five innovative entrepreneurs at the grand opening celebration of Buffalo State’s Year of the Innovator on Thursday, September 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. The panel members have built businesses using innovation in various ways, exemplifying the innovative ethos of the academic theme. Applied innovation can occur in many aspects of business, including product development, manufacturing technology, marketing, leadership, human resource development, and creative design. This event is sponsored by the School of the Professions.

For further information, please contact Susan McCartney, director of the Small Business Development Center, ext. 4030.

All elementary education and early childhood majors, including undergraduate CED, ECE, ECC, CEN, CMT, CSS, CFR, CSH, CIT, and EXE and graduate MIITC majors, must attend one (only) of the following sessions:

• Tuesday, September 16, 3:00–4:30 p.m., Butler Library 210
• Wednesday, September 17, 3:00–4:30 p.m., Butler Library 210

Please contact the Elementary Education and Reading Department with questions.

Through National Student Exchange, students have the opportunity to study for a semester or an academic year at one of the 200 participating colleges or universities at affordable tuition rates. Please contact Christine Frezza, ext. 4328, to schedule a class visit. Provide your students with this possibility for enriching their college experience and let them know about the upcoming information sessions on Tuesday, September 9, and Thursday, September 11, from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 219. Thank you.

Please join MathWorks and the Faculty Development Office for two complimentary MATLAB and Simulink technical sessions on Wednesday, September 17, in Technology Building 358. Faculty and staff members, researchers, and students are welcome to attend.

This event features two sessions presented by a MathWorks engineer:

Session 1: Data Analysis with MATLAB
1:30–2:40 p.m.
Learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink to develop algorithms, visualize and analyze data, and perform numeric computation.

Session 2: Technical Computing with Simulink
2:50–4:00 p.m.
Learn how you can use Simulink to design, simulate, implement, and test a variety of time-varying systems.

To view complete session descriptions and to register, please visit the MathWorks website.

Please contact Debbi Cohen, (508) 647-7057, for additional information.