In 2010, Harvard economists Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff presented their paper "Growth in a Time of Debt," which showed that economic growth would drop significantly if government debt exceeded 90 percent of GDP. Their results were used by politicians around the world to support severe cuts in government spending known as austerity. What if their results were wrong?

A year ago, professors Michael Ash and Robert Pollin and graduate student Thomas Herndon from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found an error in Reinhart and Rogoff's data (among other issues) and published a critique, thus setting off a global economic brouhaha.

Robert Pollin, a distinguished professor of economics, will discuss the UMass critique of the Rogoff-Reinhart paper, as well as the political firestorm it created, on Friday, April 25, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center South 2. His talk is open to all.

"The defining challenge of our time" is what President Barack Obama said about inequality. Join us Thursday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium for a discussion about this important issue. Robert Pollin, distinguished professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will begin the program with a talk, "Resolving Inequality." His presentation will be followed by the documentary Inequality for All, the last film in the Crisis! film series. A panel discussion—including Pollin and members of the Economics and Finance Department—and an opportunity for audience Q&A will follow the film.

The SUNY Buffalo State Graduate Student Association will sponsor a Graduate Research Fair on Friday, May 9, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Science and Mathematics Complex. More than 40 graduate students will display and discuss their research with the campus and local community. All are invited and encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please join us for the second and final Economics and Social Science Seminar on Friday, April 25, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Campus House boardroom. Two papers will be presented: "Adam Smith and Virtue," by Jason Grinnell, associate professor of philosophy and humanities; and "The Financial Panic of 2008: Lessons Learned or Not?" by Bill Ganley, professor of economics and finance.

The seminar is open to all and provides a relaxed setting for discussion. RSVP to Ted Schmidt, associate professor of Economics and Finance.

Please come to the first meeting of the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Support Group on Tuesday, April 22. Meet in the Burchfield Penney café at 1:00 p.m.

Agenda: meet one other, discuss charging etiquette, and find out where the next charging station and spots will be located.

Call ext. 6319 for information if you can't attend.

The Child Care Center will offer a School-Age Summer Camp program from Monday, June 30, through Friday, August 22. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks are included. We have exciting field trips and on-campus activities scheduled. Field trips include Casa di Pizza, the Buffalo Museum of Science, the Farmers Market, and more! 

Tuition is $165 a week. Registration begins Monday, April 28. Call ext. 5335 for more information.

Celebrate the music and dance of West Africa and the African diaspora, brought to you by local group Diaspora Drum and Dance (Ringo Brill, Michelle Gigante, Gabriel Gutierrez, Tiffany Nicely), along with the Buffalo State West African Drum Ensemble (directed by Tiffany Nicely) and Spirit Gospel Choir, on Thursday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Ciminelli Recital Hall (third floor of Rockwell Hall. Students free; general public $10.

https://www.facebook.com/events/689615811099888/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Please join the Fashion and Textile Technology Department for a presentation about journeying to India in January 2015, given by Professor Binwant Kaur from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (India) on Thursday, April 17, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Technology Building 358. Earn 3 credits in this experience of a lifetime!

This textile and craft study tour in Rajasthan will engage participants in the traditional textiles and crafts of this centuries-old country. We will visit Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur to see block printing, tie dye (bandhani), embroidery, leatherware, and wood and stone crafts as well as terracotta. Side trips will include the Taj Mahal and Delhi. Old forts and palaces abound in this area, and artisans and craftspeople have perfected their art to meet modern needs. Experience these traditions against the background of the sights and sounds of India.

Ron Rudnicki, senior research scientist at CUBRC Inc., will present a Mathematics Department lecture titled "Applied Ontology and Its Uses" on Friday, April 18, at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113.

Applied ontologies are information artifacts that are becoming increasingly common features of data integration projects and knowledge-based information systems. The presentation will begin with an overview of the structure and content of ontologies and how insights from philosophical ontology have been used to produce best practices in their construction. Following this will be a description of how ontologies are made machine processable through serialization in the Web Ontology Language (OWL). The presentation will conclude with a description and demonstration of supporting technologies such as the SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language (SPARQL) and examples of ontologically backed knowledge bases such as those found on the NCBO Bioportal and DBPedia. The content of the presentation will be accessible to a general audience.

Rudnicki specializes in ontology engineering and semantic web technologies. He has developed ontologies in the domains of biometrics, command and control, and human activity. Before CUBRC, he worked at Gartner constructing a data warehouse for the IT Benchmarking division. He holds undergraduate degrees in philosophy and mathematics, and a master’s degree in philosophy from the University at Buffalo.

Students are invited to register for Opportunity Knocks, a leadership program where 25 selected Buffalo State students will spend the day traveling around Buffalo and connecting with alumni who lead businesses and agencies in our community on Friday, April 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The afternoon begins with lunch at ECC City Campus and then continues with stops at City Hall, the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum, and Belmont Housing Resources for WNY. This event is free of charge; transportation and lunch are provided. Interested students can register online.