Buffalo State Dining's Balanced U program is a holistic approach to food and nutrition. To help students, faculty, and staff understand how food plays into health, Balanced U consists of monthly subjects that act as an educational opportunity to focus on food topics of interest to our customers. March's monthly subject is Metabolism Boosters.

Buffalo State Dining has teamed up with Drew Hemler, Buffalo State student in the dietetics program. Together we have develop a Balanced U Metabolism Boosters menu for Buffalo State Dining's Balanced U event today in the Resident Dining Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hemler will prepare one of his favorite metabolism-boosting recipes, spicy black bean and avocado salad, which is packed with lean protein, healthful fats, iron, fiber, B vitamins, and herbs and spices.

No miracle combination or food choice will allow you to eat what you want and drop dramatic pounds. Weight loss takes a lot of dedication and hard work. But some research indicates that we might get a slight increase in calorie burn if we select specific foods more often. After all, every little bit helps. Come to the Resident Dining Hall today to learn about some foods that may help you lose weight, and try this delicious recipe!

Enter with a meal swipe or lunch door price of $8.99. Faculty and staff, save 10 percent on the door price when you use your Bengal Bucks.

For more information on Buffalo State Dining, please visit our website or follow us on Twitter.

Please join the Idea Lab for its second meeting on Friday, April 4, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in Rockwell Hall 204. The Idea Lab mission: to constructively share ideas, insights, and experiences that will facilitate the SUNY Buffalo State mission and advance creativity, collaboration, and research within our campus community…and beyond!

Exceptional and innovative work is being conducted by faculty and staff members at Buffalo State. We believe that by getting together monthly for facilitated but informal conversations about the work we’re doing, our interests, and our projects—planned or under way—we will create a more innovative, interactive, and constructive campus environment. The Idea Lab is a grassroots project designed to strengthen our institutional capacity and create a platform for new collaborations and unexpected outcomes. Meeting notes will be shared and archived for future reference and inspiration.

Everyone is welcome. For more information, please contact Sue McCartney, ext. 4030.

Volume 2, Issue 1 of the History and Social Studies Education Department student journal, the Exposition, was published on March 19. The contents of the journal can be viewed online.

In preparation for summer and fall 2014 registration, this week’s FACTS article focuses on academic advising. The Financial Aid for Academic Advising guide examines several academic scenarios and offers ways for academic advisers to provide targeted assistance to students. As 85 percent of Buffalo State students receive some type of aid, it is very important that students and the academic community fully understand the financial aid implications of academic decisions.

Below are three central points:

1. Use DegreeWorks. Only courses required for a student’s current major are aid eligible; taking nonrequired courses will negatively affect continued aid eligibility. Academic advisers are encouraged to review a student’s Degree Audit to ensure correct course registration. The “All College Elective Credits Above Degree Requirements” category in DegreeWorks is very helpful to identify courses not being used to fulfill degree requirements.
2. Create a manageable schedule. Students who repeatedly fail or withdraw from classes often experience trouble with their financial aid eligibility. Academic advisers can assist students with identifying a reasonable course load.
3. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). All students receiving financial aid must successfully meet certain standards to maintain eligibility. At-risk or ineligible SAP students may seek additional guidance from academic advisers. The federal SAP guide has been created to summarize federal SAP standards.

If you have questions regarding this article, please contact us at finaid@buffalostate.edu or ext. 4902. All questions and answers will be posted in the “You Asked for It” section of the FAO website. Click on the “Faculty and Staff” link (bottom left).

Sunhwa Kim, assistant professor of design and coordinator of the wood/furniture program, will present "In Search of Asian Lacquer," the second lecture in the series "Artists on the Road: Travel as a Source of Inspiration," today at 12:15 p.m. in Upton Hall 230. How does one combine the contemporary and the traditional, Western and Eastern cultures? How can life and art become one? Kim will discuss how her travels influenced her work, along with her involvement in last year’s International Lacquer Symposium held at SUNY Buffalo State.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Cosponsored by the Design Department and the International and Exchange Programs Office.

Campus House will be closed for spring break beginning Saturday, March 22, through Monday, March 31. Dining for lunch and social networking hours resume Tuesday, April 1.

Campus House membership is open to all Buffalo State faculty, staff, emeriti, retirees, alumni, and select friends of the college. Becoming a member is easy; simply complete and return our membership application.

How do you support second-language learners in the regular classroom? This three-hour workshop will give you an overview of what you need to know about second-language acquisition at all grade levels. Strategies for easily modifying lesson plans, delivering content, and assessing students will be shared. These workshops are open to the entire campus.

Workshops dates:

Monday, April 7
4:00–7:00 p.m.
Bacon Hall 117

Saturday, April 12
9:00 a.m.–noon
Bacon Hall 115.

Please register at cumminmc@buffalostate.edu; subject line: Workshop

American Heart Association CPR/AED classes are offered at Weigel Health Center free of charge for faculty, staff, and students. During the class, you will learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use an automated external defibrillator (AED), and provide relief to a choking victim. Skills are taught for use with adults, children, and infants. The class is completed in two and a half hours.

Classes will be held in Weigel Health Center 203 at 9:30 a.m. on the following dates:

• Monday, March 24
• Thursday, March 27
• Monday, March 31
• Monday, April 7

Reserve a spot in one of these classes or obtain additional information at lifesupport@buffalostate.edu. If you would like to schedule a more convenient time for you and three others, please contact us to arrange a class that fits your schedule.

On the occasion of the monthly meeting of the Buffalo-Lille Association, B. G. Flickinger will present "Pierre-Auguste Renoir: His Life, His Loves, His Riviera Gardens," a slide lecture on the artist and the exquisite paintings the world adores, on Tuesday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 418. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Frank D’Arrigo, director of technology for AAA Western and Central New York, will present "Cloud Computing: What’s the Big Deal?" on Friday, April 4, at 4:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 208.

Cloud computing has been a popular discussion topic in corporations of all sizes for the last three years, but why? What’s the big deal? In this presentation, D'Arrigo will define cloud computing and discuss AAA’s decision to move its data center to a hosted cloud provider. He will discuss the software-defined data center, AAA’s decision-making process, and the business and financial impact of cloud computing.

D’Arrigo has held numerous executive positions within AAA Western and Central New York that include database management, marketing, business intelligence, and information technology operations. Previously, he was a technology architect for a large financial services call center and assistant vice provost for undergraduate education at the University at Buffalo. He is a graduate of UB, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in geography with a focus on international trade, world investment, and urban and regional analysis.