Please join the Buffalo State Communication Department and the Equity and Campus Diversity Office in celebrating Women's History Month with a free screening and discussion of Kim Longinotto's most recent film, Salma (2013), at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

"When Salma, a young Muslim girl in a south Indian village, was 13 years old, her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were Salma's salvation. She began covertly composing poems on scraps of paper and, through an intricate system, was able to sneak them out of the house, eventually getting them into the hands of a publisher. Against the odds, Salma became the most famous Tamil poet: the first step to discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village." (Sundance Institute)

Open SUNY: What’s in it for faculty? At the State of the University address on January 14, Chancellor Zimpher introduced a new SUNY-wide effort in online education called Open SUNY and the Open SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence.

To support and expand SUNY’s existing online learning “community of practice,” the center is formalizing roles that online educators and online education professional staff have always played on their campuses and across the system. This will provide and aid faculty members who are interested in effective online teaching and learning with the opportunity to contribute to the SUNY-wide online education community. It will also enable campuses and the center to better identify and meet the specific needs of online faculty and staff members, and to promote visibility and networking among peers with shared interests across the system.

Membership in the new Open SUNY center is intended to be inclusive. All faculty members, including those simply exploring online teaching for the first time, are invited to learn more about the center and consider becoming an Open SUNY fellow.

To learn more or to join, please visit http://commons.suny.edu/facultycenter.

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) sponsors the Weight Watchers At-Work program on Wednesdays from noon to 1:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 208. The program is open to faculty, staff, and students.

Benefits of the At-Work program:

• Flexibility – When you sign up for Monthly Pass, you’ll get access to weekly At-Work meetings; unlimited local meetings; and eTools, the Internet weight-loss companion.
• Convenience – Weight Watchers brings the meetings right to campus, so even the busiest person can still attend.
• Daily motivation – Since a majority of our week is most likely spent at work or school, attending Weight Watchers on campus creates a great network for ongoing support and motivation.
• Fee – Participants must register for Monthly Pass, costing $39.95 a month (which is less expensive than the Weight Watchers center), payable by credit card, debit card, or PayPal.

For more information, please contact Gina Game, campus coordinator.

On behalf of the Buffalo State Campus Intercultural Communications Committee, the International Student Affairs Office is delighted to invite all internationally minded faculty, staff, and students to attend our well-known weekly International Social Hour, which allows all international students, scholars, and their friends to meet informally. This special get-together takes place every Thursday from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Assembly Hall 1 of the Campbell Student Union.

Coffee, tea, and other light refreshments are graciously shared.

Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, March 6.

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center will facilitate SUNY Buffalo State’s participation in National Volunteer Week from Monday, April 7, through Saturday, April 12, as an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to be inspired, recognized, and encouraged to engage in the Buffalo community through volunteerism and service learning. The VSLC’s National Volunteer Week will provide various programming opportunities for students, faculty, and staff  that will recognize student leaders, encourage students to participate in service, and inspire those who have not yet engaged in the community through service-learning courses or volunteerism.

Below is a listing of campus panel presentations for the week of April 7. Faculty and staff members are invited to attend any of the campus events and are encouraged to tell students as well. For a full description of events, please see the VSLC's website.

Tuesday, April 8

• Alternative Break, 12:15–1:30 p.m., Bulger Communication Center East
  Have you heard about Alternative Break? Are you interested in learning more? This interactive panel presentation featuring SUNY Buffalo State’s student-led Alternative Break (AB) program will provide an opportunity for past participants to discuss their AB experience and encourage others to participate in volunteerism—on their own, with the AB program, or in a service-learning course.
   
• Year of the Teacher: AmeriCorps Panel, 3:00–5:00 p.m., Bulger Communication Center South
  Have you heard of AmeriCorps? Are you curious or interested in hearing from former students who have completed a term of service in the community? Our office gets many questions from students considering AmeriCorps programs, and this panel will help create a forum where students can hear firsthand accounts of alumni’s national service experience as it relates to education and the classroom.

Thursday, April 10

• Community Service Peer Leader Panel, 12:15–1:30 p.m., Bacon Hall 117
  The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center has offered the Community Service Peer Leader program to SUNY Buffalo State students since 2011. In this program, students are paired with a community partner and serve as a long-term leader in the community and on campus. The VSLC Community Service Peer Leaders will host a roundtable to discuss their 250-hour service experience throughout the 2013–2014 academic year with interested students.

National Volunteer Week is coordinated by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. This week is sponsored by the SUNY Buffalo State Grant Allocation Committee, the Faculty-Student Association, and M&T Bank.

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center will facilitate SUNY Buffalo State’s participation in National Volunteer Week Monday, April 7, through Saturday, April 12, as an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to be inspired, recognized, and encouraged to engage in the Buffalo community through volunteerism and service learning. The VSLC’s  National Volunteer Week will provide various programming opportunities for students, faculty, and staff that will recognize student leaders, encourage students to participate in service, and inspire those who have not yet engaged in the community through service-learning courses or volunteerism.

Below is a list of on-campus service projects for the week of April 7. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to participate in these service projects. For a full description of events, please see the VSLC's website.

Monday, April 7

• Build a Birdhouse, Noon–2:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Lobby
  More than 70 community gardens have been popping up throughout the city in recent years. Help continue the beautification of the city. Students have the opportunity construct and paint wooden birdhouses that will be used in community gardens through long-time community partners Grassroots Gardens, Massachusetts Avenue Project, and Journey’s End Refugee Services.   

Wednesday, April 9

• Make a Blanket, 10:00 a.m.–Noon, Campbell Student Union Lobby
  Everyone knows the comfort and security a blanket can have on a child. Lend a hand in making no-sew blankets for children and families staying at Buffalo City Mission and Gerard Place.

Friday, April 11

• Construct Waterproof Mats, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Lobby
  On any given night, 2,000 men, women, and families are homeless in Buffalo. Construct a waterproof mat, made from plastic grocery bags, for Friends of Night People’s homeless outreach program. 

Saturday, April 12

• Spring Community Service Day, 12:30–4:00 p.m.; Meet in the Sports Arena
  The culminating event for National Volunteer Week. The VSLC will host a Saturday of service where students are introduced to the Buffalo community through service projects with nonprofit organizations. Students will be provided transportation to and from community partner sites in this VSLC-facilitated event.

National Volunteer Week is coordinated by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. This week is sponsored by the SUNY Buffalo State Grant Allocation Committee, the Faculty-Student Association, and M&T Bank.

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center will facilitate SUNY Buffalo State’s participation in National Volunteer Week Monday, April 7, through Saturday, April 12, as an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to be inspired, recognized, and encouraged to engage in the Buffalo community through volunteerism and service learning. The VSLC’s  National Volunteer Week will provide various programming opportunities for students, faculty, and staff that will recognize student leaders, encourage students to participate in service, and inspire those who have not yet engaged in the community through service-learning courses or volunteerism.

Below is a listing of on-campus events for the week of April 7. Faculty and staff are invited to attend any of the on-campus events and are encouraged to tell students as well. For a full description of events, please see the VSLC's website.

Monday, April 7

• On-Campus Service Project – Build a Birdhouse, Noon–2:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Lobby 

Tuesday, April 8

• Celebration of Service Award Nominations, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Lobby
• Alternative Break Participant Panel, 12:15–1:30 p.m., Bulger Communication Center East
• Year of the Teacher: AmeriCorps Panel,  3:00–5:00 p.m., Bulger Communication Center South

Wednesday, April 9

• On-Campus Service Project – Make a Blanket, 10:00 a.m.–Noon, Campbell Student Union Lobby

Thursday, April 10

• Friends of Night People, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Lobby  
• Community Service Peer Leader Panel, 12:15–1:30 p.m., Bacon Hall 117

Friday, April 11

• On-Campus Service Project – Construct Waterproof Mats, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Lobby

Saturday, April 12

• Spring Community Service Day, 12:30–4:00 p.m.; Meet in the Sports Arena

National Volunteer Week is coordinated by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. This week is sponsored by the SUNY Buffalo State Grant Allocation Committee, the Faculty-Student Association, and M&T Bank.

What's not to love about Campus House? Fine dining at an affordable price right on campus; a place to meet with colleagues during the day or after work; and a host of amenities: daily newspapers, a reading room, computer and Internet access, and complimentary coffee and tea from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Member events in March include the annual Fish Fry Event on March 7 and Dublin House on March 13. Guests of members are welcome. Event details can be found on the Campus House website.

Check out our new Campus House blog, authored by one of our very own hospitality students.

Turnitin service may be intermittently unavailable during a scheduled maintenance period on Saturday, March 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Instructors should consider modifying assignment due dates or informing students who may be submitting assignments during the scheduled maintenance window.

Ekin Atilla-Gokcumen, assistant professor of chemistry at the University at Buffalo, will present her research talk "Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Approaches to Study the Involvement of Lipids in Biological Processes" on Thursday, March 6, at 12:30 p.m. in Science Building 272. Before her talk, she will meet with Buffalo State students in Science and Math Complex 201 from 9:30 to 10:10 a.m. The abstract of her talk appears below.

This seminar series is sponsored by the Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee, the Vice President for Student Affairs Office, and the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
Lipids are a broad class of biomolecules whose primary role is to form the permeability barriers that define cells and compartments within them. Increasingly, they are being recognized as playing a critical role in signaling molecules both within cells and between cells. This seminar will discuss current interests in studying the participation of these molecules in cells’ different decision-making processes, i.e., cell division, death, and senescence. Specifically, we have developed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based profiling approaches to study temporal and spatial regulation of lipid composition throughout cell division. For instance, this approach recently allowed us to investigate global lipid composition of cells as they divide and identify 11 lipids with specific chemical structures accumulating in dividing cells. The current efforts in our lab are directed toward identifying the lipids that change during apoptosis and senescence.