By Tony Astran

Drew Kahn, professor and chair of the Theater Department, wonders what Anne Frank—who would have turned 80 this year—would think about genocide in today’s world. Kahn hopes to engage the Buffalo State community in such a discussion with the Anne Frank Project, an inaugural daylong conference on September 11.

The Anne Frank Project builds on the Theater Department’s mission of social change and diversity, which burgeoned in 2006 with the production of The Diary of Anne Frank. The play updated the classic story by weaving the horrors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide into the Holocaust of World War II. Two “Annes” were cast, one Jewish and the other Tutsi.

The project will gather speakers, artists, scientists, and writers to comment on and artistically interpret genocide as a recurring global tragedy. Events include hands-on workshops, presentations, theater and dance performances, a panel discussion with genocide survivors, and a keynote speech from Hilary Eddy Stipelman, program manager of the Anne Frank Center USA in New York City.

Opening ceremonies begin at 9:00 a.m. in Warren Enters Theatre in Upton Hall. Workshops and performances will take place throughout the day across campus and are designed to relate to the 2008–2010 academic theme. Related events will continue into the evening at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. A variety of faculty members from the School of Arts and Humanities will also deliver presentations and performances. Events are free, but reservations are recommended by September 4.

Kahn hopes faculty and staff will consider bringing their classes to one or more of the day’s events.

“This project serves as a litmus test for social responsibility,” he said. “Just as Anne said, ‘How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world,’ I think the day’s events will give students applications for making a difference. My thought is, if you can’t explore the most difficult of experiences on a college campus, where can it happen?”

In June, the SUNY Office of Diversity and Educational Equity awarded Buffalo State a $9,000 Explorations in Diversity and Academic Excellence Award. The money will be used to create a visual dedication to the Anne Frank Project on campus. Kahn is working with Campus Services to create a brick walkway and sitting area in the quad on the east side of the Savage Building.

The Theater Department also applied to the Anne Frank Center USA to receive a horse chestnut sapling from the tree that resides behind the secret annex in Amsterdam, where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis. The center will award saplings to seven institutions at the end of September.

“The horse chestnut tree was Anne’s connection to nature while in hiding,” Kahn said, “Between the Anne Frank Project and the outdoor display, we hope to show the Anne Frank Center that we’re ready for a long-term commitment to educate the community about ending violence, bigotry, and genocide.”

Partners of the 2009 Anne Frank Project include the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the School of Arts and Humanities, the Theater Department, the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, the Anne Frank Center USA, the Buffalo News, Re-Tree WNY, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

From the Interim President
As we get in gear for the fall 2009 semester, I want to offer a warm welcome back to those of you who have been away for the summer, an equally warm welcome to those of you who are new to Buffalo State, and sincere thanks to those who have been working so hard all summer long to keep the college moving forward. I hope this finds you energized and ready for another outstanding academic year!

We have now in our midst some 14 new full-time faculty members, as well as many professional and classified staff who have joined us over the past year. As of today, we’re expecting approximately 1,550 new first-year students and nearly 1,300 transfer students, as well as 500 new graduate students. Total enrollment should exceed 11,450.

Those of you who are returning to Buffalo State after a summer away will notice many improvements across campus—and some projects still under way. After a summer of resurfacing and rerouting, the reconstruction of Rockwell Road was completed ahead of schedule, and the street is now open for traffic and parking. The renovation of the Student Union Quad continues; much necessary work was completed this summer, and the project will continue next summer. We expect to see movement on the technology building and the new residence hall in the coming months. Finally, the site for the new science and math complex has been prepared, and we have scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for Friday, September 25.

The ceremonial start of the 2009–2010 session will take place on Thursday, September 17, at noon in Rockwell Hall with our 2009 Academic Convocation. This year’s speaker will be Gene Nichol, professor of law and director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina, who will deliver the Bonnie and Vern L. Bullough Academic Convocation Address. Academic Convocation is a terrific opportunity for us to gather as a community, celebrate the start of another academic year, and recognize our colleagues with President’s and Chancellor’s awards. I hope to see you there.

And I hope you will join me in endeavoring to make the year ahead a great one for Buffalo State. Though the college is now in a period of transition, the things that make this such a rewarding place to study and work remain strong:

• We are a student-centered institution, with a deep and abiding commitment to giving our students rich and meaningful learning experiences and tools for personal and professional success.
• We are a welcoming and supportive community, with many great traditions that celebrate our shared membership in the wonderful Buffalo State College family.
• Our mission, vision, and core values such as quality teaching and learning, respect for diversity, and joy of discovery will remain the guiding principles of our institution, and are key to the implementation of our new strategic plan.

As interim president, I intend to steward these guiding principles and keep Buffalo State College moving forward. Let’s work together to keep growing, keep improving, keep making Buffalo State the best place it can be.

Have a great semester!

Yours sincerely,

Dennis K. Ponton
Interim President

By Mary A. Durlak

A healthy population of a rare species of mollusk, Truncilla macrodon, was discovered in the Colorado River in Texas by Lyubov Burlakova, principal investigator and research scientist with Buffalo State’s Great Lakes Center, and Alexander Karatayev, director of the Great Lakes Center, in May.

Since the native species—commonly known as Texas Fawnsfoot—was first described in 1859, only about 200 live specimens have been found, and only 12 in the last two decades. However, the Buffalo State team discovered a population of Texas Fawnsfoot consisting of about 3,000 individual specimens.

Burlakova, whose research focuses on biodiversity and conservation of freshwater ecosystems, was excited by the discovery but remains cautious. “We were very fortunate to discover a healthy population of this rare endemic species considered almost lost,” she said. “However, the status of other endemic species remains disturbing.” The colony of the Texas Fawnsfoot is the only colony that has been found. The team is returning to Texas to continue its research later this summer.

Since 2004, Burlakova, along with Karatayev and researchers from other institutions, has been conducting Texas-wide surveys of unionids, the family to which 300 North American mollusk species belong. The work has been funded through the State Wildlife Grant Program provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Their surveys helped to update the current status of several other populations of rare and endemic species in Texas.

A petition to include Texas Fawnsfoot and five other species that scientists consider to be at risk of extinction under the protection of the Endangered Species Act is being reviewed by the secretary of the interior.

By Mary A. Durlak

Maureen A. Lindstrom, associate director for information commons at E. H. Butler Library, has been awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship.

Lindstrom’s career at Buffalo State began in 1986 when she was hired as an entry-level clerk at the library. She earned her master in library science degree in 1995, and in 1996 became the first distance-learning librarian at the college, traveling around New York State to provide library instruction to students participating in distance learning. In 1999, she became electronic services librarian, a role in which she worked to ensure proper technical support for the library’s electronic resources, participated in library management, and planned activities for various digital initiatives.

In 2002, Lindstrom was appointed head of access services, overseeing operations in the circulation department, media services, and microforms. She introduced the concept of an information commons to campus, and guided it to successful implementation. As a result, students have a single centralized location to obtain assistance in using the library, resolving computing issues, learning software, and borrowing digital equipment including laptops and digital cameras.

During her career as an administrator, Lindstrom has continued to serve as part of the team of reference librarians and to teach course-related library instruction to students. She has also served on many significant college committees, including the College Planning Council, the Campus Safety Forum, the College Judicial Board, and several committees of the College Senate. She is also active in the State University of New York Librarians Association and the Western New York Library Resources Council.

Service to students, faculty members, and the entire Buffalo State community has characterized Lindstrom’s career. She has shared her knowledge and her passion for her work through extensive presentations and publications. Maryruth Glogowski, associate vice president for library and instructional technology, said of Lindstrom, “No one on campus has a stronger desire to collaborate to provide excellent services for our students.”

The award will be formally presented to Lindstrom during the college’s Academic Convocation ceremony on September 17 in Rockwell Hall Auditorium.

By Tony Astran

Buffalo State has received continued funding from the U.S. Department of Education for its Upward Bound program, a federally funded project that offers intensive need-based collegiate preparation to high school students. Dozens of students are now in the midst of a six-week summer program.

This year’s students will be at Buffalo State through August 13, living in Tower 1 Sunday through Friday nights. The program, which serves high school students from low-income families and from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree, is designed to increase the rates at which students complete high school and enroll in and graduate from college.

“The students learn pretty quickly that the program means business, and that this isn’t like a typical summer camp,” said Don Patterson, director of Upward Bound at Buffalo State. “But they quickly form close friendships. And most realize that if they stay committed, they can go on to college and do great things. That’s the goal.”

Buffalo State is one of a few colleges locally and one of hundreds nationally to offer Upward Bound. The U.S. Department of Education has cited Buffalo State’s chapter among the top 10 percent in the nation for results. Patterson said the college enrollment rate for program participants exceeded 90 percent last year.

The college chapter began in 1986 and today primarily serves low-income, first-generation-college students from East, Lafayette, and McKinley high schools.

A typical day for an Upward Bound student begins at 6:00 a.m. and entails six one-hour classes, recreation time, meals, creative classes such as art and music in the evening, study time, and about 90 minutes of supervised free time. No television, cell phones, or video games are allowed.

Patterson works with a dedicated staff of three throughout the year but hires about 30 people to help with the summer program. Some are Buffalo Public Schools teachers; others are Buffalo State undergraduate students who serve as teacher’s aides, tutors, and resident assistants.

Participants take classes in English, math, science, and Spanish. Patterson said the overall experience is much like college.

“The students have to travel from building to building on campus to get to their classes,” he said. “And they’re ultimately accountable for themselves. If they act up or don’t do their work, they don’t stay. Upward Bound is a serious commitment.”

And that commitment stretches well beyond the summer. During the school year, students meet with Upward Bound staff members up to four times a week after school for tutoring and every other Saturday for a special training program. Juniors and seniors receive help with SAT and college admission preparation as well as financial-aid planning. They also partake in a group road trip in the spring to tour colleges. Patterson said the Upward Bound program cannot recruit students to Buffalo State, but many do apply.

Patterson credits the Academic and Students Affairs Office for the program’s continued success for the past 23 years. He specifically thanks Hal Payne, vice president for student affairs, and Charles Kenyon, dean of students, who helped write a grant in 2007 that secured more than $2 million in federal funding through 2012. The funding allows Upward Bound at Buffalo State to serve about 80 students each year.

Patterson encourages faculty and staff to consider teaching a summer course. He also has students occasionally observe college courses and would like to increase those opportunities in the future.

“We see the potential in teenagers,” Patterson said. “With a little bit of guidance, they can go far.”

By Jerod Dahlgren

Buffalo State’s $8.2 million renovation of the Student Union Quad will provide improved amenities—both above and below the surface—for students, faculty, and staff.

While the campus community will be drawn to the additional green space and expanded outdoor seating upon completion in late fall 2010, the rehabilitation project also focuses on the critical maintenance of power lines from nearly 10 different utility systems located underneath the quad.

“The need for this project had been lingering for a few years now,” said Steven Shaffer, design and construction manager with Facilities Planning. “In addition to the deteriorating pavement, we had been having multiple utility interruptions in recent years. We knew we wouldn’t want to replace the pavement without replacing all of the utilities underneath.”

Virtually all campus utilities are found underneath the quad’s surface, including high- and low-voltage electrical lines, telephone, security, fire, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and steam lines.

“The utilities are very old; some are older than the four buildings surrounding the quad,” Shaffer said.

During initial excavations, contractors also discovered the bed from a roadway that used to cross campus prior to the construction of Cleveland Hall and Bulger Communication Center, Shaffer said.

Another significant element to the current project is the creation of a new storm-water retention and filtration pond adjacent to Lot Y, in accordance with state Department of Environmental Conservation guidelines.

“Environmental guidelines state that whenever we disturb one acre of land, we have to treat the storm water associated with the project before it is discharged into an existing waterway,” Shaffer said. “All of the storm water from the quad will be routed to the pond to be treated before being discharged into Scajaquada Creek.”

While the infrastructure improvements will be obscured upon the quad’s completion, the additional amenities will not. A new outdoor café at the northwest corner of the quad highlights the project, which will also feature contemporary walking paths and enhanced illumination in addition to the added green space and outdoor seating. The new café will be connected to the recently renovated Student Union Retail Dining Center.

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to visit the construction Web site for updates and advisories about this and other campus construction projects. Questions about campus construction may be e-mailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu.

By Phyllis Camesano

Newly appointed State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher will visit Buffalo State College on June 22 and 23 as part of her statewide tour of the university system this summer. The tour, which includes visits to all 64 SUNY campuses, will allow Zimpher to meet with campus leaders, hear various concerns, and learn the strengths and challenges of each institution.

The briefings are the first step in developing a comprehensive SUNY Strategic Plan for the next five to 10 years. Meetings in Albany this fall will help craft the plan, which is expected to be completed by spring 2010.

“There is method to our madness,” Zimpher said. “We want to declare this the first phase in a comprehensive plan.” She also stressed the importance of collaboration, saying she is a “strong believer that vision is derived at the hands of many.”

The chancellor’s visit to Buffalo State begins with a perimeter tour of the campus followed by a day of meetings with the president, provost, vice presidents, faculty, staff, students, union leaders, and the College Council. An evening reception on June 23, cohosted with the University at Buffalo, will introduce Zimpher to foundation board members, elected officials, community leaders, alumni, and donors.

Throughout the tour, Zimpher will be accompanied by her husband, Kenneth R. Howey, research professor at SUNY Albany and visiting fellow with the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. Howey is a nationally recognized expert and researcher in the field of teacher preparation, particularly in urban settings. Buffalo State’s School of Education dean and faculty members will host separate meetings for Howey.

Zimpher became the 12th chancellor of SUNY, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive system of public higher education, on June 1. She is the first woman in the 60-year history of the system to be named to the post. She comes to the position after a six-year tenure as president of the University of Cincinnati (UC), where she served as the institution’s first female president.

Under her leadership, UC embarked on a comprehensive process that involved a wide spectrum of the university’s stakeholders and resulted in the strategic vision “UC|21: Defining the New Urban Research University.” The university has also experienced enrollment growth to more than 37,000 students, increased retention and graduation rates, improved student satisfaction, and enhanced national rankings—including the Princeton Review’s 2009 best colleges list.

Zimpher holds a bachelor’s degree in English education and speech, a master’s degree in English literature, and a Ph.D. in teacher education and higher education administration, all from the Ohio State University.

For ongoing updates about the chancellor’s 64-campus tour, visit the SUNY Web site.

By Mary A. Durlak

Economists, activists, think-tank leaders, and public officials will gather in the Bulger Communication Center on campus today and Friday to discuss how the federal government’s stimulus spending will shape the economic future of the Rust Belt.

Buffalo State’s Center for Economic and Policy Studies is hosting the Great Lakes Metros and the New Opportunity Summit: Remaking Policy and Practice in a Time of Transformation. Conference organizers include the Great Lakes Urban Exchange (GLUE); the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Northeast Midwest Institute; and Buffalo’s Partnership for the Public Good. Registration for both days is $25; there is no charge for students or representatives of not-for-profit groups.

The conference was organized as a response to the federal stimulus package, formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“To maximize the opportunity of the new [Obama] administration’s commitment to cities, we must do our part locally,” said Bruce Fisher, director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies. “Regional governance at the metropolitan level is the most effective way to ensure that local fragmentation doesn’t prevent us from utilizing federal support to its fullest potential. We have organized this summit to reflect our agreement that regional cooperation is a necessary component to addressing all of the issues facing our cities.”

The keynote speech will be given by Jennifer Bradley, senior research associate with the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. An impressive list of speakers has been scheduled, including William Hudnut, former mayor of Indianapolis, and William Johnson, former mayor of Rochester. Stephen Banko, Buffalo Field Office director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Kathryn Foster, director of the University at Buffalo’s Regional Institute, are also schedule to speak. Many community groups, including Neighborhood Housing Services of South Buffalo, the Coalition for Economic Justice, the Cleveland East Side Organizing Project, and PUSH Buffalo, will also be represented.

“The new administration has made cities a priority,” said GLUE director Sarah Szurpicki. “Unless policymakers, activists, and other stakeholders seize this moment to advance new strategies for regional collaboration and to rethink the role of federal policy in urban vitality, we may have to wait decades for another opportunity like this. Cities like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit don’t have that kind of time.”

The GLUE coalition was founded to promote the power, aide in the positive transformation, and address the shared challenges of similarly storied older industrial cities situated in the Great Lakes watershed.

By Mary A. Durlak

The United States is en route to the moon again—and this time, Buffalo State is represented on the science team by Kevin Williams, assistant professor of earth sciences and science education and a planetary geologist.

The purpose of the trip, according to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Web site, is to lay the groundwork for establishing a lunar outpost.

Williams is an expert in using radar to investigate the surface of planets and other bodies in space, such as the moon. “I always wanted to be an astronaut,” he said. “I’m interested in astronomy, but what I really like is exploring planets.”

Strictly speaking, the moon is not a planet, but it is part of the Earth system. Most scientists agree that the moon was formed when a meteorite the size of Mars crashed into Earth and the debris formed the moon in orbit around the planet.

Earth’s companion has been waxing and waning for about 4.5 billion years, but researchers still don’t know if it has water. That’s one of the things that Williams hopes to learn.

The LRO will be circling the moon and deploying many devices to study its surface. Among them is the mini-RF (miniature radio frequency), a new technology that uses a form of radar to explore the surface of the moon and the first few feet beneath it.

“Radar can tell you something about the texture of the surface,” Williams explained. “You can gather some information about its roughness and craters, which can help identify possible landing sites. Combined with other instruments, you can gather information about the composition of the material.” Analyzing data obtained through this technology is one of Williams’s areas of expertise.

Williams has also been involved in mapping the surface of Mars and exploring Earth’s high arctic regions with the McGill University research team at the McGill Arctic Research Station not far from the North Pole.

The lunar mission will orbit the moon’s poles about 50 kilometers (31 miles) above the surface. The polar regions are significant because they are possible locations for the next manned visit to the moon. These regions are relatively unexplored and may contain ice in craters that are always in shadow.

Among the mini-RF’s capabilities is the ability to detect ice deposits. If ice exists on the moon, it could be a source of water for a lunar outpost for researchers.

“It’s pretty exciting stuff to be doing,” said Williams. “I can’t wait for the data to start coming in. I fully expect that by 2020, we’ll be stepping on the moon again.”

By Tony Astran

For many faculty members, the summer offers time to catch up on continuing projects or begin new ones. Many Buffalo State faculty recently took advantage of new programs offered through the Faculty Development Center to hone their work and stay productive during the warmer months.

Sue McMillen, associate professor of mathematics and director of faculty development, spearheaded a series throughout May called “Start Your Summer Scholarship.” Nearly 50 faculty members participated in a variety of activities, including an introduction to Endnote citation-management software, two workshops as part of the Summer Pedagogical Institute, and a writing event that paired participants with mentors.

“The main idea was to energize faculty as they begin the summer for their own research and writing and also for their teaching,” McMillen said.

Theresa Harris-Tigg, assistant professor of English and coordinator of the English education program, participated in the writing event. She hopes to complete three publishable articles and outline her first book before the fall semester begins.

“The summer months offer a great time for productivity, but you have to be good at prioritizing,” Harris-Tigg said.

She is grateful for the advice she received from her writing mentor, Paul Theobald, professor and Woods-Beals Endowed Chair with the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education. During the full-day writing event on May 29, Theobald offered Harris-Tigg suggestions to add more depth to her article and also referred her to Bill Wieczorek, professor and director of the Center for Health and Social Research, for advice on incorporating surveys into her work.

To encourage continued productivity during the summer, McMillen is making the conference area outside her office—Bulger Communication Center 104—available every Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for those seeking quiet time for writing or a place to share ideas with colleagues.

“The space offers little distraction and can energize a faculty member by being in the presence of others who want to write,” she said. “It’s like having a workout buddy.”

KeunYoung “Vicky” Oh, assistant professor of technology, registered for all the activities. She found the Summer Pedagogical Institute workshops—Strategies for Teaching Large Classes and Dealing with Disruptive Students—to be helpful.

“The workshops were very informative and inspirational,” Oh said. “As a novice in higher education, my whole perspective to classroom teaching has changed to more student-learning and thinking skills.”

Oh, who is currently working on a manuscript about the design attributes of online shopping sites, compares the summer months to farming.

“The summer is like a seeding time for me to be an active scholar,” she said. “In this profession, ‘publication’ is considered products or crop. During this summer, if I can produce manuscripts to be sent to journals, if I can develop questionnaires to be sent out to respondents, or if I can do some reading and be able to come up with new research ideas or proposals, my seeding mission would lead me to a successful growing season throughout the next year.”

McMillen is compiling a calendar of new activities for the fall. She hopes to repeat a similar series during Winterim and future summers.