Mary M. Todd, former director of teacher education at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, has accepted the position of accreditation coordinator for Buffalo State’s teacher education programs. Todd will collaborate with education faculty and staff to prepare for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) continuing accreditation review, which is scheduled for April 2008.

Todd earned her doctorate in human development from the University of Maryland at College Park. She most recently worked as a consultant for NCATE program review. She has worked as a systems engineer and marketing representative at IBM and was a member of the NCATE transition team through the pilot and implementation of performance-based standards.

Todd’s skills and experiences will help Buffalo State to effectively represent education program, faculty, and candidate strengths for the NCATE review.

Dear Buffalo State Colleagues,
I am delighted to report that my wife, Ronnie, and I have successfully completed our move from Missouri to New York and are settling in at 152 Lincoln Parkway. We couldn’t be happier to be in Buffalo!

Today I officially take up residence in the President’s Office on the fifth floor of Cleveland Hall and begin my new role as president. I am honored to become part of this vibrant and thriving campus community and to carry on the work that our provost, Dennis Ponton, has been doing so well. I want to thank Dennis for his service as interim president, and will rely on his expert counsel—and that of the college’s terrific vice presidents and deans—in the weeks and months ahead.

I will also be eager to hear from as many of you as possible as we chart a strong course for the future of Buffalo State. I plan to conduct a “listening tour” to gain a sense of where all members of our college community think Buffalo State should be headed, as well as where its greatest challenges and opportunities lie. Your thoughtful and informed perspective on this institution will be tremendously helpful to me.

For now, though, enjoy the magnificent Buffalo summer. And thanks so much for the warm welcome you have already given me and my family.

Sincerely,

Aaron Podolefsky
President
http://president.buffalostate.edu

…

The original version of this message was sent to all faculty and staff by e-mail on July 1, 2010.

By Mary A. Durlak

Lydia Fish, folklorist and professor of anthropology, made an essential contribution to the forthcoming CD box set, Next Stop Is Vietnam 1961–2008. From her personal archives, Fish contributed recordings of music made, not by the big-name musicians of the Vietnam era, but by the soldiers and civilians who were actually serving in Southeast Asia.

The long-awaited collection of 14 CDs, plus a 360-page book, is scheduled for release in August by Bear Family Records of Germany, which is a world-renowned reissuer of top-shelf music and multi-artist themed compilations for collectors and archivists.

Fish received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before earning her Ph.D. in folklore from Indiana University. Prior to starting her doctorate in 1965, she accepted a position teaching history for North Carolina State’s extension division at Fort Bragg, headquarters of the 82nd Airborne and the 5th Special Forces. “They wanted someone who would live on the base,” said Fish, “and I had a year before starting my doctorate, so I took the job.”

At the time, Fish was a folksinger, and she played at the 82nd Airborne Officers’ Club at Fort Bragg. “I sang mostly traditional folk songs,” she said, “and I listened to the songs the soldiers sang.” During that time, she became interested in military folklore. “Every occupation has its folklore,” she said.

When she came to Buffalo State in 1967, she focused on the urban and industrial folklore of Western New York, amassing with her students a collection of 5,000 fieldwork projects. Her focus shifted back to the military when she received a phone call from a former student, Michael Licht, ’73.

“Mike was working at the Library of Congress in the American Folk Life Center,” said Fish. “He called and told me he’d found tapes of music made by soldiers serving in Vietnam. I was interested, so I obtained copies of them.”

The tapes had been compiled by General Edwin Lansdale, who recorded the first collection of 51 songs, In the Midst of War, in his villa in Vietnam between 1965 and 1967. The second collection, Songs by Americans in the Vietnam War, was compiled stateside several years later.Fish set out to track down the musicians. The result became the Vietnam Veterans Oral History and Folklore Project, which includes her research into the music and the soldier-singers who made it. One contact led to another, and she amassed what is now more than 500 hours of music. “People still send tapes to me,” she said. “I’m so familiar with the music, I can often tell by listening which version of a song is the earlier.” The archives also contain letters, articles, and hundreds of photos; about a dozen are included in the hardcover book that is part of Next Stop Is Vietnam.

Hugo Keesing, former adjunct associate professor at the University of Maryland, is the reissue producer of the upcoming CD set and author of the accompanying book. He met Fish in 1993 when they both attended an oral history symposium, “Vietnam 20 Years After: Voices of the War.” When Bear Family Records asked him to produce this collection, he contacted Fish for assistance with an “in-country” disc. “We spent days listening to my tapes,” said Fish. “I had songs I thought absolutely had to be included, and Hugo and I chose the songs from which Bear Records made their final choices.”

Of the 29 selections on disc 7, Goodbye Travis Air Force Base, 20 are from Fish’s collection. “Another three are included elsewhere in the set,” she said. Not all of them are archival; some have been commercially produced. In fact, Fish is especially proud of the CD In Country,produced by Flying Fish (no relation), a record label since sold to Rounder Records. She wrote the CD’s liner notes, which were nominated for an Indy music award. The CD’s name is slang for being on the ground in Vietnam.

Fish’s years of research have made her one of the world’s experts on Vietnam war music created by soldiers, and a member of a small global network of researchers studying military folk music. She can rattle off names of divisions, generals, and field commanders as well as the names of the singers she has worked with. She has served as consultant for the National Archives, the BBC, PBS, theArmy Times, and Penthouse. Her work has been published in New York Folklore and the Journal of American Folklore. “I may be the only academic published in Journal of American Folklore to have an article vetted by the director of the CIA,” she said. “William Colby asked to read it. After he said he liked it, I sent it off.”

With Next Stop Is Vietnam 1961–2008, Fish’s work reaches an even wider audience. “The box set will belong not just to collectors, but also to archives around the world,” she said. That suits her. Throughout the years, she has worked diligently to make the soldiers’ music available, first, to the original musicians, and then to scholars and to others who want a glimpse of what it was like to be serving in Southeast Asia in the middle of the twentieth century.

By Mary A. Durlak

The Mathematics Department is the first department at Buffalo State to offer a professional science master’s (P.S.M.) degree program—the first and so far only P.S.M. in applied mathematics and computation in New York State.

P.S.M. programs are springing up across the country in response to a need for employees with advanced training in science or mathematics and training in management skills.

The new program, a master of science in professional applied and computational mathematics (PACM), is accepting applicants for fall 2010. Several competitive fellowships of $15,000 are available, thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The 30-credit-hour program includes 9 credit hours of courses in analytical mathematical modeling; 9 credit hours in statistical data analysis; and 9 credit hours in business communication, project management, and operations management. A 3-credit-hour master’s project will include an internship involving data collection, analysis, and synthesis into an analytical mathematical model.

“Applied mathematics can help organizations gain the maximum benefit from data,” said Joaquin Carbonara, associate professor of mathematics and interim director of PACM. “Our goal is to provide employers in the nonacademic sector with much-needed experts in applied mathematics.”

The program’s offerings must be flexible so that it can be responsive to employers’ needs. To make the program as nimble as possible, the math courses are offered as 1-credit modular courses of five weeks each, for a total of three each semester. “This way,” said Carbonara, “we can adapt a module to respond to necessary changes or requests. It’s much easier to change a 1-credit course than a 3-credit course.”

The development of the PACM program was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Buffalo State College. The PACM’s advisory board includes an interdisciplinary group of faculty members and representatives from business, industry, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.

“The goal of applied mathematics and the PACM is to train people to use math to solve problems in a multidisciplinary setting, to be effective communicators, and to work well within a team,” said Carbonara. “Applied math is flexible, and its practitioners will use any tool available to help organizations make data-driven decisions.”

For example, the amount of available raw data has shot through the roof as computers have gained in power and speed. However, such data is not information. That’s where graduates from the PACM program come in. They will know how to mine accurate and relevant information from raw data to enable organizations to make fact-based decisions.

“Even long-range strategic plans can benefit,” said Carbonara. “Planning five to 10 years in the future doesn’t have to rely on ‘guesstimates.’ Applied mathematicians can provide useful information about trends based on multiple factors.”

Carbonara also noted that applied and computational mathematics have broad uses across all the sciences, and can act as a bridge to connect disciplines.

The Research Foundation at Buffalo State College welcomed three new members to the Million Dollar Club during its 13th annual Research Foundation Recognition Reception on April 26. The Million Dollar Club recognizes those who have secured sponsored program funding in excess of $1 million.

Honored were Michael J. De Marco, chair and professor of physics; Naomi Diaz, program director of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP); and Christopher M. Pennuto, professor of biology.

A record number of invited guests joined the reception in the Burchfield Penney Art Center to celebrate the achievements of members of the campus community who secured funds for research or sponsored programs, as well as to honor Research Foundation administration employees for milestones in years of service.

Jill Singer, professor of earth sciences and science education and director of the Undergraduate Research Office, announced the recipients of the Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program (USRF). Twenty-four awards were granted this year, the highest number awarded in a single year. Since the program’s inception in 1999, a total of 156 USRF program awards have been made, representing an investment of more than $630,000.

Guests also welcomed Buffalo State’s incoming president,Aaron Podolefsky, and his wife, Ronnie. The contributions of other Buffalo State and RF faculty and staff were also acknowledged. Please read the full news release on the Research Foundation Web site.

By Mary A. Durlak

Buffalo State College will confer degrees on more than 1,800 undergraduate and 750 graduate students during its 138th Commencement celebration on Saturday, May 15, in the college Sports Arena. SUNY honorary degreesand Distinguished Alumnus Awards also will be presented during the two baccalaureate and one master’s hooding and C.A.S. ceremony.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates and join them in celebration on this special day by marching in the academic procession or by serving as a volunteer. Volunteers are still needed for the 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. ceremonies. More information is available online. Contact the Events Management Office atcommence@buffalostate.edu with questions.

The following graduates of the Class of 2010 will be recognized for their academic and extracurricular achievements, leadership, and service:

President’s Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Student
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Sarah Fehskens earned a bachelor of arts in Spanish language and literature with a minor in sociology and a GPA of 3.83. A graduate of the All College Honors Program, she received the Outstanding First-Year Achievement Award and the Ernest S. Falbo Modern Foreign Language Prize.

Fehskens participated in a study tour of Dublin, Ireland, and studied language, culture, and literature at the University of Salamanca in Spain, where she also worked as a volunteer English teacher. She has held many leadership positions on campus, including president of the All College Honors Council, president of the Spanish Club, student member of the Buffalo State College Foundation, and representative of the Modern and Classical Languages Department to the School of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Student Council. Fehskens has also been active in several community service projects.

She will deliver the student address at the 10:00 a.m. baccalaureate ceremony.

Angela Lambrix earned a bachelor of science in English education (7–12) with a cumulative GPA of 3.97. Lambrix has been on the dean’s list every semester is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the international education honor society. She received a number of scholarships, including the Nicholas Patterson Perpetual Fund Scholarship, the Business and Professional Women of Buffalo/Amherst Scholarship, the Hazel M. Bleeker Scholarship, and the United University Professions Scholarship. She also received the Ross B. Kenzie Family Presidential Scholarship, and she was admitted to the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program.

On campus, Lambrix helped to establish a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, and served as its president. She also helped run the department’s student-tutor writing center. She served as managing editor of the Buffalo Art Project and theWriters’ Compass, and volunteered in the community in several capacities.

Lambrix will deliver the student address at the 2:00 p.m. baccalaureate ceremony.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Nicollette Brown earned a bachelor of science in speech-language pathology and a minor in art therapy, with a cumulative 3.93 GPA.

Brown received the Anna P. Burrell Scholarship and the George Dougherty Scholarship for Health Professionals. She is also a member of the Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society, and she was accepted into the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, which prepares students for doctoral programs. She was the first Buffalo State student selected to participate in the competitive, prestigious Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine internship at New York University Langone Medical Center. She is also a member of several professional organizations.

Brown has volunteered both on campus and in the community. She mentored young children, college freshmen, and students with disabilities. As a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County, she was named Big Sister of the Month.

Sooja Lee earned a bachelor of fine arts in metals/jewelry design with a cumulative GPA of 3.81. She also holds a diploma as a gemologist and jewelry designer from her native South Korea, and a certificate in advanced diamond setting from Drouhard National Jewelers’ School in Mansfield, Ohio.

She received the seventh and eighth annual Hyatt Design Award for Excellence in Metal/Jewelry Design in 2009 and 2010. Lee’s work has been included in several student design exhibitions in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery, including juried exhibitions. Her work was also selected for inclusion in the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Gallery.

In 2008, she was accepted to the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, an international craft school in Maine, to study torch-fired enameling. She was also selected to assist renowned artist, sculptor, and metalsmith Thomas Mann at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C., in 2008. She traveled to Chicago for the Sculptural Objects and Functional Art (SOFA) exhibition, and she has attended several national conferences sponsored by the Society of North American Goldsmiths, a professional association for jewelry design and metalsmithing, to which she belongs.

Lee also participated in community service and student activities, including the International Student Organization and Students Involved in the Art of Metalsmithing.

John McGowan earned a bachelor of science in childhood education (grades 1–6) with a concentration in social studies and a cumulative GPA of 3.96.

McGowan served as vice president and president of the college’s Emerging Educator’s Chapter of the Association for Childhood Education International and was instrumental in developing its agenda and activities. He is a member of the college’s Student Council for Exceptional Children; Kappa Delta Pi, the international education honor society; and Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honor society. He also served in the highly selective position of student representative to the Professional Development Schools Consortium, a partnership between the School of Education and 42 participating schools.

His volunteer activities include more than 1,000 hours of work with Buffalo Public Schools students, Buffalo State College Clean-Up Day, the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, the St. Vincent de Paul toy and art supply drive, and the Love Canal 30th anniversary demonstration. He received the Democracy and Peace Service Learning Certificate of Recognition.

Yolanda Rondon earned a bachelor of arts in political science with two minors: international economics and international relations. She attained a cumulative GPA of 3.78 while participating in numerous campus leadership roles, academic enrichment activities, and volunteer and community service activities.

A graduate of the All College Honors Program, Rondon was also accepted to the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, and her research as a McNair scholar focused on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. She has presented research in many venues, including the New York State Political Science Association conference and the SUNY Model European Union conference simulation.

Rondon is a member of three national honor societies: Alpha Lambda Delta, Pi Sigma Alpha, and Chi Alpha Epsilon. She has completed three internships, including one with Congressman Chris Lee’s political campaign and another at the Office of the Attorney General in Washington, D.C. She also took an active role in various student organizations, including the United Students Government’s Judicial Council and the College Senate. She studied abroad in Europe, Turkey, and China. She was named European council president for the 2010 SUNY Model European Union simulation by the program’s director.

On campus, Ms. Rondon was a resident assistant, a tutor in political science and economics for students in the Educational Opportunity Program, and a mentor for the NIA program. She is president of the Kappa Pi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.

President’s Medal for Outstanding Graduate Student
Graduate Student Address

Rachel Berg earned a master of science in education degree in childhood special education, with a cumulative GPA of 4.0. Berg worked at Enterprise Charter School as a member of the AmeriCorps program. She was selected for the prestigious and competitive scholarship made possible by the Joseph and Mary Jean Daly Varga, ’43, Graduate Award Fund. She is also a member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education.

Berg also served as vice president of the college’s Best Buddies chapter, an organization that encourages the development of friendships between individuals with and without disabilities. Her volunteer activities include service at the Upgrade Academics Summer Literacy Enrichment Camp for urban students; as a mentor and tutor for students with disabilities at Dodd Middle School in Freeport, New York; and participation in after-school activities at Enterprise Charter School.

Berg will deliver the graduate student address at the 6:00 p.m. Master's Hooding and C.A.S. ceremony.

By Mary A. Durlak

The Center for Southeast Asia Environment and Sustainable Development kicks off its formal establishment at Buffalo State College with a book signing today at 12:30 p.m. in the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore.

Water Resources and Development in Southeast Asia, a collection of 12 invited and peer-reviewed papers addressing water and development issues relevant to Southeast Asia, was co-edited by Kim Irvine, professor of geography and planning and director of the new center. Other editors are Stephen Vermette, professor; Vida Vanchan, assistant professor; and Tom Murphy, adjunct faculty member, all of Geography and Planning.

The center, according to Irvine, is a focal point for existing campus efforts to promote sustainable development in Southeast Asia. “The center will make it easier to develop programmatic activities for our students,” he said, “and it will help us compete successfully for funding.” The center has existed under the aegis of the Research Foundation since 2008.

Irvine’s interest in Southeast Asia resulted from a sabbatical project at the National Water Research Institute of Environment Canada, where he met Murphy, an environmental scientist . Murphy’s projects involved technology for treating contaminated sediment. Because Irvine has a long-standing interest in wastewater treatment, the two became collaborators.

In 2003, Irvine and Murphy traveled to Chiang Mai University in Thailand. “We found out that Chiang Mai has a geography and planning department much like ours,” said Irvine, “and we developed a collaborative relationship with them.”

Since then, Irvine and Vermette separately and together have been involved in many projects in Southeast Asia, including several in Cambodia. Irvine coauthored “Integrated Water Resources Management—Opportunities and Challenges for Cambodia” with several scientists from Resource Development International–Cambodia. The work, which is included in Water Resources and Development in Southeast Asia, discusses the integrated water resources management (IWRM) philosophy and principles that have been used in the Great Lakes of North America, with an eye toward their possible application to the Mekong River basin in Cambodia.

Tao Tang, associate professor of geography and planning, along with Irvine and Vermette, has also participated in efforts to assess and improve water quality in Southeast Asia. With funding from the Conservation, Food, & Health Foundation, they assessed drinking-water quality in Cambodia.

In 2008, with funding from the National Science Foundation, Irvine and Vermette took six undergraduates to Cambodia and Thailand for a six-week research experience. Using kits developed for drawing water samples from Lake Erie, Buffalo State faculty members have developed ways for faculty and students from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, non-governmental organizations, and even high schools in Cambodia to establish drinking-water-quality assessment programs. Waterborne illness is a major cause of death in Cambodia.

“We hope that Water Resources and Development in Southeast Asia is a useful text for understanding issues regarding water-resource management,” said Irvine. “The lessons we’ve learned are applicable in many places. With the new center, we look forward to more opportunities for our students and for expanded international collaborations.”

By Mary A. Durlak

The annual Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program Honors Convocation will take place today, May 6, at 3:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. This year’s convocation is dedicated to the late Patrick Hartwick, ’78, ’84, who attended Buffalo State through the EOP program. Hartwick, who was appointed dean of the Ross College of Education at Lynn University in June 2007, died in the earthquake in Haiti on January 12. He was one of two faculty members leading a group of Lynn University students on an experiential service-learning course, “Journey of Hope—Haiti.”

“Dr. Hartwick stands as an example of the true benefit of the EOP program,” said Yanick Jenkins, EOP director. “EOP helps students get into college if they demonstrate potential, even if they have not yet demonstrated academic achievement. Dr. Hartwick achieved great things, and he gave up his life serving others.”

This year, the EOP Honors Convocation recognizes 395 EOP students who have achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 during the spring or fall 2009 semester, or whose cumulative GPA is greater than 3.0. “It is important to celebrate the accomplishment of these students,” noted Jenkins. “They demonstrate that EOP succeeds in its mission to help academically and financially disadvantaged students reach their potential.”

The theme of this year’s convocation is “Imagine, Believe, Achieve: Citizens of the World, Lending a Helping Hand.” In conjunction with this theme, platform baskets will be donated to Journey’s End Refugee Services. Student members of the EOP Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets before and after the program in the Rockwell Hall lobby, with proceeds going to the Children of Haiti Project.

Other program highlights include a DVD showing Buffalo State faculty, staff, and students expressing their reaction to recent global devastations. Angelo Ruiz, who will receive an EOP Distinguished Alumnus Award, will say a few words. Patrick Hartwick will receive the EOP Distinguished Alumnus Award posthumously, and his daughter, Allie Hartwick, is expected to attend.

Students singled out for academic achievement include Ruthie Coleman, who graduated in December 2009 with a 3.95 GPA, and Venus Wiggins, who graduates in May 2010 with a 3.91 GPA. Both will receive the Buffalo State Alumni Award.

More than 800 students are enrolled in EOP, which serves as an undergraduate college admissions and support program for students facing economic or academic challenges. The program was established in 1967 at Buffalo State by former New York State Assemblyman and Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, and was the first of its kind in the SUNY system.

By Mary A. Durlak

Buffalo State College will proudly honor two of its most distinguished and dedicated alumnae—community leaderLinda A. Dobmeier, ’71, and educator and authorBarbara Seals Nevergold, ’66—with the Distinguished Alumnus Award during this year’s Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 15.

Linda Dobmeier exemplifies professional accomplishment, community service, and support for Buffalo State College. After earning her B.S. in elementary education at Buffalo State, she spent 11 years teaching second grade at the William Kaegebein School on Grand Island. She continued her education during that time, and received a master’s in education from the University at Buffalo and a master’s in business administration from Canisius College.

In 1982, she left her teaching duties to assist in managing her family-owned business, Dobmeier Janitor Supply Inc. The locally owned company employs more than 40 people. Dobmeier has worked to build the company while maintaining its high standards for quality, integrity, and customer service.

Dobmeier joined the Buffalo State College Foundation Board of Directors, where she has served as a member of the board, a member of the Executive Committee, and chair of the Nominating Committee. She was elected chair of the foundation in 2007. Under her leadership, the foundation raised a record $8 million in fiscal year 2007–2008. During the economic downturn in 2008, the foundation was able to maintain all student scholarships, and to take a lead role in the new student housing project. Her leadership and stability have been vital in the foundation’s support of the college during its presidential transition year.

In addition to being an ardent and enthusiastic ambassador for the college, Dobmeier is a persuasive advocate for the All College Honors Program and the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State, which she has served as a member of its Board of Trustees. She is a member of the Peterson Society, the college honor society for supporters who have made a planned gift to the college. In addition to her many other roles on campus, she has actively supported the Foundation Scholarship Galas for 2007 through 2010, and served as chair of the foundation’s annual Golf and Tennis Scholarship Classic.

Dobmeier has been active in the community as a member of a number of boards over the years, including the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Board of Directors, the Canisius College Board of Trustees, the Amherst Police Foundation Board, the Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Brothers of Mercy Campus Foundation.

Dobmeier and Dobmeier Janitor Supply have been generous and consistent financial contributors to Buffalo State College and the Burchfield Penney Art Center for many years.

She will receive the award during the 10:00 a.m. baccalaureate ceremony.

Barbara Seals Nevergold is an educator, counselor, administrator, and, since 1999, co-founder of the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research and Education on Women Inc. Nevergold and Uncrowned Queens co-founder Dr. Peggy Brooks-Bertram compiled and edited Go, Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the New First Lady, a collection of letters and poems offering messages of hope and advice to Michelle Obama after her husband won the 2008 presidential election.

Nevergold graduated from Buffalo State with a B.A. in French secondary education. She earned master’s of education degrees in counseling and French education at the University at Buffalo and, in 1986, earned a Ph.D. in counseling education, also from UB. She also studied French at Laval University in Quebec, and at the University of Dijon in France.

She started her career as a French teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools, where she also served as a guidance counselor. She has been a vocal advocate for parental involvement in the public schools. She went on to hold major positions at several human service agencies, including executive director of the Niagara Frontier Association for Sickle Cell Disease, vice president for children’s services at Friendship House of Western New York, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Buffalo and Erie County, and director of student support services at the University at Buffalo’s Educational Opportunity Center.

She has served on the boards of directors of several local organizations, including the Graycliff Conservancy, the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, Sheehan Memorial Hospital, and the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier Inc. Her success has been recognized with many awards, including the Governor’s Women of Excellence Award in Education for Go, Tell Michelle. The book also won the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Award in 2009, presented by the Association of Black Women Historians. Additional awards include the WNY Women’s Hall of Fame, the Keeper of the Flame Award from the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the Community Life Award from the Buffalo Urban League, the State of New York Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award, and the Justice Award from the Bar Association of Erie County.

Nevergold has long been a financial supporter of Buffalo State. With her brothers and sister, she established the Seals Family Memorial Endowed Scholarship in memory of their mother, Mrs. Clara Ellis Seals; their father, the Reverend Willie B. Seals; and their brother, Kenneth Seals, M.D. She has also memorialized her parents by planting two trees in their honor in Buffalo State’s Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum.

Nevergold will receive the award at the 2:00 p.m. baccalaureate ceremony.

By Phyllis Camesano

An online exhibition of 500 World War I postcards, including handwritten notes and historical commentary, has been developed for E. H. Butler Library’s Web site by Andrew Nicholls, professor of history and social studies education, with Marc Bayer, information systems librarian.

The exhibition, Notes from Armageddon, provides an intimate glimpse into the emotions, culture, and politics of the era and a world at war. The site is searchable and encourages visitors to comment or even enhance the translations, as many postcards are from different countries.

Nicholls was provided the opportunity to work with the collection by a family friend, Richard J. Whittington, a high school history teacher from Nicholls’s home town of Midland, Ontario. Drawing on his knowledge of the era and extensive research, Nicholls includes insights and comments for each postcard, indicating the significance of handwritten notes in the context of the postcard image and the politics and culture of the time.

For example, Nicholls points to a postcard that bears a photograph of a dead soldier in a trench. “The governments of the combatant states forbade showing such images,” he said. “So, this postcard was most likely produced in the Netherlands or another neutral territory. For that reason, it is quite rare.”

Most postcards, however, are less graphic and more political or even humorous. One of the more interesting things Nicholls discovered while working with the collection was the sometimes odd juxtaposition of wartime imagery with written messages that gave little indication of the war. Nicholls recalls a series of notes between two sisters. “The cards portray children in military uniforms—and yet, the sisters’ messages are focused on whether or not their father should buy a lawn mower.”

First introduced in 1869, postcards reached peak popularity during World War I, according to Nicholls. “They provided fast, inexpensive communication with the novelty of being visual,” he said. “Their popularity was also spurred by the growth of public education and increasing numbers of people who could read and write.”

Nicholls received the Whittington collection in 2004. A year later, he presented a paper based on the collection at the New York State Association of European Historians conference, held at West Point. The reactions of his colleagues caused him to consider a variety of ways to take the images to a wider audience, including through a traditional publication such as a book or catalog.

Eventually, he determined that providing interested readers with unfettered access to the cards was the preferred option, and that Web-based technology could provide that. It was in light of this that Nicholls was introduced to Marc Bayer, who had recently been hired as an information technology specialist at E. H. Butler Library.

Nicholls and Bayer worked with Bruce Fox, campus photography and graphics coordinator, to put the collection into a format that was universally accessible. They see this launch as a first-stage effort, with future thematic galleries to be added, and additional emphasis placed on cards in the collection from non-English-speaking countries.