By Mary A. Durlak

CLARIFICATION APPENDED
Improving Americans’ scientific literacy by enhancing middle and high school science education is the purpose of a grant awarded by the NASA Langley Research Center. Catherine Lange, ’77, ’89, assistant professor of earth sciences and science education, heads a team of Buffalo State faculty and staff members who bring diverse, relevant skills to the project.

“In preparing this grant,” said Lange, “we had a powerful meeting of the minds.” The team includes Bettina Martinez-Hackert, director of field studies; Jude Sabato, assistant professor; Kevin Williams, assistant professor; and Joseph Zawicki, associate professor, all from the Earth Sciences and Science Education Department; also Joaquin Carbonara, associate professor, Mathematics; David Henry, associate professor, Elementary Education and Reading; Don Erwin, senior associate vice president for information services and systems; Dan MacIsaac, associate professor, Physics; and Charlotte Roehm, assistant professor, and Tao Tang, associate professor, Geography and Planning.

Although NASA is best known for launching vehicles into space, its many other facilities include several research centers. Another team member, principal investigator Lin Chambers, is a scientist at NASA Langley Research Center and director of the My NASA Data Project. Lange explained that NASA provides many services for educators, including resources such as lesson plans and science camps.

The grant developed by Lange and her team, Students and Teachers Using Data from Investigations in Earth Systems (STUDIES), will use three online resources to develop an integrated, user-friendly, Web-based resource to support three areas that are especially challenging for teachers of science in grades five and up. Those areas are earth motion (the earth’s rotation and revolution), mapping, and climate and weather.

Bernadette Tomaselli, ’72, ’84, a lecturer in the Earth Sciences Department and a longtime earth science teacher, is also on the team, as is Kenneth Huff, ’92, ’97, a middle school science teacher in the Williamsville School District. Huff received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from President George W. Bush in 2006; Tomaselli has been very active at the state level in developing Regents exams and science syllabi. Lange and Huff have worked together using My NASA Data.

Also included in the three-year, $650,000 project are one professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and another from Kentucky State University. Buffalo State’s portion of the grant is $270,355.

During the first year of the project, learning progressions and programs will be developed and tested with small groups of students and teachers. In summer 2011, 10 to 20 teachers will be chosen to attend on-campus training on the use of the learning progressions and programs, and to test them in their classrooms. The analysis phase will use multiple resources, including the Regents testing system, to determine if student learning outcomes are improved.

“It’s very exciting,” said Lange. “This project includes all relevant areas of expertise, thanks to the team members’ willingness to become involved.”

By Tony Astran

Imagine traveling to an American territory and coming back a different person. That’s what Evelyn Rosario, a counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program, tries to impress upon students who consider participating in Buffalo State’s longstanding study tour to Puerto Rico.

Rosario, who has advised the program since it began in 1993, has traveled 11 times to the island territory. She and some 84 students have visited more than 100 locations throughout the island, with each visit yielding a new memory.

The three-week trip in May is hardly an occasion to relax in the warm sun. “The study tour is an intense experience, and we’re very busy each day,” Rosario said. “Students are exposed to 500 years of history and have countless opportunities to interact with different people on the island.”

To be considered for the trip, students must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average, provide a statement of purpose and letters of recommendation, and meet with Rosario and other committee members for an interview. Before traveling, the students complete a research paper in conjunction with their field of study. On the trip, students write daily journal entries. Rosario said the tour covers all academic disciplines but does naturally focus more on art, history, education, and archaeology. Upon successful completion, students earn 6 academic credits.

The current cost of the trip is $3,900, which covers tuition, college fees, administrative charges, housing, meals, insurance, books, class materials, and airfare. Financial aid is available to help defray costs.

Students are not required to be proficient in Spanish to participate in the tour; however, both Spanish and English signs and conversation fill the island. Rosario said that, of the students who have traveled to Puerto Rico, nearly three-quarters were female and slightly more than half were of Hispanic descent.

“I think this tour helps bridge the gap to get more minority students studying abroad,” Rosario said. “The shorter trips are more affordable and oftentimes more appealing, especially for those who have never traveled outside the country.”

Numerous sights abound on Puerto Rico, despite the island’s small size. Previous student experiences have featured visits to the Camuy River Caves, the Bioluminescent Bay on the nearby isle of Vieques, the El Yunque rain forest, the Roberto Clemente Sports City complex, and a variety of historical, archeological, and art museums.

During the last study tour in 2009, Rosario introduced the group of students to her sister, the Honorable Luz Mariíta Santiago-Gonzalez, one of 27 elected senators. Students learned about Puerto Rico’s three major political parties and also saw the senators in session.

To build support for the tour, Rosario often organizes a campus workshop to educate the campus about Puerto Rico. The last workshop in 2009 focused on the island’s geography and included a variety of presentations from faculty at Buffalo State College and the University of Puerto Rico. Rosario said the workshops and the tour itself help portray Puerto Rico in a different light.

“There is a stereotype of Puerto Rico as a place of poverty and crime,” she said, “but it’s a very developed land. It’s rich in many ways—especially its culture.”

The virtual nonstop experiences on the island and visits with multiple host families help students build skills in teamwork and courteousness, said Rosario. “The tour helps students learn in a nontraditional way, and every experience illustrates the profound effects of history relative to Puerto Rico’s current state,” she said. “I think students really transform through the experience and return home as more knowledgeable, considerate, thoughtful, and mature individuals.”

The Puerto Rico study tour is co-sponsored by the International Education and Exchange Programs and the Educational Opportunity Program. The next tour is slated for spring 2011. For more information, contact Rosario, 878-4224, or Lee Ann Grace, assistant dean of international and exchange programs, 878-4620.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College will host a major retrospective of work by American artist Charles E. Burchfield, Heat Waves in a Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burchfield, from March 7 to May 23.

Selected as one of the top 10 exhibitions of 2009 by theNew Yorker magazine and the Los Angeles Times when it debuted at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles last fall, the exhibition includes more than 80 major watercolors, drawings, and oil paintings from private and public collections, as well as paintings and sketches seldom if ever seen by the public. The show has also drawn praise from critics at the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Curated by artist Robert Gober and organized by the Hammer in collaboration with the Burchfield Penney, the show combines artwork and biographical material to provide new insights into Burchfield’s creative vision and artistic process. The exhibition will travel next to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

An obsessive collector, organizer, and archivist, Burchfield left a trove of well-maintained sketches, notebooks, journals, and doodles spanning his entire career. This material is housed primarily at the Burchfield Penney, which has more than 25,000 objects by the artist. In curating the exhibit, Gober included much of this archival material, enriching each painting with a glimpse of how it came to be.

“I was interested in creating this exhibition because I wanted to take a deeper look at Burchfield: the man, the artist, and the work; how he lived his life; where he lived his life; how he made his works and the works themselves,” Gober said.

Many major institutions have collected Burchfield’s work, including the Whitney, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, and the Chicago Art Institute. Burchfield’s work constituted the first solo exhibition at the newly opened MoMA in 1930. There has not been a major retrospective of his work in more than 20 years.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 160-page, fully illustrated catalog edited by Gober and Cynthia Burlingham, Hammer deputy director, with essays by Gober, Burlingham, critic Dave Hickey, Burchfield Penney head of collections and the Charles Cary Rumsey curator Nancy Weekly, and Burchfield Penney research assistant Tullis Johnson. Published by Prestel, the catalog is a major scholarly addition to the study of Burchfield and includes illustrations of both paintings and historical material from the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

A full range of public programs, including panel discussions, lectures, and workshops, will also accompany the exhibition. For details, visitwww.YourNewBurchfieldPenney.com.

The exhibition is made possible at the Burchfield Penney through the support of Peter and Joan Andrews, the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, Carol E. Heckman and Charles E. Balbach, M&T Bank, and the John R. Oishei Foundation.

A special members’ preview will be held on March 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

By Tony Astran

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, mental illness is most prevalent among 18- to 24-year-olds, yet these young adults are also the least likely to seek help for psychological problems. Organizers of the upcoming Mental Health Awareness Week, which will be held next week on campus, hope to change that.

Suzanne Johnson, a senior counselor with Buffalo State’sCounseling Center, said one of the main goals is to foster open conversations about mental health. A host of eventsare scheduled from March 8 to 12, such as suicide-prevention training, workshops on the importance of proper sleep and eating habits, and group activities demonstrating techniques for coping with stress.

“The college-age group is particularly at risk for mental health issues because this period of life is a time of major transition, particularly where support systems are concerned,” Johnson said. “We want to make the issues open and eliminate negative connotations.”

Mental Health Awareness Week features a keynote speaker on Wednesday, March 10. Sean Campbell, an honors student at Hunter College and a nationally renowned speaker and author, will address the Buffalo State community at 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. During his presentation, “You Are Not Alone: Handling Mental Health Issues,” Campbell will describe his experiences of coping with his family’s and his own mental illnesses.

A newly created student chapter of Active Minds is playing a major role in coordinating the events on campus. According to Kimberley Zittel, assistant professor of social work and co-adviser of the chapter with Johnson, the chapter has quickly grown to 35 members since its formation at the beginning of the spring semester.

“I think today’s students have witnessed more tragedy in their lifetime than previous groups,” Zittel said. “Active Minds provides a ‘safety net’ that others care and are there to talk to.”

Zittel believes that good mental health “hygiene” is similar to exercise: it takes practice and consistency to be effective. “Humans are mind, body, and soul,” she said. “We all need balance and holistic care. Those who have mental illnesses can learn to thrive and persevere.”

“We need to make mental health a more normal conversation,” Johnson added. “There often is a stigma associated with mental illnesses. By dispelling myths and providing correct information, we can motivate students to get the messages out and also become more comfortable acknowledging stress and other issues.”

Johnson and Zittel encourage faculty and staff to consult the Counseling Center at 878-3636 regarding mental health concerns among their students.

Mental Health Awareness Week is sponsored by the Faculty-Student Association, the Counseling Center, the Dean of Students Office, the Academic and Student Affairs Office, Weigel Health Center’s Health Promotion Unit, the Social Work Department, Active Minds Buffalo State Chapter, the Events Management Office, the Student Life Office, Campus Life, and the Dietetics and Nutrition Department.

By Tony Astran

A trio of faculty members will provide insights on unique topics during the “Conversations in and out of the Disciplines” lecture series, which begins tomorrow, February 26. The annual series is designed to both educate and create dialogue among faculty, staff, and graduate students.

All events will take place in Ketchum Hall 320 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Jennifer Ryan, assistant professor of English, will commence the series on February 26 with a discussion titled “‘You are sorry you are born with ears’: Ideology and Identity from Bessie Smith’s Blues to the Coltrane Poem.”

Ryan will describe what she calls the intersection of “cultural identity, political statements, and formal innovation” in jazz and poetry. Much of her research will stem from her forthcoming book, Post-Jazz Poetics: A Social History, which explores how Americans experiment with both jazz and poetry to create bold messages.

“As faculty, we often focus on teaching and service, so this lecture series serves as an important tool for promoting scholarship as well,” Ryan said. “I think it’s especially helpful for graduate students to see what we do on other levels.”

Kimberly Hart, assistant professor of anthropology, will present a paper based on her recent ethnographic research, titled “Women’s Work in Secular and Sacred Redemption in Western Turkey,” on March 12. She will discuss women’s work in intensifying practices of Islamic devotion.

“Women are playing key roles in contributing to global Islamic change, such as making efforts to send their children to Qur’an schools and establishing weekly prayer meetings,” Hart said. “But there are ongoing debates over other activities, such as allowing women to visit the graveyards to say prayers for the dead. Sin and the threat of eternal damnation create anxiety because the parameters of ‘correct’ belief and practice are in a state of flux.”

Kim Chinquee, assistant professor of English, will discuss the art of crafting flash fiction and prose poetry, and the differences between them, during her April 30presentation, “Flash Fiction, Prose Poetry, and Men Jumping out of Windows: Search for Plot and Finding Definitions.” She characterizes flash fiction as writing that involves a narrative with a short word count (typically 750 words), and prose poetry as more focused on language and content.

“Flash fiction is a relatively new genre, and I’m excited to get the word out about it,” Chinquee said. “The plot is really the difference-indicator for distinguishing flash fiction versus prose poetry. For example, if a man is jumping from a window, different points of view allow the writer to craft the story in various ways.”

Chinquee values the opportunity that the Conversations series provides to learn about colleagues and their research on a deeper level. Likewise, Ryan is looking forward to hearing a critique of her work from a variety of academic circles.

“I’m interested in seeing conversations develop, especially from people in other departments [than English],” Ryan said. “I’m particularly intrigued by the rich possibilities for scholarly connections across disciplines.”

From the Interim President
The annual Faculty and Staff Appeal—a fundraising campaign for the people and programs that make Buffalo State College great—kicks off on March 1. This year, we’re looking for more members of our campus community to give, no matter the size of the gift.

Informational packets will be distributed soon, detailing how to make a gift outright or through payroll deduction. Gifts can be directed to any Buffalo State scholarship or fund, so you can make a difference in the area that means the most to you.

If you have given to the Faculty and Staff Appeal in years past—thank you. I hope you will continue to give—even consider increasing your gift this year. The impact of your support on our students cannot be overstated.

If you have not participated in this important fundraising campaign in previous years, I hope you will become a first-time donor. As your colleagues who have already participated will tell you, there’s nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a difference in the lives of our students.

Thank you, as always, for all you do each and every day for the good of Buffalo State.

Sincerely,

Dennis K. Ponton

By Mary A. Durlak

The women’s studies minor is a vital, engaging program that provides interested students—men as well as women—with the opportunity to pursue an individualized, interdisciplinary course of study under the broad discipline that is women’s studies in the twenty-first century. The minor is attracting a growing number of students.

“Women’s studies explores more than opportunities and roles for women,” said Jennifer Hunt, associate professor of psychology and coordinator of the program. “We also explore gender and sexuality, both of which are important influences on the lives of men as well as women.” Gender refers to the social and cultural dimensions of a person’s biological sex. Those dimensions include the social meanings associated with being a man or a woman, such as beliefs about what characteristics are masculine and feminine, and norms for appropriate behavior for women and men.

Hunt explained that gender can influence all aspects of life, including childrearing, interactions between people, and even individual aspirations, experiences, and self-concepts. The Women’s Studies Interdisciplinary Unit also has started a brown bag series called “Discussions about Gender and Sexuality in Teaching, Research, and Service,” in conjunction with the Faculty Development Office.

The minor provides foundational material about the experiences of women in society, the field of women’s studies, and feminist theory through its sole required course, Women in Society. Students can complete the 18-credit-hour minor by choosing the remaining courses from several disciplines, including English, history, health and wellness, and the humanities as well as sociology and psychology.

The women’s studies program also plays a key role in celebrating Women’s History Month every March. This year’s keynote speaker, Lynn Peril, will speak on Tuesday, March 23, at 12:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center North. Peril, the author of College Girls: Bluestockings, Sex Kittens, and Co-eds, Then and Now and Pink Think: Becoming a Woman in Many Uneasy Lessons, will speak about the history of women in higher education.

The first Women’s History Month event is a joint event with African and African American studies that celebrates both African American history and women’s history with a presentation by Barbara A. Seals Nevergold, ’66, and Peggy Brooks-Bertram on Tuesday, February 23, at 12:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center South.

Nevergold and Brooks-Bertram founded the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research and Education on Womenat the University at Buffalo in 1999. When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, they issued a call for letters from African American women to the new president’s wife. The resulting book, Go, Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the New First Lady,expresses the support, love, and pride that Michelle Obama has inspired.

The next event is the opening reception for the Women’s Art Display, which will take place on Friday, March 5, at 3:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library’s lobby. The display, on view through March, showcases artistic work in many media created by female students, faculty, staff, and alumnae from Buffalo State College. Works must be submitted to Barbara Vaughan by February 25.

The Women’s Studies Research Symposium, which will take place on Friday, March 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210, provides the campus with an opportunity to learn about new scholarship and creative work related to women, gender, and sexuality. “The research symposium helps fulfill our mission to promote scholarly and creative activities about women and gender at Buffalo State,” Hunt said.

“The events we hold during Women’s History Month are a very small part of what we offer,” said Hunt. “A minor in women’s studies can enrich students’ understanding of many disciplines.”

Three years ago, an African American teacher candidate asked her instructor, Pixita del Prado Hill, associate professor of elementary education and reading, “Why are there so few of us?” The question intrigued del Prado Hill. It was about that time that she learned about the CASTL Fellowship program. After successfully applying for a fellowship, she sought to investigate the aspects of methods courses that would help teacher candidates from underrepresented groups meet their goals and achieve success in elementary education.

Del Prado Hill also recognized the opportunity to combine CASTL with the Undergraduate Research Office. She worked with Felicia Scott, ’08, an elementary education and reading major andUndergraduate Summer Research fellow, from fall 2007 through spring 2009 to conduct in-depth interviews and a content analysis of a common assignment with 12 African American and Latina teacher candidates at Buffalo State, all of whom were female first-generation college students.

Del Prado Hill highly valued the experience of conducting her research with a student and said the collaboration produced a richer study. “It was beneficial to have a student’s voice on the project,” she said. “Felicia helped me craft the questions and played an integral role in gathering data.”

Del Prado Hill and Scott followed the same cohort of students during the two-year period, studying their feelings about and struggles with factors such as isolation, respect, language, biases, and personal challenges.

“We were particularly curious to learn what we might be able to change in our methods courses, because those classes are so critical in our department,” del Prado Hill said. “When students decide to leave the teacher-candidate track, it’s often during the methods courses. So besides exploring the challenges the students face, we also studied the reasons why some candidates decided not to quit after taking those courses.”

Among the common experiences shared by the cohort was the notion of respectful and nonjudgmental assessment as a key factor for motivation, del Prado Hill said. She also said that study participants discussed the importance of instructors’ acknowledging and exploring the political nature of Standard English in both the college and elementary classroom.

As a result of the study, del Prado Hill is now working with CEURE, the Exceptional Education Department, and the Elementary Education and Reading Department to develop a mentor program for teacher candidates from underrepresented groups who wish to work in high-need settings. She and Scott have presented their findingsacross campus and are currently working on a manuscript for publication. Del Prado Hill also presented their research during the 2009 American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) annual meeting in San Diego, California, in April.

Funding from CASTL provided materials, books, and supplies; incentives for participants; and travel costs associated with the 2009 AERA conference. The Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship allowed Scott to work on campus during summer 2008.

Del Prado Hill said the benefits of CASTL and the Undergraduate Research Office go well beyond monetary support. Both organizations offered support groups to compare and refine research projects, she said.

“CASTL and the Undergraduate Research Office made the work stronger, providing me with ideas about where to present, where to publish, and what literature to reference,” del Prado Hill said. “The support groups helped me look at my teaching methods in new ways.”

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Two recent CASTL fellows—Lisa Hunter, associate professor of music, and Jill Norvilitis, associate professor of psychology—will present their research today during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Bulger Communication Center 104. In addition, CASTL is now accepting applications for three fellowships during the 2010–2011 academic year and will present a series of proposal-writing workshops. The application deadline is April 1, 2010.

By Phyllis Camesano

The popular Buffalo-based gypsy jazz band Babik will debut its new full-length orchestral show in a concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 19, in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Buffalo State College Music Department, which is hosting the event.

Members of Babik spent much of the past year creating the show in collaboration with arranger Brent Havens. Havens has previously created orchestral programs for the music of Queen, Led Zeppelin, and the Doors. Babik’s members wanted to debut this new program in their hometown of Buffalo before taking it on the road to perform with other symphonic groups throughout the country.

“With the BPO and Babik performing together, this concert promises to be an infectious evening of upbeat music that will surely drive away the winter doldrums,” said Paul Ferington, who will conduct. Ferington is in his 25th year on the conducting staff of the BPO. He is also an adjunct professor of music at Buffalo State and the conductor and music director for the college’s new community philharmonia orchestra.

Formed in 2005, Babik has won seven Buffalo Music Awards and makes frequent appearances at concert halls and jazz festivals throughout the country. The group plays a special brand of jazz known as gypsy swing, which was created in the 1930s by the legendary two-fingered guitarist Django Reinhardt. The style blends American big band swing with the exotic sounds of Romany folk music. This year marks what would have been Reinhardt’s 100th birthday. Babik’s performance will feature several Reinhardt compositions in addition to popular American swing favorites like Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia,” all performed with that amazing sound that makes Babik unique. 

Under the direction of Bradley Fuster, associate professor and department chair, the Buffalo State Music Department has established strong ties with the BPO. The department recently received national accreditation from the prestigious National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

Tickets for Babik are $30 and $35 and can be purchased online at www.buffalostate.edu/pac, by phone at (716) 878-3005, or in person at the Rockwell Hall Box Office. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and two hours before show time.

By Mary A. Durlak

“I do not believe that Indians…have any right to forcibly keep their children out of school to grow up like themselves, a race of barbarians and semi-savages.” Thus spoke Thomas Jefferson Morgan, who served as the commissioner of Indian Affairs for the federal government from 1889 to 1893.

Such attitudes contributed to the practice of taking Native American children away from their families and placing them in residential schools, where they were not allowed to express their culture in any way, including speaking in their own native languages.

The continuing impact of such a policy will be explored in a presentation featuring the documentary Unseen Tears: The Impact of Native American Residential Boarding Schools in Western New York. The film will be screened at a three-part presentation on Thursday, February 18, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center South. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Before the screening, information tables will be staffed by nonprofit agencies serving the Native American community and by student organizations, including the Student Social Work Organization and Kappa Omega, the college’s chapter of the national social work honor society. Afterward, a panel will discuss the continuing effects of the boarding schools on today’s Native Americans. The panel will comprise former boarding-school residents, social workers and school counselors who work with the Native American population, and children and grandchildren of survivors of boarding schools, including Barbara General, ’02, whose mother attended one such school, the Thomas Indian School. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the school is located in Erie County on the Cattaraugus Territory.

The work, produced by Native American Community Services, tells the story of the Thomas Indian School and the multigenerational trauma that continues today as a result. Lori Quigley, associate dean of the School of Education, belongs to the Seneca Nation. She served as an adviser to the film and is featured in it.

“Our interest in this project is not historical,” said Quigley. “Our focus is on the continuing impact of the boarding-school experience on Native American communities, both rural and urban.” Quigley’s mother resided there for 10 years, from the age of 5, and Quigley said that her mother’s experience continues to affect the family.

“From a social work point of view,” said Deborah Renzi, coordinator of field education for the Social Work Department, “trauma profoundly impacts individuals, families and communities, and the generations that follow, unless healing takes place.” The Social Work Alumni Chapter will attend the presentation.

Quigley said that post-traumatic stress disorder is among the lingering effects of the boarding-school experience. She noted, too, that “Native resiliency models” are a growing area of study. Such models explore the way cultural- and belief-based practices have enabled Native American communities to adapt in positive ways despite the trauma that was inflicted. “It’s been exciting to see this discipline grow,” said Quigley. “In large part, it’s because more Native Americans are attaining the higher degrees necessary to conduct the research.”