A typical light bulb wastes 90 percent of the electricity used to run it. These bulbs turn only about 10 percent of their electricity into light. They become very hot because 90 percent of the energy is wasted as heat, which means it isn't very energy-efficient. ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting, such as compact fluorescent bulbs, uses two-thirds less energy and generates 70 percent less heat than an equivalent incandescent light bulb. Switch over any incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, and (with any light) when it is not being used, be sure to turn it off.

The Budget Office will offer workshops on Monday, February 4, and Thursday, February 21. Separate workshops are scheduled for the SMRT Application and Budget Development Process training. While SMRT Application workshops are appropriate for all department chairs, directors, and designated assistants, Budget Development Process workshops are geared toward primary account managers who participate in setting annual departmental budgets. Advance registration required. Additional information and registration specifics can be found online.

The Academic and Student Affairs Office is pleased to announce that the new state-of-the-art retail dining facility is now open in the Campbell Student Union. The new facility has seating for over 400 and boasts eight new food venues: the Selonia Grill, Sub-Connection, Pomodoras, Taco Bell, Jump Asian Cuisine, Strutters, Jazzmans, and Freshens. The three-level dining facility also features a cybercafé, a fireplace where faculty may sit with students and enjoy informal conversations during the cold months, and a new information center and ticket office. We are also announcing the return of Cassety Hall as a residential facility for students after undergoing an extensive renovation in the fall. Cassety Hall provides housing for 157 students; enabling the college to relocate those students housed in hotels during fall 2007. The official opening of the dining facility will take place on Friday, February 1; however, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will continue to be served until that time. We ask for your patience as crews complete construction in preparation for the grand opening.

Faculty may now enter their Intersemester 2008 grades using Banner. The grading window will be open through 11:59 p.m. on January 23. Detailed documentation for entering grades is available online under "Entering Final Grades in Banner." If you have forgotten your Banner password, please call Banner Support at ext. 3434. If you have any questions about grading, please contact the Registrar's Office at ext. 4811.

Join us tomorrow, February 20, at 4:30 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210 for a reading and workshop featuring author Ted Pelton. Bring a pen and paper; the reading will be followed by a guided group fiction improvisation. All are welcome!

Nominations for the President''''s Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Student and the SUNY Chancellor''''s Award for Student Excellence are being sought. Students must be nominated by a faculty or staff member. Candidates must be graduating students who have demonstrated the qualities recognized by each award. Nomination forms and information are also available online at www.buffalostate.edu/studentlife/x575.xml#presidentsaward or from the Office of the Associate Vice President for Campus Life, Campbell Student Union 222. Nominations and supporting documentation must be forwarded to Dr. Timothy Ecklund, Associate Vice President for Campus Life, Campbell Student Union 222, by Tuesday, January 22, 2008.

As you're planning your spring courses, please keep in mind the Late-Night Academic Support Seminar series, “Seven Steps to Success.” Residence Life and University College will once again be offering a variety of academic support topics designed to bolster academic skills. The seminars will continue to be held on Monday and Thursday evenings at 10:00 p.m., beginning February 4. Topics will include time management, reading comprehension, study strategies, grammar skills, math skills, library research, and money management. A complete list and schedule will be distributed soon. Last semester several faculty members offered these seminars for extra credit, and students reported finding them very useful. We hope you’ll consider encouraging your students to attend. They are free and open to all students, residents, and commuters.

Sixty million bottles a day are tossed into U.S. landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Producing those bottles burns through 1.5 million barrels of crude oil annually—enough fuel to keep 100,000 cars running for a year. Recycling helps but reusing is even better. Invest in a couple of stainless steel bottles that won’t leach nasty chemicals into your water.

In order to promote technology within our community, Buffalo Webgrrls, an international women’s organization promoting technology, is looking for people to present or sponsor a workshop for women in our group. We have select openings in the months of March, April, and May. Possible topics of interest include e-commerce, benefits of social networking, digital / media arts, technology in education / workplace, censorship on the Internet, electronic advertising, and career development / teleconferencing. We are looking for professionals to speak on topics from 15 to 30 minutes; workshops will run from one to one and a half hours. Technology professionals who are interested in this opportunity should inquire ASAP with Kalomira Kalitzis, events coordinator; chapter leader Ramona SantaMaria, lecturer, Computer Information Systems; or buffalo-ny@webgrrls.com. This opportunity is open to both male and female presenters. For more information on the organization and local chapter, visit the Buffalo Webgrrls Web site.

Join us tonight for the Houghton Chapter, New York State Archaeological Association lecture series at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Kate Whalen, a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at the University at Buffalo, will deliver the lecture "The McKendry Site: Past and Current Excavations" at 7:00 p.m. at the museum.