Arjun Pathak, assistant professor of physics, was invited to serve on the organizing committee for the 65th Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MMM), which was held November 2–6, 2020. He also chaired one of the conference’s scientific sessions. Devanshi Malaviya, an undergraduate student working with Dr. Pathak, delivered the oral presentation “Magneto-Transport and Magnetocaloric Properties of Al1.1Fe2-xMx B2 (M=Mn, Cr, Co) Intermetallic Compounds” at the conference. Ms. Malaviya's research was supported by Buffalo State College’s Undergraduate Research Office. The MMM conference is one of the largest international conferences for scientists working in magnetic materials. Because of COVID-19, the conference was held virtually for the first time in its 70-year history.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invited John Cabra, professor of creativity and change leadership, to return as a Team Science faculty member to support the NSF Convergence Accelerator Program. This brand-new structure that is unique to NSF and the federal government supports user-inspired, team-based, multidisciplinary research to produce solutions to national-scale societal challenges.

An article by Joseph Cleary, assistant professor of sociology, examining the ethnography of a merger between two Connecticut hospitals, was accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management. The forthcoming article is titled "The Role of Storytelling in a Non-Hostile Takeover."

Stephen Saracino, professor of metalsmithing in the Art and Design Department, received a First Place Award for his sculpture Vestige Vessel #7, in the New York State Juried Sculpture Exhibit, on display at the View Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, New York, November 14, 2020, through March 27, 2021. A second accepted piece, Melancholia, was awarded an Honorable Mention. An opening reception will be held Friday, November 13, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and an online reception will be held Wednesday, November 18, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Cartoon Music Series, Vestige Vessel #7 detail 1
Cartoon Music Series, Vestige Vessel #7 detail 2
Copper, turquoise wax patina
30 x 8 x 8 in.
2020

Melancholia detail 1
Melancholia detail 2
Melancholia detail 3
Sterling silver, mokume gane
30 x 7 x 7 in.
2020

Brian Kantz, director of creative services, and Chantel Kutzbach, art director, received the Best of Category Award for the college's Undergraduate Admissions Travel Brochure in the 2020 State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) Awards for Excellence. This marks the fourth consecutive time that Kantz and Kutzbach have a won a SUNYCUAD award for the college's premier undergraduate admissions print piece when unveiling a new creative concept. The annual SUNYCUAD Awards for Excellence recognize top work from SUNY's 64 campuses. All judging is performed by peers working in marketing and development offices across the system.

Thomas Reigstad, professor emeritus of English, presented a PowerPoint talk via Zoom, "Mark Twain and Buffalo's Clergy," on Sunday, October 11, as part of the Westminster Presbyterian Church Case Library Conversations Series. Dr. Reigstad's presentation described how Mark Twain used his own Presbyterianism and connections to well-known Presbyterian clergymen to advance his writing career and his social status while living in Buffalo.

Marko Miletich, assistant professor of Spanish and translation in the Modern and Classical Languages Department, has been an active member of the Thesis Monitoring Committee supervising the doctoral research conducted by Monika Chwalczuk, Ph.D. candidate in language sciences at the University of Paris, France. As a member of the committee, Dr. Miletich will evaluate the progress of the candidate during mandatory yearly meetings. He will also provide feedback and guidelines necessary to improve the candidate's work, and will participate in her thesis defense as a member of the jury.

Jessica Kulak, assistant professor of health, nutrition, and dietetics, and Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, assistant professor of psychology, recently published their paper, “Measuring Support for Requiring Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes: Issues with Questions, Answers, and Respondents,” in the peer-reviewed journal Health Behavior and Policy Review (in press). They coauthored with Lynn T. Kozlowski of the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.

Leigh Duffy, assistant professor of philosophy, published "Up in the Air as Philosophy: Buddhism and the Middle Path" in The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as Philosophy on SpringerLink.

Hope Dunbar, digital archivist in Butler Library's Archives and Special Collections, was awarded the prestigious Western New York Library Resources Council’s Excellence in Library Service Award at the council's annual meeting in September. Ms. Dunbar was especially recognized for her expertise and proactivity in the areas of community and collaboration, innovation, education, inter-institutional connections, and advocacy as well as for her direction of the Buffalo State College Monroe Fordham Regional History Center, instruction of students and staff, and globally reaching referral and reference work.