The President’s Council on Equity and Campus Diversity is seeking new members to further diversify our team. Our mission is to ensure that all departments are represented and every voice on campus is heard. We are looking for nominees in the following areas:

• University College
• School of the Professions
• Classified employees

Our next meeting is Thursday, December 6, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Please submit all nominations by Wednesday, November 21. A spring monthly meeting schedule will be created when we know the committee’s availability. If you wish to nominate someone or are interested in more details, please contact Roxanne Roland, graduate assistant in the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, ext. 6210.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center is excited to partner with artists in Buffalo for Holiday Open Studios and Galleries. The Burchfield Penney will host more than 30 Western New York artists as part of this citywide event November 30 (5:00–9:00 p.m.), December 1 (11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.), and December 2 (11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.).

For more information, call the Museum Store at ext. 3595 or e-mail Mia Schachel.

Participating artists:

Annie Adams
Jackie Albarella
Amaalgam
Aremel Soaps
Avalon
Mary Beth Bartlett
Sarah Blackman
Bliss Designs
Buffalo Art Prints
Burchfield Penney Museum Store
Rosanna Cappelino
Linda Collignon
David Day
Mark Donnelly
Faces of Buffalo
Carianne Hendrickson
hm2jewelry
Ani Hoover
Mike Killelea
Temi Kucinski
Alison E. Kurek
Jackie LoVullo
Margaret McGowan
Ronna Mink
Mundo Images Studio
Jan Nagle
chary l. robbins
roadkiln
Pat Sorbini
Studio Hart
Donna Sturges Enamel
Woodmanfarms

Participating artists will donate 20 percent of all sales to support the Burchfield Penney.

The Buffalo State student chapter of the Club Managers Association of America is having a Thanksgiving pie sale. Choose from four varieties: blueberry, cherry, apple, and pumpkin. Pies are $12 each or two for $20. Place your orders by Thursday, November 15, at buffalostatecmaa@gmail.com or call Alex Davis at (716) 397-3863. Pick up your orders on Tuesday, November 20, between noon and 3:00 p.m. in Caudell Hall 118.

Proceeds benefit enrichment programs for hospitality students. Thank you for your support!

Melissa Boler, a graduate student in the forensic science program, will present a literature seminar, "Messenger RNA Profiling for the Distinction of Several Biological Fluids in Forensic Science," at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, November 15, in Science Building 272. This seminar is open to the public and provides refreshments. The seminar abstract is as follows:

Abstract
When evidences like stains from crime scenes are examined, DNA analysis is typically performed to link an individual to the scene; however, identification of where the cells derived from can be extremely beneficial to investigators, allowing for crime scene reconstruction and sexual assault verification. Conventional methods of body fluid identification have been known to be labor intensive, nonspecific, and presumptive and require large sample amounts. Researchers have been determined to develop new and more convenient techniques to advance in the forensic science community, mRNA (messenger RNA) being one of them. mRNA exhibits a unique expression pattern in specific body tissue and therefore can be used to identify which bodily tissue it originated from. Using various methods including real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), researchers have investigated potential tissue-specific RNA markers. Although this new method of mRNA profiling seems very promising, there are still obstacles researchers have to overcome, including the instability of RNA due to its single stranded structure and cross-reactivity. This talk will discuss previous research done in the field of mRNA profiling and the accomplishments made so far.

This seminar is sponsored by the Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee, the Vice President for Student Affairs Office, and the Faculty-Student Association.

Every three years, E. H. Butler Library asks the entire Buffalo State community to complete our service quality survey called LibQUAL+. Our survey ends Friday, November 16, and we are asking for your help. Spending just 10 minutes to complete our survey is all it takes. Please encourage your students to participate in the survey, too.

Your contribution will make a difference to the library, so tell us what you like and what you think needs changing—but please tell us. Your feedback guides our strategic planning initiatives and helps us plan for changes and improvements in how we serve you. Plus, you will be eligible to win one of 30 prizes if you include your e-mail address.

http://library.buffalostate.edu/survey

The faculty and staff at E. H. Butler Library thank you for your participation. Questions? Please contact our assessment librarian, Eugene Harvey, ext. 3138.

The fall 2012 "Conversations in and out of the Disciplines" series continues on Friday, November 16, as Karen Sands-O'Connor, associate professor of English, presents “Being Black, Writing British: Black British Writers for Children” at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. A short, informal wine-and-cheese reception will be held after the talk. Colleagues, friends, graduate students, and advanced undergraduate students are welcome.

Please also mark your calendars for the final talk of this fall: Gary Marotta, professor of history, will present "Richard Hofstadter's Populist Problem—and Ours—and His Identity as a Jewish Intellectual" at 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 7, in Ketchum Hall 320.

Applications and nominations are requested for students to be considered for the following student awards. Although the deadline for nominations is not until February 15, 2013, we encourage early nominations to ensure that all deserving students are considered.

Student Leadership Awards:

• Mildred Keller Campbell Leadership Award
• Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
• Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity

Student Humanitarian Awards:

• Luis M. Antonetti Student Humanitarian Award
• Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Award
• Phillip Santa Maria Memorial Award

Nomination forms are available online.

For more information, contact Charles B. Kenyon, dean of students, ext. 4618.

Two episodes of Copper, the new hit series from Buffalo State alumnus Tom Fontana, '73, will be screened today, November 13, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney's Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium. A live Q&A with alumnus Kyle Bradstreet, '02, '04, the show's writer and producer, and Ato Essandoh, the star of the show, will follow the screening. Admission is free.

Christienna Fryar, Ph.D., visiting graduate fellow in the department of history at Duke University, will present "Crisis and Afro-Jamaicans in the Colonial Archive" on Thursday, November 15, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Classroom Building C214.

Her talk, which was made possible by the School of Natural and Social Sciences and the History and Social Studies Education Department, is free and open to the public.

The State University of New York provides employees with the opportunity to save for their retirement through the SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan. Participation in the plan is a great way to build your retirement savings and reduce current taxes.   

The plan provides a way for you to contribute to a retirement savings account on a pretax basis through payroll deduction. All employees of SUNY who receive compensation reportable on an IRS Form W-2 are eligible to participate in this tax-deferred plan. There are several different plan options and investment providers to choose from.

Whether you want to enroll in the plan for the first time or you are already enrolled but wish to change the amount of your deferral for 2013, you can accomplish your goal by filling out a Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) form.

In order for a deduction change to be effective in the first paycheck of 2013, your new SRA form must be submitted to the Payroll Office by Friday, December 14, 2012.

For complete details, including 2013 employee contribution limitations, please visit the Human Resource Management website.

If you have questions, please call Al Galone, assistant manager of payroll, at ext. 4124.