Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, and Dwight A. Hennessy, chair and professor of psychology, published their paper "Digital Media and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study" in the journal Heliyon 5 (5): e01554 (May 2019). The paper's coauthors were Hang Hu, Zhao Sibo, and Zhang Yiwen. Dr. Zhao Sibo was a visiting scholar to Buffalo State.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, and Dwight A. Hennessy, chair and professor of psychology, published their paper "Negative Life Events as Triggers on Suicide Attempt in Rural China: A Case-Crossover Study" in the journal Psychiatry Research 276: 100–106. The paper's coauthors were Liu Bao-Peng, Chu Jie , Qiu Hui-Min , and Jia Cun-Xian. Dr. Jia Cun-Xian was a visiting scholar to Buffalo State.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, published his paper "Risk Factors for Suicide Attempt among Emergency and Hospitalization Patients: A Case Control Study" in the Chinese Mental Health Journal 33 (2): 81–86. The paper's coauthors were Juncheng Lyu, Yingying Wang, Laibao Zhuo.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, and Sun Long published their paper "Factors Associated with Help-Seeking Behavior among Medically Serious Attempters Aged 15–54 Years in Rural China" in the journal Psychiatry Research 274: 36–41. Dr. Sun was a visiting scholar to Buffalo State in 2014–2015.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, presented his research paper “Reducing Suicide Rates: What Lessons We Could Learn from China” at the 114th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, held in New York City August 10–13.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, presented his research paper “Mental Disorder Risk Factors and Social Prevention” at the 2019 Chinese Sociological Association annual conference, held July 11-14 in Kunming, China.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, attended and presented two research papers—“The Strain Theory of Suicide: The Empirical Evidence” and “Conceptualization of Suicidal Behaviors”—at the 16th European Congress of Psychology, held July 2–5 in Moscow.

Bruce Sun, associate professor of applied mathematics and statistics, has been named editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Data Analytics (IJDA). This peer-reviewed academic journal publishes the latest high-quality research papers and methodologies in data analytics. It covers a wide range of fields including statistics, biostatistics, big data, artificial intelligence, business, economics and finance, biological science, medical and medicine research.

Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning, organized a series of events during the month of September to celebrate the 250th birthday of Alexander von Humboldt, for whom Humboldt Parkway and the former Humboldt Park and Basin were named. Mayor Byron Brown will declare September 14, 2019, as Alexander von Humboldt Day in Buffalo. A number of organizations are participating in the celebration through the month of September (PDF, 3.7 MB).

Dr. Vermette will present on Humboldt at 4:00 p.m. Friday, September 13, in the Andrew L. Bouwhuis S. J. Library at Canisius College as part of the Canisius Archives Speaker Series. He will also present the lecture and discussion "The 'Nature of Paintings' of Alexander von Humboldt: His Revolutionary Use of Art to Reveal Scientific Concepts" on Saturday, September 28, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium.

In 1869 the newspapers of the day covered Humboldt’s Buffalo’s Centennial celebration. A newspaper account of the celebration concluded by posing the question: “It is a curious query whether the records we are making to-day will have anything that can be heartily endorsed there, or whether our doings and sayings will be a mere matter of curiosity to the masses who will bask in the light of another century’s increase of knowledge. What will they think of our opinions of Humboldt…?”  The celebration, in part, is a response to that query.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, attended and presented at the 52nd annual conference of the American Association of Suicidology, held April 25–27 in Denver, Colorado. He delivered a TED-style talk titled “Suicide Reduction in the World.” He also served on the program committee of the AAS, of which he has been a board member since 2017.