Lynn Engle, lecturer of German in the Modern and Classical Languages Department, joined five other Fulbrighters on the Year of German-American Friendship tour May 11–19. The program gave three groups of Fulbrighters the opportunity to engage with heartland Americans about all things German (Blue-white Bavarian villages in Georgia? German accents in Texas? Lower Saxon car industry in Tennessee?) and to gain insight into contemporary German culture and discuss transatlantic relations.

Ms. Engle traveled the yellow route, which took participants from Indianapolis, Indiana, to a traditional biergarten in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then on to Lexington and Shelbyville, Kentucky; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Helen and Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and Memphis, Tennessee. The trip concluded with a two-day international conference, "Building Bridges: The Fulbright Legacy and the Future of International Exchange," at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Along their journey in VW camper vans, the group engaged with local communities in a variety of informal get-togethers. Stops included town halls, film screenings, music sessions, site visits, and happy hours. Events also included a visit with Interwood Forest Products, a subsidiary of the Fritz Kohl Veneer Mill in Karlstadt, Germany, to discuss the influence of Germans on the American lumber and timber industry in the Midwest, and numerous meet-and-greets with mayors and leaders in industry. Participants also took part in a German baking demonstration and a Bingo night with locals in Helen, Georgia. They visited the German American Cultural Foundation and enjoyed a Braves-Cardinals game in Atlanta. In Birmingham, they toured the 16th Street Baptist Church and participated in a roundtable discussion with executives from Greater Birmingham Ministries.

Brian Kantz, director of publications; Nancy Paschke, associate director of publications; and Chantel Kutzbach, art director, received the Best of Category Award for Magazines in the 2019 State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) Awards for Excellence. This is the second consecutive year that Buffalo State's 1300 Elmwood magazine has been named the top alumni magazine in the 64-campus SUNY system. The award will be presented at the SUNYCUAD Educational Conference June 12–14 in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Joseph Marren, professor of communication and chair of the College Senate, received the SUNY University Faculty Senate's Chugh Award for his outstanding service to the UFS.

He will be recognized at the UFS executive committee meeting June 20–21 and formally receive the award at the Senate's fall plenary in October. Professor Marren, former chair of the Communication Department, is also is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.

Wanda Slawinska, associate librarian in Butler Library, published an article, "The Divine Mercy: The Highest Attribute of God," in the Am-Pol Eagle on May 9, 2019.

Wanda Slawinska, associate librarian in Butler Library, published an essay, "Science and Religion: The Case of Two Polish Scientists, Nicholas Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernik) and Michal Heller," in the Am-Pol Eagle May 2, 2019.

Gerald Mead, lecturer in the Art and Design Department, researched and wrote the text for the publication Handmade in Buffalo: A Guide to Design Excellence & Craftsmanship, published in March by Visit Buffalo Niagara. He recently judged the WNY Stem Hub's Mission Patch Design Competition for a student-designed patch that will travel on NASA's Mission 13 to the International Space Station, and he served on the Award Selection Committee for the Arts Services Initiative of WNY’s 2019 Spark Awards. His artwork was included in group exhibitions at Exhibit A Contemporary Art Gallery in Corning, New York (January 25–May 10), the Bortolami Gallery in New York City (February 22–24), and the Rochester Contemporary Art Center (April 5–May 10).

Frances Gage, associate professor of art and design, presented her paper "Outgrowing the Patron Who Made You: Pricing, Promotion and Artistic Celebrity in Seventeenth-Century Rome" at the conference "When Michelangelo Was Modern: The Art Market and Collecting in Italy, 1450–1650," held at the Frick Collection's Center for the History of Collecting in New York City April 12 and 13.

David Abbott, instructional support specialist; Andrew Roberts, graduate assistant; and Daniel MacIsaac, associate professor, together with German academics, published their article "Adding Student Video Projects to Physics Courses" in the Physics Teacher, 57 (4): 224–228. The scholarship of teaching and learning manuscript on technology in STEM college courses was partially sponsored by the SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grant program.

Leigh Duffy, visiting assistant professor of philosophy, presented her paper "What Would It Take to Be Enlightened?" to the inaugural City of Good Neighbors Philosophy Conference (PDF, 152 KB), held at the University at Buffalo on April 6.

Thomas Reigstad, professor emeritus of English, presented “The Story of John Harrison Mills, Mark Twain’s Unsung Illustrator and Lancaster Native” at the Lancaster Historical Society on April 7. His illustrated talk highlighted the career of writer, poet, and artist John Harrison Mills, including his friendship with American humorist Mark Twain. The two men worked together at the Buffalo Express from 1869 to 1871, while Twain was the paper’s co-owner and managing editor, and Mills was a staff writer and illustrator. Formally trained as an engraver and painter, Mills illustrated a series of Twain’s stories for the newspaper. He also painted Twain’s portrait in Buffalo.