Kevin Williams, director of the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium and associate professor of earth sciences and science education, recently began a two-year term as president of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS). One of seven regional planetarium societies in the Unites States, MAPS is a member of the International Planetarium Society and covers 13 states from New England south to Virginia and west to New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

During his two-year term as president-elect, Williams guided planning for the 2016 MAPS conference, for which he received an Exceptional Service Award. For the past year, he was on the conference committee for the 2017 National Planetarium Conference in Saint Louis, which took place October 10–14.

Susan McCartney, director of the Buffalo State Small Business Development Center, has been selected for inclusion in Women in the City of Good Neighbors, a new coffee table book that will celebrate women of Western New York. The individuals featured have devoted themselves to making a difference in the lives of the people in their communities. The book will include full-color photography produced by award-winning photographer Jackie Albarella, whose latest book detailed the restoration of the Hotel Lafayette, Louise Bethune’s Buffalo masterpiece.

An article coauthored by Maryruth Glogowski, associate vice president for operations management in Resources for Information, Technology, and Education (RITE), titled "Teaching Evidence-Based Practice Principles to Prepare Health Professions Students for an Interprofessional Learning Experience," was published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association 105 (4): 376–382. The paper's coauthors were Nell Aronoff, Elizabeth Stellrecht, Amy G. Lyons, Michelle L. Zafron, Jeremiah Grabowski, and Patricia J. Ohtake.

The paper by Daniel W. Cunningham, professor of mathematics, "Why Does Trigonometric Substitution Work?" has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology (IJMEST). Modern calculus textbooks carefully illustrate how to perform integration by trigonometric substitution; however, most of these books do not adequately justify this powerful method of integration. Cunningham's paper presents an accessible theorem and proof that establishes the validity of integration by inverse substitution. The proof offers calculus instructors a simple argument that can be used to show their students that trigonometric substitution is a valid technique of integration. IJMEST is a refereed journal that provides a medium by which a wide range of experience in mathematical education can be presented, assimilated, and eventually adapted in schools, colleges, and universities.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, published his paper "Psychometric Properties of the Shortened Chinese Version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale" in the Journal of Child and Family Studies 25 (9): 2710–2717. The paper's coauthors were Yuli Li, Zhao Yang, Lou Fenglan, and Cao Fenglin.

Lynn Engle, lecturer of modern and classical languages, was recently named German-American of the Year by the Federation of German American Societies of WNY at German Fest over Labor Day weekend. Engle was honored for her work as program director of the Buffalo Dortmund Sister City Student Exchange Program; for establishing a new study-abroad program between Dortmund, Germany, and Buffalo State College; and for her Fulbright award to Leipzig, Germany, in June. She currently teaches German at Buffalo State and Canisius College.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, published his paper "Suicidal Ideation and Psychological Strain among Patients Diagnosed with Stomach Cancer: The Mediation of Psychopathological Factors" in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 205 (7): 550–557. The study's coauthors were Zhang Xuekun, Nicholas Procter, Xiaoyun Chen, Yonggang Su, Fenglan Lou, and Fenglin Cao.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, and co-researchers Yanzheng Liu and Long Sun published their paper "Who Are Likely to Attempt Suicide Again? A Comparative Study between the First and Multiple Timers" in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry 78: 54–60.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, and Zheng Zhao, of the Central University of Finance and Economics School of Social Development in Beijing, China, published their paper "Psychological Strain and Suicidal Ideation among Chinese Young People" in the International Journal of Asian Social Science 7 (6): 497–504.

Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, published his paper "Psychological Strain and Suicidal Ideation: A Comparison between Chinese and US College Students" in Psychiatry Research 255: 256–262. The paper's coauthors were Yanzheng Liu and Long Sun. Dr. Sun was a visiting scholar at Buffalo State two years ago.