Bill Grieshober, an adviser with the Small Business Development Center, served as a member of the Taxation Panel at Congressman Tom Reed's Manufacturing Summit at Jamestown Community College on May 28.

Nancy Weekly, head of collections and Charles Cary Rumsey curator at the Burchfield Penney Art Center and lecturer in the museum studies program, presented “Burchfield and Synesthesia” at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University on May 20. Her presentation was the first in the museum’s “Meet Me at the CAM” series, open to the public and docents in addition to university faculty, staff, and students. Weekly’s presentation shared her research about Charles E. Burchfield that demonstrates synesthetic links between sound, color, and pattern in his dynamic nature- and music-inspired drawings and paintings. Burchfield created a consciously articulated visual language of expression—what Weekly has named audio-cryptograms—that reveal his synesthetic perceptions.

University Police Officers James Fitzgerald and Ryan Roetzer received the 2015 Erie County STOP DWI Award on May 8 for their contributions to the quality and safety of the community through their driving while intoxicated (DWI) enforcement efforts.

Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, received the Bernice Poss Award from the Western New York Regional Committee of the Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education during the group's annual conference on May 1. The award recognizes women in higher education who exemplify noteworthy involvement in organizing and planning activities for the advancement of female professionals, commitment to and participation in community services and programs for women, and professionalism as evidenced by support for colleagues and compassion in their daily conduct. The conference program praised Paterson, stating, "Women in higher education find her a stalwart champion and tireless advocate."

Michael Johnson, interim chair and associate professor of modern and classical languages, had a paper read in absentia, "Every Myth Is Awesome: Ancient Building Bricks in The Lego Movie," and Skyped into the subsequent Q&A session at the The Once and Future Antiquity: Classical Traditions in Science Fiction and Fantasy conference, held at the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Washington, March 27 and 28.

Kevin Williams, planetarium director and associate professor of earth sciences and science education, has been elected president-elect of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS). He will begin his term at the close of the 2015 MAPS conference in Garden City, NY, May 13–16. Williams will serve as MAPS president-elect for two years, president for two years, and past-president for two years. During his six-year service, he will be a member of the executive committee, help plan the annual conference, and represent MAPS at the International Planetarium Society (IPS) conference.

MAPS is an official regional association within the IPS, comprising the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia; however, membership is open to anyone working in or having an interest in planetariums.

Kimberly Blessing, professor of philosophy and humanities, offered a public lecture, "Thinking about the Meaning of Life with Philosopher Kimberly Blessing," at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, New York, on March 13.

Barish Ali, assistant professor of English, and alumna Heidi Wallace, M.A. English ’13, have published their article “Out of This World: Ziggy Stardust and the Spatial Interplay of Lyrics, Vocals, and Performance” in David Bowie: Critical Perspectives (E. Devereux, A. Dillane, and M. Power, eds.; Routledge, March 2015).

Gerald Mead, lecturer of design, will receive the Arts Services Initiative (ASI) of Western New York’s “Unsung Hero Award” at its second annual Spark Cultural Awards celebration on May 20 at the Hotel @ the Lafayette.

The award recognizes Mead for his contributions to the cultural community of Western New York for almost 30 years, including his 18-year tenure as a former curator at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. ASI promotes the cultural sector’s vital role in economic development and the community through capacity building, collaboration, and advocacy. The Spark Awards honor and celebrate “those who ignite arts and culture.”

Rafika Merini, associate professor of modern and classical languages, presented "Les Mille et Une 'Nuits de Strasbourg' d'Assia Djebar (1936–2015)" at the AATF-WNY Chapter / Buffalo-Lille conference at Buffalo State on April 25. The conference was titled "Global Fluency: Preparing the French Learner for an Interconnected Francophone World."