Welcome to the next installment of “Faculty Engaged,” a multimedia project aimed at highlighting the extraordinary work of our brilliant faculty. Can you believe it’s our 12th episode?

For this episode, we spoke with Jennifer J. Toohey, associate professor of theater, who explains why she wanted to work at Buffalo State College, how she got here, and why she loves her job. She also discusses why she loves working with our students and the joy she gets from watching them perform on the stage…

Please follow my blog at http://kateconwayturner.tumblr.com.

Please join us as we continue to celebrate Buffalo State College’s 150th anniversary, including with the following events this month:

• The Center for China Studies (CCS), in collaboration with the Sociology Department, will present a CCS Seminar. Zhuang Peng, a professor and visiting scholar from Xinxiang University in China, will discuss “The Chinese Folk Culture Through Documentary: From the Perspective of Ritual View of Communication,” on Tuesday, March 22, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Cassety Hall B16.
• Buffalo State alumna and registered dietitian Molly Morgan will explore global nutrition and health trends on Thursday, March 24, at 5:00 p.m. in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center Costello Hall. Refreshments will be served.
• The Character Council of Western New York (CCWNY), in collaboration with the 150th anniversary, is displaying the “Diversity Rooted in Character” collaborative art project at the Burchfield Penney Art Center through Sunday, March 27. For more information, please visit the Burchfield Penney Art Center website.

All events are open to the public. As we continue to celebrate our sesquicentennial anniversary, we encourage you to visit the 150th Anniversary website for more upcoming events.

SUNY has selected Desire2Learn’s (D2L) Brightspace learning management system to serve as the new systemwide hub of its digital learning environment. Buffalo State College will participate in Cohort 2 of the SUNY migrations. Cohort 2 will run from May 2022 to April 2023 with three phases: Planning (May–August 2022), Piloting (September–December 2022), and Go Live (January–April 2023).

Instructional Design and Distance Learning will offer webinars to provide information to prepare the campus for the migration. Please register using the links below or through the Workshop Registration System. Online workshops will be held Tuesday, April 5, 12:15–1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 6, 4:00–5:15 p.m.

Information about this SUNY initiative can be located on the SUNY Digital Learning Environment website, which provides information on the progress, contract, and timeline in addition to a list of FAQs and information on events and training. As campus-specific information becomes available, we will post it on the IT self-service portal and communicate through the project team representatives and the Daily Bulletin.

Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney, chief diversity officer and chief of staff, is leaving Buffalo State College effective April 3 to accept a new professional opportunity in Western New York. The details of her new position have not yet been publicly announced by her next employer.

Ms. Rodriguez-Dabney has been a valued member of my leadership team and our Bengal community since 2018, when she was appointed chief of staff. In 2020, she skillfully added chief diversity officer to her title, assuming oversight of Buffalo State’s equity and diversity efforts, as well as the office of Student Accessibility Services.

Although her last official day with Buffalo State is April 6, Ms. Rodriguez-Dabney has graciously volunteered to assist the campus with preparations for the Bengala on May 7 and our 150th Commencement ceremonies on May 21. Please join me in thanking Ms. Rodriguez-Dabney for her contributions to Buffalo State. She will always be a member of the Bengal family.

With Ms. Rodriguez-Dabney’s departure, I am pleased to announce that Lisa Fronckowiak, deputy chief diversity officer and director of student accessibility services, will be appointed interim chief diversity officer effective April 4. Ms. Fronckowiak has been a member of the Buffalo State community since 2009. She holds a master of laws and a juris doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School, a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University at Buffalo, and a bachelor of arts in political science from SUNY Geneseo. Please join me in wishing Ms. Fronckowiak well in this new interim leadership role. 

Chief of staff duties will be temporarily assumed by staff members in the President’s Office. An internal search for an interim chief of staff will commence in mid-April.

It is my pleasure to announce that Brandon Kawa, interim director of the International Graduate Programs for Educators (IGPE), will assume the role of director, starting April 1. Mr. Kawa began with IGPE in 2017, serving as assistant director before taking on the role of interim director, following the departure of Michael Lovorn.

IGPE is a unique international program that offers Buffalo State College’s multidisciplinary master of science degree to educators and educational leaders in international K–12 schools and professional organizations at SUNY-approved school sites globally. Mr. Kawa facilitates all program logistics and partnership development with our international school sites and assists the School of Education with the International Professional Development Schools (IPDS). 

The School of Education is pleased to have Mr. Kawa recognized for his superior work of offering our courses and degree programs around the world, contributing to Buffalo State’s distinctive reputation as a globally engaged campus.

On behalf of the division of Finance and Management, I extend my gratitude and best wishes to Steven E. Shaffer, who will retire from his position as director of facilities on April 15, after 37 years as an exemplary member of the Buffalo State College community.

Mr. Shaffer, who holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in architecture from the University at Buffalo, began his career at Buffalo State in 1985 as assistant facilities program coordinator. He progressed through positions as associate facilities program coordinator and manager of facilities design and construction before being named to his current position of director of facilities in 2017.

He has served our campus with dedication and distinction, successfully managing multimillion-dollar capital budgets for critical maintenance projects and strategic initiatives and overseeing construction of 12 new buildings—including the Science and Mathematics Complex, the Technology Building, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the Student Apartment Complex, and the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center—and seven building additions. He has also overseen more than 40 rehabilitations and renovations, including those to Rockwell Hall, Caudell Hall, Butler Library, Houston Gymnasium, and Towers 1, 3, and 4.

Mr. Shaffer’s portfolio includes several Buffalo State projects that received awards and recognitions. The Science and Math Complex, the Technology Building, Caudell Hall, and Houston Gym all received Business First Brick by Brick Awards, and seven campus building projects under his management were renovated or constructed to receive LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. An adept leader and respected expert in his field, Mr. Shaffer has touched nearly every corner of the Buffalo State campus during his tenure. His contributions have improved the educational experience for thousands of our students thus far and will continue to do so for many more to come.

During his time as director of facilities, Mr. Shaffer has also been responsible for operation for our 132-acre campus and all its facilities, managing a maintenance staff of more than 200.

Please join us for a celebration of Mr. Shaffer’s many accomplishments at an open house today, April 5, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 205. RSVP to the Finance and Management Office.

Details about interim management of the facilities department and the search for Buffalo State’s next leader of facilities will be announced later.

The midterm grading window, course withdrawals, pass/fail, and the removal of I (incomplete) grade deadlines for spring 2022 have been revised because of the March 24 campus incident. 

Midterm Grading Window
The midterm grading window for spring will close at 9:00 p.m. Friday, April 8. In addition to entering a midterm grade, faculty members can mark how regularly a student has attended a course by entering 0 (never attended), 1 (sporadic, unsatisfactory attendance), or 2 (consistent, satisfactory attendance) in the “Hours Attended” field. Midterm grade submissions for all registered students are useful as these grades assist in campuswide academic intervention and retention efforts. Students will be able to view their midterm grades in Banner, Degree Works, and the Bengal Success Portal as soon as they are posted. Advisers can obtain copies of the midterm grading reports for their academic intervention use through their deans’ offices.

Deadlines Extended to April 15
The deadlines for course withdrawal, pass/fail, and the removal of I grades (incomplete from fall 2021 and J-Term 2022) have been extended until Friday, April 15, to give students time to assess their academic standing and seek guidance from faculty and advisers. All other academic deadlines for spring 2022, such as leave of absence and final grading window, remain unchanged.

The Institutional Planning Advisory Committee (IPAC) and the Enrollment and Resource Planning Task Force (ERPT) invite faculty and staff members to provide feedback on the strategic plan focus areas and related goals and the strategic enrollment planning focus areas that currently are under consideration.  

The listening sessions will provide a forum to gather additional ideas and input from the campus community. Please click on one of the listening session links below within your employment category to register through the Workshop Registration System.

Part-time faculty:

• Wednesday, April 6, 6:00–7:00 p.m.
• Friday, April 8, noon–1:00 p.m.

 Full-time faculty:

• Thursday, April 7, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 12, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 13, 9:00–10:00 a.m.

 Staff - UUP, CSEA, and Research Foundation employees:

• Thursday, April 7, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
• Friday, April 8, 9:00–10:00 a.m.
• Monday, April 11, noon–1:00 p.m.

Additional listening sessions will be held for students and other stakeholders before the end of the spring semester. Information on the strategic planning process, timeline, and milestones can be found on the Institutional Effectiveness and Planning website.

If you have questions, please contact Kim Barron, assistant vice president for institutional effectiveness and planning; Rebecca Eggleston, professional development assistant in the Professional Development Center; or David Loreto, interim vice president for enrollment management.

I am pleased to announce that Carol DeNysschen has been selected as the new dean of the School of the Professions (SOP), following a national search. Dr. DeNysschen has been a faculty member at Buffalo State College since 2008 and attained the rank of full professor in 2017. She currently serves as chair of the Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Department.

Dr. DeNysschen earned a Ph.D. in exercise science from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. She earned a master of business administration (M.B.A.) from SUNY Oswego and a master of public health (M.P.H.) from the University of Minnesota. Dr. DeNysschen is an active researcher and part-time assistant professor of oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has been recognized for her research and service at the national, state, and local levels. She has a solid portfolio of leadership on campus and in the community and recently completed the Emerging Leaders Program through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

Dr. DeNysschen will start her new position on June 1, 2022.

At this time, I want to thank the search committee for the dean of the SOP and especially its co-chairs, Sue McCartney, director of the Small Business Development Center, and Cathy Mazzotta, chair of the Social Work Department, for their dedication to the search process and leadership in recruiting our outstanding new dean.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. DeNysschen in her new role.

I’m pleased to inform you that Valentin Brimkov, professor of mathematics, has been appointed Distinguished Professor by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. This honor is bestowed on faculty members who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their field through significant contributions to research and scholarship or creative activity.

During his 17 years with Buffalo State College and more than 30 years in higher education, Professor Brimkov has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to academic excellence and student success. Originally from Bulgaria, Dr. Brimkov has elevated scholarship in mathematics, especially in the areas of discrete geometry and combinatorial image analysis. He has edited or co-edited 18 books and published almost 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers that have appeared in international and national journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings.

Dr. Brimkov is also a dedicated teacher who loves involving his students in his research. He has published research papers in leading international journals and conference proceedings with some of his mentees. One of these works, presented at an international conference, won the Best Student Paper award in a competition involving doctoral students and more senior researchers.

Some of his most salient contributions include developing an analytical honeycomb geometry for raster and volume graphics, which received the prestigious Wilkes Award from the British Computer Society; obtaining cutting-edge results on the maximal clique problem on intersection graphs of convex polygons; resolving a long-standing problem about the complexity of discrete volume polyhedrization; and developing a theory of integer programming under the Blum-Shub-Smale real number computation model.

Dr. Brimkov also has a remarkable record of service to the profession. He is a long-term member of the steering committees of two major international conferences—the International Workshop on Combinatorial Image Analysis (IWCIA) and the International Symposium on Computational Modeling of Objects Represented in Images (CompIMAGE). He has played a leading role in the organization of 10 of these conferences, two of which were organized under the auspices of Buffalo State. In recognition of his scientific reputation, he has been invited to serve as a keynote speaker at numerous conferences and symposia in Japan, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, and the Czech Republic. In addition, he has delivered more than 90 presentations at various scientific forums.

Dr. Brimkov is a member of seven editorial boards of highly respected professional journals, including Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence; Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering; Imaging & Visualization; and Reports in Medical Imaging. He has also served as managing guest editor of 12 leading international journals.

In 2009, Dr. Brimkov received the President’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creativity; and in 2012, he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.

He will be officially inducted into the SUNY Distinguished Academy at a ceremony in Albany in early June. In the fall, we will honor Dr. Brimkov on campus during our Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Professor Brimkov on this prestigious honor.