Alan Delmerico, research analyst, Center for Health and Social Research, received a grant award of $10,000 from the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to collaborate with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office on underage drinking counter-advertising/marketing. The grant will fund the development and implementation of a targeted media campaign addressing underage drinking in the Sheriff’s patrol districts. The campaign will urge parents to be more aware of how their children can acquire alcohol.

The International Advisory Board of the International Journal of Learning has announced that Nancy A. Chicola, associate professor, Elementary Education and Reading, has been selected as the winner of the International Award for Excellence in the area of literacy and education. The editors selected her paper, “A View Beyond Tolerance: Teacher Candidate Experiences with Culturally Responsive Education,” from the 10 highest-ranked papers emerging from the referee process and according to the selection criteria outlined in the referee guidelines. As the winning author, Chicola has been invited to attend the 15th International Conference on Learning, to be held at the University of Illinois at Chicago June 3-6, where she will be formally acknowledged in a short presentation.

Susan McMillen, associate professor, Mathematics, is a contributing editor for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) new book, “Cartoon Corner: Humor-Based Mathematics Activities.” McMillen authored more than 20 percent of the activities in the book and involved four local teachers in field-testing the activities.

Dan MacIsaac, associate professor, Physics, andKathleen Falconer, lecturer, Elementary Education and Reading, presented a two-day workshop on classroom evaluation using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 14 and 15. MacIsaac and Falconer are consultants to and members of the advisory board for the NSF 06-537 REESE project, “The Role of Graduate Student Teaching Experiences in the Development of Scientific Research Skills,” whose principal investigator is David Feldon, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Studies at USC.

Amitra Hodge, associate professor, Sociology, has been elected 2008 board chair of Erie County’s Commission on the Status of Women. Hodge was initially appointed to the board by Joel Giambra in June 2006. Over the past year, she served as chair of the Research Committee. Established by a unanimous vote of the Erie County Legislature in 1987, the commission works to remove gender-based inequities for women and to ensure that the women of Erie County have full participation in the issues that have an impact on their lives. In 1988, the commission became a department of Erie County government. The commission conducts policy studies; analyzes current legislation, programs, and trends affecting women; develops collaborative programs with local and regional organizations and public officials; provides educational awareness; and recommends measures to coordinate, consolidate, or expand the resources and services available to women in Erie County. The commission also works to ensure that (1) a proportionate number of women, including women of color, are appointed to public, private, and not-for-profit boards; (2) there is public awareness and an effective system of response for victims of domestic violence; (3) the economic self-sufficiency of women is no less than that of men; (4) women have access to pertinent health information; and (5) community leaders are educated on issues affecting women.

Saziye Bayram, assistant professor, Mathematics, supervised the independent study of two undergraduate students, Christopher J. Milazzo and Lee A. Canning, throughout the fall 2007 semester on “A Mathematical Model on a Colony Collapse Disorder of the Honeybee.” The students presented their research at the annual Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America in San Diego, California, January 6–9. At the conference, Bayram also presented a preliminary report from her current research on kidney, cholesterol, and hypertension at a special session on mathematical biology.

Zhang Jie, professor, Sociology, and director, Center for China Studies, published his article “Evaluation of the Scale for Suicide Ideation in Chinese High School Students to Study Its Reliability and Validity,” coauthored with Zhen-Shao Song, in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry17 (6): 367–368 (in Chinese).

Kevin Williams, assistant professor, Earth Sciences and Science Education, presented a talk titled “Geophysical Investigations of Ground Ice in the Arctic: Considerations for Mars” at the 2007 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, December 10–14.

Lynne Sommerstein, lecturer, Exceptional Education, was an invited presenter at the national conference of the Association for People with Severe Disabilities (TASH), held in Seattle, Washington, December 6–8. Her workshop was titled “Postsecondary Opportunities for Students with Significant Disabilities.” Buffalo State has been a leader in this concept since 2001 with the inception of the College-Based Transition Program.

Lori Quigley, associate dean, School of Education, received the Community Leader Education Award from the National Federation for Just Communities (NFJC) of Western New York on January 17. The NFJC is a human relations organization dedicated to overcoming racism, bias, and discrimination by building understanding, respect, and trust through education, advocacy, and community involvement. Quigley was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the community.