Buffalo State College was featured in a case study by ANGEL Learning Inc., the provider of the campus learning management system, ANGEL. The study highlighted the dramatic increase in ANGEL use since fall 2005, as well as the relatively smooth conversion process from the college’s former vendor. The Buffalo State ANGEL team of Melaine Kenyon, associate director; Marianne Foley, ANGEL administrator; and Meghan Pereira,instructional technology specialist, Instructional Technology, contributed to the case study. Read moreabout the study that was highlighted during the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference.

Buffalo State College was featured in a case study by ANGEL Learning Inc., the provider of the campus learning management system, ANGEL. The study highlighted the dramatic increase in ANGEL use since fall 2005, as well as the relatively smooth conversion process from the college’s former vendor. The Buffalo State ANGEL team of Melaine Kenyon, associate director; Marianne Foley, ANGEL administrator; and Meghan Pereira,instructional technology specialist, Instructional Technology, contributed to the case study. Read moreabout the study that was highlighted during the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference.

Theresa Harris-Tigg, assistant professor, English, presented “Selecting Culturally Relevant Texts for African American Teens and Using Them in the Secondary English Classroom” at the 2007 Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English, held in New York City November 15–20. Her presentation focused on relevant texts and how to use them, learning outcomes, and decreasing the achievement gap between African American students and excellence.

Ken Fujiuchi, emerging technology librarian, E. H. Butler Library, has been appointed to serve on the Shared Search and Discovery Committee, a SUNY-wide library committee formed to evaluate and recommend to the SUNYConnect Advisory Council approaches for improving the discovery of library resources. The committee will seek and recommend twenty-first-century tools for finding and enhancing the use of library resources.

Humanities, participated in a University Alumni study tour of the Greek Isles. She gave two conferences, one on the goddess culture to coincide with the visit to Ephesus, which holds one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple to Artemis (Diana). The other conference centered on the Book of Revelation in the Bible, because of her visit to the island of Patmos, where it was written.

Sandra Washington, director, McNair Scholars Program, was re-funded for $934,888 for four years by the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs. This program is designed to encourage low-income students and minority undergraduates to consider careers in college teaching as well as prepare for doctoral study. Under this project, 27 students are provided with research opportunities and faculty mentors and receive financial assistance, GRE preparation, and guidance through the graduate school admissions process. Washington will continue as project director of the program.

Carol Townsend, chair and associate professor, Design, was invited to teach two courses through the Chautauqua Institution's Special Studies program, “Introduction to Design” and “Drawing the Landscape,” in July and August. Instructors for Special Studies are selected through a competitive process.

Raquel Schmidt, associate professor, Exceptional Education, made three presentations at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of International Special Education and Services 2007 meeting in Lima, Peru, July 8–12: “Best Practices in Bilingual Special Education,” co-presented with Sarita Samora, professor and chair, Exceptional Education; “You Are What You Speak: Social Skills and Second Language Acquisition”; and “Educating Bilingual Preschoolers with Disabilities,” co-presented with Kimberli Andrews, assistant professor of education at Daemen College. While there, Schmidt also participated in a study on the family-planning practices of females from indigenous Peruvian tribes.

Patricia Medina, assistant professor, Educational Foundations, presented the workshop “Authentic and School-Only Literacy Events in Four Adult Basic Education Classrooms” at the peer-reviewed Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, Community, and Extension Education, held at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, September 25–27. Medina also was invited to be a member of the Editorial Review Board of the PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning. PAACE is the peer-reviewed journal of the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education for scholars and practitioners in adult and continuing education.

Michael Johnson, associate professor, Modern and Classical Languages, delivered his paper “And Now...with the Help of My Lovely Assistant: Some Medieval Aspects of Modern Stage Magic Performances” in the section “Medieval Popular Culture III: Magic, Medicine & Tension,” at the 37th annual conference of the Popular Culture Association in Boston, Massachusetts, April 4–7.