James Grunebaum, professor emeritus of philosophy, published "Why Can't We Be Happier?" in the May 2012 issue of Cithara 51 (2).

Ellie Fleetwood, research administrator with the Center for Health and Social Research, received her PHR recertification (professional in human resources) for January 2012 to December 2014. She was also recently appointed to the New York State Victim Assistance Academy (NYSVAA) advisory board, and serves as co-principal investigator on the NYSVAA project. She attended a one-day seminar on death notification, offered by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on May 17.

Michele Graves, certified New York State crime-prevention specialist and community program associate with the Center for Health and Social Research, attended a 40-hour advanced crime-prevention course in May, offered by the New York State Crime Prevention Coalition.

Jonathan Lindner, health educator and research analyst with the Center for Health and Social Research, completed a 40-hour course on crime prevention in May, offered by the New York State Crime Prevention Coalition, which certifies him as a crime-prevention specialist.

Robert Skutnik, senior program coordinator with the Center for Health and Social Research, completed a 40-hour course on crime prevention in May, offered by the New York State Crime Prevention Coalition, which certifies him as a crime-prevention specialist. He also attended a one-day seminar on death notification, offered by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on May 17. Skutnik is the principal investigator on the New York State Victim Assistance Academy project.

Marla Fulton, project facilitator with the Center for Health and Social Research, completed a 40-hour course on crime prevention offered by the New York State Crime Prevention Coalition in May, which certifies her as a crime-prevention specialist. She also attended a one-day seminar on death notification, offered by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on May 17.

William Wieczorek, director of the Center for Health and Social Research, received the 2012 Friend of Prevention Award from WNY United Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse Inc. The award honors those who have shown the greatest outgoing support of the mission, activities, and programs that WNY United has worked to deliver to youth in our communities. The award was presented to Wieczorek at Coca-Cola Field on May 20.

Wieczorek was also reappointed chair of the AA-2 Epidemiology, Prevention and Behavior Research Review Subcommittee of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for the term July 1, 2012–June 30, 2014. The NIAAA is one of the 27 institutes and centers that constitute the National Institutes of Health.

Carolyn Guzski, assistant professor of music, presented the paper "Performing African America: The Dance in Place Congo at the Metropolitan Opera" on May 18 at the conference "Hearing Landscape Critically: Sense, Text, Ideology," sponsored by the Faculty of Music, University of Oxford (UK).

Michael Johnson, associate professor of modern and classical languages, presented his paper "Echoes of Creativity Theory in the Structure of Exodus" at the 42nd annual meeting of the Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society, held in Richfield, Ohio, March 22 and 23.

Theresa Harris-Tigg, Lisa Hunter, and Sue McMillen were selected to participate in the inaugural class of the Women's Leadership Institute, sponsored by the Western New York Consortium of Higher Education. The institute's inaugural class was composed of 42 participants from 18 member institutions and was honored at a celebration on April 11 in the University at Buffalo's Center for Tomorrow. It is one of only a few leadership programs nationally that is specifically for women in higher education. It represents the commitment of the WNY Consortium of Higher Education to collaboratively elevate women to leadership positions within and among its institutions and nationally. The celebration was hosted by Muriel Howard, former president of Buffalo State College and current president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.