Sue Baldwin, assistant professor of health and wellness, was selected to participate in a gathering of higher education school health education faculty, sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health, held February 2–4 in Atlanta, Georgia. The ACS/CDC School Health Education – Higher Education Academy was a professional development event highlighting best practices for providing quality health education in K–12 schools, including hands-on instruction in use of science-based resources such as the ACS's National Health Education Standards and the CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool and School Health Index. Throughout the academy, presenters and participants exchanged ideas and strategies for providing and improving the quality of the professional preparation and development experiences for school health education teachers. Participation in this event is an indicator of a strong commitment to augmenting knowledge and skills as a faculty member, providing quality professional preparation programs at one's own university, and enhancing the status of the profession and practice of school health education nationally.

Mathematics professor Daniel Cunningham's latest paper, "Scales of Minimal Complexity in K(R)" (33 pages), has been accepted for publication in the Archive for Mathematical Logic. The paper is currently available through Online First at SpringerLink and will appear in a forthcoming issue of the printed journal.

The Archive for Mathematical Logic is a refereed journal that publishes research papers in mathematical logic. Contributions are also welcomed from other related areas, such as theoretical computer science or philosophy, as long as the methods of mathematical logic play a significant role.

Michael Johnson, associate professor of modern and classical languages, presented his paper "Star Trek's Humorous Roots" in the "Science Fiction and Fantasy" section of the 22nd annual conference of the Mid-Atlantic Popular American Culture Association, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 3–5, 2011.

Joëlle Leclaire, associate professor of economics and finance, has published her book Heterodox Analysis of Financial Crisis and Reform, coedited with Tae-Hee Jo, assistant professor of economics and finance, and Jane Knodell, professor of economics and provost and senior vice president at the University of Vermont (Edward Elgar, 2011).

Brad K. Mazon, adjunct lecturer in the Higher Education Administration Department, has been appointed dean for resource development at the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI). Based in Buffalo, Mazon is responsible for all private and public fundraising initiatives on behalf of CMI. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is located about 2,000 miles west of Hawaii in the Pacific Islands.

Tim Walsh, associate vice president for college relations, and Brian Kantz, publications director, presented a featured session on brand strategy development at the 2012 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District I and II Conference, held January 22–24 in New York City. They explained the development of Buffalo State’s new “Because of Buffalo State” branding initiative. The conference attracted 1,200 marketing and fundraising professionals from more than 300 educational institutions in the northeast.

Pixita del Prado Hill, associate professor, Ellen Friedland, associate professor, and Stephen Phelps, professor emeritus, Elementary Education and Reading, had their article "How Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Urban Students Are Influenced by Field Experiences: A Review of the Literature" published in Action in Teacher Education 34 (1): 77–96.

Evelyn (Santiago) Rosario, EOP counselor, was recently elected to the board of directors of Benedict House of Western New York Inc. Benedict House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of providing housing and support services to individuals living with AIDS. Located at 2211 Main Street in Buffalo, Benedict House is a 34-bedroom facility that relies on governmental funding, grants, private donations, and fundraising activities to support operations. The mission of Benedict House is to provide nondiscriminatory residential housing opportunities and supportive services for people living with AIDS in an environment promoting the principles of dignity, respect, understanding, compassion, and self-determination.

Thomas Renzi, Ph.D., has written Screwball Comedy and Film Noir: Unexpected Connections, recently published by McFarland & Company. The book compares screwball comedy and film noir—which at first glance may seem a daring attempt to compare apples and oranges. Renzi, however, provides a close analysis to show that, in their origin, evolution, and content, the two genres ironically share many corresponding features. The Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore will host a book signing during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) on Thursday, March 8.

Communication Disorders in Multicultural and International Populations, 4th edition, by Dolores Battle, professor emerita of speech-language pathology and adjunct lecturer, has been published by Elsevier/Mosby (2012).