Valentin Brimkov, professor of mathematics, mentored a team of three undergraduate students from the University at Buffalo for one year in the framework of “URGE to Compute,” a joint NSF-funded program of the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College. The findings of the team were published in a series of four research papers: in the top professional journals Theoretical Computer Science (Elsevier) and Discrete Applied Mathematics (Elsevier), in Springer’s Lecture Notes in Computer Science, and in Electronic Colloquium on Computational Complexity. The students presented their work at a number of conferences.

M. Scott Goodman, associate professor and chair of the Chemistry Department, published a paper in Inorganic Chemistry titled "Tris(5-methylpyrazolyl)methane: Synthesis and Properties of Its Iron(II) Complex" with Buffalo State coauthors Michael De Marco, professor and chair of the Physics Department, and Alexander Nazarenko, associate professor of chemistry. Two former students from Goodman's laboratory and scientists from D'Youville College, the University at Buffalo, and the University of Rochester are also listed as coauthors.

Gerhard Falk, professor of sociology, has published his 20th book, Assassination, Anarchy, and Terrorism: A Sociological Analysis. He dedicated the book to the memory of his family, who were, he said, “deported and murdered because they were Jews.”

Anthony Chase, assistant dean in the School of Arts and Humanities, will receive the 2012 Community Leader Award in the Arts from the National Federation for Just Communities during its annual awards luncheon on January 19. He will be recognized for his years of service to the local arts community.

A noted drama critic, Chase has served as theater editor for Artvoice in Buffalo for 22 years and is the creator and producer of Buffalo’s annual professional theater awards, “The Arties,” which recognize excellence in Western New York theater and raise money for AIDS charities. He is the longtime cohost of WBFO’s “Theater Talk,” a local segment of NPR’s Morning Edition, providing insight and analysis of the local and national theater scene. He has also served as a dramaturge for Niagara University and for Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

He teaches theater history, dramaturgy, and criticism at Buffalo State, and he regularly lends his knowledge to local theaters, most recently staging the seldom-seen King John for Shakespeare in Delaware Park. He appeared in “Buffalo: All the City’s a Stage,” a video produced by the Theatre Alliance of Buffalo and Visit Buffalo Niagara, and recently narrated the Buffalo presentation of The Gay Marriage Plays, staged simultaneously at theaters throughout the world.

Chase was a feature writer for Theater Week magazine in New York for 10 years, and has also been published in Stages, In Theatre, American Theater, and Hispanic magazines. A distinguished critic and cultural analyst, he often appears on local and Canadian television to discuss cultural issues. His analysis of events at Columbine High School for the cover of In These Times magazine has often been cited for its insight on bullying, teen violence, and suicide. 

He holds a Ph.D. in English with a concentration in dramatic literature from the University at Buffalo, and a B.A. in English and theater arts from Trinity College, Hartford, where he was the President’s Fellow in Theater Arts.

Francis S. Lestingi, professor emeritus of physics and interdisciplinary sciences, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Society of Gilders. He and members of the society will return to New Orleans, Louisiana, in April to continue pro bono gilding in Katrina-damaged churches that are on the National Register of Historic Places. The United States Sign Council (USSC) sign design competition awarded Lestingi’s company, Signs of Gold Inc., first place for its signage work at St Teresa’s Parish in Buffalo. This is the 10th national first-place honor that Signs of Gold has been awarded since 1999. Lestingi has also published two recent comprehensive gilding articles: “Lessons for Lovers of Luster” in Sign & Digital Graphics magazine, and “Gold Leaf Applications” in Sign Media Canada. He has also designed several new digital fonts, which are available on the web.

Benjamin Marchione, administrative director of development, has been named president of the board of directors for the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for 2012.

Marchione joined Buffalo State’s Institutional Advancement Office in September 2009. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Ohio University in Athens and a master’s degree in business administration from the University at Buffalo.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs.

Regarding his new role, Marchione said, “We are fortunate to have a philanthropic environment in Western New York incredibly rich in its various assets. It is my pleasure to join my fundraising colleagues in serving the profession and Western New York as a whole through our efforts as a chapter to provide crucial educational programming, networking, and mentoring services—all ensuring the greatest impact of philanthropic support on our community.”

Daniel DiLandro, college archivist at E. H. Butler Library, met the requirements to be designated a certified archivist by the Academy of Certified Archivists. The academy, which was founded in 1989 at the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists, is an independent, nonprofit certifying organization of professional archivists. The certification exam comprises seven knowledge domains: selection, appraisal, and acquisition; arrangement and description; reference services and access; preservation and protection; outreach, advocacy, and promotion; managing archival programs; and professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities.

Reva Fish, assistant professor in the Social and Psychological Foundations of Education Department, and Gerri Hura, associate professor in the Adult Education Department, coauthored the article "Students’ Perceptions of Plagiarism," which was published in the December 2013 issue of the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 13 (5): 33–45.

Michael Johnson, associate professor and interim chair of the Modern and Classical Languages Department, presented a one-hour workshop, "Challenging Your Students through Greek and Roman Mythology," at the 50th Annual Institute of the Classical Association of the Empire State, held in Saratoga Springs, New York, October 18–19.

Dolores E. Battle, professor emerita and lecturer of speech-language pathology, participated in a seminar titled "Speech Language Pathology: Visiting the Profession around the Globe" at the annual meeting of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), held in Chicago, Illinois, November 14–16. The session was developed in collaboration with five other speech-language pathologists from around the world. The speakers presented information on projects to strengthen the knowledge and capacity building of professionals and organizations that address communication disorders in the areas of speech, language, swallowing, hearing, and rehabilitation in East Africa, Brazil, Guyana, El Salvador, Honduras, Malaysia, and South Africa. The session was sponsored by the ASHA Special Interest Division on Global Issues, of which Battle is the association coordinator.