Governor Kathy Hochul has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today, September 11, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

There are three standing committees on the Teacher Education Council (TEC): Assessment/Accreditation, Field/Clinical Experiences, and Recruitment and Retention.

Membership on TEC committees is open to all TEU members. The term for standing committee membership is two years. The chair of each standing committee shall submit for the consent of the TEC those names of members nominated to serve on that committee, reflecting representation across the teacher education programs included in the TEU. Each standing committee shall have the right to add as many non-voting members to its group as it deems fit, consistent with its charge. Membership on all committees is open to all TEU faculty and staff. Representative participation by TEU members across programs is encouraged. If interested, please contact your program's TEC representative or Joe Zawicki, associate professor of career, technical, and science education.

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar "Deciphering the Role of Mutualism and Antagonism in Speciation," presented by David Althoff, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Biology at Syracuse University, today, September 16, at 3:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151. Attendees are welcome to enjoy coffee and cookies during the seminar.

Abstract
Interactions among species can generate strong selection that can modify many aspects of an organism's biology. What is less certain is how reciprocal selection caused by species interactions can be instrumental in leading to the formation of new species. Despite many long-standing ideas, there is relatively little empirical evidence of the role of interactions in speciation. Using the pollination mutualism seed-feeding antagonism between yucca moths and yuccas as a model Dr. Althoff explores the ways in which interaction outcomes can lead to specialization and reciprocal evolutionary change that can have a direct role in the speciation process. Current results from phylogenetic and experimental approaches suggest that the antagonistic rather than mutualistic component of the overall interaction is a major driver in speciation of pollinator yucca moths.

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar "Deciphering the Role of Mutualism and Antagonism in Speciation," presented by David Althoff, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Biology at Syracuse University, on Monday, September 16, at 3:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151. Attendees are welcome to enjoy coffee and cookies during the seminar.

Abstract
Interactions among species can generate strong selection that can modify many aspects of an organism's biology. What is less certain is how reciprocal selection caused by species interactions can be instrumental in leading to the formation of new species. Despite many long-standing ideas, there is relatively little empirical evidence of the role of interactions in speciation. Using the pollination mutualism seed-feeding antagonism between yucca moths and yuccas as a model Dr. Althoff explores the ways in which interaction outcomes can lead to specialization and reciprocal evolutionary change that can have a direct role in the speciation process. Current results from phylogenetic and experimental approaches suggest that the antagonistic rather than mutualistic component of the overall interaction is a major driver in speciation of pollinator yucca moths.

The Career and Professional Education Center (CAPE) will host two Graduate School Fairs in October:

The Buffalo State Graduate Programs Fair will be held Tuesday, October 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Cambpell Student Union Social Hall. This event is for Buffalo State graduate programs only. If your department is interested in representing your graduate program(s) and has not yet registered, please sign up now for the event.

The annual Graduate and Professional School Fair will be held Thursday, October 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Cambpell Student Union Social Hall. This event will bring more than 65 regional and nationwide graduate programs to campus.

Both events are solely for Buffalo State students and alumni. Please encourage your students to attend! Please contact Maureen Huber, associate director of CAPE, with questions.

The Student Progress Survey will be deployed via the Bengal Success Portal twice during the semester. The first survey will be deployed during the first three weeks of the semester, starting Sunday, September 15, and closing Friday, October 4, at 11:00 p.m.

The second survey will be deployed shortly after midterm grades are due, starting Wednesday, October 30, and closing Friday, November 22, at 11:00 p.m. (The midterm grading window closes Friday, October 25, at 9:00 p.m. The fall 2024 semester deadline for Course Withdrawal and Pass/Fail is Friday, November 22.)

Each survey will be accompanied by specific kudos, flags, and referrals that are relevant at that particular point in the semester. 

Raising kudos, flags, and referrals is the first step in alerting other campus members of the status of students, enabling professional staff members to follow up with students and close the loop of communication with faculty; however, before raising any flag, please make every attempt to communicate and resolve an issue with a student. If your attempt is unsuccessful, please proceed with raising flags in the Bengal Success Portal so the appropriate staff member can provide support.

It is expected that all faculty members (full time and adjunct) will raise kudos, flags, or referrals for each course survey, acknowledging where students stand in their respective courses so support staff can proactively reach out and respond to student needs and concerns. If no kudos, flags, or referrals are raised for your course(s), please simply open your course survey and click the submit button to mark your course survey(s) complete.

A video on how to complete the Student Progress Survey for courses is available online. Please email Bob Hudson, assistant director of student success administrative systems, with questions about completing course surveys or raising kudos, flags, and referrals.

Thank you for caring about the success of our students. It is essential that we continue to work collaboratively as a campus community, making every effort to increase students' academic achievement, persistence, retention, and graduation rates.

Please join us for "Introduction to Amazon Cloud," a presentation by Mike Brugnoni, senior solutions architect with Amazon Web Services (AWS), on Monday, September 16, from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115. This talk is part of the Data Science and Analytics Seminar Fall 2024 Series.

Talking Points

• AWS training and certification opportunities for students
• Cloud vs. traditional data centers
• What is the shared responsibility model?
• What AWS is doing in the artificial intelligence space

About Mike Brugnoni
A solutions architect at AWS, Mike Brugnoni helps higher education institutions design, deploy, and innovate using cloud services. With over 16 years of experience in the IT field, he has primarily specialized in IT infrastructure and operations throughout his career. In recent years, he's transitioned to cloud computing, earning two Azure certifications and seven AWS certifications. Based in Rochester, New York, he holds a degree in information technology.

The campus community is invited to the workshop "Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Office and Business Applications," presented by Greg Chanese, AI expert and SBDC certified business advisor with SUNY Albany, on Monday, September 16, at 5:30 p.m. in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center.

Mr. Chanese has over 15 years of digital media and technology experience and is the recipient of the New York SBDC Visionary Award. The program will cover valuable applications of AI, including process automation, fraud detection, management, optimizing schedules, market research, and content creation. This program is free for Buffalo State faculty, staff, and students; there is a modest fee for others. Please call the SBDC to register at (716) 878-4030. For more information, please email Susan McCartney, director of Buffalo State's Small Business Development Center.

Are you interested in the democratic process? Do you want to increase your civic knowledge? Join us for a Debate Watch Party tonight, September 10, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Zoom. Fellow SUNY students will gather to watch the presidential debate live and listen to meaningful analysis from political experts about the key issues and candidate platforms. Commentators Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo, and A. K. Shauku, assistant professor of political science, public administration, and planning at SUNY Buffalo State, will facilitate the interaction, reflection, and engaging discussions. This watch party is a perfect blend of education and community involvement, enhancing your civic knowledge and participation in the democratic process.

The Zoom link will be posted on CCE Bengal Connect. Sponsored by SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Buffalo State Civic and Community Engagement.

Lot I-30 will be offline until 1:30 p.m. Thursday, September 19, to accommodate the 2024 Academic Convocation. Please email Parking Services with any questions about this temporary closure. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. 

Campus map (PDF, 4 MB)