The New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) has released the Rates and Deadlines publication for 2024 (PDF, 1.4 MB). This booklet should be delivered to employees’ home addresses within the next few days. The rates are also available on the Human Resource Management website.

Please note: The Biweekly Premium Contribution rate qualifier, or cutoff, for United University Professions (UUP) employees is incorrectly noted in the NYSHIP Rates and Deadlines publication. The booklet erroneously shows an annualized salary of $47,964. The correct annualized salary should be $49,403, which became effective July 1, 2023, with the new collective bargaining agreement.

UUP employees should be aware that their biweekly health insurance contribution will be based on the higher threshold.

Buffalo State University students will debut a new 360-degree film project this weekend that incorporates the upcoming total solar eclipse into the plot. Ouroborus, an immersive heist film made by Buffalo State students in the television and film arts program, is the first 360-degree narrative film with a full surround-sound mix made for the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium.

Screenings will take place Friday, December 1, at 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, December 2, at 12:30 p.m.; and Sunday, December 3, at 5:00 p.m. in the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium, Science and Mathematics Complex, on the Buffalo State campus.

The upcoming total solar eclipse in April serves as a vital plot point for the 30-minute film, which follows two siblings who find a watch that allows them to travel through time to rob an art gallery in order to save their house.

Watch the trailer.

Tickets are $5 via EventBrite and are extremely limited, with a 48-seat capacity per show.

“There are several reasons why I feel it is important to participate in the United Way SEFA Campaign. I value service in my professional and personal life and feel that participating in the SEFA Campaign is a natural extension of that service commitment. Engaging in service and donating to local organizations allow me to support programs and initiatives that I value most, those that make an impact on the lives of others. As a special educator, I also value inclusive practices. The SEFA Campaign is committed to equity, inclusion, and diversity, supporting all who could benefit regardless of demographics. I embrace the opportunity to effectuate positive changes and give back to others while increasing my civic engagement through charitable giving and service.”
—Kathy Ralabate Doody 

We warmly invite you to share your reasons for giving, and we’ll feature them in the Daily until the end of the SEFA Campaign on December 14. Please send your thoughts to campaign co-chairs Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, or Maria C. Garrity, senior systems programmer in Information Technology. Let’s maintain our momentum, as together, we can achieve this! To donate, please go to the e-pledge system and click “Forgot user ID or password” to begin the process, even if you are rolling over your pledge from last year. This instructional video and documentation can further guide you. If you prefer to donate by cash or check please complete the paper form (PDF, 4 MB) and submit it to the School of Education, Bacon Hall 306, or to your departmental ambassador. Thank you.

Consultants from Voya Financial will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Monday, December 11, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 416.

Space is limited. Please email Molly Pecoraro or call (716) 626-3928 to schedule an appointment.

Discuss your financial situation with an experienced Voya consultant to help you plan for your future and pursue your financial goals. Take this opportunity to review your retirement savings or to increase or start a tax-deferred annuity.

Get answers to these questions and more:

• Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
• Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
• How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

Space is limited; sign up today.

“I give to charity during the SEFA Campaign annually because I deeply believe in their mission and the goals of their diverse programs and want to give back to the community.”
—Chuck Arbutina

We warmly invite you to share your reasons for giving, and we'll feature them in the Daily until the end of the SEFA Campaign on December 14. Please send your thoughts to campaign co-chairs Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, or Maria C. Garrity, senior systems programmer in Information Technology. Let's maintain our momentum, as together, we can achieve this! To donate, please go to the e-pledge system and click “Forgot user ID or password” to begin the process, even if you are rolling over your pledge from last year. This instructional video and documentation can further guide you. If you prefer to donate by cash or check please complete the paper form (PDF, 4 MB) and submit to Bacon 306, School of Education or to your departmental ambassador. Thank you.

“I give to SEFA because it’s an easy way to donate to multiple charities of my choice. The biweekly deduction option makes it convenient to keep giving throughout the year, and it feels good to know that I’m helping those in need!”
—Katie Morales

We warmly invite you to share your reasons for giving, and we'll feature them in the Daily. Please send your thoughts to campaign co-chairs Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, or Maria C. Garrity, senior systems programmer in Information Technology. Let’s maintain our momentum, as together, we can achieve this! To donate, please go to the e-pledge system and click “Forgot user ID or password” to begin the process, even if you are rolling over your pledge from last year. This instructional video and documentation can further guide you.

Thank you.

A New Hire Benefits Orientation will be held Thursday, December 21, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418.

This orientation is for new hires who have yet to complete their health insurance and retirement paperwork and may have questions after reviewing the materials that was sent to them previously.

Registration is required. RSVP with your name to benefits@buffalostate.edu with “Orientation” in the subject line.

Please join the Chemistry Department for the online seminar "Analyzing Droplets and Microbial Cells One at a Time Using Electrochemistry," presented by Julio C. Alvarez, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University, on Thursday, November 30, at 12:30 p.m. A link to join the seminar will be sent on Wednesday. This online seminar is part of the Chemistry Fall 2023 Seminar Series.

Abstract
In the last decade, single-entity electrochemistry has emerged as a highly sensitive technique able to interrogate one entity at a time, spanning from single proteins to microparticles. The direct electrolysis mode entails a single electroactive particle impinging a polarized electrode where reducer R oxidizes to oxidant O (R = O + e-). For example, a single Ag nanoparticle oxidizing to Ag+ + e-, or a redox mediator R dissolved inside a colliding microdroplet. Prior to impact, the current-time(i-t) profile reflects the low background current from the non-electroactive electrolyte. As a result, the high baseline current due to R = O + e- undergoes a sudden step decrease marking the impact and adsorption of the particle. These two modes of single-entity electrochemistry have been applied to proteins, viruses, nanobeads, nanoparticles, liposomes, microdroplets, bacteria, cancer cells, blood cells, and more. In this seminar, Dr. Alvarez will present data from two types of microparticles. The first example describes efforts to determine hydrogen bonding effects on the electrochemical response of individual toluene droplets emulsified in water. Additionally, Dr. Alvarez and his team compare the signal output between droplet adsorption and collisions to evaluate sensing efficiency. The second example illustrates the effect of bacterial size on their arrival velocity as they collide and adsorb on the electrode. This research aims to establish particle properties and mechanisms using the signals from individual impacts with UMEs. In the case of droplets, they seek to investigate processes that control size like coalescence and self- division, whereas in cells, they want to uncover correlations of signal with biological function.

The Hospitality and Tourism Department announces a faculty-led trip to Vietnam during the spring semester.

Students enrolled in HTR 418: Tourism Management have the exciting opportunity to participate in a faculty-led trip abroad to several cities across Vietnam March 22–April 1, 2024. The goal of the trip is to reinforce course objectives learned in the classroom and provide exposure to how tourism management skills are transferred to real-world opportunities. Trip details can be found on the International and Exchange Programs website.

Interested faculty, students, and staff members, please contact

Donald A. Schmitter, M.S.Ed., Lecturer
Caudell Hall 117A
(716) 878-5663

CEP week is a busy week at Student Accessibility Services (SAS). We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to a successful end to the semester. Please read closely and note the guidelines for administration of tests at Student Accessibility Services during CEP week, December 11–14:

• The SAS Testing Center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday of that week.
• Tests will be administered to start at times specified for CEP week schedule—7:40 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 11:40 a.m., 1:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m.—to accommodate for extended test times. 
• Faculty members are asked to please upload their finals to the Accommodate Portal anytime, but at least 24 hours (one day) before the scheduled test date and time.
• Faculty members should answer all questions on the form for SAS staff members to clearly understand the parameters of the test.
• Faculty members will receive an email when a student makes a seat reservation. Please check for accuracy of the scheduled date and time selected by the student. All completed tests will be scanned and uploaded in Accommodate, unless otherwise stated.

Please note: SAS will not administer tests in Brightspace. Please follow the directions to extend the time in Brightspace quizzes. 

Please contact Student Accessibility Services, (716) 878-4500, if you have questions or need clarification.