The Undergraduate Research Small Grants Program provides up to $400 to assist undergraduate students in carrying out a research, scholarly, or creative activity during the academic year (up to $600 may be requested for a single project that involves two or more students). Funding is intended to help defray the cost of supplies and other materials necessary to conduct the project. Award recipients will be required to participate in the 25th annual Buffalo State Student Research and Creativity Conference on May 3, 2024. The fall semester application deadline for submission of the student portion is Wednesday, October 18; required faculty mentor approval is due by Friday, October 20. For more details and the online application portal, please visit the Small Grants Program web page on the Undergraduate Research website.

The Buffalo State Alumni Association and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company are teaming up to offer a defensive driving course on Saturday, November 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center. All members of the campus community—alumni, students, faculty, and staff—are invited to register for the course and earn up to 10 percent off their auto insurance (regardless of provider). The cost of the class is $25 per person.

To register, please call Buffalo State’s representative, Damien Lawrence, at (716) 984-9111 by Wednesday, November 15, to reserve your spot.

The 2023–2024 “Conversations in and out of the Disciplines” series kicks off Friday, October 20, as Gavin Leighton, assistant professor of biology, presents “The Evolution of Complex Communication and Visual Deception in Birds” at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. The talk will be followed by a brief Q&A and a short wine and cheese reception. Everyone is welcome.

Please also mark your calendars for the second talk of the fall semester, when Naomi McKay, associate professor of psychology, will present “Stress Eating: It Can’t Be All Bad!” at 3:00 p.m. Friday, November 17, in Ketchum Hall 320.

Finally, stay tuned for more information about our upcoming talks this spring, which will include presentations by Mary Beth Sullivan, lecturer in the College Writing Program; and Jason Knight, associate professor in the Political Science, Public Administration, and Planning Department.

The “Conversations” series was started 16 years ago by Ann Colley, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emerita of English, to “celebrate and draw attention to the research being done in various departments at Buffalo State University.” Over this time, colleagues from Anthropology, Art Conservation, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science, and Secondary Education, among others, have shared their work with the Buffalo State and Buffalo communities.

Buffalo State alumnus and playwright Michael Eichler, ’72, along with director Kyle LoConti, will collaborate with Buffalo State Theater Department student performers to bring a reading of his play Sixty Nine Seventy to the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center on Saturday, November 18, from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Sixty Nine Seventy follows the lives of four Buffalo State students from different socioeconomic backgrounds during 1969–1970. Amid growing civil unrest, they address daily issues of misinformation and public manipulation, women’s rights, racial equality and inherent racism, abortion access, political corruption, and federal surveillance of activist groups. These characters are forced to examine their perspectives and look past what they’re told in order to define themselves and what they are willing to do for what they believe in.

Tickets are $15 per person and are available online. Students can attend free. The event includes lunch and a private conversation with the playwright after the reading. For more information, please call the Alumni Engagement Office at (716) 878-6102.

Please join us for a night of professional networking, a panel discussion, and refreshments, hosted by the Buffalo State Small Business Development Center and the Alumni Engagement Office, on Thursday, October 19, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center. Buffalo State welcomes back four esteemed alumni with knowledge and versatility in the business field to talk about their experiences.

Our entrepreneurial alumni panel will educate you about leadership, developing your small business, and civic responsibility. Invest in yourself, be your own boss, and learn how to be empowered professionally and personally.

Registration for the event is $5 per person, which includes entrance to the event and light refreshments.

Please contact the Alumni Engagement Office, (716) 878-6102, with questions.

The International Professional Development Schools (IPDS) Costa Rica program leaders will offer a second October information session for students on Monday, October 23, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. via Zoom.

IPDS Costa Rica participants complete a pre-travel course during the spring 2024 semester and travel abroad for three weeks in June. Applications are due Wednesday, November 1. The program is open to Buffalo State undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines and is a good fit for those interested in working with children and youth and learning about human development.

Find more details about the information session, the program, and the application on the IPDS Costa Rica website.

The Buffalo State University community is saddened by the death of Alexander J. “Alex” Ratkowski, associate professor emeritus of economics and finance, who died October 5, 2023. Dr. Ratkowski joined the campus in 1967 and retired in 2007. He is survived by his partner, Richard Leimbach, and many family members. Relatives and friends are invited to a celebration of his life at Marotto’s Restaurant, 3365 Delaware Avenue, Kenmore, New York, on Saturday, October 14, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. RSVP to the funeral home at (716) 839-7100 by Friday, October 13. More information is available online.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held Friday, October 13, at 3:00 p.m. in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. Ken Fujiuchi, head of information commons in Butler Library, serves as chair of the Senate for the 2023–2024 academic year.

We encourage everyone to visit the Senate website to catch up on Senate news, find podcasts and minutes of past meetings, review reports and resolutions, and more. Documents for the upcoming meeting can be found on the Senate SharePoint site.

New York State fiscal year April 1, 2023–March 31, 2024 is a leap year. In any fiscal year in which February 29 falls, the Office of the State Comptroller automatically adjusts salaried employees' biweekly salary calculations based on 366 days in the fiscal year. Salaried employees will see a change in their biweekly gross earnings beginning with the September 27, 2023, paycheck. Hourly wage employees are not affected.

Questions regarding the leap year salary calculation may be directed to the Payroll Office, (716) 878-4124.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held Friday, October 13, at 3:00 p.m. in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. Ken Fujiuchi, head of information commons in Butler Library, serves as chair of the Senate for the 2023–2024 academic year.

We encourage everyone to visit the Senate website to catch up on Senate news, find podcasts and minutes of past meetings, review reports and resolutions, and more. Documents for the upcoming meeting can be found on the Senate SharePoint site.