Taskstream AMS, Buffalo State College’s annual report of assessment software, is getting an upgrade and will become Watermark Planning and Self Study (PSS). The upgrade will be live on Tuesday, May 10. 

Please note that no upgrades have been made to Taskstream LAT, the Teacher Education Unit and Social Work student assessment system. As previously announced, EvaluationKit, Buffalo State’s course evaluation software, has been upgraded and is now Watermark Course Evaluations and Surveys (CES). 

Beginning May 10 for all faculty and staff members, the log-in to Watermark Course Evaluations and Surveys, Watermark Planning and Self Study, and Taskstream LAT will be synched with Buffalo State credentials. You will no longer need a separate username and password for these systems.

When the new system goes live, please take a minute to check the new integration and view the new look. Links to these tools will still be found in the same places. CES and PSS links can be found in the MyBuffState toolbox and on the Teacher Education Unit’s Assessment Resources web page.

Please contact Tiffany Fuzak, research analyst, (716) 878-4132, with questions.

Please join the Chemistry Department for the seminar "Enhancing the Downstream Viability of Pyrolysis Biofuels by Upstream Upgrading Using Inexpensive Heterogeneous Catalyst," presented by Jillian L. Goldfarb, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University, on Thursday, April 21, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151.

Seminar Abstract
While promising, the thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bio-oils has yet to seriously challenge the dominance of fossil fuels in the transportation sector. Pyrolysis bio-oils are hampered by the formation of tarry aromatic compounds and oxygenated molecules that impart high acidity, viscosity, and instability, which require substantial upgrading to obtain a substitute fuel. The cost of refining and upgrading pyrolysis bio-oils hampers their widespread adoption. A significant part of this upgrading cost involves the use of rare or expensive catalysts. Over the past several years, our group has demonstrated in situ methods for pyrolysis upgrading using transition metals and clay minerals. Overall, both sets of catalysts increase dehydrogenation and deoxygenation, and improve the oxygen/carbon ratios of bio-oils.

Through a new series of experiments manipulating the physical location of transition metal catalysts, we have begun to tease out which metals work on primary devolatilization (lowering the energy barrier to pyrolysis) versus those that are more active to promote secondary cracking and devolatilized compounds in the vapor phase. We have identified new ways to replace common “cook and look” methods to identify transition metal catalysts with a materials informatics approach to metal selection. By adapting existing catalyst databases and identifying key metal properties indicative of catalytic activity, we can make predictions about metal catalyst behavior before experimental validation using a set of surrogate reactions. This talk will touch on several areas of inquiry ongoing in our laboratory to explore how we can identify and design processes for inexpensive heterogeneous catalysts for pyrolysis biofuel upgrading.

All continuing students are strongly encouraged to register now for summer and fall 2022 semesters. Registration is continuous directly in Banner. Please encourage students to register now to secure their desired schedule. 

Students are encouraged to use Schedule Planner, an online planning tool to make registration easier. Schedule Planner simplifies and decreases the amount of time involved in planning a schedule. Students can search for classes that have seats available by selecting the Open Classes Only option in the Course Status field.

Experts tell us to begin ramping up our studying three weeks before finals. It's time!

Let our tutors help you.

Math Center
Writing Center
Other Subject Tutoring
EOP/ACE
STAR-NY Online

Please contact Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

This semester's Bengal Study Night is one night only: today, May 9, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Butler Library.

This event will prepare you for finals academically, emotionally, and physically. It includes finals reviews, extended tutoring, relaxation activities, therapy dogs, games, food, prizes, and finals survival kits for the entire student body.

If you're looking for relaxation earlier in the day, join USG for chair massages in the Campbell Student Union upper lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more details and for the Bengal Study Night flier (PDF, 540 KB), visit the Bengal Study Night website.

Please contact Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

This semester's Bengal Study Night is one night only: Monday, May 9, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Butler Library.

This event will prepare you for finals academically, emotionally, and physically. It includes finals reviews, extended tutoring, relaxation activities, therapy dogs, games, food, prizes, and finals survival kits for the entire student body.

If you're looking for relaxation earlier in the day, join USG for chair massages in the Campbell Student Union upper lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more details and for the Bengal Study Night flier (PDF, 540 KB), visit the Bengal Study Night website.

Please contact Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

This semester's Bengal Study Night is one night only: Monday, May 9, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Butler Library.

This event will prepare you for finals academically, emotionally, and physically. It includes finals reviews, extended tutoring, relaxation activities, yoga, meditation, therapy dogs, games, food, prizes, and finals survival kits for the entire student body.

If you're looking for relaxation earlier in the day, join USG for chair massages in the Campbell Student Union upper lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more details and for the Bengal Study Night flier (PDF, 540 KB), visit the Bengal Study Night website.

Please contact Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

The Homage Exhibit, a collection of more than 500 pieces of African American cultural and historical artifacts, will be on display Thursday, April 21, from noon to 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Through a partnership with the Buffalo State College offices of Student Affairs, Equity and Campus Diversity, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), and the Science Technology Entry Program (STEP), the traveling exhibit provides visitors with a robust view of African American life and heritage. It spans from the period of enslavement through the ascendancy of the first Black president of the United States, former President Barack Obama.

Nia McAdoo, Buffalo native, collector, and exhibit curator, will be on site to interpret the artifacts, answer questions, and provide insight into this extensive collection. From a slave transport collar used to physically restrain enslaved individuals to a 1944 publication titled "Voting Restrictions in the 13 Southern States: A Report" to an original Madame C. J. Walker pressing oil tin, the Homage Exhibit provides a wide-ranging view of African American culture and life.

The exhibit displays select pieces from the private collection of Ms. McAdoo, including artwork by artists such as Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett. The collection also includes original documents from Frederick Douglass, Shirley Chisholm, Booker T. Washington, Ralph Bunche, and more. The traveling exhibit has been displayed and exhibited on college campuses across the country.

To view the complete inventory, please visit the Homage Exhibit website.

When the SUNY contract with Blackboard Inc. ends, this will include Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, the web conferencing and recording component. While Blackboard Learn (LMS) will still be available, Blackboard Collaborate will be unavailable for use after the spring 2022 semester. June 30 is the official end-of-contract date.

Microsoft Teams meetings will be the remaining campus-supported web conferencing solution, and users should begin transitioning to it. Please note that any existing Blackboard Collaborate recordings will not be archived automatically and are the responsibility of individual users to save as needed before the end of June.

Please be aware of student privacy and copyright guidelines when determining if your video should be retained and used in future semesters. For videos you intend to retain and reuse, students visible in the recording should have provided written consent.

To ensure a smooth transition, please

• register for related workshops through the Workshop Registration System;
• download any Collaborate recordings that need to be saved and store them  in OneDrive (archived) or Ensemble Video (active usage);
• learn about MS Teams (campus-supported web conferencing tool).
  ? Microsoft support - "Manage meetings" video training
  ? Buffalo State IT Portal - Schedule online meetings with Microsoft Teams
  ? Buffalo State IT Portal - Microsoft Teams for Blackboard Learn
  ? Schedule an appointment with Instructional Design and Distance Learning (Microsoft Office 365 training category)