'Biggest House Party of Year': You're invited

It's billed as "The biggest house party of the year," a special event to be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Mainstage Theatre, Center for the Arts, with a speaker followed by a reception in the CFA Atrium at 8 p.m. featuring food, non-alcoholic drinks, music and dancing. Open to the campus community, it will be free.

Sponsored by the university's Alcohol Review Board, the event will feature inspirational speaker Mike Green, who will discuss the implications of binge drinking in a talk called "One Night Can Have a Lifetime of Consequences."

The event is also supported by the Division of Athletics, Inter-Greek Council, Center for the Arts, University Residence Halls, Student Health, Wellness and Counseling Centers, Public Safety, Career Planning and Placement, Student Life, UB 101, undergraduate Student Association, Residence Hall Association, Lock-wood Library, Educational Opportunity Program, University Facilities, Faculty Student Association, Faculty Senate and Professional Staff Senate.

Martin Luther King, III, to speak at King commemoration Feb. 25

Martin Luther King, III, son of the late civil-rights champion, will deliver the keynote address at UB's 23rd annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration, to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 in the Mainstage theatre in the Center for the Arts. King, fourth president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, has continued his father's legacy by seeking equality and justice for all people.

The event, which is sponsored by the Student Association, is free and open to the public. However, an admission ticket is required and can be obtained by calling 645-6147. Group seating is available.

PSS to meet today by teleconference

The Professional Staff Senate will meet via teleconference from noon to 2 p.m. today in 120 Clemens Hall on the North Campus and B15 Health Sciences Library on the South Campus.

The dual-location meeting was arranged to minimize weather and parking problems and to provide more PSS members with the opportunity to attend, said H. William Coles, III, PSS chair. The teleconference, a first for the senate, was made possible by Computing and Information Technology.

Robert J. Wagner, senior vice president, and Janet Penksa, associate vice president for university services, will present an update on the budget. A question-and-answer period will follow. For more information, call 645-2003.

Faculty members to speak in Great Decisions Program

Three UB faculty members and a graduate student will be speakers for the 1999 Great Decisions Program presented by the Buffalo Council on World Affairs (BCWA).

The program, a weekly discussion series featuring critical topics on world affairs, will be presented from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesdays in February and March in the Rich Renaissance Center, Niagara and West Ferry streets, Buffalo. The Feb. 10 program will be preceded by the BCWA annual Friend-Raiser and Social at 5:30 p.m.

The UB speakers and their topics are:

- Feb. 10: Jessie Poon, assistant professor, Department of Geography, "Japan: The Shadow of the Miracle."

- Feb. 17: Jerome Slater, professor, Department of Political Science, "Weapons of Mass Destruction: Re-emerging Threat?"

- Feb. 24: Timothy Blauvelt, graduate student, Department of Political Science, "Central Asia Pressure Cooker: The Caspian Basin and Iran."

- March 17: Claude E. Welch, Jr., SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Political Science, "U.S. Role in the UN: A Changing Dynamic."

MFC offering a telecourse on "The American Presidency"

Millard Fillmore College (MFC) and Adelphia International Cable will attempt to help Western New Yorkers understand the presidential impeachment proceedings in Washington by offering a telecourse on "The American Presidency" to viewers only days after the material is discussed in the classroom.

The three-credit course, which began Tuesday, is taught by Jim Twombly, assistant professor of political science.

The telecourse is open to the Western New York community for the cost of regular UB tuition, plus fees based upon student status. It also is available to members of the public who can view the televised class sessions via local cable-access television at no charge but without receiving academic credit.

"This is intended as a community service from UB to help everyone understand the recent headlines in greater depth," said James Anderson, director of instructional technology at MFC. "It also is a great opportunity for regular and non-traditional students to take a UB telecourse in their home."

Twombly, a popular political commentator, said the timely course is not a history class, but rather "a look at the American presidency as an institution as shaped by the individuals who occupy the office." He added that he is going to alter his syllabus for the course by beginning with the topic of impeachment.

MFC offers several other telecourses on local cable television, but this is the first time a telecourse has been offered directly from a UB classroom with a taped delay of only a few days.

Those registering for credit are required to have Internet access. For more information, go to the class Web page at http://wings.buffalo.edu/soc-sci/pol-sci/courses/psc306/index.html.

The class sessions will be taped at UB on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and air at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 11 p.m. on Sundays, repeating at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. the following Saturday.

To register for credit, call MFC at 829-2202 and register for PSC 306 Section "T" of "The American Presidency."

Call for nominations for Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Professional Service

The Professional Staff Senate (PSS) has announced a call for nominations for the 1998-99 Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Professional Service. The awards provide SUNY-wide recognition for outstanding performance and achievement by professional-service employees. Recipients will be honored at an awards luncheon in the spring.

Nominees will be drawn from individuals in full-time professional service with more than 50 percent of the assignment in non-teaching services. They must have completed at least three years of continuous, full-time professional (not classified) service in the position for which they are nominated. Posthumous nominations are not eligible for consideration.

Nominators may be any member of the university community and should prepare a support file that includes a current vita on the nominee, an updated position description and performance program, as well as a maximum of five letters of support, with one each from a supervisor, a colleague and a constituent, as well as the nominator's summary letter of support.

For more information, call Christine Sauciunac at 645-3544. To receive a nomination package, call Anna Kedzierski at 645-2003.

Nominations must be submitted to the PSS Office, 543 Capen Hall, no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 4.

Pan-Am families' lawyer to speak, exhibit photographs

Allan Gerson, senior fellow for law and organization for the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, will visit UB on Wednesday to present a talk and attend the opening reception of his photography exhibit being held in the School of Architecture and Planning.

A 1966 graduate of the UB Department of Economics, Gerson also holds a law degree, a doctorate of science of law and a master of law degree. His legal career has involved major international cases, including representing the families of victims of the bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103.

Gerson will discuss "Terrorism and Government Accountability: The Case of Pan-Am 103 Victims Versus Libya" from 2-3:30 p.m. in 505 Capen Hall on the North Campus.

The photography-exhibit reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the James Dyett Gallery in 335 Hayes Hall on the South Campus. The exhibit, which focuses on landscapes and urban scenes of North Africa and South America, will be on display through Feb. 12.

The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Gerson has served as chief counsel to the United States Mission to the United Nations, deputy assistant attorney general and senior advisor on international affairs in the U.S. Department of Justice.

His books include "The Kirkpatrick Mission: Diplomacy Without Apology, The U.S. at the United Nations, 1981-85," "Israel, The West Bank and International Law" and "Lawyers' Ethics: Contemporary Dilemmas."

Zodiaque dancers plan 'anniversary' concert

The Department of Theatre and Dance will present the Zodiaque Dance Company's spring concert, "Silver Anniversary," next month in the Drama Theatre of the Center for the Arts.

Performances will be given Feb. 11-14 and Feb. 18-21. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances will begin at 8 p.m.; Sunday performances will be at 2 p.m.

The concert will feature choreography by Theatre and Dance faculty, as well as by distinguished alumni. Director Tom Ralabate describes it as "a celebration of the pure joy of dancing." Tickets, at $10 for the general public and $5 for students, are available at the Center for the Arts Box Office and Ticketmaster locations. For more information, call 645-ARTS.

UB projects, programs air on cable TV show

A mind-expanding wall mural that resembles a cartoon equivalent of a blockbuster movie and carbon nanotube research that could contribute to more affordable wall-hung TV screens are two of the features that will air in February on "UB Today," the university's cable-television program.

The show, aired on Adelphia and TCI cable channels, highlights projects and programs featuring faculty, staff, students and alumni. Each new show is rebroadcast several times during the month. "UB Today" airs at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays on Adelphia Cable Channels 10 and 18 International; 9 p.m. Mondays on Channel 18 International, and 6:30 p.m. Fridays on TCI Channel 21.

Researchers to conduct study on health risks of police work

Researchers in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences have received a one-year grant from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to conduct a pilot study on health and psychological stress among Buffalo police officers.

The goal of the project is to determine problem areas of health and stress, and provide a starting point for developing services to help police officers. Results of the project may be used as a model for police agencies throughout the U.S.

Previous research has shown that police work is a high-stress, high-risk occupation and that the health of officers is affected adversely by such conditions. Psychological stress experienced by officers may have an impact on personal health, family life and work performance.

John Violanti, clinical assistant professor of social and preventive medicine and a 23-year police veteran, is the lead researcher on the project. Violanti has conducted several research projects investigating potential health risks of law enforcement. John Vena, professor of social and preventive medicine and a specialist in occupational health risks, will be co-investigator.

The study will be conducted through the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine's Center for Preventive Medicine, located on the South Campus.

University community urged to report paycheck problems

The new state payroll system, PaySR, implemented in December has some wrinkles that the Office of Human Resources Services, State Payroll, is working to iron out.

Due to system problems associated with implementation, there have been a few paycheck glitches that have affected a small minority of the university community, according to Susan Krzystofiak, manager, state payroll services.

Faculty, staff and students are urged to review carefully their check stubs and direct-deposit stubs, especially for the next few pay periods, for accuracy and to report any discrepancies to the payroll office at 645-2600.

"We are working with the Office of the State Controller and SUNY System Administration to correct these system problems. PaySR represents a huge change in the way the payroll is processed," said Krzystofiak. "We look forward to long-term benefits and appreciate your assistance as we move forward."

Brown Bag Video Series to be presented

Three videos in the spring 1999 Brown Bag Video Series will be presented in February, March and April by the Professional Staff Senate and its Professional Development Committee. The video presentations are co-sponsored by the Student Leadership Development Center, Office of Student Life.

All three videos will be shown from noon to 1 p.m. in 106 Jacobs.

A one-hour video on "Humor, Risk and Change" will be shown Feb. 16. The video will help audience members learn how to deal with change and stress by adopting a "humor perspective." It is designed to help participants overcome fear of embarrassment, access joy in adversity and overcome "terminal professionalism" by taking the self lightly and the job seriously.

A 39-minute video on "Effective Teamwork," geared to creating more effective work teams, will be presented March 17. The video will explain techniques for creating a team constitution, collaborating to creatively solve problems and conducting better team meetings. Participants are encouraged to attend with their team members.

The third video in the series, "Be Prepared to Speak," will be offered on April 13. It will outlline a step-by-step process of composing and delivering quality presentations and speeches.

To attend the video presentations, call 645-2003.

Emeritus Center to hear Henry Louis Taylor, Jr.

Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., associate professor in the Department of American Studies and director of the Center for Urban Studies, will be the speaker when the Emeritus Center meets at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 in Goodyear Hall, South Lounge.

The session will be preceded by an Emeritus Center board meeting at 1 p.m.

Dental-school clinics enrolling new patients

The School of Dental Medicine is enrolling patients in need of all aspects of dental care. Clinics operate between the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and offer a convenient, affordable alternative to private-practice dental care for members of the UB community.

Anyone interested in becoming a clinic patient may call 829-3891 to obtain an admissions packet.