Alumni

People who feel pressure to look attractive are more fearful of being rejected because of their appearance than are their peers, according to a new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Kent.

A new book on the role American elections play in shaping how its citizens arrive at political opinions -- written by nationally known University at Buffalo Law School election expert James A. Gardner -- looks at the expectations shared by many Americans that political campaigns should shape what people think about the major political issues in the election.

Faces will be beaming and flashbulbs will be popping when roughly 5,300 students "walk" and receive their degrees at the University at Buffalo's 163rd general commencement ceremony to be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 10, 2009, in Alumni Arena on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

The University at Buffalo's 1958 football team, which made history when it rejected a post-season bowl bid because two African-American team members would have been prohibited from playing, will receive the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, UB's highest award, during the university's 163rd general commencement on May 10.

Not all technology meets human needs, and some technologies provide only the illusion of having met your needs. But new research by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and Miami University, Ohio, indicates that illusionary relationships with the characters and personalities on favorite TV shows can provide people with feelings of belonging, even in the face of low self esteem or after being rejected by friends or family members.

A national study of data collected over 12 years finds that delinquent teens marry earlier than their peers, while substance-abusing teens -- especially girls who abuse marijuana -- marry later than peers, if at all. University at Buffalo sociologist Sampson Lee Blair's research is a rare look at the long-term effects of teen delinquency and drug abuse on adult role attainment.

A scholarship established by the University at Buffalo Alumni Association in 2007 was renamed in honor of Willie R. Evans, Ed.B. '60, during the association's awards ceremony on March 20.

If you and your child are romping in the park or enjoying a stroll on a warm spring day and a dog approaches, be ultra vigilant. Children, warm weather, and dogs, even family dogs, don't mix well, according to a study conducted by pediatric otolaryngologists from the University at Buffalo's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

To the many problems associated with lack of sleep -- moodiness, memory problems, difficulty concentrating -- add the risk of developing diabetes. A study from the University at Buffalo shows that people who sleep less than six hours a night during the work-week are 4.5 times more likely to have elevated levels of blood sugar than those who slumber 6-8 hours.

The University at Buffalo Alumni Association will honor 20 individuals with achievement awards at a gala to be held March 20 in the Adam's Mark Hotel, 120 Church St.