Social Sciences

Ricardo Ortiz of Georgetown University calls Ramon Soto-Crespo's work "some of the best …being done now in U.S. Latino literary criticism." The Modern Language Association agrees. It will award Soto-Crespo, PhD, of Buffalo, associate professor of American studies and director of Latina/Latino Studies at the University at Buffalo, one of its major distinctions: an honorable mention for the MLA's Eighth Annual Prize in United States Latina and Latino and Chicana and Chicano Literary and Cultural Studies.

Now that the term "interdisciplinary" is practically a prerequisite for federal research funds, geographers are finding that their expertise is a sought-after commodity. That's because geography just might be the most interdisciplinary field in the academic world, according to Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, chair of the Department of Geography in the University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences.

Drinking plays an important and sometimes unexpected role from one day to the next in young couples' romantic relationships, according to a new study by University at Buffalo and University of Missouri researchers.

Powerful, localized snowstorms can snarl traffic for hours or days, as Western New York saw this week when a section of the New York State Thruway closed for 24 hours. That's exactly the kind of scenario that University at Buffalo engineers hope to prevent when they complete a computer simulation of the area's roadways.

Students at the University at Buffalo are exploring the history of mental illness in American culture: from early treatments reminiscent of water boarding, to modern-day psychiatry's addiction to anti-depressants, with more than a few questionable practices in between.

The University at Buffalo's comprehensive physical plan has received regional and international awards for excellence in three distinct areas: planning, landscape architecture and economic development.

If dementia were a country, its economy would rank 18th between Turkey and Indonesia. The total estimated global cost of dementia in 2010 is slated to be $604 billion, according to Alzheimer's Disease International. The sharpest increase in the 35.6 million people across the world with dementia is now occurring in rapidly developing regions -- especially in China.

The New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association has awarded Robert G. Shibley, the next dean of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, the Michael J. Krasner Professional Planner Award.

In an urban environment, how can technology cultivate a sense of community and connect us with the world around us? Two new projects by University at Buffalo media architect and researcher Mark Shepard address that question, enabling city dwellers to leverage their cell phones as tools for discovery as they navigate city streets and other public spaces.

Robert G. Shibley, long-time faculty member and a lead developer of both the University at Buffalo and City of Buffalo's comprehensive plans, has been named dean of the UB School of Architecture and Planning.