UB Faculty Members Honored by Hillel of Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Eighteen Jewish SUNY Distinguished Professors and a Nobel Laureate at UB were honored by Hillel of Buffalo at a ceremony and reception on Dec. 5 in the Center for the Arts on the UB North Campus.

They were presented with the Akiva Award, named for the second-century rabbi, sage, Talmudic scholar, patriot, philosopher and master teacher.

Based on a design by Julie Oh, graphic designer with Makin' Copies in The Commons, the sand-carved crystal award was created by local artisan Thomas Mineo. The design incorporates the Hillel flame superimposed with the UB logo and the inscription "Make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend."

Rich Kellman, senior correspondent with WGRZ-TV, was master of ceremonies.

Honorees were Harvey Breverman of Snyder, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Art; Harold Brody of Amherst, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anatomical Sciences; Philip Coppens of Williamsville, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry; Saul Elkin of Williamsville, Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance; Murray Ettinger of Williamsville, Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, and Leon Farhi of Eggertsville, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

Also, Raymond Federman of San Diego, Calif., Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of English; Irving Feldman of Buffalo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of English; Leslie Fiedler of Buffalo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of English; Herbert Hauptman of Snyder, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry and UB research professor of biophysical sciences; Georg Iggers of Amherst, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of History; Murray Levine of Buffalo, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology, and Gerhard Levy of Sarasota, Fla., Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutics.

Also, Felix Milgrom of Getzville, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Microbiology; Norman Mohl of Williamsville, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences; Russell Nisengard of Buffalo, Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Periodontology; Eli Ruckenstein of Eggertsville, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering; Irving Shames of Silver Spring, Md., Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Norman Solkoff of London, England, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology.

Hillel of Buffalo sponsors religious, cultural, educational and social services and programs for the Jewish students and community.