Intellectual Discovery and Fun Come Together in UBThisSummer

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Write your novel. Study marine biology in the Bahamas. Watch your children become the people they were meant to be. Search and zero in on a distant star.

If life at UB is rewarding during the academic year, the opportunities for fun and intellectual excitement through the university's expanded schedule of summer programs can entice and inspire children, seniors and everyone in between. It's just a matter of knowing what you want and what makes you happy.

"There is so much to do on campus this summer, and there is such a mix of fun and intellectual discovery, we feel confident almost anyone can find something they will enjoy and want to talk about when the summer is over," says A. Scott Weber, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education.

UB has always been a summer destination where "students" -- in the most flexible and all-inclusive context possible -- can expand their knowledge in a more informal, relaxed setting. But this year, the expanded offerings -- with workshops, summer camps, lectures and related activities ranging from local seminars on issues close to home to exotic trips throughout the Western Hemisphere -- can be breathtaking.

The traditional reasons to blend UB classroom study with days at the beach or on the patio lounge still apply. Students can get a jumpstart on the fall semester, focus on fewer courses, enjoy the attention of a smaller class size, get back on track or graduate early, Weber says. Courses are open to current UB students, visiting college students, high school students and the general public.

But anyone thinking in the true spirit of summer will find the real scope of possibilities. A little research shows the diversity of the summer camp and workshop itineraries, a lineup suitable and worthy of UB's status as a major public research university. Some of the brightest and most imaginative minds around have set out to have a fun and fascinating summer, and UBThisSummer is throwing the party open to anyone who wants to come along.

The full slate of activities includes these eye-catching activities:

-- Workshops: With noted UB Shakespeare scholar Barbara Bono as a guide, participants in "Shakespeare in the Summer" will watch and study all four Shakespeare productions during a three-day visit to the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ont. -- including seeing Brian Dennehy in "Twelfth Night" -- as well as Saul Elkin's "Merchant of Venice" production in Delaware Park.

Other workshops include the basics of etching ("The Incised Line"), dance instruction ("LehrerDance Summer Intensive"), learning the secrets of cultural excavation ("Archeological Field School"), the art of writing a compelling narrative ("Creative Nonfiction Writing Techniques"), studying the delicate balance of oceanic life in the Bahamas ("Ecology and Geology of Coral Reef Environments") and a close study of how the U.S. has both helped and hindered progress toward global human rights taught by Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science and co-director of the Buffalo Human Rights Center in the UB Law School.

The full schedule of the more than 25 workshops being offered by the College of Arts and Sciences is available at http://www.cas.buffalo.edu/summer/workshops.php.

-- Camps for Students: UBThisSummer includes a full slate of summer camps designed to give secondary students of all ages a chance to answer the "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" question in style. At the same time, it's an undeniable opportunity to boost their young college resumes.

This summer's camp lineup includes the popular science and math programs organized by the university's Center for Educational Collaboration, as well as the "Wiggle Your Power" civic engagement camp (Click here for a more detailed story on the CEC summer camps.).

Also in the lineup is Field Ecology Adventures, a course aimed for children ages 8 to 12. Each day will focus on a different environmental theme, among them nature awareness, terrestrial studies, aquatic studies, wildlife ecology and survival skills. The approach emphasizes hands-on experiences, including nature adventures, hikes, games and skill-building.

The list of summer camps goes beyond cool science, summer adventures and fun ways to make the world better. UB's Child Care Center has special summer programs for children ages 5 to 8 that include weekly themes with hands-on activities, swimming, field trips to the zoo, bowling and boxed lunches with cool summer snacks. UB's athletic department holds regular camps for baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis and diving, to name a few, for males and females.

For full information about UB's summer camps, visit http://ubthissummer.buffalo.edu/more.html.

-- Lecture Series: UB enters its sixth year of summer lectures featuring prominent faculty members who share their enthusiasm and knowledge in an entertaining and informative way. All lectures are free and open to the public.

Subjects range from music ("The Making of Shamayim: A Music and Film Collaboration") to cutting-edge science ("Nanoscience: Of All Things Truly and Seriously Small"), to urban policy ("The Art of the Deal: Casinos, Prisons, Incinerators and Other Adventures in Urban Development").

The theme of this year's series is "Our UB 2020 Strategic Strengths in Action," which highlights the exciting research going on in the strategic strength areas of the UB 2020 strategic plan.

All lectures will take place from 4-5 p.m. most Wednesdays from June 1 through Aug. 17 at the Student Union Theater, North Campus.

The full schedule of lectures can be found at http://ubthissummer.buffalo.edu/lectures.html.

For more information and further listings on UBThisSummer, including fees, instructors and registration information, visit the main website at http://ubthissummer.buffalo.edu/.