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Strategic strengths theme of lecture series

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By SUE WUETCHER
Published: May 19, 2011

“Our UB 2020 Strategic Strengths in Action” is the theme of this year’s UBThisSummer Lecture Series, the annual summer series of free talks by prominent UB faculty members.

The lectures, which are open to all members of the UB and broader Western New York communities, will take place at 4 p.m. on most Wednesdays, beginning June 1 and running through Aug. 17, in the Student Union Theater, North Campus.

Lectures will not be held on July 13 or July 27.

The schedule of lectures, which highlight the research going on in the strategic strength areas of the UB 2020 strategic plan:

  • June 1: “The Making of ‘Shamayim’: A Music and Film Collaboration,” strategic strength in Artistic Expression and Performing Arts, David Felder, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Birge-Cary Professor of Composition, Department of Music. Felder will discuss the making of his latest work, “Shamayim,” a collaboration with Emmy award-winning filmmaker Elliot Caplan, UB professor of media study.
  • June 8: “Data Assimilation: Using Models and Data to Reduce Forecasting Errors,” Tarunraj Singh, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, strategic strength in Information and Computing Technology. Singh will talk about some of the ways that methods of prediction affect our everyday lives.
  • June 15: “Innovative Medicine in Buffalo: The UB Clinical and Translational Research Center and Its Impact on Community Health,” Timothy Murphy, SUNY Distinguished Professor, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, strategic strength in Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan. Murphy will discuss clinical research, why it’s become a national priority and how UB’s new Clinical and Translational Research Center will impact researchers, trainees and educators throughout Western New York.
  • June 29: “Nanoscience: Of All Things Truly and Seriously Small,” Sarbajit Banerjee, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, strategic strength in Integrated Nanostructured Systems. Banerjee will explain the field of nanoscience and offer examples of its innovative uses.
  • July 6: “Nuclear Power: Recent Events and UB’s Research Impact,” Andrew Whittaker, professor and chair, Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, strategic strength in Extreme Events: Mitigation and Response. Whitaker will discuss the damage sustained by four Japanese nuclear power plants during the recent earthquake and how UB research may help to lessen the impact in future quakes.
  • July 20: “Glutamate Receptors: The Workhorses of your Memory,” Gabriela Popescu, associate professor, Department of Biochemistry, strategic strength in Molecular Recognition in Biological Systems and Bioinformatics. This lecture will focus on what makes a memory, how it is imprinted and the changes the brain undergoes when a memory forms.
  • Aug. 3: “The Art of the Deal: Casinos, Prisons, Incinerators and Other Adventures in American Urban Development,” Christopher Mele, associate professor, Department of Sociology, strategic strength in Civic Engagement and Public Policy. Mele will look at economic revitalization efforts in Chester, Pa., a Rust Belt city similar to Buffalo, and how the varied development projects there have created a disconnected urban landscape that translates to other Rust Belt areas, including Western New York.
  • Aug. 10: “Integrating Popular Culture and the Classics for Effective Learning,” David Castillo, professor and chair, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, strategic strength in Cultures and Texts. Castillo will talk about how popular culture can be used to help us better understand the classics, using the 1960s counterculture film “Easy Rider” and the classic novel “Don Quixote” as examples.
  • Aug. 17: “The UB 2020 Strategic Strength Initiative: Impact on our University, the Community and Beyond,” Jean Wactawski-Wende, professor of social and preventive medicine and vice provost for strategic initiatives. Wactawski-Wende will discuss the development of the UB 2020 strategic plan, how it has changed the culture on campus and its impact on the local, national and international levels.

The lecture series is one of myriad programs being offered this summer as part of an expanded UBThisSummer schedule. Other offerings include workshops, summer camps, seminars, concerts and other special events.

For the full list of activities, visit the UBThisSummer website.