University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

News

Published: September 1, 2011

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  Minor fire in Clemens

  Fire crews and UB Police responded to a minor electrical fire at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday on the 10th floor of Clemens Hall, North Campus.

  The building was safely evacuated. There were no injuries and only very minor property damage. A malfunctioning induction heater was the source of the fire, according to UB investigators. Clemens Hall opened as scheduled on Thursday morning, without interruption to classes, offices or normal operations.

  Joseph Brennan, associate vice president for university communications, responded to the scene of the fire. He said the university was prepared to activate its “UB Alert” emergency-communication procedures if the fire had posed a danger or risk to the campus community.

  “Although this was a minor incident, it serves as a good reminder to our campus community that they should sign up to receive UB Alert text messages and be aware of how the university will communicate to the campus in an actual emergency,” Brennan said. “During a crisis or weather-related emergency, the university is prepared to communicate through text messaging, all-campus emails, UB websites and through internal and external media channels.”

  UB students, faculty and staff can sign for UB Alert text messages via the UB Alert website.

  During emergencies and adverse weather conditions, UB will communicate using the following methods:

  Web

  • UB home page
  • MyUB, the university’s Web-based personal portal for students, faculty and staff
  • UB Reporter
  • UB Alert website

  E-mail and text messages

  • UB Alert text and e-mail messages to students, faculty and staff who have registered
  • Employee and student e-mail distribution lists

  Phone

  • 645-NEWS, UB’s news information line
  • 645-2345, campus road conditions phone line

  Broadcast and Media

  • WBF0-FM 88.7FM, UB’s National Public Radio station
  • The Spectrum
  • Campus Radio AM-1620
  • Local print, TV and radio media

  Other

  • Building coordinators
  • Hall directors and resident advisers
  • University switchboard
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  Mass of the Holy Spirit set for Sept. 18

  The Newman Centers at UB and St. Joseph University Church will mark the opening of the 2011-12 academic year with the 35th annual Mass of the Holy Spirit, to be held at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 18 in St. Joseph University Church, 3269 Main St., Buffalo, adjacent to the South Campus.

  During the Mass, the Newman Award, the highest honor given by the Newman Centers, will be presented to Reggie Witherspoon, head men’s basketball coach, in recognition of his outstanding service to UB and the Western New York community.

  All members of the university community are invited to attend the convocation.

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  Linda Yalem run set for Sept. 25

  More than 1,500 walkers and runners are expected to participate in the 22th annual Linda Yalem Safety Run, to begin at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 25 on the North Campus.

  The 5K USA Track and Field-certified course is one of the most popular races in Western New York. It is open to the casual, as well as the serious runner.

  Post-race events will include food, entertainment and a kids’ dash.

  The Linda Yalem Safety Run was established to promote personal safety and is named in honor of Yalem, a 22-year-old UB student who was raped and murdered in September 1990 on the Amherst bike path along the north edge of campus while training for the New York City Marathon.

  Registration fees will support rape-prevention programming and personal safety awareness at UB.

  The fee to participate is $23 for the general public and $18 for UB students who register online by 5 p.m. Sept. 21. The cost is $25 and $20 for those who register in person from 4-7 p.m. on Sept. 23 and from 7:30-9 a.m. on race day at Alumni Arena.

  For more information or to register online, visit the Linda Yalem Safety Run website.

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  Free Gates tickets for high schools

  As part the inaugural celebration for President Satish K. Tripathi, UB will offer free tickets to Western New York high schools, as well as local non-profit, community, and veteran and military organizations, to attend the upcoming lecture by former U.S. Secretary of State Robert M. Gates.

  Gates will kick off the 25th anniversary season of the UB Distinguished Speakers Series at 8 p.m. Sept. 21 in Alumni Arena, North Campus.

  Up to 20 complimentary tickets per school or organization are available while supplies last. Ticket requests will be filled on a first-come, first served basis while the ticket allocation lasts.

  UB, through the support of Hodgson Russ LLP, an affiliate series sponsor, has dedicated a minimum of 1,500 complimentary seats for the community to participate in the Gates lecture.

  Gates served from 2006 until this year as the 22nd U.S. secretary of defense, a position he held under presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, making him the only secretary of defense in U.S. history to be asked to remain in that office by a newly elected president. Obama is the eighth president Gates has served.

  Requests for tickets for high schools should be made by the school’s principal or one faculty/staff member; for community, veteran and military organizations, one representative should act as the sole liaison. To register your school or organization’s ticket request, visit the Office of Special Events website. Deadline for Gates ticket requests is noon on Sept. 9.

  Tickets for the general public for the Gates lecture may be purchased at the Alumni Arena box office and through Ticketmaster.

  Information about the rest of this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series lineup, including details about the speakers and discount vouchers, and to download the series subscription order form, is available on the Distinguished Speakers Series website.

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  Flags at half-mast honor soldiers

  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings—including those at UB—be flown at half-mast on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 in honor of two Fort Drum soldiers who died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

  Flags will be flown at half-mast on Sept. 1 in honor of Army Sgt. Andrew R. Tobin, who died on Aug. 24 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.

  Flags will be flown at half-mast on Sept. 2 in honor of Army Pfc. Jesse W. Dietrich, who died on Aug. 25 of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.

  Both soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 87th Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Drum.

  Tobin was from Jacksonville, Ill.; Dietrich was from Venus, Texas.

  Cuomo has ordered that flags on all state buildings be lowered to half-mast in honor of and tribute to New York service members who are killed in action or die in a combat zone.