This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
News

Briefs

Published: August 2, 2012

  • ‘The Avengers’ caps summer film series

    “The Avengers”—the blockbuster superhero film that assembles legendary Marvel Comics characters Captain America, the Hulk, Thor and others—closes out the annual summer film series sponsored by the undergraduate Student Association and UB Student Life.

    “The Avengers,” which set a box office record when it opened in early May, will be preceded by “Captain America” and “Thor,” also immensely popular with moviegoers worldwide.

    Screenings are free of charge on the North and South campuses. Films will be shown on Tuesday and Friday nights on the special events field adjacent to the Student Union on the North Campus, and on Wednesday nights on the Hayes Hall lawn, South Campus. Screenings will begin shortly after sundown; viewers are urged to be on site by 8:30 p.m.

    The schedule:

    • Aug. 7, 8, 10: “Captain America/Thor”
    • Aug. 14, 15, 17: “The Avengers”

  • Flags at half-mast

    Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings—including those at UB—be flown at half-mast on Aug. 2 and Aug. 3 in honor of three soldiers who died in the service of their country.

    Flags will be flown at half-mast on Aug. 2 to honor Pfc. Theodore M. Glende, 23, who was killed in action July 27 in Afghanistan. Glende died in Logar province when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Vicenza, Italy.

    Flags will be flown at half-mast on Aug. 3 in honor of two Fort Drum soldiers who died in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, on July 28. Pfc. Jose O. Belmontes, 28, of La Verne, Calif.; and Sgt. 1st Class Bobby L. Estle, 38, of Lebanon, Ohio, died of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire. Both soldiers were assigned to the 630th Engineer Company, 7th Engineer Battalion of the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Sustainment Brigade.

    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.

  • Library features rock and mineral exhibit

    Rock and mineral specimens from the personal collection of UB Associate Librarian Jill Hackenberg are the focal point of an exhibit, “Treasures of the Earth: Rocks and Minerals from Around the World,” now on view to Sept. 30 in Silverman Library, Capen Hall, North Campus.

    Clusters of minerals from several locations, including Russia, Australia and Arizona are on display, along with a selection of other colorful specimens that Hackenberg has added to her collection during a period of more than 20 years.

    “I’ve always loved gemstones,” Hackenberg says. “I majored in geology at the University of Pittsburgh, though eventually decided I’d rather enjoy minerals in a museum or my personal collection, rather than going out in the field digging for them. My focus now is on adding unusual items to my collection, rather than specimens which I already own.”

    As for what she views as the most unusual specimen in her collection, Hackenberg says it’s “the piece of rough ruby in matrix (surrounded by the rock bedding where it was found). It came from Russia and I bought it in Houston, Texas, at a Russian mineral exhibit at the Houston Museum of Science,” she reports.

    The exhibit may be viewed during regular library hours.For more information, contact Hackenberg at jmh7@buffalo.edu.

  • Prasad authors nanomedicine, nanoengineering textbook

    Paras Prasad, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the chemistry, physics, medicine and electrical engineering departments, has authored a new introductory textbook to the burgeoning fields of nanomedicine and nanoengineering.

    The book, “Introduction to Nanomedicine and Nanobioengineering,” was published in July by Wiley.

    It provides an integrated description of nanomedicine and nanobioengineering, arguing that these two closely related fields—while often treated separately—can be synthesized effectively to develop targeted therapies and produce new technologies in medical diagnostics and bioengineering.

    The goal is to introduce investigators from all disciplines to the fundamentals of nanomaterials design, bioengineering, nanodiagnostics, nanotherapy and related subjects. Chapters cover topics including gene therapy, biosensing, tissue engineering, nanodentistry, nanotechnology for infectious diseases and more.

    Prasad, who is executive director of UB’s Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics, is an expert in fusing nanotechnology with medicine and bioengineering. His research has included developing novel tools such as customized nanoparticles for delivering gene therapy, and a new biophotonic imaging approach for monitoring programmed cell death—in real-time.

    For information on the book, visit the Amazon description.