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Correction
An article in the April 3 issue of the Reporter incorrectly stated the size of the Interdisciplinary Research and Creative Activities Fund (IRCAF) grants awarded by Office of the Vice President for Research. Research proposals are funded for amounts of up $50,000, not $10,000 as reported. The maximum amount awarded for planning grants is $10,000.
Comparative Literature schedules lecture
Jonathan Mark Hall, assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine, will present a lecture titled "Explicit Montage: In the Realm of the Senses and Other Sexual Cinema from 1970's Japan," from 1:30-3 p.m. today in 640 Clemens Hall, North Campus.
The lecture, which will be free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Eugenio Donato Chair (Rodolphe Gasché) in the Department of Comparative Literature.
For further information, contact the Department of Comparative Literature at 645-2066.
"Breakfast physics" to be topic of lecture
Ever wonder why honey leaves those long, messy tendrils when it's spooned from one dish to another? This example of poorly understood classical physics is one of several found at the breakfast table that University of Chicago physicist Sidney Nagel will discuss in a free public lecture to be held on Wednesday at UB.
Nagel, Stein-Freiler Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago, will speak on "Physics at the Breakfast Table" from 5-6:30 p.m. in 205 Natural Sciences Complex, North Campus.
Other examples that Nagel will cite in his lecture include the anomalous flow of granular sugar and those pesky rings on a table that are deposited by spilled coffee after the liquid evaporates. Nagel says these examples are all non-linear hydrodynamic phenomena that are not only of technological importance, but also can lead the inquisitive into new realms of physics.
For more information, call the Department of Physics at 645-2017 or go to the department's special event Web page at http://www.physics.buffalo.edu/seminars/events.html.
Nickerson elected chair of Faculty Senate
Peter Nickerson, professor of pathology and director of graduate studies in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, has been elected chair of the Faculty Senate for the 2003-2005 term, effective July 1.
Nickerson succeeds Michael Cohen, professor of neurology, who did not seek re-election.
This will be Nickerson's fourth term as chair. He served from 1993-95, 1997-99 and 1999-2001.
Chair of the Faculty Senate's Student Life Committee, Nickerson also serves as a senator of the SUNY-wide Faculty Senate, representing the health sciences. He is a member of the SUNY Senate's Executive Committee, as well as co-chair of its Student Life Committee. He is a former president of the Medical Faculty Council of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Nickerson teaches a course on the principles of disease for medical and dental students, as well as a seminar for undergraduates in the University Honors Program. His research, in collaboration with Rita Ryan, director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Women's and Children's Hospital, and Bruce Holm, senior associate provost, focuses on mechanisms of pulmonary and systemic hypertension in experimentally induced models of the disease.
A UB faculty member since 1967, Nickerson received a bachelor's degree in biology from Brown University and a master's in biology and a doctorate in cell biology, both from Clarkson University.
Oozfest set for April 26
"Muddy, Muddy Buffalo" is the theme of this year's Oozfest, the annual mud volleyball tournament sponsored by the UB Student Alumni Board (USAB), slated for 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 26 at the Mud Pit on St. Rita's Lane behind UB Stadium on the North Campus.
Nearly 1,000 UB students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends, composing 128 teams, have signed on to play in what is recognized as the largest collegiate mud volleyball tournament, and one of UB's largest student/alumni events.
Since its inception in 1984, Oozfest has grown to become much more than a volleyball tournament. The day's other activities include music from radio station Kiss 98.5, a rock-climbing wall, wheelbarrow races, three-legged races, dizzy-bat spin races, blue-ball hunt, an ice cream-eating contest, muddy-water balloon toss, leap-frog and tug-of-war competition.
Each team will receive an official team photo, and each player will receive a commemorative Oozfest T-shirt and a "goody bag" stuffed with promotional materials and coupons from local businesses.
USAB co-chairs of the event are Adam Smith and Ruth Kleinman. "After being involved with the event last year, I can't wait for this one. It is an experience you have to be there to understand," said Smith.
Added Kleinman: "It's great to be part of one of the largest and oldest student traditions at UB as a player, volunteer or any other aspect. Being involved in organizations like USAB make being here really worthwhile."
Oozfest is presented by USAB, the student affiliate of the UB Alumni Association. USAB is a non-profit student organization established to improve the quality of life at UB by providing programs that directly benefit students, their parents, faculty and alumni. Oozfest proceeds will benefit programs such as the J. Scott Fleming Scholarship Awards, which honor students who have demonstrated positive leadership qualities at UB, and Reality Check, a free day-long reality-based workshop program created to assist juniors and seniors in their transition into the "real world."
Kensington project awarded $40,000 grant from Allstate Foundation
The neighborhood surrounding Buffalo's Kensington High School and the Kenfield/Langfield Housing Development has its share of challenges, including gang activities and violence that have begun to invade the area's streets and school hallways.
With the help of a $40,000 grant from the Allstate Foundation, UB is beginning a program called the Allstate Initiative in an effort to help younger students in the community avoid violent and other counterproductive behaviors.
Lawrence Shulman, dean of the School of Social Work, said the Allstate Initiative will be part of the Kensington Coalition, a group that seeks to improve the chances of success for students before they begin high school. Shulman and Sharon West, the executive director of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA), co-chair the coalition, which includes representatives from the Buffalo Public Schools, Buffalo Police Department, FBI, Erie County District Attorney's Office and BMHA, as well as health, human-services and employment agencies, and community groups.
Shulman said the group's progress during the past year includes a "sharp drop in Kensington High School suspensions as one indicator."
The grant from the Allstate Foundation will help the area's younger students to make smarter decisions as they grow, he added.
"The Allstate Initiative will serve as an 'inoculation' program for upper-elementary and middle-school students, in which we will attempt to 'vaccinate' them against the destructive behaviors and other perils that they will face in high school," he said.
The Allstate Initiative, conducted through the School of Social Work, will be an 18-month pilot program providing violence-prevention, intervention and mentoring services in two middle schools and one elementary school that feed into Kensington High School. The program will focus on pre- and early teens (sixth through ninth graders) who are preparing to make the transition into high school—a time that is difficult for many students, but especially for those who live in depressed urban neighborhoods.
The support of the Allstate Foundation will fund program implementation costs, including the work of a behavioral specialist who will work with students in the three targeted schools within the Kensington High School feeder system.
The Kensington Project also has received support from the Eileen and Rupert Warren Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, as well as from the State Education Department and the State University of New York.
The Allstate Foundation grant is part of "The Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation," which has a goal of $250 million and is in its final phase.
Author Raymo to read at WBFO
Chet Raymo author of "The Path: A One Mile Walk Through the Universe," will give a reading from his book at 7 p.m. on April 28 in the auditorium of Allen Hall, South Campus.
Raymo's reading, which will be broadcast live on WBFO 88.7-FM, UB's National Public Radio affiliate, is being presented as part of the station's "Meet the Author" series. It will be free and open to the public. Bert Gambini, WBFO music director, will be the host.
WBFO will present the reading in cooperation with Talking Leaves Books, The Buffalo Science Museum and the Astronomical Society of Western New York. A reception and book signing will take place following the reading.
For almost 40 years, Raymo has walked a one-mile path from his house in North Easton, Mass., to Stonehill College, where he is professor emeritus of physics and astronomy. The woods, fields and stream he passes are as familiar as his own backyard, yet he admits, "There has never been a day I have walked the path without seeing something noteworthy. Every pebble and wildflower has a story to tell."
Raymo chronicles the universe he finds on his path with a scientist's curiosity, a historian's respect for the past and a child's capacity for wonder. With each step, the landscape he traverses becomes richer and more multidimensional, opening door after door into astronomy, geology, biology, history, and literature, making the path universal in scope.
Raymo is the author of "An Intimate Look at the Night Sky," "Skeptics and True Believers," "The Dork of Cork," and "365 Starry Nights." His column "Science Musings" appears weekly in The Boston Globe.
Theatre and Dance to present young choreographers
The Department of Theatre and Dance will present the Young Choreographers Showcase at 8 p.m. on April 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on April 26 and at 2 p.m. on April 27 in the Black Box Theatre in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.
The dance concert will be comprised of UB student choreographers and is directed by Tressa Gorman Crehan. The performance will showcase the department's multitalented dancers in a variety of dance styles. The ensemble features young, energetic dancers who are ready to push dance forward. The mixed repertory program includes music ranging from up-tempo to beautiful ballads.
Tickets for the Young Choreographers Showcase are $5, and are available in the CFA box office from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and at all Ticketmaster locations.
For more information, call 645-ARTS.
Tour of CFA scheduled
A tour of the Center for the Arts, hosted by Tom Burrows, CFA director, will be held at noon on Tuesday.
The tour is sponsored by the Professional Staff Senate.
Cookies and refreshments will be provided.
Anyone interesting in attending the tour should RSVP to pssenate@buffalo.edu by today.
Units urged to plan events
Although UB will not host a university-wide program for "Take Our Daughters to Work Day" this year, campus units are urged to plan their own events.
The national observance of the day will be held on April 24.
The Ms. Foundation for Women has reconceptualized the event as "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day," with an emphasis on girls and boys learning and working together to bring about a more equitable world.
"'Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day' underscores our commitment to providing opportunities and challenges to women at UB, and is fully compatible with our mission as a major research university," says President William R. Greiner. "The young men and women who will participate in this program are our future—our future students, future researchers, and future leaders.'Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day' is a celebration of progress and possibility from which our entire community benefits," he says.
Greiner urged units to plan their own events to observe the day.
Information and ideas for activities can be found on the Professional Staff Web site at http://www.pss.buffalo.edu/, or by contacting Pamela Rose, chair of the PSS' Quality of Work Life Committee, at 829-3900, ext. 129, or pmrose@buffalo.edu.
The Ms. Foundation also has posted a complete description and history of the event, along with suggestions for celebrating this important day, at http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org.