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Convocation to be held Oct. 8
The ninth annual University Convocation will be held at 3 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.
The convocation, which will feature remarks by President William R. Greiner, will honor and recognize members of the campus community for outstanding achievement. The ceremony will include a performance by The Baird Trio and a special tribute to President and Mrs. Greiner.
It will open with an academic procession composed of marching faculty and staff led by the chair of the Faculty Senate (Peter Nickerson), the chair of the Professional Staff Senate (Lawrence Labinski) and the platform party.
The convocation will recognize the recipient of the President's Medal, whose name will be announced at the ceremony, as well as UB's newly named SUNY Distinguished Professors, recipients of the 2003 SUNY Chancellor's Awards, the new UB Distinguished Professors and UB Stars. A reception will follow the ceremony in the CFA Atrium.
All members of the campus community are invited to attend.
Blitzer to speak as part of Distinguished Speaker Series
BLITZER
CNN news anchor and UB grad Wolf Blitzer will speak at 8 p.m. Oct. 2 in Alumni Arena, North Campus, as part of UB's Distinguished Speaker Series.
Blitzer, who earned a bachelor's degree in history from UB in 1970, will be Alumni Choice Speaker for the series, which is presented by UB and the Don Davis Auto World Lectureship Fund.
One of the most insightful journalists in America today, Blitzer is the anchor of CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports," a weekday-evening broadcast focusing on the day's top news and featuring live interviews with top newsmakers and live debriefs with correspondents from around the world. He also hosts "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," the only Sunday talk show seen in more than 212 countries and territories.
Blitzer served as CNN's senior White House correspondent covering President Bill Clinton from his election in November 1992 until 1999.
He began his career in 1972 with the Reuters News Agency in Tel Aviv, and served as a Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Jerusalem Post. After more than 15 years of reporting from the nation's capital, he joined CNN in 1990 as the network's military-affairs correspondent at the Pentagon.
Blitzer won an Emmy Award in 1996 for his coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing. In 1994, American Journalism Review cited him and CNN as the overwhelming choice of readers for the coveted Best in the Business Award for "best network coverage of the Clinton administration." In 1999, he was honored with the International Platform Association's Lowell Thomas Broadcast Journalism Award for outstanding contributions to broadcast journalism.
Blitzer also has authored two books, "Between Washington and Jerusalem: A Reporter's Notebook" and "Territory of Lies." In addition, he has written articles for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times.
Tickets for Wolf Blitzer range from $12 to $28 and may be purchased at the Alumni Arena ticket office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at http://www.tickets.com or 888-223-6000.
Memorial service planned for Nan Harvey
The Division of Athletics will host a memorial service for Nan Harvey at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 in the Mainstage theatre in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.
Harvey, former associate athletic director and senior woman administration, died on Sept. 2 at the age of 46 after a three-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Harvey had served UB for nearly 30 years—first as a student-athlete, then as a coach and finally as an administrator.
All members of the university community are invited to attend.
Clark named "Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year
CLARK
Randall L. Clark, chairman and CEO of Dunn Tire Corp., has been named the 2003 Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year by the School of Management.
Clark was selected for the award based on a vote by the board of directors of the alumni association and past honorees, who cited his career success, civic leadership and professional integrity.
Clark came to Buffalo in 1973, joining Dunlop Tire Corp. as director of marketing. He resigned as chairman and CEO of Dunlop in 1991 to pursue other interests.
In 1992, Clark became the executive vice president and COO of Pratt & Lambert. He retained that position until Sherwin Williams purchased the company in 1996.
In 1996, he led the buyout of Dunn Tire Corp. and was elected its chairman. Since that time, Dunn has grown from 19 to 27 locations and now ranks as the 24th largest independent retail tire dealership in the nation.
Clark holds leadership positions in a number of local and regional organizations. Gov. George E. Pataki appointed him to the UB Council, the university's local governing council, in 2000. He is chairman of the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, a director and past chairman of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, a founding director and past president of the Western New York International Trade Council and a director of the Amherst Industrial Development Agency. He serves on the board of directors of Computer Task Group (NYSE), Taylor Devices (NASDAQ), HSBC Bank-Western Region and Merchants Mutual Insurance Co, where he was the chairman of the board from May 1997 until May 2003. He also is chairman of AAA Western and Central New York.
A native of Syracuse, Clark received a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and earned his MBA from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.
Established in 1949, the Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year award is presented annually to a resident of the Niagara Frontier. Past recipients include Robert E. Rich, Sr.; Paul L. Snyder; Robert E. Rich, Jr.; Jeremy M. Jacobs; the late Burt P. Flickinger, Jr.; the late Seymour H. Knox, III; Sal H. Alfiero; Robert G. Wilmers; Bernard J. Kennedy; Frank L. Ciminelli; Reginald B. Newman, II, and Luiz F. Kahl. Last year's honoree was the late William E. Swan.
Filiatrault named MCEER deputy director
Andre Filiatrault—a leading expert on shake-table testing of structural and nonstructural building components, including electrical substation equipment&3151;has been named deputy director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) headquartered at UB. MCEER is a National Science Foundation "Center of Excellence" in earthquake engineering.
Formerly a professor of structural engineering at the University of California-San Diego, Filiatrault will be responsible for coordinating MCEER's nationwide research program in advanced technology applications. He also has been appointed professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
"Dr. Filiatrault is an outstanding and prolific researcher who has received many awards for his work," said Michel Bruneau, MCEER director and professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering. "His extensive experience with shake-table testing will be especially valuable to research initiatives of MCEER and the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences upon completion of UB's state-of-the-art Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory."
Filiatrault is past president of the Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE) and was project manager for testing and analysis for the CUREE-Caltech Wood Frame Project, a federally funded effort to develop reliable and economical methods of improving woodframe building performance in earthquakes.
His full-scale dynamic tests on a variety of structural and nonstructural systems and components over the past 15 years have led to improved seismic design standards.
Filiatrault has led or has been a member of several earthquake reconnaissance teams, including those that investigated the Nisqually Valley earthquake in Washington State in 2001, the Loma Prieta and Northridge, Calif., earthquakes in 1989 and 1994, respectively, and the Kobe, Japan, earthquake in 1995.
He is a recipient of the Moisseiff Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Gzowksi Medal from the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering.
He has published 67 articles in scientific journals and is author of the textbook "Elements of Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics."
Before joining the University of California-San Diego, Filiatrault was professor of civil engineering at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. He also continues to serve on the scientific board and faculty of the Rose European School for Advanced Studies in Reduction of Seismic Risk at the University of Pavia in Italy.
He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, and a master's degree and doctorate in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
He also is a member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers, and is a registered professional engineer in the province of Quebec, Canada.
MCEER's mission is to reduce earthquake damage and losses through multidisciplinary team research and the application of advanced technologies that improve earthquake engineering, pre-earthquake planning and post-earthquake recovery strategies.
Oral Diagnostic Sciences to present seminar series
The Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences in the School of Dental Medicine will present a seminar series during the fall semester. All seminars, which are free and open to the public, will be held at 8 a.m. in 355C Squire Hall, South Campus. The schedule:
Oct. 2: "The Mastodons of Western New York," Richard S. Laub, curator of geology, Buffalo Museum of Science
Oct. 30: "Formal Ontology and Medical Information Science: The Biomedical Connection," Louis J. Goldberg, professor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences
Nov. 13: "University-Industry Relationships in Dentistry: Past, Present, Future," Michael L. Barnett, visiting professor, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and consultant to the oral care products industry
Dec. 4: "Eating Disorders," Howard C. Wilinsky, clinical assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
For further information, contact the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences at 829-2241.
SEFA panel sponsors book sale
The SEFA Committee in the Office of the Vice Provost for Enrollment and Planning will present "Crazy Eddie's" Used Book (and Other Media, Too) Sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow in Capen Hall, North Campus.
The sale, to benefit UB's SEFA campaign, will be located on the ground floor of Capen under the stairs near the former kiosk.
Items will be sold for $3 or less.
For more information, contact Liz at 645-3482.
Grant proposals sought for Canadian-American studies
The Canadian-American Studies Committee is seeking proposals for its Fall 2003 grant competition. The panel is looking to fund projects and activities designed to encourage and promote increased awareness and understanding at UB of Canada, and of relations between Canada and the United States.
Funding for the grants is provided by the Canadian Studies Grant Program of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, and by the College of Arts and Sciences.
The deadline for grant applications is noon on Nov. 10.
Application forms are available at http://canam.buffalo.edu, or from Donna Banach at 645-2299, ext. 42, or dbanach@acsu.buffalo.edu.
WBFO to broadcast Cary reading
WBFO 88.7 FM, the National Public Radio affiliate operated by UB, will present a live broadcast of author Lorene Cary reading selections from her book, "The Price of a Child," at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Medaille College Lecture Hall in the center of the Medaille College campus.
The reading is part of the If all of Buffalo Read the Same Book program.
Bert Gambini, WBFO music director and host of the station's Meet the Author series, will lead the evening's broadcast and discussion. A book signing and reception will follow the event, which is free and open to the public.
The New York Times Book Review called Cary "a powerful storyteller, frankly sensual, mortally funny, gifted, with an ear for the pounce (of) real speech," and praised "The Price of a Child" as" a generous sardonic, full-blooded work of fiction."
Cary received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. In 1998, she founded Art Sanctuary, a non-profit lecture and performance series that brings black thinkers and artists to speak and perform in the Church of the Advocate, a National Historic Landmark building in North Philadelphia.
Dean's suite to be named in honor of Perry
The School of Public Health and Health Professions has named its dean's suite in honor of J. Warren Perry, founding dean of the former School of Health Related Professions.
A professor emeritus, Perry served as dean of the School of Health Related Professions from 1966-77. He recently gave $100,000 to the School of Public Health and Health Professions, which was formed by merging the university's School of Health Related Professions and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, formerly part of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Perry divided his recent gift into two parts: $50,000 now and $50,000 through a bequest commitment. In addition to this gift, his largest to the school, Perry has established endowed scholarships for students in the departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Rehabilitation Science, and provided support of the Dr. J. Warren Perry lecture series, begun in 1988.
Maurizio Trevisan, interim dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, said the J. Warren Perry Dean's Suite is the most recent entry in an important legacy that will benefit students and faculty of present and future generations. Perry's gifts, Trevisan said, "ensure that more students will benefit from a school that began strong and continues to thrive, thanks to Dr. Perry's leadership, laughter and good will."
Tour of solar buildings planned
How does solar energy works in Buffalo? Interested in seeing a home that uses the sun's rays for space or water heating? Want to learn about environmentally friendly design features of a green building? Then take the 2003 Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings, which includes a stop at the community center of UB's Creekside Village student apartment complex.
The UB Green Office has joined the Western New York Sustainable Energy Association (WNYSEA) in being a local sponsor of the national Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4. Participants will be given the opportunity to visit solar and green buildings in the Western New York area. In addition to the Creekside Village Community Center—the first building in Western New York to achieve certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program—stops on the tour include private homes that feature passive solar heating and solar hot water systems, and the Ecology & Environment office building in Lancaster.
The tour, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored nationally by the American Solar Energy Society and in the Northeast by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), a WNYSEA affiliate.
"Many people don't realize that despite our cold and snowy winters, Buffalo receives more than enough sun to heat and light our homes and generate electricity," said Joan Bozer, former Erie County legislator and community solar advocate. "We must find alternatives to fossil fuels in order to address problems of air pollution and global warming. Luckily, the answer to these problems comes up every morning, the sun!"
The Western New York Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings will coincide with the "2003 Conference of the Environment: Sustainable Living with Renewable Energy," being held Oct. 3-5 in the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The conference will includes workshops pertaining to sustainable energy and several prominent keynote speakers, including Steven Strong, solar design architect and TIME magazine 'Hero of the Planet;' Dennis A. Andrejko, UB associate professor of architecture, and Walter Simpson, UB energy officer.
Those wishing to take the solar tour may visit any of the sites between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., although some buildings on the tour may have more restricted hours. A listing of houses and buildings on the local tour, along with detailed information about solar features, exact hours of availability, directions and contact information, is available at http://www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse/2003nybuffalo.html. The listing will be continually updated as more homes and buildings are added. This information also may be obtained from the UB Green Office at 829-3535 or by contacting Liam Gallagher at mrliamgallagher2000@yahoo.com.