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CADS to host reception
The Center for Academic Development Services (CADS) will host its 12th annual Faculty and Staff Reception from 3-5 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Jeannette Martin Room, 567 Capen Hall, North Campus.
The reception is designed to introduce faculty and staff to CADS, which includes the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Academic Challenge and Enrichment (ACE) Program, the Student Support Services (SSS) Program, the Ronald E. McNair Program, the CADS Pre-Freshman Summer [bridge] Program, the CADS Tutorial Labs and Mentoring Programs, Cora P. Maloney College, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), Public Service Internship and the Daniel Acker Scholars Program.
Those attending the reception also will learn about the research opportunities available through CADS' research initiatives.
Anyone wishing to attend should RSVP at 645-3072 by Wednesday.
Zodiaque concert set
The Department of Theatre and Dance will present Zodiaque Dance Company in "Voices...that dance on" Feb. 24-27 and March 3-6 in the Drama Theatre in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.
Performance times are 8 p.m. Feb. 24-26 and March 3-5, and 2 p.m. Feb. 27 and March 6.
"Voices... that dance on" features choreography by faculty members Tressa Gorman Crehan, Jeanne Fornarola, Joyce Miller Lichtenberger, Tom Ralabate and William E. Thomas, as well as students Cesar Salinas and Teal Darkenwald.
Two works, Thomas' "Alternating Realities" and Salinas' "Entrance to Exit," are selected works for the upcoming Northeast Regional American College Dance Festival, to be hosted by the Center for the Arts.
Darkenwald's "Lucid Dreams" is an interdisciplinary collaboration with the Department of Media Study, and is funded by the UB Honors Program Research Fund.
As a finale, the company will perform "Parsons Etude," choreographed by David Parsons.
Now in its 31st season, Zodiaque Dance Company's unique blend of movement inquiry, encompassing a wide range of movement styles and techniques, allows for the choreographic voice to inspire and inform. Linda Swiniuch is the founding director of Zodiaque Dance Company. Tom Ralabate serves as director, and Tressa Gorman Crehan is associate director.
Tickets for Zodiaque Dance Company are $15 for general admission and $6 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the CFA box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at all Ticketmaster locations.
For more information, call 645-ARTS.
Van Benschoten named SEAS associate dean
John E. Van Benschoten, professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering, has been named associate dean for undergraduate education in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
In his new post, he will have responsibility for matters relating to undergraduate engineering curriculum, accreditation, recruiting, admissions, advisement, retention and articulation, as well as student clubs, outreach and such activities as open house and commencement.
A UB faculty member since 1988, Van Benschoten has served as director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, and has been involved in a number of undergraduate curricular initiatives at UB.
He teaches courses and conducts research in wastewater treatment, physical and chemical treatment processes for water and hazardous waste, remediation of contaminated soils and potable water treatment.
His funded research projects include development of mathematical models of surface adsorption processes with application to soil and groundwater remediation. He also has conducted research in potable water treatment, including coagulation processes, taste-and-odor-causing compounds, membrane filtration and the use of oxidants to control invasive species, such as zebra mussels.
Research papers he has coauthored have received the Rudolph Hering Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a best-paper award from the American Water Works Association.
Israeli spokesman to speak at UB
Ido Aharoni, consul for media and public affairs for the Israeli Consulate in New York City, will speak about Israel and its portrayal in the international media at 7:30 p.m. today in 104 Knox Hall, North Campus.
Admission is free for students; a $5 donation is suggested for the general public.
The speech is part of Israel Week at UB, sponsored by Hillel of Buffalo.
A 14-year veteran of the Israeli foreign service, Aharoni will address the pertinent issues facing Israel today, including the possibility for a peaceful agreement with the Palestinians in the post-Arafat era, developments in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan and the significance of the security fence.
Aharoni serves as Israel's official spokesman in the U.S. and is responsible for national and local media affairs, community relations and a variety of informational services.
He was involved in the initial negotiations of the "Oslo Channel" and "Declaration of Principles" between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, as well as the subsequent "Gaza-Jericho Agreement" while serving as a policy assistant to the director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry and chief negotiator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process between 1994 and 1998.
For more information, contact Hillel at 639-8361 or email ub-hillel@buffalo.edu.
UB Art Gallery to present work of MFA students
"Indications," an exhibition of work by nine first-year Master of Fine Arts students from the Department of Art, will open with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 24 in the UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts.
The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will be on view in the second floor gallery through March 5.
"Indications" features the artwork of Kristin Desiderio, Hans Gindlesberger, Steve Heil, Andrew Hershey, Kirstin Krogh, John Park, Leah Rico, NicEllis Withey and Zhang Li. The exhibition includes a variety of mediums and styles, among them sculpture, printmaking, interactive installation, painting, drawing, audio installation and photography.
Desiderio received her B.F.A., as well as a bachelor's degree in art education, Ohio State University in 2003. Her focus is in informed ambivalent sculpture.
Gindlesberger, a graduate of Bowling Green University, received a B.F.A. in two-dimensional studies in 2004. His current photographic works focus on self-analysis, informed by the experience of growing up in a small Midwestern town.
Heil came to UB from Wyoming, although he is a native of Western New York. His recent paintings, "Psychoscapes," function as investigations of the complex internal, as well as the external, landscape.
Hershey is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he studied printmaking. His current work investigates consumer culture in America.
Krogh, a painter, received her B.F.A. from Washington State University. Her work focuses on the effect of light on the mundane.
Park, a native of Oregon, is a digital artist with a background in photography and experimental animation whose current work utilizes emergent media including robotics, web interactivity and electronic installations.
Rico, a Buffalo native, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work examines the aural functions of speech and the power of structures inherent in language.
Withey, who received his undergraduate degree from Cortland State University, concentrates primarily on painting. He draws on the traditions of the mannerist and baroque styles, engaging the figure as a motif to explore the interaction between history's lasting effects and the language of the contemporary.
Zhang was born and raised in Xi'an China and has lived in Buffalo since 2004. Her work deals with the concept of acculturation and her experiences in China and Buffalo.
The UB Art Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For information, call 645-6912.
Tokasz to speak at PSS meeting
Assembly Majority Leader Paul A. Tokasz will speak at the general membership meeting of the Professional Staff Senate, to be held at 3 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Center for Tomorrow, North Campus.
All members of the professional staff are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact the PSS office at 645-2003.
Distance learning workshops set
Faculty members can get the lowdown on distance learning pedagogy during a satellite broadcast workshop scheduled from 2:30-4 p.m. Feb. 24 in B-15 Abbott Hall, South Campus.
The workshop, entitled "Pedagogy 101 for Distance Learning Faculty," will be presented by the Center for Teaching and Learning Resources (CTLR).
Topics to be discussed include differences between online and classroom instruction, course delivery and management, communicating and interacting online, enhancing online discussions, creating a sense of community and tests and assessments.
Panelists will include Bill Pelz, professor of psychology, Herkimer County Community College, and a recipient of the prestigious Sloan-C Award for Excellence in Online Teaching; Peter Shea, professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, University at Albany, and former director of the SUNY Learning Network; and Karen Swan, RCET Research Professor in the Research Center for Educational Technology, Kent State University.
A follow-up broadcast, "Pedagogy 102 for Distance Learning Faculty," will take place on April 21.
CTLR also will present "History From Afar: World Civilization in a Distance Learning Format," a presentation by Donald T. McGuire, Jr., from noon to 1:30 p.m. March 2 in 280 Park Hall, North Campus.
In his presentation McGuire, adjunct associate professor, Department of Classics, and director of the College of Arts and Sciences Student Advisement and Services, will review his experiences teaching a distance-based history course to teachers in the K-12 environment. He will discuss course preparation, delivery of material, assessment of students and interaction with students, with a particular emphasis on how the distance-based environment affects the course dynamics.
To register for one or both courses, visit the CTLR Web site at http://wings. buffalo.edu/provost/ctlr/ or contact Lisa Francescone at 645-7328 or lcf@buffalo.edu.
Prime "Rent" tickets available for $20
Seats in the front two rows of the orchestra (center section) for both performances of "Rent," the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical that will play Feb. 22 and 23 in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts, North Campus, may be purchased for $20 at the CFA on the day of the show.
The $20 tickets will go on sale at 6 p.m. only on the day of the performances at the CFA box office. They will be available on a cash-only basis, with a limit of two tickets per person. Patrons will not be permitted to line up prior to 8 a.m. A $1 facility fee will be added to each ticket purchased.
"In keeping with the spirit of the show and the vision of Jonathan Larson (the show's creator), we are happy to be able to offer prime seats to people who otherwise would not be able to purchase them," explained Kevin McCollum, the original producer of 'Rent.' "Jonathan was himself a struggling artist and his dream was to create a universal piece of musical theater that's available to everyone."
The tradition of the $20 ticket started in New York when the show moved to Broadway after a sold-out run in a small downtown theater. Since that time, people have lined up as early as the night before to guarantee purchase of the $20 tickets. The producers of the show are committed to continuing the tradition of offering orchestra seats for $20 in each city the show will play.
For further information, call 645-ARTS.
Wellness Works Initiative to distribute funds
Companies interested in receiving matching grants from the $1 million Western New York Wellness Works Initiative should watch their mailboxes this week.
The School of Public Health and Health Professions is calling for proposals from any company or business interested in developing a new wellness program for employees.
The proposals will be evaluated by a panel of UB faculty as a blind review, meaning that no company names or identifiers will be included on program proposals. Proposals must be received in the program office, 270 Farber Hall, South Campus, by 5 p.m. March 25.
The wellness project is the brainchild of State Sen. Mary Lou Rath. Administered by the School of Public Health and Health Professions, it will provide funds for two years to companies whose projects are approved by the board.
The maximum amount of each grant is $50,000. "Wellness Works" dollars must be matched dollar-for-dollar by each business and must be applied directly and exclusively to implementing and operating the program. Successful applicants will be notified on April 22, with awards expected to be distributed in June.
Evaluation of the programs' effectiveness in improving employee health and wellness, and thus reducing health-care costs, will provide data that will be used to document the most cost-effective ways to reduce health-care costs, which then could be applied regionally.
Examples of health issues companies could address are smoking cessation, stress reduction and management, weight reduction, diet and exercise improvement, blood pressure management, cholesterol management and others.
Workshops to help companies complete their proposals will be held from 9-11 a.m. Saturday and Wednesday in 180 Farber Hall. To register for the workshops or to obtain a copy of the request for proposals (RFP), call 829-2975, ext. 671.
Norwegian architect to speak
The School of Architecture and Planning will host a slide lecture by Einar Jarmund, founder and principle of one of Norway's finest architectural firms, Jarmund/Vigsnaes Architects, who will present a slide lecture on Wednesday as part of the school's 2004-05 lecture series.
The lecture, which will be free and open to the public, will take place at 5:30 p.m. in 302 Crosby Hall. South Campus. It will be followed by a reception for Jarmund.
Since it was founded in 1995, Jarmund/Vigsnaes Architects has specialized in outstanding and meaningful projects, many found in strong natural settings in regions with harsh climatic conditions, such as those in Norway's polar region. As the Norwegian architectural journal Odin wrote, "The proximity to nature and intimacy with the inherent qualities of the materials run like a thread through Norwegian architecture, contributing to its distinctive national characteristics."
One such Jarmund/Vigsnaes structure is the headquarters for the governor of Svarlbad, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean halfway between Norway and the North Pole. The low, flat building, now under construction on Longyearbyen Island, will serve as a hybrid office, housing unit, tourist information center and jail, among other things.
The building's sharp metal facades draw a line back to machinery of the region's coal mines, a Svalbard tradition. The building's shape also reflects Svalbard's characteristic mountains, and is adapted from the tent form for a climate marked by precipitation that comes from the side, as well as from above.
The firm has designed an outstanding series of private houses that are highly valued by critics, as well as large and public buildings built as a result of design competitions. Among these are the Architecture School of Oslo (2000) and the Coastal Traffic Center at Kvits�y, on the west coast of Norway, a center dedicated to the distribution of pilots and radar control of large ships.