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Published: February 15, 2007

Cousteau to speak at UB

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Jean-Michel Cousteau, ocean explorer and environmentalist, will speak at UB at 8 p.m. March 1 in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts, North Campus, as part of the university's Distinguished Speakers Series.

Cousteau will present the Graduate Student Choice Speaker lecture.

Carrying on the work of his father, the late Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel is the founder of Ocean Futures, a nonprofit organization dedicated to marine research, conservation and education. Through television, millions have traveled with him to remote locales, exploring the spectacular and mysterious underwater world of our oceans.

A tireless voice for the environment, Cousteau promotes the protection of our "world ocean" and the life within it against pollution, mining, fishing and development. He collaborates with Green Cross International and the Natural Resources Defense Council on such issues as protecting sensitive marine areas, avoiding oil spills and preventing use of damaging sonar systems. He served as spokesman on water issues at the U.N. World Summit on Sustainable Development at the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto.

Cousteau is an Emmy and Cable Ace Award-winning producer with more than 70 films to his credit. His 2006 documentary series for PBS, "Ocean Adventures," inspired President George W. Bush to create the Northwestern Hawaiian Island National Monument, the largest marine sanctuary in the world.

He is a recipient of the Environmental Hero award and the first to receive Oceana's Ocean Hero Award.

Tickets can be purchased at the Center for the Arts box office or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

FASB member to give Sufrin lecture

Thomas J. Linsmeier, a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), will speak on "Financial Reporting Issues Facing the FASB" at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Center for Tomorrow, North Campus.

Linsmeier's visit is sponsored by the Helen and Oscar Sufrin Endowed Lectureship, which brings distinguished business professionals to the School of Management to speak in the areas of accounting, finance, financial economics or financial management. Funding for the lectureship is provided through the generous support of Leslie Sufrin and Gerald Sufrin, a longtime UB professor, in honor of their late parents.

Linsmeier, an award-winning teacher and researcher with expertise in financial reporting for derivatives and risk management activities, also will speak with UB students at 11 a.m. that day in 106 Jacobs Management Center.

A member of the FASB since 2006, Linsmeier formerly was the Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Michigan State University. He has served as an academic fellow and special consultant to the Office of the Chief Accountant at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), chair of the Financial Accounting Standards Committee and president of the Financial Accounting and Reporting section of the American Accounting Association. His work has been published in The Accounting Review; Journal of Accounting Research; Accounting Horizons; Management Science; Journal of Accounting, Auditing, and Finance; Journal of Business, Finance and Accounting; and Financial Analysts Journal.

Linsmeier's evening presentation will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Janet Kiefer at kiefer@buffalo.edu or at 645-3290.

Gunther to speak on "compassionate capitalism"

Author Marc Gunther will speak on "Compassionate Capitalism: How Corporate America is Changing for the Better" at 7:30 p.m. March 27 in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.

Sponsored by the School of Management and the UB Law School, Gunther's visit is the second annual event in the Gerald S. Lippes Speaker Series.

A senior writer at Fortune magazine and a columnist for CNNMoney.com, Gunther writes about the impact of business on society. He is the author of several books, including "Faith and Fortune: How Compassionate Capitalism is Transforming American Business" (Crown Business, 2004).

Gunther also has written about CEO Jeff Immelt's efforts to reshape the values of General Electric, the greening of Wal-Mart, the rise of corporate social responsibility, globalization, the environmental movement, corporate governance, AIDS and gay rights in corporate America.

Before joining Fortune in 1996, Gunther worked for more than 20 years for newspapers, including The Paterson (N.J.) News, The Hartford Courant, The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press.

He has appeared on NBC, ABC, PBS, CNN and NPR, and speaks at conferences, corporate events and colleges. Gunther is a graduate of Yale University, where he majored in English.

Gunther's talk from 7:30-8:30 p.m. will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a book signing. It will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah at 645-3204 or dasamoah@buffalo.edu.

The Gerald S. Lippes Speaker Series focuses on current issues and topics related to business and finance. The series is part of a larger effort to foster an integrated understanding of the worlds of business and law, and to encourage a collaborative dialogue between business and legal professionals. Funding for the series is provided through the generous support of Gerald S. Lippes.

Tour of cathedral to be held

Monsignor Patrick J. Keleher, director of the Newman Centers at UB, will lead a tour of St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, the "center" of Catholic life in the Diocese of Buffalo, at 11:45 a.m. March 4.

Mass will follow the tour at 1 p.m.

The entire UB community is invited to attend.

For more information, call 636-7495.

Dandes, Lippes reappointed to UB Council

Jonathan A. Dandes and Gerald S. Lippes have been reappointed to the 10-member UB Council, the university's local governing council.

Both men were reappointed by Gov. George Pataki before he left office in December. They will serve seven-year terms, ending in 2013.

Dandes was first appointed to the UB Council in 1994 by Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, and was reappointed for the first time in 1999 by Pataki. He received his bachelor's degree in 1974 from UB, where he served as president of the student association and later as president of the Alumni Board.

Dandes was appointed president of Rich Baseball Operations in October 2001. He joined Rich Products Corporation Food Services Division in 1986, was named vice president/general manager of Stadium Services, Inc. in 1988, and executive vice president of the Rich Entertainment Group in 1996.

He currently is vice chair and a member of the executive committee of the Buffalo/Niagara Partnership.

Lippes was first appointed to the UB Council by Pataki in April 1997. He is an alumnus of the UB Law School, and in 1995 received the Jaeckle Award, the highest honor presented by the Law School and UB Law Alumni Association.

Lippes is founder and senior partner of the law firm Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP. He serves as a director for the Gibraltar Steel Corp., National Health Care Affiliates, the Wolf Group, and Protective Industries LLC, and serves as chairman of Lippco Capital LLC.

Within the community, Lippes has a long history of service to cultural and civic organizations. He is on the boards of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the UB Foundation. He is a 1997 recipient of the National Conference's Citation Award for community leadership, and was honored as the Western New York entrepreneur of the year in 1993.

Winter to lecture

Kari Winter, associate professor in the Department of American Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, will discuss "From Vermont Abolitionist to Virginia Slaveholder: Benjamin Franklin Prentiss and the Familial Politics of Antebellum America" in the inaugural Critical Studies Seminar presented by the Humanities Institute.

The lecture will take place at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28 in 830 Clemens Hall, North Campus.

Lori Johnson, assistant professor in the Department of Visual Studies, CAS, will serve as the respondent.

Contact Rachel Ablow in the Department of English at rablow@buffalo.edu for an advance copy of the paper.

The Critical Studies Seminars are designed to foster interdisciplinary and interdepartmental conversation. Faculty and graduate students from all departments are welcome and encouraged to attend.

For further information, contact Ablow or Amy Holzapfel in the Department of Theatre and Dance at ah52@buffalo.edu.

Bequest gift provides scholarships

Future students who are seeking a degree from the School of Social Work will have access to more scholarship assistance, thanks to a bequest gift for $423,701 from alumna Jean Schumacher Cook.

Cook earned bachelor's and master's degrees in social sciences in 1939 and 1957, respectively. She established the scholarship fund in memory of her late husband, William G. Cook, a 1927 graduate of UB.

"We are grateful to Jean Cook for the foresight she showed in planning for this gift," said Nancy J. Smyth, dean of the school. "Because of her generosity, more graduate students will receive financial help."

Jean Cook died Nov. 23, 2005.

William Cook was the recipient of a scholarship when he was a student, and the couple wanted to ensure that future social work students receive scholarship assistance.

Yalamanchili to head SOMAA

Sujata Yalamanchili, a partner at Hodgson Russ LLP, has been elected to serve a two-year term as president of the School of Management Alumni Association.

Yalamanchili received a bachelor's degree from the School of Management in 1988 and an M.B.A. in 1989.

New board members for the SOMAA, elected for three-year terms, are John Mineo, senior vice president, chief risk officer and general counsel, First Niagara Financial Group; Kathleen S. Nesper, lecturer in accounting and law, School of Management; Mark J. Notarius, president, Premium Wine & Spirits; Paul A. Quebral, president, Reid Petroleum Corp.; and Larry J. Skerker.