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Takeuchi wins ACS award
Esther S. Takeuchi, Greatbatch Professor in Power Sources Research in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been selected as a 2008 recipient of an Astellas USA Foundation Award, administered by the American Chemical Society (ACS).
The award carries a $30,000 prize and an invitation to deliver an award address as part of a half-day symposium during the ACS’ 236th national meeting, to be held in August in Philadelphia.
The Astellas USA Foundation Awards were established to identify individuals or teams who exemplify the criterion of having significantly contributed to scientific research that improved public health through contributions in the chemical and related sciences.
Takeuchi is being recognized for developing the silver-vanadium-oxide battery technology that enabled the development of lifesaving implantable cardiac defibrillators.
As a faculty member in UB’s departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering, she continues to conduct research in areas related to power sources. She and her team are investigating new materials for possible use as electrodes in lithium-based cells, parasitic reactions that limit the life and usefulness of batteries, and the incorporation of micro- and nanostructures into the power sources of the future.
UUP members eligible for NYS Ride
As transportation costs skyrocket, UB faculty and professional staff now can take advantage of a program under which they can pay for public transportation using pre-tax dollars. NYS Ride, a benefit provided to New York state employees as a result of collective bargaining, was piloted in the New York City metro area during the previous contract between the state and United University Professions, the union representing SUNY faculty and professional staff. It now has been rolled out statewide with the new contract between the state and UUP.
Under the program, UB faculty and professional staff may purchase monthly, unlimited, all-zone NFTA Metro passes for $66 using pre-tax dollars—a cost that may be low as $46 per pass, depending upon the purchaser’s tax bracket.
All-zone passes are good for all scheduled Metro bus and Metro Rail service in Erie and Niagara counties. The NFTA in recent months has added bus routes, opened a new transportation center in Niagara County and added cars to Metro Rail trains to handle a surge in bus and Metro Rail riders due to rising gas prices.
To sign up for NYS Ride, click here. While the site may seem oriented to state workers living in New York City, Western New York UUP members and the NFTA are now included the system. Users should have a pay stub handy in order to enter the department ID and bargaining unit numbers.
The $66 cost for each NFTA Metro pass will be deducted from union members’ paychecks using pre-tax dollars. Passes ordered during July will be mailed to the purchaser’s home address at the end of September and will be valid during October.
Click here to access a map of the Erie County NFTA system; click here for a map of the Niagara County system. For other NFTA Metro services, click here.
48 Hour Film Project coming to Buffalo
UB filmmakers can compete with others in Western New York to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours when the 48 Hour Film Project comes to Buffalo the weekend of Aug. 15.
The winning film will compete with films from around the world for the title “Best 48 Hour Film of 2008.”
The project begins on Friday night, when the filmmaking teams are assigned a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre. The movie must be completed—teams must write, shoot, edit and score the film—48 hours later. The completed films are shown at a local theater, usually during the next week.
In 2007, some 30,000 filmmakers made films in 55 cities around the world as part of the project. This year, the project is seeking filmmakers in more than 70 cities.
For more information or to register for the 48 Hour Film Project, click here. The deadline for early bird registration, which offers a $20 discount on the $155 registration fee, is July 21.