Joshua Anderson likes things simple. The mechanical engineering major helps run his parents’ self-sufficient farm in Maine, spent part of winter break traipsing around Paris with little but his backpack and doesn’t own a cell phone.

Shilpa Darivemula loves medicine and dance. A premed student majoring in biology and Spanish, Darivemula has performed Kuchipudi, a classical Indian dance, since she was eight years old. She has also taught dance to inner-city youth and interned in dance therapy.

The two students are among 40 nationwide who have been awarded a prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to spend the next year pursuing their passion.

The fellowship offers a one-year grant to seniors “of unusual promise” to study independently outside the United States. The stipend for individual award winners is $25,000.

Anderson will travel through the United Kingdom, Denmark, Belgium, Nepal and Tanzania in support of his project, “Holistic Self-sufficiency: Exploring the Intersection of Community, Innovation, and Self.”

Tapping into his engineering background, he plans to immerse himself in ecovillages, monasteries and other self-sufficient communities to see how they provide basic necessities like utilities, shelter and farming.

For her independent study abroad last winter, Darivemula lived with indigenous Mapuche communities in Chile. There, she witnessed the power of communal healing through traditional dance.

Her Watson project, “Of Medicine and Mudras: Exploring Healing through Traditional Dance Cultures,” continues that theme. Darivemula plans to visit Bolivia, Ghana, Indonesia and Cambodia. She will fuse her background in medicine with the mudras, or hand gestures, used to narrate stories in four traditional dances.

Fans at the inaugural Mayor’s Cup men’s hockey game between Union and RPI were treated to an unusual shootout during the second intermission: Robo-Hockey.

Four teams of mechanical engineering students who designed and built the wheeled robots—about the size of a briefcase—competed in a four-minute period in front of thousands of spectators.

Starting from one of the face-off circles, one robot got 20 seconds to fire a four-ounce blue puck past another robot positioned in the goalie crease. The process repeated itself until the period ended.

“This was a perfect opportunity to get engineering students and their academic accomplishments out in front of people who normally wouldn’t go to an engineering competition,” said Ronald Bucinell, associate professor of mechanical engineering. “We hope it also inspires young people to consider careers in engineering.”

Bucinell, along with David Hodgson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Sudhir Khetan, visiting instructor of bioengineering, oversaw the project.

“This has been a good learning experience,” said Zach Reinert ’13, a mechanical engineering major from Houston. “We were skeptical at first, but it turned out to be fun. We ran into some things that didn’t work, but that’s good, because you just keep working until you get it right.”

Christopher Chabris, rap star?

Not quite. But the associate professor of psychology got to spin his science recently on the stage of “Ingenious Nature,” a theatrical mixtape that recently completed its run at the SoHo Playhouse.

A creation of Canadian rapper and playwright Baba Brinkman, “Ingenious Nature” featured “mashed up stories from his love life with findings from the seductive field of evolutionary psychology, which tries to explain gender relations, political beliefs and teenage recklessness through the lens of millions of years of genetic selection,” according to the New York Times.

Throughout its six-week run, the show featured members from the science community who would speak to audiences after the performance. Brinkman was familiar with Chabris, having referenced his notable book with Daniel J. Simons, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, The Invisible Gorilla, and Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, on his 2010 album, “TheRap Guide to Human Nature.”

Chabris spoke about his research on cognition, intelligence and behavior genetics after one performance.

Chabris, who joined Union in 2007, has appeared on the Today show and National Public Radio (NPR). He has written for the New York Timesand The Wall Street Journal.

But he never expected his research to infiltrate the world of rap.

“A lot of things have happened as a result of writing our book, but being cited in rap lyrics and appearing on the stage of a rap show have to be two of the best,” Chabris said.

Victoria Chee ’13, a Leadership in Medicine student who coordinates Campus Kitchens and is active with the Presidential Interfaith Campus Challenge, has been named a “Future Stakeholder” by the Stakeholders, an Albany-based not-for-profit that inspires people to take positive action in their communities.

She is among 10 winners of the group’s 2013 GOBY Awards (Get on Board Volunteer Awards), which recognizes exemplary volunteer service.

“Tori has emerged as a true campus leader,” said Art History Professor Lorraine Morales Cox, who nominated Chee for the award. She got to know Chee last fall, when a core group of faculty, staff and students mobilized to collect donations for Hurricane Sandy. 

“What is really amazing about Tori is her excellent ability to build coalitions of people and build bridges between diverse groups who share a vision in addressing a need in the community.” She is, Cox added, “someone who clearly wins the admiration of everyone around her yet does so in a very humble, ‘behind the scenes’ kind of way.”

A native of Little Neck, N.Y., Chee is an interdepartmental major in biology and Asian studies, with aspirations of working in international health care and health care policy. Much of her campus volunteerism has addressed issues of poverty and hunger.

She has been involved in the Union chapter of the national Campus Kitchens organization since its inception three years ago. As director, she streamlined the method of organizing weekly shifts of students who cook food for the City Mission and also implemented a summer program. Last November, she organized the Campus Kitchens Thanksgiving “Turkey Palooza.” 

In other volunteer and leadership roles, Chee is vice president of philanthropy and programming at Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, and philanthropy chair of Alpha Delta Lambda, the community service sorority. She is a member of the Empty Bowls planning committee, the Leadership in Diversity Council, LGBTQ Allies and the Garnet Society, the student Alumni Association.

She has also volunteered at the Community Hospice of Schenectady and worked at a rural clinic in Cusco, Peru. Last year, on an independent study in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, she researched comparative health systems between Taiwan and the United States and studied with practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine. 

The featured speaker is U.S. Rep. John Lewis, an influential figure in the civil rights movement who helped organize the historic march on Washington in 1963 and has dedicated his life to protecting human rights. Lewis will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree.

For more on Lewis and Commencement, including a list of previous speakers, click here.

Also receiving an honorary degree will be Clifford J. Tabin, professor and chairman of the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Tabin is considered one of the world leaders in developmental biology. The recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology, he will receive an honorary doctor of science degree.

The class valedictorian is Meredith Adamo, a biology major with a minor in anthropology from Oneonta, N.Y. The salutatorian is Ceillie Clark-Keane, an English and classics major from Whitehall, N.Y.

The student speaker is Kadiatou Tubman, a history major with a minor in Africana Studies from Far Rockaway, N.Y.

A special Commencement edition of the Chronicle will be published following the ceremony, featuring highlights from the speeches, profiles of honored students and a photo gallery.

The College is one of three institutions sharing a $230,000 grant for projects aimed at improving student learning outcomes. The other two schools are Gettysburg College and Washington and Lee University.

The advising tool, or Plan of Study, will support students as they map out their individual academic programs in consultation with their advisors. The tool will provide information about the objectives and structure of Union’s curriculum, along with links to resources that can help them as they make choices about their own direction.

"This project will help students choose courses, majors, and even paper topics that create good matches between their personal interests and the opportunities provided by Union’s curriculum," said Therese A. McCarty, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

A steering committee led by McCarty was formed after the three schools received an initial planning grant from the Teagle Foundation. The committee recognized that many students don’t always see connections that can be drawn among different parts of their studies at Union, such as between study abroad and capstone projects.  Making such connections can assist students in developing a personally meaningful academic program.

The project will create opportunities for students to reflect on and understand more deeply their interests, talents and values. It will also help them to articulate their interests so that others, including faculty members and prospective employers, can get a strong sense of a student as an individual.  Using the advising tool, they will be able to connect their interests to the College's educational goals, giving students a strong sense of ownership and meaning in their academic planning.

Students will use the Plan of Study throughout their four years at Union as a way to personalize their curriculum and more fully engage in course selection.

"It is our hope that the students will gain both a more holistic and more personal vision of their Union education," McCarty said.

A series of workshops featuring several dozen students, faculty and staff was held during the academic year to formulate a plan of action. This summer, steps will be taken towards creating a portal where students can find resources they need to make informed and meaningful decisions about their academic choices as well as choices about activities outside the classroom.

In the fall, a volunteer pilot group will try out the first version of the Plan of Study.

“These grants represent Teagle’s commitment to improving student learning, broadly understood as the active development of broad cognitive abilities such as critical, analytical and integrative thinking,” said Richard L. Morrill, president of the Teagle Foundation.

Established in 1944 by Walter C. Teagle, longtime president and later chairman of the board of Standard Oil Company (now Exxon Mobil Corp.), the foundation strives to be "an influential national voice and a catalyst for change in higher education to improve undergraduate student learning in the arts and sciences."

The Vienna, Va., pre-med student is the brains behind a community art project to inspire people to publicly share a piece of their bucket list. Starting next week, the eight-foot tall chalkboard will make its debut downtown on Jay Street, where, for the next three weeks, visitors are encouraged to complete the sentence, "Before I Die I Want To…"

With the blessing of Schenectady officials, the chalkboard will then shift to three other spots in the city for three weeks each, including Jerry Burrell Park, Central Park and the Upper Union Street business district. Rebecca Calvo-Cruz '16 will photograph the board each week before wiping it clean and then post the pictures to Facebook.

The idea for the project came from artist Candy Chang, who, after the death of someone close to her, painted "Before I Die..." on an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans in 2011. The project got an overwhelming response and has since been replicated in more than 40 countries.

"I want to foster a community spirit," said Darivemula, as she and Tori Chee '13, rolled paint onto the board in the wood shop of Facilities one afternoon this week.
"The message is to pay attention to life. Time passes by so quickly."

Darivemula admits the chalkboard could be inviting to vandals or those who opt to write inappropriate things. A team of up to a dozen students in town for summer research will police the board regularly.

"If things go bad, we have a way to fix that," she said.

Engineering students Seamus Feider-Sullivan '13 and Josh Anderson '13 designed the chalkboard, while Facilities Mike Bruce, Aaron Lagasse and Mike Connelly helped build it and will move it from each location. Samantha Tyler '14 will step in to oversee the project when Darivemula isn't available.

Darivemula received a $500 Intellectual Enrichment Grant, which provides funding to students and clubs for speakers, trips and other activities.

So when the board goes up next week, what will Darivemula write? The biology and Spanish major, who will spend the next year as a Watson fellow before beginning medical school, pauses before completing the sentence, "Before I die…"

"I would learn to live in the present."

To read an article about the project in the Times Union, click here.

To track postings on the board and view photographs, click here. 

Ralph Cueva ’13 will receive $3,000 to attend a term abroad in China. Lucas Rivers ’15 will receive $5,000 to also travel to China. Jasmine Roth ’14 received $3,000 to travel to Vietnam.

More than 850 undergraduate students from 324 colleges and universities across the United States were selected for the scholarships, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). 

Traditional Javanese wisdom says that a real man must have a wife, a house, a dagger and a singing dove. It’s this final requirement—still highly prized today—that Jim de Sève explores in his documentary ManDove, which he directed with husband Kian Tjong.

The film follows Indonesian men as they raise perkutut (zebra doves) and enter them in singing competitions. Winning birds not only prove their owners’ masculinity, they also sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

Believed to possess magical abilities, like warning a family of danger, doves are hand-bathed and hand-fed. The cherished birds are also housed in ornate, colorful cages that cost about $800. During competition, these cages are hoisted up on 23-footpoles so that judges can walk beneath, choosing the best singers based on cadence, rhythm and other criteria.

None of this is described outright in the documentary, there is no omniscient narrator. But viewers learn much from the actions of the subjects themselves.

“Audiences are used to a National Geographic-style documentary that makes them privileged viewers,” de Sève said. “We want viewers to want to know more, and experience the curiosity and ambiguity of travel. Thus, we withheld some information.”

ManDove has been screened to acclaim at the Russian Academy of Science, the Flaherty Film Seminar Series in New York City and the Taiwan International Documentary Festival. Learn more at www.singingdove.com.

“An attack on the brain first drove me from the haunts of men to seek mental repose and physical strength in the woods.” – Joel Tyler Headley, Adirondac; or Life in the Woods

Headley, Class of 1839, isn’t the only writer who extolled nature’s capacity for healing. So did Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. To discover why, Jillmarie Murphy is studying select 19th-century nature writers, using the psychoanalytic paradigm of attachment theory and the tenets of restorative environment therapy.

A clergyman, associate editor of the New York Tribune and secretary of state (N.Y.), Headley was one of the first to hail the Adirondack Mountains as a health resort. Adirondac (1849) chronicles his experiences inside the Blue Line, where he spent two summers escaping the strain of urban life.

“I’m interested in the importance these writers placed on developing affectional bonds with their surroundings, and how attachment to place became pathologized as a result of war, disease, death, race and gender,” Murphy said. “Adirondac is one of the earliest attempts by an American writer to explain how withdrawing to nature restores both mind and body, and helps provide a more direct connection to one’s inner spirit.”

Murphy plans to publish an article analyzing land attachment and restorative environments in Adirondac, as well as a book covering attachment theoryand place in the literature of the early American Republic.

A pair of atria, an aorta, a tricuspid valve, a pulmonary vein, the superior vena cava. All this—the human heart—is just a minuscule cylinder at first.

And that’s pretty wild.

“Initially, the embryonic heart forms as a straight tube, like a garden hose. To become the complex mature organ, it twists and bends as a baby grows,” Ashok Ramasubramanian explained, curling a string from his winter hat in demonstration. “But there are no fingers inside; the heart has to bend by itself—a process called looping.”

“Certain genes change its shape, but there are also forces,” he continued. “Consider that you go to California and your head is a gene. If your head falls off you won’t go, but you can’t just say your head is all that gets you there. Other forces, like a plane, are involved. It’s these—the mechanisms of gene action—we study to see how the heart actually twists.”

Ramasubramanian and his colleagues analyze chicken embryos (their development is similar to humans’) using computer models and an atomic force microscope. Both help identify forces acting on the chick heart, which is only 1 mm long with a tube circumference of 400 microns in the s-looping stage they’re studying.

During this critical period, occurring in the first 48 to 56 hours of a chick’s 21-day incubation, groundwork is laid for the basic cardiac shape—two atria at the top and two ventriclesat the bottom.

“Many babies are born with heart abnormalities, but most of these conditions we can’t treat in utero, partly because cardiac development is poorly understood,” Ramasubramanian said. “We study this with the hope of understanding.”

The team’s work is funded by an NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award.

Trustee Kelly Williams ’86 does not play the piano.

But she appreciates the transformative power of music, which is why she and her husband, Andrew Forsyth, donated a Steinway concert grand piano to the College.

“It’s a blessing for us,” Williams said after a concert by Drew Ivarson ’15 on the new piano in Memorial Chapel. “It’s not often that you can give a gift that can be enjoyed so much, so often and by so many. For me, it’s the perfect gift.”

The piano is the new musical centerpiece of Memorial Chapel and the acclaimed Union College Concert Series, which features internationally-renowned musicians in an acoustically superb setting. Last fall, a piano selection committee from the College met at the Steinway factory in Queens, N.Y., where the group picked the best piano for the hall with the help of renowned pianist Jonathan Biss.

“It’s the perfect gift for Memorial Chapel because it’s a very enduring place for so many people and one of the most beautiful buildings on campus,” Williams said. “It’s like bestowing a gem on a beautiful woman.”

Williams' husband, Andrew Forsyth, says the gift is a fitting one for the school that helped to nurture his wife’s pragmatic and artistic nature. “Union is one of the finest embodiments of combining the principles of engineering and fine arts,” Forsyth said, “and Kelly is that herself.”

“It is wonderful to have an instrument which reflects the high quality of the world-class musicians who appear on the series,” said Derek Delaney, director of the Union Concert series. “We are so grateful to Kelly and Andrew for their generous gift.”

Williams, on the Board of Trustees since 2008, is managing director and head of the Customized Fund Investment Group at Credit Suisse. She earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in political science and mathematics from Union, and a law degree from New York University in 1989. She spent her early career in global finance law at Prudential. In 2000, she joined Credit Suisse, one of the leading private equity and real estate investment management firms.

A generous benefactor of the College, she has counseled students seeking careers in the finance industry and hosted a series of events for alumni.

Last year, she was honored as a “Woman of Power and Influence” by the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and was presented at the awards ceremony by President Stephen C. Ainlay.

Since 2006, she has served as a mentor to fellows of the Robert and Susan Toigo Foundation. She was elected to the YWCA Academy of Women Leaders in 2007. She is also a member of the Metro Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization. Last year, American Bankermagazine named her one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance.

For videos on Union’s newest Steinway, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/unioncollege 

Hepatitis B in the Asian communities is a silent disease that often isn’t detected until it’s too late. Dr. Loc T. Le ’84 is out to change that.

A gastroenterologist in Baltimore, Md., Dr. Le has just been named to a two-year term as chairman of the National Task Force on Hepatitis B, which focuses on education, research and intervention among Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the U.S. He also will advocate for screening and vaccination among the high-risk populations.

Most of those in the high-risk groups don’t know they have Hepatitis B until up to 80 percent of the liver is damaged or they develop liver cancer, Dr. Le said. Those in high risk groups need to be tested, and education is key.

Education is something that comes naturally from Dr. Le’s upbringing.

Born in 1961 in Quang Tri, a small town on the border of North and South Vietnam, his early education was poor and frequently interrupted by the war. But his parents, Thi and Dong Nguyen Le, put a premium on education for their 10 children.

The family fled Vietnam in 1975 and came to New York state under the sponsorship of a family in Cobleskill. The family settled in Schenectady, and Loc—though previously lacking a formal education or familiarity with English—graduated with the top of his class from Linton High School in 1980. He followed his older brother, Phuoc, to Union where he graduated with honors in 1984 with degrees in mathematics and biology. Also at Union, he earned the Bruce M. Garber Prize for the premedical student who exemplifies integrity and humane concern. Two younger brothers also graduated from Union, Thu T. Le in 1989, and Phu To Le in 1992.

He earned his M.D. degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1988. He completed his internship and residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital/Sinai Hospital in Baltimore where he received the Best Resident of the Year Award in 1989 and 1991.

Dr. Le was chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology and director of endoscopy at Harbor Hospital of Baltimore in 1998-2004. He also had a part-time appointment as a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1995-2012, and as instructor in medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1995-2005. As a teaching faculty at Sinai Hospital and Harbor Hospital, he received the Golden Apple “Best Teacher of the Year” Award in 1996 and 1998.

Today, Dr. Le is a senior partner at Woodholme Gastroenterology Associateswith several offices in and around Baltimore. He and his wife have three children.

Hepatitis B among Asians is different from the Hepatitis B among the general population in the U.S., Dr. Le explains. Within Hepatitis B, there are eight subtypes, two of which—more prevalent among Asians—are more difficult to treat. Without screening, prevention and treatment—especially at birth when the immune system is weak—patients can take on Hepatitis B, which can develop into cancer or cirrhosis of the liver by age 40.

Among the general American population, the disease, normally transmitted between young adults in their late teens or early twenties, is usually transient and rarely becomes chronic.

He wants to aggressively advocate the CDC guidelines for Hepatitis B screening and vaccination in the high risk populations in the U.S., namely the Asians and the Pacific Islanders.

Dr. Le says he wants to make a real difference in the lives of people, and is very busy reaching out to the media, politicians, NGOs, CDC, NIH, drug companies, community activists, college students, and other physicians. He is forming a panel of advisors to help carry out the difficult mission of the Task Force in reducing Hepatitis B infection in Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. 

Twenty four days. That’s all it took for Maria Dreeszen ’14 to realize she didn’t entirely get it before Bali.

"I gained first-hand experience of the role of religion in Bali by actually attending rituals and participating in them,” said Dreeszen, a pre-dental religious studies major. “I was living their spiritual way of life, rather than just solely reading a book about it, writing a paper on it or watching a video. And now I get that you really can’t understand something until you actively live it.”

Between Nov. 26 and Dec. 19, 2012, Dreeszen and 11 other students participated in Union’s inaugural Bali mini-term in performing arts. Developed and led by Jennifer Matsue, associate professor of music, director of the Asian Studies Program and director of the World Musics and Cultures Program, the term fully immerses students in Balinese culture through the performing arts.

“The arts are vastly important to understanding culture—any culture,” Matsue said. “Music and dance don’t exist in a vacuum, they exist in a culture and express the culture in which they exist.”

“You can learn so much through music, for instance. You can learn about political and spiritual beliefs, about gender and race, about history, economics, technology,” she added. “And there’s no better place than Bali to experience this deep relationship between arts and culture.”

The reason: life is lived through art in this Indonesian country.

“For almost every milestone in life, there is a ritual performance—everything from the first time a baby’s feet touch the ground to cremation ceremonies and temple celebrations,” Matsue said. “You can’t understand daily life in Bali without an awareness of gamelan (Balinese orchestra) and dance—they are integral to so many events.”

Colin Turley ’13, a physics major minoring in music and electrical engineering, certainly found this to be true.

“Unlike in the West, music and performing arts are integrated into everyday life. So to understand Balinese culture, we had to start by understanding art,” he said. “By studying and practicing their arts intensely for a few weeks, we received a window into Balinese culture.”

And they didn’t just study one art form; they studied many of them. And not just from a scholarly standpoint either. Students were expected to become proficient enough to perform in the Balinese tradition, for the Balinese.

“This is a truly interdisciplinary mini-term, during which students study gamelan, dance, Balinese puppet-making, suling (Balinese flute), Balinese painting and Balinese drumming (kendang),”Matsue said. “In addition, they study some Indonesian language and participate in lectures about social issues in Bali.”

To be asked to do so much in so short a time, with art forms that were just weeks ago unknown to them, was difficult for the students. But they never shied away from the challenge.

“Performing these arts was both exciting and intimidating. I was intimidated because my novice understanding was not even level with Balinese children, and I was scared I would offend the Balinese with how much I was struggling to perfect these art forms,” said Caroline Aldrich ’14, a visual arts major minoring in mathematics. “But I knew I’d never again be able to experience or learn these things, so I did the best I could.“And happily, everyone was pleased with our final performance, so I know the Balinese felt we had done a good job.”

They were able to perform well, in part, because of the instruction they received and experiences they had. Learning from Balinese masters and witnessing real Balinese performances honoring the gods in temples—and evenattending a royal cremation ceremony—made it possible for Union students to do what few other visitors to Bali do.

They did what the Balinese people do. 

Their dance and music lessons, and the temple celebrations and important rituals they attended, were not of the tourist variety. All experiences were traditional and authentic, and shared with the Balinese themselves.

“Learning Balinese performing arts was extremely difficult at first, and my having been trained in ballet, tap and jazz since I was three, didn’t help much at all,” Dreeszen said. “The way I had been trained to dance with my core contracted and my rib cage closed counteracted Balinese instruction, which is more focused on creating bent lines.”

“This completely different dance style felt unnatural initially, and I struggled mentally and physically,” she continued. “But our teachers were nothing but supportive and patient. They helped us all feel like real Balinese performers by the end.”

This accomplishment left these young men and women much changed. Aldrich, for one, knows that amassing possessions won’t amount to contentment or a sense of fulfillment.

“The Balinese live with so little, yet they are the happiest, most vibrant people,” she said. “Their kindness and true desire to help anyone they can taught me that material things aren’t going to make me feel happy or complete, but being comfortable with who I am, and helping others, will.”

Dreeszen too will strive to find more balance in her life, and she’ll call on this experience for a very long time.

“I want to be a pediatric dentist one day, and I am confident the lessons of cultural awareness I learned in Bali will serve me well in terms of patient interaction,” she said. “A better understanding of how to interact with people who are different is invaluable; it’s something everyone should have.”

Matsue couldn’t agree more, which is why she remains dedicated to growing Union’s World Musics and Cultures Program. It highlights jazz, and the music and culture of Africa and Latin America, with Associate Professor of Music Tim Olsen, and East Asian and Southeast Asian studies with Matsue.

In 2006, Matsue oversaw the acquisition of Japanese drums (taiko), and a gamelan. The same year, she arranged for a Fulbright scholar to give courses on Balinese music and culture. In 2011, two masters in Balinese performing arts taught at Union.

Union’s gamelan, named Gita Semara or “Song of Love,” is the only one in the Capital Region. It also figures prominently in Matsue’s dream to build a college and community gamelan ensemble.

“Gamelan is so wonderful, partly because students can learn to play so quickly,” she said. “Without a Balinese gamelan master, we can’t give perfect instruction, but it’s a start. Hopefully we’ll be able to hire a master in the future.”

Until then, though, she’s thrilled with the progress made so far. 

Students can officially minor in World Musics and Cultures, or can create their own organizing theme major incorporating many of the program’s offerings. And of course, there’s the Bali mini-term. It took two years to build and launch, and will be led again in 2014 by Miryam Moutillet, senior artist-in-residence in Theater and Dance.

“Our World Musics and Cultures program has grown a lot. It’s all the more impressive because it’s relatively rare to have so much world music in such a small liberal arts environment,” Matsue said. “It augments Union’s interdisciplinary approach to education in a remarkable way, engaging students with cultures and globalization in very immediate and theoretical ways.

“All the issues we study in different departments across campus—history, economics, gender, race, technology—can be learned about through music and the arts.”

This kind of interdisciplinary and intercultural learning, to Dreeszen, is imperative for one big reason.

“All people of all cultures laugh, dance, speak, eat and seek happiness in unique, amazing ways,” she said. “An appreciation of other ways of life contributes to social justice and makes everyone feel accepted. It adds a sense of peace to the world.” 

Why Union: 
A friend from home who was at Union pressured me to apply, and I got in. My parents dragged me to Schenectady in the final hour before the deposit deadline, when the very last thing I wanted to do was go on yet another college visit. I’d barely set foot on campus, in the pouring rain, when I knew. Looking up at the Nott Memorial, I felt completely at home – I finally got that feeling everyone talks about when picking a campus. Thank God for that pushy friend and my parents!  

Most inspiring classes:
Forensic Psychology with the late Professor Richard Hamill, a remarkable and captivating educator, and Domestic Violence, a sociology course with Professor Linda Relyea. This course has opened my eyes to so many more aspects of intimate abuse as well as the common misconceptions and stereotypes perpetuated by the media and society. 

Also excited about:
Studying abroad in York, England, where I’m taking a political science course on British politics with Professor Zoe Oxley, who is leading the term

Favorite study spot:
The student lounges in Fox Hall

Activities:
Delta Delta Delta, Fraternity and Sorority Conduct Board, student blogger for the College

Other passions:
The arts, particularly theater. I was president of my high school’s theater program and adore taking theater classes here. I also love to attend the campus musicals, plays and a capella concerts. One of my favorite events is the annual Thruway a capella concert at Proctors theater. It’s a great event and all the proceeds go to a good cause, the Land Trust of Schenectady.

Most surprising thing about Union:
The amazing sense of school spirit and pride. No matter what the activity, sporting event or performance, there’s always an outpouring of support for the participants and immense love for the kind of campus community we have created.

How I’m making Union a better place:
My work with the Conduct Board is helping to make Greek Life more productive as we strive to create a more positive atmosphere and improve the system.

Looking into the future:
I would like to work in the communications field, combining my psychology degree with public relations and social media.

Advice for incoming students:
Don’t be afraid to get involved and try new things.

“This post was by no means isolated, I’d seen many before and always felt frustrated I couldn’t do more to help,” said Binder, who studied math and economics at Union. “Partly because I grew up with a black lab that will always hold a special place in my heart, I decided it was time to quit feeling powerless.”

So he, his domestic partner Dave Liedman and Tomaselli established a non-profit organization – City Dogs Rescue – in September 2011 in Washington, D.C.

Bentley was the first dog they saved.

“We were walking around D.C. and Bentley was wearing an ‘adopt-me bandana’,” Binder said. “A young woman who saw that bandana adopted him not more than two weeks after we transported him up from Georgia.”

That experience led to a popular dog-walking program, in which volunteers sign up to walk rescued animals wearing “adopt-me vests.” The exposure has precipitated a number of adoptions, but it’s a small part of the reason the organization has been able to save over 250 dogs in its brief existence.

An army of volunteers – adoption counselors, photographers, trainers, dogs walkers and foster families, who care for dogs until they’re adopted – have been indispensable.

“Thanks to our Communications Director, Meredith Raimondi, we have over 550 people on our dog-walking e-mail list,” Binder said. “And we have over 100 families that have fostered dogs for us.”

They also have supportive individual and community sponsors. Fellow Union alum, Jennifer L. Schoen ’90, for instance, has helped transport dogs to D.C., and a local animal hospital provides care for reduced prices. Liedman also boards some of the rescued dogs at his business, City Dogs Daycare, free of charge.

The support is much-appreciated since the effort takes time and resources.

“What many people do not understand is that for every animal we rescue, it costs roughly $200-$300 for vet care, shelter fees and transport before the dog even gets to Washington, D.C.,” Binder explained. “Many of our dogs come from communities where they do not have access to proper vet care. Many have been kept outside their whole lives and do not even know how to climb stairs.”

“We even had a number of dogs come to us with buckshot or bullet wounds, but despite all this, most arrive with their tails wagging,” he continued. “Since we began, we’ve spent nearly $45,000 on medical care, vaccinations and spaying/neutering.”

But the money – either donated or from adoption fees or community sponsors – is well spent.

“We predominantly work with high-kill, under-resourced shelters in rural communities in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, and we receive daily pleas from local volunteers to save animals,” Binder said. “This means we constantly make decisions about which dogs we can take, and this has been a difficult process for me.”

“Most horrifying was learning that some shelters put dogs down by gassing or heart-stick – when a syringe filled with sodium pentobarbital is plunged into the heart of an often un-sedated dog,” he added. “Thirty states allow gassing of shelter animals. We’ve made a special effort to try to rescue dogs from facilities using these methods.”

When Binder isn’t working for City Dogs Rescue during the evenings and on weekends, he’s vice president and deputy general counsel for Bon Secours Health System Inc. in Maryland.  He and Liedman also have a rescued yellow lab named Cody and two rescued cats named Jupiter and Schweppes.

Going forward, Binder hopes they will be able to raise enough funds to secure land and a facility of their own to house the rescued canines in.

“Dogs are very special because they have the capacity to offer unconditional love, and the heartbreaking part is that there are so many highly adoptable dogs we cannot help,” he said. “According to the United States Humane Society, half of the animals – 3 to 4 million – that enter a shelter never leave.

“I hope more people will consider adopting a rescue dog before going to a breeder or pet store. Lives truly are on the line.”

To learn more about City Dogs Rescue, watch this video or visit the organization on Facebook.

The citations were read by Richard Lev '87, president of the Alumni Council.

Clifford Mastrangelo ’63

Cliff,

Since graduating in 1963, your alma mater has ever been a priority for you. Even while serving in senior leadership positions with Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages and PDC, you always made time for Union.

You’ve volunteered with our career office, helping students get ahead professionally. You’ve served on the Alumni Council, remembered Union in your will and planned this year’s wonderful 50th ReUnion. As editor, you also oversaw the creation of the Class of 1963: 50th ReUnion Yearbook with skill and enthusiasm. The effort took months, and we, as well as your fellow classmates, are very grateful.

We are truly thankful too, for your relentless generosity. For the last 20 years, your consecutive giving has helped make so many opportunities possible, both for Union students and for Union itself.

We couldn’t be more thrilled that you and your family have been so involved with the College, Cliff. On behalf of the Alumni Council, I’m pleased to recognize your leadership and commitment with this Alumni Gold Medal, citation and certificate.

David Breazzano ’78

David,

It’s no exaggeration to say you’re very devoted to your alma mater.

A trustee since 2008, your support has made an incredible difference to students, the greater campus community and the bright future of Union itself. Over the years, you’ve been a scholarship donor, Trustee Annual Giving Chair and a member of the Arch Society. Your leadership helped facilitate the expansion of Schaffer Library and the renovation of the fitness center, which bears your name. And in 2007, Union dedicated Breazzano House, one of seven Minerva Houses, in recognition of your generosity.

Most recently, Dave, you endowed the new Dona and Marshall Robinson Professor of Science, Philosophy and Religion, in honor of your mother and stepfather. It’s a position that will truly elevate Union’s ability to offer instruction at the intersection of these three fields, fields that are critical to understanding and improving the world we live in today.

The depth of dedication you’ve shown since earning your degrees in political science and social science in 1978 is simply amazing. You and your family have tirelessly supported the College while simultaneously building a successful investment firm, DDJ Capital Management.

We couldn’t be more grateful that your family – sons Jeremy ’07, Matthew ’11 and Michael, and wife Roxanne – is part of our family.

On behalf of the Alumni Council, I am pleased to recognize your invaluable commitment and leadership by presenting you with this Alumni Gold Medal, citation and certificate.

George Bain ’73

George,

Your impact on Union has been tremendous since you graduated with a degree in American studies in 1973.

You’ve been an associate Annual Fund agent, a member of the Alumni Career Network, a member of the Terrace Council, and ReUnion Giving Chair. Your volunteerism in relation to ReUnion class projects has been particularly incredible.

Marshaling members of your class repeatedly, you were instrumental in raising funds to furnish the library in Abbe Hall, in honor of your 30th ReUnion. And in 2008, for your class’s 35th ReUnion, you led the effort to endow summer community service internships for students. This project has been unique among all alumni classes. Its merits, and yours, were recognized when President Stephen Ainlay presented you with the “Volunteer of the Year” award during Homecoming Weekend in 2008.

Today we applaud you again, George, for the new 40th ReUnion fundraising record you helped set. Thank you for your unwavering dedication and heartfelt enthusiasm.

You have served Union well, throughout your studies at Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in Syracuse, and during your 20-year journalism career with The Post-Standard newspaper. The Class of ’73 and the College have benefitted for years from your training as a writer and proof reader. In addition, you’ve maintained your commitment to building support for Union, while also serving as co-treasurer for the board of directors at Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company in Syracuse, N.Y.

We are truly grateful to have you as a proud member of the Union family.

On behalf of the Alumni Council, I am pleased to recognize you with this Alumni Gold Medal, citation and certificate.

John Garver
Professor of Geology

John,

During your many years at Union, you’ve made as much difference here on campus as you have in the community beyond.

A recipient of the Stillman Prize for excellence in teaching, you bring the world to your students and them to it – literally. Whether in Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula or the wilds of Alaska, students who accompany you on such expeditions learn more than just geology. They experience politics and culture; they experience amazing places few others ever will.

As an organizer of the Mohawk Watershed Symposium, you’ve also been instrumental in making this annual event more than just a meeting of engineers, scientists and policy makers. For five years now, leaders in these fields have come together for serious discussion of the Mohawk River watershed and important related issues – everything from water quality and floods to water rights and management. The resulting awareness and collaboration, among so many partners, raises the profile of the College and is immensely beneficial to the greater community.

The author of many papers and the recipient of several research grants, you also serve on the local Glenville Wellhead Protection Committee and are past president of the New York Geological Association.

I am pleased to recognize your service as a teacher and leader by presenting you with the Alumni Council’s Faculty Meritorious Service Award.

Open to the campus community, the free class, which moved to Jackson's Garden for the spring, also attracted engineers and physicists from nearby General Electric and others from the general public.

The non-credit course informally launched modern dance instruction at Union. The Arts Department offered a dance practicum for credit in 1972-73, but it wasn't until 1984 when the College introduced "The Dance Experience," the first regular credit course offering both dancing and classroom work.

Nearly 30 years later, the College's dance program took a major step forward with the addition of the Henle Dance Pavilion. Adjacent to Yulman Theater overlooking Jackson’s Garden, the $3 million, 7,000-square-foot facility is the new home for classes, rehearsals, workshops, performances and other events.

The pavilion was dedicated Saturday as part of ReUnion, the annual celebration of Union's graduates. College officials joined with members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students in welcoming the latest addition to Union's historic landscape.

"This building is not just about dance," said President Stephen C. Ainlay. "It's about chemists who want to dance, it's about political scientists who want to dance, it's about engineers who want to dance. This space will help us attract the kind of students that Union thrives on."

Designed by architect Jim McKinney, the pavilion replaces the current 1,200-square foot studio in Visual Arts with a 2,200-square-foot dance studio and 1,000-square-foot lobby that will double as rehearsal space. It also includes a costume shop, faculty offices, meeting rooms and gallery.

Under the direction of Miryam Moutillet, Union’s dance program enrolls nearly 150 students each term, many of whom combine a dance minor with majors in all fields. There are multilevel technique classes in everything from ballet to Broadway dance, as well as classes in choreography, performance and dance history. "The Dance Experience" remains a staple of the curriculum, combining lectures, performances and workshops.

Calling it a breathtaking space, Moutillet said the Henle Dance Pavilion will be a place where passion for the art form can flourish, inspiring students to explore and create.

"Dance can take flight at Union for years to come," Moutillet said in thanking longtime College benefactor David L. Henle ’75 and his wife, Joan, who provided the lead gift for the building. Henle, the head of DLH Capital, a family investment firm, has been a Union Trustee since 2004.

Since he first came to Union 42 years ago as a student, Henle said the College has played a pivotal role in his life's journey. When he became aware of the dance program's need for a mordern facility, he wanted to help.

"Steve Jobs said it best," said Henle. "What makes us great as a country is our imagination and our creativity. The arts are our soul."

Emily Lnenicka '12 spoke about the impact the dance program has had on our growth as a person.

The dedication closed with a performance by Jillian Callanan '16, Keilah Creedon '14, Jenna Langhans '13, Allison Minchoff '16, Avery Novitch '16, Jasmine Roth '14, Laura Schad '16 and Mary Suttie '15.

More than 1,500 visitors are expected at ReUnion, which began Friday and continues through Sunday. Besides traditional favorites like the Alumni Parade, a grand fireworks display and the Gala Dinner, visitors helped celebrate the "You are Union” campaign. The largest and most comprehensive fundraising campaign in the College's history, the campaign raised more than $258 million, topping its goal of $250 million.

There were also presentations from notable alumni in a variety of fields.

In addition, Alumni Gold Medals were presented by the Alumni Council to Clifford Mastrangelo ’63, retired senior leader of Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages and PDC; David Breazzano ’78, Union trustee and president of DDJ Capital Management; and George Bain ’73, co-treasurer for the board of directors at Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company. John Garver, professor of geology, received the Faculty Meritorious Service Award.

To learn more about the medal winners, click here.

ReUnion 2014 is scheduled for May 30-June 1.

But nothing could have prepared us for the outpouring after we put out the call in the last issue (The Need for Speed). Dozens were eager to tell of their avocations – and vocations – that fulfill their need for speed.

Predictably, perhaps, many of the responses came from car enthusiasts. (Interestingly, we discovered a community of alumni who are connected through cars and racing.) Others told of their airborne hobbies. Some described cameras. Here on campus, students and faculty described scientific instruments, improved processes and computers.

Alas, there were too many to share on the printed page. So, we’re offering more here on the web with links to photos and videos.

Ed Capullo ’64
Ed Capullo’s 50-year racing career started with illegal street racing and progressed through dragsters, stock cars, sports cars and eventually open wheelers. Along the way, he collected a number of wins, including titles at the U.S. National Drag Racing Championships in 1970, the North Atlantic Road Racing Championship Series in 1986 and 87, and five straight NARRC championships (2006-10). At age 70, after the 2012 season, he retired from racing but plans to stay active helping other racers. “I have met some wonderful people in the sport, some famous and some not-so-famous, and I feel I have a broad background in the sport,” he said. “It has been, and will continue being, fun.”

Aaron Ambrosino ’93
Like his father before him, Aaron Ambrosino is a Porsche guy. A 23-year member of the Porsche Club of America and past president (among many other positions) of the PCA’s Hudson Champlain Regional chapter, there’s no mistaking his passion for the German sports cars. He coordinates a street survival school for young drivers at events around the country. He has been an instructor at high-performance driving events for more than a dozen years. Since 1996, he has competed in local and regional autocross events, and for the last seven has been an autocross instructor. Last year, he had the honor of coaching Hans-Peter Porsche, a member of the founder’s family, at an event in Salt Lake City.

David Kohl ’91
“Leaping off the runway in the cold of winter is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can imagine,” says David Kohl ’91, who took up flying a decade ago. He flies out of the Westchester County Airport and belongs to a club that has two Beechcraft Bonanzas that fly a little over 200 mph. Besides frequent missions for “$100 hamburgers,” he has been known to make annual flights to Schenectady and to give sightseeing rides to AEPi brothers. He also flies to hotspots like Montauk, Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard.

SAE Human-Powered Vehicle
The Human-Powered Vehicle Challenge is an opportunity for engineering students to demonstrate application of sound engineering principles toward the development of fast, efficient, sustainable and practical human powered-vehicles. In April, at the event at Ferris State University, Union’s team took 15th place in the endurance competition, seventh in the women’s drag race. Team advisor is Prof. Ashok Ramasubramanian.

SAE Baja Car
Each year, Union’s Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja team competes against other top engineering students from around the world to design, build and race a small but rugged off-road vehicle. At the Steinmetz Symposium in May, Dave Carabis ’13, Dan Wolfe ’14 and Tom Swanton ’13 exhibited the Baja Car as it was nearing completion.

Eric Jacobs ’05
Eric Jacobs ’05 grew up working on cars with his father. He came to Union with a Shelby Cobra kit car and made arrangements to store it in Dean McEvoy’s garage. So, naturally, after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he would build a kit car with his father. Then, he joined the company that produced the kit, Factory Five Racing, as a research and development engineer (http://www.factoryfive.com/). The job was made possible, in part, by an internship he did between junior and senior years with the Cobra company. His passion for cars is on hold while he attends dental school at the University of Connecticut.

Jeremy Hasbrouck ’01
Jeremy Hasbrouck developed his passion for racing at a young age, thanks to his father, who worked and raced at a Guilderland track and loved all manner of racing from DIRT to Nascar to Indy. For Jeremy, that passion took form in 1999 when he joined Union’s Formula SAE team, which produced the “zebra” car still in use today. Several years ago, he was introduced to a Brunswick, Maine ice-racing club by fellow alumnus Steve Reeps. Each winter, members of the New Meadows Ice Racing Association (NMIRA), take to the frozen lakes of Maine with studded tires. “This is real side by side, five-point harness and helmet racing,” Hasbrouck says. “We all have great fun and enjoy the opportunity to feed our addiction to speed.” Hasbrouck, who won the street stock division a few years ago, always looks forward to “another great season of studs on ice.” Check out NIMRA at www.facebook.com/New.Meadows.Ice.Racing.Association.

Alan Maddaus ’67
Interested in fast cars since high school, Alan writes, “My original career objective after receiving a degree in mechanical engineering was to work for General Motors, Chevrolet Division. Somehow after graduate school my career path was diverted to turbomachinery. But, at the age of 45, I finally found myself in a financial position to indulge without pangs of guilt. My first acquisition was a blue 1977 Corvette.” He has since added a 1988 Corvette. He keeps both Vettes, along with an 1989 Audi 100, in a barn at his home in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Elliot Seguin ’06
As a project engineer and flight tester for Scaled Composites in California’s Mojave Desert has the enviable job of designing, building and testing aircraft for one of the world’s most innovative aerospace firms. “I like to touch all the different parts that go into making and testing an airplane,” he said. “It’s the design-build-test cycle that is what engineering is to me that we get to do out here with airplanes. There’s no other place on the planet where you can do that with airplanes.”
For a video, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRLzn7iQRm0&list=UUkexsXQ2Ok043cYRnWZ8WKg&index=27

Steve Myers ’78
Steve Myers, who always had a passion for cars and motorsports, worked in a pit crew while earning his BSME in the early 80’s (his second degree) and did some racing schools. But with the expense, he gave it up. Almost two decades later, while he was working as a programming manager at Tenneco Automotive, another employee invited him to the track for some racing. “That experience rekindled my desire get into racing and I started helping him out with his car,” Myers said. “One thing led to another and pretty soon we were partners in a car that I was driving myself.” Now with his own car, he has been racing the last 10 years in his own formula road racing car on tracks throughout the Midwest. “I’ve had a lot for fun and enjoyed some success, having won races and regional championships,” he said. “Probably the highlight of my career has been winning my class at the American Road Race of Champions in 2009.”

Mike Samuel ’92
Mike Samuel’s pro-touring restoration of his father’s (now his) 1966 Corvette Coupe is essentially complete. The car had been stored since 1977 until his father agreed two years ago to turn the restoration over to Mike. After extensive research, Mike found the people to help. The result is something more than a 1966 Corvette. “My intent was to blend classic, hot rod elements with contemporary technology and amenities to create a fun street car,” he said. Done.

Norm Lavery ’62
Norm Lavery drives a 1982 Porsche 924, the same car that won the IGT class “24 hours of Le Mans” that year. “Although I don’t race my 924, I do enjoy driving it fast and smoothly on the winding mountain roads here in Montana,” he says. “My wife calls the car ‘my mistress’ and I constantly remind her that it is the least expensive mistress any guy could ever have.”

Scott Klion ’79
Since 1986, Scott Klion has collected some enviable specimens: a 1971 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, a 1964 Jaguar E-Type, and a 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE. 
The Ferrari, a rare model, recently appeared as the cover story in a special interest magazine devoted to the hobby.  Here is the link:
http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2011/04/01/hmn_feature1.html
And he sold a previous car in less than a week through a video he produced. It has received over 19,000 views.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82KfyMCjPIE
While he does not drive his cars competitively, he has gone to race car driving school. He also host tours for various car clubs during which he has been known to "exercise" the subject vehicle when conditions permit. Not an expert mechanic, “I do maintain and repair all of my cars to the fullest extent of my abilities, tools and time,” he said. “As I like to tell my friends, my skill set ends where the inside of the engine begins.”As for getting his speed fix, he does that on two wheels. He has been a bicycle racer for the past 16 years. 

The event will raise money for the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. The event is named for Justin Lloyd ’16, a student on the baseball team who is undergoing chemotherapy.

Points will be accumulated for target areas in the infield and outfield as well as for home runs that are “just out” over the fence. The event will feature a raffle with prizes including tickets to the Tri-City Valley Cats, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Proctors Theater and the Sept. 8 match-up between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Tickets are $10 for entry into the derby and a free t-shirt; or $20 for entry into the derby, a t-shirt, dinner and raffle tickets.

Entries are due by Friday, May 31. Sign up at www.unionathleticstickets.com.