Union in the Media

Robert Baker, the William D. Williams Professor of Philosophy, will speak at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City on April 9. “Medical Ethics: A New York State of Mind” is being presented by The Heberden Society and the Division of Medical Ethics at the College.

Holli Frey, associate professor of geology, was awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Geographic Society Committee on Research and Exploration. The funds will support her research program and fieldwork in Dominica, followed by analytical work at Union and a joint Stanford-USGS lab.

Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics, is now a featured contributor for Forbes.com. In his introduction (which can be read here), Orzel said he plans to write about how physics works, how science affects everyday life and current events. Read his most recently blog entry, “Science is Essentially Human; or Why Better STEM Education isn’t a Threat,” here.

Hilary Tann, the John Howard Payne Professor of Music, has two performances in Wales as part of her yearlong composer-residency with Music Center Wales. On April 2, the Welsh National Youth Training Choir in Swansea performed her accompanied choral piece “Wales, Our Land,” and April 4, Rob Buckland and the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama will perform her saxophone concerto. Tann will be present for rehearsals and talk to the audiences at each event. Future concerts include a new piece for brass band ("All the Moon Long" - premiering July 25 and 26) and her large choral work, "Paradise," on tour in Argentina with the National Youth Choir of Wales in October.

Submit your news to gowanc@union.edu.

Lauren Daugherty ‘18 is the Kenney Community Center’s Volunteer of the Week.

An active volunteer at the Kenney Center, Daugherty spent her spring break working at COCOA House and the Girls Circle high school group in the community.

Originally from San Diego, Calif., and pursuing an interdepartmental major of theater and political science, she is also a member of Safe Space and Women’s Union. Additionally, Daugherty is a tour guide and an intern in the Admissions office.

Dozens of media outlets picked up the announcement of the $11 million gift from the Feigenbaum Foundation. Among those that noted the gift were ABC News, Huffington Post, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Albuquerque Journal and the Elkart Truth.

Read a piece in the Albany Business Review

View an article in the Daily Gazette

Read an article in the Times Union

Students in the Community Media Action Lab recently screened their final projects to a packed audience in the GE Theater at Proctors. Representatives from the community and Union showed support for films that profiled such non-profits as the YWCA and Hospice.

To read an article in the Times Union, click here (subscription may be required)

Reappointment review committees have been formed for the following assistant professors: David Barnett, philosophy; Roger Hoerl, mathematics; Sheri Lullo, visual arts; Margot Paulick, chemistry; Kim Plofker, mathematics; and Krisanna Scheiter, philosophy.

Students, faculty, and alumni are invited to offer written or oral testimony to committee members. Committees (with chairs listed first) are:

Barnett: Leo Zaibert (zaibertl@union.edu); Robert Baker, philosophy; and Felmon Davis, philosophy

Hoerl: William Zwicker (zwickerw@union.edu); Kathryn Lesh, mathematics; and Tomas Dvorak, economics

Lullo: Louisa Matthew (matthewl@union.edu); David Ogawa, visual arts; and Lorraine Cox, visual arts

Paulick: Kristin Fox (foxk@union.edu); Joanne Kehlbeck, chemistry; Laurie Tyler, chemistry; and Michael Hagerman, chemistry

Plofker: Susan Niefield (niefields@union.edu); Brenda Johnson, mathematics; and Hans Mueller, classics

Scheiter: Leo Zaibert (zaibertl@union.edu); Robert Baker, philosophy; and Felmon Davis, philosophy

Rob King, who oversees ESPN’s SportsCenter and News, will speak Thursday, April 2, at 5:30 p.m. in the Nott Memorial.

His talk, “The Content of Our Character: How Storytellers ‘Color’ Stories,” is part of the Presidential Forum on Diversity series.

Before his talk, King was interviewed on WAMC, Northeast Public Radio's program, The Roundtable.

Northeast Public Radio is a member of National Public Radio serving parts of seven northeastern states. These include New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

The annual Empty Bowls Project fundraiser will be held on Sunday, April 19 in the GE Theater at Proctor’s.

Coordinated by student volunteers through the Kenney Community Center, the event will feature dinner, entertainment and a celebration of community. All proceeds from the event will benefit local charities, such as the Bethesda House, Schenectady City Mission and Concern for the Hungry. Celebrating its 25th year, Empty Bowls is a national, grassroots organization started as a student art project in Michigan.

Union students have created an assortment of handcrafted, unique pottery bowls. For a donation of $15 for adults and $10 for children and students, each guest will select a bowl and enjoy a simple meal of chili, salad and bread. Guests will keep the bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.

Over the last three years, Union students have raised more than $8,000 to help fight hunger, and this year they’re looking to raise at least $3,000, said event chair Jennifer Sexton ’15.

Entertainment at Empty Bowls will be provided throughout the evening and include the College’s a cappella groups, the Heavenly Voices Choir and Ill Funk Ensemble. Generous food donors include Dining Services, Bomber’s Burrito Car, Our Daily Bread and Laurie’s Gluten Free Goodness.

Tickets are available at the Kenney Community Center and also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, March 29 and April 12 at the Schenectady Greenmarket. Tickets will also be available on the night of the event.

Bradley Hays, associate professor of political science, was a recent guest on "Congressional Corner" on WAMC, Northeast Public Radio. He discussed the recent controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email account.

Northeast Public Radio is a member of National Public Radio serving parts of seven northeastern states. These include New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

Union will host the annual Mohawk Watershed Symposium Friday, March 20, at College Park Hall.

This year’s theme is clean water and improving water quality in the watershed.

Now in its seventh year, the daylong symposium features dozens of oral and poster presentations on topics including flooding, fish and water quality, watershed management, climate change and water rights.

The conference is sponsored by the Geology Department and organized by John Garver, geology professor, and Jaclyn Cockburn, a former Union professor now at the University of Guelph , Ontario.

The Sunday Gazette recently did a story on some of the issues to be discussed at the symposium.

The College recently held its third annual Dutchmen Dip, an event to raise funds for students with cancer.

This year's event raised more than $15,000.