Union in the Media

Last year, a West Coast recruiter for Admissions, renovated study spaces in Schaffer Library and expanded faculty development programs were among the projects awarded special grants to support the Union’s Strategic Plan. This week, the 2015 grant application process got underway and the College’s Planning & Priorities Group (P&P) are eager to begin the review process of this year’s batch of projects.

“P&P looks forward to receiving proposals from all across campus,” said Therese McCarty, vice president for academic affairs and a key strategic plan implementation leader. “We will be grateful, as we were last year, for the creative and innovative ideas in support of the strategic plan put forward by many colleagues and offices."

Members of the campus community may apply for grants of one-to-two years’ duration in support of projects that contribute to fulfillment of the objectives of Union’s strategic plan. The total amount available for allocation in this second annual round of grant funding is approximately $180,000.

Two types of grant applications are available:

• Planning grants of $2000-$5000 (to facilitate project planning activities such as retreats, attending conferences, consulting outside experts)

• Implementation grants of $10,000 and up (to undertake projects) Successful implementation grant proposals will:

· Contribute to one or more of the 27 main projects identified for strategic plan implementation. For full list, see below.

· Indicate how project success will be measured or observed

· Indicate how the project will be continued beyond the proposed grant funding if the project relies on further support

· Focus on funding priorities other than compensation to current employees except in unusual circumstances

· Involve activities that are not eligible for other sources of funding at the College

Interested applicants should prepare a brief one-page description and a budget for the proposed project. The material should then be directed to the senior staff member who heads the applicant’s responsibility center by Apr. 15. A member of P&P will contact the proposer if any further information is needed. Project awards will be made in Jun. and funds will be available Jul. 1.

The College’s Strategic Plan web site provides easy access to information related to the planning process. In addition, the College’s Strategic Plan Nexus site provides additional documents related to the plan.

Strategic Plan Implementation Projects

Rick Bennett, men's hockey coach, was profiled as part of The Albany Business Review's popular feature, 10 Minutes With, in which key decision makers and leaders share leadership philosophy, motivation and turning points in their lives.

To read the article, click here (subscription may be required).

Robert Olberg, the Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Life Sciences, co-authored the cover story of the Jan. 15 edition of Nature. The article is titled “Internal models direct dragonfly interception steering” and can be read here.

Cay Anderson-Hanley, associate professor of psychology, gave a talk, “Move it and Use it or Lose it? The Role of Mental and Physical Exercise in Cognitive Aging," for the Department of Psychology's Seminar Series at the National University of Ireland in Galway. Results were presented from a pilot of the Aerobic and Cognitive Exercise Study started when Anderson-Hanley was a Fulbright Scholar in Ireland in 2013. Irish older adults from Galway exercised using a cyber-cycle at the St. Francis Adult Day Program. Collaborators include Nikita Shah '14 and Ariella Yazdani '15, who traveled to NUIG to assist with the research for the past two years.

Christopher Chabris, associate professor of psychology, provided expert opinion on new research from neuroscientists at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital which reveals that different parts of the brain work best at different ages.

Chabris's insight on the study has been included in a number of media outlets.

To read a piece in Newsweek, click here.

Sara Covelli ’17 recently won a Presidential Green Grant that will be used to create the College's first rain garden.

Now in its seventh year, the program supports environmentally sustainable projects at Union, and is open to faculty, staff and students. Since it was launched, grants totaling nearly $120,000 have been awarded to support 81 projects.

Her project was featured in The Daily Gazette.

Learn more the Green Grants and other project winners

Elizabeth Murad ‘16 is the Kenney Community Center’s Volunteer of the Week.

As both the president of Alpha Delta Lambda, the community service sorority on campus, and a member of community service-themed Wells House, Murad has participated in many philanthropic events on- and off-campus.

She has helped to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic and breast cancer, LGBTQ rights, education equality and domestic violence, among other causes. Additionally, through her participation in Random Acts of Kindness Week, Murad distributed hot cocoa, popcorn and baked goods to the community.

In addition to her community service endeavors, Murad is a philosophy and psychology double major, who serves as the treasurer and secretary of the Philosophy Club. She is also the editor of The Ephemeris, Union’s undergraduate philosophy journal, a member of the pre-law society and a student ambassador for prospective students.

The Union College Hillel is the Kenney Community Center’s volunteers of the

week.

After collecting money, bread, peanut butter and jelly over the last few weeks, Hillel held this term’s a Sandwich Brigade. Over 60 students made 1,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to donate to Bethesda House, an organization that helps the homeless in Schenectady.

Hillel is dedicated to maximizing the amount of Jewish students actively involved on campus, seeking new and innovative ways to engage students by providing meaningful opportunities. Additionally, Hillel aims to strengthen connections among Jewish students by offering programming that emphasizes religious, cultural and social aspects of Judaism.

“Thank you to all of the students, groups and Hillel members who helped with this effort of Tikkun Olam, which means ‘repairing the world’ in Hebrew,” Bonnie Cramer, director of the Union College Hillel, said.

An article by Jennifer Matsue, associate professor and director of the Asian Studies program, will be published in Ethnomusicology. The piece is titled “Drumming to One’s Own Beat: Japanese Taiko and the Challenge to Genre.”

John Garver, professor of geology, was quoted in a Times Union article about Mohawk River flooding. The article discusses how local officials and those monitoring the river are anxious since the winter has brought thick ice and snow to the river basin. Read the piece here. [subscription may be required]

Zoe Oxley, professor of political science, served as a guest editor for a special issue of Politics, Groups and Identities, which focused on gender and political psychology. Click here to view the journal.

Submit your People in the news items to gowanc@union.edu.

The campus community recently gathered in Memorial Chapel to celebrate the 220th anniversary of its charter for Founders Day.

The keynote speaker was Laura Skandera Trombley, president of Pitzer College.

To learn more from Union's news site, click here.

The members of Jim DeSeve’s Community Media Action Lab class are the Kenney Community Center’s Volunteers of the Week.

This term, the group has been working with local community service organizations to create media. On Tuesday, March 3, the films will be shown at a banquet held at Proctor’s GE Theater at 5:45 p.m. Transportation to and from the event will be provided from Old Chapel at 5:25 p.m. Please RSVP here (link to UnionCMAL@gmail.com).

The following are the filmmakers and their respective projects:

• Anders Goetz '15 - Salvation Army
• Christopher Brown '15 - Center for Community Justice
• Mary Cordier '16 - Joan Nicole Prince Home
• Evan O’Connor '16 - Community Hospice
• Janey Fine '16 - Dudley Observatory
• Jordan Witzel '18 - Boy's and Girl's Clubs
• Krystal Edwards '17 - Things of My Very Own
• Matthew Hellauer '16 - Schenectady Inner City Ministry
• Mollie Gilchrist '15 - Troy BID
• David Nowrouzi '16 - Community Fathers
• Nolan Stauffer '16 - Kenney Community Center
• Cassandra Padilla '17 - YWCA
• Yisy Grullon '16 - Working Group on Girls