Union in the Media

Tom Lobe, political science lecturer, was interviewed by WNYT, the NBC affiliate in Albany, on the recent air strikes in Syria.

Jeffrey Corbin, associate professor of biology, appeared on WAMC Northeast Public Radio's program, Vox Pop, to discuss climate change.

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

Works by one of the most acclaimed Native American artists working today, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, are now on view at the Mandeville Gallery in the Nott Memorial.

The solo exhibition features oil paintings and prints, including monotypes, intaglio and lithography. A self-described cultural arts worker, Smith is internationally known for her art and as a curator, lecturer and professor.

Her work is held in the collections of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art in Quito, the Museum of Mankind in Vienna and many other prominent collections.

To read a review in the Times Union, click here.

Thomas Lobe, lecturer in political science, traveled to Jordan and Turkey over the summer to participate in the Council on International Education Exchange seminar, “Borders, Identity and Displacement: The Evolving Syrian Crisis.” The two-week program focused on the humanitarian, legal, social and political issues raised by the Syrian conflict. After the conference, he also traveled to Lebanon to conduct research, assessing the role of the United Nations and its agencies as they attempt to assess the impact of the Syrian refugees.

An article in The Telegraph, based in Calcutta, India, detailed the talk of Jeffrey Witsoe, assistant professor of anthropology, at Jagjivan Ram Institute of Parliamentary Studies and Political Research. Witsoe discussed his book “Democracy Against Development: Lower-Caste Politics and Political Modernity in Postcolonial India.”

Lewis Davis, associate professor of economics, was a visiting scholar at the University of Perugia, Italy, in April and May, where he initiated a research project on culture and innovation in Europe. During the summer, he was a visiting professor at Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany, where he taught a masters level course, “Economics of Culture.” During his stay in Europe, Davis gave research talks at the University of Perugia, Marche Polytechnic University, the University of Bologna, Martin Luther University and the University of Groningen.

Bradley Hays, associate professor of political science, was a guest on Northeast Public Radio’s, “Congressional Corner” with Alan Chartock. The duo discussed a number of high-profile cases recently brought before the Supreme Court.

Teresa Meade, the Florence B. Sherwood Professor of History and Culture, presented a paper, “From Assimilation to 'Hidden Jew': Mia Truskier in Poland and the Diaspora," at the “Crossing Borders” World Congress, University of Warsaw, in Poland. Her paper is part of a biography she is writing about Truskier, a member of a secular Jewish family who escaped from Poland in 1940, and lived out the war under semi-clandestine circumstances in Italy. Truskier eventually settled after World War II in the U.S., where she was a tireless advocate for refugees from Central America and Haiti. She was a member of the East Bay Sanctuary Board of Trustees in Berkeley, Calif. until her death earlier this year.

Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics, participated in a science writing workshop this summer in Stockholm, Sweden. He was one of several professors who taught quantum theory to science writers and journalists.

An article by David Hemmendinger, professor emeritus of computer science, is featured in the July issue of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Annals of the History of Computing. His article, “COMIC: An Analog Computer in the Colorant Industry,” is about a computer that helped bring automation to the colorant industry in the 1960s. Hemmendinger is also associate editor of the journal.

Andrew Morris, associate professor of history, moderated a discussion of the new Ken Burns mini-series, “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History,” on Sept. 11 at Albany City Hall. The 14-hour program is currently airing on WMHT.

Daniel Mosquera, associate professor of Spanish, attended the Tenth Biennial International/Interdisciplinary Research Conference of The Afro-Latin/American Research Association in Kingston, Jamaica this past summer. An organizer of the event, he delivered his paper, “Of Race and Litter: Afro Imagining and Trash in Brazilian Cinema and Media.” He also moderated a panel that focused on sports and race in the U.S., Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

A letter to the editor by Deidre Hill Butler, associate professor of sociology, was recently published in The Daily Gazette. The letter detailed her trip to Ferguson, Mo. to participate in a protest after the shooting death of Michael Brown. Read her letter here.

John E. Kelly III '76, senior vice president and director of research at IBM, was the keynote speaker at Union's recent Annual Business Campaign (ABC) kickoff breakfast at College Park Hall.

The ABC breakfast is a thank you to the supporters of the College's scholarship fund. Since 1993, hundreds of local businesses have contributed to the fund, which provides scholarships to students from Albany, Columbia, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie and Schenectady counties.

To read a story in the Albany Business Review, click here.

To read a story in the Daily Gazette, click here.

To read a story in the Times Union, click here.

Promotions:

Congratulations to the faculty members who were promoted as of Sept. 1:

Promotion to full professor:

Bradford Bruno, Mechanical Engineering; Barbara Danowski, Biology; Tomas Dvorak, Economics; William Keat, Mechanical Engineering; Robert Lauzon, Biology; Stephen Leavitt(effective 9/12), Anthropology.

Promotion to associate professor with tenure:

Claire Bracken, English; Joshua Hart, Psychology; Bunkong Tuon, English

Promotion to senior lecturer:

Brian Cohen, Biology

Minerva Faculty Representatives for 2014-15:

This year’s Minerva Faculty Representatives are as follows:

Beuth House: Ellen Foster

Breazzano House: Kristin Bidoshi

Golub House: Hans Mueller

Green House: Linda Cool

Messa House: Gail Golderman

Sorum House: Laura Persico (fall) and Jennifer Matsue (winter and spring)

Wold House: Peter Bedford

Department Chair and Program Director appointments:

This year we welcome the following chairs and directors who are starting new appointments:

Zoe Oxley, American Studies (thanks to Lorraine Cox for her term of service)

Karen Brison, Anthropology (thanks to Linda Cool for her term of service)

Junko Ueno, Asian Studies (thanks to Jennifer Matsue for her term of service)

Helen Hanson, Bioengineering (co-chair with Scott Kirkton; thanks to Shane Cotter for his term of service as co-chair)

Rob Lauzon, Biology (thanks to Leo Fleischman for his service last year)

Kristin Fox, Chemistry (thanks to Mike Hagerman for his term of service)

Tomas Dvorak, Economics (thanks to Younghwan Song for his a term of service)

Mark Walker, History (thanks to Joyce Madancy, who filled in for two terms last year)

Kathryn Lesh, Mathematics (thanks to Alan Taylor for his many years of service and to Paul Friedman, Julius Barbanel, and Karl Zimmermann for their service in the spring)

Ann Anderson, Mechanical Engineering (thanks to Brad Bruno for his term of service)

David Ogawa, Visual Arts (thanks to Chris Duncan, who filled in last year)

Faculty Director Appointments:

The following is a summer of the part-time academic director appointments held by faculty members:

Director of Advising, Brian Cohen (expiring 8/31/15)

Director of Assessment, Stephen Schmidt (expiring 8/31/16)

Director of Engineering, Shane Cotter (expiring 8/31/2016)

Director of Faculty Development, Lorraine Cox (expiring 8/31/17)

Director of General Education, John Cramsie (expiring 8/31/2017)

Director of Interdisciplinary Programs, Jennifer Matsue (expiring 8/31/16)

Director of Undergraduate Research, Rebecca Cortez (expiring 8/31/17)

Work by Fernando Orellana, associate professor of visual arts, is currently on display at the Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, N.Y. “Playful” features his work titled “Population,” which has thousands of miniature people, houses and cows made by an extruder. The work follows closely to Orellana’s concepts that range from generative art to social and political commentary. The exhibit runs through Sept. 21.

Nicholas Webb, visiting assistant professor of computer science, was featured in a story on WNYT about his summer robotics program at local libraries and schools. Geared toward getting girls interested in technology, the program introduced students to different kinds of robots and how to program them with computers.

An exhibit featuring the work of Charles Steckler, professor of theater and resident scenic designer, recently wrapped up at the Schenectady Jewish Community Center. “Shadow Box Dioramas” was on display throughout the summer in the center’s Finkle Display Case.

Michael Vineyard, the Frank and Marie Louise Bailey Professor of Physics, presented a paper, “Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols in the Adirondack Mountains Using PIXE, SEM/EDX, and Micro-Raman Spectroscopies,” at the 23rd Conference on Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry in San Antonio, Texas. His co-authors are Scott LaBrake, senior lecturer and accelerator manager, Salina Ali ‘15, Benjamin Nadareski '16, Alexandrea Safiq '14, Jeremy Smith ‘14 and Joshua Yoskowitz '16.

Ann Fleming Brown, director of Admissions, has been appointed chair of the Board of Trustees at Schenectady County Community College. She has ben on the board since 2010, and will oversee the institution’s presidential search. Read more about her appointment and the search in an article by The Business Review here.

McFarland Press published a book by Denis Brennan, lecturer in history. “The Making of an Abolitionist: William Lloyd Garrison’s Path to Publishing The Liberator” was published this summer, and talks about the prominent American abolitionist and social reformer. Learn more about the book here.

David Cotter, professor and chair of the Sociology Department, was lead author on a research brief published for the Council on Contemporary Families chronicling the restarting of the "stalled revolution" in gender attitudes. The report was mentioned in the Washington Post "She the People" blog, a New York Times op-ed and dozens of other media outlets. Read the Washington Post story here.

Research by Don Rodbell, professor of geology, was featured in a piece in the August issue of GSA Today, a publication for the Geological Society of America. Along with his co-authors, he discussed the contamination of the Lake Junin National Reserve in Peru by acid mine drainage from the Cerro de Pasco mining district.

Christopher Chabris, associate professor of psychology, reviewed The Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin for the Wall Street Journal.

Chabris and Daniel J. Simons, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, are the authors of The Invisible Gorilla, And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us. Now in paperback, the book, tackles “six everyday illusions that profoundly influence our lives: the illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential.”

To read the review, click here.

Bridget Graham, assistant director for employee relations at Becker Career Center, recently spoke with the Times Union about how recent college graduates can make a good first impression during a job interview.

To read the story, click here.

Brad Hays, associate professor of political science, was a recent guest on "Congressional Corner" on WAMC, Northeast Public Radio.

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