Posted on Apr 30, 2004

Two candidates are running for alumni representative on the College's Board of Trustees, and online balloting is to begin May 14.

Peter J. Meola '77 is CEO of Castrol Americas and group executive of BP, the international oil company. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Union.

Michael F. Newell '74 is director of business development for Rheodyne LLC, a technology company specializing in fluidic devices for analytical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology instruments. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Union.

“The Union College alumni have two excellent
candidates for this position,” said Nick Famulare '92, director of alumni relations. “We are grateful to Peter and Mike for their many past contributions to Union and their willingness to take on this important
position.”

For more on the email balloting visit http://www.union.edu/AlumniVote/.

Posted on Apr 30, 2004

The Alumni Council will recognize the service of three alumni and one faculty member at their ReUnion convocation on May 22.

Receiving the Alumni Gold Medal will be William Burns '54, retired vice chairman and director of NYNEX and life trustee of the College; James Lippman '79, president of JRK Asset Management and chair of ReUnion 2004; and Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson '74, a Washington, D.C.-based radiologist and trustee of the College.

George Gmelch, professor of anthropology and leader of
many Union term abroad programs, is to receive the Alumni Council's Faculty Meritorious Service Award.

The convocation is set for Saturday, May 22, at 11 a.m. in Memorial Chapel. The traditional ReUnion Alumni Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m.

For more about ReUnion 2004, visit the website: http://www.union.edu/ReUnion.

Posted on Apr 30, 2004

The crumbling of a small section of plaster on the domed ceiling of the Nott Memorial has caused the rescheduling of some events and
limited access to the first floor.

Mandeville Gallery and the third floor study remain open during regular building hours: daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The damage, which was discovered April 27,
is believed to be caused by moisture.

If no further damage is found and repairs stay on
schedule, the Nott is expected to be completely reopened before ReUnion
Weekend, May 20-23.

Photographs taken by College Facilities staff with an
infrared camera show “cool spots” and water damage in a section measuring about
three feet by three feet. Scaffolding will be erected inside the building on
Monday, May 3, to assess the damage and begin repairs. A large lift will be used
on the outside beginning Tuesday, May 4, (weather permitting) to repair the damage and inspect the entire roof.

Posted on Apr 30, 2004

Twenty-two student teams
from19 colleges in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are at Union College today to compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers' annual Walking Robot
Challenge. This is the first time the College has hosted the prestigious
international event.

During the competition, which will span
two days – Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1 – the machines will perform in
six events that challenge student designers to think creatively. The events range
from a simple “dash” across the competition surface to autonomously traversing
an obstacle course. Student teams
designed and built their robots, which operate off of self-contained power
sources.

Union College's team will field a robot called “Dutchbot”
and compete against 12 teams from the U.S., four from Canada, and six from universities in Mexico. Student members are: Adam Retersdorf
and Craig Johnson, seniors majoring in mechanical engineering; and Jason Cook,
a senior majoring in computer science.

All events will be in the Union College
Memorial Fieldhouse. A panel of judges will score the
machines on their components, construction and “intelligence,” as well as
performance during the tasks. Awards will be presented in Reamer Campus Center
Auditorium on Saturday evening. (See schedule below.)

The contest is funded through support
from General Motors and Honda Motors. Last year it was hosted by La Salle University in Mexico
City.

Events Schedule:

Friday, April 30th

Dash & Load Retrieval Events (7 – 10 p.m.)

Saturday, May 1st

Slalom, Tripwire, & Object Seeking Events (8 a.m. – Noon)

Endurance & Obstacle Course (1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)

Awards Ceremony – Reamer Center (7 – 10 p.m.)

Event Website: http://engineering.union.edu/WalkingMachine/

Posted on Apr 30, 2004

Prof. Bill Thomas speaks for his many colleagues when he says, “It's always nice being remembered by former students and to know that you have had some effect on their lives.”

All alumni look back on their time at Union, recalling with special fondness that certain faculty member who transformed their education, maybe even their life.

A new program invites alumni to honor a Union professor with a gift to the College's Annual Fund. We'll share your thanks with that teacher, and use your gift to ensure that faculty have the
resources they need to inspire a new generation of students.

For more information, visit http://www.union.edu/Alumni/facultypiece/.