Tim Olsen, visiting assistant professor of performing arts, has been named as
associate composer for the second Inter-American Composition Workshop at the
Latin-American Music Center at Indiana University, Bloomington, this summer. Olsen will
lecture on contemporary music and his compositions “Rhumba Phase” for percussion
ensemble, and “Immoderate Acts” for trumpet and percussion will be performed.
Olsen also participated as associate composer at the first Inter-American Composition
Workshop in 1994.
James C. Adrian, assistant professor of chemistry, gave a talk titled
“Biomithic Guest Orientation: Are We Going the Right Way?” at St. Lawrence
University as a Visiting Pew Scholar. The talk was the result of research with two senior
research students — Hillary Snow (Union) and Tina Ovitt (St. Lawrence). Both students
worked on the project last summer and part of this academic year.
Charles Steckler, associate professor of performing arts and resident scenic
designer, recently designed the sets for Craig Lucas' play “Reckless” produced
by Actors' Collaborative Inc. and performed at the Empire Center at the Egg in Albany.
Also, his prize-winning photograph “Himalayan Child” is on exhibit in the 18th
annual Photography Regional at the Albany Center Galleries.
Several psychology students presented papers at the April meeting of the Eastern
Psychological Association in Philadelphia. Mishel Cohen, Prof. Leslie Halpern, Sharon
Malkemus and John Lyoshir posted “Family Expressiveness and Child Temperament as
Predictors of Expressed Affect in Children.” Kristen Schoff and Prof. Daniel Burns
presented “Not All Cumulative Recall Curves are the Same: Implications for Theories
of Memory.” Sharon Malkemus and Amy Leavitt collaborated with Prof. Kenneth DeBono to
present “Mere Thought and Attitude Change: An Individual Difference Perspective”
and “Product Packaging and Product Evaluation: The Role of Self-Monitoring,”
respectively. Lisa Hall, Prof. Anthony Rubonis, Mark Kivimaki, Sharon Schneider and Andrea
Piazza discussed “The Relationship Between Depression and Urge to Drink Alcohol
During Cue Exposure.” Finally, Deena Alter and Prof. Seth Greenberg presented
“The Disappearing Morpheme S: Evidence for Online Suppression of Function
Units.” While the papers represented a collaborative effort with their professors,
students were entirely responsible for the convention presentation.
Rudy Nydegger, associate professor of psychology, has been reappointed by the
state Board of Regents to serve a third five-year term on the New York State Board of
Psychology. His responsibility will be to sit on panels that hear cases involving
liscensure and disciplinary issues. He has served the board since 1986.
Robert Sharlet, professor of political science, recently published
“Post-Soviet Constitutionalism: Politics and Constitution-Making in Russia and
Ukraine” as the lead chapter in Russia and Eastern Europe After Communism,
edited by Kraus & Leibowitz (Westview, 1996), as well as the survey of Russian
politics and economics in 1995 in the Encyclopedia Americana Annual. In March, he
also presented a paper on “Transitional Constitutionalism” at a conference on Legal
Reform in Russia held at the University of Wisconsin Law School. In April, Sharlet
made a presentation on “Bringing the Rule of Law to Russia” at the University of
Rochester in the lecture series on Transforming States. Most recently, he was in
Washington as featured speaker on the Russian presidential election campaign at the Center
for Strategic and International Studies, and, subsequently, to brief the deputy
administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development on prospects for Rule of
Law assistance to Russia after the election. Also, he just completed a commentary for the
Ukrainian Constitutional Commission on the draft Constitution which is scheduled for
parliamentary action on June 6.
Thomas Denham, assistant director of the Career Development Center, is to give
the keynote address titled “The Impact of Technology on Career Development” at
the annual conference of the Career Resource Managers Association. He also is to give
talks at Springfield College, Bentley College and Boston College this summer. He has been
recently quoted in the latest issue of the Journal of Career Planning and Employment
on the topic of “Privatizing of Career Services” and an upcoming article for American
Demographics magazine on the topic of “Career Trends.”
Fred Puliafico joins Campus Operations as mechanical and utility systems
manager, it was announced by David Grzybowski, director. Puliafico, who holds a degree in
electrical engineering from Rensselaer, is responsible for maintenance and renovation of
campus utility systems. Previously, he held similar positions with C.R. Bard in Glens
Falls and Mercury Refining in Albany.