Union's student gospel group “Heavenly Voices” presents their annual concert Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.
The concert is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception.
“Heavenly Voices” is a non-denominational organization which promotes self expression through the singing of contemporary and traditional religious songs. For further information, contact Student Activities at (518) 388-6118.
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A series of events will help launch the Department of Computer Science's new robotics laboratory, human-computer interaction laboratory and cluster computer Friday, Feb. 23.
The celebration kicks off at 3 p.m. with student robot demos in Olin Atrium, followed by a talk at 4 p.m. with Colin Angle, CEO and co-founder of iRobot Corporation in the Olin Auditorium. The activities conclude with a reception and the official unveiling of the new work space in the Olin Auditorium Lobby.
The events are free and open to the public.
“These labs make it possible for us to expand our offerings for low-level non-majors as well as computer science majors,” said Valerie B. Barr, professor and chair of the computer science department. “Next semester we're adding a sophomore level research seminar in HCI in addition to an upper-level elective.”
Funding for the HCI lab was provided in part through a private gift and a grant awarded to Assistant Professors Aaron G. Cass and Chris S.T. Fernandes from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The robotics lab was remodeled and equipped with a grant from the Hewlett Foundation. Funding for the cluster computer was donated by General Electric.
The cluster computer features 25 dual-cpu nodes, each with 2GB of memory. Its primary function will be for parallel computing as it can process large computations in less time than could be done with a single processor.
Angle is a pioneer in the field of mobile robots. He designed the behavior-controlled rovers for NASA that led to the Sojourner exploring Mars in 1997.
He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in computer science, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Read MoreBinyavanga Wainaina, Union's visiting writer-in-residence, was recently interviewed on Northeast Public Radio, 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.
Listen to part one of the interview.
Listen to part two of the interview.
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Union's Strategic Plan is now posted on the College's Web site at: http://www.union.edu/strategic. The plan articulates a vision for a Union education and strategies for supporting that vision.
Three campus meetings to discuss the plan are set for next week.
These include the general faculty meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 12:45-1:45 p.m.; a meeting for students, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 5-6 p.m.; and one for administrators and staff members, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m.–noon.
All three will take place in the Reamer Campus Center Auditorium.
“The planning committee hopes that the vision and strategies will provide focus and inspiration for our work together as a campus community,” says Interim Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Therese A. McCarty.
“The plan represents a major first step in what we expect will be a permanent ongoing planning process. This spring, that process will continue as we refine objectives, set priorities and develop strategies for implementation.”
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Students involved in the college's Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) won a Spirit Award for enthusiasm and sportsmanship at the recent regional Science Bowl Competition in Rochester.
Senior Matt Roginski, an Obenzinger Scholar for the Kenney Community Center, coached the two teams of Schenectady High School students four days a week since November to prepare for the competition.
“I'm extremely proud of both teams,” said Roginski. “They have all come such a long way in their understanding of the sciences.”
The first team, led by high school junior Demire Coffin-Williams, made it to the quarterfinals of the competition. Teammates included Ben Acevedo, Brandon Burke, Nathan Kipniss and alternate Andre Butler.
Sophomore Hemavattie Ramtahal captained the second team. Her teammates included Marsé Pulley, Jonpaul Brown, Alphonso Kipniss and alternate Alex Wamukendi.
Charelle Carter '06, a former STEP mentor, served as a chaperone for the trip.
“The Science Bowl offers a great opportunity for high school students to meet other students that are strong in science and math and have similar life expectations,” said Carter.
The trip was funded by the STEP Program at Union College, which is sponsored by the New York State Education Department. The program encourages historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students to enroll in undergraduate and graduate programs leading to professional licensure or careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) or health-related fields.
For more information about the STEP Program, contact Kenney Community Center STEP Coordinator Angela Blair at ext. 6609 or blaira@union.edu.