Posted on Feb 9, 2007

Scott Ritter, a former U.N. weapons inspector, will discuss “The Intelligence Trap: Iraq and Iran” Thursday, Feb. 15 at 12:45 p.m. in Social Sciences 103.

The lecture is part of the “Pizza and Politics” series sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha and the Political Science Department.

Ritter served as a U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991-98 and has been a vocal critic of the war.

He also served as a security and military consultant for Fox News and authored several books including Endgame: Solving the Iraq Problem – Once and for All.

On Feb. 22, “Pizza and Politics” presents “The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Reconsidered: Challenging the Official Justification” with Peter Kuznick, professor of history at American University.

The “Pizza and Politics” series is funded through an Intellectual Enrichment Grant. For additional information contact the Political Science department at 388-6224.

Posted on Feb 9, 2007

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 Angela Blair at 388-6609 or blaira@union.edu.

Posted on Feb 9, 2007

Seldom do liberal arts studies intersect with courses in engineering science over the course of a typical undergraduate education.
   But with the aid of a $1.6 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the two educational disciplines have forged a common ground at Union College at the newly established Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology. College officials officially launched the new center Thursday on the fi rst floor of Butterfield Hall.
   “The goal is to foster the exchange of teaching and research at the boundary between life sciences and engineering,” said Steve Rice, the center's co-director.
   Among other amenities, the center houses a state-of-the-art bioengineering teaching lab, two student-faculty research labs and an outreach center. Rice said the goal is to promote undergraduate research programs, while fostering curriculum development to one day offer bioengineering as a major.
   As a result of this new discipline, Rice said, Union students can now study everything from the strength properties of bone tissue to evaluating the performance of prosthetics to understanding how dragonflies are capable of moving through the air.
   The initiative to establish a multi-disciplinary curriculum is in response to a report issued by the National Research Council, which examined the role undergraduate institutions should play in crafting the next generation of research scientists in the biological and medical sciences.
   Titled “Bio 2010,” the study challenged colleges to produce students with stronger skills in quantitative and technical analysis, as well as a greater exposure to interdisciplinary research. For Union College, the directive couldn't have been a clearer sign to establish the program, said Leo Fleishman, chairman of the college's biology department.
   “For Union, the way to meet this challenge seemed obvious,” he said. “We have an entire academic division devoted to the kind of quantitative problem-solving that [the study] felt was so critical.”
   Fleishman said the new center will provide an area for relevantminded individuals to connect, while providing a mutual ground to help overcome the obstacles such collaborations can encounter.
   “The tools and laboratory facilities of biologists and engineers are different,” he said. “Our teaching lab and design shop are here for the purpose of overcoming those problems.”
   Two new courses are now offered at the center, which encompasses students from the biology, computer science, mechanical engineering and computer engineering departments. Rice said the goal is to eventually establish a major in bioengineering at the center.
   “And we're well positioned because we have both liberal arts and engineering present,” he said.

Posted on Feb 8, 2007

The Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology made its official debut during a ceremony Thursday in Butterfield Hall. Professor Leo J. Fleishman, chairman of the biology department, cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the long-awaited opening.

Fleishman was instrumental in securing the grant of $1.5 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

President Stephen C. Ainlay voiced his “appreciation for the splendid research and state-of-the-art facilities that the Hughes and Mellon Foundation funding made possible.

“Institutions are known by what they build and don't build,” Ainlay said in thanking those who played a role in the Center's creation.

“The Hughes funding went toward renovating two floors of Butterfield Hall for the Center, hiring two new faculty, the purchase of equipment and funding student and faculty research,” said Steven K. Rice, associate professor of Biology and co-chair of the center. “The Mellon Foundation funding was essential at the curriculum development level.”

Fleishman's vision for the center evolved from a report from the National Research Council entitled “Biology 2010.”

“Scientists are relying more and more on qualitative and analytical work making the interdisciplinary courses essential to students in the biological sciences as well as engineering and computer science,” said Fleishman. “The command center for the integration of the cross-disciplinary coursework is the Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology.”

The center has been in use for about a year. Students conduct research on machines like the 858 Mini Bionix, which allows them to calculate the force used to break wood, bone and other substances; cycle an object to determine the wear-resistance and point at which the object breaks down; and even compare the anatomy of a type of wood to its structural properties.

Two cross-disciplinary courses have been developed to date, including “Intro to Bioengineering” and “Bioinformatics.” The goal is to establish a full-fledged bioengineering major with students from the departments of Biology, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Computer and Electrical Engineering.

“Union is small enough,” Fleishman continued, “for faculty and students to work together closely in a broad educational curriculum – not on the narrow edges of the disciplines.

“The next step is to expand our Virtual Bioengineering Center to extend the reach of our research beyond the campus to the world.”

Posted on Feb 8, 2007

The Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology made its official debut during a ceremony Thursday in Butterfield Hall.

Professor Leo J. Fleishman, chairman of the biology department, cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the long-awaited opening.

President Stephen C. Ainlay voiced his “appreciation for the splendid research and state of the art facilities that the Hughes and Mellon Foundation funding made possible.

“Institutions are known by what they build, and don't build,” Ainlay said in thanking those who played a role in the Center's creation.

 “The Hughes funding went toward renovating two floors of Butterfield Hall for the Center, hiring two new faculty, the purchase of equipment and funding student and faculty research,” said Steven K. Rice, associate professor of biology and co-chair of the center. “The Mellon Foundation funding was essential at the curriculum development level.”

Fleishman's vision for the Center evolved from a report from the National Research Council entitled “Biology 2010.”

“Scientists are relying more and more on qualitative and analytical work making the interdisciplinary courses essential to students in the biological sciences as well as engineering and computer science,” said Fleishman. “The command center for the integration of the cross-disciplinary coursework is the Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology.”

The center has actually been in use for about a year. Students conduct research on machines like the 858 Mini Bionix that allows them to calculate the force used to break wood, bone and other substances; cycle an object to determine the wear-resistance and point at which the object breaks down; and even compare the anatomy of a type of wood to its structural properties.

Two cross-disciplinary courses have been developed to date including “Intro to Bioengineering” and “Bioinformatics.” The goal is to eventually establish a full-fledged bioengineering major encompassing students from the departments of biology, computer science, mechanical engineering and computer and electrical engineering.

“Union is small enough,” Fleishman continued, “for faculty and students to work together closely in a broad educational curriculum-not on the narrow edges of the disciplines.

“The next step is to expand our Virtual Bioengineering Center to extend the reach of our research beyond the campus to the world.”

Fleishman was instrumental in securing the grant of $1.5 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.