Posted on Apr 4, 2007

William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), will give Union’s 68^th Steinmetz Memorial Lecture Monday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Chapel. His talk is titled "Engineering as Part of a Liberal Education?" It will be preceded by a social hour at 5:15 p.m. in Everest Lounge and dinner at 6 in Hale House. The events are open to the public. 

Wulf, who is also vice chair of the National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, is on leave from the University of Virginia, where he is a University Professor and AT&T Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His distinguished career includes serving as assistant director of the National Science Foundation, chair and CEO of Tartan Laboratories Inc., Pittsburgh, and professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. He is the author of three books and more than 100 papers and technical reports. He holds two U.S. patents.

The NAE, which operates under a congressional charter and presidential executive orders, advises the government on issues of science and engineering. Wulf has been its head since 1997.

The Steinmetz Memorial Lecture commemorates world-renowned engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), professor of Electrical Engineering at Union from 1902 to 1913. Created in 1925, it has brought dozens of eminent scientists, engineers and innovators to campus.

For more information about Wulf’s visit, including registration for dinner ($20 per person), contact Chandra Reis of the Schenectady Section of the IEEE at Chandra.Reis@philips.com. Also visit http://engineering.union.edu/SteinmetzMemorialLectures/.

Posted on Apr 4, 2007

It's time to meet and greet accepted students. The two largest programs of the month are Monday, April 9, and Monday, April 16, with a noon luncheon in Memorial Fieldhouse and division receptions 12:30-1 p.m.

The Office of Admissions needs faculty and staff help in welcoming admitted students and families throughout the month. Contact Lilia Tiemann at tiemannl@union.edu to help.

Approximately 560 students will be admitted into the Class of 2011, from a pool of more than 4,800 applications, the highest total ever, for this fall's freshman class.

Posted on Apr 4, 2007

A Professional Appointment Review Committee has been formed to evaluate the performance of Lorie Wies, Acquisitions and Periodicals librarian, for promotion to associate librarian. Members of the review committee are Donna Burton (Schaffer Library, chair), Mary Cahill (Schaffer Library), Annette LeClair (Schaffer Library) and Tim Olsen (Music Department). Any member of the Union College community who wishes to provide written comments about Wies' professional performance, professional development and scholarship, or college service should contact one of the committee members no later than May 1. Interviews may be arranged by contacting Burton at ext. 6635.

Posted on Apr 4, 2007

Thursday, April 5, 8 p.m. / Memorial Chapel / Chamber Concert Series presents Julia Fisher, violin and Milana Chernyavska, piano

Friday, April 6, 1 p.m. / Central Park, Schenectady / Men's baseball vs. Rochester

Friday, April 6, 4 p.m. / Tennis courts / Men's tennis vs. Rensselaer

Friday, April 6, 4 p.m. / Frank Bailey Field / Women's lacrosse vs. Hamilton

Friday, April 6, 4 p.m. / Emerson Auditorium, Taylor Music Center / Lecture/ Presentation by composer, percussionist and instrument-maker Ray Kaczynski

Friday, April 6, 7 p.m. / Nott Memorial / Tibetan Women's Association President B. Tsering speaks on “Is There Freedom in Tibet?”

Friday, April 6 – Monday, April 9, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m / Reamer Campus Center Auditorium / “Dreamgirls”

Saturday, April 7, noon / Alexander Field / Women's softball vs. Russell Sage

Saturday, April 7, noon / Central Park, Schenectady / Men's baseball vs. Rochester

Saturday, April 7, 2 p.m. / Frank Bailey Field / Women's lacrosse vs. Rochester

Sunday, April 8, 3 p.m. / Alexander Field / Women's softball vs. SUNY New Paltz

Monday, April 9, 7 p.m. / Nott Memorial / Presidential Forum on Diversity presents CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien / Soledad O'Brien, discussing “Diversity: On Television, Behind the Scenes and in our Lives”

Wednesday, April 11, 6 p.m. / Arts 215 / Feminist Film Series presents “Yasmin,” directed by Kenneth Glenaan

Wednesday, April 11, 7 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center Auditorium / John and Jane Wold Religious Studies Lecture Series presents John Haught, distinguished research professor of theology at Georgetown University, on “Science, Religion and the Quest for Cosmic Purpose”

Thursday, April 12, 9 a.m. / Breazzano House Common Room / Barbara Weinstein, president, American Historical Association, to discuss “Slavery and Its Legacies: Race and Gender in Brazil”

Thursday, April 12, 12:50-1:50 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center / Lunch with History, LACS and Africana faculty

Thursday, April 12, 4:30 p.m. / Phi Beta Kappa Room, Schaffer Library / Philosophy Speaker Series presents “Objectivity and Truth: You'd Better Rethink It” with Sharon Street of New York University; funded by the Spencer-Leavitt Foundation

Thursday, April 12, 7 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center Auditorium /American Historical Association President Barbara Weinstein to discuss “Being a Historian in the Age of National (In)Security”

Friday, April 13, noon / Old Chapel / Ozone Café: The Organic Adventure

Friday, April 13 – Monday, April 16, 8 and 10 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center Auditorium / Film: “Apocalypto”

Saturday, April 14, 9 a.m. / Union Boathouse, Mohawk River / Men's and women's crew vs. Rensselaer

Sunday, April 15, noon / Tennis courts / Men's tennis vs. Vassar

Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m. / Central Park, Schenectady / Men's baseball vs. Vassar

Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m. / Central Park, Schenectady / Women's lacrosse vs. Skidmore

Posted on Apr 3, 2007

The College's Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) took first place in the Technology category at the annual New York State STEP Research Conference March 30-31 at the Albany Marriott.

Sponsored by the state Department of Higher Education, STEP partners with Union College to provide mentors for local high school students, encouraging and inspiring academic achievement and excellence. Union student mentors for this competition included seniors Lorlette Haughton, Simi Koshy, Jeannette Hiciano and Saim Jafri.

More than 65 science projects were accepted into the competition, including two from Union. The winning abstract, “Which Star is Best to Use for Navigation at Night without GPS?” researched whether the North Star (Ursa Minor) was the best star to use for navigation. The project evolved from a summer STEP class that discussed Global Positioning System (GPS).

Students on the winning team included eighth-graders Jocelyn Girigorie from Iroquois Middle School and Diimond Mortimore from Schalmont, along with ninth-grader David Pérez Jr. from Shaker High School. James Hedrick, lecturer, electrical and computer engineering; and Ashraf Ghaly, professor, division of engineering and computer science oversaw the research.

Union's second abstract, “Carbon Dioxide’s Effect on Global Warming” researched the melting behavior of the polar ice caps. Presenting this project were Schenectady High ninth-grader Andrew Brisport and 10th-graders Brandon Burke and Mars Pulley under the direction of Greg Reid, visiting assistant professor of chemistry.

“For the past 20 years, STEP Program has offered participants a sense of purpose and direction, and has challenged students to reach their highest academic potential,” said Gretchel H. Tyson, director of Union’s STEP Program and the Kenney Community Center.

Additional staff and alumni involved with the program include Dapo Akinleye ’02; Tim Cade, systems analyst, Information Technology Services; Deidre Hill Butler, assistant professor, sociology; Stephen G. Romero, assistant professor, psychology; Twitty Styles, professor emeritus, biology; and Elroy Tatem ’06.

The STEP Program at Union hosts Saturday workshops and a summer program and is one of 10 community outreach programs operated out of the Kenney Community Center. For more information on the STEP Program, contact Assistant Director Angela Blair at 518-388-6609.