Posted on Sep 25, 2007

Financial News Online profiled David Viniar '76, the chief financial officer of Goldman Sachs.

Viniar is a member of the College's Board of Trustees.

To read the complete story, click here (registration may be required).

Posted on Sep 25, 2007

Community Hospice of Schenectady has created an evening and weekend volunteer training program to accommodate Union staff, faculty, and students interested not only in local hospice volunteer efforts, but in possible service opportunities.

“Students interested in Hospice service learning experiences next year would benefit from this training,” said Therese A. McCarty, dean of the faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs. She noted that expanded service opportunities involving Hospice may include student travel to Africa for research and hospice work.

The local training program will be offered this fall and is only offered once a year. An informational meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Community Hospice, 1411 Union Street. The meeting will provide an overview of the 25-hour training, set for five days in October (Oct. 15, 17, 22 and 24, 5- 9:30 pm., and Oct. 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Union volunteers have had a strong presence in Community Hospice since it began. Today, dozens of students, faculty and staff take the training program and in-service training sessions. Most years, between five and 10 Union Hospice volunteers provide care to the terminally ill. They offer companionship and support for patients and their families at home; visit Hospice patients in hospitals and nursing homes; and provide clerical, courier and other help.

Carol Weisse, professor of Psychology and director of the Health Professions Program at Union, trained as a hospice volunteer seven years ago. “I can honestly say it has been a life-altering experience,” said Weisse. “Spending time with people during their last few months, days and even hours makes you think deeply about your own life and how to live life more fully.”

For more information about the training program, call the Hospice office at 377-8846. Weisse is also available to speak about her experiences as a volunteer (ext. 6300 or weissec@union.edu).

Posted on Sep 25, 2007

The Union College Chemistry Club has been recognized as a Commendable Student Affiliates Chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS), based on its 2006-07 activities. This is the second highest recognition level. It marks the 14^th straight year  that the club has received an ACS award. The award will be presented in April at the ACS National Meeting in New Orleans.
Last year’s advisor was Mary Carroll, with co-advisor  Michael Hagerman. Student officers included:
PRESIDENT: Rachael Peters ’07 (now in dental school at University of Pittsburgh)
VICE PRESIDENTS: Jessica Reichbind ’07 and Olga Davydenko ’08 (2007-08 Chemistry Club president)   
SECRETARIES: Lauren Carlson ’07 (now a chemistry graduate student at University of Wisconsin, Madison) and Laura Castellano ’09 (continuing as secretary this year)
TREASURER: Aaron Goldman ’08  
MENTORING PROGRAM COORDINATORS: Jenna Welby ’07 (now a chemistry graduate student at University of Michigan) and Monica Tse ’08 (this year’s outreach coordinator)
OUTREACH COORDINATORS: Amanda Barrow ’08 (co-vice president this year and Emily Green ’08 (now fund-raising coordinator)
FUND-RAISING COORDINATOR: Alexander Carrese (co-vice president for 2007-08).

Posted on Sep 21, 2007

Lorene Cary, whose acclaimed coming-of-age memoir, Black Ice, chronicles her life as the first African-American female student at an exclusive New England prep school, will speak Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Nott Memorial.

Her talk, part of the College’s Presidential Forum on Diversity, is free and open to the public. A book signing and reception will follow.

Black Ice describes the journey in 1972 by Cary, a bright black teenager from Philadelphia, into the world of the elite St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, formerly all-white and all-male. In detailing her life as a scholarship student and then teacher at St. Paul’s, Cary explores issues of race, the lives of women and education.

The summer reading choice for this year’s first-year students, Cary’s book was selected by a group of students, faculty and administrators.

“We believe it explores important personal issues relevant to many students on the threshold of their college experience, and we believe it wrestles with issues that are significant to campus life,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay.

“The book is meant to acclimate the newcomers and gain an understanding of how the Union College community is built and cultivated,” said Political Science Professor Byron Nichols.

First-years were asked to engage in a Blackboard discussion in August before coming to campus. More than 80 percent of the first-years participated in the exchanges, which was organized by the Minerva House Council.

Written in 1992, Black Ice was chosen by the American Library Association as one of its most notable books that year. It was called “a stunning memoir . . . subtly nuanced and unsparingly self-aware,” by the New York Times Book Review. The Washington Post Book World called it “a genuinely remarkable book … by a writer of singular grace, wit and self-knowledge.”  

Black Ice is Cary’s first book; she went on to write two novels, Pride, and The Price of a Child.

Cary has been a contributing editor at Newsweek, and associate editor at TV Guide. Her essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, American Visions, Essence and Philadelphia magazine.

She lectures in creative writing at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her B.A. and M.A. degrees and the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. She also holds an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Colby College and is the founder of Art Sanctuary, a nonprofit program for African-American arts and culture in North Philadelphia.

In addition to her talk on Thursday evening, Cary will meet with small groups of first-year students Thursday afternoon and on Friday morning.

Black Ice also was chosen for a discussion by the Sorum Book Club this fall.     

Posted on Sep 20, 2007

Lorene Cary, whose acclaimed coming-of-age memoir, Black Ice, chronicles her life as the first African-American female student at an exclusive New England prep school, will speak Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Nott Memorial.

Her talk, part of the College’s Presidential Forum on Diversity, is free and open to the public. A book signing and reception will follow.

Black Ice describes the journey in 1972 by Cary, a bright black teenager from Philadelphia, into the world of the elite St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, formerly all-white and all-male. In detailing her life as a scholarship student and then teacher at St. Paul’s, Cary explores issues of race, the lives of women and education.

The summer reading choice for this year’s first-year students, Cary’s book was selected by a group of students, faculty and administrators.

“We believe it explores important personal issues relevant to many students on the threshold of their college experience, and we believe it wrestles with issues that are significant to campus life,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay.

“The book is meant to acclimate the newcomers and gain an understanding of how the Union College community is built and cultivated,” said Political Science Professor and Minerva Byron Nichols.

First-years were asked to engage in a Blackboard discussion in August before coming to campus. More than 80 percent of the first-years participated in the exchanges, which was organized by the Minerva House Council.

Written in 1992, Black Ice was chosen by the American Library Association as one of its most notable books that year. It was called “a stunning memoir . . . subtly nuanced and unsparingly self-aware,” by the New York Times Book Review. The Washington Post Book World called it “a genuinely remarkable book … by a writer of singular grace, wit and self-knowledge.”  

Black Ice is Cary’s first book; she went on to write two novels, Pride, and The Price of a Child.

Cary has been a contributing editor at Newsweek, and associate editor at TV Guide. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, American Visions, Essence and Philadelphia magazine.

She lectures in creative writing at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her B.A. and M.A. degrees and the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. She also holds an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Colby College and is the founder of Art Sanctuary, a nonprofit program for African-American arts and culture in North Philadelphia.

In addition to her talk on Thursday evening, Cary will meet with small groups of first-year students Thursday afternoon and on Friday morning.

“Black Ice” also was chosen for a discussion by the Sorum Book Club this fall.