Posted on Sep 15, 2008

Fernando Orellana, visiting professor of visual arts, was named Best New-Media Artist by Metroland. The magazine said his work is “both funny and sobering.” Orellana is developing a cross-disciplinary digital arts program between visual arts and computer science.   

Hilary Tann, the John Howard Payne Professor of Music, was commissioned to write the female choir test piece for the renowned Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. While at the July event, which features competitors from more than 50 countries, she gave a talk to the Friends of the Festival. 

A paper by Rebecca Koopmann, associate professor of physics, appeared in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on Aug. 1. The paper is titled “A 500 kpc HI Tail of the Virgo Pair NGC4532/DDO137 Detected by the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) Survey.”

The Aug. 4 issue of The New Yorker featured a piece on the new book by Brenda Wineapple, “White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson.” The book was favorably reviewed by The New York Times on Sunday, Aug. 24. Wineapple, the Doris Zemurray Stone Professor of Modern Literary and Historical Studies, discussed the book on campus in the spring.

William Finlay, chairman of the Theater and Dance Department, directed “As Y’all Like It” for the Saratoga Shakespeare Company in Congress Park, Saratoga Springs, in July. Patricia Culbert, an artist-in-residence in the department, played Celia, and Anna Finlay '12 choreographed the production. William Finlay is the company’s co-founder and artistic director.  

Joseph P. Nimon '07 and Sarah Westen '09 joined Cay Anderson-Hanley, assistant professor of psychology, in presenting “Neuropsychological Effects of Low-Impact Exercise for Community-Dwelling Older Adults” at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in San Diego. The research evolved from collaboration among Anderson-Hanley’s Healthy Aging & Neuropsychology Research Lab, the Senior Health and Wellness Program of Catholic Charities of Schenectady County and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in the Capital Region. Alessandro Carini '07 and Lyndsay DeMatteo '10 also assisted with the research.

Gretchel Hathaway Tyson, senior director for Campus Diversity and Affirmative Action, gave a keynote address at the New York State Association of College Admission Counselors (NYSACAC) ”Coming Together” Conference at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., in June. She spoke on “Bringing Together a Diverse Student Body: Getting Them Here, Keeping Them Here.” NYSACAC Executive Board member James Luciano, assistant dean of Admissions and interim director of Multicultural Recruitment, also attended the conference.

The Sept. 5 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education includes excerpts from the speech by President Stephen C. Ainlay, titled “Engineering and New Ways of Thinking,” delivered at the symposium on engineering and liberal education held at Union in May. The excerpts are part of a commentary on “Engineering and the Liberal Arts: Strangers No Longer,” which cites views by a number of college presidents.

Posted on Sep 15, 2008

A beacon in the 21st century 

At the Opening Convocation for the Union community, I closed my presidential remarks by observing: “We have the opportunity … of becoming a beacon for those seeking an education well-honed to the needs and demands of the 21st century.” That is indeed the case and the challenge for all of us who believe that Union must continue its 214-year tradition of making a difference in the world.

When former President Eliphalet Nott and his contemporaries decided that they should allow modern languages, along with classical languages, to meet graduation requirements, they established Union as a beacon for all those who understood the importance of connections with Europe. When some years later, Nott and others determined that Union should bring engineering into the liberal arts curriculum—the first liberal arts college to do so—Union once again became a beacon to all those who wanted to prepare themselves for the rapid growth of American cities.

For many years, what has been called the “parallel” curricula of the liberal arts and sciences on one hand and engineering on the other, served Union, our students, and the world at large very well. Today’s world, however, demands that engineering be integrated into the very essence of what we mean when we say a person is liberally educated. Additionally, today’s world demands that our students be globally connected.

In this issue, you will read about the national symposium on engineering as a liberal art which was held at Union in May. The symposium, funded by the Mellon Foundation, brought representatives from Princeton, Dartmouth, Smith, Lafayette, the U.S. Military Academy, and other schools to Union’s campus for an examination of engineering’s role in liberally educating students and the sharing of best practices. It was a remarkable experience for all of us in attendance. It became clear that we shared a vision for the liberal arts and the central role engineering can play. It became clear that Union was the most appropriate venue for imagining a different kind of educational future. Union became, by virtue of its historic role and prophetic vision, a beacon.

You will read about our students who are taking Union into the world. Our eight Minerva Fellows made enormous contributions to our campus community while they were students here. Now, they stand to make equally enormous contributions to people in need in Uganda, Cambodia, India, and South Africa. The stories of three alumnae who are leading nonprofit projects in Africa affirm the difference that individuals can make. Our Davis Peace Scholar has connected in meaningful ways with the victims of domestic violence in Cambodia. These current and former students represent Union’s global commitment; they represent hope; and, they establish Union as a beacon.

You will also read about the remarkable performance of our endowment. According to the Wilshire Endowment Universe data, which compares our returns to the universe of other endowments, Union’s endowment performed in the top 5th percentile for the past fiscal year. That itself is remarkable. The importance of this, however, rests in the fact that the resulting endowment income is a hedge against tuition increases. In fact, tuition only covers about 70 percent of the actual costs of educating today’s Union student. The balance results from endowment income and the generous support we receive from alumni and friends of the College.

Union has been a beacon in so many ways over its 214 years. It remains so today. Those who have chosen to steward the College for these past two plus centuries—administrators, trustees, faculty, students, alumni, and friends—have made that possible. Those stewards can be proud; we can all be grateful.

Posted on Sep 11, 2008

Posted on Sep 11, 2008

As the academic year gets under way, a number of new administrators are already energizing the day-to-day life of the College. One of them is Stephen A. Dare.

In case you missed it, over the summer President Stephen C. Ainlay announced the appointment of Dare, who comes from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as vice president for College Relations.

“I am thrilled and delighted to be a part of the Union community,” Dare said. “In my early days here, the staff and campus community have been extremely welcoming, and I look forward to meeting faculty and students as the fall progresses.

“Attending Convocation at Memorial Chapel this week gave me a deeper sense of the story of Union College. To be able to raise support for this historic institution is an honor.”

Dare is responsible for managing alumni relations, development, communications and community relations, along with foundation, corporate and government relations. He succeeds Thomas C. Gutenberger, who left after nine years to become vice president for advancement at his alma mater, the University of Richmond.

With 26 years of higher ed fundraising experience, Dare will be harnessing his expertise and vision to direct Union’s $250 million You are Union campaign. The recently expanded campaign is forging ahead with new momentum for significant initiatives tied to the College’s Strategic Plan.

Dare had worked at MIT since 1998, most recently serving as campaign manager for the school’s $2 billion campaign. He also served in key administrative posts at Boston College and Johns Hopkins University. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Rowan University in his native New Jersey.

Posted on Sep 10, 2008

The Union College Department of Music is sponsoring a new mixed chorus, the Union College and Community Chorale. Membership is open to College students, faculty, alumni, and staff, as well as the community at large.

Under the direction of Prof. Victor Klimash, the Chorale will be accompanied both by keyboard and by the Union College and Community Orchestra. Works slated for the first season include Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F, selections from Aaron Copland’s opera, The Tender Land, and Haydn’s Missa in Tempore Belli. The Chorale will rehearse Mondays, 7-9 p.m. in Emerson Auditorium in the Taylor Music Center.

For audition information, contact Klimash at ext. 8326 or at (518) 788-7896 or vklimash@aol.com.