Posted on May 5, 2009

The four recipients of this year’s Funding for Summer Community Service Internship awards – sophomore Shelby Cutter and juniors Aaron Ray, Elizabeth Osborne and Elizabeth LaBonte – will put their $2,500 stipends to good use helping a variety of nonprofit organizations.

Cutter, a Latin American and Caribbean Studies major, will work with School on Wheels of Massachusetts in Brockton, Mass., providing academic services for children who have lost their homes.

“I am a firm believer that through education, homeless or underprivileged children have a greater chance of controlling their destiny and improving their quality of life,” Cutter said.

Her award comes from an endowed internship supported by the Class of 1973, in honor of its 35^th class ReUnion.

The Dr. Scholl Foundation will support the efforts of LaBonte and Osborne.

LaBonte, a psychology major, will work with Best Buddies Massachusetts in Boston. She’ll support the organization’s mission to enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Osborne, a neuroscience major, will provide direct patient care to terminally ill residents at Mary’s Haven, a Saratoga Springs home that specializes in end-of-life care. She will also work to strengthen the home’s connection with other Union students interested in health-care careers.

“In this setting, the goal is no longer to find a cure,” Osborne said. “It’s to provide comfort, and to give oneself as a companion and a listener.”

Ray, whose award comes from the endowed Roger H. Hull Summer Community Service Internship fund, will join the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York in Albany. He’ll help promote the organization through a variety of media outlets and create programs in lower income areas, while simultaneously establishing a stronger relationship between the Red Cross and the College.

“These students stood out because they demonstrated passion for the organization they’ll be working with,” said Rochelle Caruso, associate director of Internship Programs at Becker Career Center. “They were able to communicate how their contributions will provide for underserved populations.”

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Posted on May 5, 2009

Union’s newly formed FaceAIDS chapter will hold an awareness-raising event on Saturday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. in Old Chapel.

Featured speakers are returning Minerva Fellow David Shulman, who spent the last nine months in Malawi working on health and medical services, and HIV/AIDS activist Gregg Cassin, chair of AIDS, Medicine & Miracles, an organization that provides education and support to people living with HIV/AIDS.

The talks will be followed by Q&A sessions, a barbecue and performances by local bands.

FaceAIDS is national organization that revolves around a student campaign to increase AIDS awareness and fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

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Posted on May 4, 2009

Passionately devoted to civic service, Elizabeth Ackley ’11 was named outstanding volunteer of the year Monday evening at the first Volunteer Appreciation Banquet in Old Chapel.

“I just think it’s really important to get involved,” Ackley said of her work at the Kenney Community Center. “The relationships formed between the children of Schenectady and Union students are so monumental – it’s unbelievable the difference it can make in the lives of both parties.”

The banquet was held to celebrate the College’s recent national community service award. In February, Union was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can receive for its commitment to service learning and civic engagement.

In 2007-08, 762 Union students participated in a range of community service projects, representing more than 7,700 hours of service. Volunteers at the Kenney Center tutored and read to local children, acted as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and participated in the state Volunteer Income Tax Assistant Program (VITA).

Ackley, for her part, undertook a portion of her sophomore project at the Kenney Center by adding an art component to the America Reads program. America Reads seeks to help schoolchildren expand their reading skills and improve their overall learning.

“It was something the center didn’t have before,” Ackley said. “Art-focused learning is a really good tool for kids since it allows them to express themselves creatively while they learn.”

Ackley implemented her efforts during the winter term, a period Kenney Center Director Angela Tatem said is usually accompanied by decreased attendance. This winter, however, Ackley’s work helped maintain a high participation rate in America Reads.

Other Union students were also recognized Monday for their leadership roles in various Kenney Center outreach programs:

Lativa Holder ’10: For her involvement with the Homework and Skills Development program.

Cybil Tribie ’11: For her leadership in the U-CARE program and the PACS project.

Lucas Jancok, Czech Republic international student: For teaching the Junior Science Program.

Antonio Gutierrez ’10: For his role in the America Reads Literacy program, and for his efforts to start a youth boxing and tutoring program called Champions.

Santos Avila ’08: For his help with AmeriCorps VISTA, Habitat for Humanity and other outreach efforts.

Malebogo Thlajoane '11: For her leadership in the U-CARE program.

College President Stephen Ainlay was the keynote speaker at the banquet.

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Posted on May 1, 2009

Crouched on the sidewalk outside Reamer Campus Center with a big smile on her face, Mary Roberts ’09 wrote in neat, neon pink letters, “Free Stuff Improv.” The student-run improvisation group performed as part of the 19th Steinmetz Symposium Friday.

“Steinmetz is great because it allows everyone to show off what they’re working on,” Roberts said. “It can be serious academics or something that’s just fun – like improv.”

Between Reamer and the F.W. Olin Center, Matt Beenen ’09 and Ned Lincoln ’09 attracted a small audience with a presentation that was entertaining and academically rigorous. They discussed their senior project, “The Design and Optimization of a High Efficiency & Performance Vehicle.”

“This machine is visceral thrills with a conscience,” Lincoln said with a laugh, referencing the three-wheel vehicle’s fuel efficiency and high-performance capabilities.

A few feet away, seniors Kaitlyn Evans, Shauna Keeler and Jennifer Lachance critiqued the Steinmetz sessions they had attended so far. Lachance had just finished explaining the psychological dynamics of personal security – specifically, something called the “tripartite security system theory” – before a group in Bailey Hall.

“It’s so much fun to be there to present and to support your friends in their presentations,” Lachance said.

“And it’s exciting to see how much students you’ve known since freshman year have grown,” Keeler said. “The people who were too shy to speak up in class are now publicly explaining their work.”

Peter MacDonald engaged a group in the Taylor Music Center with his program on “Changing Days,” which showed the impact of technology on the music industry. MacDonald, who plays harmonica and guitar, composed a concept album that uses electric instrumentation with an acoustic foundation.

“I grew up hearing Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, and now they’re right up they’re with Obama,” he joked. 

In all, about 400 students participated in Steinmetz Symposium.    

At the end of the day, 65 students energized the crowd at the Nott Memorial as part of the annual Steinmetz dance performance. Bhangra Union, the Ballroom Club and the Union College Dance Team also presented to an enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd.

The 2009 Edward Villella Fellowship, announced after the performance, went to Lisa Crescenzo ’10. She will be an exhibit and research assistant and take Paul Taylor dance workshops at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs this summer.

For more pictures from the symposium, check out our photo gallery.

Steinmetz Symposium coincides with Prize Day, which took place Saturday in Memorial Chapel, with a reception following on the Reamer Campus Center patio. Students are honored for achievement in academics, research, service, governance and athletics. For a complete list of winners, click here.

Also on Saturday, the Union College Jazz Ensemble performs from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Fred L. Emerson Foundation Auditorium in the Taylor Music Center.

The Steinmetz Symposium is named for Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), who taught electrical engineering and applied physics at Union. Also chief consulting engineer for the General Electric Company, he was widely regarded as America’s leading electrical engineer.

For more information and the full symposium program, click here.

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Posted on May 1, 2009

Academic Awards

William F. Allen (1895) Essay Prize –

To a senior in any department for a non-fiction essay

Lauren Obst

Ronald K. Amiraian (1980) Memorial Prize –

To a student of modern languages who has performed with distinction on a Union Term Abroad

Lorraine Ater

Andrew W. Archibald (1872) Prize –

To the senior in Humanities with the highest scholastic standing

Cathryn Cook

Arnold I. Bittleman Memorial Prize –

To a student who has studied drawing in the Visual Arts Department and whose work, in the judgment of the Visual Arts faculty in collaboration with an outside juror, is outstanding

Ian Brennan, Eleanor Hazlett

William H. Bloom (1945), M.D. and Jonathan R. Bloom (1988) Poetry Prize –

For the best poems or series of poems by an undergraduate

Erin Schumaker

David Brind (1982) Memorial Prize in English –

To one or more outstanding senior students in English

Cara Gallivan, Michael Montesano, Lauren Obst, Christina Vincent

George H. Catlin (1867) Prize –

To the graduating senior in liberal arts with the highest scholastic record and deemed most promising for graduate study and for eventual service in the field of college teaching

Christopher Backlund

Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society Award –

To a student who has excelled in analytical chemistry

Paul Hebert

Joseph D. Doty Prize – To the junior or senior who, in the judgment of the Department of History, has done work of outstanding merit

Adam Koslin

Samuel S. Feuer (1925) Prize –

To the senior in the premedical course whose primary interest is in dentistry and who has maintained the highest scholastic average over four years

Devin Harrison

Frankel Prize –

For outstanding achievement in a religion course

Lucia Reed

Robert M. Fuller (1863) Prizes –

One to a sophomore, the other to a senior, who demonstrates outstanding work, ability and promise in chemistry

Michelle Richter (Sophomore), Christopher Backlund (Senior)

Bruce M. Garber (1971) Prize –

To the premedical or predental student who best exemplifies the qualities of personal integrity and humane concern for the future practice of medicine or dentistry

Geoffrey Raynor

General Electric Power Generation Steinmetz Award –

To a senior in the Mechanical Engineering Department who completes the best senior project

Gregory Fullenkamp, Lasantha Pathirana, Stephen Schneider

Geology Faculty Prize –

To a senior who contributes most to the Geology Department and social morale

Jonathan Campano

Lisa S. Gerhan (1994) Memorial Award –

For academic excellence, a commitment to the field of psychology and the potential for future contributions to the field

Rose Foley

Celia Glaubach Prize –

To the student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship in the area of Religious Studies

Jennifer Long

Shankar Gokhale Prize –

To the senior in engineering, preferably in the five-year program with the second major in economics, judged to have the greatest potential for community service in the area of mathematical approaches to economic problems

Christopher Potts

John S. Hadala (1928) Endowed Book Prize –

To a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering on the basis of academic, personal and social achievement

Caileigh Warren, 2008 winner;
Alexandra Guernon, 2009 winner

Hans Hainebach Memorial Prize in German Literature –

To a sophomore or junior who has demonstrated particular promise as a student of German literature

Megan Weill

Hans Hainebach Memorial Prize in Judaica –

To a student who has offered the best performance in the field of Judaica

Henry Sire

Edward Everett Hale, Jr. Prize –

For the best essay written by a sophomore or junior

Cristina Liquori

Oswald Heck (1924)-Irwin Steingut Prize –

To the student majoring in the Division of Social Sciences who has consistently done the best work in Political Science

Sean Mulkerne

Eugene W. Hellmich (1923) Memorial Prize –

To one or more seniors for excellence in mathematics preparing for a career in mathematics

Sarah Britton

Victor Herbert Prize –

To the student who shows the most promise of making a contribution to American music

Alexander Schlosberg

Julian B. Hoffman, M.D. (1966) Memorial Award –

To the student (preferably premedical) for distinguished interest, devotion and contribution to the arts and/or intellectual climate at Union College

Lisa Angotti (Music), Megan Sesil (Visual Arts)

Charles B. Hurd Prize –

To an outstanding student of physical chemistry

Daniel Bailey

Albert C. Ingham (1847) Prize –

To the student in Social Sciences judged to have done the most outstanding piece of scholarly work

Henry Sire

Ingvar V. Ingvarsson Prize –

To a senior in electrical engineering chosen for high scholarship

Kathleen Rucci

John Iwanik Prize –

To an outstanding Russian language student

Henry Sire

Thomas J. Judson (1966) Memorial Book Prize –

To a sophomore who has shown academic excellence as well as sincere interest in the study of modern languages

Emma Krosschell

David S. Kaplan (1982) Prize –

To a student applying to participate in a term abroad; preference to students majoring in political science

Andrew Churchill

Warner King (1906) Prize –

To the senior in engineering who has contributed most to the traditions and ideals of the College

Christopher Potts

Ethel Kirchenbaum Memorial Prize –

To the senior who, in the opinion of the Engineering Departments at Union College, shall be deemed to possess the best potential for furthering the ideals of the engineering profession

Tehtena Tenaw

Harold A. Larrabee Prize –

To the student who has done the best work in philosophy during the year

David Ludwig

William E. Lasnik (1968) Prize –

To a junior or senior premedical student on the basis of scholarship and character

Carl Winkler

Anthony C. LaVecchia (1998) Memorial Award –

Awarded to a student who demonstrates a keen interest and passion in journalism, especially with a focus in political journalism

Cara Gallivan

Stephen F. Leo (1884), M.D. Prize –

To the pre- medical student on scholarship who attains the highest grades in the graduating class and who has been accepted in medical school

Bradley Goldberg

Alice P. and Donald C. Loughry (1952) Prize in Computer Engineering –

To students completing the best senior projects in computer engineering

Nickolas Potvin

Alice P. and Donald C. Loughry (1952) Prize in Electrical Engineering –

To students completing the best senior projects in electrical engineering

Thomas DiLaura, Christopher Potts

Edith Emilee MacCoy Prize –

To the student who excels in botany

Julie LaSpina

John Lewis March Prize –

To a senior who has shown increased interest and ability in psychology during the final two years of college

James Schwabach

Minerva Prize –

Awarded to the female student whose work best combines the scholarly study of women or gender with activities that enhance the life of women on campus

Allegra Lanzara

Lewis Henry Morgan (1840) Prize –

To the anthropology major who produces the best senior thesis

Anne Hanson, Jeffrey Hyde

R. E. Morgan Memorial Award –

To a senior computer engineering major who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship

Nickolas Potvin

Harold and Ellen Nagorsky Memorial Prize –

Awarded to a premedical junior student who contributes the most to the Union College community through extracurricular activities

John Mahlstedt

Alvin F. Nitchman (1924) Prize –

To the most promising senior who plans to attend law school

Lorraine Ater, Meagan Keenan

Ronald M. Obenzinger (1961) Prize –

To a premedical student who is selected for high academic merit and personal worthiness

Geoffrey Raynor

Robert G. O’Neale (1878) Prize –

To the bachelor’s degree candidate with the highest standing in Classics

Sarah Coleman, Charles Fontana, Jr.

Hans Pasch Memorial Prize –

Awarded for the best essay written about the Holocaust

Emily Curbow, Henry Sire

Elias Peissner Prize –

To an economics major who has done work of outstanding merit

Matthew Cook

President’s Commission on the Status of Women Senior Scholarly Activity Award – To a senior who displays outstanding scholarly activity in her field

Linah Rusere

President’s Commission on the Status of Women Senior Thesis Prize –

To a senior whose senior thesis makes the greatest contribution to scholarship on women

Margaret Levine, Erin Schumaker

Daniel F. Pullman Classical Prize –

To a senior of high scholastic standing in the Humanities

Charles Fontana, Jr.

Daniel F. Pullman Engineering Prize –

To a senior of high scholastic standing in Engineering

Michael Bono

Martin Terry Resch Prize –

To the senior who shows the greatest promise for advanced study in pure or applied mathematics

Andrew Mackenzie

Mrs. Edwin L. Rich Prize –

To a student majoring in English who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship

Lauren Obst

Charles Alexander Richmond Prize in Fine Arts –

To a student who demonstrates excellence in fine arts

Brace Thompson

Charles Alexander Richmond Prize in Music –

To a student who demonstrates excellence in music

Adrienne Hart

Mark Rosenthal (1976) Memorial Prize –

Awarded to a senior involved in community activities, in good academic standing and planning to attend medical school after graduation

Alyssa Goldberg

Rotary Foundation Endowed Prize for International Study – To the senior who shows the greatest promise and interest in an area of international relations. Preference to a student from Schenectady County

Sean Mulkerne

Robert L. Royal (1938) Award –

To a student who has been accepted by Albany Medical College, to be applied to the purchase of instruments and equipment necessary to medical studies

Ian Dempsey

Mortimer F. Sayre Prize –

To the senior with the best potential for furthering the ideals of the mechanical engineering profession

Malysa Cheng

Daniel Shocket (1972) Memorial Award –

To a student majoring in English with a strong interest in creative writing

Michael Montesano, Erin Schumaker

Aime Simon (1991) Term Abroad Prize –

To students of high academic standing and promise with strong interests in French studies, participating in a term abroad program in a French-speaking country

Andrew Churchill

Edward S.C. Smith Geology Prize –

To a senior, majoring in geology, who demonstrates high professional potential

Brandon Boldt

Freling H. Smith (1865) Prize –

To a senior in the Department of History with the best senior thesis

Henry Sire

Dr. Reuben Sorkin (1933) Award for Proficiency in Premedical Studies –

To a senior demonstrating proficiency in undergraduate studies with an outstanding aptitude for continuing work leading to a degree in medicine

John Lansing

Ralph W. Stearns (1907) Prize –

To the junior selected by the electrical engineering faculty for ability to design and complete a new piece of teaching equipment

Demarcus Hamm, Eric Truslow

Milton Hymes Sternfeld (1916) Prize –

For the best original essay in philosophy by a member of the senior class

Ryan Deck, Michael Hardy

Roger Thayer Stone (1928) Prize –

To the sociology major who produces the best senior thesis

Anne Benfield, Margaret Licht

William W. Thomas Award in French and Francophone Studies –

To a senior who has excelled in and contributed most to French and Francophone studies on the basis of academic, personal and extracurricular achievement

Margaret Licht

James Henry Turnbull (1929) Prize –

To the outstanding student in the sophomore class in physics

Peter Bonventre

Wessel Ten Broeck Van Orden (1839) Prize –

To a first-year student excelling in English composition

Brian Karimi-Pashaki

Horatio G. Warner (1826) Prize –

To a student of high personal character who has the highest scholastic standing in the Bachelor of Arts program

Jacqueline Ostrofsky

Mildred Wilder Prize –

To the senior majoring in political science who has written the best piece of scholarly work pertaining to the subject of women and politics

Patrick Fergusson

Lee and William Wrubel Memorial Prize –

To a senior preparing for dentistry or medicine, based upon both academic achievement and character

Alyssa Goldberg

Eugene I. Yudis (1955) Prize –

To the student in any class who has produced the best piece of prose fiction

Wesley Whitaker

Nina Jordan

 

Service Awards

Wendy Bernstein (1980) Memorial Award –

To a sophomore for superior service to the College

Anthony Perez

Alan Lake Chidsey (1925) Citizenship Award –

To a senior for distinctive contribution to the advancement of responsible government in student affairs

Jillian Bannister

Class of 2001 Prize –

To the junior, selected on the basis of academic, personal and social achievement and on his or her contributions to Union in all of these areas

Ian Clemente, Sheena Gupta

Delphic Honor Society Awards –

To juniors and seniors for exemplary contribution to the Union College community

Senior Class:
Jillian Bannister, Cara Gallivan, Ali Gardezi,
Brandon McArdle, Sean Mulkerne, Niels Olsen,
Selin Whitham 

Junior Class: Nadia Alexis,
David Brown, Juan Canales, Ian Clemente,
Jared Gourrier, Gabriel Harris, Peter Haviland-Eduah,
Cylanna Lightbourn, Richard Rosen

Joel A. Halpern (1961) Prize –

To a student or students who have reached out beyond the campus to make a commitment in service to the community

Amanda Bucci

Frederick B. Hawley, Jr., Memorial Prize –

To a senior fraternity man who has made outstanding contributions in the areas of scholarship and activities

Michael Topka

Roger H. Hull Community Service Award –

Awarded to a senior who has rendered the greatest sustained service to the greater Schenectady community. This award honors a student who has initiated and/or is actively engaged in an ongoing community service project

Huan Chen

Meritorious Service Awards –

To seniors for service in any field, above and beyond the normal requirements of duty

Jillian Bannister, Vincent Chau, Catherine Davis, Ian Dempsey, Shanique Kerr, Ariel Sincoff-Yedid

Outstanding Greek Woman –

To the member of a sorority who has made an outstanding contribution to the sorority system at Union

Rose Foley

President’s Commission on the Status of Women Community Service Award –

To a senior who has contributed significantly to furthering the cause of women at Union College

Meagan Keenan, Victoria Yaroslavskaya

Calvin G. Schmidt (1951) Prize –

To the member of the junior class who has contributed most to the betterment of student life on campus

Gabriel Harris

J. Richard Shanebrook Prize –

To a student of any religious tradition who has contributed the most to the betterment of religious life on campus

Ariel Sincoff-Yedid

Frances Travis Award –

To a student who is working his or her way through college and who has demonstrated unusual responsibility and self-reliance

John Goot

UNITAS Diversity Leadership Award –

To the student who has made a significant contribution toward fostering diversity on campus

Shanique Kerr

College Distinction Awards

Josephine Daggett Prize –

To a senior of the best conduct and character

Thomas Perry

Frank Bailey (1885) Prize –

To the senior who has rendered the greatest service to the College in any field

Vincent Chau

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