Posted on May 28, 2010

Helen Hanson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, has co-authored a book chapter with Kenneth Stevens of MIT. “Articulatory-acoustic relations as the basis of distinctive contrasts” was published in March in the Handbook of Phonetic Sciences (Wiley-Blackwell).

Anastasia Pease, visiting assistant professor of English, will present a paper at the Interdisciplinary Conference of the Association of History, Literature, Science and Technology at the National University of Madrid in June. Her paper is titled “Fact, Fiction and Science Fiction: Science in the Undergraduate General Education Classroom in the U.S.”

Three Union staff members will attend the conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators in Kansas City next week. They are: Lara Atkins, director of International Programs, Shelly Shinebarger, director of Student Support Services, and Michelle Pawlowski, coordinator of Support Services and Campus Life. The professional organization’s annual gathering attracts thousands of professionals from around the world. This year’s theme will explore “The Changing Landscape of Global Higher Education.” Participants will share their views on the globalization of higher education, establish good practices for mainstreaming international education on campuses worldwide and glean new strategies for heightening the impact of international education.

A group of Union students, brought together by Stacey Burns ’12 and Madison Lipton ’12, recently teamed up to give a “healing space” to a local teenager who is battling a brain tumor. The students raised $3,500 to help give the teen’s bedroom a makeover through a New Jersey-based program called "Healing Spaces," which aims to bring joy to children with cancer and other serious illnesses by creating a unique healing environment in their homes. To read about the student volunteers’ efforts and to view a video clip from WTEN, the ABC affiliate in Albany, click here. To see the YNN (formerly Ch. 9) clip, click here.  In addition to Burns and Lipton, the members of Healing Spaces are: Rachel Biegelman ’12, Rachel Cohen ’10, Shelby Cutter ’11, Emily Feldman ’10, Dana Katz ’10, Kayla Lawrence ’13, Rachel Lazarus ’11, Kelly Maday ’11, Jordan Remillard ’11, Melinda Rothman ’12 and Melanie Watman ‘12.

Posted on May 27, 2010

There’ll be a Calendar Q & A for the entire campus Friday from 1-2 in the F.W. Olin Building, Room 306.

The calendar can accommodate all events as well as training sessions, deadlines, conferences and is already getting heavy traffic. Learn how to effectively promote content through the calendar’s “Event Request” form and demonstrate how to use the calendar to stay informed about events/dates at Union. For more, click here.

Posted on May 27, 2010

More than 2,000 visitors are expected on campus for ReUnion this weekend. Together, they’ll enjoy traditional favorites like the Alumni Parade, fireworks show and Gala Dinner.

There’ll also be presentations from notable alumni in a variety of fields and on Saturday, the official dedication of Messa House (from Blue House).

"The weather is beautiful, attendance is on track  and we know we are well on our way to success as we roll out the red carpet for our oldest alumni of 1935, to our newest of 2009," says Tammy  Messercola, director of Alumni Relations. "We begin the Memorial Day weekend with a ceremony remembering our veterans, and special recognition to our Union College V-5/V-12, who are celebrating 67 years since they were here as part of that unit on the Union grounds."

For a complete ReUnion 2010 schedule, click here.

And don’t forget that the Department of Theatre and Dance presents Brian Friel’s “Dancing at Lughnasa” this evening through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 30 at 2 p.m.  In this dramatic memory play, loosely based on Friel’s family, protagonist Michael Evans looks back on his childhood in Donegal, Ireland in August 1936, when he was seven and being raised by his mother and her sisters. Tickets are available at the Box Office in Yulman Theater. Call 388-6545 for more information or to reserve tickets.

Posted on May 27, 2010

Student art in a number of forms are now on view at the Burns Arts Atrium Gallery through the end of the school year.  

This week (through May 31) features drawings by seniors Bianca Germain, the 2010 Bittleman Prize recipient, photography by James Morton and sculpture/installation by Allison Cuozzo.

Coming up: sculpture by Emily Burgess, digital sculpture by David Sayles and painting by Nancy Wilks (May 31- June 7); and photography by Stella Kyung, painting by Annabelle Murphy and printmaking by Beth Culp (June 7-June 13).

Posted on May 27, 2010

Associate Professor Frank Wicks has been named the winner of the 2010 Meritorious Service Award by the Capital District chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers.

Wicks was selected “as an engineer who has made an outstanding contribution to the goals of the Society of Professional Engineers…through your programs at Union College.”

Wicks, who joined the Mechanical Engineering Department in 1988, has served for many years as director and an instructor in the Professional Engineering Refresher Program at the College, helping prepare hundreds of engineers for license exams. He has also been an active participant in Engineer's Week programs that help advance the profession via seminars, exhibits and high school student competitions.

He will receive his honor at an awards ceremony June 2 at the Cannon Club in the Watervliet Arsenal.

Wicks received his bachelor's degree in marine engineering from New York Maritime College and his master's in electrical engineering from Union. He also holds a doctorate in nuclear engineering from RPI.

Wicks has published dozens of technical papers on such topics as electric machinery and systems, machine tools, telescopes and rockets. He has developed and patented more fuel efficient systems for power, heating and air conditioning, and he received the ASME Energy Resources and Technology Innovation Award for the invention of residential size electricity-producing condensing furnace.