Jeffrey Smith, leading non-GMO consumer advocate, will kick off Union’s 2011 Environmental
Science, Policy and Engineering Winter Seminar Series Thursday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Nott Memorial with a talk titled, “The Dirty Secrets Behind the Genetically Modified Foods You’re Eating.”
All four speakers in this year’s series will address the theme, “Inside the Controversy on Genetically Modified Food.”
Smith’s talk will focus on “fired and gagged scientists, rigged research, corrupted regulators and harmful foods, and how to protect yourself and take action.
“You’ve probably heard the spin on GMOs (genetically modified organisms), about being a safe FDA-approved technology that will increase yields, reduce Ag chemicals and feed the world. Don’t believe it,” Smith says.
According to Smith, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine cites so many disorders in animal studies associated with GMOs, “they urge all physicians to prescribe non-GMO diets to everyone.”
Smith’s book, “Seeds of Deception,” is one of the top-selling books on GMOs. His more recent “Genetic Roulette” documents 65 health risks of the genetically modified foods we eat every day. He has spoken in 32 countries. Through his Institute for Responsible Technology, Smith is pioneering a campaign to create a tipping point of consumer rejection – to force GMOs out of the market.
The speaker series continues with the following:
Wednesday, Feb. 2: “Global Rifts over Biotechnology: Science, Politics and Political Science” with Ronald Herring of Cornell University
Wednesday, Feb. 16: “Genetically Engineered Plants and Animals: Answers to Questions They Don’t Want Asked (Science, Regulation, Environmental and Human Health Impacts)” with Michael Hansen of Consumer Union
Tuesday, Feb. 22: “Environmental Considerations in the Use of Transgenic Crops” with Dr. Janice Thies of Cornell University
All talks are at 7 p.m. in the Nott Memorial. They are free and open to the public.
The College’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Series, kicking off Monday, Jan. 17, features a variety of activities, from the “Hajabi Monologues” to a seminar that challenges participants’ powers of observation.
“This year’s holiday observance is connected to the celebration of the 40th anniversary of co-education at Union,” said Director of Multicultural Affairs Karen Ferrer-Muñiz. “We are devoting three events to educational lectures with speakers and workshops. Dr. King’s focus on social justice included women’s rights.”
The schedule:
Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir
Monday, Jan. 17, 8:30-11:30 a.m. / Convention Center, Empire State Plaza, Albany Event: New York State Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Memorial Observance, featuring Union College Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir. This non-denominational ensemble promotes self-expression through the singing of contemporary and traditional religious songs, performing for the College and the local community. Contact: Gretchel Hathaway, hathawag@union.edu
Hijabo Monologues for MLK celebrations
Monday, Jan. 17, 5:30 p.m. / Nott Memorial Event: “Hijabi Monologues: The Women Under the Head Scarves,” a play that examines a simple piece of clothing and the complex reactions to it in the U.S. This powerful storytelling experience is designed to create a space for American Muslim women to share experiences, use their voices and connect with others. Sponsors: Campus Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Africana Studies, Multifaith Council, Muslim Students Association, Black Students Union, Women’s Union, Shakti, UNITAS Contact: Viki Brooks, brooksv@union.edu
Thursday, Jan. 20, 6-7 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center Auditorium Event: “The Art of Perception” with facilitator Amy Herman, a seminar designed to enhance observation and communication skills. Since 2000, this program has educated thousands of individuals from a broad range of fields. Participants analyze works of art and present their observations to their peers, to discern distinctions between perception and inference. Sponsors: Campus Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Africana Studies, Dean of Students Office, Student Activities Office, Residential Life, Women’s and Gender Studies, UNITAS Contact: Krista Anderson, residence director, College Park Hall, andersk2@union.edu More information:http://artfulperception.com/
Friday, Jan. 28, 12:55-1:45 p.m. / Sadock Women’s and Gender Studies Lounge, Reamer Campus Center 301 Event: “Freeing the Secret: Feminism and the Politics of Confession,” Valerie J. Hoffman ’75 2010-11 Lecture Series, featuring Jillian Locke, associate professor and chair, Department of Political Science at Gustavus Adolphus College, and co-editor of “Feminist Interpretations of Alexis de Tocqueville” (Penn State University Press, 2009) Contact: Lori Marso, marsol@union.edu
Government Documents and Reference Librarian Donna Burton contributed her updated section of periodical reviews on “Humor” to Magazines for Libraries 19th edition, published by Proquest Info & Learning, edited by Cheryl LaGuardia, in December. This is a standard reference resource for most libraries. Burton also has published a review of an Internet government documents portal, “GovSpot,” in the January 2011 issue of Government Information Quarterly. In November, she gave a presentation on “Finding Government Documents Online” to area librarians in the Capital District Library Council’s Reference Services Interest Group.
“Emerging Models in End-of-Life Care,” an article by Rudy Nydegger, was published in the January edition of the Register Report of the Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Nydegger is professor of psychology and of management and psychology at Union Graduate College.
“Conducting Empirical Analysis: Public Opinion in Action,” by Zoe Oxley, associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, and Rosalee A. Clawson of Purdue University, was published by CQ Press. The book offers instruction on how to conduct web-based data analysis using UC Berkeley’s Survey Documentation and Analysis to answer questions about party identification or attitude stability, and to measure racial prejudice and political knowledge.
Counseling Center Director Marcus Hotaling was recently featured in "Room for Debate," in which The New York Times invites knowledgeable outside contributors to discuss news events and other timely issues. Hotaling, the mental health chair of the American College Health Association, discussed how to deal with mental disorders on campus in the wake of the shootings in Tuscon, Ariz. To read his piece, click here.
William B. Martin, Jr., professor of chemistry emeritus, died Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. He was 87.
An organic chemist whose interests ranged to environmental protection, international exchange and employment training, he taught at Union from 1953 to 1989.
He was born in Winchendon, Mass., August 31, 1923 and lived in Ashburnham, Mass. He rose to the rank of Eagle Scout and went on to serve in the Navy Air Corps from 1943 to 1945.
He attended Clark University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1948 and a master’s in 1949. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University in 1953.
At his retirement in 1989, colleague Tom Werner remarked that Martin was “hitting the tape running.” Martin had recently published in the leading chemical journal, directed the research of more students than any other department member (co-authoring conference papers with five) and had organized regional meetings of the American Chemical Society.
He served for 20 years as chairman of the student exchange with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He was one of the first two faculty members elected to the College’s Board of Trustees, serving two five-year terms.
He was active in the American Chemical Society and a member for 62 years. He co-developed Project Mercury for the eastern New York section of ACS to train underemployed and high school dropouts for employment as chemical technicians for local businesses.
He wrote or co-wrote for grants from the National Science Foundation for a gas-chromatograph mass spectrometer for the College, a federal grant for Project Mercury, and a National Institutes of Health fellowship for research in photochemistry at MIT.
He published more than two dozen papers in journals including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Helvetica Chimica Acta, Journal of Physical Chemistry and Physiological Zoology.
Among his awards during his 36 years at Union were the Faculty Meritorious Service Award (1984), the Lehninger Award for Encouragement of Free Speech (1966), a fellowship at MIT’s School of Advanced Studies (1951-1961); and membership in Sigma Xi, the scientific research honorary (1953).
He took sabbaticals at MIT in 1959; in Zurich, Switzerland in 1967; and in Basel, Switzerland in 1974, 1981, and 1989. He had a longstanding research collaboration with the eminent Swiss chemist Fabian Gerson. During sabbaticals he translated three volumes of Applications of Heilbronner’s Huckel Molecular Model from German to English.
Retirement brought the Martins to Mascoma Lake in Enfield, N.H. where Bill was active in efforts to reduce the invasion of aquatic Eurasian millefoil, obtaining two grants to assist in the effort.
He was active in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley serving on the board for 15 years. He enjoyed biking, stamp collecting, and canoeing. Family time involved traveling, camping, hiking, games of Upwords, cards and charades. His passion for the environment led him to be politically active, working to educate elected officials and citizens about the environmental effects of their decisions.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Nancy C. Martin; and his children, Timothy G. Martin of Lynn, Mass., Pamela M. Havener of Goffstown, N.H., and Cynthia Hein of Fort Collins, Colo.
A memorial service is set for Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dwinnel Room at Harvest Hill, 121 Mascoma St., Lebanon, N.H. An informal memorial is planned for the summer at Mascoma Lake. Donations may be sent to the Mascoma Lake Association, PO Box 9, Enfield, NH 03748 or by contacting mla@mascomalakeassociation.org.
At his request, his body was donated to Dartmouth Medical School.
Environmentally friendly hand dryers in Reamer Campus Center, freshly-squeezed orange juice and renovations to encourage more bicycle commuting are among the projects selected as winners of annual Presidential Green Grants Monday.
President Stephen C. Ainlay with some of the winners of this year's Presidential Green Grants. The grants support environmentally sustainable projects at Union. (Photo by Matt Milless)
“Sustainability is one of the critical issues of our time,” President Stephen C. Ainlay said in honoring this year’s 16 projects. They will share nearly $20,000 in grants, which support environmentally sustainable projects at Union. “These grants are not only symbolic of our commitment to sustainability, but also our commitment to thinking, connecting and acting.”
Now in its third year, the grants are administered by the College’s U Sustain Committee, made up of about 70 environmentally and socially concerned students, faculty and staff who steward the College’s sustainability initiatives.
To date, nearly $48,000 in grants have been awarded, ranging from $200 to $2,000. Past projects honored include a new paper-free bulletin board in Reamer, the launch of Campus Kitchens and an energy audit of Golub House and Fox Hall.
“President Ainlay and the College have made the firm commitment to make Union’s operations more sustainable and to have a positive impact on the environment,” said Jeffrey Corbin, professor of biology and faculty co-chair of U Sustain. “These projects make specific contributions to our own operation and many large-scale environmental issues, and they do so in a way that fulfills Union’s mission to educate the next generation of leaders.”
The 2010-11 Green Grant winners:
Eli Arnow ’11: The design and analysis of an indoor air biofiltration system
Lauren Brown ’11: Cleaning the air: Photocatalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds with Titania-silica aerogels
Bruce Connolly, librarian: “Why copy that article when you could scan it instead?” – Reducing Union’s carbon footprint one term paper at a time
Jorge Enriquez ’11: “OJ? OK!” – Bringing a sustainable orange juice supply to Union College
Kyle Lanzit ’13: Comparative study of low-flow shower heads in campus residence halls
Jacob LaRocca ’12: Reducing power consumption in the WRUC broadcasting system
Shabana Hoosein ’11: Stickers for U Sustain’s Sustainability Module
Laura MacManus-Spencer, assistant chemistry professor: Showcasing Sustainability at Union College and the community in a dynamic display at the Peter Irving Wold Center
Katharine Manko ’12: Installation of environmentally friendly hand dryers in Reamer Student Center
Victoria McIntyre ’13: Compost and U
Kelly Pearson '11, receives her Presidential Green Grant as President Stephen C. Ainlay and Jeffrey Corbin, professor of biology, look on.
Kelly Pearson ’11: Design and production of a dual-axis solar tracking system for use by the Union College Electric Vehicle Charging Station
Murphy Potter ’11: Harnessing the energy of the wind to power the new electric-powered Campus Vehicle Charging Station
John Rieffel, assistant professor of computer science: Fostering bicycle commuting: Locker room renovations in Science and Engineering
Lilla Safford-Smith ’11: The Auspen Implementation Experiment: Making Union College whiteboards more sustainable
Jodi Schwartz ’11: Using digital recognition and imaging to separate plastics thrown in a trashcan
Courtney Seymour, librarian: Efficient irrigation, enhanced harvest: Sustainability improvements for the Octopus’ Garden Organic Gardening Project, Phase II
Last spring, Union was included among the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review’s first “Guide to Green Colleges.” The free guide, produced in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, includes schools that have “demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.”
