Posted on Mar 15, 2002

Hilary Tann, professor of music, is to be a featured
composer on Saturday in the “Freedom Concert” by the
Plymouth (Mich.) Symphony Orchestra at Our Lady of Good
Counsel Church in Plymouth. The program is to open with
her concert overture, The Open Field, written in memoriam of
the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989. It is to be followed
by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The concert is a memorial tribute
to PSO founder Carl Groschke, who died last year.

Posted on Mar 15, 2002

Cherrice Traver, professor
of electrical and computer engineering, presented a paper,
“Generalized Early Evaluation in Self-timed Circuits,” at a
recent conference titled Design, Automation and Test in Europe.
The paper, coauthored by colleagues at Mississippi State University,
is part of an ongoing research project on phased logic
circuit design sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Posted on Mar 12, 2002

Calling the initiative “back to the future,” John Kelly, senior vice president and group executive of the IBM Technology Group, embraced the College's new multidisciplinary Converging Technologies program by
announcing on Friday a $1 million gift from IBM that will give students and
faculty access to the latest technology.

“The launch of Converging Technologies is another example of the very positive steps forward the College is taking,” he said.

“Perhaps more than anything, we hope that what will come out of this grant are future leaders who will come out of this College – multidisciplinary leaders – who will contribute to this country and to companies like IBM.”

“I think that Converging Technologies is something 'back to the future' for Union,” he said. “This is a very unique institution. From it's founding in 1795, it has been a truly unique blend of liberal arts, sciences and engineering.”

“It is our hope that the donation we're making today will serve as a tremendous support mechanism and fuel the fire of this new Converging Technologies initiative.”

Posted on Mar 12, 2002

The renovation of the bleachers and press box on Frank Bailey Field began on March 12, 2002, with the demolition of the existing structure, which had been on the field since 1984. In fact, the bleacher portion of the structure had been on the field since before the fall of 1980.

Posted on Mar 8, 2002

Namesake

The last issue of the Union College alumni
magazine opens with an exciting bit of news: “Officials at
Union College formally broke ground for the Edward H.
Black Technology Center …”

Much as we might like another technology
center, though, it's not ours.

Turns out, the magazine isn't ours either.

Rather, it is published by Union College of
Barbourville, Ky., one of a handful of colleges around the
country that share our name.

At first glance, the piece looks every bit like one
of ours; the masthead appears to be a shade of garnet and
the type face is similar.

And one headline might seem oddly familiar:
“Bonner Scholars Serve in New York, New Jersey.” (Recent
arrivals should consult their more seasoned colleagues
about this reference.)

Beyond the call

Few would argue that Prof. Tom Werner is committed in his service to the College.

But even the chair of the Faculty Executive Committee has his limits.

After re-scheduling a faculty meeting, he sent the following e-mail to his colleagues:

“It turns out that the original time in my earlier message coincides with my wife's scheduled seminar to the chemistry department, which I talked her into presenting. I'm willing to sacrifice for the College, but ending a perfectly good marriage is beyond the call.”

Posted on Mar 8, 2002

The College on Friday is to receive support from IBM aimed
at helping undergraduate students gain access to
cutting-edge technology.

The support – available for a wide array of academic disciplines – is to be announced Friday at IBM @Union Day by President
Roger Hull, who called the support “a sign of recognition for Union's
unique liberal arts and engineering tradition reflecting an
interdisciplinary approach to education.”

Hull said the IBM educational support package is unique for
two reasons. “While many such programs are aimed at
graduate students, this one is aimed at our undergraduate community.
It builds on our groundbreaking Converging Technologies
program, and makes it possible for a larger number of undergraduates to
gain classroom and laboratory experiences that expose them
to, and teache them about, the impact of technology across
multiple disciplines.”

Intersection of Disciplines

“Knowledge is increasingly occurring at the intersection
of disciplines,” Hull said. “Whether you are an undergraduate
student in biology, chemistry, engineering, economics, physics, philosophy
or psychology, you need to understand both the
interrelationship between disciplines and the importance of technology
in furthering knowledge.”

Dr. John E. Kelly III, senior vice president and group executive
of IBM Technology Group, said the support is part of IBM's
ongoing desire to enhance a strong technical presence at select leading
colleges and universities. “This is an investment in the future of the College, the Capital District
and New York State,” he said.

Kelly said the partnership with Union will further promote
the sharing of technical knowledge and the formation of joint
programs between RPI in Troy and the University at Albany.

Smaller and Faster

Nanotechnology – technology at the molecular level- is
a fast-growing field focused on creating chips, and systems that
go with them that are much smaller and faster. IBM is a leader in
this field, having, for instance, built the world's first array of transistors
out of carbon nanotubes – miniscule cylinders as small as 10
atoms across, 500 times smaller than today's silicon-based transistors

The supercomputer at University at Albany is an IBM
RS/6000, a system extensively used by university researchers as
they confront the daunting science and technology challenges
associated with the development of new generations of computer chips.
The targeted portfolio of computer devices ranges from the
more “traditional” microprocessor and memory type computer chips
to the emerging areas of biochips, micro- and nano-systems
and ultra-high frequency communication devices and
associated equipment.

IBM has deep roots in NYS. It is headquartered in Armonk, NY,
in lower Westchester County with several factories in the state
(East Fishkill, Endicott, Poughkeepsie). The company also has a large
sales office in Albany. Last year, revenue from sales and services
totaled approximately $85 billion worldwide. The Technology
Group, which Kelly oversees, represents about $10 billion of this total
and includes the microelectronics and storage technology divisions.

Union's Converging Technologies curriculum integrates topics
in bioengineering, nanotechnology, mechatronics and
pervasive computing into the undergraduate engineering and liberal
arts programs. Various engineering and liberal arts courses from
the freshman through the senior years touch on elements of these
new emerging technologies, providing enhanced exposure to the
digital computer, industrial internships, and internationalism
throughout Union's curricula.