Posted on Jun 4, 2009

Posted on Jun 4, 2009

Through June 13
Mandeville Gallery
Nott Memorial
2009 Senior Invitational

Small group show of work by graduating artists Justin Blau, Michael Bono, Ian Brennan, Katherine Cissel, Megan Chiriani, Kelly Craparotta, Catherine Davis, Eleanor Hazlett, Tobias Leeger, Alexandra Lindsay, Brandon McArdle, Sarah Mueller, Emmaline Payette, Sarah Scott and Megan Sesil; closing reception and awards set for Saturday, June 13

Through June 14
Burns Arts Atrium
Visual Arts Building
Senior Shows

Through June 7: Alexandra Lindsey, Patrick Wilson
June 8-14: Megan Sesil, Katherine Cissel

Through July 17
Schaffer Library
LOOK!: Seeing the Stories in Schaffer Library’s Graphic Novels Collection

This new exhibit series is an investigation into the distinctive ways in which graphic novelists/artists construct a narrative. The first installment focuses on the use of color as a storytelling device and showcases sample images from graphic novels in Schaffer Library’s collections. 

Through September 2009
Schaffer Library Atrium
Union Notables

A rotating show of extraordinary people from the College; features U.S. President Chester Alan Arthur, Class of 1848; hospice leader and advocate Philip DiSorbo, Class of 1971; and Robert Holland Jr., Class of 1962, who has made valuable contributions to sustainability in businesses.

Grant Hall
Global Visions Gallery
"Down at Albion; Images of England"

This new exhibit features the work of Union student James  Morton '10, who studied abroad and photographed widely in York, England last year. Morton's photographs display a grasp of light and composition and capture England in saturated colors.  

Posted on Jun 3, 2009

President Stephen C. Ainlay recently received the Sphinx award from the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for his contributions to the Union community. He received the award at the 19th Annual Black and Gold Ball in College Park Hall. The award was presented by Muhammad Djata ’09, president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
 

Brad Bruno, associate professor of mechanical engineering, received the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. This national award is based on contributions to teaching and curriculum development, research, leadership in student activities and participation in engineering society activities. He received the award in a ceremony at the SAE World Congress in Detroit, which included a VIP tour of the Ford R&D center and an opportunity to drive a fuel cell vehicle. Bruno is an advisor to the College’s Baja team, which recently competed in the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Baja Competition at Oregon State University (see story, this issue).
 

An article by Rebecca Surman, associate professor of Physics, was recently published in the April issue of the journal Physical Review C. The article, “Neutron capture rates near A=130 that effect a global change to the r-process abundance distribution,” was co-authored with J. Beun and G.C. McLaughlin of North Carolina State University and W.R. Hix of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Surman gave invited seminars on her work at TRIUMF National Laboratory in Vancouver and at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. This week, she also presented an invited talk on her work at the national nuclear structure conference, “Collective Motions in Nuclei under Extreme Conditions (COMEX 3),” in Mackinac Island, Mich.
 

An article about Chris Duncan, sculptor and professor of visual arts, appeared in the Sunday Gazette: Q & A: Chris Duncan says materials reveal the ultimate sculpture
 

David Brown ’10 was awarded a competitive NASA-funded summer internship position at the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration facility in Owego, N.Y. from a pool of applicants from New York Space Grant schools. The internship is associated with Project Blue Horizon, a Lockheed Martin/Cornell University near-space flight program that carries high technology payloads to the edge of space at altitudes of 60,000-100,000 feet+. Under the leadership of Lockheed Martin engineers, Brown will contribute to mission planning and payload definition for future Project Blue Horizon flights that will occur in the spring of 2010-2011.
 

The Kenney Community Center has elected its first Electoral Board of the inaugural Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter at Union. The board includes: President Cybil Tribie ’11, Vice Presidents Reshad Muhmad ’11 and Jordana Kozupsky ’12; Secretary Nathalie Marte ’12; Public Relations/Communications chair Ellen Blanchard ’12 and Treasurer Erin Osgood ’12. Chapter members are Alecia Pickett ’11, Andrea Meyers ’11, Catherine Kennedy ’12 Sarah Gagnon ’12 and Katherine Hughes ’12. Kenney Community Outreach Specialist Santos Avila ’08 is the group’s advisor.
 

Awards for the 2009 Senior Invitational Exhibition have been announced. The Union College Permanent Collection Purchase Prize went to Ian Brennan for “Eyes.” The Judith Gardner Ainlay Prize was awarded to Michael Bono for “Jon with the Wrench in the Billiard Room.” Curator’s Choice Awards went to Eleanor Hazlett for “The Forks” and Tobias Leeger for “Morning Sport by the Ganges River, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.” Two students, Megan Sisel (“The Tulip”) and Alexandra Lindsay (“Brak, Zama, and Morta”) received Honorable Mentions.           

Posted on Jun 3, 2009

Baja building and battling aren’t for the weak-willed. It takes serious dedication – and a willingness to give up multiple Saturday nights – to do what Union’s Baja Team did this year.

In a field of 98 teams, the College placed 15th in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Western Regional Baja Competition last month. This improves on a 17^th place finish last year and a 21^st place finish two years ago.

“Time-wise, Baja is a huge part of any team member’s college career,” said the team’s captain, Matt Beenen ’09. “In the weeks leading up to competition, particularly my sophomore year, we spent 40 to 60 hours a week in the machine shop.”

Baja isn’t part of a class, Beenen explained. “It’s built on free time. On a Friday or Saturday night when most other students are socializing, playing video games or sleeping, we’ll be in the shop.”

The yearly SAE competition asks schools from across the country to design and build a small single seat off-road vehicle and compete for awards in a variety of categories. The Union team consists of some 15 mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, biology and other students.

Joining Beenen at Oregon State University for the recent contest were seniors Jon Wilson and Ned Lincoln; juniors Joe Polcari, Forrest Clifton, Ryan Skeuse, Aaron Levine and Collin Doyle; sophomores Nick Oren, Emmet O’Connell and Elias Samia; and freshman Michael Holm.

“Our performance improved this year because we were working on our third iteration of a vehicle that had already raced in two previous contests,” Beenen said. “We were able to strengthen its weaknesses and make sure it wouldn’t break down.”

“Having Professor Brad Bruno as our adviser also helped tremendously over the past two years,” said Wilson. “This year, he and John Skumurski (director of budgeting) made it possible for us to get the right insurance and actually test the car before competition.”

Wilson and Beenen also credit their sponsors with making their success possible.

Robert Wilson, Jon’s father, of Pheasant Hill Society, and Jim Taylor '66 of Taylor Made “have enabled the team to overcome many of the financial struggles we’ve faced,” Beenen said. “We can now compete confidently, knowing it’s our engineering ability and not our funding that sets us apart from the competition.”

“The 15^th place finish is really quite strong, especially given the small size of our program in comparison with other schools,” said Bruno, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

“Our students compete through brains, hard work and dedication. Union really fights above its weight class.”

For more information on Union’s Baja Team, visit http://www.vu.union.edu/~baja/

Posted on Jun 3, 2009

Success in cycling depends on the cooperation of others – usually teammates – to “pull through” and share the work.

So, it’s a remarkable thing when a solo rider can establish himself on a national level.

Steven Hopengarten ’09 did just that this spring when he qualified for the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships in Fort Collins, Colo. Hopengarten, a mechanical engineering major who hails from Lincoln, Mass., was the first Union cyclist to compete in the national road championship.

With most of Union’s cyclists competing in the fall mountain bike races, Hopengarten was the lone Union qualifier, securing his spot at nationals by finishing 19th at the Dartmouth Road Race in April 19. Forrest Clifton ’10 qualified for the national mountain bike championships last fall but was unable to compete at the national event.

At nationals, Hopengarten finished 73rd in the short course 75-minute criterium (a series of laps around a closed course). He dropped out of the 71-mile road race at mile 40 after an exhausting early solo break attempt.

The president of the Union College Cycling Club was cited for his off-the-bike skills, too. In May, he received the Most Valuable Volunteer Award from the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference at its annual banquet in State College, Pa., in recognition of his work on social media, race promotion, Web offerings and organization.

At the national championships in Fort Collins, he was an invited panelist for the ECCC leadership conference, speaking on the blogosphere he created to promote the ECCC.

“I can honestly say that I never expected to be competing at the national championships just three years after starting road racing and the Union Cycling Club,” he said. “I owe a lot to my friends and family for their support of my racing, and to Union’s Student Forum and Office of Student Activities for their support of Union College Cycling.”

Posted on Jun 2, 2009

Union’s landscape specialist and horticulturalist, Constance Schmitz, has received the newly minted UNITAS Community Building Award in recognition of her involvement with Octopus’s Garden.

“Connie has been a driving force behind the growth of the new garden. Her dedication to this project helps build a better community,” said Jim Underwood, a member of UNITAS and the retired Chauncey Winters Research Professor of Political Science. “It’s students, staff and faculty working together to produce good food that serves Café Ozone and the entire campus.”

Building healthier communities is one of UNITAS’s two primary objectives, the other being strong support of diversity. Each year, the group gives its Diversity Leadership Award.

The new prize, which will be officially presented to Schmitz at opening convocation in September, will also be awarded yearly to a deserving faculty member, staff member or student.

“I am honored,” Schmitz said. “I’m fortunate to have a wonderful group behind me. With many hands, the chores become lighter.”