Posted on Apr 30, 2008

Thursday, May 1, 4 p.m. / Visual Arts Building, Burns Atrium Art Gallery / Reception for Steinmetz Symposium Student Art Exhibition

Thursday, May 1, 4:30 p.m. / Schaffer Library, Phi Beta Kappa Room / Philosophy Speaker Series presents Karl Ameriks of the University of Notre Dame on “Kant’s First Historical Thesis”

Friday, May 2 – Sunday, May 4 / Campus / Steinmetz Symposium and Spring Family Weekend

Friday, May 2, 12:20 p.m. / Nott Memorial / Steinmetz Symposium Dance Concert 

Friday, May 2, 8 p.m. / Memorial Chapel / Union College and Community Orchestra and Union College Choir

Friday, May 2 – Monday, May 5, 8 and 10 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center / Film: “Spiderwick Chronicles”

Saturday, May 3, 1 p.m. / Buck Ewing Field, Central Park / Men’s baseball vs. Vassar College

Saturday, May 3, 1 p.m. / Taylor Music Center, Fred L. Emerson Foundation Auditorium / Union College Jazz Ensemble

Saturday, May 3, 1 p.m. / Rugby Pitch / Men’s rugby vs. TBD

Monday, May 5, 4-5:30 p.m. / Hale House, Everest Lounge / “Government, Business and Academic Perspectives,” panel discussion on U.S. businesses interested in expanding to China, keys to success in Chinese markets and the role of Chinese politics in business. Participants include Jonathan Heimer '85, U.S. Department of Commerce; Jerry Shaye, Empire State Development; Sam Sylvetsky, Fortitech, Inc.; Economics Professor  Lewis Davis and Union College; and Political Science Professor Zhang Wu. Sponsored by the Economics Club.

Tuesday, May 6, 6:15 p.m. / Beuth House / Dessert and discussion with Rob Caughlin, environmental advocate and political speechwriter

Tuesday, May 6, 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. / F.W. Olin Center, Room 107 / Presentation on Faculty Center Network (FCN)

Wednesday, May 7, 5 p.m. / Rugby Pitch / Men’s rugby vs. University at Albany

Thursday, May 8, 12:40 p.m. / Science and Engineering Building, Room N304 / Physics and Astronomy Colloquium Series presents Christian Wetzel of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Thursday, May 8, 12:45 p.m. / F.W. Olin Center, Room 115 / Biology Department Seminar Series presents Dacheng Ren of Syracuse University on “Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding and Controlling Biofilm Formation”

Thursday, May 8, 12:45 p.m. / F.W. Olin Center, Room 106 / Chemistry Department Seminar Series presents Eric Dimise of the Department of Chemistry, Boston College, on “Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Biosynthesis of Fuscachelin, a Nonribosomal Peptide Siderophore from Thermobifida fusca”

Friday, May 9 – Monday, May 12, 8 and 10 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center / Film: “Fool’s Gold”

Monday, May 12, 1 p.m. – 1:45p.m. / Social Sciences Building, Room 014 / Russell Winer, the William H. Joyce Professor of Marketing in the Stern School of Business at New York University, on “Integrating Brand Choice Modeling and Behavioral Research”

Monday, May 12, 7 p.m. / Nott Memorial / Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill discusses his book, “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army” as part of the Langer Dinner, Dessert and Discussion Series; book signing at 8:30 p.m.

Posted on Apr 30, 2008

Each spring, Union hundreds of students showcase their intellectual insights, creativity and scholarly accomplishments at the Steinmetz Symposium. The campus-wide event, a highlight of the Union experience, takes place Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, with a full spectrum of presentations, performances, exhibits and more.

Most sessions will be held Friday, with classes cancelled to allow the entire campus community to attend.

Students are delving into topics as vast and fascinating as Mayan mathematics (Valencia Starr ’08), media portrayals of autism (Kimberly Tureck ’10) and the “truth” about fair trade coffee (John Traver ’08).

They have analyzed how the personalities of Supreme Court Justices O’Connor and Frankfurter affect their decisions on the bench (Jessica Goldberg ’08) and how carbon emissions affect Schenectady (Sarah Conner ’10).  

Mechanical Engineering major Andrew Salemo ’08 will present his design of a hockey puck for the visually impaired, while another ME major, Guo Hong Ho ’08, will unveil his solar-powered thermoelectric ice maker in a session devoted to renewable energy.

In their sociological analyses of “Media, Muslims and Medicine,” students have researched traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine (Mary Abraham ’08), how South Asians are depicted in Western television and film (Geraldine Emmanuel ’08) and the psychosocial impact of 9/11 on young American Muslims (Naazia Husain’08).

Alex Handin ’10, a Physics and History major, will present “Southern Louisiana Hurricane Recovery,” a photojournalistic account of his community service mini-term in New Orleans. He shares “individual stories of survival and reconstruction often lost in the media frenzy surrounding the storms.”

Music major Richard Moccia ’08 will give an ethnographic overview of ska music and the current third wave ska scene in the United States, and Biology major Jesse ’08 will explain the photosynthetic rate of mosses.  

On a peripatetic note, some 70 students will take part in the Steinmetz dance concert at the Nott Memorial Friday, 12:20-1:30 p.m.

Student art in all media are on view in the Burns Arts Atrium Gallery in the Visual Arts Building.

The Union College Choir and the Union College and Community Orchestra concert, with Victor Klimash conducting, is set for Friday, 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

The College’s annual Prize Day ceremonies will be held Saturday, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. Students are honored for achievements that reflect their superior academics, research, service, governance, athletics and character.

Also on Saturday, the Union College Jazz Ensemble will perform 1–2 p.m. in Emerson Auditorium in the Taylor Music Center in a concert featuring jazz and popular styles, from the Dixieland classic “Basin Street Blues” to Santana’s “Black Magic Woman.”

Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), chief consulting engineer for the General Electric Company, was widely regarded as America’s leading electrical engineer. He taught Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics at Union from 1902 until his death.

For more information and the full symposium program, visit: http://www.union.edu/steinmetz/.

Posted on Apr 29, 2008

The Union College Chemistry Club was recognized as a Commendable Student Affiliates Chapter (the second highest honor) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) at the society’s national meeting. This marks the 14^th straight year the club has received an ACS award.

Laura Castellano ’09, president, accepted the award on behalf of the club’s officers.

Eight Chemistry and Biochemistry students and two Chemistry Department faculty members attended the meeting in New Orleans; they gave eight research presentations.

Travel funding for the students came from grants from Union’s Internal Education Fund, the American Chemical Society’s Women Chemists Committee (WCC), the National Science Foundation and departmental support.

Emily Green ’08 (Chemistry/Mechanical Engineering), who received a competitive travel award from the WCC, was recognized at a luncheon. She presented her poster, “Characterization of Hydrophobic Silica Aerogels Prepared Via a Rapid Supercritical Extraction Method,” in the Division of Inorganic Chemistry’s Synthesis and Characterization of Materials Poster Session. Co-authors were Jason Melville ’07 (ME), Michael Bono’09 (ME), Prof. Ann Anderson (ME) and Prof. Mary Carroll (Chemistry).

Prof. Laura MacManus-Spencer gave an oral presentation, “Investigation of the Binding of Perfluorocarboxylates to a Model Serum Protein: A comparison of Analytical methods.” Co-author was Monica Tse ’08 (Chemistry).

Justin Blau ’08 (Chemistry/Arts) presented a poster on his thesis research titled, “Paint Media Analysis by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy and Infrared Spectroscopy.” Co-author was Prof. Seyffie Maleki (Physics and Astronomy).

Sadie Gorman ’08 (Biochemistry) presented a poster on her thesis research, “Bioaccumulation of Ultraviolet Filter Chemicals in Lumbriculus Variegatus.” Co-author was Prof. MacManus-Spencer.

Tse presented a poster on her thesis research titled, “Photochemical degradation of UV Filter Chemicals in Surface Waters.” Co-author was Prof. MacManus-Spencer.

William Hoek ’08 (Chemistry) and David Karlin ’08 (Chemistry) co-presented a poster titled, “Laponite Nanohybrid Films for Solar Cell Applications” in the Division of Inorganic Chemistry’s Inorganic Materials in Nanoscience – Synthesis Poster Session. Co-authors were Profs. Joanne Kehlbeck (Chemistry) and Michael Hagerman (Chemistry).

Shazia Baig ’09 (Chemistry) presented a poster on “Preparation and Spectroscopic Characterization of Silica Aerogels Doped with Metal Porphyrin Complexes.” Co-authors were Caleb Wattley ’08 (ME) and Profs. Anderson and Carroll.

Castellano (Chemistry) presented “Union College Chemistry Club: Forming Bonds with the Local Community” in the Division of Chemical Education’s Successful Student Affiliates Chapters Poster Session. Co-authors were Christopher Backlund ’09, Daniel Bailey ’09, Amanda Barrow ’08, Alexander Carrese ’08, Olga Davydenko ’08, Gorman, Green, Fariha Ramay ’09, Tse, and Profs. Carroll and Laura MacManus-Spencer.

Posted on Apr 29, 2008

The closing concert of the 2007-08 Union College Chamber Concert Series last Sunday began on a special note: the College presented Daniel Berkenblit, series director, with the Founders Medal for his efforts in bringing “an extraordinary cultural institution” to the region.

Thanking him for his “boundless passion, sincere generosity and keen attention to detail,” President Stephen C. Ainlay praised Berkenblit for making Memorial Chapel a regular stop for the world’s most renowned performers and enriching audiences for nearly four decades.

Over the last 36 years, Berkenblit has organized some 470 concerts as part of the Union College Chamber Music Series.

Ainlay presented the medal for Berkenblit to wear on a ribbon around his neck. Joining the two men on stage were members of the Emerson String Quartet, longtime Union friends, who performed an all-Brahms program later that afternoon.

“Throughout it all, you have modestly stayed in the wings while audiences cheer the artists,” Ainlay told Berkenblit. “Today, it is our turn to acknowledge you, the artist, for bringing this wonderful music into our lives.”

Berkenblit received a standing ovation from the sold-out audience and an impromptu round of “Happy Birthday.” He celebrated his 78th birthday the next day.

In addition to the Emerson String Quartet, Berkenblit he has brought to Memorial Chapel such renowned artists as Musicians from Marlboro, Boston Camerata, Emmanuel Ax, Lang Lang, James Galway and Wu Han.

A native of Brooklyn, he holds a medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. He served a residency in pathology at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital before working at several other hospitals and laboratories. He spent most of his career at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy, from 1967 until his retirement in 2001.

His early musical training was on the piano, and he would go on to play the oboe in high school and in college. He became serious about chamber music – and perhaps about promoting it – during the summers of 1953 and 1954, when he traveled to Marlboro Music Festival from his summer job as a bus boy at the nearby Lake Spofford Hotel.

He and his wife, Phillipine, live in Schenectady and Stratton, Vt.

The Founders Medal was created in 1968 to honor a person who embodies the vision of the College’s founders and who has made a distinctive contribution to the welfare of the College.

Posted on Apr 27, 2008

The closing concert of the 2007-08 Union College Chamber Concert Series began on a special note, with the College presenting Daniel Berkenblit, series director, with the Founders Medal.

“For nearly four decades you have brought to Union College and the region an extraordinary cultural institution,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay in a citation he read to open an All-Brahms program by the Emerson String Quartet, which joined Dr. Berkenblit and the president on stage for the presentation.

“Thanks to your boundless passion, sincere generosity and keen attention to detail, the Union College Chamber Music Series has developed a loyal following and made Memorial Chapel a regular stop for the world’s most renowned performers including, of course, our longtime friends, the Emerson String Quartet,” Ainlay said.

“Throughout it all, you have modestly stayed in the wings while audiences cheer the artists. Today, it is our turn to acknowledge you, the artist, for bringing this wonderful music into our lives.”

Dr. Berkenblit received a standing ovation from the sold-out audience and, after the presentation, an impromptu round of “Happy Birthday.” He was to celebrate his 78th birthday on Monday, April 28, 2008.

For the last 36 years, Dr. Berkenblit has been responsible for producing the acclaimed Union College Chamber Music series, first as talent chair, and since 1979 as series director. He has brought to Memorial Chapel many of the world’s most renowned ensembles and soloists including the Emerson String Quartet; Musicians from Marlboro; Boston Camerata; Emmanuel Ax; Lang Lang; James Galway; Wu Han, Pamela Frank and Yeesun Kim; the Guarneri String Quartet and Solista Di Zagreb.

Since joining the series, Dr. Berkenblit has been responsible for producing about 470 concerts.

A native of Brooklyn, Dr. Berkenblit graduated from James Madison High School, earned a bachelor’s degree from City College of New York, and a medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. He served a residency in pathology at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital before serving at several other hospitals and laboratories. He spent most of his career at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy, from 1967 until his retirement in 2001.

His early musical training was on the piano, and he would go on to play the oboe in high school and in college. He became serious about chamber music – and perhaps about promoting it – during the summers of 1953 and 1954, when he traveled to Marlboro Music Festival from his summer job as a bus boy at the Lake Spofford Hotel about 20 miles away. It was at Marlboro that he heard musicians such as Rudolf Serkin, Blanche and Marcel Moyse and a number of others who were about to launch legendary careers. Though he continued his pursuit of a medical career, he had cultivated a passion for the music that he would later bring to the Union College Concert Series.

He and his wife, Phillipine, live in Schenectady and Stratton, Vt.

The Founders Medal was established in 1968 by Union’s Board of Trustees to honor a person who has made a distinctive contribution to the welfare of the College.

Posted on Apr 25, 2008

Area middle and high school students face off Saturday, April 26, in the eighth annual Rube Goldberg Engineering Competition from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial Fieldhouse.

The event is free and open to the public.

Nearly 150 students, comprising 25 teams, will tackle this year’s engineering challenge to invent a machine no larger than 5 feet in length, width and depth that can draw a smiley face.

“The competition encourages students to apply physics theory to a real world problem using basic building skills,” said Jim Hedrick, lecturer for Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Rube Goldberg competition. Lance Spallholz, lab manager and instructor for Computer Science and Linda Almstead, senior lecturer for Computer Science, assist Hedrick with the competition.

The national competition is named for the late Rube Goldberg, an engineer and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist. His cartoons appeared in thousands of daily newspapers from 1914 to 1964 depicting “inventions” which epitomized “man’s capacity for exerting maximum effort to accomplish minimal results.”

In keeping with that theme, the competition involves making simple, ordinary tasks unnecessarily complex, cumbersome and convoluted by taking a two or three-step task and creating a machine to accomplish it in least 20 steps.

“This year’s challenge is actually quite hard,” Hedrick explained. “Transforming translational energy to circular energy is not easy because at least the face part must be drawn, not stamped. It will be interesting to see what solutions the students come up with.”

A team from Schenectady High School won last year’s competition, creating a machine that could open an umbrella. Past challenges have included sharpening a pencil, toasting a slice of bread, screwing a light bulb into a socket, putting toothpaste on a toothbrush and making a bologna sandwich.

The competition is sponsored by GE Volunteers, Lockheed Martin, KAPL Nova, the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium and the Union College Admissions Office and Engineering program.

The winning machine will be displayed at the Schenectady museum, along with a film of the competition.

For more information, visit http://engineering.union.edu/me_dept/rube/