Posted on Jan 12, 2011

A new exhibit in the Mandeville Gallery, “Of Weeds and Wildness: Nature in Black & White,” opening today, Jan. 13, features 17 contemporary artists working in black and white to explore the natural world.

Their art encompasses a range of styles, approaches and mediums, including photographs, prints, drawings and digital works.

“The show reveals the richly expressive qualities of black and white and the unlimited power of this limited palette to evoke and express complex and multi-layered ideas about the human relationship with nature,” said Mandeville Gallery Director Rachel Seligman, who curated the show with Sally Apfelbaum, a photographer and educator from Bennington, Vt.

“Through their work, these artists have approached the natural world in nuanced, intriguing and sometimes disquieting ways.”

Among the artists is Desirée Alvarez, whose installation piece evoking a “nomadic” landscape explores the human relationship to the disappearing wilderness.

Harold Edgerton is a major figure in the development and application of stop motion photography. He spent time as an electrical engineer at General Electric in Schenectady before moving to Cambridge, Mass., to attend MIT, where he later taught and conducted research.

Hedya Klein’s quirky etchings and digital animation of biomorphic, organic forms are filled with exuberant energy and playfulness.

And Union’s own Charles Steckler, professor of theater, is a consummate draftsman whose extraordinary “doodles” evoke biological micro-landscapes.

Other featured artists include: Robert Adams, the late Union artist-in-residence Arnold Bittleman, Lee Bontecou, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Gober, William Kentridge, Danny Lyon, Abelardo Morell, Margaret Moulton, Michelle Segre, James Siena, Kiki Smith and Kate Temple.

Seligman and Apfelbaum will host an informal lunchtime curators’ tour at the Nott on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Visitors can drop by any time between noon and 2 p.m.

In addition, Alvarez, Klein, Steckler and Temple will take part in an exhibition reception and gallery talk on Thursday, Feb. 10, 5-7 p.m.

The show runs through March 13.  

Posted on Jan 12, 2011

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.

Posted on Jan 12, 2011

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:

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

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

Posted on Jan 12, 2011

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.

Posted on Jan 10, 2011

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.