Posted on Apr 20, 2010

Pianist Jeremy Denk will close out the 38th Chamber Concert Series when he returns Saturday, April 24 at 8 p.m. for his second Memorial Chapel recital.

A versatile pianist whose repertoire ranges from the standard works of the 18th and 19th centuries to more modern 20th century pieces, Denk will present Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach and Sonata No. 1 by Charles Ives.

Denk has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Houston Symphony and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He received the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1998, a year after he made his first appearance at Alice Tully Hall as the winner of the Julliard Piano Debut Award.

An avid chamber musician, Denk has an extensive discography that includes the Tobias Picker Second Piano Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic; works of Schubert, Bartok and Strauss with violinist Soovin Kim; and the Kirchner Duo with violinist Ida Levin.

Denk earned a double degree in chemistry and piano performance from Oberlin College and Conservatory, a master’s degree in music from Indiana University and a doctorate in piano performance from The Julliard School. He is a member of the faculty at the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

The concert is free to members of the Union community. General admission tickets are $20, and area students may attend for $8. For more information, call 388-6080.

Posted on Apr 19, 2010

Erin Delman, a sophomore who grew up in an environmentally conscious family in Los Angeles, has been named a 2010 Udall Scholar.

The prestigious national award recognizes student leadership in environmental, health care or tribal public policy issues. Each scholarship provides up to $5,000 for the scholar’s junior or senior year.

“We are coming to a point where it’s no longer a question of if we should be environmental but when,” said Delman, a geology and environmental science major.

In addition to her family, Delman was inspired by two educators at Palos Verdes Peninsula High, her rock-climbing teacher and an environmental science teacher. “They taught me to love the environment and respect nature,” she said.

Arriving in Schenectady, she quickly made her presence and passion for environmental issues felt throughout campus – as co-president of the Environmental Club, a member of U-Sustain and member of the Student Forum, where she serves on the sustainability committee.

She helped organize the College’s award-winning cardboard recycling program, and she is also active with Union’s chapter of Campus Kitchens, a nationwide program aimed at using leftover dining hall food to make nutritious meals for local residents.

“Union is a spectacular campus for change, and it has a great atmosphere to foster stewardship. I hope the College will continue its efforts to attract and produce students who will be able to change the world for the better.”

Off campus, Delman works at the non-profit Ecological Clearinghouse of Schenectady. She is interested in pursuing a joint Ph.D. and law degree in geology and environmental law and is considering a career in environmental policy, particularly involving water rights. This summer, she’ll work at the International Bird and Rescue Center in California.

“Union will undoubtedly provide the skills I need to make an impact on this planet,” Delman said.

Delman is among 80 students from 63 colleges and universities nationwide recognized by the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation, which honors the legacy of the late Congressman Udall, a key player in the Alaska Lands Act of 1980.

The newest scholars were selected from a record 537 candidates nominated by 256 schools. They will gather in Tucson, Ariz. in August to receive their awards and meet policymakers and community leaders. For a complete list winners, visit www.udall.gov.  

Posted on Apr 16, 2010

Christopher F. Chabris, an assistant professor of psychology, was featured twice recently in the Wall Street Journal.

Chabris wrote an op-ed. To read his piece, click here (registration may be required).

He also reviewed the book, "The Art of Choosing," by Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School, who recounts the story of her immigrant parents' wedding.

To read the review, click here.

Chabris joined Union in the fall of 2007. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University, where he was a research associate and lecturer.

Posted on Apr 16, 2010

Charles Dickens visited Albany on two separate occasions, in 1842 and 1868. His trips are highlighted in a new exhibit at Schaffer Library, “Dickens in America.” The show coincides with a senior seminar on Dickens, taught by Harry Marten, the Edward E. Hale Jr. Professor of English. It also celebrates the library’s collection of early Dickens works, a recently acquired first edition of “A Christmas Carol,” and related materials from contemporaries of Dickens.

“Dickens in America” concluded with a staged reading of “A Christmas Carol” in the Nott Memorial. The program, featuring Union students and faculty, was directed by Patricia Culbert, senior artist-in-residence with the Theater and Dance Department.

To read about it in The Daily Gazette, click here.

Posted on Apr 16, 2010

Mansour Farhang, a political science professor at Bennington College and a leading expert on the Middle East, will discuss “The Sino-Iranian Relations,” on Monday, April 19, from 12:50 to 1:50 p.m. in Humanities 115.

Farhang will examine the Peoples Republic of China’s pursuit of its geostrategic and economic interests in Iran, and the extent to which China’s policies accommodate or hinder U.S. efforts to contain Iran’s nuclear program and regional ambitions.

Farhang served as revolutionary Iran's first ambassador to the United Nations, resigning in protest when the Khomeini regime refused to accept the U.N. Commission of Inquiry's recommendation to release American hostages in Teheran. Early in the Iran-Iraq war, he served as envoy in negotiations with international peace missions.

He is on the advisory board of Middle East Watch, a branch of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of “U.S.Imperialism: From the Spanish-American War to the Iranian Revolution”; and, with William Dorman, “The U.S. Press and Iran: Foreign Policy and the Journalism of Deference.”

His opinion pieces have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, and he serves as a regular commentator on the BBC and Radio France Internationale.

Farhang’s talk is sponsored by the Asian Studies Program and Thurston House.