VOLUME 32, NUMBER 6 THURSDAY, September 28, 2000
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Bruce Pitman named to vice provost post

E. Bruce Pitman, professor of mathematics, has been named vice provost for educational technology.

Pitman He succeeds Joseph Tufariello, who returned to his faculty position as a professor in the Department of Chemistry.

A UB faculty member since 1989, Pitman served as chair for education, outreach and training for the Center for Computational Research, organizing workshops in computational chemistry for high-school students, and designing outreach programs for elementary-school children.

He also developed an advanced (graduate) certificate in computational science, and two new graduate courses in high-performance computing. With colleagues in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, he helped design an undergraduate course in scientific computing.

Pitman's research centers on two major topics: granular flow-the dynamics of materials like soil or sand- and renal dynamics-the processes by which the kidneys filter blood to produce urine.

"State of Region" project recognized

The "State of the Region" project, an initiative of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth, has received the 2000 Planning Award for Public Education from the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).

"We are particularly delighted with this recognition," said institute Director John B. Sheffer, II, "because it emphasizes the importance of public understanding of the key issues that affect decision-making in our region."

The "State of the Region" initiative seeks to measure how the Buffalo-Niagara region is doing in 11 key areas-economy, education, environment, equity, government, health, human services, planning and land use, public safety, regional assets, and technology and information-and to recommend strategies for improving regional performance.

The project report, "State of the Region: Performance Indicators for the Buffalo-Niagara Region in the 21st Century," was released in November 1999. Publication of the first progress report is slated for November 2000.

Correction

The date for the 2000 Charlotte C. Acer Colloquium on Urban Education was reported incorrectly in the Sept. 21 issue of the Reporter. It will be held on Oct. 5.

"UB Today" sets October lineup

James E. Campbell, professor of political science and a specialist on American elections and campaigns, will offer his views on the upcoming presidential election on the October edition of "UB Today," the monthly Adelphia Cable television show highlighting UB faculty, staff, students and programs.

The program is sponsored by the UB Alumni Association.

Other guests on the show will include Robert O. Davies, new assistant vice president for alumni relations; UB alumnus Bernard A. Tolbert, M.S.W. '73, B.S. '71, FBI special agent in charge of the Buffalo office, and Al Harris, director of the UB Art Gallery.

Each new program runs throughout the month at 6:30 p.m. Sundays on Channel 18 International and Channel 10 in Lancaster, Clarence, Orchard Park and Elma, and at 9 p.m. Mondays on Channel 18 Internationa

Brown bag concert set

Clarinetist Pauline Ferrugia will play the music of Francois Morel at noon on Tuesday in the lobby of Slee Hall during the first concert of the semester of the Brown Bag Concert Series.

The series, which will be held on the first Tuesday of the month during the academic year, is presented by the Department of Music.

For further information, call the Department of Music at 645-2921.

HSL shows first exhibit

"19th Century Botanical Prints," the first art exhibit of the Health Sciences Library, will be on display through the end of the Fall semester in the administration area of the library on the South Campus.

Made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Health Sciences Library and the Medical Historical Society, the exhibit is the first of a series developed by the Art in the Library Committee.

The exhibit features reproductions of botanical print from a book published in 1863 that is owned by the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection.

Copies of the 19th century botanical prints will be available for order. Contact Linda Lohr, manager of the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection, at 829-3900, ext. 136, for more information.

Cultural theorist Slater to give Capen Humanities Lecture

Cultural theorist and playwright Philip Slater will deliver the 2000 Samuel P. Capen Lecture in the Humanities at 4 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

The lecture, entitled "The Gun and the Web: Fits and Misfits in a Changing World," will be a discussion of the underlying cultural shift that is powering changes in everything from the economy to gender roles to scientific theory to popular culture.

Slater is best known for "The Pursuit of Loneliness: American Culture at the Breaking Point" (1970, rev. ed. 1976, new ed. 1990) and "The Glory of Hera: Greek Mythology and the Greek Family" (1968).

Although controversial among classical scholars for its interpretation of Greek family relationships, "The Glory of Hera" has earned critical praise for its comparison of ancient narcissism with that of contemporary middle-class America.

Some of Slater's other books are "Microcosm: Structural, Psychological and Religious Evolutions in Groups" (1966), "The Temporary Society: What is Happening to Business and Family Life in America Under the Impact of Accelerating Change" (with Warren Bennis, 1968, new edition 1998), "Earthwalk" (1974), "Wealth Addiction" (1980) and "A Dream Deferred (1991). He also is the author of a novel, "How I Saved the World" (1985) and five produced plays.

Slater taught sociology at Harvard University and at Brandeis University, where he was chair of the sociology department until he resigned to devote himself to writing in 1971. In recent years, he has taught playwriting at University of California, Santa Cruz. In 1982, MS magazine named him one of its "male heroes."

The annual Capen Lectures in the Humanities are sponsored by the Samuel P. Capen Chair in American Culture and the College of Arts and Sciences. They are free and open to the public.

For further information contact Bruce Jackson, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen in American Culture, both in the UB in the Department of English, at .

9th Hermann Rahn lecture to be presented Oct. 12

"Transcriptional Control of Cardiac Hypertrophy" will be the topic of the ninth annual Hermann Rahn Memorial Lecture, to be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 12 in Butler Auditorium in Farber Hall on the South Campus.

The lecture will be given by Eric N. Olson, chair of the Department of Molecular Biology in the Hamon Center for Basic Cancer Research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Olson has gained international recognition for his seminal studies that helped define the molecular events that determine the destiny of a cell. He has received widespread acclaim for his discoveries of the genes that control the development of heart-muscle and skeletal-muscle cells.

In his most recent genetic research, he used immunosuppressant drugs to prevent the formation of cardiac hypertrophy in genetically engineered mice that ordinarily would develop cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure and death. His data suggest a potentially novel therapeutic strategy to be used in the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

The UB lecture, presented by the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is named for the late Hermann Rahn, former SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Physiology at UB. Rahn was a president of the American Physiological Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.

A reception will be held following the lecture in the Lippshutz Room in the Biomedical Education Building.

SUNY system posts highest enrollment in 5 years

SUNY enrollment grew for the fourth consecutive year to 373,000 students, the highest level since 1995, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by Chancellor Robert L. King.

Fall enrollment at the state-operated campuses is up to 192,646, an increase of 1,900 students compared with last fall.

The number of full-time freshman entering SUNY schools increased for the fifth consecutive year to almost 60,000, the highest level of entering freshman since 1989 and an increase of more than 5,000 students-more than 9 percent-since 1996.

Full-time graduate enrollment-more than 18,000-represents the highest level in SUNY history.

At SUNY community colleges, full-time enrollment increased by 3,590 students, entering freshman increased by 863 students and full-time transfer students increased by 438 over last fall.

"This long-term pattern of enrollment growth demonstrates the excellence and value offered by the 64 superb campuses of the State University of New York," said King. "New Yorkers continue to look to the state university to gain the knowledge they need to improve their lives."

Emeritus Center sets October meeting

John A. Edwards, professor emeritus of medicine, will discuss recent developments in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease during a meeting of the Emeritus Center at 2 p.m. Oct. 10 in 102 Goodyear Hall on the South Campus.

The meeting is open to all members of the UB community.

For more information, call the Emeritus Center at 829-2271.

Party for international students scheduled

The International Committee of the UB Women's Club will host an October Welcome Party for international students and their families from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 17 in Room 210 of the Student Union on the North Campus.

The party, which will feature a brunch, is designed to help international students make new friends and learn more about the Buffalo area and American customs.

Students are urged to sign up for an English conversation group.

Free parking and shuttle-bus service will be available at the Center for Tomorrow and Alumni Arena parking lots.

For more information, call Billie Jean Gates at 741-3924 or Usha Mohan at 689-4025

Theatre and Dance plans productions

The Department of Theatre and Dance will present "Cotton Girls" and "Overtones" Oct. 19-22 in the Black Box Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

Performances will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

"Cotton Girls" and "Overtones" will feature all-female student casts and will be directed by Kelli Bocock-Natale.

"Cotton Girls," by Scott Tobin, is a comedy about three girls spending their graduation night stuck on a Ferris wheel. Set in 1959, the Dream Wheel breaks down with Miss, Berry and Colleen at the very top. The girls are forced into states of sheer terror and self-reflection as they try to make the most of their last night of high school.

"Overtones," written by Alice Gerstenberg, is a one-act drama that tells the story of a brief meeting between Harriet and Margaret, two refined ladies. Their emotions and thoughts come to life in Hettie and Maggie. This play depicts the characters as they appear to be, and as they actually are.

Tickets for "Cotton Girls" and "Overtones" are $3 and can be purchased at the Center for the Arts box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at all Ticketmaster locations.

For more information, call 645-ARTS.

Bluegrass performers to appear in Mainstage Theatre Oct. 6

Grammy Award-winning bluegrass musician Alison Krauss and her band, Union Station, will appear at 8 p.m. Oct. 6 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

Krauss Krauss began taking classical violin lessons when she was 5. At 8, she began playing bluegrass and soon was playing in bluegrass festivals and winning fiddle competitions around the country. While she initially received acclaim as an instrumentalist, her voice soon captivated people's attention as well.

Her debut album, "Too Late To Cry", was released when she was just 16. By age 18, she had earned her first Grammy nomination for "Two Highways" and a year later won her first of 10 Grammys for "I've Got That Old Feeling." In 1993, Krauss joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry, where she still remains the youngest cast member. Her commercial breakthrough came in 1995 when she released "Now That I've Found You: A Collection," which went double platinum, selling more than 2 million copies.

Krauss' band, Union Station, features some of the finest bluegrass musicians on the scene today, including: Barry Bales (bass), Ron Block (banjo, guitar), Jerry Douglas (dobro) and Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin).

Tickets for Alison Krauss and Union Station are $27.50 and are available in the CFA box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, call 645-ARTS.

Visitor information booth is relocated to Fronczak lot

The Office of Campus Parking and Transportation is reminding the campus community that the visitor information booth on the North Campus has been relocated to the Fronczak parking lot.

Formerly located in the Center for Tomorrow lot, the Fronczak information booth offers visitors the same services that were available in the previous location, including maps and directions. In addition, persons invited to UB by a specific department or organization are eligible for free guest permits, which must be dated, and are valid in faculty/staff and student lots, as well as in visitor paid-parking areas. Guest permits should be obtained in advance from the inviting department and in advance of arrival on campus. Visitor information centers may issue guest permits, but only when the inviting department is reached to confirm the invitation. Visitors who do not have a guest permit may park in the Fronczak lot for a fee, or at any of the university's parking meters.

Visitors to the university also may use the Center for Tomorrow lot, which now serves as a free park-and-ride lot for anyone who visits UB.

The booth relocation went into effect in January "because of the low level of activity" at the Center for Tomorrow booth, according to John Grela, director of public safety who also oversees campus parking and transportation. "We looked at the number of visitors they sent to the Fronczak lot and decided to eliminate duplication of effort."

The university has upgraded signage directing visitors to the Fronczak lot, and further improvements are planned, Grela said. The new location also will benefit visitors coming to campus when the Office of Admissions relocates to the new Student Services Building in the future, he added.

Creative Craft Center to offer workshops

The Creative Craft Center in the Ellicott Complex is offering fall workshops beginning the week of Oct. 30.

Workshops are scheduled in photography, pottery, weaving, quilting, Brazilian embroidery, knitting and crocheting, beginning and advanced stained glass, jewelry construction and basic drawing.

Workshops will run from 7-10 p.m. one night a week for six weeks.

For further information, contact the Creative Craft Center at 645-2434.

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