UB in the News

An article in The New York Times on the fabric used in the aerodynamic suits worn by alpine skiers in the winter Olympics reports that the fabric was tested "at a facility at the University at Buffalo normally used to analyze the properties of ballistic missiles."

An article in Boise Weekly on antibiotics and hormones that have been found in ground water wells in an Idaho neighborhood near a cattle feed lot quotes Diana Aga, assistant professor of chemistry, who says the science on antibiotic water contamination doesn't point to an acute health concern, but since the long-term health and environmental effects are unknown, the possibility that antibiotic contaminates could contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms is a concern.

An article distributed by the Associated Press looks at Ameen, a Muslim rite of passage that celebrates the first time a child reads completely through the Quran in Arabic, and quotes Faizan Haq, a lecturer in Cora Maloney College who teaches Islamic cultural history, who says "In America, the ceremony is highlighted even more. Being here, not in a majority Muslim culture, and still achieving this goal."

A article in The Washington Post looks at a study on drinking in the workplace conducted by the Research Institute on Addiction, and reports that almost one in 10 workers showed up on the job with a hangover at some point in the previous year.

An article in the Christian Science Monitor on this year's Oscar nominations quotes Elayne Rapping, professor of American studies, who said "'Munich' is especially impressive with what [director] Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner are doing to comment on the Israeli situation. It shows the real frustrations of even progressive Jews with the Israeli-Palestinian question."

An article distributed by the Associated Press looks at a project titled "17 minutes" by performance artist Chris Barr, a graduate student in fine arts, that remembers his brother's suicide three years ago, and draws attention to the frequency with which people commit suicide -- every 17 minutes.

An article in USA Today on technical fouls in basketball and the stories behind them quotes men's head basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon, who remembered coaching a game in junior college in which the opposing team came out of a timeout with six players.

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reports on a study conducted by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport that found that while slightly more members of minority groups were hired as presidents, athletics directors and head football coaches in NCAA Division I schools during 2005, nearly 90 percent of all those positions still were held by white men and women. The article also reports that UB is the first Division I-A college to have an African-American athletics director, head football coach and head basketball coach. The Associated Press did an article on it that was picked up widely.

An article distributed by UPI reports that Michel Bruneau, director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, has developed a "multi-hazard" design to make bridges more resistant to terrorist attacks and earthquakes.

An article in The Citizens Voice on addiction quotes Nancy J. Smyth, dean of social work, who says not all drug users are addicts and not all drug use is a disease, but "Once people start injecting heroin, you're not talking about people who are problem users, you're talking about full-blown addiction."