Paul H. Reitan, professor of geology at UB, has been elected to the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters in the natural sciences section.

Reitan, who is a U.S. native of Norwegian ancestry, is being honored for his research achievements, which are concentrated in petrology, the study of rocks. His research on northern Norway constituted some of the earliest geological work ever done in that area.

In its natural sciences membership, the society permits a total of 50 foreign scientists, most of whom have some connection with the Norwegian scientific community.

Reitan graduated from the University of Chicago and received a doctorate from the University of Oslo, where he conducted research supported by a Fulbright Fellowship. He worked as a state geologist for the Geological Survey of Norway while working on his doctorate.

A UB faculty member since 1966, Reitan served as provost and dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics from 1976-79.

He has held numerous fellowships, including a NATO Senior Fellowship in Science in Norway, two Norwegian Marshall Fund Research Fellowships and guest scientist positions in Poland, India and Czechoslovakia.

Last summer, he led a group of UB students on a geological expedition in Eritrea, an East African country that won its independence in 1990, to assess its economic mineral potential.

Reitan has developed numerous geology courses designed to provide an appreciation for, and understanding of, the mutual interactions and interdependence of the physical environment and society.

Brown to give lecture for GSE Alumni unit

The Graduate School of Education Alumni Association will present a lecture by Stephen I. Brown, professor, Department of Learning and Instruction and Educational Organization, Administration and Policy, Feb. 29 at 4:15 p.m. in 280 Park Hall, North Campus.

Brown's topic will be, "The Talmud as Secular Text: Resurrecting a Two-Thousand-Year-Old Educational Tradition." The Talmud provides one of the earliest models of cooperative learning. Brown will discuss a curriculum project for teachers which applies that format to the secular context of mathematics.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

UB SPONSORS CONFERENCE ON GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY

Current concepts of risk factors and Alzheimer's disease, depression in the elderly and evaluating dementia are among the topics to be presented at the ninth annual Regional Conference on Current Issues in Geriatric Psychiatry, to be held on Friday, March 29, in the University Inn and Conference Center, 2401 North Forest Road, Amherst.

The program, to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., targets physicians, psychiatrists and allied-health personnel and administrators who are involved with geriatric patients and clients.

Sponsors are UB's Department of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and the Western New York Geriatric Center. Educational support is provided by Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc.; Wyeth Pharmaceutica and Eli Lilly Pharmaceutica.

Among program topics: "Cross Cultural Studies and the Search for Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease," "Use of the New Antidepressants," "Impact of Psychological Trauma in Later Life," "Recognition and Treatment of Menopause-Associated Mood and Anxiety Syndromes," and "Roles of Different Disciplines in the Evaluation of Dementia."

Small-group discussions will be led by UB faculty members Marion Z. Goldstein, clinical associate professor of psychiatry; Yogesh D. Bakhai, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry; June I. Chang, clinical associate professor of medicine; Kenneth A. Garbarino, clinical associate professor of family medicine, and Kye Y. Kim, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry.

For more information, call Patricia M. Krupp at 829-2917.

Ohtake, Nochajski join HRP faculty

Patricia Ohtake and Susan Nochajski have joined the faculty of the School of Health Related Professions. Ohtake, who received a M.Sc. in the Department of Physical and Health Education and a Ph.D. in the Department of Physiology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Exercise Science.

Nochajski, who received her B.S. and M.S. in the Department of Occupational Therapy at UB and her Ph.D. in special education at UB, is an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

TALK OF THE NATION'S RAY SUAREZ TO HOST SHOW ON WBFO

Ray Suarez, host of the National Public Radio program "Talk of the Nation," will moderate "Talk of Buffalo," a discussion of issues affecting Buffalo, to be heard on WBFO 88.7 FM, the NPR affiliate operated by UB.

The live broadcast will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1. The broadcast also can be heard on the station's repeater stations, WOLN 91.3 Olean and WUBJ 88.1 Jamestown.

Suarez will moderate a panel that includes James Pitts, president, Buffalo Common Council; Henry Louis Taylor Jr., director, UB Center for Urban Studies, and Kevin Collison, reporter, The Buffalo News.

Suarez joined "Talk of the Nation," a nationwide call-in program broadcast live weekdays, in 1993 after working for seven years as a general assignment reporter with NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV in Chicago. He also has worked as a correspondent for CNN, the ABC Radio Network, CBS Radio, Independent Radio News in the United Kingdom and AP Radio in London. His writing has appeared in publications around the world, including the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Hispanic Image and New African in London.

He earned a bachelor's degree in African history from New York University and a master's in social sciences from the University of Chicago.

WBFO, charter member of NPR, celebrates its 37th year on the air in 1996.

Three to receive James and Nancy McLernon Scholarships

Three undergraduates in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have been selected as the first recipients of the annual James and Nancy McLernon Student Scholarship, funded by a gift to the school from a 1950 alumnus.

Engineering students David Eyngorn, Holly Gurbacki, and Scott M. Rybarczyk have each received a $1,000 scholarship through the support of James W. McLernon, chairman of American Axle and Manufacturing, Inc. in Farmington Hills, Mich., which has plants in the Buffalo and Detroit areas. The scholarships are earmarked for upper-class engineering students. Selection is based on academic record, participation in professionally related and community activities, as well as financial need.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without the education I received at UB," said McLernon, a UB industrial-engineering graduate. "We need to continue improving and developing our technology in the United States and one way alumni can accomplish this is by supporting students who are studying engineering or other technology-related fields."

McLernon's career in the automotive industry has spanned more than 45 years, starting at the General Motors Chevrolet engine plant in Tonawanda. He later held several positions with GM. In 1976, McLernon, a Kenmore native, joined Volkswagen of America, Inc. as president of its then new U.S. manufacturing operations before forming American Axle and Manufacturing through the purchase of the plants from GM in 1994.

Active in several professional and community organizations, McLernon lives in Bloomfield, Mich., with his wife, Nancy, who also attended UB.

UB HAND SURGEON EDITOR OF MEDICAL TEXT

Clayton A. Peimer, UB associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, is editor of a new, two-volume medical reference, "Surgery of the Hand and Upper Extremity," published this month by McGraw-Hill.

The set, which contains 115 chapters written by more than 190 internationally recognized experts and 3,000 illustrations, is the first single-source reference devoted to the diagnosis and management of problems of the upper limb.

While the set is primarily a surgical reference, it also includes sections on chronic pain, rehabilitation, pediatric upper-limb disorders, genetics, psychiatric disorders manifested in the upper limb, medicolegal issues, work-site design, repetitive-motion injuries, biomechanics, HIV and AIDS-related problems of the upper limb, infectious diseases and arthritic conditions that affect hand and arm function.

Peimer, chief of the Division of Hand and Microsurgery for the Millard Fillmore Health System, and director of the Upper Limb Disorder Clinic in the Warner Rehabilitation Center of Children's Hospital of Buffalo, is also a UB clinical assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology. He is an internationally recognized expert on problems resulting from silicone-joint implants in the upper limb, tumors of the hand and upper extremity and carpal tunnel syndrome, and has published extensively on these issues. He has been a leader in developing new treatments for hand and wrist arthritic disorders and in setting standards for using a new method of endoscopic surgery for carpal tunnel release, called limited incision.

A member of the UB faculty since 1977, Peimer holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse.

He is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, and the Academic Orthopaedic Society. He has been an invited guest and lecturer at many international societies and universities.

Women's Health Initiative Sunrise program topic

The Women's Health Initiative, the largest clinical health study ever undertaken in the U.S., will be the topic of a "UB at SUNRISE" program to be held at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, in the Buffalo Marriott, 1340 Millersport Highway, Amherst.

Jean Wactawski-Wende, clinical assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at UB-which is one of 16 lead research centers in the national study-will speak. Wactawski-Wende also is a co-principal investigator for the Buffalo portion of the study, which will receive $11 million over the life of the 12-year project.

The Women's Health Initiative, funded at $625 million by the National Institutes of Health, aims to enroll 160,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 at 45 centers across the U.S. The women will take part in identical studies designed to investigate the causes of, as well as the effectiveness of various treatments for coronary heart disease, breast and colorectal cancers, and osteoporosis in older women.

"UB at SUNRISE" is produced by the UB Alumni Association and UB's Office of Conferences and Special Events, News Services and Office of Publications. It also is supported by the Office of University Development and Office for Public Service and Urban Affairs. The Buffalo Marriott is corporate sponsor of "UB at SUNRISE."

Price of the program, which includes a full breakfast, is $9 for UB Alumni Association members and $10 for all others. For more information, contact the alumni association at 829-2608. Ticket orders must be received by Friday, March 8.

Women's Club plans election meeting, group activities

The UB Women's Club will hold its annual election meeting March 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Emeritus Center, Goodyear Hall, South Campus. A new slate of officers as well as three members-at-large will be elected.

The following slate will be presented: President, Ninfa Straubinger; vice president, Dawn Halvorsen; treasurer, Lynn McFadden; recording secretary, Geraldine Ryder; corresponding secretary, Carmella Hanley.

The election will be followed by a talk by Paula Voell, Buffalo News reporter, on "My Life in Lifestyles." Dessert, fruit and coffee will be served, with arrangements by hospitality chairs Katrina Wobschall and Carmella Hanley. Ninfa Straubinger is meeting chairman.

The Celebrate 50! annual Chinese Banquet will be held March 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Dynasty II restaurant, Southgate Plaza, West Seneca. A 12-course Chinese banquet including Peking duck will be served. Complete cost is $30 per person. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Grace Capen Scholarship Fund. Guests are invited to attend. Arrangements were made by Dorothy Soong and Anne Brody. For information, call Dorothy Soong, 834-5596.

Plans are proceeding for the final event of the UB Women's Club Celebrate 50!-the "1-Mile Fun Walk/Run and 4-K Race." Purchase of a commemorative t-shirt for $15 is the entry fee for the event. For more information and to enter, call Leila Baker at 691-5972. The event marks the completion of the club's Celebrate 50! year, and the start of the UB Sesquicentennial year.

UB Women's Club will participate in Federation Day at BonTon Galleria Mall March 9. Other activities:

Antiques, March 6, 10 a.m. at Fisher-Price Museum, East Aurora, followed by lunch at Roycroft Inn; Judy Baumer, arrangements.

Book group, March 4, 12:30 p.m., home of Barbara Paganelli; Dorothy Soong leads discussion of Autobiography of a Face, by Lucy Grealy

Bowling, Mondays, 10 a.m., Sheridan Lanes.

Bridge, March 4 and 18, Dandelions Restaurant, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Marie Schillo, coordinator.

French Conversation, March 15, 12:30 p.m., home of Marisa Mihich; lunch, discussion of short stories.

Gourmet Techniques, March 14, home of Marisa Mihich; program on pasta and sauces.

Needlework, March 29, 12:30 p.m., home of Marie Schillo.

Tennis, Wednesdays, 1:30-3 p.m., Amherst Hills Tennis Club; Marie Schillo, Ann Shub, chairs.