Campus Report
News, Calendar & Events

The School of Music has teamed up with Dunkin' Donuts -- which just recently joined the Dunkirk-Fredonia community in February -- for the Fredonia College Choir's upcoming performance with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) in Buffalo on April 12-13.

A talk on solar energy by Ralph Nader, internationally-known environmental and consumer advocate, is one of many events planned during the observation of Earth Week at SUNY Fredonia April 19 through 26. Plans also include a film series, electronics recycling day, the launching of a native plant garden, and discussions on water, politics, population, and the future of food.

Two resident vocal ensembles in the Fredonia School of Music will present a choral concert Sunday, April 13, at 4 p.m. in King Concert Hall. The Women’s Choir will be directed by Professor Gwen Coleman Detwiler, and the University Chorus will perform under the baton of Professor Barbara Brinson.  The concert is free and open to the public.

New York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub, author of more than 70 published novels and a graduate of SUNY Fredonia, has been named the keynote speaker for the 2008 Commencement ceremonies.

The SUNY Fredonia School of Music will present its second annual collaborative concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) on Friday, April 11 at 8:00 p.m. in King Concert Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus. A post-concert reception will follow, free to all who attend the concert. Tickets are available online or by calling the SUNY Fredonia ticket office at 716-673-3501.

Students at SUNY Fredonia helped generate more than $1,300 in donations to help defray costs of a life-saving liver transplant for Piper Walnicki, the one-year-old daughter of Brian Walnicki, principal violist of the Western New York Chamber Orchestra (in residence at SUNY Fredonia), and his wife, Lydia Evans, who is the daughter of Music Professor Emeritus David Evans.

Fifteen objects from Reed Library’s Stefan Zweig Collection are part of an exhibit on the life of the renowned Austrian author currently showing at the German Historical Museum in Berlin. The exhibit, "The Three Lives of Stefan Zweig," gathered its contents from archives and libraries around the world.

The Fredonia Chamber Singers will present its annual Post-Tour Spring Concert on Sunday, April 6 at 4 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall. This is the 27th year that the group has performed in high schools throughout New York State during its Spring Break. Under the direction of Dr. Donald P. Lang, the concert is free and open to the public.

Joseph Legaspi and Sarah Gambito will present their poetry as part of SUNY Fredonia’s  observance of National Poetry Month on Tuesday, April 15, beginning at 7 p.m., at 202 McEwen Hall. An amazingly resourceful poet, Mr. Legaspi writes about the mysterious and the magical in the most common and overlooked objects, as did his mentor, Pablo Neruda. In her first book, “Matadors,” Ms. Gambito presents vivid juxtapositions of a wide range of objects – star fish, Tagalog, frisson – while an element of friction adds a political dimension to her writings.

Three students presented their winning research papers at the Women’s Studies Annual Research Conference on Gender Tuesday, April 1. The guest-speaker of the two-hour event was Asian Studies Scholar Piya Pangsapa of SUNY at Buffalo.

In his travels through Morocco, filmmaker Rick Ray discovered a “peaceful, progressive, well-educated, forward-looking society.” He attributes this, in part, to Morocco’s young monarch, King Mohammed VI. Now age 44, Mohammed VI came to power in 1999.

The existence of 10 different covers to market the book, "Black Boy," since its original publication in 1945 through 2006 offers insights into U.S. history, according to Dr. Howard Rambsy, of Southern Illinois University and the exhibit’s curator. For more than 60 years, publishers altered the packaging of the book to make it more appealing to new generations of readers. "Visualizing Richard Wright" is an exhibit of engaging book covers now on display in Reed Library.

Black Student Union alumni of SUNY Fredonia and friends will meet Friday, March 28, in New York City to raise funds for the Nabta Fund, a scholarship endowment established through the Fredonia College Foundation to benefit students of color at SUNY Fredonia.

Full-time Summer Work-Study job applications are now available in the Financial Aid Office or on-line.  Jobs begin May 19 and end August 22.  The pay rate will be $7.15 to $7.90 per hour, depending upon experience in the Federal Work-Study program. Applicants must complete the 2008-2009 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA by April 4. Applicants should also fill out the Summer Work-Study Application and enroll at SUNY Fredonia for the Fall 2008 semester. Students should not be enrolled in summer classes due to a conflict with the full-time work schedule.

Under the supervision of Dr. Ivani Vassoler (Political Science & International Studies) two SUNY Fredonia students shared their research at the Conference on Latin American Studies that took place on March 7-8 at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore.

In his new book, Raymond Belliotti, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy, points to the uncanny connections between the careers and lives of nine baseball greats and the philosophies of the great thinkers of the West. For example: the rise, fall, and redemption of Mickey Mantle demonstrated aspects of faith, reason, and human response crafted by St. Thomas Aquinas.

SUNY Fredonia is featuring guest speaker and noted linguist Stephen Krashen from the University of Southern California in the talk, “English Learners In American Schools: 101 Questions, 101 Answers,” on April 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall.  A reception will precede his talk, starting at 4 p.m.

Several scholars have been appointed to the faculty after national searches were conducted this fall and winter, Vice President for Academic Affairs Virginia Horvath announced. Their new appointments, which are tenure-track, begin in the Fall 2008 Semester. Visiting Professors Timothy Strakosh of biology and Dustin Parsons of English are among those who have gained appointments.

Fredonia State junior Julia Hopson (Poughkeepsie/ Arlington)  finished second Friday in the women's 20-pound weight throw at the NCAA Division III Track and Field championships held at Ohio Northern University. Friday's second-place finish earned Hopson her second All-American honor in the event. She became the third Blue Devil woman in history to earn runner-up status at the NCAAs.

The 40th anniversary of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at the State University of New York will be celebrated with an alumni reunion April 18 through 20. Known as the Educational Development Program at SUNY Fredonia, the program was established to combine access, academic support and supplemental financial assistance to make higher education possible for students who have the potential to succeed, despite poor preparation and limited financial resources.

Art Historian Leesa Rittelmann will present the talk, “Feminism, Fascism and Nazi Photographs of Erna Lendvai-Dircksen,” on Wednesday, April 2, at noon in S104 of the Williams Center as part of the College of Arts and Humanities’ “Brown Bag Lecture Series.” The event is free and open to the public. Dr. Rittelmann is the co-organizer with Professor Tom Loughlin of this spring’s Arts and Humanities symposium, “Leni’s Legacy: Art, Ethics and Propaganda.”

The history and culture of Jews, whose numbers were quite small in a part of the world dominated by Roman Catholicism, has been frequently ignored in general studies of Europe during the Middle Ages. Over the course of more than 300 pages, Dr. Steinberg’s book seeks to correct the record through introductions to Jewish thought, history and texts.

An overview of the struggle to get women involved in politics following passage of the 19th Amendment that gave them the right to vote will be offered by Dr. Nancy McGlen of Niagara University on Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m., in S104 Williams Center.   

The week-long residency of pianist James Nalley will culminate on Cello Day, Sunday, March 16, when he accompanies Cello Professor Natasha Farny in a guest recital that includes students from Professor Farny’s cello studio. The recital starts at 4 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall. Selected as the 2008 International Steinway Artist, Nalley continues an active performing career while also teaching piano at the College of Music at Florida State University

Nick Dhimitri, captain of SUNY Fredonia’s nine-member team, shared with two other students the highest ranking given by judges at this year’s competition, scoring 19 points out of a possible 20. Along with Mr. Dhimitri, SUNY Fredonia’s team is comprised of Douglas Jordan, Jessica Weinberger, Megan Mitchell, Belinda Taylor, Keli Cochran, Ashley James, Ben Sachs and Andrea Barriffe. To prepare for the competition, the team meets every week during the fall semester, and then twice a week in the spring term

The Commencement 2008 is Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Steele Hall arena.
Bookmark the Commencement website to stay up to date on announcements for students, families, and participating faculty and staff.

On the website:

• A Student Guide including information on the dual ceremonies, obtaining tickets and the Commencement ticket policy, cap and gown purchase, student rehearsal, Commencement Day instructions for enrobing and line-up, photography and the Commencement 2008 DVD, and the post-event reception hosted by President Dennis and Mrs. Jan Hefner.

• A Family Guide including information on the dual ceremonies, hotel accommodations, parking and bus service for the event, the Commencement ticket policy, a Special Needs form for guests with handicapping conditions, and information on Commencement Eve entertainment,  flower purchases, and the post-event reception.

• Commencement Day Instructions for Faculty and Staff for gathering and Processional line-up.  Information on rental/purchase of academic regalia is sent directly from the Bookstore.

Olga Bogatyrenko, Assistant Professor in Political Science will be the featured speaker at the Social Science Colloquium on Friday, March 14, at 3 p.m. in Room E359 Thompson Hall.  The title of her talk is “Amazing Transformations: When do Great Powers Successfully Transform Their Power”? This presentation will focus on evaluating America’s current international standing in light of its performance along several economic, political and military dimensions.

The Birth Control Information Center offers clinics once a week on Mondays or Thursdays. The clinics offer pap smears along with chlamydia and gonorrhea testing, thin preps, visual STD testing, HPV acid treatment, along with other gynecological care.  All clinics are student-run, while doctors perform the medical procedures

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) announced its Annual Wellness Fair will be held Wednesday, March 19, 2008 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room.  All employees are encouraged to visit the many health and wellness professionals participating in this year’s event. 

Five Years on the Cutting Edge: From Our Perspective 2003-2008 (paperback, 978-1-60477-714-7), penned by authors Robert L. Heichberger, Ph.D., and Fredonia alumnus M. Andrew Burr, contains a compilation of the authors’ most successful published newspaper columns covering a period of five years.

Daniel D. Reiff, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Fredonia State University Department of Visual Arts and New Media, is one of five speakers at a conference in honor of James Hoban, architect of the White House. The all-day conference, sponsored by the White House Historical Association, will be held on Thursday, March 13, at Decatur House on Lafayette Square. Dr. Reiff has also written an illustrated essay on Fredonia, N.Y., architect Enoch A. Curtis for the volume, "American Architects and their Books, 1840-1915."

Educator Shaun C. Nelms of Rochester, N.Y., will be honored March 19 as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the SUNY Fredonia Educational Development Program. Mr. Nelms is middle school principal at Burger Middle School in West Henrietta, N.Y. He graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 1999 with a degree in history and New York State certification to teach social studies.

The Ethos New Music Society at SUNY Fredonia presents the Eighth Annual NewSound Music Festival, March 4 through 14 on campus. This year’s festival focuses on electronic music of the 20th and 21st centuries, and will feature appearances from up-and-coming composer Missy Mazzoli and electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick. Missy Mazzoli: presents a lecture and performance of her works with faculty members Kay Stonefelt and Tiffany Nicely on Tuesday, March 11, at 8 p.m., in Rosch Recital Hall.

On February 22, more than 130 Fredonia faculty and professional staff gathered in the Williams Center for the campus’ First Annual Conference on Teaching and Learning. Organized by the Office of Academic Affairs, its development is a part of the implementation of the strategic “Fredonia Plan,” developed in 2005. One of the plan’s initiatives focuses on the “culture of learning” and, among other components, includes a campus-wide event focused on this subject.

The SUNY Fredonia School of Music presents the second 20th Century Music Concert on Saturday, March 15, at 8 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall, including the performance of a new work by new composition professor, Robert Deemer. The concert is free and open to the public. The second of a two-concert series, it is designed to be “user-friendly,” and will include detailed program notes as well as discussion from the stage between works.

The SUNY Fredonia Accounting Society is hosting three upcoming guest speakers in a Spring series: Buffalo News finance reporter David Robinson, White Inn innkeeper Robert "Mr. Manners" Contiguglia, and Buffalo City Comptroller Andrew SanFilippo. Robinson (in photo) will speak on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. in Fenton Hall Room 105. A graduate of Syracuse University, he has been with the Buffalo News since 1985, having spent the last 20 years writing for its Business section.

The accomplishments of students and alumni of the SUNY Fredonia Educational Development Program will be the focus of the campus's 26th Annual EDP Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, March 19, in Café G of the Williams Center at 4 p.m.

An evening of music, dance, and poetry celebrating the lives of three prominent Latinas is planned Monday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the performance of the play, "Tres Vidas," by an ensemble of musicians and an actress, the Core Ensemble. This chamber music and theatre event will be performed in Juliet J. Rosch Recital. Admission is free and open to the public.

Classical ballet, Latin jazz, modern dance and dance theatre will all be on display in a 90 minute-plus extravaganza with the Fredonia Dance Ensemble from March 6 to 9 in Marvel Theatre at the State University of New York at Fredonia. “We’ve been working on this concert since the end of August,” said Helen Myers, coordinator of dance at SUNY Fredonia. “These are all new pieces.”

The College of Education at SUNY Fredonia announced that it is implementing a new dual certification program in Childhood Inclusive Education that prepares candidates to teach all students in grades one through six, including those with special needs.

As the world’s foremost comedy jugglers, the Gizmo Guys have amused and amazed audiences around the globe – and now they are coming back to Rockefeller Arts Center for a night of family fun. The Gizmo Guys Family Show will take center stage in Marvel Theatre on Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m.

Tom Dudzick and Barry Shapiro, SUNY Fredonia alumni who have achieved extensive success in the entertainment world after graduating in the 1970s, will be feted at a reception hosted by the Department of Theatre and Dance on Saturday, March 8, 4:30 to 6 p.m., at the Rockefeller Arts Center Gallery Lobby.  Both are returning to campus to present a series of workshops on March 8 and 9.