Campus Report
News, Calendar & Events

William Graebner (History, emeritus) just published (October 15) a book, Patty's Got a Gun: Patricia Hearst in 1970s America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008).  The book has been discussed or reviewed in the Atlantic Monthly, the Economist, and Newsday. It is the first substantial reconsideration of Patty Hearst’s story in more than twenty-five years, William Graebner vividly re-creates the atmosphere of uncertainty and frustration of mid-1970s America.

February 12, 2009 marks the 200th Birthday of Charles Darwin. The Department of Biology has chosen to celebrate this on Friday, Nov. 14, in 101 Jewett Hall, at 4 p.m. with guest peaker Dr. Justin Ramsey of the University of Rochester, Department of Biology. The title of his talk is “Speciation and Adaptation in Flowering Plants.” The Department of Biology hopes invites the public to this presentation.

Machiavelli is a "laughing lion and a strutting fox" in Raymond Angelo Belliotti's latest book, a treatise on the 15th century thinker who is usually regarded as a clever, effective deceit. “Machiavelli must be understood in historical and political context," Belliotti said, "but his work has great, usually unappreciated, significance for philosophical and moral theory."

Dr. Rob Deemer, Chair of the Fredonia School of Music composition department, will be the keynote speaker at the "Inside Opera" event hosted by OperaBuffs of Western New York on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. at the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Buffalo.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney has named James Thomas Stevens of the SUNY Fredonia English Department a Reynolds Literary Sandhill Crane Fellow for his work with UNK and honoring the migration of 600,000 Sandhill Cranes in the initiating scholarly literary retreat and conference residency (2008). As a result, Professor Stevens is welcome to return to retreat, advise and co-host subsequent residencies; be a regular contributor to the Platte Valley Review and other UNK literary editions; and participate in literary and crane related venues and events this department hosts. Professor Stevens was selected for the honor by the Reynolds Chair and Creative Writing Committee.

The Biology Club helped preserve a unique sphagnum bog in Western New York recently by digging up and removing white pines that were re-seeding from a nearby woods and threatening the survival of the rare wetland near Springville, N.Y.

Biology students who were awarded summer research fellowships will present the findings of their research at an open session on Friday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. in Jewett Hall Room 101. The students undertook a wide range of studies involving local fish, water quality, little brown bats, and native plants.

Learn about international opportunities as last year’s Fulbright recipients and international scholars share their experiences during the International Brown Bag lunch series.  All presentations will take place from noon to 12:50 in Fenton Hall's English Reading room (Fenton 127). Beverages will be provided.

Department of Philosophy Assistant Professor Andrew Cullison will present a talk entitled, “A Puzzle about Scientific Knowledge” as part of SUNY Fredonia’s Brown Bag Lecture Series on Wed., Oct. 1, at 12:00 p.m. in S-121 of the Williams Center. The series offers informal talks on the first Wednesday of each academic month.

SUNY Fredonia Professor Stephen Kershnar will present the 2008 Kasling Memorial Lecture, “Counterintuitive Morality,” at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, in the Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall. The Kasling Lecture recognizes a member of the faculty whose scholarly excellence has enhanced the reputation of the university.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has named SUNY Fredonia's Ann Carden to its College of Fellows. This is the highest distinction offered by PRSA, the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals. The College of Fellows honors veteran professionals for their years of exemplary work in the field, high ethical standards, dedication to their local PRSA Chapter, and steadfast commitment to advancing the present and future of the profession.

How city residents and leaders in Curitiba, Brazil, succeeded at very little cost in turning a potential disaster into a thriving metropolis that is friendly to the environment and has expanded city services to the shantytowns, has been the focus of Political Science Professor Ivani Vassoler’s research and teaching for almost 10 years. Her new book tells the story in detail.

The 10th Annual Student Research and Creativity Exposition will be held Thursday, April 24, from noon to 6 p.m. in the Williams Center. Posters, presentations, displays, performances, and demonstrations will culminate with a keynote address by alumnus Christopher Cahill of George Washington University's chemistry faculty at 4:15 p.m. More than 100 students are exhibiting their work.

A painter, a poet and a biologist will discuss their diverse reasons for caring about water during Earth Week at SUNY Fredonia. An aquatic issues panel on April 23 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in S-104 Williams Center will feature the personal stories, biological research, creative writing and the visual arts of panelists Alberto Rey, Timothy Strakosh, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

Several SUNY Fredonia students participated in the 235th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans recently. Of the more than 9,000 scholarly presentations at the gathering, several detailed the research of 12 students from SUNY Fredonia.