IN THIS ISSUE . . .

UALBANY NEWS
Three UAlbany Faculty Receive Fulbright Grants • UAlbany Unveils "Great DANEgerous Swirl" Ice Cream • UAlbany Fund Supports Variety of Initiatives

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Rockefeller College Honors Alumni and Faculty • UAlbany Researchers Link PCBs to Respiratory Diseases • UAlbany Researchers Analyze Human Regulatory Code • Senior Reading Buddies Needed to Help Albany-Area Children • Peruvian Profesor Visits School of Social Welfare

ATHLETICS
Calling All Great Danes Fans - Join the UAlbany Varsity Club! • Basketball Season Tickets Available

OF NOTE
Now Is the Time to Get In Touch With Old Friends

EVENTS
UAlbany Travels to Florida • Cheer on the Great Danes in Syracuse • Art Museum Features Edward Mayer

UAlbany News

Three UAlbany Faculty Receive Fulbright Grants
Three UAlbany faculty have been named Fulbright Scholars and will join an accomplished group of higher-education faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to 140 countries for the 2004-05 academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Recipients are Anthony Augustine Deblasi, a professor of East Asian studies; Richard F. Hamm of the history department; and geography and planning professor Christopher John Smith. Full Story >>

UAlbany Unveils "Great DANEgerous Swirl" Ice Cream
The votes are in and the top choice of UAlbany students for the school’s new signature ice cream flavor is “Great DANEgerous Swirl!” Students got to sample the vanilla ice cream with purple and gold candy-coated chocolate pieces and golden peanut butter swirl after UAlbany Interim President John R. Ryan and students unveiled the winning name at a press conference. Full Story >>

UAlbany Fund Supports Variety of Initiatives
As of December 9, the UAlbany Fund had realized nearly $670,000 in cash and pledges toward its 2004-05 goal of $1.5 million. Unrestricted annual giving to the Fund provides the University’s most flexible source of revenue, enabling it to act quickly, seize opportunities as they arise, and respond to the ever-changing needs of a growing University. Visit the UAlbany Fund web page or call 1-800-577-7869 to learn how your tax-deductible gift can make a tangible difference to students and faculty at UAlbany.

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Schools and Colleges

Rockefeller College Honors Alumni and Faculty
The Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy honored six distinguished alumni and faculty at its annual recognition and awards ceremony November 30. This year’s recipients were Joseph Zimmerman – Lifetime Achievement Award, Patricia Salkin BA '85 – Distinguished Alumna Award in Political Science, Robin Prunty MPA '87 – Distinguished Alumna Award in Public Administration, Robert McEvoy – Distinguished Service Award, Sue R. Faerman Ph.D. '87 – Distinguished Extended Learning Leadership Award of Excellence, and Michael Owens Ph.D. '01 – Young Alumni Award. Full Story >>

UAlbany Researchers Link PCBs to Respiratory Diseases
UAlbany researchers have found a link between respiratory diseases and New York State residents who live in or near hazardous waste sites containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and persistent pesticides. The report, published this month in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, studied diseases of hospitalized patients who live near hazardous waste sites. Full Story >>

UAlbany Researchers Analyze Human Regulatory Code
Scott Tenenbaum, an assistant professor with UAlbany's Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics, received a $410,000 grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health to study how and why genes are regulated in human cells. The award is part of $5.5 million in funding for the Encyclopedia Of DNA Elements project, a research initiative launched by the NHGRI to identify all functional elements in the human genome sequence. Full Story >>

Senior Reading Buddies Need to Help Albany-Area Children
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program at UAlbany is seeking avid readers to join its Discovery Box Literacy Program. The program places seniors in schools to read aloud to grades K-3 students. Volunteers must be able to commit one hour per week for the school year. There are currently volunteer openings in Albany, Troy and East Greenbush. Interested seniors (or candidates who are not senior citizens) should contact (518) 442-5585 for more information.

Peruvian Professor Visits School of Social Welfare
Professor Haydee Alor Luna from the Pontificia Universidad del Peru (PUCP) visited UAlbany this month. She is a former dean of the School of Social Work in Peru and current advisor to the PUCP President on social development and community engagement issues. Professor Alor Luna met with Dean Katharine Briar-Lawson and faculty to explore potential research and education initiatives as well as strategies to help increase accessibility of the School of Social Welfare's Doctoral program to Peruvian professionals. For more information, contact Dr. Blanca Ramos at (518) 442-5365 or via email.

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Athletics

Calling All Great Danes Fans - Join the UAlbany Varsity Club!
Help support the winning tradition of the Great Danes by joining the UAlbany Varsity Club – a constituent group of the UAlbany Alumni Association. Your membership supports student athletes, scholarships, facility improvement and alumni programs. Plus, members receive half-price basketball and football season tickets, a Varsity Club T-shirt, free pregame parties, half-price athletic facilities membership and much more. Contact the Alumni Association at 1-800-836-ALUM for more information.

Basketball Season Tickets Available
Even though the 2004-05 basketball season has begun, season tickets are still available, with the first home game at the RACC coming up December 30 vs. Dartmouth. For information on season tickets, visit our web site or contact Rob Totaro at (518) 437-4415.

more great dane news!

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Of Note

Now Is the Time to Get In Touch With Old Friends
It’s the holiday season, and what better time to get in touch with old friends you haven’t heard from in a while. If you’d like to find a former college buddy, try searching UAlbany’s free Alumni Online Directory. The directory provides contact information for alumni and gives you an opportunity to update your own contact information as well. Check out all the services available exclusively to UAlbany alumni through our online community.

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Events

UAlbany Travels to Florida
UAlbany will be making stops in Tampa and Sarasota this January. The West Central Florida Chapter will host its annual luncheon at the Marina Jack Restaurant in Sarasota January 22. The evening before, January 21, the University will host an alumni mixer at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Contact the Alumni Association at 1-800-836-ALUM to register or for more details.

Cheer on the Great Danes in Syracuse
UAlbany Great Danes men’s basketball takes on the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome December 28. Join UAlbany alumni at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub & Restaurant in Historic Armory Square, 5:00-6:30 p.m., for drinks, hors d’oeuvres and school spirit before the 7:00 p.m. tip-off. Contact the UAlbany Alumni Association at 1-800-836-ALUM for more information.

Art Museum Features Edward Mayer
The University Art Museum is featuring Edward Mayer: Tracing Change, a comprehensive 30-year survey of sculptures and installations by Professor Edward Mayer, head of the University’s sculpture department, January 25-April 3. Using simple geometries, Mayer transforms everyday materials such as pre-fab shelving, wire fencing, and wood lathe strips into magical room-size installations that are at once playful and intellectually challenging. For more information call (518) 442-4035 or visit www.albany.edu/museum.

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