Interim Dean V. Mark Durand Offers Distance-Learning Courses on Autism
By Carol Olechowski
Imagine that your child has an illness for which there is no cure and one that your family physician has never been trained to treat. This is the troubling situation for parents of children with autism. Family members and teachers may be faced with a child who does not talk or acknowledge other people, and who may bang her head and slap her face - yet few professionals have the training and background to offer help. Now, thanks to three distance-learning courses developed and taught by V. Mark Durand, interim dean of the University at Albany’s College of Arts and Sciences, parents, special education teachers, and others who interact with children who have autism have opportunities to learn - and to share their experiences.

Durand devised the courses, which may be taken by undergraduates and graduate students, several years ago after leading an assessment of New York State’s autism needs. As director of the New York Autism Network, Durand, along with colleagues at the University of Rochester, New York Medical College, and State University of New York at Stony Brook, surveyed families, teachers, and universities and colleges throughout the state. One of the main findings echoed throughout New York was that teacher-training programs do not prepare teachers to work with these children. “There was a desperate need for more and quality information about the nature of autism and its treatment,” noted Durand.

In response to that assessment, the psychology professor designed a series of three-credit courses. Autism I- Foundation Course provides an overview of autism and related disorders, including discussion of diagnostic and philosophical issues, and research on the biological and psychosocial bases of autism - “a rapidly developing field,” according to Durand. The class also explores intervention techniques and legal issues, as well as basic principles of behavior analysis.

Autism II - Introduction to Intervention focuses on providing participants “an in-depth knowledge of the empirically validated techniques used to treat children with autism.” Programmatic efforts to improve the autistic child’s language/communication and social skills are highlighted, as is research on reducing problem behavior. One of the great advantages of this and the other courses is that students learn from an international expert in the treatment of autism. Durand conducts pioneering research on the treatment of problems such as aggression and self-injurious behavior (head-banging, for example). His assessments and treatments are mandated through federal legislation in the United States and are used abroad, as well. His Motivation Assessment Scale, for instance, is translated into 15 languages, and Durand trains experts all over the world in his treatment techniques.

In Autism III - Practicum in Intervention, which parallels the Autism II course, class members are supervised while working with autistic children. Each student must prepare a series of plans that support the student’s Individualized Education Plan - “the plan the school develops to outline all teaching” - taking into account behavior analysis principles and the ethical issues involved in their delivery.

The courses, which were featured in an article in the February 28 Chronicle of Higher Education, cover the curricula mandated by the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis required for students applying for certification as associate behavior analysts. Completion of all three, combined with a bachelor’s degree from UAlbany or another accredited institution, qualifies the student to sit for the certification exam.

Autism I, offered twice before as a “pilot” - to SUNY Plattsburgh and SUNY Canton in Spring 1999 and Fall 2000, respectively - was so well received it was expanded statewide. The course now attracts more than 150 students each semester. To date, more than 300 physicians, special education teachers, school psychologists, speech professionals, physical and occupational therapists, parents, and other participants have completed parts of the sequence. Durand attributes the popularity of the distance-learning courses to “the great need for more information, as well as the quality of the information provided.”

Autism II is being taught this semester, with 160 students enrolled. The course, taught Monday evenings at the University’s East Campus, is broadcast to 13 teleconference sites statewide, including State University of New York campuses in Buffalo, Oswego, Canton, and Stony Brook; the SUNY Training Center in Syracuse; Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES; the Frewsburgh City School District; District 75 in New York City; the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in Hogansburg; and the A.O. Fox Health Care Network in Oneonta. Any student who misses a class may find that day’s lecture online.

Autism III will be taught for the first time this fall.

For this semester’s class, Durand introduced electronic “rounds” - called eRounds - “to help teachers, psychologists, and family members more effectively integrate the information they learn into their programs.” Cases are presented at each of the New York sites participating in the interactive course, and Durand provides advice and elicits feedback from the sites to design the most up-to-date, comprehensive educational programs.

By all accounts, “the courses have been an unqualified success,” Durand said. “I expected 50 students, at most, for the first course, and fewer people who would choose to go ahead and take the whole sequence. Instead, we had to turn people away, and most students are planning to take all three classes. Importantly, these courses are becoming part of teacher and staff training programs at some schools and agencies. Yet, the most satisfying part has been the reaction from parents who are participating. We are opening up new opportunities for their children and providing them something that has been very elusive: hope.”

Whalen Was a Friend to UAlbany
By Greta Petry
Thomas M. Whalen III, mayor of Albany from 1983 to 1993, died tragically March 4 in a one-car accident near his home in Feura Bush.

Whalen, 68, had many ties to the University at Albany. His 30-year record of community service included terms on The University at Albany Foun-dation Board, of which he was a member and president, and the University Council. Whalen was chair of the University Council from 1978 until 1983 when he was elected mayor. In 1985, he was also honored with the University’s Distinguished Service Medal. In 1999, along with Kenneth T. and Thelma Perkins Lally ’48, he was the recipient of The University at Albany Foundation’s Citizen Laureate (Community) Award.

University at Albany President Karen R. Hitchcock said: “Tom Whalen understood how important it is for the University and the community to be intricately linked in a common bond for the good of all. He was a constant and supportive presence at the University, and through his many years of wise service on the Foundation Board and University Council, he contributed in substantial ways to the University’s growth as a major research university. All of us in the University are deeply grateful for his many contributions. He will be sorely missed.”

As the successor to Erastus Corning II, Whalen was the first new mayor in Albany in more than 40 years. Known for his reform efforts, Whalen ended the practice of political patronage jobs. At the same time, he opened up job opportunities for women and minorities in City Hall.

He introduced the practice of competitive bidding on purchases and is credited with opening city government to neighborhood groups.

Helen Desfosses, Albany Common Council president and a UAlbany professor, said: “I met Tom Whalen when he was chair of the University Council, and I was dean of Undergraduate Studies. We worked together on a number of issues, and it was Tom who brought me into Albany government. He was a great role model. He always used to say to me, ‘Good government is good politics.’ He really believed in the merits of good government.”

Educated at Manhattan College and Albany Law School, Whalen served a six-year term as Albany City Court judge. He sat on many non-profit boards, including the Council of Community Services, the Albany area chapter of the American Red Cross and the Senior Service Centers of the Albany Area, Inc.

Whalen is widely credited for modernizing Albany politics; for starting Albany’s First Night, the annual New Year’s Eve celebration; and for revitalizing Albany, which in 1991 was designated an “All-American City.”

On a more personal level, Whalen will be remembered by UAlbany alumnus Jim Thomas as the man who challenged him to put his life back together.

In the 1980s, Thomas was homeless and living on the streets of Albany when he ran into Whalen one day. The mayor chatted with him for a few minutes, and told him that if he would sober up for good, he would hire him.

That one brief encounter had a great impact on Thomas, who was impressed that the mayor took a personal interest in him. Thomas eventually went into treatment, later enrolled at UAlbany, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a 3.64 average, and in 1999 earned a master’s degree in public health. Thomas’s graduation was later noted in The New York Times.

UAlbany Police Department Reports Safest Year
By Karl Luntta
The incidence of crime reported at the University at Albany last year was the lowest since records were first collected in 1980.

The University Police Department’s annual report shows 810 crimes reported in 2001, down from 998 in 2000. The biggest decreases were in petit theft, which declined 35 percent, and grand larceny, which declined 34 percent. Burglary declined 31 percent, while alcohol-related incidents declined 60 percent. Only two crime categories rose during this period. Assaults rose from 13 incidents in 2000 to 17 in 2001, and robbery rose from three to five incidents in the same time period.

In all other crime categories, the numbers reported remained stable or declined. Overall arrests declined to 219 from 255, and the UPD conducted 328 traffic stops.

“The UPD continues to work hard, “ said UPD Chief Frank Wiley, “to improve itself to better serve the University community and contribute to the very quality of life here at the University at Albany.”

In one of its many innovations for 2001, the UPD established a Victim Assistance Liaison to help victims access both on- and off-campus support services, including academic support. The UPD also introduced a new compliment and suggestion form intended to make the feedback process more convenient. As a consequence of the terrorist acts of September 11, the department enhanced security at sporting and other events by screening packages, using metal detection and increasing police presence. Additionally, UPD established its first K-9 unit.

“We’ve had the safest year on record,” said Chief Wiley, “I attribute this to the dedication of our officers, useful community feedback, and the responsible behavior of our students and staff. Our increased security, including our successful Blue Light phones program, has also helped enormously. I look forward to a most successful year in 2002.” Citizen Satisfaction Surveys conclude that some 90 percent of respondents found UPD officers to be “good” to “excellent,” while 89 percent rated the department “good” to “excellent.” In rating campus safety, some 92 percent of those surveyed felt “safe” or “very safe,” up from 83 percent in 2000.

For more on the University at Albany Police Department, visit http://police. albany.edu.

MIS Students Play Forensics Role
By Carol Olechowski
Forensic science is an exacting field. Evidence not handled meticulously can hinder the solving of a crime or the prosecution of a court case.

When the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center at the Harriman Campus in Albany decided last year to convert the 3x5 card method of cataloguing evidence to something more modern, Inspector Mark Dale called on the University at Albany’s School of Business for assistance. Peter Ross, a lecturer in the Department of Management Science and Information Systems, assigned two of his graduate students, Donald R. Ruf II and Kristen Baker, to the project.

Ruf and Baker began working at the center in the summer of 2001. “We were given a software package developed by Porter/Lee relating to the tracking of bar-coded evidence,” recalls Ruf, a father of three and Glenville resident. “In essence, we had to learn how to use the system without training or guidance to see if it was user friendly. Kristen worked 40 hours a week during the summer; I worked about 20 hours per week. After familiarizing ourselves with the system, developing procedures for taking in evidence, and using it to handle evidence in the analysis sections, we took it ‘live’ August 20.”

Then came September 11, and “we found ourselves in a unique position. Though we were only supposed to be at the center Fridays, Kristen worked more hours to help accomplish the setup of a separate system to handle DNA analysis using the same type of bar-coding system.” Another UAlbany MIS student, LaToya Taitt, joined Baker and Ruf in September. Around November, they were “put on other activities deemed vital to the forensic center, such as organizing a process that will enable the center to gather information necessary for its re-accreditation this summer by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors,” adds Ruf.

The Schenectady County Community College and Siena College graduate is pleased with the work he and his student colleagues have done - and with the reception it has received from their supervisors. “For the most part, our projects were handed to us with little instruction and with the expectation that we could come up with the right answer. Usually, we exceeded our supervisors’ expectations. On several occasions, we have been lauded for our contributions to the center for projects we worked on.”

Initially, “there was some reluctance to transform the 3x5 card system to the newer bar-coding system,” remembers Ruf, who will receive his M.B.A. in May. “This seems to be the case where old systems become ingrained in the process of doing everyday business. But the events that transpired September 11 brought the new system to the forefront at the forensic lab, and the learning curve was definitely accelerated. In my opinion, the bar-coding system has increased the efficiency of the lab, and, as a result, the lab was able to process, in an extremely short time, a very large amount of information about individuals involved in the World Trade Center disaster. I think those involved found the system hard at first, but once they learned it, this process was much easier than trying to write 3x5 cards to contain the same information.”

The forensic center has played an integral role in identifying the remains of those who died in the collapse of the Twin Towers.

Ruf notes that the field project “has been a unique learning experience, both for the center and for me. I have never experienced anything quite like working in this environment. I was given help when it was needed and allowed to make mistakes as part of the learning process. I found everyone helpful, including Inspector Dale.”

Dale has high praise for Ruf and his student colleagues, as well. “We really found a ‘fit’ with the School of Business - and particularly with the Information Systems program. The students were varsity players at the forensic center. They’ve done a terrific job; they’ve really helped us a lot.”

Adds Ross, faculty supervisor to the students since the field project began: “This is one of those great situations where everyone wins. The students were involved in a critical project and learned under fire, while the forensic center got much-needed assistance during an emergency.”

The project enhances the relationship the center already had with the University. Last fall, UAlbany began offering a 30-credit sequence in forensic molecular biology within the biology M.S. degree program. Department of Biological Sciences faculty and forensic center staff teach laboratory courses in the sequence. The anthropology and psychology departments, and the School of Public Health’s biometry and statistics department, have also contributed core classes to the curriculum.

Students, Faculty, and Staff Climb for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
By Heidi Weber
Photos by Bob Garabaldi and Joe Cook.
On February 21, more than 50 student-athletes, faculty, and staff from the University at Albany stretched their muscles and climbed up more than 800 stairs in the Corning Tower as part of The 14th Annual Stair Climb to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). It was the largest participation by UAlbany to date.

UAlbany participants included the women’s soccer, volleyball and field hockey teams; the men’s soccer team; athletic coaches; and other faculty and staff, including UAlbany’s director of athletics and chief of the University Police Department. They collected more than $4,000 out of the $30,000 raised through the event.

“After the tragedy of September 11, business sponsorships were hard to come by, so the Stair Climb became an event solely based on individual participation. The University at Albany has really stepped up to the plate by providing far more participants than ever before. We are delighted,” said Ryan Weber, director of special events for the Northeastern New York Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The women’s field hockey team has used the Stair Climb as a community service and training event for seven years.

Christine DeLaMater, UAlbany’s development events specialist and CFF community board member, said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the response from the University community; our number of participants and the money we raised were beyond any of my original expectations. Director of Athletics and Recreation Lee McElroy and I were focused on getting more student-athletes involved, as participating in the Stair Climb benefits not only the CF Foundation, but also our athletes and UAlbany. This year, we put the challenge out to the fall coaches and athletes, and they eagerly responded. I can’t wait to see what next February brings!”

Participants had the option to race individually, as part of a relay team or the “You Can Do It” climb, which is an untimed climb from the 29th floor to the top. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. CF is a hereditary disease resulting from a defective gene. The life expectancy of a CF patient has been extended in recent years since the 1989 discovery of the gene causing CF. Now children who would typically have died before age 10 are able to live into their early 30s.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was established in 1955 to raise money to fund research toward finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and toward improving the quality of life for the 30,000 children and young adults with the disease.

Winners from UAlbany included:

• all-male team division: Men’s soccer took silver medals.
• female individual climb, under 19 division: Kate Thompson, gold (soccer) Jessica Whitcomb, silver (field hockey) Susan Spierre, bronze (volleyball)
• female individual climb, ages 20-29 division: Elizabeth Spinelli, gold (soccer) Erin Stanek, silver (soccer) Rebecca Heiberg, bronze (soccer)

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