Professor of Biological Sciences Daniel Wulff is program director for the grant, which will help the University strengthen the Science Research in the High School Program. A $400,000 National Science Foundation grant enabled the program to grow from participation by only two schools in 1994-95 to 100 schools in a 13-county region surrounding Albany County, and in Westchester and Rockland counties, by 1998-99. An additional $1.3 million grant from the NSF, awarded in June 1999, will expand the program to 200 additional schools within the next five years.

The Charitable Venture Foundation funding will permit the hiring of a science research program administrator and the establishment of sub-regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposia to accommodate the large numbers of students seeking to represent their schools at the two-day symposium hosted by UAlbany each year. In 1986, Wulff founded the annual Upstate New York Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), which provides a forum for students throughout the state, excluding New York City and Long Island, to communicate their research findings. The symposium “is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet their peers who are doing similar things in research and to discuss their interests. It’s also a chance for them to present their original research before a statewide audience and an expert group of judges,” Wulff explained.

Last spring, almost 600 students participated in Albany’s JSHS. Of that number, 125 asked to present their research findings orally; only 30, however, were afforded that opportunity. Observed Wulff: “It just isn’t fair to the students to make something that selective. We know that this number will triple in the not-too-distant future, and we need to provide more opportunities for students to present their research findings. Sub-regional symposia will feed into the Albany symposium.”

The biology professor pointed out that the grant will also make it possible for the University “to help schools seek solutions to special problems facing their science programs. Because the Authentic Science Research course is ‘teacher-dependent,’ it is a problem when a teacher is out for an extended period of time on sick or maternity leave, or when a teacher retires or leaves for another school.” One possible long-term solution to ensuring continuity in the classroom, Wulff said, might be “attracting retired science teachers back as substitute teachers. But we have to know where the substitutes are. The schools need administrative support, and with this grant, we can give them that support.”

Developed by Dr. Robert Pavlica of Byram Hills High School in Armonk, N.Y., the Authentic Science Research course allows students to work with scientist mentors to carry out original research proposed by the students themselves. According to Wulff, the University at Albany is the only institution of higher learning in the United States that sponsors such a high school-based program. The course “gives students an opportunity to develop their talents. They learn to search scientific databases, and to set goals and meet them. They learn time management and public speaking skills. They learn to feel comfortable talking with professionals. So they learn a lot of things in addition to the narrow focus of doing science research.” In turn, the Science Research in the High School Program is grooming young people for careers as science teachers, medical researchers, national defense experts, and other professionals critical to ensuring that the nation maintains its leadership role in the sciences.

Aside from benefiting the Science Research in the High School Program, the Charitable Venture Foundation grant will provide a means for the University to approach the New York State business community to request support for the program. According to Wulff, the University of California at Berkeley and Wayne State University in Detroit have been enormously successful in attracting corporate support for the Northern California-Western Nevada and Southeastern Michigan Junior Science and Humanities programs, respectively. “UAlbany should be no less successful in impressing upon upstate businesses the importance of scientific study to our youth, to New York, and to our nation, as a whole,” Wulff commented.

Health Center Accredited
The University Health Center has been accredited for a term of three years by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC). According to a letter from Dr. William H. Beeson, president of the association, “The dedication and effort necessary for an organization to be accredited is substantial and your organization is to be commended for this accomplishment.”

Granting accreditation reflects the association’s confidence, based on recent evidence, that the UAlbany Health Center meets, and will continue to demonstrate throughout the accreditation term, the attributes of an accreditable organization as outlined by the standards in the Accreditation Handbook for Ambulatory Health Care. The spirit of those standards implies a commitment to continual self-evaluation and improvement.

UAlbany Seminar Addresses Sweatshop Issues
On Saturday, Oct. 14, Sweat Free SUNY and the University at Albany Task Force on Sweatshop Labor co-hosted a seminar on “Globalization and Transnational Relations.” President Karen R. Hitchcock gave a welcoming address and encouraged rigorous debate and research on the effects of globalization. Victorio Reyes rapped about the harmful effects on indigenous people and communities caused by big business. Maureen Casey, international project director, New York State Labor-Religion Coalition, spoke about “Lessons from the Maquiladoras about the Global Economy” and shared ideas about work being done to address worker needs. The Maquiladoras are a geographical region between the U.S. and Mexico. This was followed by a talk by Fernando Leiva, assistant professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, who addressed “Monitoring and Enforceable Labor Rights.” Keynote speaker Martha Ojeda, ex-Maquiladora worker and executive director of the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras, addressed “Globalization and the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras.” She, along with other speakers, encouraged faculty, staff, and students to become more aware of the harmful effects of policies and practices and suggested action steps that might be helpful. Many of the findings from the seminar led directly to the work of the Task Force on Sweatshop Labor in finalizing its statement of principles on workers’ rights. This will help ensure that goods with the Albany logo are not produced in sweatshops.

From the left, Joann Crupi, editor of the Times Union opinion pages; Benita Zahn of Channel 13; UAlbany President Karen R. Hitchcock; Liz Bishop of Channel 6; and Susan Arbetter of WAMC, at the seventh annual Initiatives For Women Fall Fund-raising Dinner, held Oct. 24.
Photo by Marguerite Hill

Campbell’s Soup/Wild Greens Business was soup-er at the October 19 grand opening of the Campus Center’s newest food venue, Campbell’s Soup/Wild Greens. Located at the site formerly occupied by Strutters, Campbell’s Soup/Wild Greens offers soups, stews, chilis, and salads. The venue, which is operated by Chartwells with support from Campbell’s, is “the first full-service, in-house concept by Campbell’s in the country,” according to University Auxiliary Services Executive Director Julia Filippone. Prices for the menu items range from about $2 to $3.50. The opening celebration, Filippone added, “was a huge success. Customers were happy with the concept and very satisfied with the food. The outlet offers options we didn’t have previously in the Campus Center - namely, a light, healthy lunch concept and daily vegetarian/vegan menu choices.” Photo by Mark Schmidt

U.S. Senate hopeful Rick Lazio answers questions during a talk-show style forum Oct. 20 at UAlbany. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

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