PDP
Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Symposium
On October 18, there will be a “Symposium on
Extended Learning,” from 1 to 3 p.m. in Milne Hall, Room 200, at the downtown
campus, as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Professional
Development Program.
The main speaker will be Edward G. Simpson, Jr., Ed.D., distinguished public service fellow, Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia.
PDP has dedicated itself to extended learning and public engagement for the public service and not-for-profit work- force through its education and training programs. This symposium will reaffirm PDP’s ongoing commitment to the field of continuing professional education.
PDP employs 144 staff members who provide a wide range of education and training across New York State in children’s and family services, temporary and disability assistance, employee relations, substance abuse and mental health, and workforce development. In the past year, PDP has been involved in more than 500 education-related activities serving some 10,000 public sector workers.
The Professional Development Program of UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy offers a broad range of education and training programs for the public service work force.
Director Eugene Monaco will host the October 18 symposium.
Manuel Alvar, acknowledged to be the world’s leading expert on Spanish linguistics and a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, died in Madrid on August 14. Alvar, elected president for life of the Royal Spanish Academy in 1988, was one of the world’s leading scholars in the fields of Hispanic literature and linguistics.
He was a member of la Société Linguistique de Paris and la Real Academia de la Historia.
Born in Benicarló, Spain, on July 8, 1923, Alvar received his doctorate in philology from the University of Madrid in 1946. He taught at the University at Albany from 1977 to 1998. In 1993 he was named the recipient of Spain’s National Menendez Pidal Prize, considered the most important one awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. The award was presented to Alvar by King Juan Carlos of Spain.
He received honorary doctorates from the University of Burdeos, University of Valencia, University of Granada, University of Zaragoza, University of Salamanca, and the University of Pisa. He was a member of a number of academies, including Gustavo Adolfo of Uppsala, Sweden; Buenas Letras of Barcelona; San Telmo of Málaga; Lengua of Colombia; Bellas Artes of Puerto Rico; Sociedad de Linguística de París; and the Academia Argentina de las Letras.
Hundreds of research papers, books and articles attest to his reputation as a “missionary of the Spanish language.” Having completed the multiple volumes of the Atlas Linguístico de la Península Ibérica, he was completing El Español de América, which will be comprised of 13 volumes. The dedicated linguist gathered material for his research in the Amazons, North Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, the U.S., and Asia. He rescued from oblivion Sephardic poetry and songs gathered in his field work. His findings on the history of literature and popular culture, the language of Castille, the language of Aragón, and the dialects and variations of the Spanish language are a legacy to the international community of students and scholars.
Ashton Announces Bullard Appointment and Benson-Wright Promotion Vice President for Advancement Robert Ashton has announced the appointment of Carol Bullard as assistant vice president for Corporate and Foundation Relations in the Office of the Campaign and Develop-ment. Bullard, who has been with the University since 1993, held chief staff responsibility for the management of the successful recent Libraries Campaign, including the attainment of a $500,000 Kresge Challenge grant. She also stepped forward as a volunteer providing leadership for Initiatives For Women upon the retirement of Gloria DeSole. Bullard has been the director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and continues to report to Associate Vice President Ruth Killoran. Bullard’s new responsibility includes the development of major foundation and corporate relationships with faculty and the University.
Penelope Benson-Wright has been promoted to director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. Previously, Benson-Wright was senior associate director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. She joined the Advancement Office nearly two years ago after a highly successful career in business and consulting.
Both appointments reflect not only the importance the Advancement unit has to the overall success of the University’s campaign and advancement, but also the high level of contribution both Bullard and Benson-Wright have made and continue to make.
Schoolman Publishes New Book
Department of Political Science Professor Morton Schoolman has
recently published a new book REASON & HORROR: Critical Theory, Democracy,
and Aesthetic Individuality. Schoolman was also one of the speakers
at the University’s September 12 candlelight vigil.
Thornberry Selected
Terence P. Thornberry of the School of Criminal Justice has been selected
as a member of the Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior (1) Study Section,
Center for Scientific Review, for the term ending June 30, 2002. Study
sections review grant applications submitted to the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), make recommendations on these applications to the appropriate
NIH national advisory council or board, and survey the status of research
in their fields of science. Membership on a study section represents a
major commitment of professional time and energy, as well as a unique
opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort.
Thornberry’s acceptance is a valuable contribution to the important work
of the NIH, which helps to ensure that biomedical research continues to
progress.
Study section members are selected on the basis of demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments; publications in scientific journals; and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors.
Zenner and Gmelch Publish Fourth Edition
The fourth edition of Urban Life: Readings in the Anthropology of the
City, co-edited by Walter P. Zenner of UAlbany’s Department
of Anthropology and George Gmelch (Union College) has just been published
by Waveland Press. This edition of the reader also contains other articles
written by UAlbany faculty: Mitchell Abolafia (Public Administra-tion),
Lawrence Schell (Anthropology and Public Health), and Michael
Smith (Anthropology). Urban Life is the most widely used reader
in urban anthropology in North America.
Fox Receives NSF Grant
French Studies faculty member Cynthia Fox has received a $142,173
three-year grant from the National Science Foundation for her collaborative
proposal, “A Sociolinguistic Investigation of Franco-American French.”
In collaboration with Jane Smith of the University of Maine, Fox will be conducting fieldwork in eight communities in order to establish a permanent database of Franco-American French and look at questions of language maintenance and shift, dialect variation, and contact-induced change. The project is designed to involve members of the communities and encourage them to participate in the investigation of their linguistic heritage. Training and support of graduate students is provided by the project, as well.
Beditz Announces Williams Appointment
Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Management Stephen J. Beditz
has announced the appointment of Tracey Williams as director of
Sponsored Funds Personnel. Her appointment marks the successful culmination
of a national recruitment effort to fill this position. Williams joins
UAlbany as the Sponsored Funds Personnel Office seeks to develop externally
supported research while striving to implement the new administrative
software OASIS, which supports grants funding and expenditures.
Prior to joining the University, Williams was the corporate director of human resources with Goguen Industries in Liverpool, N.Y. Williams succeeds Paula Kaloyeros, who served as interim director for the past eight months while continuing in her capacity as OASIS project coordinator. With Williams joining the staff, Kaloyeros will now be able to focus her attention on the OASIS project.
Zimmerman Publishes Book
Political Science Professor Joseph F. Zimmerman is the author of
The Referendum: The People Decide Public Policy, which was published
in July 2001 by Praeger Publishers.
The referendum, a form of direct democracy involving policy decision-making by unassembled citizens, supplements lawmaking by elected representatives. This new book is the most comprehensive one on the subject and devotes chapters to unassembled citizen law-making; the legal foundation of the referendum; the referendum in court; non-voter-initiated referenda; voter-initiated propositions; the protest referendum; an evaluation of the referendum; and model constitutional, statutory, and charter referendum provisions.
Zimmerman examines the strengths and weaknesses of various referendum types, and advances recommendations to improve the referendum device, including a new type of protest referendum that allows voters to collect signatures on petitions in order to suspend a law, giving the legislative body a stipulated period of time to repeal or amend the law. The Rockefeller College professor also presents a general theory of lawmaking that incorporates the theories of representative and direct democracy.
Zimmerman is the author or editor of more than 25 books.
UAlbany Receives Favorable Review in Sourcebook
2001
The University at Albany is cited in the Sourcebook 2001 as part
of the “Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies” project. Danny
Trujillo, alcohol and other drug education coordinator and psychologist
at the University Counseling Center, and Thomas Gebhardt, director of
Personal Safety and Off-Campus Affairs, submitted abstracts for the project.
The Sourcebook 2001 incorporates program abstracts from the quality
campus efforts identified by the review process during the most recent
national solicitation and review efforts. UAlbany’s inclusion is particularly
noteworthy; more than 400 applications were received.
The review process for the new portion of the resource incorporates campus efforts in six key topic areas: Task Force, Community, Targeted Audiences, Stakeholders, Technology and Value Conflict Resolution. In addition, the book includes the abstracts from the programs identified in the previous two review processes. Collectively, these core topic areas, which serve as the framework for the Sourcebook 2001, also serve as the foundation for a comprehensive campus-based effort.
This project, begun in 1995, was designed to identify and disseminate promising campus-based efforts designed to address alcohol abuse and related problems.
Governor Proposes
Free Education for Surviving Family Members of WTC Attacks
Gov. George E. Pataki has announced
he will submit legislation guaranteeing a college education to all the
families of those killed or seriously and permanently disabled in the
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The proposal will be for
an education at all SUNY and CUNY schools, or an equivalent amount of
aid for students who attend private colleges in New York State. The governor
directed the Board of Trustees at SUNY and CUNY to implement the policy
immediately.
The “World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship” legislation would also expand an existing program that guarantees a college education for the families of fallen police and firefighters by extending that same benefit to Emergency Medical Services workers who are killed on the job, whether in the WTC attack or elsewhere. The initiative also expands the benefits available to police and firefighters, as well as EMS workers, who are seriously and permanently disabled in the ongoing WTC rescue and recovery efforts.
“We have pledged to stand with the families of those killed by the outrageous and cowardly attacks on the World Trade Center,” Pataki said, emphasizing this commitment will be met. “These families should not have to worry about how they are going to pay for college, and with this measure. they will never have to.”
Master
Plan Progress
By Mike Boots
College of Arts and Sciences Renovation: The old Administration Building is nearing the end of its transformation into space for CAS. The walls are painted, tiling is complete in most of the bathroom facilities, and ceiling tiles are soon to be in place. Data cables will be installed beginning in the next few weeks. Furnishings for the building are scheduled to arrive in January or February for an expected spring opening.
Empire Commons: The new student housing project is moving along rapidly. Foundations are being poured. As they are completed, steel framing for the walls will go up, concrete floors will be laid, and wooden frame roofing will follow, one building at a time, until all 26 buildings are completed.
Johnson Hall: Soon Johnson Hall will undergo renovation. It will see new paint and carpeting; bathroom renovations; electrical upgrades; data cable installation; fire alarm upgrades; and a new sprinkler system and new lighting throughout. Ninety students are currently living at Johnson Hall. Renovations are slated for early 2002.
The September 26 edition of The Washington Post mentioned the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government in an article titled “Aftershock in State Coffers.” The Institute said that growth of state tax revenue in the April-June quarter was the weakest in eight years. The same article was carried in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on September 26 and in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on September 27.
The University at Albany was mentioned in a September 26 edition of The New York Times titled “More Students at SUNY.” The article stated that the average combined College Board scores for the freshman class at SUNY’s four research universities, which include UAlbany, are 1180, up from 1164 a year ago.
In the September 30 edition of the Omaha World-Herald, UAlbany sociologist John Logan’s research on the census was cited. The article, “Composition of Neighborhoods Involves More Than Numbers,” discussed an earlier New York Times story that also cited Logan.
