ALUMNI NEWS

     Elizabeth Lynch, a May ’99 graduate who tied for first in the class because of her 4.0 average, has been named a Fulbright Scholar to China. As a result, Lynch, 21, of Queens, N.Y., who had already been accepted at Harvard Law School, will defer that admission for a year in order to study at Beijing University on the first Fulbright to mainland China.
     No stranger to China, Lynch spent her junior year abroad at Beijing University. As a girl, Lynch started attending Chinese school on Saturdays with her best friend. Many of Lynch’s friends of Chinese descent were sent to Chinese school to learn the written language. Later, Lynch traveled to China the summer before her senior year of high school.
     A Presidential Scholar while at Albany, Lynch chose the University because it was the only New York State University with a major in Chinese Studies. She had a double major in Chinese Studies and Political Science, and is planning a future in international relations.
     During her sophomore year at the University, Lynch attended a meeting on grants and awards held by the Presidential Scholars program advisers.
     “I heard about the Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright awards there,” she said. “I decided to go for all three.” Lynch was nominated by the Albany faculty for a Rhodes. She was also a semifinalist in the Marshall Scholarship competition. 
     At the time she applied for the Fulbright, it was offered in Japan, not China. Later, she learned from James Pasquill, assistant director of international studies, that a Fulbright had opened up in mainland China.
     “Fulbright Scholarships, which cover all travel and living expenses for a full year of study abroad, are among the most prestigious of postgraduate academic awards. Sponsored by the U.S. government, they are offered in more than 100 countries around the world. However, competition for scholarships in East Asia and Western Europe is the most competitive,” said Gary Gossen, former associate dean of Undergraduate Studies and director of honors programs. “Therefore Ms. Lynch's award is a particular honor for her and for the University.”
     Contacted at home over the summer, Lynch said she was “very happy” when she learned she had been selected. “I was surprised because I think the competition was difficult,” she said.
     Lynch left Aug. 22 for China.
     A second Fulbright was awarded to Michael Nurenberg, a graduate student in the School of Public Affairs. Nurenberg proposed to study public administration reform in Slovenia. However, due to family concerns, he declined the award.
 

     Troy Smith, who received his Ph.D. in political science from the University in August 1998, has learned that a paper he delivered at the 1998 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting in Boston won the award for the best paper in the area of federalism and intergovernmental relations.
     “This is an exceptional achievement for a scholar who just received his doctorate a month before the convention, and whose paper was in competition with many senior scholars in his field,” said Bruce Miroff of the Department of Political Science. Smith is now a visiting assistant professor in political science at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

     Initiatives For Women (IFW), a fund-raising program at the University that enhances educational and career opportunities for women, honored the 1999 IFW award recipients at the sixth annual awards celebration held recently in the Campus Center Assembly Hall.
     Gloria De Sole, senior adviser to the President for Affirmative Action and Employment Planning and chair of the Initiatives For Women steering committee, said, "The monetary support is very helpful to the award winners but of equal importance in many instances is the validation and public recognition of their personal and professional goals."
     The awards were presented by Judy Genshaft, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Among those honored for the 1999 round of awards were:
Presidential Awards ($1,000 each)
· Maureen Lynch, a Ph.D. student in school psychology. The award was given for interview transcribing costs for her study of lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students for an article in the School Psychology Review.
· Rosann Santos, a Ph.D. student in history, for airfare and housing to attend the third International Women's Studies workshops at the University of Havana, where she planned to get detailed archival information to study gender and education in Cuba.
· Catherine Stanford, a Ph.D. student in anthropology, to pay for living costs associated with doing dissertation fieldwork in Nicaragua, studying the impact of the Sandinista revolution on families.
· Women's Resource Center, to revitalize the center in Dutch Quad by expanding the library and developing awareness programs.
· University Police Department to send two officers to Rape Aggression Defense training in Richmond,Va.
Lillian Barlow Award ($500)
· Rebecca Rogers, a Ph.D. student in reading. 
Gloria R. DeSole Fund ($500)
· Andrea Smith-Hunter, a Ph.D. student in organizational studies.
Francine Frank Award ($565)
· Erika Muse, a Ph.D. student in anthropology.
Gladys and David Groudine Award ($500)
· Keiko Miwa, a Ph.D. student in educational administration and policy studies.
Anne Gustin Scholarship for Women in Law and Government ($500)
· Cassandra Allison, a master's student of library science.
John S. Levato Award in Memory of Jennine O'Reilly-Conway '88 ($500)
· Jennifer Keys, a Ph.D. student in sociology. 
Secretarial/Clerical Council Award ($250 + $550 from general fund)
· Doriane Brown, secretary for public administration and policy and part-time, returning student in that department's master's degree program.
Lena Tucker Award ($500)
· Addie Anne Jenne, an undergraduate political science major. 
Susan Van Horn Shipherd '64 Women in Science Scholarship ($500)
· Amma Agyemang, an undergraduate student majoring in chemistry/ pre-health. 
Initiatives For Women Awards
· Ana Almonte ($350), B.A./M.A. student in Spanish, and a returning student.
· Jinsook Choi ($750), a Ph.D. student in anthropology.
· Jeannette Corredor ($500), a Ph.D. student in counseling psychology. 
· Lara Gordon ($250), a Ph.D. student in educational psychology.
· Haley Woodside Jiron ($400), a Ph.D. student in reading.
· Stacey Kolomer ($800), a Ph.D. student in social welfare.
· Erin Krivitski ($650), a Ph.D. student in education and counseling psychology.
· Fonda Marie Lloyd ($500), an M.B.A. student in MIS.
· B. Ruth Quinn ($500), M.S.W. student.
· 13th Moon ($250), the feminist literary journal.
· Patricia Willis ($250), D.A. in humanistic studies and master's student in women's studies.
· Sandra Winn-Wood ($500), D.A. in humanistic studies.
· Yi Yang ($500), an employee of the Wadsworth Center and a student enrolled in the master's in public health program.

     Douglas A. Dickinson, 54, who provided statistics for University football and basketball teams, the Albany Patroons, Albany Firebirds and Albany-Colonie Yankees, died suddenly July 6 at Albany Medical Center Hospital.
     Dickinson was the long-time statistician for the Section II, New York State and Federation boys' basketball tournament. Known as “Stat Man,” Dickinson's efforts had a profound impact on many local sports teams.
     “He was a walking-history book for area sports,” said Brian DePasquale, the University's assistant athletic director for Media Relations. “Doug had a hand in everything.”

     R. Thomas Flemming, 57, associate director of Admissions, died July 15 at St. Peter's Hospital, Albany, after a long illness.
     Born in Newburgh, N.Y., he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in the social sciences from the University.
     Flemming served the University with distinction for more than 30 years in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. He was widely known and highly respected among high school guidance counselors around the state as a fair and caring admissions officer. 
     Harry Wood, Albany's director of Undergraduate Admissions said, “Tom was a unique character, a throw-back to the '20s. He had a love of history, an endless supply of one-liners, and a dry sense of humor that was thoroughly enjoyed by all who knew him. Tom's passing is a great loss to the University and to his many friends and colleagues.”
     Sheila Mahan, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, said, “The range of Tom's contributions to the lives of so many members of the University community was indeed remarkable.” 
     Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Judy Genshaft said, “Tom Flemming's influence, his reach, and his centrality to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions have been remarkable, and he will be missed for many, many years to come.”
     At the time of Flemming’s retirement earlier this year, President Hitchcock said he was “the consummate professional.” She noted that his contributions in the undergraduate admissions office, and as university representative at high schools and in community sessions across the state, were vital to the success the campus has enjoyed in attracting outstanding classes of freshmen and transfer students year after year.

     Judge John E. Holt-Harris Jr., 82, a member of the University Council since 1989 and chair from 1990-97, died Aug. 25 at his home in McKownville.
     A memorial Mass was held Aug. 31 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on State Street for Holt-Harris, who had long been affiliated with the University and who was honored as the 1997 winner of the University at Albany Foundation Community Laureate Award. As one of Albany’s prominent community leaders, Holt-Harris knew former President Evan Collins even before the institution became a university center. Over the years, the judge played an important role  in facilitating town-gown communication. 
     Senior partner in the DeGraff, Foy, Holt-Harris & Kunz law firm, he was one of the most influential attorneys in New York State. Judge Holt-Harris served as Albany Recorders Court judge from 1951-1978. 
     President Hitchcock noted, “For the past decade, Judge Holt-Harris was a wonderful friend and wise mentor to us. While he distinguished himself in his law career and unselfishly contributed his time and talents to the entire Capital Region, he made our University a special focus of his life. We are most grateful to him for all he did to enrich the development of this institution. As a member and former Chair of Albany’s University Council, he helped strengthen our academic, research, and athletic programs, as well as our community outreach endeavors.” 

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