Faculty/Staff News

By Carol Olechowski

Professor Joseph Bowman of the School of Education was reappointed to a five-year term as a Regent for the State University of New York, effective April 1. A motion summarizing Bowman�s credentials was introduced by Assemblyman John McEneny (D-Albany), and seconded by State Sen. Neil Breslin (D-Albany). Bowman�s candidacy as a Regent from the Third Judicial District was approved by the New York State Legislature.

Spc. Lisa Taylor, secretary to outgoing Vice President for Strategic Development and Economic Outreach Dave Gilbert, is among some 300 Army National Guard members from the 42nd Infantry Division called to active duty. Initially reporting to Fort Drum, near Watertown, the division is to train together at Fort Hood, Texas. They are expected to be in Kuwait by the end of October, and in Iraq by Christmas. Taylor previously served at Ground Zero after 9/11. The 42nd Infantry Division is also known as the �Rainbow Division.�

Leonard A. Slade Jr., professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies, recently received the Professor of the Year Award from the NAACP (Albany Student Chapter). Earlier this year, Slade received the Professor of the Year Award from Union College, where he serves as an adjunct professor of English.

Senior Major Gifts Officer Josey Twombly joined the UAlbany staff in the Division of University Advancement on May 3. She works with Associate Vice President Ruth Killoran and others to broaden the base of individual donors for the University. Twombly has worked in academic fund raising in the Northeast for 20 years.

UAlbany�s new logo and graphic standards manual captured a gold medal in the national 2004 Circle of Excellence Awards Program of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The new logo, unveiled in spring 2003, is steadily being incorporated into UAlbany documents and publications, as well as Web site pages. In the same national CASE awards program, the package of materials designed to articulate the case for the Campaign for the University at Albany captured a silver medal. Oberlander Design, based in Albany, created the logo and graphic standards system, and designed the campaign materials.

The logo and the campaign materials are two of five projects of the University�s Office of Media and Marketing that were recognized as Best in Category in the Awards for Excellence program of the State University of New York Council for University Affairs and Development, SUNY/CUAD. The other three are: UAlbany�s news Web site at: www.albany.edu/news/; the �UAlbany Go2!Events� internal marketing progam aimed at building awareness of UAlbany events and traditions; and the �Good Neighbor� public awareness campaign that targeted neighborhood perceptions of UAlbany student drinking habits. A SUNY/CUAD Judges Citation was awarded for the Today@UAlbany pocket calendar of campus events produced by Media and Marketing.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Thomas Begley, whose research focuses on cellular responses to chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat cancer, and the University at Albany will share $2 million in James D. Watson Investigator awards, Governor George Pataki and Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno announced recently. The Watson Investigator initiative, part of the $225 million Generating Employment through New York State Sciences (Gen*NY*Sis) program, recognizes and supports outstanding scientists and engineers who demonstrate early-career potential for leadership and scientific discovery in the field of biotechnology. Statewide, nine other researchers and their institutions also received the awards, which total $200,000 each. Begley will arrive on campus from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology full-time August 1.