The University’s Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders is seeking survivors of serious accidents to participate in a federally funded study to test a short-term, non-drug treatment for such victims. Center Director Edward Blanchard, overseeing the project, said participants will be paid $30 each to undergo interviews and testing before and after treatment and a three-month follow-up.

“We have been studying accident survivors for several years, and believe we now know how to treat those who continue to have difficulty six months or more after the accident,” said Blanchard. “Now the National Institute of Mental Health has given us the funds to test this treatment.” Blanchard said free treatment sessions are weekly for 10 weeks. Interested parties should call the Center at 518-456-4143.

The University was ranked this month in a survey by U.S. News & World Report among the nation’s top 115 “national universities.” The issue placed Albany in an alphabetical listing of universities ranked from 51st to 115. In all, 229 campuses were included in the survey, which measured such categories as academic reputation, student selectivity, college entrance test scores, class sizes, graduation rate, faculty quality and financial resources. Ranked with Albany were the other three SUNY University Centers.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., has established a $100,000 scholarship fund for the children of veterans who served during the Vietnam era, choosing the University as one of the institutions receiving a $5,000 grant and the responsibility for distribution of funds and selection of students.

“We’re hopeful, now that the program is underway, that other veterans groups will match our pledge or even do better,” Jan Schruggs, VVMF president, said. “Our hope is to turn our grants into more funds by getting other groups to donate to the scholarship effort.”

Session internships with the New York State Assembly offer students a chance to participate in state government and learn the legislative process through a well-structured practical experience. In addition to college credits, session interns receive a $2,800 stipend from the Assembly for the Jan. 6 to May 16 period.

Candidates from the University at Albany much have their applications in to Ivan Edelson, the internships’ campus liaison officer, no later than Friday, Oct. 4, in his office at ULB-36. Applicants must be matriculated as juniors or seniors. For information on applications, call Edelson at 442-3960.

About 2,000 University students and area Democratic Party workers were in attendance on Sept. 11 at a rally in University Gym led by Vice President Albert Gore, Jr.

Gore’s visit was sponsored by the Clinton-Gore ’96 General Committee, Inc. — which paid for all event-related expenses. Student Association President Michael Castrilli greeted the crowd, members of the Angelic Voices of Praise gospel choir sang the National Anthem, and junior Tra-my “Mimi” Nguyen introduced Gore. In her introductory remarks, Nguyen told of her emigration to the U.S. from Vietnam at age 14. “Education is what makes America the land of promise,” she said.