| February 15, 2006 | Vol 7. No. 12 |
Canisius Transfers Eastwood Property to Habitat for Humanity
Canisius President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., meets the Burton family in front of the property at 70-72 Eastwood. Front row: Joi and Naomi. Second row: Jabot and Simone. Third row: David and Regina Burton and Father Cooke. The Burtons have been designated by Habitat by Humanity – Buffalo to own and occupy the home when renovation is complete.
More than 50 Canisius faculty, staff and student Habitat for Humanity volunteers turned out Saturday to begin renovation on 70 Eastwood Place. The college has transferred ownership of the house and lot at 70-72 Eastwood to Habitat for Humanity – Buffalo, Canisius President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., announced. The house will be completely renovated by Habitat work crews within the next several months and conveyed to a qualifying Habitat family.
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| The property at 70-72 was most recently the field office for construction of Eastwood Hall, and previously served as student housing. |
“As we considered our options with this property, it became clear that with the completion of our residence hall projects on campus, we no longer needed this house for student housing,” said John J. Hurley, vice president for college relations. “We were not interested in simply putting the house on the market and allowing an absentee landlord to acquire the property.”
Habitat has designated David and Regina Burton and their four children as the family who will own and occupy the home when it is complete. Under Habitat’s guidelines, the Burton family must invest 500 hours of labor into a combination of the Eastwood property and other Habitat projects.
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| Frank J. Dinan, PhD, professor of chemistry/biochemistry (left); and Timothy J. McAllister, telecommunications technician III, ITS; helped take down the walls of the Habitat house at 70 Eastwood | ||
Joseph F. Rizzo, computer support specialist III for ITS and adjunct professor for information systems, was among the Habitat volunteers on Saturday.
“It was amazing to see everyone working together – Canisius students, faculty and staff,” said Rizzo. “I brought along my 16 year-old son and his friend, who are both interested in construction. We enjoyed the work and will come back each weekend until the project is finished.”
The property at 70-72 was most recently the field office for construction of Eastwood Hall, and previously served as student housing.
New Round of Teaching Professorships Awarded
The Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professorship Program awarded a new round of professorships this month. The three-year grants, which begin June 2006, provide the college’s best faculty with the resources to create innovative programs that enhance undergraduate teaching through interdisciplinary projects, scholarly travel, experiential courses and the incorporation of technology into the classroom.
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| Debra T. Burhans, PhD |
R. Mark Meyer, PhD | H. David Sheets |
Debra T. Burhans, PhD, assistant professor of computer science and director of the college’s Bioinformatics Program, R. Mark Meyer, PhD, associate professor of computer science and H. David Sheets, professor of physics and director of the college’s Pre-Engineering Program. They will create “Robotics Across the Curriculum,” a collaborative interdisciplinary program that includes the development of robotics courses and a robotics minor, the integration of robotics into other courses and student robotics research opportunities.
| Sara R. Morris, PhD, associate professor of biology, will establish a program called “Experiencing the Natural World: Exploring Our Environment in Western New York and Beyond.” Students will study the ecology and organisms, particularly birds, of Western New York and other areas. Course projects will prepare educational materials for the Buffalo Museum of Science. |  |
Gillian Richardson, PhD, assistant professor of education and director of the college’s Literacy Center, will create, “Literacy as Possibility: A Student Leadership and Community Empowerment Program,” a student leadership development program that involves urban literacy initiatives. Students will explore grassroots leadership through the implementation of critical literacy initiatives, visits to exemplary urban schools and programs, and a speaker and workshop series, which will be open to the public. For more information on these new professorship programs or their recipients, click here.
UPS Foundation Awards Grant to Urban Leadership Learning Program
Demario A. Strickland '06, a childhood education major, is part of the Urban Leadership Learning Community at Canisius College.
The Canisius College Urban Leadership Learning Community received a significant show of support in January when The UPS Foundation presented the program with a $50,000 grant. Awarded upon the recommendation of Calvin Darden, a retired senior vice president of UPS and 1972 alumnus of Canisius, the grant will fund scholarships for students participating in the program. This is the second grant The UPS Foundation has awarded Canisius. In January 2003, the charitable arm of UPS presented Canisius with a $50,000 grant for the same program.
The Urban Leadership Learning Community, developed by Kenneth M. Sroka, PhD and E. Roger Stephenson, PhD, professors of English, provides up to 12 renewable, full or partial scholarships, each year, to underrepresented students from the city of Buffalo. The scholarships include full or partial tuition, fees, and room and board. Leadership development though team learning is the cornerstone of the Learning Community program. Currently 49 students are enrolled in the program.
In 2004, The UPS Foundation distributed $40 million dollars in grants, worldwide, to organizations and programs that support for building stronger communities.
The college will be closed, except for essential operating personnel, on Monday, February 20, in observance of President’s Day.
CANISIUS EVENTS
| Lakota and Kiowa Apache Storyteller to Speak at Canisius Dovie Thomason, an internationally-known Lakota and Kiowa Apache storyteller, recording artist and author, will speak on Wednesday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Marie Maday Theater in Lyons Hall. For more information, contact Keith Burich, PhD, professor of history, at ext. 3284 click here. |
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| Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet to Speak March 2 On Thursday, March 2, the Canisius College Contemporary Writers Series hosts Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon in the Grupp Fireside Lounge at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Mick Cochrane, PhD, professor of English, at Ext. 2662 or click here. |
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Take a Trip Around the World at International Fest
Celebrate cultures from around the world at the Canisius College’s 17th annual International Fest on Friday, March 3 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Richard E. Winter '42 Student Center. Tickets prices range from $5-10 and include the popular international buffet. For more information, contact the Office of International Student Programs at Ext. 2784 or click here.
| Canisius Welcomes Civil Rights Pioneer Canisius College will welcome Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian, living legend of the civil rights movement, on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center. The lecture, entitled “Working for Change in the Face of Violence: Experience and Reflections from the Civil Rights Struggle,” is sponsored by the All-College Honors Program. For more information about this lecture, contact Bruce Dierenfield, PhD, at Ext. 2683 or click here. |
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Gassman Lecture Series Presents Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Carolyn R. Bertozzi, PhD, the T.Z. and Irmgard Chu Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkley, will present a lecture, entitled “Probing the Biology of Cell Surface Sugars with Chemical Tools” on Thursday, March 9 at 1:00 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center. This lecture is sponsored by the Paul G. Gassman Memorial Seminar. For more information, click here or contact Mary C. O’Sullivan, PhD, professor of chemistry, at Ext. 2352.
Women’s Studies Awards Luncheon March 10
This year’s Women’s Studies Awards Luncheon will take place on Friday, March 10 from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge. Sister Susan Bowles, VOICE-Buffalo and Bernadette Franklin, president, Seneca Rezolutions Construction Management Co., will discuss “Rebuilding Western New York.” Tickets are $10. For reservations, contact Dede Johnson at Ext. 2162 or send an E-mail to johnson5@canisius.edu.
CSW Hosts Dessert and Conversation
The Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) will host Dessert and Conversation on Thursday, March 15 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Regis Room South. Join your co-workers and catch up on the latest campus news. Bring or buy your lunch. Dessert and beverages will be are provided. For more information, contact Barb Wozniak at Ext. 3737 or send an E-mail to wozniakb@canisius.edu.
African American Dance and Drum Performance
The Dance and Drum Performing Company from the Buffalo African-American Cultural Center entertained lunchtime diners in the Economu Dining Hall on Wednesday, February 8. The event, in celebration of African American History Month, was sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Programs and Chartwells Dining Services. Chartwells featured a special soul food menu including fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas and collard greens.
CANISIUS KUDOS
Graduate Literacy Center Awarded $1,500 Grant
(l-r) Marilyn Cunningham, correction officer at Gowanda Correctional Facility; Anthony Wiley, lieutenant at Gowanda Correctional Facility; Cheryl-Jessel Yates '05, secretary for the Graduate Literacy Center; Sibatu Khahaifa, deputy superintendent for security services at Collins Correctional Facility.
The Graduate Literacy Center at Canisius College received a $1,500 grant from the New York State Minorities in Criminal Justice (NYSMICJ). Cheryl-Jessel Yates '05, secretary for the Graduate Literacy Center, accepted the award at a ceremony held on Friday, January 13 at the literacy center. The grant will be used to help the center provide diagnostic testing and remedial reading services to students from local elementary schools. The center, which opened in August of 2004, serves many children from the Hamlin Park neighborhood and financial assistance is provided.
Smith Receives NYSATA Service Award
(l-r) Andrew Duncan, NYSATA president, and Andrew N. Smith, head athletic trainer and clinical coordinator for the athletic training education major.
Andrew N. Smith, head athletic trainer and clinical coordinator for the athletic training education major, received the Thomas J. Sheehan Sr. Award from the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA) on January 8 at the National Athletic Trainers' Assocation District's I and II meeting in Philadelphia.
The Thomas J. Sheehan Sr. Award is NYSATA's highest service award and is presented to the athletic trainer whose character, commitment and achievements in the athletic training profession clearly exemplify the traits of Thomas J. Sheehan Sr. Sheehan was the long-time head athletic trainer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is one of the founding fathers of the Athletic Training Profession and NYSATA.
At the same meeting, Katharine Sampson '06, an athletic training major, received scholarships from NYSATA and NATA District II. The competitive scholarships are based on academic and athletic training achievement. Sampson was nominated by Peter M. Koehneke, chair of sports medicine, health & human performance.
Valdez Sworn in as Public Safety Officer
José Valdez '05 (second from left) was sworn in on January 26 as the college's newest public safety officer. Pictured to Valdez's left is Gary Everett, director of public safety. Ken Kruly, director of government relations performed the swearing-in ceremony and is pictured to the right of Valdez. Kevin Kwitzer, building services supervisor for facilities management (far right), attended the ceremony to support Valdez, who previously served as a work study for the college's grounds department.