| April 16, 2008 | Vol 9. No. 12 |
Canisius ROTC Program Ranks #1 in the Eastern Region
The U.S. Army Cadet Command and the General MacArthur Foundation have ranked the Canisius College Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program first out of 135 schools in the Eastern Region for medium-sized detachments.
“We aim to uphold Canisius College’s reputation as an exceptional program that produces highly-principled officers for the U.S. Army,” said Lt. Col. James H. Soos, Golden Griffin Battalion command officer and chair of military science. “This recognition confirms that the college, our cadre and the cadets are on the right track.”
The Canisius College Golden Griffin Battalion was selected for the McArthur Award based upon order of merit score, production efficiency, commission mission accomplishment, retention rate and contract mission accomplishment. Only six Army ROTC programs out of 273 programs in the United States are recognized each year. All faculty and staff are invited to attend the ROTC Spring Honors ceremony on May 1 at 3:30 p.m. in the Regis Room when there will be a formal presentation of the MacArthur Award plaque and streamer.
Father Cooke to Speak on Understanding the 35th General Congregation and the Society of Jesus
Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., president of Canisius College, will share his reflections on the Jesuits 35th General Congregation in Rome with the campus community on Monday, April 21 at 3 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge. All faculty and staff are cordially invited to attend. Father served as a member of the American delegation and one of 225 delegates from around at the world who elected a new Superior General for the Jesuits, Father Adolofo Nicoläs, and approved formal decrees focused on the Jesuit mission in the modern world; including Jesuit identity, collaboration with those outside the Jesuits, internal governance and obedience to one’s superior, as well as to the pope. A question and answer session will follow Father Cooke’s talk.
Canisius to Participate in Earth Day Initiative
All Canisius faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to carpool, bike, walk or take mass transit to work on Tuesday, April 22. The college will join nearly 120 local organizations for the region’s first Earth Day Initiative in which commuters will use alternative means to get work on a large scale. The purpose of the campaign, spearheaded by Lancaster-based environmental firm Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E), is to raise local awareness of issues associated with global warming. The initiative has attracted support from a wide variety of groups, including businesses, schools, colleges, community organizations, not-for-profit groups, retailers, manufacturers and developers. For more information on the Earth Day Initiative or for a complete list of participants, click here. To find a carpool match, click here.
Commencement 2008
Graduate Commencement Canisius will confer approximately 275 degrees at graduate commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center. Daniel W. Stanton ’79 founding principal of Samson Capital Advisors LLC and former general partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., will give the commencement address. Stanton will also receive an honorary degree, along with David C. Hohn, MD, executive director of health policy and president emeritus of Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Baccalaureate Mass
Canisius College President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., will be the principal celebrant of the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center. Graduates, faculty and family members will gather to give thanks for blessings bestowed on all graduates. The Mass will be followed by a reception in the Patrick Lee Center. (RSVP is required by May 7.)
Undergraduate Commencement Students, faculty, staff and friends will gather at Alumni Arena on SUNY Buffalo’s Amherst campus for the 142nd undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. Approximately 750 undergraduate degrees will be conferred. Calvin Darden ’72, retired senior vice president of UPS, will serve as commencement speaker. Darden will also receive an honorary degree, along with Clement Eckert, retired president and CEO of the Food Bank of Western New York, and Herbert A. Hauptman, PhD, president of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute Inc.
LaSalle Medal
The Canisius College Alumni Association will confer the LaSalle Medal on James F. Lyons ’56, HON ’98, during undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. The LaSalle Medal is the association’s most distinguished award and recognizes Canisius alumni who have made substantial contributions to advance the interests of the college.
Commencement Marshals
Commencement marshals are still needed to help at both undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies. Marshals will receive paid time off for their service.
Commencement marshals help students properly put on their academic regalia, lead their row of graduates into the ceremony and pass out diplomas to the graduates after they walk across stage. Marshaling duties will be discussed further at a meeting on Monday, May 12 at 2:30 p.m. in the Faculty Dining Room.
In addition to marshals, volunteers are also needed to hand out programs and collect tickets. For more information, or to sign up to serve as a marshal or to volunteer in any other capacity, contact Judy Bruce at Ext. 2130.
CANISIUS EVENTS
Canisius to Host Screening of Including Samuel
Canisius College will host a screening of Including Samuel on Wednesday, April 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Regis Room. A documentary film by photojournalist Dan Habib, Including Samuel examines the educational and social inclusion of youth with disabilities. Following the screening, Habib will host a panel discussion with several special guests. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. For more information, contact Marya Grande, PhD, assistant professor of education, at Ext. 3263 or click here.
Davis, Leous to be Honored at Accounting Banquet
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| Robert R. Davis ’61, PhD, CPA |
Deborah C. Leous ’79, MBA ’82 |
The Canisius College Accounting Society will also recognize Deborah C. Leous ’79, MBA ’82, chief financial officer of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, during the organization’s annual dinner. Leous will receive the Dr. Joseph R. Coppola ’40 Award, which recognizes the exceptional achievements of a Canisius College accounting alumnus.
The keynote speaker will be Erie County Executive Christopher Collins. Tickets for the event are limited. For more information, call the Canisius College Department of Accounting at (716) 888-2870.
Tenth Annual Shoes for Shelter
Aileen Hoak, assistant cross country coach, top Canisius faculty/staff finisher with a time of 18:48, crosses the finish line at the Shoes for Shelter 5K in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Trey Gardener, adjunct professor of counseling and human services, top Canisius faculty/staff finisher with a time of 18:58, receives his award in the Patrick Lee Center following the Shoes for Shelter 5K.
A record 500 people participated in the Tenth Annual Canisius College Shelter 5K Run/Walk presented by Independent Health on Sunday, April 6 in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Congratulations to Aileen Hoak, assistant cross country coach, who was the top Canisius faculty/staff female finisher with a time of 18:48, and Trey Gardener, adjunct professor of counseling and human services, who was the top male Canisius faculty/staff finisher with a time of 18:58. According to John Maddock, associate director of athletics for external affairs, shoes are still being counted in the collection for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. But given the large turnout of runners and walkers, it looks like another record-breaking year.
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| Gary B. Lew, senior facilities operations manager | Gary Everett, director of public safety | Mary Ann Rood, administrative associate for public relations | Ellen M. Hamm, PhD, assistant professor of education |
JP-Morgan Corporate Challenge
All Canisius College faculty, staff and administrators are invited to join the college’s 2008 Corporate Challenge team. As in the past, Chartwells will provide a post-race party with refreshments. The event will be held on Thursday, June 5 at Delaware Park. The tent party begins at 5 p.m. and the 3.5 mile race begins promptly at 6:45 p.m. The registration fee is as follows:
- Canisius College faculty and staff - $20 per person
- Non-Canisius Employee - $33 per person
- Tent party only - $5 per person
Women’s Studies Luncheon
WGRZ-TV News Anchor Jodi Johnston ’94, MS ’99, will be the guest speaker for this year’s Women’s Studies Luncheon on Thursday, April 17 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge and Regis Room. Congratulations to the 2008 Dr. I. Joan Lorch Award winners, who will be honored at the event: Tanya M. Loughead, PhD, assistant professor, philosophy, faculty award; Melinda Rath Sanderson, executive director, Women’s Business Center, administrator award; Deborah E. Abrahamson, admissions associate, staff award; and Sheri Labenski, Women’s Studies Certificate ’08, student award. For reservations, contact Dede Johnson at johnson5@canisius.edu or Ext. 3720. Quadrangle to Unveil 2008 Issue
The Quadrangle will unveil its 2008 issue on Thursday, April 24 from 6:00 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge. The event is free and open to the public.
The Quadrangle, Canisius’ annual literary and visual arts magazine, features work by students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni. The event will feature a selection of readings from Quadrangle authors, as well as a display of artwork published in the magazine. In its 56th year of publication, the Quadrangle strives to represent the voices of the students by providing a well-rounded mixture of short fiction, poetry, essays, non-fiction and visual arts.
For more information, contact Mick Cochrane, PhD, professor of English at (716) 888- 2662.
CANISIUS KUDOS
NSF Grant Awarded to Mathematics & Statistics
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the Department of Mathematics & Statistics a significant grant in the category of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). The department will use the $233,361 grant to continue its successful undergraduate summer research program entitled “Geometry and Physics on Graphs.”
Established four years ago with a similar NSF grant, the program provides funding to eight undergraduate students so that they may work closely with faculty mentors on projects that develop tools from geometry and algebra to study graphs and related groupoids. The goal is to produce original research results that students may submit for publication to mathematics journals or present at mathematics conferences. A secondary goal is to create tutorial reports that will provide a foundation for future research.
The REU program at Canisius is directed by Terrence P. Bisson, PhD, professor of mathematics & statistics, Byung-Jay Kahng, PhD, assistant professor of mathematics & statistics, and Efstratios Prassidis, PhD, professor of mathematics and statistics, all of whom wrote the NSF grant application.
Farrugia to Receive Distinguished Faculty Award
The Canisius College Alumni Association will present David L. Farrugia, EdD, professor of counseling and human services, with its 2008 Kenneth L. Koessler Distinguished Faculty Award, during spring honors convocation on Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center. The prestigious award, presented annually, recognizes one faculty member for teaching excellence and outstanding contributions to the academic world.A member of the Canisius faculty since 1981, Farrugia served as chair of the Department of Counseling and Human Services from 1997 – 2007.
Farrugia is a licensed mental health counselor, certified rehabilitation counselor and nationally-certified counselor. He has worked in both school and agency settings, and has maintained a private practice throughout his tenure at Canisius. Devoted to the success of his students, he shares his vast knowledge and practical experience with them both in and out of the classroom. For more information, click here.
CSPA Repeats as National Case Study Champion
The Canisius Team of Edward Wright and Amy Feder, both students in the Canisius master’s program in college student personnel administration (CSPA), placed first in the New Professionals category in the national case study competition. Congratulations to the students and to Sandra Estanek, PhD, assistant professor of college student personnel administration and director of the master’s program in college student personnel administration.
The event took place at the annual conference of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) held this year in Atlanta, GA. The conference attracts more than 4,000 participants. This is the fourth consecutive first-place finish for a CSPA team from Canisius. Last year CSPA students Amanda Kalal and Patrick Marino placed first in the competition.
Moll Serves as Keynote Speaker E. Christine Moll, PhD, associate professor of counseling and human services, served as the keynote speaker for the American Counseling Association of the U.S. Virgin Island’s annual conference on February 29. Moll’s lecture topic was entitled “Professional Identity in the New Normal.” She also spoke on “Women, Leadership and Spirituality” for the Utah State University Women’s Studies Program on March 5.
Canisius Hosts WNY Peace Office Training
(From l-r) David Koteras, adjunct professor of criminal justice/sociology and program facilitator; Gary Everett, director of public safety; Patrick Lewis, marshal, Buffalo Fire Department; Seth Biedron, officer, NFTA; Nicholas Langenfeld, officer, NFTA; Michael Walsh, officer, NFTA; Dominic Barone, assistant director, public safety; George Sweetland, officer, NFTA; Corey Baskerville, officer, public safety; Joel Eberth, officer, NFTA; William Major, officer, NFTA; Lawrence Sarafinas, officer, Niagara University public safety; Anthony Turner, officer, public safety; Nicholas Overturf, officer, Medaille College public safety; James D’Angelo, officer, Niagara University public safety; Michael Timblin, officer, public safety and Aaron Turner, officer, public safety.
In March, the Canisius College Public Safety Department hosted the New York State Basic Peace Officer Program. The participants included three Canisius College public safety officers, six NFTA officers, one Buffalo Fire Department marshal, two public safety officers from Niagara University and one public safety officer from Medaille College.
“In the spirit of collaboration, we are pleased to offer the NYS Peace Officer Course to other local departments free of charge,” says Gary Everett, director of public safety.
Everett adds that this is the ninth time that Canisius has hosted the Peace Officer Training Program, which covers NYS Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Miranda rights, Investigations, and Ethics, among other topics.