Welcome Back
The 2005-2006 academic year is officially underway at Canisius College. The first day of classes was Monday, August 29 but student leaders and athletes arrived on campus August 10. The remaining student body arrived on August 27, including more than 250 freshman and sophomore students who live in the newly completed Eastwood Residence Hall. 

The view of the campus from the 7th floor of Eastwood Hall.

Now that construction on Eastwood Hall is complete, the Eastwood parking lot has been re-opened and includes 75 parking spots.  On-street parking on Main Street and Jefferson Avenue will be available again this year but only after 9 a.m.

Several major construction and renovation projects were completed on campus this summer.

The construction of Eastwood Hall, as well the new on-campus electrical substation that was required due to additional power demands, was completed at a total cost of $20.5 million ($1.5 million for substation).  The Health Science Building has a new biology lab on its ground floor, as well as a second-floor computer lab and staff lounge at a cost of $603,000. For more information on the new computer lab, click here for the LIS News page.  Renovations to 23 Aggasiz Circle, the new home for the College Relations Division, were completed at a cost of $275,000.

Several important on-campus events will usher in the fall semester. The official ribbon cutting for Eastwood Hall will take place on Thursday, September 1 at 10 a.m.  Later that day, the start of the academic year will be commemorated at the Mass of the Holy Spirit at 1 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel.  The Mass will be followed by a chicken barbeque in the dining hall from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., sponsored by the college’s Office of Campus Programming and Leadership Development.

On Thursday, September 8 at 2:30 p.m., all faculty and staff are invited to hear Canisius President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., give his annual state-of-the-college address during the Academic Convocation in the Montante Cultural Center.  

Canisius Welcomes New Faculty and Staff
Canisius welcomes 35 new faculty and academic administrators this fall. Watch the next issue of NetGazette for introductions to and photos of the newest members of the college community.

Noonan’s Whale Research Receives International Attention
A new discovery by Michael Noonan, PhD, professor of biology/psychology, has found killer whales to be among those animal species that possess “cultural learning,” a phenomenon in which animals of the same species learn from other members of their group. 

Noonan’s study began five years ago at Marineland in Ontario, Canada, when he observed an orca luring gulls into his tank by spitting fish onto the water’s surface.  The mammal then sank below the water and waited for a gull to come down for the bait.  When it did, the orca lunged at the gull with open jaws.  Within a couple months, Noonan observed the whale’s younger brother adopt the gull-catching trick.  Their mothers soon followed in adopting the strategy and eventually the behavior spread through the killer whale population. 

Noonan presented his findings earlier this month at the Animal Behavior Society conference in Snowbird, Utah.  His research was reported in New Scientist magazine (London), Science News (Washington, DC), and by Animal Planet and Discovery Channel.  Noonan’s discovery has also received international media attention from such agencies as the BBC (“Good Morning Scotland”), the Berliner Zeitung newspaper (Germany), Agence France Press (AFP), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Aljazeera TV. 

For more information on Noonan’s research, click here.

New Library Service Gives College Community Access to Millions of Additional Books
Canisius College students and faculty now have access to more than four million books and reference materials through a new library service called ConnectNY.  ConnectNY is a collaboration of libraries within New York State dedicated to sharing library materials as efficiently and quickly as possible for faculty, staff and students at participating institutions.  Canisius students may initiate an on-line, direct borrowing request from any respective member library, with the expectation that request items will be delivered within approximately 48 hours.

“ConnectNY will make it possible for Canisius faculty and students to easily borrow from an expanded collection of millions of volumes,” says Joel A. Cohen, PhD, associate vice president for library and information services at Canisius College. “While faculty have always benefited from traditional interlibrary loan services, the amount of time needed for processing and delivery just did not meet student needs.  With books delivered in days rather than weeks, ConnectNY may have the greatest benefit for our students.” 

Canisius is the 10th member of ConnectNY, which also includes Colgate University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. Lawrence University, Sienna College, Union College and Vassar College.  Resources available include books, magazines, journals, newspapers, government documents, archives and manuscripts, audiovisual materials, maps, sound recordings, music scores, films, videotapes and other electronic resources. 

To use ConnectNY, start in the on-line library catalog on the library homepage and perform your search as usual.  If the book is not found in Canisius College, press the ConnectNY icon and follow the prompts to search for materials.  

Canisius Accreditation Reaffirmed by Middle States Commission on Higher Education
 

Canisius College’s regional accreditation was reaffirmed by the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education, following an April visit of a nine-person team, led by John Convey, PhD, Provost of Catholic University of America.  The Office of Academic Affairs received the college’s letter of notification from Middle States on June 23.

The commission is the unit of the association that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region. It examines institutions on 14 standards, which touch on every aspect of its operations and mission. 

Canisius received special commendation on four standards:  for clearly affirming its Catholic and Jesuit mission and identity; for the leadership of its Board of Trustees in strategic planning; for the stability of its senior administration; and for being a campus “welcoming to all religions.” 

“Canisius is extremely pleased with the outcome of the Middle States visit,” said Herbert J. Nelson, PhD, vice president for academic affairs.  “We had an excellent visiting team that was clearly able to perceive the significant accomplishments of the college over the past decade.”

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA  19104 (267-284-5000) is an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Secretary of Education for accrediting activities in the Middle States region.  
 
NetGazette to Publish On-Line Version Only
This is the last issue of NetGazette that will be printed for hard-copy delivery. Hundreds of print copies have been left in mailboxes in the faculty lounge or thrown away. If it is more convenient for you to read NetGazette in hard copy, click the print-friendly icon on the NetGazette home page. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Etu, NetGazette editor, at Ext. 2795.

The college will be closed, except for essential operating personnel, on Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor Day.

Did You Know? This fall, Michael Noonan, PhD and his Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation will create another mini-zoo exhibit in the college’s Health Science Building. Watch upcoming issues of the NetGazette for more information.

---

CANISIUS EVENTS

Faculty and Staff Invited to Annual DSS Dinner
The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) invites all faculty and staff to its annual dinner on Thursday, September 8 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Regis Room. Each year the DSS Office holds an informational dinner for all students who are registered with the office.  It is a great opportunity for students, faculty and staff to learn about the DSS Office and the services it provides.  The dinner is free but reservations are required by September 6. For more information or to RSVP, please call the DSS Office at Ext. 3748.

Tenured Faculty to be Honored
Tenured and promoted faculty, including those receiving emeritus status, will be recognized on Friday, September 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library.  Watch the next issue of the NetGazette for photos of the honorees.

Williams to Kick off Business Leaders Series
The 2005-2006 Canisius College Distinguished Business Leaders Lecture Series kicks off on Wednesday, September 14 at 4 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge when Julie L. Williams, acting comptroller in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, presents a lecture entitled "Banking and Consumers."  William's lecture is free and open to the public.

The Distinguished Business Leaders Lecture Series was created by Peter Canisius Distinguished University Professor Hon. John J. LaFalce '61. For more information, click here or contact Dede Johnson at Ext. 2162

Reception for Tower Exhibit September 16

Painting by Liz Tower. Porch, Georgian Bay, mid-late 1940s, oil on canvas

The ArtsCanisius series is already underway on campus. "Liz Tower: A Selection of Paintings" is currently on display in the Peter A. and Mary Lou Vogt Gallery in the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library.   Five paintings are now on display, and each Friday five different paintings will be hung in the gallery. On Friday, September 16, all 50 paintings in the show will be on exhibit during a reception for the artist, her friends and family. Canisius faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the reception, which will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Lend a Hand to Canisius Community Day September 24
Canisius faculty and staff are invited to lend a hand during Canisius College Community Day, Saturday, September 24 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.  Participants will team up with local non-profit organizations to help out in our local neighborhood and beyond. 

Organized by the Office of Campus Ministry, Canisius Community Day is an opportunity for members of the college community to assist local agencies and a wonderful way to help out our neighbors.

To sign up or for more information, contact Joe Van Volkenburg in the Office of Campus Ministry at Ext. 2875 or send an E-mail to vanvolk@canisius.edu.

Canisius College Summer Science Camp

Canisius President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., stopped by to visit with students in this year's Canisius College Summer Science Camp.  Students created and launched plastic bottle rockets in the college's Quad.  The week-long sessions, directed by Steven H. Szczepankiewicz, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry/biochemistry at Canisius, featured different sciences each day illustrated by hands-on activities and experiments.

Books are Fun for Buffalo Youth Involved in Canisius Literacy Program

Paul Crowley MS '05, who directed this summer's ERIC program at the Canisius College Literacy Center, poses with some of the local children who participated.

Nearly 50 children living in Canisius' neighboring community participated in the college's Enjoying Reading is Cool (ERIC) program this summer.  Sponsored by the Canisius College Literacy Center, the month-long reading program was open to children in grades three - 12.  Students read books for enjoyment and then shared their thoughts about the stories in literature circles.
 
The Canisius Literacy Center is operated by the college's School of Education & Human Services and provides diagnostic and remedial literacy services to the children of Buffalo and Western New York.  Its ERIC summer reading program is supported by a $2,800 grant from the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation.

Did You Know? Nearly 150 members of the Canisius community participated in last spring’s Canisius Community Day.

---

CANISIUS KUDOS

Women’s Business Center at Canisius Hosts First Annual Recognition Event

Melinda Rath Sanderson, WBC executive director; Patricia A. Hutton, PhD, professor of economics and finance and recipient of the WBC Coach Award, and Loretta Kaminsky, WBC assistant director.

Nearly 120 people turned out for the Canisius College Women’s Business Center’s (WBC) first annual Summer Social and Recognition Event.  All of the women who have participated in the WBC programs were invited to the event, and those individuals who gave their time and expertise to the WBC over the last few years were recognized.

Patricia A. Hutton, PhD, professor of economics and finance, received the WBC Coach Award for her efforts in the one-year business coaching program. Hutton was nominated by her protégé Michele Pellette of Miss Lily’s Biscuits. 

“Dr. Hutton has been able to help a woman small-business owner significantly in only one year,” says Melinda Rath Sanderson, WBC executive director.  “We were pleased to recognize her efforts not only as a coach but also as an active member of our advisory board.”

Fourteen local, mostly women-owned businesses donated refreshments for the event.

Herlihy Wins George M. Martin Advancement Award

(from left to right) George M. Martin, special counsel to the president; Erin E. Herlihy, director of alumni relations and 2005 George M. Martin Award winner; and John J. Hurley, vice president for college relations

Erin M. Herlihy, director of alumni relations, is the recipient of the college’s 2005 George M. Martin Advancement Award. Herlihy accepted her award at the College Relations Division annual celebration on August 30. 

Established in 1983 by George M. Martin, then executive vice president for administrative affairs at Canisius, the advancement award is presented annually to a member of the college’s advancement staff whose initiative, creativity and teamwork brings distinction to him/herself and the college.

Bibi Serves as Senior Editor for ACSM Certification Review Book
Khalid W. Bibi, PhD, professor of sports medicine/health and human performance recently had his fourth book published by leading medical book publisher Lippincott Williams and Williams.  The book, entitled American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certification Review, second edition, is an authoritative and comprehensive study guide for all ACSM certifications for the next four years.  The 300-page book will be used by thousands of students from around the world both as a textbook and study guide. 

Dennis W. Koch, assistant professor of sports medicine, served as a reviewer for the publication, which was introduced in June at the annual ACSM meeting in Nashville. 

Hurley is Guest Book Reviewer John J. Hurley, vice president for college relations, served as the guest book reviewer for the Bistro Bookers meeting on August 23.  Hurley reviewed Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell for a group of about 70 Bistro Booker members at Chef's Restaurant.  The monthly event is sponsored in cooperation with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and the Library Foundation.

Canisius Admissions Team “Adopts” Humboldt Parkway

Admissions staff trims weeds and grass along Humboldt Parkway.

Members of the college’s Office of Admissions took to the streets on Wednesday, August 17 to spruce up sections of Humboldt Parkway.  Decked out in Canisius apparel, the clean-up crew picked up many bags of garbage, and trimmed weeds and overgrown grass to brighten up what is for many visitors the “gateway” to Canisius College.  The following members of the admissions staff participated in the clean-up:

Jill Atkinson, co-director, admissions; Ann Marie Moscovic, co-director, admissions; Mollie Strasser, assistant director for admissions; Jessica Pagano, admissions counselor; Rhonda Hands, assistant director, admissions; Kim Zabawa, assistant director, admissions; Mark Bunting, assistant director, admissions; and Rachel Voerg, assistant director, enrollment management communication technology.

Kevin Kwitzer, building services supervisor for facilities management, supplied weed wackers and all the equipment needed for the clean-up job.

Did You Know? The Canisius College Women’s Business Center has assisted more than 2,500 women since it opened in January of 2003.