@UB, July 2005

Returning from a recent trip to visit our alumni chapters in Asia, I was reminded about how truly global our world has become. UB alumni are no longer bound by walls or geography. They connect to UB and each other not only through this newsletter, UB Today and our online community, UB Connect, but also by corresponding with former professors, fellow classmates and current students. My recent visit confirmed that these virtual, and literal, relationships are alive and well.

That's why I'm delighted to tell you about our plans for an extensive upcoming UB road trip. From September 2005 through May 2006, UB representatives will visit alumni in some 15 cities and towns across the country. To be hosted by regional UB Alumni Association chapters, many of the events will include President Simpson and several of our deans, and several schools and units are planning additional events as well. Stay tuned for details so you can join us when we visit your hometown.

  -- Robert O. Davies, PhD '05, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations

University News

NEW AD NAMED: Looking to the University of Michigan and the Big Ten for new leadership for its intercollegiate athletics program, UB has named Warde J. Manuel, an associate athletic director who oversees the football and men's basketball programs at Michigan, as its new director of athletics.

WIRED ENGINEERS: UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the schools of engineering at the State University of New York university centers at Stony Brook and Binghamton together are creating the world’s first fully online bachelor's-degree program in electrical engineering.

DRUG TRAINING: Sankyo Pharma Development is giving $120,000 to the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences for graduate fellowships, responding to the shortage of qualified researchers in the study of body/drug interactions.

NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT: After getting off the ground less than two years ago, the University at Buffalo's Home Loan Guaranty Program has helped 10 UB employees buy homes in the University Heights neighborhood.

UB People

ALUMNI PRESIDENT: The UB Alumni Association has elected a new president, dual-degree holder Charles C. Swanekamp of East Amherst, to serve a two-year term.

SUNY HONORS 10 FROM UB: Six UB faculty members, three professional staff members and one librarian have received 2005 SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence from former SUNY Chancellor Robert L. King.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: "Vietnam Today: A Guide to a Nation at the Crossroads," by Mark Ashwill, PhD '91, UB director of the World Languages Program, has been called the seminal work for understanding Vietnam today. The book offers practical advice for those visiting or working in Vietnam.

ATWOOD HONORED: Jim D. Atwood, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, has received the 2005 Jacob F. Schoellkopf Medal recognizing achievement in chemical technology.

Breaking Research

GEOGRAPHIC RISK: Individuals who live within 10 miles of a casino or in a disadvantaged neighborhood are more likely to experience problem gambling, according to new research from UB’s Research Institute on Addictions.

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER: UB researchers who used paint to change the appearance of butterfly wings have shown that when it comes to the eyespots on a male butterfly's wings, it's their sparkle, not the size of the eyespots, that matters when female butterflies consider potential mates.

FASTER SOLUTIONS: A new patented approach to solving the structure of proteins – the ultimate goal of which is developing new medicines and treatments -- developed by UB chemist Thomas A. Szyperski has cut the time for determining their structures from six to 12 months to 10-20 days.

Heard on Campus

"The scene that was the most moving was the steadiness of the people as they responded to what was happening. There was no sense of panic. The Brits say, 'look, we've been through worse than this.' There were nights during the bombing of London (during World War II) when they'd wake up and find 1,500 people dead. And with the IRA terrorist attacks that went on for 20 years or more – it's part of the backdrop of life there."

--Michael Farrell, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, who was in London for a conference when four bombs went off July 7.

In My Opinion...

How did you beat the heat when you were a UB student? Click here and tell us "your favorite tricks for keeping cool." Please include your name and graduation year.

To see where your fellow UB alumni go to satisfy their favorite Buffalo food cravings (last month's "In My Opinion" question), go here.

"Hot" Links

Go backstage and learn sound and lighting techniques. This August, the UB Center for the Arts is presenting a technical theater program for high school students, college students and adults.

Check the progress on UB 2020.

There's still time to see the Howard Ben Tré exhibit at the UB Anderson Gallery.

About @UB

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