By Vinny Reda
Richard Alba and John Logan, professors in the Department of Sociology, gave presentations at a press conference of the American Sociological Association (ASA) on August 16 at the New York Hilton and Towers in New York City. They discussed their research on how recent immigration patterns and trends are changing the American suburbs.
Using new data from the 1990 census, Alba and Logan noted that American suburbs are providing homes for large numbers of Asian, Hispanic, and Afro-Caribbean immigrants.
Unlike earlier waves of European immigrants, the latter-day immigrants are increasingly likely to settle in suburbs, either immediately or soon after their arrival. As part of the researchers’ presentation, they provided maps showing where members of major immigrant groups are concentrating in the New York metropolitan region.
“This project calls attention to a major change in the way immigrants settle in the U.S.,” Alba said. “It has big implications for the way immigrants integrate into American society as well as for suburban communities, which are now considerably less homogeneous.”
Alba and Logan have been collaborating for nearly a decade on studies of metropolitan residential segregation, their research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Rockefeller Foun-dation. The most recent year received $174,300 NSF funding under a grant titled “Residential Patterns of Minorities in the Metropolis.”
The two have together published 16 scholarly articles and chapters, several focusing specifically on the suburbanization of minority and immigrant groups. Several other articles are currently under review for publication.
The ASA press conference was part of the its 1996 Annual Meeting. The presentation by Alba and Logan was one of four projects highlighted in order to draw media attention to and public awareness of the conference.
The University Art Museum is now in the process of creating a Web site for the work of the late Donald Mochon, the founding director of the University Art Museum and a popular, much collected artist.
The museum will attempt to centralize a record of the artist’s output — including his writings at work, art work, caricatures, and compiled biographical material on him. “The long-range goal,” said Museum Director Marijo Dougherty, “is the production of a CD-ROM on the artist.”
“We are locating and documenting Mochon’s work to centralize a record of the artist’s output and also developing a site for his work on the Museum Web page,” said Corinna Schaming the assistant to the director at the museum.”
Although creating the Web site will take at least a year’s work, the outcome will be quite worthwhile. Mochon’s work will be “so accessible and so convertible to CD-ROM. And this is a way to get it known internationally,” said Dougherty. “When the Mochon site is completed, those who open the Web page will be able to click on the ‘Donald Mochon Archives’ and access up to 1,000 images of his work.”
Mochon participated in overseeing the design of the Art Gallery and was the director of the University Art Museum from 1967 to 1976 while also a faculty member at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.
He is known for his “25-cents auctions,” which he used to enable a wide audience to own one of his works. During his years at the University and RPI the auctions’ proceeds benefited both schools’ art departments. Prospective buyers placed bids, raising the price no more than a quarter at a time, and most and most of the drawings were sold in this way for as little as $2 or $3.
Mochon “communicated by drawing,” Dougherty said, adding that many of his existing art works are “memos.” “If you sent a memo to Don, he’d respond with a drawing,” she explained. After his early death from cancer in 1976, the Art Museum displayed a whole wall of Mochon memos in tribute to this much loved artist and gallery director.
Linda Chavis
Excerpts from the Opening Convocation speech by Jeanette Altarriba, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, delivered to this year’s freshman class.
“This is a very significant moment for those of you here this evening. It marks the beginning of a chapter in the book of your life. It is a transition, and as most transitions in our lives, it is marked by dreams and action, hopefulness and trepidation as you will be exploring new ways of doing things while enjoying your achievement of having been accepted to our University . . .
“Teaching students and conducting high quality research are interwoven aims at our institution. The education provided here encourages college students to consider the world in new and interesting ways, and to learn to see the surrounding environment with new and different perspectives . . . “The areas you may explore might not be of direct interest, but in the pursuit of a well-rounded education, we will ask you to tackle these areas and to gain from the process of educational growth.”
[Altarriba then described some of the opportunities available at Albany: the Presidential Scholars program; interdisciplinary majors; numerous research opportunities alongside faculty members who are leaders in their fields; internships; student organizations; career guidance, and study abroad.]
“You are entering a time of “self-discovery.” Now is your chance of defining what your life might look like five or ten years from now . . .
“We are taught that knowledge is power, and that is true. But if Dr. Einstein were
“All we have is this instant. If you accept this idea, each second of your life
becomes incredibly important and valuable. Each thought you have and every action you
take through relationships with others, creates your future. Strive to make those
encounters meaningful, and to recognize the impact of this very moment on your lives
. . . “Finally, let me leave you with this. Life will provide what you attract with your
thoughts and actions. Think, act, and talk negatively, and your world will likely be
negative. Think, act, and talk with optimistic enthusiasm combined with respect for
every other human being, and you will attract positive people and results.”