Around Campus

UAlbany Welcomes New Provost

Carol Kim, former associate vice chancellor for Academic Innovation and Partnerships at the University of Maine System, joined UAlbany Aug. 1 as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. At the University of Maine, she held a succession of academic and administrative positions, including director of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, vice president for research, and dean of the Graduate School. Kim earned a bachelor of arts from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in microbiology from Cornell University.

America East Honors Student- Athletes

With G.P.A.s ranging from 3.76 to 3.95, 10 members of the Class of 2019 were honored last spring with America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete awards. Altogether, 61 student-athletes from the America East’s nine participating universities were recognized. The awardees were: Erik Dluhy, Matt Perla, Alex Brown, and Noah Taylor, all of the men’s lacrosse program; cross-country runner Cara Sherman; high jumper Victoria Stoffel of women’s track & field; baseball pitcher Dan Yankowski; Alec Ambruso of men’s cross country; softball infielder Kelly Barkevich; and women’s-soccer defender Savanah Courtney.

Zheleva, Sheng Earn NSF CAREER Awards

UAlbany assistant professors Mariya Zheleva and Jia Sheng have received NSF (National Science Foundation) CAREER awards of $510,494 and $600,000, respectively. The awards support junior faculty.

Zheleva, a computer scientist in the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), conducts research in next-generation wireless-mobile networks. Her project focuses on “Automating the measurement and management of the radio spectrum for future spectrum-sharing applications.”

Sheng, a Department of Chemistry faculty member, is also affiliated with the RNA Institute. He is studying the structures and functions of natural ribonucleic acid (RNA) modifications and the development of molecular tools for gene regulation.

Building a Bridge to Costa Rica

Leaders from partner institutions in Costa Rica

At the invitation of Costa Rican Congressman Pedro Miguel Muñoz Fonseca, UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez and Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy visited Costa Rica last spring to explore forging long-term partnerships between their institutions and the country. The presidents met with first lady Claudia Dobles and the minister of Education to discuss attracting students from Costa Rica to study for degrees at HVCC, then transfer to UAlbany, or to recruit both graduate and undergraduate students directly to the University.

UAlbany, Rodríguez noted, “is honored to partner with Hudson Valley Community College to build new partnerships and expand and strengthen current relationships in Costa Rica. It was also a privilege to meet our colleagues at the Universidad de Costa Rica as we are currently celebrating 10 years of a very successful partnership led by our School of Public Health.”

ARWU Ranks SPH

The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Rankings, has recognized UAlbany’s School of Public Health (SPH) as one of the best in the world.

The Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2019 – Public Health, released in July, lists SPH in a tie for eighth place among U.S. public institutions ranked. On the overall list of 500 schools of public health around the world, SPH ties for 51st place with such other highly regarded institutions as Dartmouth and the University of Southern California.

The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity’s new Drone Lab is located in the basement of the University at Albany’s Draper Hall. Link to the full story and video at www.albany.edu/news/90830.php.

University Art Museum Hosts Exhibition

ACE: art on sports, promise, and selfhood continues at the University Art Museum until Dec. 7. The exhibition explores sports’ capacity to shape personal identity, define broader cultural codes and rituals, and engender community. Featuring works by more than a dozen artists, ACE comprises a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, video, works on paper, and immersive installation. Support for the University Art Museum exhibition and programs is provided by the Office of the President; the Office of the Provost; The University at Albany Foundation; UAlbany Strategic Allocation of Resources Fund, University Auxiliary Services; and John Troiano ’83 and Jennifer Troiano.

Campus Construction, Renovations Continue

Lounge with couches in the renovated former School of Business building.

Over the summer, work continued on a number of construction and renovation projects at UAlbany.

The former Business Administration building, now the Catskill Building, is the School of Education’s new home. Work on the building will continue, with renovations to the former Education building, renamed the Taconic Building, set to begin next spring.

A Summer 2021 occupancy date has been set for the 246,000-square-foot ETEC building being constructed on UAlbany land located on the Harriman Campus. The project will provide a spectacular new location for our weather and atmospheric-sciences programs; our College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC); related research activity; private partners; and classrooms and conferencing spaces.

At the Schuyler Building on the downtown campus, Phase 3 of renovation will continue through 2019-20. The bidding process for Phase 4, allowing the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) to occupy half of the building, will take place this fall, with 2022 occupancy.

Renovations to Dutch Quad’s Schuyler and Beverwyck halls, completed this summer, will provide nearly 200 new, modernized, energy-efficient spaces for students. After renovation, the quad’s former kitchen and dining hall will house the University’s Health and Counseling Center beginning in January 2020.

Upgrades to improve access from the Podium to the Lecture Center are also underway, as are lecture-hall renovations.

Peace Corps Prep Program Launches at UAlbany

Student smiling with children in study abroad program.

Beginning this fall, UAlbany undergraduates from any major can avail themselves of courses and mentoring that will enhance their chances of acceptance as Peace Corps volunteers – and expand their career options simultaneously.

The Peace Corps Prep program supports the University’s strategic-plan priorities of internationalization, diversity and inclusion, community engagement, and student success. Each student will complete three courses related to one of six Peace Corps sectors, along with 50 hours of training and/or volunteer work in that sector; three intercultural development courses or experiences; and professional-development activities.

UAlbany is the first SUNY campus, and the third higher-education institution in New York State, selected as a Peace Corps Prep partner.

With support from the Peace Corps recruiter, the Center for International Education and Global Strategy is seeking UAlbany faculty, staff, and students who have served with the corps and would like to mentor Peace Corps Prep participants. For information, please contact John Justino ([email protected]) or Annette Richie ([email protected]), who co-chair the UAlbany Peace Corps Prep Faculty Council.

NIH Funds Fibrosis Study

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Melinda Larsen has received $3.4 million from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NICDR) to research the causes of fibrosis and find ways to remediate it. Fibrosis, a natural response to injury, is a causative factor in hundreds of diseases and is associated with 40 percent of deaths worldwide, according to Larsen, principal investigator of the five-year project. Her uptown campus lab seeks to understand how salivary glands develop and to engineer regenerative medical strategies to treat diseases like Sjögren’s Syndrome, a common autoimmune disease in which the secretory ability of many organs, including the salivary glands, is significantly reduced.

Game on!

Alex and Francois Barcomb point to $100,000 winnings

Francois Barcomb, Ph.D.’99, earned a doctorate in physics from UAlbany, so he’s well versed in science. But he also knows a lot about “European History,” “Fire & Ice,” and a host of other topics covered in the “Jeopardy!” Teachers Tournament last May. A science teacher in the Hendrick Hudson School District in Montrose, N.Y., Barcomb buzzed his way to victory – and the $100,000 top prize. The New Paltz resident planned to set some of his winnings aside for his daughter’s education.

Longtime “Wheel of Fortune” fan Logan Stone did a great job representing UAlbany during the program’s College Week last winter. The computer-science major from Ballston Lake, N.Y., spun – and won – racking up $18,000 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Aruba. It was “an experience unlike any other,” recalls Stone, who taped the show in February for a March 21 airing.

UAlbany Introduces The Graduate School

Graduate education at the University at Albany now has a central home. The former Office of Graduate Education, led by Kevin Williams, vice provost and dean, has officially completed its conversion to The Graduate School. The new entity, explains Williams, now dean of The Graduate School, will increase the profile and visibility of graduate programs. It will also support the University’s new strategic plan, Authoring Our Success, by helping to address four goals that align with its priorities:

• increasing and maintaining robust graduate enrollments
• promoting interdisciplinary research and education
• increasing diversity in the graduate-student body
• ensuring student success and preparing students for different career pathways

Traditionally, UAlbany operated under a hybrid model that included a mixture of centralized and decentralized administrative entities.