University Council Sked

The University Council meetings for the Spring Semester are as follows: Feb. 12, April 2, and May 7 at 4 p.m. in the University Council Room, Administration 253. Please call Sorrell Chesin at 442-5300 for further information.

Daily Life of the Aztecs

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Michael Smith of the Department of Anthropology and director of the Institute for Mesoamerican Studies will narrate a slide presentation, "Daily Life of the Aztecs," part of the Spring 1998 Community Conversations series sponsored by the Friends of the Libraries

It will be held in the Mary Elizabeth Cobb Library Conference Room (B43), University Library, from noon to 2 p.m. The public is welcome. Coffee, tea and cookies will be available.

The many written descriptions of the Aztecs made by Spanish conquerors and settlers in the 16th Century make this one of the best-described indigenous native American cultures. According to Smith, these historical documents are biased in several ways, however; most describe nobles but not commoners, cities but not rural areas, and imperial institutions but not everyday life.

Over the past 15 years archaeologist Smith has countered this trend by excavating Aztec houses, farms, workshops, and even garbage heaps and been able to piece together many fascinating aspects of Aztec daily life. His 1996 book, The Aztecs, (Blackwell Press) is an academic bestseller. His article "Life in the Provinces of the Aztec Empire" appeared in the September 1997 issue of Scientific American, and his web sites (https://www.albany.edu/~mesmith/tlahuica.html) describing fieldwork in Mexico have won several awards.

Public Health Degrees with UB

The University�s School of Public Health and the University at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences have signed an agreement to offer a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Doctor of Public Health (Dr.PH) from Albany through courses taught at Buffalo.

Plans also call for courses to be taught by faculty from both institutions via teleconferencing, and for new courses to be developed that capitalize on the expertise and resources of both faculties.

The master�s program is be offered effective immediately. "With disease prevention high on the national agenda," said David O. Carpenter, dean of the School of Public Health, "this is an excellent opportunity for two State University Centers, both of which are leaders in health research, to collaborate, and to offer public health education to students at a medical school and its affiliated programs."

"This new program gives us expanded ability to train our faculty in public health and prevention of disease, and is an excellent complement to our existing graduate program in epidemiology and community health," stated Dr. Maurizio Trevisan, professor and chair of Buffalo�s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine.

"It is also a concrete example of how two State University Centers can work together to provide excellent educational opportunities." Interest in the program is keen, Trevisan said, and he expects demand to be strong.

While medical school and specialty residencies train physicians to treat diseases of individual patients, public health training concentrates on improving and protecting the health of populations, with particular emphasis on prevention of disease.

Arthur Michalek, director of graduate studies for Buffalo�s graduate program and a key player in the new effort, said the MPH degree is an attractive option for clinical staff, giving physicians a chance to see both the public health impact and fiscal sides of health programming.

Carpenter noted that in an era of managed care, tighter budgets and reduced access to health services for many people, educating health care providers in public health issues has never been more important.

"The old adage, �An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,� still applies," he stated.

�Pack the RACC� and Growl

The entire University Community is invited on Thursday, Jan. 29, to Pack the RACC for the "Big Purple Growl Basketball Game and Ferocious Feast." Building a new tradition, the Big Purple Growl Basketball game is designed to foster University pride, spirit and tradition through involvement and connection with athletic programs.

During a special half-time recognition ceremony, members of the women�s tennis and field hockey teams and men�s cross country and football teams will be honored for winning their division championships.

Prior to the game, the Alumni Association is sponsoring the Ferocious Feast in the Hall of Fame Room from 4:45 - 7 p.m. The women�s basketball game vs. New Haven begins at 5:30 p.m. and the men�s game at 7:30 p.m.

Admission to the games is free for faculty and staff. Cost of the Ferocious Feast is $10 for faculty and staff who purchase tickets in advance ($12.50 at the door), $10 for students, and $5 for children 12 and under. There will be activities for kids of all ages including hoop shooting, face painting, live music and the University-wide Pack the RACC contest!

University community members and supporters are encouraged to wear the purple and gold colors. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Ferocious Feast, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 442-3080.

Albany Hosted Egyptian Parliament in December

A delegation of 11 staff members from the Egyptian Parliament visited Albany in December on a study program entitled "The Networked Information Systems Study Tour," hosted by the University�s Center for Legislative Development (CLD).

The members of the delegation were technicians and managers of the two computer centers of both houses of Parliament. Their visit was sponsored by the Decision Support Services Project (DSSP), a government-to-government development assistance project under which CLD is the primary training provider for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This group�s visit followed closely upon the heels of a previous high-level delegation in October, whose emphasis was on the research resources and staffing of legislatures.

The first two segments of the group�s trip took place in North Carolina and Washington DC. In Albany, the group spent two days of their program wrapping up their discussion of legislative information systems and the legislative process with staff of CLD and the University, and visiting information systems units within the state legislature of New York.

This is the fourth visit of Egyptian parliamentarians and staff to CLD over the last two years. "Once again, we see this visit as an important step in expanding the Egyptian Parliament�s role in the political and economic development of Egypt," said Abdo I. Baaklini, director of the Center and professor of Public Administration in the Rockefeller College Department of Public Affairs and Policy.

Tours Join Admissions

The University Tour Program has now joined the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Most campus tours will begin at the new Welcome Center at the east entrance of the Administration Building.

The regular schedule for tours is: on weekdays, beginning at the Administration Building Welcome Center at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; on weekends, beginning at the Campus Center Information Desk on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

University Information Sessions will also be offered Monday through Friday at 12:30 p.m. in the Welcome Center, and on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. in the Campus Center. (Some Friday sessions may also be moved to the Campus Center due to their size.)

Campus tours and information sessions are offered when classes are in session. Requests for campus tour information may still be directed to 442-5583. Tour Coordinator is Jill Cenatiempo.