University Update -- January 27, 1999

VOLUME 22, NUMBER 12ï¿½ March 24, 1999

FRONT PAGE
Foundation Names Citizens Laureate
Angelou, McCullough and Wilson to Grace Commencement
Reaccreditation Allows Improtant University Story to be Told

HIGHLIGHTS
The Library Plaques
Families Back in the Swim
Campus in Hannaford Commercial
African Gender Policy Leader to Speak
"Kids Night Out" with the Women

IN PRINT
Exploring the Power of Ethnic Unity

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
Lee Bickmore

FACULTY & STAFF
Carlucci Takes Post with State Comptroller
Herlands New Academic Advisor
Zimmerman, 50 Years of Public Administration
Innovative New Course Taught by University Vice Presidents

NEW FACES
John Bailey Jones
Silvia Nagy-Zekmi

FEATURES
University Self-Study Survey
The 2-Day Y2K 4-Um
Bigger Brains in Men--Well, They May Help When You Need to Read a Map
Graduate Program in Library Science Scores High in U.S.News Survey
CESTM Incubator Firm Wins Award
Poems, Photos, Paintings and Prints Highlight Latest Museum Show

ALUMNI NEWS
Rosemary Herbert - A Career in Words was Nurtured at Albany

GIFTS
Endowments Established, Added to

SPORTS TALK
Softball Begins NECC Defense
Lacrosse Humbled by Syracuse
Baseball Tries to Top 19-Win Year

Foundation Names Citizens Laureate

By Christine Hanson McKnight
Community leaders Kenneth T. and Thelma Perkins Lally ï¿½48, former Albany Mayor Thomas M. Whalen III, and recently retired Skidmore College President David H. Porter will receive the University at Albany Foundationï¿½s 1999 Citizen Laureate Awards on Saturday, April 24, at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs. The Lallys and Whalen are the community laureates; Porter is academic laureate.
Kenneth Lally began his career with General Electric in Schenectady. In 1964, he purchased the financially struggling W.L. & L.E. Gurley Co. (now Gurley Precision Instruments, Inc.) and quickly restored it to financial health. In 1968, he sold Gurley to Teledyne, Inc. He later served as president of Coradian Corp. and has been involved with many Capital Region "startup" companies. A founder of the Capital Region Technology Development Council, Lally served as trustee of Troy Savings Bank, RPI, the Troy Chamber of Commerce, Samaritan and Ellis hospitals, and Proctorï¿½s Theater.
Albany alumna Thelma Lally was an elementary school teacher in the Niskayuna School District for 26 years. She has been active in many community and civic organizations, including the Ellis Hospital Foundation Board, the Schenectady Boys and Girls Club, United Way, Sunnyview Hospital Auxiliary, Proctorï¿½s Guild, Knights of Malta, Saratoga Performing Arts Center Council, and Teresian House.
In 1995, the Lallys donated $15 million to the school of management at RPI, which was renamed in their honor. They have also made large donation to Samaritan and St. Clareï¿½s hospitals, and to support a new residential center for Alzheimerï¿½s patients at The Eddy.
Whalen, Albany mayor 1983-1993, has a 30-year record of community service, including terms on the University at Albany Foundation board and the University Council. Currently a member of Albany Law Schoolï¿½s board of trustees, Community Foundation of the Capital Region and the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, he played a vital role in establishing Camp Opportunities, Inc., a free summer camp for inner-city children. He also helped to create the Commission on the Capital Region and the Arbor Hill Community Center.
In 1989, he received the Universityï¿½s Distinguished Service Medallion. He has received numerous other awards, including the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund, the M.L. King Distinguished Achievement Award, and Albany Law Schoolï¿½s Alumni Gold Medal.
Porter stepped down as Skidmore College president in December 1998 after 11½ years. He is currently carrying out research and writing in his two areas of scholarship, classics and music, at Williams College. Porter led Skidmore to the successful conclusion of its five-year "Journey Campaign," which more than doubled the collegeï¿½s endowment and surpassed its original $78 million goal by $8.5 million.
A Swarthmore College and Princeton University alumnus, Porter is an accomplished pianist and harpsichordist, and author of five books and monographs. He has received NEH, Woodrow Wilson and Danforth fellowships, and a Carleton College Second Century Award.

Angelou, McCullough and Wilson to Grace Commencement

Poet and author Maya Angelou will become an honorary Doctor of Letters and give brief remarks at the 155th Undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 23. Later that afternoon, Pulitzer Prize winner and historian David McCullough and Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist Edward O. Wilson will become honorary Doctor of Letters and Doctor of Science recipients, respectively.
The undergraduate ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the Pepsi Arena in downtown Albany, with graduate commencement at 2:30 p.m. in the Recreational and Convocation Center.
The great-granddaughter of an Arkansa-born slave, Angelou is renowned for a series of autobiographical works that began with the best-selling I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for best spoken word album for On the Pulse of Morning.
Angelou received an Emmy nomination for her supporting role as Kunta Kinteï¿½s grandmother in the 1977 TV production "Roots" and was given the coveted Golden Eagle Award for her PBS special "Afro-American in the Arts."
Now Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University, last April Angelou was a guest at the University, talking about her life and giving a reading before a capacity audience.
McCullough is the author of six books including Truman, which won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for biography. Through painstaking research, combined with individual style and sense of story, McCullough set a new standard for historic works. He is considered by many the signal voice of American historiography.
His other works include The Great Bridge, about the Brooklyn Bridge; The Path Between the Seas, about the building of the Panama Canal; The Johnstown Flood; and Mornings on Horseback, about Theodore Roosevelt. His current project views the parallel lives of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
McCullough has received the National Book Award, the Los Angeles Times prize for biography and the American Book award for biography. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and a fellow of the Society of American Historians.
Edward O. Wilson is one of the worldï¿½s foremost experts on the insect world and in the field of sociobiology ï¿½ the scientific study of the biological basis for animal and human social behavior. The field is based on the theory that some or much of such behavior is genetically determined. He earned a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1955 and joined the faculty after serving as a member of research expeditions to Australia, New Guinea and Ceylon. Today, he is the curator of Harvardï¿½s Museum of Comparative Zoology.
He is the only American to receive both the Pulitzer and the National Medal of Science. He won his first Pulitzer in 1979 for On Human Nature and his second (with Bert Holldobler) for The Ants. Wilson has written nine books in all.
Last year the University awarded more than 2,600 undergraduate and 1,360 masterï¿½s degrees and certificates of advanced study, and more than 230 doctoral degrees.

Reaccreditation Allows Important University Story to be Told

By Vinny Reda
The final version of the Self-Study that the University will submit to the Middle States Association of Colleges and Universities in January 2000 will be far from a rehash of the points made a decade ago, when the last 10-year reaccreditation was achieved, says the chair of the Self-Studyï¿½s steering committee.
"The campus has experienced several exciting transitions and is undergoing a dynamic period of intellectual and physical growth," said Sue Faerman. "The Self-Study therefore allows us to tell a very interesting and important story. It complements the other planning processes that the University has been engaged in during the last few years. And itï¿½s a forum to reflect upon those processes in a different context."
Faerman, a faculty member in the Department of Public Administration and Policy, said that one milestone in the Universityï¿½s reaccreditation was recently met when a "self-study design statement" was approved by Middle States. "In addition, Dr. Minna Weinstein, the Middle States liaison with the campus, visited on February 24-25 and met with our steering committee, the vice presidents, University Senate chair Roger Stump, and with President Hitchcock. Iï¿½d say she was pleased with what she heard."
The process began last year when the 14 "characteristics of excellence" Middle States seeks were assigned to 10 separate subcommittees consisting of about 100 faculty, staff, and students. The subcommittees are performing the major part of their work this Spring: gathering data, collecting input from the campus community, and writing drafts of their reports.
Self-Study input is now also being solicited through a web site: (http://www .albany.edu/middle_states/), through campus forums, and through regularly published reminders on campus.
The remaining schedule for open forums, with subjects to be addressed, is:
ï¿½ Tuesday, March 30, 3 p.m., Draper 313 ï¿½ Libraries, Computing, & Other Resources
ï¿½ Tuesday, April 6, 2 p.m., LC19 ï¿½ Mission, Goals, Objectives & Institutional Integrity; Facilities & Equipment; and Institutional Change & Renewal
ï¿½ Thursday, April 8, 2 p.m., Terrace Lounge, Campus Center ï¿½ Planning & Resource Allocation; Faculty; and Organization & Administration
ï¿½ Thursday, April 8, 4 p.m., Terrace Lounge ï¿½ Students; and Catalogs, Publications, & Other Promotional Material.
Feedback and discussion is also encouraged through response to the faculty/staff survey, printed on Page 2.
The steering committee encourages the campus community to be forthcoming and to share ideas and recommendations. A draft of the Self-Study Report will be available for campus review and comment early in the Fall 1999 semester.

The Library Plaques

In celebration of National Library Week the University Libraries Staff Campaign for the Libraries will be selling paper plaques to hang in the librariesï¿½ windows on Monday ï¿½ Friday, April 12-16, from 1 to 5 p.m. in both the Uptown Campus University Library lobby and the Downtown Campus Dewey Library first floor.
Plaques will cost $1, and participants will be eligible for a drawing of gifts from local bookstores on Friday afternoon.
All proceeds will be used to better equip the Universityï¿½s libraries.

Families Back in the Swim

The Department of Athletics and Recreation has announced the return of a new and improved Family Swim. Each Sunday afternoon, beginning March 28, excepting April 4, from 2:30 ï¿½ 5 p.m. at the University Pool.
University faculty, staff, and students may bring an additional adult and up to two children per adult to enjoy the pool and the new equipment recently purchased for family use. Water basketball hoops, "noodles," inner tubes and water balls will be available. There is no cost. For more information, call 442-PLAY or Jessica Casey at 442-3067.
On Friday, April 9, from noon to 2 p.m., the Department of Athletics and Recreation is sponsoring a special opportunity for graduate students to play basketball and volleyball with other graduate students in the Physical Education Building gyms. No registration is required and there is no cost for this program.
The Department may offer a scuba program if there is sufficient interest. The cost for the instruction would be approximately $240 per participant and the program would involve up to five evening sessions of approximately three and one-half hours. Those interested or needing more information may contact Jessica Casey at 442-3067.

Campus in Hannaford Commercial

A Maine film crew working for the Hannaford Company (formerly Shop ï¿½N Save) was on campus March 11, shooting footage for a Hannaford commercial to air locally in May, June and July. M.B.A. student Diana Richburg, B.S.ï¿½97, a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team in the 1500 meters, is featured in the commercial.
One scene shows Richburg jogging along the academic podium. The Chemistry Building and the podiumï¿½s arches are in the background. Another scene shows her and William Holstein of the School of Business in front of the Administration Building. Other scenes show Richburg at a Hannaford supermarket and in her home.
Richburg, who did many of her workouts on the University track and around Perimeter Road as she prepared for international competitions, is scheduled to complete work on her MBA this May. She plans a career in marketing.

African Gender Policy Leader to Speak

The chief executive officer of the Office on the Status of Women in the office of the Deputy President of South Africa will be the featured lecturer, speaking on "Gender and Public Policy in a Transforming Society: South Africa, an Evolving Case Study," on Thursday, April 8, at 2:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Assembly Hall.
The lecture by Dr. Ellen Kornegay will be followed by a reception, and is free and open to the public.
Kornegay is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating a national gender policy, including overseeing gender mainstreaming projects in government offices and programs. She holds a Ed.D. in international education from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and an M.S.W. in social work from Smith College. Prior to taking this position, she was executive director of the Womenï¿½s Development Foundation in South Africa.
This event is sponsored by the Department of Africana Studies and the Institute for Research on Women, the Center for Women in Government, the Department of Womenï¿½s Studies, and the School of Social Welfare.

"Kids Night Out" with the Women

As part of the womenï¿½s basketball teamï¿½s fundraising drive to support its trip to Italy this summer to play the Italian national team, "Kids Night Out at the RAAC" is slated for Thursday, April 15, for the families of faculty and staff of the University.
Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. in the RAAC lobby for the event aimed at children three years of age and up. Activities are scheduled for children with the team, coaches and trainer, and in addition there will be games, movies, and "munchies."
Cost of the event is $15 for one child and $8 for a second or third child. To pre-register or for more information, call 442-3089. Registration deadline is Tuesday, April 13.

Carlucci Takes Post with State Comptroller

Carl Carlucci, the Universityï¿½s Executive Vice President, has been appointed First Deputy Comptroller in the office of State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, it was announced by McCall on Mar. 12. He will assume his new responsibilities on April 1.
"We are very fortunate to have Carl Carlucci join us in the State Comptrollerï¿½s Office," said McCall. "His vast experience in government and academia will prove invaluable as he helps lead OSC into the next century."
President Hitchcock, in a letter to the University community, praised Carlucci for his efforts since arriving at the University in 1993. "Dr. Carlucci has provided outstanding leadership in a number of critical areas, most recently in the development of the Universityï¿½s master plan," the President wrote.
She said that Carlucciï¿½s work with architects and planners, identifying needs and clarifying priorities, made a critical contribution to Albanyï¿½s successful request to the State Legislature and SUNY for $130 million in construction funding. "Since then, Dr. Carlucci has led efforts to begin construction of new campus facilities," added Hitchcock.
She also pointed to the work of Carlucci and his staff in reorganization of University Auxiliary Services food services, the upgrading of the Universityï¿½s administrative computing infrastructure, and in efforts to work with the City of Albany in improving parking and transit along the Washington and Western Avenue corridors.
"I am very grateful to Dr. Carlucci for his exceptional contributions in all these areas," said Hitchcock. "His many accomplishments have helped to position the University to achieve its long-term goals. With his background in both higher education and state government, he has been an extremely valuable member of the Universityï¿½s administrative team."
While the President said that Carlucci "will be missed," she said she looked forward to continuing interactions with him in his new role.
From 1987-92, Carlucci served as secretary to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. "I am delighted to begin a new chapter in my lifelong career of public service," said Carlucci.

New Academic Advisor

The Office of General Studies and Summer Sessions has announced that Martin Herlands, formerly of the Advisement Services Center, has been appointed an academic advisor in the area of general studies.

50 Years of Public Administration

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) on April 11 will honor Joseph F. Zimmerman, professor of political science in the Graduate School of Public Affairs, for his 50 years of dedication to the society.
In conjunction with ASPAï¿½s 60th National Conference in Orlando, Fla., Zimmerman is scheduled to be presented with ASPAï¿½s 50-year gold membership lapel pin at the opening plenary session.
Zimmerman has been a member of the University faculty since 1965. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, among them a distinguished citizen award from the National Civic League in 1986 and the 1997 "Outstanding Academician Award" from the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management of the American Society for Public Administration.

Innovative New course Taught By University Vice Presidents

By Lisa James
"The Administration of the University" (EAP 687S) is a new course at the University using first-hand information from those who know: Albanyï¿½s own vice presidents. According to the syllabus, the class consists of a series of lectures on different aspects of managing higher educational institutions. The lectures cover topics in four areas: institutional leadership, managing academic programs, student services and campus community, and financial management.
The class, in which ten graduate students are currently enrolled, meets once per week. In addition to required reading of Academic Duty by Donald Kennedy, students must also read The Chronicle of Higher Education and be prepared to discuss its current issue in class. Grading for the course is based on a mid-term exam, a semester paper on one of the four topic areas, and class participation.
Each vice president leads several sessions of the course, which is coordinated by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Judy Genshaft. Even University President Karen R. Hitchcock is involved. In her session, she spoke to the class about the role of the presidency in an institution of higher education.
Students in the class learn about the varied activities that go on in each division but they also discuss important issues of leadership and decision-making in higher education. "The real message that I want our students to have is for them to truly understand the deep underlying principles of higher education in America so that when they make their decisions, they make them on the basis of the vision and the values that the institution holds," Genshaft said.
Executive Vice President Carl Carlucci said: "For faculty members, anything you do in the classroom sharpens you intellectually in the knowledge of your field."
James P. Doellefeld, Vice President for Student Affairs, covers several topics, including career services, residential life, legal issues, health education, campus diversity and special programs. "For me the course has two benefits," he said. "It prompts me to refresh professionally as I prepare to discuss these varied issues. Secondly, I have always looked for constructive feedback from students and this is another opportunity. As for the students," he said, "they get to talk to the people who live this stuff every day."
New Vice President for University Advancement Robert Ashton added that, "Itï¿½s a remarkable resource for students to have the vice presidents speak to them and bring experiences from Albany as well as other institutions where they have served."
The concept for the course came from Doellefeld. Last semester, he taught a course in educational administration that dealt only with issues of student affairs. He then brought the idea of all the vice presidents teaching a course to a meeting of President Hitchcockï¿½s executive cabinet.

John Bailey Jones

By Suzanne Grudzinski
This past fall, the Universityï¿½s Department of Economics welcomed scholar John Bailey Jones to its faculty.
"The faculty is thrilled to have him," said Department of Economics chair Terrence Kinal. "He adds new skills to the department that we didnï¿½t have before ï¿½ namely, knowledge in computable general equilibrium models."
Jonathan Parker of the University of Wisconsinï¿½s economics department said that Albany is "fortunate to add him to the faculty. Johnï¿½s research is on the cutting edge of macroeconomics, both in terms of technical skill and in terms of answering important questions about the neoclassical growth model."
After earning his B.A. in Public Policy from the College of William and Mary in 1987, Jones worked as an analyst and research associate for the National Economic Research Associates, assisting in the production of reports and testimony related to the electric and natural gas industries. Later, he returned to school, receiving an M.S. in economics in 1995 and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998.
His record of academic achievement is distinguished by such awards as Phi Beta Kappa, the E.B. Fred Fellowship, the Harold Groves Research Paper Prize, and Distinction in Macroeconomics Field Examination. While at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jones was also awarded the "Distinguished Teaching Assistant" honor.
Macroeconomics is Jonesï¿½s primary research interest; his other interests include econometrics, computational economics, and regulatory economics. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his teaching experience included courses in graduate macroeconomics, graduate econometrics, and principles of macroeconomics. He also worked as a research assistant while earning his Ph.D.
Jones serves as a referee for the American Economic Review and for the Journal of Human Resources. He also maintains professional affiliations with the American Economic Association and the Midwest Economics Association.
Currently, Jones is teaching two courses and, according to Kinal, has contributed significantly in terms of undergraduate advisement and advisement within the doctoral program. Kinal added that Jones "has been active among faculty and students. He is very involved in the department, and student evaluations have been strong. He adds a new dimension to the department."

Silvia Nagy-Zekmi

By Theresa Poon
Albanyï¿½s Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures last fall welcomed multilingual scholar Silvia Nagy-Zekmi as a new member of its faculty.
A native of Hungary, Nagy-Zekmi grew up viewing language as a tool that enables one to penetrate into a culture. She is fluent in Hungarian, Spanish, English, French and Italian, with familiarity in Portuguese, Quechua, and Russian.
"Dr. Nagy-Zekmi is important to us because she brings both expertise in Latin American literature and post-colonial studies to our department," said David Wills, department chair. "She especially strengthens the Spanish graduate program since Latin American studies is the most popular program in Spanish studies."
Nagy-Zekmi started her studies in anthropology at universities in Chile and Peru, but later returned to Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, to earn her M.A. in Latin American literature and in literary theory and aesthetics. She later earned her Ph.D in Hispanic studies at the same university.
Throughout her career, she has focused on post-colonial theory. As a Latin Americanist, she is particularly interested in the culture of Latin Americaï¿½s Indians. "Post-colonial theory articulates the relationship between the so-called Third World and the First World," said Nagy-Zekmi.
A recipient of numerous grants, Nagy-Zekmi has done fieldwork in Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, and Algeria. Based on her studies, she authored two books, Trans-Atlantic Parallelisms: Post-colonialism and womenï¿½s writing in Latin America and North Africa (1996), and History of the Andean folk song (1989). Both have been published in the U.S., Spain, and Ecuador. Her more than 40 papers have included ones delivered at international, national, and regional conferences, and others published in 11 different countries.
Prior to coming to Albany, from 1990-97 Nagy-Zekmi taught Latin American literature at Catholic University in Washington D.C. "Dr. Nagy-Zekmi has a fairly interdisciplinary reach which has been borne out since sheï¿½s also been appointed to an adjunct position in the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Studies," added Wills.
Nagy-Zekmiï¿½s professional affiliations include membership in the American Association of University Women, Association of Third World Studies, International Association for Semiotic Studies, and Latin American Indian Literatures Association.
In celebration of this yearï¿½s Womenï¿½s History Month, Nagy-Zekmi invited three women who contested the 1976-83 military dictatorship of Argentina. The event, "Argentine Mothers of the Plaza De Mayo," took place Mar. 16 in the Performing Arts Center.
Currently, Nagy-Zekmi is teaching "Latin American Women Writers," "Introduction to Literary Research," and "Topics in Hispanic Literature." She is also working on a new book, titled The Postcolonial Condition: Nationhood, Ethnicity and Identity in Latin America.

Exploring the Power of Ethnic Unity

By Jinsun Ko
Jose E. Cruz of the Department of Political Science in Rockefeller College believes that identity politics is a way for minorities to use their ethnic unity as a means of political liberation.
Although some believe that this will separate society, Cruz disagrees: He sees identity politics as the most effective way for minorities to make themselves heard. In Identity and Power: Puerto Rican Politics and the Challenge of Ethnicity, he argues that fragmentation and instability are more likely to occur when differences are ignored and non-ethnic strategies are employed. "The closing of ranks is not a precondition of incorporation but the precise way in which incorporation takes place," writes Cruz.
Cruz illustrates his theories by studying the Puerto Rican Political Action Committee (PRPAC) in Hartford, Conn., from 1983 to 1991.
As a citizen of Puerto Rican origin, Cruz identifies with the Puerto Rican citizens in Hartford. "There is no doubt in my mind: Ethnicity will continue to be an important ingredient in the American quest for unity, diversity, democratic participation, and equality," he writes.
The Puerto Rican activists at Hartford insisted on their right to be part of Hartfordï¿½s political process. Considered foreigners despite the stable foundation for themselves over the years, they had little or no representation and were excluded from political parties, policy-making bodies, and even antipoverty programs.
"In a provocative analysis of the Puerto Rican Political Action Committee of Connecticut," says Wilbur C. Rich of the political science department at Wellesley College, "Jose Cruz has linked identity politics, political ambition, organizing, and intra-ethnic rivalry." Adds Vilma Ortiz, a sociologist at the University of California, Los Angeles: "Identity and Power highlights Hartfordï¿½s uniqueness at the same time that it provides us with lessons for other Puerto Rican, Latino, and ethnic communities throughout the U.S."
Although the PRPACï¿½s voice was heard, the organizationï¿½s success was limited and colored by paradox: Economic prosperity was coupled with urban deterioration. However, PRPAC actions are the foundation for further change for Puerto Ricans in Connecticut and elsewhere.
Writes Cruz: "The claim that the political significance of ethnicity is bound to decline is by now several generations old, yet this has not happened. Puerto Ricans and Latinos around the country have voiced their opinions and advocated change with their ethnic unity and power."

University Self-Study Survey
In order for the Universityï¿½s Self-Study to be most successful, it is important that it has broad input from across the campus. While each of the subcommittees is gathering data through a variety of means, there are a few areas where we feel we need additional input. The steering committee therefore requests that you take a few moments to respond to the following questions. You may feel that only some of the questions are relevant to youï¿½feel free to respond to only those questions. Send your responses through intercampus mail to Sue Faerman, ADM 246; or you may e-mail your responses or any questions you have to [email protected].
Sue Faerman
Chair, Middle States Steering Committee

Do the Universityï¿½s goals and objectives allow for sound institutional planning? Why or why not?

Do the Universityï¿½s planning and budgeting processes provide adequate input opportunities for the faculty, staff and students to participate? How can we improve these processes?

In general, do you feel that there are appropriate processes of consultation for decisions that affect you? Give one or two examples.

Do you think that input from faculty and staff on important decisions is taken seriously? Give one or two examples.

How accessible are campus administrators to faculty and staff?

Do you feel you have adequate knowledge about and access to those involved in governance processes at the University? What changes might you suggest?

What, if any, changes would you like to see in your accessibility to University governance and administration?

To what extent are programs offered by the University adequately supported by the available or attainable resources?

Do you feel that the University has appropriate control over how funds are allocated and spent?

Is the curriculum in your department/program organized in a way that its coherence is transparent?

Are current procedures for systematic review and assessment of courses adequate and appropriate? Should there be more University-wide options, rather than just SIRF?

What impact, if any, do you expect the move to Division I athletic programs to have on academic programs?

How can the University Libraries facilitate "engaged learning"?

What are some of the concerns you have about trade-offs involved in increased funding for electronic resources and decreased funding for traditional print periodicals and books?

How satisfied are you with library access to books, periodicals, government publications, and reference assistance? How satisfied are you with library access to electronic resources such as periodicals, web-based resources, and electronic reserves? (Access includes adequacy of material, as well as availability and relevance of resources)

List the three (3) most critical actions the Library should take over the next five years to respond to the needs of students and faculty.

Are there any other comments you wish to bring to our attention as we prepare to draft the campus Self-Study report?

Thank you for taking the time to provide your input to this very important study.

The 2-Day Y2K 4-Um

An information forum on Y2K preparedness for faculty, staff, and students will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, April 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom.
Julie Leeper of the New York State Office for Technology and its Year 2000 project coordinator, will give the keynote address on the measures the state is taking to address possible computer problems associated with the Year 2000, and what all organizations, including college campuses, need to address in 1999 to ensure what she calls "a smooth transition into the new millennium."
Both days will include demonstrations, speakers, and round-table discussions, including illustrations of Y2K noncompliance and tools to detect and resolve Y2K problems, presentations of campus-wide activities addressing (including IAS ï¿½ PeopleSoft) Y2K issues, a ResNet information table, and Y2K awareness and preparedness resources.
Speakers will include Peter Bloniarz, research and laboratory director for the Center for Technology in Government, and Carlos Santiago, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The forum is also open to the Hudson Mohawk Consortium as well as the greater community. Campus mail will provide more detailed information.
There will also be a roundtable discussion, featuring David King, general manager of the Center for Integrated Electronics in Rensselaer; Gary Schwartz, director of server support services for Computing and Information Services in Rensselaer and co-chair of the Campus Commission on the Year 2000; and G. Garland Lala, associate director of the Universityï¿½s Atmospheric Sciences Research Center. Subjects will include identifying Y2K issues, gathering information from vendors, and handling "old" software used to tabulate data.
The forum is sponsored by the Center for Technology in Government, the Faculty Senate, the Division of Academic Affairs, and the Office of the Executive Vice President.

Bigger Brains in Men--Well, They May Help
When You Need to Read a Map

By Christine Hanson McKnight
Itï¿½s true, says University anthropologist Dean Falk: Men around the world do have bigger brains than women. The internationally recognized expert in the field of human brain evolution points out that male rhesus monkeys also have bigger brains than female rhesus monkeys.
But what does it mean? Whatever males are using their extra neurons for, Falk says, itï¿½s not the higher cognitive abilities ï¿½ like abstract thinking, judgment and reasoning ï¿½ that separate us from the monkeys and make us distinctly human.
In the spring issue of the Journal of Human Evolution, Falk ï¿½ writing with former graduate student Nicholee Froese, M.A. ï¿½95; Donald Sade of Mexico, N.Y.ï¿½s North Country Institute of Natural Philosophy; and University psychology professor Bruce Dudek ï¿½ tackles the thorny question of whether or not there are sex differences in brain size after body size is taken into account. In her term project for Falkï¿½s graduate seminar on brain evolution, Froese reanalyzed data already available and established that men indeed have larger brains than women of the same body size.
What are the evolutionary implications inherent in this highly controversial question? Falk and her co-authors hypothesize that males have bigger brains than females because they process visual information and construct mental maps of their environments differently than females. Such is the case for certain rodents known as voles; male voles travel widely to find mates during the mating season. Male rhesus monkeys, who migrate to new social groups when they reach sexual maturity, presumably need keen visual and spatial abilities to do so. So, too, might have the ancestors of humans, Falk hypothesizes.
In a few rare species of Old World monkeys, females, rather than males, do the migrating. Graduate student Art Sansone and Falk are just beginning to study brain sizes of these female monkeys to see how they compare to those of non-migrating males of the same body size. Sansone measures brain size by filling the crania of macaques with mustard seed, then measures the leg and arm bones from the same skeletons to estimate body size.
"What accounts for the sex differences in brain size? We do not know," Falk and her co-authors wrote in the journal article. "However, it is possible that the brains of male rhesus monkeys and men relate to processing of visuospatial stimuli, since the most robust sex differences on cognitive tests that favor men (as opposed to tests that favor women) occur in visuospatial tasks such as mental rotation of figures, map-reading, rod-and-frame tests, remembering positions of numbers, left-right discriminations, disembedding figures, and localizing points.
"If our evolutionary hypothesis is correct, further cognitive testing of rhesus monkeys should reveal significant sex differences in the processing of visuospatial information." Whether or not this prediction holds true, Falk said, "one thing seems certain: "The virtually identical sex differences in brain sizes of rhesus monkeys and people suggest that the larger brains of men compared to women are not due to enhancement of higher cognitive abilities that distinguish humans from other primates."
Falk, perhaps best known for her "radiator" theory of brain evolution, joined the University at Albany faculty in 1988. She contends that the brain size of manï¿½s ancestors began to increase dramatically once hominids stood erect and developed a network of cranial veins capable of cooling the brain in the same way that a radiator cools a car engine. Her 1992 book, Braindance, popularized that theory.
Falkï¿½s cutting-edge research, which is supported by the National Science Foundation, took an interesting turn last spring when she was invited to provide a Science magazine commentary on a report of a brain for a nearly three-million-year-old fossil from the human family. The report, by Glenn Conroy of Washington University in St. Louis and his colleagues, showed that the fossilï¿½s brain was surprisingly small in comparison to published cranial capacities for other fossils. This was odd because these other specimens looked as if they should have had smaller instead of larger capacities than the new specimen.
In her commentary, Falk noted that all of the published cranial capacities of early hominids needed to be re-evaluated, and suggested that the new specimen also raised a number of questions about the timing and mode of human brain evolution. After writing her commentary, Falk began to reanalyze the cranial capacities for all of the specimens of early hominids in her collection. This research, begun with graduate students John Guyer and John Redmond, initially focused on reconstructing the details and sizes of the brain as reflected on casts of the insides of the brain case, called endocasts.
Conroy and Professor Horst Seidler and his University of Vienna Institute of Human Biology colleagues have now joined that effort, using sophisticated computer imaging to produce three-dimensional models, or "virtual endocasts," of the cranium. Falk reconstructed the endocasts by hand in her laboratory, then sent them to St. Louis and Vienna to be compared to the corresponding three-dimensional images generated from computed tomography scans of the original fossils.
As Conroyï¿½s Science report predicted, this international team has uncovered flaws in the accepted brain measurements for some of our earliest relatives. The team has completed its work. An article based on that research is now under review.

Graduate Program in Library Science Scores High in U.S. News Survey

by Greta Petry
The University has the 15th best graduate program in library science in the country, according to a U.S. News & World Report survey of deans, program directors, and faculty of accredited library science graduate programs.
The results appear in the 2000 Americaï¿½s Best Graduate Schools guidebook. Library science, a field transformed by the cyber-revolution, was last ranked by U.S. News in 1996. Explosive growth in the volume and import of electronic information has created demand across disciplines for people expert in organizing and retrieving it.
Albanyï¿½s library science program ranked 15th in a three-way tie with the universities of North Texas and South Carolina-Columbia. U.S. News ranked the 48 masterï¿½s degree programs in the U.S. that are accredited by the American Library Association. Albanyï¿½s School of Information Science and Policy was ranked 17th in 1996.
Philip B. Eppard, dean of the School, which is part of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, said the ranking reflects the schoolï¿½s "long tradition of excellence in such areas as information sources and services, school library media, archives and records management, and government information sources.
"In recent years we have worked to develop new strengths in such areas as information policy and the economics of information, subjects of ever increasing importance to librarians as well as other information professionals. And we are adjusting our curriculum to meet the constant challenges posed by the rapid changes in information technology," said Eppard, who has been dean since 1995. The school has 225 students enrolled in its masterï¿½s degree program.
Albanyï¿½s School of Education also fared well, and was ranked 44th in the nation.

CESTM Incubator Firm Wins Award

by Carol Olechowski
Frank Poore recognizes that the key ingredients for business success are "hard work, good ideas, and great people." In 1997, when he was looking for a place to launch Commerce Technologies, Inc., he found all three ï¿½ at the Universityï¿½s Center for Environmental Sciences and Technology Management (CESTM).
Poore, the company president, was CTIï¿½s sole employee when the firm opened its doors in CESTMï¿½s business incubator almost two years ago. Today, he and five other employees provide production and development services that facilitate business-to-business transactions via the Internet ï¿½ a phenomenon known as "e-commerce."
These services, which include online storefronts, secure credit card payment systems, document translation and transmission systems, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), and Web-based supplier-retailer connectivity, "allow CTIï¿½s customers to capitalize on the potential of these new pathways to improve efficiencies and expand their markets," Poore explains.
Specifically, CTI promotes e-commerce by allowing suppliers "to fulfill products directly to consumers, thereby enabling retailers to offer thousands of products to their customers without stocking or handling a single item." Amazon.com, IQVC, JC Penney, K-Mart, Sears, and Transworld Entertainment are among the 20 retailers that connect with CTI clients.
For its remarkable growth during the past 18 months, CTI recently received an award from the Capital Region Software Alliance and the Center for Economic Growth. The honor, in the category "Promising New Enterprise," pays tribute to a Capital Region software firm expected to gain recognition as a leader in its field.
Poore is delighted with the award and with CTIï¿½s success thus far. With e-commerce "booming," he observes, "weï¿½re ahead of the curve. Weï¿½ve been doing this for a couple of years now, and other people are just talking about it, so weï¿½re in the forefront. Itï¿½s amazing, really."
He credits CTIï¿½s affiliation with the University ï¿½ and its location in a suite at CESTM ï¿½ with having helped to give his firm "great credibility." "CESTM certainly is an extremely impressive building. Gene Schuler [the facilityï¿½s director of technology development] has been extremely helpful. Heï¿½s introduced people to me and been tremendously supportive. And Richard Jones, our companyï¿½s technical administrator, is a masterï¿½s graduate of Albanyï¿½s computer science program." CTI has likewise drawn on the expertise of the Universityï¿½s Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology (CAT), which is also located at CESTM.
In return for the professional resources CTI has utilized and the prestige the company has realized from its association with the University, Poore ï¿½ who earned his MBA at Albanyï¿½s School of Business in 1997 ï¿½ is prepared to give back: CTI is working with the Department of Computer Science to offer a fellowship to a masterï¿½s-level student within the department.
"Iï¿½m happy to be at CESTM and to be part of the University," Poore comments. "Iï¿½d like to make the University proud. This area has produced a lot of good companies. Why not another?"

Poems, Photos, Paintings and Prints Highlight Latest Museum Show

By Jinsun Ko
Three recently opened University Art Museum exhibitions are providing a collective showcase for the talents of two longtime Albany faculty members, a renowned photographer, and two respected writers.
Presented in collaboration with the Center for Arts and Humanities as part of Albanyï¿½s Irish Semester, the exhibits feature works by University printmaking program chair Thom Oï¿½Connor; internationally known photographer Steve Pyke and writer Timothy Oï¿½Grady; and art department professor emeritus Richard Callner, who illustrates author John Montagueï¿½s Love Poems. The exhibitions, which opened March 16, run through April 16.
Oï¿½Connorï¿½s Recent Work, which is featured in the main gallery, includes more than 30 recent prints that convey the brilliant vision of a mature artist. Rich and dark, they possess a magical luminosity that could only have been captured by a true master of the lithograph process.
Recent Work is a commemoration of Oï¿½Connorï¿½s 37-year career at the University. "In sharing his highly attuned artistic sensibility and his unparalleled technical expertise with hundreds of students, Oï¿½Connor has helped launch the careers of many of Americaï¿½s best printmakers," says Marijo Dougherty, director of the University Art Museum.
Pyke, working with Oï¿½Grady, has assembled a collection of photographs that tell the story of a fictional man who grew up in western Ireland and came of age in the mid-1900s. I Could Read the Sky is displayed in the mezzanine gallery.
Pykeï¿½s black-and-white photographs evoke the world of an exile who spent his days in the factories, potato fields, and construction sites of England. A series of images ï¿½ faces, decaying landscapes, and private and public spaces ï¿½ depicts fictional memories while recalling the experience of Irish immigration.
"The photographs," notes writer John Berger of the Pyke-Oï¿½Grady collaboration, "are a reminder of everything which is beyond the power of words. . .And the words recall what can never be made visible in any photograph."
John Montagueï¿½s Four Erotic Love Poems is illustrated by Richard Callner. Displayed in the west gallery, the exhibit features preparatory sketches and final watercolor works that interpret Montagueï¿½s highly charged poems. Dougherty describes the collaboration as "startling in its delicate eroticism."
Several events were planned in conjunction with the exhibitions. Pyke conducted a master class on campus March 9, followed by a special preview of I Could Read the Sky and a reading, with Oï¿½Grady, from their lyric novel by the same name. A reception Sunday, April 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. will honor Oï¿½Connor.
The University Art Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Lee Bickmore

By Carol Olechowski
As an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, Lee Bickmore thought he would teach math. But after teaching a French 102 lab and "really enjoying it," he "fell in love with linguistics." And the rest, as they say, is history. Or rather, in Bickmoreï¿½s case, anthropology.
A Santa Monica, Calif., native who grew up in Los Angeles, Bickmore earned his masterï¿½s and doctoral degrees at UCLA. He arrived at Albany in 1990. Now jointly appointed in the Department of Anthropology and the Program in Linguistics & Cognitive Science, he has taught many classes cross-listed between both disciplines, as well as two freshman seminar courses: "Linguistic Categories and the Mind," and "Klingon and the Nature of Language." He currently co-instructs a Presidential Scholars course, "The Foundation of Great Ideas."
A linguistic anthropologist and phonologist, Bickmore has introduced a number of innovations in his courses. "In the Klingon course, which I co-taught with George Broadwell, we did the whole thing using Powerpoint on a laptop," he recalls. "The students all thought it was very high tech."
"In my ï¿½Introduction to Phonologyï¿½ class, I sometimes wheel in a computer and record studentsï¿½ voices and then show them a sound spectrogram of their speech. Iï¿½m able to manipulate the speech in various ways, which is part of my presentation on acoustic phonetics."
His "Language Structures" course "is 75 percent student presentations," with each student making five oral presentations on a particular language during the semester, allowing for "a real mix between learning new facts and polishing public presentation abilities."
In the "Field Methods" class he teaches, Bickmore introduces to his students "a speaker of a little-known language ï¿½ and I mean little-known: Chilungu, Ekegusii, Kikuria, Malinke ï¿½ to come in all semester. The students ï¿½discoverï¿½ the grammar by asking all sorts of translation-type questions. Itï¿½s our capstone course in the linguistics major, and students love it. They collect all their own data and then write an analysis, which is usually the first analysis ever of that part of the language. Itï¿½s truly an impressive paper to be able to send off to grad school."
Bickmore, who has published in such refereed journals as Phonology, Lingua, Studies in the Linguistic Sciences, the International Journal of American Linguistics, Studies in African Languages, and Oceanic Linguistics, is now at work on a book-length project on the tone patterns found in northern Zambian languages. His research specialty is tone ("of the type found in Chinese").
His primary area of specialization is East Africa, especially Zambia; his secondary interest is in Polynesia, with a particular emphasis on Tahiti. Bickmore, who has traveled to Zambia twice in the past eight years, points out that the nation "has 73 different languages, most of them completely undocumented. My goal is to provide the original description and analysis of a number of these languages ï¿½ particularly those spoken in the Northern Province."
For now, Bickmore is firmly rooted in ï¿½ and at ï¿½ Albany. He serves on the Universityï¿½s General Education Committee and on the Middle States Self-Study Subcommittee on Academic Programs. In addition, he has sponsored a chess club at Westmere Elementary School and is now a troop assistant with Cub Scout Pack 83 of Guilderland.
While he enjoys his community involvement and his University service, Bickmoreï¿½s students are his primary focus. He observes: "I enjoy teaching the ï¿½Intro to Linguisticsï¿½ class to share my love of the subject with those who really begin by not knowing anything about the field. It is satisfying to see the ï¿½light go onï¿½ in the students in that course when they begin to understand all the intricate and interesting connections between the various elements that make up what we know as language.
"On another level, I enjoy teaching the more advanced courses to get students close to the cutting edge of the field ï¿½ to lead them into completely new and innovative research ï¿½ to see their pride in making a creative contribution to the field."
Department of Anthropology chair Robert Jarvenpa commends Bickmoreï¿½s focus on students: "Lee is a very skilled, very resourceful teacher with a really dynamic classroom presence. He is able to engage his students on a particular topic and get them excited about it. Lee received a Presidentï¿½s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1997-98; that is certainly testimony to his great skill as a teacher. In some of its aspects, linguistics is often very technical and dry, and the fact that Lee can still get students interested is to his credit. I wish more of us had that talent!"
Bickmore emphasizes that he has "high expectations of my students, and I endeavor to help them attain great heights. As an example, several years ago a senior in the ï¿½Field Methodsï¿½ class produced a very good term paper. I continued working with this student in an independent study, and the ultimate result was a co-authored paper; it was published in a major refereed journal. In this case, treating an undergraduate like a graduate student produced graduate-level results."
Aside from lauding Bickmoreï¿½s abilities as a teacher, Jarvenpa praises him as "an excellent citizen of the department. He is always willing to go the extra mile. Lee currently chairs our Graduate Affairs Committee, which requires a lot of hours of work; he is handling that responsibility in a very admirable way. He is also director of the linguistics program. Lee is an all-around valuable colleague."

Endowments Established, Added To

With a $10,000 endowment contribution, Phyllis Spiegelglas ï¿½84 established the Howard and Rosalie Lefkowitz Memorial Scholarship in memory of her parents. The scholarship, which will be activated in the 1999-2000 academic year, will be available to students from the five boroughs of New York City and is based on financial need.

Mrs. Hazel English Ferris ï¿½32 has donated another $10,000 to her existing scholarship endowment. The scholarships are awarded in memory of two of her former professors from the 1930s ï¿½ Agnes Futterer (theater) and George Morell York (business).

Bert and Louise De Angelis Hall ï¿½42, one of the largest contributors to the Charitable Gift Annuity Program, have contributed $100,000. In recognition of their continuing support, LC 7 was named for Mrs. Hall several years ago.

An anonymous gift of $25,000 has been made to the Program in Biodiversity, Conservation and Policy. The gift is part of a three-year commitment of $75,000. The program began accepting masterï¿½s degree students in 1996.

Marcia J. Brown ï¿½40, noted childrenï¿½s picture book illustrator and author, has contributed an additional $13,000 to her named fund which supports the Universityï¿½s childrenï¿½s literature collections.

Marvin and Carol Brown, parents of Adam ï¿½87 and Victoria ï¿½94, have made numerous donations of art works to the University Art Museum. This year, the couple contributed another collection valued at $15,000.

A Career in Words was Nurtured at Albany

By Vinny Reda
Last fall, a typical weekday for Rosemary Herbert ï¿½72 began with a 5 a.m. wake-up. A single mother, she took on the laundry and apartment cleaning before driving her daughter Juliet to middle school. From there, she continued on to the Boston Herald newspaper, where she has columns on both the locales of lovely gardens and the merits of new crime/detective fiction. Seven and a half hours of work at the Herald was followed by three and a half at Harvard Universityï¿½s Widener Library, where Herbert plunged into the editing of a large work for one of the worldï¿½s most distinguished academic presses. She was home by 10:30 p.m.
"I donï¿½t take any of it for granted," said Herbert, who just finished her Oxford University Press assignment as editor-in-chief of the forthcoming The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing. She was on campus last Saturday for the second annual Alumni Student Leadership Conference, which matched successful alumni from a variety of fields with students aspiring to careers.
Herbertï¿½s area, most appropriately, was "publishing/journalism," and she told students the hard facts. "I have an extraordinarily busy life. A writerï¿½s writer doesnï¿½t just do promo work some business firm and go home. You have to do multiple work assignments.
"But what keeps you going is the enjoyment factor. You realize you are doing something ï¿½ in my case many things ï¿½ that you always wanted to do. There are still many days when Iï¿½m driving in to the Herald, and I suddenly say to myself, ï¿½Wow, this is great.ï¿½"
So, though she represented the humanities at the alumni leadership event, Herbert sees herself representing more: "The English major who stayed with writing and the world of books. Whether reporting on something or writing and editing books, you have to set your mind that you may have to do extra to make a living and to support a family.
"But you want to extra, because itï¿½s in your blood."
Herbert said that not every institution of higher education would have kept her juices flowing as the one she chose. "I really credit my education at Albany for my career," said the Glenwood Landing (Long Island) native. "It was not a pretentious place. I had professors who were truly ï¿½teachersï¿½ ï¿½ who took time to nurture you even during a period of a large population swell at the University."
Among the teachers at Albany who had a direct hand in her career was Curt Smith, who had one of the first English courses in the country devoted to science fiction. Although Herbert was not a fan of the genre, she liked Smithï¿½s course, and through what she absorbed in it found a niche reviewing science fiction for Publisherï¿½s Weekly. "It was my foot in the door," she said.
Closer to her heart in her school days were the journalism courses of William Rowley, the poetry and fiction courses of Harry Staley ("a very very special professor") and the advanced writing course of Diva Daims. "She kept me from turning the wrong way when I had my first doubts about a writing career," said Herbert.
But the direct hit to her chief passion was supplied by English professor John Reilly, known to colleagues and students as "Tim Reilly." He offered what was in 1971 a groundbreaking course in detective fiction.
"When I was seven or eight years old I wrote stories about a female detective that was heavily modeled on the Nancy Drew stories," said Herbert. "I always knew I wanted to work with words, but I also knew I had a particular fascination with crime and mystery fiction."
After graduation from Albany, Herbert went to Boston, where she briefly taught before getting a job as reference librarian at Harvard Universityï¿½s Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library. She held on to the post for 20 years, but also started freelance writing. Her science fiction work at Publisherï¿½s Weekly soon yielded to her expertise in crime fiction. She began doing a series of author profiles in the genre, and her crime-fiction reviews also began appearing in the New York Times Book Review, The Christian Science Monitor, and Library Journal. She finally fulfilled a childhood dream by being published in the Paris Review: an interview with Rumpole of the Bailey author John Mortimer.
"I loved working in the world of books," she said. "In 1992 I got an idea of putting together a collection of 13 interviews with famous mystery writers, and I brought the idea to GK Hall publishers."
Hall liked the idea and The Fatal Art of Entertainment: Interviews with Mystery Writers was the result, earning Herbert the title of "the first lady of crime-writer interrogators." Mystery author Lady Antonia Fraser even dubbed her "a Boswell to 13 Dr. Johnsons." Herbert took the photos for the work. "One of my biggest thrills is that John Mortimer began using my photo on many of his books."
Craving the chance to writer regularly, and hearing of a new expanded "Living Section" at the Boston Herald, Herbert left her Harvard library job in 1994 and became the Heraldï¿½s new garden columnist, doing what she calls "destination pieces." A niche as mystery book reviewer also was soon forthcoming.
Still freelancing, and while doing a series on university press publishing for The Christian Science Monitor, Herbert mentioned during her Oxford University Press interview that Oxford "really should have an Oxford Companion on crime and mystery writing." The publishers agreed, and gave the assignment to Herbert ï¿½ who promptly assigned one of the bookï¿½s editorships to her old University professor, Tim Reilly.
Yet, even while that lengthy project was being developed, Herbert was at work for Oxford, producing The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories, co-edited by author Tony Hillerman, in 1996; a collection, Murder on Deck!: Shipboard & Shoreline Mystery Stories, in 1998 ("it was marvelously and unintentionally timed to come out during the release of the movie Titanic," said Herbert); and another anthology of stories selected by Herbert, Twelve American Crime Stories, also released in 1998.
The Companion to Crime and Mystery is due out in November. Herbert just heard last week that Oxford thinks a glossary of slang terms is merited for the book. So Herbert, who has just added another column of celebrity interviews called "On the Hot Seat" to her plate at the Boston Herald, now may have to head back nights to the library. She also has a detective novel of her own in progress.
"What can you do when youï¿½ve got too many things to do in the day," said Herbert, "and each one is something you always wanted to do ï¿½ one of the worlds you always wanted to live in? You find time to do them all."

Softball Begins NECC Defense

Albany will begin defense of its 1998 New England Collegiate Conference championship on Saturday with a home doubleheader against Sacred Heart at 1 p.m. The Great Danes posted a school-record 32-9 mark en route to their first-ever conference title last year.
In a spring break trip to Fort Myers, Fla., Albany compiled a 6-6 record against non-league competition. Nancy Nicsevic, a second-team all-conference infielder, batted .410 in Florida with 10 runs scored. Nicsevic had four multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 effort in a 6-0 victory over Mercyhurst on Feb. 27.
Jessica Hansen, a junior right-hander who was 13-1 a year ago, is off to a fast start with a 4-1 record. In Florida, she shut out Mercyhurst with a four-hitter.
NOTES: Freshman Audrey White hit for a .389 average in 12 starts at second base during her teamï¿½s Florida swing, with six runs driven in and nine scored . . . senior Kelly Poynton, the ï¿½98 NECC Pitcher of the Year, had a 2-3 record in Fort Myers . . .

Lacrosse Humbled by Syracuse

Lauren Brady had three goals and one assist and Phoebe Burns added three goals to lead Syracuse to an 18-3 victory over season-opening Albany at Skidmore College on March 20.
The Orangewomen, who began their season with losses to three teams ranked in Division Iï¿½s top ten, raced to a 6-0 lead in the opening six minutes.
Goalkeepers Kim Martini and Allisson Pennington combined to make 20 saves in the Albany cage. The Great Danes, reached the ECAC Division II championship with an 11-4 record last year.
NOTES: Albany is ranked fourth in the latest Brine/IWLCA Division II national poll . . . goalkeeper Pennington was selected to the College Lacrosse USA preseason All-America squad . . . Dawn DiMicco, a two-time All-American, is out for the season following knee surgery in December.

Baseball Tries to Top 19-Win Year

Head coach Doug Oï¿½Brey has three all-conference players returning as Albany looks to improve on last yearï¿½s 19-win campaign and a fourth-place finish in the NECC. The Great Danes begin conference play with a home twinbill against Sacred Heart on Saturday, March 27.
Steve Checksfield was voted the conferenceï¿½s Rookie-of-the-Year last season, when he hit .388 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs. Michael Oliva, a junior center fielder, earned second-team All-NECC recognition. He posted a .383 batting average with a team-best 13 doubles and 11 stolen bases. Second-team all-conference pitcher Jason Trufant is the ace of the staff with a 7-2 record and a 3.05 ERA.
Albany went winless on its five-game tour of North Carolina last week. Second baseman Chris Parrish doubled, tripled and scored four times to lead Catawba College to a 16-6 victory in the final contest of the three-day trip on March 19. Sophomore Mike Kuebler, who batted .353 against southern pitching, had four hits, including two home runs, and totaled five RBIs in the losing effort.
NOTES: Coach Oï¿½Brey is in his fifth season with the Albany program, and has guided the Great Danes to back-to-back 19-win seasons . . . the Great Danes made their first ECAC tournament appearance since 1994 last year . . . third baseman Mike Kuebler had an .824 slugging percentage with seven RBIs in North Carolina.