Union Values

Valerie Barr Professor Barr holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Among her areas of research are software testing applied to language processing systems and the underrepresentation of women in science. Prof. Barr’s best advice to incoming students: “Don’t be afraid of the faculty. Get to know us, and let us get to know you.”

Binyavanga Wainaina “Bin,” Union’s visiting writer, is at the center of a new generation of influential artists and writers in his native Kenya. He has received many awards for his short fiction, including the prestigious 2002 Caine Prize for African Writing. In 2006, he was named one of the 50 most influential African artists by the British newspaper, The Independent. He is pictured with Danna DeBlasio ’08.

Mara Powers ’09 Mara, of Philadelphia, is part of the singing group, the Garnet Minstrelles, and a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She enjoys practicing piano in Union’s Taylor Music Center.

Gina Cesar ’11 Gina Cesar: Gina, of Brighton, Mass., is a member of a highly competitive new scholarship program at Union run by the Posse Foundation. Posse Scholars come to campus from a variety of high schools near Boston. Gina enjoys languages, ballroom dancing and working with children. She is pictured with her Posse peers: (front, from left) Asha Dirshe, Eyleen Iraola, Grace Montero, Saghar Hamidzade; (back, from left) Jared Hughes, Damien Chiu, Brandon Davis-Turner, Isade Salcedo and Makeita Laurent, all Class of 2011, and (at right) Klenton Tomori, Class of 2010.

Bilal Mahmood ’08 Bilal volunteers as a science tutor, as a DJ for the campus radio station,WRUC, and for Union College Emergency Medical Services. As a Summer research Scholar his sophomore year, he worked on the world’s largest telescope at the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center’s Aercibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. He is a native of Clifton Park, N.Y., and the brother of salutatorian Fatima Mahmood ’06.

Stephanie Seeman ’08 Stephanie, of Gales Ferry, Conn., is captain of the women’s varsity crew team. She and her teammates joined together this winter to help renovate the house at 1124 Barrett St., which the College donated to Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady. Pictured with her on the project are, from left: Kelly Zebrowski ’11, Cassandra Denefrio ’08,Leigh Mastin ’08 (back), Pauline Schwenk ’08 and Julie Mayne ’10.

Stephen Po-Chedley ’08 In addition to co-founding U Recycle, this Ozone House member has volunteered as a member of Campus Action, Safe Space and Union College Emergency Medical Services. Stephen hails from Hamburg, N.Y

Michael Bono ’09 Michael is a Union Scholar who combines his ME major with a minor in Visual Arts. A member of the Aerogels Research Team, is working on making the first alumina aerogels in the lab. He is a member of the Kendo Club,Ballroom Dancing Club, track team. He is from Clifton Park, N.Y.

Kaitlyn Tagarelli ’07 Kaitlyn, of Hawthorne, N.Y., was a Union Scholar and Minerva Council Student representative from Beuth House, and a member of Ozone House, the Ballroom Dance Club and French Club. She spent her fall term junior year in Rennes, France, and presented her dragonfly research project at the Steinmetz Symposium, an all-campus spring research festival. Kaitlyn is currently teaching English at L'Ecole Renaudeau, a primary school in Allaire, in Brittany, France. She plans to pursue her doctorate in applied linguistics or psychology next year, studying the neurocognition of language acquisition.

Robert Baker Prof. Baker holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His main areas of research are ethics, medical ethics and the history of medical ethics. He is director of Union’s Center for Bioethics and Clinical Leadership and of the Union Graduate College -Mount Sinai School of Medicine Bioethics Program. A four-time National Endowment for the Humanities awardee, he has authored numerous books, journal articles and reports, including “The American Medical Ethics Revolution” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000).

Jessica Handibode '09 Jessica is from Williston Park, N.Y. Her extracurriculars include: Junior class secretary-treasurer, Academic Affairs Committee, Sigma Delta Tau Sorority and Gatekeeper (tour guide).

Naazia Husain ’08 Naazia, of Far Rockaway, N.Y., is president of the Middle Eastern Culture Club and treasurer of the Muslim Students Association. She also volunteers as an Admissions tour guide and in a local elementary school as a tutor.

Jennifer Milioto Matsue Professor Matsue is an ethnomusicologist who teaches courses in Japanese popular music and culture, East Asian traditional music, world music, gender and sexuality in music, and anthropology. She teaches students of all musical abilities to play the Japanese drums and Union’s own Balinese gamelan, an ensemble instrument. She holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago. She is pictured with John Francis ’06.

Stephen Berk Professor Berk is widely known for his expertise on the Holocaust, Russia and the Middle East. He has earned an international reputation for his teaching, writing and research about such topics as Russian and Soviet Jewish history, the Holocaust, the American Jewish experience and anti-Semitism. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University.