Maloy has decades of experience in overseeing libraries supporting higher education. She has worked at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. for the last 20 years, most recently serving as its services division leader. She was also director of public services at the Hamilton College library. 

She is a member of numerous professional associations and organizations including the American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries, of which she is a past president. 

Maloy said she values academic libraries and the roles they play in a young scholar’s education. “I think it speaks to my values around learning and the freedom to learn,” she said. “I love supporting the process of self-exploration and how colleges and universities allow students to grow mentally, physically and emotionally.” 

“She has a passion for libraries, extensive experience at Emory and Hamilton, dedication to supporting students, and a collaborative style with faculty and staff,” said Therese McCarty, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of Faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs. “I am very grateful to the search committee, the library staff and other faculty and students who assisted with the search.” 

A Capital Region native, Maloy received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Lawrence University and her Masters of Library Science from the University at Albany. 

The transition from a larger university setting to a small, liberal arts college shouldn’t be difficult because the goals of libraries in higher education are very similar, she said. 

“Training the next generation of scholars is still at the very core of the two places.” 

Maloy will take over for Thomas McFadden, who has presided over Schaffer Library and its collections for the past 15 years.   

The three-day symposium kicks off with dinner and opening remarks by President Stephen C. Ainlay at 6:45 p.m. Friday, June 1, in Hale House. Vest’s talk, “Engineering and the Liberal Arts in the 21st Century University,” follows at 7:45 p.m. He will be introduced by John E. Kelly III ’76, senior vice president and director of research at IBM. To view Vest’s bio, click here.

Leaders from a number of schools, including Swarthmore, Trinity, Oklahoma State, California Polytechnic University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will gather in six sessions Saturday and Sunday to share different models for integrating engineering, technology and the traditional liberal arts.

The opening session features Timothy J. Kriewall from the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) discussing “A Whole New Engineering Model,” and the need for students to have a strong liberal arts influence to thrive in a technology-driven society.

Union is among 20 schools who have received support from KEEN to develop more entrepreneurial-minded students by updating current curriculum, hosting best practices workshops by KEEN for faculty and creating a speaker series. Others include Boston University, Baylor, Villanova and Bucknell.

A number of Union faculty will also present at the symposium.

Most sessions are in the F.W. Olin Center. For a complete schedule, click here.

“We hope these experts can shed light on tackling a vexing problem: sustaining these integration efforts within the practical resource constraints of educational institutions and fluctuating enrollments across majors,” said Andrew Rapoff, director of engineering and associate professor of mechanical engineering. He also helped organize the event.

This marks the fifth year the College has hosted a conference on integrating engineering and the liberal arts, which has attracted national attention, including a feature in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

In 1845, Union became the first liberal arts college to offer engineering in response to the needs of a nation characterized by rapid industrial and urban growth.

This year’s symposium is funded in part by the David Falk ’39 and Elynor Rudnick-Falk Endowed Fund and the Laurence W. Levine ’52 and Barry Traub ’53 Endowed Lecture Fund. Previous supporters have included the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Organized by the College and Schenectady’s Central Park International Magnet School students hoping to raise awareness about hunger both regionally and further, handcrafted ceramic bowls were meant to serve as symbols to those in attendance of the bowls that remain empty worldwide at mealtimes. The fundraiser yielded just over $2,000.

All who attended the event at Proctor's Theater received a bowl of their choice as well as dinner served by volunteers from the local and college communities.

The dinner prepared by volunteers consisted of soup, bread and chili to represent the meager meal, which is often the only food available in a day for the hungry.

Bombers Burrito Bar of Schenectady, Our Daily Bread of Chatham and the College’s dining services all donated food to the event.

Students also provided entertainment for the event, with groups from the college such as U-BREAK, the Dutch Pipers and the Garnet Minstrelles.

"The Ben Schwartz comes to Union College and says things to people who want to listen tour 2012" is free and open to the public. 

After graduating from Union with a double major in anthropology and psychology, Schwartz spent four years at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. He also worked as a freelance comedy writer on “Late Night with David Letterman” and the popular “Weekend Update” segment of “Saturday Night Live.”  

In recent years his star has risen. In 2009, he won an Emmy Award for comedy writing for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for co-writing Hugh Jackman’s opening song for the 81^st Annual Academy Awards. 

He has a recurring role on NBC’s comedy hit “Parks and Recreation” as the playboy wannabe Jean-Ralphio Saperstein. He can also be seen on Showtime’s ensemble comedy “House of Lies.” 

Schwartz recently sold a pitch for a feature film titled “No Hearts Club” to Universal Studios to be produced by Brian Grazer (“Friday Night Lights,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “The Da Vinci Code”). He was also hired by Paramount Pictures to remake the 1991 Sally Field film “Soapdish.” He has his own segment on HBO’s “Funny or Die Presents…” called “Terrible Decisions with Ben Schwartz” and has appeared in multiple sketches on the popular site CollegeHumor. 

The lecture is sponsored by the student-run Speakers Forum. 

“There are many students who aspire to become actors, comedians or writers, but are unsure of how to carry out that pursuit, so having an alum like Ben come back and talk about his ascent in the entertainment industry from Union is an awesome opportunity,” said Andrew Cahill ’12, president of the Speakers Forum. 

Follow along to Schwartz’s career at his website, Rejected Jokes.

Beginning Thursday night and continuing through Sunday, visitors enjoyed traditional favorites like the Alumni Parade, a grand fireworks display and Gala Dinner. There were also presentations from notable alumni in a variety of fields.

Among the highlights:

• Office space in the Sadock Women’s and Gender Studies Lounge on the third floor of Reamer Campus Center was renovated and named the Valerie J. Hoffman Women’s and Gender Studies Suite as a tribute to its donor, a member of the Class of 1975. To read about Friday’s dedication, click here.

• The Center for Neuroscience, on the third floor of Butterfield Hall, was dedicated Saturday. he center, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the Frank Bailey Fund, includes five research laboratories, support and research training areas, and a space for faculty. To learn more, click here.

• Two stainless steel time capsules filled with memorabilia, letters, articles, air samples and other artifacts to document the addition of the Peter Irving Wold Center were unveiled Saturday. They were designed by Walter Chin '12 and built by Roland Pierson and others in the machine shop. One will be opened in 50 years (2062); the other, 100 years (2112).

• To help mark the 150th anniversary of Taps, Jari Villanueva, a retired Air Force veteran, gave a talk on Daniel Butterfield, a member of Union’s Class of 1849 credited with conceiving Taps during the Civil War. On Saturday, Villanueva led a 15-piece brass band, comprised of faculty, students and members of the local Signature Brass Quintet, in Memorial Chapel to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Taps. To learn more, click here.

In addition, Alumni Gold Medals were presented by the Alumni Council to Armand V. Feigenbaum ’42, president of General Systems of Pittsfield, Mass.; Susan Mullaney Maycock ’72, President’s Council member; and Calvin Welch ’62, retired vice president of First National Bank of Scotia. Mary Carroll ’86, professor of chemistry, received the Faculty Meritorious Service Award.

Outstanding Engineering Alumni Awards were presented to Sherri Buchardt ’02, Peter Chapman Hayden ’82, David A. Pacyna ’93, Victoria A. Rockwell ’78, Glenn P. Sanders ’04 and Andrew P. Stone ’02.

To find out about ReUnion 2013, click here.

“There is real value to being a feminist, and to have feminist thought,” said Hoffman. “For young women here, we need to be able to think independently and to think critically.”

As part of ReUnion Weekend, Hoffman returned to the school Friday to help dedicate office space in the Sadock Women’s and Gender Studies Lounge on the third floor of Reamer Campus Center. The space has been renovated and named the Valerie J. Hoffman Women’s and Gender Studies Suite as a tribute to its donor.

Hoffman was joined by President Stephen C. Ainlay, Mark Walsh, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, Lori Marso, professor of political science and former director of Women’s and Gender Studies, and Lillian Marto ’12.

A strong advocate of the Women’s and Gender Studies program, Hoffman spoke of the gratitude she has for Union, where she learned to “stir things up.” In 2008, she helped establish a lecture series, “Feminisms for the 21st Century,” with emerging feminist scholars who emphasize the links between feminist politics, the struggle for racial justice, and human rights activism. She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for 15 years.

“I owe so much to this school,” said Hoffman, a labor and employment lawyer at the international firm of Seyfarth Shaw. “This is a place to give back to. The faculty and administrators reached out to me and made my time here remarkable.”

On Saturday during ReUnion Weekend, the College officially dedicated the Center for Neuroscience on the third floor of Butterfield Hall. Open since January, the center includes five research laboratories, several support and research training areas, and a space for faculty.

“This marks the arrival of the neuroscience major at Union,” said Stephen Romero, associate professor of psychology and the project’s lead investigator. He was joined by President Stephen C. Ainlay, Mark Walsh, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, and a host of other trustees, faculty and students to celebrate the center.

The center, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the Frank Bailey Fund, will help support research and training in areas of neuroplasticity; human cognitive abilities and behavioral dispositions; sex differences in spatial cognition; cognitive genetics; neural control of behavior; and basic molecular mechanisms underlying pediatric neurological disorders.

Before the center opened, the neuroscience program was spread among three buildings on campus. The center has brought together core faculty from biology, psychology and bioengineering to interact more freely and provide additional research opportunities for faculty and students. The first two floors of Butterfield were renovated to create the Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology, which opened in winter 2007.

“Here, we have a place where we can collaborate and connect with others in the field,” said Lucas First ’12, a neuroscience major and president of Nu Rho Psi Honor Society. He plans to pursue a career in medicine. “A place that’s conducive to academic inquiry and experimentation, a place in which to pursue how and why the brain works, from the study of neuroethology to the intricacies of cognitive processing.”

Groundbreaking for the $3 million, 7,000-square-foot facility, to be built adjacent to Yulman Theater overlooking Jackson’s Garden, took place Saturday during ReUnion Weekend.

The Pavilion will replace the current 1,200-square foot studio in Visual Arts with a 2,200-square-foot dance studio and 1,000-square-foot lobby that will double as rehearsal space. Both new spaces will  have 20-foot ceilings that will safely permit lifts and aerials.

The pavilion also will include a costume shop, faculty offices, meeting rooms, gallery and storage space.

The project is scheduled to be completed next spring.

“The Dance Pavilion not only will provide an appropriate home for our thriving dance program but also will complete our vision for the campus’s vibrant arts complex,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay.

The new building will revitalize a currently underused courtyard and create an “arts town square” that also includes the Visual Arts  Building, the Taylor Music Center and  Yulman Theater.

“It is in these settings that students, faculty and visitors representing all artistic disciplines intermingle, imagine, create and collaborate. The possibilities for artistic expression are limitless,” Ainlay said.

The lead gift for the dance pavilion comes from longtime College benefactor David L. Henle ’75 and his wife, Joan. Henle, the head of DLH Capital, a family investment firm, has been a Union Trustee since 2004.

“The arts are a critical part of a liberal arts education,” said Henle. “I am thrilled to be a part of the momentum of the school at this time.”

The dance pavilion also is supported by the Yulman family in honor of Morton, Class of 1936, and Helen Yulman, for whom the Yulman Theater is named. 

In addition, Professor Carl George made a gift in honor of his late wife, Gail, naming one of the faculty offices overlooking the garden. A number of other naming opportunities are available.

Under the direction of Miryam Moutillet, Union’s dance program enrolls nearly 150 students each term, many of whom combine a dance minor with majors in all fields. There are multilevel technique classes in everything from ballet to Broadway dance, as well as classes in choreography, performance and dance history.

Throughout the year, the dance program also schedules workshops, master classes and dance residencies taught by major dance companies and artists.

“A dance pavilion at Union is a dream come true,” said Moutillet. “It will be a space where students can learn, explore and create; a place to develop discipline and pursue a passion.”
 

President Ainlay served as master of ceremonies for the evening, which brought together alumni in the legal field. Remarks were given by Robert Morris Morgenthau, who served for 35 years as the district attorney for New York County, and prosecuted many high-profile cases. He previously was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District. Morgenthau had several notable assistant district attorneys work with him, including Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomajor, Governor Andrew Cuomo and John F. Kennedy, Jr. 

"It is an evening of remembrance and celebration of a life that was clearly well lived," Ainlay said. The president later awarded Patterson with the John Bigelow Medal, an award established by Ainlay  to recognize friends of the College who have contributed to the advancement of humanity. 

Other notable speakers were Clifford Brown, the Robert Porter Patterson Professor of Government, and Lawrence B. Pedowirz '69, a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz. 

Patterson played a critical role in helping to shape the allied victory in World War II. Under Secretary of War from 1940 to 1945, he was the person most responsible for mobilizing America's industrial resources to produce the weapons and equipment needed. When he returned to civilian life, he worked for a decade as a Manhattan attorney until be appointed judge of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan by President Herbert Hoover in 1930. In 1939, he was appointed to the Federal Court of Appeals in New York by Franklin Roosevelt. He was also one of the principal architects of the new Department of Defense. He died in a tragic plan crash in New Jersey in 1952.  

To watch a highlight video of the event, click here. 

Fishman, born in Israel, was recently appointed principal cellist of the Handel and Haydn Society. He started playing the cello at age 12, and at 16 began his undergraduate studies with David Soyer at the Manhattan School of Music. He subsequently worked with Peter Wiley, Julia Lichten, and Laurence Lesser with whom he completed doctoral studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. He is also a Fulbright Fellow, and spent his fellowship year in Amsterdam studying with the famed Dutch cellist Anner Bylsma. He plays a rare cello made in Rome in 1704 by David Tecchler. 

For more information on the concert, call 388-6785. 

More than 1,000 visitors will descend on campus for the annual celebration of Union’s graduates, which begins Thursday evening and runs through Sunday.

In addition to a number of special events, visitors will enjoy traditional favorites like the Alumni Parade, fireworks show and Gala Dinner. There will also be presentations from notable alumni in a variety of fields.

Among the highlights:

• The Women’s and Gender Studies Lounge on the third floor of Reamer Campus Center has been renovated and renamed the Valerie J. Hoffman Women’s and Gender Studies Suite as a tribute to its donor, a member of the Class of 1975. It will be dedicated Friday at 3:30 p.m.

• The Center for Neuroscience, on the third floor of Butterfield Hall, will be dedicated at 1 p.m. Saturday. The center, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the Frank Bailey Fund, includes five research laboratories, support and research training areas, and a space for faculty.

• To help mark the 150th anniversary of Taps, Jari Villanueva, a retired Air Force veteran, will give a talk on Daniel Butterfield at 11:30 a.m. Friday, in College Park Hall. Butterfield, a member of Union’s Class of 1849, is credited with conceiving Taps during the Civil War. On Saturday, Union will host a brass band concert at 9 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. The 15-piece band, comprised of faculty, students and members of the local Signature Brass Quintet, will be led by Villanueva, author of Twenty-Four Notes That Tap Deep Emotions: The History of America’s Most Famous Bugle Call. To learn more, click here.

For a complete schedule, visit the ReUnion website.

In addition, Alumni Gold Medals are to be presented by the Alumni Council to Armand V. Feigenbaum ’42, president of General Systems of Pittsfield, Mass.; Susan Mullaney Maycock ’72, President’s Council member; and Calvin Welch ’62, retired vice president of First National Bank of Scotia. Mary Carroll ’86, professor of chemistry, will receive the Faculty Meritorious Service Award.

Outstanding Engineering Alumni Awards are to be presented to Sherri Buchardt ’02, Peter Chapman Hayden ’82, David A. Pacyna ’93, Victoria A. Rockwell ’78, Glenn P. Sanders ’04 and Andrew P. Stone ’02.

WILLIAM F. ALLEN (1895) ESSAY PRIZE - To a senior in any department for the best essay

Daniel Gnoutcheff

RONALD K. AMIRAIAN (1980) MEMORIAL PRIZE - To a student of modern languages who has performed with distinction on a Union term abroad

Jenna Langhans

ANDREW W. ARCHIBALD (1872) PRIZE - To the senior earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with the highest scholastic standing

Rachel Baker

ARNOLD I. BITTLEMAN MEMORIAL PRIZE - To a student who has studied drawing in the Visual Arts department and whose work, in the judgment of the Visual Arts faculty in collaboration with an outside juror, is outstanding

Sophia Tamura

DAVID BRIND (1982) MEMORIAL PRIZE IN ENGLISH - To one or more outstanding senior students in English

Emilie Arseneault, Catherine Elliott

GEORGE H. CATLIN (1867) PRIZE - To the graduating senior in liberal arts with the highest scholastic record and deemed most promising for graduate study and for eventual service in the field of college teaching

Catherine Elliott, Emily Lnenicka

BERKLEY DAVIS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING BOOK PRIZE - To a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities

Melissa Mansfield

BERKLEY DAVIS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP PRIZE - To a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities

Daniel Bachelet

JOSEPH D. DOTY PRIZE - To the junior or senior who, in the judgment of the Department of History, has done work of outstanding merit

Edward Tomlinson

SAMUEL S. FEUER (1925) PRIZE - To the senior in the premedical course whose primary interest is in dentistry and who has maintained the highest scholastic average over four years

Elana Korn

FRANKEL PRIZE - For outstanding achievement in a religion course

Elana Vetrano

ROBERT M. FULLER (1863) PRIZES - One to the sophomore, the other to the senior, who demonstrates outstanding work, ability, and promise in chemistry

Courtney Elwell (Sophomore), Ramsey Steiner (Senior)

BRUCE M. GARBER (1971) PRIZE - To the premedical or predental student who best exemplifies the qualities of personal integrity and humane concern for the future practice of medicine or dentistry

Kenia Valdez

GENERAL ELECTRIC ENERGY STEINMETZ AWARD - To a senior in the Mechanical Engineering Department who completes the best senior project

Max Balter, Adam Zinman

GEOLOGY FACULTY PRIZE - To a senior who contributes most to the Geology Department and social morale

F. William Pinkston

LISA S. GERHAN (1994) MEMORIAL AWARD - For academic excellence, a commitment to the field of psychology, and the potential for future contributions to the field

Melanie Kramer

ASHRAF M. GHALY GEOTECHNICAL PRIZE – Given annually to the senior who completes the best research study and reports original results in any geo field (geotechnical, geoenvironmental, geoengineering, geoscience or geospatial)

Benjamin Engle

CELIA GLAUBACH PRIZE - To the student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship in the area of Religious Studies

Sara Einhorn

SHANKAR GOKHALE PRIZE - To the senior in engineering, preferably in the five-year program with the second major in economics, judged to have the greatest potential for community service in the area of mathematical approaches to economic problems

Matthew Manning

GOODNOW NEUORSCIENCE ENDOWED PRIZE - To the graduating Neuroscience student who shows the most promise for success in graduate school and beyond

Elon Gaffin-Cahn

HARRY GUTMAN ENDOWED PRIZE - To an outstanding student of Classics

Samuel Clarke

JOHN S. HADALA (1928) ENDOWED BOOK PRIZE – To a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering on the basis of academic, personal, and social achievement

David Carabis

HANS HAINEBACH MEMORIAL PRIZE IN GERMAN LITERATURE - To a sophomore or junior who has demonstrated particular promise as a student of German literature

Catherine Degen

HANS HAINEBACH MEMORIAL PRIZE IN JUDAICA - To a student who has offered the best performance in the field of Judaica

Rachel Feingold

EDWARD EVERETT HALE, JR. PRIZE - For the best essay written by a sophomore or junior

Meredith Adamo

OSWALD HECK (1924)-IRWIN STEINGUT PRIZE - To the student majoring in the Division of Social Sciences who has consistently done the best work in political science

Sarah Gagnon, Kelsey Mulvihill

EUGENE W. HELLMICH (1923) MEMORIAL PRIZE - To seniors who demonstrate excellence in mathematics and are planning to teach math

Katie Schuff, Kendal Schwarz

VICTOR HERBERT PRIZE - To the student who shows the most promise of making a contribution to American music

Amanda Laven, Sonika Raj

JULIAN B. HOFFMAN, M.D., (1966) MEMORIAL AWARD - To the student for distinguished interest, devotion, and contribution to the arts and/or intellectual climate at Union College

Melanie Watman

CHARLES B. HURD PRIZE - To a student of physical chemistry

Megan O'Connor

ALBERT C. INGHAM (1847) PRIZE - To the student in Social Sciences judged to have done the most outstanding piece of scholarly work

Erica Fugger

JOHN IWANIK PRIZE - To an outstanding Russian language student

Kathryn Burns, Ayon Ibrahim

WILLIAM B. JAFFE (1926) ART AWARD - For exceptional achievement by an art major, marked by excellence in the study of art history, independent scholarship, and interest in the work of the department

Kara Jefts

THOMAS J. JUDSON (1966) MEMORIAL BOOK PRIZE - To a sophomore who has shown academic excellence as well as sincere interest in the study of modern languages

Philip Barr

DAVID S. KAPLAN (1982) PRIZE - To a student applying to participate in a term abroad, with preference to a major in political science

Melissa Moskowitz

WARNER KING (1906) PRIZE - To the senior in engineering who has contributed most to the traditions and ideals of the College

Krystle Gallo

ETHEL KIRCHENBAUM MEMORIAL PRIZE - To the senior who, in the opinion of the Engineering Departments at Union College, shall be deemed to possess the best potential for furthering the ideals of the engineering profession

Christopher Pillsbury

HAROLD A. LARRABEE PRIZE - To the student who has done the best work in philosophy during the year

Emily Lnenicka

WILLIAM E. LASNIK (1968) PRIZE - To a junior or senior premedical student on the basis of scholarship and character

Mark Chaskes

ANTHONY C. LAVECCHIA (1998) MEMORIAL AWARD - To the student who demonstrates a keen interest and passion in journalism, especially with a focus in political journalism

Ajay Major, Aviva Rutkin

STEPHEN F. LEO (1884), M.D., PRIZE - To the premedical student on scholarship who attains the highest grades in the graduating class and who has been accepted in medical school

Aleena Paul

ALICE P. AND DONALD C. LOUGHRY (1952) PRIZE  IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING - To the student completing the best senior project in computer engineering

Calder Phillips-Grafflin

ALICE P. AND DONALD C. LOUGHRY (1952) PRIZE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - To the student completing the best senior project in electrical engineering

Jacob LaRocca

JOHN LEWIS MARCH PRIZE - To a senior who has shown increased interest and ability in psychology during the final two years of college

Danielle Ayers

MINERVA PRIZE - To a female student whose work best combines the scholarly study of women or gender with activities that enhance the life of women on campus

Rachel Mayer, Aleena Paul

LEWIS HENRY MORGAN (1840) PRIZE - To the Anthropology major who produces the best thesis

William Breitweiser, Jessica Sarrantonio

HAROLD AND ELLEN NAGORSKY MEMORIAL PRIZE - Awarded to a premedical junior student who contributes the most to the Union College community through extracurricular activities

Terence Fu

ALVIN F. NITCHMAN (1924) PRIZE - To the most promising senior who plans to attend law school

Elizabeth D'Agostino, Erin Whitney

RONALD M. OBENZINGER (1961) PRIZE - To a premedical student who is selected for high academic merit and personal worthiness

Matthew LoConte

ROBERT G. O’NEALE (1878) PRIZE - Awarded each year to the Bachelor of Arts candidate with the highest standing in Classics

Christopher Choquette

ELIAS PEISSNER PRIZE - To an economics major who has done work of outstanding merit

Mark Chaskes

PRESIDENT’S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN SENIOR SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY AWARD - To a senior who displays outstanding scholarly activity in her field

Krystle Gallo, Ana Mikler

PRESIDENT’S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN SENIOR THESIS PRIZE - To a senior whose senior thesis makes the greatest contribution to scholarship on women

Emilie Areseneault, Rachel Mayer

DANIEL F. PULLMAN CLASSICAL PRIZE – To a senior of high scholastic standing in Humanities

Jenna Hiltsley

DANIEL F. PULLMAN ENGINEERING PRIZE – To a senior of high scholastic standing in Engineering

Christopher Pillsbury

MARTIN TERRY RESCH PRIZE - To the senior who shows the greatest promise for advanced study in pure or applied mathematics

Erin Whitney

MRS. EDWIN L. RICH PRIZE - Awarded each year to a student majoring in English who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship

Catherine Elliott

CHARLES ALEXANDER RICHMOND PRIZE IN FINE ARTS – To a student who demonstrates excellence in fine arts or art history

Brittany Gilbert

CHARLES ALEXANDER RICHMOND PRIZE IN MUSIC – To a student who demonstrates excellence in music

Colin Turley

MARK ROSENTHAL ’76 MEMORIAL PRIZE - Awarded to a senior involved in community activities, in good academic standing and planning to attend medical school after graduation

Kenia Valdez

ROTARY FOUNDATION ENDOWED PRIZE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDY - To the senior who shows the greatest promise and interest in an area of international relations, with preference to a student from Schenectady County

Lea Tessitore

ROBERT L. ROYAL (1938) AWARD - To a financially deserving student each year who has been accepted by Albany Medical College, to be applied to the purchase of instruments and equipment necessary to medical studies

Tri Trang

MORTIMER F. SAYRE PRIZE - To the senior with the best potential for furthering the ideals of the mechanical engineering profession

Mcolisi Dlamini

DANIEL SHOCKET (1972) MEMORIAL AWARD - To a student majoring in English with a strong interest in creative writing

Jenna Hiltsley

AIME SIMON (1991) TERM ABROAD PRIZE - To students of high academic standing and promise with strong interests in French studies, participating in a term abroad program in a French-speaking country

Anne Kaminski

EDWARD S.C. SMITH GEOLOGY PRIZE - To a senior, majoring in geology, who demonstrates high professional potential

Benjamin Carlson, Erin Delman 

FRELING H. SMITH (1865) PRIZE - To the History major who produces the best senior thesis

Erica Fugger

DR. REUBEN SORKIN (1933) AWARD FOR PROFICIENCY IN PREMEDICAL STUDIES - To a senior demonstrating proficiency in undergraduate studies with an outstanding aptitude for continuing work leading to a degree in medicine

Lucas First

RALPH W. STEARNS (1907) PRIZE - To the outstanding student or students in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Adam Burns, Matthew Manning

MILTON HYMES STERNFELD (1916) PRIZE - For the best original essay in philosophy by a member of the senior class

Brian Karimi-Pashaki, James Sedlak

ROGER THAYER STONE (1928) PRIZE - To the sociology major who produces the best senior thesis

Brianne Fennessy, Jennifer Rodriguez

WILLIAM W. THOMAS AWARD IN FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE STUDIES - To a senior who has excelled in and contributed most to French and Francophone Studies on the basis of academic, personal and extracurricular achievement

Rachel Mayer, Rebecca Robinson

JAMES HENRY TURNBULL (1929) PRIZE - To the outstanding student in the sophomore class in physics

Lucas Viani

WESSEL TEN BROECK VAN ORDEN (1839) PRIZE - To the freshman excelling in English composition

Daniel Franc

HORATIO G. WARNER (1826) PRIZE - To a student of high personal character who has the highest scholastic standing in the Bachelor of Arts program

Sarah Gagnon

MILDRED WILDER PRIZE - To the senior majoring in Political Science who has written the best piece of scholarly work pertaining to the subject of women and politics

Kelsey Mulvihill

LEE AND WILLIAM WRUBEL MEMORIAL PRIZE - To a senior preparing for dentistry or medicine, based upon both academic achievement and character

Ajay Major

EUGENE I. YUDIS (1955) PRIZE - To the student in any class who has produced the best piece of prose fiction

Emily Brower, Jenna Hiltsley

Service Awards

ALAN LAKE CHIDSEY (1925) CITIZENSHIP AWARD - To a senior for distinctive contribution to the advancement of responsible government in student affairs

Mital Patel

CLASS OF 2001 PRIZE - To the junior, selected on the basis of academic, personal and social achievement and on his or her contributions to Union in all of these areas

Connor Gagliardi

JOEL A. HALPERN (1961) PRIZE - To a student or students who have reached out beyond the campus to make a commitment in service to the community

Jennifer Rodriguez

ALBERT HILL RECOGNITION AWARD – To a senior who has held leadership positions and demonstrated exceptional commitment to enhancing the college community

Brian Karimi-Pashaki

ROGER H. HULL COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD - Awarded to a senior who has rendered the greatest sustained service to the greater Schenectady Community.  This award honors a student who has initiated and/or is actively engaged in an ongoing community service project

Amanda Louis

CALVIN G. SCHMIDT (1951) PRIZE - To the member of the junior class who has contributed most to the betterment of student life on campus

Najiba Keshwani

J. RICHARD SHANEBROOK PRIZE - To the student of any religious tradition who has contributed the most to the betterment of religious life on campus

Victoria Leach

FRANCES TRAVIS AWARD - To a student who is working his or her way through college and who has demonstrated unusual responsibility and self-reliance

Melanie Gonzalez

UNITAS COMMUNITY BUILDING AWARD - To the Union College student, administrator, staff or faculty member who best demonstrates leadership in bringing together as many segments as possible of the campus community for purposes such as community service, fundraising for a worthy cause or celebration of College history

Maria Dreeszen

UNITAS DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARD - To the student who has made a significant contribution toward fostering diversity on campus

Shaniqua Rogers

College Distinction Awards

JOSEPHINE DAGGETT PRIZE - To a senior for conduct and character, without respect to scholarship

Jessica Sarrantonio

FRANK BAILEY (1885) PRIZE - To the senior who has rendered the greatest service to the College in any field

Erin Delman

DiBenedetto kept polishing her project so when it came time for her 15 minutes, she would be prepared.

Despite her nerves being a “mess” the night before, DiBenedetto aced her “Philosophy and Mathematics of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans” presentation in the Wold Center Friday morning during the 22nd annual Steinmetz Symposium.

DiBenedetto was among hundreds of students, faculty and parents who fanned out across campus Friday to celebrate undergraduate research from every discipline. As per tradition, classes were canceled for the day.

“Where else other than Union does this kind of thing happen? It's an affirmation of what we do here and it’s a wonderful thing to see the students so engaged,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay, who attended a number of presentations throughout the day.

Among the topics discussed were “Breakin’ on the Beat: A Comparative Study of Breakdancing and Commercialized Hip Hop” (Stefanie Charles ’12); “The Autoclave Challenge for Aerogel Preparation” (Ralph Cueva ’13);  “Energy Improvements for Messa Rink” (Cole Ikkala ’14, Troy Grosenick ’14); and “Matrix Factorization in M2 and M3 (Daniel Roginski ’12).

And for the first time, the symposium featured a series of student films shown in Olin 115, including Sun in My Pocket: My Personal Documentary (Miriam Hammer ’14); Body Image and Subtlety of Schenectady (Emma Freter ’13) and Get Back Up (Peter Goemaat ’14, Matthew Barretto ’13 and Marc Douglas ’13).

As usual, one of the highlights was the afternoon Steinmetz dance performance in the Nott Memorial, featuring more than 50 students and faculty members. In addition, there was a preview of Paris Danse from the upcoming Spring Dance Concert. At the end of the show, Kaitlyn Thoen '14 was awarded the 2012 Edward Villella Fellowship, which enables exceptional students in dance to expand their studies beyond campus. The Hedda Hainebach Memorial Prize in Music and Theatre was presented to Maisie Bragg '12.

For a list of all presentations, visit the Steinmetz website.

The day also included a concert by the Union College and Community Orchestra and the Union College and Community Chorale, under the direction of John Cox, director of performance and lecturer in choral and orchestral music, in Memorial Chapel.

The 2012 Annual Visual Arts Student Art Exhibit, on view through May 13 in the Burns Arts Atrium Gallery, features the most accomplished student works completed over the 2011-12 academic year – more than 100 pieces by 70 students.

Curated by Visual Arts faculty members, the exhibit includes works from classes taught by Martin Benjamin (photography), Chris Duncan (sculpture), Walter Hatke (painting and drawing), Fernando Orellana (digital art and video) and Sandy Wimer (drawing, printmaking, etching and design).

Steinmetz Symposium coincided with Prize Day on Saturday in Memorial Chapel, followed by a reception on the Reamer Campus Center patio. Students were honored for achievement in academics, research, service and governance. Among the top awards given were the Josephine Daggett Prize to the senior for conduct and character (Jessica Sarrantonio) and the Frank Bailey (1885) Prize, to the senior who has rendered the greatest service to the College in any field (Erin Delman).

For a complete list of winners, click here.

Also, the Union College Jazz Ensemble, with Professor Tim Olsen conducting a program of vocal and instrumental jazz, held an afternoon performance in Emerson Auditorium.

The Steinmetz Symposium is named for Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), who taught electrical engineering and applied physics at Union. Also chief consulting engineer for the General Electric Company, he was widely regarded as America’s leading
electrical engineer.

Jay Michaelson, who will speak at 5:30 p.m., Monday. He is an author, journalist and founder of Nehirim, a national community of LGBT Jews, partners and allies. His work has appeared in Salon, Newsweek, Tikkun and The Huffington Post. His talk, which is centered on his new book, is titled “God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality.” 

The event is sponsored by the College's Hillel, the Department of Women and Gender Studies, Office of Multicultural Affairs Office, Department of Religious Studies, Campus Protestant Ministries, Counseling Center, LGBTQ Allies, Iris House, Multifaith Council, InterFraternity Council, Collegiate Panhellenic Council, Nehirim and The Jewish Daily Forward. 

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., speakers Ghaith al-Omari and David Makovsky will give expert commentary on Middle East politics, bringing their differing perspectives on current events in that region. Markovsky is the director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process. Al-Omari is the executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. The lecture is the Frederick E. Miller lecture in honor of Anwar Sadat. 

For more information on either event, contact Bonnie Cramer at 388-6539.  

Prof. Aubrey, who lived in Mayfield, N.Y. and Punta Gorda, Fla. was with the College from 1955 until his retirement in 1989.

A native of Hudson Falls, he served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He held a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s in engineering from Union.

He joined the College’s fledging Mechanical Engineering department after a position at General Electric.

Described at his retirement by colleague Gardner Ketchum as “energetic, eager and enthusiastic,” Aubrey arrived as the new department had begun to expand its laboratories. “Bill's spirit and ability rapidly filled that need admirably,” Ketchum said. “He brought the same kind of enthusiasm and ability to the classroom.”

He played the viola and sang in church choirs in New York and Florida. He was an honorary member of the Mayfield Yacht Club. Bill enjoyed sailing, kayaking, Union sports, golf and time with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 47 years, Margaret Ellis Aubrey; a son, William C. Aubrey II ’68; and three daughters, Jennifer Peterson, Amy Wnuk and Beth (Aubrey ’90) Stephan.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice or another charity.

A memorial service is to be announced.

Those recognized were: 

Jennifer Sexton '15; Maria Dreeszen '14; Shilpa Darivemula '13, Naika Joseph '12 and Mary O'Keeffe, adjunct associate professor of economics.

"The honorees are all unsung heroes," said Angela Tatem, the director at the Kenney Center. "It was a nice moment to recognize them in front of their peers who also have a heart of service to the community."

The keynote speaker for the event was Antonio Gutierrez '10. Representatives from COCOA House and the Bethesda House also spoke. Performers were the Heavenly Liturgical Dance Ministry, the Dutch Pipers and the Garnet Minstrelles. The event was hosted by Christian Garcia '14 and Jasmine Roth '13. The event was co-sponsored by Wells House. 

Union dance students will transport audiences to the fabled city on the Seine at the Spring Dance Concert at Yulman Theater Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, May 26. 

With a large cast, original choreography and live, acoustic music, “Paris Danse” highlights Parisian life from the 1880s through 1920s. Thirty performers – dancers, musicians, singers – have spent all term preparing for the event. 

“With a French zest, Paris Danse will transport you into a myriad of scenes and images from La Belle Epoque to Les Années Folles (Roaring Twenties),” said the show’s creator, Dance Program Director Miryam Moutillet. “This original work reveals the Parisian life and artistic vibrancy of this extraordinary period.” 

Inspired by old photography, paintings and the music of masters, the show is based on five tableaux, including the Opera House, the Moulin Rouge and Chez Bricktop, a jazz cabaret. 

Among the numbers are “French Can-Can,” an ensemble piece by Moutillet and Instructor Marcus Rogers, set to music by Offenbach; Moutillet’s ballet, “Degas,” danced to music by Satie; a ballroom piece by Instructor Amber Woerner; and a 1920s jazz tableau with a Duke Ellington score. 

There are three senior dance projects, including “Sous Le Ciel de Paris” a piece for three dancers created by Anna Finlay ’12 to music by the great French singer Edith Piaf. 

Danielle Kreig ’12 will perform a solo she choreographed, and Krystle Gallo ’12 will dance in a sextet she created. Both use music by contemporary French musician Yann Tiersan. 

There will be live music by guest artists Andy Iorio, musical director and piano player, and French accordionist Sylvain Payot. Joining them are Union singers Connor Barrett ’14, Alex Infante ’12, Emily Lnenicka ’12 and Sonika Raj ’13. 

Professor of French Charles Batson is artistic collaborator. Brittney Belz is the show’s costume designer, lighting is by Robert Bovard, and Professor Charles Steckler “framed the inspirational artwork into a majestic décor,” said Moutillet. 

Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. each evening, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, May 26. Tickets, now on sale at the Yulman Theater Box Office, are $7 with a Union ID and $10 for the general public. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. For more information or reservations, call 388-6545.

Eric Cheney, emeritus professor at the University of Washington, will speak on “Geology, Economics and Politics of Ores of Rare Earth Elements.” These elements have various sophisticated and critical industrial uses and are increasing in demand. Cheney’s research also focuses on the geology and social relevance of mineral and fuel deposits in the Pacific Northwest. 

For more information, call the department at 388-6770. 

Union students took home a handful of prizes in the Oral Presentation Competition: 

First place went to Max Balter; second was Erin Villeneuve; third was Mcolisi Dlamini (who also won for Best Technical Content); and Krystle Gallo finished in fourth place. 

Chris Heske finished in first place in the Old Guard Technical Poster Competition. 

As winner of the District A oral competition, Balter will represent the College and District A at the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Houston, Texas in November. He will compete in the Society Finals against 17 other competitors from the six North American and four international districts.

Yet the tale of who gave life to Taps and how it became embedded in American culture has not always been harmonious. Over the years, various stories have circulated about the bugle call’s origins. These urban myths persist, particularly around holidays such as Memorial Day or Veterans Day.

There’s little doubt the credit for Taps rests largely with Daniel Butterfield, a member of Union’s Class of 1849. While serving as a general during the Civil War, Butterfield didn’t like the traditional bugle call that marked the day’s end. So with the help of his brigade’s bugler, Butterfield tweaked another call no longer in use. The eloquent and haunting sound quickly spread to other units and became the new standard.

Butterfield was not one to toot his own horn, however, so it would be decades before his role was revealed. And this happened only by chance after a magazine article about bugle calls a few years before Butterfield’s death failed to acknowledge his contribution.

Butterfield will take a bow when a series of events is held to mark the 150th anniversary of Taps.

On Saturday, May 19 (Armed Forces Day), Union will host a brass band concert at 9 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. The 15-piece band, comprised of faculty, students and members of the local Signature Brass Quintet, will be led by Jari Villanueva, a retired Air Force veteran and author of Twenty-Four Notes That Tap Deep Emotions: The History of America’s Most Famous Bugle Call. Villanueva, president of Taps 150, will also give a talk on Butterfield at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 18, in College Park Hall as part of ReUnion festivities.

Between those two campus events, Villanueva will board a plane and join 200 buglers from throughout the country to perform Taps at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday morning. And next month, Villanueva and others will gather at the site in Virginia where Butterfield and his bugler conceived Taps.

To learn more, click here.

Precisely how did General Butterfield come to be associated with Taps? In August 1898, Century Magazine published an article, “The Trumpet in Camp and Battle.” The author made note of Taps, but admitted he wasn’t sure who was responsible for the now-accepted call to close a soldier’s day.

A former bugler during the war, Oliver Willcox Norton, saw the article and wrote to the magazine. Norton described Butterfield, a general for the Union Army who led his brigade in the Penisular Campaign at Harrison’s Landing in Virginia.

Unhappy with Extinguish Lights, the traditional French call sounded at the end of the day, Butterfield tapped Norton, the brigade’s bugler, to help him play something different.

Butterfield summoned Norton to his tent, and the two men practiced a call, which was adapted from an older one familiar to Butterfield, Tattoo. Butterfield directed Norton to sound the new call that July night in 1862.

“The music was beautiful on that still summer night, and was heard far beyond the limits of our brigade,” Norton recalled. “The next day I was visited by several buglers from neighboring brigades, asking for copies of the music, which I gladly furnished.”

The magazine tracked down Butterfield in Cold Spring, N.Y. He confirmed the gist of Norton’s account.

The old call “did not seem to be as smooth, melodious and musical as it should be,” Butterfield said.

The idea of creating a distinct bugle call for his brigade had also worked when Butterfield was a colonel for the 12th Regiment of the New York State Militia.

“The men rather liked their call, and began to sing my name to it,” he wrote. “The men would sing Dan, Dan, Dan, But-ter-field, But-ter-field to the notes when the call came.”

Although Taps was in heavy rotation since its debut in 1862, the U.S. Army continued to refer to the call as Extinguish Lights in its manuals until 1891, when it was officially changed to Taps. And why Taps? It refers to the three distinct drum taps at four-count intervals at the end of the call.

Despite the magazine story, Butterfield continued to suffer slights, intentional or not. Stories shared about the origin of Taps failed to mention him. The most popular telling involved a young man from the North who was killed fighting for the South during the Civil War. When his father, a captain in the Union Army, came across his son’s body on the battlefield, he found the notes to Taps in the boy’s pocket. A general ordered the call be played at the funeral.

And two monuments to Butterfield contain no reference to Taps. One is Butterfield’s ornate tomb at West Point. Butterfield never attended the academy but was buried there because of his heroics during the Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his military service. The other monument is a bronze statute of Butterfield that stands in Sakura Park in Manhattan, near Grant’s Tomb.

At Union, Butterfield was a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. He stayed connected with the College for the remainder of his life, establishing a course of 30 lectures given by many prominent figures of the day, including Andrew Carnegie, General P.S. Michie and Butterfield’s classmate, Frederick Seward (son of William Henry Seward). Butterfield Hall opened to the Chemistry Department in 1918.

Butterfield was 69 when he died in 1901. Taps was sounded at his funeral.

Said Villanueva, who is organizing the anniversary tributes to Taps and, as a 23-year member of the United States Air Force Band, has performed the call more than 5,000 times at Arlington:

“If it weren’t for Daniel Butterfield, we could all still be playing the call we borrowed from the French.”