The week, as part of Union’s expanding Adirondack Program, kicks off with a hike up Prospect Mountain in Lake George Sunday. On Monday, a fair will be held in front of Reamer Campus Center. Students will enjoy a rock climbing wall, entertainment, live music and more.

Later that evening, Phil Terrie, professor of American cultural studies at Bowling Green State University, will discuss the environmental, political, social and economic opportunities and threats currently facing the Adirondacks.

On Tuesday, Joseph Martens, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation, will deliver the keynote address at 11 a.m. in the Nott Memorial. Events throughout the week also include a guided walk through Reist Sanctuary at the College’s Kelly Adirondack Center and a panel discussion on the future of the Adirondack Park.  

“Adirondack Week serves a means to better engage the campus community with the importance of the Adirondacks,” said Chief of Staff Eddie Summers, director of the Adirondack Initiative. “It also provides faculty and students will tremendous opportunities to think about ways in which we can take an interdisciplinary approach to solving some of the issues presented this week.”

Union established the program, playing on its academic strengths to allow students and faculty to develop a multi-faceted understanding of the mountain range and the region’s issues, challenges and opportunities.

Union purchased the former home of noted Adirondack conservationist Paul Schaefer in the spring of 2011. The two-acre property, recently dedicated as the Kelly Adirondack Center, includes the home and a modern addition that houses the Adirondack Research Library. The library contains more than 15,000 volumes, as well as extensive collections of maps, photographs, documents and personal papers of some of the region’s foremost conservationists.

For more information on the Adirondack program and a full schedule of the week’s events, click here. 

Why Union:
I knew there would be a lot of opportunities to interact with professors because of the small classes.

Most inspiring class:
“Intro to Cultural Anthropology” completely changed the way I think about people and the world for the better.

Also excited about:
Making the world a more sustainable place. I have become very interested in improving energy production, distribution and usage.

Favorite study spot:
The Engineering Department. My classmates are always there in case I need help or a laugh.

Inspiring moments:
Seeing the passion my professors have for what they teach.

Three things I’m passionate about at Union:

1. Engineering. Engineers have the ability to positively change the world and the future. This is extremely powerful – and it’s fun, too.
2. Getting involved. I have been involved in many campus organizations, and they have all helped me grow and provided some of the greatest joys.
3. Break dancing. As a member of our break dancing club, I not only learned some fresh moves but also was introduced to the inspiring people and culture surrounding it.

Other passions:
Traveling, mountain biking, mountain climbing, hiking, fishing and going to Yankee games. I’m a die-hard Yankee fan.

Most surprising thing about Union:
How diverse our student body is. I’ve met amazing people from all around the world.

How I’m making Union a better place:
As the president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Break Dancing Club, I help students experience new things and find their passions both academically and culturally. I also founded the Engineering Student Forum to increase collaboration among the engineering organizations on campus.

Advice for incoming students: 
Get involved.

Looking into the future:
I would like to travel and make the world a more sustainable place.

“The Age of Biotechnology,” an anthropology course. We explored how different advancements in science, medicine and biology (pharmaceuticals, human genomes, organ donations, etc.) have affected our lives and the implications they pose for the future. For my final project, an analysis of a specific biotechnology, I looked at the medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth; so interesting.

Classics, including my upper level translation Latin courses. Even though Latin is a “dead language,” the professors really bring the works back to life. I love “The Ancient World in Film and Literature.” I’m also very excited about my term abroad to Greece in the fall. I want to live in a country with a different language and completely different culture rooted in deep ethnic and religious beliefs.

The Chemistry Department, third floor of the Science and Engineering building

Hearing the awesome speakers that come to our campus every year, like Bill Nye the Science Guy.

1. Spring term
2. The Union Pride community (great connection among professors, students and staff)
   
3. The great variety of campus events.

I serve on my Minerva Council and am also working with the administration and students to improve the Honor Code and support an environment of academic integrity.

I hope to attend medical school. I’m passionate about holistic health. I’d like to learn about how to improve the whole body through Eastern medicine, home remedies, nutrition and physical exercise.

Try something that you would never think about doing – a class, intramural sport, club or social event. You’ll learn a lot about yourself.

That couldn't happen today.

As the 23rd annual symposium approaches May 10, the number of students involved in the all-day event has swelled to nearly 450 – including 215 oral presentations and 45 poster presentations. Nearly 200 additional students are involved in a dance performance, two musical concerts, an art exhibit and other activities.

The growing popularity of the symposium reflects the type of hands-on, faculty-mentored undergraduate research that is a staple of the Union experience. Classes are canceled to allow parents, faculty, staff and students to sample projects from every discipline.

"Once again, Union students have produced a wonderful variety of work as a result of senior theses and projects in addition to in-class work," said Kristin Fox, associate professor of chemistry and director of undergraduate research.

Visitors can begin their morning with presentations ranging from "Political Realities: The Truth about Ghanaian Women in Politics" with Helena-Jasmine Sowah '13 to "The Sweet Side of Chemistry: A Study of the Nano Topology of Sugars and Chocolate" with Sally Chamberland '13. They can also check out the Mechanical Engineering teams who have built a Baja car, an airplane and a human-powered vehicle.

At 12:20 p.m. in Olin 115, students in the Film Studies program will present their works: BENZO by Emma Freter '13 and Jeffrey Moreno '13 and Home Front by Andrew McLain '13.

At 4 p.m. in the Nott Memorial, 60 students will perform excerpts from "Circling Beginnings," this year's Winter Dance Concert. Also, an original piece, "Sleep," a collaboration with Choral Director John Cox, will feature members of Miryam Moutillet’s class, Dance Experience, embodying the act of sleeping being serenaded by the Camerata singers.

In addition, there will be performances by Jenna Langhans ’13 and Dance Instructor Marcus Rogers as well as by Union Bhangra, the Ballroom Club and the Dance Team. Singers Connor Barrett ’14 and Meaghan Melley ’16 will be accompanied by guest artists Harry Pellegrin and Andy Iorio on classical guitar and piano.

The 2013 Edward Villella Fellowship in dance will be announced at the end of the show. 

The annual Visual Arts Student Art Exhibit, on view through May 11 in the Burns Art Atrium Gallery, features 129 pieces by more than 100 students.

Curated by 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).

The Steinmetz Symposium Banquet, for presenters, their parents, guests and faculty sponsors, takes place in Upper Class Dining Hall at 6 p.m. Registration is required.

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, is set for 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

Steinmetz Symposium coincides with Prize Day, beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday in Memorial Chapel, followed by a reception on the Reamer Campus Center patio at 12:30 p.m. Students are honored for achievement in academics, research, service and  governance.

Also, the Union College Jazz Ensemble, with Professor Tim Olsen conducting a program of vocal and instrumental jazz, will perform at 2 p.m. in Emerson Auditorium.

For a complete schedule, including a list of presentations, visit the Steinmetz website.

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.

"It's significant the way the Ramée plan has continued to live since its creation," Paul Turner '62, professor emeritus of architectural history at Stanford University, told close to 100 people who participated in this year's Alumni and Friends Symposium, "Surveying the Campus Landscape: A Bicentennial Celebration and Examination of Joseph Ramée's and Eliphalet Nott's Grand Plan."

Two hundred years ago, the French architect, working closely with Nott, designed a campus that became a model for collegiate planning. Among the many campus designs it likely influenced was Thomas Jefferson's for the University of Virginia and Frederick Law Olmsted's for Stanford University.

Over three days, a series of talks, panel presentations and tours dissected the design that continues to guide the College's growth today. The idea of the annual symposium is to help graduates re-engage in the intellectual life they enjoyed at Union.

In his opening address Friday night, Turner, author of Joseph Ramée: International Architect of the Revolutionary Era and Campus: An American Planning Tradition, introduced the audience to the unheralded architect and shared his expertise on the long-forgotten drawings that were discovered in a campus attic in 1932.

"Even though it was not fully executed as Ramée and Nott originally intended, the basic nature of the design has always been recognized, by the Union community, as essential to the college - as a physical symbol of the school's identity and character," Turner said. "All of this shows a remarkable respect for an architectural plan, and an acknowledgment that a well-planned and harmonious environment can contribute to the success of an institution."

President Stephen C. Ainlay delivered a provocative talk Saturday night on "The Built and Unbuilt Union," highlighting some of the campus architecture that departed from the Ramée plan, including Washburn Hall (built in 1883 and razed in 1963) and the Nott Memorial. While a key element of Ramée's plan called for a central rotunda, it wasn't until decades later that the Nott Memorial, designed by Edward Potter, took shape, and not in way envisioned by Ramée.

"But the fact that it's different from the Ramée plan is what gives the Nott its power," Ainlay said of the 16-sided building that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and to the list of National Historic Landmarks in 1986.

Ainlay shared a number of plans that have emerged over the years that, for a host of reasons, were never built, including the Robert Porter Patterson Memorial Library in 1952, named after the Class of 1912 alum. There was also a plan at one time to resurface the Nott and to add columns.

In reviewing new campus projects, including the Henle Dance Pavilion (to be dedicated over ReUnion weekend), Ainlay assured the audience that the College will continue to adhere to the guiding principles of Ramée's plan in shaping future growth.

"This is sacred space," Ainlay said. "This is space that can't be touched or violated."

Other speakers included renowned campus architect Art Lidsky, president of Dober Lidsky Mathey, who discussed campus planning trends and challenges faced by colleges and universities, and Ellen Fladger, head of the College's Special Collections, who provided an overview of the Ramée drawings.

Panelists included Lynne Birdsall  '76, director of admissions at Sterling College (Vermont); William Carey '86, engineer, Divney Tung Schwalbe; James Carl '84, associate professor,  Cleveland State University; Cynthia Curtis-Budka '87, associate professor, The College of New Jersey; David Duchscherer '67, principal, Wendel Duchscherer; Jayme Lahut '83, executive director, Schenectady Metroplex; Steven Levy  '72; Donald Lippman '82, president, DEL Development Corporation; Peter Martini  '78, vice president and project executive, Commodore Builders; Robert Powers  '77, historic preservationist, Powers and Company, Inc.; and Theron Russell '75, project manager, Forest City Ratner Companies.

A reporter who covers architecture for the Chronicle of Higher Education attended the symposium.

To read an op-ed by Turner that appeared in Sunday's Times Union, click here.

To read a front page story in the Times Union on the celebration of the Ramée plan, click here.

To read an article in the Sunday Gazette about a Ramée exhibit in the Mandeville Gallery, click here.

The first Alumni and Friends Symposium, held in 2007, was modeled after the “Moral Dilemmas of Governing” class led for many years by Byron Nichols. Twenty former students of Nichols, who taught political science from 1968 to 2008, returned to Union for a spirited discussion on the moral and political issues surrounding illegal immigration.

This was the challenge presented to a team of Union students who participated in the 2013 Adirondack Cup, sponsored by the Adirondack Small Cap Mutual Fund (ADKSX). Students from 18 Northeast colleges competed to see which team could build and grow a small cap portfolio.

The goal is to teach students the difference between trading stocks and thinking through their investment decisions for the long term and to help them make appropriate connections in the financial services sector as they prepare to enter the job market.

“We have a strong network of clients, particularly in the Northeast, who have been actively tracking the performance of students from their favorite schools," said Adirondack Principal Steve Gonick, who met with Union's team in January. "This has given the students a great opportunity to build their contacts as they enter the workforce.”

Beginning in October, Union's team, advised by Bradley Lewis, professor of economics, met at least twice a month in a Lippmann Hall conference room in to manage their imaginary portfolio.

When the results of the competition were announced this week, Union finished an impressive fourth, behind Siena, St. Lawrence University and St. John Fisher College. Union's fund had a 31.13 percent return, beating the Russell 2000 Index, which measures the performance of small cap stocks in the U.S.; the index had a return of 15.40 percent for the same period.

"The entire process - developing a cohesive team, conducting statistical analysis and evaluating market research - was a wonderful learning experience," said Henry Andrew Kauffman '14, an entrepreneurial studies major.

Kauffman and portfolio leader Michael Wollner '14, an economics major, got the idea for Union to form a team after working as communications interns at the Adirondack Small Cap Mutual Fund (ADKSX) in nearby Guilderland. Other members of the team included Frank Castiglione ’14 (mechanical engineering), Kyle Cavaretta '14 (political science), Jack Wilson '15 (political science) and Tim Meyer '14 (economics).

"My time spent studying trends in the technical sector of the stock market helped give me a chance to experiment with the business side of current technical issues," said Castiglione.

Union's team stayed in the top five for much of the competition, and the experience already has them looking forward to next year's contest.

"This was a great chance for the students to use what they'd learned both on and off campus," said their adviser, Lewis. "They represented the College extremely well."

Other schools that competed were Binghamton University, Clarkson University, Hofstra University, Ithaca College, Stony Brook University, Rochester Institute of Technology, State University of New York at Geneseo, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, University at Albany, the College at Brockport, Stony Brook University Graduate School, Bryn Mawr College, the College of St. Rose and Wesleyan University.

To learn more, click here.

“Gulliver’s Troubles: Obama and the New Middle East”  is sponsored by the Department of History and Jewish Studies. 

It is free and open to the public.

Miller is currently vice president for New Initiatives and a Distinguished Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., where he’s finishing his fifth book, “Can America Have Another Great President?”

From 1978-2003, Miller was an analyst, negotiator and adviser on Middle Eastern issues to six Republican and Democratic secretaries of state. He participated in American efforts to broker agreements between Israel, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinians.

Between 2003 and 2006, he was president of Seeds of Peace, an internationally recognized program in conflict resolution and coexistence for young people from regions of conflict.

Miller’s books include The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace (Bantam Books, 2008). His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times. His column, “Reality Check,” appears weekly in Foreign Policy magazine. He is a frequent commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and NPR.

He is on the U.S. Advisory Council of Israel Policy Forum.

Those who attend the student-organized event will receive a delicious, simple meal and a handcrafted ceramic bowl – a symbol and a reminder of all the bowls worldwide that remain empty as a result of hunger. Additionally, there will be various raffles and auction items, with entertainment by the Dutch Pipers, the Eliphalets, the Garnet Minstrels, Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir, U-Break and spoken word poetry by Melanie Gonzalez.

A meal of chili, bread and soup will be provided by Bombers Burrito Bar, Dining Services and Tara’s Kitchen, with dessert provided by Campus Kitchens.

"It’s a great opportunity for faculty, staff, students and the Schenectady community to come together for a good cause,” said Tori Chee ’13, former director of Campus Kitchens, a student-run organization that donates food to Schenectady City Mission weekly. “I hope it encourages people to volunteer.”

All proceeds of the Empty Bowls event will go to Bethesda House, Concern for the Hungry and Schenectady City Mission to feed the hungry in the area. Last year, the event made more than $2,000 that went toward feeding Schenectady’s hungry.

“The Empty Bowls Project is an international grassroots organization with the goal of raising awareness and funds to fight world hunger,” said Jennifer Sexton, one of the coordinators of the event.

The event will be held on Sunday at 5 p.m. A shuttle will be available to transport students from the College to Proctor’s theater. Tickets are available at the Kenney Community Center every weekday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $20 for the general public and $15 for Union students.

With the spring term in full swing, the bevy of crews from Facilities and outside contractors reminds the campus community and visitors of the number of ongoing projects that will enhance Union.

"We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we work to finish these projects," said Loren Rucinski, director of Facilities.

Project: Wicker Wellness Center. Adjacent to Alumni Gym, the building will allow Health Services and the Counseling Center to relocate from its cramped spaces in Silliman Hall. The first floor of the new building will be occupied by Health Services, which is staffed by nurse practitioners, registered professional nurses and a collaborating physician. The space will include six exam rooms, offices, a conference room, reception and waiting area, and a staff lounge. The Eppler-Wolff Center for Psychological Services will be located on the second floor. The center, which provides confidential individual counseling, couples counseling and roommate conflict mediation, will include a private entry, waiting rooms, six counseling rooms, a relaxation area and offices.
 
Status: Demolition in the existing space is complete and steel structural members have been installed to support the second floor. Footings for the steel structure for the addition are complete and the steel is being installed this week.

Due date: The center will be substantially complete by the end of July and functioning for fall term.

Project: Henle Dance Pavilion. Adjacent to Yulman Theater overlooking Jackson’s Garden, the 7,000-square-foot facility will be home for classes, rehearsals, workshops, performances and other events. 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. It also will include a costume shop, faculty offices, meeting rooms and gallery.

Status: Nearing completion. The flooring in the dance studio is being installed and punch list items are under way. The contractor should be finished the first week of May.

Due date:  Dedication over ReUnion Weekend May 31-June 2.

Project: Schaffer Library Dehumidification. A new dehumidification system is being installed to ensure the appropriate environment can be controlled to prevent book mold forming and harming the College collection.

Status:  The mechanical system has been installed and connected to the geothermal well system in the Wold Center. This will allow the well system to operate more efficiently. The system controls are being installed and tested.

Due date: The system should be up and running by the end of this month.

Project: Bailey Hall Heating and Cooling System Replacement. The bulk of the project is slated for the summer, but preliminary work is under way. Faculty and staff will be temporarily relocated. Due to the complexity of the work, upgrades such as carpet, painting, ceilings and lighting will be performed as well.

Status: In preparation, the contractor has been working in attic areas to remove old equipment and open up areas to install the new system.

Due date: Early August. Faculty and staff will move back soon after, in preparation for the fall term.

Once these spring projects are finished, the campus will get a much-needed facelift this summer with $3 million worth of projects approved by the College's Planning and Priorities committee. The committee has been focused on deferred maintenance projects.  Among these on tap are painting the exteriors of Yulman Theater and Alumni Gym, and new floors for Memorial Fieldhouse and Old Chapel.

Flying a record-breaking weight for Union of 26.4 pounds, the team was just points away from clinching the seventh spot. Prior to the start of competition, the Flying Dutchmen were also forced to rebuild their plane, as it crashed during testing the day before.

Seniors Bessena Cabe, Charles Bouchard, Jeff Ehrlich, Jason Hargreaves and Joshua Rathgeb were those responsible for constructing the remote-controlled plane with a 10-foot wingspan.

According to advisor Brad Bruno, associate professor of mechanical engineering, the team showed “excellent sportsmanship,” as they lent another team an engine so that they could get their plane going and be able to compete.

“They were an incredibly hard-working, resilient team and represented Union in a way that made me very proud,” Bruno said.

The quartet will begin the program with Mozart’s Quartet in D Major, K. 499 “Hoffmeister” followed by Alban Berg’s difficult Lyric Suite. They close the program with Dvorák’s fiery Quartet in D Minor, Op. 34.  

The Emerson String Quartet stands alone among string quartets with a long list of achievements over three decades: more than 30 recordings since 1987, nine Grammy Awards (including an unprecedented two for Best Classical Album), three Gramophone Awards and the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize—a first for a chamber ensemble. The group has performed cycles of the complete Beethoven, Bartók, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich string quartets in the world’s musical capitals, from New York to London and Vienna. Formed in 1976, they took its name from the poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The Emerson String Quartet is comprised of violinists Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer who alternate in the first chair position, with Lawrence Dutton on viola and David Finckel on cello. Appearing at the series annually for over 25 years, they are making its final Union performance with Finckel, who is leaving the group in May 2013. British cellist Paul Watkins will join them in the fall.

Individual tickets are $25 or $10 for students. Subscription packages offer significant savings. For information, call 518-388-6080 or click here. 

Zaibert is one of four fellows selected for 2013-14 to spend a term at CEPL, "home to many of the leading figures in legal theory in modern times." The fellowship is named after Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart, one of the most influential legal philosophers in the last century and author of 1961's The Concept of Law.

Founded in 2002 as a collaboration between three colleges of the University of Oxford (Corpus Christi College, Merton College and University College), CEPL encourages and supports advanced work in moral, political, and legal philosophy.

Zaibert will be at University College from early October to mid December. As a fellow, he will receive a housing allowance, an office and enjoy full use of the College’s academic and social facilities.

Zaibert earned his Ph.D. at the State University of New York, Buffalo, where he received the Perry Dissertation Award for outstanding doctoral dissertation. He holds a law degree from Universidad Santa Maria in Caracas, Venezuela, where he also practiced law. He previously held posts at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside; Grand Valley State University, Michigan; SUNY Buffalo Law School; Universidad Simón Bolivar, Caracas; and Amherst College.

He joined Union in 2009.

Ramée's design became a model for collegiate planning. Among the many campus designs it likely influenced was Thomas Jefferson's for the University of Virginia and Frederick Law Olmsted's for Stanford University.

"Surveying the Campus Landscape: A Bicentennial Celebration and Examination of Joseph Ramée's and Eliphalet Nott's Grand Plan," is the subject of this year's Alumni and Friends Symposium, Friday through Sunday.

Throughout the weekend, guests will participate in discussion groups and panel presentations related to the plan, and take walking tours of campus. The idea is to help graduates re-engage in the intellectual life they enjoyed at Union. Most of the events will be held in the Nott Memorial.

On Friday at 8 p.m., Paul Turner '62, professor emeritus of architectural history at Stanford University and author of Joseph Ramée: International Architect of the Revolutionary Era and Campus: An American Planning Tradition, gives the opening address.

On Saturday at 11 a.m., architect Art Lidsky, president of Dober Lidsky Mathey, will discuss "Campus Planning Trends within Colleges and Universities." At 8 p.m., President Stephen C. Ainlay will talk about "The Unbuilt Union."

Other symposium topics to be addressed include the intersecting landscapes of physical space and academic and intellectual life, and lessons from Ramée for a residential college in the 21st century.

Panelists include Lynne Birdsall  '76, director of admissions at Sterling College (Vermont); William Carey '86, engineer, Divney Tung Schwalbe; James Carl '84, associate professor,  Cleveland State University; Cynthia Curtis-Budka '87, associate professor, The College of New Jersey; David Duchscherer '67, principal, Wendel Duchscherer; Jayme Lahut '83, executive director, Schenectady Metroplex; Steven Levy  '72; Donald Lippman '82, president, DEL Development Corporation; Peter Martini  '78, vice president and project executive, Commodore Builders; Robert Powers  '77, historic preservationist, Powers and Company, Inc.; and Theron Russell '75, project manager, Forest City Ratner Companies.

For more information, including a schedule of events, click here.

The symposium is part of the College's celebration of the bicentennial of Union's campus design, "The 200 Days of Ramée." Other events include "The Grand Design: Joseph Ramée’s Drawings for the Union College Campus,” an exhibit at Mandeville Gallery featuring 30 facsimiles of Ramée's original drawings.

The first Alumni and Friends Symposium, held in 2007, was modeled after the “Moral Dilemmas of Governing” class led for many years by Byron Nichols. Twenty former students of Nichols, a popular political science professor from 1968 to 2008, returned to Union for a spirited discussion on the moral and political issues surrounding illegal immigration.

Back in 1998 when the Schaffer Library was renovated, libraries across the northeast weren’t built to include humidity control, most figuring the climate didn’t warrant it. For the most part, the only sections to feature additional temperature control systems were special collections, as was done in Schaffer. But the exceptionally heavy humidity over the last few summers changed all that.

“These molds can be found on just about any book and for the most part, are pretty dormant,” said Loren Rucinski, director of facilities. “But all it takes is a slight elevation in temperature to make it turn really destructive and that’s what we faced. Although harmless to humans, it began to attack books in our collection that had a specific type of binding and was beginning to contaminate other books. Something had to be done.”

The mold growth presented a particular challenge during the ‘shoulder’ months – April through June and August through November - when Union switches between heating facilities and cooling units and when temperatures can be at their most erratic. Library personnel and Physical Facilities staff joined forces to explore a broad range of solutions. First off, the books were quickly removed from the stacks to prevent further spread of the mold and stored. The next step was to bring in heating and cooling consultants, the Polygon Group. Widely known for their work in specialized temperature control, Polygon worked with Union staff to determine the exact level of humidity needed – below 50 percent – and the most cost-effective way to provide a permanent fix. Polygon also cleaned and stored the books in their facility in Massachusetts while Schaffer’s temperature and humidity were stabilized.

Initially, rented descant units from Polygon, which absorbed the moisture in the air and lowered the humidity without adding heat, seemed to be a step in the right direction. But these units were expensive and used up a lot of electricity. Last summer, when the humidity was at its highest, the rented units drew 17 percent of all the electricity used on campus.

An alternative solution had to be found – and Facilities found one: a complete retrofit of the existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to include new dehumidification equipment. Designed, manufactured and installed by leading HVAC system provider, Daikin McQuay, the new equipment also features a web-based monitoring system – the Johnson Controls Metasys Automation system - that allows the Facilities staff to monitor and/or control the Schaffer Library from any web browser on campus.

This is how it works: For most of the year, outdoor air coming into Schaffer is chilled, causing moisture in the air to condense and drop out. But this lack of moisture also makes the air feel much colder than it is, so to make it comfortable to work in, the air is reheated to between 68 - 70° and in doing so, the humidity drops like a stone. During the shoulder months, when neither the main campus chiller nor the steam boiler plant are running, the new Daikin-McQuay equipment will ‘kick-in’  to ensure that temperatures and humidity remain stable in Schaffer. In keeping with Union’s commitment to sustainability, the waste heat generated from chilling the air will then be reused to reheat it. An added bonus is that more heat is generated than is needed in Schaffer so the excess will be redirected to the geothermal wells in the Wold Center, where it will be used to serve that facility’s temperature needs.

“Using the newly designed system over the rented dehumidifiers represents a cost avoidance for us,” said Steve Hassett, supervisor of technical controls. “In order to preserve the holdings in the library for future generations, we had to solve the humidity problem in Schaffer no matter what. A more traditional system would have meant significantly higher operating costs for us. But with the upgraded HVAC system, we were able to find a permanent and sustainable solution.”

Frances Maloy, College librarian, couldn’t be happier.  “This has been a truly collaborative project,” said Maloy. “Everyone immediately understood what this situation could mean to our library and everyone involved in finding a solution took ownership of the problem. Even the students were good sports about it, helping to clean books and putting up with temperature swings as we tested out various solutions. I am also very grateful to Therese McCarty, vice president for academic affairs, and President Ainlay for their support – we couldn’t have done it without them.”

The retrofitted HVAC system, which cost around $800,000, was funded by President Ainlay through support set aside by Union’s Board of Trustees for projects that are considered to be of importance to the College’s well-being. 

His talk is free and open to the public.

An adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Senor was the chief spokesman to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq during the George W. Bush administration. He also served as a Pentagon adviser to U.S. Central Command in Qatar and as a foreign policy and communications aide in the U.S. Senate.

Most recently, he was the senior foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney.

“Hillel has been interested in sponsoring a lecture from Dan Senor for a couple years now, and the opportunity arose through Union networking and connections,” said Ariel Gomberg, Union College Hillel member and president of U for Israel, two of the event’s co-sponsors.

Gomberg noted that Curt Myers ’15, a member of U for Israel, was a key connection. He worked on Romney’s presidential campaign with his mother, Beth Myers, Romney’s chief of staff and top campaign adviser.

Senor’s book, Start-up Nation, written with Saul Singer, examines Israel’s flourishing entrepreneurial economy. It addresses how a small, young nation without natural resources, surrounded by enemies and in a constant state of war since its founding, “produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the United Kingdom,” Gomberg said.

The authors make the point that while many countries suffered tremendously in the 2008 economic collapse, Israel continues to thrive, and that today, it has more companies on the tech-oriented NASDAQ stock exchange than any country outside the U.S., including more than all of Europe and India combined.

“Mr. Senor will explain the Israeli model of economic success,” Gomberg said. “He will discuss the diverse range of Israeli start-ups and how they created solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

“His book covers a range of subjects that most students can relate to, including engineering, digital media, communications, politics and economics. We can apply the techniques and thinking observed in Israel’s entrepreneurs to build innovative organizations of our own that boost the American business infrastructure.”

Senor has been a frequent contributor to Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time and other publications. He is married to television news personality Campbell Brown.

Before his campus talk, he will have dinner at Hale House with students, faculty and members of the co-sponsoring groups, which also include the Department of Economics, the Economics Club and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York.

Following his lecture, there will be a reception in Everest Lounge. For more information, contact Ariel Gomberg ’13.  

Senor's visit comes in the middle of Hillel's Holocaust remembrance series, which includes a number of events. 

The weeklong celebration is an extension of Earth Day, an annual day of action started in 1970 dedicated to preserving and appreciating the planet’s resources. Earth Day 2013 is Monday, April 22.

"Earth Week celebrates the beauty and bounty of nature as well as the need for activism, engagement and environmental protection," said Meghan Haley-Quigley ’11, Union's sustainability coordinator.

The College's events, from Saturday, April 20 to Saturday, April 27, touch on a variety of issues and topics, including environmental appreciation and education, the importance of buying and eating locally/organically produced goods, and proper disposal of waste.

Among the highlights:

Saturday: Octopus's  Garden planting with the Kenney Community Center, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday: Environmental Club trip to Dionondehowa, a wildlife sanctuary in Shushan, N.Y.

Monday: Downtown Schenectady Greenmarket sets up shop outside the Reamer Campus Center, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Meatless Monday in Upper Class and West Dining Halls.

Wednesday: Ban Bottled Water Day. No water bottles sold on campus.

Thursday: Trash audit. Outside Reamer, students sort through one bag of trash from every building, separating out all items that could have been recycled, reused, donated or composted, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

For a calendar of events, click here.

For more information, contact Jordan Pulling '15 at pullingj@garnet.union.edu

Union is ranked among the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges.” The free guide, produced in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, includes schools that have “demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.”

At Union, "U Sustain is a mantra and a mission," according to the 2013 edition of the guide.

To learn more about sustainability at Union, click here.

He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2007. While Miltner awaits the transplant, he will remain in the critical care unit in Boston, hours away from his home and family in Burnt Hills, N.Y. The money raised by TriDelta will help defray the family’s expenses.

Miltner worked at Union for more than 20 years, serving in three different capacities in Facilities. “During that time, he worked diligently to obtain his Union College degree, and in his last position, he became the College’s first sustainability coordinator,” said Loren Rucinski, director of Facilities. “His career was cut short due to illness, and we wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.”

To learn more or to donate money to the Miltner family, click here. http://www.gofundme.com/2lzy7k

Mills’ talk is part of the Union College Alumni Speaker Series, launched last year by Noah Joseph ’13 to connect students with graduates who can offer significant professional insight and industry experiences.

The talk is free and open to the public.

“Bringing distinguished graduates to campus gives students direct access to them. It also gives students the opportunity to learn about and be involved in discussions of current events, led by experts in their respective fields,” said Joseph, series president. “This series is invaluable because it gives students a sense of pride in their school, a school that produces such esteemed alumni. It also motivates students to pursue their dreams because, after all, the successful people we bring back were once in our shoes.”

Senior vice president and group executive of software and systems, Mills is responsible for development, manufacturing and sales for all IBM hardware and software products. Approximately $40 billion of Big Blue revenue and 60 percent of Big Blue profits are associated with what he does.

Mills credits his alma mater with providing a foundation that’s helped make his IBM achievements possible, and he’s looking forward to coming back.

“I am proud to have graduated from Union College,” Mills said. “It was a great experience and set me on a course of life-long learning that has paid off in my professional career. Sharing my insights and experiences is a way of giving something back to Union.”

Working with Becker Career Center, which helps identify alumni in fields of interest to students, the series strives to bring one or two speakers to campus each term.

Previous speakers have included Shirel Kozak ’07, co-producer of Sundance award-winning film “The House I Live In”; Michael Sachs ’73, sports psychologist and Temple University professor; Matt Leibman ’95, orthopedic surgeon for several professional sports teams in Boston; and Marcia Keegan ’80, vice president of ESPN production.

At Haverford College since 1995, Sternberg has been a professor of psychology and for the last four years, an associate provost.

"We are excited and proud to welcome Wendy back to Union," said Therese A. McCarty, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "Her expertise and perspective will be invaluable in supporting and advancing Union's academic program and the work of the faculty."

The dean of Academic Departments and Programs works with department chairs and interdisciplinary program directors to support academic excellence at the College. The dean is responsible for faculty development, overseeing faculty hiring, participating in faculty reviews, designing and conducting faculty orientation programs, and administering internal research grants and fellowships, among other duties.

Sternberg was selected from among nearly 100 candidates after a national search.

"As an alumna, she has a special relationship with our institution, but she also has nearly two decades of experience as a faculty member and administrator at Haverford College, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country," said Don Rodbell, chair of the Geology Department and co-chair of the search committee that recommended Sternberg. "This, along with her strong record of scholarship and teaching, makes her ideally suited for the position."

The recipient of numerous honors, including the Phi Beta Kappa Award for Excellence in Teaching, Sternberg has been widely published in the area of the neuroscience of pain and its inhibition during times of stress. She has broadened her interests to include how to cultivate in students the great values of the liberal arts, how to measure success and how to expand educational opportunities to bring about positive changes in the world.

Sternberg has secured grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, among others, and she has presented at a number of major conferences and workshops.

Sternberg graduated cum laude from Union with a bachelor's in psychology and biology. She received her master's and Ph.D. in psychology (behavioral neuroscience area) from UCLA.

"I am thrilled to be returning to Union," Sternberg said. "While I have fond recollections about Union's past, I am even more excited about its future. My husband Jason (Feingold '89) and our son, Jake, are also looking forward to this new chapter in our lives."

But the group scored one of its biggest gigs when it was selected to perform at the Gospel Jubilee at Proctors Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, click here.

Headlined by Tony Award-winner Melba Moore, the show features an impressive lineup of gospel talent, including the Emmanuel Baptist Church Praise Dancers from the Bronx. Heavenly Voices, under the musical direction of Rev. Elgin Joseph Taylor Sr. of Sweet Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Albany, will join with singers from area churches to form the Jubilee Mass Choir.

Also on the bill is Kenneth Hamber, who recently released his new gospel project, “I’m Blessed.”

 A non-denominational group that promotes self-expression through the singing of contemporary and traditional religious songs, Heavenly Voices has been rehearsing since early March for its showcase on the big stage at Proctors.

The 15-member choir is used to performing songs to fit its size and vocal abilities. But joining with singers from local churches, the special choir has swelled to 125 members capable of presenting songs with a bigger sound.

"We're a little bit nervous, because we haven't performed on this scale before," said
Ackeem Hill '13, the group's president. "But working with Rev. Taylor and the Gospel Jubilee Mass Choir is truly a blessing. This worship experience is a perfect representation of the power of unity when all God's people are under one roof, with one aim and purpose."

The choir is organized by musical director Lynny Walters and faculty advisor Gretchel Hathaway.

To view a photo gallery of a recent rehearsal in Memorial Chapel, click here.