March 2015 News Archive

The College mourns the loss of Helena Birecka, professor emerita of

biological sciences, a woman recalled as a “brilliant colleague and teacher” who led an active research program focused on alkaloid biochemistry in plants. She died March 20, 2015 at the age of 93.

Two Union students will travel the world next year, funded by the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program.

Seniors Karlee Bergendorff and Warren Thompson were among the 50

students selected as fellows from more than 700 candidates nominated by private liberal arts colleges and universities in the United States.

On a cold, blustery afternoon, the men’s hockey team is preparing for a two-game weekend road trip to play Princeton and Quinnipiac.

As the team bus idles behind Messa Rink, players, coaches and equipment managers stuff stick bags, a skate sharpener and video equipment onto the bus. One face stands out among those pitching in to load the vehicle: Andrew Rapoff, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

British pianist Paul Lewis performs on Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. on the

Union College Concert Series.

Making regular appearances at Tanglewood, this elegant pianist makes his highly-anticipated series debut. Known especially for his interpretations of Beethoven and Schubert, he will perform the last three Beethoven Sonatas Opp. 109, 110, and 111 – considered by many to be the quintessential solo works for keyboard in the entire literature.

Rob King, who oversees ESPN’s SportsCenter and News, will speak Thursday,

April 2, at 5:30 p.m. in the Nott Memorial.

His talk, “The Content of Our Character: How Storytellers ‘Color’ Stories,” is part of the Presidential Forum on Diversity series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

King, who joined ESPN in 2004, was named senior vice president of SportsCenter and ESPN’s newsgathering operations in January 2014.

The Community Media Action Lab, a first-ever course for the College, wrapped Tuesday with a packed screening in the GE Theater at Proctors.

The course, taught by Filmmaker-in-Residence James de Seve, allowed students to create videos to help local community organizations, such as the YWCA and Community Hospice.

“By merging cinematic skills, emotional storytelling and conveyance of information students were able to maximize the message for the community groups,” said de Seve.

For 10 months of the year, John Lipscomb travels nearly 6,000 nautical miles on the Hudson River. As patrol boat captain for Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group that monitors the Hudson and its tributaries, Lipscomb pilots the R. Ian Fletcher, a 36-foot wooden vessel.

Four students have been nominated by the College for consideration of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program. The fellowship offers a one-year grant to seniors “of unusual promise” to study independently

outside the United States. The stipend for award winners is $25,000.

The Miró String Quartet performs on Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m. on the Union

College Concert Series.