Union in the Media

Union hosted the third annual conference on the physical aspects of the Mohawk River watershed on Friday, March 18.

The daylong symposium in the F.W. Olin Center featured nearly two dozen presentations on topics including flooding, ecosystem analysis, water quality, and the management and future of the watershed.

U.S. Rep. Paul D. Tonko was the keynote speaker

The conference was organized by John Garver, geology professor and Jaclyn Cockburn, who teaches Earth science and geology at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The Daily Gazette

Ballet legend Jacques d’Amboise, former New York City Ballet principal dancer, visited campus recently to work with dance students, have afternoon tea at the President’s House and sign copies of his new book.

“I Was a Dancer: A Memoir” (Knopf) recounts his 35 years with the company as a protégé of founder and choreographer George Balanchine, one the 20th century’s iconic artists.

D’Amboise, 76, led students in their warm-up on stage at the Yulman Theater Thursday before the evening’s performance of the Winter Dance Concert.

The Times Union

Geology Professor John Garver, an expert on the water flow of the Mohawk River, recently talked to CBS affiliate WRGB Channel 6 about the potential for flooding due to heavy rains and snow melt.

The Daily Gazette recently featured U Break, a new student club on campus.

Christopher F. Chabris, an assistant professor of psychology, recently reviewed David Brooks' "The Social Animal," for the Wall Street Journal.

Chabris joined Union in the fall of 2007. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University, where he was a research associate and lecturer.

Chabris and Daniel J. Simons, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, are the authors of the recent book, “The Invisible Gorilla, And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us.”

A new exhibit in the Mandeville Gallery, “Of Weeds and Wildness: Nature in Black & White,” was recently featured in the Daily Gazette.

The exhibit, which opened Jan. 13 and runs through March 13, features 17 contemporary artists working in black and white to explore the natural world.

Their art encompasses a range of styles, approaches and mediums, including photographs, prints, drawings and digital works.

The College celebrated Founders Day Thursday, Feb. 24, with an emphasis on preserving its role as a leader and innovator at a time when the value of a liberal arts education is under attack.

In her keynote address, noted author and philosopher Martha Nussbaum praised the College for its pioneering role, stating “its core, throughout its history, has been the idea of liberal arts education, including an emphasis on writing, ethical reasoning, historical study, and courses in literature, civilization and foreign languages.”

Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, is a passionate advocate for the liberal arts and the author of numerous books, including “Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities” (Princeton University Press, 2010).

For President's Day, Time Warner Cable's YNN did a feature on U.S. presidents with a link to the Capital Region. Included was Union’s own Chester A. Arthur, Class of 1848 and the country’s 21st president.

The College houses a number of artifacts and other memorabilia from Arthur’s days as a student, along with other items such as a walnut and leather writing desk used by President Ainlay. The Chester Arthur statue stands outside the gate to Jackson’s Garden.

A new exhibit in the Mandeville Gallery, “Of Weeds and Wildness: Nature in Black & White,” was featured on the cover of the Preview section of the Times Union.

The exhibit, which opened Jan. 13 and runs through March 13, features 17 contemporary artists working in black and white to explore the natural world.

Their art encompasses a range of styles, approaches and mediums, including photographs, prints, drawings and digital works.

Dozens of high school students from around the state competed in the STEP (Science and Technology Entry Program) Regional Science Bowl Saturday at College Park Hall.

The keynote speaker was Quintin Bullock, president of Schenectady County Community College.

STEP encourages historically underrepresented students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The Science Bowl is a “Jeopardy”-style contest in which teams compete in several rounds. Each squad is mentored by one of about a dozen institutions, including Union, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University at Albany and Syracuse University.

Union’s STEP program is run through the Kenney Community Center. The College’s two teams are coached by Denly Lettsome ’11 and Emilia Strzalkowska ’11, with assistance from Chris Vargas ’11. In addition, nearly 50 Union students will volunteer as moderators, judges, timekeepers and scorekeepers.