News Briefs

The 2012 State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA) Campaign kicks off this week with the Campaign theme, “State Employees offer their hands and hearts by supporting charities through SEFA.” Last year, University employees generously donated more than $63,000 to the campaign.  Faculty and staff will receive information packets in their campus mailbox this week.

Donations can be directed to specific agencies and may be designated to local agencies to assist individuals in the local community. Those who donate a minimum of $78, or just $3 per paycheck, before Dec. 1, will have their names entered into a drawing for one of 10 gift certificates from local stores and restaurants donated by the President’s Office, each valued at $50. SEFA contributions may be made by check or through payroll deduction.

For more information, contact Martha Gahring at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). SEFA donations should be sent to Cornelia Mead, SEFA Committee Chair, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Research Foundation employees participate in the United Way Campaign and have already received information about how to contribute. For more information on the United Way campaign, contact Paul Parker at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Nominations are being sought for the Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Faculty Service, Excellence in Librarianship and Excellence in Teaching. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, Dec. 12, with completed dossiers due to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, attention P. Allie Dugan, by Friday, Jan. 4.

Visit http://www2.binghamton.edu/academics/provost/excellence-awards/service-ex-award.html for information regarding the faculty service award, http://www2.binghamton.edu/academics/provost/excellence-awards/library-ex-award.html for information regarding the librarianship award and http://www2.binghamton.edu/academics/provost/excellence-awards/teaching-ex-award.html for information regarding the teaching award.

The Binghamton University Globalistas (BUGS), a volunteer group of faculty, staff and students devoted to internationalization, has created a LinkedIn group for students, alumni, faculty and staff to discuss international topics. It’s a place to talk about international travel, study, work and more. The group, which has nearly 300 participants, is also a great way to learn about globally oriented events on campus. To join the group, named B Global, visit http://go.binghamton.edu/bglobal.

Student Health 101 is a free newsletter for students, faculty and staff. In its monthly issues, you can learn how to achieve or maintain a healthy lifestyle both on and off campus.

Through articles, videos and graphics, it as an easy and informative way to learn how to fuel your body with energy to get you through those long work days and various fitness tips and exercises you’ll love. With videos from students at various colleges, you can learn how your students may be feeling pertaining to their health on campus. The newsletter covers all dimensions of health from physical to social to emotional to environmental to spiritual and intellectual.

The Health and Wellness Department has monthly issues and be sure to look out for its next one, which will include information about the new Health and Wellness minor.

Go to http://readsh101.com/binghamton.html to view the Student Health 101 September 2012 issue.

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Interim Harpur College Dean Wayne Jones has announced the appointment of Florenz Plassmann and Chris Reiber to serve as interim associate deans of Harpur College while Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jennifer Jensen is on an American Council on Education fellowship. Plassmann will serve as associate dean for academic affairs and Reiber as associate dean for research, effective Aug. 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. Both Plassmann and Reiber will serve half time in their interim positions.

“I believe it’s vital that faculty remain engaged with the dean’s office,” said Jones. “As the University is poised for growth, this restructuring will allow Harpur College to support our dual focus of providing a high-quality education to our students and of broadening and deepening our research and scholarly activities.”

Plassmann, associate professor of economics, earned his master’s and doctorate from Virginia Tech. He joined Binghamton’s faculty in 1999, and has served as a program director for the National Science Foundation and as a visiting resident scholar for the International Monetary Fund. As a public economist, he studies voting systems and alternatives to takings under eminent domain, as well as U.S. and international tax policies.

Reiber, associate professor of anthropology, earned her doctorate and her postdoctoral master of public health in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She joined the faculty at Binghamton in 2005. As a biological anthropologist, she studies evolutionary and epidemiological modeling of women’s health issues, focusing on the intersections between behavior, biology and environment. She has been an independent analytical consultant to federally funded researchers in psychology and addiction medicine and is the former director of Analytical Services for the Clinical Trials Group of UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute’s Integrated Substance Abuse Programs. 

FATIMA

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Nieman has announced the appointment of Nasrin Fatima as assistant provost for institutional research and effectiveness. Fatima comes to Binghamton University from Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College) where she served as the assistant vice president for assessment, research and planning.

In her new position, Fatima oversees and coordinates internal and external reporting of official University statistics and data files; conducts research studies and analyses of University data in support of key campus initiatives, decision making and strategic planning; oversees the University’s Operational Data Store; and leads the implementation of an enterprise-wide data warehouse.

Fatima earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a second master’s degree and doctorate from the University of New Orleans. Prior to working at Penn College, she served as the director for institutional effectiveness and assessment at Xavier University of Louisiana.

She has published and presented a number of scholarly papers and is a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP).

President Harvey Stenger has announced a number of awards recognizing faculty and staff for outstanding efforts on behalf of the University:

The following people will be honored at a dinner in October:
2011-2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Susan Bane, professor of chemistry/director of the Biochemistry Program
Thomas Wilson, professor/chair of anthropology
Mohammad Younis, associate professor of mechanical engineering

2011-2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Heather DeHaan, associate professor of history/undergraduate director
Randy Friedman, assistant professor of Judaic studies/director of undergraduate studies
Charles Goodman, associate professor of philosophy/AAAS
Douglas Summerville, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
Leo Wilton, associate professor of human development

2011-2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service
Mark Fowler, professor of electrical and computer engineering/graduate director
Richard Lee, professor of sociology/director of the Fernand Braudel Center

2011-2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship
Angelique Jenks-Brown, associate librarian
Edward Shephard, director of collections

2011-2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service
Kathleen Brunt, assistant dean for academic affairs, Harpur College
Kelly Wemette, director, strategic and fiscal planning

2011-2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellent in Classified Service
Kathryn Hastings, Secretary 2, human resources

2012 Council/Foundation Award
Katharine (Katie) Ellis, senior director of communications and marketing
      Kristi Murray Costello, associate director of first-year writing

Lois B. DeFleur Faculty Prize for Academic Achievement
Laura Bronstein, associate professor/chair of social work

University Award for Excellence in International Education
Suronda Gonzalez, director of Languages Across the Curriculum and global studies

The Personal Safety Advisory Committee has completed its annual report for the academic year. The report can be found on the PSAC website:
http://www2.binghamton.edu/personal-safety/. Contact Chair William Ziegler at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any questions or concerns.

The STAR program (Service Tradition Awards Recognition) honors employees who exhibit outstanding quality service within the University community. Those recognized receive a STAR pin, a check for $50 and a letter from the President. Anyone can nominate an individual for a STAR award, and self-nomination is encouraged. Any employee of the University including faculty, staff, graduate/teaching assistants, Research Foundation, Binghamton Foundation, Sodexo Campus Services, Barnes & Noble, Campus Pre-School & Early Childhood Center, FineHost and M&T Bank personnel is eligible. Visit http://www2.binghamton.edu/human-resources/star-award.html for nomination forms. For more information, contact Sue Crane at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Binghamton innovations will make computing safer. Learn how in the latest issue of the research magazine, which also features a look at the Arab Spring and a crossword by blogger Michael Sharp, aka Rex Parker. The magazine, which will soon be delivered in print, is now available online at http://go.binghamton.edu/spring12.

Stephen Beehag has been appointed general manager of Sodexo Campus Services at Binghamton University. With more than 34 years of hospitality,
management and leadership experience, he was most recently the general manager for Templeton Landing, a specialty restaurant and special events destination in Buffalo. 

Prior to that, Beehag was in management with Qwest Center Omaha for Levy Restaurants as well as director of operations for the Eastern region for the Delaware North Companies and director of culinary operations for Ralph Wilson Stadium. He has worked for the Buffalo Niagara Marriott, and Renaissance Hotels in Phoenix, Miami and Vancouver, including as vice president for operations.

Beehag’s culinary training began in Paris, at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, followed by an apprenticeship under the direction of famous French chef Louis Outhier.