Media and public relations activities
Awards
Once again Binghamton video and photography took home top honors at the annual Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) Excellence Awards.
Jonathan Cohen won a Best of Category award in Photography for his Daily Photo series, as well as a Judges Citation for his photo “Shooting Star.”
Andrew Hatling also won a Best of Category Award in Electronic Communications and Interactive Media for his video “Art 372: Life Drawing.”
Binghamton in the news
National broadcast and print outlets ranging from The Weather Channel to TIME Magazine have highlighted Binghamton University in recent months, showcasing Binghamton faculty to millions of viewers, readers and listeners.
“Forget it: Brainwaves may replace passwords” was picked up by several news media sources including The Huffington Post, the New York Daily News and CNBC.com.
Sarah Laszlo, assistant professor of psychology and linguistics, and Zhanpeng Jin, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, were recognized for their research outlining how our brains react to words. Their findings: That brainwaves could be used to replace passwords in the future.
“Uncovering the world’s first murder” was picked up by over 100 media sources including The Huffington Post, The New York Times and the New York Daily News.
Featured Rolf Quam, assistant professor of anthropology, and his research regarding lethal wounds found on a human skull that may indicate one of the first cases of murder in human history—some 430,000 years ago—and offers evidence of the earliest funerary practices in the archaeological record. Quam’s study was also recently published in the noted research journal PLoS ONE. The study was carried out at the archeological site of the Sima de los Huesos in northern Spain.
Inc.
“4 Surprisingly Valuable Leadership Lessons You Can Learn From the Transformers”
Seth Spain, assistant professor of management, and his colleague Peter Harms were featured for turning their analytic skills on the Transformers, the popular Japanese-American toys, comic books, animation and movie character that can turn themselves from robots into vehicles and other types of machines. Spain and Harms found that the lessons in their character descriptions are full of wisdom about what makes a great leader.
The Huffington Post, USA Today and CNN were just a few of the outlets that highlighted alumna Stephanie Courtney, better known as Progressive Insurance’s “Flo,” who delivered a speech at one of the University’s Commencement ceremonies.
MSN.com
“Bacteria-powered folding batteries could power paper biosensors”
Featured Seokheun Choi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, along with colleagues, for their development of an origami-inspired, foldable battery.
The Weather Channel
“Beyond Lyme: New Tickborne Disease Discovered in the Northeast”
Ralph M. Garruto, professor of biomedical anthropology and biological sciences, was featured regarding his study on Lyme disease spread by ticks. In regions where Lyme is found, more than 75 percent of all ticks in some areas might carry the virus.
The Washington Post and Jewish Voice
“Valedictorian Refuses to Deliver Graduation Address on Shabbos”
Featured Binghamton University senior Don Greenberg, a triple major from Teaneck, N.J. with a 3.93 GPA. Greenberg is an Orthodox Jew who observes the Jewish Sabbath, which begins at sunset Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. The University pre-recorded his speech so he could participate as student speaker at the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science ceremony on Saturday, May 16.
Health Magazine
“How To Become a Morning Person”
Featured Meredith Coles, associate professor of psychology, and graduate student Jacob Nota, regarding information about their recent sleep study research.
TIME Magazine
“GOP Candidates and the Educational F-Word”
Commentary written by Adam Laats, historian in Binghamton University’s Graduate School of Education and author of “Fundamentalism and Education in the Scopes Era: God, Darwin, and the Roots of America’s Culture Wars.”
The Weather Channel
“Weather Sets the Stage for the 2015 West Nile, Lyme Seasons”
Featured Ralph M. Garruto, professor of biomedical anthology and biological sciences.
The Washington Post
“Harsh Northeast winter no hindrance to hungry ticks”
Featured Ralph M. Garruto, a professor of biomedical anthology and biological sciences.
New York Daily News
“Experts warn of boom in tick population”
Featured Ralph M. Garruto, a professor of biomedical anthology and biological sciences.
The New York Times
“A Drug Trial’s Frayed Promise”
Featured Mark F. Lenzenweger, a professor at Binghamton University and Weill Cornell Medical College and an expert in borderline personality disorder.
TIME Magazine
”If You Think Your Boss is Horrible, You’re Probably Right”
Featured Seth Spain, assistant professor of management, and his research about the “dark triad” of personality traits: psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism.
Clean Eating Magazine
“Sleep Early, Be Happy!”
Featured Meredith Coles, associate professor of psychology, and graduate student Jacob Nota, regarding information about their recent sleep study research.
Prism Magazine
“Human Spare Parts”
Featured Kaiming Ye, professor of bioengineering, and his research in the new field of advanced biomanufacturing, which aims to make rapid prototyping of human organs and extremities a viable medical choice.
Ask a Scientist Columns
A total of nine “Ask a Scientist” columns were published in the Press & Sun-Bulletin throughout the quarter. Faculty, staff and graduate students from across various schools and departments contributed answers to questions ranging from “Are yawns contagious?” to “How do optical illusions make you see things differently?”
Social media
The University’s social media team executed a multi-channel content marketing strategy designed to engage with users and promote the Binghamton brand locally, nationally and around the world. Using a mixture of content — photos, videos, updates on rankings, links to news stories and more — the University saw increased engagement on all of its channels. The University had several wide-reaching posts; a video clip of Stephanie Courtney’s Commencement speech, for example, had a reach of over 187,000 on Facebook. Thanks to a heavy push on social media, the University won SUNY’s Mascot Madness competition for the second year in a row, making it the first SUNY school to achieve such a feat.
During the quarter, the University surpassed 40,000 followers on Facebook, 7,500 followers on Instagram and 69,000 followers on LinkedIn. The University’s recently launched Snapchat account (@BingBearcats) saw a steady increase in followers and views, with some posts seeing a view count of 700+.
Blog
The Binghamton University Blog published a variety of fun and informative posts about the University, students, events and more. “18 Reasons Why Binghamton Is Becoming A Top College Town,” a post which highlighted selling points like Binghamton’s entertainment options, opportunities for entrepreneurs and diverse culture, had a reach of over 48,800 on Facebook.
Other posts published this quarter include:
• “17 Fascinating Courses At Binghamton University”
• “10 Reasons Why Spring Fling Rocks”
• “My Binghamton University Bucket List: Senior Kate Sherwood”
• “10 Things You Need To Know About Binghamton University Spring Commencement”
Video
We profiled Distinguished Professor Ron Miles on his work designing a microscopic microphone that could help revolutionize hearing aids.
Our video of Stephanie Courtney speaking to the Class of 2015 earned more than 12,000 views on YouTube and 60,000 views on Facebook.
“Diversity is Strength” is a video that addresses an ongoing campus discussion on race relations by looking at the impact of micro aggressions.
We maintained a weekly release for our “Beyond the Classroom” faculty series which resulted in 16 completed videos highlighting some of our star faculty members.
Our student interns put together multiple great episodes of The Binghamton Buzz with our new host, Trey Santiago – ranging from a tour of the campus greenhouse to celebrating the end of a great semester!