UB Honors Today - University Honors College - University at Buffalo

Space
The Final Frontier
In the beginning it was a vest pocket operation, a tiny group of students who were advised by a Dean almost as an afterthought. President
Ketter had this vision that UB’s reputation would be enhanced if UB started an Honors Program. So in 1981, the fi rst class of 20 students was
admitted. With no place to call our own except in the interstices of the administrative mind, we persevered and grew.
Two years later, we had our fi rst real space---two rooms on the fi fth fl oor. We had arrived as a recognizable entity on campus. Our presence
on the fi fth fl oor of Capen Hall, the sanctum sanctorum of UB, telegraphed our status as an important part of UB’s future. Space matters.
And so does location.
Then we moved to the second fl oor of Talbert Hall. There were just too many of us and the constant
parade of students up to the rarifi ed administrative enclave was no longer a simple bemusement to its
inhabitants.
The Talbert digs have served us well for 18 years, fi rst sharing several offi ces with the Offi ce of Teaching
Effectiveness. As we added staff to handle the burgeoning population of Honors Scholars, we were able to
cajole the Guardians of Space to grant us ever more breathing room. As adequate as our accommodations
were, with receptionists, offi ces for advisement and directors, there was a growing awareness that we had
lost the sense of community that had prevailed in the early years of the program. This was a common
theme of discussion in the Honors Council, that august body of faculty, students and staff that guides
the policies of the program. We needed something more than administrative advisement rooms to make
an Honors Program.
Don Schack came to our rescue. As a long-time member of the Honors Council, he had often heard
us bemoan the lack of community that had now bedeviled the Honors Program. As chairman of the
Department of Mathematics, he had faced a similar challenge. Remembering his experiences as an
honors undergraduate, he spearheaded an effort to build a lounge where students and
faculty could gather, study, kibitz and banter on topics trivial and worldly. He wanted to
do the same for the Honors Program, which would be especially fi tting now that we had
been upgraded to an Honors College.
One day Schack simply walked into our Honors offi ce and announced that he wanted
to make a major donation to make the lounge a possibility. Fortunately, UB was then
contemplating an expansion of the university that was to become known as the Heart of
the Campus, a major reworking of the central spine of the buildings. Schack’s generous
contribution surely inspired the planners and prompted a sense of urgency to push
forward on the timetable. As a result, come June 1st, we are scheduled to move into the
grand new Honors College space on the second fl oor of Capen Hall.
It would be an understatement to say that we are delighted. Blessed by three times as much
space as in Talbert, we will have three seminar classrooms to accommodate the twenty
Honors Seminars that we mount each semester. Most importantly, we have designed
a large colloquium room to act as a quiet study area and as a site where we can host
large presentations and receptions, a library, and the all-important lounge.
As you peruse the pages of this issue of Honors Today, you will see the architectural
plans come to life: the asbestos is gone; the support beams are in place; the dry walls
are at hand; the students are coming; an alumni reunion is planned at Homecoming.
Come and savor the celebration. Thirty years since we fi rst began, we can again bring
that sense of community back into the spirit of the Honors College.
Kipp Herreid
Academic Director

Honors On the Inside…
EDITOR:
KARYN C. ST. GEORGE, Ph.D.
kcs9@buffalo.edu
From the Editor:
Me, my husband Mark,
and my daughter
Makena enjoyed
a sunny winter
day in Buffalo!
On the Cover:
Plans for new Honors
College space.
Story on page 8.
UnIvERsITy
HOnORs COllEgE
University at Buffalo
214 Talbert Hall
Buffalo, New York
14260-1700
(716) 645-3020
honors.buffalo.edu
Helping Surgeons
Treat Their Patients Better Page 2
Bringing Buffalo Back Page 5
What They’re Doing Now
Bryan Hanypsiak
Honors Scholar, Class of 1994
Brad Hahn
Honors Scholar, Class of 2013
Honors College on the Move Page 8
CHARLOTTE HSU
UB Reporter
Face to Face Page 10
Pamela (Mitchell) Pallett
Honors Scholar, Class of 2003
Moving Forward and… Page 4
Jessica (Seabury) Dudek
Honors Scholar, Class of 1994
Assistant Administrative Director, Honors College
From Buffalo to Brooklyn Page 7
Corey Stephen Shoock
Honors Scholar, Class of 2005
A Change of Scenery Page 14
Laura Neese
Honors Scholar, Class of 2011
3,285 Page 12
Erik D’Aquino
Former Assistant Administrative Director, Honors College
Director of Admissions, Erie Community College
There’s No Place Like Home Page 12
Megan Bragdon
Program Coordinator, Honors College
Alumni Advisory Board Page 13
Remembering Charles Ebert Page 16
Jay Amin
Honors Scholar, Class of 2013
Alumni Updates Page 16
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1
1

Photo: Barbara Fuentes
2
Two years ago, I left my Orthopedic practice on Long Island. I
left my patients, my partners, and my home to join a company
which manufactured orthopedic devices and implants. I had
taken the position as Director of Medical Education, in charge
of training orthopedic surgeons, physician extenders, and sales
representatives how to safely perform new procedures. The
company’s medical education department trains over 3000
orthopedic surgeons a year in their main offi ce, and perhaps
5000 worldwide. It invests millions of dollars in medical
education, and millions more in research and development
of new products. The company drives development in the
orthopedic world, always seeking to make procedures safer,
faster, and more reliable.
“Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better.” That’s our company’s
mission statement, and what I’ve dedicated my life to. I
am currently the only fully licensed, fellowship trained, board
certifi ed orthopedic surgeon employed full-time by a private
corporation. My position allows me to teach sports medicine,
develop new surgical techniques and products, and stay on the
cutting edge of research and medical science. It’s a truly unique
position, one that I’ve found exciting and challenging.
My initial departure from the Honors Program in 1994 didn’t
take me too far. I simply switched over to the south campus
and enrolled in medical school. Four years, and quite a few
good stories later, I emerged a Doctor of Medicine.
Following medical school, I matched for my orthopedic
residency at George Washington University in Washington
D.C. An orthopaedic residency consists of a one year general
surgery internship, and four years of training in orthopaedic
surgery. During my internship I completed rotations in general
surgery, orthopaedics, anesthesia, emergency medicine, and
intensive care. I met my wife, a nurse at George Washington,
and got married in 2001. I then completed four years of
training exclusively in orthopedic surgery.
After graduating from George Washington, I headed to
Cleveland for a one year Sports Medicine Fellowship at the
Cleveland Clinic. This year focused on arthroscopic surgery,
caring for athletes and teams, as well as covering sports events.
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
Helping
Trea
Bryan Hanypsiak
Honors Scholar, Class of 1994
During my fellowship I served as an assistant team physician
for the Cleveland Cavaliers (it was Lebron’s rookie year),
Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Barons,
Cleveland Rockers and John Carroll University.
After completing my fellowship, I joined a group of orthopedic
surgeons in Port Jefferson, Long Island. Although I took
trauma calls and cared for all patients, I wanted to specialize in
sports medicine and arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery.
So did the other ten orthopedists
in town. My senior partner was
fellowship trained in sports, and was
known as the area “shoulder guy.” My
other senior partner was the “knee
guy.” And although my practice grew
quickly, and I saw mainly shoulder and
knee patients, I wanted to differentiate
myself from other surgeons in the
community.
After looking around Long Island, I
found that no one in my county was
performing hip scopes. So I decided
that I would become “the hip scope
guy.” The only problem was that I
had never done a hip scope. I had
not performed one in residency or my Bryan shares his knowledge with
fellowship. The technology and the
procedure were new and diffi cult, so not many surgeons were
performing them. But the patients were out there, people
who had problems best treated with a hip arthroscopy, and
they were coming to my offi ce. So I began to look around for
somewhere that I could obtain this training.
It was during this search that I became familiar with Arthrex.
I had always known the company; it was inescapable as
an orthopedic surgeon. Arthrex manufactures over 5000
products for orthopedic surgery, and it is impossible to be
an orthopedist and not use one. What I found out was that
Arthrex, in addition to being the number one company in
sports medicine, was also the leader in medical education,
offering hundreds of courses per year to physicians.
Photo: Barbara Fuentes

Surgeons
t Their Patients Better
I found the fi rst hip course I could attend and registered. At
fi rst, it was overwhelming. The procedure is diffi cult, and there
is a steep learning curve. I likened it to a video game, in which
it is impossible to learn all the moves and controls at once,
but rather, master the basics fi rst, and then learn the more
advanced maneuvers. And so I attended not one, not two, but
six hip scope courses. Practicing the procedures on cadavers,
learning a new one each time, until I felt confi dent and was
ready to offer the procedure to my patients. I did my fi rst hip
scope in 2007, and by 2009 it had become one of the fi ve most
common procedures I performed.
During my trips to Arthrex, I had the opportunity to meet the
staff there and work closely with them. I knew fi rsthand how
they had helped me grow my practice, and I can remember at
least two surgeries that I might not have been able to complete
successfully had it not been for tips
or tricks I had learned at an Arthrex
course. I knew they had helped me treat
my patients better, and I was a believer
in the Medical Education Program.
When Arthrex made the decision to
hire an orthopedic surgeon, I applied
and was offered the job. It had always
been such a glamorous thought, to
leave the daily grinds of practice, to
take a teaching position and enjoy all
the wonderful things in orthopedics
without any of the diffi culties. But
when it came down to it, to leave my
practice, it was a scary decision. I had a
successful, busy practice, one that took
other medical professionals.
years to build, and probably could not be
replicated. And once I left, there was no going back.
In the end, it came down to one thing. Would it be right to not
use the skills I had acquired to help people? I would tell myself
that I could only operate on fi ve to six hundred patients a year,
and that by training others, I could infl uence the care of so
many more. But it never felt real, at least not until that dinner.
As I sat conversing at a table with some colleagues at, of course,
a hip symposium, a doctor from Chinese Taipei asked if he
could join me. After learning where he was from, I asked if he
was on vacation in Florida, and happened to stop in for the
course. He told me no, that he had fl own half-way around the
world specifi cally to attend this meeting, and that tomorrow,
when it was over, he was fl ying back. He told me there was
nowhere else he could go to get this training, and that his
patients desperately needed someone in the community who
could perform this procedure. He had already signed up for
the next course. That was the moment it hit me, looking into
the face of another doctor, from the other side of the world,
who had turned to our company, our department, to make his
patients’ lives better. I knew the feeling.
The very next night, I got a reminder of a different sort. I
attended a cocktail reception for community members who
wanted to learn more about Arthrex. I spoke to a wonderful
92 year old man, who told me he was alive today because of
a recent medical innovation. He had an aortic aneurysm, a
weak spot in the body’s main artery, that was about to give
way. He had emergency surgery, performed by a cardiothoracic
surgeon who was my junior resident at George Washington.
After the surgery was over, his surgeon had told him that had
it not been for a new material released only three months
before his operation, he would not have been able to repair the
aneurysm. So in the span of 24 hours, I had met a doctor and
a patient whose lives were forever altered by the medical device
industry. One who learned a new procedure, and another who
was saved by one.
Since I’ve taken the job with Arthrex, my duties have brought
me around the world. I’ve travelled to Thailand, Munich,
Barcelona, and Oslo. I’ve met hundreds of surgeons from each
continent, all of whom want the same thing: to make surgery
safer, faster and more reliable. In essence, they want to treat
their patients better. As the relationship between physicians
and industry is increasingly called into question, I want to
defi ne it for what it is: a beautiful symbiosis. For without
feedback and ideas from physicians, industry could not
develop new products, and without industry, physicians would
have nothing to implant in their patients.
If medical care is to continue its advancement in the future,
it will be the physician and industry together that will lead
that charge. Having been convinced my decision to leave my
practice was a good one, I am proud of the small role I will
play in that process.
Addendum:
Arthrex sponsors a number of paid internship positions every
summer. UB Honors College Students interested in participating
should contact our human resources department. A research
project completed by interns in the Medical Education
Department will be presented at this year’s ISAKOS meeting in
Rio de Janiero in May.
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 3

4
Moving Forward and…
Jessica (Seabury) Dudek
Honors Scholar, Class of 1994
Assistant Administrative Director, Honors College
I have been teaching Honors Colloquium for a looong time. I, better
than most Colloquium veterans out there (I am one too!), am very
familiar with the almost iconic reputation it has with honors alumni.
I fi rmly believe that the course has met our goals for building
community amongst freshmen Honors Scholars and in introducing
them to the university. But, as with anything, there is always room
for improvement. This philosophy was
the impetus behind Colloquium’s move
to a community service emphasis in
2002. Since then I have become more
involved with the Western New York
Service Learning Coalition and learned
about the value of service-learning.
Accordingly I have shifted Colloquium’s
focus from community service to
service-learning, with the learning
centered on the city of Buffalo. Also
this fall, for the fi rst time, we recruited
and trained 14 upperclassmen Honors
Scholars to serve as teaching assistants,
each of whom led a section of 20-25
freshmen.
Obviously the Fall 2010 Colloquium
was a radical departure from all
previous versions. In the past,
colloquium was comprised of just four
sections, with 80-85 students in each.
With 325 students, 30 community
partners and 14 TAs, it was an
enormous undertaking, and, as with
any new course, there were numerous
unforeseen diffi culties. For the TAs
in particular the time commitment
became much larger than anticipated.
They were asked to handle various logistical problems with their
assigned community partners, to teach new lessons and to grade
unfamiliar assignments which were not part of the course when
they took it as freshmen. We would meet with the TAs weekly and
they shared what worked, what didn’t work, as well their successes
and their perceived shortcomings in the classroom. I would remind
them each week how much better the course was this year and tell
them that they were pioneers. And just like any pioneers, we would
encounter great adversity, but also great reward over the course of
our adventure.
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
A group of students at their service site (Buffalo ReUse).
An Honors Scholar helps a young student with homework.
For me, these rewards came early on. Since this was the fi rst time
we utilized TAs in a classroom leader capacity for the course, there
was an Honors College staff person assigned to observe every TA.
On that fi rst day, as I sat and watched the freshmen laughing and
bonding and getting to know their TA in a smaller setting, I thought,
“This is REALLY going to work.” But for me, even more rewarding
was working with the 14 TAs, who were an amazing group of
Honors Scholars. They handled their pioneer status with aplomb
and professionalism, and I looked forward each week to reading and
responding to their weekly refl ections. As much pride as I took in
the success of the course, I was even
more gratifi ed to see the growth of
the TAs as the semester progressed.
Although at times it was rocky and
stressful, in the end, the TAs made all
the difference.
As an English major, I believe in the
power of stories and I wanted to
use this concept to frame this new
Colloquium. In the syllabus I wrote:
This course can be viewed as an
intermediary phase in the students’
development as engaged citizens. The
fi rst part—where students are coming
from and what values and assumptions
they bring to the course—will be
examined during early semester lessons
in diversity and refl ection. Over the
course of the semester, the students’
stories will unfold through their service
and their written and oral refl ections;
this journey of self-discovery and
community awareness will ideally
encourage students to appreciate the
powerful agency they can affect as
engaged citizens of their world.
Each week the TAs told their
Colloquium stories in their written refl ections. They were
wonderful. But don’t’ take my word for it; instead take a peek
at one TA’s story, in his own words:

Bringing
Brad Hahn
Honors Scholar, Class of 2013
Buffalo Back
On one of those cold, grey, snowy weekend afternoons that seem all deep desire to present Buffalo in a more positive light to the new
too common in Buffalo during the winter months, I set out more freshman that was the inspiration behind my application. I am proud
than 10 years ago with my family on what seemed to be a normal to say that I am a Buffalo believer, through and through. As many
trip to the Buffalo Museum of Science. However, this trip would be can attest to, there is little that I love more than showing someone
anything but that, as a last-minute addition to the trip included a the treasures of Buffalo, whether they’re from out of town or they’re
stop at the Buffalo Central Terminal,
from the area but have never really
which had been virtually abandoned for
explored the city. As I am fortunate to
more than 20 years. Even in its ruin, the
have a car in college and I know the area
building was majestic and impressive,
well, I often end up acting as the driver
and awe-inspiring for me. It was
– a factor I often exploit for my Buffalo-
cold, and the stop was brief, but it is a
boosting activities. Numerous people
moment in my life that I remember like
have unknowingly embarked on a trip
few others. The building looms in my
into the city with me at the wheel, which
memory over the neighborhood, with
I then turned into an impromptu tour of
its windows full of holes. Yet strangely,
many of Buffalo’s hidden neighborhood
despite its obvious neglect, the building
gems. People tend to forget that a
seemed to me that it was as strong as
twenty-minute trip turned into an hour-
the day it was built. I knew then that I
wanted to do whatever I could to bring
A young man gets some assistance from an Honors Scholar. long ramble across the city, as they are
so amazed by what I have shown them.
that building back to life.
Invariably, the response is along the
I see a parallel between the Central
Terminal and the entire city of Buffalo.
lines of “Wow, I had no idea there was so
much cool stuff in Buffalo!”
Just as the Central Terminal has seen
Now, I would love to be able to give
better days, so too has the city as a
every incoming freshman student that
whole. But, no matter how many
sort of personal tour to show them how
windows have holes in them, the spirit
wonderful Buffalo really is. While Buffalo
of the city of Buffalo remains strong.
Tours did an outstanding job with
Regardless of whatever negative events
our tours of Buffalo at the beginning
have transpired, Buffalo always retains
of the semester, there is something
its proud and noble spirit. And just as
truly special about a personal tour.
I have set a personal goal to help bring
Unfortunately, time considerations
back the Central Terminal, I have also set Honors Scholars help set up for a charity fundraiser. make that impractical. To be sure, the
a broader goal of doing whatever I can
new Colloquium structure this year
to help revitalize the city of Buffalo. As a small step toward achieving did greatly enhance the ability of each Teaching Assistant to have a
that goal, I was honored this past semester to serve as an Honors greater impact on their students, and to make that impact unique.
Colloquium Teaching Assistant.
This year, Teaching Assistants each led a section of Colloquium
From the moment that I heard that I could become a Teaching
Assistant for Honors Colloquium, I knew that it was something that
I wanted to do. I realized that it was a fantastic opportunity for me
to have a lasting impact on both incoming freshman students and
the city of Buffalo. In applying for the position, it was primarily my
through the semester, instead of simply acting as an advisor to
several Colloquium groups. While this did require a signifi cantly
greater level of effort from the Teaching Assistants
than in years past, I believe that all of us rose to
the challenge willingly, and each of us presented a
unique perspective to our students.
As I’m sure my students will readily agree, I
relentlessly promoted Buffalo during the class. If
there was an opportunity for me to talk up Buffalo,
I took full advantage of it.
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 5

6
A free moment during the class plan would almost without exception
lead to me expounding upon a salient point about Buffalo. I would
pull up maps to explain the city’s neighborhoods, and offer tidbits of
the city’s tantalizing history. Never one to be completely optimistic,
I also made sure to fully discuss the many challenges facing Buffalo,
as best I could during the limited time available during class. The
possibilities of connecting Buffalo to the issues that we discussed in
class were limitless.
The new structure of Colloquium, with greatly reduced section sizes,
enabled every student to participate in discussions to a much greater
extent than in previous years. It no longer felt like a lecture – every
student had the chance to voice their opinions among their peers.
There was much more personal interaction in Colloquium this year
than in years past, and I believe that this made the experience have
more of an impact on each student. The new structure also placed
a greater focus on the service aspect of the course, by doubling the
number of service hours required while halving the number of inclass
hours.
For awhile, students struggled with their service, as they felt they
weren’t making enough of a difference in the community. They could
see that there was so much need for their help in Buffalo, and they
didn’t feel that they were really changing anything for the better.
A reading selection from Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point
changed all of that. In that reading, Gladwell hypothesized about
how smaller changes, like cleaning up the graffi ti in New York City’s
subway system, helped to have major impacts, like dramatically
reducing crime in the subway system. This “Broken Windows
Theory” that Gladwell proposes – that one broken window leads to
another, and eventually to more serious crimes if their actions are not
halted – energized the students.
Additionally, while Colloquium discussions frequently gravitate
towards changing government policies, many students often feel that
they lack effi cacy – that they cannot do anything to change those
policies. All too often, they view government and the elected offi cials
who lead it as being remote and unresponsive to their concerns. To
help alleviate those feelings, students in my section enjoyed a special
opportunity on the fi nal day of class when Buffalo Common Council
President David Franczyk graciously accepted my invitation to come
and speak with them. Meeting with a community leader like Mr.
Franczyk showed the students that our elected leaders are real people
too. Hopefully, this will serve as a model for future interactions
between Colloquium students and community leaders.
Colloquium was a resounding success this year, more than it has ever
been before. While I have no empirical proof to back up such a claim,
I know that Colloquium changed the lives of my students, and they
in turn helped change the lives of the many individuals they worked
with at their service sites. While reading my students’ fi nal papers, I
could not have been more pleased at how many of them expressed a
desire to continue their community service in some form, and at how
many positive ideas for the city of Buffalo were generated. And they
did not just say that to make me happy – they are actually continuing
their service! One of my students recently emailed me to inform me
that over the winter break, he had returned to his service site to help
tutor a student in calculus. I would be remiss if I did not mention
how this experience as a Colloquium Teaching Assistant changed my
life. If possible, I am even more of a Buffalonian, and prouder to be
so, than ever before. It has given me a renewed sense of purpose, to
do whatever I can to help make Buffalo a better place.
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
Colloquium Photo
Contest Winners!
COMMUNITY SERVICE CATEGORY
1st Place - “Imagining a Better
Tomorrow” by James Schuler
2nd Place -“Excited to Learn”
by Madeleine Burns
LOCAL LIFE/CITY CATEGORY
1st Place - “Live Buffalo” by Megan Hann
2nd place - “The Queen City” by Cheryl Movsesian

From Buffalo
to Brooklyn
Corey Stephen Shoock
Honors Scholar, Class of 2005
M
onday mornings at the Kings County District
attest, came during fi rst-year orientation. It was a hot, sunny,
Attorney’s Offi ce, in Brooklyn, New York bear bear little
July day, the kind of day that is better served by lounging next
resemblance to Professor Halpern’s civil liberties lectures lectures to a pool. Dr. Josie Capuana – who would later edit my law
in O’Brian Hall. The soaring words of the Supreme Court’s school entrance essays senior year – gave a lecture that echoes
fi nest decisions are not close at hand here. Rather, the Spartan in legend.
cadence of New York’s Finest sets the tone.
Dr. Capuana (now retired Administrative Director of the
A far cry from the fi ctionalized courtrooms of television dra- Honors College) entreated us to discipline, temperance,
mas, prosecution in Brooklyn is not posh, and is rarely glam- and modesty in the pursuit of collegiate life. That we in
orous. An ICU visit to interview an assault victim is heart- 2001 dubbed this, the ‘Sex, Drugs, and Canada’ speech is
rending and dramatic, but the smell of bloody gauze and the relevant only because (a) it’s amusing, and (b) it shows how
beep of respirators in a cramped room shared by the victim, the message stuck, ten years later. The lawyer in me also
a social worker, two nurses, and a police offi cer disabuse a notes that this is the fi rst time I contemplated ‘jurisdiction’
young lawyer of delusions of grandeur. Every day is an ad- as a relevant consideration in guiding my behavior. Most
venture and an opportunity for service – but service requires importantly, it remains the clearest call to sacrifi ce and effort
commitment to an ideal. Commitment requires effort. in pursuit of a goal that I can remember.
Like most Assistant District Attorneys – and I’d venture to UB is not an institution that will hold a student’s hand.
guess, most people with desk jobs – the fi rst thing I confront It will support one’s ambitions, but only insofar as the
every morning is the blinking red light on my phone that individual is prepared to work to meet those ambitions.
tells me voicemails are waiting. Prosecutors operate on a I had a dynamic circle of friends and teachers that
fi ne timeline of case adjournments, motion practice, witness exemplifi ed self-motivation and big dreams. My university
preparation, plea negotiation, and, if everything breaks right, met those dreams more than halfway and provided a forum
a trial. The fl ashing red light signifi es the beginning of a for their expression. When I wanted to write, I wrote for The
daily exercise in criminal justice triage. Is the judge calling Spectrum.When I wanted to get involved, I worked for the
me down for a hearing? Are my Haitian Creole-speaking Student Association. When I wanted to go to law school, I
witnesses waiting for an interpreter in the witness room? sought the counsel of Professor Steven Halpern and Professor
Did that paperwork make it to court on time? That red light Charles Lamb. The list could, and perhaps in another ten
will tell me whether a cop received a notifi cation to appear, it years, will continue.
can also tell me that a defendant is ready to proceed to trial.
Regardless of my plan for that day, the red light suggests a
new variable to incorporate into that day.
In four years at UB, I knew people who were published; I
knew people who built fi ghting robots; I knew people that
made mathematical and philosophical breakthroughs (and
The most exciting thing my phone can tell me is that I’m some who say those are the same thing). When I fi nally
going to court. Time on the record is a precious commodity decided to pursue a career as a prosecutor, the example of
to a litigator. In my career, I’ve already spent hundreds sacrifi ce and effort I found among my friends and classmates
of hours in open court with every word I say being taken did not make it easier to be scolded by a judge or shouted
down by a court reporter. Every day, whether trying a case, at by an adversary, but it did broaden the scope of my
presenting a matter to a grand jury, answering a calendar perspective. One can learn or endure anything with effort.
call, or arguing a motion, I have the opportunity to use my
voice to speak on behalf of the People of the State of New
York – the only state I’ve ever called home, and the state that
supplied my education.
The third week of our fi rst semester at UB saw an
unspeakable tragedy that occurred across the East River from
downtown Brooklyn – a barren patch of sky I can see from
my offi ce. The hours that followed and the wars that came
There’s a plaque at our headquarters on Jay Street in which – all of which I saw while UB was my home – allowed me to
Charles J. Hynes, the District Attorney in Brooklyn, dedicates glimpse effort in support of service. In serving the city
our offi ce to the cause of justice on behalf of the victims of and state of New York – from Brooklyn to Buffalo –
crime. In honoring that message in Brooklyn, I rely on the I am fortunate to work for the citizens that provided
academic foundation I received in Buffalo. The base of that
foundation, as a generation of Honors College alumni can
me that inspiration.
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 7

8
HONORS COLLE
The Honors College is relocating to the high-profi le fi rst fl oor
of Capen Hall where it will sit alongside three new centrally
scheduled classrooms. The move marks the University’s
commitment to investing in the future of the Honors College and
to providing state-of-the art facilities for Honors Scholars.
The space, totaling about 9,000 square feet, is currently closed
for renovations including the demolition of empty offi ces,
the building of new walls and the installation of new lighting.
“June 1 is the tentative move-in date,” says Krista Hanypsiak,
administrative director for the Honors College.
The Honors College’s new home—an upgrade from its current
space in Talbert Hall—will include administrative and student
advisement offi ces, along with an Honors Scholar lounge and a
colloquium room. Gifts by the late mathematics Professor Samuel
“Don” Schack, a long-time Honors College supporter, will be
instrumental in the development of the new lounge.
The three new centrally scheduled classrooms and colloquium
room will be fi tted with modern technology and mobile
furnishings that will give instructors fl exibility in how they
confi gure the learning environment, making them ideal for
seminars and other special learning activities.
”The Honors College produces some of our most distinguished
graduates and I am particularly pleased to see them moving into
a highly visible, high-tech, innovative space,” says A. Scott Weber,
vice provost and dean of undergraduate education.
The renovation project is a small component of “Heart of the
Campus,” a university-wide initiative to build community and
A wide range of naming opportunities is available for many
aspects of the new Honors College. By making a gift to the
Honors College in the form of a naming opportunity, Honors
alumni, parents and friends can provide needed fi nancial support
for student scholarships, programs, research, and study abroad.
Supporters are also creating a tangible legacy of their personal
connection to the Honors College and its mission.
The Don Schack Student Lounge
The late Samuel “Don” Schack, professor and former chair of UB’s
Department of Mathematics, served on the University Honors
Council from 1997-2010. Students were always his fi rst concern.
He demonstrated his commitment to the Honors College and its
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
consolidate student services through a series of construction and
renovation projects.
Completed over several years, the initiative envisions UB’s Capen
Hall and Lockwood Library on the North Campus, along with
Abbott Hall on the South Campus, as hubs of life. In and around
these facilities students will be able to access an array of student
services and take advantage of work spaces that could include
group-study rooms, cafés and high-tech stations featuring
computers and other digital technology.
The “Heart of the Campus” concept dovetails with other concepts
in UB’s master plan, which envisions UB’s campuses as a “learning
landscape” where the exchange of ideas takes place inside and
outside of classrooms. This vibrant landscape already has begun
taking shape, with the recent installation of work and gathering
spaces, including computer stations, in the rotunda of Diefendorf
Hall on the South Campus and informal study lounges in Knox
Hall on the North.
“The idea of the ‘Heart of the Campus’ emerged in parallel with
the campus master plan,” says Campus Architect and Dean of the
School of Architecture and Planning Robert Shibley. “The concept
was developed during the master-plan process with over 70
faculty, staff and students participating in sub-committees. That
work set the broad concepts now being implemented.
“The renovation project in Capen begins to fulfi ll both the ‘Heart
of the Campus’ and the master plan concept of the learning
landscape,” says Shibley. “It’s crucial to creating the truly lovable
places on campus that will make UB more competitive.”
Naming opportunities in the new Honors College

GE GEon the MoveCHARLOTTE
students with a generous gift during his lifetime and a bequest.
The college has named its new student lounge in his honor.
The Colloquium Room
This is the inner sanctum of the college. Accommodating groups
of up to 75, it will evoke an old-world academic elegance with
wainscoting and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. But the main purpose
of the room is completely contemporary: to house the Honors
Colloquium, the service-learning course required for all honors
freshmen that starts their development as engaged citizens. The
room will also be the formal gathering place for college functions.
New Classrooms
The college offers more than 20 Honors Seminars each semester.
Honors College classrooms are designed to accommodate
experimental teaching methods and course materials with the
latest technology. The spaces and furnishings can create many
different learning environments.
Honors College Library
This space is designed as a showcase and repository for Honors
College theses, special research projects, related publications
and other reference materials. The library will also be used for
meeting prospective students and their families. The space is
designed to complement the Colloquium Room in appearance
and to represent the Honors College lineage that extends from the
oldest seats of learning into the present era of research-intensive
universities.
HSU
UB Reporter
Honors College Meeting Room
A room suitable for small seminars, student activities and
meetings, and Honors College administrative meetings, including
the meetings of the Honors Council.
The Honors College is excited to announce the availability
of naming opportunities within this new space. Leave a lasting
impression on the Honors College with your support!
Naming options ranging from $500 to $250,000 are available.
For more information, please contact Megan Bragdon at
mbragdon@buffalo.edu or 716.645.3020.
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 9

10
F
A
C E
to
F
A
C E
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
Pamela (Mitchell) Pallett
Honors Scholar, Class of 2003
How many faces do you see in a day? How about over the course of your life? Face recognition
is a skill we often take for granted. The human brain is constantly searching for faces in a busy,
bustling world, yet somehow we still manage to walk and talk relatively seamlessly. While some
people can become car experts or bird experts, almost everyone is a face expert. Our brains are
wired for faces.
For the past six years, through my graduate studies at the University of California, San Diego
and my current post-doc at Dartmouth College, I have dedicated my life to understanding
the cognitive and neural mechanisms behind face perception. My senior honors project at UB
started me down the road to independent research, and I fi rmly believe that this experience
gained me my entrance into graduate school. I am very grateful for that experience, because
I cannot imagine doing anything else today. Faces hold a natural intrigue that has enticed
researchers and philosophers for centuries. In the late 19th century, Sir Francis Galton
examined trends in facial characteristics in part to isolate the facial markers indicative of a
criminal nature (there are none), but also to learn how variations between faces evolve. Today,
we still seek to understand how natural variations affect our perception and recognition of
faces, but also how the brain responds to faces, as well as differences between people in face
recognition skill.
How do we see a face? This probably
seems like a very weird question, but
think about it. There is a lot in a face:
the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the
spaces between these features, the shape
of the face, the hairline, etc. Never
mind identity and facial expression.
But when I look at Karyn (Figure 1),
I don’t see a collection of parts; I see
a single object – her face. This is the
fi rst step in face recognition, and it is a
step that is unique to faces. As a result
of there are some very interesting and
unusual effects that are distinct to face
perception. Take a look at Figure 1A,
make a note of the emotion displayed,
and DON’T ROTATE THE PAGE!
That would be cheating. Now look
at Figure1B. This is the same image
as in Figure 1A but in a typical upright Figure 1
orientation. Chances are Figure1A looked
like a fairly normal person who is upside-down, but Figure 1B looked grotesque. This is a
classic illusion called the Thatcher Illusion – why the name? Because when this illusion was

Figure 2
first reported, it was done with a picture of Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, the former prime
minister of the United Kingdom. What does this tell us? Well we’re still not 100%
sure, but I’m working on it. Although the emotion and impression of the face changes
dramatically between Figures 1A and 1B, if you take a normal face and show it upright
and inverted you likely won’t see a change in emotion (Figures 1C and 1D). One thing is
certain; we aren’t good at perceiving upside-down faces.
Why does this happen? Despite the time spent upside-down on monkey bars as
children, the brain hasn’t specialized in perceiving inverted faces because we have not
seen enough of them. Instead, it treats them more like everyday objects. In the brain,
faces and objects are recognized using different areas. There is a special area in the
temporal lobe of the brain called the fusiform face area, and this is the area considered
responsible for face recognition. Figure 2 shows a picture of my brain and my fusiform
face area (the red blob marked by the green cross hairs). If you measure the strength of
the brain’s response to upside-down faces in this region, it will be much weaker than
with upright faces – and weaker still for objects (e.g. houses). A similar effect occurs
with contrast-negated faces, such as those displayed in Figure 3.
Here’s an experiment for you. In the top two rows of Figure 3, you can probably see the faces becoming happy or angry, but
what do you see in the bottom row? When I presented these images at the Vision Sciences Society 2010 meeting along with
data from people who had to judge the pictures, the overwhelming consensus was that it is quite difficult to see the change
in gender compared to emotion. What does this mean? I’m trying to figure that out. So far it seems that there’s something
about emotion that is spared the debilitating effect of contrast-negation. The fusiform face area plays a role in gender
perception, but since we know this area responds weakly to contrast-negated faces, we think that a different area of the brain
must also respond to the emotive faces – an area that is not strongly affected by contrast-negation. At present, I am using
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), courtesy of the Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center, to find this region and
see how it relates to responses in the fusiform face area and other basic visual areas in the brain. Our current top candidate
is the amygdala. As any good student who has taken Introduction to Psychology should be able to tell you, the amygdala is a
subcortical area of the brain traditionally associated with fear. Research suggests that this area also responds more to anger
and less to happiness (when compared to neutral), and it is considered a part of the “extended face network” in the brain.
However, more research is required before we can make any claims about its role in our results.
While all of this may sound cool, it is basic research -
although its practical value may not be that out of reach.
I have on-going studies investigating the face perception
skills of children and teenagers with Autism Spectrum
Disorders and their siblings through the University of
California, San Diego. Face and emotion recognition are
often impaired in individuals with ASD, and research has
shown differences in brain responses to faces between
people with ASD and neurotypical individuals. If we can
improve our understanding of how the brain responds to
emotion and identity in a face, then we may be able to apply
this knowledge to Autism research. Through experiments
such as these, we can isolate the different regions of the
brain used for face processing and perhaps even learn how
communication between these locations functions – or
fails to function as may be the case in ASD. If we’re really
lucky, our basic research may even provide the groundwork
for new treatments and interventions. But for now, I’m
contented to learn as much about the mystery of face
perception as I can.
Figure 3
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 11

12
Erik D’Aquino
Former Assistant Administrative Director, Honors College
Director of Admissions, Erie Community College
In the end, the number was 3,285. That is the number of days that
I spent as part of the Honors College at the University at Buffalo,
if you are doing the math, it is nine years, exactly. These were no
ordinary nine years for me; these were the greatest of my life, both
personally and professionally. During my time in the Honors
College, I met some of the most remarkable students, faculty and
staff. Although I had a title, offi ce and a desk this experience was
so much more than a “job,” it was a pure joy. During my UB years,
I was married, became a father, completed my schooling and
made some of the greatest friends of my life. I happily shared my
life with the Honors College and I was honored to share in some
of your lives as well. I never thought that during my time with
the Honors College that I would have ever developed such close
relationships, the Honors College truly is a special place where
lifelong friendships are made.
There’s No Place
Like Home
Megan Bragdon
Program Coordinator, Honors College
When I left Western New York over ten years ago, I never thought I
would return. At the time, I was convinced that there was something
better “over the rainbow.” Well, Dorothy said it best, “There’s no
place like home” and the pull to be closer to family was strong.
During my career at SUNY College at Oneonta, I declared three
majors before receiving my B.S. in English. When my nose was
not in a book, I was involved in everything from residence life and
orientation to the Registrar’s Offi ce. It was not in the classroom
where I found my career path but in the college experience.
Therefore, I pursued my M.Ed from Kent State University in
Higher Education Administration and College Student Personnel.
I am thankful to work with young, creative minds that inspire
us to be better and take full advantage of our experiences. My
previous students challenged the college community to view the
world differently and engage with it. After fi ve years of hearing
their message, my husband Chris and I decided it was time to heed
their advice. Soon we found ourselves packing our bags for Peru.
We spent two months studying Spanish, traveling and hiking to
Machu Picchu.
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
3,285
Even as I write this an Honors College alum, one of my close
friends now, sent me a text message congratulating me on that
“next phase” of my life. As I move to the next chapter of my life,
the term bittersweet has never been more relevant for me. I am
excited for my new challenges but I know, deep down, that I
can never come close to replicating my UB experience. To those
current and former students that I had the honor and privilege
to work with, thank you – you were one of the best parts of each
and every day. To the Honors College staff, both past and present,
I couldn’t have asked for a greater group of individuals to work
with, I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life. I will
always be proud to say that I was a part of one of UB’s greatest
treasures. Thank you and good-bye.
Once we
returned from
Peru, we settled into life
in WNY to begin a new adventure… parenthood. Last year, we
welcomed our son Greyson and life has never been the same. As
an active crawler on his way to becoming a toddler, he keeps us on
our toes! Fortunately, my husband and I are both part of the UB
family so we get to enjoy a peaceful lunch together daily.
As the newest addition to the Honors College as Program
Coordinator, I have the opportunity to create programs to develop
a stronger affi nity for the Honors experience. What I love about
this new position is the chance to work closely with students and
alumni to create memories. At the end of the day, I get to use skills
gained from my past and have my hands in multiple aspects of the
Honors College.
When not at Honors, I enjoy cooking, renovating our fi xer-upper
and rediscovering Western New York. We love to travel and explore
and there is nothing quite like exploring your own backyard,
especially through the eyes of a child.

Honors Co lege
Dan Sperrazza had a vision. As a 1988 graduate of the Honors College (then Program) and
committed member of the Honors Council, he was inspired to gather a group of Honors Alumni
with a common mission – to provide leadership in developing and enhancing the College’s
long-term support from alumni. He wanted to ensure the continued success of the Honors
College which had played such a defi ning role in his own life as an undergraduate. This was an
opportunity to combine alumni ideas and support with the resources already established in
the Honors College. According to Sperrazza, “When the Honors Program became the Honors
College, it raised the institutional profi le. As the Alumni Representative to the Honors Council, it
became apparent to me that a strategic group of committed alumni was needed to add diversity
of skill and background to further the contribution alumni can make to the College.”
In fall 2010, The Honors College reached out to alumni from a diverse array of backgrounds,
ages, disciplines, and careers to get Dan’s vision off the ground. It worked. The Honors College
Advisory Board consists of the following alumni: Dr. Kathleen Bethin ’95, Dr. Ann Bisantz
’89, Dr. Helen M. Cappuccino ’84, Ms. Deepa Govindaraj ’08, Ms. Preethi Govindaraj ’05, Mr.
Martins D. Innus ’99, Mr. Nathan LaFrance ’10, Hon. Henry Nowak ’90, Kerri Ann Nowak ’93,
Mr. Paul L. Snyder ’08, Mr. David Snyderman ’91, Mr. Daniel Sperrazza ‘88, Dr. Albert Titus ’89,
Dr. Stephen J. Turkovich ’99. “We were thrilled that such an energetic and accomplished group
of some of our most prestigious Honors Alumni reacted so positively to serving the College as
board members.” added Sperrazza. The board was started with local alumni, but in the future
hopes to expand its geographic commitment to other areas.
It is an exciting time in Honors, and the new space in Capen Library has really energized this
advisory board. This group sees their current charge as bringing Honors Alumni together on
campus and to solidify their connection with the Honors College. Sperrazza commented on
the new space allocated for the Honors College, “The Alumni Board is looking forward to its
completion and has offered its energy and resources to ensure the space becomes all that has
been envisioned. The group hopes to incorporate events in the new space as part of celebration
of the College’s 30th anniversary that will occur during True Blue weekend this fall.”
Advisory Board
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 13

14
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
A Change of S
Laura Neese
Honors Scholar, Class of 2011
Last spring, I was getting
restless. I spent most
days in basement rooms,
either in dance studios in
the Center for the Arts, or
in windowless subterranean classrooms in Clemens Hall. As a
rising senior dance major, just fi nishing my last requirements
for a BA in English Literature, I knew I needed a change: a
change in focus in order to channel my energy more fully into
dance, and a change of scenery!
So I took a chance and exchanged Buffalo snow for British
rain, to study dance in England via a new exchange program
between UB and the University of Chichester.
With help from Dr. Elliott Caplan of Media Studies, the
support of the Honors College, UB Institute for Research
on Women and Gender, and UB Alumni Association, I
spent my fall 2010 semester studying in the quaint city of
Chichester, West Sussex. This semester-long escape proved to
be a transformative experience, which not only enriched my
academic pursuits and professional development, but also
fostered truly radical personal growth.
I was eager to delve further into “modern” or concert dance
forms while in the UK to complement the broad base of
technical training across the disciplines of modern ballet,
tap, and jazz that I have received at UB. I intend to pursue a
career as a modern concert dancer, and had exhausted all UB
course offerings within the discipline. I wanted to soak up
new perspectives about technique, choreography, expression,
and performance.
While at “Chi Uni” I was able to participate in twelve dance
technique classes per week, across second year, third year, and
MA levels. I experienced a broad spectrum of styles within
the umbrella of “contemporary” (or modern) technique, with
a particular concentration in release-based techniques. I also
studied contact improvisation, ballet, and a capoeira infused
contemporary class. I was ravenous for physical information,
and found each day an exciting opportunity to try to
incorporate new movement concepts.
While at UB I always felt like a “modern dancer” stuck in a
jazz class. However at “Chi” my ballet and jazz infl uenced
lines resonated in sharp contrast against the “contemporary”
release dancers around me. It was an uncanny but eye-opening
experience to see myself in such a different light. (It didn’t hurt
that the main studio was on the second fl oor and lined on two
sides with large, lovely, sun-beckoning windows!)
I had the opportunity to attend panel discussions by leading
British dance artists like Siobhan Davies, and to view
professional and student showcases of live choreographic work,
dance fi lms, and installation pieces. I also experienced new
choreographic approaches hands–on as a member of a creative
dance company, the Chichester Collective, and performer in
two undergraduate choreographic works. The variety of forms
and interdisciplinary approaches I encountered at Chichester
embodied intriguing concepts about the nature of dance, fi ne
art, and theatre, and the liminal blending spaces in between.
The camera lens through which I had been viewing dance
exploded from close-up to panoramic view. I started to be
open to a multitude of choices about vocabulary, quality,
movement generation and presentation. The basement box I
had inhabited seemed to burst, letting in a variety of new ideas
I would never have considered before, simply because I hadn’t
been exposed to them.
The dance “value systems” of heavily jazz-based UB and postmodern
infl uenced Chichester are very nearly incompatible.
The virtual 180-degree shift in artistic climate prompted
me to really question what I value in dance, and more
importantly, why.
The extensive self-inquiry and refl ection, caused by being
uprooted and re-planted in this strange environment,
facilitated my cultivation of a much clearer sense of personal
artistic identity. That self-knowledge is empowering.
In addition to technique classes, rehearsals and viewing dance,
I also worked to exercise my writing skills specifi cally for dance
topics. I took an exciting course in Dance Journalism, taught
by Dr. Ann Nugent, a respected dance journalist, scholar, and
former professional ballerina! Through the course I became
more comfortable with general and genre-specifi c journalistic
writing styles, research methods, as well as gained basic
insight into layout and design elements. As a member of the
course I was able to meet, and participate in a special lecture
demonstration by, distinguished American dance critic and
scholar Marcia Siegel.

cenery
Through some asking around, and with the generous help of
Dr. Nugent, I had the amazing opportunity to put my new skills
into practice with short term internships at The Dancing Times
and Sunday Times magazines in London! I helped sub-edit the
December issue of the Dancing Times, through which I learned
a lot about the process of creating print and online publications,
as well as the current goings-on of the British dance world (in
addition to many Anglo-American vocabulary and punctuation
idiosyncrasies). I was even published on the home page of their
web site!
However, what was even more memorable than the “offi cial”
accomplishments were the unoffi cial events: the forging of
friendships as well as the amazing variety of people I met and
with whom I made lasting connections.
I visited Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford, the River Thames, several
famous cathedrals, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Portsmouth, the
Brighton lanes and pier … however what I remember more
vividly than the “tourist attractions” were the people I saw
them with.
A group of us brought writing samples every few weeks to a
favorite local pub for a Tolkien-Lewis-esque “British writing
circle”- although only one or two attendees were actually British.
Our meetings were always full of laughter. I quite innocently
landed myself in the middle of several lewd jokes by using
American words, which have very different connotations across
the Atlantic. Who would have known? Just remember, pants
(jeans, sweatpants, etc.) are called trousers there.
In addition to my friends, I will never forget my “family.” I lived
for the four-month semester in a homestay arranged through
the university. At fi rst I wasn’t sure what to expect, living with
strangers, but before I knew it I had been adopted as a “Yankee
cousin” into a wonderful family. I helped decorate their Christmas
tree and wrap presents, helped make the Sunday Roast, we even
watched favorite programs like EastEnders and X-Factor together.
I didn’t truly realize the impact of my semester away until I
arrived back at UB this January. It was strangely a more diffi cult
adjustment to come back then to go away. Perhaps I feel that way
because the place and people here are still the same, yet somehow
I feel intrinsically different. The realization is slightly jarring, but
in a positive way. Now I’m looking forward with confi dence to
graduation and the new adventures that beckon thereafter…
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 15

16
Alumni Updates
1989
pETER BREEn
Peter is the Managing Director of the In-Store
Marketing Institute and is married to Michele
Emond. Together they have a daughter, Julia
(10yrs).
1990
HEnRy nOWak
In November, 2010, Henry was elected as a
Justice of the New York State Supreme Court. His
wife, Kerri Ann (Szczepankiewicz) Nowak (Honors
Scholar, 1993) is the principal of Huth Road
Elementary School in Grand Island, NY. They
live with their three sons, Henry (9yrs), Maxwell
(8yrs), and Charlie (6yrs) in North Buffalo.
1993
DEnIsE M. JUROn-BORgEsE
Denise is a Development Project Manager with
Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation and is responsible
for site planning, entitlements and design
coordination. She is also currently serving
as President of the newly formed Buffalo Architecture
Foundation, on the Board of Directors
of the Buffalo/WNY Chapter of the American
Institute of Architects and on the Advisory
Board of the Interior Design Department at
Buffalo State College. She resides in Tonawanda,
NY with her husband and two young sons.
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
Jay Amin
Honors Scholar, Class of 2013
D r. Ebert was not simply a superb teacher, but a great men-
tor and a positive role model for all of his students. I had the
honor of taking his Oceanography course as an Honors seminar
my fi rst semester freshman year, the fall of 2009. Dr. Ebert
made each class interesting and enjoyable with stories and
slides of images he had taken in his travels around the world.
In our seminar, we would always want to hear about his
adventures both in the fi eld and in the classroom. He often
told us of how disillusioned he had become with the commercialization
of the American college education so he decided
to write his own textbook for his Disasters course rather than
require students to buy some other textbook for hundreds
of dollars. He also told us of an incident in the 1960s when
students who were protesting against the Vietnam War broke
Remembering
Dr. Charles H.V. Ebert
What they’re doing now…
1995
JOsEpH szUsTakOWskI
Joseph is a Senior Group Head at Novartis,
where he leads the Biomarker Bioinformatics
team. His wife Renee (Honors Scholar, 1996) is a
Visiting Lecturer in History at Framingham State
University. They live in the Boston, MA suburbs
with their sons Colin (5yrs) and Ryan (2yrs).
2000
nICOlas lOgUE
Nicholas received an MFA in performance at
the University of Hawaii. He was a two-time
Fulbright Scholar and studied Beijing Opera
in Beijing, China. Currently, he is head of the
department of World Performance Theater.
Dan MORRIsOn
Dan is married
to Bianca Genco-
Morrison. They
have two children
Enzo (5yrs) and
Adelina, (2yrs), and
live in New Mexico. He has been working for
Lockheed Martin for 10 years, currently as a
Staff Systems Engineer in the area of modeling
and simulation.
nIRMal kaUR sIngH
Nirmal recently accepted a position at Henry
Ford Medical Group as the Medical Director of
the Infl ammatory Bowel Disease Center.
into his classroom demanding the students join their strike.
Rather than calling security on the protesters, Dr. Ebert let
them speak their mind and then held a vote for his students
on whether or not they wanted to join the protesters.
In the end, the protesters decided to join his class for the
lecture! This was the sort of compassion and understanding
that Dr. Ebert had for his students and all individuals. Dr.
Charles H.V. Ebert will always be remembered for his love
of science, his community, and his students.
Longtime faculty member, SUNY Distinguished Teaching
Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geography, and
friend of the Honors College, passed away December 30, 2010.
2002
syED aUgMOal alI
Syed joined Booz Allen Hamilton as a Senior
Consultant in the Washington, DC metro area
this past fall.
CHRIsTOpHER MIllER
Christopher graduated from
the Center for Entrepreneurial
Leadership’s Core
Program this past May.
Here he is at Niagara Falls
with his fi ancée.
JEssICa sMITH
Jessica and Nicholas McLaughlin (Honors Scholar,
2005) are currently living in Birmingham, AL.
2003
kEvIn COOk
Kevin recently completed his Ph.D. in
Immunology from the University of Rochester
and has taken a position as a postdoctoral
research associate at the University of North
Carolina in Chapel Hill.
2004
BROOkE (MEnTkOWskI) CIanfICHI
Brooke was promoted to Team Leader, NYC
Commercial Real Estate Lending with M&T Bank.
EUgEnE lUBlInER
Eugene received his Ph.D. in School/Community
Psychology from Hofstra University in 2008.
He currently works as a school psychologist for

a school in Queens, NY, works for the group
practice East End Psychological Services, and
is an adjunct professor at Hofstra University
teaching assessment.
2005
nICHOlas MClaUgHlIn
Nicholas and Jessica Smith (Honors Scholar,
2002) are currently living in Birmingham, AL.
DOUglas MUTH
Doug is an Audit Manager at Lumsden &
McCormick, LLP.
BRyan WEInsTEIn
Bryan started his career as a financial services
representative for MetLife. He and his wife
Jennifer have a puppy named Terner.
2006
CHRIsTa BIsHOp
Christa is a School Psychologist in Mendocino,
CA. She completed her Ph.D. in School
Psychology in December 2010.
anDREW gallagHER
Andrew taught high school physics for the last
three years in Western New York and is now
finishing his Master’s Degree with plans to
pursue work in a science and technology center.
2007
JaCk HOlaHan
Jack and his wife Jenny Richiuso (Honors
Scholar, 2006) live in Astoria, Queens just
outside NYC and are pursuing careers in Theatre
and Dance. Jack is currently lead tenor of the
NYC based vocal band, The Perspective (www.
theperspectiveband.com) and Jenny is currently
touring the country as a replacement on the
National Tour of Monty Python’s Spamalot.
laURa kaRnaTH
Laura finished her Master of Architecture
Degree from the Southern California Institute
of Architecture in 2009. She is currently living in
Los Angeles and working as a Project Consultant
at Gehry Technologies, where she works on
building information modeling for projects by
architect Frank Gehry.
2008
OWEn gRIffITHs
Owen moved to Seattle, WA where he is working
as a Software Engineer at Amazon.com.
alExanDER JOHnsTOn
Alexander was recently appointed to the
position of Assistant Librarian in the Special
Collections department of the University of
Delaware Library.
2009
DanIEllE BUCElla
Danielle completed a Master’s Degree in
Adolescent Education for Social Studies in
December of 2010. She is attending Canisius
College Graduate School of Business for
Professional Accounting and will earn her
NYS teaching certification for business upon
completing the MBAPA Program in 2012.
CaRRIE MCnaMEE
Carrie is currently a home health aide employed
by Hospice Buffalo and will be entering medical
school in August of 2011.
yEkaTERIna MERkUlOva
Yekaterina is in her second year of the M.D./Ph.D.
Program at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY.
2010
kRIsTEn BaROUDI
Kristen is in her first year of graduate school in
chemistry at Princeton University.
We would also like to thank the following families who contributed $500 in honor
of their graduating seniors (Honors scholars Class of 2011):
The Burton family The parents of Rebecca Hager
The parents of grady gambrel The parents of Joseph Thomas
These gifts will be used to maintain the Honors College Innovation fund which
supports Honors student scholarships and programming such as study abroad,
research grants, and special projects.
In the Honors College we teach our students to turn their
energy and ambition into a better world for all of us
But many of our students would not have been able to attend
UB or experience life-changing opportunities like study abroad,
independent research projects or invaluable internships without
financial aid in the form of scholarships and awards. Thanks to
donor support, Honors students are able to thrive and become
the leaders of tomorrow.
We have plans to make the Honors College experience even more
inspiring for our students. To do this, we need support from alumni
and friends. By creating or supporting scholarships and awards you
MaTTHEW fRITH
Matthew is enrolled as a graduate student in
chemistry at Princeton University.
2011
DanIEl HOlzERlanD
Daniel was recently hired as the new Service
Technician for Child and Family Services.
Marriages
BROOkE MEnTkOWskI (2004)
married Gabriel Cianfichi (UB graduate).
kEvIn COOk (2003)
married Molly Gill in
Spokane, WA in June 2010!
Births
JEssICa sMITH (2002)
and Nicholas McLaughlin
(2005) welcomed a son, Paul,
in August.
JEssICa (CavanO)
gEsTWICkI (2000)
and her husband Paul welcomed
a second baby boy
to their family on January
14, 2010. Leo Joseph joins
big brother Alex.
Honors Alumni!
Check out our new website and
update your records!
please log onto
www.buffalo.edu/honors/alumni
and complete the alumni update form
We would love to have your update for
the fall 2011 edition of Honors Today!
*We would also like to include a photo of you
(and/or your children) with your update!
Photos can be e-mailed to
Karyn St. George at kcs9@buffalo.edu.
can not only leave an indelible mark on the future of the Honors
College, but on a student’s life.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how
you can make a difference through philanthropy.
To make a gift or learn more, please contact:
Christopher H. Albrecht
Director of Development
chalbrec@buffalo.edu
716.645.0838
N U M B E R X X X I I | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 17

UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE
University at Buffalo
214 Talbert Hall
Buffalo, New York 14260-1700
(716) 645-3020
www.buffalo.edu/honors