The word “passion” is an understatement – if that’s possible – for this Class of 1982 alumnus whose career reached a new high in recent years. Kelly led a team in the discovery of a drug that cures a rare amyloid disease, within a class of diseases that includes Alzheimer’s. The drug is so full of potential that, in 2010, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer acquired FoldRx, the company Kelly co-founded. 

SUNY Fredonia and the Hillman Memorial Music Association honored retired music teacher Helen (Tinch) Williams, ’60, on Nov. 12, prior to the performance of “The Tales of Hoffmann.” This year’s Hillman Opera – a Fredonia tradition which began during Mrs. Williams’ freshman year in 1956 – featured more than 140 of the campus’ top performing arts students.

“The companies are recognizing what the campus has to offer,” said School of Business Dean Russell Boisjoly. “They are seeing that not only do our faculty members offer valuable knowledge and research avenues, but our students offer tremendous potential to them as interns and potential new hires.”

Research by Dr. Mahoney and colleagues has shown that children do better at learning English if their primary language is also used to teach other subjects. “For example, children who enter school speaking Spanish learn English and other subjects better if they are taught bilingually. This may seem counterintuitive, but there is a lot of empirical evidence to support it,” she said.

As a first generation Chinese American, Dr. Tan is interested in ethnic identity formation among immigrant children; international/intercultural education; and comparative education. Her primary research interest is equity in education, including the study of migrant children’s education and the education of young girls in China.

Through a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Chemistry Professor Erica Snow is gathering precise measurements that will help test the current theories and expand knowledge of the hydrogen molecule, one of the simplest systems and therefore an excellent test ground and springboard to larger and more complicated systems.

 “This year we’ve worked very hard to incorporate students; there have been students and alumni at every single event featured as presenters,” said English Professor Natalie Gerber, who directs the series with Communication’s Dr. Laura Johnson and Visual Arts and New Media’s Dr. Michele Bernatz.

Holly Koester says she “practically lived in Dods Hall.” She played volleyball for the Blue Devils. She kept score for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. She competed on countless recreational sports teams. Even today – nearly 30 years after graduating from SUNY Fredonia – Ms. Koester hasn’t lost her passion for sports. What makes her so remarkable is that she lost something far more valuable: the use of her legs.

Come on out and cheer your alma mater!

Volleyball, cross country, soccer, tennis...

Saturday, Feb. 12, in the final regular-season game, all 30 players will show that real men – including rugged hockey players – do wear pink, especially to support a worthy cause. This novel breast cancer awareness promotion started in 2007 with a modest beginning and just a handful of flyers posted around campus – but no pink jerseys.

On Monday, Jan. 31, SUNY Fredonia will hold a Strategic Planning Conference, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room. Participants will engage in several small-group activities designed to gather ideas, and we'll be distributing toolkits for strategic planning discussions in departments, divisions, offices, and other groups.

That multi-faceted principle guided SUNY Fredonia’s Sustainability Committee in crafting a series of speakers, each set to convey a vital message throughout the spring semester, and arranging the event-filled Earth Week in April. It seemed only natural, then, that “Finding Balance” should be the theme of Fredonia’s fourth annual Earth Week.

After directing the Honors Program for more than two decades, Dr. Ted Steinberg is stepping down from that leadership role, acknowledging that he’s not able devote the time necessary to lead the thriving program and still remain fully engaged in his true passion of teaching.

When touring the new Campus and Community Children’s Center at SUNY Fredonia, one thing is immediately clear: this beautiful facility was designed with children’s needs at the forefront. From small square windows one foot off the ground overlooking colorful gardens to miniature toilets and sinks, there’s no question that kids come first around here.

On Oct. 23, during Family Weekend, over a thousand students, parents, benefactors, faculty and staff were in attendance to be recognized among the more than 800 students who in 2010 received more than $1 million in scholarship support.

U.S. Army Col. Philip Smith (ret.), ’85, whose military career spanned more than 20 years, was the keynote speaker for the Veterans Day observance held on campus in the Williams Center. The event provided a forum through which university and surrounding community members gathered to remember, honor, and show their gratitude to the men and women who have served the U.S. through the Armed Forces.  During the observance, the second annual SUNY Fredonia Veterans Scholarship award was presented to student Daniel E. Morton, a former U.S. Marine who received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained from an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) while serving in Iraq. He hails from Ashville, N.Y., and is a senior Social Studies Adolescence Education major.

The notion of holding a job for life no longer exists. Organizations need to be flexible and nimble, employees are expected to change along with the organization and its operating environment, job security is ambiguous, and companies are no longer stable entities due to increasing mergers and acquisitions resulting from increased global competition.

Alumni and friends of the Educational Development Program will return to campus April 29 to May 1.

Professor Emeritus Robert Jordan returned to campus in September to perform a piano recital in Rosch Recital Hall in celebration of his 70th birthday.  The event was attended by over 90 friends, former piano students, colleagues and family members.