Suzanne Gainer (Communication) is one of 10 national artists whose work is being shown in Oppositions, a juried exhibition at the River Street Gallery in New Haven.

The artists reception is 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.

The show opened Jan. 24 and will close March 21, 2009.

Oppositions explores dichotomy, juxtaposition and/or binary opposition. The exhibition includes book arts, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and video.

The artists selected employ layered meanings such as colonialism to romanticism; representations of the human body and gender conventions; and perception and psychological structures, according to the Arts + Literature Laboratory, sponsor of the exhibition.

The River Street Gallery is in Fair Haven Furniture, 72 Blatchley Ave., New Haven, CT. For information about gallery hours, e-mail info@allgallery.org or phone 203.671.5175.

Amaryllis Siniossoglou (Visual and Performing Arts) exhibited her paintings during the 2008 Accrochage Selected New & Established Talent at the Kouros Gallery from August 6-29 in New York City, NY. To view Professor Siniossoglou's work displayed at the gallery, click here.

Emily Soltano (Psychology), Susanna Meyer (Communication Sciences and Disorders), and Linda Larrivee (Communication Sciences and Disorders) presented an interdisciplinary research paper at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November 19-22 in Chicago, IL. The paper, "Difference or Disorder? Monitoring English Phonology Acquisition After International Adoption," highlighted preliminary information from the researchers longitudinal study investigation second-first language adoption in young children adopted from non-English speaking countries.

Hansun To (Mathematics) has had her research paper Homogenization of Dynamic Laminates accepted for publication in the Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications Elsevier.

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AROUND CAMPUS

Acclaimed Author to Speak at WSC as
part of Diversity Lecture Series

Kris Holloway, the acclaimed author of Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali, will be the next featured speaker in the Worcester State College Diversity Lecture Series, Tuesday, January 27, at 11:30 am in the Student Center Blue Lounge. The book is one of Entertainment Weeklys top 10 narrative travel books and a Barnes and Noble Book Club pick.

Holloways book describes the true story of the life and death of a remarkable West African midwife, as seen through her eyes as a young Peace Corps Volunteer who worked side-by-side with her, birthing babies and caring for mothers, in a remote, impoverished village. Holloway served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa from 1989-1991. Monique was the sole midwife for a village of 1,400 people.

Holloway currently serves as the Director of Institutional Relations at the Center for International Studies.

Her book is on sale at the college bookstore now and she will be signing copies following the lecture. The event is sponsored by Student Center/Student Activities, Disability Services, Counseling Office, Women's Studies, and the Student Events Committee.

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WSC to Join Nation Wide Teach-In on
Global Warming Solutions on Feb. 5

The single-digit temperatures of late can easily make you forget that the planet is rapidly warming. But warming it is. In fact, were way beyond just changing light bulbs as the way to solve this problem.

The Worcester State community is invited to educate itself about global warming solutions in a two-day event in early February. The campus is a participant in the national teach-in on global warming solutions.

A planning group of faculty, staff and students has worked since last semester to plan this event.

Human society has evolved under stable climate conditions since the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago, said Dr. Patricia Benjamin (Geography), who is coordinating WSCs efforts for the teach-in.

Now, many of the worlds leading earth scientists worry that human activities are tipping the climate system into new, unstable states---with possibly catastrophic consequences.

The teach-in aims to offer everyone in our campus community a chance to learn more about this critical issue, Benjamin added, and equally important, to understand that there is still time for us to actbut not much time.

"Solutions for the First 100 days," a half hour webcast, will be screened at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, in Science and Technology 102. The webcast is based on the recommendations from The Presidential Climate Action Project. A discussion of the webcast will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

The website address for further webcast information is http://www.nationalteachin.org/launchwebcast.php

On Thursday, Feb. 5, panel discussions will be held in the Blue Lounge and Science and Technology 102 during the 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. course periods. So far, 19 faculty members from 10 WSC departments and representatives from at least four environmental groups will address climate change. A full roster of panelists and speaking venues will be available in the Feb. 2 e-news.

Panelists will speak for 30 minutes on a range of topics including "Perceived Health Threats from Global Warming," "Green Jobs and Economic Development," and "Social Movements and Climate Change."

They will then convene roundtable discussions among student participants. Faculty are encouraged to bring their classes to these sessions.

Also on Thursday, Feb. 5, in the lobby of the Science and Technology building there will be exhibits, information tables and a short video on Worcester State's activities to stem climate change. In the Sullivan T there will be information tables and the short video on Worcester State's activities to stem climate change.

Art students of Stacey Parker will display their global climate solutions-themed work in the ST gallery.

To date, the WSC faculty involved in this event include: Patricia Benjamin, Glenn D'Alessio, Bill Hansen and Stephen Healy (Geography); Brad Bryan, Jeremy DeSilva, Steve Oliver and Randy Tracy (Biology); Lynn Bloomberg and Nancy Brewer (Health Sciences); Margaret Kerr and Meghan Dilip (Chemistry); Amaryllis Siniossoglou and Catherine Wilcox-Titus (Art); Steve Corey (Urban Studies); Corey Dolgon (Sociology); Carol Donnelly (Education); Bonnie Orcutt (Economics); and Karl Wurst (Computer Science).

In addition, panelists from the Governors office, the Worcester Clean Energy Coalition and the University of Connecticut Geography department plus a green building consultant will join WSC faculty.

Other contributors include Bob Daniels, who leads campus facilities sustainability initiatives, and Marcia Eagleson, Missy Moore, Tom White and Matt Caswell, who are supplying technical and organizational support.

WSC geography student volunteers will assist with the event set up.

Author Bill McKibben likes to say that there is no silver bullet for solving global warming, Benjamin said, but theres a lot of silver buckshot.

We can all make changes in our own lives, she added, and we can demand real solutions from our political leaders. This includes basing the economic recovery on green jobs and mandating a 40 percent reduction in US emissions by 2020.

The teach-in message is: get educated, get motivated, get busy, Benjamin said.

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Consortium Art Show to be
Displayed at ARTSWorcester

The Fifth Annual Colleges of Worcester Consortium Art Exhibition will be on display at ARTSWorcester (Aurora Gallery) from February 6 through February 27, 2009.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and will feature refreshments and music.

The show is a juried group exhibition culled from emerging student artists within the Consortium and will include works in mixed media, photography, works on paper, sculpture and painting. This exhibition, which began in 2005, highlights the wealth of artistic talent that exists within the local higher education community. Participating institutions are Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Atlantic Union College, Becker College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Worcester State College.

College participation is coordinated by Catherine Wilcox-Titus, PhD, assistant professor of art history at Worcester State College. The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. and is free and open to the public.

Works for the show will be chosen by jurors Susan Stoops, curator of contemporary art at the Worcester Art Museum and Antonio Fonseca, accomplished artist and director of education at Sevengaits Studio School in Southbridge.

The ARTSWorcester Aurora Gallery (660 Main Street) is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Extended hours are available by appointment. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday. (Press release courtesy of www.cowc.org website)

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Movie Scene Filmed at WSC

On January 13, NYU film student Sam Osborn, son of Elaine Bafaro, Class of 1975, and former member of the WSC Board of Trustees, brought his production crew and actors to WSC to film a scene for his senior thesis project, Monsters Down The Hall.

Monsters Down The Hall is an anti-drug film about how scary it can be to have a mother who experiments with heroin. The world of the film is grounded in actual reality but also exists in the imagination of the young protagonist in the form of monsters. While the film deals with heavier topics, it also carries a strong message of hope and the ability to withstand hardship and discover a light at the end of the road.

Mr. Osborn is a Worcester native and this film culminates four years of hands-on preparation and study at New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts. His visualization about the perseverance of the human spirit is a result of his time spent in public housing accompanying his father who worked in the Great Brook Valley Public Housing units for several years. Osborn later spent hours working as a housekeeping inspector for Worcester Public Housing during which time he got to know both the units and the people within them. His film is a result of the friendships he made and embraces a strong anti-drug message.

The project was filmed over the week of January 9, 2009, including locations in Worcester Public Housing and use of the north entrance parking lot at Worcester State College. There will be one additional day of filming in a New York hospital. Monsters Down The Hall has an anticipated completion date of January 2011.

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RESEARCH

Professor's Business Research Project Spans
Ten Years and Continues to Produce Results

When it comes to research, Bob Fink is no dilettante.

Ten years ago he and two colleagues built a database from a survey that queried paper mill officials and their suppliers of process control equipment. When they developed the survey questionnaire, they looked at theory across multiple disciplines.

We had three theories that we wanted to test, Fink said of the survey, which garnered 350 responses to more than 120 questions about the customer-supplier relationship.

We were initially interested in the customer-supplier relationship and wondered who gets the performance benefit when things go well in the relationship, he said. More specifically, when do suppliers get benefits from close relationships?

Fink and his collaborators have certainly benefitted from their diligent analysis of this survey data.

So far, theyve published eight articles in refereed journals in marketing, management, industrial and corporate change, and marketing theory and practice.

And there are more articles to come. Fink, who joined Worcester State seven years ago in the business administration department, predicts theyll have a dozen published articles before theyve exhausted the data set.

What are some of the things they have learned? That knowledge transfer is a key to perceived benefits in the relationship. Customers principally get benefits from suppliers when knowledge is transferred.

When suppliers show people how to use equipment to improve production, Fink said, thats when theres a benefit.

Not all customers are interested in knowledge transfer, however. Fink and his colleagues learned that smaller customers, those producing less than 250 tons of paper a day, were more interested in knowledge transfer.

Larger firms, those that produce more than 1,000 tons of paper a day, can hire the knowledge they need, Fink said.

Time in the relationship is another factor.

Youve got to realize that it could take seven years or longer to establish a relationship based on trust, Fink said. These are organizational as well as personal relationships between suppliers and their customers, who run multi-million dollar businesses.

A plant controller himself 30 years ago, Fink earned a doctorate in business administration from Boston University in 1995. This research project had its beginnings during his dissertation work.

It is clear that he has not tired of examining the survey data for more clues about the supplier-customer relationship.

One side benefit is that this work has given him a different perspective on the relationship between research and professional development. He uses the research project to keep current in the field by reading a variety of journals and by going through the editorial process with journal editors.

Ten years ago, I didnt see that research was a way to develop professionally, Fink said. I did consulting to stay current in the field.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

GIVE A BOOK DRIVE
Worcester State College will once again participate in the annual Worcester Give A Book drive. The goal of the city-wide book drive is to collect K-8 level books for distribution by the Worcester Public Schools to children who dont have the means to obtain adequate books for summer reading. A number of Consortium institutions participated last year and thousands of books were donated to local students! We continue to have an overwhelming response from the college community each year -- so this year we are starting early. Please bring new or gently used books (K-8 level) to the Public Relations & Marketing Office (Admin Village Room 107). Please also spread the word to your friends and relatives. Books will be collected until Monday, April 13.

SINGING BIRTHDAY GRAMS BY WSC CHORALE MEMBERS
Need a unique gift for someone? Want something they'll remember? The WSC Chorale will sing a birthday-gram for you! A 4-part harmony arrangement of Happy Birthday they will never forget. Price is $15 on campus and $30 off-campus (within 20 miles of WSC). To arrange a birthday gram, call Steve at 508-251-2303 or email wscchorale@gmail.com or rbudzyna@worcester.edu

UPCOMING BASEBALL CAMPS AND CLINICS

Catchers Clinic Featuring Rich Gedman - February 20 for ages 9-18

3^rd Annual Sunday Baseball School Pitching & Hitting -1 Hr Sessions from Jan. 25-March 1 for Grades 1-12

14^th Annual Hitting Clinic - February 16-17-18 for ages 8-18

8^th Annual Pitchers-Catchers Clinic - April 21 & 23 for ages 8-18

4^th Annual All-Sports Camp - July 27-31 for ages 8-13

For more info, please call 508-929-8852 or visit
wsclancerathletics.com and click on camps and clinics.

2008-2009 INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
www.worcester.edu/weatherpolicy

A decision to close the College or open later will generally be made between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. by the President or the President's designee in consultation with other members of the College staff. If a decision is made to close for the day or to open later, notice will be made to your WSC email, the WSC homepage and to the campus phone number. For full details on the weather policy visit www.worcester.edu/weatherpolicy.

WSC HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE
The WSC holiday toy drive was once again a success. Thank you to everyone who dropped off gifts at the President's Office. Your generosity helped make make many local children's' Christmas memorable.

REQUESTING WSC INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH DATA
In order to facilitate requests for institutional research (IR) data, Institutional Research will accept data and analysis requests through the submission of an online form. To access the form, go to the IT website (http://it.worcester.edu ), and scroll down the homepage; under the Institutional Research section, click on the Data Analysis and Information Request Form link.

GEORGE I. ALDEN EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD -
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS - DUE FEBRUARY 13, 2009
Worcester State College began as a teachers' college and recognizes that teaching is still at the heart of what we do. Through the George I. Alden Excellence in Teaching Award, students have a public way of acknowledging the role of good teachers in their lives by honoring those who have most inspired them and contributed the most to their success. Today, teaching remains the foundation upon which the integrity of our institution rests. The Center for Teaching and Learning has created this award as a means to provide students and alumni with the opportunity to publicly acknowledge professors who have made a difference in their lives through their teaching excellence. Although one full-time tenured or tenure track professor will be honored annually, the award is intended to honor all educators on our campus who are committed to teaching excellence. All students and alumni are eligible to nominate a full-time tenured or tenure-track professor. For a nomination form, please visit www.worcester.edu/alden.

EDWARD NUHFER TO ADDRESS FACULTY
DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP
The Faculty Development Committee of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. welcomes Edward Nuhfer, PhD, for a workshop, "Affective Domain in the Classroom," on Friday, February 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Hogan Campus Center, College of the Holy Cross. A wine and cheese reception will follow the event from 3 to 4 p.m.

Faculty members: Did you ever wonder why some classes feel "very average," and some are absolutely tedious and onerous? As educators, we all wish our classes could "connect" with students in ways that make them positive, memorable experiences that will stay with them for a lifetime. One way to accomplish this is to attend to the Affective Domain as it relates to teaching and learning. The Affective Domain refers to feelings that are internally consistent with qualities of character and conscience.

This event is free to employees and graduate students of Consortium member institutions. The fee for non-Consortium attendees is $40. All attendees, both paying and non-paying, must register online by February 6. Payment by non-Consortium members must be made by credit card through PayPal. For more information about the workshop click here.

MLK JR. YOUTH BREAKFAST BASKET RAFFLE
On behalf of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Breakfast Committee I would like to thank all of the individuals and WSC departments that participated in the basket contest.

All of the donations were creative and beautiful and they added additional excitement to the event. It was not easy for the people to pick a winner, however, they finally chose as the winner; the one donated by the Presidents Office. We congratulate them and hope that they enjoy the gift certificate at Jumpin' Juice and Java. A very close runner up was the Italian Dinner basket. One department thought outside of the basket and donated a fully supplied school back pack; the donors would have been delighted to see how thrilled the student was who won it. Again we thank you all for your kindness, the baskets were not only beautiful, they are being put to good use by the lucky people who won them. - Edna Spencer, director of the Office of Diversity

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WSC IN THE NEWS

**Please Note - Links to online articles may
no longer be available after a certain period of time.**

Park officials say $400,000 cut possible
Telegram & Gazette (1/23/09)
Excerpt: Mr. Lyons was the first person inducted into the Worcester State College Athletic Hall of Fame. He played for Worcester State when it won the New England ...

Obama legacy traced to MLK Jr.
Telegram & Gazette (1/19/09)
Excerpt: Clark senior Hannah Caruso, also a Difficult Dialogues fellow, spent Election Night at the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State College, ...

Annual breakfast honors Martin Luther King, Jr.
Telegram & Gazette (1/18/09)
Excerpt: Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered in Worcester Saturday. Worcester State College and Friendly House held their 15th annual Martin Luther ...

Group says tax credit will help the working poor
Telegram & Gazette (1/17/09)
Excerpt: This year the sites will be operating at Plumley Village at 16 Laurel St. (508) 770-0508, Worcester State Colleges Sullivan Building at 486 Chandler St. ...

Gifted children - College fund presents for the future
Telegram & Gazette (1/9/09)
Excerpt: When theyre babies, 18 years seems like a long time, said Jayne A. McGinn, director of financial aid at Worcester State College. ...

Thai restaurant owner finds Holden business-friendly
Holden Landmark (1/1/09)
Excerpt: When Olga Kwasniewski was planning to open her own restaurant, Thai Island, the Worcester State College student did her research, 21st century style. ...

Baby food drive makes great strides
Telegram & Gazette (12/31/08)
Excerpt: Mr. LaCava and Mr. Abraham next turned to Worcester State College,
where they both teach, to help in the effort. Along with Sovereign Bank, ...

Portfolios plunge
Telegram & Gazette (12/24/08)
Excerpt: After its endowment decline, Worcester State College made immediate changes to its investment strategy. At the end of October, the endowment was valued at ...

Monday, January 26, 2009

THIS WEEK
www.worcester.edu/calendar

Tues., Jan. 27

Diversity Lecture Series presents: "Two Years
with a Midwife in Mali"
Student Center, Blue Lounge
11:30 a.m.

W. Basketball vs.
Salem State College
Gym, 6 p.m.

M. Basketball vs.
Salem State College
Gym, 8 p.m.

Wed., Jan. 28

American Red Cross
Blood Drive
Student Center, Exhibit Area
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Courageous Conversations with Angela Davis
Sullivan Auditorium
7 p.m. (In case of a snow day - information on a rescheduled date will be posted asap)

Thurs., Jan. 29

Ice Hockey vs.
Franklin Pierce
Horgan Memorial Rink
Auburn, MA directions
5:30 p.m.

Sat., Jan .31

Ice Hockey vs.
Framingham State College
Horgan Memorial Rink
Auburn, MA
7:30 p.m.

COMING UP
www.worcester.edu/calendar

Tues., Feb. 3

W.Basketball vs.
Westfield State College
Gym, 6 p.m.

M.Basketball vs.
Westfield State College
Gym, 8 p.m.

Feb. 4-5

WSC National Teach-In
on Global Warming
Solutions
Various Locations

Thurs., Feb. 5

M.Basketball vs.
Becker College
Gym, 7 p.m.

Tues., Feb. 10

W.Basketball vs.
Fitchburg State College
Gym, 6 p.m.

WSC e-news is produced by the Office of Public Relations and Marketing on a weekly basis
except during semester breaks.

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