Archive for May, 2009

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Basta finds his career on AU stage

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

You know how Alfred University touts the fact that you can participate in Performing Arts, regardless of your major? Nicholas Basta ‘93 proves the truth in that statement.

Basta received his Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering from AU, but he found a career on the AU stage. After AU, he attended the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard.

Basta spent most of his time doing theater at Alfred, including credits in the production of “Our Town” and a performance piece for his senior show. He says that his mentor while at Alfred was Dr. Becky Prophet. “She was a wonderful influence and her faith and love has helped me through all the tough times,” said Basta.

After college he moved south and ended up in New Orleans to pursue his love of music. Discovering that the Big Easy was not quite suited to his style of music, he again turned to acting. After meeting his future wife Joanna at an audition for the aptly titled play “Once in a Lifetime,” it was time to settle on one artistic endeavor: acting.

Basta has appeared in popular television shows such as “Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Special Victims Unit.” He also played supporting roles in such films as “American Pie,” “Trans-Siberian Prose,” “Sunflowers,” and “A Grey Matter.”

Basta’s fondest memory of AU was his senior year, when he co-founded the “ITC” (Improvisational Acting Company) along with several of his peers. “We had an acting troupe ‘The ITC’ that was motivated and talented in setting up our own projects,” said Basta.

Basta’s advice for future or current AU students is that if there’s anything else you could do to be happy, then do it and to “make sure you have skills in everything you can… the more you can do, the more doors that will open.”

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Gill receives SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

John Gill, professor of ceramic art in the School of Art & Design at Alfred University, was recognized as a recipient of a State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching during the University’s annual Honors Convocation.

The School of Art & Design is part of the New York State College of Ceramics, a statutory unit of the State University of New York operated by Alfred University, making its faculty members eligible for the Chancellor’s Award.

John Gill in his classroom
John Gill in his classroom
Gill, who has taught in the acclaimed Division of Ceramic Arts since 1984, was nominated for the award by his colleagues and former students. Gill’s “innovative teaching methods and his unmatched, unbridled enthusiasm for the profession are an inspiration to all of us fortunate enough to be his colleagues,” said Dr. William C. LaCourse, associate provost for Statutory Affairs at Alfred University.

LaCourse noted Gill has been a leader of “our efforts to integrate the education of artists and engineers.” With Dr. William Carty, professor of ceramic engineering and a past recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Gill has taught a cross-disciplinary course during the academic year and during summer sessions.

“Approximately once every two weeks, John brings an art student to my office to discuss a problem or look at an example of a specific ‘defect’ on my shelves,” said Carty. “He uses my office as a resource.”

Carty noted he and Gill have taken the students, both artists and engineers, on field trips to visit ceramic manufacturers, and that Gill frequently discusses research projects with engineering students, then takes the knowledge back to his art students, encouraging them to interact with the engineers to solve problems.

His insight as a teacher is widely praised by his former students.

“What I love about John is his ability to cut to the chase in someone’s work really quickly,” wrote Lisa Orr, a studio artist in Austin, TX, who earned her MFA degree in 1992. “After he knew me about two months, he walked in and said ‘This is all about the garden.’ It took me forever to figure that out myself… He was right on target and I am still looking at many aspects of gardens.’”

“I was just thinking about John this morning as I tried to get a student to think about the complex relationships of shapes and voids in a bowl she had just trimmed through,” wrote John Utgaard MFA ‘99, who is now an assistant professor in the Department of Art, Murray (KY) State University. “When I was a student, John really helped me understand how the essential life of a pot can only be revealed with the hands; by holding it, feeling the balance, feeling out the thick and thin places in the walls, imagining the cross section.”

Stephanie Rozene BFA ‘02, who is an instructor of art at Bowling Green (OH) State University, wrote Gill “has the ability to connect with every one of his students on a personal level, which is one of the most powerful things about John that I remember as his student and later as his studio assistant. He knew a little bit about what our passions were as individuals and used those to create metaphors between our art making and our lives. He truly cares about each of his students, which I have found as a teacher is one of the most meaningful ways to encourage my own students.”

Gill has taught a wide range of classes, from the team-taught Freshman Foundation course to sophomore wheel and hand-building classes to glaze calculations and raw materials. He has also advised a number of students in Alfred University’s Master of Fine Arts program in ceramic art, which has ranked at the top of U.S. News and World Report’s “Guide to Best Graduate Schools” each year that art programs have been ranked.

“The quality of his teaching is matched by the quality and recognition of his art,” wrote LaCourse. Gill’s art is “seen all over the world,” its distinctive qualities making it instantly recognizable as his work.

In spite of the time he puts into his teaching, Gill has remained active as an artist, maintaining “an impressive record of art presentations with 33 gallery shows in the past 10 years.” He is in demand as a workshop teacher and presenter, giving 36 short courses and presentations in the past 10 years.

His work is found in numerous private collections and he has pieces in 14 permanent collections around the world, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; the Los Angeles Museum and the Kansas City Art Institute.

Gill received his BFA degree in 1973 from the Kansas City Art Institute and his MFA from Alfred University in 1975. He taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Michigan, Colorado State University, Kent State University, and the University of Washington before returning to AU in 1984. He was also an instructor with the Archie Bray Foundation.

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Governor urges Alfred University graduates: ‘Stay in New York, work along with us’

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

From left: Trustee Gene M. Bernstein, Governor David A. Paterson, Provost Suzanne C. Buckley and President Charles M. Edmondson.
From left: Trustee Gene M. Bernstein, Governor David A. Paterson, Provost Suzanne C. Buckley and President Charles M. Edmondson.

By Sue Goetschius

Their future is “right here in New York State,” Governor David A. Paterson told the 490 graduates of Alfred University who received their degrees this morning during AU’s annual commencement.

Paterson delivered the commencement address and received a Doctor of Humane Laws degree, honoris causa.
“One thing you need to do is stay right here in New York State and work along with us,” the governor said. Acknowledging the difficult financial conditions under which they are graduating, worse in some respects than the Great Depression 80 years ago, Paterson assured the graduates New York’s leadership in science and technology, along with its intellectual power and its workforce, put it in position to “once again lead the country and the world.

“The wave of the future is right here in New York State,” Paterson declared, citing state initiatives, including those to develop renewable clean energy, as helping to create the future. He estimated the energy initiative could produce as many as 50,000 new jobs in the next few years.

“If you’re looking to relocate, think twice,” said Paterson, who received a standing ovation from an estimated crowd of more than 3,000 in the McLane Center.

In presenting Paterson for his honorary degree, Dr. Gene Bernstein, chairman emeritus of Alfred University’s Board of Trustees and a 1969 alumnus of Alfred University, cited his courage in dealing with the state’s current financial crisis during which he has “taken a stand he knows will make him unpopular, often with those who ardently supported him the past. He has taken on new issues, too, promoting environmental measures and addressing the very real concerns caused by childhood obesity, not because they garner votes, but because they are, like so many of his initiatives, the right thing to do for the state.”

President Charles M. Edmondson pointed out Paterson becomes part of a tradition that goes back more than 80 years, becoming the fifth New York Sate governor to receive an honorary degree from Alfred.

“What we also want to recognize today is that by honoring Governor Paterson, we are also celebrating a tradition that goes back more than 80 years, to 1928, when Alfred University presented a honorary degree to Governor Frank W. Higgins. Through the years, we’ve honored others, including Governors Herbert Lehman, William Harriman and Thomas Dewey,” said Edmondson.

Student speakers were this year’s recipients of the Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Awards: Callie Rimmel of Allison Park, PA, and Nicholas Garofoli of Plainsboro, NJ. Each earned a bachelor of fine arts from the School of Art & Design. Rimmel minored in psychology, and Garofoli earned a second degree, a B.A. in philosophy.

Rimmel recalled entering Alfred as a “shy, nervous and very homesick freshman.” The “unique and special nature of Alfred University… celebrates the individual, but connects us all together…. I came here as an individual, and I am leaving as a member of a community.”

Garofoli acknowledged both the joy and the trepidation about their future the graduates are experiencing. But fear, he assured them, can “ultimately be a positive value,” one that motivates and spurs people to take action. As freshmen “fear brought us together and gave us common ground,” he reminded his classmates.

Repeating Rimmel’s sentiments, Garofoli said “Alfred University is unique. It celebrates the individual, and still connects us all together… As members of the AU community, we have learned not to be afraid.”

One undergraduate distinguished herself by earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA). She is Chelsea Rebecca Heinz of Cuba, who is receiving a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. She is a daughter of Craig and Theresa Heinz of Cuba and a graduate of Olean High School.

Joining Heinz in earning top honors in their respective schools/colleges of study are:

Samuel Levi Newman of Lewis Center, Ohio, bachelor of fine arts degree in art and design, School of Art & Design, 3.91. He is a son of Robert Newman and Linda Leviton and a graduate of Worthington Kilbourne High School.

Alex Daniel Weller of Flemington, NJ, a bachelor of science degree in biomedical materials engineering science, Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering, 3.93. He is a son of Steven and Shelly Weller and a graduate of Hunterdon Central Regional High School.

Amanda Marie Smith of Hornell, bachelor of science in accounting, College of Business, 3.97. She is a daughter of Steve and Denise Smith.

Members of the class of 2009 include one recipient of a Ph.D. degree in materials science and engineering; three recipients of doctor of psychology degrees in School Psychology; 173 master’s degree candidates (M.S.Ed., 117; M.F.A, 18; M.S., 8 engineering, 2 numeracy; M.A., 18; M.B.A., 10) and 313 undergraduates (B.A., 145; B.S. — athletic training, 6, business, 51, engineering, 39; B.F.A., 72).

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Bel Bruno ‘86 puts Alfred’s late-night lessons to work

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Ron Bel Bruno ’86 started his journalism career working a “perpetual night shift” as the Editor-in-chief of the Fiat Lux, when cut-and-paste really meant scissors and rubber cement.

“We were basically on life support back then–just making our pub dates was cause for ordering a bucket or two of wings from the Pizzeria.”

Ron Bel Bruno
Ron Bel Bruno
Today, Ron is very much in the online publishing world–and still often works into the night in New York, where “the take out options are at least a little broader.” After 20 years as a magazine editor, working at Yahoo! Internet Life, Time Out New York and Scholastic among other titles, he became senior vice president and editorial director of HNW Wealth Solutions, a downtown Manhattan financial-services marketing firm. There, Ron directs the development and production of more than a dozen newsletters and e-zines serving 400,000 high-net-worth investors and consumers.

While at Alfred, Ron also spent a year each as treasurer and president of his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, and was an Outstanding Senior nominee. Looking back, he recalls enjoying Alfred’s eclectic student body and its small intimate social atmosphere. He says, “To this day, I draw upon administrative experiences I had at Alfred when I deal with management, professional peers, and my employees. It also provided a safe place for me to make the kind of mistakes that help you grow.”

Most recently, Ron had an essay published in Newsweek, and is working on an essay collection.

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Class of ‘57 nurses gather for their own Reunion

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

As the classes begin to gather at Alfred for the 2009 Reunion weekend there is a group of alumna nurses that preceded this date for their very own special 51st  reunion. The 13 members of the AU nursing class of 1957 gathered at the home of David (58) and Claire Wilcox (57) in Sun Lakes, Arizona for four days in late April. It was a dedicated group that arrived from 10 different states and landed all within a few hours of each other in the Phoenix airport.

The activities included a visit to the Botanical Gardens and a Chihuly Glass Exhibit, a lunch in Tortilla Flats along the Apache Trail (known for prickly pear ice cream) , a steamboat ride on the resevoiur, a dinner at a country club and lots of time for talking, renewing, planning and picture taking.

   This class is especially close and has tried to gather every 2-3 years for the past 30 years so this was an outstanding event to have all of the surviving 1957 nursing class together.  The dinner was the culmination of our weekend. There were 18 who graduated and the five who are missing were remembered many times and officially at our dinner with special words by Sandra Lydahl. We sang many times together as student nurses and relived this custom by singing a special blessing led by Pastor Ted Gault (Carol’s husband) and had the benediction by Bruce Boulton (‘58).

 Those attending were: Lois Ann Judson Beckwith, Ann Hopkins Boulton, Carol Heidtman Gault, Carol Miller Lasher, Sandra Ballman Lydahl, Ruth Purple Miller, Sue Olsen Mittelstaedt, Lucyanne Ellsworth Nolan, Niki Matsui Takata, Grace Hotaling Talada, Claire Forbes Wilcox (Tinker), and Pat Kirk Wolverton.

 

  Those remembered: Nancy Jackson Wade; Carla Whetmore Miller, Elizabeth Brower Kish, Shirley Wilson Krinsky, Marilyn Butts Bardsley

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The real gift is the memories

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

By Michael N. Christakis Ph.D.’99

I have the good fortune of returning to campus at least twice a year these days; once for Reunion in the summer and again in the fall for Homecoming. This May will mark 10 years since I crossed the stage with my classmates, and while much has changed in a decade at AU, much still remains the same.

Visiting campus twice a year reminds me of that fact each time I drive into town, and each time I drive out of town, there’s the campus that I called home for four years nestled on a hill. “Academic Alley” is a path traversed by decades of AU students to and from classes daily, and is made up of an eclectic mix of buildings - new and old. I distinctly remember the creak of the stairs in Kanakadea Hall, the scrawls on the desks in Seidlin Hall, the rain spots on the windows in Myers Hall. I recall the newness of the Olin Building and the way that the Miller Performing Arts Center rose up out of the hill in my first year on campus.

But buildings are buildings. Otherwise lifeless were it not for the people that occupy them and the interactions that we have while occupying them. The creaky stairs in Kanakadea wouldn’t amount to much had I not been rushing up them for an advisement appointment with Dr. Stuart Campbell or skipping down them for a discussion seminar with Dr. Gary Ostrower ‘61. The scrawls on the desks in Seidlin and the rain spots on the windows in Myers are meaningless if not for the personal attention given to me by the likes of (the late) Carol Burdick or Dr. Rob Williams. Even the newer more pristine Olin Building offered me the platform to interact with the likes of Drs. Tom Rasmussen, Robert Heineman, and Karen Porter.

While people come and go, those fond recollections always remain the same. Our recollections initially drift to “where” we were, and then quickly refocus on “who” we were with. After all, the buildings that remain are little more than gift boxes that contain our experiences and interactions with renowned faculty. The real gift within are the poignant moments that characterize our individual Alfred memories with caring faculty that shaped us. The academic excellence I found as a student at AU, that hundreds of thousands of students discovered before me and that countless more have experienced after me, rests with the people that make up our collective “Alfred experience.”

I hope you’ll join us on campus for Reunion 2009 - June 12 - 14, 2009 - to revisit and remember who shaped your Alfred experience.

Until next time… Fiat Lux!

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Senior engineering project ‘along for the ride’

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Ashley Johnson '08 and Dan Ohart '08 (Adventure Cycling Photo by Greg Siple)
Ashley Johnson '08 and Dan Ohart '08 (Adventure Cycling Photo by Greg Siple)

Ashley Johnson and Dan Ohart, both ’08 graduates of AU with degrees in mechanical engineering from the Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering, put Ashley’s senior design project to a rigorous test: 4,597 miles across 10 states in 75 days last summer. Ashley, who received the top award in the Undergraduate Research Forum in 2008, designed and built two lightweight bicycle trailers that the two took across country.

“We wanted to see the country slowly enough to appreciate it,” said Johnson. And appreciate it they did: “We encountered may interesting and helpful individuals, spotted tons of wildlife and dealt with crazy motorists, dangerous weather and a diet of peanut butter!”

They began their journey in Yorktown, VA, and ended in Astoria, OR, and the trailers lasted the entire trip, said Johnson. Overall, the trailers “performed very well. The trailers held all our gear (and then some!), kept everything dry, and tracked directly behind the bicycles’ rear wheels. We met many other bicycle tourists who were also pulling trailers. None of them could believe how light our trailers were in comparison to theirs.”

Johnson said hauling the trailers did affect their physical performance, but they averaged a respectable 10.83 miles per hour during the trip.

“We encountered road conditions much worse than I had anticipated, but the trailers made it coast-to-coast,” said Johnson. “Of course, there will be future design changes. That’s what engineers do….design, and redesign.”
A weld cracked on each of the trailers during the trip, she said. Although they were able to repair them and continue, she did learn there is one area of the trailer that needs to be redesigned. “I already have a few ideas,” she admitted.

Johnson, who is now working as a mechanical engineer at Lockheed Martin System Integration is Owego, NY, said her design project “helped me gain the practical skills necessary to complete ‘real-world’ engineering tasks. My design project not only focused on enhancing my technical skills, but also helped me develop strong communication skills, which are essential to a successful engineering career. It was very rewarding to manage a project of my choice from state to completion.”

AU provides “a very high-quality education to each and every student,” Johnson said. “Students at Alfred are exactly that – students – not numbers. We were taught by real professors in small classes,” and one-on-one help was always available.

But, as Johnson also noted, “Education is not just about academic classes. At Alfred University you have the chance to participate in sports, clubs, and tons of organizations while still excelling in the classroom. There is a real sense of community at Alfred, which gives you the opportunity to develop not only as a student, but as a person. It’s the total package, and a lot of fun.”

Johnson is particularly appreciative of what she gained from Dr. Joe Rosiczkowski, professor of mechanical engineering. “He does a lot for the students, not only by being a professor, faculty advisor and senior design advisor, but by organizing and encouraging student participation in various engineering-related clubs and activities.” And, she added, “No senior design project would be completed without access to our very own Student Engineering Project (STEP) Lab,” something she also credits to “Dr. Joe.”

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University honors Ostrower as Kruson Distinguished Professor

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

A lifetime of teaching excellence was recognized when Alfred University named Dr. Gary Ostrower ‘61, professor of history, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, as its newest Kruson Distinguished Professor.

The presentation was made at Alfred University’s annual Honors Convocation. “This award is presented in recognition of long and dedicated service, commitment to academic quality, and the strong sense of humanity shown to students,” according to the citation. Ostrower “has been venerated by Alfred alumni and professionals beyond the Alfred community. He is widely respected by the campus community, which includes students who have judged him to be an outstanding teacher; faculty colleagues; and members of the administration.”

Gary Ostrower
Gary Ostrower
A 1961 Alfred University alumnus who earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Rochester. He has taught in Alfred University’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences since 1969. He had previously taught at Vassar College and was a visiting assisting professor at the University of Pennsylvania in 1979-80.

The University recognized his performance as a teacher, naming him the Margaret and Barbara Hagar Professor of the Humanities. He has also won numerous teaching awards.

Ostrower was a Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Aarhaus in Denmark during the spring semester of 2005, one of 800 faculty members from the United States selected to participate in the prestigious program.

A specialist in the history of international organizations, Ostrower has authored three books on the subject. His most recent book, The United Nations and the United States, was published by Twayne Publishers, a Simon and Shuster imprint.

Previously, he had written two other books, both about the League of Nations, as well as numerous articles and book reviews in the field of international organization.

Ostrower served as president of the Society for the Study of Internationalism from1988 to 1994. The organization, founded by internationalist historian Warren F. Kuehl, promoted and publicized academic study in the field of international cooperation.
He is also the ombudsman at Alfred University and St. Bonaventure University.

Active in the Alfred community, Ostrower served on the Alfred Village Board for nearly 25 years, first as a trustee and then as mayor for six years, from 1999 to 2005. He continues to serve as a member of the Allegany County Youth Board, a post he has held since 1984.

Ostrower is married to Judith Samber, an Alfred University alumna, former Allegany County Court Judge and now a judicial referee for the State of New York. They live in Alfred and are the parents of two grown children.

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Among NYS educators, Peggy Wozniak is a winner

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

When it comes to influential educators in New York State, Dr. Peggy Wozniak is a winner. Earlier this year, Dr. Wozniak entered the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities’ Hall of Fame for K-12 educators who have made a difference in New York.

Peggy Wozniak
Peggy Wozniak
A 1972 alumna of Alfred University with a degree in elementary education, Dr. Wozniak began her career in the West Seneca (NY) Central School district, earning her M.S. degree in education from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975.

After seven years, she moved to California, where she worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, curriculum director, and superintendent.
Wozniak received her Ed.D. in Educational Management in 1994 from the University of La Verne, CA. For her leadership of the Mammoth Unified School District in Mammoth Lakes, CA, the Association of California School Administrators named her the Superintendent of the Year for 2000. She is credited with implementing curriculum standards and assessment reform, and raising student achievement to rank in the top 10 percent statewide.

In 2002 Dr. Wozniak returned to her native New York State as superintendent of the Binghamton City School District. As CEO of the 6,140-pupil urban district, she supervises 1,100 employees and manages a $90.9 million budget. More importantly, she has been able to pull together the community, governing board, faculty, staff and students to develop and implement a strategic plan and vision for the district.

Her expertise in K-12 education was recognized in 2007 when the governor of New York appointed her to the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board, created to improve the lives of New York’s children by ensuring the successful implementation of the expansion of the Child Health Plus program and identifying ways to offer increased access to high quality pre-kindergarten and early learning programs.
Wozniak serves as a member of the faculty for the “Transition to Superintendency Program” for the Board of Cooperative Educational Services in Broome County.

She is a member of the Binghamton Rotary Club, serving on its Charities Board; a member of the Broome County Urban League, serving as second vice chair of its Board of Directors; and a member of the Central New York Southern Tier Regional Advisory Board for Lifetime Healthcare Companies.

Alfred University presented Dr. Wozniak with a Distinguished Alumna Award from the Alumni Council in June 2008 in recognition of her service to the University and its students. She serves on the AU Women’s Leadership Center Advisory Board; has been a speaker in the “Women of Influence” series; and volunteered her time to work with education majors through the Career Development Center.

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Quest for adventure takes alumnus to Guatemala

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

After graduation, Matthew Corson-Finnerty, BFA ‘07, was looking for adventure, and found it in Guatemala, working for a bike shop called Maya Pedal.

“Maya Pedal reconfigures old bicycles into pedal-powered machinery, devices that once made only require two legs and a willing spirit to operate,” Corson-Finnerty explains. “They produce over 14 different designs, everything from electricity generators, to blenders, to washing machines. And after seeing the operation up-close, I am conviced that they can adapt almost any home device to be powered by bike.”

Matthew Corson-Finnerty
Matthew Corson-Finnerty
Maya Pedal distributes the human-fueled devices to the poor working masses of Guatemala. Their aim is to help indigenous workers gain greater financial security, while simultaneously preserving and honoring the natural wealth of their beautiful country. The organization was founded in 1997 in by a Guatemalan man named Carlos Marroquin, a talented mechanical engineer, in conjuction with a Canadian community bike organization called PEDAL (Pedal Energy Development Alternatives).

Maya Pedal has since teamed up with two organizations in the States, Working Bikes of Chicago and Bikes Not Bombs of Boston. These fruitful relationships, in addition to funds and thousands of donated bikes, have brought a great deal of eager volunteers, hungry to learn and give as much as they possibly can. In January 2009, Corson-Finnert joined the ranks of the talented and energetic expatriates, spending more than two months at Maya Pedal.

“What I discovered wasn´t exactly what I anticipated, though I was not terribly surprised,” he said. The organization primarily functions as a bike repair and sales shop. “The Wal-Mart sized loads of used bikes that trek down from the states are earmarked primarily for sale. Truthfully it takes a lot of time and money to construct the bicimaquinas (bike-machines), and many sales and even more repairs go toward making them possible.”

During his time at Maya Pedal, Corson-Finnerty worked on implementing “one of Carlos´ brilliant designs.. several bike blenders, a bicycle water pump, a peanut de-sheller, a corn de-kerneler, a coffee grinder and some new experimental devices. The machines are a wonder to see created, they are often brilliantly simple, utilizing parts in ways that apparently no one else has ever thought to do.

“Volunteering at Maya Pedal has been an intensely sastisfying and important experience in a myriad of ways. Every day we get to be in service to the organization and the local community, our skills and labor are invaluable to the viability of the organization. And, of course, we are all learning a great deal about appropriate technology, machines that are right-sized to their purpose and context. Living in rural Guatemala has been an instructive experience, and a very important cultural exchange for me, specifically, coming from the affluent suburbs of Philadelphia. Poverty isn´t an abstraction, or a plea from a charity on TV, I live next door it to it, I play with its children in the street. I gained more from my time in Guatemala than I could have possibly forseen, and absolutely loved every minute of it.

Corson-Finnerty returned to the US in April, and hopes to get involved with the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia, an organization that does free and low-cost energy retrofitting of low income households in South Eastern Pennsylvania. He’s also hoping to connect with a burgeoning urban gardening and local food scene, as well as community bike shops and local craft cooperatives.

He spent two days in Alfred demonstrate the making of bicimaquinas to Prof. Diane Cox’s sculpture class in the School of Art & Design.  At the end of the two-day workshop, Moka Joka had a brand-new, bicycle-powered smoothie maker.

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