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Corcoran Gallery to exhibit work by AU alumna Claudia Smigrod

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, will open Neighborhood Watch, an exhibition of vintage and contemporary photographs by artist Claudia Smigrod, Alfred University class of 1971, July 1.

Smidgrod is also featured in the Sunday, June 28 2009 Washington Post Magazine.

In Neighborhood Watch, which runs through Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, Smigrod revisits the subjects she photographed for her 1989 exhibition, Portraits of Innocence. Through a resurvey of the original participants in black and white photography Smigrod records the evolution of twenty individuals as she captures them within their native environments in Alexandria, VA.

A photographer since the late 1960’s, Smigrod moved to the Rosemont neighborhood of Alexandria in 1982. During the years 1987–1988 Smigrod began photographing the local children in their natural habitat. Rosemont, “a neighborhood comprised of tree-lined streets, front porches, and ample greenery” as described by Smigrod, provided a stage-like setting for the “purity of childhood” and the background in which she would document her subjects both from 1987–1989 and again in 2007 and 2008.

It was within this environment that “children were seemingly free of the boundaries, concerns and constraints of the adult world” and in which Smigrod, in the late 1980s, captured moments of childhood.

“My world became a series of still images played out on the sidewalk beyond my front door,” says Smigrod. In the summer of 2007, Smigrod realized that 20 years had passed since she began her project and once again photographed her original subjects as they returned to Alexandria during that summer and the following one.

These adults, now ranging in age from 23 to 32, represent a random sampling of middle class American society.

Within the exhibition Neighborhood Watch, Smigrod’s photographs focus on viewing and reviewing a selection of her 20 original subjects, paying particular attention to their evolution as well as the importance and deliberate nature of photographing the subjects in their original environment. While the subjects have grown and matured with time, Smigrod pays close attention to the common threads that link the group.

Rather than simply displaying a series of portraits evidencing the passage of time, Smigrod is dedicated to acknowledging each participant’s voice. Each subject was asked to express in writing his/her reflections on their “thoughts, hopes and dreams” of both 20 years ago and today.

Additional selections of image and text pairings from this series will appear in The Washington Post Magazine, June 28, 2009.

The exhibition continues, focusing on the celebrations of traditional American rituals, i.e., Fourth of July, Halloween, back porch birthdays, etc. Recorded throughout time as they are played and replayed, these moments commemorate the iconic rites of childhood.

The exhibition concludes with vintage prints from Portraits of Innocence, along with images that underscore the importance of place. Front and back porches, back yards and other theaters of childhood combine to create the environment in which the roots of identity are established.

As current professor of photography at the Corcoran College of Art + Design, Smigrod received her M.F.A. from the George Washington University and her B.F.A. in Photography, graduating with honors, from the School of Art & Design at Alfred University. Smigrod has received numerous awards including the Virginia Prize for the Visual Arts in Photography, Virginia Commission for the Arts in 1989 and the Virginia Champion Award, Marriott Corporation in 1989.

She has served as Chair for the Corcoran Photography Department from 1990 – 2000 and has also been a visiting professor at Swarthmore College and The University of Georgia’s Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy.

Her work is also featured in public and private collections such as The Polaroid Collection and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Smigrod is represented by The Kathleen Ewing Gallery in Washington, D.C. Additional information about the artist can be found on her Web site.  

VISITOR INFORMATION

The Corcoran’s hours of operation are as follows: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission to The Corcoran costs $10 for adults, $8 for students/seniors/military, and members and children under six enter for free. To purchase tickets > 

ABOUT THE CORCORAN

The Corcoran Gallery of Art, a privately funded institution, was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first and largest non-federal museum of art. It is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, sculpture and the decorative arts. Founded in 1890, the Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only four-year college of art and design offering BFA degrees in Digital Media Design, Fine Art, Graphic Design and Photography; a five-year Bachelor of Fine Arts/ Master of Arts in Teaching (BFA/MAT); and a two-year Master of Arts (MA) in Interior Design or History of Decorative Arts. The College’s Continuing Education program offers part-time credit and non-credit classes for children and adults and draws more than 2,500 participants each year.

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So… who do you know in Alaska?

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Alfred University Prof. Alexis Clare discovered no matter how far she may travel, she never really leaves AU behind.

Clare, a professor of glass science in the Inamori School of Engineering, and husband Blake Mayo were on an Alaskan cruise earlier in June, joining about 2,000 other people from all over the world on the ship. “One day someone saw Blake’s Alfred Station Fire Department shirt, and said ‘Alfred Station?’”

It was AU alumna and former Alumni Council member Cynthia “Punkie” (Butts) Sinesiou. She and Craig, also a 1968 alum, now make their home near Cuba, NY, and both taught in the Olean, NY, city schools. Their daughter Megan is an AU alumna, too, class of ‘97.

And just to add to it: Punkie is the sister of one of Alix’s faculty colleagues: Dr. Becky Prophet ‘70, who lives in Alfred with husband Craig ‘68. Alix also knows a brother, Dennis Butts ‘72, who lives in Corning.

But the Alfred coincidences didn’t end there. Alix and Blake were in Ketchikan, AK, a community “not much bigger than Alfred,” Alix recounted. “A lady shopkeeper saw my Alfred University sweatshirt and told me her husband was a graduate of AU!

 (Editor’s note: We’re still trying to figure out who the alumnus might be.  If it’s you, or you know who it is, let us know!)

“You might go halfway across the world, but Alfred follows you,” Alix concluded.

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Fiske Guide affirms Alfred University as a ‘best buy’

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Alfred University is one of only 44 colleges and universities included in the 2010 edition of Fiske’s 2010 Top Financial Finds on the College Tuition Market.

There are 4,200 institutions of higher education in the country, so inclusion in the Fiske Guide as a “best buy” places Alfred University in the top one percent in value for price.

“We are very pleased to be included in this well-respected guide as ‘best buy,’” said Alfred University President Charles M. Edmondson. “It is further affirmation of the value of an Alfred University education for the price.”

U.S. News and World Report ranks Alfred University number two “best value” in the North among master’s degree-granting institutions, calling it a “great school at a great price.”

To have two nationally recognized, independent college-ranking services recognize Alfred University for its quality and value “attests to the excellent job our faculty and staff do with our students,” said Edmondson.

“In the face of today’s skyrocketing tuition rates, students and families in all economic circumstances are looking for ways to get the best value for their education,” according to a release from the publishers of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

Author Edward B. Fiske explains, “One of the lesser-known facts of life about higher education in the U.S. is that price and quality do not always go hand-in-hand.”

Tuition and fees alone now run at least $6,000 at a typical public university and close at $30,000 at a typical private college, and the overall tab at the most selective and expensive schools tops $50,000, the release states. “A major investment like that should be approached with as much information as possible.”

The revised and updated 2010 edition of Fiske Guide to Colleges features 44 of the Best Buy Schools. These institutions are based on the quality of academic offerings in relation to the cost of attendance. To determine the list, Fiske researchers combined the cost data with academic and other life-style information about each college and university to determine what institutions offer really remarkable educational opportunities at a relatively modest cost.

For more information about Alfred University >

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AU among 500-plus colleges nationwide enrolled in new veterans’ program

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Alfred University is among more than 500 institutions of higher learning nationwide committed to participating in a federal program that will allow military veterans to attend college at significantly reduced expense.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, will allow veterans with at least 36 months of service after Sept. 11, 2001, to attend in-state public institutions tuition free, or apply the money toward the cost of attending a private institution. Colleges and universities in the United States can voluntarily enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Volunteer institutions can contribute up to half of those expenses and the VA will provide a matching amount.

According to Earl Pierce, director of financial aid at Alfred University, veterans will be able to attend AU at very little cost. For example, a student living on campus will have his or her tuition fees and room and board fully covered, between the GI bill benefits and Alfred University funding.

“Any veteran enrolling in any academic program at AU will not incur any tuition expenses or academic fees,” Pierce commented.

The new GI Bill will provide veterans with a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) of $1,018 per month. While that amount wouldn’t cover the cost of on-campus room and board at AU, Pierce said the University will provide a grant for the difference. The BAH is sufficient to meet housing expenses for off-campus students.

The VA also provides $1,000 per year to help cover the cost of books and supplies. It’s likely that a veteran who uses the Yellow Ribbon Program would have to pay out-of-pocket only for incidental and miscellaneous expenses.

The Yellow Ribbon Program is for veterans seeking undergraduate and/or graduate degrees. Institutions enrolled in the program have to commit annually to participate and Pierce said AU plans to re-commit in February.

June 15, was the deadline for colleges and universities across the country to volunteer to take part in the Yellow Ribbon Program, with the final list of institutions to be announced after June 24. As of June 12, there were 573 colleges and universities nationwide, and approximately 70 in New York State, enrolled in the program. The majority of those institutions (just over 400) were private schools.

Pierce said any qualifying veteran interested in attending Alfred University through the Yellow Ribbon Program will apply for admission, just as any prospective student would. “The University would consider heavily their post-high school experience, for example, their military training and experience, when considering them for admission,” he said.

Pierce said several veterans from the Alfred area have inquired about possibly attending under the new GI Bill. There are no residency requirements for applying to AU under the Yellow Ribbon Program, meaning a veteran from any state could apply to attend. Many of the participating schools are allowing veterans to attend on a first-come first-served basis; AU will accept an unlimited number of qualifying veterans.

“Alfred University is proud to have this opportunity to partner with the VA to acknowledge the service and sacrifices made by our veterans,” Pierce said.

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Alfred University awards 118 master’s degrees in downstate commencement

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

They are masters of their futures, Brigadier General Robert L. “Steve” Stephens (retired) told 118 graduates who received their master’s degrees in education from Alfred University during commencement ceremonies today at Kingsborough Community College. 

Sixty of this year’s graduates received Master of Science degrees in counseling, and 58 received master’s in literacy education. Alfred University began offering master’s degrees at downstate locations, working through the Center for Integrated Teacher Education in 2006, and graduated its first students in September 2008.

cite-commencement-primary-w.jpg“The most difficult obstacle to overcome is doubt in yourself,” Stephens, who earned his master’s degree in counseling from Alfred University in 1971 and now serves on the Alfred University Board of Trustees, told the graduates and their families.

“I didn’t start believing in myself until I was 30,” Stephens admitted. His dream, which he didn’t tell anyone, was to become a general in the U.S. Army. “I was afraid to tell anyone, afraid I couldn’t do it, afraid I wasn’t good enough.”

But Stephens, who spent 30 years in the U.S. Army did achieve his goal, and the newest AU graduates can do the same, he assured them.

“It takes a lot of courage to follow your heart,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to have a dream. It can become a reality.”

The path is not always easy, he admitted. “I made wrong turns, U-turns and did doughnuts in the parking. I went up, and I went down, and made roads where there weren’t any,” but he did achieve the goals he laid out for himself at the beginning of his career.

If  they don’t have a dream yet, Stephens advised the graduates, “Give yourself the gift of believing in yourself… Try anything and everything, search high and low, until you find something you love (then) get on with your life.

“The new degree (you have just received) will open doors you didn’t even know about before,” Stephens said. “Go out with your new master’s degrees and make it work for you.”

A graduate of West Virginia State University, Stephens choose a military career. As an assistant professor in the Reserve Officers Training Corps, he was assigned to the ROTC unit at Alfred University, and earned his master’s degree in counseling while working full-time and raising a family.

Stephens is now vice president for External Relations for Clayton (GA) State University.

Speaking on behalf of the students who received their master’s in literacy, Myra Fisher declared, “We did it. We came in (to the program) alone, and we walk out today as friends, as associates, as brothers and sisters, and we all love each other.”

They could not have done it without the support of their families, Fisher said. “They stand by us. They stood behind us. They hold us up, and they pull us through.”

Christian Horn, one of three who spoke on behalf of the counseling students, thanked Dr. Jay Cerio, professor of school psychology and program director, and Dr. Robert K. Bitting, associate professor of counseling and coordinator for the downstate practicum, for their leadership. “I respect them a lot for their hard work, their help and their friendship.”

Melissa Bastian, also speaking on behalf of the counseling students, said she knew she had made the right decision from the moment she arrived in Alfred. Students take classes weekends at downstate location, but begin the two-year program with two weeks of classes on the Alfred campus.

Participating in Alfred’s downstate program “was a wonderful experience, something we will treasure forever” said Diana Fuller. “We became a family. We made friendships that will last a lifetime.”

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Alfred University appoints Edwards dean of the School of Engineering

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Dr. Doreen Edwards, who has been associate dean of the Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University, will become dean of the School effective July 1, 2009. She is the first woman to be appointed to the position.

In announcing Edwards’s appointment, Dr. Suzanne Buckley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said:  ” Dr. Edwards will bring her success in academe and industry to leadership of the School.  As associate dean, she has proven herself to be a talented administrator who is committed to leading the school to its next level of excellence and to building internal and external partnerships. “ 

Dr. Edwards, Buckley noted, will build upon her an excellent reputation as a teacher and researcher, as well as a familiarity with the University. “Her experience in all those areas will serve us well as we move forward with several initiatives, including implementation of both the University’s and the School’s strategic plans; creation of a high-temperature materials testing laboratory with a $4 million grant obtained from New York State; and preparing for renewal of national (ABET) accreditation of our engineering programs,” Buckley added.

“This is an exciting time for engineering at Alfred,” said Edwards. “I am looking forward to this opportunity to lead the Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering to its next level of excellence.”

The School, she noted, is “well-poised to become a leader in innovative engineering education because of our small size and devotion to student-centered education.”  

The School “has never been in a better position with regard to facilities. Considerable investments from New York State, coupled with our historic ties to industry, put us in a good position to support economic development of the region, and the state. The recent appointment of two Inamori professors (endowed chairs) and two new faculty members will enable us to grow our research program to address needs in the fields of energy, environment and health care.”

The search committee is “confident Dr. Edwards can lead the School of Engineering to further growth and prosperity. She has a natural talent for leadership, as well as a record of excellence in both research and teaching,” said Dr. Scott Misture,  chair of the committee and professor of materials science.

Edwards has been associate dean of the School of Engineering since 2007, and had been director of graduate engineering programs for the School from 2003-07. She joined the Alfred University faculty in 1997 as an assistant professor of materials science and engineering; and earned promotion to associate professor in 2003, and to full professor in 2007.

 

Edwards has received accolades for her teaching, including an Excellence in Teaching Award from Alfred University in 2002; the John F. McMahon Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004; and the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, also in 2004, Buckley noted.

As a researcher, Edwards’ interests include materials for electrical, optical and energy-conversion applications, such as solid-oxide fuel cells, batteries, sensors, thermoelectric devices, concentrated solar power, and solid-state lighting. She received a prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2001 and currently has an NSF-funded project in collaboration with researchers at the National University of Singapore and Ural State University in Russia.   Edwards has also obtained research funding through the New York State Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology, the Center for Environmental and Energy Research at Alfred University, the federal Department of Energy and several industrial partners.

Her work has resulted in more than 45 publications, numerous presentations and two U.S. patents.  She has advised six Ph.D. students, including three current students; 11 master’s students, including two current; and more than 30 undergraduate theses projects since 1998.

Prior to coming to Alfred, Edwards was a research assistant and teaching assistant at Northwestern University of Chicago, where she earned a Ph.D. degree in materials science and engineering in 1997.  After earning a B.S. degree in chemistry from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1985, Edwards was a research scientist at Gould, Inc., in Rolling Meadows, IL, from 1985-87, and then joined Northwestern University’s Basic Research Laboratory as a research scientist for six years prior to entering the graduate program.

Buckley commended the work of the search committee, whose members in addition to  Misture were Dr. Mathew Hall, associate professor of biomedical materials engineering science; Patricia LaCourse, associate librarian, Scholes Library of Ceramics; Dr. Roger Loucks, associate professor of physics, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Dr. Nathan Mellott, assistant professor of glass science; Dr. Joseph Rosiczkowski, professor of mechanical engineering, and Linda Sikora, professor of ceramic art, School of Art & Design.

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Alumnus to deliver address at downstate commencement ceremony

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

One hundred and eighteen students who have completed their requirements for master’s degree from Alfred University through a downstate program offered through the Center for Integrated Teacher Education in New York City will graduate Saturday, June 20, in a ceremony in the rotunda at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn.

The speaker will again be Brigadier General Robert L. “Steve” Stephens (U.S. Army retired), an Alfred University alumnus who joined the University’s Board of Trustees in 2007. Stephens is now vice president of External Relations and executive assistant to the president of Clayton State University in Georgia.

steve-stephens-primary-w.jpg“General Stephens spoke to our first class of downstate graduates last September, and was so well-received we asked him to speak again,” said Alfred University President Charles M. Edmondson. “General Stephens has had a distinguished career, and that alone would merit an invitation to be our commencement speaker. But the fact that he has so much in common with our downstate graduates makes him a natural choice. Just as they have done, General Stephens earned his master’s degree in counseling from Alfred University while working full-time and raising a family.”

This year’s class is 49 percent larger than the 79 students who graduated last September in the first-ever Alfred University downstate commencement ceremony. Sixty of this year’s graduates will receive Master of Science degrees in counseling, and 58 will receive master’s in literacy education.

Alfred University began offering master’s degrees in school counseling through C.I.T.E in fall 2006, and in literacy in the summer 2007. Counseling students attend classes year-round for two years, including seven courses on the Alfred campus during their two summer sessions in the program.  The literacy program is a one-year program during which the students attend three courses on campus and the rest of their coursework downstate.

The downstate programs are offered as satellites of the programs on campus, with courses located at sites in Brooklyn Heights and various locations on Long Island. Alfred University has a long history of offering Master of Science in Education degrees in counseling and literacy (formerly reading); the counseling program has been in existence for more than 50 years.

A graduate of West Virginia State University, where he was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and commander of the Corps of Cadets, Stephens was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division upon his graduation in 1962.

It was the beginning of a 30-year career in the military that included a stint as a ROTC instructor at Alfred University, where he earned his master’s degree in 1971.

Stephens served in every leadership position in the Army, from an infantry rifle platoon leader to assistant division commander of an infantry division. Among the highlights of his military career: He served as a Special Forces “A Team” commander in Latin America; commanded two companies during combat in Vietnam; commanded an infantry battalion at Fort Lewis, WA, and commanded a one-of-a-kind forward deployed separate infantry brigade in the Republic of Panama.

He also commanded the Joint United States Military Advisory Group in Bangkok, Thailand. His final military assignment was director of the Joint Armed Forces Inaugural Committee that directed all of the ceremonial activities in the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton. His service also included assignments with the Army General Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon.

Upon his retirement from the Army in June 1993, Stephens was appointed director of personnel for the State of West Virginia. In 1997, he accepted an appointment to the position of deputy commissioner of the Georgia Merit System of Personnel Management. From July 2000 to July 2002, he was project manager for the Eagle Group International, Inc., directing a worldwide command post exercise program for the U.S. Army Reserves before accepting his present position at Clayton State.

His military awards include the Army’s highest award for meritorious service, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Department of Defense Superior Service Medal (2d Award), the Legion of Merit (2d Award), the Bronze Star with “V” device and 2 oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with “V” device and 4 oak leaf clusters and numerous other American and foreign awards including the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge. He is also authorized to wear the parachute badges of Bolivia, Panama, and Thailand.

Stephens is included in “Who’s Who in America;” “Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges;” and he is a Fellow in the Council of State Governments’ Toll Fellowship Program. He was president of the National Association of State Personnel Executives in 1998.

He has been designated a Kentucky Colonel, an Arkansas Traveler, and was twice recognized as a Distinguished West Virginian. In 1996, he was selected by Senator Jay Rockefeller to serve on a Congressional Commission for Veterans’ Transition Programs. He is a member and past chairman of the Board of Directors of the West Virginia State University Foundation and an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees for the Clayton State University Foundation.

Stephens is a lay Eucharistic minister in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta (GA).

He is a graduate of the National War College, the Army Command and General Staff College and the Defense Language Institute.  He has also completed Harvard University’s Senior Managers in Government Program, Duke University’s Strategic Leadership Program, and the prestigious program of study at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is also a recent graduate of the Leadership Regional Institute (LRI) of Georgia.

He is married to the former Delores Olivia Bennett.  They have a son and two daughters.

For more information about Alfred University: http://www.alfred.edu

For more information about Alfred University’s downstate programs:

href=”http://www.alfred.edu/gradschool/counseling/”>http://www.alfred.edu/gradschool/counseling/ and choose “CITE.”

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Children’s Learning Initiative reaches 600-plus students during academic year

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

As its first year of partnership with the ACCORD (Allegany County Community Opportunities and Rural Development) Corp. of Allegany County draws to a close, the Children and Youth Learning Initiative (CYLI) at Alfred University reports it has offered 29 programs to more than 600 middle and high school students from Allegany and western Steuben counties.

Students from seven area schools and programs visited the AU campus for three-hour, educational “field days” that emphasized the advantages of college attendance and making sound educational choices through a wide variety of activities ranging from a visit to the Equestrian Center to a program on Chinese culture and language.

CYLI is a grant-funded venture that provides after-school programming to students in Allegany and Western Steuben counties, free of charge. The program’s goal is to encourage students to attend college after high school graduation. “Our impact has not only been on the surrounding community,” said Katie Wall, an AU student enrolled in the master of science in education degree program and CYLI grad assistant. “We have also given a huge number of AU students an opportunity to volunteer in their adopted community.”

CYLI was joined by 39 AU students giving their time to the program and logging 308 hours of service. Wall singled out the efforts of Nick Rampersad, an education and history major who will be a senior this fall, who single-handedly volunteered over 100 hours.

Christopher Romanchock, CYLI program director, said he is pleased with the partnership’s first year, noting, “in 2009-10 we should have some money in place to give faculty stipends for their trouble, as well as some incentives for student volunteers that will hopefully make recruitment easier.”

Program offerings ranged from the popular hands-on chemistry demonstration offered by Dr. Garret McGowan, associate professor of chemistry, and Drawn to Diversity program with Dan Napolitano, director of Student Activities, to several new programs developed this year including Photorama with Dr. Corrie Burdick, instructor in education, and Robot Armageddon offered in partnership with the AU Robot Club.

CYLI programming is on hiatus until September. The office will remain open through the end of June if you would like more information; it will re-open in August. To contact CYLI, please call 607.871.700 or e-mail romanchockc@alfred.edu

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‘Bicycle library’ open for business this fall

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

By Mark Whitehouse

Beginning this fall, members of the Alfred University community will be able to “check out” a bicycle, just as they would a book at Herrick Library.

The Alfred University Bicycle Lending program, the brainchild of AU student Ian Cramer, will begin with the fall 2009 semester and will initially make 20 hybrid (on-road/off-road) bicycles available to AU students, faculty and staff for a nominal fee.

Similar programs are sometimes referred to as a “bicycle library,” where community members check out bicycles temporarily and return them for others to use. The program provides several benefits, says Cramer, who feels his love for bicycle riding is shared my many in the AU community.

bike-rental-primary-w.jpg“The primary benefit of the program is it makes bicycles available to more people,” said Cramer, an athletic training major from Red Creek, NY, who will be a senior in the fall. “Riding a bicycle when you were a kid was so much fun and I believe that people, as they grow up, forget how much fun it was.”

The 20 Fuji hybrid bicycles were purchased with $10,000 in funding Cramer received from the AU Student Senate. Space at Davis Gym has been renovated and will serve as the rental and maintenance shop, where the fleet of bicycles will be stored. Bikes will be available, beginning when classes resume in August, for $3 for two days and $5 for a week. Cramer credited Peter Stull, president of Bicycle Man, an Alfred Station bicycle sales shop, and Keith Gregory, a local bicycling enthusiast, with assisting him in choosing the Fuji bikes and repair tools and acquiring them at a discounted price.

Customers will fill out a usage and liability form and be fitted for a bicycle. They’ll receive a bike lock and, if they wish, a helmet. Money raised will be used to sustain the program by covering repair and maintenance costs.

Kathy Woughter, AU vice president of Student Affairs, praised the program and credited the Student Senate for approving the monies to get it up and running.

“This is the perfect use for their (Student Senate’s) funds,” Woughter said. “It’s something innovative; it benefits the entire student body; and it helps move toward creating a greener campus.”

Cramer agreed the program will have a positive impact on the environment, as more people trade their cars for bicycles when making short trips around the campus and throughout the village.

“I definitely see this program as a way to create a greener campus and community in Alfred,” Cramer said. “I wanted to see fewer cars driving around campus and more bikes. I saw students who live way off campus, but still in the town of Alfred, driving to their classes. Yes, it’s quicker than walking but a bike would be a way better solution.”

Woughter noted other benefits ­- promoting fitness and wellness; providing an inexpensive and convenient mode of transportation; and simply promoting recreation and activity. “Part of the University’s strategic plan is to make use of the beautiful location we have here at Alfred. This helps us do that,” she said.

Cramer said he came up with the idea of starting a bike lending program as a freshmen but didn’t really pursue it until his junior year. He credited Garrett McGowan, chemistry professor, bicycling enthusiast and advisor to the AU Biking Club, with providing input and giving him encouragement. He noted that fellow student Jay Price was a “huge help” in getting the project off the ground, putting in long hours cleaning up and renovating the space at Davis Gym.

“When this project started in January, my timetable was to have everything set and in place when we left for the summer so that we could start right away in the fall,” Cramer said. “I would say that we met that timetable, but I couldn’t have done it without Jay’s help.”

The bike shop will be staffed by students. A work study position has been created and will be responsible for running the shop - taking completed rental paperwork from students and keeping bicycles in working order. Cramer said he and fellow students Price and David Hensel will also volunteer their time at the shop.

“The hope is that as this program gains popularity, students who know how to fix bikes and who are work study-eligible will come forward to provide their services,” Cramer commented.

Marketing of the program will be primarily word of mouth, Cramer said, and he’s already gotten feedback from students who are looking forward to taking advantage of the program. He said he has been working with the Office of Student Affairs to create a website and is considering printing flyers, stickers and t-shirts to help with promotion. An AU email account -bikelending@alfred.edu - has also been established.

Depending on the popularity of the program, Woughter said it could be expanded in the future, with more bikes added to the fleet. Cramer is confident that will be the case.

 ”I truly believe that the 20 bikes we ordered initially for this program will go in a snap. I believe that this program will be wildly successful and that it will have to grow to meet the demand of the student body,” Cramer said.  “We want there to be enough bikes for everyone. I can easily see this program expanding to over 100 bikes in five years or less.”

Woughter said a University trustee made an anonymous donation of $2,000 per year to help cover ongoing costs of the program. She said the University is exploring grant funding that, if approved, could be used to expand the program by adding bicycles in the future.

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DeJong ‘82 to be honored for ‘distinguished achievement’

Monday, June 8th, 2009

Timothy E. DeJong, a member of the Alfred University class of 1982, is the recipient of the 2009 AU Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement. The honor is given to alumni whose achievements in their profession, career, or avocational pursuits or service to society bring honor and distinction to Alfred University.

Recipients must show loyalty and commitment to the University. The award will be presented during Alfred University’s annual Reunion Weekend, June 12-14. DeJong studied ceramics, sculpture, and glass while a student at Alfred University. He transferred in his senior year to Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree.

While on vacation in Texas in 1991, DeJong fell in love with the Texas Hill Country. One year later, he opened Wimberley (TX) Glassworks, Inc. In 2006, the growing company was moved to a new, larger location.

Though he did not graduate from Alfred University, DeJong considers his time at Alfred University as a pivotal moment in his life. He describes Alfred as “weird and wonderful,” and has employed a number of AU students over the years. He says he never hesitates to hire an AU grad who applies for work.

DeJong currently employs three full-time glass blowers and provides visitors to the studio with glassblowing demonstrations. A well-known area tourist attraction, DeJong’s studio has been heralded as “a must see,” a “Hill Country treasure” and “Wimberly’s most famous attraction.” DeJong is a resident of Wimberley.

He was nominated for the Alfred University award by Gwen Staudinger, a fellow’82 alumna.

Founded in 1836, Alfred University became the first coeducational institution in New York State and the second in the nation. About 2,000 full-time undergraduate and 400 graduate students work and live in 52 buildings on a scenic 232-acre hillside campus adjoining the village of Alfred.

The nonsectarian University is comprised of the privately endowed AACSB-accredited (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) College of Business and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as the NYS College of Ceramics (Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering and the School of Art and Design). AU’s art school is ranked number one in the nation for ceramic art, and second in the nation for glass art.

The University awards bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

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