WIVB-TV Reporter Kelsey Anderson did a feature story on Scuba Zone, the college’s newly-established mentoring program, named in honor of alumnus Steven A. Leonard Jr. ’09. Click here to watch the story.
Submitted by: College Communications
Please join the Academic Affairs Department in welcoming Fatima Rodriguez Johnson as the first associate dean for diversity and inclusion. Johnson will begin her new duties on Tuesday, February 19. She comes to Canisius from the State University at Geneseo, where she previously served as the associate dean of students for multicultural programs and services.
In that role, Johnson was an advocate for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, implemented educational programs in support of the academic mission, supervised professional staff and students, and served as a resource for the college community. Working in partnership with colleagues, she has been an asset to the development of more than 85 programs each year, reaching some 8,000 students, supervising LGBTQ programs and services, serving as a resource for student recruitment and playing a role in the Equity Scorecard Project at Geneseo.
In her new role, Johnson will be responsible for developing and overseeing campus wide programs, services and initiatives that promote diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice while cultivating and communicating this mission as an essential element of a Canisius College education. She will work in collaboration with the African American, Latino/a American, Asian American and Native American (ALANA) Student Center, chair the college’s Racial Diversity Team, supervise the Academic Talent Search Program, and serve as director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program. Creating the position of associate dean for diversity and inclusion required restructuring responsibilities among the staff of the Canisius’ Opportunity Programs for Education (COPE) Office and the Academic Talent Search Program.
Johnson will report to the vice president for Academic Affairs and will maintain an office in the Academic Affairs Suite located in Bagen 103.
Submitted by: Margaret McCarthy, PhD, vice president, Academic Affairs
Chris Nagy, PhD, an urban wildlife expert and director of research and education at Mianus River Gorge, Bedford, NY, will present a talk entitled “New York’s Newest Immigrant: Coyotes in the City” on Thursday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. in Grupp Fireside Lounge.
Nagy, a biologist and ecologist with a focus in wildlife management conservation, specializes in areas including geographic information systems (GIS), population biology, species distribution modeling, and raptor and coyote ecology. He has worked on a number of projects, including one on Eastern screech owl ecology along an urban/suburban gradient and another on coyote colonization of New York City and Long Island. A majority of his work involves determining how animals utilize urban landscapes and what can be done to amplify wildlife diversification in these areas.
For more information, contact the anthrozoology program at (716) 888-2770.
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Submitted by: Mary Fiorella, administrative associate, ABEC
The Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College and the History Department, with assistance from the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo and Polish Legacy Project, will present “U.N. Holocaust Remembrance Day” on Sunday, January 27 at 2:00 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge. The event is free and open to the public with a reception to follow.
Sophie Knab, bestselling author of various Polish-based books, will offer a multi-media presentation on her book Wearing the Letter “P” – Polish Women as Forced Laborers in Nazi Germany, 1939 – 1945, an in-depth study of the many terrors faced by Polish women as young as 12 years old during WWII. Throughout the text, women share their testimonies, letters and documents of the horrors experienced in the midst of war.
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Submitted by: Mary Lou Wyrobek
The college’s standard hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with a one-hour meal period will resume effective Monday, January 14.
We hope that you had a safe and happy holiday season!
Submitted by: Mary Braun, assistant, Human Resources
