Buffalo State Celebrates Science Week with Buffalo Public Schools

April 2, 2014

SUNY Buffalo State, along with Erie Community College, the University at Buffalo, and the City of Buffalo, is participating in the inaugural Buffalo Public Schools Science Week, April 7–11. The week features a series of classroom presentations, professional development for teachers, presentations by Buffalo Public School students, and visits to Buffalo State and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. A centerpiece of the Buffalo State contribution to science education is participation in the $10 million Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership grant (ISEP).

On April 2, Interim President Howard Cohen and Buffalo State College Council Chair Howard Zemsky joined area dignitaries at a press conference hosted by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, who formally kicked off Science Week.

"I am pleased to reaffirm the bonds between the City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Public Schools, and Buffalo State," said Cohen. "As a partner on the ISEP grant with the University at Buffalo, the Buffalo Public Schools, and the Buffalo Museum of Science, we share a commitment to provide the best science education possible to Buffalo students so that they can take advantage of the STEM careers that will be of increasing importance in the twenty-first century."

Cohen will join New York State Senator Tim Kennedy, Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Pamela Brown, and UB President Satish K. Tripathi on Monday, April 7, at 9:00 a.m. at Native American Magnet School #19, an ISEP school that also belongs to Buffalo State’s Professional Development Consortium, to kick off Science Week activities.

Buffalo State will host activities on Wednesday, April 9, from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m. Science and Mathematics Complex atrium
Welcoming remarks by Interim President Howard Cohen and Johanna Duncan-Poitier, SUNY senior vice chancellor for community colleges and the education pipeline.
9:45 to 10:15 a.m. Science and Mathematics Complex atrium
New York State Master Teacher Presentation, coordinated by David Henry, associate professor of elementary education and reading, and David Wilson, associate professor of mathematics.
10:15 to 11:00 a.m. Science and Mathematics Complex atrium
Poster session STEM and school partnerships.
10:15 to 11:00 a.m. Ketchum Hall 112.
Demonstration of Teach Live, a high-tech teacher preparation tool featuring interactive avatars.

"It is our responsibility, especially as the public comprehensive college within the city, to support the Buffalo Public Schools in positive, proactive partnerships that benefit both their students and ours," said John Siskar, senior adviser for Buffalo State educational pipeline initiatives. "The collaboration among the teachers in the Buffalo Public Schools and our faculty enriches both groups of educators as well as their students."

Cohen will participate in Science Week Celebration Day on Friday, April 11, at Burgard High School. He will join UB dignitaries and ECC President Jack Quinn in addressing students. Mayor Brown will introduce Shirley Malcom, head of education and human resources programs at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Congressman Brian Higgins will offer concluding remarks.

In addition to Buffalo State’s role as a partner on the ISEP grant, its excellence in STEM teacher preparation is attested to by its selection as one of four SUNY institutions to host the New York State Master Teachers Program.

Other Buffalo State contributions to STEM education include the following:

Buffalo State’s physics teacher education programs have been recognized as among the best in the country by the Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics.
Buffalo State students pursuing education leading to STEM careers benefit from two new buildings that house state-of-the-art facilities for science, mathematics, and technology programs.
To prepare STEM graduates for leadership roles in emerging careers, Buffalo State has developed professional science master’s degree programs that ensure that scientists, mathematicians, and engineers study professional skills such as project management, communication, and leadership.