Graduate Student Association

Dear Graduate Students:

I am pleased to announce that the new recreation fee implemented on June 1, 2015, has been cancelled and anyone who has already paid the fee can go to Alumni Arena to obtain a refund. All graduate students should now have access to UB Recreation facilities.

Like many of you, I was not happy when the recreation fee appeared out of nowhere. I have been working for the last few weeks to try to eliminate the new fee. UB Recreation should have made an argument to justify any new fee prior to implementation so that we would have had an opportunity to voice our concerns. After numerous meetings with UB administrators, I discovered that there is a formal fee approval process that must be followed to validate new revenue streams. The recreation fee did not follow the formal process and that fact has led to its cancellation.

I want to thank all of the grad students who contacted GSA to voice their concerns. The Graduate Student Association is here to represent your interests and we will do our best to make sure that your concerns are adequately addressed by UB. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you think we can be of assistance. The GSA works for you.

Sincerely,

Christopher Atkinson

GSA President

Check out some of the great events GSA has to offer this Summer!

Participants Needed!!!
Decision Making and Fatigue Study

You are invited to participate in a laboratory experiment that looks at both physical and mental fatigue and how these two types of fatigue affect the way people make decisions.

Can you participate?
You may participate if you are an English-speaking, healthy adult (age 18-30) with no injuries and the ability to walk on a treadmill. You must also do some form of weekly moderate physical activity.

What will you do? What will you get? How long will it take?
You will be walking on a treadmill while playing a decision making computer game.
You will receive $50 and the ability to win a $50 Amazon gift card.
The total study will take about 5 hours over two days.

If you are interested in participating in this study and want more information, please email or call:

Email: dm.and.fatigue.study@gmail.com
Phone: (716) 775-7876

Recreation Services is offering an Outdoor Yoga Program this summer which has started! Classes are scheduled Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 12:00 -1:00 PM from now until 8/11/15. We are also offering Wednesday evening classes 6/24, 7/1, 7/8, 7/22, 7/29 and 8/1 located near Baird Point/Lake LaSalle from 5-6 PM. Wednesday evening classes are taught by visiting instructors associated with Yogis in Service (YIS). The classes are focused to improve mindfulness, environmental wellness, strength and balance. Check out the UB Recreation Facebook page for further updates. For more information please contact Jessica Nyrop, jenyrop@buffalo.edu or 645-2534.

Check out some of the great events GSA has to offer this Summer!

A research team from the School of Engineering and School of Management is conducting research in support of engineering design on user-product interactions. This current study is a focused case study using shoes with embedded sensors. We are currently looking for participants to take part in this research in the following ways:

Field study
● You will be given shoes for use during a 3+ hour work shift. Participants will simply perform their regular duties.
● Integrated sensors will be collecting data the entire time.
● During use, you will be asked to complete two short surveys (1-2 minutes) which will be sent to your smartphone via email (minimal data usage). At the beginning and conclusion of the shoe use period, there will be pre- and post-use surveys (10 minutes max per survey).

Eligibility requirements
● Any students working on UB North Campus who are currently working 3 hours or more on a regular shift.
● Job duties require you to be on your feet most of the time (example: Campus Dining, Starbucks, Commons, Library, Bookstore, etc.)
● Smartphone capable of receiving emails and accessing web survey
● Must wear shoe size of:
o U.S. Men size 9, 10 or 11
o U.S. Women size 7, 8 or 9

Participants will be paid $20
If you are interested in participating, please sign up via the form at: http://goo.gl/0fdFQz

Once you complete the form, we will contact you for scheduling as openings occur.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Andrew Olewnik
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
olewnik@buffalo.edu
716/645-2630

You are invited to participate in a University at Buffalo research study on the effects of age and weight on endurance. Participants will perform a set of endurance tests involving their hand, shoulder, and back muscles in a laboratory setting in the Industrial and Systems Engineering department at UB. The study consists of 4 sessions lasting approximately 1.5 hour each. Participants will be compensated $10/hour.

Requirements:
– Age 25 – 65
– Body Mass Index 18.5 – 40kg/m2
– No current or recent history of a physical disorder affecting the wrist, arm, or back
– Not involved in any regular aerobic or resistance training

Please contact Lora Cavuoto (email: loracavu@buffalo.edu, phone: (716) 645-4696) with any questions or if interested in participating.

The GSA Election Committee is pleased to announce the results of the 2015-2016 GSA Officer Elections and Referendum:

President:

Christopher Atkinson: 299 votes
Kristin Slonsky: 241 votes
(89 abstentions)

Vice President:

Amy Miu: 498 votes (131 abstentions)

Treasurer:

Karl Reza Sarvestani: 515 votes (114 abstentions)

These elected candidates will officially take office as of June 1, 2015.

Referendum Results:

Mandatory: 415

Voluntary: 214

Thank you to all of the students who voted!

Sincerely,

GSA Election Committee

Kevin Stout (EC Chair)
Joshua Flaccavento (EC)
Alison Vitale (EC)
Juhi Roy (EC)
Luis Ulloa (EC)

Please use the “Vote Now!” link on the 2015 Election Page to cast your vote in the GSA Officer Election and Referendum.  You will need your UB IT name and password to log in.  Results will be announced on the GSA listservs on Friday, April 10th.

Graduate Students of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

You are invited to participate in an interview for a research study on Black and Latino graduate students in STEM fields. The goal of the study is to gather information about the experiences that led you to decide to attend graduate school, and your current experiences in your graduate program.

The interview will take about an hour and you will be compensated $10 for participating.

In order to participate you must:

1. Be a graduate student in a Master’s or Ph.D. program in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics field

2. Self-identify as Black/African American or Latino/Hispanic

3. Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident

4. Be willing to share your experiences
For more information, please contact:
Nancy Campos, Ph.D. Candidate
Educational Culture, Policy and Society
ncampos@buffalo.edu