HARPUR CINEMA
Students petition for UP shuttle bus
Celebrates 50 years of film appreciation
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See page 5 Tuesday, September 29, 2015 | Vol. LXXXVIII, Issue 8 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
ITC startup patents heatresistant dye ChromaNanoTech teams up with local company to study nanoparticles at BU Travis Clines
Contributing Writer Last week, Binghamton University researchers announced a partnership with a local Binghamton company to license a technology discovered right on campus. The technology takes organic dyes, similar to those found in common t-shirts, and combines them with nanoparticles which then generates a thin film, according to chemistry department chair Wayne Jones. This film is then able to be incorporated into everyday plastics, such as television displays, laser welding, 3-D objects and visors for pilots. The process binds organic dyes to metal oxides, allowing the dyes to withstand temperatures as high as 300 degrees. The polymer films infused with the dyes decrease the amount of heat entering the fabric by over 70 percent, protecting the color. Patenting and licensing of the technology will allow for further development and eventually marketing of the product. The technology was discovered by
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The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
$138 million
250,000 visitors $7.6 million
Students in the region spent nearly $138 million on purchases such as food, housing and retail products
250,000 visitors to campus spent approximately $7.6 million in the region
BU
’s
ECONOMIC IMPACT
12%
BU 12%
$11.8 million
Binghamton University accounts for 12 percent of the GDP for Broome and Tioga counties
Student volunteerism and internships provide $11.8 million in work value to area organizations
5,493 Binghamton University is the largest employer in Broome County, with 5,493 employees Sihang Li/Design Assistant
University's economic impact resonates throughout County As Broome County's largest employer, BU brings $96 million to the local economy and $1.38 billion statewide
Brendan Zarkower Staff Writer
Going by the numbers, Binghamton University is a sizable economic force within the Southern Tier and a significant source of income for the local community. According to the University’s Economic Impact Report, BU accounts for 12 percent of the total combined GDP of Broome and Tioga counties. The report claims that in 2014, the University’s total impact to New York
State was $1.38 billion and that 11,500 jobs are directly or indirectly supported by this money. Many Downtown businesses cite students as a large driver of their sales. When students are on break during the summer and winter months, businesses often suffer from a sharp drop in consumer spending. “I would say that when the students are gone, my business goes down by 40 percent,” said Arif Shakel Ansari, owner of Taj Tandoor, a restaurant on the West Side of Downtown Binghamton.
At several Downtown locations, such as Elsie’s Diner and Sugar Mountain, there is a strong spike in student buyers at the beginning and end of semesters. As students move into new places, many businesses see an increase in student shoppers and a boost in sales. Overall, the University reported visitors to BU spent $7.6 million last year, and students contributed $96 million to the local community. University President Harvey Stenger said that through initiatives such as the Small Business Development Center,
which offers management assistance to startup or established local businesses for free, and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships, the University has a pronounced positive effect on the local economy. “Binghamton University has played an integral role in the local economy for decades, and we will continue to forge relationships with local businesses for the betterment of the city, the county and the state,” Stenger wrote in an
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Stephen Gowe remembered for hard work, commitment to BU As Assistant Director of Facilities Operations, Gowe praised for designing, constructing Memorial Courtyard Alexis Hatcher Pipe Dream News
Rebecca Kiss/Contributing Photographer Gong Yu, chancellor of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, cuts the ribbon during the grand opening of the Chinese Cultural Experience Center outside Glenn G. Bartle Library. On Saturday, Binghamton University’s Confucius Institute opened a center that showcases Chinese history, culture and arts.
Chinese theater celebrated with Cultural Center opening Confucius Institute debuts immersive Chinese opera exhibition in Bartle Library Michelle Kraidman Staff Writer
Binghamton University’s Confucius Institute provided a new opportunity to venture into Chinese history, culture and arts with the addition of the Chinese Cultural Experience Center to Glenn G. Bartle Library. The Chinese Cultural Experience Center celebrated its grand opening on Saturday in honor of International Confucius Institute Day, a day where institutes that
support Chinese teaching around the world celebrate Chinese culture. BU also decided to hold the celebration on the day that the Chancellor of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Gong Yu, was in Binghamton. Students, faculty and members of the community crowded the lobby of the library to hear the opening addresses and watch the ceremonious ribbon cutting, then proceeded to enter and explore the Center. The Center, which is located to the left
of the library entrance, displays various aspects of Chinese culture mainly related to theater and opera. There are costumes on display as well as texts and photos relating to Chinese culture, accompanied by an interactive touch screen that allows visitors to play traditional Chinese songs. Visitors can also use the display to be superimposed into Beijing opera costumes. Alyssa Berkowitz, a senior double-
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Stephen Gowe, assistant director of facilities operations at Binghamton University, passed away on Wednesday, September 16 after a four-year battle with cancer. He was 48 years old. Gowe graduated from Vestal High School in 1985. He went on to graduate from Cornell University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture. He began his employment at BU in February 2001 as grounds manager, later becoming the assistant director of physical facilities. Gowe had a hand in numerous projects around BU, including the landscaping in front of both the Events Center and the East Gym. He was also involved in the design, construction and maintenance of the Memorial Courtyard in 2002 — a project that he was able to complete in less than two months, in time for alumni returning for homecoming a year after the 9/11 attacks. JoAnn Navarro, vice president for operations at BU, described Gowe as someone with a constant desire to get things done. “Steve had great vision and passion,” Navarro wrote in an email. “He took great pride in the campus. He was one of the hardest workers that I ever met.” Gowe was a lover of sports and he
showed this love as a coach for the Vestal Youth Football League. Karen Fennie, Gowe’s coworker and the communications specialist for physical facilities, said she always thought Gowe approached the snow-removal process as a coach would approach a team, knowing how to get the most out of each worker’s abilities. “The people who worked for him worked very hard for him because they had such respect for him,” Fennie said. “He would never ask any of his crew to do anything he wouldn’t do.” According to Fennie, Gowe was always modest about his efforts, despite the work he and his team put in throughout the campus. “He was one of the best people I’ve ever known,” Fennie said. “He was an unfailingly honest person.” Gowe’s supervisor Michael Kukawa, director of operations and construction for physical facilities, described Gowe as the epitome of a dedicated worker. He said Gowe always managed to be prepared ahead of time. “One of the comments he always made was, ‘If you have to call me, it’s already too late’,” Kukawa said. “He was always ready way before you asked him to do something.” Though Gowe’s standard workweek
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At Clinical Science Research Lab, scientists look to combat chronic health issues
With a focus on conducting interdisciplinary studies, the Center provides a space for faculty and students to make technological progress in the medical field Stacey Schimmel Pipe Dream News
From overnight face-lifts to treating menstrual cramps, the Clinical Science and Research Center (CSERC) focuses on developing new technologies to aid in clinical healthcare research. The CSERC was launched in 2006 and is located in the Innovative Technologies Complex (ITC) at Binghamton University. It works to develop new protocols to address chronic healthcare issues, and is an interdisciplinary clinic available for faculty members and students who want to do clinical studies. The Center is not limited to a particular department or students of specific majors. Over the past year, 17 clinical studies were initiated by
the CSERC. Faculty and students have created and patented numerous technologies with the primary focus of finding preventative measures and treatments for chronic health conditions. The CSERC is largely funded by companies interested in seeing their technology commercialized, which costs around $40,000 to fund the graduate students working on a project. All new technologies are reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is made up of faculty from all across campus. They evaluate the safety of a trial, and their approval is mandatory to publish results. Kenneth McLeod serves as the director of the Center and became the entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) in 2013. As the EIR, McLeod’s job is
to help commercialize technology developed at BU and launch graduate students’ new ventures based on the technologies they developed in their theses. McLeod focuses on creating new firms to commercialize technologies, but also licenses new technology to established firms. Sree Koneru, the director of engineering research for a bioelectronics corporation, is working with CSERC in his start-up venture, Bioelectronics Inc. He is creating a pulsed shortwave therapy, which uses low-energy electromagnetic fields to improve healing. He focuses on stimulating nerves to regulate blood pressure without using any drugs, a project he started in 2012. According to Koneru, high and low blood pressure affects over 10 million
Americans. Koneru said that the Center as a whole tries to keep its research broad; their research covers anything from products that aid in menstrual cramps to cosmetics. “The cool part of the technology is it ranges from electromagnetic facelifts, or overnight face-lifts, to a faster healing of scars, to other chronic healthcare conditions,” Koneru said. The study is predicted to be completed in February, at which point Koneru will approach the FDA to get the necessary protocols to market the technology. Matthew Ehrlich, a junior doublemajoring in mathematics and chemistry who conducts research at the ITC, said that the Center allows for open research and discussion of clinical topics, which
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Rachel Weisbrot/Contributing Photographer Pictured: The inside of the Clinical Science and Research Center (CSERC) in the Innovative Technologies Complex.