40 minute read
Around U
UAROUND
Union is partnering with the Schuler Education Foundation to invest over $40 million to enroll significantly more low-income students, the College’s latest effort to advance educational equity and opportunity.
Union is among the first five schools selected to participate in the Schuler Access Initiative, which aims to enroll more underserved students at the nation’s top liberal arts colleges.
Jack Schuler, co-founder of the Schuler Education Foundation, will spend $500 million over the next 10 years as part of the initiative. He wants to include up to 20 liberal arts schools that will match the funds, for a potential investment of $1 billion.
Union plans to raise $20 million over the next five years, which, with Schuler’s match, will provide the College with $40 million in scholarship grant funding to recruit and enroll underserved students.
In addition to Union, the other schools
Jack Schuler chosen to date include Bates College, Carleton College, Kenyon College and Tufts University.
“A liberal arts education is unique to the United States and has proven to be a great foundation for success in postgraduate studies,” Schuler said. “You become a citizen of the world with a liberal arts education. You become a better doctor or lawyer or engineer with the fundamentals of a liberal arts education.”
The federal Pell Grant program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students.
The College supports an average of 75 students with Pell Grants in every new class enrolled. Most Pell Grants are awarded to students with a total family annual income below $20,000.
Beginning in 2022-23, the Schuler grants will allow the College to add nine students who are eligible for Pell Grants in each of the first two years of the 10-year project. The number of additional students will increase to 10 in subsequent years.
President David R. Harris said the Pell-eligible students at Union thrive before and after graduation. Compared to the general student population rate, students who receive Pell Grants have a higher persistence rate and a comparable four-year graduation rate at Union. Persistence measures those students who returned to college for their second year.
“They often are among the highest achieving students in the classroom and are leaders across campus,” Harris said. “There is every reason to believe that if we could support more of these students they also would develop into leaders across multiple tomorrows. We are grateful for the Schuler Education Foundation and our
donors, whose generosity will make the dream of a college education possible for more of these deserving young people.”
The goals of the Schuler initiative align with a priority of the College’s Strategic Plan to “ensure that students of all economic backgrounds can access and take full advantage of the opportunities Union provides.”
David J. Breazzano ’78, a longtime benefactor to the College, provided the lead gift for Union’s fundraising goal of $20 million. A member of the Board of Trustees since 2008, Breazzano remains grateful for the substantial scholarship aid he received to attend Union. Joining Breazzano as early supporters of this special initiative are 14 trustees and over 115 alumni and friends.
The Schuler initiative is the latest move in Union’s commitment to meet the full financial need of all admitted students. The average need-based scholarship at Union is over $40,300. More than half of Union students receive need-based financial scholarship assistance; more than 25 percent receive merit scholarships.
In 2019, the College expanded the criteria to qualify for scholarship assistance by launching Making U Possible Family Grants. Families making up to $250,000 per year who have an expected family contribution of $90,000 or less will qualify for at least $20,000 in scholarship assistance. Previously, some families at these income levels would qualify for little or no assistance. These grants will help families who are struggling to meet those contributions plan for their children’s futures and see that a Union education is attainable.
The grants are part of Making U Possible: The Presidential Initiative for Scholarship and Immersive Excellence. Created in 2018, the initiative ensures that talented students from all backgrounds not only can afford a Union education but also are able to take full advantage of opportunities in and out of the classroom. This includes providing financial assistance to participate in terms abroad, mini-terms, internships and pre-orientation programs.
To learn more about the Schuler initiative visit www.union.edu/campaign/schuler The distinctive “Nott Today COVID” t-shirts, produced last spring as part of the College’s vaccination promotion, were already popular on campus.
Thanks in large part to Jason Goldberg ’98, the shirts are showing up off campus too.
Goldberg has been presenting the shirts as gifts to fellow alumni, many of whom are wearing them for their vaccinations and other special occasions. In a recent campus visit, he picked up nine shirts.
The shirts were the brainchild of Leah Rosen, chief marketing officer.
Barring another shopping spree by Goldberg, a limited supply is available at the Union Bookstore.
NOTT TODAY COVID
UAROUND
Four new trustees join the Board
Union College has named four new members to its Board of Trustees, it was announced by Robert Bertagna ’85, chair of the board.
They are Jon Henes ’91, Alexis Henrikson ’23, Vincent Mattone ’06 and Prof. Chad Orzel.
Jon Henes ’91 was elected term trustee. Jon is the CEO of C Street Advisory Group, LLC, a strategic advisory firm helping CEOs and C Suites navigate the convergence of business, finance and law with social justice, diversity, inclusion and politics. Prior to C Street, Jon was a senior partner at Kirkland & Ellis and one of the country’s most prominent restructuring, crisis management and corporate governance lawyers. Active in politics and charitable endeavors, he served as national finance chair for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. He holds a degree in history from Union, where he was active in Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and the student newspaper.
Alexis Henrikson ’23 was elected junior trustee. A native of Portland, Ore., and a 2018 graduate of Lincoln High School, she is an anthropology major with a minor in gender, sexuality and women’s studies. She is a member of Union’s crew team and this year was named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team. She is also a member of Women’s Union and Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. Last year, she was an Accommodative Services intern and served as vice president of academics in Student Forum. This summer, she was a cabin counselor in New Hampshire. She enjoys reading and hiking in the Pacific Northwest.
Vincent Mattone ’06, Alumni Council president and trustee, is a financial advisor for ACM Wealth, the wealth planning team of Advisors Capital Management. Previously, he was a vice president and relationship manager for TD Private Client Group, TD Bank's Wealth Management division. A member of Union’s Alumni Council since 2015, he was elected president in 2021 and co-chairs the Council’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sub-committee. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Union, where he played football. He is a board member of Youth Inc., a New York City network of 80 nonprofits focused on youth development.
Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics and astronomy, was elected faculty trustee. A specialist in atomic physics with an active student research program, he is the College’s former director of undergraduate research responsible for coordinating student-faculty projects and organizing the annual Steinmetz Symposium. He is the author of a series of books aimed at making complex topics accessible to a general audience. They include "Breakfast with Einstein," "How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog," "How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog" and "Eureka! Discovering Your Inner Scientist." He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. In addition, Bertagna announced that Kate Stefanik Barry ’01, will continue on the board as a term trustee after serving as an alumni trustee in her role as Alumni Council president. Barry is a partner at Isaacson, Miller, a Boston-based executive search firm, where her practice focuses on higher education leadership. She was the lead consultant in the search for Union President David R. Harris in 2018. Earlier in her career, she worked in the College’s Alumni Relations and Admissions programs. She majored in psychology at Union and holds a master’s degree from Harvard University.
Bertagna also announced that two longtime board members—David Henle ’75 and John Kelly III ’76—have been named life trustees.
Henle, the president of DLH Capital LLC, has served as vice chair of the board and was the long-time chair of the board’s investment committee. Among his many contributions, Henle and his wife Joan, have sponsored the David L. Henle Merit Scholars program and were the chief benefactors of the Henle Dance Pavilion that opened in 2013.
Kelly, who retired as IBM executive vice president, is a former chair of the board. He and his wife, Helen-Jo, have supported a number of projects at Union, including the Integrated Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC), the John E. Kelly III Digital Arts Lab, the Kelly Computing and Innovation Lab in the Wold Center and the Kelly Adirondack Center. As chair, he was the instrumental in the development of the ISEC.
Ellen Sheehan Smith ’80, senior managing director of FTI Consulting, was named trustee emerita after serving on the board for 10 years. She was secretary of the board, served on the board’s executive committee and chaired the facilities committee. A mechanical engineering major who also earned a master’s in engineering from Union, she has spent most of her career as a leader in the energy sector.
Convocation kicks off new academic year
Ayear after the pandemic forced a virtual ceremony, Convocation returned as an in-person event to open the 227th academic year. As a precaution, it was held outdoors in Hull Plaza.
“This is the place that knows long histories do not guarantee long futures,” President David R. Harris told a crowd assembled on Hull (Library) Plaza. “It is the place that understands innovation is required as challenges and opportunities arise and transform.”
In his address, Harris told the audience he was grateful for the ways in which the campus community responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic and how he looked forward to the coming year.
“I am grateful that we have this time together to reflect on what is special about a Union experience,” he said, “and to pursue our core mission this year with even greater intensity, greater innovation, greater accountability to ourselves and one another, and greater joy.”
The president reiterated the College’s vision statement to “develop every student to lead with wisdom, empathy and courage, in ways large and small, now and across multiple tomorrows” and offered examples to support that vision.
He cautioned about the ways in which the College could fail to achieve its vision. However, he remains confident that the community will work together to meet the goals.
“This is the place that has delivered on our vision for 226 years,” Harris said.
He also touched on some goals for the coming year: • Make substantial progress on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He added a fourth letter, B, for belonging. He
pointed to the replacement of the Idol. (See story on page 12.) • Unveil U Journey, “in which we become more intentional than ever in providing students with the opportunity to develop the competencies and life skills that, along with academic growth and development, are keys to whatever you want to do later in life.” • Realize the potential of the $51 million gift from Class of 1980 graduates Rich and Mary Templeton. The gift, the largest ever for the College, will transform engineering and the liberal arts with the creation of the Templeton
Institute for Engineering and Computer
Science. • Increase the ability to bring lowerincome students to Union. He cited a new program in which the College will partner with the Schuler Education
Foundation to invest up to $40 million to enroll significantly more lowincome students. (See story on p. 4.)
In the wake of COVID, Harris also announced the relaunch of the Union College Challenge, in which he challenged the campus community to learn to become more comfortable being uncomfortable. He asked what they could pursue in their studies, work or personal life that would push them in a healthy and responsible way.
Also at Convocation, Michele Angrist, interim dean of faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs, announced the winners of the College’s top teaching awards. Read more about them on p. 13.
Chloe Metcalfe ’23 and Adam Ginsberg ’22 received the Hollander Prize in Music, established by the late Lawrence J. Hollander, dean of engineering emeritus. They performed “A Whole New World” from the movie “Aladdin.” Max Caplan ’16 accompanied them on piano.
Angrist also recognized the students who made the Dean’s List last year. Their names are on a plaque in Reamer Campus Center.
UAROUND
Ty Gamble-Eddington ’21 named a Rhodes Scholar
Tawreak “Ty” Gamble-Eddington ’21 has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford.
Gamble-Eddington is one of 32 Rhodes Scholars selected from a pool of 826 candidates representing 247 colleges in the U.S. The class includes 22 women, the most ever, the Rhodes Trust announced.
Highly competitive, the Rhodes is one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. Each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Rhodes Trust announces the names of the newest Rhodes Scholars from the U.S. The selection process was completed virtually for the second consecutive year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The scholars are expected to start at Oxford next October.
“It is a pleasure to congratulate Ty on receiving such a fitting honor,” said David R. Harris, president of Union. “Just as Ty’s leadership on campus has inspired so many to work for positive change, I am certain he will have a significant impact across multiple tomorrows.”
A political science and history major with minors in political economy and Spanish and Hispanic Studies, GambleEddington received the Frank Bailey (1885) Prize last spring at Union. It is awarded annually to the senior who has rendered the greatest service to the College in any field.
He was well known for his community activism and work through organizations including Union Pride, Black Student Union, LGBTQ+ Committee, the Diversity Liaison Committee and the Civic Engagement Committee.
Gamble-Eddington was involved in the founding of Union’s chapter of My Brother’s Keeper, a mentoring program for Schenectady youth. During winter term 2019, he traveled to Argentina, where he worked with a legal firm to provide services to the poor, the homeless and juvenile inmates. In a fall 2019 term abroad, he was in Seville, Spain, taking classes on immigration policy and working with an organization to help immigrants fully exercise their legal rights.
An aspiring international lawyer, he did his senior thesis focused on reforms designed to enhance minority participation in the democratic process.
Among his many honors, GambleEddington received the George J. Mitchell Scholarship in support of a year of graduate study in race, ethnicity and conflict. He is currently at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
The Rhodes scholarships average $70,000 per year and cover all expenses for up to four years of study. Scholars are free to study the full range of disciplines offered at Oxford, including life sciences, arts and humanities, social sciences, mathematics and the physical sciences.
Gamble-Eddington applied for the Rhodes Scholarship with assistance from the office of National Fellowships and Scholarships and others at Union. He is from Springfield, Mass.
While at Union, Gamble-Eddington said, “I really fell in love with all of my classes, and I have wonderful professors and advisers who are experts in their fields and who helped me chart the best course for my future.”
Gamble-Eddington is the second Union student to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, joining Gregg Meyer '84, now a senior leader at Mass General Brigham hospitals in the Boston area.
Elliot F. Gerson, American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust, said of this year’s class: “They are inspiring young leaders already, and we are confident that their contributions to public welfare nationally and globally will expand exponentially over the course of their careers in varied sectors and disciplines.”
UAROUND
Union welcomes Class of 2025
The Class of 2025 arrived on campus Sept. 9.
More than 7,400 applicants vied to join the 566 that make up the class. The students come from 29 states, the District of Columbia and 20 countries.
The class is one of the College’s most diverse and global, with 32 percent international or students of color. Academically, 57 percent of the class ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Fourteen percent are first-generation students or the first in their immediate family to attend college.
With military precision, an army of student volunteers unloaded vehicles, piled mini refrigerators, televisions, bikes, bottled water and fresh linens into oversized bins, and rolled them into the building.
Before checking into their residence halls, all students reported to the COVID-19 testing site in Memorial Field House. With a commitment to in-person instruction, the College this fall required testing and vaccination of all students and employees.
Were you a first gen?
For a planned story, we'd like to hear from alumni who were the first in their family to attend college.
Please respond to magazine@ union.edu
New NSF grant extends climate study in Peru
Two Union College geology professors—Donald Rodbell and David Gillikin—are leading an international team of scientists in a project to develop the longest continuous paleoclimate record from the region known as the “heat engine” of Earth.
They are collecting lake sediments and cave deposits from the tropical Andes of Central Peru that hold important data about the Earth’s climate history and suggest what the future may hold.
Earlier research by the Union scientists and others has shown that climate stability is rare and that change—particularly at the regional level—can happen quickly, in a matter of decades, and that the globe is remarkably interconnected when it comes to natural climate variability.
The project, led by Union College, has received a $1.5 million award from the National Science Foundation. (Union’s share is $541,000). Other collaborating institutions are the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota and the University of Pittsburgh. The grant will fund geochemical investigations of both a recently collected Lake Junín sediment core and nearby cave deposits in the eastern Peruvian Andes.
A 700,000-year-long sediment core was collected as part of the Lake Junín Drilling Project, a 2015 multimillion-dollar NSF-funded effort also led by Union College.
Climate patterns in the South American tropics—such as El Niño that warms water in the eastern Pacific—can have a profound global impact on water balance. “This project will help us understand the role of the tropics in global climate and will improve our ability to predict future droughts in a densely populated region of the world,” Rodbell said.
“The strength of this project is that we are combining two paleoclimate archives— lake sediments and cave stalagmites,” Gillikin said. “Each have strengths and weaknesses, but together they provide
Prof. David Gillikin, Modesto Castro (cave owner), Laura Piccirillo ’20 and Prof. Donald Rodbell at the entrance of Peru’s Huagapo Cave in March 2019.
more information than either can independently."
Union College has strong ties to the Peruvian Andes, where Rodbell has spent about 35 years reading the paleoclimate records in lake sediments. Together, Rodbell and Gillikin bring expertise to merge lake records with cave records. Over the next three years, they will monitor the cave conditions to better understand how climate signals are recorded in the stalagmites. They will also collect more stalagmites for study.
The Union team got a jump start on reconstructing climate history in 2019, when the professors led eight students in a project to analyze the isotopes of oxygen and carbon in the stalagmites. Union is well positioned for this project with a stable isotope laboratory and the necessary equipment to sample stalagmites.
Rodbell and Gillikin are working with collaborators at the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, the University of Pittsburgh and several Peruvian institutions. Larry Edwards (University of Minnesota) has been dating the stalagmites using radiometric dating. Mark Abbott and Josef Werne (University of Pittsburgh) will explore leaf wax isotopes and organic molecules that reflect lake temperatures, and thus climate. Naomi Levin and Ben Passey (University of Michigan) will investigate clumped isotopes in both lake carbonates and the stalagmites.
An anonymous reviewer cited the potential of the project to “deliver high quality quantitative records of past temperature, precipitation, and evaporation for the region using a well-designed multi-proxy approach from the different archives (sediments and speleothems [cave deposits].”
The reviewer called the application “an exceptionally strong proposal with a high chance of success and with scientific outcomes that will be of use to the paleoclimate community.”
UAROUND
For former Idol painters, it’s a new ‘U’
The painting tradition continues. The object is new and different.
A sturdy seven-foot sculpture centered by a “Block U” stands on the former site of the Idol east of Achilles Center.
On Sept. 3, it got its inaugural coat of paint courtesy of some student leaders and athletes who played a part in the design and placement of the new icon.
In keeping with tradition, the students painted with their hands.
“What we have heard is that the most important part of [the painting] tradition was being together with your friends, engaging in a shared activity,” said President David Harris in a visit with the student painters. “The challenge was that the object being painted was part of our permanent collection and was an ancient piece of Chinese art. What we’ve done is to say, ‘Let’s keep the tradition and change what’s under all of the layers of paint.”
Alexis Candido ’22, who serves as vice president for administration of Student Forum, was among the student painters. She has painted the Idol on three occasions.
“Like a lot of students, I never knew what was under all the layers of paint and that the Idol was an important cultural symbol,” she said.
“It’s very important to all the students to honor [the painting] tradition … but also keep in mind and learn the story about what is behind the Idol. To educate and foster the diverse community we want to have on campus was super important to all the student leaders.”
Phil Facey ’22, who stopped to paint the new icon on his way to cross country practice, said, “I think it’s cool that we can preserve this part of Union history. When I come back as an alum I’ll remember that I painted it, and maybe I’ll paint it as an alum.”
Deidre Hill Butler, associate professor of sociology and director of Faculty Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is also chair of the History and Symbols Committee. “Replacing and restoring the Idol and examining the painting tradition is one more step to move us toward a wider lens of campus inclusivity,” she said.
Last year, the College’s History and Symbols Committee, senior staff and trustees endorsed a proposal to restore and replace the Idol. The new icon was developed in consultation with student leaders.
Generations of Union students have painted the Idol. Plans are to restore the ancient Chinese statue and give it a new and safer home on campus.
A gift from the Rev. John Farnham, Class of 1856, the Idol had been targeted with paint since it was set up at Union in 1876. Farnham, a missionary in China, purchased the statue after it was unearthed during a construction project in Shanghai. Before he shipped it to Union, he had placed it for a time in front of the nearby boys’ school he ran there.
Three honored with top faculty awards
Three professors were presented with the College’s top faculty awards at Convocation in September.
Nicole Theodosiou
NICOLE THEODOSIOU, associate professor of biology, received the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Teaching.
Her research interests include evolution and development of the digestive tract in the vertebrate lineage. She studies patterning (how different organs are ordered) and morphogenesis (how organs take on their final shape and function) of the digestive tract in vertebrate embryos and how the digestive tract evolved in the vertebrate lineage over 450 million years.
“Nicole’s students deeply appreciate the work that she puts into making her classes exciting, fun, interesting and enjoyable at the same time that they are challenging,” said Michele Angrist, interim dean of faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs, in presenting the award.
“They also remark on the lengths to which Nicole went, when her courses had to be online, to adjust and innovate her pedagogy to maintain student engagement, excitement and motivation during a very difficult time.”
Theodosiou’s faculty colleagues “share their admiration for the time that she has invested in honing her pedagogy and for the myriad ways that that investment has paid off for students in her classes,” Angrist noted. “They laud her for her commitment to course revision and new course development.”
Ann M. Anderson
Theodosiou received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College and her Ph.D. from Yale University. She joined Union in 2007.
ANN M. ANDERSON, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and MARY K. CARROLL ‘86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry, are winners of the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Research.
Anderson and Carroll, co-directors of the College’s Aerogel Lab, have developed a rapid supercritical extraction method for preparing aerogels. The lab—which focuses on the fabrication, characterization and application of aerogel materialshas involved 160 Union students, 10 high schoolers and faculty from Union and other institutions.
Their work has resulted in three patents, 29 papers in refereed scientific journals, several conference publications and book chapters, and more than 100 presentations at regional, national and international conferences. Recently, they have focused their efforts on the use of aerogels in two areas: catalysts for automotive pollution mitigation and aerogel monoliths for window applications in sustainable buildings.
“Ann and Mary have an outstanding record of high-quality research and are recognized nationally and internationally
Mary K. Carroll '86
for their work in the area of aerogel materials,” Angrist said. “They have built a respected aerogel facility at Union as a joint chemistry-mechanical engineering initiative, and they have co-founded a firm to commercialize aerogel technology developed at Union.
“They have contributed to proposals for numerous successful National Science Foundation awards that have supported their work as well the acquisition of research instrumentation for the College. Ann and Mary, it is very clear that your collaborative, interdisciplinary scholarship achieves a high level of excellence and that your colleagues, students and disciplines—and the wider world—are the better for it.”
Anderson received her Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts University and her Ph.D. from Stanford University.
Carroll received her Bachelor of Science degree from Union in 1986 and her Ph.D. from Indiana University.
This is the second time Carroll has received a Stillman Prize. In 1996, she was the first winner of the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Teaching.
The Stillman prizes were created by David I. Stillman ’72, Abbott Stillman ’69 and Allan Stillman in honor of their father and grandfather, Abraham Stillman.
UAROUND
Remembering 9/11
In September, the College reflected on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and its impact on the Union community with a ceremony and a commemorative website that memorializes four alumni who were lost that day: Thomas W. Duffy ’71, Andrew A. Fredericks ’83, Don J. Kauth ’74 and Alexander R. Steinman ’91. The site also features recollections of the campus response and a video interview with Kevin Rampe ’88, founding director and board member of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Learn more at union.edu/news/911
Catherine Seaman ’22 is on top of the world at the Roman aqueduct of Segovia in Spain.
After a pause, it's ‘bon voyage’ again
More than a year after the pandemic paused all study abroad, 48 students were living and learning in six countries this fall.
“I’m really happy Union was able to make this happen,” said Catherine Seaman ’22 of Ipswich, Mass., a biology major with a minor in Spanish and Hispanic studies minor who is studying in Madrid. “The language and cultural immersion of this experience have opened my eyes with appreciation for the differences, the history and the people of Spain.”
For now, destinations are limited to Europe. Most Union students are in Antwerp, Belgium; Galway, Ireland; York, England; Rennes, France; Athens, Greece; and Seville, Spain.
The program in Madrid is part of the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium, to which Union belongs. Seaman and another student are the first Union participants.
“It’s tremendous that after all this time, we can finally send students abroad, one of the defining experiences of a Union education for so many,” said Lara Atkins, director of International Programs. “We are balancing our commitment to an international experience with the complications and ongoing challenges that are a reality in today’s COVID world.”
Typically, about 125 Union students go abroad each fall, the busiest term for international programs.
Union canceled fall 2021 terms abroad and winter break mini-terms in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Fiji, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam. The winter break Klemm Fellow International Internship Program also was put on hold.
During the winter 2022 term, four students will go on the economics term to Lille, France; 14 to a London program; and one to Nairobi, Kenya, on the St. Lawrence University term that is part of the NY6 Consortium.
Four students are planning to go to South Korea, Spain, Australia and Italy on non-Union programs. The winter term in Cambodia was canceled.
On the domestic front, the winter term San Francisco Internship on Innovation and Creativity was moved to spring 2022. Other active spring programs are based in London, Germany and Italy. The Washington, D.C., internship program run by the Political Science Department also moved to spring.
Plans are also afoot for the summer 2022 National Health Systems Program, in which students will explore health care systems of the U.S., Canada, Scotland (UK) and the Netherlands.
In addition to running in-person terms abroad, Union continues to offer its Virtual Global Internship course (TAB-201T), a collaboration with several of the College’s study abroad partners.
“All of our programming is subject to change,” Atkins noted, “but in the long term, we hope to offer as many in-person opportunities as are safely possible.”
WHITE
RIDES TO BRONZE
IN TOKYO
Cyclist was one of three alumni Olympians
After accumulating a trove of accolades—most recently a bronze medal in track pursuit at the Tokyo Olympics—cyclist Emma White ’19 is stepping off the bike, professionally at least.
“If you would have told me at 10 years old that any of this would have happened, I never would have believed it!” she said in announcing her retirement on social media. “The years have flown by, filled with some of the greatest memories and also some of the most painful heartaches. I’m grateful for all of it.”
White’s road to Tokyo took 15 years. She started at 9 in cyclo-cross, a discipline run on rugged courses. She won four national junior titles in cyclo-cross between 2011 and 2015, and three titles in road events between 2013 and 2015.
In 2018, while juggling her classes at Union with a hectic global racing schedule, she became the first Under 23 American woman to capture all three road cycling disciplines in the same year—time trial, criterium and road race.
By the time she graduated Union with a degree in computer science/science, medicine and technology, she was named to U.S. national team in track pursuit, an event that requires explosive power, precision and strategy.
In 2020, just weeks before the pandemic, White was on the U.S. team that won a World Cup championship in Berlin.
At the Tokyo games, White and her U.S. teammates—Jennifer Valente, Chloe Dygert, Megan Jastrab, and Lily Williams— competed in an event that saw the world record broken multiple times. Germany won the gold medal, Great Britain the silver.
White, who hails from Duanesburg, N.Y., comes from an athletic family. Her father, Tom, is head crew coach at Union. Her brother, Curtis ’18, is a world-level cyclo-cross rider.
During some post-Olympic rest in September, White visited campus to participate in “Back to Union,” a run, bike and walk event led by President David Harris to celebrate the start of a new academic year together on campus.
Just days before her retirement announcement in October, White won the Sea Otter Classic circuit race, leading two other Rally teammates to a podium sweep at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif.
This fall, before she announced her retirement, White reflected on her Olympic experience and her future.
What was it like to train in relative isolation? Did the pandemic hurt or help when it came time to compete? When we first got news of the postponement of the Olympics, I was living in Colorado Springs with two of my teammates and my coach. We continued to train together even though we didn't quite know when our next event would be. I was so lucky to be able to ride with them in this time of uncertainty because if I had been alone, my motivation wouldn't have been where it was all year. Off the bike, I think our team got stronger throughout the pandemic because we all became so close. The most difficult part of training during the pandemic was not knowing where other teams were and how fast they were going.
How was your family’s experience watching from Orlando? My parents had such a wonderful time in Orlando! NBC and the Olympic Committee sent each family there for an all-inclusive vacation at the Universal Orlando Resort. They met other families and bonded over not being in Japan, spent some time in the theme park, and were able to see all of the action live!
We heard a bit about some resentment among Japanese citizens that the games would go ahead as planned. How were you treated? I never saw any of this resentment first hand. In the village, there were hundreds of volunteers that we would see every day. Interacting with the volunteers was one of my favorite parts of the entire Games experience. The kindness, positivity, excitement and support was overflowing from everyone we encountered. They worked hard to give us as much of a cultural experience as possible given the COVID restrictions and have made me want to go back to Japan as soon as I can!
Do you feel like your success is having an impact, particularly in further developing women’s cycling? And track cycling in particular? I have been lucky enough to visit junior clubs (10-18 years old) in the area after the Olympics and this is something I feel so passionate about. Getting more kids (and girls, specifically!) on bikes is so special because I started at that age and there weren't nearly as many kids involved then. They are the future! I hope that my success is motivational for them and gives them something to shoot for. I never imagined I would be able to compete at the Olympics and it can really happen to anyone that puts their mind to it!
What’s next for you? I am looking forward to my next challenge! I am taking a step back from cycling next year and looking to putting my Computer Science / SMTC degree to use in the "real world." Cycling will always be a huge part of my life and I'm excited to play a bigger role with local clubs and kid's cycling teams through coaching. I'm so thankful for all of the experiences I have had in cycling and will take them with me for the rest of my life.
Two other alumni participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
NINA CUTRO-KELLY ’06, made the U.S. Olympic judo team on her fifth attempt. At 36, she was the oldest U.S. Olympic judoka in the sport’s history.
Cutro-Kelly, who has competed in more than 50 countries, is a fifth-degree black belt with 10 national titles to her name. She also won a silver medal at the Pan-Am Championships in April and holds a bronze medal from the Pan-Am Games in 2015.
At the Olympics, she lost to Slovenia’s Anamari Valensek in the elimination rounds.
After graduation, she moved to France to teach English and earn a master’s in teaching English as a second language at Rennes University. Back in the U.S. after eight years abroad, she settled in San Antonio, Texas, where she is a coach at Universal Judo. She is also finishing an MBA in project management at Keller Graduate School of Management with a full scholarship from the United States Olympic Committee.
A native of Albany, N.Y., Cutro-Kelly majored in political science and French at Union.
“Just a shout out to Union for always working with me during my studies when I needed to travel for tournaments and training camps,” she said. JAKE FISHMAN ’18, a baseball standout at Union, was a pitcher on the 24-man roster for Team Israel.
Fishman, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Israel, was one of 12 pitchers on Israel’s roster, which included eight players with Major League experience.
This year was the first time Israel had qualified for the Olympics in baseball.
Team Israel went 1-4 in the tournament, finally eliminated by the Domincan Republic. Fishman pitched in three games: a win over Mexico and losses to South Korean and the Dominican Republic. "The Olympics has been a very surreal experience," Fishman said from the Olympic Village. "Being able to walk the same roads, train in the same facilities and share this experience with the best athletes in the world is something I never dreamed of doing. Everybody here has trained their entire lives to get to this point and everybody has a great amount of respect for each other. I could not be more excited to be here and experience this with the rest of my team.”
Fishman, a left-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 MLB Draft, forgoing his senior season to begin his professional career. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Blue Jay organization to reach the AAA level in 2018. He pitched this year with the Miami Marlins AAA affiliate Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Fishman reached the professional level following a stellar three-year career at Union. As a junior, he was named a D3baseball.com first-team All-American after posting a 7-0 record and leading Division III with a 0.41 earned run average. He was named the Liberty League Player and Pitcher of the Year in his final season and finished his career 18-2 with a 1.36 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 171.2 innings.
He is Union's all-time leader in ERA, wins, strikeouts (177) and opponent's batting average (.211). At the plate, he ranked third in batting average (.410), fourth in on-base percentage (.477) and eighth in hits (143).
Off the field, Fishman was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a Dean's List student. After leaving the school in 2016 to play professionally, he continued his studies and graduated from Union in 2018 with a degree in managerial economics. U
Windows of opportunity:
aerogel’s promise for insulated panes
Call it “frozen smoke” or “see-through insulation.” Either way, Union College aerogel could soon be used in homes across the colder reaches of North America (think New York to British Columbia).
SunThru, a Schenectady startup founded by professors Ann Anderson and Mary Carroll ’86, is creating a silica aerogel insert for triple-pane windows that’s more energy efficient and cost-effective than traditional products. The company is working on commercializing its insert with the help of two alumni who recently came onboard.
Aerogel as a material is very lightweight, about 95 percent air. Anderson, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering, once described it as “frozen smoke.”
Her colleague, John Costa ’17, explains aerogels this way.
“The name aerogel may be misleading at first since aerogels are actually dry, rigid or elastic foam-like materials,” said Costa, SunThru’s chief executive officer. “But the name originates from the fact that aerogels are usually derived from wet gels, physically similar to edible gelatin. In aerogels, the liquid component is replaced by a gas or vacuum in a way that preserves the sparse, solid, porous backbone.”
“We call our aerogels for windows see-through insulation,” he added.
The see-through bit—or optical clarity—is one reason silica aerogels are good for windows. Another is the fact that aerogel is an extremely good insulator, which is why it’s used in everything from wetsuits to skylights to blankets that cover pipelines in deep-sea drilling.
“Current high-performance windows that can perform beyond the typical double-pane window are about 1.5 times heavier and thicker than our aerogel alternative,” said Adam Forti ’17, SunThru’s chief operating officer. “In North America, most buildings cannot accommodate these windows without significant alterations that are extremely cost prohibitive.”
“But because a silica aerogel is one of the lightest solids on earth and also highly insulative per inch, an aerogel solution can increase thermal performance without adding significant weight or thickness to existing windows—all for only a small green premium.”
How?
The aerogel insert SunThru is creating will be sold to window manufacturers, who will then place the insert between panes of glass without changing the design or structure of traditional windows.
“SunThru is in the research and development phase, proving out our latest highly transparent aerogel and working with our customers to integrate them into
Annelise Lobo '22 and Joana Santos '20 (right) peer through aerogel.
An example of an aerogel insert.
Above: Ann Anderson, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of Energy Studies, chats with Allison Stanec '21, Annelise Lobo '22 and Joana Santos '20.
Below: Mary Carroll '86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry, works with Chris Avanessian '21 and Thomas Andre '20 (right).
– Adam Forti ’17, SunThru’s chief operating officer. window products,” Costa said. “We have contracted with the Union College Aerogel Lab to produce 5” x 5” aerogels for us. In the near future, we will begin building out SunThru’s own manufacturing capabilities.”
“We have an immediate goal of making 20” x 14” aerogels, as this is the minimum size needed for our customers to test our materials in their windows,” he continued. “We hope to eventually make aerogels as large as possible since windows come in all shapes and sizes.”
While there is another company in the Northeast developing a similar product, SunThru’s aerogel has an edge over the competition.
“What separates SunThru is our manufacturing process. We use Union’s patented rapid supercritical extraction method,” Forti said.
During rapid supercritical extraction (RSCE), chemicals gel together (like Jell-O) in a hot press; the resulting wet-gel is dried by removing solvents (the wet part). The remaining aerogel (the dried part), is created in hours, rather than the days or weeks alternative methods take.
RSCE is also approximately seven times cheaper, requiring one hour of labor for every 8 hours the other methods need, said Anderson, SunThru’s chief technology officer. She and Carroll, the company's chief science officer, are among the inventors of the process.
So what’s on the horizon for SunThru in the next five years?
“We hope to have completed building out a manufacturing site that gives us the capability to supply 5 million square feet of aerogel inserts,” Costa said. “Beyond this, we hope to expand the market share of our product and continue to innovate in the manufacturing of aerogel materials.”
The prospect of commercializing a product they’ve been studying for years is thrilling for Anderson and Carroll.
“It has been personally and professionally rewarding as well as intellectually stimulating,” said Carroll, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry. “This shows that it is possible to commercialize research coming out of fundamental and applied work in laboratories at small liberal arts colleges.”
“Union has been incredibly supportive in helping us navigate this process, and we have obtained funding from the National Science Foundation and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority that helps bridge the gap between research and commercialization,” she added.
Costa and Forti are equally excited about taking Union aerogel into the wider world. After all, they caught the aerogel bug as mechanical engineering majors working in the lab with Anderson and Carroll.
“This experience has been nothing short of amazing. John had originally approached me about starting some form of business together, though not a high-tech one,” Forti recalled. “But I
Zineb Hajjaj '20 inspects aerogel that has been dyed for window applications. It bears the College’s Minerva Seal.
couldn’t get aerogel off my mind and told John we should reach out to Ann and Mary about working together.”
“I don’t think either of us could have imagined what would happen next,” Costa added. “It has been so rewarding to be part of innovation. Every day we are presented with new challenges and need to make meaningful decisions. It really helps give a sense of purpose to life.”
Costa recently participated in the FuzeHub 2021 Commercialization Competition at the NYS Innovation Summit, and won $50,000 to support SunThru's efforts.
Costa, Forti, Anderson and Carroll would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Sri Teja Mangu, Joana Santos ’20, Margeaux Capron ’22, Avi Gajjar ’23, Allison Stanec ’21, Matthew Roizin Prior ’21, Ben Manning, Jason Leo and Casper Xallan Wilson to recent efforts. U
John Costa '17, SunThru’s chief executive officer Adam Forti ’17, SunThru’s chief operating officer
To learn more about SunThru, visit sunthru.biz
