The brothers of Sigma Tau Gamma were out on the quad today serving up fresh lemonade! All proceeds go directly to the Special Olympics. Learn more about Greek Life here.  

Yesterday afternoon, our School of Health and Natural Sciences and Career Services held a Biotech & Life Sciences Career Forum in the Hammond Main Lounge. The   Department of Biology and Chemistry, in collaboration with MassBioEd, welcomed industry professionals (Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Bioengineering) to their annual Biotechnology Networking Event.  Professionals, many of whom are our alumni, shared their experiences with our majors and introduced them to the different careers within these industries. After an activity on the drug discovery pathway led by Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Blueprint Medicines Rizwana Seeham, students had the opportunity to network in small groups with our industry volunteers.

 Students in Biology Professor Christopher Picone General Biology II Lab are studying invertebrate anatomy, In this particular lab, the invertebrates being studied are earthworms and lobsters. The course examines principles of organismal biology. Topics include evolution, diversity, plant biology, and animal biology. The laboratory emphasizes hypothesis formation and data analysis.  

The Office of International Education sponsored their annual International Night last evening, where we celebrated our cultural heritage through food, presentations of dances, music and traditional garb. Food tasting stations, featuring the night's theme; Rice Around the World, included cuisines from Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and India. Attendees were treated to performances by Anne O'Connell's Irish American Step Dancers, members of the Dance Club performing a K-Pop inspired dance and a solo dance, Polynesian dances by Yumi Matsumoto, and a traditional Nigerian performance by Olufunke Ehineni. 

Spring snow on April 7th, surprise, surprise.

Late last month, the university hosted the concluding session of the  NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Region I New Professionals Mentoring Institute, which is a cohort-based development program for early-career student affairs professionals. Our own Coordinator of Student Engagement Julia Tardugno took part in this cohort.

Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation Matthew Burke, presided over the Fitchburg State University Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma's annual National Collegiate Athlete Honor Society (NCAHS) induction ceremony this afternoon in Presidents Hall. After welcoming remarks from  President Donna Hodge   student-athletes representing all of our 17 teams were recognized for their academic achievements.

At last week's  Board of Trustees meeting in the Hammond Hall Main Lounge Fitchburg State University Mathematics Department  Professors Peter Staab  and Fernando Diaz Morera, along with students Charlie Stevenson and Rohanji (Anji) Novas, presented their research from the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, D.C. Charlie is a veteran, a father, and an IT professional who came back to school and found his path in mathematics. He graduates this May and is now looking at PhD programs. Anji is a first-generation student from the Dominican Republic studying computer science and math. She’s already thinking about her next national conference. These lunch sessions give our Board of Trustees a chance to see the amazing scholarly work of our students.

The Recreation Center was buzzing today! Our Falcon Friends—inspired by the incredible work of Best Buddies—kicked off their latest First Friday event.

  Late last week, Fitchburg State University Mathematics Department  hosted its 45th Elizabeth Haskins Mathematics Contest, welcoming 150 students from nine regional high schools. The annual event is named  for Elizabeth Haskins, a Fitchburg State mathematics professor who retired in 1978 and passed away in 2004.