CUNY Newswire

With much of the Japanese coast at or below sea level, officials from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism are always seeking new ideas for response and planning regarding natural disasters, to learn new ways to save lives should their country suffer another tsunami such as the one experienced in 2011 that killed more than 15,000 people.

The Center for the Arts Atrium was filled with sharply dressed students holding crisp résumés as they lined up in front of the various tables provided by the several organizations in attendance for the College of Staten Island’s International Career Fair and Panel Discussion.

CSI Interim President and geologist Dr. William J. Fritz has gathered an interdisciplinary  group of  faculty colleagues together to conduct long-term research on the impact of future superstorms in theNew York area. Dr. Fritz, who serves as the spokesperson for the group, is joined by geologist Dr.

Counterfeiting has become a huge problem for a wide range of industries, with estimates of approximately $500 billion in losses annually worldwide. While there is agreement that there is a severe problem with the global protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), there have been virtually no attempts to describe all aspects of the problem.  Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights: Understanding the Role of Management, Governments, Consumers, and Pirates (Springer), co-authored by CSI Professor of International Business Alan Zimmerman, offers the most complete description of various characteristics of the IPR environment in a global context. The book, co-authored with Villanova University Professor Peggy Chaudhry, offers a comprehensive look at how managers and lawyers of major global companies should address the issue of product counterfeiting.  Professor Zimmerman, who runs the International Business Program at CSI, has also published several articles on the subject.  He calls for a “holistic understanding of the problem, which must include consumer complicity to purchase counterfeit [goods], actions of the counterfeiters, as well as actions (or inaction) by home and host governments.”  Zimmerman claims that counterfeiting crosses all industries, naming software, film, pharmaceuticals, and the fashion industry as major victims. “Nearly 60 percent of all software is counterfeit,” he warns.

Boogie Fever, scheduled for Saturday March 16, 2013, has been canceled. Please call the Center for the Arts Box Office with any questions 718.982.2787. Strut your way to the CFA and join emcee Vinnie Medugno as he takes you on a journey through all of your favorite ‘70s hits.

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE — How to rebuild smarter — and at one with nature — in post-Sandy Staten Island drew hundreds to a day-long symposium here Friday, as the borough continues to grapple with the devastation wrought by last October’s killer hurricane.

The Staten Island Museum and CSI present A History Round Table on the Underground Railroad in Honor of Black History Month.

Dr. William J. Fritz, Interim President and renowned geologist, will lead a team of experts as the College of Staten Island presents the “Superstorm Sandy Forum: A Serious Conversation about the Future of Staten Island,” on Friday, March 8, 2013.

Experience The Peking Acrobats, 30 members carefully selected to perform from the finest acrobat schools in China. Watch as these expert gymnasts, jugglers, cyclists, and tumblers transform 2,000-year-old athletic disciplines into a kaleidoscope of eye-popping wonder. The Peking Acrobats performance will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 2:00pm at the Center for the Arts (CFA) Springer Concert Hall.

Dr. Lacey Sloan of the College’s Social Work program, has teamed up with fellow faculty members and students from the program to work within the community to alleviate some of the suffering endured by victims of Superstorm Sandy. Sloan explains that a multifaceted approach has been employed.

The College of Staten Island’s “Celestial Ball: Reaching for the Stars,” will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at the Richmond County Country Club, rescheduled from its original date of Saturday, December 1, 2012 due to the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy.

In 2011, Dr. William J. Fritz and a team of researchers from The City University of New York’s College of Staten Island began researching what would happen should a “perfect storm” hit New York City. In June 2012, the team published an abstract highlighting the effects of a 12-foot storm surge on New York Harbor. [...]

The College of Staten Island’s Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling (MHC) program held  its second cohort’s graduation on Thursday, January 24, in the Center for the Arts Recital Hall. The MHC program was developed by Dr. Judith Kuppersmith in collaboration with the Psychology faculty in order to address cultural and social problems as they emerge and change in our diverse and challenging world.

The College of Staten Island’s Center for International Service has sent four undergraduate students to the City University of Hong Kong through its Exchange Ambassador Program for the 2013 spring semester. These “CSI Exchange Ambassadors” will be taking courses with students from all over the world as they spend the semester exploring the culturally rich city.

Dr. William J. Fritz has gathered an interdisciplinary group of College of Staten Island (CSI) faculty colleagues to conduct long-term research on the impact of future superstorms in the New York area. Dr. Fritz, geologist and Interim President of CSI, serves as the spokesperson for the team.

CSI’s Music 361 class, Audio for Moving Images, recently held its final projects showcase in the Lab Theatre at the Center for the Arts.  The event, entitled, “Music in Movies: A Film Scoring Final Projects Showcase,” was held in order for the music students to present, as well as celebrate, their final projects, which tasked them with scoring several minutes of Hollywood or student films using their own original music.  The music students were accompanied by their friends and families as they presented their musical scores and discussed their techniques with the audience.  Taught by Film Composer Adjunct Stefan Swanson, the class focuses on introducing advanced music students and aspiring composers to the art of scoring feature films.  “This class is unique to CSI,” said Swanson, a ten-year veteran of composing for film, as very few universities in the country offer this type of program. “In fact,” Swanson continued, “there are only about four universities that offer this program as majors in the U.S.”  The new program is the brain child of Assistant Professor of Creative and Performing Arts Dr.

A Simulation Lab for the Education of Nurses in the Care of Older Adults was recently inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Marcus Hall, home of the College of Staten Island Department of Nursing.  The lab, funded by the Brooklyn Home For Aged Men, is a state-of-the art facility where nursing students can learn about geriatric home care without ever leaving the CSI campus. It is a self-contained lab that completely simulates a room in a nursing home or the home of a potential patient. It is fully furnished with a bed, lavatory, and mannequin, as well as top-of-the line nursing equipment—anything that a practitioner may have in a real-life situation.

For the second straight year, trainees from one of Japan’s leading manufacturer of automotive parts, Aisin AW, toured the College of Staten Island campus recently in a visit planned by CSI’s Center for International Service along with the Japan-America Academic Center. View the Photo Gallery>Nearly 100 Aisin trainees made the trip, which is part of a larger tour meant to introduce the young trainees to U.S.

As the weeks since Superstorm Sandy have passed, we have heard many stories of tragedy, bravery, and charity on our campus and in our communities. Many members of CSI’s faculty, staff, and student body are continuing their efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy any way they can.

CSI Associate Professor of Political Science Richard Flanagan’s newest book, Staten Island: Conservative Bastion in a Liberal City chronicles the events that have shaped Staten Island’s history. “Staten Island is one of the rare communities in the United States where local political campaigns can be very competitive and hard-fought,” Flanagan remarked.