March 14, 2012 Vol. 6, Issue 3 Alan Alda Presents: The Flame Challenge How well can a scientist answer a child's question? Famed actor Alan Alda, founding member of the Stony Brook University Center for Communicating Science and a Visiting Professor in the School of Journalism, is challenging scientists to answer an 11-year-old's "notso-simple" question, "What is a flame?" The challenge, to explain a flame in a clear, engaging, meaningful way so an 11-year-old can understand. More. Friend of Stony Brook Huayi Zhang Pledges $1 Million In what he called an opportunity to "support an important institution in his neighborhood," Huayi Zhang, Ph.D. has established an endowed chair in the Stony Brook School of Medicine. The Zhang Family Endowed Chair in Immunology, created with a $1 million pledge from Dr. Zhang, will allow Stony Brook to recruit a leader to advance the understanding of the immune system in health and disease. Zhang says he believes the School of Medicine has the potential to make breakthroughs in this important field, and the endowed professorship will help the University progress toward that goal. More. Theater Arts Grad Wins Academy Award Alumni Events Thursday, March 15 6:00pm 3rd Annual EOP/AIM Soiree Thursday, March 22 6:00pm AADR Dental Alumni Reception April 25, 2012 Stars of Stony Brook Gala Honoring Ed Harris and The Pollock-Krasner Foundation April 28, 2012 Generation One Reunion Classes '61 to '81 May 11, 2012 School of Nursing: Burn the Floor Performance and Reception University Events 2/12-4/22 Singgalot Exhibition Wednesday, March 14 Writers Speak: Carl Safina Thursday, March 15 Emerson String Quartet 3/16-3/17 Mark Bridges '83 took home an Oscar for Best Achievement in Costume Design on February 26 in Los Angeles for his work on "The Artist." "The Artist," a black and white homage to Hollywood's silent movies, was the big winner of the night receiving Oscars for best picture, best actor, best director, best original score, as well as Mark Bridges' best costume design. More. Classes '61-'81: Come Back to the Brook! Festival of the Moving Body Sunday, March 18 Baroque Sundays at Three Monday, March 19 SUNY Korea Grand Opening Ceremony Wednesday, March 21 Writers Speak: Rachel Pastan Wednesday, March 21 Stony Brook Composers Thursday, March 22 Journey Around the World The guest list of Generation One alums is growing for this historical reunion on April 28. The Alumni office phones are ringing off the hook for requests to help track down classmates, teammates, roommates, and the local hotels are filling up. Don't miss out - register today! More. Friday, March 23 Film: The Artist Film: My Week with Marilyn Sunday, March 25 University Cafe: Blackie and The Rodeo Kings Alum Appointed President of Cornish College of the Arts Nancy Uscher, Ph.D '74 transitioned to an academic career in 1992 and spent 12 years at the University of New Mexico in a variety of positions, including Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department. She was Provost at the California Institute of the Arts for seven years before accepting the position as President at Cornish College of the Arts. As chief administrator of Cornish College, Nancy relishes the opportunity to influence and inspire young students in the way Stony Brook influenced and inspired her. More. April 2 & 4 Defensive Driver Training Complete List of University Events Read or Submit Class Notes Here Lacey Van Dalen '12 NCAA Champion Van Dalen, a senior from Wanganui, New Zealnd, won the mile, giving Stony Brook its first individual national title in any sport. Van Dalen, who crossed the finish line in 4:39.76, held off Aisha Prought of Illinois State (4:39.85) for the title. Victory gives Stony Brook first individual national title in any sport. More. Counting Sharks with Cameras: Reef Sharks Thrive in Marine Reserves A team of scientists, led by the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook, used video cameras to count Caribbean reef sharks inside and outside marine reserves on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef in the Caribbean Sea. Using survey data collected from 200 baited remote underwater video (BRUV) cameras, nicknamed "chum cams," the scientists compared the relative abundance of these reef sharks in two marine reserves with those in two areas where fishing is allowed, and demonstrated that the sharks were more abundant in the reserves. More. Renowned Molecular Biologist Named Director of Stony Brook Cancer Center On March 1, 2012, Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D., a renowned molecular biologist and physician-scientist investigating the molecular mechanisms of cancer, was appointed as the Director of the Stony Brook Cancer Center. More. Winners of Intel Talent Search Mentored by Stony Brook Faculty Connect With Us on Facebook What's Happening on Campus Get Your SBU Gear Here! Nithin Tumma, who was mentored by Stony Brook's Dr. Berhane Ghebrehiwet, has been awarded first prize in the prestigious 2012 Intel Science Talent Search. He worked with Dr. Ghebrehiwet in the Simons Summer Research Program. He will take home a $100,000 scholarship in recognition of his outstanding research relating to breast cancer therapy. Also honored was Alissa Zhang, who worked with Dr. Miriam Rafailovich on nanoparticle toxicity. Alissa finished ninth and won a $20,000 scholarship. More. SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 25 More Information Here Think Ahead. Give Today. Links to more Stony Brook University news and information: Stony Brook University Stony Brook Alumni Association University Advancement Staller Center Seawolves Athletics Charles B. Wang Center About this e-Newsletter Stony Brook Matters is an electronic newsletter for alumni, friends, faculty, and staff of Stony Brook University. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please call us at 1-877-SEA-WOLF or email us at alumni@stonybrook.edu. Subscribe to Stony Brook Matters Did you get this issue from a friend? Sign up to receive your own issue each month. Update Your Information Unsubscribe Privacy Pledge: View our University's Commitment to Privacy Copyright Stony Brook University. All rights reserved.