Steve Abraham of the School of Business faculty is the lead author of the opening chapter in volume 21 of the book series “Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations,” edited by David Lewin and Paul Gollan and published by Emerald Publishing Group. The chapter is titled “Changing Union Representation Election Voting Regimes: What Can We Learn?” Abraham’s co-authors are Lisa A. Schur and Paula B. Voos. In 2010, the National Mediation Board decided to base Railway Labor Act representation election outcomes on a simple majority of those voting, rather than on the majority of all eligible voters, as had been required earlier. This was widely expected to make it easier for unions to win rights to recognition in the railway and airline industries. The authors found that the current voting process is fairer than the old one, but it has not resulted in the expected tide of union success.
An article by David Andrews of the economics department, titled “Natural Price and the Long Run: Alfred Marshall’s Misreading of Adam Smith,” appears in the current issue of the Cambridge Journal of Economics. It challenges Marshall’s interpretation of Smith’s “natural price” as a long run price, arguing instead that natural price must be understood as a reproduction price, the price that is just sufficient to maintain an ongoing supply of a commodity to the market.
Art faculty member Amy Bartell, assistant director of Tyler Art Gallery, traveled to Washington State University this week to work with students in the Compton Union Building art gallery five hours a day as part of the university’s “It Starts Now” campaign. The effort aims to promote commitment to a culture of acceptance and understanding, particularly as it concerns people often discriminated against based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The collage Bartell and her team are creating will be unveiled at a reception Friday. She formerly created art pieces at Washington State that hang in the recreation center and a lounge at the union. Bartell has done murals with students at other institutions, as well, including Wells College, pictured.
Mallory Bower, associate director of career services, was one of 20 professionals selected from around the country to make a presentation at the National Association of Campus Activities 2015 conference, held last week in Minneapolis. Her topic was “It Takes a Village: ‘Raising’ Employable College Graduates Through Involvement.” Because many hiring managers report that college graduates are unprepared for the workforce and do not come equipped with the skills businesses need, Bower explored using campus involvement as a way for students to gain experience and transferable skills and prepare for the workforce. Participants came away with practical applications based on the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ research on the “Candidate Skills/Qualities Employers Want.”
Shashi Kanbur, professor of physics, is co-author of a paper, titled “Morphology and Metallicity of the Small Magellanic Cloud Using RRab Stars,” that has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Main Journal, a leading refereed journal in the field published by Oxford University Press. The lead author is Sukanto Deb and other co-authors are H.P. Singh and Subhas Kumar, all of the University of Delhi.
John MacDonald of the School of Business faculty received a $2,000 grant from the Robert P. Ashlock Memorial Fund. The fund’s purpose is to help with the development of risk management and insurance programs in higher education. At Oswego, the funding will assist in producing a graphic novel relying on the interdisciplinary efforts and talents of graphic arts, creative writing and risk management and insurance students and faculty. The project aims to show a variety of high school students and insurance industry personnel just how SUNY Oswego produces talented people for the future. The Robert P. Ashlock Memorial Fund is provided through the Griffith Insurance Education Foundation. It is, in turn, associated with The Institutes, which is affiliated with the Commercial Property and Casualty Underwriters Association.
Amy McHugh of the communications studies department was invited, along with two students from her “Intercultural Communication” course, COM 422, to speak in December at the Collaborative Online International Learning Symposium at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan. She spoke about the collaborative project and how it affected pedagogy and outcomes, while the students, Alyson Costanza and Marissa Sarbak (pictured with McHugh, far left, and Kansai University students), discussed how their intercultural collaboration affected them.
In Memoriam
Carolyn S. Bridgers, 84, who formerly worked for the Oswego Alumni Association, died Feb. 4 in North Carolina.