Faculty showcase research endeavors

Imagine having to scan 100,000 old pictures to create a digital archive and help restore history. That is what Kaylene Waite and her team of researchers, Bruce Fox, Eric Todaro and Jennifer Kuloy, have been completing for the past year.            

The group showcased their work alongside many other faculty members as part of the Research and Creativity Fall Forum that was held Thursday during Bengal Pause.  

"Courier Express was a newspaper that went out in 1980, and we have over 100,000 images in the basement library and none of them are digitized, so we are scanning them all in so that faculty and students can look at the images and see all these things from history," Waite said.  

The 12th annual Research and Creativity Fall Forum hosted about 170 presenters and 140 presentations total, said Ted Turkle, vice president of research administration of economic development.

"What fascinates me is what all these people are doing on campus, and there is very little known about what their projects are," Turkle said. "Almost every year there are new and different projects. I find the hardest thing is trying to get to each one, and each person deserves the time for their hard work."

Provost Dennis Ponton presented the welcome speech for the forum, congratulating all the efforts and hard work of the researchers and their presentations.   

"It is one of the highlights of our academic year," Ponton said. "It is a day where our faculty and staff working with each other, working with people across the community to present their research and their creative works. It's just astounding to see the richness and depth of what we do, just a wonderful day."

Students were also encouraged to attend by their professors. Criminal justice major Nobi Thomas attended because he wanted to see his professor's work.He discussed how well a presentation by Robert Delprino combined aspects of psychology and criminal justice into one.

"My overall experience at the symposium was great," Thomas said. "I had the chance to talk to several of my professors here and see their presentations. It was cool to witness them step outside of a teaching attitude and almost take on a student-like role, researching a topic and presenting it to the general public."

"It really showcases Buffalo State's faculty-to-student connection and also displays their dedication to the subjects they teach."

Next year's fall forum will have to take place in a different location due to renovations being done in the Houston Gym, said Turkle. More pictures and information from this event are located on the Buffalo State website.  

Shari Ingles can be reached by email at ingles.record@live.com.