The Voice

Authorities are investigating the apparent murder of former UUP member Richard Antoun, who was stabbed to death in his office on the SUNY Binghamton campus Dec. 4. He was 77.

A 46-year-old post-graduate student and Saudi national, Abdulsalam al-Zahrani, was arraigned in the Town of Vestal Court, Broome County, on charges of second-degree murder.

Media reports quote other students and faculty describing the suspect as acting erratically in the days before the fatal assault. He was reportedly upset about not getting financial aid.

Antoun had retired as a full-time anthropology professor in 2000, but continued to conduct research. He had been a faculty member since the 1970s.

“We deeply regret the tragic death that took place as we would the loss of life on any of our campuses,” UUP President Phillip Smith said. “Our hearts go out to Dr. Antoun’s family and his university and union colleagues, who are deeply saddened by this tragic event.”

Each year, SUNY and numerous academic and professional groups honor hundreds of UUPers for outstanding accomplishments in their disciplines, on campus and in the communities.

The Voice is pleased to recognize three of these members this month.

• Lawrence Fialkow of SUNY New Paltz has been granted the rank of distinguished professor of mathematics and computer science. The distinguished professor designation is conferred on individuals who have achieved national or international prominence in a chosen field.

Fialkow, a 2001 recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence, is an accomplished mathematics scholar who has achieved worldwide recognition for his seminal research in functional analysis.

Every year, SUNY and numerous academic and professional organizations honor hundreds of UUPers for top accomplishments in their disciplines, on campus and in their communities. The Voice is pleased to recognize four of these members here.

• Laura Kaminsky, a professor of music at Purchase State College and a world-renowned composer, recently took part in a two-week fellowship in Russia designed to help promote Russian culture in the U.S. The fellowship was awarded by the Likhachev Foundation.

• Roxana Pisiak, a professor of humanities at Morrisville State College, recently earned a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes professors who show scholarship and growth and a commitment to students.

• Patrick Regan, a professor of political science at Binghamton University, has written a new book, Sixteen Million One: Understanding Civil War (Paradigm, 2009). Regan draws from a decade of research on civil conflicts to explore the conditions that would drive individuals to take on the life of a rebel.

President Barack Obama recently recognized two UUP members with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The award is the highest honor bestowed by the federal government to researchers in the early stages of their careers.

Honored were Elizabeth Boon, an assistant professor of chemistry at SUNY Stony Brook, and Scott Craver, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Binghamton University. Winning researchers receive a grant of $200,000 per year for up to five years to further their study in support of critical government missions.

PECASE winners are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology, and for their commitment to community service.

“UUP has always been proud of the work undertaken by its members,” UUP President Phillip Smith said. “Now the rest of the nation knows about SUNY’s outstanding young researchers.”