Victoria Wagner and Nancy Weiner of WPUNJ with Connie Rosenberger of Rowan University at the VALE Users' Conference

Staff members from the Cheng Library were among the presenters and panelists for the 8th annual VALE Users’ Conference at Rutgers University in January 2007.  Participants included Anne Ciliberti, director of the David and Lorraine Cheng Library, and Richard Kearney, “Sharing Information Literacy Materials: The Next Phase;” Jane B. Hutchison, Instruction and Research Technology, Mark Sandford and Tony Joachim, “VALE-ability: A Virtual Media Center for Students and Faculty;” and Richard Kearney, “Pricing and Licensing of Electronic Resources: The Current Environment and Future Possibilities.” Poster sessions were developed by Nancy Weiner and Kathy Malanga, who discussed “Cheng Library and the WPUNJ Campus Community: Campaigning for Collaboration,” and Pamela Theus, who presented a poster session with Pat Murray of Fairleigh Dickinson University titled “WorldCat Collection Analysis Tool.” VALE, the Virtual Academic Library Environment of New Jersey, was founded in 1998 as a consortium of college and university libraries in New Jersey.  William Paterson has been a leader in the VALE project, which currently includes more than 50 libraries.

Armen Donelian, music, spent two weeks at Ingesund Music Teacher’s College in Sweden in November 2006 as a Fulbright Senior Specialist.  While there, Donelian, who is a composer and pianist, taught classes in ear training, theory, ensemble and vocal musicianship.

An exhibition of the work of Ming Fay, art, is currently on display in the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, China, the artist’s hometown. “Floating Reed” focuses on the “concept of garden as a symbol of utopia and the relationship between man and nature.” It draws upon Fay’s “extensive knowledge of plants, both Eastern and Western, real and mythological.”

The William Paterson University Percussion Ensemble, under the director of Payton MacDonald, music, will perform at the New York City Day of Percussion at Queens College on March 24.  The ensemble is also featured on a new CD of percussion ensemble music by composer Michael Udow titled Footprints.  Students featured on the CD include Mark Richardson, Shannon McClure, Joe Bergen, Angel Manzueta, and Dana LaMarca, and alumni Jon Kruzel, Mike Deluccia, and Kelly Drake.

Donna Perry, English, has been awarded a Sasakawa Fellowship by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.  The fellowship will support her participation in the National Faculty Development Institute on “Incorporating Japanese Studies into the Undergraduate Curriculum,” to be held at San Diego State University in June 2007. The institute involves four weeks of intensive seminars, lectures, readings and cultural activities focused on Japanese culture, literature, history, government, business and education.