In addition to all the alumni who came back to campus for Homecoming, several returned to share their talents and expertise with students and other members of the Binghamton University community.

Alumni authors return

The Creative Writing Program brought two alumni readers to Binghamton this October:

Dana Wilde, MA '85, PhD '95, a recipient of the 1995 award for Distinguished Dissertation in the Humanities and Fine Arts, came to campus to read selections from his work Oct. 22. He has been a Fulbright Scholar in China, and in the mid-1990s was assistant professor of English at the American University in Bulgaria, where he taught writing and literature and directed the creative writing program for students from the Balkans and newly independent Eastern European nations. Wilde's travels and reading tours took him to Romania, Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, Egypt, Korea and Italy. His writings have appeared in such publications as The North American Review, Exquisite Corpse, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Quest, Xavier Review and The Journal of Modern Literature, and in two small press collections of poetry and fiction. His first book, Infinities, is forthcoming soon from Phanes Press. He has worked as a newspaper editor and publishing house manager, coached college basketball and taught at various colleges and universities in his home state of Maine, where he grew up and always returns. He lives with his wife and son in Troy, Maine, teaches at the University of Maine, and is writing a book covering the practical and personal components of reading mystical literature. To read a sample of his work, go to http://english.binghamton.edu/readers-series/Fall 2002/Wilde.htm

Robert Mooney, MA '82, PhD '97, both a graduate of the BU Creative Writing Program and a former director of that program, came to campus to read selections from his work Oct. 29. He is director of the O'Neill Literary House at Washington College, where he is also an assistant professor of English and creative writing. Mooney just published his first novel, Father of the Man (Pantheon Books, 2002). The book is set in Binghamton; a BC Transit bus is hijacked by its driver, a dispirited WWII vet who seeks thereby to focus the government's attention on his son, Jom, who is MIA in Vietnam. Publishers Weekly ran a review that described the book as "a solid effort" and described its author as "a promising newcomer." To read a sample of his work, go to http://english.binghamton.edu/readers-series/Fall%202002/Mooney.htm

For more information on the Creative Writing Program Readers' Series, go to http://english.binghamton.edu/readers-series.

Alumna speaks about a career in public service

Elizabeth D. Jacobson '70, a former acting senior adviser for science at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who served for 10 years as deputy director of science in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, spoke at the breakfast meeting of the Harpur Forum at the Binghamton Club Oct. 16. She also spoke to undergraduate and graduate students about public service work on campus that day. As acting senior adviser for science, Jacobson played a leadership role in coordinating the FDA's bioterrorism efforts. Jacobson is the recipient of the 2001 Edward Weisband Distinguished Alumna Award for Public Service of Contributions to Public Affairs. She was profiled in the spring 2002 issue of the Binghamton Alumni Journal.

Native American writers and readings

Susan Deer Cloud '79, '82, adjunct professor in the creative writing program, read from Sister Nations: Native American Women Writers on Community Oct. 14 in the University Union's Susquehanna Room. Deer Cloud contributed two pieces, "Her Pocahontas" and "Doe Season," to the book. She was joined by Libby Tucker, associate professor of English, who read from her own writings about her Cherokee background. The event offered an open-microphone opportunity for audience members to share experiences that celebrate the concept of community. The reading was sponsored by the Multicultural Resource Center.

Women engineers speak about life "Beyond the Classroom"

Women alumni engineers returned to campus to share stories about their professional experiences in technical careers Oct. 11 at a student-initiated activity for Homecoming 2002, "Beyond the Classroom: Watson Graduates After Graduation." Speakers included Geraldine MacDonald '68, '73, vice president, Global Access Networks, America Online, Inc.; Sedessia Spivey '85, president, S&W Innovative Solutions, Inc.; and Dawn Sutherlin '00, process engineer and laser safety officer, Corning, Inc. Designed to resonate with all students and alumni, the program provided special inspiration for other women launching technical careers. It was sponsored by the Binghamton chapter of the Society of Women Engineers in partnership with the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science.