Date: 02/28/2005

Lewis Aptekar, professor of counselor education, was among the 20 leading scientists who shared their latest research findings on altruism in a global context at the 34th annual conference of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last week. Aptekar discussed the lessons he learned while working for two years with people in Ethiopia displaced by civil war. Contact Aptekar at laptekar@email.sjsu.edu.

Political Science Professor Larry Gerston reports that he is team-teaching a course this semester with Bob Foster, president of Southern California Edison, who is also an SJSU alumnus ('69) and a trustee for the California State University system. The course is on public policy, with a focus on energy policies. Says Gerston, "The students are so excited -- Foster has them "growing in their seats." Contact Gerston at lgerston@email.sjsu.edu.

M.E. Fayad, professor of computer engineering, organized and chaired a workshop on Software Stability: Timeless Architectures and System of Patterns at the third ACS/IEEE International Conference on Computer Systems and Applications, in Cairo, Egypt. While in Cairo, Fayad also presented a talk on his research in software engineering at the National Science Foundation workshop on Promoting Collaborative Research in Computers and Communications Between USA and Middle East. Contact him at m.fayad@sjsu.edu.

Jacqueline Thurston, professor of art and design, has an exhibition of her photographic work at the San Jos?? Museum of Art, continuing through June 19. Thurston's work captures human experience and encourages viewers to consider the enigmas and paradoxes of life and death.