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Dining Services team captures gold in culinary competition

For a second straight year, a team of chefs from Dining Services won a gold medal in the annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference’s team competition.
 
Pastry chef Simon Stevenson, chef Anthony Jung of Berkshire Dining Commons, chef Shawn Stemp of the University Club, and culinarian Taylor Whittemore of Berkshire Dining Commons topped 12 other teams in the American Culinary Federation-sanctioned event held on campus June 15.
 
The team’s winning four-course meal consisted of pan-fried cod with Meyer lemon parsley vinaigrette, stuffed chicken breast with artichokes, spinach and

New England Public Radio taps Kaufman, Kaplan as news program hosts

New England Public Radio this week announced that Jill Kaufman has been named the permanent local host of Morning Edition and Susan Kaplan is continuing her duties as host for All Things Considered.
 
"Jill and Susan are highly-valued professionals with long experience representing the best in public radio journalism," says Martin Miller, CEO and general manager of New England Public Radio. "I am thrilled they are in these positions because I know they will create great radio for our listeners."


 
Kaufman has been a creative force in developing and producing regional programming, including

Vacanti dance works set for Boston performances

Thomas Vacanti, assistant professor of Dance, will present two of his newest creations, Rinforzare and The Crimson Petal, in Vacanti Ballets on Friday, July 13, and Saturday, July 14 at 8 p.m. at the Boston University Dance Theater.
 
The performance will feature an international cast and guest companies North Atlantic Ballet and LeeRoc Dance.  
 
Rinforzare premiered at Amherst College in March. Set to the music of Michael Torke, this ballet takes a contemporary look at the structures and manners of baroque court dances. The Crimson Petal, which will premiere at the performance, is a

Cahoon steps down as hockey coach; search for successor launched

Hockey head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon stepped down June 19 from his position, according to athletic director John McCutcheon.
 
"Through the course of our recent conversations, coach Cahoon and I mutually agreed that it would be in the program’s best interest for him to take this action at this time,” McCutcheon said. “I want to thank coach Cahoon for his many contributions to UMass and the community. He has positioned the program well for future success, both on and off the ice, and we are excited to continue to build on the foundation that he has put in place.”

“Its been an honor to coach

Obituary: John 'Oscar' Pliska, retired mechanic

John Anthony “Oscar” Pliska, 66, of Hadley, a retired Physical Plant mechanic, died Monday morning at his home surrounded by his family.

Born in Northampton, he graduated from Hopkins Academy and also attended Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.

He served as a sergeant with the Marine Corps in Vietnam and was awarded a Purple Heart.

He was an ASE-certified master mechanic and worked as a motor mechanic II at Physical Plant until his retirement in 2000.

He leaves his wife of 46 years, Joanne (Bohonowicz) Pliska; his son John A. Pliska Jr. of Hadley; his daughter Christine M.

Nagurney gives commencement speech at University of Gothenberg

Anna Nagurney, the John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management at the Isenberg School, gave the master's commencement "diploma" speech on June 14 at the University of Gothenburg's School of Business, Economics and Law to an audience of more than 400.

In her speech, she spoke about "Life as a Network" and the journeys that the degree recipients took to achieve their graduate degrees. She emphasized the importance of hard work and passion, how local action can make a global impact and that chance encounters can lead to great opportunities.

Obituary: Helen Rogerleski, retired dietary worker

Helen S. (Kuminski) Rogerleski, 88, of Northampton, a retired dietary worker at Franklin Dining Commons, died June 12 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Born in Turners Falls, she lived most of her life in South Deerfield.

She retired from campus in 1989 after 13 years of service.

She leaves her daughter, Joanne Trybus of South Hadley; and her sister, Dorothy O'Connor of Chelsea, three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

Memorial donations may be made to the Center for Extended Care Activity Fund, 150 University Dr., Amherst 01002.

Obituary: John Markum, retired technical assistant in Veterinary and Animal Sciences

John M. Markum, 95, of Belchertown, a retired technical assistant in Veterinary and Animal Sciences, died June 7 at home.

Born in Venus, Lithuania, he and his family left Lithuania when he was 13, relocating to Barre. He then moved to Athol for many years, before moving to Belchertown in 1963.

He was hired as a farmhand for the Experiment Station in 1962 and was later promoted to technical assistant in Veterinary and Animal Sciences. He retired in 1980.

He leaves a son, Richard Markum of Whiteford, Md., and a daughter, Pauline Reid of Lenox, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Obituary: Alexander Chajes, professor emeritus of Civil Engineering

Alexander Chajes, 81, professor emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, died June 13.

Born in Vienna, Austria, he was the only child of Johanna and Meier Chajes. When World War II broke out, his parents sought passage to the U.S. In 1940, after two years of trying, his family was fortunate to obtain a visa. 

Because of the war to the west, they traveled east from Vienna with a group of about a dozen Viennese Jews. The two-month trip took them from Vienna to Berlin, then to Moscow and on to Manchuria, China, via the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Badgett testifies before Senate panel in favor of employment non-discrimination act

Economics professor M.V. Lee Badgett, director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on June 12 that Congress should pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because lesbian, gay and bisexual people are nearly as likely to file discrimination complaints as those already protected by federal anti-bias laws.

Badgett was one of five witnesses who provided the Senate committee with testimony related to the proposed bill, which would ban discrimination in hiring and other employment decisions based on sexual

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