Faculty and Staff Achievements Roundup: Chase Inducted into Plaza of Stars

This is the first in a monthly series highlighting the honors and achievements of Buffalo State University faculty and staff members. The roundup is compiled from the previous months’ submissions to the Daily Bulletin.

Anthony Chase, assistant dean in Buffalo State University’s School of Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the Buffalo Theater District’s Plaza of Stars during the kickoff to the 41st anniversary celebration of Curtain Up! on September 9 in downtown Buffalo. The ceremony, held inside Shea’s 710 Theatre, was hosted by the award-winning actor, director, and former Plaza of Stars inductee Stephen McKinley Henderson. The Plaza of Stars honors Buffalo’s most talented and influential individuals in theater, including Christine Baranski, Michael Bennett, Saul Elkin, A. R. Gurney, Lorna C. Hill, and Vincent O’Neill.

“The School of Arts and Sciences is very proud of Tony’s accomplishments and ties to the theater world,” said Kelly Frothingham, interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “His induction to the Plaza of Stars is a well-deserved honor.”

Chase, who teaches theater history and graduate-level drama studies, is the founder and producer of the Artie Awards, which for 33 years have recognized excellence in Western New York theater while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local AIDS charities. He has served as the host of Theater Talk on WBFO-FM 88.7 for more than 30 years, providing commentary on theater in Western New York, Southern Ontario, and across the continent. His reviews can be seen on his popular website theatertalkbuffalo.com.

In addition to Chase’s induction, here are other recent outstanding achievements by Buffalo State faculty members:

Annemarie Franczyk, associate professor of journalism, was named a 2024 Faculty Champion by the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont. She was among 38 honorees recognized for helping forge a sustainable future for local news through university-led reporting programs.

Joelle Leclaire, professor and chair of the Economics and Finance Department, gave an invited presentation, “U.S. Economic and Financial Trends and Forecasts: Fall 2024,” at the National Autonomous University of Mexico - Centre for North American Studies international seminar, The Impact of U.S. Polycrisis on Mexico-US Bilateral Relationship, held at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, on August 13. Leclaire, also gave an invited presentation in French, “C’est quoi la dette du gouvernement? (What Is Government Debt?),” as part of a seminar series at the Centre d’Economie de l’Université Paris Nord in Paris, France, on June 10.

Ji Young Lee, associate professor of fashion and textile technology, has published two journal articles: “Saving Brick-and-Mortar Retail: Effects of ‘Consumer-Engaged’ Retail-tainment on Consumers’ Store Perceptions and Store Loyalty,” published in the International Journal of Costume and Fashion and “Artificial Intelligence-Powered Chatbots in the Fashion Sector: The Affect-Behavior-Cognition Model of Attitudes,” published in Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal.

Thomas J. Reigstad, professor emeritus of English, gave the invited presentation “Mark Twain’s Haunts in Western New York” as part of the Buffalo Humanities Festival: Hauntings at the downtown Central Library on Saturday, September 21. Buffalo State was a presenting partner of the festival.

Dana Faye Serure, assistant professor of history and social studies education, published an online article, “Inquiry Design Method: Teaching September 11, 2001 and Post-9/11 History with Children’s & Youth Literature,” in the journal The Social Studies.

Steven S. Sypniewski, assistant campus planner and manager of Buffalo State’s Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum, received the 2024 Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional of the Year award from the New York State Nursery and Landscape Association. The award, which recognizes an individual’s extraordinary commitment to the green industry, his or her family and community, and the betterment of others through the Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional Program, was bestowed at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York, on August 21. 

Vida Vanchan, interim associate dean of the School of the Professions, director of the Buffalo State Global Studies Institute, and professor of geosciences, coauthored the paper “Localised Waste Reduction Networks, Global Destruction Networks and the Circular Economy,” published in the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society. 

Jie Zhang, SUNY Distinguished Professor of sociology and director of Buffalo State’s Center for China Studies, and coauthor Wang Wei published their paper “Believing in Religion as a Source of Value Strains among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study” in the journal Mental Health, Religion & Culture. Zhang also published the article “Validation of the Malay Version of the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 among Malaysian Undergraduates” in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry, and the paper “Impact of Position in Family on Suicide: A Case-Control Psychological Autopsy Study among Chinese Rural Youths” in the journal Depression and Anxiety. Together with Jill Norivilitis, professor of psychology, Zhang also published the paper “Self-Perception of Academic Ability and ADHD Symptoms in College Students in China and the United States: A Preliminary Study” in the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. 

Anthony Chase and husband Javier Bustillos pose by Chase’s star in the Plaza of Stars.

Photo by Joe Casco, courtesy of the Theatre District Association of WNY.