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ßÙßÇÂþ»­â€™s School of Management team of Robert Pim, Jonathan Heller, Brandon Fine and Ronnie Sanon took first place in the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business undergraduate stock pitch competition, held Oct. 2. Students from across the country pitched stocks with a market cap above $500 million, a daily trading volume of at least 1000,000 shares and a stock price above $2. ßÙßÇÂþ»­â€™s team won the final round, beating out teams from Harvard, Duke, Stanford, Michigan, Virginia and Notre Dame, among others, when it pitched GATX Corporation as a stock to short. GATX is the only publicly traded pure railcar leasing company.

Sandro Sticca, professor of French and comparative literature, was recently honored by the governor of New York state, as well as the New York State Assembly.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a citation in recognition of Professor Sandro Sticca on Sept. 23, 2016, for Sticca’s devotion to educational progress in New York state. The citation praises Sticca’s 50-year teaching career at ßÙßÇÂþ»­, his prolific writings, his fierce love for his Italian heritage and his countless awards and accolades, among many other significant accomplishments.

The Assembly of the State of New York approved a resolution in celebration of the lifetime achievement of Professor Sandro Sticca, signed by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo on Sept. 13, 2016. The proclamation honors Sticca for teaching French and comparative literature at ßÙßÇÂþ»­ for over 50 years, authoring more than 40 books, receiving five international awards and being the first person in North America to be invested into the Knights of Templar. It also recognizes his receipt of honorary degrees from both Utica College and Accademia Internazionale in Italy, his founding of three academic journals, his service to the University and the significant role he has played in celebrating local Italian-American history and culture.

Christiana Hills, a PhD student in translation research and instruction, received a favorable review in the Sunday New York Times Book Review. Her translation of Michele Audin’s novel, One Hundred Twenty-One Days, was characterized as “elegant.”

Assistant professors Sarah Laszlo and Zhanpeng Jin received ~$25K in awards from the National Science Foundation to sponsor full-time undergraduate research assistants for summer 2016. These undergraduates were exposed to cutting-edge research techniques in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, biometrics and cybersecurity. This is the third year that Laszlo and Jin have received NSF awards for summer undergraduate research.

Steve Seepersaud, alumni communications manager in the Division of Advancement, is president of the Communications Association of the Southern Tier (CAST) for 2016-17. CAST is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides networking and development opportunities for professionals in communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, graphic design and related fields. He has served as the organization’s treasurer since 2014.

Elizabeth Celata, doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology, has recently had her young adult fantasy novel, High Summons, published by Clean Reads. The book is the first in the Warlock of Rochester Series. It is available from a number of online outlets.