The Pondside III Residence Hall has a new award to go with its LEED Silver Certification.

AIANH (American Institute of Architects, New Hampshire chapter) gave the building an honor award for excellence in design. Architects were Lavallee Brensinger of Manchester and Newman Architects of New Haven, Connecticut.

Jim Kraly, assistant professor in chemistry, received a $10,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Conference National College Grants Program to purchase a Raman Systems spectrometer.

This new piece of equipment will be used both in the laboratory and the classroom to give students hands-on experience in forensic chemistry with state-of-the-art instrumentation – while also highlighting the need for miniaturized measurement systems for field applications beyond the chemistry laboratory.

The College's Circle K community service club made and donated 55 fleece blankets for children at the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI) in Boston.

Circle K, the college version of Kiwanis, donates handmade items to the hospital every year, including blankets, welcome tote bags, and trauma dolls. The club also donates money, but homemade items are especially important, because they make the hospital a more comfortable place.

KPTI is part of Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen visited campus on February 5 to tour the new biodiesel quality-testing laboratory at the Monadnock Biodiesel Collaborative (MBC). Shaheen secured $100,000 for MBC, a clean energy production and education partnership between the College, the City of Keene, and biodiesel producers.

The College and the city estimate savings from using the locally produced biofuel could be in excess of $160,000 annually, and the MBC will donate a significant amount of heating oil to area citizens in need of fuel assistance.

The program will also divert hundreds of thousands of gallons of waste grease from landfills in the region and improve air quality and public health in all locations where the fuel is burned.

A percentage of sales revenue will help support curricular work and the ongoing research efforts of Keene State faculty and their collaborators.

Dan Patterson, professor of theatre and dance, received the National Critic's Fellowship from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival this year and will attend the national conference in D.C. this spring.

In addition, at the regional level, student Allie Relihan was one of 36 performers (out of nearly 300 auditioners) to move on to the Irene Ryan semifinal round, and she also won the Voice and Speech Trainers' Association Award for vocal excellence.

Molly Chase won the Alcone Award for makeup and hair design for her work on The Threepenny Opera.

Kimberly Harte received a regional merit certificate as outstanding vocal coach for The Threepenny Opera.

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