As the gracious hostess of Waldemere Hall, which is at the epicenter of UB’s cultural life, Ms. Salonen must be prepared for everything, from weddings to the annual children’s Christmas party and from Board of Trustees meetings to hosting heads of state. Ms. Salonen makes sure that the house is appropriately decorated, the food is delicious and well served, the seating is comfortable, and most importantly, that everyone feels welcome.

  Besides being hostess extraordinaire, Ms. Salonen has so far taken up three major projects, two of which serve the UB community directly and the third being an international humanitarian project. Recently, Ms. Salonen has revived the UB Women’s Forum, a service-oriented group open to all current or retired UB female employees or their female spouses. "The women on campus are so impressive in their talents and ideas and willingness to work together," said Ms. Salonen.

  An organizing committee is planning for a campus-wide meeting this spring. The goal of the forum is to serve the needs of women on campus, provide a vehicle to do service projects and fundraisers, and bring speakers to the campus.

  Ms. Salonen is also a new member of the La Danza committee, a Latin American dance group that is part of the Barnum Festival. On March 9 there will be a La Danza fundraiser/dance lesson given in the Social Room of the Cox Student Center and open to the public.

  A third service project to which she brings her talents and warmth is the Godparents Association, Inc., which she founded in 1998 after a trip to Uganda. The purpose of the group is to stop female genital mutilation, which Ms. Salonen says "completely limits girls’ lives and is a major trauma." The purpose of the genital cutting is preparation for marriage, she said, and the girls usually drop out of school after the dangerous ritual. The association raises funds for girls who choose not to undergo the mutilation so they can continue their education. Sometimes the organization rescues girls from being cut against their will. The cost of supporting a girl for a year is $300 and is tax-deductible. A photo of the sponsored girl is given to the donor, who becomes a "godparent" to the girl. "The purpose of the donation is to begin a relationship with a girl so Godparents can take care of her as if she were their daughter," said Ms. Salonen.