Leadership

Dr. Venu Govindaraju is Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY). Govindaraju’s expertise is in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and his seminal work in handwriting recognition was at the core of the first handwritten address interpretation system used by the U.S. Postal Service. He has led sponsored projects, funded by federal agencies and high-tech companies, totaling about ^$100M during his career.

Govindaraju is PI on the ^$20M federally funded National AI Institute for Exceptional Education at UB. He holds six patents and has received several major professional awards. Govindaraju has co-authored over 460 scientific papers.

Jessica Best leads the university’s Sponsored Projects Services organization to manage all external proposal submissions and awards to UB.

As director of the Center for Computational Research, Matt Jones manages the day-to-day operations of this leading academic supercomputing center, as well as overseeing its research activities. 

Rich Karalus oversees the management and administration of compliance policies as they relate to the university's research activities. He's also the primary liaison with federal, state and other regulatory agencies and works collaboratively with our Environment, Health and Safety department.

Tracy guides and oversees all VPRED communications, marketing, and digital activity to increase our ability to proactively address opportunities and sustain growth.

Katia directs strategies for VPRED programs supporting research continuity, major equipment investments, and limited submissions.

Carol executes tasks targeted to increase UB research expenditures by 2030, working closely with leading UB Centers and Institutes to develop targeted strategies to grow critical research initiatives and establish long-term funding streams for sustainability.

As Associate Vice President for Research Advancement, Chitra Rajan oversees special initiatives including the Communities of Excellence and the Creative Arts Initiative. She also supervises the Office of Research Advancement and facilitaties large-scale, multidisciplinary grant proposals. 

Murali is a critical contact for faculty in matters related to human subjects research and the IRB, in addition to maintaining his role as Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Neurology.

Amy Schmit serves as Venu's chief-of-staff. She works across the unit to support faculty, staff and students engaged in research and economic development initiatives.

As Senior Associate Vice President for Economic Development, Per Stromhaug leads UB’s economic development strategy and initiatives. He oversees the Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships team, which connects companies and startups to UB resources to help businesses grow.

Albert oversees regulatory support efforts, helping faculty and staff to enable high-quality research and overseeing UB's Lab Animal Facilities and the Office of Research Compliance, in conjunction with his role as a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Tom Wendt oversees the Research Information Systems (RIS) office. Tom is an IT professional with more than 30 years experience. He has several IT related certifications and has served on many professional committees locally, statewide and nationally.