Clifford C. Furnas Eminent Professors Fund

Named for a former President of UB, this fund provides stipends to students holding Furnas Memorial Student Research Assistantships in UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In addition, the fund honors professors who are both teaching and conducting research in engineering and applied sciences, providing them with the title of Clifford C. Furnas Eminent Professor.

Professors may hold the title as long as they continues teaching and conducting research at UB, and do not hold another academic title of eminence. More than one professor may concurrently hold the title of Clifford C. Furnas Eminent Professor. These Eminent Professors may each select a qualified student, who may then be funded for the purpose of working with the professor.

The fund is named in honor of Clifford C. Furnas, former Chancellor, President and President Emeritus of the University. He became the ninth chancellor of the private University of Buffalo in 1954. After guiding the University through the merger process with the State University of New York in 1962, Furnas became the first president of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Between 1955 and 1957 he was on a leave of absence to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Eisenhower administration. Furnas was also an author, Olympic athlete, scientist, and expert on guided missiles. He retired from the University of Buffalo in 1966 and died in 1969. 

The fund was established by Mrs. Clifford C. Furnas, Mr. Wilson Greatbatch and the Seymour H. Knox Foundation, Inc.