Department of Chemistry

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Sherry Chemler, PhD, is an internationally renowned organic chemist recognized for her pioneering work employing sustainable, earth-abundant copper compounds that catalyzed the enantioselective synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen-containing cyclic organic molecules that are critical for the pharmaceutical industry. In 2017, Chemler received the prestigious American Chemical Society (ACS) Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award for achievement in organic chemistry.  Her research has been continuously supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2006, and her more than 80 peer-reviewed publications have over 8,400 citations. Chemler is an associate editor for Science Advances (AAAS) and has served on the ACS’s Organic Letters advisory board. She served as a member of the NIH’s Synthetic and Biological Chemistry study section from 2013-2017.

Department of Linguistics

Jean-Pierre Koenig, PhD, is a professor of linguistics who studies the organization and use of words in languages ranging from English to Oneida. His work has focused on how the structure and meaning of verbs vary in different languages and how readers make use of vocabulary, particularly words with multiple meanings, as they read. In his current comprehensive study of the Oneida language structure, Koenig challenges the idea that certain properties of language are universal. He has published contributions to many language sciences disciplines, including to the “Grande Grammaire du français,” the largest comprehensive grammar of French written in the past 100 years. In 2024, Koenig was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Kemper Lewis, PhD, is dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Lewis is a global leader in engineering design, system optimization and advanced manufacturing. He served on the National Academies Panel on Benchmarking the Research Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering. He has published more than 200 refereed journal articles and conference proceedings and has been principal or co-principal investigator on grants totaling over $33 million. He has received numerous awards recognizing his teaching and research excellence including the 2019 ASME Donald N. Zwiep Innovation in Education Award and 2017 ASME Design Automation Award.

Department of Biochemistry

Gabriela Popescu, PhD, is a professor of biochemistry and clinical professor of anesthesiology. Popescu is a leading expert in molecular neuroscience whose research centers around NMDA receptors, which have essential roles in memory formation and learning and their dysfunction results in severe neuropsychiatric disorders, including stroke, neurodegenerative conditions, chronic pain and addiction. Her research has helped establish direct correlations between the biophysical properties of NMDA receptors and mechanisms for synaptic transmission and plasticity to guide strategies that maintain and restore neuropsychiatric health and wellbeing. A leader in the field of biophysics and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Popescu has served as president of the Biophysical Society since February 2024.

Department of Medicine

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Infectious Disease Society of America, Thomas Russo, MD, is a SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of infectious diseases. Russo is an innovative translational researcher whose work has focused on gram-negative bacterial and antibiotic-resistant infections and on developing targeted vaccines and drugs. He also led the team that discovered the first biomarkers that help identify hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumonaie, an emerging life-threatening pathogen. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration. As a leading international authority on infectious disease, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he shared his expertise and educated the university, health care providers, businesses, and the public about how best to manage the crisis.

University Libraries

University sciences librarian and liaison for geology and environment and sustainability, Frederick Stoss serves the university, the library profession and the community, guided by a deep commitment to education, equity, access, social justice, environmental responsibility and stewardship. His experience as a researcher in toxicology and environmental health has provided Stoss with extensive insights that have contributed to the academic success and professional and personal growth of UB faculty, students and staff in the areas of research, teaching and learning. He has served as the chair of the Special Libraries Association’s Environmental Information Division, American Library Association’s Task Force on the Environment, and Atmospheric Science Librarians International. In 2024, Stoss was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Department of Communication

Janet Yang, PhD, professor of communication, studies how people perceive risks related to science, health and environmental topics. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and received numerous top paper awards. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, among others. Yang has received many awards that recognize her contributions, including, in the last five years alone, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Hillier Krieghbaum Under 40 Award, Society for Risk Analysis Chauncey Starr Award, and the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication Lewis Donohew Outstanding Scholar in Health Communication Award. In 2024, Yang was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.