Arkeilpane Named UB Athletics Director

` BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Robert J. Arkeilpane has been named director of the Division of Athletics at the University at Buffalo following a nationwide search.

He succeeds Nelson E. Townsend, who accepted the position of associate vice president for student affairs and special assistant to the president last year.

In announcing Arkeilpane's appointment, President William R. Greiner said he was very pleased by the outcome of the nationwide search.

"We had a very effective search, which produced excellent candidates from around the country," he noted. "Bob Arkeilpane has a national reputation for excellence, is extremely knowledgeable and has an excellent record of achievement here at UB and in his prior work. He is very well-regarded by his peers around the country.

"Bob's candidacy was strongly supported by the leadership of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), and he has overwhelming local support both at UB and in the Western New York community," Greiner added. "He's the right person for the position as we complete the job of developing our Division I-A athletics program."

Arkeilpane, who has served as interim director of athletics for the past 10 months, came to UB in 1995 as associate athletics director for the Division of Athletics. Previously, he was assistant athletics director at Miami University of Ohio, which is a member of the MAC, and assistant athletics director for development at California State University at Fullerton. He also held development positions with the University of Cincinnati Foundation and the University at Buffalo Foundation.

He earned a bachelor of science degree in speech communication from Syracuse University, where he was a four-year letterman on the varsity football team, and a master of sports administration degree from Ohio University, another MAC institution.

Reporting to the president and senior vice president, Arkeilpane will have overall responsibility for all intercollegiate athletic, recreational and intramural athletics programs. Working with the Intercollegiate Athletics Board, he will develop and evaluate programs and policies, develop strategic plans for establishing the UB athletics program in the Mid-American Conference, and recruit, supervise, and evaluate coaches and other staff.

Starting this fall, football will join the 17 other UB sports that began competition in the Mid-American Conference in 1998. Baseball and softball are slated to be added this fall as intercollegiate sports at UB, but they will not begin competing in the MAC until 2001.