Professor Goes by the Book in Gift to the UB Department of Communication

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Gerald Goldhaber, associate professor of communication in the University at Buffalo School of Informatics, has donated the royalties of the current and future editions of his textbook "Organizational Communication" to create a discretionary fund for students in the school's Department of Communication.

The gift marks the first time UB has received a written agreement for a donation based on current and future royalties from a book, according to Ed Schneider, executive director of the UB Foundation.

Goldhaber's textbook, which first was published in 1974, now is in its seventh edition. Already, the gift has generated a payment of nearly $20,000 in royalties, with several thousand dollars more expected this academic year, and Goldhaber is confident it will continue to provide many thousands of dollars for years to come.

George Barnett, chair of the communication department, said that Goldhaber's gift is earmarked to support communication students in activities in pursuit of their careers, such as providing funds for travel to academic conferences and to present research findings.

"It will provide greater visibility for our outstanding students and programs at UB and will help in job placement for students and in recruitment of students to UB," he said. "The gift means that the Department of Communication will be able to compete with our peer institutions for the highest-quality graduate students."

Goldhaber said the gift was a good way to combine his scholarship and teaching with a way to help UB students, since "the royalties received from the book come from students buying the book, and I figured this was the best way to target the donation."

He said he also hopes his donation will spur other faculty to consider donating to UB the income from their books or scholarly works. He was inspired to give to the School of Informatics because of its tremendous growth under Dean David Penniman.

"We have a very engaging and talented faculty, a tireless and visionary and loving dean, and most importantly, an exciting and challenging student body dedicated to the study of the creation and exchange of information and its effects on society," Goldhaber said. "We are organizing our thousands of alumni for the first time, we are reaching out to the private and public sectors very aggressively for support, we have and are continuing to develop cutting-edge, state-of-the art curricular offerings and degrees, and we are starting to attract graduate students who previously would not consider UB."

Goldhaber is former chair and current director of graduate studies for the communication department. He has written or edited 10 books in the field of communication, and is a frequent lecturer. He has served as vice president of the International Communication Association and is a member of several marketing and communications organizations.

The gift from Goldhaber is part of "The Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation." Entering its final phase, the campaign is well positioned to achieve its $250 million goal, having raised nearly $210 million. Campaign goals include enriched academic programs, increased scholarships and fellowships and an enhanced university life.

For information on how you can support the University at Buffalo, go to http://www.buffalo.edu/giving.