UB to host Military Veteran Preview Day

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo invites veterans and active duty or reserve members of the U.S. armed forces to attend a university-wide Military Veteran Preview Day on Nov. 14 in the Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus.

UB is ranked No. 23 among national universities in the U.S. News and World Report’s listing of “Best Colleges for Veterans.” The ranking evaluates schools that participate in federal initiatives to help veterans and active service members apply, pay for and complete their degrees.

“The purpose of the day is to expose veterans to the many undergraduate and graduate and professional programs here at UB and to provide a glimpse into the many support services available to them,” says Daniel Ryan, event co-organizer and director of UB’s Off-Campus Student Services and Veteran Services.

The sessions will open at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast and welcome, followed by guest speaker Army veteran Donald Herzog, UB director of sponsored projects services, at 9:25 a.m.  Herzog will discuss his transition from West Point to UB.  At 10 a.m., UB Veterans Support will provide information on how the university helps veterans with their on- and off-campus needs.

The afternoon will feature a networking lunch at 12:30 p.m. with veteran employers and alumni.  The day’s keynote speaker will be Patrick J. Long, a U.S. Navy officer who earned a law degree at UB in 2000, practiced law at Hodgson Russ in Buffalo and is now teaching legal writing, analysis and research in the UB Law School.

A Student Veterans of America (SVA) Art Show and reception from 5-8 p.m. in the Alfiero Center’s first floor atrium will close the event.  The show will feature the work of Vietnam veteran Joe Ruszala, whose photos of veterans’ tattoos reveal their experiences and sacrifices.

Last semester, the university held a successful smaller-scale event, the UB School of Management’s Military MBA Veteran Preview Day. Organized by Erin O’Brien, assistant dean and director of graduate programs in the UB School of Management, the event recruited four veterans among a class of 100 full-time MBAs.

“As our military personnel transition out of their service, education is a great bridge to their future civilian career,” says O’Brien, who is co-organizing this year’s university-wide event.  

“UB, with a wide range of academic options and degree programs, can provide our military and veteran students with the opportunity to transfer skills hard-earned in service to an eventual career in their field of interest.”

The university encourages the enrollment of incoming veterans with nearly 400 veteran students enrolled and receiving GI benefits.  The leadership and problem-solving skills these veteran’s possess are not only sought after by UB, but by future employers as well, O’Brien noted.

“UB is a great school for veterans,” says Jacob Silver, a veteran and junior year biomedical science major at UB. After serving four years in the Marine Corps, Silver was ready to move on with the rest of his life. Silver applied to UB with no regrets.

“I cannot say enough about the staff support that are present here at UB. From credit evaluation to financial aid to using my benefits, there is always someone available on this campus to help me out,” Silver says.