Media Advisory: UB’s Prosperity Scholars meet with key figures on strengthening Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y – Twenty-nine of the Prentice Family Foundation’s prosperity scholars – some of the University at Buffalo’s brightest students – will meet with key Western New York groups and city officials this week to learn what role they can play in improving Buffalo.

Throughout the week of Jan. 19, students will be introduced to the opportunities within Western New York through the lenses of five of the region’s key issues: diversity and immigration, innovation, environment, public education and health.

Topics will range from how to make a tech idea into a startup, to understanding the impact refugee resettlement has on the revival of Buffalo’s Grant Street.

The Prentice Family Foundation’s Western New York Prosperity Scholarship is the largest annual gift given to UB, investing more than $500,000 per year and up to $25,000 per student per year.

The scheduled events for the week include:

• Monday, Jan. 19: Panel Presentation on Diversity, Immigration and Refugee Integration at the Colored Musicians Club, 145 Broadway, Buffalo, 9 a.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 20: Panel Presentation on Entrepreneurship at Design Innovation Garage (DIG), 740 Ellicott St., Buffalo, 9 a.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 21: Panel Discussion on Western New York Environmental Opportunities and Challenges, in UB’s Silverman Library, 108 Capen Hall, North Campus, 9 a.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 22: Panel Presentation on Public Education, at the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, 742 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, 9 a.m.
• Friday, Jan. 23: Panel Discussion on Health, at UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, Bruce Holm Conference Room, 701 Ellicott St., Buffalo, 9 a.m.

Participating organizations include Explore Buffalo, Launch NY, One Region Forward, Buffalo Niagara Partnership and more.

For a list of panelists, contact Marcene Robinson at 716-645-4595 or marcener@buffalo.edu.

“Our students may have heard about these topics, but we want them to understand the true challenges and opportunities in Buffalo,” says Hadar Borden, administrative director of the Undergraduate Academies, which houses the Prosperity Scholars. “Our goal is to show students how they can use their talents and academic experience to impact change in the community.”

The Western New York Prosperity Scholarship was created to fund the studies of entrepreneurial and civic-minded students at UB. The scholarship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate their commitment to the Western New York community.

The award is open to all undergraduates of at least junior standing. Eligible graduate programs include the School of Management, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and School of Architecture and Planning.

To learn more, visit http://academies.buffalo.edu/wnyprosperity/apply.php.