UB statement on the tragic deaths of Dr. Daniels and his daughters

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The entire University at Buffalo community is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of our colleague, Dr. Jonathan Daniels, who served as associate director of admissions in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and his daughters, Jordan and Jensen. Jordan received her MBA degree from the UB School of Management in May.

We offer our heartfelt condolences to Dr. Daniels’ wife, Janessa Givens Daniels, who serves as UB’s senior associate director of financial aid, and their daughter Jillian, a 2020 UB graduate, and we wish Janessa a full and quick recovery from injuries suffered in the fire.

“As a university community, our collective hearts are broken with the devastating tragedy that claimed the life of beloved faculty member, Dr. Daniels and his two cherished daughters, one of whom is an alumna,” said UB President Satish K. Tripathi. “Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with Janessa as we pray for her full recovery.”

“Dr. Daniels was a treasured colleague, physician, mentor and friend, and his absence will leave an unfillable hole in our school community,” said Allison Brashear, MD, UB vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.”

She continued: “He was a tireless advocate for diversifying the physician workforce and has worked closely with the Associated Medical Schools of New York to expand the pool of scholars choosing careers in medicine and health care, by providing academic enrichment and support to students from educationally and/or economically underserved backgrounds.”

The university is providing counseling services to faculty, staff and students affected by this terrible tragedy.