UB Receives Center of Excellence Designation

I am delighted to share the exciting news that the University at Buffalo will receive designation for a New York State Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics in the 2012-13 state budget, and will receive $200,000 in funding toward the establishment of this Center.  This outstanding development has come about thanks in large part to the advocacy of Assemblyman Robin Schimminger and Senators George Maziarz and Mark Grisanti, with the support of the entire Western New York delegation, as well as the efforts of the Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, and Office of Government Relations—all of which have worked closely with the delegation to see this effort to a successful conclusion.

Building on UB’s notable strengths in computing and materials science and engineering, the Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics will establish UB as a renowned leader in the emerging, high-impact field of combinatorial materials science and engineering—a rapidly growing field that responds to a wide range of critical societal needs, from the depletion of natural resources to the growing need for new technologies in the energy, medical, defense, and other industries.  With a core group of over 50 scientists and engineers focused on computational and theoretical modeling, synthesis, and characterization of materials—as well as expertise in informatics and world-class supercomputing at the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences—UB is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role in this important field.  In addition to advancing UB’s academic enterprise and enhancing our research strengths, the Center will also have a major impact in expanding UB’s industrial partnerships and enriching our role as a vital economic catalyst in the region.

As I indicated in my earlier message to the university community announcing this initiative, this is a pivotal development for the University at Buffalo, and the product of many years of research leadership and scholarly collaboration through our successful strategic strengths model.  Please join me in congratulating our faculty and staff colleagues whose work has been instrumental in leading us to this moment of opportunity.

Sincerely,