This is my first opportunity to address UB Today readers as UB’s new president, and I want to take a moment to share with you some of my thoughts about our university’s great strengths, as well as my hopes and goals for UB.
Reflecting on our recent university-wide inaugural celebration, I feel strongly that this milestone marked much more than the beginning of a new presidential administration. It was an occasion for all of us together—faculty, staff and students both past and present, as well as our extended UB family—to honor our proud past while celebrating our extraordinary present and vast potential for the future.
Our university was established 165 years ago as a small local medical school, with a mission to serve the citizens of Buffalo. While remaining true to that core public mission, we also have greatly expanded its scope and deepened its impact over the decades, growing into a major global public research university of the 21st century.
It was UB’s longstanding reputation for excellence that first drew my interest seven years ago when I was a candidate for the provost position here. But ultimately what led me to move my family across the country to Buffalo was not just UB’s distinguished past, but its promising future. The UB I knew by reputation had a noteworthy record of excellence. But the UB community I experienced firsthand impressed me even more greatly by its determination to build on this strong foundation.
I have had the great joy of spending the better part of my life in education. And while I’ve been privileged to be part of many different kinds of universities throughout my academic career—from U.S. institutions on both coasts to universities in Canada, France, Germany, Italy and India—UB continues to stand out among these impressive schools. Our UB students, faculty, staff, alumni and others share a uniquely strong commitment to extending our reach and impact, continually seeking out new paths for pursuing excellence and new ways of making a positive difference in the communities we serve, from the local to the global.
These goals resonate very strongly with me personally as a fourth-generation educator and a proud product of public higher education. I believe wholeheartedly that this is why we do what we do as scholars, researchers and educators—to change the world for the better through our discoveries, questions and innovations.
As alumni, you have contributed substantially to advancing that mission through your achievements, your leadership and your ideas. I’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know and work with you over the past seven years as provost. As president, I look forward to our continued efforts together as we begin the exciting work of building on this foundation—continuing to expand our reach, strengthen our impact, and set our sights even higher for our future.