One of the most rewarding aspects of my new role as UB president is that it brings me into even closer contact with members of the university family, locally as well as globally. Talking with and learning from our alumni and university friends—here in Buffalo, across the country and around the world—are among my top priorities as president. As you may know, this fall I launched my UB 2020 Presidential Alumni Tour, traveling to 20 cities in 20 months to talk with alumni about exciting progress under way and on the horizon for UB.
Our university has made a number of major strides in the past year, and we continue to build great momentum for the future. We continue to attract more top-ranked faculty from around the world, and we are competing successfully for even more of the best and brightest students. We’ve seen the passage of historic state legislation, the NYSUNY 2020 bill. For the first time, this legislation allows us to plan and budget on a five-year horizon, thereby enabling us to bring even more top faculty and students to UB.
We’ve secured major state funding in the form of a related challenge grant established by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher as a means for SUNY’s four university centers to propose projects that strengthen our academic programs and support economic vitality in our communities. We’ve announced a number of major private gifts that will help the university further advance its mission, including a historic gift of $40 million to the medical school, given by a UB alumnus who has chosen to remain anonymous.
Collectively, these strides allow us to advance the next phase of the UB 2020 plan for academic excellence. Our next steps focus on building our faculty across the disciplines and relocating the medical school downtown, where it will be more closely aligned with key health sciences and research partners in Buffalo’s medical corridor. Implementing the next phase of our long-range vision will help us achieve three vital and closely connected objectives. These are enhanced educational and research excellence; improved health care and quality of life for our communities; and the creation of a strong innovation economy.
These outcomes are good for our students, they are good for our university as a whole, and they are good for the communities we serve—regionally, nationally and around the world. The bright future we envision for our university and our communities is on the horizon. As alumni, you contribute significantly to realizing that vision, and I welcome your insights and perspectives about UB’s future. I hope to have the opportunity to talk in person with you someday soon—perhaps here on campus or at a stop on the 2020 alumni tour!