Collaboration at the speed of innovation

Because reaching others is critical to this collaboration, it’s important not to underestimate the role technology will play in the future.

That’s why I’m so excited about changes coming to the high-speed fiber optic network that connects Buffalo to New York City, and many other member research institutions along the way.

The New York Education and Research Network (NYSERNet) is expanding into New York’s North Country and Southern Tier, dramatically increasing the potential for collaboration in the region while simultaneously adding redundancy that will make the network faster and more reliable.

In the short term, this makes UB and other member institutions better at collaborating, and more competitive for large research grants of the type UB schools and departments desire. It also makes Western New York more attractive for tech firms and could even bring educational resources and connectivity to underserved parts of the region.

When I look across the country at our peers, this kind of high-speed, flexible network is apparent in the states that have excelled. And the potential for our region, and our institution, are especially great—with our strategic position connecting New York City to Canada and the Midwest United States, we are poised to be a key cog in the research and economic development engine that drives North America.

At the University at Buffalo, we strive for excellence. We’re pragmatic dreamers—we envision the future we want, and then we build it. I cannot imagine a project more in line with our institution’s values. I’m proud of the work NYSERNet is doing, and I’m proud of UB’s role as a member institution. But most of all, I’m excited for what the future will hold at the University at Buffalo.