UB ranked among nation’s best for impact of global health research, climate action, clean energy pursuits

In a measure of the positive impact of its global health research, climate action activities and commitment to clean energy, UB is among the best in the nation according to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Now in their sixth year, THE’s Impact Rankings identify and highlight universities from around the globe that excel across multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are the only global performance rankings that assess universities against the SDGs. UB has performed very well in the rankings since they were first introduced in 2019. 

This year, Times Higher Education evaluated 2,152 universities — 447 more than last year — from 125 countries/regions.

UB ranks among the top 10 among U.S. colleges and universities in four of the 17 SDG rankings, including No. 1 in Good Health and Well-Being, and No. 2 in Climate Action.

“We are immensely proud of the UB faculty, students and staff whose research and innovations positively impact the world and whose dedication is helping our university achieve its sustainability goals,” says A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “These rankings are a recognition of UB’s collective efforts across departments and academic disciplines.”

Added Laura Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration: “We are proud of the efforts of our campus community in integrating sustainability into our operations and practices across the university. Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and the purpose they represent not only aligns with our values but also represents a smart and long-term strategic investment in UB and our broader community.”

Here’s a breakdown of UB’s Impact Rankings:

No. 1 (U.S.): Good Health and Well-Being

This ranking recognizes UB’s impactful research on the key conditions and diseases that have a disproportionate impact on health outcomes across the world, as well as UB’s support for health care professions and efforts to support the health of students, faculty and staff. 

In this category, UB is ranked No. 1 among U.S. universities and No. 38 globally among 1,498 universities submitting data.

This ranking also recognizes impactful public health outreach programming, such as the spring break trip to Belize that students from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB took to train 100 farmers and villagers in lifesaving “Stop the Bleed” techniques. There are also the mobile dental clinics operated by the School of Dental Medicine, which provide dental care in rural and urban communities in Western New York.

UB’s ranking in this category also recognizes the significant number of students who graduate from UB with a degree associated with a health-related profession.

No. 2 (U.S.): Climate Action

UB’s ranking in this category is due in large part to the university’s “10 in 10” climate action plan of innovative, engaging and practical steps it is taking to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

Globally, UB is ranked 18th in this category among 924 universities worldwide, including an additional 189 institutions evaluated this year.

This ranking also recognizes UB’s impactful research on climate change, which includes $3 million in funding from the National Science Foundation to study the impacts of prehistoric climate change on ecosystems in Alaska; a report on how climate change will affect New York State’s agriculture, buildings, ecosystems and economy; and studying Greenland’s glacier retreat rate over the past two decades.

No. 3 (U.S.): Affordable and Clean Energy

This ranking recognizes UB’s research related to energy, its energy use and policies, and the university’s commitment to promoting energy efficiency in the wider community.

UB has excelled in this area in recent years by advancing its commitment to clean energy through a variety of sources, including the recent installation of five solar arrays on university-owned land on the North Campus and four rooftop solar installations, making UB one of the largest on-campus producers of renewable energy in the country.

Top 5 (U.S.): Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

This ranking recognizes UB’s role in fostering innovation and serving the needs of industry. It’s based on institutions’ research in support of industry and innovation, and the number of patents and spin-off companies a university produces.

UB’s Office of Business and Entrepreneurial Partnerships offers several programs supporting the spin-off of faculty research and the start-up and growth of new companies.

UB is also playing a leadership role in state and federal initiatives to support research and development. For example, to accelerate AI research and innovation in New York State, Gov. Kathy Hochul named UB the home of Empire AI.

And this month UB and partners in the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region were  awarded $40 million in federal funding to help boost the nation’s semiconductor manufacturing, research and education.

No. 9 (U.S.): Sustainable Cities and Communities

UB’s ranking in this category recognizes the university’s sustainable practices. This includes a new, 10-year contract for campuswide bus service that aims to have 40% of the fleet composed of electric vehicles over the first two years of the contract, as well as the UB Regional Institute’s One Region Forward Climate Action Plan.

To learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals, visit UB’s guide of academic resources for each SDG.