UB Council approves name for HWI building downtown

The UB Council approved the name for what will soon become a very valuable part of the university’s medical research on the downtown campus: the University at Buffalo Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, or UB-HWI, for short.

It was announced in May that Hauptman-Woodward would join UB in a move designed to strengthen their joint mission to advance medical science research and education. As part of the agreement, Hauptman-Woodward will gift to UB its building at 700 Ellicott St. on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus once the deal is complete.

“With the proposed renaming of the building to the University at Buffalo Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute building, we are preserving HWI’s legacy while underscoring the enhanced capabilities of UB-HWI,” said President Satish K. Tripathi.

The proposed name has been forwarded to SUNY for final review and approval by the chancellor and the board of trustees. The UB Council approved the renaming resolution at its first meeting of the new academic year on Sept. 9, when Tripathi provided an update on the fall semester. 

Among other updates to the UB Council: 

• Strong enrollment. UB reached its enrollment goals for the fall with more than 30,500 students, including an anticipated 9% increase in its out-of-state domestic students, said Graham Hammill, vice provost for academic affairs. The numbers will be finalized in the coming weeks, he said.
• Clarification of campus policies. The university has been working to clarify three campus policies — assembling, posting and camping on campus — to ensure “students can learn in a safe, welcoming environment free from disruption,” Tripathi said. The draft policies are currently undergoing a 30-day, university-wide review and comment period.
• New research. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently received one of the largest National Institutes of Health awards in the school’s history to develop a therapy for antibiotic-resistant infections, while the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences was awarded a highly competitive NIH grant to early-career faculty members to address health inequities in Western New York.

Over the summer, the president also signed memoranda of understanding with three universities in Asia to pursue student exchanges and research opportunities in numerous areas, including semiconductor technology. They are Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology in Vietnam, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Chung-Ang University in South Korea.

• New faces. UB welcomed some 100 new faculty across disciplines this year, Tripathi said. “I had an opportunity to meet with many of our new faculty during their orientation events in August,” Tripathi said. “They impress me as dedicated, accomplished scholars who will most certainly contribute to UB’s national and international reputation.”
• Campus updates. Students returned last month to a number of campus improvements, including renovations to classrooms and labs on both the North and South campuses; new student club space in the School of Law; a new entrance to Silverman Library; a major makeover to the lobby of the Student Union; the ongoing redesign of Fargo Quad as a primary gateway to the Ellicott Complex; and completion of the Brittany Murchie Mulla Sports Performance Center.
• Upcoming events. Mark down Oct. 11 for the president’s State of the University address in Slee Hall, and Oct. 17 for the grand opening of the Brittany Murchie Mulla Sports Performance Center.