University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Simpson inaugurated as 14th president

John B. Simpson was inaugurated as UB’s 14th president on Oct. 15, 2004. Photo: NANCY J. PARISI

• Print

• Comments

Published: October 14, 2009

The investiture of John B. Simpson as UB’s 14th president took place five years ago on Oct. 15, 2004, and like earlier investiture ceremonies, it was a time for celebration and renewal. In his inaugural address, President Simpson described how, through “great daring and great devotion, pursuing great achievement,” UB will find “its destined place among the nation’s very leading universities.” Simpson used his inaugural address to present his commitment to academic excellence, access to higher education, and UB’s role in enhancing the quality of life in the region:

The pursuit of academic excellence

“One overarching principle drives us: academic excellence. This is our fundamental value and goal, and it will be pursued with vigor. UB is first and foremost an academic institution, and academic issues are what we are all about. Academic excellence is the very core of our enterprise and is the basis for our broader mission as a public research university.

“As president of this university, I pledge to you today that UB’s very first priority will be the considered pursuit and practice of academic excellence. Indeed, this will serve as UB’s primary institutional guiding principal.”

Access to higher education

Public higher education “functions as the channel by which every member of society may find, develop and exercise her or his voice. I very strongly believe that public higher education is not only critical to the maintenance of a healthy democracy, but that it is one of the highest manifestations of democracy.

“It is incumbent, therefore, upon public universities like UB to do everything within their power to answer this mandate and fulfill the public trust placed upon them by ensuring equitable access to the academic experience they provide their students.”

UB’s impact on the community

“More than ever before, the public research university, as a site of intellectual rigor and discovery, serves to fuel cultural, technological and economic development. Industries are increasingly dependent on continued and often rapid innovation and a well-educated, skilled workforce to be competitive nationally.”

Five years later, Simpson remains steadfast in his commitment to the priorities set forth in his inaugural address: academic excellence, access to higher education and the potential for UB to enhance the quality of life in the region. He used his fourth annual community address last month to rally support for the UB 2020 strategic plan to make UB a premier public research university and the catalyst for regional growth and a better future for the region.

—John Edens, University Archives