This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
News

Briefs

Published: January 13, 2011

  • Black to receive Jaeckle Award

    A UB Law School alumnus from Texas with roots in Western New York and a deep involvement in the school’s continuing improvement will be honored in January with the Law School’s most prestigious award.

    Thomas E. Black Jr., JD ’79, founder and managing partner of the Texas law firm Black, Mann & Graham LLP, will receive the 2011 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the Law School and Law Alumni Association can bestow, at the New York City Alumni Luncheon on Jan. 28 at the Union League Club, 38 E. 37th St. in Manhattan.

    Named for Edwin F. Jaeckle, JD ’15, the award is given annually to an individual who has distinguished himself or herself and has made significant contributions to the Law School and to the legal profession.

    Son of a third-generation steelworker and a native of South Buffalo and West Seneca, Black now lives in Texas, where his law firm has offices in Dallas, Flower Mound and Houston. The firm, with more than 130 employees, concentrates its practice in mortgage servicing. It is the largest document-preparation law firm in Texas, where preparing a mortgage loan document requires an attorney. The firm represents major mortgage companies and banks, preparing their mortgage loan documentation and counseling them on regulatory compliance issues.

    Black has long been a strong advocate for the Law School. He has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council since 2002, and as council chair since 2007. He also co-chairs the UB Law Campaign Steering Committee.

    Black’s support for UB Law has been financial as well: A $1 million gift this year will establish a named professorship at the school.

  • State of University on webcast

    SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher will deliver the 2011 State of the University address at 10 a.m. Jan. 19 in Albany.

    The address, which is being delivered in the Swyer Theatre at the Egg, Empire State Place, may be viewed via webcast.

  • Study abroad proposals sought for award

    SUNY’s Office of Global Affairs has announced a new round of competition for the Chancellor’s Award for Internationalization (CAFI), which will fund five grants of $4,000 each for the development and implementation of innovative study-abroad programs in less-commonly traveled regions.

    Winning programs must take place in the 2011-12 academic year, including the summer of 2012.

    The deadline for submission is Feb. 14. Awards will be announced April 1 and student recruitment should begin in May.

    Additional information and an application packet are available online; questions and communications should be addressed to the CAFI program coordinator at overseasprograms@sysadmn.suny.edu or 518-320-1410.

    UB faculty members can consult Melissa Rybarczyk, assistant vice provost for study abroad programs, at 645-3912 or mpolasik@buffalo.edu.

    The CAFI program originally was offered in 2003-06 to provide start-up funds for new international programs. It has been re-established in support of “SUNY and the World,” one of the “Six Big Ideas” that comprise the strategic plan launched by Chancellor Nancy Zimpher last April.

    The primary goal of CAFI is to offer students new opportunities to have an academic experience in a country that is less commonly visited for academic purposes. For the 2011-2012 competition, SUNY prefers proposals for projects in any African or Asian nation, or for countries in Latin America, the Caribbean or Eastern Europe.

  • Technicians vote against union

    The National Labor Relations Board has certified the results of a Dec. 14 election by UB’s research technicians, who voted 42-20 against representation by the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT).

    The 119 technicians are employees of the SUNY Research Foundation.

    Federal rules prohibit the union from submitting a new petition to represent this group for the next 12 months.