University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy (left) talks with President Satish K. Tripathi during a visit last week to UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. Photo: DOUGLAS LEVERE

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By SUE WUETCHER

Published: May 12, 2011

Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy received a briefing on UB 2020 last week during a visit to UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

Duffy, meeting with President Satish K. Tripathi and other UB administrators, discussed the UB 2020 initiative and how it will positively impact Buffalo Niagara and help build the “new economy’ of Western New York, according to Ryan McPherson, associate vice president for government and community relations.

McPherson explained that Duffy chairs the Regional Economic Development Councils, 10 region-based councils charged with allocating economic development funds within their regions to speed the creation of jobs. The councils will integrate the plans to be submitted by the four SUNY university centers under the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program initiative that is expected to make SUNY a leading catalyst for job growth throughout the state, as well as strengthen the academic programs of the university centers.

Tripathi has proposed that UB use its $35 million in NYSUNY 2020 funding as a down payment to move the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences from the South Campus to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

During the meeting on Friday, Tripathi provided Duffy with the history and context of UB 2020, including plans for developing the Downtown Campus, as well as the legislative reforms—among them a flexible tuition policy and public-private partnerships—that are crucial to the implementation of the UB 2020 strategic plan, McPherson said.

He also said the leaders discussed UB’s current impact on the local economy, especially the work of the Office of Economic Engagement and the university’s partnership with Kaleida Health in building the 10-story global vascular institute and UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center building now under construction on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.