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Governance institute moves to law school
By JOHN DELLA CONTRADA
Contributing Editor
The Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth will be aligned with the UB Law School, effective immediately, in a move designed to advance the institute's mission to become one of the nation's premier university-based centers for the study of regions and governments.
According to Satish K. Tripathi, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, the institute's new academic alignment will give the institute greater access to, and collaboration with, faculty research expertise throughout the Law School and university. It also will enable it to continue to be a vital partner and resource for policy makers and governments in the Buffalo Niagara region and beyond.
As part of the new alignment, a governance committee will be established to provide institute director Kathryn A. Foster with counsel and advice regarding the institute's progress toward reaching its mission "with credibility and utility in both the scholarly and policy worlds," Tripathi said.
The committee will be composed of Uday P. Sukhatme, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Brian Carter, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning; Marsha S. Henderson, vice president for external affairs; and Nils Olsen, dean of the UB Law School, who will serve as committee chair.
"It is particularly appropriate for the institute to be in the Law School because of the Law School's strong commitment to interdisciplinary studies, the supportive presence of the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy and the existence of the Jaeckle Center for State and Local Democracy," Olsen said. "We look forward to collaborating productively with the institute and its many participating faculty from across the disciplines."
The institute will continue to reside in its current site in Beck Hall on the South Campus.
"The new alignment opens the door to a very wide set of research possibilities for the institute," said Foster, a UB faculty member who was named director of the institute in July and previously served as its director of research. "There is tremendous value in having connections to both the scholarly and policy worlds. We can continue to produce vital regional intelligence benefiting decision makers and governments, and we can engage UB faculty in multidisciplinary research that will open the door to exciting new prospects.
"We want the institute to become known as one of the nation's leading sources for regional intelligence and smart data for those who want to implement sound public policy," she added.
Established in 1997, the institute plays a vital role in addressing key governance and quality-of-life issues in the Buffalo Niagara region. A major public service of UB, it leverages the resources of the university and binational community to pursue a wide range of scholarship, projects and initiatives that inform regional challenges. More information about the institute and its activities can be found at http://regional-institute.buffalo.edu.