UB is Recognized Nationally as a 'Next Generation University'

National public policy institute says UB and 5 other universities are models for national higher education reform

The University at Buffalo is among six public research universities from across the country recognized in a new report by the New America Foundation for “embracing key strategies that make them models for national reform.”

UB and the other “next generation universities”—Arizona State University, Georgia State University, University of California-Riverside, University of Central Florida and University of Texas-Arlington—were cited in the report by New America Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy institute, for the strategies they’ve used to expand enrollment and achieve higher graduation rates in a cost-effective manner despite declining revenues.

UB was noted, in particular, for working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to enact the NYSUNY 2020 legislation, as well as for its innovative wp-contentroaches to expanding student access while improving the quality of education, including its “Finish in 4” graduation pledge.

“Opening the doors of opportunity to a world-class education is a guiding priority for UB as a 21st century public research university,” says UB President Satish K. Tripathi. “We’re pleased that we are steadily earning national recognition for our efforts in this regard. As we realize our UB 2020 vision of academic excellence, we are focused on providing a transformative educational experience for our students. And we are working equally hard to ensure that this experience is available to all students with the talent and dedication to pursue it.”

Charles F. Zukoski, UB provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, says the report reinforces UB’s position as “an innovator in delivering exceptional value in education and research.”

“We have built and are expanding educational programs that focus on issues faced by our students and the larger society that recognize the role higher education plays in advancing individuals and society,” Zukoski says. “Our programs focus on delivering the skills that will enable our students to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation—and with minimal debt—and be successful over the course of their careers.”

The New America Foundation report, titled “The Next Generation University,” notes that at a time when many public universities are “failing to respond to the nation’s higher education crisis,” these six institutions are “breaking the mold by boldly restructuring operating costs and creating clear, accelerated pathways for students.”

“These universities are continuing their commitment to world class research while increasing enrollment and graduation rates, even as the investments from their states have declined,” the report says.

“With the economy stuck in neutral, tuition prices and student loan debt skyrocketing, and parents and students increasingly questioning the value of a college degree, our public institutions urgently need a different wp-contentroach to the challenge of educating an increasingly diverse mix of students at a reasonable cost,” the report says.

“Public universities can move onto a more prosperous financial footing and provide more students with a high-quality education at the same time—if they take advantage of the strategies that the next generation universities…have pioneered.”

The report features case studies of the six universities that highlight each institution’s strategies for success. The universities were chosen for inclusion in the report based on a detailed analysis of federal education data. The institutions were studied through a series of site visits, interviews with campus personnel and an analysis of institutional policies.

New America Foundation representatives visited UB on Feb. 26, meeting with Tripathi, Zukoski, other members of the UB senior leadership, a student group and a representative group of faculty from across the disciplines.

The report praises the next generation universities for developing new revenue sources and strategies to reduce costs. UB was cited for forging a partnership with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature—the NYSUNY 2020 legislation passed in 2011, which resulted in historic public higher education reforms for the state, including a predictable tuition policy and a $35 million challenge grant enabling the university to move forward with plans to move the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The report notes that these increased revenues have enabled UB to add more than 300 undergraduate course sections in high-demand classes to help students graduate in a timely fashion. They also support the university’s plans to hire 250 additional faculty members.

The report specifically mentions UB’s “Finish in 4” program that pledges to provide entering UB freshmen with the academic resources they need to graduate in four years.

To read the New America Foundation report, click here.

John DellaContrada (UB); dellacon@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4601

UB Goes to Great Lengths to Recruit Top Medical Talent to Buffalo – Buffalo News Story

Buffalo News)
(Photo from The Buffalo News)

Published: 03/3/2013, 11:54 PM Updated: 03/3/2013, 11:54 PM

Buffalo News Article: The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus – and the opportunity for growth it promises – is helping UB attract some of the country’s top doctors to its medical school faculty.

BY: Jay Rey /Buffalo News Staff Reporter

Recruiting top doctors and medical researchers to Buffalo is not unlike the Bills or Sabres going after blue-chip free agents.

Buffalo may not be high on their list of destinations – or on their list at all – when bigger, warmer or more lucrative markets are out there.

Buffalo? thought Dr. Andrew Talal.

Dr. Gil Wolfe was hesitant, too.

And Dr. John Tomaszewski was sure Buffalo wasn’t for him, even before he stepped off the plane.

That’s part of the recruiting process the University at Buffalo is going through right now as it grows its School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Over the next three years, UB plans to hire more than 100 full-time medical faculty members in preparation for the 2016 opening of its new medical school, which will serve as a linchpin for an emerging Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

 

But luring smart, high-priced medical talent to the region isn’t as impossible as you might think.

If you can get them to visit – that’s the key – Buffalo can convince them it is a city on the rise and they can be a part of building something special.

“People want to be in a place that’s moving forward with a vision,” said UB President Satish Tripathi. “The way I feel is, if we are able to clearly state our vision and provide them the resources to succeed, people will come.”

“You got to get them on the airplane,” said Dr. Anne Curtis, chairwoman of the department of medicine at UB, who was recruited a few years ago. “Get them on the airplane and get them here, and then we can do OK.”

That’s why Talal, Wolfe and Tomaszewski eventually came around to Buffalo, with dozens more expected to follow.

“I began to understand that there really is a new day in town,” said Tomaszewski, who came from Philadelphia more than a year ago.

The added faculty will allow UB to increase enrollment at the medical school, from which the region gets many of its future physicians.

In addition, these newly hired doctors – who will set up practices and labs and hold positions at area hospitals – will bring some needed depth and breadth to Buffalo’s medical community, as UB targets specialists in areas where the region has a shortage.

It’s helping set the stage for a better, 21st-century health care system, where people from the region can be treated for most any condition by local doctors, said Michael Cain, vice president of health sciences and dean of the medical school.

And in a way, it serves as a reminder that Buffalo really is making progress, especially when the community’s Rust Belt image is seen through the fresh eyes of these newcomers.

“We fell in love with the city,” said Dr. Anthony Martinez, an associate professor of medicine, who moved to Buffalo from San Diego in December. “It just feels like there’s something going on here. It’s hard to describe, it’s just something you feel.”

But first, you have to get them to Buffalo.

Seeing the potential

Actually, Cain said, it hasn’t been that difficult.

“In all the recruiting I’ve done in the past six years, I’ve had no one turn us down because it was Buffalo,” Cain said.

In fact, UB landed its top choice for each of the 10 leadership positions recently filled for the medical school, Cain said.

They see the potential in Buffalo.

UB and Kaleida Health opened a state-of-the-art research building last year on Ellicott Street.

An 11-story addition to Roswell Park Cancer Institute breaks ground this year.

A new Women & Children’s Hospital is expected to open in 2016 – as is UB’s $375 million medical school.

“If you come here,” Cain tells the recruits, “you’re going to be part of a growing, expanding academic health center, and after four or five years, you will feel that you have contributed to making something better.”

It’s a vision that attracted Curtis, who came to UB in 2010 from the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she was chief of cardiology.

“People who are builders get excited about that,” Curtis said. “They see an opportunity to put their mark on something.”

Buffalo also caught the attention of Dr. Vanessa Barnabei, who had other offers but came to UB last fall from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where she was director of obstetrics and gynecology.

“When I came here, I was very impressed by the opportunity for growth that’s going on, that’s being planned and is actually going to hwp-contenten,” Barnabei said. “You never know sometimes. People make these grand plans. But here, it really does look like it’s going to move forward.”

UB has been hiring for the medical school the past few years to fill vacancies and replace retired professors. Currently, the medical school has 720 full-time faculty members.

But the university wants to increase that number to as many as 850 over the next three years, as the need to train more physicians grows around the U.S.

A combination of resources – including philanthropy and money raised from state tuition increases – will be used to finance the school’s growth.

It’s that commitment of funds to build a better medical program at UB that helped lure Wolfe, who arrived at the end of 2011. He was recruited from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas to head the department of neurology at UB.

“This was not the first chair opportunity I was offered,” Wolfe said, “but looking back and hearing what hwp-contentened in those other situations, I’m glad I’m here. The level of state support – and even community support – doesn’t match what I’ve experienced here.”

That’s not to say the initial reaction to Buffalo is always enthusiastic.

Intriguing interview

Tomaszewski was recruited from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

As he arrived in Buffalo for his first interview, the Philadelphia native remembers looking out the window of the plane and thinking: “I am not coming to Buffalo.”

But Tomaszewski’s interview was intriguing. It turned into another visit, then another. And during every conversation, another dimension he found engaging was revealed. He became chairman of the department of pathology and anatomical sciences at UB in the fall of 2011.

“Buffalo has a whole bunch of cards assembled to be a first-rate, modern health care system in the model that’s going to be successful going forward,” he said.

Talal, who was recruited from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, had a similar reaction when he received an email from the search firm.

“Who wants to go to Buffalo?” Talal thought to himself.

He promptly deleted the email.

But after being asked to speak in Buffalo, Talal learned more about what was going on at the university and the emerging medical campus. His opinion was changing.

When Talal returned to Manhattan, he reached out to the search firm. It took his daughter getting admitted to City Honors School and his wife – who is also a professor – to be recruited by UB, but Talal eventually joined the university in September as chief of the division of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition.

“Buffalo is an interesting community in the sense you have a lot of very top-notch things, but they haven’t been highly publicized,” Talal said. “There’s a lot more here than the city is given credit for.”

Now the recruited have become the recruiters.

A rare opportunity

The doctors acknowledge that Buffalo can be a tough market to recruit.

It’s just enough out of the way and close enough to major metropolitan areas, where top talent would rather head, Barnabei said.

But they also believe the medical growth planned for Buffalo is a rare opportunity for faculty, especially at a time when schools around the country are trying to cut costs.

“A lot of academic medical centers in 2013 are not growing,” Curtis said. “They see health care changing. They don’t see a need for more people. They’re treading water. Their staffs are full.”

“There are good people coming out of training who want an academic career but are finding the opportunities are somewhat [more] limited than in the past,” Curtis said.

“Times are tight,” added Tomaszewski. “California is a good example. Because of its finances, it really had to downsize its state university system, so there’s a lot of faculty on the market.”

And once the prospects see Buffalo, they understand the wp-contenteal.

“I enjoy Buffalo,” Wolfe said. “I’ve become a big booster for the city. I have to be, but I can do it in a sincere fashion. There are great recreational opportunities. The arts are excellent. The restaurant scene holds its own very well in comparison to even larger cities. And the cost of living, from a real-estate standpoint, is a big bonus.”

Barnabei and Tomaszewski were struck by the friendliness of the community. He recalled moving into his office – arms full, fumbling with his access card – when a woman saw him from the third floor of the building and came down to open the door for him.

“If you keep an open mind enough to give it a chance, it’s the kind of place that the more you look the more you find,” Martinez said. “If you just give it a chance, the more it gets under your skin and grabs you.”

When Talal, his former mentor, recruited Martinez to Buffalo from the University of California, San Diego, Martinez and his wife rented a place in Elmwood Village for a week to determine if Buffalo would suit them.

Martinez, a native of Providence, R.I., and a huge hockey fan, immediately got Buffalo. He saw how the cold weather and tough economy shaped this community for the good.

“I’ve never been in a place that has such a strong sense of community. That seeps into the people and permeates out,” Martinez said. “It’s a great fit for my family and a great fit for me.”

email: jrey@buffnews.com

International Partnership to Train and Educate Future Nanotechnologists in Zimbabwe

The University at Buffalo (UB) welcomed Minister of Science and Technology Development of Zimbabwe, Professor Heneri Dzinotyiweyi to Buffalo to tour its Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics (ILPB) and New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CoE). Both research facilities will play a role in the international academic partnership with the University of Zimbabwe and Chinhoyi University of Technology.
Receiving the award to establish a Fogarty International Center AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) in 2009, UB professor, CoE associate director, and director of Translational Pharmacy Research Gene D. Morse, PharmD and collaborators set out to use the award for its intended purpose, providing education and training for HIV-related research in low- and middle-income countries.

UB Robin DiFrancesco, Zimbabwe Minister, Dr. Dzinotyiweyi, and Charles Chiedza MapongaThrough the Zimbabwe International Nanotechnology Center (ZINC), the collaboration will primarily serve as a nanotechnology research program where UB will help educate and train young researchers at the University of Zimbabwe  and the Chinhoyi University of Technology to wp-contently nanotechnology to treat and prevent prevalent diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the south-African country. Nanotechnology is molecular manufacturing on a 100 nanometer or smaller scale. Nano-particles (particles with dimensions less than 100 nanometers) have become important to the equation of new HIV/AIDS drug development because they can provide effective treatment options with shortened duration of therapy, reduced systemic side effects and limited development of drug resistance.

With 14 percent of Zimbabwe’s population living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis as a co-infection, the need for new drugs and new formulations of available treatments is crucial.

To prepare for ZINC implementation and discuss logistics, Morse and Paras Prasad, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Electrical Engineering and Samuel P. Capen Chair of Chemistry invited Professor Dzinotyiweyi to Western New York. “Professor Dzinotyiweyi’s visits to the ILPB, as well as the center, provided an opportunity for faculty leaders, regional scientists and public officials to discuss the recently announced international collaboration of UB and ZINC,” says Morse.

A public symposium will take place in Harare, Zimbabwe on March 18th and 19th. The symposium will include representatives from government, academia and the community. Meetings in Zimbabwe and Buffalo are scheduled to help all participants continue to get acquainted.

A future hope is to develop partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, drawing private-sector investments. In addition to that goal, a positive effect on economic development is expected to take place in Western New York and in Zimbabwe.

UB Medical School to Develop Tools for Cloud-Based Simulations of Patient Visits

UB is one of eight institutions in the U.S. chosen to write patient cases

The American Medical Association is providing funding to support the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and other institutions in a national consortium to develop simulated, interactive “encounters” with virtual patients to supplement the education of students in the third year of medical school.

The i-Human Patients platform is a cloud-based service for medical students that simulates a patient visit. Students use the software to interview and examine animations of patients, order and review diagnostic tests, develop diagnostic hypotheses and create a treatment plan. Online guidance and comprehensive feedback occurs at every step of the process.

Avery Ellis, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and physiology and senior associate dean for medical curriculum at UB, is one of 8 faculty members at prestigious institutions throughout the U.S., who will be working together to develop simulations for internal medicine. Ellis and Susan J. Gallagher, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at UB and director for internal medicine clerkships in the third and fourth years, will be writing cases on chest pain, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, edema, electrolyte abnormalities, syncope, dizziness and hyperlipidemia.

The new cases are expected to be completed, peer-reviewed and included in the curriculum that third-year medical students at UB experience starting in July, Ellis says.

“These very sophisticated patient simulations will round out the education of third-year medical students,” says Ellis. “For our students, working on these patient simulations, complete with actual test results and realistic clinical data, such as audible heart sounds, angiograms and ultrasound studies, is far more beneficial than just reading about the same disease in a textbook.”

The cases are being prepared by faculty at UB and at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, Tufts University, Rush University and Stony Brook University.

“These interactive web-based patient encounters will nicely complement the other kinds of experiences our students are getting at UB’s Behling Simulation Center,” Ellis adds.

“The American Medical Association is funding the development of medical school cases and other interactive content for the i-Human Patients educational services platform because we see a need to accelerate student training in patient assessment and diagnostic skills,” says James Madara, chief executive officer/education vice president for the AMA.

i-Human Patients Inc. is a designer and developer of “virtual” medical training products and services.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

BHSC's Therapeutic Playground Opens for Children with the Support of Donors

 

Left to right: Joe Cozzo, President & CEO, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center; Alexandra Wehr, Sr. Relationship Manager, KeyBank,  Marie Hare, Vice President of Community Affairs, KeyBank, and Gary Quenneville, President (Western New York District), KeyBank.

Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center (BHSC) installed a new therapeutic playground after 2 years of planning and months of construction. The playground project received a supportive boost by the KeyBank Foundation. Additional support came from the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, the Rotary Club of Buffalo, the DreamCatcher Foundation, the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation and nearly 100 other individual donors from the Western New York community.

Located at 50 East North Street on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the playground will help to stimulate the senses of the more than 200 children who attend the school. BHSC provides innovative programs and cutting edge capabilities aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders, literacy, autism, and learning challenges.

The playground was designed by a team of physical and occupational therapists with the goal of having each piece on the playground help to meet the diverse needs of the students at BHSC in need of speech, hearing or educational services. The therapeutic playground structure consists of a large multicolored play system built on a safe rubberized surface that can accommodate the different needs of students.  The new playground offers a cohesive, natural environment where children are content and comfortable while they develop social skills at a level wp-contentropriate for them. The playground offers multiple varieties of sensory play experience so that children of all abilities are able to play and learn. By supporting the sensory needs of all children, the playground enhances individual development in ways that cannot be achieved by standard methods.

Every day, students at the BHSC learn, grow, and have fun while on the campus grounds. “Play is a very important part of the childhood experience. Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center recognizes that that act of playing is where children are able to explore, discover, create and imagine, while learning about the world around them firsthand,” said Jospeh Cozzo, President and CEO of the BHSC.

BHSC offers audiology, early childhood, speech language, and pathology services, in addition to a number of specialized programs for children and adults. Learn more about BHSC:

UB Ranked One of the World’s Best Universities by Times Higher Education

UB Ranked One of the World’s Best Universities by Times Higher Education

Times Higher Education has named the University at Buffalo as one of the world’s top 200 universities.

UB is ranked 198th in the 2012-13 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, up from last year’s ranking among the top 201 to 225 universities worldwide. The assessment uses 13 performance indicators to analyze how well a university is doing in core missions including teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

“This is very good news. Moving into the top-200 will enhance UB’s already-strong reputation overseas and help us attract outstanding students from around the world,” said Stephen C. Dunnett, PhD, UB professor and vice provost for international education.

“International students are particularly conscious of university rankings, and UB’s steady ascent in various international rankings in recent years — a reflection of our strong institutional commitment to excellence — is certainly well recognized and wp-contentreciated by students and their families overseas.”

Times Higher Education is a leading higher education magazine, and the recognition of UB as a top-200 university demonstrates UB’s growing global reputation. The data for the rankings were collected by Thomson Reuters, which considered about 700 institutions in 69 countries.

In recent years, UB has invested in recruiting additional high-quality faculty, attracting researchers from around the world to Western New York. These faculty members conduct research on some of the world’s most pressing problems, and provide students with an excellent education in the classroom.

Under President Satish K. Tripathi, UB has embarked on the next phase of its UB 2020 plan for academic excellence.  With the support of the NYSUNY 2020 legislation, signed into law last year by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, UB is in the midst of a historic transformation.  The university is hiring 250 new faculty over the next five years, offering new programs to enrich students’ academic experiences and opening new facilities on its three campuses, with the goal of becoming one the world’s leading public research universities and increasing its regional economic impact.

Abroad, the university has cultivated relationships with distinguished educational institutions throughout the world, cooperating with international partners on student exchanges, joint research projects and the delivery of degree programs overseas.

At home, UB consistently places in the top 20 in the United States for international student enrollment, according to annual data published by the Institute of International Education. In 2010-11, for instance, UB had 5,185 foreign students, the 17th largest population in the nation.

John DellaContrada; dellacon@buffalo.edu; 716-645-4601

RIA Takes the Challenge on Reducing College Student Substance Use

For release: September 20, 2012Contact: Sara R. Saldi, saldi@buffalo.edu
University at Buffalo
716-645-4593

RIA Takes the Challenge on Reducing College Student Substance Use

BUFFALO, N.Y. — No longer considered an innocent rite of passage, binge drinking among college students contributes to wp-contentroximately 1,800 deaths and nearly 600,000 injuries each year.

And that’s just alcohol.

The University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), an internationally recognized leader on the subject of substance use and abuse since 1970, is tackling this problem head on.

This fall RIA will offer a three-pronged wp-contentroach to educating students, health care and mental health workers, and college administrators about the dangers, new trends and treatments for reducing substance use and excessive drinking in college kids.

RIA Director, Kenneth Leonard, PhD “Despite strong efforts, excessive alcohol and substance use among college students have not substantially diminished in the past decade. While many colleges have educational programs or referral services, many college administrators are not aware of or have not implemented services that have been shown to be the most effective.

“Therefore, there is a pressing need for a more active and ongoing dialogue among researchers, practitioners and administrators regarding the current state of knowledge about college student drinking and substance use—a dialog that will also benefit parents and their children in college.”

A photo of Leonard is available at: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13681.

First, the RIA is releasing the fifth in its series of expert summaries, “RIA Reaching Others: College Student Drinking,” a fact sheet describing the dangers of college student drinking, especially binge drinking—the scope of the problem, specific points for parents and the value of prevention.

The fact sheet is available at: http://www.ria.buffalo.edu/ExpertSummaries/ES5.html.

Second, as part of RIA’s Fall 2012 Seminar Series, Mark Wood,  PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and an expert on substance use among college students, will speak on “Individual and Environmental Preventive Intervention to Reduce Collegiate Alcohol Abuse: A Full-Cycle Approach.”

His presentation will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 26 in Room 132 of the RIA building, 1021 Main St. on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. It will be free and open to the public.

For more information on the Wood presentation, visit: http://www.ria.buffalo.edu/events/index.html

Third, RIA is hosting a two-day conference, titled “The Challenge of Reducing College Student Substance Use: A Conversation in the Disciplines,” to take place Nov. 8 and 9 in the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Road near the Audubon Parkway in Getzville, adjacent to the UB North Campus.

The two-day event will feature alcohol and substance use experts from UB and from across the state.  It is sponsored by the Conversations in the Disciplines Program of the State University of New York.

The conference will bring together front-line staff from throughout the SUNY system who grwp-contentle with the real problems of college students’ alcohol and substance use and abuse, and the researchers who seek to develop and evaluate substance-use prevention and intervention strategies. It also will provide an opportunity for participants to present information about their programs and to discuss issues regarding the startup and operation of effective programs.

Even more importantly, however, the conference will explore the potential for developing a multi-campus network of researchers and practitioners across New York State to address excessive college student substance use.

“This will facilitate the development and evaluation of innovative and comprehensive wp-contentroaches to reducing substance use, and provide a communications network that will enhance the efforts of practitioners to offer the most effective strategies for their campuses,” Leonard said.

Information about the conference and how to register are available at http://www.ria.buffalo.edu/CID2012/index.htm

Class of 2016 Participates in UB's Pharmacy Practice White Coat Ceremony

News Release

Class of 2016 Participates in UB’s Pharmacy Practice White Coat Ceremony

[ photograph ]
The PharmD class of 2016 at the White Coat Ceremony

Contact

Sara Saldi

saldi@buffalo.edu

716-645-4593

Release Date: September 4, 2012

BUFFALO, N.Y. — One hundred and twenty-six students took their first, public step toward becoming pharmacists when they participated in the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Annual White Coat Ceremony 2012 in the Lippes Concert Hall on Aug. 23.

The White Coat Ceremony symbolizes passage into the initial stages of the profession of pharmacy practice and represents a contract for excellence in providing compassionate patient care.

This event also highlights the importance of scientific scholarship and emphasizes the highest principles of moral, ethical and legal conduct. UB PharmD students taking part in this tradition are welcomed to begin study among the ranks of pharmacy professionals.

During the “Calling of the Class,” each of the students in the Class of 2016 were called to the stage to be presented with their coat while their hometown was identified by Karl D. Fiebelkorn, RPh, MBA and UB associate dean for student affairs and professional relations.

Wayne K. Anderson, PhD, dean and professor of the UB’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, gave the welcome.

Keith Wagner, PharmD, ’00, MBA, ’03 and MBA director of trade and specialty accounts for Eli Lilly and Company, gave the keynote address.

High School Students Participate in Apprenticeship Program Through Hauptman-Woodward Institute

The Hauptman-Woodward Institute (HWI) offers the opportunity for high school students to gain a tremendous experience researching evolution and bioinformatics through the High School Apprenticeship Program. The program is led by Dr. William L. Duax, HWI’s H.A. Hauptman Distinguished Scientist. Dr. Duax is also a biology professor at the University at Buffalo, with a highly extensive research background, especially involving genetic coding. Spinning off of a City Honors School program in place since 2006 that was created to introduce students to medical research, Dr. Duax’s Apprentice Program reached an enrollment peak as 30 students from various schools in Buffalo took a course learning how to use state-of-the-art computer programs heavily used for biological analysis, as well as unique programs developed at HWI.
Since 2006, Dr. Duax has had students spend a great deal of time in his lab, developing their research skills as they unlocked the intricacies of molecular biology through experiments. Not only did the students get to identify research goals and perform the research, they also have been given the opportunity to present their findings at science research fairs. The students can be qualified to be coauthors of abstracts published in national and international leading scientific journals. Many of Dr. Duax’s students have attained scholarships and have gone on to choose career paths involving medical research.

Three levels of participation are available to the students who have gone through the wp-contentlication process, afterward being accepted:

-Students at City Honors Schools can attend the program all day every Friday throughout the school year.

-Students from any Buffalo area school can attend the program one or two afternoons after school throughout the school year

-Students can choose the summer internship option which takes place 5 days a week for up to 12 weeks.

Students from 15 schools in Buffalo worked on projects last summer analyzing proteins. As the program grows in its popularity, the need to accommodate the demand continues to increase. Dr. Duax opened the program to an 8th grader last year, and this year he is expected to have 3 more middle school students participate. The efforts to expose students to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields continues to excite interest in students at an early age, increasing their opportunities to become the next generation of doctors and researchers that help advance the medical industry. Applicants are interviewed, given a tour of HWI research facilities, and receive an overview of the goals of the research project, and learn how they will help reach those goals.

Because of the number of wp-contentlicants into the summer program, more than 40 students are expected to participate with the help of donated computers and printers for the summer of 2012 group. As the students learn to wp-contently the learned research skills, present complex research in layman terms to various audiences, and continue to explore ways to break down the genome structure, they also get the opportunity to work in the midst of a cutting-edge Medical Campus full of experts, entrepreneurs, and researchers with a world of knowledge. To-date, there has not been one student who has been turned away from the program. Although increased demand and limited computer resources may change the acceptance standards, the support of donors could change the number of students the program services dramatically. For more information on how to donate resources to enable the program to increase or to find out more about the program, please contact Dr. Duax at 716.898.8616 or duax@hwi.buffalo.edu.

 

M.I.C.E.

Meszaros International Center of Entrepreneurship (M.I.C.E.) was founded in 2007 and operates in partnership with the University at Buffalo School of Management to provide instruction in ethical entrepreneurship and financial literacy to young people of diverse backgrounds.
M.I.C.E. believes that young people have the greatest potential and opportunity to develop positive attitudes and business behaviors. Entrepreneurial skills can be easily translated to daily life. The training helps students develop effective work habits, personal management talents, and critical thinking skills: all the abilities that help an individual become a valuable asset to their community. M.I.C.E. also believes that encouraging small business is essential to a successful economy, and that instilling integrity is a key component in educating youth to become our future leaders.

M.I.C.E.’s objectives are to provide talented students who have the aptitude and desire to be leaders with the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, realize personal and economic growth, develop high ethical standards, act in socially responsible ways, gain exposure to leadership roles, and act as agents of change.

Website: www.mice-us-foundation.com

D'Youville Center for Professional Studies

D’Youville College’s Center for Professional Studies offers continuing education programs for adult learners in all stages of their careers. Working professionals require ongoing education in order to advance in their field, enhance their knowledge and skills, or meet standards mandated by state licensing authorities. D’Youville College’s new Center for Professional Studies offers high-quality professional training programs in a variety of disciplines, taught by expert practitioners. Evening and weekend courses taught at convenient locations in Buffalo and Western New York.
Programs include:

Continuing Education Unit (CEU) certified courses

Noncredit professional training courses

Customized group training for organizations

D’Youville Advantages

Take classes in our state-of-the-art classrooms, equipped with the latest technology.

Benefit from D’Youville’s reputation for high-quality, student-centered education and strong connections with key industries.

Stay marketable in today’s competitive economy with the most up-to-date program content available anywhere.

Earn official Continuing Education Units (CEU) for coursework where wp-contentlicable.

Website: www.dyc.edu/cps