Dear CBE@UB Community,
First, congratulations to our newest alumni! We salute your perseverance in completing this semester online and wish you all the best in the next phase of your education or career, while looking forward to the day when we can honor your accomplishments in person. Second, my sincerest thanks to our faculty, staff, and students for all of the extra effort put in to complete the semester from a distance. This was a major undertaking that went more smoothly than I could have imagined. While we all look forward to a return to face-to-face interactions, we have also learned lessons that will make us better teachers, students, and teammates going forward. Of course, challenges lie ahead as the entire higher education community faces unprecedented uncertainty about enrollments, state funding, and what the “new normal” will look like. However, we enter this season in great shape. Three outstanding new faculty members will join us in January 2021, bringing us to 27 total faculty. Large new grants are coming in, and our research expenditures for are up by 25% year-over-year. Our faculty and students are garnering recognition from UB, SUNY, and their professional societies. Some of this exciting news is presented below, and more will follow in future e-bulletins and our fall newsletter. Thus, despite temporary setbacks due to factors beyond our control, I am heartened by the response of our CBE@UB community and remain optimistic about our department’s bright future.
Cheers,
