Our Facilities

Uptown Campus | Downtown Campus | East Campus

Uptown Campus: Architecture, Academics, Athletics, and the Arts

The University's main campus, the Uptown Campus, has been described as a distinctive work of modern art. Designed in 1961-62 by renowned American architect Edward Durell Stone (1902-1978), the campus bears Stone's signature style of bold unified design, evident in buildings from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

At UAlbany, Stone's vision is achieved by towers, domes, soaring colonnades, a sweeping canopy, and fountains featured in the central Academic Podium complex and four quadrangle residence halls that dominate much of the Uptown Campus.

In recent years, an aggressive program of new construction has expanded the Uptown Campus with a second major library facility (the Science Library), the Life Sciences Research Building, a sculpture studio, apartment-style residence halls, and a new administration building (University Hall).  Construction of a new School of Business building and new student housing is under way.

Features of the Uptown Campus include:

• The Main Fountain—a dramatic focal point of the Academic Podium, where students and visitors gather to talk, sunbathe, take photos, or picnic. This area is undergoing a major renovation to create an energy-efficient, four-season area that continues to serve as a campus focal point for generations to come;
• The Grand Entry Plaza—in keeping with Stone's vision, in September 2008 the University unveiled this vibrant, three-acre campus gateway, whose park-like setting includes ornamental trees, bench seating (equipped with Wi-Fi) and a stunning walk-through fountain;
• The Ion Beam Laboratory—established in 1970 to pursue research in neutron physics, research activity transitioned into studies in materials physics, where physics faculty have earned a worldwide reputation in analysis and modification of materials using particle beams.
• Artistic venues;
• The UAlbany athletics complex—featuring the 4,500-seat SEFCU-UAlbany Arena, home court for both Great Dane Division I basketball teams, rehabilitation and fitness centers, and recreational facilities that include playing courts in several sports;
• The Campus Center—the hub of student activity at the University, which includes lounges, meeting and dining rooms, a ballroom, banking facilities, a convenience store, bookstore, and a variety of fast-food  eateries; is slated to expand by 50,000 square feet in the next few years.
• Two of three University libraries— the University Library  and the Science Library;  the University Libraries  rank as  one of the top 100 research libraries in America; and
• Ambulance Service—Since 1973, the New York State-certified, all-student-run Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Service, has served the University at Albany community, as well as surrounding areas

Extending westward and adjacent to the Uptown Campus is the complex which is home to the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE).

• CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience and nanoeconomics;
• With more than $12 billon in high-tech investments, CNSE represents the world’s most advanced university-driven research enterprise, offering students a one-of-a-kind academic experience;
• CNSE provides more than 300 corporate partners with access to an unmatched ecosystem for leading-edge R&D and commercialization of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology innovations; and
• CNSE is home to the headquarters and operations of SEMATECH, a 12-member global consortium of major computer chip manufacturers.

Downtown Campus: Public Policy, a Writers' Mecca and a Classic Library

The Downtown Campus, located one mile from the New York State Capitol building and Empire State Plaza, is of Georgian-style architecture, graced by giant pillars and elegant porticos, and inspired by Thomas Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia. It was UAlbany's main campus, as the New York State College for Teachers, from 1909-66. The Downtown Campus is home to:

• The University's three public policy schools and colleges—Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, the School of Criminal Justice and the School of Social Welfare; seven of their graduate programs are ranked in the top-25 nationally by U.S. News & World Report;
• Page Hall—site of the New York State Writers Institute's Visiting Writers and Classic Film series (both free to the public); and
• Thomas E. Dewey Graduate Library—the graduate school library devoted to public policy; its intricate stained glass windows and wall-length murals, dating back to 1910, remain inspirational.

East Campus: Health Sciences and Cancer Research

A former pharmaceutical complex, the 95-acre East Campus was purchased by the University at Albany Foundation in 1996. Located in East Greenbush on a hilltop offering a splendid view of the Albany skyline, the campus is the base for UAlbany's biotechnology and health sciences programs, as well as home to established and start-up biotech firms. Its features include:

• The School of Public Health, a joint venture of the University and the New York State Department of Health;
• The Cancer Research Center, which houses the Center for Functional Genomics, a core facility with comprehensive state-of-the-art research technologies in biochemistry, genomics and proteomics;
• A business incubator—current tenants include bioscience, chemical, and nanotech firms, which benefit from proximity to UAlbany's faculty researchers and the research facilities on the campus; and
• Tech Valley High School.