April 25, 2008

Spring Faculty Meeting Address: Overcoming Fiscal Challenges

The message at the Spring Faculty Meeting on April 22 from University at Albany Interim President George M. Philip was clear: We will persevere in providing the best education to our students in spite of this year’s budget setbacks.

The day before Philip’s speech, Gov. David Paterson announced deep budget cuts for SUNY which could amount to several million fewer operating dollars for UAlbany.  The University still awaits final numbers.   In addition, state funds for hiring new faculty did not materialize.

However, the University will receive funds from the Legislature for capital projects, including:
� $54 million for the new School of Business building that has been championed by School of Business Dean Paul Leonard, who will stay on as Dean Emeritus once his successor, Donald Siegel, arrives July 1.
� $30 million for the Campus Center Expansion
� $5 million for Phase II of the Campus Revitalization project, and $33.8 million for critical maintenance.

Philip praised the faculty for its academic successes.  “Did you know, that in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of graduate programs, UAlbany has more programs ranked in the top 25 than the other three SUNY research centers combined?” His comment was greeted with sustained applause.

“In all, UAlbany has five programs in the Top 10 and 14 programs in the Top 25 and this does not count the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) which is ranked by Small Times Magazine as No. 1 in the world,” Philip said.

He introduced UAlbany sophomore and Goldwater Scholar Julita Ewa Patrosz to applause, and noted Patrosz is conducting research with Jayanti Pande of Chemistry, using biophysical techniques to help us understand how cataracts form.

Philip noted UAlbany admitted less than 50 percent of its 21,810 applicants for the fall freshman class, maintaining quality even as enrollment climbs. Applications increased by eight percent over last year’s record number. Applications to graduate school are up ten percent. In spite of fiscal constraints, he said, “We will remain as competitive as we possibly can.”

In other news, Philip noted the University Health Center and Counseling Center will move to 400 Patroon Creek Blvd. June 2. A shuttle bus will be provided for students so they will not be inconvenienced.  He also announced that UAlbany expected a record number of visitors this summer, as many as 60,000, when the New York Giants return for summer training camp. 

Philip congratulated a number of faculty who earned excellence awards and announced this year’s Collins Fellow Award winner, Professor Hassaram Bakhru, head of the Nanoscience Constellation, professor of nanoscience, and chair of the faculty council at CNSE. Bakhru is also director of UAlbany’s ion beam laboratories.  The following faculty members are 2008 Excellence Award recipients:

Excellence in Academic Service
Randall Craig, Department of English
Reed Hoyt, Department of Music

Excellence in Professional Service
Linda Krzykowski, School of Business
Candace Merbler, University Libraries
Ronald Thomas, Office of Telecommunications
Excellence in Librarianship
Karen E.K. Brown, University Libraries

Excellence in Support Service
Dawn Guinan, Rockefeller College
Linda Papa, Department of Reading
Mary Lou Weseman, School of Social Welfare

Excellence in Teaching
Sharon Danoff-Burg, Department of Psychology
Michael Landin, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Theresa Pardo, Center for Technology in Government

Excellence in Research
Pradeep Haldar, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Lawrence Schell, Department of Anthropology
Carolyn Smith, School of Social Welfare
Dan Willard, Department of Computer Science

Excellence in Teaching by a Teaching Assistant
Dana Basnight-Brown, Department of Psychology
Alice Krause, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures

 

 

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