President Rodriguez Reflects on a Decade of Progress in Fall University Address
By Amy Geduldig
ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 3, 2026) — University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez reflected on a decade of progress during his annual Fall University Address on Oct. 29, sharing the University’s transformation over the past 10 years, which were marked by major investments in research, academic innovation, global partnerships, student success and community engagement.
Speaking to faculty, staff and students in the Campus Center Ballroom, Rodríguez highlighted milestones that have strengthened UAlbany’s position as a leading public research institution while expanding educational opportunities and supporting the health and well-being of its campus community.
"When I arrived at this institution, I was filled with optimism and excitement about this University’s immense potential. Today, I am just as excited and encouraged about the future, the growth and the impact our institution will continue to have here in the Capital Region and around the world," Rodríguez said.
Advancing Research for the Public Good
Since becoming UAlbany’s 20th president in the fall of 2017, Rodríguez has overseen significant institutional growth, including the the expansion of academic and research partnerships across New York and internationally.
Major milestones include the 2021 opening of ETEC, a $180 million research and development complex supporting innovation in climate science, emergency preparedness, cybersecurity and environmental research, and the 2023 return of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering to UAlbany, forming the expandedCollege of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. The college opened a renovated facility at the former Albany High School in 2024, strengthening the University's role in semiconductor research, workforce development and the Capital Region's growing technology economy.
The University also expanded its academic and research capabilities with the establishment of the College of Integrated Health Sciences in 2024, bringing together public health, nursing and social welfare to address complex health challenges. Meanwhile, the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC), established in 2016, continued to evolve with a revamped undergraduate cybersecurity program introduced in 2025. That same year, the National Security Agency designated CEHC a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.
Investing the Future
Looking ahead, Rodríguez highlighted Catalyst 2030, an ambitious investment in research talent recruitment, interdisciplinary collaboration and emerging research areas. The initiative includes recruiting leading postdoctoral researchers to establish new research centers and teams, as well as seed funding to advance work in artificial intelligence, quantum science, semiconductors, nanotechnology, climate and weather, biotechnology and cybersecurity. The University's Strategic Allocation of Resources (StAR) program will also support projects focused on public impact research and internationalization.
Rodríguez also discussed UAlbany’s expanding global reach, including partnerships with Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences and the Ramaiah Institute of Science and Management in India. The collaborations focus on engineering, semiconductor technology, artificial intelligence, faculty and student exchanges and research opportunities.
Expanding Opportunities to Support Student Success
UAlbany welcomed more than 3,500 first-year students in fall 2026, the largest incoming class in University history and a 20% increase over the previous year. The milestone came as the University has expanded its academic offerings with new undergraduate degree programs in nursing, education, game design and mechanical engineering, creating additional pathways to careers in high-demand and emerging fields.
The University has also strengthened pathways to higher education for local students through dual admission agreements with New York State community colleges and direct-admission partnerships with local school districts. Recent agreements with Columbia-Greene Community College and Albany and Schenectady high schools are designed to make a UAlbany education more accessible while helping students navigate their transition to college.
Since becoming one of the first U.S. universities to adopt the Okanagan Charter in 2021, UAlbany has made student health and well-being a central institutional priority. The launch of Thrive UAlbany and the opening of the Thrive Hub in 2026 brought together resources supporting mental and physical health, financial well-being, career readiness and student belonging. The University was recently named to the Princeton Review's Mental Health Honor Roll for the third year in a row.
Rodríguez credited the University community for its contributions to these achievements and emphasized the importance of building on that momentum. "Together, we have continued and expanded the University at Albany's remarkable legacy. From 1844 to today, there is an unbroken chain of students, faculty and staff who built our university community and expanded the boundaries of knowledge... I know that chain will remain unbroken, it will be resilient and our collective work to build upon the accomplishments of past generations will continue."
Faculty, Staff and Student Honors
Provost Carol Kim recognized two members of the University community who were named Collins Fellows. The Collins Fellowship, named for former UAlbany President Evan R. Collins, has recognized faculty since 1984 for extraordinary devotion to the University community.
- Lawrence “Larry” Schell, distinguished professor in the Department of Anthropology at the College of Integrated Health Sciences. Schell served as the founding director of the Northeast Regional Forensic Institute at UAlbany and Director of the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities for 17 years, where he published significant research on the impact of pollution on human growth and development. Under his leadership, the Center was tapped by the Governor’s Office to investigate the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color in New York State.
- Christine Wagner, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, and a professor in the Department of Psychology. Wagner has championed diversity in STEM fields through Project SAGES, an NSF-ADVANCE grant funded program that worked to expand gender diversity in STEM fields, and the Maximizing Access to Research Careers, which offered mentoring and research opportunities to juniors and seniors from traditionally underrepresented groups in biomedical research careers. Wagner also served as Chair of the Department of Psychology and is now the co-chair of UAlbany's Self-Study Process for Accreditation by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Vice President for Government and Community Relations Sheila Seery then introduced the recipients of the President’s Award for Exemplary Public Engagement and Honorary Award for Distinguished Public Engagement, which recognize outstanding efforts to engage with and serve communities beyond campus.
President's Award for Exemplary Public Engagement
Honorary Award for Distinguished Public Engagement
- Ross F. Goodman, director of Center for Advanced Technology in Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics (CATN2) and the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology (CENN).
- Kevin Quinn, associate professor of Special Education in the School of Education.
