Year In Review 2022 | University at Albany

Dear friends,

It is my pleasure to present to you the 2021-2022 Year in Review website—a look back at some of the most significant, inspiring, and fascinating stories that emerged from the University at Albany during a pivotal chapter in our history.

As we look back on 2021-2022, it was clearly a year marked by both significant challenges and tremendous opportunities. Perhaps most dramatic has been the progress made in our fight against the global pandemic. When we welcomed our incoming class in Fall 2021, we were still masked and distanced—with many COVID restrictions still in place. One year later, our Fall 2022 semester opened with the full range of in-person classes and activities, and a sense of relief that we could truly come back together as a community. But despite the circumstances when the last academic year began, the news and video entries on this page tell the story of a community in constant pursuit of excellence.

In addition to highlighting some of the University’s most high-profile initiatives and accolades, this Year in Review also features a range of smaller events and individual achievements that also convey an equally important narrative: it is the diversity of ideas, experiences, and perspectives of our faculty, staff, and students that make UAlbany a uniquely innovative and publicly engaged institution of higher education. The news, features, and videos collected here reflect our deep commitment and national leadership in each of our strategic core priorities—Student Success, Research Excellence, Diversity and Inclusion, Internationalization, and Engagement and Service. They also paint a vivid and exciting picture of the ways in which the individual and collective actions of our community members are accelerating progress toward our ambitious vision: to be the nation’s leading diverse public research university.

If you explore these outstanding stories, I am confident that you will come away wanting to learn more about the University at Albany’s distinctive academic and research profile, our highly diverse student body, and our approach to creating a better future for our communities—and for the planet.

Sincerely,

Havidán Rodríguez

President

New York Governor Kathy Hochul stands at a brown podium bearing the seal of the State of New York holding a saliva tube from one of the RNA Institute's COVID-19 test kids.

Gov. Hochul lauds RNA Institute's COVID-19 testing lab

University News

In January, Gov. Kathy Hochul toured the RNA Institute's COVID-19 testing lab in the Life Sciences Research Building, which played an integral role in keeping UAlbany's campus healthy and open during the height of the pandemic. Afterward, Hochul delivered a statewide COVID-19 briefing to update New Yorkers on the state's progress in controlling the pandemic. It was Hochul's first visit to UAlbany as governor.

A crowd shot of students in graduation robes smiling and taking selfies amid a cloud of purple and gold confetti.

UAlbany once again tops social mobility rankings

Student Success

U.S. News & World Report's “Best College Rankings” once again recognized UAlbany as a top performer in social mobility for 2022, tied at No. 33 nationally, within the top 10 percent of all institutions. The annual ranking measures how well universities enroll and graduate students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, setting them on a course to climb the economic ladder later in life.

UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez stands at a clear plastic podium in front of an Excelencia in Education banner to accept the Seal of Excelencia on behalf of UAlbany.

Seal of Excelencia affirms UAlbany's commitment to Latino students

University News

In a major validation of the University's data-driven commitment to Latino and Latina student success, Excelencia in Education this year awarded UAlbany its rigorous Seal of Excelencia. UAlbany and Mercy College became the first New York institutions to receive the designation, with UAlbany being the first SUNY campus and the first Research 1 institution in the Northeast. Just 30 colleges and universities around the country have earned the designation.

ETEC: Launching a new vision for research and innovation

University News

In November 2021, UAlbany cut the ribbon on its state-of-the-art ETEC building, which was designed to unite scientists and entrepreneurs to collaboratively find solutions to society’s most complex challenges. The $180 million facility is the realization of UAlbany's SUNY2020 vision and the epicenter of UAlbany's work on emergency preparedness, homeland security, resiliency, atmospheric sciences and environmental and sustainable engineering.

Seated at a purple table, UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez signs the new legal studies pathway agreement, while representatives of HVCC and Albany Law do the same in the background.

UAlbany, HVCC, Albany Law launch legal studies program

Student Success

An innovative new program gives students a pathway from associate's degree to Juris Doctor by way of UAlbany. Students accepted to the program will have access to opportunities to engage with their peers, faculty, professionals and support services while enrolled at HVCC and throughout their time at UAlbany, including all UAlbany Pre-Law programming and specialized Pre-Law advisement. It culminates with guaranteed admission to Albany Law.

A masked President Rodriguez is seated at a purple table holding up a certificate while a crowd of masked people stand behind him and applaud.

UAlbany designated a Health-Promoting University

Student Success

UAlbany was among the first eight universities nationwide to adopt the Okanagan Charter, which calls on schools to embed health into all aspects of campus culture. Signing the charter underscored UAlbany’s commitment to student well-being and established the University as one of the earliest members of the United States Health Promoting Campuses Network.

NYS author Ayad Akhtar and NYS poet Willie Perdomo sit side by side laughing at a table in front of two microphones during a panel discussion at UAlbany.

Akhtar, Perdomo named NYS author and poet

Arts & Culture

The New York State Writers Institute's 4th-annual Albany Book Festival began with the naming of a new state author, Ayad Akhtar, and poet, Willie Perdomo. Akhtar received the Edith Wharton Citation of Merit for Fiction and Perdomo received the Walt Whitman Citation of Merit for Poetry at a special ceremony held in the Campus Center. Since 1985, the awardees of have been chosen biennially by jurors, including students, convened by the NYSWI and UAlbany.

A close-up photo of a solar panel on the roof of the Campus Center with UAlbany's carillon and Academic Podium visible in the background.

Philanthropy that advances a more renewable electric grid

Giving

The newly endowed Bailey Fellowship at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center focuses on the deployment of renewable energies on the electric grid and the importance of shifting the electric grid closer to 100 percent renewable energy, a key step toward mitigating climate catastrophes caused by continued increases in greenhouse gas emissions. The Bailey Fellowship is named for donor and former ASRC research associate Bruce Bailey.

Four smiling people in black Race 4 Equity t-shirts embrace for a photo in front of a purple and gold Race 4 Equity banner.

Inaugural Race for Equity shines light on social justice

Diversity & Inclusion

In September 2021, the University came together for the inaugural Race for Equity 5K to celebrate social justice achievements in U.S. history and focus on the work that remains to be done. The timed race drew hundreds of participants to Casey Stadium and is returning again in 2022.

School of Business bestows inaugural ESG impact award

Public Engagement & Service

In October 2021, three Albany-area companies were finalists for the inaugural High Peaks Impact Award, given by the University at Albany School of Business to recognize a Capital Region business that demonstrates a commitment to environment, social and governance (ESG) practices. The event was co-hosted by the New York State Writers Institute, with the inaugural award going to Key Capture Energy.

A brick apartment building with black fire escapes photographed from a low angle during a snow storm.

Helping University neighbors prepare for winter

Public Engagement & Service

UAlbany students, faculty and staff volunteered to this year to provide free basic weatherization services to the homes and apartments of Albany residents. The work, part of Operation Weatherize Albany, included installing weather stripping, plastic window covers, door sweeps and energy efficient lightbulbs. Volunteers will receive training in advance of the home visits, and student groups will be accompanied by a staff or faculty mentor. Transportation is available.

President Rodríguez, in a gray suit and purple striped tie, stands at a podium with the words University at Albany projected on a screen to his left.

UAlbany joins alliance to aid international, immigrant and refugee students

Diversity & Inclusion

President Rodríguez joined the Steering Committee of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a coalition of more than 500 college and university presidents and chancellors promoting federal, state and local policies that support immigrant, international and refugee students. The nonpartisan nonprofit brings higher ed leaders together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, students, local communities and the nation.

Stewart-Cousins headlines Leading Questions

Public Engagement & Service

In October 2021, President Rodríguez interviewed New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins as part of the Office of Public Engagment's Leading Questions series. The series gives students the opportunity to learn the essentials of leadership from some of New York’s most influential and engaged leaders in the public and private sectors. The event was co-hosted by Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy.

Portraits of Fall '21 Student Support Team members Hamidat Adeyi (left) and Irene Kyei (right).

Students supporting students through COVID-19

Public Engagement & Service

As campus resumed a sense of normalcy in fall 2021, the Student Support Team (SST) continued its critical work as part of the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This highly trained group of students reached out to their peers impacted by the virus to walk them through next steps and contacted them daily throughout their mandated quarantine or isolation period for wellness check-ups.

A purple slide that includes the following except from the UAlbany land acknowledgement: "UAlbany sits on the traditional homelands of the Mohawk Haudenosaunee and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans. As a University, we are committed to cultivating reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities focused on equity, social justice, and sustainability — and dismantling legacies of colonization."

Acknowledging the indigenous history of the land

Diversity & Inclusion

The 2021 Fall University Address marked the first major University event to feature an institutional acknowledgement of the Kanien’keháka and Muh-he-con-neok people, who stewarded the lands on which UAlbany is now located for generations before the arrival of European colonists. The Kanien’keháka (People of the Flint) and Muh-he-con-neok (People of the Waters that are Never Still) are more commonly known today as the Mohawk Haudenosaunee and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans.

A person, pictured only below the shoulders, sits on a yellow chair while looking at their phone.

Identifying critical gaps in telemental health equity

Research

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the schools of Public Health and Social Welfare and the College of Arts & Sciences found a lack of research guiding telemental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic and a healthcare system ill-equipped to address telemental health disparities. The UAlbany team noted this lack of equitable access and usage may compound existing health disparities already highlighted by the pandemic.

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Daphney-Stavroula Zois poses standing with her arms crossed in front of her beneath the arches of UAlbany's Academic Podium.

Using AI to help farmers in Ghana

Research

As part of a Google initiative to help academics and nonprofits develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques that can improve people's lives, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Daphney-Stavroula Zois is working with AGRI-WEB to help smallholder farmers in Ghana develop better prediction models for their crop yields. The project aims to help farmers in the African nation provide food and nutrition security and help stabilize and develop their income.

Thenkurussi Kesavadas named VP for research and economic development

Research

In November 2021, President Havidán Rodríguez named Thenkrussi "Kesh" Kesavadas as UAlbany's next vice president for research and economic development. Kesavadas joined UAlbany from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he served as founding director of the Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC), the largest endowed center in the University of Illinois system.

Helping FEMA improve disaster messaging

Research

Through a new $2.8 million contract from FEMA, researchers from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity are teaming with the Center for Technology in Government to develop a Message Design Dashboard that will improve emergency managers' ability to write effective messages to warn the public about hazards. The three-year project will involve the development of software, optimized message templates and training materials.

A portrait of Distinguished Professor Igor Lednev seated wearing a dark gray sport coat and blue shirt.

Igor Lednev named Distinguished Professor

University News

In December 2021, Igor Lednev of the Chemistry Department was elevated to Distinguished Professor by the State University of New York, the highest academic rank in the SUNY system conferred upon faculty who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their field. Lednev's research is focused on the use of laser spectroscopy for forensic purposes, medical diagnostics and fundamental biochemistry.

A portrait of Melissa Cedeño holding the book "integrity" by Dr. Henry Cloud in the foreground.

Cedeño takes reins of Educational Opportunity Program

Student Success

Melissa Cedeño — an experienced educator, Brooklyn native and UAlbany EOP alum — joined UAlbany as the new director of the University's Educational Opportunity Program in December. UAlbany EOP is consistently among the largest and most well-regarded in the SUNY system, and Cedeño said the program instilled in her a sense of obligation to advance social justice.

Benjamin Yankson, in a white shirt and blue suit jacket, holds a small robot with a face

Cybersecurity professor inspires Ghanaian students to pursue their dreams

International

Benjamin Yankson hopes his journey from Ghana to Canada to the U.S., and his 20-year path to a PhD, will inspire a new generation of West African youth to careers in cybersecurity. Yankson, an assistant professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, is running IT clinics in his home country, and has started a Tech Exchange program to aid students in underserved communities around the globe.

Illustration shows a woman in a pink shirt and jeans standing backwards in a rowboat in swirling water

A grad student literary journal grabs global attention

Arts & Culture

Three student works published in "Barzakh," an international literary journal run by UAlbany grad students, were chosen among “Best of the Year” in "Entropy," the prestigious online literary magazine. "Barzakh" — from the Arabic word for a connecting link — has been publishing since 2009, becoming both an essential part of campus culture and a powerful voice for international literature.

Small insert of a smiling Janell Hobson in the corner of an illustration of Harriet Tubman with the words "Tubman200" and "200 years ago, a child was born into chattle slavery. She grew up to become a liberator."

Reflecting on Harriet Tubman's 200-year legacy

Research

In February, Janell Hobson, professor of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, edited "Tubman 200," a commemorative edition of Ms. magazine reflecting on the life and legacy of liberator, abolitionist and suffragist leader Harriet Tubman. Tubman is also the focus of a chapter in Hobson's 2021 book, "When God Lost Her Tongue: Historical Consciousness and the Black Feminist Imagination."

Associate Professor Tomoko Udo stands holding a microphone at a podium bearing the Albany County seal with several Albany County officials, including Sheriff Craig Apple, standing behind her as she speaks.

SSW, SPH help Albany County reimagine mental health crisis response

Public Engagement & Service

Two professors from the schools of Public Health and Social Welfare who were tapped to help Albany County design a new program to limit law enforcement responses to mental health crises this year won additional funding through the New York State Health Foundation to expand the work. The grant will make it easier for other communities tackling similar issues to learn from Albany County's experience establishing the ACCORD pilot program.

About two-dozen exchange students from South Korea pose with their arms in the air in the ETEC atrium in front of a wood-paneled wall depicting Minerva.

Forging global cybersecurity connections

International

Over winter break, 26 students from South Korea attended a five-week cybersecurity exchange program at UAlbany. The program was a partnership between the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity and the Center for International Education and Global Strategy for students from Yonsei University, JeJu National University and Dankook University with an interest in computer science and software development.

A photo showing screens in UAlbany's xCITE visualization lab, including one displaying a green map of New York and weather data from the New York State Mesonet.

IBM partnership harnesses Big Weather Data

Research

In March, UAlbany and IBM Research jointly announced a new partnership with UAlbany's Weather-Climate Enterprise to harness massive data sets to explore climate and weather impacts on bodies of water, transportation and renewable energy systems in New York. The partnership will develop new forecasting models and methods and leverage the scientific and technical expertise from UAlbany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC), Center of Excellence in Weather & Climate Analytics (COE) and the New York State Mesonet.

Police in riot gear stand amid cars on a street lit by headlights

A deeper understanding of how race impacts perceptions of policing

Research

School of Criminal Justice Associate Professor Justin Pickett shed light this year on the deep racial divide when it comes to perceptions of the police, finding fear of police ubiquitous among Black Americans but ubiquitously absent among white Americans. A second study examined how race impacts perceptions of police handling of protests associated with "racialized issues."

UAlbany eSports claims fall ECAC Commissioner's Cup

Athletics

UAlbany eSports was crowned the winner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Fall 2021 Commissioner’s Cup, an award recognizing the program that achieved the most success across all the video games in which the conference sponsors competition. The Great Danes competed in the most ECAC matches across all games and had the most wins, topping all 105 members of the conference.

UAF board member Lew Wiener poses smiling with senior finance major Semi Awopetu and Alumni Association President Jill Delaney at the scholarship dinner in ETEC's atrium.

A record-setting celebration of students and scholarships

Giving

The University at Albany Foundation's annual Celebration of Scholarships drew a record crowd of 200 in March to ETEC's soaring atrium to highlight the impact of donors' generosity on the lives of UAlbany students. In 2021-22, UAF awarded more than $3.7 million in scholarships and other meaningful forms of assistance, in addition to $3.4 million in support of faculty, research and the campus.

A black-and-white portrait of Lynne Tillman seated with her chin resting on her closed fist.

Lynne Tillman honored by American Academy of Arts and Letters

Arts & Culture

In March, English Professor Lynne Tillman was named the winner of the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Katherine Anne Porter Award for her achievements in fiction and nonfiction. "There were obstacles I had to overcome," said Tillman, who has been at UAlbany since 2003, "but if there is such a thing as a calling, writing was mine, is mine.”

Sparks fly as a welder shrouded in protective gear, including a full mask, welds at a table in the Boor Sculpture Studio.

Boor Sculpture Studio celebrates 20 years of artistic inspiration

Arts & Culture

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Boor Sculpture Studio, the gleaming 20,000-square-foot building on the east side of the Uptown Campus with an in-ground furnace for casting, a figure modeling room and a digital media suite. The entire building, which includes an experimental gallery and installation area, is dedicated to encouraging students and faculty to explore and create three-dimensional art.

U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko stands facing the camera at a brown podium with a University at Albany seal addressing a crowd (not visible) in front of an RNA Institute banner.

NYS Mesonet, RNA Institute backed by $1.9 million in federal funding

Research

In March, two of UAlbany's signature research areas received nearly $2 million in the federal budget — $1 million for the RNA Institute's Next Generation RNA Technology Package, which will help scientists at the Institute identify and track genetic changes in RNA diseases like COVID-19 and myotonic dystrophy, and $900,000 for an atmospheric profiler testbed that will rely on real-time data collected from New York State Mesonet sites operated by UAlbany.

Aiguo Dai named SUNY Distinguished Professor

University News

In March, atmospheric scientist Aiguo Dai was elevated to Distinguished Professor by the State University of New York, the highest academic rank in the SUNY system conferred upon faculty who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their field. Dai is a professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

A close-up of a curved glass award honoring director Derek Cianfrance with NYSWI's Ironweed Award.

2022 Albany Film Festival elevates the art of storytelling

Arts & Culture

In its second year on campus, the New York State Writers Institute's Albany Film Festival fostered engaging conversations on topics such as writing vs. visual storytelling, screenwriting, criticism, film history and biography — including a discussion between bestselling novelist Wally Lamb and acclaimed director Derek Cianfrance about his adaptation of Lamb’s novel "I Know This Much Is True."

Representatives of the Griffiss Institute examine drone parts while standing around a table in the makerspace in UAlbany's ETEC building.

$1.5 million to strengthen the cybersecurity workforce

Research

In April, UAlbany partnered with Florida International University and the Griffiss Institute to co-lead a new $1.5 million virtual institute that will help train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals for future military and civilian leadership positions. The Virtual Institute of Cyber Operation and Research (VICOR) will equip students with applied cyber operational skills through hands-on learning and research opportunities.

Working toward gender, racial equity in STEM

Diversity & Inclusion

In just its first year, UAlbany’s project to recruit and retain women and women of color in the STEM fields resulted in nearly a dozen grants, awards and funding for postdoc visits. Called Project SAGES (Striving to Achieve Gender Equity in STEM), the initiative is funded by a three-year, $1 million National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant. UAlbany was one of just seven universities in the nation to receive such a grant in 2021.

Record state funding for weather data analytics

University News

The 2022-23 NYS Budget included a record $1 million in funding for UAlbany's Center of Excellence in Weather and Climate Analytics, a $200,000 increase from the prior year. The COE partners with New York business to research and develop solutions that mitigate the risk and costs severe weather in weather-sensitives industries, including helping utilities prepare for and respond to storms.

14 members of the UAlbany unified soccer league pose smiling in two rows in front of a soccer goal on the Dutch turf field with Dutch Quad in the background. nights this semester. (

Inclusive sports club marks five years on campus

Diversity & Inclusion

UAlbany’s Special Olympics Club this year marked its fifth year of partnership with the country's national sports organization for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through a collaboration between the club and Campus Recreation, UAlbany has hosted a number of unified sports teams that partner athletes with and without disabilities.

A photo showing a section of the Podium roof covered in blue-gray solar panels with Livingston Tower in Colonial Quad visible in the background.

Going solar in a big way

University News

For Earth Day, UAlbany unveiled its massive new rooftop solar array on top of the Academic Podium and Life Sciences Research Building. At nearly 4,800 panels, the system is capable of producing 1.9 megawatts of clean energy and is the largest rooftop solar array in the SUNY system.

A young boy stands in front of a crowd of children, all wearing t-shirts that say "Don't Deport My Mom."

Recording immigration enforcement's lasting impact on children

Research

A study led by Sociology Professor Joanna Dreby and Associate Professor Eunju Lee of the School of Social Welfare shed new light on immigration enforcement's longstanding socio-emotional impact on children. The first-of-its-kind study relied on Dreby’s in-depth interviews with 84 young adults who were minors in the mid-2000s to draw conclusions and assess policy implications.

A photo of blue-white icebergs drifting on a calm ocean surface.

Assessing how sea ice loss impacts atmospheric circulation

Research

A research team led by UAlbany's Aiguo Dai analyzed observational data and advanced climate models to simulate how the loss of Artic sea ice would impact atmospheric circulation well beyond the polar region. Their research suggests that variations in sea ice cover contribute to climate variability over a much wider swatch of the globe, findings with significant implications for our understanding of the potential impacts of climate change.

Four members of the UAlbany Student Stories podcast team pose smiling with Associate Professor Carmen Serrano (center) in the University Library.

Amplifying student stories, in their own voices

Student Success

In its second season, the UAlbany Student Stories podcast tackled complex issues like art, race, spiritually and life's challenges. Spearheaded by Associate Professor Carmen Serrano of the Department of Languages, Literature and Cultures, the podcast returned in Spring 2022 from pandemic hiatus to speak candidly about the many societal and institutional barriers students face — and their resiliency in overcoming them.

The men's track & field team, wearing gray "conference champions" t-shirts, sits in the grass with its arms and fingers in the air around a sign that says "America East Champions"

Men's and women's track & field continue outdoor dominance

Athletics

In May, the men's track & field team claimed its 17th-straight America East outdoor title and 18th overall, the longest current streak in Division I. The women's team, meanwhile, also continued its dominance, claiming its 13th straight title and and 15th overall. Combined, UAlbany athletes won 23 total events at the conference championships in Burlington, Vt., and set several conference championship records in the process.

President President Rodríguez and Christy Doyle, director of University events, stand in front of Dutch Quad and place the metal time capsule box back inside the cornerstone chamber marked with the year 1964.n the northeast cornerstone of Dutch Quad last week.

Pandemic-delayed time capsule returns to Dutch Quad

University News

In May, the University returned its time capsule to the cornerstone of Dutch Quad -- a pandemic-postponed re-interment almost exactly three years since it was opened to celebrate UAlbany’s 175th anniversary. The new cache, to be opened in 50 years, includes a letter from President Havidán Rodríguez to the University's future leader as well as a postscript reflecting on the impact of the pandemic on the UAlbany community.

A portrait of Joan Blanchfield at home, smiling and wearing a white collared shirt and dark sweater.

History PhD embodies lifelong love of learning

Arts & Culture

In May, just shy of her 80th birthday, Joan Fiori Blanchfield earned her doctorate in history after completing a dissertation on sculptor Richard Stankiewicz. The achievement was 18 years in the making and came 50 years after Blanchfield, an award-winning sculptor herself, earned an MA in studio art from UAlbany in 1972. “There is always something new to learn, and I hope I never stop learning," she said.

Schumer, Hochul and Junod hail Class of 2022

Student Success

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul and acclaimed author and journalist Tom Junod '80 offered words of advice to the Class of 2022 in May as the University's marquee University-wide undergraduate Commencement returned to the Entry Plaza for the first time since 2019. In all, more than 4,200 students received their degrees during Commencement 2022 festivities, including about 2,825 undergraduates.

Na Dai, smiling and wearing glasses and a blue blazer

Fulbright scholar brings business case study approach to Italy

International

Finance Professor Na Dai from the School of Business took her expertise in corporate finance, entrepreneurship and innovation to the University of Naples in Italy for the 2022-23 academic year as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar. Dai is teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Management and Quantitative Studies on such topics as finance, private equity and venture capital, with a special focus on incorporating the case-study model into the classroom.

A woman peers through the wooden slats of window shades.

Understanding the link between youth incarceration and suicide

Research

Research led by a School of Public Health PhD student found that a history of incarceration may increase suicide attempts, particularly for women who were incarcerated at a young age. The study was one of the first population-based studies to examine the relationship between a history of suicide attempt, age of incarceration and sex.

A UAlbany' women's lacrosse player wearing No. 23 and carrying the ball in her stick runs in mid-stride while being defended by a player from UMBC.

Athletics wins 8th America East Commissioner's Cup

Athletics

Powered by four conference tournament championships and four second-place finishes, UAlbany Athletics captured the the 2021-22 America East Stuart P. Haskell Commissioner’s Cup. UAlbany bested Vermont for its first Commissioner's Cup title since 2017-18 and its eighth title overall, second only to Boston University.

Students and faculty members who participated in the Common Ground in the Clouds Program pose in two rows for a photo in front of the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center's Whiteface Mountain Field Station.

Finding common ground at 5,000 feet

Diversity & Inclusion

"Common Ground in the Clouds” aims to connect students in the Adirondack region with peers from Indigenous schools through multi-day retreats at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center's iconic Whiteface Mountain Field Station. Students and teachers from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, whose territory spans northern New York into Canada, joined peers from Lake Placid High School in May for the project’s first official cross-cultural event.

Podcast host Mary Hunt and VP for Research and Economic Development Kesh Kesavadas sit in front of microphones at a round table in the UAlbany digital media studio during a taping of The Engagement Ring.

New podcast highlights teaching, research and service

Public Engagement & Service

In June, the Office of Public Engagement launched The Engagement Ring podcast to highlight the teaching, research and service of UAlbany faculty, staff, students and alumni. Episodes so far have focused on artificial intelligence, weather prediction, water pollution and the rise of right-wing extremism.

"Dream School," a student submission to the art exhibit, depicts a dark human silhouette standing on two books on a stage, framed by red curtains.

Art exhibition helps students, teachers confront inequity

Arts & Culture

In June, the “Freedom Dreaming for Educational Justice” exhibit in the Fine Arts Building led by the School of Education's Capital District Writing Project helped K-12 students and teachers explore how the arts can help us make sense of educational inequity. Some students’ art conveyed the marginalization they felt in school and of what they had been missing in their educations. Many reflected a dream of something better.

A group of younadults, some with hands in the air, stand on a rock outcropping in Kenya

Fieldwork semester in Kenya offers students immersion into research and culture

International

Through a new partnership with Stony Brook University, UAlbany began offering students a semester-long study of human origins and evolution in Kenya: The Origins Field School. Students are immersed in Kenyan culture while engaging in hands-on fieldwork and earning credits toward anthropology and human biology majors.

A $75 million jolt for UAlbany's AI vision

University News

In June, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $75 million infusion of state funding to complete the renovation of the Former Albany High School into the new home of UAlbany's College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and to begin construction of a new supercomputer. These facilities are at the core of Albany AI, UAlbany's vision to incorporate artificial intelligence teaching and research across its academic enterprise.

Students participating in a CEHC game design challenge sit facing each other around a circular table with a CEHC banner in the background that reads: "The first of its kind in the nation"

CEHC adds new master's program and minors

University News

UAlbany’s first-in-the-nation College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity launched a new Master of Science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security this fall, offered in-person and synchronously online. CEHC also has developed two new minors in machine learning informatics and game design and development open to students from all majors.

A group of scientists and movers stand near a large silver-colored cylinder dark matter tank inside of a lab.

UAlbany physicists aid hunt for dark matter evidence

Research

When the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter detector delivered its first results in July, two UAlbany physics professors and their team of students saw years of work come to fruition. The professors — Cecilia Levy and Matthew Szydagis — are among 250 scientists and engineers from more than 35 institutions working on the project in an effort to record the first direct evidence of the existence of dark matter.

A student dressed in white lab coat and blue gloves peers through a glass laboratory bottle containing a clear liquid.

CEAS adds environmental and sustainable grad programs

University News

The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences this year added both master's and PhD programs in the Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering. The new programs offer students the opportunity to specialize in one of four concentration areas: water and wastewater, air quality, human health and the environment and sustainable engineering.

A rendering that depicts the new seat configuration in the SEFCU Arena, with purple bleachers on four sides of the basketball court and Damien's face at center court.

$12 million SEFCU Arena overhaul will boost fan experience

Athletics

In July, Athletics announced a major $12M renovation of the SEFCU Arena that will improve the fan experience and provide state-of-the-art facilities for the University’s athletic programs and Capital Region community events. The renovations to the 30-year-old arena will include rotating the orientation of the basketball court to improve seating and sight lines. Construction began in August and will conclude by November of 2023.

Dean Grimm stands at a podium with a red backdrop behind her wearing a blue and black jacket.

Michele Grimm named dean of CEAS

University News

In August, Michele J. Grimm joined the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences as its second dean after a national search. Grimm, a bioengineer by training, previously served as the Wielenga Creative Engineering Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University and as an associate dean of academic affairs at Wayne State University.

New paleoclimate lab helps students study Earth's past climate

Research

In UAlbany's new paleoclimate lab, a dozen students are searching for insight on Earth's changing climate by analyzing ancient corals and millennia-old mud samples from the depths of prehistoric lakes. The labs is one of the newest scientific spaces in UAlbany's new, state-of-the-art ETEC building.

A dozen members of a visiting delegation of staff members from the Zimbabwe parliament pose for a photo with Congressman Paul Tonko in the U.S. Capitol.

Rockefeller aids professional development of Zimbabwe's parliamentary staff

International

A dozen members of Zimbabwe’s parliamentary staff visited Albany and Washington, D.C., for a summer study visit hosted by Rockefeller College. The three-week visit was part of a broader professional development and training program in public financial management organized under the Zimbabwe Parliamentary Strengthening Project, implemented through Rockefeller’s Center for Policy Research in partnership with USAID.

Sydney Hanson, a student researcher at The RNA Institute, stands at a podium and presents as part of the Summer Research Program Symposium at UAlbany.

Leading SUNY's efforts to diversify STEM

Diversity & Inclusion

UAlbany was tapped to lead a new $2.5M NSF grant to recruit, retain and graduate underrepresented minority students in STEM. The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program is a collaboration among 15 SUNY institutions that has played an instrumental role in diversifying the nation’s STEM workforce over the last 20-plus years.

A young woman walks away from 100s of yards of castle walls and behind them a hillside of adobe-topped residences

Students cheer education abroad's long-awaited return

International

Summer 2022 saw the long-awaited return of UAlbany's highly impactful education abroad programs after the COVID-19 pandemic suspended virtually all international programs in early 2020. Six programs re-opened for the summer, with another 16 for fall and spring. The most popular destinations so far have been Valencia, Spain, Yonsei University in Korea and Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy.

Square and pyramid shaped stone ruins of the ancient Mayapan city amid green grass.

Decoding the clues left by the collapse of an ancient Mayan capital

Research

Marilyn Masson, professor and chair of UAlbany’s Department of Anthropology, helped deepen our understanding of the role played by drought in the civil conflict that roiled Mayapan, the ancient capital city of the Maya on the Yucatán Peninsula, before its eventual collapse. New evidence shows drought may have played a larger role in the city’s demise than was previously known — an important insight as humans today grapple with a future of increased climate change.

A group of about 40 student educators pose on a staircase in the Massry Center for Business.

Welcome Week features deeper conversations about identity and equity

Diversity & Inclusion

New students this fall were welcomed to campus with a newly expanded two-day Intersections program led by 40 trained peer educators. Facilitated by the Office of Intercultural Student Engagement, Intersections centers dialogue about diversity, equity and inclusion in students' first experiences on campus and seeks to help them find a social support network in which they can confidently express their identities.

The class of 2026 gathers in yellow shirts in the shape of an "A" on Collins Circle. The photo is taken from a drone.

Welcoming one of our most diverse classes

Student Success

UAlbany welcomed nearly 2,700 first-year students this fall in addition to 1,000 transfer students and 1,520 new graduate students. The Class of 2026 is one of the most diverse in University history, with 44.7 percent of students coming from historically underrepresented groups as well as 27 states and 40 countries.

Beach crowded with people at sunset. The image is rich in orange and red tones; people are primarily cast as silhouettes.

Connecting the dots between heat, humidity and mental health crises

Research

Research by a graduate student in the School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Health Sciences used data from the New York State Mesonet and on hospital emergency visits to assess how hot, sunny and humid summer weather affects people with mental disorders. The research was the first to evaluate combined effects of multiple meteorological factors across all classes of mental disorders designated by the World Health Organization.

2022 Massry Fellow Labika Baral takes a selfie in front of a mirror and a display of wigs for patients at the American Cancer Society.

Massry family's gift powers students' community service

Giving

Since 2014, UAlbany students have spent their summers in service to local nonprofits thanks to Massry Community Service Program. Made possible by a $5.25 million dollar gift from the Capital Region's leading philanthropic family, the program this year benefitted numerous organizations delivering vital services, including the Refugee Welcome Center, American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House and the American Red Cross.

A close-up of an "I voted" sticker on a gray University at Albany shirt.

Reaching new heights of student voter engagement

Public Engagement & Service

Washington Monthly named UAlbany to its 2022 honor roll based on a repeated commitment to increasing student voting — and being transparent about the results. In recent years, UAlbany has seen its student voter engagement reach record highs thanks to the leadership of the UAlbany Votes Team.

Men in yellow shirts, backs to camera, hand out pamphlets to some young men on the sidewalk

Landmark study explores toll of violence on street outreach workers

Research

A comprehensive study of working conditions for community violence intervention workers in Chicago, co-led by Assistant Professor David Hureau of the School of Criminal Justice, found that more than 60 percent have witnessed a shooting attempt and 20 percent have been shot at themselves while at work.

An engineering student in a gray knit cap and purple sweatshirt leans over a laptop on a workbench in an engineering classroom.

Engineering programs earn rigorous ABET accreditation

University News

In a major milestone for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, its bachelor of science degrees in computer science and electrical & computer engineering earned highly sought-after ABET accreditation after a rigorous review. Considered one of the preeminent accrediting organizations worldwide, ABET accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.

Students walking through the hallway in the School of Business

Alumni fund professorship to boost entrepreneurship among women

Giving

A new professorship funded by two UAlbany alumni will help support a tenure-track female faculty in entrepreneurship and innovation in the School of Business. Funded by Bill Newman ’81 and Linda Ackner-Newman ’83, the Ackner-Newman Professorship of Entrepreneurship and Innovation is only the second named professorship at the School of Business and one of five donor-funded professorships at UAlbany.

The Great Danes women's basketball team poses on the court next to the America East championship trophy holding a sign declaring them the 2022 America East champions.

Women's basketball captures 7th America East title with victory over Maine

Athletics

In March, the women's basketball team defeated regular-season champs Maine to win their 7th America East title and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Great Danes finished 13-5 in conference play before falling to No. 1-ranked Louisville in Kentucky in the first round of the national tournament.

UAlbany wins 5th-straight HEED award for DEI efforts

Diversity & Inclusion

In 2022, UAlbany was recognized with the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the 5th consecutive year. The honor acknowledges UAlbany’s ongoing dedication to creating an inclusive campus environment where students and faculty from all backgrounds are supported and empowered to succeed. INSIGHT into Diversity is the oldest and largest publication dedicated to advancing conversations around diversity in higher education.

More at the UAlbany News Center