Provost Elizabeth D. Capaldi will soon be leaving her position after three-and-a half years to take the job of State University of New York Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff at state university headquarters in Albany.
Capaldi will, however, remain at UB as provost during the transition from outgoing President William R. Greiner to incoming President John B. Simpson. She expects to split time between her current position in Buffalo and her new position with SUNY.
"I'm excited," said Capaldi. "SUNY is a challenge. It's way bigger than UB, but they do need someone from an institution like UB."
She said that she has not resigned as provost yet and will continue in that capacity until at least January, calling it her "number one priority."
Capaldi's departure was announced soon after the conclusion of the presidential search that culminated in Simpson's recommendation.
According to Capaldi, SUNY Chancellor Robert L. King approached her in July to take over the position with SUNY, which had been vacated by Richard P. Miller.
She said that after she became a candidate in UB's search for a new president, talks with SUNY stopped until it became clear that she would not succeed Greiner.
As for whether she felt the selection process was fair toward her, Capaldi said she just does not know.
"I just don't know what they did," she said. "But I have no reason to think it was not fair."
Capaldi said she is prepared to assist Simpson in his search for a new provost.
"I promised to help with the transition for President Simpson until he understands what he wants and understands the situation," she said.
She did not speculate as to who she thought her replacement should be.
"It's totally up to President Simpson, but I think he'll do a nation-wide search," she said.
She will, however, retain her position as a tenured professor of psychology at UB even after she departs for Albany, and will continue to guide graduate students primarily via telephone in laboratory research on the psychology of eating.
Capaldi said many of King's goals suggest that her UB experience will be an invaluable asset to her new position.
"They want to improve performance and research as well as have creative budget management," she said. "It's similar to UB, but bigger, and it's also good for UB. I care deeply for UB and it helps that I know everything about UB."
King is excited about working with Capaldi, according to Dan Henahan, director of media relations for the SUNY system administration.
"He is very excited," said Henahan. "It's not unfair to say she is going to be the chancellor's right hand in a number of areas."
Capaldi pointed to many accomplishments at UB of which she is proud.
"We've grown faculty size each year since I've been here," she said. "We managed to reorganize the budget and get creative with it. We started the Center for Teaching and Learning, the quality of students has gone up, and of course Bioinformatics and economic development."
She noted that this year's incoming class, despite its large size, was the best UB has ever had in terms of SAT scores and high school grades.
"We've also worked on focusing on the students' perspective to give sequential advice, giving feedback constantly on what order you should take certain classes," she said.
Capaldi said she also takes pride in the rise of summer programs at UB.
"It's so nice up here at that time of year, and now we're building up to full activity over the summer," she said.
Greiner had many compliments for Capaldi about her tenure.
"I think she's done a very good job for us," he said. "She's been energetic and imaginative, and has done a great job setting up functions in the Provost's office, setting up a new budgetary system, and the organization of the vice provost of Academic Affairs office was a good innovation. She has also been very creative in terms of organization and big special projects."
Kerry S. Grant, vice provost for academic affairs, lauded Capaldi's leadership style.
"I regard my work with her as the most satisfying in my academic career as an administrator," said Grant. "In a very real way I think most of her staff had the ambitions to hear that they had accomplished what she hoped to accomplish - making her goals their goals."
Capaldi's path will take her off a college campus for the first time since 1961, and she's looking forward to what she sees as a position with broad commitments.
"I like jobs with a lot of responsibility," she said. "It's going to be fun. I had my first conference call (with members of King's staff), and they all had a sense of humor."
This weekend, Capaldi said she will house hunt in Albany. She wants to find a place with a yard big enough for her two dogs, perhaps overlooking the Hudson River.
Capaldi, who takes food very seriously in her research, said she will miss Buffalo's Wegmans supermarkets. She said she would like to see one in Albany.
"I'm going to call Danny Wegman," she said. "It's a very important part of my life."
