UB's 14th President John B. Simpson said the transition from sunny California to the harsh weather hasn't been hard.
Living for a few weeks in a Williamsville hotel until his belongings are shipped to Western New York has been a piece of cake.
The real challenge, he said, is being the new kid at school.
"I have very, very competent senior leadership helping me," Simpson said. "I have some ideas about UB, about what kinds of things should be emphasized, but at the same time I'm coming in from the outside."
Simpson took office on Jan. 1 after a nation-wide search and replaces President William R. Greiner who announced his retirement one year ago.
One of the first things on the agenda, Simpson said Tuesday, is the search for a new provost. With the departure of Provost Elizabeth Capaldi to become SUNY's vice chancellor and chief of staff, Simpson appointed Vice Provost Robert Genco, to fill the position while a search committee scours the globe for a permanent replacement.
The nine-member provostial search committee includes professors, administrators, a member of the University Council and two student representatives, several of whom sat on the search committee to find Simpson.
"I want to get someone here in six months. This is faster than most provost searches usually are at tier one research universities in the country," Simpson said.
Unlike the presidential search committee, this group plans to publicize the provostial candidates. Many criticized the nearly yearlong presidential search process for its refusal to release the names of presidential candidates, despite SUNY guidelines that recommended it.
Genco said he feels Simpson will be a good fit for the university, because of his "take-charge attitude" and his extensive resume. Simpson served as vice chancellor and provost in Santa Cruz, and prior to that in the University of Washington in Seattle, where he served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"He is seasoned. He is an experienced administrator," Genco said. "There's hardly an issue we've discussed that he hasn't seen before."
A situation all too familiar to Simpson is soaring tuition costs. When his daughter attended a University of California school, he said, tuition increased three of the four years.
"I remember thinking as a parent I would be much more comfortable if I had known the tuition had to increase," he said, adding that he favors SUNY's possible annual, predictable tuition increases.
Among Simpson's priorities, he said, is interface with the community.
"I believe that public universities like UB have a responsibility to provide public service," he said.
Simpson also placed emphasis on forming bonds with the Buffalo community, though admitted he hasn't had time to formulate any opinions on either previously proposed South Campus renovations or UB's involvement in the University Heights district.
He has also given thought to the proposed Lee Road project - a planned housing, retail and recreational complex to connect Lee Road to the Ellicott Complex - an undertaking Greiner has said he would like to see the 14th president carry on.
"I think it's a very interesting concept. I like the idea of having a defined and cohesive campus community," Simpson said, though he added it is not a project to which he is committed.
Simpson says the bioinformatics program - and moreover the field of biomedical sciences - is exactly the kind of excellence he hopes to continue.
"There's funding, there's investments from the private sector- there's really great strength here already," Simpson said. "That constellation says to me that we ought to be funding biomedical sciences."
Last, Simpson - who fondly recalls attending football and basketball games with his father as a child - said he remains committed to the decision to move to Division I athletics.
"There was a transition to Division I. I think it have to be given time to succeed," he said, adding that he feels athletics serves to strengthen a community of which Simpson can't wait to be a part.
"I'm very, very glad to be here," Simpson said. "It's not just for the opportunity to lead a great university like this. People I have encountered inside the university and outside have a uniformly gracious attitude."
He said the saying is true.
"Buffalo's got cold temperatures and warm hearts."
