By Jan. 15, the president's office won't be the only door on campus with a new name on it.
In spite of the poor economy, SUNY budget cuts and legislative setbacks in Albany, UB has hired 57 new full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members.
The new additions come from a variety of academic denominations, including the departments of English, physics, nursing, sciences and architecture, among others.
In addition, the university also added faculty who are not currently tenured or on the tenure-track. One-third of the new faculty members are "strategic strength" hires while others were hired to enhance departmental areas or address needs for scholarly expertise in certain fields of study.
According to Lucinda Finley, vice provost of faculty affairs, every school and every department were given new faculty members.
"It is wonderful news to UB that despite financial cuts and challenges, we have been able to keep moving forward at something that is at the heart of UB 2020, that is hiring great academic staff," Finley said.
The new faculty members were hired through rigorous national and international searches.
"It's good for students when you have a lot of energetic new [faculty members] full of great ideas," Finley said. "Some [of the new faculty members] are replacements and some are filling vacant lines. Over the past couple of years, UB has done a good job at hiring wonderful faculty."
Full professors that have joined or will be joining UB faculty this academic year include Joseph Valente, a leading James Joyce scholar; Eckhard Krotscheck, a renowned theoretical physicist; Kim Connolly, a national environmental law expert; Chunchi Wu, a leading analyst of financial markets and Davina Porock, an international researcher in palliative care and geriatrics.
The feedback from the new faculty members has been positive. Valente, a professor of English who formerly worked at the University of Illinois, noted the difference in the student population at UB.
"I like it better here [at UB]" Valente said. "The students are more engaged, and have more to say. Also, the [English] department here is stronger than [at the University of Illinois]".
Currently, Valente is focusing his courses on short fiction, American and British literature and British modernism.
The addition of experienced and knowledgeable faculty members has also gained the student community's attention.
"New faculty will be great for the university. Fresh faces and updated perspectives is a welcomed addition to the lecture hall, and will benefit growing minds," said Lauren Brown, a senior psychology major.
The new addition to the faculty was a strategic move for the future of UB and the completion of the UB 2020 goals of enhancing the academic excellence of our university. According to Finley, many of the new faculty members will be granted research opportunities and will make new international connections for UB.
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Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
