Each week, The Spectrum will publish a quick Q&A with someone on campus - an administrator, professor or student - to give a glimpse into his or her life and focus on the diversity of UB. The interviews are done via email and not edited for content.
The Basics:
Age: 61
Title: University at Buffalo president
Town: He lives at the president's residence in Amherst
Office: 501 Capen Hall
Education: Doctorate of Philosophy in Computer Science, University of Toronto, 1979; Master of Science in Computer Science, University of Toronto, 1976; Master of Science in Statistics, University of Alberta, 1974; Master of Science in Statistics, Banaras Hindu University, 1970; Bachelor of Science in Physics, Math, and Statistics, Banaras Hindu University, 1968.
The Questions:
Where is your secret quiet place on campus?
A: It's no secret, and it's not exactly quiet, but when I want some time and space to think, I always like to walk around campus. The buzz on campus never fails to inspire and energize me - whether it's from students talking in Founders Plaza, faculty chatting over coffee in the Commons, or artists performing outside the Student Union.
What's playing on your iPod right now?
A: Ravi Shankar, the Indian classical sitar musician and composer.
If you could be anything besides president, what job would you choose?
A: Teaching and research will always be my first loves, and I am as proud to be a member of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering faculty at UB as I am to be president of this distinguished university. Right now, I don't have as much time for those pursuits as I would like - my hectic schedule as president keeps me from the classroom and lab at the moment - but I will always think of myself as a scholar and educator first and foremost.
If you could come back to college as a student, what classes would you want to take?
A: I've studied mathematics, statistics, and computer science from a very young age, and I would certainly love to experience these subjects from the perspective of a new student in the field today - this is an exciting time for all of these fields, and UB has amazing faculty teaching in these areas.
But given the opportunity, I would also love to explore some entirely new fields of study. In the biology field, for example, so much has changed over just the past few years, and so much is being discovered on literally a daily basis. I've also always had a strong interest in anthropology. In these areas and so many others, we have some of the top scholars in the world here at UB right now, and taking a class from any of them would be an extraordinary opportunity.
What do you hope to accomplish this year?
A: This is really a remarkable time at UB. Anywhere you look, you'll see signs of tremendous progress - whether it's the ideas, discoveries, and contributions of world-class students and faculty joining our academic community, or major new building projects like the Solar Strand and Davis Hall on the North Campus, Kapoor Hall on the South Campus, and the Clinical and Translational Research Center opening downtown in September.
Building on this momentum, and continuing to take our university to the next level of excellence, is my goal for the year ahead. I want us to do everything we can as a university community to harness this incredible energy and develop our potential to the fullest. Long term, I think it's well within our reach to become recognized as one of the nation's top research universities that is truly focused on student success. As president, my focus is on making sure that our students and faculty have the environment, opportunities, and support they need to be successful in all that they do.
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
