Meet Our UB Believers
Calling for common-sense reforms
They are a dedicated group of Western New Yorkers from all walks of life. They are business and community leaders, students and parents, alumni and university faculty, professionals, and area residents. Yet those who belong to this diverse group all have something in common, they are UB Believers. As part of this broad-based advocacy group they share a belief that a strong UB will lead to a brighter future for all of Buffalo Niagara.
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“Good regions have solid universities that contribute readily to the area, and UB is that crown jewel for us.”
Martin J. Berardi, Moog Medical Devices Group
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“Investing in UB is a way for the state to say that we are investing in our future. UB can look at our city in different ways, it can lead our city in dramatically new directions, but more than anything else, UB’s the pride of our city and region.”
Niraj Verma, Professor and Chair, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
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“Strong relationships like the one that East high school has with UB are rare and we are excited about the continued investments they have placed in our students, our staff and we are here as a partner, a supporter and a believer.”
Geraldine Horton, Principal, East High - Buffalo Public Schools
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“UB is such an integral part of Western New York—it’s such a huge economic engine. A billion and a half dollars goes into our economy from just this school alone, just this university. So you can imagine how much this means to our community and Western New York.”
Kevin Donovan, Assistant Director, UAW Region 9
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“I really believe in what UB is all about. I love what UB is planning for the future with the UB 2020 initiative and what they’re beginning to do in the communities, in the city, on the south and north campus, and their whole focus on education K through 16.”
Brenda Williams McDuffie, President and CEO, Buffalo Urban League
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“UB 2020 means planned growth. We’re talking 10,000 people—practically an entirely new campus to this university, a whole new set of professional studies and increasing the undergraduate backbone to make it all happen. To me that says, revitalization, growth, strength, everything that this city needs right now.”
Robert Pape, Undergraduate Student Association, Department of English
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“So many students graduate in such a diverse number of degree programs from the University every year. Keeping them here, helping to integrate them into the community and into businesses is crucial because they are the future leaders.”
Amy Maxwell, Chairperson, Revitalize Buffalo
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“We can provide tremendous leadership in this region to improve the quality of healthcare. I think UB has tremendous potential as a university—and as my school—to have a major impact on the lives of our students and the lives of our faculty and the lives of those in our region.”
Jean Brown, Professor and Dean, School Of Nursing
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“It is very important to see the university grow as a catalyst for economic growth. I absolutely believe it is important to the overall organization as well as the community.”
Tim Klein, President and CEO, ATTO Technology, Inc.
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“Education is critical to a region...there’s absolutely no doubt that we are turning out talent which can populate the jobs that are important to this region.”
Nancy Nielsen, M.D. Senior Associate Dean, UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Education
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“We have a tremendous research program ongoing at UB, which provides an opportunity for start-up business and organizations to latch on, piggyback, and develop to their full potential.”
Willie Evans, Past President UB Alumni Association; Retired Educator
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“We didn’t have the money, we didn’t know how to do it, we didn’t have the resources, and the state said it was too expensive and too old. So we brought in UB law school, the housing clinic and the domestic violence clinic and we asked them for help and they became part of our team.”
Kathleen Granchelli, CEO, YWCA of Niagara
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“There’s no doubt that the university is a pillar of our community and that the community depends on the university’s civic engagement to thrive. The bottom line is preparing the workforce for the 21st century.”
Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President and CEO, Program Department,Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
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“I think that UB offers a very affordable option for students, especially New York State residents who might look at private universities in other places in NY or other states. And for me UB offered an affordable opportunity to get the caliber of education that I wanted.”
Kristin Kielar, Undergraduate, Pre-pharmacy
