The pandemic continued to overshadow life at UB in 2021, but to a lesser extent as the year progressed and most of the university community became fully vaccinated.

In the spring semester, classes that were taught in person remained limited in size to maximize social distancing, while others were taught in a hybrid mode, with both in-person and remote sessions. Members of the UB community lined up to get their COVID-19 jabs. Commencement ceremonies were held in person, but at several outdoor venues on campus.

But this fall, with high vaccination rates and updated health and safety guidelines in place, campus life returned to near normal. Most classes, as well as numerous activities and events, returned in person, albeit with masking required indoors and proof of vaccination necessary to attend sporting and cultural events on campus.

And University Communications photographers Douglas Levere and Meredith Forrest Kulwicki were there to document it all. The pair completed more than 500 assignments, with more than 6,000 edited images being uploaded to the university’s photo database. Their photos show individuals and activities during the various stages of the pandemic and reflect the health and safety guidelines in place at the time. 

This gallery features a curated collection of just some of the most memorable images Levere and Forrest Kulwicki created in 2021.

Enjoy!