Although UB's mission is education—and the university will continue to nurture and support excellent teaching—research is the key to its development as a top-notch university, Provost Elizabeth D. Capaldi stressed during her keynote address at the fifth annual University Convocation held on Oct. 4.

And the critical element in successful research is people, Capaldi told the crowd of several hundred attending the event that traditionally marks the opening of the academic year.

"The true key to successful research is people—people who have the ability to identify emerging research areas, who attract resources and use them well, and excellent students who inspire the faculty and keep us up-to-date on modern techniques," she said.

For UB to achieve its goal of increasing its rank as a research-intensive university, "the competition is in the currency of ideas; it's an intellectual competition, measured by prizes, reputation, citations-not measurable in money, per se," Capaldi pointed out.

She cited specific factors that contribute to "research competitiveness," including a good infrastructure, good support staff, fine facilities and administrative efficiency.

"We can do all these things, and we will do all these things," she said.

But research is the search for new knowledge and applications—the continuous process of "creative destruction," a constant redefining of existing theories, data, techniques and equipment, she noted.

The ability of an established institution to maintain its competitive position suggests it "has internalized the capacity to identify emerging research areas, to attract a continuous flow of resources and to use resources in ways that contribute to intellectual leadership over time.

"We must be able to be the newest in responding most quickly to outcome development; we must be careful in the search for persons for tenure and we must keep a balance of younger and older faculty," she said.

UB has the mechanism to grow in size over the next decade, since SUNY will provide financial incentives for increasing enrollment at the master's-student level, Capaldi said. The university will use that money to hire top-notch faculty and attract quality students, she added.

"But even more important, we now have people treasures here—people who are at the top level of competition in their field," she noted. "We will nourish those people. The most important aspect of our future is not the resources which we will generate, but UB itself and the people here now.

"We know what the elements of quality are, the quality that define the very great universities. We can make ourselves a firm holder of a top position in this group of universities by allowing each of us to make our own contribution," Capaldi said.

Members of the UB community should take credit for the things they do on the job every day, such as inventing programs, recruiting students, generating funding, untangling bureaucratic snafus, conducting research—all efforts "that are now a part of the permanent quality, that is now institutionalized.

"And as a result of that effort, you and I can claim a piece of the credit, a piece of the ownership of the invention of a top public research university," she said.

UB will claim its rightful place in the top tier of universities as a result, Capaldi noted, of the efforts of "our spectacular faculty, staff and students in the next period of development."

The convocation was preceded by a procession of faculty and staff members, and administrators clad in caps and academic gowns. The abbreviated procession—inclement weather forced the group to march only through the Atrium of the Center for the Arts into the Mainstage, rather than from Founder’s Plaza—was accompanied by students carrying banners representing campus organizations. The procession was led by macebearer Peter Nickerson, chair of the Faculty Senate.

Among those honored during the convocation were Mary Randolph, a former member of the UB Council, and John N. Walsh III, vice chair of the UB Foundation, Inc., both of whom received the UB President’s Medal from President William R. Greiner.

Also recognized were James E. McConnell of the Department of Geography and William J. Rae of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, both named a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Norman D. Mohl of the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, named a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Six faculty members, two librarians and four professional staff members were honored as recipients of the Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence.

Recognized as recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching were Frank V. Bright, professor of chemistry; Todd M. Hennessy, associate professor of biological sciences; Deidre Lynch, associate professor of English; Roger W. Mayne, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Alfred D. Price, associate professor of planning, and Bernard A. Weinstein, professor of physics.

Susan Davis Bartl, associate librarian and head of the Periodicals Section, Central Technical Services, and Deborah Husted Koshinsky, former associate librarian and head of the Architecture and Planning Library, were honored as recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship.

Lawrence E. Chlebowy, manager of architectural and construction services; Roger R. McGill, assistant vice president for continuous quality improvement and campus services; Barbara J. Ricotta, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and Regina S. Toomey, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education and director of admissions, were recognized as recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

For the second year, Greiner honored recipients of the “UB Stars” award, a special award given to recognize members of the UB community who “have done something special” but who might not otherwise be noted.

The recipients were Rebecca A. Bernstein, director of creative services and Web Team leader, and James T. Gorman and Robert M. Wright, both managers of administrative computing services, who were honored for MyUB, a customized portal, or Web site, for each undergraduate student that provides him or her with myriad information about UB via Web links and announcements.

Honored for their contributions as members of the design, construction, supervision and management team for UB’s new student housing were Don L. Erb, residential facilities manager in University Residence Halls; Joseph J. Krakowiak, director of residential life; Gordon A. Love, facilities program coordinator in Facilities Planning and Design, and Kevin M. Thompson, director of Facilities Planning and Design.