Samina Raja, PhD, associate professor of urban planning: "Local governments in the U.S. are finally beginning to recognize the need to invest in food systems."

Raja helped create a searchable database to strengthen community food systems nationwide.

Victor Albert, professor of biological sciences: "The coffee genome helps us understand what's exciting about coffee -- other than it wakes me up in the morning."

Albert and an international research team are investigating caffeine, comparing the enzymes in coffee, tea and chocolate.

Beata Csatho, PhD, associate professor of geology: "For the first time, we have a comprehensive picture of how all Greenland's glaciers have changed over the past decade."

Csatho says the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet could impact all coasts.

Charlotte Lindqvist, PhD, UB assistant professors of biological sciences: "There were more unique variants in polar bear genes than in those of the other species."

Lindqvist says genetic adaptations in polar bears make them better at turning food into energy or heat so they can survive. 

Mark Frank, PhD, professor of communication: "Even after training, humans were accurate only 55 percent of the time. The computer ... 85 percent of the time."

Frank says computers know better whether it's real or faked pain.

Qiaoqiang Gan, assistant professor of electrical engineering: "This advancement could lead to major breakthroughs in energy-harvesting and conversion, security and other areas."

Gan is boosting light absorbtion in semiconductors to power solar cells.

Teresa Quattrin, MD, distinguished professor of pediatrics: "The traditional approach to overweight prevention and treatment focusing only on the child is obsolete."

Quattrin says treatment helps to include the parents. 

SUNY Distinguished Professor Paras Prasad honored for his "discoveries in nanomedicine ... could lead to breakthroughs in terms of detecting, diagnosing and treating cancer,” says VPRED Venu Govindaraju.

Entrepreneur and professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences Kate Rittenhouse-Olson says additional funding for her company - For-Robin - brings them one step closer to a promising treatment for breast and other types of cancer.

Paul Tesluk, PhD, the Donald S. Carmichael professor of organizational behavior, focuses on the leadership strategies needed to enhance team effectiveness and innovation.

Tesluk guides the Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness.

Jonathan Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering: "We have definitely unearthed a new and unique phenomenon."

Lovell uses red lasers to pop nanoballoons so the concentrated medicine hits the target more effectively. 

Henry Louis Taylor Jr., PhD, professor of urban and regional planning: He believes the U.S. made it tough for Cuba but now may be what makes it better for the country and its people. 

Derek Taylor, PhD, professor of biological sciences: "Filoviruses are far more ancient than previously thought. These things have been interacting with mammals for a long time, several million years.

Taylor's work could assist with future vaccines and disease identification.

Michal Stachowiak, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences: "The idea that a single protein could bind thousands of genes and organize them into a hierarchy, that was unknown. Nobody predicted it."

Norma Nowak, PhD, deputy director and director of science, technology, NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences, is a recognized leader in human genomics. She's helping guide the Buffalo Institute for Genomics and Data Analytics.