Events this weekend to honor Henry Durand

Throughout a more-than-two-decade career at UB, Henry J. Durand Jr. has worked to expand opportunities and support for under-prepared students or academically at-risk students who are in need of assistance to succeed at the university.

Members of the UB community will gather this weekend to honor Durand, outgoing senior associate vice provost of undergraduate education and executive director of Cora P. Maloney College, for his 24 years as an administrator, mentor and advocate for students and UB’s opportunity programs.

Durand has retired from his administrative positions to take a full-time appointment as a clinical associate professor in the Graduate School of Education.

“For many years, Henry has been a key figure in providing opportunity, access and academic enrichment to students who might not otherwise have benefitted from a college education,” says Andrew Stott, dean of undergraduate education and director of the Honors College. “Through his many roles as a teacher, mentor, administrator and advocate, his contribution to UB has been immense. We are all better for having worked with him, and I look forward to continuing that relationship as he moves into his new post.”

As a tribute to Durand, Stott and the staff of Cora P. Maloney College (CPMC) will host a University/Community Reception in his honor from 2-4 p.m. June 14 in the Center for Tomorrow, North Campus. The reception is open to all members of the campus community. RSVP online by June 13.

The next day, a concert to benefit the Dr. Henry J. Durand Jr. Scholarship Fund will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts, North Campus. Anitra Durand Allen, a classically trained vocalist and Durand’s daughter, will perform. A donation of $15 per person is recommended. A reception will follow the concert.

The Durand scholarship, established last fall in Durand’s honor, will provide financial support to CPMC students who might otherwise be unable to obtain their degree from UB due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a family tragedy, loss of a job, health crisis or unexpected financial obligations.

Tax-deductible donations also may be made to the scholarship fund.

Durand joined UB in 1990 as director of the Educational Opportunity Program — now known as the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program — which supports talented students who have not yet reached their academic potential due to barriers in their educational, economic or personal backgrounds.

EOP is one of several programs now under the auspices of CPMC. Other programs that were brought under the CPMC umbrella as part of the college’s rededication last October include UB’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (UB STEM) programs, the Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), Daniel Acker Scholars Program and the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program.

CPMC enrolls or serves about 3,500 UB undergraduates.

Outside of UB, Durand currently serves as president of the Tri-State Consortium of Opportunity Programs in Higher Education, the professional organization for all college-level opportunity program personnel in the states of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. He also is a founding member of Opportunity Programs United, the joint advocacy organization for New York State opportunity programs, and served for more than 10 years as the president of the SUNY Council of Educational Opportunity Program Directors.

As a researcher, he specializes in educational sociology and also teaches classes in American Pluralism, Education and Social Class, African-American Students in Higher Education, Race and Ethnic Relations, and related subjects.

Durand holds a BA from Denison University, a MEd from Xavier University of Cincinnati and a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati. He also is a graduate of the executive programs of both the Harvard Management Development Institute and the American Management Association.