The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A four-day event with faculty, alumni, staff, students and friends is planned for Sept. 28-Oct. 1.

On Wednesday, CSE faculty, staff and students marked the occasion by unveiling a signboard at Davis Hall. Pictured is Chunming Qiao, SUNY Distinguished Professor and CSE chair.

From left to right: Qiao; Liesl Folks, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Provost and Executive Vice President Charles F. Zukoski; and President Satish K Tripathi, also a computer science professor.

Initially, the department was located off-campus, on Ridge Lea Road in Amherst, as North Campus was built. Among its five founding faculty members were chair Anthony Ralston and Patricia James Eberlein.

Members of the UB community, including Folks, Tripathi and Zukoski, signed the board. The board will be displayed at Davis Hall, and throughout the four-day celebration.

The department has become one of UB's most popular academic programs. From left to right, Venu Govindaraju and A. Scott Weber sign the board. Govindaraju is UB's vice president for research and economic development and one of four current CSE faculty members to hold the rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor.

A close-up look the board, which features signatures as well as photos of some of CSE's pioneering faculty members.