The purpose of the institute is to conduct selected, interdisciplinary, public-service projects that address important environmental issues in Western New York; boost support for graduate students in departments engaged in environmental research, and strengthen communications among faculty and students involved in environmental research at UB and at other institutions and organizations.

A national panel of evaluators last fall reviewed and strongly supported the proposal to establish the institute, which was developed by a steering committee of 12 UB faculty members. It was approved in December by Provost Thomas E. Headrick.

"The Institute will provide a cohesive base for faculty drawn from at least five schools or faculties to collaborate on research and graduate education in the environmental field, and to advance UB's extensive but uncoordinated efforts in this field for greater regional impact and national prominence," Headrick said.

"As provost, I recognize the importance of supporting the interdisciplinary initiative of faculty through a start-up period, even though the resources available for this support are extremely scarce."

The institute will report to David Triggle, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School.

Approximately 100 UB faculty members have been identified as having expertise in some area of the environment.

At the same time, according to the steering committee, UB's geographic location near the Great Lakes and the industrial areas that have developed along their shores puts it in a unique position to make significant contributions to environmental research.

"UB clearly has the potential to be one of the top universities in New York State with respect to the environment," said Errol Meidinger, professor of law and chair of the steering committee, who has been named the institute's first director.

"Not enough interdisciplinary environmental research gets done at UB because of the traditional boundaries that exist between departments and because of the difficulties involved in producing major proposals," he said.

Between UB's programs in fundamental science and social sciences and its professional schools in law, medicine, engineering, and architecture and planning, UB's overall strengths are unmatched in the SUNY system, he added.

A critical focus for the institute will be the development of the Environmental Management Alternatives Program (EMAP), which will provide a means of integrating knowledge from numerous disciplines and from various stakeholders-both inside and outside the university-and bring it to bear on specific problems in the region.

EMAP will look at local and regional environmental problems from alternative perspectives, and use UB's independent research and analytic expertise to define potential solutions and their likely technical and social impacts.

In its first year, the institute will select two issues to address by providing modest funding and by convening working groups with both academic and policymaking components.

The steering committee hopes to begin considering proposals from faculty beginning in February.

In addition to EMAP projects, the institute also will focus on:

- Increasing UB's ability to attract outstanding graduate students pursuing environmental study by providing fellowship grants to "top off" support being offered by the recruiting department

- Serving as a user-friendly, "one-stop" source of information and referrals on environmental issues for requests that come from inside and outside the university, and as a clearinghouse about environmental resources on campus

- Providing limited support for the development of major interdisciplinary research proposals from UB faculty

Planning for the institute began more than two years ago, under the guidance of Ralph Rumer, emeritus professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering, and former director of the New York State Center for Hazardous Waste Management.

Other members of the institute's steering committee are Joseph V. DePinto, professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering and director of the Great Lakes Program; Lee S. Dryden, director of interdisciplinary degree programs in the social sciences; John Fountain, professor of geology; Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., professor of chemistry and director of the Materials Research Instrument Facility; Howard R. Lasker, professor of biological sciences; David Mark, professor of geography and director of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis; H. Lorraine Oak, associate dean for interdisciplinary affairs, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; James R. Olson, professor of pharmacology and toxicology and associate director of the Toxicology Research Center; G. William Page, professor and chair of the Department of Planning in the School of Architecture and Planning, and A. Scott Weber, professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering and executive director of the New York State Center for Hazardous Waste Management.

The institute plans to have its Web site up by mid-February at http://www.buffalo.edu/esi/