University at Buffalo (UB)
Introducing UB’s Sixteenth President Caroline Attardo Genco
Caroline Attardo Genco, PhD, provost and senior vice president at Tufts University, has been named the University at Buffalo’s 16th president. Genco’s appointment, following an international search, was announced June 2 by SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Merryl H. Tisch and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. after a unanimous vote by the trustees. Genco’s appointment is effective Aug. 10.
“Thank you to Chairman Merryl H. Tisch and the members of the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor King and UB Council Chairman Jerry Jacobs Jr. for this extraordinary opportunity. I would also like to thank President Tripathi for his steadfast leadership over the past 15 years. The University at Buffalo has seen tremendous momentum and, as the next president, I envision an even brighter future that boldly positions UB as a globally engaged, inclusive and innovative community where all students feel welcomed and are supported and successful; where exemplary faculty members are fulfilled because their scholarship and creativity have impact; where staff realize their career goals and aspirations; and where people across the city, region and state talk about the university with pride and ownership.”
Caroline Attardo Genco, incoming president
“Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco stood out in an outstanding group of candidates—a pool that included academicians at the heights of their careers. Our search committee was particularly impressed by Dr. Genco’s prioritization of student and faculty success, her unwavering commitment to integrity and her vision for UB’s bright future. The search process and the strength of the field of candidates reinforced that the University at Buffalo is a global destination for excellence, poised to do even greater things under Dr. Genco’s leadership.”
Jerry Jacobs Jr., chair of the Presidential Search Committee and the UB Council
About Caroline Attardo Genco
Caroline Attardo Genco serves as provost and senior vice president at Tufts University and is responsible for setting and guiding institutional priorities that advance the university’s mission. Genco oversees Tufts’ 10 schools as well as multiple cross-school programs, centers and institutes, and works to champion student success and integrate educational and research activities across the university.
Genco previously served as the Vice Provost for Research (VPR) and as chair of the Immunology Department at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM). In her role as VPR, she worked with faculty and university leadership to develop and implement strategic research priorities at Tufts, an AAU and Research 1 institution. She also facilitated strategies to increase extramural research funding and enhanced the university research structures and programs, in part by fostering numerous collaborations across disciplines including immunology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biomedical engineering and public health.
Genco has an established national record as an academic and research leader. A graduate of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program, she currently holds the Arthur E. Spiller M.D. Endowed Professorship in Genetics at TUSM and has a distinguished history of excellence in biomedical research.
She has authored more than 140 scientific articles, and her research program has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has served on numerous NIH scientific advisory committees and has worked closely with several pharmaceutical companies in an advisory capacity. Genco held faculty appointments at Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and Boston University School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from SUNY Fredonia in 1981 and earned her MS and PhD in microbiology from the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1984 and 1987, respectively.
Leaders Welcome Genco to UB
“The State University of New York at Buffalo stands as one of SUNY’s premier research and academic institutions, and I am proud to welcome Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco as its next president. Dr. Genco has built a career as an academic and research leader who strives to provide opportunities for students and faculty.”
- SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.
“I’m proud to welcome Buffalo native Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco back to Western New York as the next president of the University at Buffalo—the first woman to serve in this role. A graduate of Buffalo’s Mount St. Mary Academy, SUNY Fredonia and the University of Rochester, Dr. Genco has done it all in academia as an educator, a highly regarded researcher and an accomplished administrator. She brings significant leadership experience that will benefit UB students and faculty and its stellar academic and research programs. I look forward to working with Dr. Genco to continue laying the foundation for UB’s and Western New York’s future success.”
- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer
“Buffalo has long been a powerhouse for research and innovation, from New York’s first cell and gene therapy hub at Roswell Park to Empire AI, and Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco brings the knowledge, vision and deep Buffalo roots needed to lead UB into its next great chapter. Her vast experience and understanding of world-class research will strengthen UB’s impact across Western New York, and help drive opportunity, discovery and growth for students, families and the entire region.”
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul