Alumni Academy

You’ll hear Provost Weber’s thoughts on implementing UB’s vision: what’s next for the University at Buffalo? He will talk about our quest to become one of the top 25 public research universities in the nation, and the steps he and President Tripathi are taking to get us there. He’ll also touch on what’s in store for students as they return for the spring semester during a pandemic. There will be time for questions.

As we get ready to celebrate Presidents’ Day, join Nicholas Silvestri, MD ’04, FAAN, for this fascinating discussion about U.S. presidents’ neurological disorders. You’ll learn about the unusual role these disorders and problems have played in history, how these illnesses were depicted or hidden from the public, and how they impacted the manner in which presidents served our country.

A grassroots effort to reinvigorate indigenous studies at UB paved the way for the university to receive a $3 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2020. Learn about the history of indigenous studies at UB, how the grant will transform this academic area, and how the university hopes to become a hub for indigenous studies in Western New York.

Who would construct a building, only to try and break it apart? Researchers in UB’s Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL) would—so they can determine what kinds of materials will withstand seismic events. During this session, we will virtually tour the simulation lab and hear about research taking place, all to create stronger and safer built environments.

Join Gregg Fisher, BS ’92, and Cristian Tiu for a lively discussion around market trends in small company investing. Learn what active vs. passive and private vs. public investing means. And how do we define global disruptive innovations? In addition, we’ll talk about accounting variables and stock market performance as well as winners and losers.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, join Lillian Williams, PhD ’79, MA ’73, BA ’66, for a discussion on Mary Burnett Talbert and African American club women in Buffalo. Talbert, born in 1866, was an early 20th-century reformer, described by the National Women’s Hall of Fame as a “civil rights and anti-lynching activist, suffragist, preservationist, international human rights proponent and educator.”

Marcus Yam, BS ’06, will bring you to the front lines of conflict, struggle and intimacy with his photographs during this session. Born and raised in Malaysia, Marcus left a career in aerospace engineering to become an award-winning photographer. He holds a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award for his unflinching body of work documenting deadly clashes in the Gaza Strip, in addition to numerous other awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy and Picture of the Year International’s Newspaper Photographer of the Year. Date is subject to change due to Yam’s overseas work assignments.

With renewed interest in the space race in the United States, learn how UB research is moving the space industry forward from UB faculty members Javid Bayandor and Eleonora Botta. You will also get NASA’s perspective on this topic from Dexter Johnson, PhD ’95, MS ’89, BS ’87. A panel discussion will follow these presentations.

Have you ever binge watched a television show and wondered if it had any effect on your health? Do you wonder why some people get hungry when they drink alcohol? Explore a variety of consumption behaviors--from binge watching, alcohol, cannabis and more—as we learn more about the science of addictions.

Join Alan Zweibel, BA ’72, as he brings us into his world of comedy making. An original Saturday Night Live writer, Alan has spent his career making funny people even funnier. He’ll share some of his favorite stories, talk about his latest book Laugh Lines, and reflect on his recent gig as a visiting professor with the UB Arts Collaboratory. Alan is a five-time Emmy and Tony Award-winning comedy writer, author, playwright, and screenwriter.