Life at UB, On and Off Campus

Long before it was the university’s South Campus, it was the campus, based on a master plan by E.B. Green. The historic parcel at Main Street and Bailey Avenue has evolved considerably over the years and continues to do so, especially with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, which had been on the South Campus since 1953, moving into its new downtown home. Here is a timeline of recent developments—and what more may be in store.

2010

• Harriman Quadrangle revamped to become a sustainable green space. [Completed]

2012

• Major renovation of Acheson Hall (now the Pharmacy Building) accommodates the growth of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. [Completed]
  

2016 

• Transformation of iconic Hayes Hall—a $44 million project—ushers in a new age for the School of Architecture and Planning. [Completed]
  
• Café and study space added to Abbott Hall. [Completed]
  
• Restorative work on historic Crosby Hall begins, and is continuing in a phased approach. [Ongoing]

2017

• First phase of a $25 million renovation to Squire Hall transforms the School of Dental Medicine’s preclinical simulation lab. [Completed]
  

• 1Diefendorf, a one-stop shop for student services, created. [Completed]
  
• Harriman Café gets a major upgrade. [Completed]

2018

• Second phase of the Squire Hall renovation in progress, with a focus on renovating the dental clinic and creating a welcome center for visitors. [Ongoing]
  
• Starting this summer, temporary buildings that have long since served their purpose—MacDonald, Pritchard and Schoellkopf halls, and Diefendorf and Hayes annexes—to be removed in three phases. [Scheduled]
  
• Renovations to Townsend Hall to start this summer. [Scheduled]
  

• ADA improvements to Allen Hall, which serves as administrative office space, underway. [Ongoing]
  
• Renovation and reuse of former Jacobs School structures, including Cary and Farber halls, to allow UB’s other health sciences schools to expand. [Ongoing]

On the horizon*

• Sherman Hall to be demolished to make room for future construction. [Pending]
  
• Renovations and upgrades to Clark Hall. [Pending]
  
• Moving the School of Social Work into Parker Hall. [Pending]
  
• Construction of a building to house the Graduate School of Education and a new Professional Education Center. [Pending]

That’s how many student passengers UB’s fleet of Stampede buses may move on any given weekday when school is in session. All aboard!

*In case you missed it

WELCOME, WORLD. For the 15th straight year, UB is listed among the top 25 U.S. institutions hosting international students. The ranking appears in the Institute of International Education’s 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

AVERTING VIOLENCE. UB was one of five recipients of the 2017 Prevention Excellence Award from the nationwide Campus Prevention Network, reflecting our outstanding efforts to stop sexual assault, as measured against the highest standards in the field.

INVENTION ATTENTION. UB professor Edward P. Furlani (PhD ’82, MA ’80 & BS ’77), recognized around the world for his pioneering work in microfluidics, inkjet systems, optoelectronics and other areas, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

SUNNYSIDE UP. With help from UB’s Regional Institute, the Solarize Amherst campaign—part of a larger regional effort to generate more solar energy across the Buffalo Niagara area—has spurred the installation of 59 new roof-mounted solar arrays, totaling 1,283 panels, on residences in the town.

Officials from UB and area institutions gathered at Millard Fillmore’s gravesite in Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery in January for the annual commemoration of the university’s first chancellor and the nation’s 13th president—but this year’s ceremony was different. For the first time, the focus was on Fillmore’s signing of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act and the suffering it caused African-Americans. In her address, Associate Professor of History Carole Emberton noted the “great contributions” Fillmore made to Buffalo in founding so many civic organizations, but said it was time “to think about aspects of his legacy that we’re less proud of.” Said William J. Regan, director of special events at UB: “Building an inclusive future requires a nuanced understanding of the past.”

For those students interested in maxing, rather than relaxing, over the break, UB’s winter session offered more than 200 courses. Here are a few we think would have brightened up anyone’s January doldrums.

• The Beatles in the 1960s
• Empathizing With Empathy
• Aerial Dance and Circus Art
• Engineering Machine Shop
• Making Sense of 2016 Pre-Election
• Classics in the Mediterranean
• How To Write Like a Journalist
• Smartphone-Based Art-Making
• Cinemas of Asia