UB Distinguished Professor
The Office of the Provost created the rank of UB Distinguished Professor to honor full professors who have achieved national or international recognition as experts in their fields of study. UB Distinguished Professors are members of the faculty who have been full professors for a minimum of five years with a demonstrated record of excellence in artistic or scholarly contributions.
2024-25 Honorees
Sathy V. Balu-Iyer
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Sathy Balu-Iyer, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the associate dean for research in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. His innovative, interdisciplinary research involves biophysical, immunological and Pharmaco-kinetic/dynamic approaches to rationally develop immunotherapy modalities. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, over 200 meeting abstracts/presentations and is an inventor on over 50 patents/patent applications. His work has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health. A fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Balu-Iyer has received numerous awards recognizing the strength and impact of his contributions including the Biotechnology Innovation Award from American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and Inventor of the year Award from Niagara Frontier Intellectual Property Law Association.
Jonathan P. Bird
Department of Electrical Engineering
Jonathan Bird, DPhil, is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and director of the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies. An international expert in nanoelectronics and mesoscopic physics, Bird has made pioneering contributions to areas that are critical to quantum technologies and nanoelectronic devices, including quantum transport phenomena, emergent nanoelectronic materials, and next-generation electronic-device paradigms. The former chair of his department, Bird has published more than 300 peer-reviewed publications as well as undergraduate and graduate textbooks. Among his numerous awards and honors, Bird is a fellow of the Institute of Physics and he has been a visiting scholar at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Center for Frontier Electronics and Photonics at Chiba University.
David Hostler
Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
David Hostler, PhD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. A fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine, he is the director of the Center for Research and Education in Special Environments and the founding director of the Emergency Responder Human Performance Lab. An expert in the field of emergency incident rehabilitation, Hostler oversees studies to understand the stresses associated with emergency response, especially the physiological responses of working in protective clothing. A firefighter and paramedic by training, he develops interventions to improve the health and safety of the nation’s first responders. A prolific, well-funded and highly cited scholar, Hostler has published over 130 peer-reviewed publications, many appearing in top medical journals.
A-Z
Jaekyung Lee
Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology
Jaekyung Lee, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology and former dean of the Graduate School of Education. An advocate for whole-child/youth development and universal learning rights, Lee is an internationally recognized leader in educational policy, specializing in assessment and evaluation research with a focus on the issues of educational equity and accountability. His research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), among others. He is a co-principal investigator for the IES-funded National Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI). Lee is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and the National Education Policy Center.
Jonathan F. Lovell
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Jonathan Lovell, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He has pioneered new approaches in nanotechnology-based vaccines and delivery systems. His research spans a diverse range of areas, including light-activated drug delivery systems, cancer immunotherapy and optically responsive nanomaterials. His patented porphyrin-based nanovesicles have paved the way for novel cancer treatment modalities. Lovell holds 14 U.S. patents, showcasing his innovative approach to addressing biomedical challenges. Co-founder of POP Biotechnologies, he has seamlessly integrated academic research with entrepreneurial endeavors, ensuring his innovations lead to real-world applications. Many of the technologies developed through his company focus on drug delivery that, unlike chemotherapy treatments, limit potential harm to the body.