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.
Department of Chemistry
Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Bing Gong, PhD, is one of the world’s leading supramolecular and biomimetic chemists specializing in folded molecular structures, or “foldamers.” His research includes the creation and study of pore-containing helical and cyclic molecules that are used as therapeutics and cell-protecting agents. An accomplished scholar, Gong has published more than 140 peer-reviewed articles many appearing in the top journals in his field, including Accounts of Chemical Research, the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Nature Communications. His publications have garnered over 6,000 citations to date with an h-index of 45. Continuously funded for over two decades, he currently has three externally funded research projects. In 2019, Gong received the UB Exceptional Scholar Award for Sustained Achievement.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and of Biomedical Engineering, Sriram Neelamegham, PhD, is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering Society. He has made pioneering contributions in studies that describe the molecular mechanisms by which white blood cells and platelets interact with other vascular cells in the context of inflammatory disease. He is focused on translating his basic science findings into human health benefits by identifying new targets for drug development. Among his accolades, Neelamegham is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, the Jacob F. Schoellkopf Medal from the WNY American Chemical Society and a National Institutes of Health Independent Scientist Award. Neelamegham also leads the development of the Symbol Nomenclature for Glycans at NCBI-NIH.
Department of Geology
Professor in the Department of Geology and former director of the Center for Geohazards Studies, Gregory Valentine, PhD, is an internationally renowned geologist who specializes in volcanoes, volcanic risk, forecasting volcanic activity and the processes that lead to their formation. He leads research to understand and reduce the harmful impacts of volcanic eruptions. He has particular expertise on volcanoes in the western United States, a highly volcanic area, and the evolution of volcanic landforms, particularly in arid environments. Valentine has authored 100 peer-reviewed articles. Among his most recent research is a study, funded by the National Science Foundation, that examines how communities near long-active U.S. volcanoes can prepare for disaster.
