Longtime UB Physiology Leader Paganelli Leaves Lasting Legacy

By Dawn M. Cwierley

A SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and longtime associate chair, Paganelli was widely respected for his leadership, scholarship and dedication to students and colleagues.

Paganelli joined UB in 1958 as an instructor in physiology and rose through the ranks to professor in 1971. In 1997, he was named a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, the highest honor in the SUNY system, recognizing his sustained contributions to the university.

Throughout his career, Paganelli played a central role in guiding the Department of Physiology, serving multiple terms as interim chair and for many years as associate chair. He helped shape the department during periods of transition and growth and contributed to a culture of excellence in cardiopulmonary and environmental physiology that continues today.

His commitment to UB extended beyond the department. He served for more than a decade in the Faculty Senate, contributed to UB’s Middle States accreditation efforts and supported collaboration across the university’s medical and health professions schools.

Colleagues and former students recalled Paganelli’s thoughtful demeanor, intellectual curiosity and steady guidance. He had a gift for making complex physiological concepts accessible and encouraging students to think deeply about the natural world.

“Charles Paganelli was a true scholar who was always curious about how things work,” said Michael E. Duffey, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor and professor of physiology and biophysics at the Jacobs School. “He used that curiosity to solve important biological problems and was an excellent teacher and mentor.”

An accomplished researcher, Paganelli’s work spanned a range of physiological topics, including the effects of high altitude and hypoxia on the body, as well as sodium transport and water regulation in avian eggs. His research took him around the world, and he lectured throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

Over the course of his career, he secured more than $5.7 million in research funding, published more than 70 scientific articles and co-edited Physiology Function in Special Environments.

Paganelli earned his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. He was a member of the American Physiological Society and the Undersea Medical Society, and received numerous honors, including the Jacobs School Dean’s Award and recognition from the Student National Medical Association.

Paganelli’s influence extended across generations of scientists and scholars, including within his own family. His daughter, Kathryn Paganelli Parker, PhD ’86, and granddaughter, Meaghan Paganelli, PhD ’15, both earned doctorates from UB’s biomedical sciences program nearly three decades apart.

“Since I was a little girl, my grandfather immersed me in the world of science and taught me how to think critically, ask questions and pursue knowledge with curiosity and integrity,” said Meaghan Paganelli. “His unwavering dedication to research and education inspired my own journey to become a scientist.”

She added that beyond his professional accomplishments, “he was a loving grandfather, mentor and role model whose guidance shaped both my career and my character.”

He is survived by his children, William, Kathryn, Peter, Robert and John, as well as grandchildren and extended family. He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara Harriet S. Paganelli.

Paganelli is remembered for his lasting contributions to physiology, his dedication to UB and the generations of students, scientists and physicians he mentored.