For Tripathi, it’s a wrap at 150

As president of UB, Satish K. Tripathi has presided over many a commencement ceremony — 150, to be exact — but Sunday was admittedly special.

Not only was this his last commencement as UB president before stepping down in July, but Tripathi was duly recognized with the Charles P. Norton Medal, the university’s highest honor, during the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony in Broadview Arena on Sunday morning.

“For 15 years, I have stood at this podium recognizing the accomplishments of others — our extraordinary graduates and the honorees we celebrate for their impactful contributions to our university community,” he said. “Accepting an award myself at commencement is something new and unfamiliar.

“And yet, I receive this medal with profound gratitude — not as a personal recognition but as a testament to what our university community has accomplished together,” he said.

As the university’s 15th president and longest-serving in the modern era, Tripathi’s tenure was marked by UB’s rise among the university ranks, a growth in sponsored research expenditures, a billion-dollar fundraising campaign and a transformation of its three campuses.

On stage Sunday, the president reminded the graduates to live their lives with purpose. He urged them to consider the common good and encouraged them to cultivate fairness and compassion in all that they do.

He also referred to his own journey growing up in a remote farming village in India with no running water or electricity. He could have never envisioned where his path would take him today.

“As I conclude my presidency this summer, I find myself, like you, standing at the edge of something new,” Tripathi told them.

“That is why this ceremony holds a special meaning for me and I’m grateful to share it with you today. Together, we celebrate this exciting moment even if the path ahead feels a little bit unclear.”

Offstage, during a break between the College of Arts and Sciences' morning and afternoon ceremonies, he spoke with UBNow about his fondness for graduation day, his time as president and his next chapter.

Tripathi will rejoin the faculty in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences but said he will first take some time to travel a bit and consider the scholarly work he intends to pursue.

Since announcing his decision to step down as president, he is often reminded by well-wishers about his pending departure but hasn’t had a lot of time to think about his next phase.

“I know it’s coming,” Tripathi said. “Once graduation is over there will be a little bit more time and I think that’s when it will sink in.”

Tripathi said there’s not a singular moment that capsulizes his tenure in the president’s office, but rather an accumulation of moments:  

Celebrating with faculty recognized for their work and students for their academic achievements.

Watching the campus grow before his eyes.

Experiencing the generosity of alumni and donors.

Navigating the challenges of a pandemic — and feeling the joys when it was over.

When asked what he will miss most about serving as UB president, Tripathi didn’t hesitate.

“The people I work with,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic team.”

As for commencement, watching students enter UB as teenagers and mature into young adults who walk across the stage as graduates has been “one of the top, if not the top” privileges for Tripathi as UB president.

“Now, before I get too sentimental, I should note that my academic degrees are in statistics and computer science,” Tripathi told the graduates. “I can’t resist injecting a bit of data into my reflections.”

Tripathi calculated that during his time as UB president, he has awarded a total of 140,161 bachelor’s, master’s, professional and doctoral degrees while presiding over 150 commencement ceremonies.

The last one on Sunday.