Plan for ‘UB-HWI Bridge’ takes shape

UB is capitalizing on its acquisition of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute by using it as an opportunity to move research more quickly from concept to application.

The “UB-HWI Bridge” initiative combines historical strengths in structural biology and artificial intelligence by creating a more connected and collaborative ecosystem within the HWI building and Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

The two buildings are across the street from each other on the Downtown Campus and connected by a bridge over Ellicott Street.

“Really, in a nutshell, what we’re trying to do is take historical strengths in structural biology and AI and enhance our biomanufacturing capability, and bring them into one ecosystem that is cohesive and thoughtful across the university,” says Provost A. Scott Weber.

Weber spoke about UB-HWI Bridge during the UB Council meeting on June 1.

The university-wide initiative is based on the idea that today’s scientific challenges require close connections between computational design and AI, experimental validation, imaging, analytics, modeling and biomanufacturing.

“So, think about all of these, and what we’re trying to do is take them out of their silos, even though they are not completely siloed, but push them together in a very fast sort of cycle,” Weber says. “I think now we have the capability to do that.”

Founded in 1956 as an independent biomedical research facility, the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute officially joined UB in January 2025, cementing their long-time partnership in research and education in structural biology.

The initiative will tap into $50 million awarded by New York State during the last budget cycle to enhance research facilities and equipment at the university.

The long-term vision, Weber says, is to attract major research center grants, strengthen partnerships with industry and government and raise UB’s national profile in the life sciences. The initiative aligns closely with the federal government’s AI Genesis Mission, which seeks to use AI, supercomputing and federal datasets to accelerate scientific discovery.

UB-HWI Bridge will be led by Venu Govindaraju, senior vice president for research, innovation and economic development. While UB-HWI Bridge is still in its early stages, university leadership and faculty have been refining the initiative, which should begin to take shape this summer.

In another matter, the council thanked Weber and his wife Jo Ann for their philanthropic support of a new endowed professorship in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The council endorsed the naming of the Dr. A. Scott and Jo Ann Weber Professorship, one of 11 naming resolutions approved during the meeting.

The Webers, who first met as students at Virginia Tech, have been longtime supporters of the school after Scott Weber joined the faculty in 1983 and has since held numerous leadership roles across the university.

“On behalf of the council I’d like to say a special thank you to Scott and Jo Ann Weber for their generosity in naming an engineering professorship,” said Chairman Jerry Jacobs Jr. “Scott, this a tremendous affirmation of your commitment to UB.”

The council also:

• Heard details of the enacted state budget. The budget includes an increase of $54 million in direct state tax support for state operated campuses during the 2026-27 fiscal year, said President Satish K. Tripathi. SUNY also received $795 million in critical maintenance funding for existing facilities, up roughly $245 million from what was originally proposed, he said. In addition, SUNY received $100 million in research capital, Tripathi said.
• Recommended that the late Jon Dandes be posthumously awarded the Charles P. Norton Award, UB’s highest honor. Dandes, a prominent alumnus, university booster and longest-serving member of the UB Council, passed away Feb. 22 at the age of 72. The award will be presented to his children, Leo and Arin.
• Welcomed Joseph Stefko to the UB Council. Stefko is a UB alumnus who served as president of the UB Alumni Association board of directors and is currently president and CEO of OneROC, Greater Rochester’s economic alliance established to accelerate regional development.
• Congratulated Shaurya Jain, the student representative on the council, who has been re-elected to serve for the 2026-27 academic year.
• Heard final remarks from Tripathi, who was attending his last meeting as president. Tripathi made a point to thank former chairman Jerry Jacobs Sr. as well as the council for its “guidance, counsel and commitment to our university.”
• “Serving as president of UB has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Tripathi said. “While this chapter is ending for me, my connection to UB remains as strong as ever. I am, as always, proud to call UB my academic home.”