Q&A
Building stronger communities through research and mentorship
By GRACE GERASS
Published September 21, 2026
Mukherjee
At UB, True Blue takes many forms. It’s a mindset rooted in discovery, a commitment to students and a drive to make a difference beyond our campuses.
It shows up in meaningful classroom moments, the essential work happening behind the scenes and extraordinary research that reaches far beyond Western New York.
In this series, we highlight faculty, staff and students who embody that spirit — those whose work, impact and pride define what it truly means to be True Blue.
UBNow sat down with Sayanti Mukherjee, associate professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, to discuss her research and accomplishments, her path to UB and what makes her proud to be part of the university community.
Can you tell me about your research?
At the core of my research, I ask a deceptively simple question: How do we make the infrastructure systems our society depends on — such as power grids, emergency management networks, transportation systems and the communities they serve — strong enough to withstand and recover from disasters?
When these systems fail, real people bear the cost. Hospitals lose power and patients lose access to critical care. Roads and transit networks shut down, cutting off evacuation routes and emergency responders. Families are displaced, sometimes permanently. Local economies grind to a halt. The goal of my research is not just to help communities bounce back faster; it's to build systems resilient enough that the blow is far less devastating.
What made you want to build your career at UB?
When I interviewed at UB, I didn't just evaluate the position. I asked myself: Is this a place where I can build something meaningful? And the answer was clear before I even left campus.
What struck me first was the students, their curiosity and hunger to engage with my research. Then there was my department, and the genuine sense that people here actually root for each other.
UB also offered me something the other universities couldn't match — a place I could truly relate to. As someone who came to this country as a young international student from India and who knows what it’s like to navigate a new culture while chasing big ambitions, UB's spirit of inclusivity and its remarkable diversity felt like home.
You're also the director of the OASIS lab. What is that like?
My role at UB is multifaceted, involving research, teaching and mentorship — and that's what makes it so rewarding. As director of Operations Research for Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (OASIS), I aim to build a team of curious, motivated students and equip them with the tools, confidence and opportunities to tackle problems that genuinely matter. Mentoring students is the heart of what I do. The papers and the grants matter. But the students? They’re the legacy. That's what being True Blue looks like to me.
Your project 'Critical Need of the Hour for Renewable Energy Integration in the U.S.' won an American-Made Science Synthesis Prize sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy last year. What did it feel like to win that prize?
Winning the Department of Energy prize was a full-circle moment for me. What is most critical is the word 'need' in the project title. That's not academic language; it’s a call to action. Having the Department of Energy affirm that urgency felt like a mandate to keep pushing to ensure our research doesn't just sit in journals, but actually reaches the policymakers, utility planners and community leaders who need it most. This recognition was as much a reflection of this university — and the students and collaborators behind the research — as it was of me personally.
That wasn’t your only major accomplishment last year. You also received the Chauncey Starr Distinguished Young Risk Analyst Award from the Society for Risk Analysis. What did that acknowledgement mean to you?
Receiving the Distinguished Young Risk Analyst Award was one of those moments where you have to pause and take it in. That recognition told me that the approach I've committed to is not just valid but valued by the field I love.
UB made that possible. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences gave me the freedom to ask bold questions across disciplinary boundaries, colleagues who pushed my thinking and students who constantly remind me why this work matters. You can't do this kind of research in isolation — it takes a community that believes in you.
How does UB help you achieve your professional goals?
UB doesn't just support research; it actively helps you take that research into the world. The Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships team, for example, is a direct resource for researchers like me — helping protect discoveries, explore commercial applications and build bridges between the university and industry.
The Startup and Innovation Collaboratory is another remarkable resource, connecting innovators to mentors, funding and experiences that cultivate the skills needed to build solutions to real global and local challenges. That local-to-global pipeline is incredibly exciting.
The way I see it, UB has already given me the platform to do world-class research. Now it's giving me the tools to make sure that research doesn't stay on a shelf. I couldn't ask for a better partner to get there.
What makes you proud to be a part of the UB community?
What makes me the proudest isn’t my professional accolades. It’s watching a student defend their dissertation and step into the career they’ve worked so hard for. It’s hearing from community partners that our research helped them make better decisions. It’s earning the trust of policymakers who turn to us to help solve real problems.
UB gave me a home. It gave my students a launchpad. And it gave my research a purpose that extends far beyond the lab. That is what True Blue means to me. Not just pride in what we've achieved – but pride in who we are and who we're building together.
