Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Published September 25, 2014 This content is archived.

Dear University Community:

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Robert Granfield as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Dr. Granfield is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and is an Affiliated Scientist at UB’s Research Institute on Addictions.  Professor Granfield succeeds Professor Lucinda Finley, who recently returned to the School of Law faculty. He will assume his new role as vice provost October 1, 2014.

In his new role, Professor Granfield will report to me and serve as a member of my senior leadership team. Among other duties, the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs is responsible for coordinating the university’s promotion and tenure process; welcoming and orienting new faculty to UB; assisting deans, department chairs, and faculty with issues associated with hiring and retention; building programs to orient new department chairs and improve their management skills; facilitating the nomination process for national, internal, and SUNY awards; and partnering with the Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion to develop proactive strategies for enhancing faculty diversity.   

Professor Granfield’s record of leadership and demonstrated ability to work with faculty across disciplines make him an outstanding choice for the role of Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.  Professor Granfield was the co-founder and former director of UB’s Civic Engagement and Public Policy strategic strength, a wide-reaching initiative with participants from 11 of UB’s 12 decanal units and the hub for UB’s community-based research activities.  He was also the founder and director of UB’s Institute for the Study of Law and Urban Justice.  In addition, Professor Granfield has served in numerous leadership positions in his department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and university, including chair of the Department of Sociology from 2006-2012, a role that has given him direct experience in faculty recruiting, mentoring, and promotion and tenure issues.   

A noted scholar in the areas of law and society as well as addiction studies, Professor Granfield was recruited to UB from the University of Denver in 2004. He is the author or editor of six books and over 80 articles, book chapters, and reviews.  His research has been supported with grants from the National Institute of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and Law School Admissions Council, among others.  He has been a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School, Middlebury College, and most recently, at the University of Ottawa where he served as the Fulbright Research Chair in International Humanitarian Law and Social Justice.

I would like to extend my personal thanks to Associate Dean and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Geology, Charles Mitchell and all of the members of the search committee for their outstanding service, which was critical to the successful outcome of the search.  

Please join me in congratulating Professor Granfield and welcoming him to this significant leadership role within our campus community.

Sincerely,

 

Charles F. Zukoski                                                                                        Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs