Tripathi to receive Norton Medal

It’s only fitting that Satish K. Tripathi ends his tenure as UB president this year by receiving the university’s highest honor.

Tripathi, who will step down as president in July, will be this year’s recipient of the Charles P. Norton Award at commencement ceremonies in May. The UB Council unanimously approved his selection this week.

“I can think of no one more deserving than President Tripathi,” said council Chair Jeremy “Jerry” M. Jacobs Jr.

The Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal is presented annually in public recognition of a person who has, in Norton’s words, “performed some great thing which is identified with Buffalo … a great civic or political act, a great book, a great work of art, a great scientific achievement or any other thing which, in itself, is truly great and ennobling, and which dignifies the performer and Buffalo in the eyes of the world.”

The president announced in September that he will step down and return to his faculty role in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the fall.

As UB’s 15th president, he is the longest-serving president to lead UB since the university joined the SUNY system in 1962.

Throughout his presidential tenure, Tripathi has had a transformative impact on UB, Jacobs said.

Among his many accomplishments, Tripathi has been instrumental in increasing UB-sponsored research expenditures and enhancing the educational experience of its students, Jacobs said. Under Tripathi’s leadership, UB has modernized campus infrastructure, cultivated unprecedented levels of philanthropy and elevated the university’s stature and rankings.

“We witnessed his steady and principled approach to guiding UB through periods of both progress and challenges,” Jacobs said. “For these accomplishments, we’d like to present President Tripathi with UB’s highest honor.”

Tripathi thanked Jacobs and the rest of the council and accepted the honor with gratitude.

“I am humbled that you have decided to bestow this recognition on me and I will be honored to accept it during the commencement exercises this spring,” Tripathi said. “Again, thank you for this meaningful recognition.”

Also, at this week’s meeting, the council had a moment of silence for its longest-serving member, Jonathan A. Dandes.

Dandes died Feb. 22 at the age of 72.

“Jon was a thoughtful and reliable council member, a fixture of the Buffalo business and philanthropic communities, and a loving family man,” Jacobs said.

Tripathi called Dandes “one of UB’s most dedicated champions.”

“His wit, his warmth and his steadfast commitment to UB greatly enriched our university community,” the president said.

“It was a privilege to work with Jon and it was a joy to know him. I am profoundly grateful to Jon for everything he did for UB and especially for his friendship.”

In other matters, the council:

• Received an update from the president on state budget talks.

Tuition, Tripathi said, will be held flat next year “which we are pleased about.”

“We are also advocating for additional operating aid to be included in the one-house bills to cover anticipated costs, salary increases associated with the UUP collective bargaining agreement,” he said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget includes $595 million for critical maintenance at state-operated campuses, but UB, SUNY and the other campuses are requesting more, given the aging infrastructure, Tripathi said.

And to realize the governor’s goal of doubling research funding at SUNY’s four university centers, more capital funding will be sought to support research in such areas as quantum science, AI and health care and neurological diseases.

“I plan to be in Albany next week to meet with members of the Western New York delegation and to continue advocating for our UB priorities,” Tripathi said.

• Heard a presentation from Laura E. Hubbard, vice president of finance and administration, who provided an overview of pending capital projects on the North and South campuses.
• Endorsed the naming of the Dr. Steven A. Guttenberg Scholarship in the School of Dental Medicine; the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarships; the Svein Øie and Barbara Woodruff Scholarship in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; the Dr. Angelo Anthony Montagna Chair in Chemical Engineering; and the Dr. Burt H. Rubin Fund for Athletics.