Gratitude was the key emotion of the evening. Fifty medical student volunteers brought that point home by proudly displaying their thank-you signs to the more than 400 donors who gathered in the atrium to celebrate.

President Satish K. Tripathi neatly summed up what was on everyone’s mind with his opening remark: “What a building!”

After the lighting of the Circle of Visionaries and Circle of Leaders donor walls, balloons — in traditional UB blue and white — dropped to enthusiastic applause.

Donors took the opportunity to photograph their names on the wall honoring the Circle of Leaders, which includes 207 members.

Donors and their families celebrated in the building’s many informal spaces designed to encourage collaboration and interaction between faculty, students and staff.

All in the family: Three generations of Levys celebrated the Harold J. Levy, MD ’46 and Arlyne Levy Dean’s Conference Room. From left: Betsy Doyle-Levy; Sanford Levy, MD ’86; Arlyne Levy; Harold Levy, MD ’46; and grandson Aaron Levy.

The wall honoring 175 members of the Circle of Visionaries received plenty of attention from donors and students.

Donors gathered in the sixth floor Hearst Foundation Learning Landscape, one of many in the building designed to facilitate interactions among faculty, students and staff.

Stephanie T. Niciszewska Mucha gets her photo taken outside of the dean’s suite named for her and her late husband, Joseph J. Mucha.

Dean Michael Cain and his wife, Peggy, share a laugh with Stephanie Mucha in the Stephanie T. Niciszewska Mucha and Joseph J. Mucha Dean’s Suite.

UB faculty members (from left) Teresa Quattrin, Steven Schwaitzberg and Liesl Folks check out the new robotics suite on the building's seventh floor.

With the Circle of Leaders wall in the background, attendees helped themselves to delicious hors d’oevres.