Q&A
James A. Willis
James A. “Beau” Willis is executive vice president for university support services
Given New York’s financial condition and the overall global economic situation, isn’t talk about growth moot?
This is a plan with a 20-year horizon, and it’s important not to lose sight of our longer-term need for growth. A knowledge-based economy is the key to making our state and nation globally competitive in the 21st century, and research universities like UB fuel the innovation, discovery and intellectual capital that are the building blocks of this new economy. As UB grows in excellence, the greater our economic and social impact will be as a result. As dire as the situation is today, we are confident that stability will return to our state, national and global economies. When that happens, we’ll be ready to move forward with a strong plan and will adjust our implementation efforts to changing conditions. We already have in the pipeline a series of projects, already funded, that will lay the foundation for our growth, including new facilities for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Clinical and Translational Research Center, and the UB Downtown Gateway.
In an era of scarce resources, does it really make economic sense to move the Academic Health Center from the South Campus to the Downtown Campus?
Absolutely. Our health sciences schools need to be where the hospitals are and where our major research partners are. What a downtown Academic Health Center will mean for Buffalo—in terms of job creation, economic growth and quality of life—is the perfect illustration of how UB’s impact will grow exponentially through UB 2020. The benefits of bringing the AHC downtown—including several thousand more people working, studying and living in the city, as well as thousands of new jobs created—represent an incredible return on investment.
What will be the focus of the Nov. 19 forum on UB’s comprehensive physical plan?
We will show a fully developed master plan specifying the identity and purpose of our three campuses, defining campus precincts and building sites, describing improvements to our transportation systems, enumerating new facilities to be planned and built, and providing a preliminary scheme for the phasing and sequencing of everything in the plan.
Is there still a chance to influence the plan?
Definitely, and I encourage every university community member to weigh in. This is very much a collaborative process that has relied on extensive input gathered from more than 200 meetings with university community members, as well as community and government stakeholders. A great deal of thought has gone into the plan so far, and we are relatively certain about many of the big decisions that shape it, like moving the Academic Health Center downtown. But we are still learning a lot and there is plenty of room for improvement and adjustment. I hope as many faculty, staff and students as possible will come to one of the sessions scheduled in 105 Harriman Hall on Nov. 19. For more information and to register to attend the Building UB forum, click here.
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