It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of James Mayrose as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, effective January 15, 2019.

Dr. Mayrose’s unique combination of progressive academic and leadership positions, along with his exceptional scholarly, teaching, and service record, makes him an ideal candidate to lead Buffalo State’s division of Academic Affairs during this interim period. I continue to be impressed with his strong commitment to our mission as an urban-engaged college, along with his dedication to the success of our diverse and vibrant campus.

Dr. Mayrose has held the title of dean of the School of the Professions since 2015. During the 2017–2018 academic year, he temporarily stepped aside from his deanship to provide leadership as the college’s interim chief information officer and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications.   

Dr. Mayrose joined the Buffalo State community in 1999, rising from a part-time lecturer of engineering technology to full professor status in 2015. From 2012 to 2015, he served a term as chair of the Engineering Technology Department. In 2009, Dr. Mayrose was honored with the Buffalo State College President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2015 he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

An accomplished entrepreneur and CEO and founder of Tactus Technologies Inc., Dr. Mayrose was named “Inventor of the Year” by the Niagara Frontier Intellectual Property Law Association and the Technical Societies Council of the Niagara Frontier in 2004. In 2014, he received the Tibbetts Award for Innovation from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Dr. Mayrose earned his Ph.D in mechanical engineering (2000), his M.S. in mechanical engineering (1993), and his B.S. in aerospace engineering (1989) from the University at Buffalo, where he served in various research capacities from 1991 to 2006.

I expect to begin a search for a permanent provost and vice president for academic affairs in fall 2019.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Mayrose for accepting this interim assignment.

It seems that days, months, and even years go by faster these days...

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I am pleased to announce that Win Min Thant, education coordinator for the Community Academic Center through the Educational Pipelines Initiative Office, has received the President's Professional Development Award. Ms. Thant will attend the European Conference on Education 2019 (ECE2019), which will be held in London, UK, from July 19 to 21. At this conference, Ms. Thant will enhance her understanding of our campus’s co-existence with both global and "glocal" communities. She will also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and explore new research paths. Her professional development award profile can be viewed on the Professional Development website.

The President’s Professional Development Award supports professional development opportunities that enrich the experiences of all employees on campus by promoting opportunities that allow employees to build on their expertise, identify best practices, and network with others.

Members of the campus community are invited to submit nominations for the President’s Professional Development Award by 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 1. If you submitted an application but did not receive the award in past months and you are interested in submitting again, please resubmit your nomination. For more information about the award criteria and recipient selection process, please visit the Professional Development website.

I am excited to announce that Buffalo State College has a new creative theme:

Believe. Inspire. Achieve.

This theme was developed and managed by our own Marketing and Communications Office. It was thoughtfully chosen and informed through comprehensive marketing research. This research was composed from an awareness and perception study conducted with alumni, donors, community and business leaders, prospective undergrad and graduate students, faculty and staff members, current students, and a competitive analysis.

The college has progressed through many themes over the years, and this theme is the next step in that progression. These three words were chosen as they embody who we are as a college and are in direct support of our mission and core values.  

We encourage the entire campus to begin using the new theme, which will also be used in admissions recruitment materials as well as in brand awareness campaigns, marketing initiatives, and general promotional items. More information about the theme is available on the Marketing and Communications website. This tool kit will allow you to add our new creative theme to your events, activities, programs, and promotional items. We also look forward to the campus community helping us build the theme into our many established Buffalo State traditions.

This week you will see a new theme emerge for Buffalo State College: Believe. Inspire. Achieve....

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The one-day conference "Accessibility: Designing Access for All Learners," focusing on needs in higher education, will be held Friday, March 22, in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall and Assembly Hall. This conference aims to provide attendees with tools and resources to increase their knowledge and to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all learners. Speakers for this conference will be faculty and staff members from higher education institutions who are experts in the field of universal design for learning (UDL), web accessibility, student services, and compliance. Please check out the full agenda and register today.

This event has been made possible by the support of the SUNY 2018–2019 Explorations in Diversity and Academic Excellence (EDAE) Awards, the Grant Allocation Committee (GAC), and Buffalo State College.

I am pleased to announce the following appointments to the 2018–2019 Budget Committee Support Group:

Academic Affairs: Amitra Wall
Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA): Cynthia Rodriguez
College Senate: Frederick Floss
College Senate: Ted Schmidt
Finance and Management: Lisa Krieger
Institutional Advancement: William Benfanti
President’s Office: Crystal Rodriguez
Law Enforcement Unions: Ryan Roetzer
Information Technology: Maryruth Glogowski
Student Affairs: Rock Doyle
United University Professions (UUP): Dean Reinhart

Ex Officio: Joseph Marren, Chair of the College Senate
Ex Officio: Laura Barnum, Vice President for Finance and Management
Staff Support: Kelly D’Aloisio, Sarah Reid, Donna Scuto, and James Thor

The Budget Committee Support Group was established to enhance Buffalo State's ability to make sound decisions on effectively allocating our available resources to best meet the needs of our students. The members of the committee represent the major divisions of the institution:

The charge of the group is as follows:

Review division budget proposals for alignment with the campus strategic plan, financial feasibility, and potential approaches to funding

Review special fund budget plans for reasonableness and consistency with the overall campus budget

• Provide supporting information and analysis to the Budget Committee,* as requested, to assist in campus budget decision making
• Coordinate and lead campus presentations and obtain feedback on budget plans and opportunities for revenue generation and cost savings
• Evaluate and oversee implementation of enhancements to campus systems to support the budget management process

* The Budget Committee consists of the president, the provost, and the vice president for finance and management.

Multiple times each day, I have the opportunity to share the mission of Buffalo State or to fill in the blanks for those who may know a little about the college but have significant gaps in their understanding of the range and breadth of our work...

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After the closure of the Center for Development of Human Services (CDHS) in December 2018, Buffalo State’s work with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) has continued uninterrupted. The relationship between OTDA and Buffalo State will continue through the new Buffalo State organization Learning, Engagement, and Development Services (LEADS).

Every two years, the Campus Safety Task Force asks the Buffalo State community to complete the campus safety survey. Please take this brief survey so the task force can use your feedback to help plan for changes and improvements in how it serves you. The survey will run through Friday, February 15. Thank you for your participation.

If you wish to complete a paper survey, please stop by the Dean of Students Office during business hours.