The Daily Bulletin Archive

I am pleased to announce that James Mayrose has been appointed dean of the School of the Professions at Buffalo State College. Dr. Mayrose, professor and chair of the college’s Engineering Technology Department, will assume his new role July 15.

Dr. Mayrose brings tremendous insight, creativity, and academic depth to the position of dean. His experiences as chair of a growing, applied, and innovative department, and his role as CEO and founder of Tactus Technologies Inc., will contribute to his vision and future leadership of the School of the Professions. His excellent scholarly record, superior teaching, and generous campuswide service will allow him to be an exemplary leader and model for his school.

I would like to thank the search advisory committee chair, Carolyn Hilarski, and the committee members for their efforts throughout the search.

Lastly, special thanks to Rita Zientek for her dedicated service to Buffalo State as the school’s interim dean over the past two years. Dr. Zientek's passion for Buffalo State and her dedication to the School of the Professions is unmatched. I especially wish to thank her for her leadership during the Year of the Innovator that so expertly showcased the innovation of our faculty, staff, and students and the many ways she enhanced her school’s support and commitment to a student-centered environment. I look forward to her continued engagement and her outstanding leadership as she supports the School of the Professions and Academic Affairs more generally.

About James Mayrose
James Mayrose has served as chair of the Engineering Technology Department since 2012, overseeing an exciting period of growth and advancement. In 2013, the Engineering Technology Department—along with the Fashion Textile Technology and Computer Information Systems departments—moved to the state-of-the-art $36.5 million Technology Building on campus. Enrollment in the electrical engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology programs grew by 137 percent and 55 percent, respectively, from fall 2010 to fall 2014.

Mayrose joined the Buffalo State community in 1999 as a part-time lecturer. He was appointed assistant professor in 2006 before earning promotion to associate professor in 2010. He was promoted to professor in 2015. In 2009, Mayrose was honored with the Buffalo State President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Mayrose was invited to the White House in 2014 to receive the prestigious Tibbetts Award for Innovation from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Mayrose is CEO and founding partner of Tactus Technologies Inc., a maker of virtual reality products for the education and industrial training fields. Established in 2001, the company has garnered more than $5 million in federal research grants. Two of Tactus’s biggest products include VFrog, a virtual frog dissection simulator, and a virtual forklift safety trainer.

From 1991 to 2006, Mayrose served in various research capacities with the University at Buffalo’s departments of Emergency Medicine, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Physiology. He also worked from 1989 to 1991 with the Grumman Aerospace Corporation in Bethpage, New York, as an associate configuration engineer supporting the F-14 fighter aircraft program. 

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.