The Daily Bulletin Archive

A request for proposals for the E. O. Smith Arts and Humanities Faculty Development Fund will be formally announced by Academic Affairs in the coming weeks, with a November 2019 online submission deadline for project proposals.

These competitive, peer-reviewed projects support opportunities for the professional development of full-time Buffalo State faculty members in the arts and the humanities. Eligible candidates must be members of departments included in the arts (art, design, art conservation, theater, music, dance, film) or the humanities (history, art history, museum studies, philosophy, religious studies, literature, English, modern and classical languages) and who teach discipline-specific courses in the arts and humanities.

Candidates will be required to submit their proposals to the selection committee detailing how they would use the funding and include a curriculum vitae and detailed project budget. Funds may be used only for expenses directly related to professional development in his or her discipline, including research, supplies used in research or the publication of research, travel, or other similar professional activities. Funds may not be directed toward internal administration (including course release fees) or social functions or for personal use. Any proposed budgets that include personnel expenses (e.g., student assistants) must be sure all necessary personnel expenses are considered and included in proposed budgets.

Projects consistent with the mission and goals of the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center will be given preference. Previously funded candidates may reapply (for a new phase of the funded project, or a new project), but previously unfunded candidates will be given preference.

Information about the fund and application process will be provided in the formal announcement, which will also be sent to faculty in eligible departments. The announcement of funded proposals will be made in late December, and expenses according to the approved budget must be incurred during the calendar year from January 1 to December 31, 2020. Recipients will be required to complete their projects during that time. A final report and participation in the 2020 Fall Forum is expected.

The fund's benefactor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and historian Edward Owen "E. O." Smith Jr., was a member of the faculty of the Buffalo State History Department since 1963, serving as chair of the History and Social Studies Education Department for many years and as the first director of the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center. He also founded the college’s museum studies certificate program.

During his 50-year tenure, he was known for his concern for students, his chairmanship of numerous college committees, and his efforts to improve the economic and cultural life of Buffalo’s West Side. He also held a deep interest in art and the visual image as a document, and had been honored by the Burchfield Penney Art Center for his participation in and leadership of many collaborative center projects. Dr. Smith was named a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in 1999 and had previously received the President’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Dr. Smith died in March 2014, and his gift endowing this fund leaves a lasting legacy at Buffalo State.