Year In Review 2023

A New Beginning: The College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering

University News

UAlbany's reunification with CNSE concluded in August with the launch of the newly expanded College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, further strengthening the University's position as a leader in engineering, semiconductor research, computer science and artificial intelligence. The new college is the product of a union between UAlbany’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the former College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), which was founded at UAlbany two decades ago and spent the nine years as the Albany campus of the Utica-based SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

IBM, UAlbany Announce $20M AI Research Collaboration

Research, University News

At the inaugural SUNY AI Symposium, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the formation of the Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems (CEAIS) at the University at Albany, a $20 million collaboration between UAlbany and IBM that will power new AI research projects with the help of advanced cloud computing and emerging hardware out of the IBM Research AI Hardware Center. The collaboration is an important step forward for UAlbany's AI Plus initiative.

English Professor Finds Lost Work By Famed Early American Poet

Research

In January, news broke that Wendy Raphael Roberts of the Department of English had discovered the earliest known full-length elegy by famed poet Phillis Wheatley (Peters), widely regarded as the first Black person, enslaved person and one of the first women in America to publish a book of poetry. The discovery reverberated through the American literary community.

Report Affirms Latino Student Success at UAlbany

Student Success

A new report from Excelencia in Education showed how UAlbany is far exceeding state and national averages when it comes to eliminating graduation gaps for Latino students, who graduate here at the same rate as their white counterparts. Nationally, the gap is 13 percent.

UAlbany Partners with New York State on Weather Risk Communication Center

Research

In December, Gov. Hochul announced the launch of the New York State Weather Risk Communication Center (SWRCC) at UAlbany, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between university researchers and state emergency managers. The center, which will help protect New Yorkers from severe weather, was unveiled through an exclusive interview with Al Roker on the TODAY Show that prominently featured UAlbany researchers and the ETEC research and development complex.

Purple Line Blazes New Path Across Campus

University News

In November 2023, the first Purple Line buses began rolling through campus along the new CDTA Busway on Alumni Drive. The Bus Rapid Transit route is the culmination of a 10-year strategic partnership between UAlbany and CDTA and will significantly cut travel times between UAlbany's Uptown and Downtown campuses.

UAlbany Receives 6th Consecutive Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award

Diversity & Inclusion

In October, UAlbany received its sixth consecutive Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from “INSIGHT Into Diversity” magazine. The national honor recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. UAlbany’s signature DEI programs are thriving and expanding with efforts such as the BILPOC Faculty Advancement Initiative, the annual Diversity Transformation Awards and the development of the Social Justice Living-Learning Community.

ODI Announces 2023-24 Diversity Transformation Award Winners

Diversity & Inclusion

In December, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion announced five new initiatives designed to enhance the culture of inclusivity at UAlbany in 2024. Projects funded in this award cycle aim to unite student dancers through hip-hop, explore intersectional research methods, cultivate inclusive spaces, celebrate UAlbany’s self-reliant scholars and connect current and prospective educators of color.

Football Wins CAA Championship on Historic FCS Playoff Run

Athletics

The Great Danes defied expectations and claimed a share of the program's first Coastal Athletic Association title on their way to the deepest FCS playoff run in school history. UAlbany battled all the way to the FCS Semifinals in South Dakota, taking home numerous awards along the way, including CAA Coach of the Year for Greg Gattusso.

AI Plus: Preparing UAlbany Students for the Future

University News

In May, UAlbany unveiled AI Plus, a holistic framework for integrating teaching and learning about AI across our academic and research programs to ensure every graduate is prepared to live and work in a world radically changed by technology in the coming decades. AI Plus is not a program within the University. It is an institution-wide recognition of the centrality of AI to the future of knowledge creation, scientific discovery, creative expression and workforce development — a future UAlbany is determined to lead.

A New Name, Look for the Broadview Center

Athletics

The men's and women's basketball teams each opened the newly renovated and renamed Broadview Center with a win in late November and early December as President Rodríguez joined Broadview FCU CEO Michael Castellana to cut the ribbon the dramatic $12 million reimagination of the arena. The new look came with a new name for the Great Danes home court, which was previously known as SEFCU Arena.

Honoring UAlbany's Earliest Indigenous Students

Diversity & Inclusion

In May, the University Council voted to change the name of the campus pond to Parker Pond in honor of Caroline (Ga:hahno), Nicholson (Gye-wah-go-wa) and Isaac Newton (Gane-yo-squa-ga-oh) Parker, three Tonawanda Seneca siblings who were among the first nine Indigenous students to enroll at the New York State Normal School. Caroline Parker in particular played a significant and largely unacknowledged role in helping frame American perceptions of Haudenosaunee people, and specifically Haudenosaunee women.

ETEC Researchers Awarded $3M to Support Emergency Preparedness and Response to Extreme Weather

Research

A new $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will support researchers at the University at Albany in improving emergency management and response around increasingly frequent and severe weather events to save lives and property. 

Chemist Receives $300K Grant to Improve Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling

Research

Jeremy Feldblyum, a chemist at UAlbany, is partnering on a new $300,000 National Science Foundation early concept grant for exploratory research (EAGER) award, aimed at improving lithium battery recycling methods. His research focuses on the chemical process by which battery metals can be dissolved in non-acidic solvents.

‘Weather Extremes’ Special Highlights AI Weather Prediction Research

Research

FOX 5 NY's Audrey Puente visited the ETEC research and development complex during the fall 2023 semester to learn about how UAlbany is using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve weather prediction and emergency response. The lengthy report included details of UAlbany's role in a $20M NSF-funded cooperative institute specifically to improve winter weather forecasts.

RNA Scientists Explore New Molecular Tool to Treat Retinal Disease

Research

Scientists at the RNA Institute, in collaboration with a research team from the University at Buffalo, received a four-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Eye Institute to explore a new molecular tool for treating retinal degenerative disease. By disabling a portion of genetic code in the eye that contributes to vision impairment, the method that the team plans to investigate could potentially slow down or halt the progression of various diseases that affect sight.

Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Program Celebrates 10 Years Helping Veterans

Public Engagement & Service

In November, the School of Social Welfare marked the 10th anniversary of the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer-to-Peer Support Program in conjunction with the program's annual meeting. Administered by the NYS Office of Mental Health and the NYS Department of Veterans’ Services, the Dwyer Program offers life-saving mental health and social support to veterans across New York State. The School of Social Welfare has been instrumental in the program’s evaluation, development and growth since its inception.

Students Host Swab Drive to Find Matches for Blood Cancer Patients

Public Engagement & Service

UAlbany's chapter of Gift of Life, which facilitates bone marrow transplants, hosted a drive on campus to get people to take swab tests and join the nonprofit's national bone marrow registry — increasing the chance that someone with blood cancer or a bone marrow deficiency will find a life-saving match.

Researchers Awarded Funding to Study Cell Senescence and Salivary Gland Dysfunction

Research

An interdisciplinary research team at the RNA Institute received new funding to explore cellular mechanisms underlying salivary gland dysfunction and develop RNA-based therapeutics to stop processes associated with cell aging that contribute to disease. The $387,186 one-year grant was awarded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, an arm of the National Institutes of Health. Principal investigators on the project include scientists from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering.

CEHC, National Weather Service Partner to Improve Communication on Extreme Heat

Research

A new study led by researchers at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, in partnership with the National Weather Service, aims to reduce heat-related deaths through a critical aspect of extreme weather resiliency — risk communication. The two-year study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will focus on how current heat information is accessed and understood by people in the U.S.

Six Faculty Appointed to New Named Professorships

Giving

Six UAlbany faculty members were appointed to new named professorships thanks to the philanthropy of University donors and the work of the Division for Advancement, President Havidán Rodríguez announced during his Fall University Address. The new positions increased the total number of named academic positions at UAlbany from four to 16, of which 10 are currently occupied.

ETEC named 'Green Building of the Year'

University News

UAlbany’s ETEC research and development complex has been named the 2023 Green Building of the Year by U.S. Green Building Council of Upstate New York, which covers the 55 counties outside of metropolitan New York City. The award is one of the USGBC New York’s 2023 Leadership Awards, which celebrate the use of sustainable strategies to drive innovation and transform the building industry. The awards also highlight the green building initiatives of community projects in Upstate New York.

Social Welfare’s Mary McCarthy Lauded with National Achievement Award

Faculty

In October, Mary McCarthy, an instructor at UAlbany’s School of Social Welfare, was recognized as a “Social Work Pioneer” by the National Association of Social Workers at an induction ceremony held in Washington, D.C. The honor celebrates social workers who have explored new territories in the field of human services and created platforms to put their work into practice. McCarthy's current work focuses on child welfare and the child welfare workforce.

Gillibrand Touts Cybersecurity Scholarships for UAlbany Students

Student Success

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited UAlbany in October to promote federal cybersecurity scholarships that grant students from eligible institutions significant financial aid in return for public service. UAlbany is one of 19 institutions in New York eligible for the program.

Atmospheric Science Students Help NASA Study Solar Eclipses

Student Success

A team of students in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences launched weather balloons from New Mexico during the Oct. 14 annular eclipse as part of NASA's Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project. The students will launch balloons again from New York during the April 8, 2024, total eclipse, which will be visible in the Northeast.

$1.95M Grant Advances DNA Nanotechnology Research

Research

Arun Richard Chandrasekaran, a senior research scientist at the RNA Institute, received a five-year “Maximizing Investigators' Research Award” from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The grant is awarded to outstanding early-career scientists and will support Chandrasekaran's research program as he investigates ways to improve drug delivery using DNA nanostructures.

CEHC Expert Assesses Risks of AI and Existential Terrorism

Research

CEHC Associate Professor Gary Ackerman published a new paper during the Fall 2023 semester on existential terrorism, with a specific focus on the use of AI as a weapon. Ackerman has spent decades studying terrorism around the world — from the motivations and capabilities of terrorist groups to the mitigation strategies governments use to defend against them.

Rising in the National Rankings

University News

New national rankings published by U.S. News and World Report and the Wall Street Journal list UAlbany within the top tier of public institutions in the nation. U.S. News also lists UAlbany as a top performer in social mobility, within the top 10 percent of all ranked institutions.

$5M Federal Grant Backs Urban Forest Research in Albany

Research

Researchers in the Department of Geography and Planning are receiving $5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support a new project that aims to improve the health of Albany’s urban forest and educate the next generation of local climate leaders. The project is part of a $1 billion investment from the USDA’s Forest Service to expand access to trees and green spaces in communities and neighborhoods nationwide.

NYS Mesonet Adds Lake Placid Site to Weather Network

Public Engagement & Service, Research

The New York State Mesonet, operated by the University at Albany, is turning an existing weather monitoring station at Uihlein Farm into its 127th standard network site, marking the first Mesonet site to be added to the network in partnership with a private entity.

Paleoclimate Researchers Study Climate Change Past

Research

Researchers at UAlbany's Paleoclimate Lab are using nearly $800,000 in support from the National Science Foundation to analyze samples of natural materials, such as coral and lake sediment, to help reconstruct Earth’s climate history.

Writers Institute Receives $1M Endowment from Chet and Karen Opalka

Giving

The $1 million gift from area philanthropists Chet and Karen Opalka establishes The Opalka Endowed Directorship of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany. The endowment will provide perpetual support for the Writers Institute's leadership and its creative programming, while ensuring the organization's future as one of the preeminent literary presenting organizations in the United States. Paul Grondahl, director of the Writers Institute since 2017, is the first recipient of the directorship.

UAlbany Welcomes New Great Danes for Fall 2023 Semester

University News

Approximately 2,865 first-year students, from more than 30,745 applicants, joined UAlbany’s Class of 2027 for the Fall 2023 semester. Another 875 transfer students and 1,600 new graduate students joined the campus community as well.

‘Research Experiences for Undergrads’ Draws Students from Across the U.S.

Student Success

In the summer of 2023, the RNA Institute hosted its inaugural “Research Experiences for Undergraduates in RNA” program. Over the course of the 10-week residential program, students hailing from New York, Texas, Arizona, California and Puerto Rico worked alongside UAlbany faculty mentors to undertake original research projects exploring a wide range of topics in RNA science including myotonic dystrophy, salivary gland fibrosis, Zika virus and the chemical profile of earwax.

Atmospheric Science Faculty, Students Launch Weather Balloons for Capital Region Research Project

Research, Student Success

A faculty and student research team from the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the College of Arts and Sciences led a summer-long project to build a vertical profile of the atmosphere around local severe weather events using weather balloon data. On select severe weather days, the research team, which included about a dozen undergraduate and graduate students, launched balloons from the parking lot of the ETEC research and development complex or other targeted locations in the Capital Region.

Healthy Aging Initiative Looks to Advance our Understanding of Getting Older

Research

From improving medical care and assistive resources, to social services that facilitate community engagement, volunteerism and other activities that foster lifelong fulfillment, ensuring that aging New Yorkers are well cared for requires innovative thinking and cross-cutting collaboration. Launched in March, the Healthy Aging Research Initiative will harness expertise from across UAlbany’s nine schools and colleges to develop an interdisciplinary research and community-engaged network aimed at advancing knowledge about aging and translating that new knowledge into practice, education and workforce development.

RNA Institute Awarded $2.5M from NIH to Advance ‘RNA Rescue’ in Fight Against Myotonic Dystrophy

Research

UAlbany scientists received $2.5 million to advance research aimed at finding a cure for myotonic dystrophy — the most common form of adult-onset muscular dystrophy, impacting about 1 in 2,100 New Yorkers. The research is being led by RNA Institute Director Andy Berglund, who has partnered with interdisciplinary researchers from across the country and the world to advance myotonic dystrophy research and develop drugs that target the disease at the molecular level, centered at UAlbany. The award was announced ahead of International Myotonic Dystrophy Awareness Day on September 15.

Massive Cluster Hire Bolsters AI Plus Artificial Intelligence Initiative

University News

In November, the University launched the largest cluster hire in its history — a search for 27 new faculty members specializing in artificial intelligence that marks the next critical phase in the University’s ambitious plan to incorporate elements of AI teaching and research across all academic programs. The 27 new hires are among 49 new faculty members expected to join UAlbany over the coming year and were made possible thanks to $5.2 million allocated to UAlbany through the most recent state budget.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion Announces 2023 Diversity Transformation Award Winners

Diversity & Inclusion

In February, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion announced the winners of the 2023 Diversity Transformation Awards — an opportunity for UAlbany faculty, staff and graduate students to earn funding to facilitate innovative events, programs or research initiatives designed to promote diversity and foster inclusiveness within the campus community. This year’s awards included projects aiming to support UAlbany’s BILPOC faculty, undocumented students and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as efforts to increase presence of historically underrepresented groups in UAlbany curricula and STEM departments.

SPH Research Leverages AI to Study Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence, Care Costs

Research

A UAlbany-led study published in February harnessed the power of machine learning to examine the importance of contextual factors that influence cardiovascular disease prevalence and care costs among Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. The team analyzed publicly available, county-level data on demographic composition, behavior, social vulnerability, racial and ethnic segregation and other contextual factors to determine the relative importance of these factors as predictors for cardiovascular health and care costs. Their study is among the first in the U.S. to use machine learning to study contextual cardiovascular disease predictors and costs at the county level.

Researchers Awarded $3M to Study Disparities in Black Maternal and Infant Health

Research

In December 2022, researchers from the Department of Psychology and the School of Public Health received $3 million from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to investigate social and environmental factors that contribute to negative health outcomes among Black mothers and their children, who disproportionately experience poor health during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Findings from the five-year study will inform strategies aimed at improving Black maternal-infant health.

‘Project SAGES’ Supports UAlbany Women Researchers in STEM

Diversity & Inclusion

UAlbany’s Project SAGES — short for “Striving to Achieve Gender Equity in STEM” — held its second annual all-hands meeting in March. The initiative is supported by the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program, which aims to increase the representation and advancement of women in STEM careers. At UAlbany, Project SAGES provides opportunities for UAlbany’s women researchers to develop new projects and expand their collaborative networks through seed funding and mentorship programs. Learn about project updates from the seven 2022 awardees who represent the Departments of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Psychology, Economics, Physics and the RNA Institute.

$2.3M Grant Aids Research into New Bacterial Target to Treat Gum Disease

Research

Scientists in the College of Arts and Sciences' departments of biology and mathematics received $2.3 million from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, announced in September 2022, to study the role of dental plaque in periodontal disease. The team is using RNA sequencing and imaging to study microbial species in dental plaque and track changes in the microbial community as gum disease progresses. Understanding how the structure of plaque influences the ability of harmful bacteria to take hold can inform new treatments for periodontal disease, which is a major contributor to health disparity along socioeconomic lines worldwide.

UAlbany Professors Join SUNY’s Distinguished Academy

Faculty

Two University at Albany professors — Thomas Begley of the RNA Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, and Zai Liang of the Departments of Sociology and East Asian Studies — have been promoted to SUNY’s Distinguished Academy, the highest academic rank within the SUNY system, conferred by the State University Board of Trustees. Both have achieved the designation of Distinguished Professor, which recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions to the research literature of their fields and attained national or international prominence for their expertise. The new appointments were announced in May.

SPH Researcher Leads ‘Listening Tour’ to Explore Mental Health in Rural New York

Research

In January, UAlbany’s Brett Harris, clinical associate professor in the School of Public Health, released a new report detailing the results of an 18-month study on mental health in rural New York. The work, the first of its kind in the state, took the form of a “listening tour” with 32 group interview sessions that engaged participants from 16 rural counties. The report includes recommendations for strategies to improve mental health and access to supportive resources in rural communities in New York and beyond.

UAlbany Launches the Institute for Social and Health Equity

Diversity & Inclusion

In April, UAlbany launched the Institute for Social and Health Equity (ISHE), a new research and training hub that leverages the University’s existing strengths, together with community engagement, to address longstanding societal problems related to health disparities and inequity. Housed within the Division for Research and Economic Development, ISHE builds on UAlbany’s longstanding research programs in minority health disparities and has already convened special research groups focused on healthy aging, maternal-infant health and environmental health. ISHE is led by inaugural director Paul Morgan, who now also serves as a professor at the School of Public Health.

BILPOC Faculty Mentoring Group Takes Flight

Diversity & Inclusion

Launched in September 2022, the BILPOC Faculty Advancement Initiative facilitates opportunities for faculty members who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx and people of color (BILPOC) to build community, share research, identify new avenues for academic collaboration and engage in professional development. The initiative was spearheaded by Carmen Serrano, associate professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, in partnership with Elizabeth Vásquez, department chair and associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health.

School of Public Health Launches New Degree Programs in Nursing

University News

In March, UAlbany’s School of Public Health launched two new degree programs — a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) completion program and a Master of Science in Population Health Nursing — to help meet the significant demand for qualified health care providers in New York. The BSN completion program will provide a critical pipeline to help existing registered nurses obtain the degree required to maintain licensure in New York, in compliance with the “BSN in 10” law. Both programs will come online in the Fall 2024 semester under the leadership of inaugural Director and School of Public Health Professor Jessica Castner.

UAlbany, SUNY Downstate Explore AI’s Role in Mental Health Care

International, Research

In May, UAlbany and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University partnered to explore the use of artificial intelligence and deep learning technology to better understand mental health disorders, aid in earlier diagnosis and treatment, and improve mental health outcomes globally. The Global Center for AI in Mental Health was formed in collaboration with the Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx) and will explore ways to use AI and other deep technology to advance early detection of mental health conditions, track patients’ progress and monitor them after medical intervention.

Eight Students Win Chancellor’s Award, SUNY’s Highest Honor

Student Success

This year, eight UAlbany students were honored with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, which acknowledges students for outstanding achievements that have demonstrated excellence in multiple areas, including academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service or the arts.

Tailoring Healthcare Messages to Language and Culture for Greatest Impact

Research

Getting health information from a trusted source during the COVID-19 pandemic translated into higher rates of vaccination among foreign-born U.S. residents who are not native-English speakers, researchers from the College of Arts and Sciences and Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy found. The study, published in April, used surveys of four culturally and linguistically diverse communities whose primary languages were Arabic, Bengali, Chinese and Spanish.

Chancellor Taps Dina Refki to Lead New Immigration Institute

Public Policy and Politics, Research

Dina Refki, director of UAlbany’s Center for Women in Government and Civil Society, was tapped as executive director of SUNY’s new Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy. The new institute will provide research for policy proposals to help immigrants transition to community life, education and the workforce. The goal, Refki said, “is to advance the inclusion of foreign-born New Yorkers in the social, economic and civic fabric of their communities by generating knowledge about barriers facing foreign-born integration and by informing evidence-based policies that help remove these barriers.”

President Rodríguez Joins White House Commission on Latino Educational Equity

University News

In May, President Havidán Rodríguez was sworn in as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. The commission is charged with advising President Biden through Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on a range of issues related to removing barriers to educational equity and economic opportunity for Hispanics and Latinos.

UAlbany Starts a New Tradition With its Inaugural Showcase

Student Success

The inaugural UAlbany Showcase — a full day of poster fairs, art exhibitions, student demonstrations and presentations, performances and panel discussions — was a rousing success. More than 1,500 students participated in more than 900 presentations, and thousands more came to watch, learn from and support their peers. More than 300 middle and high school students visited, learning a little more about what UAlbany might offer them in the future.

SCJ Study Finds State’s Bail Reform Law Did Not Increase Crime

Research

New York’s bail reform law had a negligible effect on crime, a study by a recent PhD recipient and a professor in UAlbany’s School of Criminal Justice found. The study, the first to evaluate the effects of New York’s bail reform law on the entire state and the first to account for the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, found that murder, larceny and auto theft increased after bail reform, but that bail reform itself did not contribute to that increase.

Study Finds Immigration Does Not Impact Crime, and Homeownership Lowers It

Research

A study by a Sociology doctoral student found that the surge of Guyanese immigration to Schenectady in the early 2000s did not lead to an increase in neighborhood violent crime or property crime. The study also found that increased homeownership — among all residents, foreign-born or native — was associated with declines in homicide and motor vehicle theft.

Atmospheric Scientist Partners with GE to Help Build More Sustainable Aviation

Energy, Climate & Environment, Research

Fangqun Yu, a senior researcher at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, is partnering with GE researchers to better understand the impact next-generation hydrogen combustion engine technologies may have on contrail formation. The formation of contrails, the wispy, white clouds that trail behind an airplane, is a complex process that is not fully understood. Before dissipating, they trap heat that would otherwise be released into space, contributing to climate change.

Disaster Scientist Testifies Before U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

Public Engagement & Service

DeeDee Bennett Gayle, an associate professor at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, was a featured witness at a hearing hosted by the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in June. It included testimony from four expert witnesses who shared insight on the critical need to include older adults and people with disabilities in the disaster planning, response and recovery process. Bennett Gayle was highlighted by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey for her research on emergency management, socially vulnerable populations, and emergency communication.

EPA Awards $1M to UAlbany Researchers for Community Air Pollution Monitoring Projects

Energy, Climate & Environment, Research

In November 2022, researchers at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences received nearly $1 million in support from the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) to conduct community air quality monitoring projects. In total, the EPA awarded $53.4 million to 132 projects in 37 states through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan. UAlbany's project received nearly one-third of the $3.4 million in funding that was awarded in New York.

New Yorkers Turn to UAlbany Expertise for Insight on Dangerous Air Quality

Energy, Climate & Environment, Research

When New Yorkers needed answers about the Canadian wildfires choking New York's air in June, leaders around the state, and the country, turned to UAlbany’s research and expertise. Gov. Kathy Hochul visited ETEC twice to hold live press briefings on the state's efforts to address the problem, urge New Yorkers to take precautions and to tout the New York State Mesonet's role in helping monitor air quality statewide and inform the state's emergency response.

UAlbany Earns ‘Seal of Excelencia’ for Latina and Latino Student Success

Student Success

In September, the University at Albany received the prestigious "Seal of Excelencia," a rigorous certification of the University’s data-driven approach to ensuring Latina and Latino students are supported and thriving academically. The recognition marked the first time Excelencia in Education awarded the certification to a New York college or university, making UAlbany the first SUNY campus and the first R1 institution in the Northeast to receive it.

Study: Pandemic Had Disproportionate Impact on Female Educators

Research

A study conducted by NYKids, a research-practice partnership housed within the University’s School of Education, found that female educators experienced the COVID-19 pandemic more negatively than their male counterparts. Published in the journal Community, Work and Family, the study adds to emerging research showing the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on women in the workforce, who have dropped out at much higher rates than men. It also lends new insight into the factors driving teacher shortages across the state and nation, with implications for policy and practice.

Prehistoric Humans Simplified the World’s Food Webs

Research

While the human link to mammal extinctions has been long known, research by UAlbany anthropologists shed light on how those losses reverberated throughout food webs. Using a novel machine learning algorithm that relied on known predator-prey traits such as body mass, locomotive capabilities and habitat type, researchers reconstructed ancient food web structures and simulated the impact of species loss.

CNSE, RNA Institute Awarded $459K to Explore Nutrient's Link to Cancer, Aging

Research

Collaborating research teams at the RNA Institute and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) are using a $459,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute to investigate how a selenium deficiency can chemically modify RNA, which may promote aging and cancer. The study seeks to determine whether reversing a defect in cellular selenocysteine use can protect cells and tissues from damage that drives tumor growth. Students involved in the research will have the opportunity to gain firsthand lab experience and training opportunities in RNA science and technology throughout the grant’s three-year research term.

UAlbany Recognized Among Best Colleges for Student Voting

Public Engagement & Service

The University at Albany is among the best colleges for student voting, according to a college guide published by Washington Monthly. The report lists institutions on its 2022 honor roll, based on a repeated commitment to increasing student voting — and being transparent about the results. To be eligible, schools had to submit 2020 and 2022 action plans to the “ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge,” and also need to be signed up to receive data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, which calculates college-specific registration and voting rates.

Study: Scientific Creativity Peaks Early in Biomedical Research Career

Research

A first-of-its-kind study co-authored by economists at the University at Albany shows that scientific creativity peaks earlier among biomedical researchers, with quality declining as authors get older. The study, published online in the Journal of Human Resource, used a dataset covering nearly the universe of biomedical publications over a 30-year period from 1980 to 2009. Results showed older authors use fewer new scientific concepts, cite older and less impactful references, and cite a narrower range of references across fewer fields than younger authors. For the average researcher, a scientific article published late in their career was cited one-half to two-thirds less often than an article published early in their careers.

New Research Labs in Open Source Intelligence, Smart Device Security

Emergency Preparedness/Homeland Security, Research

The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) added the Open Source Intelligence and Hack-IoT labs to its growing research ecosystem during the Spring 2023 semester. The new labs add to a half dozen research entities operated by CEHC researchers at the ETEC research and development complex. Another dozen CEHC labs are scheduled to launch between 2023-25.

4,700 Joyfully Join Ranks of UAlbany Alumni

We celebrated more than 4,700 students during Commencement 2023 in May. Thousands of friends, family and well-wishers packed the campus over four beautiful days to honor 3,015 undergraduates and 1,687 graduate students, including those who completed their degrees over the previous summer, fall and winter. For the first time, all undergraduate stage crossings were held in the Campus Center or adjacent buildings, allowing families and graduates to congregate in one central location.

New York State Mesonet Celebrates Five Years of Operations

Public Engagement & Service

The New York State Mesonet, the nation’s most advanced and largest early warning weather detection network, celebrated five years of helping safeguard New Yorkers in April with a special event at the Belleville Henderson Central School. The Jefferson County school is considered a Mesonet "supersite," hosting high-tech equipment from the standard, profiler and flux instrument networks. During the visit, Mesonet leaders met with reporters, students, teachers and school administrators to discuss the network and celebrate with cake.

Students Explore Virtual Reality Through Meta Partnership

Student Success

Ahead of the Spring 2023 semester, Professor of Practice Michael Leczinsky of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity was selected to receive 30 Meta Quest 2 headsets, the most popular and accessible VR headset on the market, through the “Create with VR Grant Program." The program aims to support secondary and post-secondary educators in empowering the next generation of metaverse creators.

Actor, Director DB Woodside ’91 Wows Crowd with Commencement Address

Student Success

Actor and director DB Woodside, BA '91, best known for playing “Wayne Palmer” on the Emmy Award-winning series “24,” delivered a heartfelt Mother's Day commencement address in which he exhorted graduates to keep their foot on the gas in pursuing their dreams and to refuse to accept a zero-sum culture that requires some to lose while others win. "Improving the lives of those less fortunate than you is not a game," Woodside told the cheering crowd of more than 12,000. "We don't get to separate who we are from what we do."

Chancellor King Joins Leading Questions

Public Engagement & Service

In March, new SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. joined President Rodríguez and Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Samuel Caldwell for an installment of Leading Questions, a series of talks organized with thought leaders by the Office of Public Engagement.

Amid Helium Shortage, UAlbany Students Kept NWS Balloons Aloft

Public Engagement & Service

When a national helium shortage temporarily grounded daily National Weather Service balloon launches from Albany, students from the Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences at the College of Arts and Sciences stepped in during the Spring 2023 semester with the help of their faculty to ensure the NWS still had access to important data about atmospheric conditions over eastern New York. In addition to assisting one of UAlbany's closest government partners, the balloon launches offered students invaluable hands-on experience.

Mesonet, Ion Beam Lab Receive $1.87M Federal Boost

Research

In January, U.S. senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $1.87 million in federal funding for the expansion of a project leveraging data from a specialized New York State Mesonet weather network and improvements to the Ion Beam Laboratory, home to some of the best university-based high-energy particle instrumentation in the world. The money will, in part, fund equipment for a new low-energy accelerator to learn more about the impact of solar wind on space materials and electronics. The funding was among $22 million secured for Capital Region projects.

Economics Professor Honored for Paper on Predicting Recessions

Research

A paper written by Professor Kajal Lahiri and former PhD student Cheng Yang won the prestigious Edmund A. Mennis Contributed Paper Award of the National Association of Business Economics last year. The paper found an 80 percent likelihood the United States would experience a recession in early 2023 using an unusual method that relies on big data to chart probability that was originally developed for radar operators during World War II.

UAlbany Awarded $2.5M Grant to Pioneer STEM Success Programs

Student Success

In fall 2022, the University was awarded $2.5 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to pioneer new, more inclusive approaches to teaching STEM and mobilize a comprehensive student support network to increase retention and graduation. EXCELlence in STEM is based on an existing program that has been proven to benefit STEM majors who participate, with a greater proportion of positive impacts on STEM majors from historically underrepresented backgrounds. The five-year grant comes through HHMI’s Driving Change initiative.

Start-up Wins Federal Support for Technology to Accelerate Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Research

Early Alzheimer’s Diagnostics LLC, co-founded by UAlbany chemist Igor Lednev and his son Alex, was awarded a highly competitive National Science Foundation Small Business Technology Transfer grant. The funding will be used to advance the commercialization of a screening tool that combines laser spectroscopy and machine learning technology to noninvasively test saliva for evidence of early and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, resulting in earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Using Social Media to Assist NYC Marathon Security

Student Success

Applied learning is central to a student success, and three students participating in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity's Virtual Operations Support Team were called upon last fall to compile a report to assist emergency managers monitoring social media activity around the 2022 NYC Marathon. The work included monitoring platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit for chatter related to emergencies that would be helpful for race organizers to know about.

CEHC Launches New B.S. in Cybersecurity

University News

Responding to significant unmet demand in the workforce, the College of Emergency Preparedness Homeland Security and Cybersecurity launched a new undergraduate program that, starting Fall 2023, will teach students how to serve as the first line of defense in protecting an organization’s data, devices, computers and networks. The new program, which adds to UAlbany's already formidable cybersecurity research and academic programs, comes as the number of cybersecurity jobs grew 350 percent between 2013 and 2021.

Celebrating 50 Years of Weather Research at Whiteface Mountain

Research

In November 2022, UAlbany’s Atmospheric Sciences Research Center hosted a 50th-anniversary celebration of research and field work at the Whiteface Mountain Field Station. Located at about 5,000 above sea level in New York's iconic Adirondacks, the field station, known to locals as the Whiteface Observatory, has been collecting cloud water samples for chemical monitoring for more than five decades. The event brought Whiteface to UAlbany, with various interactive displays and research display boards that represented the work being done at the field station.