| University at Buffalo, The State University of New York | |
|---|---|
Seal of the University at Buffalo |
|
| Motto | Mens sana in corpore sano (Latin: "Sound Mind in a Sound Body") |
| Established | May 11, 1846 |
| Type | Public research university Space-Grant |
| Endowment | US $494.7 million (June 2011)[1] |
| President | Satish K. Tripathi |
| Provost | Bruce McCombe |
| Academic staff | 2,667[1] |
| Students | 28,601[1] |
| Undergraduates | 19,058[1] |
| Postgraduates | 9,543[1] |
| Location | Buffalo, NY, USA |
| Campus | Suburban 1,346 acres (5.45 km²) |
| Colors | |
| Mascot | Victor E. Bull |
| Affiliations | SUNY, AAU, URA, MAC |
| Website | www.buffalo.edu |
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center"[2] in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses located in Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. Offering 84 bachelor's, 184 master's and 78 doctoral degrees, it is the largest of the four comprehensive university centers within the SUNY system. The University at Buffalo is the largest public university in the northeastern United States (comprising New York state and the New England region).
From its inception in 1846 until 1962, the institution was a private university: the University of Buffalo. When it became a state university, the new name became the "State University of New York at Buffalo". The administration uses the name "University at Buffalo", which parallels the three other comprehensive university centers of the SUNY system — Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook.
According to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the University at Buffalo is a Research University with Very High Research Activity (RU/VH). In 1989, UB was elected to the Association of American Universities, which represents 61 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. UB's alumni and faculty have produced a U.S. President, a Prime Minister, astronauts, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and other notable individuals in their fields. The University houses the largest state-operated medical school and features the only state law school,[3] architecture and urban planning school, and pharmacy school in the state of New York. UB was ranked as the 111th best college and the 54th best public college in the 2011 USNWR rankings of national universities.
City leaders of Buffalo sought the establishment of a university in the city from the earliest days of Buffalo. A University of Western New York was begun at Buffalo under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church and property was purchased at North Street and College, (the site of the later YMCA), on the north side of the Allentown district.[4] This university was chartered by the state on April 8, 1836. However, the project collapsed and no classes were ever offered, and only the layout of College Street remains.[4]
The University of Buffalo was founded on May 11, 1846[4] as a private medical school to train the doctors for the communities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and surrounding villages. James Platt White was instrumental in obtaining a charter for the University of Buffalo from the state legislature in 1846. He also taught the first class of 89 men in obstetrics. State Assemblyman Nathan K. Hall was also "particularly active in procuring the charter".[5]
The doors first opened to students in 1847 and after associating with a hospital for teaching purposes, the first class of students graduated the medical school in July 1847. The first chancellor of the University was future President of the United States Millard Fillmore. Upon his ascension to the presidency after President Taylor's death, Fillmore stayed on as part-time chancellor. Fillmore's name now graces the continuing education school Millard Fillmore College located on the South Campus as well as the Millard Fillmore Academic Center, an academic and administrative services building at the core of the residential Joseph Ellicott Complex, located on the North Campus.
"The first lectures were delivered in a wooden building over the old post office, corner of Seneca and Washington streets."[5] The first building specially built for the university was a stone building at the corner of Main and Virginia streets, built in 1849-50, through donations, public subscription, and a state grant.[5]
There were continuous expansions to the college medical programs, including a separate pharmacy division, which is now The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 1887 a law school was organized in Buffalo, which quickly became associated with Niagara University just to the north of Buffalo. After four years, in 1891, the law school was acquired by the University of Buffalo as the University of Buffalo Law School, which had a downtown Buffalo facility.
In the first few years of the 20th century, the University began planning for a comprehensive undergraduate college to complete the basic structure of a university, and in 1909 the University acquired the Erie County Almshouse grounds from the county of Erie, which became the University of Buffalo's initial campus. With that additional space, in 1915, the then University of Buffalo formed the College of Arts and Sciences, creating an undergraduate division in addition to its prior educational work in the licensed professional fields. During the late 1960s, the College of Arts and Sciences was divided into three separate schools: arts and letters, natural sciences and mathematics, and social sciences. During the 1998-1999 academic year, the three schools were reunited to re-create the existing College of Arts and Sciences.
In 1950, the Industrial Engineering department branched off from the Mechanical Engineering department. In 1956, a Civil Engineering Department was formed under Lehigh University graduate Robert L. Ketter, who went on to become Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and later President of the University.
In 1959, WBFO was launched as an AM radio station by UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and run by UB's students. The station has since become the launching pad of two modern National Public Radio personalities: Terri Gross and Ira Flatow.
In 1961, the Western New York nuclear research program was created. This little known program installed a miniature, active nuclear fission reactor on the University's South (Main Street) Campus. This program was not particularly active, nor could it compete with other government-run research labs, consequently, the programs performed in this facility were abandoned somewhat shortly after its inception. This reactor was formally decommissioned in 2005 with little fanfare due to material security concerns.
In the early 1960s, the private University of Buffalo was purchased by and incorporated into the State University of New York or SUNY system, and became known as the State University of New York at Buffalo, or SUNY at Buffalo, and more recently as the University at Buffalo. As a part of the agreement to merge the university into the SUNY system, the State began to build an extensive second campus for the university. In 1964, The State acquired several hundred acres in the town of Amherst on the northeast of Buffalo, for development as a comprehensive campus for the most non-medical disciplines at University at Buffalo. This is often called the North Campus, and the center of most University at Buffalo activities. The North Campus project included several major buildings, dormitory complexes, a separate spur of the Interstate highway, and a new lake. The undergraduate college, the law school, and graduate schools were all moved to the new campus.
Started in 2004 under President John B. Simpson, UB 2020 is a massive strategic planning initiative to develop and implement a vision for the university over the next 15 years.[6] The centerpiece of UB 2020 is to add about 10,000 more students, 750 faculty members and 600 staff, increasing the size of the University by about 40 percent. UB 2020 also recognizes the university's contribution to the surrounding region. The most recent estimates of UB's impact on the local and regional economies of Western New York report approximately $1.5 billion are brought into the local economy from the presence of UB, whose annual budget is currently $96 million. Both of these figures are also expected to rise by 40 percent, corresponding with UB’s institutional growth.
One of the keys to helping UB achieve the goals of the UB 2020 plan, proponents say, is the passage of S2020 and A2020 known as the UB 2020 Flexibility and Economic Growth Act, by the New York State Legislature. On June 3, 2009 the State Senate passed S2020 and sent the bill to the Assembly for their consideration.[7]
The current president, Satish K. Tripathi, has continued his vocal support of UB 2020[6][6] and has been actively engaging in campus-wide discussion on the proposed tuition increases introduced by the bill.[6]
The university's official name is the "University at Buffalo, The State University of New York", however also in common use is University at Buffalo which is seen as a less formal unofficial name and simply UB. The university's athletic department, particularly on uniforms just use Buffalo.[8]
UB's admission is selective.[9] Emphasis has been placed on developing a community of research scientists centered around an economic initiative to promote Buffalo and create the Center of Excellence for Bioinformatics and Life Sciences as well as other advanced biomedical and engineering disciplines.[10] The university's Center for Computational Research (CCR) is one of the most powerful academic supercomputing sites in the eastern United States,[11] which once ranked 22nd out of the top 500 supercomputing sites in the world; as of November 2006, it was ranked 87th.[12] However, as of November 2009, UB no longer ranked in the top 500 supercomputing sites in the world.[13]
Total R&D expenditures rose from $186.8 million to $259.0 million for FY 2001–04, ranking 58 under New York University (NYU).[14] It rose to $297,909,000 for the year 2006.[15]
Historically, UB was a technology pioneer, offering an early Computer Science major (distinct from a mathematics major).[16] Additionally, UB played a significant role as a crucial internet hub for the eastern seaboard during the internet's inception. UB has invested in such commercially beneficial fields as medicine, biotechnology, and bioinformatics.
Buffalo ranked 77-107 worldwide among universities in the social sciences in 2008 by the Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.[17]
University at Buffalo academic and professional faculty are represented by United University Professions.[18] The two UUP chapters at the University at Buffalo are Health Sciences and Buffalo Center. United University Professions has over 34,000 members at 29 campuses of SUNY.
The University at Buffalo is also one of only two public schools in New York to have a medical school and a dental school, the other being the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
UB has nine libraries on its North (Amherst), South (Buffalo), and Downtown (Buffalo) campuses. The libraries' 3.6 million-plus print volumes are augmented by extensive digital resources, including full-text electronic journals, databases, media, and special collections, which include the world's single largest collection of James Joyce manuscripts and artifacts.
In the 2012 U.S. News and World Report rankings of national universities, the University at Buffalo ranked as the 111th best college in the United States and was also ranked as the 54th best public college in the United States. Buffalo ranked 201-225 worldwide among universities according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011-2012. In 2009, The Wall Street Journal ranked the The School of Management #9 in the nation among schools with strong regional recruiting bases. In 2011, UB was ranked #52 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top engineering schools. All thirteen schools in the University have been ranked in the top 20% in their respective fields since 2000.[19]
Selection for admission is competitive. UB has attracted extremely bright students since its inception in 1846. In 2011, the University received 25,985 applications for less than 3,400 spaces in the freshman class. The middle 50% of accepted students had a GPA of 90%-96%. 51 percent of the incoming freshman scored higher than 1200 on the SAT (critical reading and math). 65 percent of accepted students ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school class. 34 percent of accepted students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
Middle 50% High School Average/GPA
Combined SAT Critical Reading and Math Score
Middle 50% Combined ACT Score
The University at Buffalo is the state’s largest and most comprehensive public university and is spread across three campuses: North Campus, South Campus, and Downtown Campus.[20][21] The Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card awarded the university a B-.[22]
The main university campus began in the 1970s.[23] Many academic programs, including the entirety of the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, the University at Buffalo Law School, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Management, the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Graduate School of Social Work, and the Graduate School of Education, as well as Lockwood Memorial Library, Capen Library, and many administrative offices, are located on UB's North Campus in Amherst, NY.
The North Campus is home to administrative and academic offices. The main buildings are arranged along one academic "spine", a second floor connecting corridor, that connects most of the main academic buildings. The whole campus covers 1,192 acres (5 km2) with 146 buildings containing 6,715,492 sq ft (623,890 m2), 10 residence halls and 5 apartment complexes.[20] Its immense size also necessitated the creation of a shuttle system circling the academic sector and surrounding areas including the administrative complex, located nearly a quarter mile from the central academic area. When originally built by the state of New York, the North Campus was provided with two Interstate exits, from I-290 and I-990, its own internal parkway, the John James Audubon Parkway, and two small lakes created from Ellicott Creek.
The North Campus offers a variety of entertainment programming and activity for students. It contains the Student Union, which houses offices for the Student Association and student-interest clubs; Slee Hall, which presents contemporary and classical music concerts; Alumni Arena, the home-court for University Athletics; the UB Center for the Arts, a non-profit presenter of a wide variety of professional entertainment and UB Stadium, the 30,000 seat Football Stadium.
The South Campus, also known as the Main Street campus, located on 154 acres (0.62 km2) in northeastern Buffalo, is the former grounds of the Erie County Almshouse and Insane Asylum, of which four buildings still remain (Hayes Hall, the former insane asylum; Wende Hall, a former maternity hospital; Hayes D; and Townsend Hall, a former nurses' quarters).[24] The college was designed by architect E.B. Green in 1910, and was intended to resemble Trinity College, Dublin. Its 53 buildings contain (3,045,198 sq ft (282,908 m2)) and include six resident halls.[20] This campus is served by the northernmost subway station on Buffalo's Niagara Frontier Metro Rail system.
Today, the South Campus is generally a medical campus and it is the home of some of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health and Health Related Professions, the School of Nursing, the School of Dental Medicine, and the School of Architecture and Urban Planning. UB is currently in the planning and design phase of relocating the School of Pharmacy to Acheson Hall on the South Campus with 2010 as the target year. In addition, the University at Buffalo South Campus is the home of the WBFO radio station, the University's biomedical science research complex, the Health Sciences Library and certain administrative offices. Additionally, 20 percent of UB's resident population continues to live in the original residential complexes located on the South (Main Street) Campus.
Adjacent to the UB South Campus is the UB Anderson Art Gallery,[25] a converted elementary school with an all-glass atrium exhibit space.
In 2002, UB commissioned Boston firm Chan Krieger to create a third campus center.[23] The Downtown Campus is the site of UB's New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Science, which partners in research with UB's Ira G. Ross Eye Institute[26][27] as well as the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute to compose the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus. Also located in the downtown area is UB's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), Educational Opportunity Center (EOC)[28] and the Jacobs Executive Development Center (JEDC). The campus includes six major properties and a total of 43 buildings, counting shared lease space (588,506 sq ft (54,674 m2)).[29]
In September 2007, UB added the former M. Wile and Company Factory Building on the southeast corner of Goodell and Ellicott streets and the former Trico Products Corp. building complex on the northwest corner of Goodell and Ellicott streets to its properties downtown. The UB Regional Institute, Center on Rehabilitation Synergy, and a number of pre-K-16 initiatives related to UB's civic engagement mission, such as the UB-Buffalo Public Schools Partnership office, are set to relocate to the first site. The latter location has been purchased to house additional biomedical- and life science-related businesses connected to the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus.[30][31]
UB's teaching hospitals include Buffalo General Hospital, the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), Millard Fillmore Hospital, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Veterans Affairs Western New York Health Care System. Additional facilities include free clinics such as the Kaleida Health's Niagara Family Health Center and the Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic, a program run by UB medical students.
The University at Buffalo has accumulated over 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as 14,000 employees, across three campuses in the last 160 years. In order to accommodate both students and faculty, the university is currently implementing a $4.5 million Comprehensive Physical Plan to help in growth as well as to best utilize and enhance current facilities. Connecting all three campuses, as well as the facilities UB uses, is also a major element of the project. The firm granted the contract to lead the project is Beyer Blinder Belle.
The comprehensive physical planning process is broken into four phases. Currently, UB is implementing "phase one" by seeking input from the local and university communities to pinpoint issues, opportunities, and concerns related to this expansion. The project recognizes UB’s potential for excellence, in regard to the university's physical environment, by highlighting and evaluating various positive and negative attributes of the three campuses, including housing, circulation, functionality, landscape, and community interface.[32]
The University at Buffalo consists of the following academic units:[33]
Originally organized in 1915, The College of Arts & Sciences is the main undergraduate and graduate body of the university. The College of Arts and Sciences houses 25 departments. [34]
The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is now 165 years old, and is the founding faculty of the University.[35] In 2011, UB is ranked #55 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of best medical schools.[36] Part of UB's Medical School, the Department of Neurosurgery is ranked #7 in North America in academic impact, based on an analysis of 25 neurosurgery and neurology journals published in Journal of Neurosurgery.[37]
The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is the second-oldest component of the University at Buffalo and the only pharmacy school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.[38] It is consistently ranked among the top pharmacy schools in the United States. In 2008, UB was ranked #21 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top pharmacy programs.[39]
The Law School has new concentrations in Labor and Employment Law and in Technology and Intellectual Property.[40] In 2011, the University at Buffalo Law School is ranked #84 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top law programs.[41]
The School of Dental Medicine was founded in 1892.[42]
The Roswell Park Cancer Institute Graduate Division was founded in 1898 by the preeminent surgeon Dr. Roswell Park, it is the oldest comprehensive cancer center in the world.[43]
The Wall Street Journal ranked the The School of Management #9 in the nation among schools with strong regional recruiting bases. The WSJ has ranked the UB School of Management as one of the world's best business schools for seven consecutive years. In addition, UB MBAs have been lauded in The Wall Street Journal rankings for their team skills and leadership potential.[44]
Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked the UB School of Management's full-time MBA program as one of the best in the nation, and the school's Professional MBA program is among the best part-time MBA programs in the U.S. Bloomberg Businessweek also ranked the UB School of Management for having one of the country's "Top Undergraduate Business Programs." In the recruiter component of the ranking, the UB School of Management was ranked #11.
The Financial Times has ranked the UB School of Management's Executive MBA program, offered in Buffalo and Singapore, as one of the world's best. The EMBA program placed #23 in the U.S. and #51 worldwide. Among the ranking’s many components, the UB School of Management’s EMBA program was ranked #23 for graduates’ salary growth, #7 for percentage of female students, #26 for percentage of female faculty, #55 for faculty research and #16 for percentage of international faculty.
Forbes magazine ranks the UB School of Management as one of the world's "Best Business Schools" based on the return on investment it provides MBA graduates.
The University at Buffalo School of Management has been ranked a "Best Business School" by U.S. News and World Report in its annual ranking of MBA programs. The UB School of Management was ranked #75 out of 437 MBA programs surveyed. The MBA ranking is part of U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” In addition to the ranking of full-time MBA programs, U.S. News ranked the UB School of Management’s Professional MBA program #73 in a specialty ranking of part-time MBA programs. U.S. News and World Report has also ranked the UB School of Management as one of the country’s "Best Undergraduate Business Programs" in the 2012 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” The school was ranked #81, higher than any other business school in the SUNY system. The ranking was culled from a list of more than 600 schools accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, positioning the school in the top 15 percent of accredited undergraduate business programs.
The Gourman Report, published by Princeton Review, ranks the school's undergraduate business program 24th in the country and its accounting program 36th in the country. The Gourman Report also ranks the school's MBA and PhD programs 41st and 39th in the country, respectively.
ReportED (Education magazine from India), in a ranking of full-time MBA programs, ranks the UB School of Management #52 worldwide and #31 in the U.S.
The Graduate School of Social Work was founded in 1924.[45] In academic year 2008-2009, the Graduate School of Social Work awarded 257 master's degrees and 3 doctoral degrees. In 2011, UB is ranked #36 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top social work programs.[46]
The Graduate School of Education dates to 1931, and is one of the largest graduate schools at UB, composed of four academic departments: counseling and educational psychology, educational leadership and policy, learning and instruction, and library and information science.[47] In academic year 2008-2009, the Graduate School of Education awarded 472 master's degrees and 52 doctoral degrees. In 2011, UB is ranked #36 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top library information science programs.[48]
In 1946, The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences was founded, and currently has 156 faculty and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in six departments.[49] In 2004-05, they conferred 498 BS (and 13 BA), 39 MEng, 330 MS, and 63 PhD degrees. In 2011, UB is ranked #52 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top engineering schools.[50]
The State University of New York Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University in 1967. The School of Architecture and Planning is the only school within the State University of New York system that offers both pre-professional and accredited professional degrees in architecture and urban planning.[51] In academic year 2008-2009, the School of Architecture and Planning awarded 96 baccalaureate degrees and 69 master's degrees. Student organizations within the UB School of Architecture and Planning include the UB chapters of the American Institute of Architecture Students and Alpha Rho Chi.
The School of Nursing is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary this year, having been founded in 1936. In 2011, UB is ranked #79 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top nursing programs.[52] The School also holds membership in the National Student Nurses' Association and maintains membership in the national honor society in nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, Inc., through the Gamma Kappa Chapter.
The School of Public Health and Health Professions was created in 2003 by combining the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and the UB School of Health Related Professions.[53] The school's goal is to create an environment in which researchers, educators, public health and other health professionals, and students can work together to explore problems and produce innovative solutions to address emerging health needs for populations and individuals. In 2011, UB is ranked #36 by U.S. News and World Report in the ranking of top public health programs.[54]
UB has a total student capacity estimated around 33,000 total students, a number which is quite common among other "super university" schools, though the school has never seen this many enrolled students. The University at Buffalo is the largest public university in the northeastern United States (comprising New England and New York State). Student enrollment trends reported by the University at Buffalo's Office of Academic Planning and Budget[55] reflect UB's growing student population:
| University at Buffalo student enrollment | |
|---|---|
| Fall 2011 | 28,601 |
| Fall 2010 | 29,048 |
| Fall 2009 | 28,881 |
| Fall 2008 | 28,192 |
| Fall 2007 | 28,054 |
| Fall 2006 | 27,823 |
| Fall 2005 | 27,220 |
| Fall 2004 | 27,276 |
| Fall 2003 | 27,255 |
UB boasts two student-run periodicals: The Spectrum,[56] and Generation magazine.[57] Both publications are distributed on campus. The Spectrum is the only independent publication. Generation is funded by advertising and through Sub-Board I, Inc.,[58] the student services corporation. UB also has a student radio station, WRUB.[59] WRUB broadcasts all UB home football games and select road games, as well as most UB men's and women's home basketball games. After the retirement of John B. Simpson, the undergraduate students have also developed a university forum[60] with the hopes of developing a thriving online campus. This move was supported by now incumbent president Satish K Tripathi who called it a "model of University spirit and entrepreneurship"[61]
UB annually hosts the world’s largest mud-volleyball game known as “Ooz-fest”. Teams of at least six students compete in a double elimination volleyball tournament at “The Mud Pit” each April. Fire trucks are brought in to saturate the dirt courts to create the mud. Awards are handed out to not only the victors, but the most creatively dressed. In the past, students have worn business suits and even dresses to the tournament.
UB clubs are run through the Undergraduate Student Association and the Graduate Student Association, with each level requiring respective senate recognition for clubs.
Student residence halls are located on both the North and South Campuses. On the North Campus, there is the Ellicott Complex, which consists of Fargo, Porter, Red Jacket, Richmond, Spaulding, and Wilkeson Quadrangles. Next to Fargo Quad is the newly built in 2011 Greiner Hall, a dorm strictly for sophomores. Also on North Campus is the Governors Complex, home to the Freshman Honors Housing and various other living communities. On South Campus is Goodyear and Clement Hall. The unique aspect of these dorms is that residents share a bathroom with the adjacent room, rather than have a communal bathroom. Up until Spring of 2011, there were three other dorm buildings, referred to as "The Quad": MacDonald, Pritchard, Schoellkopf, and Michael Hall. Michael Hall currently exists as the Student Health Center, whereas the other three are closed and abandoned.
In 1999, the university built its first apartment complex for families and graduate students at Flickinger Court. Since the success of Flickinger, UB has developed South Lake Village, Hadley Village, Flint Village, and Creekside Apartments. Most students who wish to still live on or near the North Campus but enjoy the lifestyle of apartment living take advantage of these apartments. University Village at Sweethome and Villas at Chestnut Ridge are both student apartment communities adjacent to the North Campus and offer a shuttle service.[62] Collegiate Village off campus apartments offers transportation to both North and South Campus.[63] Students also find housing in private locations. Those locations are generally situated in the University Heights district of Buffalo, and other areas close to the North and South Campuses. The school assigns rooms based on a GPA lottery system.
The school's sports teams are known as the Buffalo Bulls. However, the women's teams were originally called the Buffalo Royals.
In 1958, the football team won the Lambert Cup, emblematic of supremacy in Eastern U.S. small-college football. That led to the team's first bowl invitation, to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida, against Florida State University. But the Bulls would be allowed to participate only if backup defensive end Mike Wilson and starting halfback Willie Evans, who were black, did not play. The team stood behind the two, and refused the bowl offer; Buffalo did not receive another bowl invitation until the 2008 season.[64]
Several UB football stars from the 1950s and early 1960s went on to play professional football, including quarterback John Stofa with the American Football League's Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, and defensive lineman Gerry Philbin with the AFL's New York Jets. Philbin is a member of the AFL Hall of Fame and the All-time All-AFL Team. Philbin and UB's Willie Ross were the first two UB graduates to play on professional football championship teams in the United States: Ross with the 1964 AFL Champion Buffalo Bills; and Philbin with the 1968 AFL Champion New York Jets, who also won that season's AFL-NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl III). James Starks was on the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV champions as a rookie. Ramon Guzman played on the 2009 Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes.
Since 1996, the UB teams have participated in the NCAA's Division I (I-A for football), in the Mid-American Conference. The mascots are 'Victor E. Bull', a blue bull with a gold nose ring, and his sister 'Victoria S. Bull'. After several years of poor performance in the two most popular college sports, men's basketball and football, the university's men's basketball team has recently begun to show some promise. In March 2005, the men's basketball team reached the Mid-American Conference Championship game, but suffered a harrowing 79-80 loss to the Ohio Bobcats, thus missing a chance for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
On March 25, 2009, the athletic department announced that the rowing program has joined the Colonial Athletic Association as an associate member. The Women's Rowing team went on to win the CAA championship in April 2010 for the first time. In May 2010, the team won the Jack & Nancy Seitz Women's Point Trophy at the Dad Vail Regatta for the third year in a row, nicknamed the "threepeat" by Head Coach Rudy Wieler.
With the hiring of Turner Gill as head football coach, UB was the only Division I-A school with an African American athletic director (Warde Manuel), men's basketball head coach (Reggie Witherspoon), and football head coach (Gill).
The university is home to the Thunder of the East marching band. The band performs at all home football games and travels to both local and national parades and competitions.
Jamey Richard, 2008 graduate of the University of Buffalo, plays in the National Football League and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 7th round, with the 236 pick of the 2008 NFL Draft. Trevor Scott, 2008 graduate of the University of Buffalo, plays in the NFL and was selected by the Oakland Raiders. Quarterback Drew Willy, 2009 graduate of the University of Buffalo, originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens and later the practice squad of the Indianapolis Colts. He was on the active roster for the Colts for one game and was with the team for Super Bowl XLIV. He is currently on the roster of the New York Jets. James Starks (6th round, 193rd overall) now plays with the Green Bay Packers. And Naaman Roosevelt (Undrafted, started off as a player on the practice squad, but moved to the big club later on) who plays for the Buffalo Bills[65]
Buffalo has three fight songs: "Victory March", "Go For a Touchdown", and "Buffalo Fight Song".[66]
Among the individuals who have attended, graduated, and taught at the University are astronaut, Ellen S. Baker, American journalist, Wolf Blitzer, CEO and founder of the History Channel, Abbe Raven, CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brad Grey, CEO and founder of Baidu, Robin Li, Pulitzer Prize-winner, Tom Toles, Nobel Prize-winners, Ronald Coase, Herbert A. Hauptman and Sir John Carew Eccles. Billionaire and owner of the Boston Bruins, Jeremy Jacobs, musician and civil rights activist, Charles Mingus, and American actor, director, and producer, Ron Silver. Amongst the athletes who have graduated from the University are football players Gerry Philbin, Naaman Roosevelt and James Starks along with soccer players, Bobby Shuttleworth and Martin John.
Political leaders that have attended the University, include the 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore, Prime Minister of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, and the Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, Zhou Ji.
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