The search for the next president of the University at Buffalo has begun and a familiar name will be leading the effort.
Jeremy “Jerry” M. Jacobs Jr., whose family is one of UB’s most generous benefactors, has launched the search for UB’s next president.
The chief executive officer of Delaware North will serve as chair of the presidential search committee. He’s also the chair of the UB Council.
Satish Tripathi, the first internationally born and longest tenured president for UB since it joined the SUNY system, will be stepping down in July 2026 after a 15-year run in the school’s post.
Tripathi, 74, helped grow UB’s reach internationally and into a national public research university, so the next president will have a chance to further the university’s significant role in the revitalization of the Buffalo Niagara economy.
The university has 30,400 students, 8,070 employees and a roughly $1 billion annual budget. UB welcomed its largest first-year class this fall with 5,019 undergraduate students this fall even with 750 to 1,000 fewer international students attending this year.
“It is a privilege to lead this effort on behalf of our university community,” Jacobs said Tuesday in an email message to the UB community. “(This) will be among the most important endeavors our university undertakes over the course of this academic year.”
Jacobs said in the email that the search committee will be composed of a diverse group of stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community representatives.
UB faculty and staff will soon receive invitations from their respective governance groups inviting them to nominate themselves or a colleague for a sport on the committee, which will represent undergraduate and graduate students.
A series of listening sessions will also be held later this semester for members of the university community to offer input on the qualities and qualifications they would like to see in UB’s next president.
A search website will also be set up, serving as the primary source for information and updates and providing an overview of the search process and timeline.
“Your input will be invaluable as we develop the leadership profile and will provide a guidepost for the committee’s work,” Jacobs said in the email.
Jacobs Jr. recently took his father’s place as chair of the UB Council and the Jacobs family has had a long-standing partnership with the university.
They gave $30 million to the medical school in 2015. UB helped boost the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus by opening its Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences there two years later.
The Jacobs family has given more than $50 million to UB, and Jeremy M. Jacobs Sr. served in roles supporting the university for more than four decades. In May, he received the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, the highest honor presented by UB.
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Michael Petro
Reporter
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