University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Name	University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Established	1946
Type	Public
City	Buffalo
State	New York
Country	United States
Parent	State University of New York at Buffalo

University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is the engineering school of the State University of New York at Buffalo located in Buffalo, New York, United States. The school offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs and engages in research across disciplines tied to regional and national priorities. It partners with industry, government, and academic institutions to advance technology transfer and workforce development.

History

The school traces roots to post-World War II expansion tied to the G.I. Bill, the New York State Education Department, and regional rebuilding in Erie County, with early leadership drawing on relationships with Bell Labs, General Electric, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. During the Cold War era the school expanded amid federal funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, aligning with programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and California Institute of Technology to recruit talent. In the late 20th century, collaborations with IBM, Kodak, Moog Inc., and TIMKEN influenced curricular growth and applied research, while the institution navigated state policy by the New York State Legislature and accreditation through the ABET commission. The 21st century saw integration with initiatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, and partnerships with SUNY Research Foundation and international links to University of Toronto, McMaster University, and Tsinghua University.

Academic programs

The school offers programs in departments including Aerospace engineering, Biomedical engineering, Chemical engineering, Civil engineering, Computer science, Electrical engineering, Industrial engineering, Materials science, and Mechanical engineering, with degree pathways affiliated with the Graduate Record Examinations and standards from ABET. Undergraduate majors are structured to prepare students for licensure such as the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam and for graduate study at institutions like Princeton University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan. Graduate programs emphasize interdisciplinary study connected to centers recognized by the National Science Foundation and industry-sponsored fellowships from Intel Corporation, Microsoft Research, and the Ford Motor Company. The curriculum supports dual degrees with the School of Management and certificates aligned with initiatives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Continuing education and professional development are coordinated with organizations such as IEEE, ASME, AIChE, ACM, and SPIE.

Research and centers

Research spans areas linked to national priorities including energy, biomedicine, infrastructure, and information technology, with sponsored projects from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy. Major research units include centers for advanced materials partnering with Corning Incorporated and GE Research, biomedical engineering collaborations with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Buffalo General Medical Center, and transportation research connected to New York State Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Cybersecurity and cloud research engages with initiatives from National Security Agency programs and industry consortia including Amazon Web Services and Google. Nanotechnology and materials labs collaborate with Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory, while robotics and control work links to projects with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and DARPA. The school hosts tech transfer and startup incubation alongside the New York State Center of Excellence network and venture partners such as New Enterprise Associates and Sequoia Capital.

Campus and facilities

Facilities are distributed across the North Campus and research parks near Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, featuring laboratories, cleanrooms, and fabrication facilities comparable to infrastructures seen at Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Key buildings house advanced instrumentation supported by shared resource networks affiliated with the SUNY Research Foundation and regional consortia including the Western New York Inc.. Student makerspaces and electronics labs are equipped with tools from Tektronix, Keysight Technologies, and Stratasys, while materials characterization uses systems from Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bruker. The campus integrates transit access via NFTA Metro Rail and regional airports like Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and its facilities support athletic partnerships with UB Bulls and community programs with City of Buffalo initiatives.

Student life and organizations

Student life features professional chapters and societies such as IEEE Student Branch, American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter, Society of Women Engineers, and National Society of Black Engineers, and extracurricular teams that compete in contests organized by Formula SAE, NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, and ASCE Concrete Canoe. Honor societies include Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi, while entrepreneurship and innovation groups partner with Start-Up NY and accelerators like Dreamit Ventures. Cultural and service organizations collaborate with campus units like Student Association at the State University of New York at Buffalo and community partners such as Food Bank of Western New York and Habitat for Humanity. Career placement leverages relationships with employers including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Motors, Pfizer, and Erie County Medical Center.

Notable faculty and alumni

Faculty and alumni have included recipients of honors such as awards from the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Fulbright Program, and researchers who have held appointments at Harvard University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of California, San Diego. Alumni have taken leadership roles at companies like IBM, Kodak, Moog Inc., Siemens, General Electric, and public service positions with the United States Congress, the New York State Assembly, and executive roles in the City of Buffalo administration. Faculty have contributed to standards bodies including IEEE Standards Association and ASTM International and collaborated on high-profile projects with Bell Labs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, NASA, and the Department of Defense.

Category:University at Buffalo