The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...
with campuses in
Albany,
Rensselaer, and
Guilderland, New York
Guilderland is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. In the 2020 census, the town had a population of 36,848. The town is named for the Gelderland province in the Netherlands.
The town of Guilderland is on the central-northwest borde ...
. Founded in 1844, it is one of the four "university centers" of the
State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
(SUNY) system.
The university enrolls 16,648 students in nine schools and colleges, which offer 50 undergraduate majors and 125 graduate degree programs.
The university's academic choices include new and emerging fields in
public policy
Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public p ...
,
homeland security
Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
,
globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
,
documentary studies,
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
, and
informatics
Informatics is the study of computational systems, especially those for data storage and retrieval. According to ACM ''Europe and'' ''Informatics Europe'', informatics is synonymous with computer science and computing as a profession, in which ...
.
Through the UAlbany and SUNY-wide exchange programs, students have more than 600 study-abroad programs to choose from,
as well as government and business internship opportunities in New York's capital and surrounding region. It is
classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The research enterprise totaled expenditures of $173 million in fiscal year 2018 and is focused in four areas:
social science
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...
, public law and policy,
life sciences
This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, the ...
and
atmospheric sciences
Atmospheric science is the study of the Earth's atmosphere and its various inner-working physical processes. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather forecasting. Climatology is the study of ...
.
SUNY Albany offers many cultural benefits, such as a contemporary art museum and the
New York State Writers Institute
The New York State Writers Institute is a literary organization based at the University at Albany in Albany, New York. It sponsors thAlbany Book Festival the Albany Film Festival, Visiting Writers Series, Classic Film Series, thTrolley online lite ...
. UAlbany plays a major role in the
economic development
In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...
of the
Capital District
A capital district, capital region or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any politica ...
and New York State.
History
![New York State Normal School 1909](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/New_York_State_Normal_School_1909.jpg)
The University at Albany was an independent state-supported teachers' college for most of its history until
SUNY was formed in 1948. The institution began as the New York State Normal School (or Albany Normal School) on May 7, 1844, by a vote of the State Legislature. Beginning with 29 students and four faculty in an abandoned railroad depot on State Street in the heart of the city, the Normal School was the first New York State-chartered institution of higher education.
Originally dedicated to training New York students as schoolteachers and administrators, by the early 1890s the “School” had become the New York State Normal College at Albany and, with a revised four-year curriculum in 1905, became the first public institution of higher education in New York to be granted the power to confer the bachelor's degree.
A new campus—today, UAlbany's Downtown Campus—was built in 1909 on a site of between Washington and Western avenues. By 1913, the institution was home to 590 students and 44 faculty members, offered a master's degree for the first time, and bore a new name—the New York State College for Teachers at Albany. Enrollment grew to a peak of 1,424 in 1932. By this time, the College for Teachers, or "Albany State" as it was often called for short, had developed a curriculum similar to those found at four-year liberal arts colleges, but it did not abandon its primary focus on training teachers.
In 1948 the
State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
system was created, with the College for Teachers and the state's other teacher-training schools serving as the nuclei. SUNY, including the Albany campus, became a manifestation of the vision of Governor
Nelson A. Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...
, who wanted a public university system to accommodate the college students of the post–World War II baby boom. To do so, he launched a massive construction program that developed more than 50 new campuses. Reflecting a broadening mission, the College for Teachers changed its name to SUNY College of Education at Albany in 1959. In 1961, it became a four-year liberal arts college as the State University College at Albany.
In 1962, the State University College was designated a doctoral-degree granting university center. The same year, Rockefeller broke ground for the current Uptown Campus on the former site of the Albany Country Club. The new campus' first dormitory opened in 1964, and the first classes on the academic podium in the fall of 1966. By 1970, enrollment had grown to 13,200 and the faculty to 746. That same year, the growing protest movement against the Vietnam war engulfed the university when a student strike was called for in response to the killing of protesters at Kent State. In 1985, the university added the School of Public Health, a joint endeavor with the state's Department of Health.
In 1983, the New York State Writers Institute was founded by
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning author
William Kennedy.
As of 2013, the Institute had hosted, over time, more than 1,200 writers, poets, journalists, historians, dramatists and filmmakers. The list includes eight Nobel Prize winners, nearly 200 Pulitzer Prize and
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors.
The Nat ...
winners, several Motion Picture
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
winners and nominees, and numerous other literary prize recipients. In addition, the institute has hosted up-and-coming writers to provide them with exposure at the beginning of their writing careers.
During the 1990s, the university built a $3 billion, Albany NanoTech complex, extending the Uptown Campus westward. By 2006, this addition became home to the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which in 2014 merged with the State University of New York Institute of Technology in
Utica, New York
Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...
to become a separate SUNY institution: the
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
The State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Polytechnic Institute or SUNY Poly) is a public university with campuses in Marcy and Albany, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1966 ...
.
In 1996, a third campus—the East Campus, renamed the Health Sciences Campus in 2016—was added east of the Uptown Campus in
Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the la ...
, when the university acquired former Sterling-Winthrop laboratories and converted them into labs, classrooms, and a business incubator concentrating on advances in biotechnology and other health-related disciplines. In 2005, this campus became home to the university's Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics.
In 2005, the university created a College of Computing and Information, with faculty on both the Uptown and Downtown campuses. In the fall of 2015, the college was replaced and its programs incorporated into the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS). At the same time, the university opened another new college, the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
On June 21, 2017,
Havidan Rodriguez, founding provost of the
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university with multiple campuses throughout the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas and is the southernmost member of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas ...
and former interim president of the
University of Texas-Pan American
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, was named the 20th president of the university, a position he assumed in September 2017. Rodríguez, became the first Hispanic/Latino president of any of the four-year SUNY campuses.
Due to on-going declining enrollment, retention, and rates of graduation of students, UAlbany is currently facing a $15 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2022-2023, with one of the largest budget deficits among SUNY schools. For example, UAlbany enrolled 17,688 students in fall 2020, and currently enrolled 16,648 students for 2022-2023, which represents a drop of over 1,000 students.
Name changes
Campuses
Uptown Campus
The Uptown Campus, the university's main campus, is located mostly in Albany, with a small portion (a dorm "quad" and the athletics complex) spilling into the
McKownville neighborhood in the neighboring town of
Guilderland (official address: 1400 Washington Avenue in Albany). Its visual effect has been described as "Dazzling one-of-a-kind" by architectural critic Thomas A. Gaines, who called it "a formal masterpiece" and "a study in classical romanticism." Designed in 1961-1962 by noted American architect
Edward Durell Stone
Edward Durell Stone (March 9, 1902 – August 6, 1978) was an American architect known for the formal, highly decorative buildings he designed in the 1950s and 1960s. His works include the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City, the Museo de A ...
and constructed from 1963 to 1964, the campus bears Stone's signature style that includes towers, domes, fountains, soaring colonnades, sweeping canopies, and other architectural features typical for the era. Stone's campus layout emphasizes residential quadrangles, also known as "quads," surrounding the academic buildings.
At the hub of the Uptown Campus is the rectangular "Academic Podium," featuring 13 three-story buildings under a single overhanging canopy roof. The Podium's showpiece is a central pool with fountains and an off-center circular bell tower, or "Carillon", which also serves as a water storage reservoir. In April 2012, the university undertook a complete renovation of the main fountain and water tower area, as well as of the Campus Center fountain. There is LED lighting in the base of the fountain, and a new, more interactive center element with seating areas. Completion of the project is scheduled for fall 2013.
![UAlbany Podium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/UAlbany_Podium.jpg)
The domed Main Library, the Performing Arts Center, and Campus Center face the pool from the west, east and south, respectively. The Campus Center was under construction from Spring 2015 and was finally completed Fall of 2017 adding more space and dining options for student. To the north is a grand entrance, which welcomes visitors by way of a "great lawn" (Collins Circle) and the university's Entry Plaza. Four residential quadrangles are located adjacent to the four corners of the academic podium. Each quad consists of a 23-story high-rise dormitory surrounded by a square of low-rise buildings.
On the west end of the Uptown Campus is the university's meteorology and characterization tools, the
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
(NWS), and the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC).
In addition to the Main Library, the Uptown Campus became home in 1999 to the third of the three libraries comprising UAlbany's University Libraries: the Science Library. Further growth occurred on the Uptown Campus in the fall of 2004, when a new Life Sciences Building opened, dedicated to basic research and education. New residence halls, Empire Commons and Liberty Terrace, opened in 2002 and 2012, housing up to 1,200 and 500 students, respectively, Ground was broken for a new School of Business building in October 2008. The 80,000-square-foot facility, located on the west side of Collins Circle, opened in August 2013.
Downtown Campus
The Downtown Campus, located at 135 Western Ave., Albany, just one mile (1.6 km) from the
New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol, the seat of the Government of New York State, New York state government, is located in Albany, New York, Albany, the List of U.S. state capitals, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The seat o ...
building and
Empire State Plaza
The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza (known commonly as the Empire State Plaza, and also as the South Mall) is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York.
The complex was built between 1965 a ...
, is the site of the original New York State College for Teachers. Construction began in 1909 on the first three buildings: Draper, Husted and Hawley halls, after the previous location on Willett Street burned down. Later additions to the campus were Richardson Hall, Page Hall and The Milne School (all in 1929), as well as 1960s' additions to Draper and Richardson halls. Husted Hall underwent major renovations in 2009. A subsequent energy efficiency project at Husted Hall was awarded a High Performance Building Plaque from the
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), established in 1935, is a New York State public-benefit corporation, located in Albany, New York, with regional offices in New York City, Buffalo, and West Valley.
NYSERDA ...
(NYSERDA).
The Downtown Campus is home to the university's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, School of Criminal Justice, College of Computing and Information, and School of Social Welfare. It also houses one of the university's three libraries, the
Thomas E. Dewey
Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...
Graduate Library, located in Hawley Hall.
Health Sciences Campus
The university's Health Sciences Campus, located in the City of
Rensselaer, is home to UAlbany's School of Public Health and the Cancer Research Center (CRC) which opened in 2005. Located also on the campus—which contains of lab, support and associated office space—is the Center for Functional Genomics, which does research in the areas of
microarrays
A microarray is a multiplex lab-on-a-chip. Its purpose is to simultaneously detect the expression of thousands of genes from a sample (e.g. from a tissue). It is a two-dimensional array on a solid substrate—usually a glass slide or silicon t ...
,
proteomics
Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, with many functions such as the formation of structural fibers of muscle tissue, enzymatic digestion of food, or synthesis and replication of DNA. In ...
,
molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...
and
transgenics
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...
. Also based at the campus are 15 private
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
companies, both established and those which form part of the university's business incubator program. Biopharmaceutical giant
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an American biotechnology company headquartered in Westchester County, New York. The company was founded in 1988. Originally focused on neurotrophic factors and their regenerative capabilities, giving rise to i ...
has a large-scale biologics manufacturing facility adjacent to the campus where it produces investigational products for all its clinical trials.
Uptown Campus housing
The Uptown Campus is home to seven of the university's eight residential complexes. Four of these—Indigenous Quad, Dutch Quad, Colonial Quad, and State Quad—sit at the Academic Podium's corners; each consists of eight three-story, low-rise buildings encircling a 22-story tower with a capacity of 1,200 students each, as well as a game room and fitness center. Originally, each quad consisted of a dining hall but as of the Fall 2017 semester, Dutch Quad and Colonial Quad no longer maintain a dining hall. The four quads serve as a chronological timeline of New York State history, beginning with Indigenous Quad, moving clockwise to Dutch, then Colonial, and finally, State. The other three, Freedom Apartments, Empire Commons, and Liberty Terrace, are reserved for juniors and seniors. These are "apartment-style" residences and include kitchens, furnished living rooms, and, on Empire Commons, washers, dryers, dishwashers, single bedrooms, and central air conditioning. The university's newest apartment-style residential complex, Liberty Terrace, opened in the fall of 2012.
![Empire Commons1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Empire_Commons1.jpg)
The Uptown Campus also contains special housing for students enrolled in UAlbany's Honors College. This housing, offered to incoming freshmen and returning sophomores, is found on State Quad in the Melville and Steinmetz halls, which were renovated in 2010. Renovations were completed on Indigenous Quad during the Summer of 2013, State and Alumni Quads are still undergoing work. In March 2021, Indian Quad was renamed to Indigenous Quad following a series of petitions and complaints from students, faculty, and alumni.
Buildings and facilities
Campus Center
The Campus Center, located on the Uptown Campus Podium, has traditionally been the community center of the University at Albany, serving students, faculty, professional staff, alumni, and guests. Considered the "hearthstone" or "living room" of the campus, the Campus Center has provided services that include lounging areas, cafeterias, a
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
bookstore, and national chain eateries operated and staffed by
Sodexo
Sodexo (formerly Sodexho Alliance) is a French food services and facilities management company headquartered in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux. It has 412,088 employees as of 2021, operates in 55 countries and serves 100 million custome ...
. The structure has been the site for informal and formal interactions, the latter including the meetings of student-run clubs, academic conferences, and cultural functions.
![University Hall UAlbany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/University_Hall_UAlbany.jpg)
A $62.2 million renovation and expansion project includes the Campus Center East addition, completed in September 2015, and a West addition which opened in June 2017. The latter includes a new 400-seat auditorium and, as of the fall of 2018, enhanced dining facilities with market-style food service venues. Current students are using the new food court that arrived with Campus Center East. The Campus Center has many restaurants for a variety of dining options, such as pizza,
Thai cuisine
Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand.
Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong Odor, aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson (chef), David ...
, sushi, etc.
Performing Arts Center
The Performing Arts Center is a facility on the Uptown Campus containing five performance spaces. Music, dance, theater, international artists, guest lecturers, and collaborations occur in the Main Theater, Recital Hall, Arena Theatre, Studio Theatre, and Lab Theatre. The Main Theatre is the largest theater space on the Uptown campus, capable of seating 500 people. Designed for music performance, the Recital Hall seats 242 people, 197 on the orchestra level and 45 in the nine circular theater boxes along the periphery on the second level. The Arena Theatre is used primarily for small theater performances and acting classes and seats 196. The Studio Theatre seats 153 people. The Lab Theatre is a 50' square "black box" theater. The Lab can seat up to 200 audience members in any seating configuration.
University Art Museum at University at Albany
The University Art Museum is centrally located on the Uptown Campus. Designed by architect Edward Durell Stone, its interior is an example of late 20th Century modernism. Its three galleries provide more than of exhibition space for six to eight changing exhibitions per year.
Massry Center for Business
Located at the university's grand entry plaza, the Massry Center for Business houses the School of Business. The 96,000-square-foot building features technologically advanced classrooms and meeting spaces, collaborative research centers in technological and social entrepreneurship, studying areas for students, and a trading room equipped with Bloomberg terminals.
ETEC
![ETEC_at_UAlbany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/ETEC_at_UAlbany.jpg)
In Fall 2021, UAlbany unveiled ETEC (Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex) located on the Eastern portion of the main Uptown campus. The state-of-the-art $180 million research facility is one of the university's largest and most energy-efficient buildings at 246,000 square feet.
ETEC houses the following:
* The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
* The College of Arts and Sciences: Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and Department of Chemistry research labs
* Atmospheric Sciences Research Center
* Center of Excellence in Weather & Climate Analytics
* The National Weather Service's Regional Forecast Office and Training Program
* The New York State Mesonet
* The Small Business Development Center
* Office for Innovation Development and Commercialization/Technology Transfer
* Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Institute
* Private partners such as TruWeather Solutions LLC
The Athletic Complex
![Bob Ford Field2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Bob_Ford_Field2.jpg)
UAlbany unveiled a new football stadium,
Bob Ford Field
Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium is a football stadium in Albany, New York, owned and operated by the University at Albany, SUNY and hosts the school's football team, as well as their soccer program. The stadium, with an initial seat ...
, on September 14, 2013, as part of a $19 million multi-sport complex. The Great Danes opened against the University of Rhode Island. The stadium, named for the coach who guided the football program to 265 victories from 1973 - 2013, is an 8,500-seat facility which includes a press level with four luxury suites, a print media area, and booths for radio, television, coaches, and replay, as well as 20 high-definition televisions distributed throughout the level. In the Summer of 2015, following a multimillion-dollar donation by Tom and Mary Casey, the complex was officially renamed the Bob Ford Field at Casey Stadium.
SEFCU Arena
In the spring of 1992, the university opened
SEFCU Arena
SEFCU Arena is a 4,538-seat multi-purpose arena in Guilderland, New York, Guilderland, New York (state), New York. It is home to the University at Albany, The State University of New York, University at Albany men's and women's Albany Great Dane ...
, at that time named the RACC (Recreation and Convocation Center), an $11 million arena for UAlbany's men's and women's basketball and track teams. It has a 0.11 mile indoor track. They also in 2017 added a $1.4 million scoreboard. The 4,538-seat arena also serves as a major venue for community events such as rock, pop, and hip hop concerts, sporting events and University activities. Although it has an Albany address, it is actually located in the Town of Guilderland.
Organization
The university is a first-tier component of the
State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
. It receives annual appropriations as a part of the SUNY budget, and the New York
State University Construction Fund manages and finances buildings and capital improvements. Although the university is governed by the SUNY Board of Trustees, the university does have a separate 10-member council that is appointed by the governor, with one student-elected member. The governor designates the council's chair. The university has its own Headmaster, who is currently Robert Jones.
The university has a separate University at Albany Foundation, which conducts fundraising on behalf of the university. For example, when the new library was built, state funds paid for the construction of the building, but the foundation raised $3.5 million to equip the new facility. The foundation has a Board of Directors, which includes three voting member elected by the faculty and one elected by students. The foundation owns facilities that supplement the state-owned buildings, including: the Management Services Center, the Headmaster's residence, the East Campus, the State Street Conference Center, the Cancer Research Center. During 2015–16, the foundation raised $18.7 million and had total assets (including buildings) of $88.85 million. UAlbany is currently facing a $15 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2022-2023.
Academics
The university comprises nine colleges and schools, plus an honors college:
College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences, comprising 21 departments, forms the largest academic division at the university.
Departments of the College of Arts and Sciences include
Africana Studies,
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
,
Art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
and Art History, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences,
Biological Sciences
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...
,
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
,
Communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
,
East Asian Studies
East Asian studies is a distinct multidisciplinary field of scholarly enquiry and education that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of East Asia past and present. The field includes the study of the region's culture, written language, hist ...
,
Economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
and
Planning
Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. The evolution of forethought, the capacity to think ahead, is consi ...
,
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
, Languages,
Literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
s and
Culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
s,
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
n,
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and U.S. Latino Studies,
Mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
and
Statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...
,
Music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
and Theatre,
Philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
,
Physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
,
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
,
Sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
, and
Women's
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Undergraduate education consists of 56 majors offered in these areas, along with their paired minors and 17 other minors as well as cooperative interdisciplinary programs that include the arts, humanistic studies, physical sciences and social sciences.
The college houses the following research centers:
* Biological Imaging Center
* Center for Applied Historical Research
* Center for Astronomical Observatory
* Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
* Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities
* Center for Language and International Communication (CLIC)
* Center for Latino, Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CELAC)
* Center for Biochemistry and Biophysics
* Center for Economic Research
* Center for Jewish Studies
* Center for Neuroscience Research
* Center for X-Ray Optics
* Econometrics Research and Training Institute
* Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Laboratory
* Institute of Biomolecular Stereodynamics
* Institute for Research on Women
* Institute for Mesoamerican Studies
* The Institute for Watershed Management
* Ion Beam Laboratory
* The Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research
* New York Latino Research and Resources Network (NYLARNet)
Graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences in the humanities and fine arts, science and mathematics, social and behavioral studies, and college-based interdisciplinary majors lead to the following degrees and certificates: Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Regional Planning, Master of Fine Arts, Doctor of Philosophy, Certificate of
Advanced Standing
Transfer credit, credit transfer, or advanced standing are the terms used by colleges and universities for the procedure of granting credit to a student for educational experiences or courses undertaken at another institution. This is a subset of ...
, Certificate of Advanced Study and the Certificate (in selected fields).
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
The mission of the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), created in 2005 (as the College of Computing and Information), is to educate the next generation of engineering and scientific innovators, to lead cutting-edge research of societal significance, and to prepare the students to assume leadership positions in industry, government, academia, and research. CEAS currently has three departments, and soon to follow are programs in bioengineering and mechanical engineering:
* The Department of Computer Science
* The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
* The Department of Environmental Engineering
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, created in 1981, was named for former U.S. vice president and governor of New York
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...
. It is home to UAlbany's departments of
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
and
Public Administration
Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit establ ...
and Policy.
While providing educational preparation for academic and public service careers, it undertakes research on public problems and issues, and assists in the continuing professional development of government executives. It offers assistance to the federal and New York State governments, as well as to foreign nations and
international organizations
An international organization or international organisation (see spelling differences), also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states an ...
, to meet the responsibilities of contemporary
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
and governance. Such assistance includes special courses and conferences, research and consultation, and publications for the dissemination of information.
The college offers degree programs that range from bachelor's level study in political science and public policy, to master's programs in political science, public administration and public policy, to doctorates in political science and public administration. Research centers within the college include the Center for Legislative Development, the Center for Policy Research, the
Center for Women in Government and Civil Society
The Center for Women in Government & Civil Society (CWGCS) is a policy research center at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany (SUNY). CWGCS was founded in 1978, and is a member organization of The National ...
, the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research, and the Center for International Development.
School of Business
UAlbany's School of Business, is accredited by the
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...
(AACSB) in both business and accounting (less than 1.2% of all AACSB programs). It was also the first School to be accredited by AACSB at both undergraduate and graduate levels in 1974. Founded in 1962, the School's bachelor's, master's and certificate programs enroll full-time and part-time students from all over the world.
The Digital Forensics B.S. curriculum and research done at the School's Department of Information Security and Digital Forensics was used to receive dual designation as a NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education and Research. Since 2011, the school has also offered a Graduate Certificate in Information Security, which is a 15-credit program.
![Massry Center for Business, University at Albany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Massry_Center_for_Business%2C_University_at_Albany.jpg)
The Financial Market Regulation program works with the Institute for Financial Market Regulation, a cooperative project of professionals involved in financial market regulation and supervision from UAlbany and
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...
who develop interdisciplinary research and education in the field. The program concentrates upon four fields: Business, Technology, Law, and Public Policy.
The Massry Center for Business building was unveiled on August 19, 2013. It was structurally engineered by Leslie E. Robertson Associates. It has been ranked #5 in a list of Top 50 Most Beautiful Business Schools in the United States.
School of Criminal Justice
UAlbany's School of Criminal Justice offers programs in
criminal justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the Rehabilitation (penology), rehabilitation of o ...
on the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. The school was founded in 1966, and spurred what came to be called “the Albany model” for other Ph.D. programs in major universities across the nation and the world.
The school concentrates on
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
and societal reactions to crime, including the political, economic and cultural patterns that influence policy choices on the response to crime. A focus of study is the social and personal forces that lead to criminal conduct and the analysis of the organization and operation of crime control systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the interactions among the many agencies which comprise criminal justice systems.
School of Education
The university was founded as the New York Normal School of Teachers in 1844 with
David Perkins Page
David Perkins Page (1810–1848) was an American educator and author of the most popular 19th-century American education textbook. From 1844 to 1847, he served as the first principal of the New York State Normal School, which later became Univers ...
as its first principal. It expanded to become the New York State College for Teachers in 1914, and then, in 1962, the State University of New York at Albany. The School of Education was created that year as part of a multidisciplinary university center and remained the home of the original teacher training programs and faculty, including, from 1845 until its closing in 1977, the
Milne School
The Milne School, frequently referred to as Milne High School, was the campus laboratory school for what is now known as the University at Albany, SUNY, University at Albany, State University of New York, located in Albany, New York. Its mission wa ...
, the university's campus laboratory school where prospective teachers carried out their practice teaching.
The school is home to 1,500 graduate students in more than 30 master's, certificate, and doctoral programs housed within four departments: Educational Policy & Leadership, Educational and Counseling Psychology, Educational Theory and Practice, and Literacy Teaching and Learning. The school is also home to 15 centers and institutes which aid Capital Region schools and research educational issues. These include the school's outreach arm, the Capital Area School Development Association, which provides services to 120 school districts; the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, which was funded in 2006 by a three-year $1.24 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
; the Center for Urban Youth and Technology; and the National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement, which since 1987 has been funded by the
U.S. Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
to conduct research dedicated to improving students’ English and
literacy
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
achievement.
College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC), created in 2015, offers interdisciplinary academic programs for undergraduate and graduate students in fields designed to protect against, respond to, and recover from a growing array of natural and man-made risks and threats in New York State and around the world.
Research will be conducted by CEHC faculty and also through faculty-student collaborations and cross-disciplinary research groups. Training programs will be offered to current homeland security and emergency preparedness professionals.
In 2017, the college participated in the New York Excelsior Challenge, a three-and-a half day training event. The Excelsior Challenge consists of training exercises designed to help first responders improve their response capabilities.
School of Public Health
The School of Public Health, created in 1985 as a partnership between the University at Albany, State University of New York and the New York State Department of Health. Its mission is to provide education, research, service and leadership to improve public health and eliminate health disparities.
Accredited by the
Council on Education for Public Health
The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs offered in settings other than schools of public health. The ...
, the School offers MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD degrees in each of four academic departments: Biomedical Sciences; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology & Biostatistics; and Health Policy, Management & Behavior.
Research interests of the more than 200 doctoral-level faculty include
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
,
GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...
, maternal and child health, hospital
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
,
infectious disease
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
s, environmental and
occupational health
Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...
,
eldercare
Elderly care, or simply eldercare (also known in parts of the English-speaking world as aged care), serves the needs and requirements of senior citizens. It encompasses assisted living, adult daycare, long-term care, nursing homes (often called re ...
, minority health and health disparities. Both research faculty and students benefit from additional affiliations with
Albany Medical Center
Albany Medical Center (AMC) is the name of the umbrella organization over the Albany Medical Center Hospital and Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. Though the name Albany Medical Center referring to the two institutions on their shared c ...
and Bassett Healthcare.
The School of Public Health's partnership with the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has life sciences researchers as part of the university's research productivity. Awards for life scientists at the DOH's Wadsworth Center make up roughly a third of UAlbany's total of $391.7 million
School of Social Welfare
The School of Social Welfare (SSW), created in 1965, is currently ranked 46 among programs of social work in the U.S. News & World Report (2022). This is a slight drop of 2 spots from its 2019 ranking.
In addition, it is ranked 166 among social work programs in College Factual (2021).
The school offers bachelor, masters and Ph.D. programs in
social work
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...
. Past linkages have included those with an Albany elementary school challenged by poverty, an outlier regional community comprising one of the largest Latino populations in the state outside of New York City and other major population centers such as Buffalo, and multiple partners in Italy, South Africa and Scotland.
The school has a history of dedication in the area of gerontological social work, the creation of aging friendly communities in 2006, improving pathways to higher education for inner city youth and families through the New York State-funded Liberty Partnership Program, the creation of family support agendas for the region, and re-professionalization campaigns in child welfare.
Features of SSW include the Internships in Aging Program, the Center for Innovations in Mental Health, and the Social Work Education Consortium.
The Honors College
Planning for the Honors College began in 2003 and first accepted students in fall 2006. Its mission is to create a "small college experience" by fostering and encouraging the creation of closely knit cohorts of motivated students. The Honors College seeks to increase faculty-student interaction early in a student's stay at the university.
The Honors College comprises coursework, research, internships, and field-placements. All involve intense collaborations among students and professors. Rather than having a small number of professors teach an honors curriculum, professors from across the UAlbany campus teach honors courses in many disciplines. During the college's first three academic years, more than 50 UAlbany professors offered courses.
During their first two years, honors students at explore the range of disciplines through six or more honors courses. During their next two years, students move into the honors program in their major. The Honors College offers special lectures, tours, retreats to Camp Dippikill, and other trips to expand their learning opportunities, and also student social events.
Libraries
The university contains three full size libraries. The main library is set in the center of the Academic Podium and contains study areas, classrooms and research centers. The second, called the Science Library, is located on the south side of the Campus Center and focuses on strictly scientific literature and media used in much of the university's research. The third library is the Thomas E. Dewey Graduate Library, on the downtown campus. Together, the libraries provide more than two million volumes and rank among the top 100 research libraries in the U.S., according to the Association of Research Libraries. Users from around the world access services and collections through the libraries' online systems and Web site. The university's libraries offer a program of information literacy with instruction that ranges from a focus on traditional bibliographic access to collaborative classes integrated into the curriculum.
Rankings
The ''
U.S. News & World Report'' 2023 edition of "Best Colleges" ranked the university tied for 182nd among national universities and tied for 91st among public universities. This is a fall from the University's ranking of 172nd for national universities ranking and 85th among public universities in 2022. In addition, it was ranked 130th for Best Value Schools, and 121st in Best Colleges for Veterans. Although not a flagship of SUNY, UAlbany is one of four “university center” of the State University of New York system and the only one which was ranked behind 100 of the four institutions (Buffalo
9 Stony Brook
7 Binghamton
3and Albany
82.
In its 2022 rankings,
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'' (often referred to as the THE Rankings) is an annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' (THE) magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli ...
and
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
ranked the university 188th among national universities and 351st-400th among international universities.
The 2022 ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' "America's Best Colleges" ranking placed Albany at 281st overall among 500 universities, at the 56th percentile of schools that were ranked. This represents a drop of 94 spots from its 2021 ranking at 187.
Research
Cancer Research Center
UAlbany's Cancer Research Center (CRC) runs research that focuses on the underlying biology associated with tumor initiation and progression, and the development and evaluation of chemopreventive regimens and therapeutic approaches for common cancers. The center fosters the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in cancer biology. Located on the university East Campus in Rensselaer, N.Y., the center combines UAlbany research expertise in genomics and biomedical sciences with technology in a new facility.
The center opened in October 2005 with $45 million in support through New York State's Gen*NY*Sis Program. Additional funds currently being raised from the private sector for the center's Fund for Memory and Hope will be used for special equipment and needs of the research program. In September 2009 the Center recruited scientist Ramune Reliene from the University of California Los Angeles to its research team and faculty of the School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Health Sciences. Reliene, who received her doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in Switzerland, expands the scientific portfolio of the Center in the genetic and environmental causes of cancer.
Atmospheric Sciences Research Center
The Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC), based at UAlbany, is a center for research in the atmospheric sciences. Established on February 16, 1961, by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, its mission is to promote programs in basic and applied sciences, especially as they relate to the atmospheric environment. The center is connected to and shares faculty and resources with the university's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
ASRC performs research to study the physical and chemical nature of the atmosphere and its implications to the environment. Research areas include boundary layers,
solar radiation
Solar irradiance is the power per unit area (surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument.
Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre (W/m ...
, radiative transfer,
atmospheric chemistry
Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of atmospheric science in which the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets is studied. It is a multidisciplinary approach of research and draws on environmental chemistry, physics, meteoro ...
, aerosol physics,
air quality
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
,
solar energy
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...
, cloud physics, climate systems, and air quality monitoring. In addition the center has a large "jungle research group" exploring atmosphere and biosphere relationships in the
Amazon rainforest
The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...
, the Alaskan Tundra, the Canadian Boreal Forest, and the Eastern U.S.
The Climate System Sciences Section of ASRC, started in November 1989, conducts research to understand the Earth's global and regional climate system and to assess and evaluate the effects of
climatic change
''Climatic Change'' is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Science+Business Media covering cross-disciplinary work on all aspects of climate change and variability. It was established in 1978 and the editors-in-chie ...
caused by both human activities and nature.
The Center for Social and Demographic Analysis
UAlbany's Center for Social and Demographic Analysis (CSDA) was established in 1981 to provide a research infrastructure for scholarship in the
social sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...
at the University at Albany, State University of New York. CSDA has since become the nexus for further investments by university administration and state and federal agencies. Positioned by these developments, CSDA joined the roster of
NICHD
The ''Eunice Kennedy Shriver'' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It supports and conducts research aime ...
Population Centers in September 1997.
The center offers researchers access to computing facilities and statistical software, computing and statistical consulting, assistance with grant preparation and administration, and other related services. It collaborates with the Lewis Mumford Center—the university institute devoted to urban research—in efforts to disseminate data and fresh analyses of population trends revealed in the census and continuing census-related databases such as the
Current Population Survey
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 60,000 U.S. households conducted by the United States Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS uses the data to publish reports early each month called the Emp ...
and the
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
.
CSDA has 41 faculty associates drawn from 15 departments that span the array of academic disciplines at the university. Among major research initiatives sponsored by the center is the Urban China Research Network (funded by the
Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York City in the United States, simply known as Mellon Foundation, is a private foundation with five core areas of interest, and endowed with wealth accumulated by Andrew Mellon of the Mellon family of Pitts ...
), which brings together scholars and graduate students from around the world to study implications of urban change in China. New collaborative projects include initiatives on health disparities and the environmental impacts of metropolitan growth.
The RNA Institute
On June 4, 2010, the university unveiled a new $12.5 million biomedical research center, The RNA Institute, whose mission would be to form an alliance of genetic scientists and biomedical investigators from New York's Capital Region to spur research and development into RNA and its implications for medicines, drug therapies and technologies, and curing disease. On November 5, 2010, UAlbany announced The RNA Institute had received a $5.37 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
/
National Center for Research Resources
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) was a center within the National Institutes of Health a United States government agency. NCRR provided funding to laboratory scientists and researchers for facilities and tools in the goal of curi ...
(NIH/NCRR) and $2 million in matching funds from the State of New York to fund the design, engineering and construction of of research facilities on par with those of modern pharmaceutical companies. On the same day, the institute announced the establishment o
The RNA Institute MassSpec Center dedicated to the development of mass spectrometry-based technologies for investigating the structure-function relationships of natural and synthetic RNA as tools for drug discovery.
Study abroad
The Office of International Education Study Abroad & Exchanges sponsors 70 study abroad programs in 34 countries directly through UAlbany, but students can take advantage of more than 300 programs in over 80 countries throughout the SUNY system. Among the most popular international programs for UAlbany students have been Italy, Great Britain, Ireland, France and Spain. Students study abroad any time after their freshman year, up to and including their final semester senior year. Programs are available semester-long and for the full academic year, as well as in summer and during winter session.
Environmental sustainability
Its UAlbany Green Scene initiative is conducted through
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...
grant-funded research. UAlbany researchers study coordination of traffic signals and transportation patterns, with the goals of minimizing car-engine idling times, forging new carpooling connections, and communicating more effectively alternative transportation options to the campus community.
Campus efforts were on display on September 22, 2009, with "Destination Green," a day focusing on encouraging sustainable transportation. It highlighted the campus's alternative transportation options, which include hybrid buses, global electric motorcars (GEMs), public bus systems, carpooling, and bike-and-ride sharing programs.
The campus designated April 2010 as UAlbany environmental sustainability month, with lectures, a regional student competition for the best renewable energy business plan, and campus greening projects.
Student life
Student Association
The UAlbany Student Association is a student run, non-profit, corporation which organizes and funds much of the student oriented activities on campus. The SA funds and recognizes 200 student groups, plans concerts, speaking engagements, and comedy shows. The SA impacts students in the classroom as well, through funding of general education courses. Modeled after the U.S. government, SA consists of three branches: executive, legislative (unicameral Student Association Senate), and judicial (Supreme Court).
The SA is funded directly by the undergraduate student body of the University at Albany, State University of New York.
The Student Association owns a wilderness retreat facility in the
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...
called Camp Dippikill. The cabins and campsites at Dippikill are open to reservations from the university undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff. Dippikill is one of the largest student government-owned assets in the United States.
UAlbany's Speaker Series
Founded in 2009, the University at Albany's Speaker Series (commonly known as Speaker Series) is the university's premiere lecture series. Aimed at engaging the UAlbany community in conversations on important issues, the program was launched by a group of student leaders in the Student Association and is now funded by the Division of Student Affairs, the Student Association, University Auxiliary Services, and the UAlbany Alumni Association. The goal of the Speaker Series is to bring guests to campus in a broad range of areas: politics, global affairs, business, journalism, and popular culture. Past participants include
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
,
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...
,
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, lobbyist, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 200 ...
,
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on August 3 ...
,
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including ...
,
Bill Snape,
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
,
Russell Simmons
Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...
,
David Axelrod,
David Plouffe
David Plouffe (; born May 27, 1967) is an American political and business strategist best known as the campaign manager for Barack Obama's successful 2008 presidential campaign. A long-time Democratic Party campaign consultant, he was a partner ...
,
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia Favreau (; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
,
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
,
Bill Nye
William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955), popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American mechanical engineer, science communicator, and television presenter. He is best known as the host of the science television show ''Bill ...
,
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player. A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open. She is ...
,
Daymond John
Daymond Garfield John (born February 23, 1969) is an American businessman, investor, and television personality. He is best known as the founder, president, and chief executive officer of FUBU, and appears as an investor on the ABC reality telev ...
,
Brandon Stanton
Brandon Stanton (born March 1, 1984) is an American author, photographer, and blogger. He is the author of ''Humans of New York,'' a photoblog and book. He was named to ''Time'' magazine's "30 Under 30 People Changing The World" list.
Since 20 ...
,
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...
,
Octavia Spencer
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors Gu ...
, and
Aly Raisman
Alexandra Rose Raisman (born May 25, 1994) is a retired American artistic gymnast and two-time Olympian. She was captain of both the 2012 "Fierce Five" and 2016 " Final Five" U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics teams, which won their respective tea ...
Greek life
The University at Albany is currently home to 37 Greek-lettered organizations and six councils. Some on-ground organizations include:
Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho (), commonly known as Crows, Crow, or AXP, is a men's collegiate fraternity founded on June 4, 1895, at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carl's friends William H. Rous ...
,
Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Phi Epsilon () may refer to:
*Delta Phi Epsilon (professional), the professional foreign service fraternity and sorority
*Delta Phi Epsilon (social)
Delta Phi Epsilon ( or DPhiE) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North Ame ...
,
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
,
Gamma Rho Lambda,
Lambda Upsilon Lambda
La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. ( or LUL) is a Latino-based collegiate fraternity. It was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on February 19, 1982, and has 74 active undergraduate chapters and fifteen graduat ...
, and
Sigma Psi Zeta
Sigma Psi Zeta () Sorority, Inc., also known as Sigmas or SYZ, is a progressive multicultural sorority. It was founded on March 23, 1994 at the University at Albany and incorporated in New York on March 15, 1996 by the 10 Founding Mothers. The s ...
. According to Niche, the University at Albany is ranked the #2 Best Greek Life Colleges and the #2 Top Party School in New York State.
Safety
In 2019, UAlbany was ranked "the least safe college in New York with 1.47 violent crimes per 100,000 students." In addition, among Upstate New York colleges, University at Albany reported the highest number of campus rapes in the region.
Student media
The ''
Albany Student Press
The ''Albany Student Press'' or the ''ASP'', the newspaper of the University at Albany, The State University of New York, is one of the oldest continuously published and independent college newspapers in the United States. Its current editor-in-c ...
'', commonly known as “The ASP”, is an independent student-run newspaper. It began as the ''State College News'' and has been published continuously since 1916. The newspaper has a circulation of more than 10,000 and serves student body and the surrounding community.
Athletics
University at Albany's
intercollegiate athletics
College athletics encompasses non-professional, collegiate and university-level competitive sports and games.
World University Games
The first World University Games were held in 1923. There were originally called the ''Union Nationale des É ...
date back to the late 1890s, but its development was hampered for several decades by inadequate facilities, uncertain financial support, and the small number of male students in an institution designed to develop elementary school teachers. Tennis remained a constant from 1898 on and men's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
dates back to 1909, but attempts to field teams in football (1922),
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
(1896–1901), swimming, and
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
were aborted.
Expansion into men's and women's sports increased after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and then expanded greatly in the 1960s (men's sports of
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
,
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
,
cross-country
Cross country or cross-country may refer to:
Places
* Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland
* Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY
* Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...
, and
swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
moved from club to varsity status, and women's
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
,
softball
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
,
field hockey
Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...
, basketball and swimming were introduced), a direct result of the introduction of the new Uptown campus and its expanded athletic facilities. A nickname change also occurred, the Pedagogues becoming the Great Danes—making UAlbany the only American college or university with that mascot. The school's colors are purple and gold.
After the 1972
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
restructuring, UAlbany competed in
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
athletics until the 1995–96 school year, when it moved to the
Division II level as part of a transition to
Division I competition. That process was completed in the fall of 1999; UAlbany now has 19 varsity sports (8 men, 11 women) competing at the Division I level. All athletic programs are run by the university's Department of Athletics and Recreation.
Other than the sport of football, the school's teams have been members of the
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I founded in 1979, whose members are located in the Northeastern United States.
The conference has nine core members including eight public research u ...
since 2001. Football participates in the Football Championship Subdivision level (formerly Division I-AA). The Danes were an associate member of the
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference (NEC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Teams in the NEC compete in Division I for all sports; football competes in the Division I Foo ...
, winning championships in that league in 2002, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012. Beginning with the 2013 season, the Danes moved their football program to the
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...
.
On February 15, 2012, University President George Philip announced that a new $24 million athletic and recreational complex would be completed in three phases, consisting of a new synthetic turf field for students (finished in Fall 2012), a combined new football and soccer facility (completed in Fall 2013), and a refurbished track and field venue (finished in Spring 2014). President Philip also announced $6 million fundraising campaign to support the project.
Notable alumni and faculty
File:Yaghi3.jpg, Omar M. Yaghi, Wolf Prize
The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of natio ...
in Chemistry winner (2018)
File:Hamdi_Ulukaya,_official_portrait,_Homeland_Security_Council.jpg, Hamdi Ulukaya
Hamdi Ulukaya (born 26 October 1972, Iliç) is a Turkish billionaire businessman, activist, and philanthropist of Kurdish ethnicity based in the United States. Ulukaya is the owner, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Chobani, the ...
, CEO of Chobani
Chobani is an American food company specializing in strained yogurt. The company was founded in 2005 by Hamdi Ulukaya, a Turkish businessman. Chobani sells thick, Greek-style yogurt with a higher protein content than traditional yogurt and is o ...
File:Allen_mg_2528-3750K-b.jpg, Frances Allen
Frances Elizabeth Allen (August 4, 1932August 4, 2020) was an American computer scientist and pioneer in the field of optimizing compilers. Allen was the first woman to become an IBM Fellow, and in 2006 became the first woman to win the Turing ...
, Turing Award
The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in compu ...
winner (2006)
File:Aguinis1.jpg, Herman Aguinis
Herman Aguinis (born 1966) is a researcher and business professor and author. He is the Avram Tucker Distinguished Scholar and Professor of Management at the George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C. He has been ranked a ...
, president of the Academy of Management
The Academy of Management is a professional association for scholars of management and organizations that was established in 1936. It publishes several academic journals, organizes conferences, and provides others forums for management professors ...
File:Awkwafina_(cropped)_2.jpg, Awkwafina
Nora Lum (born June 2, 1988), known professionally as Awkwafina, is an American actress, rapper, and comedian who rose to prominence in 2012 when her rap song "My Vag" became popular on YouTube. She then released her debut album, ''Yellow Ran ...
, actress
File:220310-kevin-chambers-2x1-mjf-1231-adeacb.webp, Kevin Chambers, Associate Deputy Attorney General
The university has been home to scholars, scientists, and writers, including 2017
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner in
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
Joachim Frank
Joachim Frank () (born September 12, 1940) is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize i ...
; 2018
Wolf Prize
The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of natio ...
co-recipient
Omar Yaghi, a University of California, Berkeley chemist;
Herman Aguinis
Herman Aguinis (born 1966) is a researcher and business professor and author. He is the Avram Tucker Distinguished Scholar and Professor of Management at the George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C. He has been ranked a ...
, a George Washington University School of Business professor and president of the
Academy of Management
The Academy of Management is a professional association for scholars of management and organizations that was established in 1936. It publishes several academic journals, organizes conferences, and provides others forums for management professors ...
;
Alanna Schepartz
Alanna Schepartz (born January 9, 1962) is an American professor and scientist. She is currently the T.Z. and Irmgard Chu Distinguished Chair in Chemistry at University of California, Berkeley. She was formerly the Sterling Professor of Chemistry ...
, a Yale University chemist and a National Academy of Arts and Sciences inductee; Nobel Prize laureate
Toni Morrison
Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...
; Pulitzer Prize winner
William Kennedy; gay rights pioneer
Harvey Milk
Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in N ...
; Broadway actress and three-time
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nominee
Carolee Carmello
Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time T ...
;
Turing Award
The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in compu ...
winner
Richard E. Stearns
Richard Edwin Stearns (born July 5, 1936) is a prominent computer scientist who, with Juris Hartmanis, received the 1993 ACM Turing Award "in recognition of their seminal paper which established the foundations for the field of computational co ...
; Harvard sociologist
Robert J. Sampson
Robert J. Sampson (born July 9, 1956, in Utica, New York) is the Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and Director of the Social Sciences Program at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. From 2005 through 2010 ...
and
Scott Waldman (biochemist, MD) Samuel M.V. Hamilton Professor of Medicine at
Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the unive ...
of
Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...
.
Gallery
File:UAlbanyFountain.jpg, The Main Fountain
File:Approaching the Academic Podium UAlbany.jpg, Academic Podium
File:Performing Arts Center UAlbany entrance.jpg, Performing Arts Center
File:UAlbany Science Library.jpg, Science Library
File:SUNY - Albany (44129983630).jpg, Uptown Campus
File:University_at_Albany_Downtown_Campus.jpg, Downtown Campus
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albany, Suny University At
1844 establishments in New York (state)
Education in Capital District (New York)
Educational institutions established in 1844
Edward Durell Stone buildings
SUNY university centers
Universities and colleges in Albany County, New York
University at Albany, SUNY
The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...