During our 40th anniversary year, we've promoted and led the applause for more than 50 events so far, with 10 still to come.
Let's take a moment today to applaud our very own Paul Grondahl, who was honored Thursday during the University at Albany Annual Fall Address. Paul was officially recognized with a medallion to mark the previously announced Opalka Endowed Directorship at the New York State Writers Institute.
UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez congratulates Paul Grondahl at Thursday's event.
Here's what Paul had to say:
"I'm honored and humbled to be recognized at UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez's Fall Address as the Opalka Endowed Director of the NYS Writers Institute along with 8 other endowed professors and directors. Congratulations to all the other honorees.
I am eternally grateful to Chet and Karen Opalka, who endowed the directorship, a gift that will continue the Institute's award-winning programming with my successors into perpetuity with their $1 million endowment. This is how our generous donors 'unleash greatness' and help create excellence at the University at Albany for today and for generations of Great Danes to come."
UAlbany Provost Carol Kim, Paul Grondahl, and UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez.
The recipients of UAlbany's named professorships and directorships were honored with medallions on stage at Thursday's Fall University Address. Six new named professorships were announced during the event. (Photos by Patrick Dodson / UAlbany)
The new professorships are:
The Morris Massry Endowed Professorship
Sanjay Goel, professor and chair of the Department of Information Security and Digital Forensics, School of Business.
Goel’s research is focused on cybersecurity and warfare-related projects that include the investigation of computer security threats such as botnets and malware, risk analysis, security policy development and evaluation, security modeling and the development of self-organized complex systems.
The Esther Massry Endowed Professorship
Dai is a global expert on alternative investments whose work has broadened our understanding of entrepreneurial finance, venture capital and hedge funds and has published in elite business/finance journals, including the Journal of International Business Studies.
Williams-Raycheff Endowed Professorship in Chemistry
Igor Lednev, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and a researcher at The RNA Institute, College of Arts and Sciences.
Lednev uses laser spectroscopy and advanced chemometrics to study forensic science, medical diagnostics and fundamental biochemistry. His work has led to new ways of identifying evidence recovered at crime scenes as well as screening tools to detect early Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Williams-Raycheff Endowed Professorship in Chemistry
Rabi Ann Musah, associate vice provost for the Learning Commons and professor in the Department of Chemistry and a researcher at The RNA Institute, College of Arts and Sciences.
Musah’s research examines the forensic identification of plant- and animal-derived materials using ambient ionization mass spectrometry and artificial intelligence. She also is the principal investigator on UAlbany’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute Driving Change grant.
Williams-Raycheff Endowed Professorship in Biology
Melinda Larsen, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and a researcher at The RNA Institute, College of Arts and Sciences.
Larsen’s research in salivary gland biology examines the contribution of the microenvironment to tissue formation during development, tissue repair and regenerative processes, with the potential to help us better understand how adult tissues can be repaired or regenerated. She is also a co-investigator on the UAlbany NSF ADVANCE grant to promote gender equity in science.
The Ackner/Newman Professor of Practice
Heidi Knoblauch, lecturer in management in the School of Business and senior director at New York Ventures, a division of Empire State Development.
At New York Ventures, Knoblauch manages a fund of funds that invests in fund managers who invest in exceptional New York State founders. She has significant experience in venture capital and is passionate about helping female and non-binary founders start and grow their companies in New York State.
“We are deeply grateful to the donors who have chosen to support this important priority,” said UAlbany Vice President for Advancement Fardin Sanai. “These professorships ensure UAlbany continues to attract and retain world-class faculty who do groundbreaking research and enrich their students’ academic experience.”
The six newly announced professorships join four others previously established and currently filled:
The Carla Rizzo Delray ’42 Endowed Professorship (Professor Marina Petrukhina, Department of Chemistry)
The Dorothy G. Griffin Professorship in English Education (Professor Robert P. Yagelski, Department of Educational Theory and Practice and affiliated with the Department of English)
The Standish Professorship in Entrepreneurship at UAlbany’s School of Business (Professor William Wales, associate dean for research in the School of Business and chair of the Department of Management)
The Opalka Endowed Directorship at the New York State Writers Institute (Paul Grondahl, director of the NYSWI)