By Will Tredo

The questions in life seem never ending, but the SUNY Research Foundation is here to give some answers. Buffalo State College is part of this foundation that is ranked among the top 10 research universities in the country.

The SUNY Research Foundation is composed of 29 state-operated campuses, making it the world’s largest university-connected foundation. Among the 13 university colleges in the in the SUNY system, BSC ranks first in terms of sponsored programs activity.

According to the foundation’s mission statement it attempts to:
• attract resources to expand research and scholarship
• cultivate relationships with corporations and foundations to gain grant support
• ensure responsible stewardship of the research enterprise through effective administration and oversight

The $30 million grant from the state office of Children and Family Services is given for social services training. Since it makes up 80 percent of funding to the foundation it is vital to the sponsored programs. The director of research administration and services at BSC, Ted Turkle, suggested how important this grant is.

“With the funding from this one program we represent more than the other university colleges combined,” he said.

But Turkle is always looking ahead to gather more funding.

“Since state money could go away at any time, I’m constantly trying to generate as many other kind of grant work so that we are less dependent. Usually by working directly with faculty,” he said.

Most of the sponsored research at BSC is done by faculty and is student related. The type of research that faculty are conducting is usually related to what they’re doing here at BSC.

“For instance, a psychology professor might conduct research on the emotions and effects of freshman living in dormitories,” Turkle said.

Sponsors of faculty’s research include the following:
• U.S Department of Education
• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Science Foundation
• U.S Department of Health and Human Services

The funding from these institutions is what allows BSC to keep coming up with cutting-edge research and developments for Western New York. The Great Lakes Center at BSC creates advancements for water quality in the region. Past experiments dealt with toxicology, water treatment and eliminating the zebra muscle problem throughout the Great Lakes.

BSC undergraduate John Blood considers the Great Lakes Center to be of crucial importance.

“Lake Erie is on its way back to becoming a dead zone and research is important to revive it. We need more data to know how water quality is being affected and The Great Lakes Center is a prime resource for this knowledge,” Blood said.

Related links:

www.buffalostate.edu
www.suny.edu
www.rf.buffalostate.edu

Will Tredo can be contacted at: tredwm35@mail.buffalostate.edu