Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco

A State University of New York at Fredonia graduate has been tapped to be the 16th president at the University at Buffalo.

Caroline Attardo Genco, PhD, provost and senior vice president at Tufts University, was appointed following an international search. The announcement was made Tuesday by the SUNY Board of Trustees and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. after a unanimous vote by the trustees.

Genco’s appointment is effective Aug. 10.

“The State University of New York at Buffalo stands as one of SUNY’s premier research and academic institutions, and I am proud to welcome Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco as its next president,” King said. “Dr. Genco has built a career as an academic and research leader who strives to provide opportunities for students and faculty.”

As the chief academic officer at Tufts — which, like UB, is a member of the Association of American Universities — Genco oversees its 10 schools and two colleges as well as multiple cross-school programs, centers and institutes. She has led the development of a unified academic strategy; expanded cross-school research and education initiatives; strengthened faculty support through recruitment, mentoring and leadership development; and driven an increase in research funding.

Furthermore, Genco has worked to improve student success, retention and well-being, leading efforts to cultivate a sense of belonging for students, clarify their academic and personal purpose, strengthen foundational academic skills, and bolster and align student health resources, including mental health support.

Genco joins UB as it continues to elevate its stature and national and international reputation as a premier public research university. In recent years, sponsored research funding has risen dramatically, philanthropic giving has reached unprecedented levels and UB’s living-learning landscape has been transformed across its three campuses.

“Thank you to Chairman Merryl H. Tisch and the members of the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor King and UB Council Chairman Jerry Jacobs Jr. for this extraordinary opportunity,” said Genco, who holds the Arthur E. Spiller, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Genetics at Tufts University School of Medicine.

“I would also like to thank President Tripathi for his steadfast leadership over the past 15 years. The University at Buffalo has seen tremendous momentum and, as the next president, I envision an even brighter future that boldly positions UB as a globally engaged, inclusive and innovative community where all students feel welcomed and are supported and successful; where exemplary faculty members are fulfilled because their scholarship and creativity have impact; where staff realize their career goals and aspirations; and where people across the city, region and state talk about the university with pride and ownership.”

Genco’s appointment marks the first time a woman and a Buffalo native will lead UB in the university’s 180-year history. The daughter of immigrants, she was a first-generation college student, earning her bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Fredonia and her MS and PhD in microbiology from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.