Faculty and Staff
Undergraduate Academies
Hadar Borden, UB Academies Interim Administrative Director
Biography coming soon!
Dr. Andreas Daum, Professor of History and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education
Danielle Ribachonek, UB Academies Program Coordinator
Growing up in a small suburb outside of Syracuse, New York I was always excited by different people and places. During my junior year as an undergraduate student at UB, I decided to participate in a study abroad program to Melbourne, Australia. I found that I was drawn to encouraging other students to be involved at the University at Buffalo during their undergraduate experience. Working with students is a passion that led me to pursue my Masters degree in Higher Education. As a Program Coordinator for the Undergraduate Academies, I am able to continue to pursue these interests and continue to work closely with undergraduate students.
Janet Fehskens, UB Academies Administrative Assistant
After hearing my Southern accent, the first thing most people ask me is, “What are you doing here?” We’ve lived in Elma for five years, hailing from North Carolina and various other haunts. I drop one of our six children at Buffalo State College before happily high-tailing it to UB. Our youngest daughter is still in high school and I’m an active “drama-mama.” We have two dogs, three cats, a canary, an aquarium and many houseplants in our country abode. I’ve worked in the Admissions offices of Indiana University/Purdue University in Fort Wayne and ECC; and the “Office of the Registrar” at Canisius College before arriving here at the Undergraduate Academies Office.
Research Exploration Academy Faculty & Staff
Dr. Tracy Gregg, Academic Director, Associate Professor of Geology
I spent my childhood in Iowa, and my whole life, I dreamed of becoming either an astronaut, or a doctor. As I got older, I met many doctors, but not a single astronaut. So I cheerfully prepared myself for a career in medicine, and set off to college in Rhode Island to fulfill that goal. On a whim, I took a course in geology the fall of my freshman year. Spring semester, I took another course and spent a lot of time in the lab of one of the geology professors. I was hooked—not only because I find the mysteries of the Earth and planets fascinating, but also because I was able to actively participate in research under the guidance of my professors. So I became a geologist: I got my Ph.D. at Arizona State University, and spent 3 years after that at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, studying submarine volcanoes. I’ve been at UB since 1998, and I study volcanoes wherever I can find them: on the ocean floor, in Hawaii, on Mars, and on Jupiter’s moons.
Dr. Diane Christian, Academy Council Member, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of English
Biography coming soon!
Dr. Peter Nickerson, Academy Council Member, Professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences
Biography coming soon!
Tim Tryjankowski, Academy Assistant Director, Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities
In addition to serving as the Research Exploration Academy I also serve as the Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities at UB. I have worked in university administration for over 14 years and feel I can be an invaluable resource to students. Whether you have a question on a research opportunity related to your interests, or any other general university questions, I am available to help you navigate your way as you enjoy your undergraduate years here at The University at Buffalo. As a member of professional organizations like The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), The Re-Invention Center and The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), I am aware of national trends in higher education, and how best to assist you in getting the most from your undergraduate years. I can also be found teaching a section of UB 101, UB’s freshman experience course, or mentoring UB student athletes through the UB Navigators program.
Bonnie Vest, Graduate Assistant, Doctoral student in Anthropology
I entered anthropology because I felt very strongly that the insights gained from anthropological research were extremely relevant to life in our current world. They teach us to understand others on their own terms, from their point of view, and from a holistic context-dependent perspective. With this in mind, I entered the doctoral program at UB as a cultural anthropologist, with an interest in applied work and in teaching to make anthropology more accessible to the general public. I am currently engaged in ethnographic research for my dissertation, examining how National Guard soldiers and their families negotiate competing civilian and military obligations and the effects this has on their identity construction.
I am also the proud mother of an adorable one year old girl, and therefore a master juggler of time and commitments. In what spare time I have left, I am preparing for my second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I’m originally from a suburb of Chicago, and I did my undergraduate work in anthropology at Miami University in Ohio before coming to Buffalo.
Civic Engagement Academy Faculty & Staff
Peter Sobota, Academic Director, Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work
Hindsight is a beautiful thing. I am a lifelong Buffalo-area resident and have little doubt that the various communities I have lived in have shaped not only how I view the world, but how I value relationships with individuals, my profession, and my sense of purpose. My early experiences in an urban neighborhood and the positive influence of the citizens who lived there, formed my beliefs about the powerful impact of community or environment in shaping the person.
It was at the age of 18 and at UB that I first read Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and felt the strong call toward his vision of communities controlled by their citizens and a career in social work. My undergraduate experiences in the community known as the University at Buffalo further developed my awareness that I not only valued the influence of that environment, but that I also wanted to contribute toward improving my community and more, the social conditions of others. After completing a Masters degree at UB, I began a sixteen year career as a practitioner, trying to make a difference. Somehow, that path led to an adjunct faculty position, then a full-time appointment in 2001, to the UB School of Social Work. Years later, many different settings, the same passion. In my own small way, I still believe it’s possible to make a difference, still hopeful I can serve the public good. It’s been exhilarating so far, and never boring.
Terri Frysh, Community Engagement Coordinator of the Leadership Development Center
For as far back as I can remember volunteering has been an important part of my life. From an early age I would volunteer monthly with my grandfather at a senior residence care center as well as volunteer in other community events. As an undergraduate student I participated in numerous service programs including Alternative Spring Break and campus clean-ups. It was as a student at the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario where I discovered that getting involved on campus as a student leader was a key element in my own leadership development. Through those experiences, I knew I wanted to work in higher education and pursued a master's degree in College Student Personnel at Western Illinois University. I am lucky enough now to work with students who are looking to gain important leadership skills and qualities through campus programs, volunteerism, and being active and engaged citizens to the University at Buffalo and WNY communities.
Robert Granfield, Faculty Fellow, Professor and Chair of Sociology
Robert Granfield is professor and chair in the Department of Sociology at the State University of New York at Buffalo and is director of the Institute for the Study of Law and Urban Justice. He is also the co-developer of the Civic Engagement and Public Policy strategic strength at UB. Prior to coming to UB, Dr. Granfield was associate professor at the University of Denver where he co-founded the Social Justice Living and Learning Center, served in the faculty mentorship program for undergraduates, and played a central role in developing the Carl M. Williams Institute for Ethics and Values. He is the author of over 50 scholarly articles and reviews, has published several books, and has been the recipient of numerous research grants and awards. Dr. Granfield has conducted a range of empirical investigations in the areas of law and legal institutions as well as in the areas of substance abuse prevention, addiction and recovery.
Betteanne Reigle, Academy Council Member, Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing
Nursing is my passion and profession and has been since I was an undergraduate. Public health is my area of interest and has facilitated my involvement in service and outreach, a tenet that carries forth in both my professional and personal life. I believe that everyone needs to be an integral part of the community, be it local or global, and the only way to do that is to be involved. My teaching involves economic, social, and environmental components of health care delivery, as well as, population focused health issues, thus, there always exists an opportunity to make a difference. From public health nurse to professor, I have worked with infants and children in urban areas, assisted with community assessments in Western New York and the British Virgin Islands, and participated in disaster preparedness. At some point in my career, I have focused on all groups along the age continuum and multiple community initiatives from literacy to immunizations.
I believe that the classroom goes beyond the university campus, and as a citizen, one needs to be actively engaged in understanding people, neighborhoods, and assisting in empowering others. Students can be leaders today; they don’t need to wait until tomorrow. A desire to make a difference, a commitment to serve, and a willingness to learn and share is all it takes.
Louis Mussari, Graduate Assistant, Law Student
At UB my approach to undergraduate education was non traditional to say the least. Following whatever perked my interests, I started to dwindle down the many options for study to only one. In the end psychology was the major that I was lured to and became the focus of my studies. As a psychology student I was able to participate in research labs focused on topics such as; peer relations, alcohol and drug addiction, environmental hazards, and developmental disabilities. Volunteering and becoming involved were some attributes I took pride in. I then choose to go to law school at UB in an effort to continue with an applied approach to civic engagement. I am planning to concentrate on environmental law. As a native Buffalonian, I am excited at the opportunity to be a part of economic and environmental redevelopment of the Queen City.
Global Perspectives Academy Faculty & Staff
Claude Welch, Academic Director, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science
Claude Welch has achieved international scholarly recognition for his studies of African politics, the political roles of armed forces and human rights. Since coming to SUNY/Buffalo in 1964, he has published thirteen books (two of them selected as “Outstanding Academic Books of the Year”). Welch has been honored for his teaching excellence with the Chancellor’s Award, as well as by the Student Association and the Department of Political Science. He has given invited lectures in China, Korea, Taiwan, France, Sweden, and several African countries among others. An active member of national and international advisory groups, he has served on the boards of the Human Rights Watch and the US Army Command and Staff College. Welch was elected Chair of the Faculty Senate twice and filled many administrative positions.
Urszula Piasta, Graduate Assistant, PhD Candidate in American Studies Department
Being a Polish national, I have spent most of my life in the north-western part of Poland, just a short walk to Germany and a quick car trip to the Baltic Sea. In Poland, I graduated with my Master Degree in Applied Linguistics and Teaching Methodology. With that degree in hand, I committed myself to teaching English as a foreign language to non-native speakers of English. More importantly, I sought to encourage my students to use their knowledge of English as a practical tool to facilitate travelling and gaining insight about various places throughout the world, their inhabitants, cultures and histories. Following that same idea myself, I arrived in the United States in 2002 to begin my own life adventure, while in 2003 I was accepted as a doctoral student at UB and a TA for World Civilizations. Since then, I have been exploring first-hand aspects of life in American society, developing a greater understanding about American nationalism, democracy, culture and history. Currently, my research focuses on lives of indigenous inhabitants of North America, particularly the Haudenosaunnee Confederacy, their culture, oral tradition, history, tribal governance, political philosophy and contributions to the U.S. democracy.
Nikole Seitz, Graduate Assistant, Master’s student in Political Science
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in just how the world works. I had so many questions about what kinds of people were out there in the world and how did all of these people live. By the time I came to UB as an undergrad, I knew what route I wanted to take in my studies so that I could understand the quirks of this great big world. Studying the dynamics of our multidimensional and international world, I became fascinated by foreign policy, international organizations and global economies—just how do all of these things work together? As if four years wasn’t enough, my interest in global affairs led me to pursuing my MA in Political Science. Although this is my first year as a graduate student and a graduate assistant (GA) for the Global Perspectives Academy, I hope to inspire first year students towards following their passions and personal aspirations.