BUFFALO STATE: End-of-year highlights

This year was one of extraordinary progress, creativity, and achievement for Buffalo State. Driven by the collective efforts of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners, 2025 brought accomplishments in every facet of university life. The highlights below are just a sampling of the many recognitions and milestones that made this year such a powerful reflection of the strength and spirit of Buffalo State University.

Buoy funding expands GLC’s reach: In October, the Great Lakes Center (GLC) received funding to purchase and operate second data/weather buoy just outside of Buffalo. The GLC has operated and maintained its first weather/data buoy near Dunkirk, NY for the past decade, and has provided valuable, real time data; the new buoy will allow GLC to continue to facilitate informed decision-making about the waterfront.

University celebrates 153rd Commencement: Degrees were conferred on nearly 1,700 undergraduate and graduate students during this year’s Commencement ceremonies. Del Reid, ’04, founder of 26 Shirts and co-founder of Bills Mafia; Morgan Hardy, ’03, chief executive officer of Leadership Buffalo; and Karen Saxon, ’03, music educator, received the Buffalo State Distinguished Alumnus Award and delivered the commencement addresses.

Forty under forty list features nine with ties to Buffalo State: Business First’s annual distinction recognizes Western New York professionals under age 40 who are successful in their professions and involved in their communities. This year’s honorees, including Buffalo State alumni and community partners, were chosen from 280 nominations—the largest group of nominations in at least a decade. 

First-time student increase boosts campus population: Buffalo State welcomed 1,293 undergraduate freshmen this fall, up 3.7% from a year ago. In addition, the total number of on-campus residents is 1,962 students, an increase of 3.6% from a year ago and the highest level since Fall 2020. Another significant enrollment gain was Buffalo State’s campus-wide student persistence rate, which from fall 2024 to spring 2025 was 83.4%, up 7 percentage points from the previous year and the strongest rate the campus has seen since 2017.

Animation student’s work selected for national conference: Student Rebecca Hanson Czerny’s short film, created in Brent Patterson’s animation class, was one of twenty accepted submissions from around the world for the Suzanne Animation Festival at the annual Blender Conference in Amsterdam. Blender, a completely free and open source industry leader for 3D and 2D modelling and animation, has been taught by Patterson in his classes for 20 years; he is one of the few Blender experts in North America. (Stay tuned for more coverage on Buffalo State's use of Blender in 2026!)

Launch of Buffalo State Spotlight: “Buffalo State Spotlight,” a weekly newsletter, launched in February as another way to tell the story of today's Buffalo State University to both our campus community and beyond. “Spotlight” highlights student and faculty achievements, alumni success stories, and numerous events happening on campus through videos, photos, interviews and more. Make sure you are signed up to receive “Spotlight!”

Opening of renovated Karner Hall gives UPD new home: In October, Buffalo State celebrated the completion of the $18.8 million Karner Hall rehabilitation project. Located on the west side of campus, Karner Hall is the new home to the University Police Department (UPD) as well as Custodial Services, Grounds shop, and shared general office, support space and storage.

Soccer standout makes a splash: Senior forward Diego Rivera posted a historic season: he led the nation with 60 points and 26 goals, which also set a new Buffalo State single-season record; earned Third Team All-America honors from the United Soccer Coaches, making him just the fifth player in program history to earn All-America honors twice in their career; earned his third First Team All-Region recognition; and earned his third First Team All-SUNYAC selection that also featured a second straight SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Year honor. Rivera has been a centerpiece of the Buffalo State men’s soccer team over his three seasons with the program. 

Training for pilot cohort of Sophia’s Legacy completed: This past summer, six Buffalo Public School teachers completed training as part of the pilot cohort for this new component of Buffalo State University’s Anne Frank Project, which provides Western New York educators with tools to bring lessons about genocide and conflict education into their classrooms. Thanks to a two-year grant from the Vogt Family Foundation at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, the professional development program, named for Holocaust survivor Sophia Veffer, was able to train this cohort at no cost to the district; the pilot cohort is now training the next group of teachers. The Vogt Family Foundation recently granted Sophia’s Legacy an additional two-year grant, which will allow AFP to continue and build upon its initial success.

Applied learning generates career opportunities through second annual Design-a-Thon: This year’s Design-a-Thon, hosted by Buffalo State and New Era Cap, once again tasked participants with creating an avant-garde piece of art from New Era Cap sample products. Each member of the winning team was awarded a cash prize, New Era Cap goody bags, and, most significantly, a paid summer internship with New Era Cap. This year’s event embraced two notable changes: the inclusion of graphic design students and the incorporation of the Art and Design Department’s Tech Hub, a multiuse classroom/research lab that offers interdisciplinary digital fabrication services.

Theatrical talent shines in local production of DREAMGIRLS: In September, audiences were dazzled by DREAMGIRLS, a co-production between Shea’s Performing Arts Center and AnsariSaxon Productions, founded by Buffalo State faculty members Naila Ansari Carbonell Catilo, assistant professor of theater and Africana Studies; and Karen Saxon, ’03, lecturer of music. Ansari Carbonell Catilo and Saxon co-directed and served as choreographer and music director respectively and assembled a top-notch cast and crew that included Buffalo State faculty and staff members, alumni, and community partners.

Expansion of Roar 2 Success and ACE programs offer greater student support: These student support programs experienced significant gains this year. Historically a program for students in their first year at Buffalo State, Roar 2 Success has expanded into a two-year program, allowing it to both extend its longevity and provide greater levels of support through new elements like an expanded Summer Bridge program, cohort courses, a living community, and more commuter resources. From fall 2024 to spring 2025, Roar 2 Success had a persistence rate of 89.7%—up 22 percentage points from 2023-24. The ACE program nearly doubled in size from last year, with 387 students this fall, a remarkable milestone for this proven driver of student success in SUNY that provides wraparound support to ensure academic success, retention and on-time graduation.

These accomplishments reflect just a glimpse of the extraordinary work happening every day at Buffalo State. As we look back on 2025, we feel immense pride in what our students, faculty, staff, and alumni have achieved, and look forward to charting an even brighter future for Buffalo State in 2026.

Photo by Jesse Steffan-Colucci, Buffalo State photographer.