Caroline Attardo Genco named new president at University at Buffalo

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Caroline Attardo Genco, PhD, provost and senior vice president at Tufts University, has been named the 16th president of the University at Buffalo.

Following an international search, Genco’s appointment was announced June 2 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.”

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.

“Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco stood out in an outstanding group of candidates — a pool that included academicians at the heights of their careers. Our search committee was particularly impressed by Dr. Genco’s prioritization of student and faculty success, her unwavering commitment to integrity and her vision for UB’s bright future,” said Jacobs, chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “The search process and the strength of the field of candidates reinforced that the University at Buffalo is a global destination for excellence, poised to do even greater things under Dr. Genco’s leadership.

Genco succeeds Satish K. Tripathi, who is stepping down after 15 years of distinguished service as UB’s president.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Caroline Attardo Genco on being named the 16^th president of the University at Buffalo,” Tripathi said. “This remarkable institution has always been defined by its bold vision and profound sense of purpose. I am certain that Dr. Genco will find inspiration in the conviction and commitment of our outstanding scholarly community—as I have throughout my presidential tenure—and I am confident that, under her leadership, the university will continue to build on its extraordinary momentum, advancing our mission of excellence and impact, and shaping UB’s next era of achievement and distinction.”