SUNY Board of Trustees Appoints Eight Faculty to Distinguished Professor Ranks

Albany -- The SUNY Board of Trustees today approved the appointments of eight faculty to distinguished ranks, as recommended by campus colleagues and SUNY Interim Chancellor Dr. John B. Clark. All of the today’s distinguished rank appointments are effective immediately.

 “SUNY faculty who receive appointment to the distinguished ranks provide a glimpse of the broad service contributions and the career achievements being made on our campuses across New York State” Clark said. Each of these individuals has met and exceeded the requirements for this honor and I commend the Board of Trustees for recognizing their talent and service by approving their appointments to distinguished ranks.”

Appointment to the rank of Distinguished Professor is conferred upon individuals who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within a chosen field.  This distinction is attained through significant contributions to the research literature or through artistic performance or achievement in the arts.  The candidates’ work must be of such character that the individuals’ presence will elevate the standards of scholarship of colleagues both within and beyond these persons’ academic fields.  It must also be of such quality that students and scholars on other SUNY campuses could and would wish to benefit by lectures and seminars or other appropriate presentations the faculty members might bring to them.  The following faculty received this appointment. 

Arthur Applebee, leading professor of the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the University at Albany, is known internationally for his seminal scholarship in the field of literacy and language arts. His research has reframed the ways in which scholars and practitioners think about critical issues in language learning.

Richard Cross, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Upstate Medical University, is known nationally and internationally for his work in the field of bioenergetics, the study of biological energy transfer and conversion at the cellular and molecular levels.  He was acknowledged as a key contributor to the work on ATP synthase for which Professor Paul Boyer shared a Nobel Prize in 1997.

Joachim Frank, professor of biomedical sciences at the University at Albany, was elected to the National Academy of Science in 2006 and is known internationally for his pioneering research on the application of electron microscopy and image analysis to the elucidation of three-dimensional structure and function of macromolecular assemblies and cell components.

Rodolphe Gasche, professor of comparative literature at the University at Buffalo, is one of the world's most eminent scholars of continental philosophy and literary theory. He is a leading authority on the major literary movement of deconstruction and is perhaps best known for his expertise on the work of Jacques Derrida, the influential French philosopher who pioneered this field.

Donald Kuspit, professor of art at Stony Brook University, is a distinguished art critic and scholar whose eminent contributions to the field of art have received both national and international acclaim.  He is the founding editor of a leading journal in art criticism and has received many distinguished professional awards, honorary degrees, and distinguished visiting professorships at major universities.

Claes Lundgren, professor of physiology and biophysics at the University at Buffalo, is one of the world's most renowned specialists in respiratory physiology in specialized environments.  He is particularly well known for his studies of human respiration and adaptability undersea and in flight, and for his work with remarkably broad theoretical and practical application. An award-winning and prolific inventor, he holds or is a co-inventor on over 100 patents.

Frederick Sachs, professor of physiology and biophysics at the University at Buffalo, is the founder of the field of cellular mechanical transduction research and is considered the world's leading scholar of mechanosensitive ion channels in cells. This field is now acknowledged as one of the most important in biophysics and medicine, with life-saving applications ranging from controlling cardiac arrhythmia and blood pressure to treating muscular dystrophy.

Maurizio Trevisan, professor of public health and health professions at the University at Buffalo, is an internationally renowned epidemiologist and academic physician.  His pioneering research has led to life-saving developments in areas such as heart and dental disease, diabetes, nutrition, and cancer treatment. His expertise extends from cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention science, to the impact of natural disasters upon the health of populations, to his crucial role in the landmark Women's Health Initiative.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 427,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. 

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