UB President Satish K. Tripathi’s remarks during President Obama’s visit

Release Date: August 22, 2013 This content is archived.

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“We are thrilled to host President Obama, and we applaud his leadership in championing student success and access to educational opportunity. ”
Satish K. Tripathi, president
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BUFFALO, N.Y. — The remarks that ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ President Satish K. Tripathi will deliver to the audience at Alumni Arena prior to President Barack Obama’s speech today are below.

Satish K. Tripathi's Welcome Remarks:
President Obama’s Address at UB

  • Good morning!  Thank you all for joining us to welcome President Barack Obama to the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½.  What an amazing way to kick off the fall semester!
     
  • You may know today is “move-in day” for more than 5,000 new ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ students.  I can’t think of a better introduction to UB campus life! 
     
  • It’s great to see so many new and returning students here today, as well as faculty, staff, and neighbors from across Western New York.
     
  • We are thrilled to host President Obama, and we applaud his leadership in championing student success and access to educational opportunity.
     
  • We strongly share this commitment, and we are also honored today to host a member of the President’s cabinet, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
  • At UB, we are heeding the Secretary’s call to be innovators in our classrooms, our research laboratories, and our overall student experience.
  • We’re also delighted to have several special guests with us this morning to welcome President Obama, including:
    • SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and SUNY Trustees; and
    • Our Western New York government officials
  • Together, all of us in this room are making history.
     
  • Over the years, UB has had the honor of hosting several former U.S. Presidents and other distinguished heads of state. 
  • But today’s visit by President Obama marks the first time since 1853 that UB has hosted a sitting U.S. President.  
  • So you can imagine how proud we are today. 
  • As a major public research university, UB is a leading voice in the national higher education conversation. 
  • UB is proud to partner with a consortium of 20 other excellent colleges and universities in Western New York.  Many colleagues and students from those institutions are with us today.
  • Our 29,000 UB students come to us from across the state and nation, and around the globe, to pursue a world-class education at our university.
  • As a young student in India with dreams of becoming a teacher, I knew that U.S. higher education was the best in the world. 
  • Today, as president of a major public research university, I want to ensure that US higher education continues to be the destination of choice for students from across the globe for generations to come.
  • At UB, we create spaces where people of diverse perspectives and backgrounds can come together to discuss the critical issues we face as a society. 
  • This is one of the things that major public research universities like UB do best.
  • And that’s exactly why we’re here today. 
  • We are especially honored to host this discussion about a topic of great significance:
    • Ensuring our U.S. system of higher education remains the best in the world,
    • And ensuring we all have access to a superb education at a world-class institution like UB.
  • These issues matter deeply, not only to our nation’s colleges and universities, but to all of us. 
  • UB is deeply proud to host President Obama today as he begins this important conversation about higher education opportunity…here at our great university. 
  • On behalf of the entire ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ community, thank you all for joining us today.  You are part of history in the making!

Media Contact Information

John Della Contrada
Vice President for ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Communications
521
Buffalo, NY 14260
Tel: 716-645-4094 (mobile: 716-361-3006)
dellacon@buffalo.edu
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