John B. Simpson took office as UB's 14th president on January 1, 2004. Coming from a background in neurobiology and neuro-endocrinology, Simpson spent twenty-three years at the University of Washington as a professor of psychology and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In July 1998 he was appointed to the University of California, Santa Cruz as executive vice chancellor and a year later he also became provost. As UB’s 14th president, Simpson led the campus community in launching UB 2020, a long-range strategic vision focused on investing in core interdisciplinary areas of research strength, transforming institutional operations, and implementing a comprehensive physical plan. An nationally recognized advocate for the vital role of public higher education in American life, Simpson published widely on the impact of research universities in social and economic prosperity. A leading voice on educational access and collaboration, he championed a historic partnership with the Buffalo Public Schools to improve educational outcomes, and significantly expanded the university’s relationships with its broader communities regionally and globally. (Source: https://library.buffalo.edu/archives/ubpeople/detail.html?ID=3586)

Internationally recognized as an accomplished researcher and transformative higher education leader, Dr. Satish K. Tripathi was appointed the 15th president of the University at Buffalo on April 18, 2011. The first international-born president in UB’s history, Dr. Tripathi graduated at the top of his class from Banaras Hindu University in India. In addition to a doctorate in computer science from the University of Toronto, he holds three master's degrees—one in computer science from the University of Toronto and two in statistics from the University of Alberta and Banaras Hindu University.

Dr. Tripathi joined the University at Buffalo in 2004, serving as UB’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs until his appointment as president in 2011. As Provost, Dr. Tripathi led the recruitment of many prominent faculty to the university and oversaw a significant increase in the number of faculty hired to develop and enhance strengths in key areas of research and scholarly activity.