From the President
Posted: Friday, March 27, 2020Zhang Appointed SUNY Distinguished Professor
I am pleased to inform you that Zhang Jie, Buffalo State College professor of sociology, has been appointed Distinguished Professor by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.
The Distinguished Professorship, SUNY’s highest academic rank, is conferred upon faculty who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their chosen field through significant contributions to research and scholarship or through artistic performance or achievement in the fine or performing arts. The selection criteria for Distinguished Professor are rigorous and exacting.
Since joining the Sociology Department in fall 1997, Dr. Zhang has distinguished himself as an internationally known scholar in suicidology. He has published widely in multiple journals, magazines, and books about the social and cultural effects of suicide in China and other countries. Along with his teaching duties, Professor Zhang also serves as director of Buffalo State’s Center for China Studies.
He has held several concurrent academic positions in China, including director of the Center for Suicide Prevention Research (CSPR) at Shandong University and overseas specialist for the Chinese Association of Science and Technology in Beijing.
Over the course of his career as a social scientist, Dr. Zhang has received numerous grants from various organizations, including the National Institute of Mental Health, the Ford Foundation, and the Foundation for Asia Pacific Education.
He was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities in 2013; the President’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creativity in 2007; the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service in 2005; and the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2002. He holds a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University.
I view Dr. Zhang as a pioneer for his groundbreaking and innovative research in the field of suicidology. His commitment to professional excellence is reflected in his appointment to SUNY’s highest academic rank.
As a newly active member of the SUNY Distinguished Academy, he will work with other distinguished faculty across SUNY to encourage a renewed commitment to quality instruction, service on our campuses, and leadership development for our newer faculty.
Buffalo State is extremely proud to claim Professor Zhang among its faculty, and I hope you will join me in congratulating him on this remarkable honor.
