The University at Albany Citizen Laureate Awards have been honoring business, government and academic leaders for more than a quarter century. So it's easy to take them for granted. It's also a big mistake to do so.
These awards are more than just an opportunity to thank distinguished men and women who have made a lasting contribution to life in the Capital Region. More often than not, they also provide a glimpse into the region's future, as was the case with the four recipients who were honored as Citizen Laureates on Thursday night at a black-tie dinner at the Hall of Springs. To read their resumes is to see a common thread: All four have played major roles in preparing the Capital Region to grasp tomorrow's potential.
Two of the names are instantly recognizable Morris “Marty” Silverman, who has been a looming presence in this area's advances in higher education and technology, and John Egan, who is overseeing Mr. Silverman's University Heights project that will combine the resources of Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College and the Sage colleges. He also is leading the effort to convert the Harriman State Office Campus into a tech park. (Of course, this is only a bare sketch of what these two honorees have done for this area.)
The other two names are less familiar, but no less vital to the region's future. John E. Kelly III, senior vice president of technology and intellectual property for IBM, was the guiding force behind IBM's $100 million investment in the University at Albany's Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics. Meredith Butler, who received the Academic Laureate Award, was the guiding force behind the university's science library on the uptown campus, which opened in 1999. A year ago, she established a fund for new initiatives at all of the university's libraries, including the uptown campus library and the Thomas E. Dewey Graduate Library of Public Affairs and Policy, on the downtown campus.
All four of these honorees could have chosen to devote their time and treasure to causes far beyond the Capital Region. The fact that they did not is a testament to the potential this area has for a bright future in higher education and technological innovation. And, of course, to the laureates themselves, who are helping to lead the way.