SUNY

SUNY has appointed JOSEPH L. RUFO as officer in charge of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) as Interim President DAVID C. AMBERG returns to Upstate Medical University. Rufo will continue his responsibilities as chief financial officer and VP for administration, while the search for SUNY ESF’s next president progresses. As interim president, Amberg implemented the “ESF Discovery Challenge,” an effort that brought together faculty, staff, and students to provide recommendations to support the college’s human resources, secure a sustainable financial future, and build upon the campus’ strengths as related to global issues in environmental science and sustainability. He returns to Upstate Medical University to his position as VP for research overseeing the clinical, translational, and basic research portfolios of the campus. During his tenure, which began in December 2014, Upstate Medical saw several years of continuous growth in research expenditures. Rufo is the chief financial officer and VP for administration at SUNY ESF responsible for providing leadership, management, and oversight of the college’s business and financial affairs, human resources, legal, information technology, university police, and environmental health and safety. He has been with the college since November 2008. Prior to coming to ESF, Rufo was VP and chief financial officer at Onondaga Community College, chief financial officer at the Syracuse City School District, manager of electric pricing evaluation and design and director of business growth at Niagara Mohawk, and assistant professor of economics at SUNY Cortland. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from SUNY Cortland and an MBA, with a concentration in finance, from Binghamton University.