After four years of leading the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Cynthia Conides, associate professor of history and social studies education, will return to Buffalo State full time.

In 2006, Buffalo State College and the neighboring Historical Society entered into a partnership to exchange and share staff, library services, and resources. In a trade of personnel, the Historical Society’s former executive director, William Siener, became senior curatorial fellow for Buffalo State’s Monroe Fordham Regional History Center. Conides took Siener’s place.

As part of the college’s unique agreement with the museum, Conides was able to lend her expertise while remaining on the faculty. At Buffalo State, Conides has overseen the college’s multidisciplinary master’s program in museum studies, taught classes in curatorship and other subjects, and facilitated a partnership with the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum.

Conides's role at the Historical Society will continue on a part-time basis, as curator of special projects.

The college’s partnerships with regional cultural institutions provides training and internship opportunities for its students, while allowing departments to access multiple artifacts, manuscripts, and exhibits.

The current agreement with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society is scheduled to conclude at the end of 2010. The historical society board and the college are currently negotiating an extension.