State University Trustees Elevate Buffalo State Professor to Rank of Distinguished Professor
The State University of New York Board of Trustees has appointed Buffalo State College Professor Francis R. Kowsky, one of the nation's leading experts in the field of architectural history, to the position of distinguished professor, the University's highest faculty designation.
"Professor Kowsky's scholarship directly benefits our students and brings national attention to the University, which enhances our reputation as one of America's leading institutions of public higher education," State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King said in making the announcement. "We are very proud of Professor Kowsky's accomplishments and very pleased to acknowledge his contributions to his fields of study and to Buffalo State College."
The Distinguished Professor designation is conferred on individuals who have achieved national or international prominence in a chosen field.
The focus of Kowsky's scholarship is far-reaching and encompasses 19th century architecture, its cultural settings and its detailed, discrete issues. His research has resulted in new interpretations of known materials and in the discovery of new, seminal primary source materials.
Kowsky is a leading authority on a number of important figures in architecture including Frederick Law Olmsted and H. H. Richardson. Most acclaimed among his scholarly works are those on Frederick Clarke Withers, a prominent Gothic Revival architect, and on Calvert Vaux, co-designer of Central Park in New York City. Kowsky's book Country, Park and City: The Architecture and Life of Calvert Vaux revolutionized and deepened understanding of 19th century landscape architecture and of the importance of the urban park movement's role to 20th century American urban democracy. It was so significant a book that it won a front-page review in The New York Times book review magazine, a great rarity for a scholarly work on architectural history.
One especially important contribution is Kowsky's advancement of architectural history scholarship. Although begun primarily while he served as reviewer for the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, his efforts continue to this day.
"Professor Kowsky's scholarship directly benefits our students and brings national attention to the University, which enhances our reputation as one of America's leading institutions of public higher education," State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King said in making the announcement. "We are very proud of Professor Kowsky's accomplishments and very pleased to acknowledge his contributions to his fields of study and to Buffalo State College."
The Distinguished Professor designation is conferred on individuals who have achieved national or international prominence in a chosen field.
The focus of Kowsky's scholarship is far-reaching and encompasses 19th century architecture, its cultural settings and its detailed, discrete issues. His research has resulted in new interpretations of known materials and in the discovery of new, seminal primary source materials.
Kowsky is a leading authority on a number of important figures in architecture including Frederick Law Olmsted and H. H. Richardson. Most acclaimed among his scholarly works are those on Frederick Clarke Withers, a prominent Gothic Revival architect, and on Calvert Vaux, co-designer of Central Park in New York City. Kowsky's book Country, Park and City: The Architecture and Life of Calvert Vaux revolutionized and deepened understanding of 19th century landscape architecture and of the importance of the urban park movement's role to 20th century American urban democracy. It was so significant a book that it won a front-page review in The New York Times book review magazine, a great rarity for a scholarly work on architectural history.
One especially important contribution is Kowsky's advancement of architectural history scholarship. Although begun primarily while he served as reviewer for the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, his efforts continue to this day.
Media Contact:
Nanette Tramont, Director of News Services | 7168784235 | newsservices@bscmail.buffalostate.edu