Parker Hall, UB South Campus

Under the auspices of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work, the Buffalo Center for Social Research is built on the shoulders of 2 previous centers, the Center for Research on Urban Social Work Practice and the Center for Research on Children and Youth. In 2005, the consolidation of these 2 centers resulted in the establishment of the Buffalo Center for Social Research.

In the fall of 1998, the Center for Research on Urban Social Work Practice opened its doors at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. The center was the brainchild of the school's dean at that time, Dr. Lawrence Shulman. In Shulman’s words, “a center focusing on research related to urban social work issues is unique among schools of social work. The emphasis on partnership with agencies and interdisciplinary collaborations reflects the school's way of moving forward in the general direction of the mission of this university." The Center for Research on Urban Social Work Practice was housed in Baldy Hall on UB’s North Campus, with its projects being conducted on the South Campus, as well as at community-based sites. The center was directed by Dr. Brenda A. Miller, an internationally known scholar and researcher in the area of family violence and addictions.

In the spring of 2002, the School of Social Work added a second research center. This second center, the Center for Research on Children and Youth, brought together faculty from social work, education, law, nursing, psychology and sociology to conduct collaborative research with a focus on children and youth. The Center for Research on Children and Youth, under the direction of Dr. Jeannette L. Johnson, primarily conducted research on children who came from risky and/or impoverished environments. The center was initially housed in Harriman Hall on UB’s South Campus, moving to Parker Hall in the spring of 2005.

In 2004, Dr. Nancy J. Smyth was appointed Dean of the School of Social Work. Her vision was to combine the two existing centers into one center that would have a wide interdisciplinary research scope. Dr. Catherine N. Dulmus was hired to consolidate and establish the new center. In December 2005, the Buffalo Center for Social Research was established and Dr. Dulmus was appointed director. Housed in Parker Hall on UB’s South Campus, the Buffalo Center for Social Research promotes interdisciplinary research that builds on faculty strengths and UB 2020 strategic initiatives.