Obituary: Robert Barnes, UB alum, professor and administrator
Published December 6, 2024
Robert E. Barnes, a UB alumnus who was a professor and administrator in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences for more than 30 years, died Nov. 21 at his home in Amherst. He was 78.
Born in Albany, New York, Barnes earned an associate’s degree from Hudson Valley Community College, and a bachelor’s degree from State University College at Buffalo. He then attended UB, where he earned a Master of Science and a PhD, both in industrial engineering, in 1976 and 1984, respectively.
Barnes began teaching at UB in 1981 and served in a variety of administrative roles over the next 32 years. He led many of the engineering school’s outreach programs, including corporate and alumni relations, economic development, student work experience, continuing and distance education, and publications and promotional materials.
He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the oldest engineering honor society in the United States; the Institute for Industrial Engineers; and the American Society for Engineering Education. The Buffalo-area Engineering Awareness for Minorities (BEAM) presented him with a service award in 1996.
Barnes retired in 2013 as senior associate dean for external affairs and as an adjunct associate professor.
Prior to arriving at UB, he served in the New York Army National Guard in Albany and Buffalo from 1968-74. He was honorably discharged and received the Meritorious Service Medal.
He was married for 53 years to Grace Barnes, senior research scientist emeritus at the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions.
A celebration of life will be scheduled in the future. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Kenmore Baptist Church, 10 Wardman Road, Kenmore, N.Y. 14217, or to The Salvation Army, 960 Main St., Buffalo, N.Y. 14202.
