UB Librarians Honored at Celebration of Excellence

by DENISE WOLFE

Members of the UB community gathered Oct. 29 in Slee Hall, North Campus, for the 22nd annual Celebration of Faculty and Staff Academic Excellence, recognizing the outstanding achievements of faculty and staff across the university.

Among those honored were University Libraries faculty members Deborah Chiarella and Ophelia Morey, recipients of the 2025 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence—one of the highest honors in the State University of New York system.

Deborah Chiarella, associate librarian and liaison to the departments of Music and Theatre and Dance, joined the Libraries in 2007. She oversees the Music Library’s collections, archives and instruction, and led the 2024 relocation of UB’s music collection from Baird Hall to Lockwood Memorial Library. A graduate of York University and UB’s master’s program in library science, Chiarella also mentors junior faculty, supports theatre and dance students, and will serve as chair of the New York and Ontario Chapter of the Music Library Association.

Ophelia Morey, associate librarian and coordinator of community outreach in the Health Sciences Library, has advanced health literacy and equity throughout her career. Since joining UB in 2001, she has led NIH- and NNLM-funded initiatives focused on maternal health disparities and improving access to reliable medical information.

In addition to the Chancellor’s Award recipients, Pamela Rose, liaison and special projects librarian in Abbott Library, was recognized for an extraordinary milestone—60 years of service to the university.

Chiarella, Morey and Rose exemplify the Libraries’ commitment to excellence, service and community impact.