UB employees incur approximately $200,000 in travel expenses

Ten UB employees spent $209,187.65 in travel expenses during the ‘23-24 academic year, according to a travel expenditure spreadsheet acquired by The Spectrum. University Provost A. Scott Weber incurred $487.58 in costs while President Satish K. Tripathi did not have any recorded.

In a statement emailed to The Spectrum, a university spokesperson said all university-funded overnight travel is “pre-approved” and that the expenditures must follow a “robust set of policies and procedures that ensure that travel expenses are responsible, appropriate and cost-effective.”

“Whether it is attending or presenting at conferences, conducting field research, engaging in professional development, building relationships with government officials and policymakers, or fostering connections with alumni and donors, travel is an essential part of the university’s commitment to academic excellence and global leadership,” the statement reads.

Here’s what those expenses looked like:

Venugopal Govindaraju, Vice President of University Research and Economic Development, incurred the most expenses at $31,363.25 with a total of 21 trips. Most trips were to India, Canada and multiple U.S. states, including California and Hawaii.

Andrew Whittaker, SUNY distinguished engineering professor and director of the UB Institute of Bridge Engineering, spent $31,094.86 total across seven excursions. A trip to various cities in India cost $12,012.55, making it the most expensive trip conducted last year. 

UB men’s basketball associate head coach Jacob Presutti and former associate head coach Calvin Cage accumulated a total of $36,952.66, with Presutti spending $20,004.32 and Cage spending $16,948.34. Both coaches traveled across the U.S., including Georgia and Texas. 

UB women’s basketball associate head coach Jacey Brooks accumulated $16,454.59 in expenses, with a trip to Spain costing $7,652.96. The majority of her trips were to states along the East Coast, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Kevin Sherman, Cedric Douglas, Matthew Stansfield and Daniel Mangas from the UB football coaching staff incurred a total of $72,341.08. Sherman accumulated the most out of the four at $18,826.25. Douglas came in second with $17,856.14, Stansfield third with $17,829.93, and Mangas last with $17,828.76. Douglas’ two week trip to Illinois, Michigan, and Montana cost $6,672.89, making it the most expensive football trip recorded this past year.

UB Financial Aid Advisor, Christian Torres, incurred a total of $20,004.32. His travels were split across many neighborhoods in New York City, including Jamaica and East Elmhurst. He also frequented Long Island, spending $4,525.93 in trips there. 

Brooks, Cage, Douglas, Govindaraju, Mangas, Presutti, Sherman, Stansfield, Torres and Whittaker did not respond to The Spectrum’s request for comment at the time of publication.

Hannah Rashad is the assistant news editor and can be reached hannah.rashad@ubspectrum.com