Nano school getting a new name

PHOTOGRAPHER: Patrick Dodson

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany, with the University at Albany seen in the background in this July 2013 photo will now be known as SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany has a new name — SUNY Polytechnic Institute, or SUNY PI for short.

The name change comes after the State University of New York Board of Trustees approved a merger between the nanocollege and the SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica.

To merge with SUNYIT, the nanocollege is splitting from its parent — the University at Albany, which is right next door. The two schools are working on a services agreement for the 2014-15 academic year.

The nanocollege and SUNYIT officially merge to become SUNY PI in January. The merger will expand SUNYIT’s academics and elevate nanocollege CEO Alain Kaloyeros to chief executive of the combined schools.

On Friday, the nanocollege, now referring to itself as SUNY PI, announced the creation of a police force to oversee the Albany and Utica campuses.

Former state police senior investigator Tom Louis and recently retired major William Sprague will lead the police force. Louis was named SUNY PI’s executive chief of police and Sprague will serve as chief of university police in Albany.

Also, retired state police senior investigators Gary Mazzacano and Ronald Campano have been named deputy police chiefs. Mazzacano is tasked with overseeing the college’s 24/7 emergency response team.

“This is an exciting time as CNSE and SUNYIT merge into one institution, and establishing a unified police force is paramount,” Louis said in a statement. “As SUNY PI continues its mission to create next generation technologies, we must provide next generation security.”

Members of the police force for SUNY PI will oversee security operations at the nanocollege’s other research centers in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

The nanocollege boasts more than $20 billion in high-tech investments working with about 300 corporate partners, including computer-manufacturing giants GlobalFoundries, IBM, Intel, Samsung and TSMC.