Daemen University celebrated the naming of the Scott Bieler College of Health Professions during a dedication ceremony on Tuesday in honor of Scott Bieler, a member of the university’s board of trustees and the president and CEO of West Herr Automotive Group.
In September, President Gary A. Olson announced the college would be named after Bieler, a steadfast supporter of Daemen’s medical and healthcare efforts.
The university’s Academic & Wellness Center, which houses state-of-the-art learning facilities for health-related programs, will now be known as the Scott Bieler College of Health Professions at Daemen University.
“It is truly an honor for the College of Health Professions to carry Scott Bieler’s name,” President Olson said. “Over the years, Scott has invested in Daemen and various organizations across the region to improve the health and welfare of individuals, advance biomedical research, and strengthen education.”
After achieving university status in March of 2022, Daemen announced the formation of the three academic units at the institution: the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education; the College of Health, Human Sciences, and Business; and the College of Health Professions, which is home to the university’s departments of Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies.
“Today, we cut more than just a ribbon. Thanks to Mr. Bieler, we have an opportunity to cut through barriers to knowledge, excellence, and transformative healthcare,” said Dr. Greg Ford, founding dean of the college. “Mr. Beiler is a catalyst towards paving the way for the health professional leaders of tomorrow.”
Bieler served for nearly a decade as a Daemen Community Advisory Board member before he was appointed a trustee of Daemen’s Board of Trustees in 2021. That same year, he received an honorary doctorate from the university.
Bieler first joined West Herr as a salesman in 1975, eventually becoming president and a majority owner of the automotive group – the largest in New York State and one of the largest privately-owned auto groups in the country. His significant career earned him a spot in the Western New York Business Hall of Fame.
His involvement in the community is extensive. Bieler currently serves on the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and Invest Buffalo Niagara boards and is a member of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable. He is a past board member of Visit Buffalo Niagara, Upstate New York Federal Reserve Regional Advisory Board, the Buffalo Zoo, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and Hilbert College.
Bieler serves as president of the Scott Bieler Family Foundation and is known as one of the most prolific benefactors of local healthcare causes, donating millions of dollars to organizations across Western New York to support projects such as the Scott Bieler Clinical Sciences Center at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center main campus and the Roswell Park Scott Bieler Amherst Center.