Presidents of Stony Brook University

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The President of Stony Brook University serves as the university's Chief Executive Officer. Stony Brook's President, in addition to his or her duties to the university's many academic programs, also oversees the Stony Brook University Hospital with its five health science programs and 120 community-based service centers. The President additionally plays an integral role in the economic development of Long Island, New York through Stony Brook's capacity as co-manager of the Brookhaven National Laboratory.[1]

What will be required is a new attitude toward public higher education, a new state of mind, a new desire to put some real meaning into the motto inscribed in the seal of the State University of New York which says “Let each become all he is capable of being."

— Henry T. Heald, Chairman of the Committee on Higher Education, Meeting the Increased Demand for Higher Education in New York State: A Report to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and the Board of Regents, [2]

The duties of the President are wide-ranging and they are tied to a broader governance structure of the State University of New York system, including its Chancellor, Board of Trustees, University Faculty Senate and Student Assembly. Furthermore, the President receives oversight and advice from the Stony Brook Council, presently chaired by Kevin S. Law, President and CEO of the Long Island Association. [3][4]

The current Interim President is Michael A. Bernstein. On July 1, 2020, Maurie D. McInnis assumed office as the 6th President of Stony Brook, only the second woman in the university's history appointed to that position.

Nelson A. Rockefeller, Governor of New York (1959-1973), commissioned the construction of a state university on Long Island to "stand with the finest in the country"[5]
State University on Long Island, Announcement of a new college of The State University of New York, 1948
Ward Melville, businessman and philanthropist (1887-1977), donated 400 acres of land in Stony Brook, New York to establish a major public research institution on Long Island.

Dean of State University College on Long Island[edit]

Dean Term of office Notes
Leonard K. Olson
(1914 - 2002)
[6]
1957 - 1961
(Four years)
Oversaw the managing of the Oyster Bay campus while organizing and planning for the Stony Brook campus. He recruited top faculty from elite institutions such as Oxford University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and Yale University. Olsen was considered a strong leader and champion for student rights, a beloved figure within the Oyster Bay community.[7]

Presidents of Stony Brook University[edit]

No. President Term of office Education Notes
1 John Francis Lee
(1918-1999)
[8][9]
1961
(11 months)
At the Coe Estate of Oyster Bay, Lee presided over the first Commencement ceremony with "all appropriate pomp and circumstance," and Dean Olsen distributed the first 25 degrees from the university.[10][11]
2 John S. Toll
(1923-2011)
[12]
1965 – 1978
(13 years)

B.S., Yale University (1944)
Ph.D., Princeton University (1952)
[13]

Increased student population from 1,800 to over 17,000 while developing competitive academic departments and recruiting elite scholars such as Nobel Prize Laureate Yang Chen-Ning[14]

3 John H. Marburger III
(1941-2011)
[15]
1980 – 1994
(14 years)

B.A., Princeton University
Ph.D., Stanford University
[16]

Presided over the opening of the Stony Brook University Medical Center, today known as the Stony Brook University Hospital, which helped develop the university as among the nation's premiere institutions in the biological sciences
4 Shirley Strum Kenny
(1934-)
[17]
1994 – 2009
(15 years)

B.A., University of Texas
M.A., University of Minnesota
Ph.D., University of Chicago
[18]

First female and humanist President of Stony Brook University, expanded the university's community outreach on Long Island and formed close partnerships with business and industry[19]
5 Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD
(1954-)
[20]
2009 – 2019
(10 years)

B.A., University of Chicago
M.D., Harvard University
[21]

Prioritized fundraising initiatives, including the sixth-largest donation to a public university in history from Jim Simons and the Simons Foundation, supported Stony Brook's Higher Education Opportunity Program[19]
Michael A. Bernstein
(1955-)
[22]
Interim
August 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020
(11 months)

B.A. (1976), M.A.(1978), M.Phil.(1980), Ph.D.(1982), Yale University
[22]

Since assuming the Office of Interim President as Provost, Bernstein has been instrumental in guiding the university during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has used his platform on the "Beyond the Expected" podcast to educate the campus community on matters related to the virus[23]
6 Maurie D. McInnis
(1966-)
[24]
July 1, 2020 – present
(3 years, 9 months)

B.A., University of Virginia
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale University
[1]

Second female President, assumed the presidency during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted campus activities and has kept student taking courses online

Provosts of Stony Brook University[edit]

No. Provost[25] Term of office
1 H. Bentley Glass 1965–1971
(6 years)
2 Sidney Gelber 1971–1981
(10 years)
3 Homer A. Neal 1981–1986
(5 years)
4 Jerry R. Schubel 1986–1989
(3 years)
5 Tilden G. Edelstein 1989–1994
(5 years)
6 R. Bryce Hool 1994–1995
(1 year)
7 Rollin C. Richmond 1996–1999
(3 years)
8 Robert L. McGrath 1999–2007
(8 years)
9 Eric W. Kaler 2007–2011
(4 years)
10 Dennis Assanis 2011–2016
(5 years)
Charles Taber

(interim)

2016
(Jun-Oct)
11 Michael A. Bernstein 2016–2019
(3 years)
Minghua Zhang[26]

(interim)

2019–2020
(1 year)
Michael A. Bernstein 2020

(3 months)

Fotis Sotiropoulos[27]

(interim)

2020–2021

(6 months)

13 Paul Goldbart 2021–2022

(10 months)

Mónica Bugallo[28]

(interim)

2022

(5 months)

14 Carl Lejuez 2022–present

(1 year, 9 months)

Presidents of University Senate[edit]

Presidents of Stony Brook University Senate
Term President
1975 Max Dresden
1976 Norman Goodman
1977 Bill Jim Layton
1978-1979 Gary Thomas
1980-1981 Fred Goldhaber
1981-1983 Ron Douglas
1984 Joel Rosenthal
1985 Lawrence Slobodkin
1986 Benjamin Walcott
1987 Donald Petrey
1988 Andrea Tyree
1989 William Van Der Kloot
1990 Norman Goodman
1991 Barbara Elling
1992 Richard Porter
1993 Bernard Dudock
1994 Egon Neuberger
1995 Aldustus Jordan
1996-1997 Jolyon Jesty
1997-1999 Robert Kerber
1999-2001 Bill Godfrey
2001-2002 Benjamin Walcott
2002-2006 W. Brent Lindquist
2006-2009 Bernard Lane
2009-2010 Michael Schwartz
2010-2014 Frederick Walter
2014-2018 Edward Feldman

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Maurie McInnis Named Sixth President of Stony Brook University". Stony Brook University News. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Meeting the increasing demand for higher education in New York State :a report to the Governor and the Board of Regents" (PDF). [Albany] : The Committee, 1960. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Stony Brook Council". Stony Brook University Council. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Kevin S. Law, Stony Brook Council". Stony Brook University Council. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Stony Brook University Special Collections & Archives". Stony Brook University Libraries. Archived from the original on 2014-05-27. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Leonard Olsen, Professor Emeritus in the Humanities, Ideas and Methods, the College, dies at age 88". University of Chicago Chronicle. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Stony Brook University, Shared Vision" (PDF). Stony Brook University. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Library of Congress record of John Francis Lee". Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  9. ^ "John Francis Lee, President, 1961". Stony Brook University, Special Collections and University Archives. Archived from the original on 2014-05-27. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Stony Brook University's Inaugural Commencement, 1961" (PDF). SUNY Connect. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Past Presidents, John Francis Lee". Stony Brook University Library. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  12. ^ "John S. Toll, President, 1965-1978". Stony Brook University, Special Collections and University Archives. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  13. ^ "Office of the President". Washington College. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Past Presidents, John S. Toll". Stony Brook University Library. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  15. ^ "John H. Marburger III, President, 1980-1994". Stony Brook University, Special Collections and University Archives. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Dr. John Marburger, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy". Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Shirley Strum Kenny, President, 1994-2009". Stony Brook University, Special Collections and University Archives. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Shirley Strum Kenny". Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Stony Brook University, History and Mission". Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Samuel L. Stanley Jr., President, 2009-2019". Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Get to know university President Samuel L. Stanley Jr". Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Bernstein CV" (PDF). Stony Brook University News. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Beyond the Expected: To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate - Sharon Nachman". Beyond the Expected Vodcast. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Maurie McInnis Named Sixth President of Stony Brook University". Stony Brook University News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Past Provosts". SBU: History and Timeline. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  26. ^ Ledda, Brianne (2019-08-25). "Minghua Zhang takes over as interim provost". The Statesman. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  27. ^ Nassiri, Niki (2020-09-20). "Fotis Sotiropoulos appointed as Interim Provost". The Statesman. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  28. ^ Nassiri, Niki; Lynders, Maria (2022-01-23). "Paul Goldbart, executive vice president and provost, steps down". The Statesman. Retrieved 2023-08-08.