Press Releases
May 5, 2009
World Renowned Biomedical Researcher And University Administrator Named New President Of Stony Brook University
SUNY Board Taps Dr. Samuel Stanley, Professor and Vice Chancellor for Research at Washington University as Stony Brook’s 5th President; Succeeds Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny
STONY BROOK, NY, May 5, 2009 – The Board of Trustees of the State University of New York voted unanimously today to name Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr., Vice Chancellor for Research and professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis, as the new President of Stony Brook University.
Dr. Stanley’s appointment – which is effective July 1 – was announced officially by John J. O’Connor, Officer in Charge and Vice Chancellor and Secretary of the University, and SUNY Chancellor-Elect Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher, following the SUNY Board meeting here. He becomes the fifth President of Stony Brook, succeeding Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny, who is retiring after 15 years in the position.
“Hearty congratulations and a warm welcome from the entire SUNY community go to Dr. Samuel Stanley on becoming Stony Brook University’s president,” said SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “What makes Sam Stanley the best person to lead Stony Brook University is not just that he is a prominent biomedical researcher, a talented academic administrator, and a published scholar who serves on important national committees related to his field of expertise, but that he was also presented with the Distinguished Service Teaching Award from the students of Washington University.”
Chairman Hayden also remarked on the leadership of Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny saying, “On behalf of the entire SUNY community, I want to express deep appreciation to Shirley Kenny for her 15 years of extraordinary service, leadership and commitment as president of Stony Brook University. We are truly grateful.”
“Dr. Samuel Stanley is the right person to lead Stony Brook University forward and I am excited and enthusiastic about the future,” said SUNY Trustee Michael E. Russell. “Members of the Stony Brook University Council and the Search Committee, and their Chair Rick Nasti, have earned great praise and appreciation for conducting a thorough, rigorous national search and for the outstanding result they achieved in bringing Sam Stanley forward.”
“Dr. Stanley is absolutely an outstanding successor to Dr. Kenny,” said Chancellor-elect Nancy L. Zimpher. “I am so proud that he is the first presidential appointment that I have played a role in at SUNY and I know he will be an exceptional president in leading the talented students, world-class faculty and outstanding staff at Stony Brook University. I look forward to working with Dr. Stanley in the months and years ahead to advance and improve public higher education on Long Island and across New York.”
Echoing these sentiments, Richard T. Nasti, Chair of the Stony Brook Council and of the Presidential Search Committee, said, “we at Stony Brook are extremely pleased and excited that Dr. Stanley will serve as the institution’s next President. He is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of success at one of the nation’s premier academic and research universities. His outstanding amalgam of skills and credentials, as well as his creative energies will serve him well. In fact, his depth of experience in attracting research funding will benefit Stony Brook tremendously as we climb in the ranks of major AAU research universities.”
Dr. Stanley – who, since 2003, has served also as Director of the National Institutes of Health-funded Midwest Regional Center for Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases – called his new appointment a “dream job.
“This brings it all together for me, the opportunity to lead a great research university…to help faculty and students achieve more, and to make a difference,” Dr. Stanley. “I know that in its relatively short life, Stony Brook has made extraordinary advances. So I’m excited, and I’m looking forward to working strategically with my new colleagues on the faculty and staff, as well as with students, alumni and others to build on this remarkable trajectory of increased excellence, while solidifying its position among the nation’s top research universities.”
As Vice Chancellor for Research at Washington University, Dr. Stanley is credited with substantially advancing the research enterprise. In this role, he oversaw a research portfolio of $548 million, including $391 million in NIH funding. His responsibilities encompassed a broad array of activities associated with the management of these extramural research funds, including, but not limited to, the full range of matters related to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research, and technology transfer.
Dr. Stanley received his B.A. in 1976 from the University of Chicago and his M.D. in 1980 from Harvard Medical School. After his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, he was named a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at Washington University School of Medicine.
The author and co-author of dozens of peer-reviewed articles and scholarly publications, Dr. Stanley is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Burrough’s Welcome Scholar Award in Molecular Parasitology and the Distinguished Service Teaching Award from the Students at Washington University. He sits on a number of community, regional, and national science advisory boards, including the NIH National Advisory Allergy & Infectious Diseases Council; the U.S. Department of Commerce Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee; Research Alliance of Missouri; Saint Louis Academy of Science; and St. Louis Center of Excellence, Missouri Life Sciences Trust Fund, and is an Ambassador for the Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research..
Dr. Stanley is married to Dr. Ellen Li, a world renowned gastroenterologist, an MD/PhD who is also a Professor at Washington University’s School of Medicine. Drs. Stanley and Li are the parents of four children.
Part of the State University of New York system, Stony Brook University encompasses 200 buildings on 1,600 acres. In the 50 years since its founding, the University has grown tremendously, now with nearly 24,000 students and 2,100 faculty, and is recognized as one of the nation’s important centers of learning and scholarship. It is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, and ranks among the top 100 national universities in America and among the top 50 public national universities in the country according to the 2008 U.S. News & World Report survey. Considered one of the “flagship” campuses in the SUNY system, Stony Brook University is a driving force of the Long Island economy, with an annual economic impact of $4.65 billion, generating nearly 60,000 jobs. Stony Brook accounts for nearly four percent of all economic activity in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and roughly 7.5 percent of total jobs in Suffolk County.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 440,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu
Dr. Stanley will receive an annual state salary of $400,000. Dr. Stanley, in recognition and support of his ongoing research, will receive $100,000 per year from the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. The Stony Brook University Foundation will provide $150,000 annually in compensation or deferred compensation. Dr. Stanley will be provided university-owned housing at the Stony Brook University campus and will also have use of a campus-owned vehicle during the term of his presidency. A compensation comparison is available online.
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April 23, 2009
Stony Brook Council Recommends Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr., Vice Chancellor for Research, Washington University, St. Louis, as Next President of Stony Brook University, State University of New York
After a national search for a new president of Stony Brook University, and the recruitment of a pool of very strong candidates from the nation's most highly ranked research universities, the Presidential Search Committee and the Stony Brook Council have recommended to State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor-Elect Dr. Nancy Zimpher, that Dr. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., M.D. , Vice Chancellor for Research at Washington University, St. Louis be named as the next president of Stony Brook University.
After interviewing Dr. Stanley, Chancellor-Elect Zimpher has enthusiastically endorsed this recommendation, and indicated that she is asking the SUNY Board of trustees to convene in the very near future to formally appoint Dr. Stanley.
Dr. Stanley received his B.A. in 1976 from the University of Chicago, and his M.D. in 1980 from Harvard Medical School. After his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Stanley became a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at Washington University School of Medicine, one of our most prestigious and research intensive schools of medicine. Indeed, in 2008, Washington University's School of Medicine was ranked third best in the nation. Dr. Stanley currently serves as a professor in medicine and molecular microbiology at the medical school, and as Vice Chancellor for Research for the entire university. In further recognition of his national reputation in medical research, and of his outstanding leadership abilities, in 2003, Dr. Stanley was appointed as the Director of the Midwest Regional Center for Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, an NIH funded, multidisciplinary research center.
As Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. Stanley is credited with substantially advancing the research enterprise at Washington University. In this role, he oversees a research portfolio of $548 million, including $391 million in NIH funding. His responsibilities encompass a broad array of activities associated with the management of these extramural research funds, including, but not limited to the full range of matters related to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research, and technology transfer.
“We are extremely pleased and excited that Dr. Stanley will serve as Stony Brook’s next president. He is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of success at one of the nation’s premier academic institutions,” stated Richard Nasti, Chair of the Stony Brook Council and Chair of the Search Committee. “His depth of experience in attracting research funding will benefit Stony Brook tremendously as we climb in the ranks of major research AAU universities.”
Search Committee Member and Chairman Emeritus of the Stony Brook Foundation, James Simons, stated, “We are extremely fortunate to have recruited a person with Dr. Stanley’s impressive academic credentials, leadership skills, and creative energy. In our numerous interactions during the recruitment process, I found him to be a highly personable individual and an enthusiastic communicator. I am certain he will be a favorite among both students and faculty as he leads the university in the years to come.”
Rich Gelfond, Vice Chair of the Search Committee and Chair of the Stony Brook Foundation, stated, “We are excited that Dr. Stanley has agreed to accept this challenge. Dr. Stanley is an outstanding academic and leader in higher education who I am confident will swiftly and effectively propel Stony Brook in its climb to greatness. We welcome Dr. Stanley and his wife, Dr. Ellen Li to the Stony Brook family.”
Commenting on the Council’s decision, Dr. Stanley responded, “I am honored to have been selected as Stony Brook’s next president. In its short life, Stony Brook has accomplished some remarkable things. I look forward to working with my new colleagues on the faculty, staff, and students in a collective and strategic way to continue Stony Brook’s remarkable trajectory of increased excellence, and to position the university to take its place among the truly great research universities of the nation.”
SUNY Chancellor-Elect Zimpher said, “I am delighted that Dr. Stanley will be the first presidential appointment of my SUNY tenure. Sam Stanley is an accomplished leader, administrator, educator, medical researcher, and physician. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a commitment to excellence that will greatly enhance Stony Brook, SUNY, Long Island and all of New York. I am immensely grateful to Rick Nasti, the Stony Brook Council and the search committee for their hard work and dedication to finding the best person to lead Stony Brook. They’ve succeeded masterfully. I particularly want to thank Jim Simons for helping us recruit Dr. Stanley. I look forward to advancing Dr. Stanley’s appointment as president of Stony Brook to the SUNY Board of Trustees. I am sure the Board will be as impressed with Dr. Stanley as I am, and I look forward to working with Dr. Stanley for many years to come.”
Sam Aronson, Search Committee member and director of Brookhaven National Laboratory, commented, “Dr. Stanley has the scientific expertise, experience and vision to promote and strengthen the partnership between Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Lab, as well as the alliance with Cold Spring Harbor Lab, along with other research initiatives that will benefit the region, state, and nation. Dr. Stanley has the ability to enable Stony Brook to be one of the nation’s preeminent centers of cutting edge research in the physical and biological sciences.”
Professor Gary Marker, Search Committee member and Professor of History at Stony Brook University, stated, “While Dr. Stanley clearly has outstanding medical and science credentials, it is important to underscore that the Committee was equally impressed with his understanding and vision for all of the disciplines represented, the combination of which is what makes a major research university great. I was thrilled to learn of his minor in Russian literature from Chicago. Dr. Stanley is the son of a professor of anthropology. As such, he grew up in an academic family, which likely explains how easy it was for him to articulate a keen understanding of, and a passionate appreciation for the humanities, social sciences, and arts, as well as our other professional schools. Dr. Stanley's unique interdisciplinary vision will be most welcome on the Stony Brook campuses.”
Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton said, “Dr. Stanley has been a terrific leader for many years at Washington University. He is a distinguished member of the faculty of the School of Medicine with an excellent track record of academic contributions, including very significant research accomplishments. As Vice Chancellor for Research, he has been an impressive and talented leader for our entire university. Highly intelligent, he learns new things quickly and well. He is a person of dedication and integrity, and willing to shoulder important responsibilities. Comfortable working in a complex environment, Dr. Stanley works effectively with the full spectrum of people who make up a university community. We at Washington University in St. Louis will miss Dr. Stanley, yet we are confident that he and his new university home will thrive in response to the exciting opportunity for him at Stony Brook."
Dr. Stanley is married to Dr. Ellen Li, a world renowned Gastroenterologist who is also a Professor on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis' School of Medicine. Drs. Stanley and Li are the proud parents of four children.
A date for a special meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees is expected to be announced shortly. At the meeting the Board will review and act upon the recommendation of Dr. Stanley from Chancellor-Elect Zimpher, which she received from the Stony Brook Council. Dr. Stanley is expected to commence his term on July 1st, pending approval by the SUNY Board.
Stony Brook University was founded in 1957 and is one of the State University of New York’s four university centers. It is a member of the prestigious 62- member Association of American Universities, an association of the top research universities in the nation.