Nominee Statements
Search Committee for University President
posted 8/18/08; revised and corrected 8/29/08

The SUNY Guidelines for Conducting a Presidential Search provide for inclusion of 6 faculty members on the search committee. The faculty members are to be elected by secret ballot as the culmination of an open process of nomination involving the entire teaching faculty.

To assure that the faculty members are representative of the various constituencies on the campus, the Executive Committee of the University Senate has assigned one of the six faculty positions on the search committee to each of the following groups: CAS Humanities and Fine Arts, CAS Social and Behavioral Sciences, CAS Natural Sciences and Math, CEAS, The HSC faculties excluding the SOM, and the SOM.  During the election, faculty will vote for one representative from each constituency. 

The election will be done on SOLAR with voters using their regular SOLAR access. Every full-time faculty member will have the opportunity to vote for all six positions. The date of the vote and any other specifics will be announced later but the vote will be within the first two weeks of September.

Nominees, with their statements, are listed alphabetically within each constituency.

** Candidate Endorsed by the University Senate Executive Committee

CAS Humanities and Fine Arts

Robert P. Crease
Professor, Philosophy

As Chairman of the Provost Search Committee in 2007, I am familiar with the elements of a successful search. As Chairman of the Department of Philosophy, and SBU Professor for 21 years, I know the strengths of the SBU humanities community, particularly in interdisciplinary engagement with other disciplines. I would bring credibility to the panel as a nationally and internationally recognized scholar: I have authored, co-authored, or edited a dozen books (another appears in January), and received Fulbright, NSF, and Templeton awards. I am a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and of the Institute of Physics (London).

Aaron Godfrey 
European Studies

I have been on campus for forty-three years and have served in a number of capacities including President of the senate, President of the union, and as a member of the Executive Committees of the senate on both local and state-wide levels.  I believe that Stony Brook is at a critical juncture and my experience and activities in University affairs should be a useful addition to the committee.  Over the years I have obtained more than $10 million in grants.

Elizabeth Ann Kaplan
Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies

In 20 years as founding director of Stony Brook’s Humanities Institute, I have worked with faculty and students in the humanities and fine arts, social and natural sciences, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. I participated actively in departmental committees (English, CLCS), and university committees—the PTC, Senate Committees, Graduate Council, Academic Standards Council, Provostial Search Committees. Concerns I would urge the Search Committee to address include: 1) With  the successful development of Stony Brook’s undergraduate mission, it is time to swing the pendulum back toward the research excellence and graduate training Stony Brook’s known for. This will help retain our best faculty and attract potential new hires; 2) Given new global realities, we should increase international exchange and collaborative research (a continuing HISB priority); 3) The new President should expand existing interdisciplinary communication and research collaboration across the full spectrum of disciplines. Finally, we need a President with leadership qualities that include consulting with faculty as appropriate.

Daniel W. Kinney
Librarian          

I have held several positions since I came to Stony Brook in 1982, including Head of the Music Library and Associate Director of Libraries for Collections and Technical Services.  I have served in both the Stony Brook University Senate and the SUNY Senate.  I am currently a member of the University Senate Administrative Review Committee and the Vice President for Academics for the West Campus Chapter of UUP.  This is a critical time, and it is important to identify an outstanding leader who, together with the university community, will shape the future of Stony Brook.

** Judith Lochhead **
Professor of Music; Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, 2004.   

During my more than twenty years at Stony Brook, I have had extensive experience in administration, educational oversight, governance, and community relations.  This experience has given me a deep understanding of the pressures facing faculty in CAS.  As my record of involvement indicates, I have a long-standing and deep commitment to Stony Brook and its long-term aspirations to be a leading research university for both undergraduate and graduate students.  Given the central role academic excellence plays in such aspirations, I would assure that the academic perspective of the faculty be brought to bear in the choice of the next president. 

Peter J. Manning
Professor, English Department

The Presidential search is an occasion to assess the choices made by the current administration, and to shape the future by selecting a new President responsive to the concern of the faculty for teaching and research.  Before coming to Stony Brook I served as chair of the English Department at USC, and chaired the Humanities Division Personnel Committee. I have served here as Chair of English, and on the PTC, FAHSS, and the searches for the College and Business School deans. After forty years at three Research I institutions I have experienced many ways of imagining a major university.

CAS Social and Behavioral Sciences

** Norman Goodman **
Distinguished Teaching Professor and Distinguished Service
Professor of Sociology

I have been president of the Arts and Sciences Senate, twice president of the University Senate and on its Executive Committee for many years, department chair for twenty years under three presidents, served on or chaired many committees of both senates, and am presently Vice President of the SUNY University Faculty Senate.  In these positions, I have worked with campus presidents as well as SUNY administrators and, consequently, I understand the characteristics required of a campus president.  Above all, the president must have a vision that is shared by the faculty, and s/he needs to cooperate with them and the provost to devise suitable means to realize that vision.  Of paramount importance is the president's recognition that the academic core (teaching and research/scholarship) is central to the campus' mission and that it requires an appropriate allocation of resources to do so.  The president must also play a major role in fund-raising and in connecting the campus to the SUNY system and other stakeholders.

Gary Marker
Professor, History

I am Gary Marker, Professor of History, specializing in Russia. I have been at Stony Brook since 1979, and have served as department Chair (1995-2001) and Graduate Director (1987-89).  I have chaired many committees within governance, including CAPRA (2006-07), and the University Senate's Committee on UG Enrollment and Admissions (1992-94).  I have also been a member of more task forces, ad-hoc committees, etc., than I can remember. I have received several grants and fellowships, mostly recently a Guggenheim (2007-08).  I am running because I want to see the needs and interests of the academic sector vigorously represented in the search process.

CAS Natural Sciences and Math

Robert Aller, Distinguished Professor
SoMAS

Stony Brook should be the finest of public universities.  The fundamentals necessary for academic excellence, quality educational experience, and responsible environmental policy must take precedence over increasing size per se.  The president should be someone who shuns self-aggrandizement, respects and promotes all components of the campus community, and forthrightly engages faculty, staff, students, alumni, and surrounding communities in matters important to the University’s status and future.  A faculty member for 22 years (Distinguished Prof. SoMAS, affiliated Geosciences). I have served on many University committees including: the Senate (At-Large Senator (3 terms), Administrative Review (1 term, Chair), and Campus Environment (2 terms) committees

Benjamin Thomas Peng-Nien Chu
Distinguished Professor, Chemistry Department

Benjamin Chu has been with SBU for 40 years and has been a Distinguished Professor since 1992. His research topics deal with energy, health and environment, bridging the disciplines in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and medicine. He is on the Board of Trustees of St. Norbert College with a new President to be inaugurated in October, 2008. Chu has connections in Europe and Asia and can bring a broad global perspective on new challenges for the future in education and research. He wants to see SBU become one of the best universities that is working for the benefit of mankind.

J. Peter Gergen
Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Gergen has been a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology since 1989 with promotion to Professor in 1999. He has been the Director of the Center for Developmental Genetics since 1999, was Director of the tri-institutional (SBU, CSHL, BNL) Genetics Graduate Program from 2000 to 2005, and served as Associate Dean in the Graduate School from 2005 to 2008. Gergen is actively involved in research and education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and currently serves on the Minority Programs Review Committee for NIH/NIGMS and the Biochemistry of Gene Expression Review Panel for NSF.

** Chang Kee Jung **
Professor of Physics

Every president brings her/his strengths and weaknesses. Ideally each succeeding president will complement the preceding president such that progress made under the preceding president is well maintained while proper attention is paid to the areas of weakness in the context of a collective long-term vision of the University. If elected, I will actively seek out input from SBU community members regarding their priorities, concerns and the desirable qualifications of the next president of this great institution. I have been at Stony Brook for 18 years. I have played major leadership roles in large international collaborations in particle physics that made major discoveries and advances. I also led a large multi-disciplinary international collaboration. I deeply care about the educational mission of the University and I have developed two successful undergraduate courses for non-science major students: "Light, Color and Vision" and "Physics of Sports". I will bring a balanced view in the committee.

Alfred Scharff ("Fred") Goldhaber
Professor, Physics

Faculty member of C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics and Astronomy since 1967. Have watched and interacted with three university Presidents and two acting Presidents.  Decades of service in CAS and University Senates and numerous university committees.  President of University Senate 1980-1981, during transition from acting President Schmidt to President Marburger.  University governance at this moment is at a low ebb, with many positions filled in one-candidate elections.   Vigorous participation by faculty, staff and students is vital both to keep developments on track and to assure the informed support of the university community for university policies.  Thus, besides the administrative skills, fundraising ability, and scholarly reputation one should expect in a president here, also important is a commitment to strengthening and working with university governance.  If chosen to serve, I should plan to work towards assuring that finalists satisfy all these criteria.

Eugene Katz
Professor, Microbiology

Gene Katz would bring a wealth of experience and perspective pertaining  to SBU issues to the search committee since he has been director of two different graduate programs, has been Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences (when CAS had divisions), has been Associate Dean of CAS for Budget and Operations, and is currently Director of Undergraduate Biology. He believes that public research universities are an endangered species and would work to identify a new president who, first and foremost, is committed to enhancing Stony Brook’s position as one of the nation’s top public research universities.

Peter M. Koch
Professor and Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Statement:  As a prize-winning researcher in atomic physics, I have published more than 90 papers, supervised over 20 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, and taught courses ranging from freshmen to graduate students.  My 26 years here include administrative service as Associate Dean in the divisional system (1994-6) and the College of Arts and Sciences (2003-5) and, since 2005, as Chair of Physics and Astronomy.  A President must engage our entire university community, particularly our faculty.  A faculty involved in the leadership of the University will be our new President’s greatest asset.  I have contributed to our greatness, know our vulnerabilities and future needs, and will be a hard-working member of the search committee. 

Lorne Mendell
Distinguished Professor
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

As prior chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (1988-2006), I have participated in many decisions affecting CAS and the School of Medicine.  Other committee assignments outside my department have included Honorary Degrees Committee, HSC Library Committee and numerous Search Committees (Chairs, VPResearch, Provost). Membership on external review committees at several other institutions has further broadened my perspective on university affairs. One important priority for the next President should be to coordinate the strengths of the East and West Campuses to the advantage of both. I enjoy working at Stony Brook and desire a successful future for the institution. 

Anthony V. Phillips
Professor of Mathematics

I have been at Stony Brook since 1968 and have watched how Presidents Toll, Marburger and Kenny each left a permanent stamp on the University. I understand how the SUNY administrative structure gives enormous importance to the personality (tempermental as well as intellectual) of the Stony Brook President. I believe I share with most of the faculty an understanding of how a University must fulfill its primary commitments: education and research; and I believe I have the experience and the judgment to be effective in evaluating how well candidates match our situation and our ideals.

F. James Rohlf
Distinguished Professor, Ecology and Evolution

Joined faculty in 1968. Administrative experience: Chair for 9 years, Graduate Program Director for 3 years, and various departmental and faculty senate committees. Member of the most recent Provost search committee and Research & Development Park Oversight Board. Scholarship:  SUNY Distinguished Professor, Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Member of several editorial boards, 5 books and 146 papers. Interested in serving to ensure that the concerns of faculty and researchers are heard in the selection our next President.

Michael G. White
Professor, Department of Chemistry

As former Chair of the Department of Chemistry (2003-2007), I am familiar with many of the issues facing departments that are striving to hire and support world-class faculty and deliver high-quality educational programs at Stony Brook. As a joint appointee at Brookhaven National Laboratory, I am also familiar with the efforts to strengthen the strategic ties between the two institutions. My role as a member of the Presidential search committee will be to help identify candidates whose experience and vision match the challenges we face and the aspirational goals of our students and faculty.

CEAS College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

David Ferguson
Distinguished Service Professor and Chair
Department of Technology and Society

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of my research and teaching, and my involvement in efforts to enhance the participation of underrepresented groups in higher education, I have had the honor of working with faculty, staff, and students throughout the University. During my more than 25 years at Stony Brook, I have seen our institution make important advances in research, teaching, service, and economic development. Our University is poised to move to even higher levels. It would be an honor to be a part of the search committee that would help our University community identify and attract a strong leader with vision, keen intelligence, passion, and an unwavering commitment to work collegially with all of us to amplify our efforts and make Stony Brook even greater.

Michael Hadjiargyrou
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Vice President for Research, Office of the Vice President for Research

Having been at SBU for 13 years and currently serving as a faculty member and as coordinator for multi- and interdisciplinary activities around the campus as Associate VP for Research, I have gained a unique perspective and understanding of the university’s research enterprise as well as its other scholarly activities.  I feel strongly that our next President needs to value and promote the excellence of our faculty.  Further, I am aware of existing problems and needs of our university and, thus, I believe that I am in an advantageous position to be an effective member of the Presidential Search Committee.

** Alan Tucker **
Distinguished Teaching Professor of Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Alan Tucker came to Stony Brook in 1970 shortly after receiving his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Stanford.  He has served as Applied Math department chair (1978-89) and deputy chair (1989-08).  In recent years, he has been the President of the CEAS Senate as well as the CEAS Vice-President of the University Senate.  He is a past First Vice-President of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and won the MAA’s 1995 Trevor Evans Prize. His research area is combinatorial mathematics. 

Health Science Center

** Ora James Bouey **
Professor and Associate Dean
School of Nursing

It is an honor to have been nominated to serve on the Presidential search committee. I have served under Drs.Toll, Marburger and Kenny.  I have seen and relished in the growth of the University from the days of the mud to the present. I am fortunate to have work with many of my colleagues from different professional disciplines on west, south and east campus. During my tenure here I have had firsthand experience within inter-professional groups and have consistently represented the interests of the students, faculty and staff of the HSC. I have also advocated for the University at large may it be on a local, state, national or international level,  and will continue to support its mission. The ability of the next President to build on the accomplishments of the past is essential and I will make every effort to assist with the selection of such an individual.

Charles L. Robbins, DSW

I am currently an Associate Professor and Associate Dean in the School of Social Welfare. In addition I serve as faculty director of an undergraduate Living Learning Center on West Campus. I have been at Stony Brook for almost 19 years and actively involved in many activities and programs throughout the University. I believe in the mission of our University and recognize the potential of what we can become. I understand the significant role that the appointment of the next President will have in directly influencing the University that we are in the future. I pledge to represent you responsibly.

School of Medicine

Jolyon Jesty
Professor of Medicine and Pathology
Division of Hematology & Oncology
Department of Medicine

Stony Brook faculty 30 years, with positions and interests in many camps. They continue. 1) Faculty interests and university governance, 20 years, including President of the University Senate; member of numerous Senate and university committees, which continues. 2) Professor of Medicine, 15 years: PhD, not clinical, but osmosis from colleagues counts, and the School of Medicine is of central importance in this search. 3) Researcher, 30 years, still collaborating, publishing, funded. 4) Central interests in teaching: medical, graduate, undergraduate (course director), high school, others. And a broad interest in the future of this University.

Dr. Richard Lin
Professor in the Department of Medicine

As a physician, scientist and educator, I have a broad perspective on the complex interests of the Health Science Center and how we can contribute to the missions of the University. I serve as an attending physician at our affiliated University Hospital and at the Northport VA Medical Center. My NIH-funded research involves ongoing collaborations with colleagues on both sides of the campus. I am actively involved in the education of medical and graduate students and clinical postgraduates. I believe our next President should be fully engaged in the challenges of fostering a successful School of Medicine within a thriving University.

** Roy T. Steigbigel, MD**
Professor of Medicine, Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacology
President, SOM Faculty Senate
Division of Infectious Diseases

I have been asked by the School of Medicine (SOM) Faculty Senate to serve on the search committee for the President of the University. I accept this request as I believe I am unusually well qualified for the task. I am the current President of this Senate, and have been on the faculty of the SOM since 1983. My primary appointment is in the Department of Medicine with joint appointments in the Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacological Sciences. These have given me extensive insight and experience into the educational, investigative and clinical roles and responsibilities of the clinical and basic science departments of the SOM. I have, moreover, served on several university wide committees, which have further broadened my view. My role on the search committee would be, therefore, to strongly promote the needs and aspirations of the entire university as well as the SOM and Medical Center in the choice of a University President. There must be no let-up in our striving for the goal of being a first-class institution

** Endorsed by the University Senate Executive Committee