Welcome Back to Campus
January 24, 2022
To the Campus Community,
I’m so happy to welcome you back to campus for what I know is going to be an incredible
Spring 2022.
2022...
Sometimes, even after all that’s happened and how hard we’ve collectively worked to
get where we are today (safely in-person with renewed ambition, powerful partnerships
across the state, and dynamic scholarship around every campus corner), I still have
a hard time believing we’re well into the new year.
And yet, we are. It’s the first day of the Spring semester, and already we’ve learned
so much and celebrated so many accomplishments. We ended 2021 on a high note, with
the wonderful news that Stony Brook University has been selected as a finalist in
the competition to be the anchor institution for the Governors Island Center for Climate
Solutions. Then, in her first State of the State Address on January 5, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed Stony Brook as one of two flagship institutions in the SUNY system — an
incredible opportunity for this university to expand its reach and influence across
the globe. And on January 13, intellectual property attorney Eryn Truong and William
Salas from the Smithtown Library Patent & Trademark Resource Center worked with Stony
Brook to lead a seminar on intellectual property and how to protect our innovative
ideas and apply for a patent.
But there’s more we can eagerly anticipate: Our track and field, basketball, and women’s
swimming and diving teams have begun their exciting seasons, so make sure to visit
Stony Brook Athletics and cheer them on! Our world-renowned Emerson String Quartet has its first concert of the year on January 26. And in just a week, on February
1, we’ll be able to attend Earfest, an experience in immersive sound, including the latest in fixed-media audio and
video, presented by Stony Brook Computer Music Studios.
I could go on. But for the purposes of this email, I’ll simply reiterate that there’s
a lot to look forward to this Spring — and even more with each coming month, from
hot jazz to a women’s entrepreneurship colloquium, and satire to opera. As we are
all learning, celebrating, and connecting with one another, please know that your
health and well-being are integral to the supportive and dynamic community that is
Stony Brook University. We will continue to be compliant with all NYS and CDC guidelines
in protecting against COVID-19, and we will be flexible and communicative in this effort.
A university campus is an almost infinite thing. It contains worlds within worlds.
And I encourage you to discover them by looking at the events, workshops, lectures,
performances, and opportunities available both within your department and across campus.
We’ve learned a lot during the past two years, but certainly that this time together
is precious. Welcome to the Stony Brook University Spring 2022 semester!
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis
President