A New Year of Momentum, Purpose and Progress
August 24, 2026
Dear Members of the Stony Brook Community,
As our campus comes alive with the magical, vibrant energy of a new academic year, I am thrilled to welcome you to the start of the fall semester.
Last week, I had the joy of welcoming our new and returning students to our beautiful campus. Move-in is always one of my favorite days of the year because I get to meet our outstanding new students who are bringing their hopes, dreams and heavy boxes to campus. The diverse talents, interests, and brilliance of our students inspire us all, and add to the rich tapestry that makes up our Stony Brook community. We are so glad they are here, and deeply grateful for the trust our students have placed in us for their education.
As we begin this fall semester, let us embrace the unique Seawolf spirit that makes our community so exceptional. Stony Brook is a place where we support one another, celebrate each other’s successes and work together to overcome challenges. The warm, welcoming, and inclusive culture here inspires and elevates us collectively and individually.
Stony Brook — our university — strives to be the gold standard for higher education where people come together to learn from each other, to have respectful discussion about different viewpoints, and to be compassionate and empathetic to people that they don't agree with, because those conversations are the very essence of university life and learning. That is the high standard we set for all members of our community, and those expectations extend beyond the borders of our campus, as each of us represents Stony Brook University wherever we are. I encourage everyone to review the university policies that guide this shared commitment to foster open, civil, and constructive dialogue across our campus and beyond.
We enter this new academic year at a pivotal moment. Over the past year, together we built a bold strategic vision that lays out six aspirational goals for the next 10 years — represented by the acronym ASPIRE — coupled with a set of bold actions that we will execute to reach these goals. This ambitious strategic plan touches every part of our campus. It is a vision that reflects who we are, what we have accomplished and what we will achieve in the decade ahead. More details of this plan will be unveiled at my State of the University Address on Monday, September 14.
Throughout my first year as president of this special university, I have been reminded of the honor and privilege I have to serve in this role. Stony Brook, now approaching its 70th birthday and as one of the youngest public universities in the country, has risen from its modest beginnings to become a powerful engine of upward mobility through the excellent, affordable, and accessible education we offer, a research leader to solve humanity’s greatest challenges, a provider of outstanding and compassionate healthcare and an essential source of enrichment and prosperity for our community.
I believe wholeheartedly that there is no limit to what we can achieve together in taking Stony Brook to new heights of excellence and impact. I am thrilled and excited for the year ahead and grateful for the outstanding leaders, faculty, staff, students, and healthcare professionals that make up our community. To every Seawolf, thank you for your remarkable contributions across all dimensions of our mission: education, research, healthcare, and service to our communities, the great state of New York, the country, and the world.
Sincerely,
Andrea Goldsmith
President