Michael Boerner

President, University Senate and Business Administrator in Political Science
Michael Boerner is the Business Administrator for the Department of Political Science, where he supports the academic and research activities of faculty and students. Prior to working in academic affairs, he worked in student affairs as the Risk Management and Assessment Coordinator for Student Centers, supporting campus event planning for students, departments, and external organizations. He has been a member of the Stony Brook University community since 2013 and was honored for his outstanding contributions with the 2023 College of Arts and Sciences Staff Excellence Award.

In shared governance, Dr. Boerner has served on the Executive Committees for the University Senate and Arts and Sciences Senate, the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee, and the Committee on Campus Academic Planning and Resource Allocation (CAPRA). His leadership also includes roles on the Professional Employees Governance Board, as a United University Professions (UUP) Statewide Professional Delegate, and as a senator representing the campus in the state-wide SUNY University Faculty Senate.

Dr. Boerner received his PhD at Stony Brook University where he studied the intersection of music, surrealism, and phenomenology. His expertise lies in music theory and sound phenomenology. Using these frameworks, he developed a theory of "experiential surrealism" to explore how musical works elicit transformative, immersive experiences. Through historical and contemporary case studies his research investigates how music engages with, reacts against, and ultimately alters our perception of the contemporary world.

CONTACT:

Email: Michael. Boerner@stonybrook.edu
Department of Political Science
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4392