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Campus Improvements and Expansions
Finally, one measure of any institution’s health is the number of cranes on campus. Thanks in large measure to the steadfast support of our elected officials, most notably Senators Ken LaValle and John Flanagan, and Assemblymen Steve Englebright, Mike Fitzpatrick and others, there is exciting new construction happening on campus. Next month we will open the new Campus Recreation Center, a state-of-the-art facility that will make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for each and every student at Stony Brook University. I can’t wait.

Earlier this summer we broke ground for a new Marine Sciences Laboratory at our Southampton Campus, a fantastic new facility that will help propel our outstanding School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences to even greater heights. Soon we will break ground for a new Computer Science Building, and before you know it, the new classrooms at the Old Chemistry Building will be online. On February 1, 2013, we are opening our new Hilton Garden Inn at Stony Brook — this will be transformative in our ability to host conferences on campus.

Across Nicolls Road, design is progressing for the new Medical and Research Translation Building and new Hospital tower that will incorporate Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. These will be new signature buildings for a campus that is long overdue for an upgrade. This is just a sampling of what we are doing — our new capital plan provides for far more. We are hopeful that with the strong support of SUNY and the State, we can continue to add to, renovate and improve this great campus.

Stony Brook University Is On the Move
So three years later I am proud to say that I believe Stony Brook University is on the move, and we are moving in the right direction. The recent U.S.News & World Report rankings placed us in the top 100 national universities and among the top 40 public universities — the highest ranking we have ever achieved. And while I am always skeptical of these ratings, I hope they reflect the real progress we have made. To the extent that any of that progress can be traced to my administration, I want to acknowledge what I believe is an outstanding team: my three Senior Vice Presidents, Ken Kaushansky, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine; Dennis Assanis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Barbara Chernow, Senior Vice President for Administration.

Time will not permit me to name all the other great members of our team — the other vice presidents or our superb deans — but I did want to welcome our new Hospital CEO, Reuven Pasternak, who will lead an enterprise that is vital to our University and region; our newly appointed Vice President for Finance and Senior Budget Officer, Lyle Gomes; Lynn Johnson, newly appointed as Vice President for Human Resources; and our new Vice President for Research, Ben Hsaio.

Welcome to each and every one of you, and thank you for your commitment to Stony Brook. That message of welcome brings me full circle. I want to conclude my State of the University Address by again welcoming our new faculty to Stony Brook University and inviting all of you to a reception in the Wang Center.  

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