By GREGORY ZELLER //
An accomplished academician and private-sector scientific star will become Stony Brook University’s next president.
The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to name Andrea Goldsmith as SBU’s seventh president, effective Aug. 1.
Goldsmith, currently dean of engineering and applied science at Princeton University, succeeds Interim President Richard McCormick, who took the reins after SBU President Maurie McInnis announced her resignation in May. McInnis, who was named SBU’s sixth president in March of 2020 and assumed the office that July, left to become the 24th president of Yale University.
The incoming president boasts a sparkling scientific and administrative résumé. In addition to her long stint on the Princeton faculty – besides serving as dean, she is the university’s Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering – she has been the Stephen Harris Professor of Engineering and a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, as well as an assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology.
Her tour of duty through the Ivy League and other top-rated science schools makes her the ideal candidate to lead SBU, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who congratulated Goldsmith “on her appointment as the next president of this prestigious university.”
Kathy Hochul: Adding another vital asset.
“As one of New York State’s flagship institutions, Stony Brook University is a vital asset for our economic growth and prosperity,” the governor said. “I believe she will undoubtedly serve Stony Brook admirably.”
Empire State Development Corp. Board of Directors Chairman Kevin Law, the Tritec Real Estate Co. executive vice president and Stony Brook Council chairman who headed up SBU’s Presidential Search Committee, said Goldsmith emerged from a tough field to win the nomination.
“The search for Stony Brook’s next president was a rigorous and comprehensive process, and the exceptional caliber of candidates reflected the university’s growing prominence,” Law noted. “Dr. Goldsmith stood out as a leader with the vision, expertise and dedication to take Stony Brook to new heights.
“We are confident she is the ideal choice to lead us into an exciting future.”
Goldsmith’s academic accomplishments are matched – virtually achievement-for-achievement – by her private-sector success.
She’s logged lengthy experience as a Board of Directors member at numerous major-league technology companies, including the Intel Corp. and Medtronic; she co-founded two separate software companies (Quantenna Communications and Plume Design), and served as CTO of each; she chaired the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Ethics; and she held critical positions at other large-scale tech companies, including chief scientist of MemoryLink Corp. and technical staff member at AT&T Bell Laboratories (now Nokia Bell Labs).
That’s the curriculum vitae of a scientist who truly understands commercialization – great news for innovative, industrious SBU, according to SUNY Chancellor John King Jr.
John King Jr.: Impressive choice.
“Her impressive experience as a dean, faculty member and researcher at R1 universities, as a successful innovator and as a committed educator and academic leader makes her an extraordinary choice to lead this esteemed SUNY institution to new heights,” King said Wednesday. “We are excited to have Dr. Goldsmith lead the university to help more New Yorkers achieve their dreams and lead the future.”
As the university’s chief executive, Goldsmith will also lead Stony Brook Medicine, a premier academic medical center encompassing five health-sciences schools, three hospitals, a skilled nursing facility and 200-plus community-based healthcare offices.
Heap all that atop her other university-based duties, and Goldsmith’s presidency promises to be her busiest job yet, in a career filled with busy jobs – and the outgoing Princeton dean as champing at the bit to get to it.
“Stony Brook’s commitment to academic excellence, research innovation and social mobility resonates profoundly with my values,” the president-elect said in a statement. “I am deeply honored to join this remarkable institution.
“I look forward to getting to know the Stony Brook community and to working alongside Stony Brook’s exceptional faculty and staff to serve our students and build upon the university’s upward momentum to achieve new heights of success in education, research, service and global impact,” Goldsmith added. “My thanks to (SUNY Chairwoman Merryl) Tisch and the entire SUNY Board of Trustees, and Stony Brook Chairman Law, for this opportunity.”
