Moving Forward
With an infusion of new enthusiasm, SBU continues its upward trajectory
By Shelley Catalano
There’s no question that Stony Brook University has been reaching new heights, as evident by the many national accomplishments it has recently achieved. And we are committed to keeping that trajectory moving in the right direction.
In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution of the New York Climate Exchange research center on Governors Island; awarded one of the largest gifts to a university in American history with a $500 million unrestricted endowment from the Simons Foundation; and achieved its highest-ever rankings among U.S. News and World Reports’ Best Colleges listing, including being named the No. 1 public university in New York (an honor it received again in 2024).
To keep that upward momentum going, an experienced, energized interim president was appointed to guide Stony Brook following the departure of Maurie McInnis, who announced in May she was stepping down to become president of Yale University.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King and the SUNY Board of Trustees announced in July they had selected Richard L. McCormick to lead Stony Brook while a search for SBU’s seventh president began.
McCormick has more than four decades of experience in higher education, most recently serving as president emeritus and Board of Governors Professor of History and Education at Rutgers University. He previously served as president of Rutgers and the University of Washington, and as provost at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a renowned scholar of American political history.
“Although my title is interim president, my time spent here will be active and engaged, and I am thrilled to be Stony Brook’s leader at this exciting time,” President McCormick said after he arrived on campus on August 1. “I believe that, working together with the entire campus community, we can ensure that Stony Brook’s permanent president will inherit a university that is even better than it is today. And that is saying a lot.
“My top goal is to maintain Stony Brook’s momentum. President McInnis and her leadership team advanced Stony Brook on a phenomenal trajectory of success and exceptional accomplishments, and I want to keep that moving forward,” he continued. “There are so many exciting initiatives underway that are bringing Stony Brook to greater academic and research excellence every day. I also have some ideas of my own that may not come to complete fruition during my presidency, but I expect will reveal some solid recommendations for the new president to consider and build upon.”
President McCormick shared these ideas and other priorities during his State of the University address, held on September 25. He also highlighted more of Stony Brook’s recent accomplishments.
2024 Highlights
What’s Next
During his address, President McCormick stressed that while SBU was named a flagship by Governor Hochul, he noted “we cannot be content to be called a flagship. We must actually BE one. What will it take for Stony Brook to become a true flagship university? What must we do? What challenges must we meet?”
He then outlined several focus areas to be the flagship New York deserves, including: expanding Stony Brook research opportunities; deepening teaching and research initiatives between East and West Campuses; improving our aging infrastructure and modernizing facilities; increasing our enrollment as a first-choice destination for students from New York, the nation and the world; and expanding our residential footprint to allow more undergraduate and graduate students to live on campus.
Projects already underway include the launch of a new Shared Resources Organization to design and develop high-performing computers; creation of a $10 million venture fund to provide professors with grants to pursue translational research; and the creation of a new Seawolves Village, adding 500 beds to the residential footprint for Fall 2025.
Interim President McCormick
About Interim President McCormick
Richard L. McCormick served as president of Rutgers University from 2002 to 2012, and president of the University of Washington from 1995 to 2002. He was vice chancellor and provost at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1992 to 1995. McCormick was a member of Rutgers University’s history faculty from 1976 to 1992, including three years as the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. McCormick has authored numerous books and articles in the field of American political history, beginning with his first book on New York State politics in the Progressive era. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in American studies and a PhD in history from Yale University.
An Update on the Presidential Search
The search for Stony Brook’s seventh president is now underway. Kevin S. Law, chair of the Stony Brook Council, is leading the search. He previously chaired the search that selected Maurie McInnis in 2020.
In September, the search committee began meeting with members chosen to represent the diversity of Stony Brook and in accordance with SUNY policy and guidelines. Law noted that “members are committed to conducting a search that yields an accomplished, visionary and inspirational president to lead Stony Brook University as it continues its forward trajectory as one of the top public research universities in the United States.”
The search committee is advisory to the SUNY Board of Trustees and consists of 23 faculty, staff, Stony Brook Foundation members, students, administration, alumni and Stony Brook Council members who will “conduct the search with a dedication to considering the best overall interests of the institution rather than those of any one constituency,” said Law.
To aid in the search, Stony Brook has hired Spencer Stuart, an accomplished education recruitment firm with deep experience at the highest levels of academia.
Members of the Stony Brook community are encouraged to visit the presidential search website to stay informed of the progress of the search as it will contain all relevant public information related to the process. Comments, suggestions and recommendations may also be submitted to PresidentialSearch@stonybrook.edu.
Available on the website is the full list of all search committee members as well as the “Position and Candidate Specification” document, which outlines the qualities and experience the committee is looking for in a candidate to lead Stony Brook.
For more information, visit stonybrook.edu/pres/search.