April
23, 2009 – After a
national search for a new president of Stony Brook University, and the
recruitment of a pool of very strong candidates from the nation's most highly
ranked research universities, the Presidential Search Committee and the Stony
Brook Council have recommended to State University of New York (SUNY)
Chancellor-Elect Dr. Nancy Zimpher, that Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., M.D., Vice
Chancellor for Research at Washington University, St. Louis be named as the
next president of Stony Brook University.
After
interviewing Dr. Stanley, Chancellor-Elect Zimpher has enthusiastically
endorsed this recommendation, and indicated that she is asking the SUNY Board
of trustees to convene in the very near future to formally appoint Dr.
Stanley.
Dr. Stanley
received his B.A. in 1976 from the University of Chicago, and his M.D. in 1980 from Harvard Medical School. After his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Stanley became a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at
Washington University School of Medicine, one of our most prestigious and research
intensive schools of medicine. Indeed, in 2008, Washington University's School of Medicine was ranked third best in the
nation. Dr. Stanley currently serves as a professor in medicine and molecular
microbiology at the medical school, and as Vice Chancellor for Research for the
entire university. In further recognition of his national reputation in
medical research, and of his outstanding leadership abilities, in 2003, Dr.
Stanley was appointed as the Director of the Midwest Regional Center for Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious
Diseases Research, an NIH funded, multidisciplinary research center.
As Vice
Chancellor for Research, Dr. Stanley is credited with substantially advancing
the research enterprise at Washington University. In this role, he oversees a
research portfolio of $548 million, including $391 million in NIH funding. His
responsibilities encompass a broad array of activities associated with the
management of these extramural research funds, including, but not limited to the
full range of matters related to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research,
and technology transfer.
“We are
extremely pleased and excited that Dr. Stanley will serve as Stony Brook’s next
president. He is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of success
at one of the nation’s premier academic institutions,” stated Richard Nasti,
Chair of the Stony Brook Council and Chair of the Search Committee. “His
depth of experience in attracting research funding will benefit Stony Brook
tremendously as we climb in the ranks of major research AAU universities.”
Search
Committee Member and Chairman Emeritus of the Stony Brook Foundation, James
Simons, stated, “We are extremely fortunate to have recruited a person with Dr.
Stanley’s impressive academic credentials, leadership skills, and creative
energy. In our numerous interactions during the recruitment process, I
found him to be a highly personable individual and an enthusiastic
communicator. I am certain he will be a favorite among both students and
faculty as he leads the university in the years to come.”
Rich Gelfond,
Vice Chair of the Search Committee and Chair of the Stony Brook Foundation,
stated, “We are excited that Dr. Stanley has agreed to accept this
challenge. Dr. Stanley is an outstanding academic and leader in higher
education who I am confident will swiftly and effectively propel Stony Brook in
its climb to greatness. We welcome Dr. Stanley and his wife, Dr. Ellen Li to
the Stony Brook family.”
Commenting
on the Council’s decision, Dr. Stanley responded, “I am honored to have been
selected as Stony Brook’s next president. In its short life, Stony Brook has
accomplished some remarkable things. I look forward to working with my
new colleagues on the faculty, staff, and students in a collective and
strategic way to continue Stony Brook’s remarkable trajectory of increased
excellence, and to position the university to take its place among the truly
great research universities of the nation.”
SUNY
Chancellor-Elect Zimpher said, “I am delighted that Dr. Stanley will be the
first presidential appointment of my SUNY tenure. Sam Stanley is an
accomplished leader, administrator, educator, medical researcher, and
physician. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a commitment to
excellence that will greatly enhance Stony Brook, SUNY, Long Island and all of New York. I am immensely grateful to
Rick Nasti, the Stony Brook Council and the search committee for their hard
work and dedication to finding the best person to lead Stony Brook. They’ve
succeeded masterfully. I particularly want to thank Jim Simons for
helping us recruit Dr. Stanley. I look forward to advancing Dr. Stanley’s
appointment as president of Stony Brook to the SUNY Board of Trustees. I am
sure the Board will be as impressed with Dr. Stanley as I am, and I look
forward to working with Dr. Stanley for many years to come.”
Sam
Aronson, Search Committee member and director of Brookhaven National
Laboratory, commented, “Dr. Stanley has the scientific expertise, experience and
vision to promote and strengthen the partnership between Stony Brook University
and Brookhaven National Lab, as well as the alliance with Cold Spring Harbor
Lab, along with other research initiatives that will benefit the region, state,
and nation. Dr. Stanley has the ability to enable Stony Brook to be one
of the nation’s preeminent centers of cutting edge research in the physical and
biological sciences.”
Professor
Gary Marker, Search Committee member and Professor of History at Stony Brook
University, stated, “While Dr. Stanley clearly has outstanding medical and
science credentials, it is important to underscore that the Committee was
equally impressed with his understanding and vision for all of the
disciplines represented, the combination of which is what makes a major
research university great. I was thrilled to learn of his minor in Russian
literature from Chicago. Dr. Stanley is the son of a
professor of anthropology. As such, he grew up in an academic family, which
likely explains how easy it was for him to articulate a keen understanding of,
and a passionate appreciation for the humanities, social sciences, and arts, as
well as our other professional schools. Dr. Stanley's unique interdisciplinary
vision will be most welcome on the Stony Brook campuses.”
Washington
University Chancellor Mark Wrighton said, “Dr. Stanley has been a terrific
leader for many years at Washington University. He is a distinguished member of the faculty of the School of Medicine with an excellent track record of academic contributions,
including very significant research accomplishments. As Vice Chancellor
for Research he has been an impressive and talented leader for our entire
university. Highly intelligent, he learns new things quickly and well.
He is a person of dedication and integrity, and willing to shoulder important
responsibilities. Comfortable working in a complex environment, Dr.
Stanley works effectively with the full spectrum of people who make up a
university community. We at Washington University in St. Louis will miss Dr. Stanley, yet we are confident that he and his new university home will thrive
in response to the exciting opportunity for him at Stony Brook."
Dr. Stanley
is married to Dr. Ellen Li, a world renowned Gastroenterologist who is also a
Professor on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis' School of Medicine. Drs. Stanley and Li are the proud parents of four
children.
A date for
a special meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees is expected to be announced
shortly. At the meeting the Board will review and act upon the
recommendation of Dr. Stanley from Chancellor-Elect Zimpher, which she received
from the Stony Brook Council. Dr. Stanley is expected to commence his
term on July 1st, pending approval by the SUNY Board.
Stony Brook University was founded in 1957 and is one of
the State University of New York’s four university centers. It is a
member of the prestigious 62- member Association of American Universities, an
association of the top research universities in the nation.
Media
Contact:
Lauren
Sheprow, Lauren.Sheprow@stonybrook.edu
Office
of Media Relations
Stony
Brook University
631-632-6310
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