SUNY Chancellor King Announces Simons Empire Faculty Fellows

August 18, 2026

Established by the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, the Program Will Support Tenure-Track Faculty Positions Across SUNY's Four University Centers

Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the inaugural class of Simons Empire Faculty Fellows in academic fields including neuroscience, mathematics, and physics. The fellowship supports 16 tenure-track faculty positions, four at each of SUNY's University Centers, the State University of New York at Albany, at Binghamton, at Buffalo, and at Stony Brook.

The Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International established the program to stimulate faculty hiring in mathematics and the basic sciences across New York State. Simons Foundation International provides funding to participating institutions, with the program administered by the Simons Foundation.

"Through the work of our world-class faculty, SUNY is at the forefront of research and innovation that is improving lives, investing in our state's economic growth, and deepening our understanding of the universe," said SUNY Chancellor King. "The inaugural fellows will continue to drive cutting-edge research for the public good, while reinforcing SUNY's commitment doubling research throughout the SUNY System. I thank the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International for their recognition of outstanding SUNY professors, and I offer my congratulations to the inaugural fellows on their well-earned selection."

Chairman Merryl H. Tisch, on behalf of the SUNY Board of Trustees, said, "I want to thank the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International for making this Empire Faculty Fellowship possible. The Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International's steadfast support of SUNY and our outstanding researchers reinforces the incredible work that is done on campuses throughout New York State. These inaugural Simons Empire Faculty Fellows will help move our System, and all of New York State, forward, and are helping to achieve Governor Kathy Hochul's goal of doubling research at SUNY. I congratulate our fellows and appreciate the strong partnership we have with the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International."

The faculty members selected for this year's fellowship program include:

State University of New York at Albany

  • Kristyn Lizbinski, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, researching how neural circuits perform dynamic computations that support sensory processing and behavior.
  • Tahereh Jabbari, Assistant Professor, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, researching superconducting electronics, quantum computing hardware, neuromorphic computing, cryogenic circuits, and RF/microwave design.
  • Kent Vashaw, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, researching the intersection of homological algebra, noncommutative algebra, and representation theory.
  • Susan Wardle, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, researching how the human brain processes visual information.

State University of New York at Binghamton

  • Lebing Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, examining quantum materials and nanofabrication.
  • Sammy Luo, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, researching discrete mathematics.
  • Yahong Yeng, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, investigating the mathematical foundations of AI.
  • Kunyan Zhang, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, researching experimental quantum sensing and communications.

State University of New York at Buffalo

  • Sang Soo Lee, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, researching how the brain regulates sleep and influences human behavior.
  • Qing Cao, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, studying how diseases such as Alzheimer's and ALS damage brain cells.
  • Sean Miller, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, studying models of the human brain and eye to help discover new treatments for neurological and vision disorders.
  • Saroj Chand, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, building scalable quantum sensors to improve the performance of quantum devices and discover new materials for advanced technologies.

State University of New York at Stony Brook

  • Juan Muñoz-Echániz,Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, researching gauge theory and low-dimensional topology. 
  • Jacob Pettine, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, researching nanoscience, quantum materials, and ultrafast photonics.
  • Yun Tao, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolution, researching organismal behavior.
  • Lisa Taxier, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, researching the plasticity of the adolescent brain.

State University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez said, "As a research university, we know the incredible potential of the human mind. Now, thanks to the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, University at Albany researchers are leveraging expertise from across the university to develop AI computing systems that mimic the adaptability, efficiency and processing power of the human brain. We are so grateful to the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International for funding this initiative and for their tireless support of scientific research."

State University of New York at Binghamton President Anne D'Alleva said, "I thank the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International for investing in SUNY's early-career faculty whose research shows promise in vital and emerging fields. At Binghamton, our faculty are international leaders in topics including AI, quantum materials and sensing, and mathematics. The Simons Empire Faculty Fellows program provides essential support for their work as they make pathbreaking discoveries that shape our world."

State University of New York at Buffalo President Caroline Attardo Genco said, "The Simons Empire Faculty Fellows program represents a significant investment in the future of science, mathematics, and translational research. By supporting outstanding early-career researchers, the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International is further strengthening the University at Buffalo's research enterprise by cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders. We thank the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International for their commitment to advancing discovery, innovation, and research excellence through this prestigious fellowship program."

State University of New York at Stony Brook President Andrea Goldsmith said, "I'm thrilled to welcome these four exceptional scholars whose research in quantum materials, mathematical topology, ecological dynamics, and neuroscience will significantly strengthen Stony Brook's leadership in STEM fields. The Simons Empire Faculty program represents the kind of strategic investment that positions the great state of New York and Stony Brook at the forefront of scientific discovery. The bold ideas of these brilliant scholars will drive scientific breakthroughs our world urgently needs. I'm incredibly grateful for our partnership with the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International in supporting these faculty and their important work, which enhances Stony Brook's visibility, excellence, and impact in mathematics and the sciences."

SUNY is advancing a system-wide strategy to recruit, support, and retain exceptional faculty while strengthening the research environments on campus. In doing so, SUNY is expanding opportunities for faculty to pursue groundbreaking discovery, drive innovation, and increase SUNY's research impact across New York State, nationally, and globally.

The Simons Empire Faculty Fellows will build on existing research at SUNY's University Centers in fields including neuroscience, mathematics, and physics. SUNY has undertaken major actions to advance research efforts throughout the system, including:

  • Governor Hochul's announcement earlier this month that Empire AI Beta, housed at the State University of New York at Buffalo, is online, giving researchers at New York's leading public and private universities access to the most powerful academic research computer in the country. 
  • The SUNY AI Symposium was also held in April at the State University of New York at Stony Brook to highlight AI leaders, SUNY researchers, educators, and partners who are advancing discovery, driving AI innovation, and generating economic growth in New York State.
  • The SUNY Research Expo, held in March, to highlight faculty and student research excellence throughout the SUNY System.
  • The SUNY Research Connect Portal, which was launched to showcase the research profiles of nearly 7,000 SUNY researchers from 26 campuses. 
  • Governor Hochul's announcement that the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research, the first-ever independent AI research center at any public university in the United States, would be established at the State University of New York at Binghamton.
  • An investment to construct a new biofabrication research and imaging facility on the State University of New York at Buffalo campus that will help discover new medicines and cures to save lives.
  • The major expansion of the State University of New York at Albany's RNA Institute to advance world-class research, training, and workforce development.
  • The launch of the SUNY Brain Institute, a multi-campus initiative focused on expanding SUNY's groundbreaking neuroscience research.
  • The establishment of the Quantum Research and Innovation Hub at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, further catapulting New York's national leadership in groundbreaking research that saves lives, grows the economy, and improves national security.
  • The launch of the SUNY Research Leadership Academy to advance inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) fields. The Academy will help support researchers and provide important skills including how to better communicate effectively with the general public on the tangible, real-world benefits provided by research conducted across the SUNY system.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

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