David Ferguson will take on a new role at Stony Brook, serving as Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion. He will continue in his position as Chair of the Department of Technology and Society.
Throughout his distinguished career, Ferguson has served the University and the nation in many capacities. First, for more than two decades, he has directed numerous highly successful externally funded projects, including a dozen National Science Foundation (NSF) projects aimed at enhancing the participation of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He directs an array of diversity in STEM projects, under the umbrella of STEM Smart, within his department and directs the University-wide Center for Inclusive Education. He has also served on several national panels on STEM education, including a standing panel on the NSF’s Applications of Advanced Technologies.
Ferguson has been a leader in New York State and in the nation on education projects, ranging from pre-college through graduate education, with funding as PI or co-PI on grants totaling more than $30 million.
From 1998 until 2002, Ferguson served as founding director of Stony Brook’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. For his contribution to STEM education, he received the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, jointly administered by the White House and NSF. His research and numerous projects have contributed to the current national focus on STEM education and socio-technological decision-making.
In his role as Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Ferguson will work closely with Provost Dennis Assanis on matters pertaining to the recruitment, retention and development of underrepresented faculty, staff and students, as well as on ensuring that diversity and inclusion are cross-cutting intellectual threads in all of Stony Brook’s academic efforts. His operative priority is to make progress toward the University’s strategic diversity interests: 1) increasing access for all qualified students, especially for underrepresented minorities and women in the STEM areas; 2) eliminating the achievement gap between majority and underrepresented students; 3) recruiting and retaining a more diverse faculty and staff; 4) preparing all students, staff and faculty to thrive personally and professionally in a world that is diverse, global and interconnected; and 5) enhancing the campus climate for inclusion.
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