Nationally recognized physician-scientist and cancer researcher Vincent Yang, MD, PhD, was formally installed as the first Simons Chair of Medicine during Stony Brook University’s inaugural Investiture Ceremony. Held at the Wang Center on November 16, the ceremony began a new tradition at Stony Brook that recognizes newly endowed professors and chairs and the generosity of the benefactors that endow these esteemed academic positions.
As a former chair of a department at Stony Brook, I know how exciting and important it is to be able to recruit top educators and researchers,” said Jim Simons. “Dr. Vincent Yang is among the best and brightest in his field, and I am delighted that he is part of the University I care a great deal about.”
“Three years ago when I came to Stony Brook, I knew that we must reinvest in the faculty to continue our extraordinary growth, expand excellence throughout the University and propel Stony Brook into the ranks of the top 20 public research universities,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. MD, whose goal is to establish 100 endowed chairs at Stony Brook. “Creating endowed professorships and chairs brings recognition to the chair holder, the department and the University. Dr. Vincent Yang epitomizes the standard for the holder of an endowed chair. Today we recognize him as a world-class scholar and educator in the Department of Medicine.”
“This is an extraordinary day for Stony Brook, and one that opens the doors for Stony Brook to become a magnet to recruit the best and brightest scholars,” said Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine. “The future of the Department of Medicine is in great hands with Dr. Yang, a star clinician, educator and research scientist.”
The ceremony honored Dr. Yang for his accomplishments in medicine and benefactors Jim and Marilyn Simons for their generosity. The Simons Foundation has provided a matching challenge grant to help endow 35 new professors and chairs at Stony Brook across academic disciplines. The grant is a component of a $150 million gift to Stony Brook University from the Simons in 2011. The Simons Chair of Medicine is the first of these endowed positions.
“I am deeply honored to be given this recognition and to be entrusted in this position,” said Dr. Yang. “I believe that with the energy and talent we have within the Department of Medicine, we are poised to succeed on many levels. I expect to recruit additional top faculty to provide the best care for patients on Long Island and beyond, to train the next generation of physicians, and to conduct research that ultimately benefits patients.”
Drs. Stanley, Kaushansky and Yang each thanked Jim and Marilyn Simons for their extraordinary generosity, the establishment of the Simons Chair of Medicine and their commitment to Stony Brook.
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