STONY BROOK, NY, January 31, 2019 – In a move designed to advance Stony Brook University’s trajectory as a driving force in the new economy on Long Island and in the State of New York, and in alignment with SUNY’s strategic goals of advancing innovation and entrepreneurship, Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., announced today that the Office of Economic Development will be consolidated within the Stony Brook University Office of Research, effective April 1. The new offices of Industry-Research Partnerships & Business Services and Incubator Management & Operations will be under the leadership of Vice President for Research, Richard Reeder and assisted, in the area of economic development, by Peter Donnelly, Director of Technology, Licensing and Industry Relations in his expanded role as Associate Vice President for Technology Partnerships.
Stony Brook’s Research and Development Park is set to expand with the Innovation and Discovery Center and the Institute for Discovery and Innovation in Medicine and Engineering. As noted by President Stanley, “This signals a new era in Stony Brook’s economic development efforts.”
The consolidated structure will provide greater leverage and effectiveness in which the newly aligned units will work collaboratively with the current Office of Research units, including the Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations; the Office of Sponsored Programs; the Office of Grants Management; and the Office of Proposal Development. It will also serve to align partnerships with new and existing focus areas, driven by industry, federal, SUNY, and Stony Brook research priorities. Current focus areas include engineering-driven medicine, medical diagnostics and therapeutics (including medical imaging technologies), neural implant technologies, cyber security, artificial intelligence, quantum networking, energy-sustainability technologies, development of novel materials, as well as other emerging science and engineering important to industry and the greater community.
Consolidation will also create opportunities for deeper integration with the University research community at large. Through this realignment, new collaborative opportunities will be more clearly identified based on research alignment and will draw on the outstanding researchers and facilities located at the Stony Brook University Research and Development Park along with researchers in the Renaissance School of Medicine, the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences.
“Through a tighter alignment with research priorities and deeper integration with Stony Brook’s larger research and talent communities, this collaboration will expand the University’s economic development footprint while broadening our contribution to individual, community and economic well-being,” said Dr. Stanley. “There is much potential as the economic pipeline between New York City and Long Island continues to flourish and Stony Brook’s role becomes more prominent through research, discovery, technology transfer and commercialization. Our world class researchers will have the integrated support needed to turn ideas into engines of transformational change.
“This significant transition has been made possible by Dr. Yacov Shamash as Vice President for Economic Development who recently advised me of his intention to step down from that role,” said Dr. Stanley. “Under Yacov’s 18-year leadership and with the help of our legislative partners, Senator Kenneth P. LaValle and Senator John Flanagan, we have developed the Stony Brook University Research and Development Park into a true research and development hub for companies and university researchers.”
President Stanley said that Stony Brook has been fortunate to have such an accomplished leader serve as Vice President for Economic Development for nearly two decades and that he will serve for a period of time as an Executive Advisor to the President on economic development.
During Dr. Shamash’s tenure, Stony Brook became home to two New York Centers of Excellence — the Advanced Energy and Research Technology Center and the Center for Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology – and three Centers for Advanced Technology including the Center for Biotechnology, the Sensor CAT, and the Center for Integrated Electric Energy Systems. Shamash led the growth of Stony Brook’s incubator program and established a Center for Corporate Education and Training.
“The University is grateful for all that Yacov and his team have accomplished, and for laying a strong foundation for the next phase as we expand Stony Brook University’s role as a driving force and integral contributor in technology transfer and in growing companies from the incubation stage to full maturity; serving industry needs on Long Island, and throughout New York State,” said Dr. Stanley.
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University, widely regarded as a SUNY flagship, is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with nearly 26,000 students, more than 2,700 faculty members and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S. News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 40 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University is among a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University fuels Long island’s economic growth. Its impact on the Long island economy amounts to $7.38 billion in increased output. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.
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