Paul Goldbart announced he is stepping down as executive vice president and provost, and will instead resume teaching physics as a faculty member at Stony Brook University (SBU), while also assuming a new position as special advisor for research through May 2022. 

Mónica Bugallo, professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, will serve as interim provost, according to the President’s office. A national search will be conducted to find a permanent provost. 

“Paul has decided to return to his core passions – research and teaching – here at Stony Brook University. I am grateful for his many contributions as Provost over the past year,” President Maurie McInnis said in a statement.

As provost, Goldbart built the faculty pathways program. The program supports faculty members, from early career stages to retirement, with resources, opportunities and initiatives. 

Goldbart also collaborated on the Governor’s Island Initiative, in which SBU recently was selected as a finalist to become an anchor establishment for climate change research. 

McInnis appointed Goldbart as provost in March 2021 after working with him at the University of Texas at Austin in 2018.