On Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10:20 a.m., SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the next Stony Brook University president to be Andrea Goldsmith.
Succeeding former President Maurie McInnis and taking over from Interim President Richard L. McCormick, Goldsmith will start her new position on Aug. 1.
Goldsmith is currently the Dean for the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University. She received her bachelor’s in engineering, master’s in science and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and previously was a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University. Additionally, she is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Science; she has also won distinguished prizes like the Marconi Prize.
In King’s announcement during a SUNY Board of Trustees meeting, he said Goldsmith “is the perfect leader to help define Stony Brook.”
“Speaking with her references, I became even more convinced of Dr. Goldsmith’s passion for higher education, her relentlessness and her lifelong commitment to supporting students, faculty, researchers [and] staff in achieving their greatest aspirations,” King said.
Kevin Law, chair of the presidential search committee and chair of the University Council, provided insight into how the search committee came to the conclusion that Goldsmith was the best candidate. The presidential search committee looked at more than 300 applications of which only three candidates were recommended to King and the University Council.
Law highlighted Goldsmith’s leadership experience at Stanford University and Princeton University, her entrepreneurial past with startup companies and her “staunch” support for women in science.
“We believe she can maximize our research efforts and secure funding from multiple sources,” Law said. “[With her] commitment to diversity and inclusion, her collaborative approach and her commitment to shared governance, her capacity for innovative change and her strong academic and technical background, Andrea is simply an unusual combination of academic leadership and business savvy that we believe will help make Stony Brook an even more outstanding university,” Law said.
In a press release, former Stanford University President John Hennessy said the announcement of Goldsmith’s new position brought him “great pride to see her at the helm of my alma mater.”
“Having had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Goldsmith for many years, I am confident that she is an excellent choice for the [University’s] presidency. I wish her continued success as she embarks on this significant chapter in her distinguished career,” Hennessy wrote.
Following Law’s remarks, Goldsmith reassured King and the SUNY Board of Trustees of her enthusiasm to bring the University and the SUNY system to new heights.
“I know this is a big decision, [a] momentous decision, [an] important decision, [and] I am so incredibly grateful for your confidence in me,” Goldsmith said. “I hope I will not let you down. I promise I will give everything I have to this incredible opportunity.”
Goldsmith also thanked McCormick for his efforts in leading the University this past year and hoped for a smooth transition of power.
“The vision for Stony Brook is infinite possibilities and seizing them is what I believe an entrepreneur as president can actually turn into reality. I intend to bring the same leadership approach that I used well in my past leadership positions, that approach of teamwork and innovation and setting my aspirations as the aspirations for Stony Brook,” Goldsmith said.
For her closing remarks, Goldsmith thanked everyone for appointing her as the next University president.
“[From] the bottom of my heart for the trust you’re putting in me to lead Stony Brook,” Goldsmith said. “I can’t wait to meet the Stony Brook community very soon and to get started leading this next chapter of accelerating excellence and impact. Thank you all so much.”
