Samuel L. Stanley Jr., the president of Stony Brook University, was informed he was voted the best college president on Long Island by LI Press through an email.
Stanley, who is in his third year as president, has faced numerous obstacles while holding the lead position at Stony Brook. And he said the challenges are not quite over. Two such challenges were the budget cuts and the shutdown of Southampton.
“I think those were very difficult things,” Stanley said. “The budget was the driver for a number of things. With budget cuts over three years, there’s going to be an impact and tough decisions that are going to be made.”
Southampton and facing budget cuts are still issues, though they are in the process of discussion. Southampton, which is a Stony Brook University campus in the East End used for marine sciences and an MFA English program, is still undergoing changes and there is much to do before he would consider that done, Stanley said. As for the budget, the university leaders are looking to find ways to cut costs without removing positions.
Having a team is how he got to be recognized as the best college president, he said.
“When I talk about accomplishments, it’s really a team effort,” Stanley said.
Such accomplishments include receiving a substantial increase in the amount of fundraising from years past.
“One of the most important things is the ability to raise money from private sources,” he said. While there are sources of income such as the state and tuition, fundraising “is something that will be helpful for everybody.”
Another accomplishment is the type of people the university has brought in since he came here.
“If you look at people like Ken Kaushansly [dean of the School of Medicine] and Dennis Assanis [Stony Brook University provost], these are really outstanding scholars,” Stanley said.
Kaushansky shared the same sentiments.
“The vision and leadership shown by President Stanley to bring Stony Brook University to the level of a world-class educational and research institution is inspiring,” Kaushansky said. “I am certain that, with Sam’s leadership, the citizens of Long Island have only begun to reap the rewards that excellence in biomedical research, professional education and compassionate clinical care bring, as delivered by the people of Stony Brook medicine.”
Stanley was recognized by LI Press for his research background. He has a rich history in biomedical research and has focused on infectious diseases, such as parasites and bacteria. His research has earned him the highest financial support from the National Institutes of Health.
According to his description on the LI Press’s website, Stanley “continues to lead one of the nation’s most prestigious research institutions into an era of even more groundbreaking discoveries, innovation and academic research integration.” Stony Brook University was voted best university on Long Island by the newspaper, as well.
“I’ve been lucky,” Stanley said. “I haven’t had a lot of trials and major barriers, which is just luck more than anything else.”
His training as a physician and scientist helps him look at situations analytically, he said. Another strength that helps him in his role as president is his optimism.
“I’m always thinking positively,” he said. “What some people might see as a challenge I see as an opportunity.”
As for his weaknesses, patience is something he said he feels he needs to work on the most, though he said he has many.
“I get impatient sometimes,” he said. “When I’m interested in an issue and want to know about it, I tend to be impatient with my staff. I could probably work on that.”
Stanley has received criticism before, as well as a lawsuit against him two years ago for the shutdown of the Southampton campus.
In August 2010, New York State Supreme Court Justice Paul J. Baisley Jr. ruled in favor of the six students who sued the university for shutting down Southampton, under Stanley’s name. In October, the case went back to court. Currently, there are programs at Southampton.
“There’s a real hunger for the place to improve,” Stanley said of the university. “I think we’re a great university but I think people are interested in getting better.”
He said the environment at Stony Brook has been optimistic, similar to his own view.
“The other thing that’s been great about the atmosphere is how great we’ve dealt with tough times,” Stanley said. “Eighty-two million in budget cuts but I’ve rarely heard people complain. It’s a great attitude to make due with less. Now that we’re doing a little better, it’s going to do well. There are tough times but I think we’re going to come back even stronger.”