Interim President Michael Bernstein will resume his former position as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs on July 1, according to a campus-wide email from President-Elect Maurie McInnis sent on May 27.

“During this especially difficult time, he has met the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic with empathy and decisive action,” McInnis wrote in the email. “Michael’s willingness to remain at Stony Brook for up to a year maintains continuity and ensures the stability of the planning process for the upcoming academic year.”

Minghua Zhang stepped in as Interim Provost after Bernstein took over as Interim President last summer. Stony Brook University announced in August, shortly after Zhang assumed the position, that it would put off searching for a permanent replacement.

Zhang will be returning to work for the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), according to McInnis’s email. He is also a SUNY Distinguished Professor and served as Dean of SoMAS for six years. 

“Michael and I have already developed the foundations of a strong partnership and we will continue to work together to determine the next steps for the university,” McInnis wrote. “His wisdom and knowledge of all areas of this institution will be particularly useful as we begin the search for our Provost.”