Our Enduring Commitment to Advancing Vital Research and Discovery

April 16, 2025

Dear Stony Brook Campus Community,

In 1987 during the presidency of John H. Marburger, Stony Brook University was upgraded from a Research 2 (R2) to a Research 1 (R1) University. Ours was the first public university in New York to receive that designation. Earlier this year, Stony Brook’s status as an R1 institution was reaffirmed, highlighting our enduring commitment to advancing critical life-changing research and discovery.

This commitment is unwavering and remains essential to the very nature of Stony Brook. The innovative work conducted by our faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students — alongside the dedication of our staff — is central to our mission as a public research flagship and leading global institution. Across all fields at Stony Brook, our community demonstrates a commitment to knowledge, truth, innovation, and international engagement that drives intellectual advancement and embodies the values upon which Stony Brook is built.

Cuts to funding and drastic agency reorganizations threaten the vital federally funded research that takes place across our entire enterprise every day. Working with SUNY and the Office of the Attorney General, Stony Brook has supported legal challenges to preserve the compact we have with the nation to conduct the research that advances knowledge, supports the public good and promotes economic and national competitiveness. We communicate regularly with our congressional delegation to continue garnering their support and influence.

As we contend with these ongoing changes and challenges, we encourage all members of our community to keep their focus on their important endeavors and reach out to the Office for Research and Innovation when you have questions. We continue to closely monitor executive orders and federal agency actions, assessing their potential impact and developing strategies to minimize disruption to our research and educational activities.

It is also vital that we communicate how our research positively impacts our local community and the country at-large. A few illustrations of the powerful multimedia storytelling I am talking about are listed below:

We must tell the stories of the people we have helped, the jobs we have created and the lives we have saved. We can do more. We can do better. And we will.

I am grateful to The Office for Research and Innovation for its steady guidance and support to navigate this challenging time for Stony Brook, in collaboration with our colleagues at SUNY and its Research Foundation. Together, guided by our shared mission and values, we will navigate this transition and ensure that Stony Brook remains a powerful institution of discovery, innovation and global engagement. Thank you for your support in this work and for all you do for Stony Brook.

Sincerely,

Richard L. McCormick
Interim President

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From the President