2021

Providing her vision for what she described as a “luminous, ambitious future,” Maurie McInnis was officially inaugurated as the sixth president of Stony Brook University on October 23 before an enthusiastic crowd at Island Federal Arena. In her much-anticipated inaugural address — McInnis began her presidency in July 2020 — she referred to university and faculty achievements past and present, and promised that the faculty, staff and students at Stony Brook will define the next generation of discovery.

“That is my goal, and my honor as the President of one of the most innovative public research universities in the world: to ensure that Stony Brook University is leading the way, serving our community, and tackling the global challenges that face us in the coming century,” she said. “The moment is upon us, Seawolves. Let’s answer the call to greatness.”

Stony Brook University was named a finalist for the historic Governors Island Center for Climate Solutions on December 22. The university is under consideration by the City of New York and the Trust for Governors Island to become the anchor institution that will reimagine Governors Island, creating a global hub for climate science research and innovation.

Stony Brook’s proposal is to build the New York Climate Exchange — an ambitious new marketplace for investment and collaboration around solving the climate crisis. Featuring an innovative campus dedicated to sustainability and climate justice, the Exchange will generate transformative environmental, economic, technical, and social solutions.

President Maurie McInnis said, “Looking forward, we hope to be able to put our longstanding commitment, expertise, strength and unparalleled research capabilities to work to benefit our community, our region, our country and our planet."

Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine were at the forefront of the fight against COVID. The Innovation & Discovery Building (IDC) at the Research and Development Park served as a state-operated vaccination location and in May, distributed its landmark 200,000th shot, with SB Medicine eclipsing 350,000 shots at the same time across several locations. The 'Stronger Together' program kept the campus community informed, while university experts took on vaccine myths and concerns. Stony Brook Medicine doctors and researchers also: investigated how anticoagulation therapy reduces mortality in intubated patients; explained how one child loses a parent for every 13 COVID deaths; identified how an enzyme with a role in severe inflammation may be key to driving COVID-19 severity; and discovered that high ferritin levels in severe COVID-19 pneumonia is linked to improved outcomes after steroid treatment.

Distinguished Professor Scott McLennan and Associate Professor Joel Hurowitz of the Department of Geosciences joined many NASA scientists in celebrating the February 18 landing of the Mars exploration rover Perseverance when it landed on the red planet after 203 days and 293 million miles. The pair have been working on Mars missions since 2004 and are actively involved in this mission, a two-year science investigation of Mars’ Jezero Crater that is collecting samples from the surface in a search for signs of ancient microbial life. Both worked on the PIXL instrument that rapidly examines the chemical makeup of Martian rocks. McLennan is also a member of the SuperCam instrument team and a group collecting samples that will be drilled, placed into sealed containers, and cached on the Martian surface for potential future return to Earth.

Stony Brook students were honored for an array of academic achievements this year, including eight who were awarded scholarships by the Department of State’s prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The winners were Taylor Esposito, Kenneth Ferraro, Tye Haynes Bustos, Michael Incardona, Delicia Kamins, Nasir Stovall, Perri Zilberman, and Niko Ziozis. Esposito, Incardona, and Haynes were the first-ever recipients of English Teaching Assistant Awards to their respective countries.

The long list of award-winning students also included: Marlee Harris and Marisa Petrusky, who were awarded Graduate Research Fellowships by the National Science Foundation; Victoria Rivera Banuchi, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geosciences (pictured), who received a prestigious NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) fellowship; and Physics PhD student Jacob Larkin, selected for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research program.

Stony Brook solidified its status as one of America's top universities, soaring in several higher education rankings in 2021. SBU rose to No. 39 among all U.S. universities in the QS US University Rankings, up from No. 45 a year ago, placing in the top 5.5% nationwide. QS also ranked SBU as the No. 1 public university in New York and fifth among all colleges and universities in the state. Stony Brook jumped up 114 places in the Forbes 2021 America’s Top Colleges rankings, standing at 62nd overall; it also leapt 26 spots to place 23rd among public universities. U.S. News and World Report ranked Stony Brook 38th among public universities and 93rd overall in 2021.

The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team made it to the big dance for the first time in school history, winning its first America East Conference championship to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I tournament. The Seawolves defeated Maine, 64-60, on March 12, with the historic victory coming on the one-year anniversary of the conference tournament being halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anastasia Warren led Stony Brook to the big win with a career-high 31 points. It was the Seawolves’ fourth appearance in the America East championship game. Forward India Pagan continued an amazing hoops year by representing Puerto Rico in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, becoming only the third Stony Brook athlete to compete in the Olympics.

Stony Brook University Hospital was named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ for 2021 by Healthgrades, one of only five in New York State and the only Long Island hospital to receive this distinction the past three consecutive years. It places SBUH in the top two percent of nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for consistently superior clinical performance. The hospital was also recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ for the seventh straight year, and as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention and Stroke Care™ for the sixth straight year. 107 Stony Brook Medicine physicians made New York Magazine’s 2021 list of ‘Top Doctors,’ including doctors from SBUH, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. And at the Renaissance School of Medicine, 149 students — the most ever — received their residency assignments, with a record 30 percent staying at Stony Brook.

Stony Brook University celebrated its 61st Commencement in person in 2021, with its second-largest graduating class participating in 10 different ceremonies from May 19 through May 21. An inspiring effort by the campus community allowed the graduation celebration to be held safely, outdoors, as candidates enjoyed three days of remarkable weather. Nine of the 10 ceremonies were held on the field at LaValle Stadium, the traditional graduation setting.

“Class of 2021, your unparalleled experience has given you a wisdom that was unimaginable just 18 months ago,” said President Maurie McInnis, delivering her first in-person commencement address since becoming president in July 2020. Stony Brook also hosted a commencement ceremony at LaValle Stadium on September 10, for members of the Class of 2020 who had virtual celebrations the year prior.

Stony Brook University launched a research partnership this year with Ørsted and Eversource — developers of New York’s offshore wind farm, Sunrise Wind — with a $5 million funding commitment that will underwrite research initiatives specific to the advancement of offshore wind through Stony Brook’s Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC). AERTC, a New York State Center of Excellence in Energy, is a partnership of academic institutions, research institutions, energy providers and industrial corporations. The center’s mission is to promote innovative energy research, education, and technology deployment with a focus on efficiency, conservation, renewable energy and nanotechnology applications for new sources of energy. The funding will support multiple research projects to improve and advance offshore wind energy development and grid integration, including engineering, technological innovations, and energy production forecasting.