Introduction

Building and Creating Stony Brook's Future

At just 66 years old, Stony Brook University (SBU) has the rare distinction of being one of the youngest universities to stand tall alongside long-established institutions of higher learning. From our beginnings as a small school in a muddy potato field, we ascended quickly, building a top-tier public research institution and hospital over the span of just a few decades. Stony Brook University’s legacy rests in our persistence to defy the odds.

Now, we are designated as a flagship State University of New York (SUNY) institution, recognized as the #1 ranked public university in New York State by U.S. News & World Report, and a member of the American Association of Universities (AAU). SBU is clearly hitting its stride as a leader among its academic peers. 

We are uniquely positioned to have an even more significant impact in the future – fostering discovery, creativity, and innovation in the broadest range of disciplines, while continuing to uphold our staunch commitment to our diverse student body. Our advances will be bolstered, too, by the bold new ideas that are a hallmark of both our history and President McInnis’ vision for our future.

In May 2023, we were selected to serve as the anchor institution for the New York Climate Exchange – a first-of-its kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to our global climate crisis. We are emerging as a leader in climate justice and solutions, adding to our distinct strengths in addressing societal and technological challenges, and spurring creativity and innovation.  No longer a hidden gem, we are making ourselves known as one of the nation's great research institutions. 

More than any time in our history, we are poised for even greater future success as we build upon our solid foundations of:

• faculty and staff leadership in solving societal, environmental, and behavioral challenges

• an exceptional and dynamic commitment to holistic student success 

• a focus on equity, access, inclusion, and social and economic mobility unrivaled by our Association of American Universities (AAU) counterparts 

• our unique, state-of-the-art health sciences center; 

• and a far-reaching impact across Long Island to Manhattan, and globally from Kenya to South Korea 

We stand ready for our future with wind in our sails. Both New York State and the SUNY system are demonstrating a recommitment to SBU and higher education in general. Recent examples include $100 million in capital funding for research labs to invest in new and renovated buildings, labs, and state-of-the art instrumentation; an endowment match of up to $500 million in state funds for SBU and the three other SUNY university centers; and $200 million in digital transformation and IT infrastructure across SUNY, including Stony Brook University.

In addition, we will launch a capital campaign to reach our philanthropic goals and execute our strategic priorities and other University initiatives. Along these lines, we have already received a transformational $500 million gift from the Simons Foundation – the largest-ever unrestricted endowment gift made to a U.S. institution of higher education. 

We are moving from scarcity to growth, acknowledged for our contributions to society, and continuously bending toward excellence in our pursuit to make the world a better place for all.

As we move into the future with purpose and a plan, we will capitalize on our current momentum. And we will continue to position ourselves to attain our highest aspirations for the benefit of our student population, faculty and staff, and the wider community. As stated in our vision, over the next five years we will look to “achieve transformative impact by driving innovation and inclusive excellence in education, research, health care, economic and cultural development, and social mobility.” We will work to realize our vision and achieve our aspirations by following our four strategic priorities – learning and teaching, research, serving communities, and reimagining the way we work. 

Our progress will be driven by this plan, as well as through strategic plans led by Stony Brook Medicine, and each school, college, and division. And, we will use our measures of success to continually track our progress in executing on the priorities and objectives we set forth. 

We are unified by a common vision, built upon a kaleidoscope of perspectives and experiences that shape our story. Each member of our university community can champion and advance our strategic priorities, contributing individually and collectively to accomplish our goals. Together, we will build and create the future for Stony Brook.