The Heart of a University: Shirley Strum Kenny’s Lasting Impact

Shirley Strum Kenny with two of her predecessors as president of Stony Brook University, John H. Marburger (left) and John S. Toll (right) in 2007. Photo by Jeanne Neville.

Shirley Strum Kenny, the fourth president of Stony Brook University and its first woman president, died September 3 in her hometown of McLean, Virginia. She was 92.

A distinguished literary scholar and Stony Brook's first humanist president, Kenny presided over a period in the university's history that witnessed it undergo a significant metamorphosis.

"Dr. Kenny's extraordinary leadership transformed this institution, and her legacy continues to define who we are today," said Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith in a message to the campus community. "She was a scholar of literature who understood the power of human connection and narrative. She was a leader who genuinely cared about people. She was a visionary who dared to imagine what Stony Brook could become, and then she built it."

"Shirley Strum Kenny will be remembered as a visionary leader who helped Stony Brook become the exceptional institution it is today. Her legacy will endure for generations to come."

"Dr. Kenny transformed Stony Brook into a premier research institution, which resulted in the university's membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) in 2001, and solidified partnerships with Brookhaven National Laboratory and others to provide research opportunities for students and faculty," said State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor John B. King Jr. "SUNY and Stony Brook are grateful for Dr. Kenny's dedication to the many students, faculty, and staff who benefited from her leadership, and we are saddened to hear of her passing."

Scientific Collaboration, Curriculum Reform

Kenny was a pivotal figure in the formation and early leadership of Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA), a partnership formed in 1998 between Stony Brook and Battelle Memorial Institute - one of the world's largest nonprofit applied science and technology organizations - to manage Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.

She served as the first chair of the BSA board of directors and was instrumental in positioning the partnership as a vehicle to create a world-class research facility that functioned as a "good neighbor" to Long Island, one that would facilitate collaboration between SBU scholars and BNL scientists.

In concert with this initiative to bridge institutional collaboration, she turned her attention to academic structure. That same year, she thrust undergraduate education into the spotlight by chairing the Boyer Commission, which resulted in the report Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities.

The widely impactful report advocated for a model of student learning that challenged institutions to fully integrate their vast research capacities into the undergraduate experience. It called for an end to the "match the textbook" approach, urging universities to engage students in active, inquiry-based learning, which led Stony Brook to revamp its curriculum accordingly.

Building on the momentum of this academic restructuring and enhanced learning model, Kenny's 15-year tenure saw a corresponding rise in institutional prestige and academic selectivity. These improvements were reflected in measurable gains, such as total enrollment rising from 17,000 to 22,000 students, an 8% increase in faculty numbers and, by 2002, incoming freshman SAT scores that surpassed 1200.

The capstone of this period of strategic growth and elevation in standards was Stony Brook's 2001 admission to the AAU. This invitation into a prestigious circle of top North American research universities was a direct acknowledgment of the substantial progress made under Kenny's leadership.

The successful integration of research into the undergraduate experience, and the overall rise in academic quality and research output, proved transformative, solidifying Stony Brook's status as a top-tier institution and fulfilling the high-level goals set during her consequential tenure.

Beyond Academic Milestones

Significant changes swept across campus in other key areas, most notably within the athletics program. During Kenny's tenure, the university underwent a transition from NCAA Division II to the top tier of Division I athletics. This strategic move, which received approval in 1994, was designed to elevate the university's national profile and fully establish its athletic programs at the highest competitive level by the end of the decade.

The transition began with the 1999-2000 academic year, during which Stony Brook started competing in Division I and offering athletic scholarships. A key early milestone included joining the Northeast Conference before moving to the America East Conference, solidifying Stony Brook's presence in a robust athletic landscape. The men's basketball program began its Division I journey in 2000, with all other sports programs transitioning shortly thereafter, marking a comprehensive and significant transformation for the university's athletic department.

Beautification and Building

Beyond programmatic shifts, the entire university campus underwent a dramatic facelift during Kenny's tenure. She launched a major beautification campaign by recruiting famed architect John Belle, who was nationally recognized for his work on high-profile restoration projects, most notably the 1990 restoration of Ellis Island and the renovation of Grand Central Terminal.

Their collaboration included creating Stony Brook's Academic Mall, the heart of the campus. With the help of landscape designer Lynden B. Miller, a man-made stream - known as The Brook - bubbling fountains and lush gardens were added, transforming the university's six-acre central mall into a pedestrian-friendly space.

In 2002, two landmark building projects made their debut: the Charles B. Wang Center, which serves as a premier hub for Asian and Asian American cultural studies, and the 8,300-seat Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, the centerpiece for Stony Brook's football and field sports.

The Shirley Strum Kenny (SSK) Student Arts Festival is held in her honor every spring, transforming the campus into a vibrant showcase of student creativity, cultural expression, and artistic excellence.

East Campus also underwent significant development. The hospital underwent a significant $300 million modernization and expansion that transformed its physical facilities and clinical services. A major revitalization project added 154,000 square feet of new construction and renovated 48,000 square feet. The first phase, completed in 2008, featured a new hospital lobby, expanded pharmacy space, and 10 new operating rooms.

Other projects were initiated, including a new emergency department and specialized care units, including the Surgical Care Center and the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center.

Kenny was instrumental in transforming the hospital from a stand-alone academic center into the anchor of a regional healthcare network. Her role centered on shifting the university's strategy from competition to collaboration with community hospitals to improve regional care quality. She signed a landmark alliance with Southampton Hospital, creating a broader regional network that also involved Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, effectively expanding the university's medical reach across Long Island.

A Legacy Set in Stone

As her impact on Stony Brook was enduring, so, too, were Kenny's connections to luminaries, including world-renowned paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and celebrated actor Alan Alda.

Kenny met Leakey in 1998 when Stony Brook awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. In 2001, following Leakey's resignation from a turbulent political career in the Kenyan government, Kenny feared for his safety and actively recruited him to the university. He joined the faculty as a visiting professor in 2002.

Stony Brook University's fourth president, Shirley Strum Kenny, with her husband, Robert Wayne Kenny, in 2013. Photo by Star Black.

Their relationship was built on a foundation of mutual respect and strategic vision. The pinnacle of their collaboration was the establishment of the Turkana Basin Institute in 2005, which led to the creation of a permanent, year-round research infrastructure in Kenya to study human evolution, thus transforming the university into a global hub for paleoanthropology.

Following this success, Kenny forged another monumental partnership, this time with actor Alan Alda. Their collaboration began in 2006 when Alda attended a university event to discuss his memoir. During a dinner at the Staller Center for the Arts, Alda was seated next to Kenny and shared his frustration that scientists often struggle to communicate their complex work to the public.

Alda had previously pitched his idea for a science communication program to several other universities with no success. Kenny, a literary scholar and English professor by training, was immediately receptive to the idea of merging the arts and sciences to improve public understanding.

This relationship led to the creation of what is now known as the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, which delivers cutting-edge professional development programs for researchers that helps them become more effective communicators.

After retiring from Stony Brook University in 2009, she remained active in academia, serving as an interim president at Augusta State University in 2012; continuing her scholarly writing on 18th-century British theater; and taking on roles with organizations like Goodwill Industries, focusing on writing, theater and family life.

Before Stony Brook

Kenny was born on August 28, 1934 in Tyler, Texas. Her undergraduate studies laid the foundation for her career as a literary scholar, building on her early interest in literature and writing developed during her childhood in Texas.

She earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 1955, one in English and the other in journalism. She received a Master of Arts degree at the University of Minnesota in 1957 and earned a PhD in English with a focus on Restoration and 18th century British drama from the University of Chicago in 1964.

Kenny met her husband, Robert Wayne Kenny, while both worked at The Daily Texan, the University of Texas' newspaper. They were married in 1956 and were together for 68 years until Robert's passing in 2025.

Kenny's long career included several high-level academic and administrative leadership roles prior to coming to Stony Brook, including serving as the seventh president of Queen College, 1985-1994; provost of the University of Maryland, College Park; and chair of the Department of English at the University of Maryland.

Kenny is survived by sons David and daughter-in-law Anne of Frederick, Maryland, Daniel of Alexandria, Virginia, and Jonathan of Alexandria, Virginia; daughter Sarah Kenny Azzara of Rocky Point, New York; daughter-in-law Deborah Kenny of New York, New York; grandchildren Avraham Kenny of Durham, North Carolina, Ava Kenny of Somerville, Massachusetts, Rachel Kenny of Washington, D.C., and Casper Azzara of Baltimore, Maryland; and great-grandson Tyler Joel Kenny of Somerville, Massachusetts. She was preceded in death by her husband and her son Joel Strum Kenny, who succumbed to leukemia in 1999.

Services will be held September 9 at 1:30 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Virginia.