Investiture Ceremony Celebrates 10 Endowed Faculty Members and Philanthropic Visionaries

Far back row (from left to right): College of Arts and Sciences Dean David Wrobel, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Andrew C. Singer, Knapp Endowed Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine Peter Igarashi, MD. Middle back row (from left to right): Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Carl W. Lejuez, Executive Vice President of Stony Brook Medicine William Wertheim, MD, and Joe Verghese, MD. Middle row (from left to right): Juan Carlos Conesa, Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith, and Gábor Balázsi. Front row (from left to right): Mihai Manea, Simos Zenios, Susan Hedayati, MD, Sharon Nachman, MD, Lav Varshney, and Rabih Chaer, MD. Photo by John Griffin.

Stony Brook University honored 10 distinguished faculty members during its annual investiture ceremony on Friday, October 24, at the Charles B. Wang Center Theater. Held during Homecoming weekend, the event formally installed the faculty into their endowed positions - one of the highest academic honors a university can bestow.

Endowed positions are among the most powerful tools to provide support for top faculty. They enable the university to attract the best and brightest minds - those who educate future leaders, deliver exceptional healthcare and drive breakthrough research. These positions also serve as lasting tributes to the generous philanthropists whose vision and support make them possible.

"Today we recognize our distinguished faculty whose groundbreaking work defines Stony Brook's excellence," said Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith. "We are deeply grateful to our remarkable supporters and the transformational impact of the endowed chairs they have created. Because of their partnership, we are accelerating discovery, building our faculty to educate and advance the frontiers of knowledge in more dimensions and catalyzing research excellence by empowering the remarkable people who drive it."

For details on the honored faculty, including videos, and more photos from the event, read the story by Christine McGrath in SB Matters.