Infinite Possibilities: Andrea Goldsmith Officially Inaugurated as Stony Brook University’s Seventh President

Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith addresses the crowd after her investiture as the university's seventh president April 18 at Stony Brook Arena. Photos by John Griffin.

Marking the official beginning of a new era at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Andrea Goldsmith was installed as the institution's seventh president at an investiture ceremony April 18 at Stony Brook Arena.

"At this moment in time and in place, my destiny and Stony Brook's destiny have come together in perfect alignment," Goldsmith said in her inaugural address. "Indeed, this presidency is, for me, the leadership opportunity of a lifetime. A chance to make a meaningful and positive difference for our students, faculty, staff, patients, our community, our country and the world."

The investiture ceremony was the culmination of Inauguration Week, which included a variety of academic symposia and community events to celebrate the university's newest chapter.

Stony Brook University Distinguished Alumnus John L. Hennessy, MS '75, PhD '77 and president emeritus of Stanford University, a close friend and colleague of Goldsmith, spoke about how we are standing at the crossroads of history, where the fusion of technology and the human spirit is more critical than ever.

"In President Goldsmith, we find the ideal steward for this journey, a visionary who not only understands that a university is critical, not merely a collection of buildings or a repository of knowledge, but a living, breathing engine of progress that powers our society forward," Hennessy said. "Her arrival signals a new era of ambition, where the boundaries of what we can achieve are limited only by the scale of our imagination and our willingness to collaborate across disciplines. This inauguration is more than a ceremony; it is a declaration of Stony Brook's intent to lead, to innovate, and to serve as a beacon of excellence in public higher education."

State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor John B. King Jr. reflected on Goldsmith's remarkable career and referred to her ambitious vision, launched in her State of the University Address last October, to use the ABC's - accelerate, build, and catalyze - to carry Stony Brook through the next decade.

"When President Goldsmith builds, and accelerates, she does it to make things happen - innovation, and economic growth - but she does it also with an eye for the people coming up behind her."

King added that Goldsmith understands "how diversity and excellence are not in tension with each other, they go together," how economic development and upward mobility are a moral imperative for higher education, and how the idea of Long Island as a new Silicon Valley or 'Silicon Island' is about the opportunities, jobs and the life changing investment that it can bring to Long Island.

"She understands that Stony Brook is uniquely positioned to drive that kind of economic growth for the region and for New York," Kind said. "So I cannot think of any better leader for this moment at Stony Brook. I can't imagine a person who would better encapsulate the values of Stony Brook and ultimately of The State University of New York."

King and SUNY Board of Trustees Chair Merryl Tisch then conducted the official investiture of Goldsmith as president of Stony Brook University, conferring all powers, duties, and responsibilities appropriate to the post.

In her inaugural speech, Goldsmith acknowledged her late parents and thanked her children, Nicole and Daniel, and her husband, Arturo Ganz, as well as the many family, friends and colleagues in attendance who have supported and inspired her in her life and career.

Goldsmith looked back at the history of Stony Brook and the importance of the word 'yes.' How the SUNY Board of Trustees said yes to transforming muddy wetlands into what would become the Stony Brook campus, how philanthropists and investors said yes to investing in the university's potential, to the students who say yes to attending, to John Toll agreeing to become Stony Brook's first president, to scholars like C.N. Yang and Jim Simons also saying yes to Stony Brook, leading other brilliant minds to join them.

"Those early visionaries saw what this place could become, and they pursued that vision with the boldness that left a lasting imprint," Goldsmith said. "And in saying yes to Stony Brook, I join a long tradition of people who believed in its unlimited potential."

Goldsmith noted that Stony Brook has both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead while demonstrating the power of public higher education for good. "We are well positioned to take Stony Brook to new heights of excellence and impact," she said. "And I believe wholeheartedly that there is truly no limit to what we can achieve together."

Emphasizing that Stony Brook is the number one public university in New York, Goldsmith lauded Stony Brook's many accomplishments in research and medicine while providing an affordable education for its students.

Looking to the future, Goldsmith spoke of the challenge of crafting an enduring vision and revealed "ASPIRE 2035," the university's new strategic plan that represents its boldest aspirations:

A, for accelerating discovery to solve humanity's greatest challenges

S, for setting a new standard for educational excellence access and student success

P, for propelling Stony Brook to a position of visionary global leadership

I, for igniting regional prosperity by expanding Stony Brook's footprint from Manhattan to Montauk and beyond

R, for reimagining medicine, health and wellness for all with accessible, affordable and compassionate healthcare

E, for enabling the foundations of our success

"ASPIRE - a fitting expression of the ambition that will drive Stony Brook forward for the next decade and beyond," Goldsmith said. "And when we achieve these aspirations, Stony Brook will be one of the best public universities, not just here in New York, but across America, from sea to shining sea, a powerful force for the good that positively benefits our community, our great state, the country and the world."

Goldsmith then asked the audience to imagine that future together, and then go build it.

"Because if we say yes boldly enough, the nation and the world will look to Stony Brook - the number one public university in the great state of New York - the nation and the world will look to us as a model for the future of American possibility and progress. Thank you so much, and go Seawolves!"

The ceremony's platform party included Stony Brook's sixth president, Maurie McInnis, currently president of Yale University, and its fifth president, Samuel L. Stanley, Jr.

The ceremony began with the academic procession, led by the New York State University Police Honor Guard and Grand Marshal Brenda Anderson, president of the University Senate, and accompanied by the Stony Brook Brass Quintet. It included faculty and emeritus faculty, members of the Stony Brook Council and University Council, the University Senate Executive Committee, the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Chancellor's Award for Excellence recipients, Stony Award recipients and delegates from more than 30 other higher education institutions.

Wanmei Zhang of the Department of Music sang the National Anthem before Stony Brook Council Chair and alumnus Kevin S. Law began the ceremony, welcoming Goldsmith's family, local government officials and other notable guests. Lisa Goree, chairwoman of the Shinnecock Council of Trustees, then offered a traditional welcome.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul provided a video message before SUNY Trustee Cary Staller thanked those involved in selecting Goldsmith as president. Anderson, Sarah Elbaroudy, president of Undergraduate Student Government and Neil Butterklee, president of the Stony Brook University Alumni Association, offered their congratulations as well.

The musical interlude featured Heritage, an original work performed by Stony Brook University Jazz Orchestra and composed by Stony Brook University Endowed Artist in Residence Thomas Manuel.

See more photos below by John Griffin and Isabel Tumminello