Andrea Goldsmith, PhD, has officially started her role as the seventh president of Stony Brook University. Her appointment was made by the State University of New York Board of Trustees earlier this year.
Dr. Goldsmith comes to Stony Brook with a long background in higher education and industry leadership. She previously held positions at Princeton and Stanford Universities and at the California Institute of Technology. In addition to her academic work, she is known for her research in engineering and for founding several technology companies.
“It is an honor to join Stony Brook University – a champion of excellent, affordable education that will launch students into very successful careers and lives as citizens of the world. From my very first interview it was clear that there is so much opportunity for advancing Stony Brook’s excellence across all dimensions of education, research, innovation and clinical care,” said President Goldsmith. “I look forward to continuing the momentum to make Stony Brook one of the very best public universities in the nation by supporting our students in their education, growing research, empowering our faculty, pursuing innovation and scholarship and building a brighter future for New York.”
As president, Dr. Goldsmith will oversee both Stony Brook University and its health system, which includes five health sciences schools, three hospitals, a skilled nursing facility, and more than 200 community healthcare locations on Long Island. She will also be involved in economic development efforts in New York State through Stony Brook’s partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory.
In preparation for her new position, Dr. Goldsmith met with many members of the university community over recent months to begin shaping her priorities.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. expressed support for Dr. Goldsmith’s leadership: “I could not be more excited about Dr. Andrea Goldsmith’s leadership and the future of Stony Brook University. Dr. Goldsmith’s experience as an academic, dean, and researcher – as well as an innovator and entrepreneur – will serve our students, faculty, staff, and the campus community well as she builds on Stony Brook’s reputation as a world-class higher education institution.”
Kevin Law, Chairman of the Stony Brook Council and Presidential Search Committee said: “Stony Brook University is a world-class flagship institution on a remarkable upward trajectory, educating the next generation of leaders and driving societal progress through groundbreaking research, economic development, and innovation. During the presidential search process, Dr. Goldsmith quickly distinguished herself with a compelling vision, deep expertise, and unwavering commitment to advancing the university’s mission. She is the ideal leader to guide Stony Brook as it ascends to an even more prominent role in shaping the future of higher education.”
Dr. Goldsmith has spent over 30 years working in university leadership roles focused on teaching and research excellence. At Princeton she served five years as dean of engineering; at Stanford she was on faculty for 21 years where she chaired key committees including Faculty Senate.
Her technical contributions include pioneering work in wireless communications that led to new technologies used by start-up companies Plume Wi-Fi and Quantenna Communications—both founded by her—and board service at Intel (INTC), Medtronic (MDT), and Crown Castle Inc (CCI). She has been recognized with numerous honors such as induction into both Wireless History Foundation’s Hall of Fame and National Inventors Hall of Fame; she was also awarded The Marconi Prize—the top honor in telecommunications research—as its first female recipient.
Goldsmith holds bachelor’s through doctoral degrees from UC Berkeley—all earned within public institutions—which she credits for shaping her professional path.
She has also contributed significantly outside academia: appointed by President Biden in 2021 to his Council of Advisors on Science & Technology; founding chairperson for IEEE’s Diversity & Inclusion committee; former president & editor-in-chief within various IEEE societies; holder of 38 patents related mostly to wireless technology.
Education remains central to her approach—she authored foundational textbooks used worldwide—including “Wireless Communications”—and mentored dozens across undergraduate through postdoctoral levels during her career.
In 2024 she received IEEE’s James H Mulligan Jr Education Medal recognizing her educational impact.
As president at Stony Brook University going forward Dr.Goldsmith aims to advance its mission across education,research,and healthcare while serving local communities.
