Suffolk Reporter

Andrea Goldsmith has been appointed as the seventh president of Stony Brook University, following unanimous approval from the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees. The decision was made during an executive session on February 19 at the SUNY Global Center in New York.

Goldsmith expressed her gratitude to the Trustees and Chair Merryl Tisch, SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr., and the search committee led by Kevin Law, chairman of the Stony Brook Council. She highlighted her enthusiasm for advancing Stony Brook's research, education, innovation, and community service.

Kevin Law praised Goldsmith's unique combination of academic leadership and business acumen. He noted her experience at Princeton University, Stanford University, and her advocacy for women in science. "Her breadth of leadership experience spans not only academic leadership positions at Stanford and Princeton but is complemented by her entrepreneurial experience with startups and her corporate board experience sitting on three corporate boards," said Law.

Goldsmith holds bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Her father was a professor of mechanical engineering there, while her mother worked as an animator for cartoons such as The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

Currently serving as Dean of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University, Goldsmith has also chaired the faculty senate at Stanford. She founded Plume WiFi (formerly Accelera Inc.) and Quantenna Inc., and serves on several corporate boards including Intel, Medtronic, Crown Castle Inc., and the Marconi Society.

Goldsmith emphasized the importance of articulating higher education's value for societal benefit. "As Stony Brook’s next president, I have a powerful role to play in that articulation," she stated.

Her research interests include information theory, communication theory, signal processing, wireless communications, interconnected systems, and neuroscience. A member of the National Academy of Engineering with numerous awards to her name—including the distinguished Marconi Prize—Goldsmith has led research funded by various agencies totaling over $70 million.

Throughout her career as an educator and entrepreneur, Goldsmith has aimed to drive positive change by turning vision into reality. "The vision for Stony Brook is infinite possibilities," she remarked.

Goldsmith looks forward to engaging with the Stony Brook community as she leads them into their next chapter focused on excellence and impact.