6. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr.

As the leader of one of the most prestigious research institutions in the country, Stony Brook University, Dr. Samuel Stanley, MD, has presided over a period of unprecedented growth. Among his recent accomplishments, he’s helped raise $58 million, thanks to a matching grant, that’s led to the hiring of 184 new faculty members, and secured a $5 million pledge from the Dubin family for a new indoor athletic training center. As the campus infrastructure has expanded, he’s cut ribbons at Frey Hall, a new high-tech classroom building; a new computer science building; the new Stony Brook University Arena; the Marine Science Research Center in Southampton; and a new, west-side dining facility for students, staff and faculty. On his watch he also oversaw the groundbreaking for the new Medical and Research Translation (MART) Building, which received generous financial support from Jim and Marilyn Simons and The Simons Foundation. Next on the completion list is the 760-bed campus residence hall and START-UP NY-funded Innovation & Discovery Center. He’s co-chair of Brookhaven Science Associates, which co-manages Brookhaven National Laboratory, and serves on the board of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In his own right, Dr. Stanley holds many scientific patents as a renowned biomedical researcher, so it’s fitting he serves at the helm of an institution that has generated billions of dollars in regional economic impact thanks to its projects on renewable energy, information technology and biotechnology. He’s an outspoken advocate for public investment in scientific research and education to keep the United States competitive in the world economy. Thanks to his guidance, Stony Brook University has been voted the fourth-greenest campus in the country, and the first one to run its own hydroponic “Freight Farm.”