6. Samuel Stanley

Samuel Stanley has had a busy year presiding over the growth of Stony Brook University. He helped raise $58 million through a matching grant that has led to the hiring of 184 new faculty members. He’s cut ribbons all over campus: at Frey Hall, a new high-tech classroom building; a new computer science building; the new Stony Brook Arena; the Marine Science Research Center in Southampton; and the new West Side Dining facility for students, staff and faculty. Under his administration, ground has been broken for the new Medical and Research Translation (MART) Building—which should have been called the SMART building since a $150 million gift in 2011 from Jim and Marilyn Simons and the Simons Foundation made it possible. Soon construction will start on a new 760-bed campus residence building as well as the START-UP NY-funded Innovation & Discovery Center. As co-chair of Brookhaven Science Associates, Stanley has been an outspoken advocate for public investment in scientific research to keep the U.S. competitive. He also participated at the White House Summit on college access and affordability, trying to help high school students from underserved communities across the country pursue their dreams. He’s certainly done his part on Long Island to make Stony Brook a paragon of higher learning.