OFFICE OF THE PROVOST AND
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

TO: University Senate

FROM: W. Brent Lindquist, Deputy Provost

DATE: September 13, 2010

REPORT TO THE UNIVERSITY SENATE

STONY BROOK CARES CAMPAIGN KICKED OFF ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

Provost Kaler has again agreed to Chair the Stony Brook Cares campaign this year. The Stony Brook Cares annual fundraising effort supports a network of local, national and international community services all year long. With our university support, affiliated agencies feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, nurture the sick, care for the elderly, counsel troubled youth, protect the environment and make an overall difference in so many lives.

Individuals who have made pledges since 2006 will receive hard copy donation forms during September 2010. All members of the University community can obtain donation forms, information on how to give, and view the SEFA or United Way list of charities by visiting the SB Cares web site at http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/stonybrookcares/. This year’s campaign runs from September 1 through December 31, 2010.

SEPTEMBER 2010 PROVOST’S LECTURE SERIES

Our Fall 2010 Provost’s Lecture Series begins September 13, 2010 as we cosponsor with The Center for Science and Mathematics Education, Dr. Bruce Alberts, whose lecture is entitled “Science and the World’s Future.” Dr. Alberts is Editor-in-Chief of Science and Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Alberts served two six-year terms as President of the National Academy of Sciences, ending in 2005, and was instrumental in developing the landmark National Science Education standards that have been implemented in school systems nationwide.
On September 22, 2010, Elaine Pagels, Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University and a prolific author, will be speaking about "The Cultural Impact of the Book of Revelation." Additionally, on September 23, 2010, we are proud to host Alan Alda and Brian Greene, who will be giving a talk on “Why Communicating Science Matters.” Alan Alda is a six-time Emmy Award–winner, who played Hawkeye Pierce on the classic television series, M*A*S*H, and more recently, appeared in continuing roles on The West Wing and 30 Rock. In 1994 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. His longtime interest in science and in promoting a greater public understanding of science led to his hosting the award-winning PBS series Scientific American Frontiers. In 2006, for his efforts in helping to broaden the public’s understanding of science, he was presented with the United States National Science Board’s Public Service Award. Brian Greene is a Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University. Dr. Greene is recognized for a number of groundbreaking discoveries in his field of superstring theory.

We will also host Dr. Klaus Lackner on September 29, 2010, who will give a lecture entitled “CO2 Capture from Air.” Dr. Lackner has been the department chair and Ewing Worzel Professor of Geophysics, Earth and Environmental Engineering, at Columbia University since 2001. Early in his career, he was immersed in the phenomenology of weakly interacting particles. In recent years he has published on the behavior of high explosives, and his interest in self-replicating machine systems has been recognized by Discover Magazine as one of seven ideas that could change the world. He is currently developing innovative approaches to energy issues of the future and has been instrumental in forming ZECA, the Zero Emission Coal Alliance, an industry-led effort to develop coal power with zero emissions to the atmosphere. His recent work is on environmentally acceptable technologies for the use of fossil fuels.

FALL 2010 NEW FACULTY HIRES

We are proud to welcome 61 new faculty members to Stony Brook this fall. This Wednesday, immediately following the University Convocation on September 15, 2010, President Stanley and Provost Kaler will co-host a New Faculty Reception to welcome our new faculty and to provide them with an opportunity to meet our campus senior administrators is an informal forum.

This year, the university also held a comprehensive New Faculty Orientation on Friday, August 27, 2010 to help new faculty navigate and make the most of our large university. Faculty members also received Human Resources and Technology training at the Orientation, and were provided with valuable information and resources for themselves and for their students. Additionally, our new faculty received advice from experienced SBU faculty mentors on how to achieve an effective balance between their teaching, research and service responsibilities.

SIMONS CENTER FOR GEOMETRY AND PHYSICS OPENING GALA
Stony Brook’s Simons Center for Geometry and Physics will host its opening gala on November 2, 2010. The intellectual focus of this Center, as the name indicates, is at the interface of mathematics, in particular, geometry and theoretical physics. Later this year, this Center will host the Simons Conference on New Trends in Quantum Computation, which will bring together international experts from the physics, mathematics and computer science communities to share the latest developments in quantum information.

2010 INTEL SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH

We are proud of how much research collaboration between our students and faculty has really grown. The 2010 Intel Science Talent Search exemplifies this, with Stony Brook students representing 29 Intel semifinalists out of 300 nationwide and 3 Intel finalists out of 40 nationwide, making Stony Brook perhaps the largest incubator of Intel talent in the country.