Stony Brook University

Bradley Dirks, James H. Simons Instructor in the Department of Mathematics, and Yichul Choi, PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, were awarded fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). Dirks will complete his fellowship in the School of Mathematics for the 2024-2025 academic year and Choi will complete his in the School of Natural Sciences between 2024-2027.

This prestigious membership allows for focused research and the free and open exchange of ideas among an international community of scholars at one of the foremost centers for intellectual inquiry.

Bradley Dirks

During his stay, Bradley will work on the study of singularities in geometry. Though his research lies in the field of pure mathematics, singularities arise in many adjacent fields, like statistics and theoretical physics. An important point of his project is to attempt to quantify “how singular” a geometric space is. The hope is that spaces that are “not too singular” from this point of view should share many nice properties with smooth spaces.

“It is an amazing honor to spend a year at the Institute for Advanced Study,” said Bradley. “A large proportion of the mathematics that I study was developed by past and permanent members of the Institute. I am especially excited because I will have the opportunity to meet many scholars from various universities and fields of study.”

“Brad Dirks has been doing great work as part of our algebraic geometry group, and the math department has been very fortunate to have him among us for the past year,” said Scott Sutherland, professor and chair in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Mathematics. “This fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study is a well-deserved opportunity,  and the Department looks forward to him rejoining us to continue his Simons instructorship afterwards.”

Yichul Choi

In his time with the IAS, Yichul will study topological and global aspects of quantum field theory. In particular, his research focuses on symmetries, anomalies, and their generalizations. He is interested in applying new generalized symmetry principles to particle physics phenomenology and condensed matter physics.

“The Institute provides an ideal environment for scholars to explore ideas, focus on their research, and collaborate with world-experts coming from all over the globe,” said Yichul. “I am excited to use this opportunity to deeply investigate the physical rules behind our Nature, and to seek new understandings. I am also looking forward to sharing thoughts with leading scientists in the field.”

“I am delighted to learn that Yichul was awarded this prestigious fellowship,” said Chang Kee Jung, distinguished professor and chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy. “Last spring, Yichul, working with Stony Brook’s outstanding theoretical physicists, Shu-Heng Shao and Zohar Komargodski at C.N. Yang ITP, was one of the winners of the Stony Brook President’s Award to Distinguished Doctoral Students for his work on Generalized Symmetries in Quantum Field Theory and Particle Physics.  So, this news did not come as a big surprise.  As the chair of the Department, I am proud of Yichul’s accomplishment and the world-class faculty at C.N. Yang ITP that consistently educates and produces top-notch physicists.”

IAS

Each year, IAS welcomes more than 250 of the most promising post-doctoral researchers and distinguished scholars from around the world to advance fundamental discovery as part of an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. Visiting scholars are selected through a highly competitive process for their bold ideas, innovative methods, and deep research questions by the permanent Faculty—each of whom are preeminent leaders in their fields. Past IAS Faculty include, Albert Einstein, Erwin Panofsky, John von Neumann, Hetty Goldman, George Kennan, and J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Located in Princeton, NJ, the Institute for Advanced Study was established in 1930. Today, research at IAS is conducted across four Schools — Historical Studies,Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Science — to push the boundaries of human knowledge.

Among past and present scholars, there have been 35 Nobel Laureates, 44 of the 62 Fields Medalists, and 23 of the 27 Abel Prize Laureates, as well as MacArthur and Guggenheim fellows, winners of the Turing Award and the Wolf, Holberg, Kluge, and Pulitzer Prizes.

 

Photo courtesy Metro Creative Graphics

By Daniel Dunaief

While the fall provides a break from the summer heat and a respite for exhausted parents who coordinate and carpool for recreational activities, it also can trigger a return to more concentrated time indoors.

Dr. Sharon Nachman, Chief of the Division of Pediiatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
File photo

That can trigger the beginning of the flu season, as students and their families share much more than the lessons of the day and stories about teachers and classmates.

Timing shots can be a delicate balance, as the antibody coverage from these shots is typically about three months.

With the peak flu season often occurring during December and January and even into February, Dr. Sharon Nachman, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, suggested that residents receive their vaccines in a few weeks.

“Getting a vaccine in October is probably the right time,” Nachman said.

Dr. Gregson Pigott, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, added that the timing for Covid vaccinations is somewhat trickier.

“Because the evolution of new variants remains unpredictable, SARS-CoV2 [the virus that causes the disease] is not a typical ‘winter’ respiratory virus,” Pigott explained in an email.

The county health department recommends that residents stay up to date with their vaccinations.

“Individuals should speak with their healthcare providers for advice that is specific to them,” Pigott added.

Simultaneous shots

Doctors generally recommend receiving both shots at the same time, if people are eligible and the timing for each vaccine is right. Residents who are unsure about their eligibility should speak with their healthcare providers, Pigott explained.

Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County Health Services commissioner. File photo

The flu and Covid are viruses that change over time, creating a battle between the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccinations and the viruses that attempt to evade them.

Each year, the vaccines attempt to provide the best match against the dominant or most likely strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “determines if the vaccine will protect against a circulating virus by conducting laboratory studies on circulating flu viruses,” Pigott explained in an email. “Updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines will be trivalent” and will protect against H1N1, H3N2 and a B/ Victoria lineage virus.

Vaccine manufacturers create immunizations based on the flu strain circulating in the southern hemisphere during the recent season.

“We expect that those are what’s going to hit us in our winter,” Nachman said. “The science is there. We know generally what types will be rolling around. We could hit or miss it by a subtype.”

Nachman added that the flu vaccines represent educated guesses about the type of microbe that might cause illnesses.

“The educated guesses are still better than no vaccine, which will, for sure, not cover you at all,” Nachman said

As for the Covid immunization, doctors added that it is also likely to change as the virus that caused the pandemic mutates.

Nachman said people should plan to get the Covid shot around once a year.

“I don’t think we’re going to go to more often” than that, Nachman said.

During the summer, when an infectious strain of Covid surged across the county, state and country, Nachman said the data is not available to determine how much protection a vaccine provided.

“Only on TV do computer models work instantly,” Nachman said.

She suspects that the Covid shot offered some protection for residents, who may not have been as sick for as long as some of those who dealt with a range of symptoms.

Concussion awareness

With the start of a new school year and the beginning of contact sports like football, school districts are continuing to ensure that coaches and athletes follow concussion protocols.

“Schools have done a nice job thinking and talking about it,” said Nachman. “Coaches know you can’t throw [student athletes] out and say, ‘You’ll do fine,’” after a head injury.

Nachman suggested that area athletes may engage in activities that are not connected to the schools and that may involve head injuries that people ignore.

“We know what’s happening with school-regulated” sport, but not with those that are outside the academic umbrella, she added.

As for the emotional or psychological impacts of a divided and bitter electorate during an election year, Nachman said people are under considerable emotional stress.

“The social media echo chamber is making it worse,” she said. The abundance of misinformation on both sides is causing mental anguish.

“Election times are very stressful and I think, in particular, this election may be even more stressful,” Nachman said.

Nachman urges people to minimize their time on social media and to create down time from electronics during meals.

As students move up a grade and into new places, they also can endure stressors, peer pressure and bullying. She suggests that parents understand what their children are seeing online.

Newborn RSV protection

Children born in March or later are eligible to receive an approved shot called Beyfortus, which, in 80 percent of cases during clinical trials, prevents the development of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

The Beyfortus monoclonal antibody will make a “huge difference” for newborns and their parents, Nachman said. Last year, Stony Brook had numerous hospitalizations in children under one year of age.

“We’re not going to have those children coming into the hospital,” Nachman said. “That’s amazing and is a huge step forward.”

When newborns get RSV, doctors don’t have an effective treatment for the virus and typically treat the symptoms.

The mortality rate from RSV is low, but the morbidity is high. Newborns who contract RSV can end up developing chronic asthma.

As with any shot, Beyfortus can have side effects, with the most common including rash and pain, swelling, or hardness at the site of the injection, according to AstraZeneca and Sanofi, which manufacture the antibody.

Beyfortus is covered by insurance and is under the vaccine for children program and numerous private health insurance plans. Parents can opt out of the shot. Nachman suggested they should understand what they are opting out of when they make that decision.

Head coach Billy Cosh high fives #3 Jayden Cook after Saturday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook put together an impressive comeback Sept. 14, highlighted by a six-yard rushing touchdown from Brandon Boria, to erase a 21-17 third-quarter deficit to take down Fordham in the Bronx, 27-21. 

The Seawolves were led offensively by freshman quarterback Malachi Marshall in the air and the runningback duo of Brandon Boria and Roland Dempster on the ground. Marshall tossed for 268 yards (18-for-36), while Boria finished 65 yards on the ground and his first career touchdown, while Dempster notched 51 yards and his fourth touchdown in the last two games. Tyler Knoop gave the Seawolves a passing touchdown with his seven-yard strike to Jayden Cook.

RJ Lamarre reeled in seven catches for 96 yards. Dez Williams got in on the action in the passing game as well, hauling in three balls for 73 yards. The Seawolves also got 69 yards receiving from Jasiah Williams in the contest.

Rushawn Lawrence paced the Stony Brook defensive effort, collecting five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception. Rudy Silvera added an interception and two pass breakups and Rodney Faulk had 1.0 TFL and one sack in the win. Chayce Chalmers led the way with a team-high nine tackles.

Stony Brook held the Fordham offensive attack in check, allowing the Rams 257 total yards. The Seawolves kept Fordham under 150 yards on both the ground and through the air, allowing 125 passing and 132 rushing yards. The Seawolves hassled the Fordham passing attack all game long, piling up seven sacks and adding two interceptions.

“Defensively, I thought we were outstanding. [Loughridge] is a really good player, he’s a big-time back. It was a great job by the [defense] tackling and making big plays. Our defense kept us in the game. Fordham was a great quality opponent, give credit to them, they’re really well coached. It was a hard-fought battle, we found a way to win and I’m just happy for our players,” head coach Billy Cosh said. 

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Coastal Athletic Association announced its 2024-25 league slate on Tuesday afternoon, highlighted by four straight contests on the Island to close out the regular season.

The conference office previously announced each institution’s home and away opponents for the upcoming season last month. Game times and television information for the 2024-25 regular-season schedule will be released at a later date.

Stony Brook’s 18-game CAA slate, which features nine home games and nine away bouts, begins on the road at Northeastern on Jan. 3, followed by a trip down the shore on Jan. 5 to take on Monmouth.

The Seawolves return home welcoming William & Mary and Charleston, on Jan. 10 and 12, respectively before heading down south to take on Elon (Jan. 17) and North Carolina A&T (Jan. 19).

The squad makes their way back to Stony Brook Arena on Jan. 24 to wrap up their season series with Northeastern and later open their series against Campbell on Jan. 26.

Stony Brook will later face Charleston in South Carolina on Jan. 31 to conclude the month of January and as the calendar flips to February, the Seawolves travel to North Carolina to battle UNC Wilmington in their first and only regular season meeting (Feb. 2).

The Seawolves then play host for two straight weekends to Hofstra for the Battle of Long Island (Feb. 7) and Hampton (Feb. 14) before hitting the road the next two weekends (Towson, Feb. 16; Campbell, Feb. 23).

The Seawolves return to the Island for the next three games with back-to-back home contests (Delaware, Feb. 28; Monmouth, Mar. 2), before traveling to Nassau on Mar. 6 for a final road test of the season against Hofstra.

A rematch of the 2024 CAA Championship is set to close out the regular season as Stony Brook plays host to Drexel on March 8.

All 14 teams will qualify for the 2025 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship to be played March 12-16 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

Season tickets and renewals are available now to be part of the action on Long Island! Click here or call 631-632-WOLF (9653) or email [email protected] and don’t miss a minute of Seawolves Athletics!

For an inside look at the Seawolves women’s basketball program, be sure to follow them on FacebookX, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook’s Collin Gilstrap and Grace Weigele earned CAA Runner of the Week honors after finishing first and leading their respective squads to top finishes last weekend.

Gilstrap posted a first-place finish at the Jasper Fall Invitational in Richmond, VA, helping Stony Brook capture the team title. The sophomore covered the 8K course in a time of 24:41.9, a new personal best, and won the race by over nine seconds. It was the second team victory of the season for the Seawolves.

Weigele also captured the individual title at the Jasper Fall Invitational, leading Stony Brook to their first team victory of the season. Weigele finished the 6K course in a time of 20:24.2, taking the top spot by 1.4 seconds to earn her second win of the year.

Stony Brook’s cross country squads return to action on Saturday, October 5 at the Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh University.

For an inside look at the Seawolves cross country program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University men’s basketball team announced its 2024-25 schedule on Wednesday afternoon.

“Our non-conference schedule is tough with many road games, which we hope will have us ready for CAA play. It’s going to be a very exciting season of CAA hoops,” head coach Geno Ford said. “The conference will have many new faces with only two of the 15 all-conference players returning. I expect it to be a wild conference tournament once again.”

As previously announced, Stony Brook opens year six under Ford on the road at Marquette on November 4, as part of the Marquette Challenge. The MTE sees the Seawolves turn around and face Central Michigan (Nov. 7) and George Mason (Nov. 11) on the road before returning home for the home opener on November 16 against St. Joseph’s Long Island.

The Seawolves stay on the Island, hosting Yale on November 20. Stony Brook faces Yale for the fourth straight season and the fifth time in the previous six seasons. A pair of fellow Ivy League foes follow, with Stony Brook making trips to Columbia (Nov. 23) and Brown (Nov. 27).

Stony Brook opens the month of December with a home game against Norfolk State on December 1 before heading to Texas to meet Air Force in a neutral site contest on December 7 as part of the inaugural Texas Legends Showcase.

The Seawolves round out the non-conference portion of the slate with a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foes before meeting two familiar foes from the America East. The Seawolves travel to Rider on December 14, then return home to face Marist on December 17. The Seawolves end the calendar year with a home matchup against Maine (December 21) and a road trip to Albany on December 29.

As the calendar turns to 2025, Stony Brook embarks on its third year as a member of the CAA. The conference slate begins with a road trip to Monmouth (Jan. 2), followed by three straight home contests (William & Mary, Jan. 4; Drexel, Jan. 9; Northeastern, Jan. 11). The Seawolves start a road swing at Delaware (Jan. 16) and end it with a trip to Towson on January 18 before returning to Long Island to host Campbell (Jan. 23) and North Carolina A&T (Jan. 25).

A rematch of the 2024 CAA Championship is on deck to end the month when Stony Brook heads down south to face Charleston on January 31. Stony Brook closes out the trip to the Carolinas with a road test at UNC Wilmington on February 1.

Stony Brook returns to the Island for the next three games, playing host to Towson (Feb. 6) and Monmouth (Feb. 13), with a trip to Nassau to play Hofstra (Feb. 8) sandwiched between. The Seawolves hit the road for the final road swing of the regular season (Northeastern, Feb. 15; Hampton, Feb. 20; North Carolina A&T, Feb. 22) before wrapping up the regular season at home against Hofstra (Feb. 27) and Elon (March 1).

Purchase your season tickets now to be part of the action on Long Island! Click here, call 631-632-WOLF (9653) or email [email protected] and don’t miss a minute of Seawolves Athletics.

For an inside look at the Seawolves men’s basketball program, be sure to follow them on FacebookX, and Instagram.

#7 Kristina Garcia takes a shot during Sunday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University women’s soccer team defeated New Hampshire, 1-0, on Sept. 15. Kristina Garcia provided the game-winning goal in the 78th minute, propelling the team to its third straight victory.

The two sides played a scoreless first half, with Nicolette Pasquarella stopping the lone shot she faced in the opening 45 minutes. Linn Beck had an early shot on goal that was turned away. Later on, Garcia had a shot on goal that was stopped as well.

With the match still level to start the second half, Pasquarella made a pair of saves in the opening 10 minutes of second-half action. Reilly Rich and Aneta Sováková had shots that were off target or blocked and Luciana Setteducate’s attempt to break the ice was stopped in the 73rd minute.

Minutes later, it was Garcia and Sováková who teamed up to put Stony Brook on top, 1-0, in the late moments of the contest. Sováková fed a ball into the box on a corner set-piece that Garcia volleyed off a defender and into the back of the net. The goal was the first of Garcia’s collegiate career.

The Wildcats had one last chance to find an equalizer, but Pasquarella was up to the task and neutralized the threat. Pasquarella and Stony Brook closed out a third consecutive clean sheet to end the non-conference slate.

“I’m proud of the team. The girls were challenged with the three games in seven days, two of them away, but they got it done,” head coach Tobias Bischof said. “Three wins, three shutouts and 10 goals scored isn’t easy. UNH is a physical team with some very good players, but we handled it well. Now we are going to recover and get ready for conference play.”

The team returns home to host Charleston in the CAA opener on Sept. 22 at noon.

Caption: Stony Brook University’s Red Hot Clothing Recycling Bin. Photo by John Griffin 

Stony Brook University’s Facilities and Services recently rolled out revamped donation bins for its clothing recycling program. 11 “Red Hot” clothing bins were outfitted with enhanced signage and messaging to encourage students, faculty, and staff to think and act green.

The clothing recycling program has been in existence on campus for more than 20 years, but now, there is a scannable QR code on each bin that links you to the Stony Brook University recycling website. It also explains where your donated goods are going.

Wearable Collections, a New York City-based waste management company, owns the campus clothing recycling bins and collects the donations approximately every two weeks. According to the Wearable Collections website, the donations are diverted away from the landfill and instead go to someone in need, are turned into cleaning rags, or transformed into fibers that are used for mattress stuffing or high-grade paper.  The university collects around 10 tons, or about 22,046 pounds of material annually.

“We are excited to share that our new clothing donation bins have been installed across our campus,” said William Herrmann, vice president for facilities & services. “These bins make it more convenient for everyone to contribute, while also highlighting our commitment to reducing landfill waste and fostering a greener future. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these bins will bring not only to our campus but the wider community as well.”

The Stony Brook University recycling website also offers an interactive map that highlights where the clothing donation bins can be found around campus, including Chapin Apartments, Roosevelt Quad, and Roth Quad.  Items accepted include clean clothing– even with rips or tears– footwear, belts, handbags, hats, linens, towels, and curtains.

 

Minghao Qiu presenting at the American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco last year. Photo courtesy of M. Qiu

By Daniel Dunaief

When Minghao Qiu woke up in Beijing on Jan. 12, 2013  during his freshman year in college, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing or, more appropriately, not seeing. The worst air pollution day in the history of the city mostly blocked out the sun, making it appear to be closer to 8 p.m. than a typical morning.

Minghao Qiu

While Qiu’s life path includes numerous contributing factors, that unusual day altered by air pollution had a significant influence on his career.

An Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University, Qiu straddles two departments that encapsulate his scientific and public policy interests. A recent hire who started this fall, Qiu will divide his time equally between the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and the Renaissance School of Medicine’s Program in Public Health.

Qiu studies fundamental questions in atmospheric sciences as they influence human health.

He is part of several new hires who could contribute to the climate solutions center that Stony Brook is building on Governors Island and who could provide research that informs future policy decisions.

Noelle Eckley Selin, who was Qiu’s PhD advisor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems and Society and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, suggested Qiu is a valuable scientific, policy and educational asset.

“Stony Brook is doing a lot to address climate in a serious way with great research,” Selin said. Qiu joining the institution “could really help out the university’s broader climate efforts and make them more impactful.”

Selin appreciated how Qiu was eager to dive deeper into questions, wanting to ensure that conclusions were valid and asking how to use data to test various ideas.

As a mentor, Qiu has proven inspirational.

“A lot of my current students will go and talk to him and come back to me and say, ‘[Qiu] had five excellent ideas on my project,’” Selin said. “That’s characteristic of how he works. He’s really generous with his time and is always thinking about how to look at problems.”

Policy focus

Using causal inference, machine learning, atmospheric chemistry modeling, and remote sensing, Qiu focuses on environmental and energy policies with a global focus on issues involving air pollution, climate change and energy transitions.

Qiu would like to address how climate change is influencing the air people breathe. Increasing heat waves and droughts cause people to use more energy, often through air conditioning. The energy for the electricity to power temperature controls comes from natural gas, coal, or fossil fuels, which creates a feedback loop that further increases pollution and greenhouse gases.

“Our work tries to quantify this,” Qiu said.

He also analyzes the impact of climate change on wildfires, which affects air quality.

In a research paper published last year, Qiu joined several other scientists to analyze the impact of wildfires on air quality.

The study, published in the journal Nature, found that since at least 2016, wildfire smoke eroded about a quarter of previous decades-long efforts to reduce the concentration of particulates above 2.5 microgram in several states.

Wildfire-driven increases in ambient particulates are unregulated under air pollution laws.

The authors showed that the contribution of wildfires to regional and national air quality trends is likely to grow amid a warming climate.

In his research, Qiu seeks to understand how to use energy and climate policy to address air pollution and greenhouse gases.

“Renewable energy and climate policy in general provides potential benefits,” Qiu said.

He uses publicly available data in his models.

New York pivot

While wildfires have been, and likely will continue to be, an area of focus for his work, Qiu plans to shift his focus to the kind of pollution that is typically more prevalent in New York.

In large urban cities, pollution often comes from a concentration of traffic, as people commute to and from work and drive to the city for entertainment and cultural events.

“We are going to pivot a little bit, especially to factors that are more relevant” to the Empire State, he said.

While climate change is a broad category that affects patterns across the world, air pollution and its impacts are more regional.

“The biggest impact of air pollution happens locally” particularly in terms of health effects, Qiu said.

From Beijing to MIT

Born and raised in Beijing, Qiu began connecting how climate or energy policy influences air pollution at MIT.

“When I started my PhD, there was not much real world data analysis” that linked how much renewable energy helps air quality, Qiu said. “We have historical data to do that, but it’s a lot more complex.”

After he graduated from MIT, Qiu moved to Stanford, where he shifted his focus to climate change.

“There, I got to collaborate more directly with people in the public health domain,” he said, as he focused on wildfires.

Personal choices

Despite studying air pollution and climate change, Qiu does not have HEPA filters in every room and, by his own admission, does not live a particularly green life. He does not have an electric car, although he plans to get one when he needs a new vehicle. He urges people not to sacrifice the living standards to which they are accustomed, which can include eating their preferred foods and traveling to distant points in the world.

Qiu believes there are choices individuals can make to help, but that the kind of decisions necessary to improve the outlook for climate change come from centralized government policy or large enterprises.

“I have great respect for people who change their personal behavior” but he recognizes that “this is not for everyone.”

A resident of Hicksville, Qiu lives with his wife Mingyu Song, who is a software engineer. The couple met when they were in high school.

When he’s not working on climate models, he enjoys playing basketball and, at just under six feet tall, typically plays shooting guard.

As for his research, Qiu does “rigorous scientific research” that draws from historical data.

“I feel a sense of urgency that we would like to get the answers to many of the scientific evidence as quickly as possible to communicate to policy makers,” he said.

He wants his research to be impactful and to help policy makers take “appropriate measures.”

Christopher Martin

Stony Brook University has announced the hiring of Christopher Martin as the new associate vice president for Campus Planning, Design & Construction. He will report to William Herrmann, vice president for facilities & services. In this role, Martin will lead the operation and management of all campus construction activities including planning, capital budgeting, architecture, design, engineering, and construction management.

Martin joins Stony Brook with over 35 years of professional experience, most recently serving in a dual capacity as vice president for integrated real estate & facilities and assistant vice president for facilities infrastructure, projects & compliance at MedStar Health System in Maryland, an organization he’s been a part of for eight years.

Prior to this role, the Nesconset resident held design and construction related roles at Northwell Health, the North Shore LIJ Health System, Gazetten Contracting, and Beth Israel Medical Center. He is a registered architect, and a member of the American Institute of Architects as well as the American Society for Health Care Engineering.

“Christopher brings with him a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in his previous roles,” said William Herrmann. “In addition to his professional skills, Christopher possesses a range of personal strengths that make him an ideal fit for this role. He has successfully led high-performing teams towards achieving organizational goals, strategically planned to align resources with objectives and fostered collaborative environments where individuals are empowered to excel.”

“I am excited about the opportunity to join Stony Brook University and am eager to help bring innovative ideas and drive positive change within the university, including the Health Sciences Center and the Southampton Campus,” said Martin. “I look forward to joining the team to collaborate on our planning, design and construction.”