A Bold Vision: President Andrea Goldsmith Delivers State of the University Address

Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith unveiled ASPIRE 2035, the university’s strategic vision for the next decade, at her State of the University Address September 14, outlining a series of goals and “big bets” designed to accelerate the university’s excellence and impact.

Speaking on the Staller Center Main Stage, Goldsmith reflected on Stony Brook’s momentum over the past year before addressing Stony Brook’s future and the process that shaped ASPIRE 2035.

“One year ago, I delivered my first State of the University address with only a few weeks of knowledge about the magical university I’d come to lead,” Goldsmith said. “Today, following an intense year of deep engagement with Stony Brook students, faculty, staff, leaders, stakeholders and supporters, I have a far better understanding of this remarkable institution than I did one year ago, and I can tell you with conviction that the state of our university is strong.”

Undergraduate Student Government President Russell Erfan ’27 introduced Goldsmith to an audience of students, faculty, staff, healthcare workers, elected officials, SUNY leadership, alumni, friends and community partners. He said Goldsmith “embraces change and sees Stony Brook as a place where together, we can boldly shine and make an impact on this world.”

Goldsmith credited Stony Brook’s community with creating the foundation for the university’s progress. “It is all of you, our people, that are the foundation of our excellence, the fuel behind our momentum and the inspiration for our dreams to advance this university towards even loftier heights of achievement,” she said.

Goldsmith highlighted that momentum across education, research, healthcare and service. Total enrollment reached a record high of more than 27,700 students this fall, receiving more than 66,000 first-year applications. Last year’s first-year class recorded a retention rate above 90 percent, the highest in more than a decade.

Research accomplishments included New York State’s $300 million investment in Stony Brook’s Quantum Research and Innovation Hub, building a metropolitan-area quantum network and a recent demonstration of a wireless quantum link between Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Goldsmith also highlighted Stony Brook’s eight awards through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, its leadership of The New York Climate Exchange and record research expenditures in fiscal year 2026.

She pointed to Stony Brook Medicine’s continued recognition for patient care, including being named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for the fourth consecutive year and earning Magnet Recognition for nursing excellence. Goldsmith also noted that less than three years after the Simons Infinity Investment and the launch of New York State’s Endowment Match Challenge, Stony Brook’s endowment has grown from $392 million to nearly $1 billion.

“These headlines and accomplishments, and many more, mark a trajectory of progress that is reshaping what Stony Brook can achieve,” Goldsmith said. “And they are stepping stones toward a much larger vision: our strategic plan ASPIRE 2035, which charts our bold path forward.”

Last year, Goldsmith concluded her first State of the University Address by asking the Stony Brook community to imagine the headlines it hoped to see about the university a decade into the future. This year, she presented the plan for turning those aspirations into reality.

“Over my first year as president, in conversations across our community, I saw that fierce determination in our people,” Goldsmith said. “Their willingness to dream big, take risks and build what does not yet exist shaped the collaborative process that produced ASPIRE 2035, our shared vision for the decade ahead.”

“This vision is our North Star, a guide that will remain unwavering no matter the obstacles as we pursue the future that this university, our community and this state deserve,” she added.

Built from the first letter of each of its six goals, ASPIRE calls for accelerating discovery to solve humanity’s greatest challenges; setting a new standard for educational excellence, access and student success; propelling Stony Brook to a position of visionary global leadership; igniting regional prosperity through innovation, economic growth and vitality; reimagining medicine, health and wellness through accessible, compassionate and cutting-edge healthcare; and enabling the people, infrastructure and resources necessary to achieve those ambitions.

“ASPIRE 2035, with its 12 ambitious actions, will guide us through a world where the pace of change is accelerating,” Goldsmith said. “Our strong foundation and the remarkable achievements we have celebrated across our entire history signify a university ready to seize this moment.”

The full strategic plan is available online so the university community can explore its details, offer feedback and follow Stony Brook’s progress.

Central to ASPIRE 2035 is what Goldsmith called a willingness to make “big bets,” ambitious commitments that carry risk but also the potential to significantly expand Stony Brook’s impact. “Those commitments are what will define the decade ahead for our special university.”

Among those commitments is significant faculty growth in areas critical to research, education and economic development. Stony Brook plans to hire up to 12 new faculty members in quantum information science over the next two years while expanding its faculty in areas including biotechnology, artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced materials, semiconductors and energy systems. That growth will also support a goal of doubling the number of engineering students Stony Brook graduates over the next five years.

“Given that today there are around 18,000 unfilled engineering jobs right here in New York, we want to fill those jobs with our inspiring and remarkable Stony Brook graduates to ensure New York companies will drive economic growth and technology leadership for our great state,” Goldsmith said.

Student success represents another major focus. After increasing its four-year graduation rate by 14 percentage points over the past decade, Stony Brook is planning for another five-percentage-point increase over the next four years through the SUNY Academic Momentum campaign. “We want every one of our students to graduate on time and debt free, ready to contribute to New York’s vibrant economy,” Goldsmith said.

The university will also reimagine teaching and learning in the age of artificial intelligence, with the goal of using AI to strengthen rather than compromise learning and discovery. “Navigating this shift requires us to ask important, complex questions about the value and nature of a Stony Brook education, including how our students learn, what knowledge they need to master for successful careers and lives, and how we assess this mastery,” she said.

Stony Brook’s role in regional economic development is another part of the plan, with Goldsmith envisioning the university as a catalyst for transforming Long Island into “Silicon Island,” which she described as “a place where entrepreneurs create a region buzzing with exciting startups that grow up right here from Manhattan to Montauk into large iconic companies.” 

To help accomplish that goal, the university is investing in a startup incubator that will help students, faculty, alumni and community members turn ideas into technologies, products and services. Goldsmith also described plans to expand Stony Brook’s global reach through international partnerships and student experiences, as well as a vision for a mixed-use, village-style college town development that would combine student and employee housing with retail, dining and shared amenities.

“These are the commitments that will shape our next decade. The Stony Brook that we will build together,” Goldsmith said. “We are willing to take courageous, high-impact strides forward because they are essential to achieving our aspirations.”

Goldsmith noted that the entrepreneurial approach behind ASPIRE 2035 also means accepting uncertainty. “I’m an entrepreneur and so I know some of these bets will succeed spectacularly, some will likely fail, and learning from all of them will shape and inform future decisions to ensure they are the right ones to reach our goals,” she said.

She emphasized that ASPIRE 2035 is intended to evolve as circumstances change, opportunities emerge and the Stony Brook community continues to shape the university’s future.

“Every one of you has a role to play in bringing this compelling vision for our university to life,” she said. “Together, we will make Stony Brook one of the greatest public universities in the nation. New York deserves nothing less: a university our state, our country and our world look to as a model of American possibility and progress.”

The event concluded with Goldsmith attending a reception with members of the SBU community on Staller Plaza.

Photos by John Griffin.