CEAS Names New Assistant Dean for Advancement

The Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) has named Kelly Dowling as its new assistant dean for advancement.

Dowling joined Stony Brook after nine years with the University of Central Florida (UCF) and most recently served as the senior director of development for the UCF College of Business Administration.

At Stony Brook, Dowling is tasked with creating a sustainable culture of philanthropy with CEAS alumni, corporations, foundations and other organizations by promoting the college’s faculty research focus in the areas of energy systems for sustainability, smart and resilient cities and eco-systems, engineering-driven medicine (in partnership with Stony Brook Medicine), cyber security and engineering education for a technology-driven society. Since Dowling’s joining Stony Brook, she’s begun to develop a team to aid in these endeavors, whose members include a communications manager, two development directors, one development officer and a grants manager.

“I’m extremely proud to have Kelly join the Stony Brook Advancement team,” said Dexter A. Bailey Jr., senior vice president of University Advancement. “In a short amount of time her leadership ability has become an invaluable asset to our team, as well as to the surrounding community and the alumni and friends she’s engaging.”

Before Stony Brook and as UCF’s university-wide director of development, Dowling led the first regional development program at the UCF Foundation and, as senior director for the College of Business, she raised the university’s largest gift for financial aid at $7 million, a joint philanthropic program between UCF and four state colleges resulting in $5 million for first generation college students as well as many major gifts, each totaling more than $100,000. These achievements were instrumental in her goal to work for a nationally recognized research institution.

“The kind of research they’re doing in CEAS makes me excited to go to work every day,” she said. “I feel so fortunate to be part of this opportunity to shape the future of engineering at Stony Brook. My goal is to set the stage for an advancement effort that will have a lasting impact on our stakeholders. We have a wonderful story to tell.”

Dowling holds an MBA from UCF and a BA in Fine Arts and Humanities from Stetson University.