New Computer Science Building is Open for Business, Education and Infinite Innovation

70,000 square-foot state-of-the-art complex boasts 4,500+ enrolled students, 8,000 alumni, 5 research centers and more

“Today is about a bold, new future for Computer Science at Stony Brook. It celebrates the beginning of revolutionary ideas and high-tech collaborations that will fuel the power of innovation,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. “This building will help propel the University to a regional leadership position in high-performance computing; while advancing our goal as a top public research University to educate and train future generations of computer scientists.”Stony Brook University’s state-of-the-art, 70,000-square-foot Computer Science Building is open for business as University administrators, elected officials, faculty, staff and students gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday afternoon. The celebratory event featured remarks from Stony Brook leadership and community leaders, tours of the facility and its five research centers and live lab demonstrations that included virtual colonoscopy screenings, immersive head mounted displays which allowed attendees to tour the building virtually in 360 degrees, and cyber security demonstration projects in the building’s National Security Institute.

The $41M project, designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, LLP, offers career-boosting resources and partnership opportunities among students and faculty. During his remarks, President Stanley gave special thanks to NY State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, Chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

“Senator LaValle has made it his mission that Stony Brook University, as well as other New York state institutions, have the tools and resources

(L to R): President Stanley, Senator LaValle and Computer Science Chair Kaufman

needed to serve the state in the most powerful and effective way possible, and for that I’m very grateful.”

“As the country and the world evolve into a high-tech economy and lifestyle, this state-of-the art facility will ensure that Stony Brook University students and researchers have access to the newest technologies while reaffirming the University’s leadership role as a nationally-ranked computer sciences center,” said Senator LaValle. “It will also help fill our workforce needs, as we continue to attract new high paying technology jobs to our region and further establish Long Island as a magnet for innovation.”

“This state-of-the-art building will help us continue to attract the best and brightest faculty and staff to Stony Brook,” said Dennis N. Assanis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Stony Brook University. “Over the past decade, the Computer Science Department has experienced a 70 percent growth in undergraduate students, a 60 percent increase in graduate students and is represented in five of the ten campus-wide interdisciplinary faculty clusters.”

Yacov A. Shamash, Vice President for Economic Development and Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, said “I am especially delighted for current and future faculty, students and staff who will be utilizing the innovative technology in this state-of-the-art facility.”

The new building includes a mix of faculty and administration offices; research and teaching laboratories; a large wireless teaching lab; and shared conference areas. It’s also home to 18 research labs and five innovative research centers which include National Security Institute, Center for Dynamic Data Analytics, Center for Mobile Computing, Center for Smart Energy and Center for Visual Computing.

“Today is the happiest day in the 46-year history of the Department of Computer Science,” said Arie E. Kaufman, PhD, Distinguished Computer Science Professor and Chairman of the Computer Science Department at Stony Brook. “This new facility will help fulfill our grand vision for Computer Science and further excel our teachings and research missions. “

The new facility is also recognized as LEED Silver certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. During construction, the project recycled a minimum of 50 percent of construction and demolition waste, thereby diverting this waste from local landfills. Additional sustainable design elements include:

• A storm water reclamation system that captures enough rainwater to meet 100 percent of the building’s demand for potable water.
• A high-efficiency curtain wall system and passive solar shading louvers that, combined with high-performance mechanical and lighting control systems, results in a 28 percent energy savings annually over a comparable building as required by the New York State Energy Code.
• Energy-efficient magnetic bearing chillers used for comfort cooling.
• Close-coupled in-row cooling systems utilized for the data centers to minimize overall transport energy.
• Building materials produced locally with high levels of recycled content has been specified and only low-emitting paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants and flooring systems are installed.

The new building complements the outstanding achievements of the Department of Computer Science – the largest major in the University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the #8-ranked doctoral Computer Science program in the nation by National Research Council. Stony Brook’s Computer Science Department has about 1,700 majors and pre-majors enrolled in undergraduate, MS and PhD programs. It also has 53 tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty members, more than 4,500 students enrolled in computer science courses every semester and 8,000+ alumni. Stony Brook Computer Science alumni work for top global organizations including Google, Apple, Yahoo, Bloomberg, Amazon, Dow Jones, IBM, Oracle, Reuters and more.