President McInnis Meets with White House Climate Advisor

Washington, D.C. trip includes meetings with OSTP and DOE Office of Science Leadership

Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnisvisited Washington, D.C. this month to meet with White House Deputy National Climate Advisor Mary Frances Repko.

McInnis provided an update on The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island, including Stony Brook University’s leadership as the anchor institution to lead its development. During the latest White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions, Repko conveyed the need for an all-hands-on-deck approach that includes higher education institutions to meet the urgency of the climate crisis.

During her visit to the nation’s capital, McInnis also met with Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) leadership and Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Director Asmeret Asefaw Berhe. Topics discussed included the Center for Climate Solutions in addition to SBU’s leadership in quantum research, energy storage and medical isotopes.

McInnis emphasized the crucial importance of national laboratories leveraging the innovation and creativity that thrives at research universities like Stony Brook.

“Universities are becoming much stronger at exploring research areas emerging at the intersection of disciplines that can bridge critical gaps,” said McInnis. “A great example is AI, where applications and their acceptance depend heavily on humanistic values and perceptions. Stony Brook researchers are already working on trust, ethics, security, and DEI in relation to emerging AI technology.”

These White House and federal agency leadership meetings were coordinated by SBU’s Office of Federal Relations located in Washington, DC. The Office of Federal Relations works to identify opportunities with federal partners (Congress, White House and federal agencies) to advance the mission and federal priorities of SBU.