Stony Brook University-BNL Partnership Showcased for U.S. Energy Secretary

United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on September 30 as part of his nationwide tour of the Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories.

During his visit, he met with Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith, BNL leaders and researchers, and Stony Brook scientists to see firsthand how research at BNL is advancing innovation and discovery. The Secretary was deeply engaged and enthusiastic throughout the day, asking probing questions and expressing strong support for BNL’s work.

Goldsmith participated in the visit in her role as vice-chair of the Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) Board of Directors. BSA, a partnership between Stony Brook University and Battelle Memorial Institute, manages BNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

Wright began his visit at Brookhaven’s new Science and User Support Center, where he met with Goldsmith, Associate Vice President for Brookhaven National Laboratory Affairs Richard J. Reeder, Interim BNL Director John Hill, and other BNL leaders to discuss Brookhaven’s mission to accelerate discovery and technological innovation, a goal that aligns closely with Stony Brook’s research vision.

Goldsmith said the visit was an opportunity to highlight the power of collaboration between Stony Brook and Brookhaven. “It was an honor to welcome Secretary Wright to Brookhaven Lab and to share with him the lab’s remarkable research advancing the frontiers of knowledge, including unique experiments in quantum networking where Stony Brook is the Lab’s key partner,” she said. “Secretary Wright’s visit allowed him to see first-hand how collaborations between BNL and Stony Brook amplify our excellence and impact across research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, driving economic growth and technology leadership for New York and the nation.”

Goldsmith added that the partnership continues to expand Stony Brook’s impact on national research priorities.

Reeder said that Stony Brook takes great pride in its management role at the lab. “It was gratifying to hear Secretary Wright reaffirm the importance and value of the Lab’s mission in serving the country,” he said.

Wright praised the impact of BNL. “It was great to see how Brookhaven’s scientists, engineers, and staff embody America’s ingenuity as they explore new frontiers in nuclear physics and quantum networking,” he said. “The research that takes place at this laboratory, including at the user facilities it operates for all U.S. scientists, helps keep DOE and our nation at the forefront of discovery science.”

Stony Brook faculty members Abhay Deshpande, distinguished professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy; Martin Schoonen, professor in the Department of Geosciences; and James Misewich, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy — who also hold  leadership roles at BNL — met with Secretary Wright during the visit. These conversations highlighted how Stony Brook faculty contribute to advancing research that complements Brookhaven’s mission in areas such as nuclear physics, quantum materials, and energy security.

The tour included several key facilities where Stony Brook researchers and students collaborate closely with Brookhaven scientists. At the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), Wright viewed beamlines used to study materials for batteries, catalysts, and energy applications at the atomic level, learning how scientists are integrating artificial intelligence to accelerate discoveries in energy conversion and storage.

Wright also visited the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the only particle collider in the United States, which will soon be transformed into the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), the only new collider scheduled to be built anywhere in the world over the next decade. The EIC will allow scientists to explore the inner structure of protons, neutrons, and atomic nuclei in unprecedented detail, offering new insight into the strongest force in nature. Inside RHIC’s 2.4-mile tunnel, Wright followed the path of near-light-speed nuclear particles and viewed the massive STAR detector that captures data from collisions mimicking conditions of the early universe.

At Brookhaven’s Quantum Networking Facility, Wright met with SBU Presidential Innovation Endowed Professor and director of the Center for Distributed Quantum Processing Eden Figueroa, a BNL joint appointee, and participated in an experiment that demonstrated quantum communication between Brookhaven, Stony Brook University, and New York City. Using entangled photons traveling along the nation’s longest fiber-optic quantum network, the experiment showcased how two particles of light can remain connected over 161 miles, a milestone toward developing secure, scalable quantum communications.

Figueroa, who leads much of the university’s quantum networking research, has been at the center of this work. His Stony Brook team, in collaboration with BNL, continues to test quantum communication across New York State, paving the way for a future “quantum internet.”

At the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Wright observed the Quantum Material Press, a tool for synthesizing atomically thin materials that could power next-generation electronics and quantum devices. In the Computing and Data Sciences directorate, he learned how Brookhaven manages one of the world’s largest archives of scientific data — exceeding 500 petabytes — and is developing “embodied AI” (robots that learn through real-world interaction) to improve research efficiency.

“For me, the Secretary’s visit was both affirmation and motivation,” said Hill. “It reminded us that our work is valued at the highest levels and reinforced a simple truth: when we work together, safely and with purpose, we can achieve amazing things.”

“We would not live in a world recognizable to what we have today if not for the national labs,” Wright said at the conclusion of his visit. “There is a lot of flow between the labs that creates a healthy ecosystem for innovation. They are competitive to be the best but collaborative to bring the best science forward.”

Brookhaven Lab’s scientific research is funded primarily by the DOE Office of Science. RHIC, NSLS-II, and CFN are DOE Office of Science user facilities.

— Beth Squire