Stony Brook University dental school professor who got money from Jeffrey Epstein resigns

A dental school professor at Stony Brook University who previously received funding from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein tendered his resignation from the college earlier this month but said his departure had nothing to do with his Epstein connection.

Ira B. Lamster, 75, a former professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Dental Medicine, "is no longer a member of the faculty," the university said in a Tuesday email in response to questions about the professor.

Stony Brook did not answer repeated emailed questions about the reasons for his departure. But Lamster told Newsday in a phone interview Tuesday the move was because he no longer had regular teaching duties at the school, and was unrelated to recent media coverage about Epstein.

The U.S. Justice Department last month released a trove of more than 3 million documents from Epstein’s files, following months of pressure from lawmakers to open its extensive files on the late financier. Epstein, who previously pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a child for prostitution, was awaiting a federal trial on sex trafficking charges when authorities said he died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019.

Some of the emails showed Epstein spent time in the Hamptons with other wealthy Long Island residents.

Before coming to Stony Brook, Lamster spent years at Columbia University in Manhattan. From 2001 to 2012, he ran Columbia’s College of Dental Medicine. He then moved to the Mailman School of Public Health, where he stayed until 2017, according to publicly available bios.

In 2012, Epstein gave Lamster a $100,000 donation for a public health project at Columbia, according to emails recently released by Congress and the Department of Justice.

That same year, Lamster and other Columbia administrators had helped Epstein’s girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, get into the dental school there, The New York Times reported last week.

Lamster has not been publicly accused of any misconduct related to his relationship with Epstein.

In a Feb. 11 statement about its dental school’s links with Epstein, Columbia said it was no longer affiliated with Lamster.

Lamster went to Epstein’s Manhattan home for dinner at least twice, according to the DOJ emails.

"Thank you for inviting us to dinner," Lamster emailed Epstein in May 2012 after one such occasion. "Conversation, company and food were outstanding."

In 2013, Lamster reached out to Epstein for advice on an unspecified matter. After the two talked, Lamster thanked Epstein for taking the time. "Anytime," Epstein replied. "I value your friendship."

In 2017, Lamster reached out to Epstein to ask a separate favor.

Lamster was planning to leave Columbia and start a part-time faculty position at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, "with a focus on developing their global oral health program," he wrote in a January 2017 email.

Some of Epstein’s original donation remained unspent, Lamster wrote, and he wanted to "move those funds to Stony Brook to support my work there, but need the permission of the donor, meaning you."

"Of course," Epstein responded. "I might be willing to donate more." 

After Columbia University declined to transfer the funds, Epstein wrote he was going to donate $25,000. He said it was Shuliak’s idea, according to an email.

"That would be very kind of you," Lamster replied. "Check should be made out to Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. Best to send it to me at the address below and I will give the check to the School when I am out there."

Epstein told his business manager to send the money, according to emails. But Lamster said Epstein never actually provided the funds. Kelly Drossel, a Stony Brook spokesperson, told Newsday in an email, "We find no record of any financial transaction related to this."

Emails shared by Lamster showed he tendered his resignation from Stony Brook Feb. 6 in response to an "administrative directive." That directive was related to teaching duties at the school, he said in an interview.

His resignation is effective March 6, according to emails Lamster shared.

"I didn't have a regular teaching assignment, and there was no purpose for me to continue to have a faculty appointment," he said, adding the timing was "coincidental."