Stony Brook names Assanis to key posts

Stony Brook University has named Dennis N. Assanis, a University of Michigan engineering professor who is director of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, to the key positions of provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

"Stony Brook has done really well in the first 50 years of its life, and now as we move forward for the next 50 years, we have a historic opportunity to define the future . . . I am really delighted to be part of this team and engage in the mission," Assanis said Tuesday.

Assanis, 52, who holds four graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, succeeds Eric W. Kaler, who resigned as provost in July when he was appointed president of the University of Minnesota.

Assanis also will serve as vice president for Brookhaven Affairs, relating to the university's affiliation with Brookhaven National Laboratory. Stony Brook President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. announced the appointment, effective Oct. 1.

"Dennis Assanis is a distinguished scholar, teacher and leader . . . He really brings a tremendous skill set to the table," Stanley said. "He is someone who has managed to really embrace multidisciplinary studies."

As the chief academic officer, the Stony Brook University provost oversees the academic mission of the main campus, supervises all academic units, support services and operations, and coordinates academic programs. He also acts on behalf of the president in the president's absence.

Assanis started his academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and joined the University of Michigan in the fall of 1994 as a professor of mechanical engineering. His work has focused on developing new transportation technologies that minimize the use of fossil fuels and generate lower levels of greenhouse gases and pollution.

Stony Brook can benefit from its strong relationship with Brookhaven National Laboratory, Assanis said, saying he anticipates that "education is the catalyst for rejuvenation of the economy."

"Innovation is the key to get us out of the slump. I think the state universities are poised to play a significant role, and I see Stony Brook becoming the flagship university for the state of New York to rejuvenate the economy of the state and Long Island," he said.