Dean's Blog: Michigan State University Names New President

May 30, 2019 - Dean Rachel Croson

 

 

This morning the Board of Trustees announced that Samuel Stanley Jr., M.D., will begin his service on August 1, 2019.

The news is bringing excitement and hope to campus. Along with the other Deans at MSU, I am optimistic and confident about Dr. Stanley’s ability to lead us into the future.

Dr. Stanley comes to us from Stony Brook University in New York, where he has served as president since 2009. Stony Brook is one of the top 50 public Universities in the US. Like MSU, it is a leading research university, a member of the Association of American Universities and a Carnegie Classification R1.

Dr. Stanley has been an international advocate for gender equity and ending sexual violence. Under his leadership Stony Brook became a U.S. University Impact Champions for the HeForShe UN Global Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality.

Dr. Stanley’s involvement in the leadership of Brookhaven National Labs will provide important experience for managing FRIB at MSU. His own expertise on the medical side will be helpful as we continue to grow medical education and practice, in both East Lansing and Grand Rapids.

Dr. Stanley successfully navigated a challenging university budget while advancing student success and access to higher education. His recent success in quadrupling Stony Brook’s endowment will also be important as we look toward the next fundraising campaign here at MSU.

I was able to meet Dr. Stanley this morning together with the other Deans and Associate Provosts. As we each introduced ourselves and our units, he demonstrated caring and empathy, appreciation for our unique roles and contributions, and a sincere desire to listen and learn. He spoke about how we can never forget what has happened on campus over the past few years, and that we must continually strive to improve the health, safety and well-being of our current and future students, as well as their academic and intellectual excellence.

Many fellow social scientists were involved in selecting Dr. Stanley for the position. Mary Finn, Director and Professor in the School of Criminal Justice, and Pero Dagbovie, University Distinguished Professor of History and Associate Dean of the Graduate School had an active role on the 18-member search committee. In addition, two of the three alumni on the committee, David Porteous and Mark Murray, are alumni of our College.

More information on Dr. Stanley can be found here.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can provide anything additional. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Go Green!

 

 

Sincerely yours,

Dean Rachel T.A. Croson