Dear SoMAS students:
Welcome back and Happy New Year!
I feel confident that 2021 will be a great year, because we will make it that way!
There are so many reasons to be optimistic about this year, and the future.
First, we have all been through a lot, together, and we have persevered. We have much more to do before we have conquered COVID-19, but it is encouraging to see President Biden’s administration take it very seriously, and develop plans to do so. We are all looking forward with great anticipation to the time when we can all work together, in the field, on our passion – contributing to a healthier natural world. And, we look forward to our future together with animated and engaging dialogue in the classroom. It will come!
At SoMAS, this year should see completion of the Flax Pond Marine Laboratory‘s shellfish hatchery, which will include a high quality sea water intake system, that will enable exciting new research efforts at Flax Pond. We will begin our new adventure as Host for the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP), which has as its mission “Protecting and restoring the Peconic Estuary and its watershed”. We are delighted to have this opportunity (through a grant from EPA) to contribute to the success of PEP, and extend our reach and positive impact on the east end.
And speaking of estuaries, this year we will celebrate the arrival of Yong Chen and his group at SoMAS; Yong et al. will lead us forward in the pursuit of the scientific opportunities from the remarkable treasure trove represented in the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program samples and data.
There is a wide array of exciting research activities going on this year, such as Pavlos Kollias and Mariko Oue‘s upcoming work on studies of convective clouds in the Gulf Coast region, as part of the Experiment of Sea Breeze Convection, Aerosols, Precipitation and Environment (ESCAPE) project in Houston in the summer, and furthering the application of state-of-the art radar meteorology to better understand convective clouds.
And speaking of wind, there are new projects spinning up (so to speak…) around campus related to the New York State implementation of off-shore wind power, including a new project involving Mike Frisk and Bob Cerrato, and colleagues. This connects us to the Governor’s plan to develop 9GW of off-shore wind power, an important contributor to the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). By the end of this year, the Climate Action Council will have completed development of the “Scoping Plan” that lays out NY’s approach to meeting the goals of the CLCPA. We’ll want to stay on top of that! But it is exciting that New York State is leading the country in this way.
We can hope for the passage of the “Environmental Bond Act” that would support New York with its associated investments in renewable energy. All of these new activities described above should bring new opportunities for our students, to be a part of these exciting new initiatives, through undergraduate research and/or internships.
And speaking of climate mitigation, isn’t it exciting that the U.S. will re-join the Paris Climate Accord? We should want the U.S. to lead, and innovate, and define new ways to simultaneously meet our energy needs in sustainable ways, and contribute to a vibrant economy. We can do that, if we can imagine a better future, and commit, together, to getting there. It is great to be among the leaders in this area; we can celebrate our recognition as #3 among the “Top 10 Colleges where you can make a difference in the climate crisis” by continuing to lead, and innovate.
I should also say that with the arrival of Paul Goldbart as our new Provost, and given the recent arrival of Maurie McInnis as President, we look forward to having a long-term stable, creative, and supportive leadership at Stony Brook University. Their success is ours, and vice versa, so let us work together to help them succeed.
We have a great deal of work to do, but that only compels and energizes us. Quoting from Amanda Gorman‘s inspiring poem:
“When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Together, we will make this year great, and our world a little brighter and more hopeful.
Thank you for that.
Regards,
Paul Shepson, Dean of SoMAS
