Dr. Larry Swanson Appointed Interim Dean of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)

From the Desk of Dennis N. Assanis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs:

Dear Colleagues,

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Larry Swanson has agreed to serve as Interim Dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), effective July 1, 2016. Larry’s long and distinguished history with Stony Brook University began when he joined the Marine Sciences Research Center, now the SoMAS, as Director of the Waste Reduction and Management Institute in 1987. He has also served as an Associate Dean in SoMAS since 2003. Trained as a physical oceanographer, Larry has worked with a number of researchers to quantify the size and fate of Long Island’s solid waste stream and to determine the impact of sewage in our coastal waters, including radioactive iodine from hospital medical treatments. Following Superstorm Sandy, he led an effort as part of the NYS Resilience Institute for Storm Emergencies to study the environmental impact of the flooding and shutdown of the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant in Hempstead Bay.

Larry serves on a number of committees, including serving as the NYS co-chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the Long Island Sound Study and on the Suffolk County Committee on Environmental Quality. Larry, who has dedicated almost 30 years of academic and professional service to SoMAS, is also the editor of Long Island Sound: Prospects for the Urban Sea and a co-author on the soon-to-be published Between Stony Brook Harbor Tides. In addition, Larry’s service as Associate Dean of SoMAS provides him with valuable perspective on the administrative workings of the University.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge Dr. Minghua Zhang‘s energy, dedication, and accomplishments during his time as Dean of SoMAS. His insight and direction led to new and enriched programs, and important progress towards our goal of prominence in marine and atmospheric sciences education. SoMAS boasts more dynamic educational offerings, increased enrollment, a talented faculty, and interdisciplinary linkages to other University programs.

I am confident that Larry, working with all of the members of SoMAS, will further build along this trajectory of excellence.  Please join me in congratulating Larry on his new role.