Stony Brook President Receives Lifetime Achievement Medal From Fulbright Association

Stony Brook, NY - Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny, President of Stony Brook University was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal at the Fulbright Association's 30th Anniversary and Lifetime Achievement Medal Dinner on Thursday, March 8 in Washington DC .

The Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal was initiated in 2000 and is awarded biennially by the Fulbright Association to alumni whose distinguished careers and civic and cultural contributions have sought to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy, and perception.

Joining Dr. Kenny as honorees were fellow Fulbright alumni Craig R. Barrett, chairman of Intel Corporation, and John Hope Franklin, the eminent historian, author, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.

Fulbright recognized Dr. Kenny for her work in guiding Stony Brook to a prominent position among the very top public research universities in the US , and helping transform undergraduate education across the country as Chairman of the landmark Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduate Education in the Research University .

Kenny, 72, was a Fulbright Fellow to the United Kingdom in 1957 and became the first woman, and non-scientist, to be elected Stony Brook University President in 1994. Under her leadership, Stony Brook has seen major increases in student enrollment, campus improvements, and business and community linkages. Among her most notable achievements during her tenure, are: the addition of two campuses, Stony Brook Manhattan and Stony Brook Southampton, and the creation of the Stony Brook Research Park; the agreement by which Stony Brook administers Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy; and sizable increases in research, royalty, and fundraising dollars.

Dr. Kenny launched and chaired the Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates at Stony Brook, which published "Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America 's Research Universities" in 1998. This landmark study has resulted in a wave of change in the respect given to undergraduate education at research universities in America , with particular progress made to incorporate research opportunities for undergraduates, help faculty improve their teaching and enhance the freshmen classroom experience.

In addition to her achievements as a leader, Dr. Kenny has played a significant role as a literary scholar and teacher. Prior to assuming the presidency at Stony Brook University , she served as President of Queens College, and taught at the University of Texas, Gallaudet University, Catholic University of America, University of Delaware, and University of Maryland. She has published five books and numerous articles.