New for the 2011-2012 seasons, the America East Daily Word, a collaboration between AmericaEast.com and AExtra, will recap the previous day's games and on goings on our nine campuses and provide links to previews, recaps, features and exclusive coverage.
It’s an exciting time to be at Stony Brook University.
Athletic facilities are receiving major facelifts, new
buildings are being constructed and now, the university is the recipient of a
$150 million gift from one of its former math professors.
The New York Times ran a story yesterday detailing a
very generous gift from hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist, James H.
Simons. This is by far the largest gift in the State University of New York
system and the sixth largest donation, according to the article, ever made to
an American public university.
“Most of the money will go to research in medical
sciences, including the construction of a life sciences building and the
creation of a neurosciences institute and a center for biological imaging, as
well as to the study of cancer and infectious diseases,” the article says.
Simons left teaching in 1978 for the financial sector
and founded Renaissance Technologies. Since then, he has become the 30th
wealthiest person in the country with Forbes estimating his total worth at an
astounding $10.6 billion.
Stony Brook’s president, Dr. Samuel L. Stanley, referred
to the moment as the university’s “rebirth day.” The official announcement will
be made today.
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