In a State of the University Address on September 14 at the Staller Center, the second-year president, who is an engineer by training, suggested that the university embrace the opportunities presented by the latest technologies, preparing students for life after college and creating opportunities across Long Island.

Donghee Yvette Wohn has been appointed the inaugural chair of the new Department of Technology, AI and Society (DTAS) in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, effective September 1, 2026. Wohn’s research on the topics of human-computer interaction (HCI), artificial intelligence and online social behavior have earned her a national and international reputation as a leading voice in the field.

Researchers at Fudan, Harvard, and Stony Brook University recently explored the evolution of 22 languages using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, statistical methods, and a massive cache of real linguistics data. Their paper, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, identifies a common statistical structure for all the languages they examined and the patterns underpinning their evolution.

For generations, the doctoral dissertation has been more than a scholarly document. It is a rite of passage that transforms students into scholars and is characterized by the defining quality of original thought. In dissertation defenses across the country, however, many faculty now grapple quietly with whether, and how much of, the work was produced with the help of generative AI.