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On September 24, 2021, Stony Brook University held an investiture ceremony at the Charles B. Wang Center Theatre to formally recognize four distinguished faculty members with endowed chairs at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS). The honorees included:​

• Robert J. Harrison, PhD – Director and Chair of IACS

• Heather Lynch, PhD – IACS Endowed Chair in Ecology and Evolution

• Benjamin Levine, PhD – IACS Endowed Chair in Chemistry

• Owen Rambow, PhD – IACS Endowed Chair in Linguistics​WikipediaStony Brook University+1iacs.stonybrook.edu+1iacs.stonybrook.edu

The ceremony, attended by President Maurie McInnis and Provost Paul Goldbart, highlighted the crucial role of philanthropy in attracting top-tier faculty to the university. These endowed positions underscore Stony Brook's commitment to advancing interdisciplinary research and innovation in computational science.

In September 2021, Dr. Ning Wang, a computer scientist at Rowan University, initiated a project to enhance the accessibility of advanced driver-assistance technologies. Collaborating with researchers from Temple University, Stony Brook University, Kettering University, and Wayne State University, the team secured a three-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Cyber-Physical Systems program. Their approach utilizes collaborative artificial intelligence inference to enable real-time processing of driving data, reducing the need for extensive onboard computational power. This innovation aims to integrate advanced safety features into existing vehicles, potentially through smartphone applications, thereby making such technologies more affordable and accessible to a broader range of drivers.​

Stony Brook University is developing "AI-Grid," an artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous grid aimed at enhancing the resilience of power infrastructure against cyberattacks, faults, and disasters. Led by Professor Peng Zhang, the project is supported by a $5 million cooperative agreement from the National Science Foundation's Convergence Accelerator Program. The initiative involves a multidisciplinary team and over 30 partnerships with utilities, government agencies, and research institutions. AI-Grid integrates deep learning, encrypted control, and active fault management to create a lightweight, secure, and replicable solution for modernizing electrical grids. 

​The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a $50 million investment to advance 10 multidisciplinary research teams to Phase 2 of its Convergence Accelerator program. These teams are developing practical applications in areas such as quantum technology, climate change mitigation, disaster management, and biothreat detection. The initiative emphasizes a convergence approach, integrating diverse disciplines and human-centered design to address pressing societal challenges. Over the next two years, the selected teams will engage in innovation and entrepreneurial training, focusing on product development, intellectual property, financial planning, and outreach to transition their concepts into sustainable solutions.