Stony Brook steps into the spotlight with climate change program

Stony Brook University is one of Long Island's jewels — a sterling academic and research institution and home to high-technology incubators and groundbreaking work in such fields as health care, life sciences and marine research.

Now, Stony Brook has an opportunity to extend its reach, to showcase its talent and skill set to a broader audience and, perhaps most importantly, to take steps toward addressing the existential threat posed by climate change.

As the winner of the competition to anchor the New York Climate Exchange, a $700 million initiative to be housed on Governors Island in New York Harbor, Stony Brook will lead what president Maurie McInnis calls "a living laboratory" — a center of classrooms, lab space, research facilities, housing and more, dedicated to climate research and discovery.

Making significant inroads into New York City and expanding its international profile will bring Stony Brook new fundraising and recruitment opportunities and raise its stature. Stony Brook's plan establishes partnerships with top companies like IBM, universities like Pace and the City University of New York, and Manhattan-based community groups. And the Exchange could end up collaborating with other groups on Long Island, including Brookhaven National Lab.

Larger impacts of the Governors Island research could include new business opportunities, workforce development and economic activity, which could boost both New York City and Long Island. The new partners could develop connections on the Island, too. Success ultimately would mean finding solutions to address climate change — answers that could help Long Island beef up coastal protection and utilize renewable energy like offshore wind, among other challenges.

In making the most of this win, Stony Brook's attention to the island in the middle of New York Harbor must not detract from its existing Long Island presence. The potential for 7,000 new, permanent jobs in technology and green economy fields is exciting, and Stony Brook faculty undoubtedly will welcome the chance to do research or spend a semester teaching on Governors Island. Particularly enticing: the option for Stony Brook students to "study abroad" at the Exchange. But it must supplement what the university does now, so students and staff on campus do not lose out.

As for funding, the Climate Exchange has secured $150 million in capital assistance from New York City, $100 million from the Simons Foundation, and $50 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The rest will come from fundraising. The Exchange will operate as a separate nonprofit and Stony Brook already has established barriers so that the university is held harmless for any financial shortages the Exchange encounters. That's important.

Even given the uncertainties, the New York Climate Exchange represents an enormous moment, a chance for Stony Brook to shine even more brightly, and for Long Island to benefit from its glow.