Joint statement from UB, Stony Brook on being designated New York State’s flagship public universities

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the formal designation of the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University as New York State’s flagship universities. The official recognition of these premier centers of higher education as joint flagships of the State University of New York (SUNY) system reflects the preeminent role that the University at Buffalo (UB) and Stony Brook University (SBU) play statewide, nationally and internationally as models of research and academic excellence. This designation acknowledges the excellence and reputations of our universities, and it will further enhance our ability to continue to recruit the world’s most accomplished faculty and attract outstanding students — regardless of their income or socioeconomic background — and attract even more highly competitive federal research funding.

Across the country, flagship universities are those that provide vital leadership in advancing their home state’s public higher education mission. These universities, most of which, like UB and SBU, are invited members of the Association of American Universities (AAU), are the preeminent centers for research and graduate education in their respective states. They also provide a comprehensive array of professional schools and degree programs and are proven economic catalysts. Flagships attract the world’s best and brightest faculty and students, and are nationally and internationally recognized for the quality and impact of their research and academic innovation and rigor.  

“We are nationally recognized for our ability to produce cutting-edge research at the same time as we offer a world-class education to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, which in turn provides them unmatched social and economic mobility,” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis. “Our ambition, as leading public research universities, is to grow our combined annual research expenditures to bring jobs, innovation and renown to New York State. This recognition by the State of New York will strengthen our mission to deliver the benefits of our research, clinical care and education locally, regionally, nationally and globally. We thank Governor Hochul for her decision to designate our campus as one of two SUNY flagships.”

“This significant designation underscores the University at Buffalo’s and Stony Brook University’s reputations as premier public research universities, recognizing both our vital leadership in public higher education and our steadfast commitment to bring the benefits of our research, clinical care and education to the region, state, nation and world,” said University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi. “The excellence and reputation of a public flagship university attract and retain the world’s best faculty and students, elevating the educational experience as a whole, bringing an influx of national and global talent to the region and state, securing federal investments in academic research that tackles pressing societal problems, and catalyzing growth and innovation across business and industry. We extend our sincerest appreciation to Governor Hochul for designating the University at Buffalo as one of the two SUNY flagship universities.”

The University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities and have built their reputations as research-intensive institutions with preeminent academic programs. Together they are proven economic engines for the state of New York with an economic impact exceeding $8.9 billion annually. Combined, they enroll nearly 59,000 students, have hundreds of thousands of alumni, have annual research expenditures of over $660 million, and offer more than 700 degree programs across the academic disciplines.