Dr. Ken Kaushansky, Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine and Senior Vice President of Health Sciences (SVPHS) at Stony Brook University, will retire this year, College President Maurie McInnis announced Monday.
Kaushansky will step down as dean on Jan. 31 and remain SVPHS through the end of the school semester, until June 30, McInnis wrote in a letter to Stony Brook staff and faculty.
“Ken’s impact on this institution and on healthcare on Long Island will be felt for years to come,” McInnis said. “There will be ample opportunity over the coming months to recognize his professional contributions to Stony Brook. In the meantime, please join me in thanking and wishing Ken the very best as he wraps up a significant Stony Brook career.”
Kaushansky was appointed to his leadership positions at Stony Brook in July 2010. Over the past decade, he oversaw a restructuring of the School of Medicine, Clinical Practice Plan, and University Hospital, “fostering cooperation, coordination, and growth,” McInnis said.
That growth included expanding the University Hospital with the addition of beds, the Children’s Hospital, the new site of the Stony Brook Cancer Center, and the Medicine and Research Translation building.
“Ken and his team have created a true healthcare system, growing from the single hospital and 800 faculty physicians, practicing almost exclusively within 3 miles of campus, to four hospitals, over 1000 faculty physicians and over 150 affiliated physicians, practicing in approximately 200 sites all through Suffolk County,” McInnis said.
She added that Kaushansky helped enhance the curriculum for Stony Brook’s medical students, as well as growing the college’s research programs, which have studied the SARS-CoV2 virus and Covid-19.
“Ken’s plans allow us to conduct an orderly transition to new leadership,” McInnis concluded. “I will soon solicit nominations for an Interim Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine, and outline plans for a national search for our next Senior Vice President of Stony Brook Medicine. I appreciate the support of SBM leaders and colleagues in making this a smooth and successful transition.”
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