Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith delivered the keynote address at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Summer Internship Closing Ceremony on August 7. The event, held at BNL’s Berkner Hall, recognized more than 250 interns from across the country and included a symposium and poster sessions where participants presented their summer research projects.
Goldsmith serves as co-chair of Brookhaven Science Associates, which manages BNL for the U.S. Department of Energy. During her speech, she reflected on her own early experiences in research at Bell Labs. “I feel incredibly lucky to have chosen a profession that is so gratifying, and it all started for me as a summer intern at a prominent research lab,” Goldsmith said. “We are so lucky to have places like Brookhaven National Lab that not only advances discovery but also inspires the next generation of STEM researchers through internships programs like the one you have all experienced.”
She recounted challenges faced during her path into science and engineering, including starting with junior college classes and working abroad before pursuing an engineering degree at UC Berkeley. Goldsmith noted she was often one of few women in her program but persisted despite doubts from others about women succeeding in STEM fields.
A key moment for Goldsmith came when she met algebra professor William Arveson and his teaching assistant Elizabeth Strauss—the first female graduate student in STEM she encountered at Berkeley. She credited this mentorship experience with shaping her academic interests and providing an important role model.
“This is the power of mentorship,” Goldsmith said. “And it’s also why I believe that world-class public institutions — laboratories like Brookhaven National Lab and universities like Stony Brook University and all those in the SUNY system — are so essential to the future of scientific knowledge. They help create space for any and all motivated young scholars—regardless of gender or background—to see what’s possible. In fact, to see themselves in the future of STEM.”
Goldsmith advised graduates to continue learning and pursue their passions: “Soak up all the knowledge and experience you can,” she said. “Foster unique experiences and cherish those people — those mentors and guides — who show you new ways of thinking and being. They are more important than you can imagine.”
BNL runs several summer education initiatives, including programs supported by the Department of Energy Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists program designed to maintain a steady pipeline for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers nationwide.
