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 United States. Organized by BNL’s Office of Workforce Development and Science Education, the ceremony included a symposium and poster sessions where interns 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 remarks, she reflected on her early experiences in research and how they shaped her career.
“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 her own unconventional path to engineering, which began with junior college classes and included an unexpected stint as a bouzouki singer in Greece. “That experience — of doing something risky, exciting and completely new, fueled the beginning of my entrepreneurial spirit that I still carry with me to this day,” she said.
Goldsmith described how she worked as a waitress while studying engineering at UC Berkeley and was often one of the few women in her program. She credited mentorship for helping her persevere.
“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 encouraged graduates to continue learning and seek out mentors throughout their careers. “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 offers several summer education initiatives, including programs supported by the Department of Energy Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists program designed to build a steady pipeline for STEM fields nationally.