Kevin Gardner, PhD

Dr. Kevin Gardner is the Vice President for Research at Stony Brook University where he oversees the University’s research, innovation, and economic development functions. Stony Brook has a broad and diverse research enterprise and is a key partner in the economic development of Long Island and New York State. Dr. Gardner has extensive leadership experience in building and sustaining collaborations among universities, industries, regional government and Federal agencies that support science and technology, education, and economic development. Stony Brook University has a long tradition of getting new ideas out of the lab and into the world in partnership with the private and public sectors and as new ventures and Gardner is passionate about the role that knowledge creation can play in helping to solve problems and improve our world. In his research he has led several large multi-investigator research studies. He has been PI or Co-PI on over $60 million in awards, published over 100 refereed journal papers and directed over 40 graduate students.

Prior to coming to Stony Brook, Dr. Gardner served as the University of Louisville’s executive vice president for research and innovation from 2020 to 2024. Gardner oversaw the university’s research enterprise, including industry engagement, innovation, entrepreneurship and the translation of university discoveries to their greatest societal impact.

Dr. Gardner is a professor of civil engineering. Throughout his academic career his research focused on environmental engineering and science, contaminant behavior in the aquatic environment, contaminant release in post-industrial byproducts and wastes, and interdisciplinary sustainability science and engineering. His work focused on mitigating human impact on the natural world and collaborating with the many disciplines and public and private organizations needed to understand problems and develop solutions. Before arriving at UofL in 2020, Gardner spent 20 years at the University of New Hampshire as professor of civil and environmental engineering, center director and ten years in central research leadership, first as director of strategic initiatives and later as vice provost for research.