Elyse Jay
Assistant Dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Start Date: 2/17/2025
A lifelong public servant, Elyse Jay is Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences’ (SoMAS) Assistant Dean.
A self-described "Long Island girl, born and raised," Jay’s professional life has been one of continuous public service. For 16 years, she worked for Suffolk County government, serving in the Department of Economic Development and Planning (EDP). Her first role was as Deputy Director of the Division of Water Quality Improvement, and then in 2019 she became the Director of the Division of Finance and Administration. Her extensive experience in these areas has prepared her well for her current role in the Dean’s office of SoMAS. As the Assistant Dean of SoMAS Elyse serves as the School’s chief operations strategist—overseeing finances, people, and planning—while serving as the Dean’s second-in-command. Acting as a creative problem-solver and the School’s primary administrative bridge, she helps shape major decisions and drives SoMAS’s mission forward; and Elyse is up for the challenge.
Elyse prides herself on building relationships throughout Long Island with stakeholder groups. In her role with Suffolk County EDP’s Division of Water Quality Improvement, she oversaw a County grant that provided a ¼ percent of sales tax revenue to be distributed to nonprofits and local municipalities to improve water quality in Suffolk County. "I worked on that initiative for half of my career," she says. The first part of Elyse’s career was spent in the environmental field and she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Binghamton University.
As the Director of Suffolk County EDP’s Division of Finance and Administration, Elyse oversaw a $185M capital budget, a $40M operating budget, and $50M in federal and state aid — driving strategy, efficiency, and innovation across finance, HR, contracting, and performance management. Serving as the department’s chief financial, personnel, and contracting officer, Elyse led transformational improvements that cut costs, boosted County revenues, modernized operations, and elevated team performance.
In her role at Stony Brook, Elyse says working with students has been interesting and inspirational, recognizing that “they truly are, and will shape, the future of our world.” She also shared how much she appreciates the warm welcome, and collegial collaboration, she feels from counterparts all across campus. She says it not only makes her job more enjoyable, “I’m thrilled to be working with so many people toward a common goal and supporting a field where environmental science is at the forefront. I'm very concerned with climate change and sustainability and this job helps me address that head-on.”
When asked why she was interested in working for SoMAS in particular, she says, "SoMAS is exciting because it marries both of my previous career paths. It takes the biology and environmental background in my first part of my career and marries it with the finance and administration piece that I spent the last several years of my career on. It honestly fits like a glove and I couldn’t be happier." Elyse also has an MBA from Pace University.
Looking ahead, Jay’s priorities are focused on growth and accessibility. She aims to increase student enrollment, specifically by working with the director of the Marine Conservation and Policy Program, one of the school’s master's programs, toward an online version of the program. This is an initiative she "would love to see go forward with the school."
She also encourages students to "reach out," assuring them that faculty and staff are accessible resources ready to share their knowledge and guide them. "We've all been in your shoes before," she advises students. "Many faculty and staff are great resources and we're always here to help."
Elyse resides in Smithtown, NY and is a mother of two. When she’s not working to help save the planet through policies, procedures, and advocacy here at the university, she enjoys biking, traveling, and spending time with her family.