Stony Brook University was established in 1957 as a college for the preparation of secondary school teachers of mathematics and science. The first campus was located in Oyster Bay, Long Island, on the grounds of a former Gold Coast estate. In 1962, a new campus was built near the historic village of Stony Brook on land donated by local philanthropist Ward Melville. Part of the State University of New York system, the University has grown tremendously and is now recognized as one of the nation’s important centers of learning and scholarship — carrying out the mandate given by the State Board of Regents in 1960 to become a university that would “stand with the finest in the country.” The University campus lies about 60 miles east of Manhattan and 60 miles west of Montauk Point. It is only a short distance to the Atlantic beaches of the south shore and the vineyards of the East End. Stony Brook University is ranked one of the top 100 universities in the nation and one of the top 40 public universities by U.S. News & World Report and is included on their list of notable programs for undergraduate research/creative projects. Stony Brook is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, the invitation-only organization of the 62 best research universities in North America. There are 68 undergraduate majors and 82 minors and more than 100 master’s programs, 40 doctoral programs and 30 graduate certificate programs. Stony Brook is one of 10 universities given a National Science Foundation recognition award for integrating research and education. The internationally recognized research facilities of Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are nearby.