A 2001 statewide initiative driven by the then-New York State Governor set forth a plan to capitalize on the growth of information technology and establish New York State as an innovative, global high-tech center. A key component of the initiative was the creation of “Centers of Excellence” at leading universities to foster collaboration between the academic research community and the business sector. 

One of the first Centers to be completed was the Mitchell Giurgola-designed 100,000 square-foot Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) at Stony Brook University. As the first building completed on the University’s 246-acre Research and Development Park, CEWIT stands as a gateway to the campus housing 40 new research laboratories, 7,000 square feet of incubator space, offices, a conference center, a data center, and community spaces.