The vice president for research at Binghamton University has been selected to serve as interim president of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

loading...

DR. BAHGAT SAMMAKIA [Johnathan Cohen/Binghamton University][/caption]

Bahgat Sammakia was appointed to take charge of SUNY Poly in the wake of the departure of Alain Kaloyeros, who resigned about three weeks ago.

Kaloyeros faces charges in a pay-to-play investigation. He had been placed on unpaid administrative leave after federal and state prosecutors announced charges against him.

Kaloyeros has been accused of steering contracts to certain companies.

Sammakia has been Binghamton's vice president for research for more than six years. Before he was hired by Binghamton University in 1998, he worked in research and development positions at IBM. He started working at IBM in 1984.

Sammakia is expected to start as SUNY Poly interim president around December 1. The SUNY Board of Trustees plan to have him remain in that post until a permanent president has been selected. Sammakia's annual salary will be $425,000.

Sammakia plans to split his time equally between the SUNY Poly campuses in Albany and in the Town of Marcy, near Utica.

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said Sammakia is "well suited" to oversee SUNY Poly. He said Sammakia "has been crucial to advancing Binghamton's mission as a research center."

An interim vice president at Binghamton University is to be appointed in the coming weeks.

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

More From WNBF News Radio 1290 AM & 92.1 FM