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Speaker of the New York State Assembly and Stony Brook Alumnus Carl E. Heastie Addressed Attendees

STONY BROOK, NY—May 23, 2025— Today more than 7,600 Stony Brook University students joined the ranks of the university’s accomplished alumni at the Commencement 2025 celebration ceremony, which took place at LaValle Stadium beginning at 11 am.

Students from this year’s graduating class were awarded a combined 7,640 degrees and certificate completions. All candidates, with their family and friends, were invited to participate in-person or could watch via livestream.

Degrees were bestowed in the following categories:

The Class of 2025 officially joined the ranks of more than 225,000 alumni. This class contains students from 65 countries and 46 states, and graduates range in age from 16 – 82 years of age.

Stony Brook University Interim President Richard L. McCormick, Provost Carl Lejuez, and University Deans conferred the degrees to the university students.

Dr. McCormick challenged this year’s graduating class: “Graduates, remember that success is not only about the achievements and milestones you will have as alumni of this great institution. It is about how you treat and support the people around you. Support for one another is so central to Stony Brook culture. You have left Stony Brook a better university than you found it, and that is saying a lot. We’re counting on you to BE the future!”

New York State Assembly Speaker and alumnus Carl E. Heastie also addressed the Stony Brook community.

Student speaker Amira Gbagba, who graduated today with a bachelor of science in applied mathematics and statistics shared this with today’s audience, “Statistically speaking, someone in this graduating class is going to do something huge. Maybe even a few of us. A new app, medical breakthrough, billion-dollar startup, [or a] Nobel prize. And that someone? It could be you. So don’t rush your dreams trying to match someone else’s timeline. Move at your own pace ….Anyway, to end, I’d like to leave you with this: if you have a dream, chase it. If you’re unsure what to chase — stay curious. Try things. Ask questions.”

The Undergraduate Student Government collected more than 600 donations totaling $11,800 as part of the Senior Class Gift.

Art history major/graduating senior Hunter Moore grew up interested in paintings, particularly works centered around fallen angels and other religion-inspired themes. This past semester she explored these subjects in her own work, putting paint to canvas in her acrylic landscape she called Beginning of the End, and also casting bronze into a mold she created of a goat she said symbolized “how animals have often been symbols for sinful urges in the Catholic religion.”

Art major/biology minor Juno Stuelke uses his art to explore and deal with personal issues of mental health and well-being, demonstrating what depression can feel and “look” like and using it as an outlet to better cope. He spent two months last semester putting together his piece called Manic, which he said “depicts my journey from a child to now and the effects depression has had on my life.”

These are just three of the nearly 150 pieces of student art displayed at Zuccaire Gallery’s annual Senior Show and URECA Art Exhibition on the first floor of the Staller Center. Every year, this show allows students to share their work with other students, faculty, staff and the outside community. Many win awards beyond this honor and exposure. And there is the opportunity for artists to sell their pieces and/or have them displayed at various sites, including in the administrative offices of the president, provost, student affairs and the dean of College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). The nearby Gallery North art gallery also presents awards.

Zuccaire Gallery Director and Curator Karen Levitov said, “The Senior Show and URECA Student Art Exhibition is always our most popular exhibition. The students are proud to have their work displayed in the Zuccaire Gallery and visitors love to see the amazing student work. This year we have more work than ever before and some really terrific pieces.” There were also more sculptures, including bronze, metal, ceramic, wood and mixed media, and record-breaking attendance at the opening reception, with 250 art enthusiasts taking part.

Georgia LaMair Tomczak is senior manager, community engagement and gallery operations for the Zuccaire Gallery and Staller Center for the Arts. She explained that the exhibition “is a wonderful opportunity for students of the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Art to showcase the skills they’ve learned from their time at Stony Brook and to be recognized by university leadership. I love hosting the exhibition at the Zuccaire Gallery, where every year I get to watch undergraduate students come together to celebrate their accomplishments with faculty, friends and family.”

Jason Paradis, professor of practice who coordinates the URECA Art Exhibition, added, “I’m always impressed by the ability of our students to exceed our expectations in quality and concept for the work they create.” He said this year’s URECA display, where student work is by faculty selection only, “was the largest gathering of nominated work since I started coordinating the exhibition five years ago.”

With more than 50 works representing painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, digital arts, video and mixed media, Paradis, who also serves as the inaugural faculty fellow for the CAS Arts Everywhere Initiative, said “the surge in numbers reflects our continually growing studio department and commitment of the faculty and students alike.”

In SBU’s true interdisciplinary fashion, the URECA works are not only by art majors and minors, but students from all academic disciplines. And while all of the students in the Senior Show are studio art majors or minors, some also major or minor in media/art/culture, digital arts, art history as well as environmental studies, computer science, health sciences, economics, mechanical engineering, psychology, history, information systems engineering, biochemistry, linguistics and Japanese studies.

University leadership support is also a large part of these events. SBU’s president, provost, vice president for Student Affairs, the dean of CAS and advancement all select artwork for the awards.

“There have been so many opportunities this year for our talented students, faculty and staff to showcase their impressive works of art in numerous venues, and I’ve been honored to attend many of them in support of the creative work that’s being done in our community,” said David Wrobel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “More than ever, it’s important to support the arts, and I’m thrilled that the College’s Arts Everywhere Initiative will continue to elevate the presence of creative works in all areas of the university. These types of efforts assure that the arts continue to remain vibrant, supported and celebrated in our community.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Rick Gatteau, an exhibition “frequent flyer,” agreed, claiming, “I love seeing the arts alive at Stony Brook! We have an incredibly talented and passionate community of artists here, and I’m grateful for the faculty mentors who play an integral role in our students’ success.”

Stuelke said the thrill of being showcased at Zuccaire — “it’s so big and so exciting to have my work displayed among my peers’ amazing work” — was amplified by his feelings of gratitude toward the professor who nominated his piece. “This professor means a lot to me and has helped me a lot with my work. So it meant a lot to me that she thought my piece was good enough, and technically experimental enough, to be in the research show.”

The wind beneath Stuelke’s wings is Lorena Salcedo-Watson, professor of practice in drawing and printmaking in the Department of Art. “It is always an honor to be able to select excellent and important work to represent our wonderful students in the URECA exhibition,” she said. “I think about URECA each semester, making mental notes of works that deeply impact me on a technical, conceptual, and emotional level. My time with my students often coincides with powerful developmental phases and moments of awareness, as well as hardship in our students’ lives. I try to give them space to explore these meaningful issues through their creative work. I am honored to be a part of their journey. I value them, I cheer for them, and respect their struggles and successes. It is wonderful that our university does as well.”

Moore, who also works at the Zuccaire Gallery, summed up her personal experience like this: “I’m really proud to have my work displayed here, at the main gallery on campus, and I’m actually selling a piece. It feels way more professional, and getting to see people looking around at the art and analyzing MY work is such a great and special feeling.”

NOTE: While the URECA show closed on May 9, the Senior Show is on view through Thursday, May 23, during Zuccaire Gallery hours of 12 pm to 4 pm or by appointment. The Zuccaire Gallery is located on the first floor of the Staller Center and is free and open to the public.

— Ellen Cooke

Photos by Nick Castellano, Ellen Cooke, Henry O’Brien and Georgia LaMair Tomczak

The program is dedicated to preparing women for senior leadership roles in academic medicine

STONY BROOK, NY, April 22, 2025 – Susan Lane, MD, MACP, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University, has been named to the 2025-26 Class of Fellows for the Hedwig van Amerigen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. An initiative at Drexel University College of Medicine, the program is dedicated to preparing women for senior leadership roles in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy.

According to Drexel, the ELAM program is specially developed for senior women faculty at the associate or full professorship level who demonstrate the greatest potential for assuming executive leadership positions at academic health centers within the next five years. To be accepted into the program, each fellow much be nominated and supported by the dean or another senior official at their institution. Dr. Lane received multiple senior level nominations and support.

ELAM centers on developing both the professional and personal skills for women to lead and manage in a complex healthcare environment, with a particular focus on the unique challenges of women in leadership positions.

“I am honored to be selected to this 2025-26 Class of ELAM Fellows, and during my career at Stony Brook Medicine I have endeavored to support women in their individual academic journeys and pave the way for them to serve in educational leadership positions,” says Dr. Lane, also Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Medicine and Associate Dean for Clinical Faculty Development for the RSOM.

Work for the incoming class of ELAM fellows begins in June 2025 with online assignments and community-building activities. Each fellow will be expected to develop an Institutional Action Project. A symposium in 2026 will feature the various projects completed from around the nation.

Dr. Lane, a RSOM faculty member since 2000, says she hopes to create a longitudinal development program for junior faculty at Stony Brook Medicine during their pivotal transition from the role of trainee to faculty member, with the goal to help them thrive as they juggle professional and personal responsibilities.

The effectiveness of ELAM’s distinctive approach to leadership preparation is broadly recognized within the academic health community. ELAM alumnae number more than 1,600 and serve in leadership positions at some 300 academic health centers worldwide.

Tara Huston, MD, Professor of Surgery and Dermatology in the RSOM’s Department of Surgery, is a current ELAM fellow.

For more about the ELAM and its curriculum, see this link.

Awards and HonorsOn CampusSustainabilityUniversity

April 18, 2025

2 min read

Stony Brook University proudly announced its 12th consecutive Tree Campus USA designation, a testament to its ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and the preservation of its vibrant campus greenery. This recognition, awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation, highlights the university’s dedication to maintaining healthy trees and engaging students and staff in conservation efforts.

Coinciding with this year’s Arbor Day celebrations, Stony Brook University is highlighting the critical role trees play in creating a sustainable and thriving campus environment. The university’s efforts to maintain its diverse arboreal landscape contribute to cleaner air, improved water quality, and a more aesthetically pleasing space for students, faculty, and visitors alike.

The Tree Campus USA program recognizes colleges and universities that meet five core standards for effective campus forest management: establishment of a campus tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for the campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service learning projects.

“Achieving Tree Campus USA designation for the 12th year in a row underscores Stony Brook University’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and the vital role trees play in our campus ecosystem,” said Alaina Claeson, horticulturist/landscape coordinator at Stony Brook. “This Arbor Day, we’re not just celebrating our trees, but also reinforcing our dedication to nurturing a healthy, green environment for generations to come. We are focusing this year on the benefits of native species and how they support local biodiversity, and how each member of our campus community can contribute to the growth and protection of our campus forest.”

Stony Brook continues to prioritize sustainable practices, integrating tree care into its overall campus planning and development. The university’s ongoing initiatives include regular tree maintenance, planting new trees, and educating the campus community about the importance of tree preservation.

For more information about Stony Brook University’s sustainability initiatives, please visit the Office of Sustainability’s website.

Written by Beth Squire

Source: SBU News

When Patrick Farrell signed up for his first hackathon at Stony Brook University, he was still a student at Suffolk County Community College, and he didn’t know anyone when he arrived to compete.

“I was nervous,” he said. “I had to walk around asking people if they needed a teammate. It was a bit intimidating at first.”

That hackathon, HopperHacks, ended up being a turning point for Farrell, who transferred to Stony Brook in Fall 2024 as a computer science major. Not only did he meet new people and work on a team project at HopperHacks — a chatbot that delivered real-time campus dining information — he got his first experience with Stony Brook’s tech events on campus.

“It made me even more excited to transfer here,” he said.

Since then, Farrell has embraced hackathons. At Stony Brook’s Hack@CEWIT, he and his team participated in the Softheon-sponsored challenge of “Best Integration of Customer Segmentation Utilizing AI,” developing “Clusteroo” — a tool designed to help small businesses tap into the kind of targeted marketing algorithms used by major retailers. The project won first place, and led to an unexpected opportunity.

“One of the companies sponsoring the event was SRC,” he said. “I didn’t realize software engineers could work in defense, but after chatting with some of their team, I was offered an internship on the spot.”

In the meantime, his passion for hackathons continued to grow. So far, he’s competed in events at Rutgers, NYU, Georgetown and UMiami — collecting six wins and thousands of dollars in prizes, from gaming gear to travel reimbursements and cash.

“Hackathons are about learning, meeting new people, and building things fast. It’s a great environment to grow your skills,” Farrell said.

Now a junior at Stony Brook, Farrell is also giving back. He’s a teaching assistant for CSE 216 (Programming Abstractions) and recently served as a mentor at the annual CEWIT High School Hackathon at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology.

“It’s great to see younger students getting into this space,” he said. “They’re building impressive projects, and I’m happy to help however I can.”

Farrell says his Stony Brook education has played a major role in preparing him to thrive in competitive, fast-paced environments.

“I’ve met students from all over the country at hackathons, and I can confidently say Stony Brook prepares you really well,” he said. “The classes are tough, but you’re learning what you actually need to succeed out there.”