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Yearly Archives: 2024

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Dr. Alexander Orlov. Photo by John Griffin/SBU

Alexander Orlov recognized for contributions to the AIChE’s division dedicated to promoting research, education and innovation related to the design of creative engineering solutions to environmental challenges

Alexander Orlov, PhD, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Stony Brook University, is the recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) Dr. Peter. B. Lederman Environmental Division Service Award.

The award recognizes outstanding service to the Environmental Division the AIChE. The AIChE has more than 60,000 members from more than 110 countries and is the world’s leading organization for chemical engineering professionals.

Orlov will receive the award during the AIChE’s annual meeting, which takes October 27 to 31 at the Convention Center in San Diego.

As an integral member of the AIChE, Orlov initiated fundraising and outreach efforts for the Environmental Division that helped to double its annual budget. His leadership led to a substantial increase in the Division’s membership. Both efforts led to his nomination for the service award.

Orlov is currently Co-Chair of the AIChE’s Sustainable Engineering Forum (SEF) Education Committee and an Institute for Sustainability Board Member. Previously, the Institute recognized Orlov for his education and commercialization efforts with the 2017 SEF Education Award and the 2021 AIChE SEF Industrial Practice Award.

In addition to his departmental faculty position at Stony Brook, Orlov is a faculty member of the Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Research, and an affiliate faculty member of the Chemistry Department and the Institute for Advanced Computational Science. He also serves as a Co-Director of the Center for Laser Assisted Advanced Manufacturing and Center for Development and Validation of Scalable Methods for Sustainable Plastic Synthesis and Processing.

Orlov received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. He has been teaching and conducting research at Stony Brook University since 2008.

 

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Hope Jacobsen
Fiona Reichers

The Friends of the Port Jefferson Free Library presented their annual scholarship to two students in June. The winners were Hope Jacobsen, a senior from Sound Beach who recently graduated from Miller Place High School as well as Fiona Reichers, a senior from Port Jefferson who recently graduated from Earl L. Vandermeulen High School.

Hope will be studying Music Education at SUNY Potsdam in the Fall. Fiona will be attending SUNY at Purchase College and will be studying Theater Design/Technology, concentrating in Costume Design/Technology.

Both of the winners were chosen for their dedication towards Community Service as well as their use of the library.

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Richard McCormick. Photo courtesy Stony Brook University

By Daniel Dunaief

The State University of New York Board of Trustees has named former Rutgers President Richard McCormick, 76, interim president of Stony Brook University as the school continues its search for a seventh president.

McCormick, who will take over the reigns at the downstate flagship SUNY school on August 1st, replaces Maurie McInnis, who left Stony Brook after four years to become the president of Yale University on July 1.

Dr. Bill Wertheim, Executive Vice President for Stony Brook Medicine, has been serving as Officer-in-Charge and Stony Brook University Hospital’s Governing Body since July 1.

McCormick, who was president of Rutgers from 2002 to 2012 and has taught and studied United States political history in the 19th and 20th centuries, has over four decades of experience in higher education, including leading several highly ranked public universities.

McCormick will oversee Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine and will serve as part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

“Each step we take in this leadership transition is important, and we welcome Dr. McCormick,” John King, Jr, SUNY Chancellor said in a statement. “His vast higher education experience will continue to move this esteemed university forward as the campus conducts a national search for its new president.”

McCormick welcomed the chance to lead Stony Brook during this transition period.

Stony Brook “has achieved national stature yet remains fully engaged with its Long Island community, for which it is an economic engine,” McCormick said in a statement. “My thanks to the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor King and the Stony Brook Council for this opportunity.”

As an interim president, McCormick will not be a candidate to become the next permanent president.

In addition to his tenure at Rutgers, which started in 1976 when he joined the history department, McCormick also was vice chancellor and provost at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1992 to 1995 and was president of the University of Washington from 1995 to 2002.

The incoming interim Stony Brook president earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in American Studies and his PhD in history from Yale in 1976, 20 years before McInnis also earned her PhD in the History of Art from the New Haven-based Ivy league school she now leads.

McCormick started his academic career at Rutgers, where he was a member of the history faculty from 1976 to 1992. He was also Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

McCormick is the son of Richard Patrick McCormick, a former Rutgers professor and Katheryne Levis, a former Rutgers administrator.

McCormick and his father co-taught an American history course.

An author of several books, McCormick is writing a book on the history of American political corruption from the 17th century to the present.

Rutgers achievements

McCormick, who earned his high school diploma from Piscataway Township High School in Piscataway, New Jersey, orchestrated constructive changes in his hometown university during his presidency.

McCormick helped raise $650 million while he was president.

Four years after becoming president, the university reorganized the undergraduate colleges on the New Brunswick campus into a School of Arts and Sciences and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

The reorganization included a comprehensive new curriculum at the School of Arts and Sciences, first year seminars, signature courses, expansion opportunities for undergraduate research and honors programs and support for top undergraduates competing for highly competitive scholarships and awards.

In the final years of his tenure, he merged Rutgers with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and divisions of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature passed a bill to integrate almost all units of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey into Rutgers.

“Dr. McCormick’s notable accomplishments as president of Rutgers from 2002 until 2012 included reinvigorating undergraduate education, elevating its standing in the top tier of public research universities, realizing a longstanding goal of returning medical education to the university’s portfolio, and improving and strengthening connections with important partners, including alumni and local communities,” Wertheim said in a statement. “He is the ideal leader to help Stony Brook sustain its momentum as New York’s flagship university.”

The former Rutgers president led the school when it installed 40,000 high-efficiency solar panels over two large surface parking lots on the Livingston campus, producing over eight megawatts of power, which, at the time, was the largest renewable energy system built on a college campus in the country. Rutgers has continued to add solar panels.

Stony Brook momentum

McCormick’s experience with solar energy dovetails with some of Stony Brook’s recent environmental initiatives and successes.

With the support of the Simons Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Stony Brook University won the competitive process as the lead institution to create a climate solutions center on Governors Island. The New York Climate Exchange will develop and deploy dynamic solutions to the global climate crisis, will provide educational and research opportunities and will serve as a place for New Yorkers to benefit from the green economy.

The Climate Solutions Center will include 400,000 square feet of green-designed building space, including research labs, classroom space, exhibits, greenhouses, mitigation technologies and housing facilities.

McCormick takes over as interim president at a time when Stony Brook has achieved some important financial and academic victories.

A year ago, the Simons Foundation made a $500 million endowment gift to Stony Brook. The gift, which will be spread out over seven years, was the largest unrestricted donation to an institution of higher education in United States history.

The Foundation gift, which the state will match on a 1:2 program, and other philanthropic contributions are expected to increase the endowment by as much as $1 billion.

Stony Brook recently climbed 19 spots in the rankings of colleges from US News and World Report, ranking 58th in the rankings. That’s the highest ever rank for a State University of New York institution. The school also placed 12th among national universities for social mobility rank.

“Stony Brook is a world-class institution, moving on an upward trajectory, educating the next generation of leaders and thinkers and bettering our society through research and economic development,” Stony Brook Council Kevin Law said in a statement. “I am pleased to welcome Dr. McCormick, whose accomplishments and vision in higher-education leadership are nothing short of extraordinary, as our interim president, and to begin the search for our next permanent president.”

Challenges ahead

McCormick will likely face the same some of the same challenges other university presidents, interim or not, have dealt with as protestors have expressed their frustrations over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

At numerous universities, protests disrupted exams, classes and graduation ceremonies.

College presidents have tried to balance between the rights of students to assemble and express themselves and the university’s need to protect various groups of students from intimidation, bullying, or threats.

Local politicians welcomed McCormick. “I look forward to getting to know Dr. McCormick and collaborating with him to ensure that Stony Brook remains a premier institution of higher learning, providing a safe environment for students of all religions,” said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1).

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Smith Point County Park Facebook

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced on July 16 that two County beaches are extending their hours during the current heatwave. Swimming at Smith Point Beach in Shirley and Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton Beach will remain open an additional hour, closing at 6:30 p.m. until further notice.

“Residents cannot be left high and dry in the heat wave,” said Romaine. “Increasing access to these most popular county beaches is a matter of public health and sound decision-making.” 

Romaine also emphasized the importance of safety.

“Safety is the most important part of any day near the water,” said Romaine. “Please adhere to the rules, pay attention to lifeguards and signs. Be careful.”

Romaine offered the following Safety Tips: 

  • Only swim within the buoys with a lifeguard on duty. 
  • Be conscious of riptides and remember to swim parallel to the shore to get out current before heading back to shore. 
  • Swim sober.
  • Never swim alone. 
  • Check local advisories before swimming. 

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PSEG photo

With a heat advisory [weather.gov] in effect through Wednesday evening and strong thunderstorms possible Wednesday afternoon, PSEG Long Island has sufficient electric capacity to meet projected peak demand and is prepared for extreme weather.

According to the National Weather Service, high heat and humidity will continue today, with heat indices approaching or exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.

Scattered thunderstorms are also expected to develop Wednesday afternoon ahead of a cold front. Isolated storms may be strong with peak wind gusts of 35-55 mph possible — enough to potentially topple trees, bring down branches on wires and cause outages.

PSEG Long Island has personnel ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible throughout the storm.

“PSEG Long Island is closely monitoring both the heat and the thunderstorms and we are prepared for potential impacts on the system,” said Michael Sullivan, vice president of Electric Operations at PSEG Long Island. “We have performed system and logistic checks, and have a full complement of personnel who will mobilize for restoration in foul weather conditions. Our crews will work to safely restore any outages as quickly as conditions will allow.”

Customers are asked to note the important storm safety tips below and to visit psegliny.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety for additional storm preparation information.

Customer Safety:

  • Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Please stay as far away as possible from them, and do not drive over or stand near them. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number at 800-490-0075 or call 911.
  • Electric current passes easily through water. If you encounter a pool of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path.
  • Never use a generator or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement, or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance.

During extreme heat conditions, customers should:

  • Seek out air-conditioned spaces, if possible, if their homes become too warm.
  • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.
  • Avoid wearing dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.
  • Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.
  • Avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day, which is between 10 AM and 2 PM.

High temperatures and high electric demand can sometimes cause scattered, heat-related outages. PSEG Long Island will have additional personnel available to address outages safely and as quickly as possible.

Stay connected:

  • Download the PSEG Long Island mobile app to report outages and receive information on restoration times, crew locations and more.
  • To report an outage and receive status updates via text, text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or visit us online at psegliny.com/outages.
  • To report an outage or downed wire call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number: 800-490-0075.
  • Follow PSEG Long Island on Facebook and Twitter to report an outage and for updates before, during and after a storm.
  • Visit PSEG Long Island’s outage information across Long Island and the Rockaways online at mypowermap.psegliny.com.

# #

PSEG Long Island

PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a long-term contract.  PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company.

 

Visit PSEG Long Island at:

psegliny.com

PSEG Long Island on Facebook

PSEG Long Island on Instagram

PSEG Long Island on X (formerly Twitter)

PSEG Long Island on LinkedIn

PSEG Long Island on YouTube

PSEG Long Island on Flickr

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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Brendan Marchetti Allegedly Told Four Muslim Men That He Wanted to Kill All Muslims

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on July 17 that Brendan Marchetti, 35, of Huntington, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, and other related charges, for threatening to kill four Muslim men and then ramming his vehicle into theirs.

“Prosecuting hate crimes is essential to not only protect victims but to also uphold the values of tolerance and respect, especially for other people’s religions. It is unconscionable that my prosecutors cannot ask for bail on cases such as this due to ‘Bail Reform,’ especially where such violence is alleged,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Hate in any form has no place in Suffolk County, and those who perpetrate such acts will face the full force of the law.”

According to the investigation, on June 17, 2024, at approximately 9:00 a.m., four Muslim men dressed in traditional Muslim attire were in a car on their way to a mosque. The men’s vehicle came to stop at a red light at an intersection in Huntington. Marchetti was in the driver seat of a vehicle that was stopped at the same red light. Marchetti allegedly stated to the Muslim men, in sum and substance, that he wanted to kill all Muslims, that all Muslims should die, and that he wanted to blow them up. Marchetti then allegedly drove his vehicle into the side of their car, causing damage exceeding $1,500.

As the victims began to drive away to flee, Marchetti allegedly attempted to strike their car a second time. In fear for their lives, the victims immediately called 911 and reported Marchetti’s license plate to the police. Law enforcement located Marchetti and his vehicle at an auto body shop a short time later and transported him to a hospital for mental health treatment.

On July 17, 2024, Marchetti was arraigned on the following charges before District Court Judge Rosann Orlando:

  •   Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, a Class C felony;
  •   Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, a Class E felony; and  Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, a Class A

    misdemeanor.

    All three charges that Marchetti faces are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning that prosecutors could not ask for bail, nor could a judge set bail at the time of arraignment. Thus, the District Attorney’s Office requested that Marchetti be placed on supervised released with GPS monitoring and mental health conditions. Judge Orlando ordered Marchetti to be placed on supervised released with mental health conditions. Marchetti is due back in court on July 24, 2024, and he is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tara O’Donnell of the Major Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Jack Balaguera of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit.

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Photo courtesy of District Attorney Tierney's office

Kerriann Kelly is the First from Suffolk County to Receive This Prestigious Honor Since 2013

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has announced that Major Crime Bureau Chief Kerriann Kelly was awarded the 2024 Prosecutor of the Year Award for Trial Advocacy at the District Attorneys Association of New York’s (DAASNY) annual summer conference held in Bolton Landing on June 29, 2024.

“Kerriann Kelly rightfully deserves this special recognition for her superior performance prosecuting Michael Valva and Angela Pollina for the 2020 murder of eight-year-old Thomas Valva,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Apart from being a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom, Kerriann is the epitome of a veteran prosecutor, having served the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for 36 years, conducted dozens of felony trials, and graciously mentored generations of young prosecutors under her leadership. There is no doubt that her accomplishments here in Suffolk County have, and will continue to have, a lasting impact on the larger legal community of New York.”

Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Kelly joined the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in 1988. She is a graduate of Boston College and the Oklahoma City University School of Law. After law school, ADA Kelly worked for the Suffolk County Attorney’s Office as a Deputy County Attorney for two years before transferring to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

She served in multiple bureaus including District Court, Appeals, White Collar Crime, Narcotics, Major Crime, and Homicide. Before District Attorney Tierney promoted her to Chief of the Major Crime Bureau in 2022, ADA Kelly also served as Chief of the Special Investigations Bureau, the Homicide Bureau, and the Felony Offense Bureau, where she supervised teams of prosecutors and oversaw hundreds of trials.

During her career, ADA Kelly brought over 40 felony cases to verdict at trial, including over 20 homicide trials. Two such recent cases were those of the People v. Michael Valva and People v. Angela Pollina. In 2022 and 2023, ADA Kelly led the trial team prosecuting these defendants in separate, high-profile trials for the murder of Valva’s eight-year-old son. Thomas tragically died of hypothermia on the fridged morning of January 17, 2020, after he and his 10-year-old brother were forced by the defendants to sleep in an unheated garage in below-freezing temperatures.

As a direct result of the evidence produced at trial and subsequent guilty verdicts, District Attorney Tierney requested a Special Grand Jury be empaneled to investigate the conduct and practices of Suffolk County Child Protective Services. Over the course of approximately six months, the Special Grand Jury heard testimony from 27 witnesses and examined 56 exhibits consisting of approximately 2000 pages of material. That Special Grand Jury issued a report containing factual findings and recommendations for legislative, executive, and administrative action to improve the efficacy of CPS and the safety of children in Suffolk County.

In addition to trial work and litigation training, ADA Kelly regularly lectures on behalf of the office on the topics of DNA, Grand Jury practice, jury selection, eyewitness identification, and video surveillance.

The DAASNY Prosecutor of the Year Award winners are selected from nominations made by district attorneys across New York State. The awards are given to prosecutors who have enhanced our criminal justice system in the courtroom and in the local community.

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Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a Selden store this month.

A man allegedly stole a JBL speaker, valued at $129, from Target, located at 307 Independence Plaza, on July 9 at 7:40 p.m.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

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Pictured from left are Town Clerk Kevin LaValle; Councilman Neil Manzella; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Aman Mistry; Siddhant Desai; Supervisor Dan Panico; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Councilman Neil Foley; Councilman Michael Loguercio and Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig.

At the June 6 Brookhaven Town Board Meeting, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich presented two Stony Brook University students, Aman Mistry and Siddhant Desai with a proclamation recognizing Scholars for Medicine Society.

The organization provides an environment to nurture leadership and problem-solving abilities of the Stony Brook community’s future physicians. They do it by hosting Stony Brook University Healthcare Innovation Challenge and encouraging student innovation in a multidisciplinary, collaborative environment supported by faculty mentorship. They also promote student-run community health initiatives that translate problem-solving skills to real-world impact in the greater community.

In addition, they recruit a diverse array of sponsors and event support, including Stony Brook University, The Contribution Project, the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement, Duck Donuts in Selden, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, and David L. Calone. The Scholars for Medicine Society at Stony Brook University has facilitated connection in the Stony Brook community through campus-wide events like the Healthcare Innovation Challenge. 

For more information about the Scholars for Medicine Society at Stony Brook University, visit the Stony Brook University website at www.stonybrook.edu.

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Pictured at the Youth Award Ceremony in Hauppauge are from left Legislator and Minority Leader Jason Richberg, who sponsored this legislation, Legislator Rob Trotta and Jacob Wolmetz

In 2020, the Legislature established the Annual Youth Award to recognize an exceptional young person in each Legislative District. Legislator Trotta named Jacob Wolmetz, a sophomore at Hauppauge High School, as his district Youth Award recipient. Shannon Griffin, the social worker at the school, nominated him.

Jacob is President of the Social Awareness/Students Against Destructive Decisions Club and Vice President of Model United Nations. He is also involved with the Student Council, Ignition (a freshman mentoring program), Natural Helpers, and on the Principal Honor Roll. He is the student representative for Cohen’s Strong Mental health, a program that works with Northwell Health to promote mental health in schools. In that capacity, Jacob has advocated for funding in Albany and Washington, DC.

Active in the French Honor Society, Jacob received both the bronze and silver medals from Le Grands Concours, a national French contest, in which he placed sixth in the country on the 2024 exam.

Legislator Trotta said, “Jacob is a bright young man who has accomplished a great deal for his age. All of his school extracurricular activities and his efforts to solicit funding to promote mental health in schools impresses me. He clearly has developed leadership skills, and other qualities of humanity so desirable in young people. I wish him much success with his future endeavors.”

 

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