This week’s featured shelter pet is Green Bean Casserole, a 6-year-old female brown tabby cat at the Smithtown Animal Shelter.
Green Bean was one of several cats abandoned when their pet parents moved. This shy little lady with stunning green eyes will need a little patience before she can trust. She is used to living with multiple cats and can be adopted alone or with one of her housemates.
If you are interested in meeting Green Bean, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in the shelter’s Meet and Greet room.
The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only).
For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.
From left, Iwao Ojima, Ashna Garg and Maurizio Del Poeta.
Photo by Kathryn Takemura
By Daniel Dunaief
It worked for mice and now, several years later, has shown promise for cats.
Researchers from Maurizio Del Poeta’s lab, working closely with those from Iwao Ojima’s team at Stony Brook University, have demonstrated that an experimental treatment against a fungus resistant to the current standard of care can work with cats battling a ferocious infection, albeit on a small sample size.
The Stony Brook team, along with scientists and veterinarians in Brazil, used a drug they created in 2018 called D13 to treat 10 cats with severe forms of a fungus that affects cats and humans called sporotrichosis.
With this treatment, which the researchers introduced as a powder into the cat’s food, half of the 10 felines whose skin was under insidious attack from the fungus staged remarkable recoveries, offering a potentially promising development that could one day also offer an alternative care for cats and for people.
“The prevalence in South America is 25 to 20 cases per 100,000 people, which is not low,” explained Del Poeta, Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. “It affects mostly immunocompromised people and particularly people who have cats or people taking care of infected cats.”
Tis cat presented no improvement of the tumor-like lesion and of an ulcerated lesion on the nasal region upon treatment with ITC. After adding D13, the cat significantly improved, even though clinical cure was not achieved after 4 weeks of treatment with ITC and D13 combination.
Typically, people get superficial infections, but a person who is severely immunocompromised could have an infection that spreads and becomes fatal.
The work taps into the expertise of Ojima, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry. Ojima worked on the structure elucidation, the structure activity relationship and development of efficient synthetic methods for large scale synthesis of the drug.
Recent Stony Brook PhD graduate Ashna Garg contributed to this ongoing effort.
Ojima described the work as “solidly encouraging” and added that the scientists have “even better compounds in the same series for human use” that are more potent and more selective to fungi compared to humans which makes systemic toxicity “very low.”
Del Poeta’s lab has been studying sphingolipids metabolism and signaling in fungal and mammals cells to identify new markers for early diagnosis and microbial enzymes/ molecules essential to cause infections in the attempt to develop new antifungal targets.
To be sure, in the cat research, five out of the 10 cats didn’t complete the study. One of them died, although the cause of death was unknown, and four of the other cats abandoned the study.
Additionally, one of the cats for whom the drug worked showed an elevated level of a liver enzyme, which returned to normal within weeks of the conclusion of the study.
Still, the results were promising and provided encouraging improvements for cats battling an infection that threatened their health.
“I am very pleased with the efficacy of D13 on cats in Brazil,” explained Ojima, adding that it is “a compelling result.”
Additionally, in other preliminary studies, D13 works against various fungal infections, including cryptococcosis, aspergillosis and candidiasis. A new derivative of D13 is more effective for those other infections, the scientists said.
Del Poeta explained that the scientists chose to do the research in Brazil because of the prevalence of sporotrichosis in the area and because he had established collaborations in the country in earlier research.
‘Proud and grateful’
For her part, Garg was thrilled to contribute to research that provided a remedy to a deteriorating condition in an animal some of her friends own as pets.
Cat owners often reacted emotionally when she told them about her work, appreciating the significance of the results.
“I am deeply proud and grateful to have contributed to this work,” said Garg. “Its remarkable effectiveness continues to inspire and motivate me.”
A significant part of her PhD revolved around taking the initial lead compounds and developing second and third generation compounds to enhance their effectiveness and bioavailability.
With three bromine atoms, D13 is an unusual therapeutic treatment.
Bromine is “relatively rare among the top 200 pharmaceuticals,” Garg explained. “Bromine can be toxic or can act as an irritant. Part of my work involved exploring ways to reduce the bromine content” to make the treatment more viable in drug development. The scientists are working to understand why and how this treatment works.
“The exact mechanism of action of D13 is not fully understood yet but we are getting very close,” Garg explained.
With the third generation of D13, the team identified compounds that are highly fungal specific with broad spectrum activity, effectively eradicating 100 percent of the three malignant type of fungi.
“It’s important to note that some first and second generation compounds also demonstrated excellent antifungal activity at very low drug concentrations, even if they did not achieve complete eradication on one of the three fungal strains,” Garg added.
While promising, this study does not indicate a new human treatment will be on the market in the short term.
The scientists are doing toxicology studies and hope a new therapeutic option might be available as soon as five years, Del Poeta estimated.
From Delhi to Stony Brook
Garg, who defended her thesis in December, grew up in Delhi, India, where she pursued her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Delhi University.
After that, she earned her Master’s in Chemistry at Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu, India.
Garg arrived at Stony Brook in 2019 and joined Ojima’s lab in early 2020, just at the start of the pandemic.
“It was indeed a challenging time to start a new position,” Garg acknowledged.
Currently a resident of Poquott, Garg enjoys living on Long Island, where she visits beaches, drives around the area and cooks.
Garg, who attended meetings in the labs of both Professors Ojima and Del Poeta, is grateful for the support of these senior scientists, who were also part of her thesis committee.
Del Poeta described Garg as a “dedicated scientist” with an “impeccable” work ethic.
“Drug synthesis can be very challenging,” Del Poeta described. “She is tirelessly resilient.”
Garg is staying at Stony Brook for another year as a post-doctoral researcher.
Del Poeta is pleased with the productive collaboration he’s had with Ojima, whom he described as “passionate, intellectually stimulating, dedicating, inspiring and hard working.”
If Del Poeta sends an email on Saturday night, Ojima typically replies by Sunday morning.
“It is an honor to collaborate with him,” Del Poeta explained. Ojima’s work “makes these impressive results possible.”
The journey to become an American citizen begins by meeting general requirements. You must be 18 or older to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and be a lawful permanent resident (have a “Green Card”). You must prove continuous permanent residence in the U.S. for at least 5 years, or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen, and have lived at least 3 months in your state of residence.
The general filing fee is $765. There can be other fees depending on the applicants situation. Applicants who have served in the military can have the fee waived. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (www.uscis.gov) has more information on other requirements and documentation needed.
This can be a difficult process to wade through and sometimes requires the services of an immigration lawyer, which can add an enormous expense and burden.
USCIS officers interview applicants to test their ability to read, write, speak and understand English. During the interview the applicants are asked personal questions about their background. The speaking test consists of photographs of everyday activities. The applicant must explain what is happening in the photos. Their knowledge of U.S. history and government is also tested. USCIS provides materials to study and prepare for the test. There are vocabulary lists focusing on history and civics topics. The civics test will have 10 questions taken from the list of 100 studyquestions, such as: What is the supreme law of the land?, or Who wrote The Declaration of Independence? The applicant must answer six out of 10 questions correctly.
The Naturalization Ceremony is the last joyous step. It’s the culmination of a long and difficult process filled with red tape, bureaucracy, hard work and determination. The pandemic caused a backlog of applications with the shutdowns and shuttered immigration offices. But now large ceremonies at parks, arenas and courthouses are making a comeback.Each month hundreds of immigrants from many countries across the world take the Oath of Allegiance — giving up allegiance to their country of origin, promising to defend and protect the United States and its Constitution against all enemies, bear arms on behalf of the U.S. and perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by law.
Most immigrants come to America with the hope of achieving the American dream for themselves and their families. The judges presiding over the ceremonies often relate stories of immigrant ancestors who took a similar journey and made it possible for them to attain their own dreams. All Americans can relate to this and understand how challenging and life changing an experience that is.
The applicants are reminded that once they take the oath they are American citizens with all the rights, responsibilities, freedoms and privileges of every American. The happy smiles of the new citizens, and the friends and family members there to support and celebrate with them, makes it an inspiring occasion.
The League of Women Voters often attends these ceremonies to welcome the new citizens and assist them in registering to vote. This is a privilege and responsibility the new citizens cherish, as all Americans should. The League works diligently to register all eligible citizens and provides information to educate voters. Getting out the vote is a priority as the League believes everyone should make their voice heard. Voting is an American right (and responsibility) envied around the world. The League works to help voters understand and make an informed choice in the voting booth.
Last September 17 was Constitution Day, Citizenship Day and National Voter Registration Day. The Smithtown League and Five Towns College collaborated to register students. All students were quizzed about the Constitution and tried to answer basic civics questions that aspiring citizens are asked (and could win food or candy for participating!). The League also provided information about early voting and propositions appearing on the ballot. It was a great day to celebrate our democracy with enthusiastic young people who we hope will be responsible voters and civically engaged as adults.
Karen Anderson is a member of the leadership team of the Smithtown League of Women Voters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit https//my.lwv.org/new-york/suffolk-county.
President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office with President-elect Donald Trump, Wednesday, November 13, 2024. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
By Daniel Dunaief
Daniel Dunaief
Here we are, teetering on the precipice of the transition from Joseph Biden back to Donald Trump at the White House.
What better time than now to ponder some random facts, such as birth order, about the presidency? I used a Potus Presidential Facts website that included siblings and half-siblings for the first part of this column and a host of other websites, including Wikipedia for the second part.
For starters, none of the men (it’s a men’s only club so far) who were the commander in chief were only children. Three presidents, meanwhile, had only one sibling. That list includes Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.
Now, I figured that more presidents were first children than subsequent children, in part because first children often rule the roost, as primogeniture would suggest. But I was wrong.
Yes, first children are well represented, as 11 presidents were the oldest in their families.
First born children who would go on to become president started with John Adams and James Madison and included Lyndon Baines Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush (43) and the soon-to be ex-president Joseph Biden, among others.
Second children, however, constituted the greatest number of presidents. After a lifetime of being described as number two, I now realize what a compliment such a designation is, at least in terms of presidential history, where number two is number one.
Starting with James Monroe, that list includes such luminaries as Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and, well, Richard Nixon. Okay, so, Nixon didn’t exactly cover himself in glory, resigning in disgrace after the Watergate Scandal, but he doesn’t bring all second children down.
First and second children constitute 56 percent of the presidents.
Going to the presidents who had numerous older siblings, the three presidents who were born seventh all shared the same first name: William. The seventh born commanders in chief were William Henry Harrison, William McKinley and William Howard Taft. If history is any guide, that means a seventh born William, assuming somehow your parents didn’t choose the name for any of your older siblings, has a path to the presidency.
Four presidents were born sixth, starting with George Washington. Joining the first president in the number six club are Martin Van Buren, John Tyler and Franklin Pierce.
The fifth born list only has three entrants: James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland, who shares the distinction of being the only president elected in two non-consecutive terms with Trump.
Fourth born presidents also have three members, starting with Zachary Taylor, continuing with Rutherford B. Hayes and going to Trump.
And, finally, seven presidents were born third in their families. The list started with Thomas Jefferson and included Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Now, seven presidents were the youngest child, including Herbert Hoover, Ronald Reagan, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield and William Henry Harrison.
On average, presidents had a little over five siblings. Biden had three siblings and Trump had four, making him the penultimate child.
James Madison, who served as the fourth president, had the most siblings, at 11.
While similar lists for first ladies are harder to find (at least for me), I did find some interesting factoids about a few first ladies.
During the war of 1812, Dolley Madison, whose first name originally had an “e” then didn’t in historical records and then did again as of 1958, rescued artifacts from the White House before the British burned it down. Frances Cleveland, meanwhile, was the youngest first lady and the only one who got married in the White House. At 21, she wed 49-year old Grover Cleveland.
Helen Taft was the first to ride with her husband in the inaugural parade and the first to ensure staff were treated equally in the White House. She planted the first of 3,000 cherry trees Tokyo had sent as a gift, helping to establish cherry trees as a staple along the Potomac river.
As for pets, Trump, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson were the only White House occupants who didn’t have pets, according to Wikipedia. I’m guessing that some of the Secret Service members bitten by Biden’s dog Commander would have preferred that the incumbent didn’t own a canine.
Teddy Roosevelt had numerous pets when he was president, including snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, and guinea pigs.
Numerous presidents received larger animals that they sent elsewhere. Eisenhower, for example, received a baby Forest Elephant from the French Community of African Republics that he shipped to the National Zoo.
Damage to a home and vehicle from the Eaton Fire in northern Altadena, California in January 2025. Photo from Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain
By Leah S. Dunaief
Leah Dunaief, Publisher
It may have started as a new year filled with hope, but this is a difficult week. The terrible fires in Southern California have burned entire neighborhoods to the ground, from mansions to mobile homes. We already know about the displaced and the deaths, but more destruction may yet come. Weather forecasts from the National Weather Service are predicting fierce winds ahead that may drive the fires into new areas.
The end is not in sight.
While this horror is on the other side of the country, it is not remote. Many of us have friends and relatives who live, work, study or are retired there, driving the tragedy right into our midst and into our hearts in a deeply personal way. These are not only abstract numbers of people and homes about which we would feel a humanitarian empathy. These are our people. These are our forests and our lands. The dreadful irony of it all, remembering the 1972 Albert Hammond song, “It Never Rains in Southern California.”
While there was already a serious homeless population for Los Angeles, the newly displaced are trying to figure out what to do next. The lucky ones have relatives or friends with whom they can seek shelter. It may be long weeks, even months before they can return, if their homes miraculously are still standing. What if they are not? Will the insurance companies hold up to enable rebuilding, or will some of them declare bankruptcy, as they have done in similar cataclysmic situations, like the one in the Caribbean Island St. Croix? Can FEMA bear the entire load?
Private citizens can be counted on to respond generously, as we have with virtually every disaster in the world. With such an enormous catastrophe, the entire national economy could take a hit. How will the new administration respond?
Speaking of the government, we have less than a week before the new administration is sworn into office. The change of political parties may in itself contribute to some emotional reaction this week, regardless of one’s party affiliation.
Many Dems are worried, while many members in the GOP are optimistic. There has been much talk of changes to come, from buying Greenland for its exotic minerals to changing the name from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Perhaps more seriously, there may be a tax cut in the future, some change in immigration policy and new tariffs imposed or at least threatened.
Some good news did emerge this week. There may be a truce in Gaza after 15 months of violence, with some hostages to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and specific movements of Israeli troops. While the atmosphere surrounding the peace talks remains tense, according to media reports, there now seems some hope.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the negotiators are only awaiting Hamas’s sign off. Perhaps the imminent changeover of presidents from Biden to Trump in the United States hastened the deal. The governments of Qatar and Egypt have also directly participated in the talks.
Perhaps now the fighting in Ukraine and the fires in Southern California can also be brought to a halt. Then we could return to hope.
Ketcham Inn in Center Moriches. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
Austin Roe leaving the Brooklyn Ferry. Painting by Vance Locke
Roe Tavern location marker. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
A painting by Patricia Windrow of President Washington visiting Roe Tavern. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
Abraham Woodhull & Caleb Brewster. Painting by Vance Locke
By Beverly C. Tyler
We are all familiar with the lives of the famous men and women in US history. From the time we were students in school, with the images of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln staring down at us from their place of honor in the classroom, we learned of the people who made our great nation. Our coinage includes U.S. presidents as well as men and women who contributed to America and American freedoms.
We can now see movies, videos and streaming programs about these same heroes of American democracy. Students are familiar with the poem about the “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” but the lives of many of our local men and women, who have contributed to history, are largely unknown.
Long Island has played host to a number of these famous and well-known people from the past. In this century one of the best known was Charles Lindbergh, the Lone Eagle, who took off from Roosevelt Field on his solo flight across the Atlantic on May 20, 1927. Long Island was the scene of many other historic flights and record-setting attempts by early pioneers of flight throughout the 20th century.
Long before Lindbergh, in June, 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison came to Long Island at the conclusion of a pleasure trip which included the recording of many natural science observations through New England as detailed in “Jefferson and the Rights of Man” by Dumas Malone.“ They proceeded down the Connecticut ( River), crossed Long Island Sound, followed the northern coast of Long Island to Brooklyn, and then crossed to New York. On their way they visited a nurseryman in Flushing and Jefferson left with him a large order for trees and shrubs, including all the sugar maples that were available.” Not mentioned by Malone was the Ketcham Inn in Center Moriches where Jefferson and Madison spent at least one night. During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Havens ran the inn and provided intelligence to the Culper Spy Ring, usually through Caleb Brewster who was a frequent visitor.
George Washington also visited Long Island after the Revolutionary War. In April 1790, while he was president of the United States, Washington toured part of Long Island traveling to Setauket from Patchogue. In his personal diary for April 22, 1790, Washington wrote, “We struck across the Island for the north side, passing the east end of the brushy marsh – and Coram, 8 miles – thence to Setauket 7 miles more, to the house of Captain Roe, which is tolerably decent, with obliging people in it.” According to Selah B. Strong, in an article written in the 1920’s, “The procession was led by my great grand-father, Capt. Selah Strong. He was evidently an important man in the county, holding the offices of County Judge, supervisor and President of the Board of Trustees of Brookhaven; and County Treasurer, and afterwards State Senator. It was very appropriate that he should entertain the General at Roe’s as the house was the former residence of his grandfather, the first Strong to bear the name of Selah, who came to Setauket about 1700 and on March 23, 1703 bought the land from Thomas Clark and built the house.”
Captain Austin Roe maintained his home as a tavern and, in addition to hosting General Washington on that April evening in 1790, he is known as one of Washington’s spies during the Revolutionary War. This group of men and women, mostly from Setauket, were Patriots who, after their deeds were discovered, became famous. The Setauket Spies operated with such secrecy and modesty that their heroism and, in most instances, even their identities were not fully known until Morton Pennypacker discovered the facts, as we now know them, and published them in his book “General Washington’s Spies,” in 1939.
As detailed in the Three Village Historical Society exhibit “SPIES!”, for two years, since August 1776, when General Washington’s army was defeated by British and Hessian soldiers at the Battle of Long Island, New York City and Long Island were occupied by the enemy.Washington and the Continental Army were fighting elsewhere, in upstate New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and in the South. British headquarters was in New York City.
The only way for Washington to get information about enemy troop movements and strength was to plant reliable spies among them. But this had been tried and failed. In September 1776, Captain Nathan Hale had volunteered, crossed Long Island Sound, and gathered information on his way to and from the city, by then in British hands. Without training and support he was captured and brought to British General Howe who had him hanged the next day as a spy.
On Washington’s staff was 24-year-old Dragoon Major, Benjamin Tallmadge. Washington asked Tallmadge to create a spy ring of Patriots who could be trusted and who would support each other. Hale had been Tallmadge’s best friend at Yale. He would make sure that his spy ring would operate safely. Tallmadge was born in Setauket, a village across Long Island Sound from Fairfield, Connecticut, where Tallmadge and his Dragoons were stationed. There, Tallmadge had friends, Patriots like himself, who were determined to defeat the British. Tallmadge assured Washington that they could be trusted spies. To keep them safe, Washington did not want to know their names, so Tallmadge gave them code numbers and aliases, or spy names. General Washington called them Culper Spies, after Culpeper County in Virginia where he had his first job as a surveyor. Tallmadge gave himself an alias, too, and gave Washington and himself code numbers. Washington’s number was 711.
“SPIES!” tells the story of Washington, Tallmadge, and the Culpers. All but one was born in Setauket. Each had known Tallmadge since childhood: Abraham Woodhull, a farmer who had reason to hate the British; Anna Smith Strong, who let Woodhull know where Brewster was hiding with his whaleboats and crews: Austin Roe, a tavern keeper who rode into Manhattan as a courier for the Culper Spies; Caleb Brewster, a fearless whaleboat captain and artilleryman who crossed the Sound repeatedly to pick up and deliver spy messages, daring the British to capture him.
The one Culper spy not from Setauket was Robert Townsend. He was born in Oyster Bay. His family home was occupied by the British. Townsend owned a shop in Manhattan where Loyalists and British soldiers visited. He was in a position to gather information. He wrote messages in a code Tallmadge devised. Sometimes he wrote with invisible ink, between the lines of ordinary letters, a suggestion from George Washington himself. Roe picked up the letters and brought them back to Setauket where Woodhull gave them to Brewster, who took them back across Long Island Sound to Tallmadge in Connecticut. From there the letters were sent to General Washington. Information gathered by Long Island’s spy ring helped save the Revolution.
The homes, markers and graves of these Patriots can still be seen, many of them in the Three Village area. The location of the Roe Tavern is marked by a state plaque that locates where the house was, at the corner of Route 25A and Bayview Avenue, before it was moved. The grave and memorial for Abraham Woodhull is located directly behind the Setauket Presbyterian Church. A state plaque also marks the location of the home of Woodhull and is located on Dyke Road between Heritage and Bob’s Lane, overlooking Little Bay and Strong’s Neck. These Patriots are part of our local history and their lives can be an inspiration to us aIl.
Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. WWW.TVHS.org
The Vice President for Research at Stony Brook University, who started working on Long Island on the same day as interim President Richard McCormick, is encouraging researchers to pursue interdisciplinary grants.
“We have a very robust office of proposal development,” said Gardner in an interview from Washington, DC when he was meeting on Capitol Hill with the New York delegation prior to the holidays. “Our strategy is to focus on growing larger grants.”
With a team prepared to help faculty across the university, Gardner hopes to drive innovation and discovery while building the university’s research budget.
The total funds from the top 1.6 percent of grants at the university account for 23 percent of the university’s research expenditures, which means that winning additional awards in this top tier could have a material effect on the funds that enable research.
The team that works with Gardner does considerable administrative work, reducing the burden for scientists focused on directing and overseeing research. Stony Brook also provides project management support.
Faculty members “can’t write these giant grants without that kind of support,” Gardner said. Stony Brook wants to get to that rarefied air where universities receive large, ambitious funds for comprehensive interdisciplinary work.
Going after these larger grants predates Gardner’s arrival.
“This is something that has been in the making for a couple of years,” said Gardner. He has seen an uptick in applications for these kinds of projects.
Stony Brook started research town halls this fall, with the first describing and encouraging collaborations between the east and west campuses.
Gardner has renamed his office the Office for Research and Innovation.
“This was done to more formally combine the offices of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development,” he explained. “Innovation speaks to new technologies, new approaches, and we have important roles in helping Long Island businesses innovate and continue to be successful. This is true for startups but equally true for manufacturing companies (through our Manufacturing Extension Program) and through our Small Business Development Center, among others!”
Enhancing an entrepreneurial culture
Hannah Estes
At the same time, the university is building and expanding efforts to encourage entrepreneurial initiatives among students and faculty.
Stony Brook recently hired Hannah Estes to become Director of Student Innovation.
Estes, who previously worked with Gardner at the University of Louisville, officially started at Stony Brook on January 6th.
She is focused on the entire school, as she hopes to help encourage students from a range of disciplines pursue various business ideas.
“Entrepreneurship can be found in any school or department,” said Estes, as she has seen new ideas originate in schools of social work, music and education.
She wants students to recognize problems and find ways to solve them.
Estes plans to reach out to students through newsletters and social media and hopes to spend her first semester at Stony Brook listening to students and getting a sense of their interests and ideas.
In her work at the University of Louisville, she partnered with art school students who were able to get credit and helped coordinate financial aid to get them paid $20 per hour.
“It works and students are able to get away from their desks and get into the community,” Estes said.
As for local students on Long Island who are not members of the Seawolf community, Estes suggested the doors would be open to supporting with them as well.
Working with area high school students can create momentum that can develop into an interest in their business ideas and in joining Stony Brook.
As with the bigger university projects among faculty, the student efforts will also focus on interdisciplinary teams.
“The whole concept is to get out of your bubble and hear new perspectives,” said Estes. “It’s important for students to know that there are different ways of thinking.”
Gardner hopes the student-driven ideas can help engage a culture change among faculty as well.
“It is my sense that students are effective agents of change on a university campus,” Gardner explained. “And beyond that, these types of experiences are incredibly valuable for students during their education. “
In July, Stony Brook hired Dr. Michael Kinch as the inaugural Chief Innovation Officer, who is part of the university’s council and reports to Gardner.
At the same time, Andrew Wooten, the Executive Director of Long Island High Tech Incubator, has been taking inventions and ideas through a proof of concept to launch new companies. Wooten reports to the board of LIHTI.
Computing initiatives
In addition, Stony Brook has started an initiative to create an enclave for a computing environment that provides controlled unclassified information computing.
Such computing power, which is on the road towards classified work, is necessary to apply for funding from the Department of Defense and other agencies.
This effort requires a greater level of security and compliance.
As for high performance computing, the university does not have the level of capacity that the research community needs.
“High performance computing is a challenge at most campuses, particularly now keeping up with needs for AI-related computing,” Gardner explained. Stony Brook has a “very significant level of AI expertise,” which makes keeping up with their computational needs challenging.
Research andDevelopment Park
Stony Brook is looking at how they can make the Research and Development Park an even greater asset to the university and the community.
“Everything we do serves our mission, so we need to make sure our neighbors in [Stony Brook] and our partners across the state share in a vision for how that R&D park can change and serve our mission and our community even better,” Gardner said.
He is energized by the opportunity to work at Stony Brook, where he feels that he has the ongoing support of colleagues who are working well together. As for his visit to Capitol Hill, Gardner travels to meet with the delegation and federal agencies around once a month.
“We want to make sure not just that they are advocates for us (which they most certainly are), but also to make sure we know what we can do for them,” he said. Stony Brook needs to “make sure that we are good partners for them.”
Echoing recent comments from Interim President Richard McCormick, Gardner recognizes the need to add more wastewater treatment to meet the university’s goals for expansion.
The university, which has seen state, national and international interest climb among students as Stony Brook rises in the rankings of universities and attracts major funding, is limited by several factors, including available wastewater facilities.
The university can’t bring in additional students because they don’t have the housing for them and “we can’t have the housing without the wastewater capacity,” Gardner said. “As an environmental engineer, I get it.”
John Dielman of Setauket snapped this photo of the Hercules figurehead in Stony Brook Village as he stood guard at Stony Brook Harbor on a cold and windy January 9.
It’s a shiny new year, full of possibilities. To harness the energy that accompanies flipping the calendar page, many of us have started to eat healthier, to work out more, or to manage our stress differently. Terrific!
To help us along the way, there are oodles of weight loss plans, apps, memberships and other tools on the market to help us achieve our resolutions. Still, January 10 is “Quitters Day” this year. This is the day by which most of us will abandon our plans to develop new habits. Giving up on our resolutions is so ubiquitous, it now has a designated day. Changing habits is always hard. There are some things that you can do to make it easier, though.
Set a simple, singular goal
We often overdo it by focusing on an array of habits, like eating, exercising, sleep routines, and stress management. While these are all worthy, their complexity diminishes your chances of success. Instead, pick one outcome to focus on, and limit the number of habits involved, for example: “increase my energy by eating better and moving more.”
Consider your environment
According to David Katz, M.D., Director, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, successfully changing a habit is more about your environment than it is about willpower. Willpower, Dr. Katz notes, is analogous to holding your breath underwater; you can only do it for a short time. Instead, he suggests laying the groundwork by altering your environment to make it conducive to attaining your goals. Recognizing your obstacles and making plans to avoid or overcome them reduces stress and strain on your willpower.
According to a study, people with the most self-control use the least amount of willpower, because they take a proactive role in minimizing temptation (1). If your intention is to eat better, start by changing the environment in your kitchen to one that prompts healthy food choices.
Build a supportive network
Support is another critical element. People do best when family members, friends and coworkers help reinforce their new behaviors. In my practice, I find that patients who are most successful with lifestyle changes are those whose household members encourage them or, even better, when they participate, such as eating the same meals.
METRO photo
How long does it take to build a new habit?
Conventional wisdom used to tell us that it takes about three weeks of daily practice. However, a University of London study showed that the time to form a habit, such as exercising, ranged from 18 days to 254 days (2). The good news is that, though there was a wide variance, the average time to reach this automaticity was 66 days, or about two months.
How do you choose the best diet?
US News and World Report ranks diets annually and sorts them by objective, such as weight loss, healthy eating, diabetes, heart health, etc. (3). Three of the diets highlighted include the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the Flexitarian diet, in rank order.
What do all the top diets have in common? They focus on nutrient-dense foods, they are sustainable, they are flexible, and they are supported by research. For these reasons, the lifestyle modifications I recommend are based on a combination of the top diets and the evidence-based medicine that supports them.
For instance, in a randomized cross-over trial, which means patients, after a prescribed time, can switch to the more effective group, showed that the DASH diet is not just for patients with high blood pressure. The DASH diet was more beneficial than the control diet for diabetes, decreasing hemoglobin A1C 1.7 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively; weight loss, with patients losing 5 kg/11 lbs. vs. 2 kg/4.4 lbs. It also achieved better results with HDL (“good”) cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and blood pressure (4).
Interestingly, patients lost weight, although caloric intake and the percentages of fats, protein and carbohydrates were the same between the DASH and control diets. However, the DASH diet used different sources of macronutrients. The DASH diet also contained food with higher amounts of fiber, calcium and potassium and lower sodium than the control diet.
Final Tip: Don’t try to do too much at once
Here’s one more tip: take it day by day and celebrate small wins. In my experience, many patients make better progress by choosing to change one meal at a time – like starting with what they eat for breakfast or for lunch each day. Once this is a habit, they alter another meal or their between-meal snacks.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Former President Jimmy Carter
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons
By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli
Fr. Francis Pizzarelli
The year 2025 has already begun. New Year’s Eve was marked by a terrible act of senseless violence in New Orleans; killing and hurting many innocent people who were celebrating the dawn of a new year.
Despite that horrific act of violence, the country has been blessed with countless acts of kindness and generosity. Even locally our community has been blessed with countless people constantly thinking of others.
On December 29, 2024, one of the greatest humanitarian, world leaders of our time died at the age of 100. Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States. He is known more for what he has done since he left the presidency then when he was president. When I heard he had passed, I stopped to think of where was I when he was elected president in November of 1976. I was finishing my graduate studies for the priesthood at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. and was teaching and assistant principal of a small Catholic school. Those were wonderful years for me.
I was the seventh and eighth grade basketball coach and the assistant principal in charge of the junior high division of a struggling Catholic school. I learned so much from those years in the classroom and working with my students, many of whom still reach out and drop me a line to let me know how they’re doing and what they’re doing.
Carter was such a powerful role model for me. He was so committed to his faith, to social justice, to peace and to the respect for all humanity. He did not just talk the talk; he walked the walk. He was a constant voice for human rights and respect for all humanity. His power of example inspired many of us to work to become the best versions of ourselves and for those of us in leadership, whether big or small, his power of example should inspire us to do more for the sake of others.
A new year has just begun; the chaos and polarization continues. As our former president begins a second term as our newly elected president, let’s hope he and his team can build bridges and not walls.
Let’s work harder at respect and collaboration, truth and honesty, respect and integrity. May 2025 be a year of new beginnings, new relationships, new friendships. May this new year empower us to work hard at unity and respect for the dignity of all people, no matter what their race, color, gender, sexual orientation, social status, or ethnicity.
May our religious leaders have the courage to speak out about injustice, hate, discrimination, and the weaponization of religion, for the sake of political gain. May 2025 be the year where we all make room in our hearts for more love, compassion, forgiveness, and social justice. Blessings for all of us as this new year unfolds.
Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.
Teddy Roosevelt had numerous pets when he was president, including snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, and guinea pigs.
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