Stony Brook University

Stony Brook’s LCM facility will use $3 million of NIH funding for equipment and structural upgrades

The Laboratory for Comparative Medicine (LCM) at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University has received a $3 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for facility upgrades and new instrumentation to support advanced research on virulent and emerging pathogens.

David Thanassi, PhD, Scientific Director of the LCM. Photo from SBU

The grant was in response to a call for “Emergency Awards: Biocontainment Facility Improvements and Building System Upgrades to Support Pandemic Preparedness” from the NIAID. The one-time NIH funding allotment will help support research on the current COVID-19 pandemic and future investigations centering on antiviral programs, antimicrobial approaches, and therapeutic measures to prevent or mitigate infectious disease outbreaks or future pandemics.

The LCM is engaged in basic, translational, and preclinical research on SARS-CoV-2, the viral agent of COVID-19, as well as other infectious agents. During the past five years, researchers at Stony Brook University have conducted work investigating three different RNA virus families relevant under the American Pandemic Preparedness efforts. In addition, the LCM is being used for research on tick-borne pathogens, which are critical to our area, and for studies on tuberculosis, a global infection.

“This award enables us to make infrastructure improvements and acquire new scientific instrumentation to expand our capabilities to perform research on highly pathogenic agents,” says David Thanassi, PhD, Principal Investigator, Scientific Director of the LCM, and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “This is truly a key step toward pandemic-preparedness and provides enhanced resources to not only Stony Brook researchers from multiple school of medicine and other scientific departments, but also state and regional investigators working to combat current and future pandemic threats.”

Stony Brook has a long history of conducting microbial pathogenesis research on emerging pathogens and those that cause common and widespread infection globally. The LCM is a biocontainment facility working on a variety of microbial agents, including viruses and bacteria. Research in the LCM serves multiple academic investigators and groups, as well as biotechnology companies, both within and outside of Stony Brook University.

 

Ke Jian Liu

By Daniel Dunaief

Ke Jian “Jim” Liu, who arrived at Stony Brook University in late July, plans to help build effective, interdisciplinary research teams.

Ke Jian Liu

Most recently at the University of New Mexico, Liu joins Stony Brook as a Professor in the Renaissance School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Associate Director of Basic Science at the Stony Brook Cancer Center.

“In my mind, Stony Brook, research wise, is outstanding,” Liu said in an interview. “The quality of the faculty is excellent.”

Liu will rely on the team building experience he honed while serving as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Pharmacy at the University of New Mexico. He also worked for eight years at Dartmouth Medical School, where he focused on developing larger collaborations.

“I really enjoy working with people and building teams,” Liu said.

In a note announcing Liu’s arrival, Kenneth Shroyer, chair in the Department of Pathology, recognized Liu’s multidisciplinary approaches in his research. Shroyer explained that Liu has used techniques ranging from chemical to biochemical to biophysical, and from the molecular and cellular level to animal models, to answer specific biological questions.

Shroyer wrote that Liu would focus on opportunities for grant development within several programs. 

At the Cancer Center, Liu said he plans to continue the effort to help Stony Brook earn National Cancer Institute designation.

To achieve that designation, Stony Brook will need to continue to provide outstanding medical care, demonstrate community engagement and highlight what makes Stony Brook different from everyone else, he said.

“It takes a village to do that,” Liu said.

He praised the efforts of current Cancer Center Director Yusuf Hannun, who recently announced his plans to step down as head of the center, triggering a nationwide search for a replacement.

Liu said an ideal candidate for that position would have clinical experience.

Player coach

With a busy research effort and lofty leadership goals, Liu explained that he’s able to tackle numerous challenges at once.

“I consider myself a player coach,” he said. “I enjoy research. I have my own research grant and am working with my students and post docs.”

Liu typically maintains a lab with five to six people at different levels. His research has two branches, cancer and stroke, that most people likely consider unrelated, but for which he has found connections.

“People always think, ‘Cancer is cancer and stroke is stroke and they are two entirely different diseases,” Liu  said. As a basic researcher, however, he looks at the cells and the molecules involved in both conditions.

“At a molecular level, a molecule doesn’t care where it is,” he said. “When a disease develops, the biological fundamental process is the same. For me, it’s interesting to look at [whether] certain processes that occur in the brain also occur in cancer.”

Liu’s cancer research focuses specifically on the molecular processes that become carcinogenic when metals like arsenic enter people’s bodies. A well-described poison in numerous murder mysteries, arsenic can contaminate drinking water, get incorporated into crops like rice, or can appear in fruit juices.

When metal enters the body, it doesn’t just cause damage everywhere. It has to find a certain molecular target with which to interact.

What Liu and researchers in his lab have discovered is that the target for arsenic is often the same pathways the body uses in zinc. A transition metal, zinc provides an important element as a part of transcription factors that are critical in biological processes.

Arsenic, however, replaces zinc, which is “one of the major mechanisms for carcinogenesis,” Liu said.

Fortunately for residents of Long Island, arsenic isn’t as prevalent as it is in the midwest and the southwest.

“Long Island doesn’t have too much arsenic in drinking water,” Liu said, although people are still exposed to it through fruit juices, rice and other products.

Arsenic also causes vascular disease issues and anemia. People who develop these other conditions in response to arsenic are also at higher risk to develop cancer. The specific types of cancers arsenic causes are lung, skin and bladder cancer.

“Arsenic is the dirty bomb” in the body as it creates multiple problems, Liu said. “Arsenic interacts with those key zinc molecules.” 

Overlap between stroke and cancer

In highlighting the overlaps between the two fields of research, Liu related how the brain has one of the highest concentrations of zinc in the body.

When people have strokes, their brain cells have oxidative stress, which causes a flood of zinc into the brain tissue that also damages cells.

“We are trying to understand how zinc is released and how zinc causes damage to the brain,” Liu said.

Stroke and cancer also have molecular overlaps regarding oxygen. In a stroke, a blood clot causes a blockage of blood flow. Without oxygen, a situation called hypoxia, neurons start to die.

By contrast, a tumor grows in a hypoxic environment, using energy from sugars like glucose, rather than relying on oxygen for its growth.

Liu emphasized the importance of continuing to provide oxygen to brain regions around a clot even before trying to remove the clot or restore blood flow.

A goal for his 100th year

Originally from Beijing, China, Liu and his wife Jiao Ding enjoy traveling. Their daughter Sarah Liu is a resident at Vermont Medical Center and their son Evan Liu is a PhD student at Stanford.

An avid tennis player who plays the sport at least twice a week, Liu is looking forward to attending his first U.S. Open next year.

He and his former tennis partner in New Mexico joked that their goal is to be in the top 20 in the United States when they are 100 years old.

Liu chose the American name “Jim” because it sounds similar to the second syllable of his given name, Ke Jian.

“If people can’t pronounce your name, they shy away,” he said. He believes it’s important to “make yourself adaptable.”

Stony Brook University Hospital

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) for pledging ongoing action to decarbonize the health care sector and make health care facilities more resilient to the effects of climate change. SBUH has formally committed to pursuing the White House’s climate goal of reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and has already begun:

“I’m delighted that Stony Brook University Hospital has signed on to the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge as we continue to be recognized locally and nationally as a leader in sustainability efforts,” said Hal Paz, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, Stony Brook University and Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “We remain focused on these initiatives and accelerating the health system’s progress toward a climate-conscious approach to care.”

“At Stony Brook University Hospital, we have made it our mission to support sustainable healthcare initiatives and reduce our carbon footprint,” says Carol Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, CEO of Stony Brook University Hospital. “We look forward to working with the Department of Health and Human Services to continue to make environmental changes that benefit not only our planet, but also our patients, employees and communities for years to come.”

A September 2021 consensus statement from more than 200 medical journals named climate change the number one threat to global public health. It exposes millions of people in the United States to harm every year—with disproportionate impacts on historically disadvantaged communities—through increases in extreme heat waves, wildfires, flooding, vector-borne diseases and other factors that worsen chronic health conditions. The healthcare sector also contributes to climate change, accounting for approximately 8.5 percent of U.S. domestic emissions.

The HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, developed the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge to help focus industry response to climate challenges. In addition to reducing their carbon footprint, signatories also commit to producing detailed plans to prepare their facilities for both chronic and acute catastrophic climate impacts.

One hundred and two prominent health companies in the U.S. have signed the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge, including organizations representing 837 hospitals as well as leading health centers, suppliers, insurance companies, group purchasing organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and more. Federal systems like the Indian Health Service (IHS), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and Military Health System (MHS) are working together to meet similar goals to those the private sector organizations have embraced. Combined, over 1,080 federal and private sector hospitals have made such commitments, representing over 15 percent of U.S. hospitals. 

“HHS returns this year to COP27 to report great progress,” said Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health for the Department of Health and Human Services. “Through the efforts of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity and several other HHS agencies, we have made significant strides in introducing resources and support to help communities and care providers accelerate their work to reduce harmful emissions and increase climate resilience in the health sector.”

This year, SBUH was also named among the Top 25 in the nation for Environmental Excellence, which is the highest honor awarded by Practice Greenhealth. The hospital was previously honored for Environmental Excellence in 2021 and presented with the Top 25 award in 2020.

For more information about how Stony Brook University Hospital is responding to our nation’s climate challenges, visit stonybrookmedicine.edu/sustainability.

Nikita Nekrasov. Photo by Nina Mikhailyuk

AIP and the American Physical Society has announced that Nikita Nekrasov as the recipient of the 2023 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics “for the elegant application of powerful mathematical techniques to extract exact results for quantum field theories, as well as shedding light on integrable systems and non-commutative geometry.”

The annual award acknowledges significant contributions to the field of mathematical physics and will be presented at an upcoming APS meeting.

Nikita Nekrasov. Photo by Nina Mikhailyuk

“We are so pleased to recognize Nikita Nekrasov with this award,” said Michael Moloney, CEO of AIP. “His work has taken abstract principles in mathematics and proved them essential for theoretical physics, building upon our fundamental knowledge of how the universe works — the pondering on which has been an inspiration to generations of scientists.”

Nekrasov, a professor at Stony Brook University’s Simons Center for Geometry and Physics and Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, used techniques from topology to solve important problems in theoretical physics, namely, exactly calculating the effects of the strong force holding together nuclei.

Complex problems in quantum physics are often broken into two pieces: an explicit solution of a simpler system, and the analysis of a “perturbation” that reflects the small difference of a realistic model from that simple system. As an example, in a simplified picture, freely propagating particles occasionally meet and interact with other particles along their way. Having many successive interactions is less likely, which makes the perturbation terms mathematically manageable. However, some natural phenomena, such as the strong force, do not follow this rule and require a different approach.

“One needs better understanding of how to account for the effects of strong force,” said Nekrasov. “I found a class of theories for which this can be done exactly, but you have to bring in a novel type of mathematics: topology and non-commutative geometry.”

The mathematics can also be used for exactly solvable models describing many-body interactions, be it planets in the solar system, cold atoms, or electrons in a quantum Hall effect. Nekrasov discovered that, under the assumption of supersymmetry, the mathematics of strong interactions is the same as the mathematics describing many particles living on a line and interacting with some repulsive force.

“Instead of trying to visualize the quarks and gluons inside an atomic nucleus, which we cannot see directly, you could set up a laboratory with quantum wires, do some measurements, and then try to translate that result to the world of elementary particles,” Nekrasov said. “That’s the amazing fact about physics and mathematics. There are unexpected connections between different fields.”

A French-Russian national, Nekrasov grew up in Russia, where he became hooked on string theory and mathematical physics after reading a Scientific American article by Prof. Michael Green (recipient of 2002 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics). He earned his Ph.D. at Princeton University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University as a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows. After briefly returning to Princeton University as a Dicke Fellow, he became professor at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in France. Since 2013 he has been a professor at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics and Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University.

“It’s an honor to receive this award, and in some sense, it’s a way to shake hands with a lot of my heroes, the people who inspired me in my work,” said Nekrasov.

Nekrasov hopes to continue connecting abstract mathematics to theoretical physics and is currently interested in finding applications of quantum field theory to number theory.

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ABOUT THE HEINEMAN PRIZE

The Heineman Prize is named after Dannie N. Heineman, an engineer, business executive, and philanthropic sponsor of the sciences. The prize was established in 1959 by the Heineman Foundation for Research, Education, Charitable and Scientific Purposes, Inc. The prize will be presented by AIP and APS on behalf of the Heineman Foundation at a future APS meeting. A special ceremonial session will be held during the meeting, when Nekrasov will receive the $10,000 prize. http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/heineman.cfm

ABOUT AIP

The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. AIP is a federation that advances the success of our 10 Member Societies and an institute that operates as a center of excellence supporting the physical sciences enterprise. In its role as an institute, AIP uses policy analysis, social science, and historical research to promote future progress in the physical sciences. AIP is a 501(c)(3) membership corporation of scientific societies.

ABOUT AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY

The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and throughout the world. https://www.aps.org/

The team celebrates their victory last Saturday. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Redshirt junior kicker Angelo Guglielmello was the hero on Nov. 5 at LaValle Stadium when he drilled a 37-yard field goal as time expired to lift Stony Brook to a 24-22 victory over Morgan State.

After a 57-yard touchdown by Morgan State’s Andre Crawley, that put the Bears up, 22-21, the Seawolves marched down the field to win the game. They went 56 yards on 12 plays in the final 1:37 of the game and ended victorious. Guglielmello’s game-winner was the first of his career as the 37-yarder was his season-long.

Redshirt sophomore running back Ross Tallarico had a career game in the Seawolves’ backfield. He totaled a career-high 36 rushing attempts, 151 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns.

The Seawolves’ defense had several standout plays that helped secure the victory. They held Morgan State to total just 231 yards, forced a turnover, totaled six sacks, and 12 tackles for loss.

Graduate defensive lineman Eric Black came through in a big way when he took down Morgan State quarterback Duce Taylor as the Bears attempted a two-point conversion, which would have given them a 24-21 lead. With the stop from Black, Stony Brook went on to win the game with a field goal on its final drive.

After falling behind, 7-0, in the first quarter, the Seawolves quickly responded to tie the game up. On the first play of the second quarter, Tallarico rushed for a nine-yard touchdown, his first score of the game.

The Bears took the lead again, late in the first half. With 34 seconds remaining, sophomore kicker Beckett Leary converted a 37-yard field goal to give Morgan State a 10-7 lead before the halftime break.

Stony Brook’s defense played a crucial role in the third quarter. With just over 11 minutes left in the quarter, redshirt junior linebacker De’Aundre Cruz forced Morgan State’s Alfonzo Graham to fumble. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Bolesta recovered the loose ball and the Seawolves took over on Morgan State’s 29-yard line.

On the ensuing possession, the Seawolves’ offense ran five plays, which was capped off with Tallarico’s second rushing touchdown of the game. Stony Brook grabbed its first lead of the game, as it went up 14-10.

On Stony Brook’s next possession, its offense completed an eight-play, 76-yard drive in less than five minutes. Redshirt freshman quarterback Daron Bryden, who came into the game in the second quarter, tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior tight end Tyler Devera to extend the Seawolves’ lead to 21-10.

The Bears scored 12 unanswered points to take the lead in the fourth quarter following Devera’s score. Graham ran for a 44-yard touchdown and Crawley scored his 57-yard touchdown catch and run three offensive drives later. Morgan State failed to convert on a two-point conversion after both touchdowns, which opened the door back up for Stony Brook.

The Seawolves’ defense stood strong and Guglielmello’s heroics led Stony Brook to its second consecutive home win.

STATS AND NOTES

Tallarico totaled a career-high 36 rushing attempts, 151 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. He ran for multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career. He now has three rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns, and one passing touchdown. He leads the team in rushing touchdowns and is tied with McKee for the team lead in total touchdowns with six.

Stony Brook’s defense totaled three sacks in the first half with redshirt sophomore linebacker A.J. Roberts, redshirt senior defensive back Isaiah Givens, and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Rushawn Lawrence each accounting for one. Givens and Lawrence each tallied the first sacks of their Stony Brook careers.

The defense finished with six sacks for a total of 40 yards and 12 tackles for loss for a total of 53 yards. The Seawolves had four players account for the six sacks, with Givens and Black totaling two sacks each.

Stony Brook had nine defenders combine for the 12 tackles for loss: Cruz (2), Givens (2), Black (2), Carthell Flowers-Lloyd (2), Lawrence (1), Roberts (1), Quenton Porter (1), Bolesta (0.5), and Rodney Faulk (0.5).

Bryden’s four-yard touchdown pass to Devera gave the tight end his third receiving touchdown of the season, which is his most in a single-season at Stony Brook.

Cruz also had a career game. He totaled a career-high eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and forced a fumble.

Seawolves went 4-for-4 in the red zone.

Saturday’s matchup marked the first meeting all-time between Stony Brook and Morgan State.

Since the 2011 season, Stony Brook has compiled a 52-6 record when scoring 24 or more points in a game.

The team is back on the gridiron on Saturday, Nov. 12, when it hosts Towson on Senior Day. It will be Stony Brook’s final home game of the 2022 season.

Visit www.stonybrookathletics.com for tickets and any last minute cancellations.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University men’s cross country team brought home the first-ever Colonial Athletic Association Championship in school history on Oct. 28 after edging out Northeastern University by eight total points in the CAA Championship 8K. This marks the fifth championship in program history for the squad, as Long Island’s team collected four titles in their previous stint in the America East. 

Stony Brook had a total of five student-athletes finish within the top-10 and six Seawolves earned All-CAA Team recognition for their efforts. The squad has now finished in the top-10 in their past 20 consecutive races. 

Graduates Carlos Santos Jr. and Robert Becker led the relentless pursuit by the Seawolves, as the New York natives earned a fourth and fifth-place finish, respectively. Santos finished the race at 24:31.30 and Becker came in right behind at 24:38.80. Both Becker and Santos finished with All-Conference honors with their performances this morning. 

Seniors Evan Brennan, Shane Henderson and graduate Aiden Smyth produced tremendous performances by placing sixth, seventh, and ninth-overall to be recognized on the All-CAA team. Brennan crossed the finish line at 24:46.90 and Henderson finished shortly after at 24:51.30. Smyth rounded out the top-10 with a final time of 25:02.80.

Graduate Conor Malanaphy and sophomore Michael Fama finished in 12th and 17th-place, which ultimately helped the Seawolves earn crucial points to capture the historic CAA victory. Malanaphy was the sixth and final Stony Brook student-athlete to earn a spot on the All-CAA team after their performance at the championship race. 

Stony Brook finished with 31 total points for the victory, with Northeastern finishing in second-place with 39 points and William & Mary wrapping up the top-three with 111 points. 

“Can’t say enough about this group of young men. They handled what I felt was a pressure-filled day with so much determination and maturity. On their shoulders they had their own expectations, the expectations of the program and the department to win the first CAA conference title. They competed against a very good Northeastern team and fought all the way to the line to achieve the win. A very special performance by a special group of young men,” said head coach Andy Ronan.

“There aren’t enough words to describe how special this group is. The amount of work every single person in our locker room puts in everyday, our preparation for practice, and how we always want to help the program move forward is huge. I believe that their has never been a more committed Stony Brook team than us. That is a huge pillar for our success as a whole and we showed that today,” said Carlos Santos Jr.

“We left our hard work and our commitment out on the course. This being our first Colonial Athletic Association title in Stony Brook history means a lot to us because this is what we knew we were capable of and we all had one common goal. We run for each other, we run for Noah, and we run to win. We set the tone for the younger guys on our team and for future generations to come, to keep helping the program,” added Santos Jr.

“It’s a commitment from every single guy in the locker room — not just the ones racing. We all are pushing each other to be the best we can be and to ultimately come out on top every single race. This is one of the hardest working and most committed groups to come through this program, which showed today and will continue to show through performances. In addition, the guys graduating this year wanted to get another win for Noah Farrelly, we wouldn’t be the team we are without our brother looking over us,” said Robert Becker. 

The team will return to action when it competes at the NCAA Regionals in Van Cortlandt Park on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook volleyball team fought hard in a back-and-forth battle, but ultimately fell to CAA foe Northeastern in five sets in Boston on Oct. 23. The team started out strong, claiming the first set, 26-24. With the match tied at 20-20, the Seawolves and the Huskies engaged in a back-and-forth contest that saw the Seawolves victorious. 

The Huskies took control of the next two sets, with the second set ending in a close finish, 25-21, and the third in a dominating 25-9 win. The Seawolves then bounced back with a gritty effort to take the fourth, 27-25. Stony Brook was unable to keep the momentum rolling as Northeastern secured the final set, 15-9. 

The Seawolves were led offensively by junior outside hitter Leoni Kunz, who tallied a game-high 16 kills, and sophomore outside hitter Erin Garr, who totaled 10. 

“Northeastern does a lot of things to make you uncomfortable and they did that with their serving and tempo today. We were trailing the play too often and that forced us to make decisions under stress. That said, I thought our fight was good and that we bounced back after a tough third and start to the fourth set. We need to make some adjustments tomorrow, but we mostly need to manage the serve-and-pass game better and stop Northeastern from going on runs,” said head coach Kristin Belzung. 

#12 Quarterback Charlie McKee led to the team to victory on Saturday. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook football team used a dramatic second half comeback to defeat Maine, 28-27, and secured a win on Homecoming, Oct. 22. The Seawolves were led by freshman quarterback Charlie McKee who helped Stony Brook outscore Maine, 21-7, in the second half en route to victory.

The team open the second half by forcing a three and out. On the ensuing drive, the Seawolves marched right down the field and McKee found redshirt sophomore wide receiver RJ Lamarre for a 10-yard touchdown pitch and catch to cut Maine’s lead to 20-14.

#12 Quarterback Charlie McKee led to the team to victory on Saturday. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Black Bears responded by punching right back with a touchdown of their own as Elijah Barnwell found the end zone from 12 yards out to put Maine ahead once again by two scores, 27-14. From that point forward, Stony Brook closed the door and went on to score 14 unanswered points to secure the 28-27 win.

After Maine’s score in the third quarter, the Seawolves put together an 11-play, 75-yard drive to punch in their third touchdown of the night. The drive was capped off by McKee finding redshirt junior tight end Tyler Devera from a yard out to make it 27-21.

Stony Brook was knocking on the door, with the momentum shifting in the favor of Long Island’s team following Devera’s touchdown. The Seawolves seized full momentum in the game when they picked up a crucial fourth down stop with 8:32 to play in the contest.

Redshirt junior defensive back Shamel Lazarus and graduate linebacker Reidgee Dimanche stuffed Maine’s Kobay White who caught a pass near the line of scrimmage, the Stony Brook duo blew up the play in the backfield and forced a turnover on downs.

McKee led the Seawolves’ offense right down the field as he orchestrated a seven-play, 68-yard drive that resulted in graduate wide receiver Khalil Newton hauling in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with a miraculous seven-yard touchdown catch.

Maine had one last crack at it, but the Seawolves’ defense stood strong as they forced Cole Baker to miss what would have been the go-ahead field goal from 46 yards out.

The team is back on the gridiron on Oct. 29, when they travel up north to face UAlbany in the battle for the Golden Apple. 

Photo by Shawn Ruiz/Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University volleyball team concluded play at Delaware with a weekend split, defeating the Blue Hens in a five-set thriller on Oct. 16. 

After securing the first set, Stony Brook dropped the next two in close deficits, with the second set resulting in a four point defeat (25-21) and the third set culminating in a three point loss (25-22). The Seawolves then bounced back with a gritty effort to secure the fourth and fifth sets, closing them out 27-25 and 15-9, respectively. 

Stony Brook’s offense was fueled by the trio of Kali Moore, Abby Campbell, and Erin Garr who all finished the match with 10 or more kills. Defensively, the Seawolves were led by Julia Patsos and Moore who tallied 30 and 22 digs, respectively. 

“So proud of this group! We approached this match with a different competitive spirit and it was a full team win. We were able to execute adjustments both offensively and defensively throughout the entire match and that showed grit. Every road win is big and this one is better because I thought we played at a high-level. We have another important road weekend coming up and will need this same level of focus,” said head coach Kristin Belzung. 

Up next, the team heads to Boston to take on conference rival Northeastern on Oct. 22 and 23.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook football team fell to Fordham, 45-14, on Oct. 15 at Jack Coffey Field in the Bronx. Freshman quarterback Charlie McKee earned his first-career start for the Seawolves and tossed two touchdown passes in his second collegiate game.

 Stony Brook got on the board with 10:36 to play in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Charlie McKee found redshirt sophomore Tedy Afful for a 30-yard touchdown pitch and catch on fourth and six. It was Afful’s first career touchdown catch as he became the fourth different Seawolf to haul in a touchdown pass this season.

McKee threw his second touchdown of the night late in the fourth quarter when he found graduate wide receiver Khalil Newton from four yards out. For Newton, it was his second touchdown catch of the season and fifth of his career.

On the defensive side of the ball, Stony Brook was able to force one turnover. Redshirt senior defensive back Isaiah Givens laid a hit on Fordham’s Trey Sneed that jarred the ball loose and was recovered by graduate linebacker Reidgee Dimanche.

“Fordham is a very good football team and we didn’t represent ourselves correctly. Offensively, we continued to struggle. Defensively, we played well early, but it was hard to hang on. We went up against an offense that has performed to this level all season,” said head coach Chuck Priore.  It’s tough, but our kids will play hard in between the white lines,” he added.