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Stony Brook University

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By Daniel Dunaief

It’s back, bigger than ever, with an added Peter-and-the-Wolf style musical debut.

This year’s version of Science on Stage at Stony Brook University, which brings together the research and life experiences of three scientists with the artistic interpretation and creative talents of three playwrights, focuses on the theme of climate change.

Before the reading of the plays at the free October 28th event at the Staller Center’s Recital Hall, a group of eight high school students and two graduate students will perform an original piece of music composed by Professor Margaret Schedel called “Carnival of the Endangered Animals” (see accompanying story below).

Christine Gilbert with graduate student Emily Gelardi. Photo by Conor Harrigan

The event, which has a seating capacity of 379, which is almost triple the potential audience size from last year, and requires advance registration, is sponsored by the Collaborative for the Earth (C4E).

The organizers of Science on Stage “want people to be thinking about [climate change] from new ways or with new perspectives,” said Heather Lynch, inaugural director of the C4E and Endowed Chair for Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science and Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution.

In these performances, professional actors, directed by Logan Vaughn, share a dramatic reading of the scripts, titled “Ghost Forest,” “Counterfactual,” and “Resplendence.” After the performance, the scientists and playwrights will participate in a question and answer session led by Lecturer J.D. Allen, who is managing editor of NPR affiliate WSHU.

Provost Carl Lejuez, whose office provides funding for the C4E, celebrated the ongoing collaboration between the humanities and the sciences.

“Science on Stage is one of our true interdisciplinary gems,” Lejuez explained. “In a time of such misinformation, the arts provide such a powerful vehicle to communicate science in accessible and inspiring ways.”

Indeed, in addition to hearing an original piece of music and listening to a reading of the plays, audience members will have the opportunity to share their perspectives on climate science before and after the performance.

Christine Gilbert, who holds a joint appointment at the School of Communication and Journalism and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and is one of the participating scientists, is conducting a study of the effect of the experience with audience members.

Attendees can participate in a short mobile-based survey before the plays and immediately afterwards. A social scientist, Gilbert will follow up with those members who are willing to engage in individual interviews in the weeks after the performance.

Event organizers wanted to know “what is it that’s so magical in the intersection between science, humanity and art” that drew a crowd so large last year that the fire marshal had to turn people away, said Gilbert.

By polling the audience, Gilbert, who was one of the people who couldn’t watch the show last year, hopes to explore the effect of teaching complex science in this forum.

She also hopes to assess how audience members feel after hearing more about climate change and plans to share what she learns with Stony Brook and with the broader scientific community through a published paper.

Heavy and humorous

The scientists and the playwrights appreciated the opportunity to learn from each other and to engage in a creative effort designed to use science, or the life of scientists, to appeal to audiences.

Lynch, who participated in the Science on Stage effort last year, suggested that this year’s plays are powerful and evocative.

“These are deep, adult serious issues,” she said, cautioning that the language includes some cursing and that the themes include loss, parenthood and grief. “This is not Disney.”

To be sure, the plays blend a wide range of emotions.

“With short plays that deal with heavier topics, playwrights will gravitate towards humor,” said Ken Weitzman, Founder and Associate Professor of Theater at Stony Brook, who started Science on Stage virtually in 2020. “It’s how we engage” and commune with an audience.

Counterfactual

Playwright Mat Smart

Author of the play “The Agitators,” about a true narrative describing the 45-year friendship between suffragist Susan B. Anthony and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Smart said he has taken long Uber rides with people whose views differ from his, leading to spirited conversations.

When Smart described his experiences to Reed, they discovered they had similar interactions.

While much of the script involves a combination of conversations and ideas, Smart explained that part of the dialogue in the play came from a discussion he and Reed had about food choices and climate change. 

The interaction about cheeseburgers is “based on something [Reed] said to me,” Smart said. Reed explained the high carbon footprint of a cheeseburger, although he urged Smart to cut back rather than eliminate them from his diet.

“The play is about two people who see things very differently who choose to have a dialogue and to have a tough conversation,” said Smart. “They’re both affected by it.”

Ghost forest

Playwright Gab Reisman

Elizabeth Watson, Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolution, teamed up with Gab Reisman, who wrote “Ghost Forest.”

In this play, a climate researcher’s subjects spring to life as she writes an important grant proposal.

While it doesn’t reflect how field research or grant writing typically goes, it does capture “some things that have happened to me,” Watson said.

Her field work has involved considerable challenges, including getting stuck in the mud, being covered in ticks, crawling across mudflats, and being abandoned on a raft in a lagoon.

Watson appreciates how the artistic effort allows her to connect with people who probably aren’t the same ones who would read a publication she wrote or come to a presentation.

She also added that the world has what it needs to deal with climate change and that people need to understand the kinds of partnerships and actions that make a difference.

Resplendence

Playwright Kareem Fahmy

After speaking with Gilbert, playwright Kareem Fahmy wrote “Resplendence,” which follows three generations of a family who try to save their island off the coast of Maine.

The New England State is an important setting for playwright and scientist. 

“Maine has such a special place in my heart,” said Gilbert, who has family in the state and attended college at the University of Maine. The pull of the “wild, eastern coast of Maine is so ubiquitous.”

Gilbert appreciated how Fahmy did a “great job of personalizing the context” of the state.

The challenge of preserving destinations, particularly those close to sea level, will likely persist.

“When you do any research about climate change, you have to be aware that this is not just a problem for people living today, but for people 200 years from now,” Gilbert said.

Weitzman said the play was an epic despite its short running time and thought it was “quite touching.”

Beyond the performance

Weitzman suggested that the plays can provide an educational component beyond the confines of the Staller Recital Hall. 

While people can’t produce the plays as part of paid entertainment, teachers can read and use them in the classroom. Actors Bill Heck, April Matthis, Tina Benko, Mandi Masden and Taylor Crousore will provide dramatic reading of the plays.

In a short time, the actors are “practically off the book,” as they embrace the opportunity to bring the words to life, Weitzman said.

He suggested the plays offer a glimpse into researchers’ lives. “Here is this person on the front lines. I’m surprised at the angles that are taken” in these plays.

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will present this year’s Science on Stage: Climate Edition on Monday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are strongly recommended.

To register, go to: https://bit.ly/4dcDtsi or click here.

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SBU’s Margaret Schedel brings endangered species to life through musi
Margaret Schedel discusses the ‘Carnival of the Endangered Animals’ with the band and conductor Justin Stolarik during rehearsal. Photo by Heather Lynch

Science on Stage at Stony Brook University added a new dimension to the performance this year, as Margaret Schedel, Associate Professor of Music, composed “Carnival of the Endangered Animals.” The original music, which will debut on Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. at the Staller Center’s Recital Hall, is a recreation of the sounds of a wide range of animals who are in danger of becoming extinct.

“It’s melodic, interrupted by moments of trying to translate” the calls from these animals, Schedel said.

Ken Weitzman, Founder and Associate Professor at Stony Brook, appreciates how quickly music can resonate for audiences.

“Music appeals to the emotions,” said Weitzman. “I’m jealous of how quickly music can do in 10 seconds what it takes me hours to do.”

The animals featured in the piece, along with the instrument that captures their sounds, are: the Atlantic Right Whale (Marimba); the A’kikiki bird, which is a Hawaiian honeycreeper (flute); Sumatran Tiger (trumpet); sage grouse (clarinet); Bajii, which is a Yangtze river dolphin; and the Jiangtun, which is a Yangtze finless porpoise (four-hand piano); gorilla (french horn); African bush elephant (trombone); Koala (bassoon); and the penguin (oboe).

Schedel plans to share information about each piece, which eight area high school students and two graduate students will perform, with the audience through a QR code, so they can connect the sounds with the message or visuals she was conveying.

Schedel tried to use a logical progression of the instruments, mixing up the woodwinds, percussion and brass.

Threatened by land development, the sage grouse includes high and low notes from the clarinet that gets covered up by the sounds of a flute and trumpet, imitating the sounds excavators make when they back up and develop McMansions.

Endangered by the spread of avian malaria carried by mosquitoes, the Hawaiian A’kikiki bird had been able to evade these insects by traveling higher up the mountain, where the colder temperatures kills the mosquitoes. That is not happening as much because global warming is enabling the blood sucking creatures to survive at higher elevation.

The sage grouse music starts with a melodic theme on the flute and as it goes higher, the theme becomes compressed. The buzzing brass, meanwhile, gets louder and louder as the mosquito pursues its meal, infecting the bird with a lethal parasite.

Reflecting the struggle for survival these creatures face, the Yangtze river dolphin, which had about 20 members when Schedel first started composing the music, may have become extinct by the time of the performance. That is, in part, why she combined the dolphin and the finless porpoise on the four hand piano.

As for the sounds of the elephant, Schedel recalled a safari she had experienced when she had been in South Africa. Elephants charged at Schedel and her group, who had come too close to the younger ones in the herd.

The elephants growled at Schedel and her companions.

“You can feel it in your chest, the sound waves moving,” she said. “Little by little, the younger ones put up their trunks and eventually a big momma elephant with a broken tusk put up her trunk, which is a symbol of, “we are calm,’” she said. With the trombone representing the elephant, the bass drum connotes its growling sounds.

When she was growing up, Schedel listened to the Leonard Bernstein version of “Peter and the Wolf” so many times that the recording is “nearly dead,” she laughed. She hopes people enjoy her piece with the same energy and excitement, connecting the sounds and the stories with the endangered animals. 

Schedel described the experience of creating the music as a “labor of love.”

 

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Eckart Wimmer. Photo by John Griffin/SBU
Jorge Benach. Photo from SBU
Carol Carter. Photo by Jeanne Neville/SBU
David Thanassi. Photo by Jeanne Neville/SBU

By Daniel Dunaief

The American Society for Microbiology named Stony Brook University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology a “Milestone” program on Oct. 17th, recognizing the department’s historical research contributions in fields ranging from Lyme disease to polio virus, and infection and vaccines.

Stony Brook is the 20th program to receive this distinction from the ASM, joining Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as the second such distinguished program on Long Island, and the fourth in the state.

It’s a “shared distinction among all the friends and colleagues from the department over the years” since its inception in 1972, said Carol Carter, Distinguished Professor in the department, and recent inductee into the National Academy of Sciences.

“It’s a family-community [honor],” she continued.

The Milestone recognition from the ASM raises the profile of the department and the university, as it recognizes its historical contribution to the field, and encourages and inspires the growing staff in a department in which basic research can lead to breakthrough discoveries.

“This is not an award or discovery for the last year or year before,” said Kevin Gardner, Vice President for Research and member of the Office of the President. “This is for historical levels of achievement over a really long period of time.”

Gardner planned to join department members, politicians including Assemblymember Edward Flood (R-Port Jefferson) and executives at ASM, as part of the recognition ceremony. The ASM, which was founded in 1899, and has over 32,000 members, is a “high-quality professional society and is about as good as they get,” Gardner added.

“It’s a tremendous honor.”

Theresa Koehler, president of ASM, will give a speech on the historic microbial science accomplishments at Stony Brook and designate the site officially a Milestone program.

Professor Emeritus, Nassau Community College/ University Medical Center and ASM Member, Lorraine Findlay, will also attend.

The ASM has been recognizing Milestones in Microbiology sites since 2002, when the first such honoree, Selman Waksam’s Laboratory at Rutgers University, received the honor.

“The program celebrates groundbreaking achievements that have shaped our understanding of microbiology and inspire future generations,” ASM Archivist Colleen Puterbaugh explained in an email.

The Stony Brook Department of Microbiology and Immunology has made the kind of fundamental discoveries regarding how cells work and how DNA and RNA and the different genetic building blocks come together that have led to treatments for diseases like polio, Gardner added.

“These types of recognition really help put the word out about what we’ve done and continue to do,” said David Thanassi, Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “It helps build morale” and aids in recruiting additional faculty.

Last year, the department added four faculty members and is in the process of searching for another person to join.

In the wake of the COVID Pandemic, universities and research facilities have emphasized the importance of microbiology, immunology and virology, which are fields that could help provide the kind of basic science that leads to early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

“Other places want virologists, too, because there’s a greater awareness of the need for these types of researchers,” said Thanassi.

Compelling research

In the application Carter helped prepare to submit to the ASM, she focused on three specific basic research achievements that have had an important impact on human health.

Joseph Kates, Founding Chair of the department, discovered that viruses could package enzymes required to copy themselves. His research made it possible to target viral polymerases as a type of therapy.

“Up to that point, it really wasn’t known about the basics of how viruses replicate themselves,” said Carter. “Finding this enzyme that viruses have to carry in their coat meant humans could devise a strategy for countering their ability to replicate.”

When she was considering joining the young state university, Carter interviewed with Kates in 1975. Kates “was so impressive and so much fun,” said Carter, “it was difficult to envision why you wouldn’t come and work in his department.”

Additionally, the ASM considered the research of Jorge Benach, Willy Burgdorfer and scientists from the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, who identified the cause of Lyme disease, which is a particular problem on Long Island.

This work made it possible to create antibiotic therapies.

Benach was able to “isolate the spirochetes from patients and demonstrate that they were the causative agent of Lyme,” said Carter.

Benach also characterized the form of the infection that occurs in dogs. Meanwhile, Eckard Wimmer was the first to describe the chemical synthesis of a polio virus without using a natural template. He was also the co-discoverer, with Vincent Racaniello, of the human receptor for poliovirus.

Wimmer’s work started efforts to synthesize organisms in the absence of a natural template, making it possible to develop new strategies in virus vaccine development.

Two plaques

As a part of the ceremony, the ASM will award Stony Brook two plaques. One of them will be visible in the department itself, while the other will go up in the Renaissance School of Medicine’s lobby, near the dean’s office and the library.

Carter suggested that the department continues to conduct research that is globally important.

“These days, the [discoveries] are not low-hanging fruit,” Carter said.

“The answers don’t come easily. You do feel gratified, whether you or somebody else in your unit, provides some sort of understanding that we didn’t appreciate before,” she continued.

In addition to the principal investigators who conducted research that proved important for human health, Carter added that the students who gained experience and insights at the university have gone on to develop productive careers.

“We have had fabulous students.”

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Fred Guttenberg and Joe Walsh

Two Dads Defending Democracy: Bridging the Gap During Divisive Times

At a time when political discussions can turn confrontational, Fred Guttenberg and Joe Walsh — two nationally renowned figures hailing from opposing political backgrounds — are proving that respectful dialogue can bridge political divides. Once adversaries, they transformed their heated debates into meaningful conversations and eventually a friendship. Now, they’re coming together at Stony Brook University to share how to find common ground and engage in civil and healthy discussions in service of meaningful legislative reform. The pair will lead two events as part of their Two Dads Defending Democracy tour.

The first, moderated by Charles Robbins, DSW, LCSW-R, will be held in the MART Auditorium at Stony Brook University Hospital on Tuesday, October 22.

On Wednesday, October 23, Guttenberg and Walsh will discuss Democracy and Getting Out the Vote at the Humanities Building, Room 1006, on the Stony Brook University campus.

About the speakers:

  • Fred Guttenberg began his public life after the murder of his 14-year-old daughter Jaime at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in February 2018, and the death of his brother in October 2017 from cancer related to his service as a first responder at the World Trade Center in 9/11. Fred has traveled the country talking about both events but also talking about perspective, perseverance and resilience. He discusses pivotal moments in our life and how we should respond to those moments.
  • Joe Walsh is a former Republican Congressman from Illinois elected to Congress in the TEA Party wave of 2010. Following his service in Congress, he became one of the most popular conservative talk radio hosts in the country, syndicated in major markets throughout the U.S. He is currently the Director of The Social Contract and host of the “The Social Contract with Joe Walsh” podcast where Joe has weekly conversations with other well-known people to model how to have respectful conversations with those with whom you disagree.

Sponsored by the Program in Public Health at Stony Brook Medicine, the events are free and open to faculty, staff, students and members of the community. The Democracy and Getting Out the Vote event is also in collaboration with the Humanities Institute. Registration is required. Visit https://bit.ly/two_dads and https://bit.ly/get_out_vote to register.

WHEN & WHERE:

SBUH Event

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

5pm – 7:30pm

At the MART Auditorium

1 Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794

 

SBU Event 

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

12:30pm – 1:50pm

Humanities Institute at Stony Brook University

1013 Humanities

Stony Brook NY, 11794-5354

Room 1006

WHO:

  • Stony Brook University Hospital event will be moderated by Charles Robbins, DSW, LCSW-R, Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Changing Systems of Power at Stony Brook University
  • Speakers
    • Fred Guttenberg
    • Former Congressman Joe Walsh
  • SBUH staff
  • SBU faculty & students

 

DIRECTIONS:

For SBUH event:

LIE to Exit 62. North on Nicolls Road for about 9 miles. Follow Hospital signs; turn right onto Health Sciences Drive. Continue to first light and turn left onto Edmund D. Pellegrino Road onto Medicine campus. Follow the traffic circle and take the second exit to Lauterbur Drive. Follow the traffic circle and take the second exit to Lauterbur Drive. Follow Lauterbur Drive to the front entrance of the MART. The speaking program will take place in the auditorium.

 

For the SBU Event:

From West, take the Long Island Expressway (LIE, I-495) eastbound to exit 62, and follow Nicolls Road (Route 97) north for 9 miles. The main entrance to the University is on the left; parking access available in the Administration Parking Garage or Lot 1; validation is available. To find the campus via GPS, Administration Building, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11790.

 

Stony Brook campus map

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Stony Brook University: Entrance sign

Stony Brook University is the recipient of a $500,000 Innovation Driven by Evidence and Advanced Strategies (IDEAS) grant from American Talent Initiative (ATI) College Excellence Program CEP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The grant aims to amplify the power and potential of transfer students from lower income communities through high impact experiences, research-centered opportunities, and the development of workforce-ready skills.

Stony Brook, a State University of New York flagship university, is partnering with neighboring Suffolk County Community College (SUNY Suffolk) to support a “Seawolves at Suffolk” program. The program provides students transferring to Stony Brook with an earlier pathway for academic and social engagement with the university from admission to SUNY Suffolk through the transfer and graduation from Stony Brook.

“Seawolves at Suffolk” centers around an accelerated on-ramp to a paid summer research/internship opportunity with Stony Brook researchers in the summer prior to students transferring to the university. This is complemented by providing:

  • unique workshops
  • earlier access to university campus life
  • supported student leadership pipelines
  • comprehensive advising support with university advisors on the SUNY Suffolk campus
  • priority course registration
  • mini-grants to take upper-division courses at Stony Brook before transferring
  • additional wraparound support from success specialists and career coaches

Through this partnership, Stony Brook will increase its enrollments of lower income transfer students, while eliminating disparities in graduation, and prioritizing long-term economic benefits and social mobility for students. The university has undertaken this initiative to develop a model to address enrollment declines in community colleges, particularly for students from underserved lower-income communities.

Stony Brook was named as an American Talent Initiative (ATI) “High Flier” University in 2023 and

joined ATI as part of a commitment to increase lower-income student enrollment and activate talent across the country. The university was recognized as a national leader in providing college access and success for lower income students by leading the way in Pell Grant recipients’ student enrollment, innovative recruitment, widespread retention and graduation rates. The “High Flier” initiative was led by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R.

“Thanks to Bloomberg Philanthropies, accepted transfer students from Suffolk County Community College are already a part of the Stony Brook University community prior to their first day of classes,” said Interim Stony Brook President Richard L. McCormick. “This grant, awarded by the American Talent Initiative, allows us to expand our commitment to social mobility while providing transfer students with paid experiential learning, academic advising, and career counseling opportunities.”

“SUNY Suffolk has always prepared our graduates for success at elite colleges and universities like Stony Brook.  In fact, our “Seawolves at Suffolk” program already fast-tracks students from the SUNY system’s largest community college to its flagship university,” said Dr. Edward T. Bonahue, president, Suffolk Community College. “With support from the American Talent Initiative grant, we will provide Suffolk students with an accelerated pathway to engagement at SBU, as well as experiential learning through a Summer Research/Internship Accelerator. In short, this partnership will allow us to support even more deserving Long Island students and families.”

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SBU's Elizabeth Watson, second from right, and her team coring.

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

I used to liken the process to sitting on a highway divider where the speed limit was 70 miles per hour, holding a notebook and trying to read and record as many license plates as I could, sometimes in the pouring rain, under a bright sun, or in thick fog.

Working for a wire service, with its 24-hour news feed and its endless space for stories, was exhilarating and exhausting. My editors sometimes called me at 4 a.m. to tell me about an important story that was breaking and to encourage me to come into the office to get to work.

Oh, and every three months, when the companies I covered reported earnings, I’d arrive at work for at least a week around 7 in the morning, wait for the numbers to come out, and then spend the day reading the reports, talking with analysts and investors, getting on media conference calls with top executives and watching the stock price of the company rise and fall.

My job was to search through all that information to anticipate how people would react to piles of electronic news.

It was a great opportunity to write on deadline and to experience the absurd. One day, I helped write a few headlines and then had to use the bathroom. As I pushed the door open, my editor, following uncomfortably closely behind me, hovered.

“Can I help you?” I asked, as I stopped and turned around.

“Yeah, how long are you going to be in here?” he asked in his usual staccato, urgent tone.

“As long as it takes,” I shrugged.

“Yeah, well, there’s a headline out there and you need to send out the first version of the story within 15 minutes,” he reminded me, as if I didn’t know our rules.

“I know,” I said, “and I’m sure my system will comply with the requirements.”

Those were tough days at the office.

I’m sure everyone has difficult days at work, whether it’s a police officer dealing with someone who is in an altered, drug-induced state who may be a danger to himself or others, a teacher helping a high-stress student prepare for a standardized test, a truck driver taking a long detour around a crash site, or any of the many other possible strains or obstacles between the start of the day and the workload.

Recently, I spoke with several climate scientists who are a part of the Science on Stage free celebration at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center, which is coming up on October 28th at 4 p.m. (see related story in the Arts & Lifestyles section).

These scientists endure everything from creature discomforts, to resistance to the work they’re doing, to their own deadlines and the need to conduct their studies, publish their results and apply for funding.

Indeed, Elizabeth Watson, Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolution at Stony Brook University, shared several challenging moments.

“I’ve gotten stuck in the mud, covered with ticks, I’ve gotten Lyme, crawled across mudflats, pushed boats across mudflats, had to row our power boat back to the launch ramp more than once, [and] got forgotten about on a raft in a lagoon,” Watson wrote in an email.

Each of those challenges could have become the focal point of action for a biopic about a scientist.

Heather Lynch, Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolution, explained that her research on penguins in Antarctica requires considerable advanced planning.

“The main challenge of working in Antarctica is really the uncertainty imposed by the weather and logistics,” she explained in an email. “It’s not enough to have Plan B, it’s more like Plan B through Plan F and then some. Covid and now avian flu have made an already difficult situation even harder.”

Still, at their most challenging moments, waiting for the weather to change, hoping someone will remember to pick them up, or living without creature comforts, these researchers find joy and derive satisfaction in doing valuable and constructive work.

“I’m like a bricklayer, adding more bricks to an enormous wall of knowledge that was started long before I started working on penguins and will continue to be built long after,” Lynch wrote.

Or, to put it another way, Watson wrote that “I love my job! No regrets.”

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Members of the Stony Brook football team (#22 Cal Redman, #14 Rodney Faulk, and #5 Jasiah Williams)dropped by to check out the new statue with Wolfie and Interim President Richard McCormick. Photo courtesy of SBU

Stony Brook University recently unveiled a new statue of everyone’s favorite mascot, Wolfie, on the Academic Mall. 

The 7-foot-tall bronze sculpture created by artist Virgil Oertle stands behind a bench where fellow Seawolves can come over and relax, or take a photo. Funds were generously donated by alumnus Ken Marcus, Class of 1971.

Interim President Richard McCormick said the university was thrilled to present the statue to the community, and hoped it will be an enduring symbol of the pride of Stony Brook.

“Wolfie spans many generations of Seawolves, connecting us all through his spirit and tenacity,” McCormick said. “He is authentic, confident, inspiring and a supportive friend, reflecting the best of who we are as a community, and as individuals.”

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Stony Brook Mill Pond. Photo by Giselle Barkley
John Turner

The Ecology and Evolution Department at Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook continues its Living World lecture series with “Should the Mill Pond Be Rebuilt? Reconnecting Severed Threads” with guest speaker John F. Turner, Division of Land Management for the Town of Brookhaven, in the Javits Lecture Center, Room 111 on the West Campus on Monday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m.

Some landscape features such as the thousands of dams installed in rivers have severed or compromised ecological connections for animal species, especially migratory fishes. Turner will describe the solutions to such problems, including the recent strong rainstorms in this region that broke several dams, giving an opportunity for restorations that restore fish migration routes.
A noted Long Island Naturalist, John Turner is a founder of the Long island Pine Barrens Association, has worked on land restoration in Long Island for decades and is an officer in the Seatuck Environmental Association and the Four Harbors Audubon Society.
The event is free. For more information, call 631-632-8600.

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Irene Rodgers, left, and Janet Romeo, right, inviting guests to learn more about the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island. Photo by Gabby Daniels

By Gabby Daniels

Is there anything better than a day on the golf course?

Just ask Joey and Nina Meyer, whose day was not only filled with golf, family, friends and fun, but was one that supported the cause so near and dear to their hearts.

In May of 2022, Nina Meyer was diagnosed with epilepsy, and it quickly took a toll on her life. Having been there through Nina’s two brain surgeries and watching her face an everyday battle with seizures and constant medications, her husband Joey knew he had to do something that could help turn this difficult disorder into something more positive.

Partnering with the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island, Meyer organized the “2024 Open to End Epilepsy” fundraiser in hopes of making a difference. The event took place on Sept. 20, at the Willow Creek Golf and Country Club in Mount Sinai.

A day filled with donations, camaraderie, awareness and hope, the day not only celebrated the spirit of community, but also fostered a deeper understanding of epilepsy, ensuring that no one has to face this challenge alone.

Joey Meyer happily welcoming guests out on the green. Photo by Gabby Daniels

“When my wife was first diagnosed with epilepsy, it felt hopeless because we did not really know what to do,” Meyer said.

“Having this event, our goal was to get others talking about epilepsy so that those going through it could feel supported and seen. It was a great way to raise money and awareness for others going through a similar experience as Nina, and we can let people know about the epilepsy foundation and everything they provide in the process,” Meyer said.

The event proved to be more than impactful, raising over $15,000 from event tickets and sponsorships alone.

“Our goal was to raise at least $20,000 today, and we have made great progress already,” Meyer said. “We have raffle tickets for sale, games and dinner to follow the golf outing, so I think we are on track to hit our goal.”

Being quite the beautiful day on the golf course, event attendees were thrilled to take part in the event. “It has been so nice out today, getting to golf, hang out, and support a good cause,” stated Amber Ciccotto, a friend of the Meyers.

“Nina has told me so much about her experience with epilepsy, and I think it is so important to learn as much as you can about it so you can be there for your loved ones who deal with it.”

The course was also lined with other fundraisers, such as Charity Golf, and their long-drive competition.

Hosted by Michael Watson, who has appeared in 4 World Long Drive championships, golfers were offered the opportunity to participate in a ‘Hole in 2’ competition, with a minimum donation that could win them a 3-day trip to San Francisco’s Pebble Beach Lodge.

Michael Watson promoting the ‘Hole in 2’ competition. Photo by Gabby Daniels

“There have been so many generous people out here today,” Watson said. “We have gotten a lot of donations, and it has been really fun doing this for the Meyers and the foundation.”

With directing members Irene Rodgers and Janet Romeo of the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island in attendance, anyone at the event was able to learn more about the disorder. The foundation, founded in 1953, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to improve the lives of people affected by epilepsy through education, advocacy, research and connection.”

“We were so touched and honored that the Meyers reached out to us because it gives us the chance to share the resources and education opportunities we offer within the organization,” said Rodgers.

“We are there for anyone and everyone that has a diagnosis, but we also support their loved ones, their caregivers, and anyone else interested. We provide support, information and referrals; we provide training in seizure recognition, and we advocate. Whatever they need, we want to be there.”

 

Gabby Daniels is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s
School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook and Hofstra played to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 6 in Hempstead. The Seawolves went down early on, but Linn Beck scored the game-tying goal in the final minute of the first half, helping Stony Brook salvage another point against a CAA foe.

Hofstra took an early 1-0 lead with a goal in the 15th minute. Stony Brook had early opportunities from Luciana Setteducate and Beck that were turned away. Nicolette Pasquarella was challenged twice more down the stretch in the first half, stopping both chances from the Pride.

The Seawolves evened the match courtesy of Beck’s fifth goal of the season in the 45th minute. Setteducate assisted on the goal that ultimately closed the scoring for the afternoon

The Seawolves put forth the first five shots of the second half, seeing three turned away in the opening 13 minutes. Stony Brook controlled tempo all throughout the final 45 minutes, trying 13 total shots in the second half. Defensively, Stony Brook limited Hofstra to just one shot in the second half, which Pasquarella stopped. Hofstra’s goalkeeper turned away four shots to keep the match even and close out a draw.

“It’s never easy to play at Hofstra. They are a well-coached team. We started good but lost our way a little bit after they scored. Linn scored a beauty just before Halftime. At halftime we regrouped, got focused and played a very good second half,” head coach Tobias Bischof said. “We were unfortunate to not score a second goal.”

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook men’s soccer team came up short against Campbell, 6-0, on Oct. 5 on the road at Eakes Athletics Complex in Blues Creek, N.C. Stony Brook dropped to 2-5-3 overall and 0-3-2 in CAA play after the loss.

The Camels jumped on the board with a pair of goals in the first half as Owen Mikoy scored in the ninth minute and Luc Lavielle in the 25th. Stony Brook was able to keep Campbell off the board for the remainder of the first half as the Seawolves trailed, 2-0. Olsen Aluc and Caleb Danquah had one shot each in the first 45 minutes.

Campbell added to their lead in the second half as they recorded four goals in the frame. Danquah would tally the first shot on goal for the Seawolves in the 52nd minute, trying to squeeze it past Samy Slimi through the bottom left corner.  Lorenzo Selini fired off one of his own in the 71st minute with a shot to the bottom center of the net that would be turned away.

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