The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) hosts hundreds of schools and families at the research facility on the campus of Stony Brook Southampton.

Through these community outreach programs, visitors are invited to explore the local waterways and marine life on the SoMAS research vessels.

Students came from Albany for hands on learning at SoMAS.

One group of  AP Biology and Environmental Science students from Albany conducted real research on a field trip to the Southampton facility. As they explored the Shinnecock Bay, the students learned about the water temperature, oxygen levels, salinity as well as the flora and fauna of the marine life.

Nearly 60 members of The Children’s Museum of the East End joined the SoMAS team for a Winter Bird/Seal Cruise on December 10. They saw more than 100 seals on the trip. The group also attended a Bay Exploration program in the summer, where they observed the local fish and animals in the bay.

For the first time, students from Southold Elementary School came on a field trip to the SoMAS labs. Roughly 60 fifth graders were able to  use scientific water research equipment,  held a net to catch aquatic organisms and were able to hold marine life up close with a touch tank.

Learn more about the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences: http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/

Thirteen high school seniors who completed Stony Brook University Hospital’s Health Occupations Partnership for Excellence (HOPE) Program celebrated their “graduation” from the program and are now in college.

A ceremony took place at the hospital on May 10 to honor their accomplishments. Mentored by  Stony Brook faculty, the two-year program fosters the academic development of 11th and 12th students from the Brentwood, Longwood and Wyandanch school districts and preps them for future careers in the health industry.

The faculty-mentored educational program exposes students from underserved school districts to careers in healthcare.

Since its inception in 2005, HOPE has helped open new avenues for hundreds of promising high school students from underserved and racially and ethnically diverse communities.

At this year’s ceremony, the students expressed how much they learned from HOPE, frequently citing the thrill of shadowing doctors, seeing medical technology in action, learning from nurses about patient care, and the “amazing” breadth of the healthcare field – one that they anticipate holds many opportunities for them after they complete college.

Some of the other colleges these HOPE graduates will attend include: Allegheny College, Cornell University, Farmingdale State College, Monroe College, St. Joseph’s College, SUNY New Paltz, Suffolk County Community College, and West Virginia University.

Learn more about the HOPE program: http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/medical/2016-05-18-hospitals-hope-program-inspires-high-school-students-future-in-health-science-medicine.php

As a regional hub for arts, entertainment and culture, Stony Brook University offers the community many art exhibits throughout the year that are free and open to the public.

One of this year’s exhibits was the “The Power and Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens” which was on display at the Charles B. Wang Center.

The Korean still-life art exhibit,  “The Power and Pleasure of Possessions” was on of  display at the Charles B. Wang Center.

The exhibition explored the genre of Korean still-life painting known as chaekgeori, one of the most enduring and prolific art forms of Korea’s Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Chaekgeori emphasizes books and other material commodities as symbolic embodiments of knowledge, power and social reform.

Today, a diverse body of artists continues this tradition into the 21st century, coming together to examine modern Korean society and its social, cultural and political attitudes and ideals. Drawing on a long artistic lineage and making comparisons to the traditional form and objectives of chaekgeori with the works of contemporary artists — including Seongmin Ahn, Kyoungtack Hong, Patrick Hughes, Airan Kang and Stephanie S. Lee — this exhibition facilitated a better understanding of a still-changing Korean society, from the ascetic Confucian Joseon era to the hyper-materialistic culture of today.

All of the screens were on loan from both private collections and Korean national institutions, including the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art; the Seoul Museum; the Korean Folk Village; the Chosun Minhwa Museum; and the Sungok Memorial Hall.

Learn more about the Charles B. Wang Center: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/wang/