Fifteen high school seniors from the Brentwood, Longwood, and Wyandanch school districts celebrated their “graduation” from Stony Brook Medicine’s Health Occupations Partnership for Excellence (HOPE) Program at a ceremony on May 9, 2017, in the Stony Brook University Health Sciences Tower.

Out of the 15, seven of the graduates – a record number from the HOPE program – will be staying at Stony Brook University and entering as freshmen in the fall to continue striving towards their aspirations.

Dean of Undergraduate Admissions (top, center) Judith Burke-Berhannan, with the seven HOPE “graduates” bound for Stony Brook this fall.

Under the mentorship of Stony Brook faculty, the two-year program fosters the academic development of 11th and 12th students  from underserved and racially and ethnically diverse communities and prepares them for future careers in the health industry.

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.

“It was an amazing opportunity to have been given and I’m extremely grateful that I got to experience the medical field in such a direct and hands-on way,” said Brooke Alleyne from Longwood, who is one of the seven that will be attending Stony Brook University in the fall.

Read more: http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/medical/2017-05-11-hope-program-graduation-2017.php

The Roth Pond Regatta is a Stony Brook tradition, and while some student groups are preparing to compete in the annual cardboard boat race on campus, the Global Innovation Team (GIT) is working hard to reduce the pond’s ongoing algae problem.

The club submitted a two-part plan; creating a buffer around the pond to prevent run-off and a floating island in the pond with plant roots that would soak up bad nutrients in the water.

Global Innovation Team aims to beautify Roth Pond.

GIT began implementing its Roth Pond plan after testing algae levels at the end of the fall 2016 semester.

GIT is also constructing a sustainable garden outside Nobel Halls, highlighting the residence buildings’ Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified status.

Besides working on those areas on campus, the club is also building a bike generator for the Office of Sustainability to show at Earthstock, Stony Brook’s celebration of Earth Day, as a way to highlight a form of sustainable energy and reducing plastic use on campus.

For more information, visit the GIT Facebook page.

Read more: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/student-spotlight/global-innovation-team-improves-community-through-engineering-on-campus-and-beyond/

Groups from the Bayport/Blue Point School District’s Gifted Students Program were “scientists for a day” at recent visits to campus.

Their hands-on learning experiences gave them new and fun ways to learn about science. The group visits were arranged through Ellen Vlachos of the Gifted and Talented Program from Bayport-Blue Point School District, and the Stony Brook University Office of Government and Community Relations.

Students had a real hand-on experience in Professor Hanson’s geosciences lab.

On April 24, 2017, a group of fourth graders led by Director Dave Ecker and Stony Brook students, were given tours of iCreate Lab and the resources available to inspire creativity and new ways to solve problems, including 3D printers, silk screening for t-shirts and a large selection of tools working in the lab gave tours

Then on Friday, April 28, 2017, a group of fifth graders discovered their own DNA in a lab experience managed by Stony Brook student Mirna Kheir and others members of the Biomedical Engineering Honor Society, Alpha Eta Mu Beta, led by Faculty Advisor Dr. M. Ete Chan.

The groups explored ways that water can impact the environment by  moving sand in a water table in Professor Gil Hanson’s Geosciences lab.

Read more: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/oncampus/elementary-school-students-enjoy-campus-lab-tour/