The United States has more people approaching old age than ever before in our history.

How successfully we age in later life has a lot to do with how we take care of ourselves throughout the years. Stony Brook is taking the lead in exploring and discussing the important issues connected to aging.

President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD joined AARP President Jeannine English on stage following her lecture.

The University  hosted AARP President Jeannine English at the Charles B. Wang Center for a lecture to introduce some new ways of thinking about aging.

By mid-century there will be almost 100 million Americans age 65 or older, which is more than twice as many as in 2013. “Increased longevity means that you can have more opportunities in life, more experiences, so it’s a wonderful thing, It also means you need to prepare,” said English. She shared that many older people have the experience and knowledge to help out communities and our economy.

Some of the issues connected to aging such as the latest breakthroughs in healthcare, new frontiers in energy, new understandings of our environment and new technology were discussed.

Faculty, staff, students, community members and local elected officials listened as Ms. English pointed out the importance of family care giving, with 40 million Americans providing unpaid care for their loved ones.

AARP, established in 1958, concentrates on the health (security), wealth  (financial resilience) and self (personal fulfillment) of seasoned citizens.

The residents of Long Island  don’t have to travel far to see examples of  exquisite works of art.

The Stony Brook campus offers a host of galleries and installations designed to expand on cultural and academic ideas.

The “Iconic Wall” in the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics was engraved in limestone with key mathematical equations and diagrams.

Throughout the campuses of Stony Brook University, art is everywhere. Paintings, sculptures, photographs and multi-media installations are featured in the University’s many galleries. All are free and open to the public.

The Simons Center for Geometry and Physics features art not just in the gallery but all around the building, inside and out. Outside the entrance to the Center is the Umbilic Torus, a sculpture by artist Helaman Ferguson, which represents a fusion of mathematics and art.

The Student Activities Center (SAC) Art Gallery is where students can directly participate in creative, artistic and community projects and have their work showcased. Students actively engage with gallery events, music performances, lectures and presentations.

At the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery located at the Staller Center for the Arts dynamic professional and student exhibitions have been offered for viewing since 1975.

One of the recent projects was from Berlin and Washington D.C.-based artist Isabel Manalo. She brought “Skin Codes,”a new body of work based on traditional Filipino tattooing.

In the spring, the Zuccaire Gallery displays the MFA Thesis Exhibition, featuring new work done in paint, sculpture, video and mixed media by Stony Brook University’s graduating Master of Fine Arts students.

The holidays can be a stressful time for  hospital patients and their families.

Thanks to a program called  Adopt-A-Family and the ‘elves’ at Stony Brook, cancer patients are granted some wishes to help make the season bright.

Stony Brook ‘elves’ (L to R) Maryellen Bestenheider, Mary Alice Plant and Michele Hass help make the season bright for some cancer patients and their families.

For the past five years, the Stony Brook Cancer Center has lead the charge for a coordinated effort with the University, Stony Brook University hospital, local schools and churches as well as business and community members to seek out cancer patients in need of holiday cheer.

One group received a family of five to adopt – husband, wife and three children. “They not only bought everything on the wish list, they asked if they could buy additional bicycles for the 2 children who did not request one and went so far as to put training wheels on the bicycle for the 4 year old,” said Kathleen Green, Adopt-A-Family coordinator from the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Other offices involved in the gift giving program includeSponsored Programs, Grants Management, Research Compliance, Technology Licensing and Industrial Relations and Information Systems.

A cancer patient is chosen to be ‘adopted’ based on nominations from the clinical staff, support staff and social workers at Stony Brook Cancer Center. They consider not just financial need, but other factors such as the loss of a spouse or the inability to work during treatment.