Congratulations to our graduates! The annual SoMAS Convocation occurred virtually on Friday, May 21, 2021 on the SoMAS website, Facebook and YouTube. Students gathered with their friends and family and SoMAS faculty, staff, and fellow students to celebrate the completion of their journey at Stony Brook University.
Over 250 connections watched the live stream event, where 92 undergraduate students and graduate students were recognized. This includes 7 in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 7 in Coastal Environmental Studies, 5 in Ecosystems and Human Impact, 15 in Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning, 3 in Environmental Humanities, 30 in Environmental Studies, 23 in Marine Sciences, 23 in Marine Vertebrate Biology, 13 in Sustainability Studies, 8 Master of Arts, 17 Master of Science, and 16 Doctor of Philosophy. The faculty directors of each program offered their congratulations to the students. Some were even accompanied by other members of their household, like Dr. Sharon Pochron and her chickens!
Dean Paul Shepson’s opening remarks highlighted the theme of Spring–a new dawn of a relatively new decade looking at the hopeful end of the pandemic and a new era of social justice. Alum Jim Gilmore (MS, 1985) gave a Convocation Address giving hope about the opportunities available to our graduates. Dr. Judi Brown Clarke provided an inspiring Convocation message to our graduates. Ms. Christina Fink read the names of our Undergraduate and MCP students, and Dr. Jackie Collier read the names of our MS and PhD students. Dean Shepson provided closing remarks that were joined by a chorus of well wishes from several faculty, staff and alumni.
The program PDF is available to download. Photos of the Class of 2021 are available on Google Photos and student slides are also available on Google Photos. Photos from the Main Campus Commencement that occurred on Wednesday May 19, 2021 taken by Kurt Bretsch are also available on Google Photos.
This event would not have been possible without the assistance from Christina Fink, Jackie Collier, Ginny Clancy, Kurt Bretsch, Nancy Black, Paul Shepson, Kamazima Lwiza, David Taylor, Chris Paparo, Tara Rider, Katherine Aubrecht, Ellen Pikitch, Brian Colle, Arlene Cassidy, Donovan Finn, Sharon Pochron, Glenn Lopez, Edmund Chang, Robert Cerrato, Robert Aller, Brad Peterson, Karine Kleinhaus, and Chris Gobler.
The Digital Convocation was compiled by Mark Lang.
In the YouTube video below, use the playlist button in the top right corner to choose different videos in the series. Jump to various parts of the SoMAS Convocation program, including Dean Shepson’s Opening Remarks, the Convocation Address from Jim Gilmore, the Convocation Address from Judi Brown Clarke, our In Memoriam tribute to Larry Swanson and Ryan Durie, the awarding of Undergraduate Certificates, the various award winners, the awarding of Graduate Certificates, Dean Shepson’s Closing Remarks, and congratulatory messages from SoMAS faculty, staff and alumni. Also included are video messages to Stony Brook students from President Maurie McInnis, her Commencement Address, Lt. Governor Kathy Hocul, and SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras’s address to all SUNY graduates. In case you missed it, the Stony Brook University Commencement ceremony and Graduate Awards Ceremony are also included, along with messages from the Stony Brook Alumni Association with a reminder that you are a Seawolf for Life!
Awarding of Undergraduate Certificates
B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle
- Darlene Dittell, Jose Gerez, Jenna Hans, Austin Reed, Kevin Rodriguez, Audrey Sinclair, Timothy Skula
B.S. in Coastal Environmental Studies Presented by Dr. Kate Aubrecht
- Anastassia Amato-La Hoz, Joseph Borruso, Paul Buschman, Nicholas Carl, Callan Green, Robert Marino, Mashyat Tomory
B.A. in Ecosystems and Human Impact Presented by Dr. Sharon Pochron
- Savannah Cabrera, Jeremy Crane, Alyssa Diodato, Jacob Murphy, Catherine Sander
B.A. in Environmental Design, Policy and Planning Presented by Dr. Donovan Finn
- David Blasen, Nolwenn Cardoso Joao, Alyssa Chao, Julia Chapman, Leyi Chen, Matthew Coletta, Diego Ferreras, Su-Yi Lai, Huiqi Pan, Sai Peng, Nayarit Tineo, Dante Vigliotti, Olivia Volz, Dong Xia, Huifei Yao,
B.A. in Environmental Humanities Presented by Dr. David Taylor
- Megan Gallagher, Abigail Ruiz, Robert Tucholski
B.A. in Environmental Studies Presented by Dr. Kamazima M.M. Lwiza
- Matthew Arasmo, Samantha Ayala, Ashley Beltran, Aubrey Blanthorn, Martha Braun, Alexander Calaci, Douglas Clare, Sean Daly, Emily Daniels, Austin Davidson, Natasha Ferreira, Alex Frabizio, Lauren Hoffman, Sabrina Holsborg, Thomas Jensen, Victoria Kopij, Ashley Maggy, Jenise McLaughlin, Alyssa Ng, Jessica Prosser, Laura Roesch, Alex Schweitzer, Melanie Smith, Brandon Spiciarich, Gillian Steger, Michael Streit, Carlos Vallejo, Christian Van Deusen, Christopher Werni
B.S. in Marine Sciences Presented by Dr. Kamazima M.M. Lwiza
- Margaret Bradley, Emilee Delorenzo, Ava Demayo, Leeanne Dion, Kristi Flanigan, Quinn Foster, Alessandra Giza, Brendan Hallinan, Clara Haughey-Gramazio, George Kalantzopoulos, Jennifer Katz, Jeffrey Kraemer, Qianlin Mai, Jason Mirtsopoulos, Danielle Morris, Benjamin Nichols, Sascha Rosin, Meaghan Sullivan, Julia Sweeney, Alessandra Tempestoso, Sarah Wittenburg, Sadie Woloson, Lucas Wong
B.S. in Marine Vertebrate Biology Presented by Dr. Kamazima M.M. Lwiza
- Sydney Bell, Muriel Bingham, Ashley Caldararo, Kiyiana Downer, Ryan Durie, Anastasiya Gofman, Sarah Jacobson, Faith Kellum, Nancy Liang, Christina Lipari, Margaret Martella, Robert May, Alexandria McGory, George Monez, Emily Pica, Sandra Reyes, Alexandra Stevens, Max (Dianqing) Sun, Fay Vail, Claire Vervack, Maya Voytelmgum, Joshua Whitehead, Xin Zhu
B.A. in Sustainability Studies Presented by Dr. Arlene Cassidy
- Nicholas Baball-Khan, Casey Barfield, Leyi Chen, Shuiab Folarin, Bryan Friebel, Morgan Jacobellis, Isaac Nikolic, Laura Osa, Anthony Otters, Emily Puleo, Kathryn Rebollo, Kaylee Surace, Trinity White
Undergraduate Research Honors presented by Dr. Paul Shepson, Dean
- Alyssa Diodato, Spatial Patterns of Non-native Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) In the Ashley Schiff Preserve Inform Restoration Strategies, Advised by Dr. Sharon Pochron
- Morgan Jacobellis, AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) Affects the Regeneration Rate of the Planarian (Dugesia tigrina), Advised by Dr. Sharon Pochron
- Jeffrey Kraemer, Does diel cycling provide refuge from hypoxia and acidification in 1st stage blue crab larvae, Advised by Dr. Christopher Gobler and Stephen Tomasetti
- Nancy Liang, Changes in Heart Rate of American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) in Response to Environmental Conditions, Advised by Dr. Robert Cerrato
Stony Brook Alumni Association Dean’s Choice Awards Presented by Kristin Matthews, Interim Director of Alumni Operations
- Austin Reed, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
- Laura Osa, Sustainability Studies
- Paul Buschman, Coastal Environmental Studies
- Megan Gallagher, Environmental Humanities
- Alyssa Diodato, Ecosystems and Human Impact
- Matthew Coletta, Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning
- Laura Roesch, Environmental Studies
- Jeffrey Kraemer, Marine Sciences
- Brendan Hallinan, Marine Sciences
- Claire Vervack, Marine Vertebrate Biology
Timothy Magnussen Memorial Scholarship Award Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle
- Miles Litzmann (junior ATM major); Grace Ahn (senior MVB major)
Petra M. Udelhofen Memorial Scholarship Award Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle
- Julia Tetrault
Nuria Protopopescu Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching Presented by Dr. Robert C. Aller
- Madison Muehl
Pikitch Family Endowed Student Research Award Presented by Dr. Ellen Pikitch
- Adelle Molina
Jerry Schubel Graduate Fellowships
- Maria Grima, advised by Ellen Pikitch
- Naomi Miller, advised by Kevin Reed & Donovan Finn
- Farinaz Motlagh, advised by Sara Hamideh
- Sydney Randall, advised by Ellen Pikitch
- Sarah Weisberg, advised by Janet Nye
Award of Graduate Certificates
Master of Arts in Marine Conservation and Policy Certificates Presented by Dr. Ellen Pikitch
- Amy Bavosa, Chris Biondi, Nicole Dergosits, Amanda Hanifin, Camilla Piechocki, Sydney Rose Randall, Steven Silverman, Christine Suter
Master of Science and Doctoral Certificates in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Presented by Dr. Jackie Collier
Master of Science in Marine & Atmospheric Sciences
- Sherif Abdallah
Transcriptomic characterization of hemocytes from different body fluids of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica
Dr. Bassem Allam, Advisor - Benjamin Bacon
A Microphysical Analysis of the January 4, 2018 Blizzard
Dr. Brian Colle and Dr. Pavlos Kollias, Advisors - Colin Benitt
The ability of native and invasive rhodophytes (Gracilaria tikvahiae and Dasysiphona japonica) to inhibit harmful algal blooms caused by Aureococcus anophagefferens (Pelagophyceae)
Dr. Christopher Gobler, Advisor - Di Chen
Global Extratropical Cyclone Variation Characteristics and Evaluation of Subseasonal Prediction Skills
Dr. Edmund Chang, Advisor - Dylan Cottrell
Eelgrass responses to mesograzer-epiphyte interactions at the shallow and deep edge: paired observational and experimental structural equation models
Dr. Bradley J. Peterson, Advisor - Nathaniel Chester
Effects of environmental variability on ribbed mussel ecophysiology informed by high-frequency non-invasive (HFNI) sensors
Dr. Nils Volkenborn, Advisor - Jacob Flanzenbaum
Assessing the composition and limiting nutrients of harmful Cyanobacteria blooms in Cabrera’s and Prospect Park lakes
Dr. Christopher Gobler, Advisor - Keenan Fryer
Impact of Mesoscale Data Assimilation on the Primary Snowband Within the Cyclone Comma Head
Dr. Brian Colle, Advisor - Dallas Jordan
Divergent postbreeding spatial characteristics of sympatric albatross species in the North Pacific
Dr. Lesley Thorne, Advisor - Benjamin Kiel
Comparison of Clustering Approaches in a Multimodel Ensemble for U.S. East Coast Winter Storms
Dr. Brian Colle, Advisor - Mateo Mezic
Benefit/Cost Estimation Instruments for Storm Surge Sea Gates, Long Island NY
Dr. Malcolm Bowman, Advisor - Holly Rucker
Habitability of Eridania Lake: An Ancient Mars Lacustrine Hydrothermal Vent, Compared to an Icelandic Analogue Fjord Site
Dr. Roy Price, Advisor - Christopher Seslar
Evaluating the economic impact of water quality changes on recreational fisheries in the Long Island Sound
Dr. Anthony Dvarskas and Dr. Donovan Finn, Advisors - Nora Straquadine
The ability of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) and Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) to filter and accumulate toxins associated with bloom-forming cyanobacteria
Dr. Christopher Gobler, Advisor - Noah Strycker
A Global Population Assessment of the Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)
Dr. Heather Lynch, Advisor - Christopher Wozny
Mitigation of eutrophication through restoration: Denitrification potential of hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) spawner sanctuaries in Long Island estuaries
Dr. Christopher Gobler, Advisor - Magdalena Wrobel
The Sensitivity of Coastal Morphology to Climatic Variables
Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz, Advisor
Doctor of Philosophy in Marine & Atmospheric Sciences
- John Bohorquez
Research, design, and application of a financial sustainability assessment tool for Marine Protected Areas
Dr. Ellen Pikitch, Advisor - Justin Bopp
Population dynamics, movement patterns, and resource use of American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) across spatial and temporal scales
Dr. Robert Cerrato, Advisor - Patricia Clyde
Occurrence and Fate of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Nitrogen Removing Biofilters
Dr. Bruce Brownawell and Dr. Roy Price, Advisors - Ashley Cohen
Particle-associated microbial processes in permanently anoxic Fayetteville Green Lake, Fayetteville, NY: a window to the mid-Proterozoic ocean
Dr. Gordon Taylor, Advisor - Tara Dolan
Population diversity, connectivity and resilience in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
Dr. Michael Frisk and Dr. Anne McElroy, Advisors - Sabrina Geraci-Yee
Taking the “X” out of QPX disease: Distribution and dynamics of the hard clam pathogen, Mucochytrium quahogii (formerly QPX = Quahog Parasite Unknown)
Dr. Jackie Collier and Dr. Bassem Allam, Advisors - Molly Graffam
Hydro-biogeochemical dynamics in woodchip-based subsurface barriers: Implications for nitrogen removal and pollution swapping
Dr. Nils Volkenborn, Advisor - Evan Ingram
Movement ecology of juvenile and sub-adult Atlantic Sturgeon in the Hudson River and New York Bight
Dr. Michael Frisk, Advisor - Kylie Langlois
Ecology of nitrogen-removing microbial communities and applications to wastewater treatment.
Dr. Jackie Collier, Advisor - Jienan Li
Multiphase chemical kinetics of OH radical uptake by amorphous organic aerosols at typical tropospheric temperatures
Dr. Daniel Knopf , Advisor - Xi Lu
Photochemical mineralization of marine refractory dissolved organic carbon (RDOC): method evaluation and optimization
Dr. Steven Beaupré, Advisor - Jiabao Wang
PNA-like MJO teleconnections: metrics, dynamical processes, and future change
Dr. Hyemi Kim, Advisor - Xiaoning Wu
The Role of Tropical Cyclones in the Climate System: An Exploration of Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Aquaplanets
Dr. Kevin Reed and Dr. Christopher Wolfe, Advisors
Best Thesis/Dissertation Awards Presented by Dr. Jackie Collier
- Best MS Thesis: Noah Strycker, advised by Heather Lynch.
- Best PhD Dissertation: Jienan Li, advised by Daniel Knopf.
Minors
Minor in Coastal Environmental Studies
- Jessica Berino, Brendan Hallinan, Jeffrey Kraemer
Minor in Ecosystems and Human Impact
- Sydney Bell, Muriel Bingham, Anqi Chen, Emily Daniels, Megan Gallagher, Nina Gu, Zachary Lee, Isabelle Loop, Emily Puleo, Leora Simon
Minor in Environmental Design, Policy and Planning
- Erik Cambria, Kathryn Casal, Chrisanthi Kourouklis, Nancy Liang
Minor in Environmental Humanities
- Hamdan Noor
Minor in Environmental Studies
- Eileen Chen, Elizabeth Gouvis, Caitlyn Hayes, Brayden Joyce, Brianne Ledda, Annie Lin, Meaghan Sullivan, Jack O’Brien, Elif Onay, Sadie Woloson, Callias Zeng, Yin Zheng
- Anastassia Amato-La Hoz, Enid Berisha, David Blasen, Martha Braun, Matthew Coletta, Henry Gobrick, Jennifer Katz, Alyssa Ng, Sandra Reyes, Julia Sweeney, Lucas Wong
- Miranda Jacobsen, Thomas Jensen, Emily Masters, Isaac Nikolic, Zachary Pablo, Jessica Semel, Brandon Spiciarich, Thomas Whitbread
Minor in Sustainability Studies
- Matthew Coletta, Analiese Diaz, Lena Fuller, Emily Schalkham, Nayarit Tineo, Maya Voytelmgum
