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January 24, 2022     New York State Governor Kathy Hochul visited Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on Jan. 21 and toured its new Laboratory for BioMolecular Structure (LBMS), which has conducted game-changing research to overcome the COVID pandemic.     Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis introduced the governor at her press conference following the tour, noting that the lab’s National Synchrotron Light Source II supports the work of more than 100 research groups and 200 Stony Brook faculty and students, who conduct world-class research in partnership with BNL scientists. LBMS is attached to the National Synchrotron Light Source II and was funded with $15 million from Empire State Development.     “Governor, using the Cryo-Electron microscopes at BNL’s Laboratory for BioMolecular Structure, we are proud and deeply grateful to have been able to assist the state and your efforts in finding the answers that now help protect so many people not only here in New York, and throughout our country, but around the world — research and results that have been so desperately needed during this pandemic,” McInnis said. “Whether it be COVID or so many other challenges, including creating sustainable and renewable energy technologies or developing innovative ways to deliver on New York State’s climate goals, our partnership with the state is making a world of difference today and into the future.”     Stony Brook co-manages Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities in the country with a role in running a federal research laboratory.     Governor Hochul delivered her weekly COVID update while at the lab, noting that the state’s seven-day average dropped to below 10 percent for the first time since Dec. 20, as cases decline in all regions. “I want to thank New Yorkers for doing the right thing to get where we are in fighting this winter surge,” said Hochul, who also announced 17 new #VaxforKids pop-up vaccination sites aimed at increasing vaccination rates among children and adolescents. A total of 80 sites will be established over a six-week period statewide.     Click here to read the original article

January 19, 2022     Eric Zolov, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of History, was recently awarded the 2021 María Elena Martínez Prize for his 2020 book, The Last Good Neighbor: Mexico in the Global Sixties. This award is bestowed annually by the Conference on Latin American History (CLAH-AHA) for the most significant work on the history of Mexico in the previous year.       “Winning the Martínez Prize for best book in Mexican History is a major feat for Eric Zolov’s most recent book, The Last Good Neighbor,” said Paul Gootenberg, distinguished professor and chair, Department of History. “The Department of History prides itself on the broad significance of its research and has an internationally renowned tradition of research excellence in Latin American history. Professor Zolov’s book exemplifies that.”     Zolov received his PhD from the University of Chicago. His research and teaching interests focus on the interplay between culture, politics and international relations in 20th-century Latin America, with a particular emphasis on the Cold War period, as encompassed by the phrase “Global Sixties.” His research is highly interdisciplinary, seeking to make connections between ideological articulations, consumptive practices and broadly defined notions of power. These ideas are expressed in The Last Good Neighbor: Mexico in the Global Sixties.     During Fall 2019, Zolov was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile. He has a forthcoming book, The Walls of Santiago: Social Revolution and Political Graphics in Contemporary Chile (Berghahn, 2022) with Terri Gordon-Zolov, in which they explore the significance of the 2019 social uprising in Chile viewed through the lens of protest street graphics.     Established in 2009 as the Mexican History Prize, the prize was renamed in 2015 in memoriam of María Elena Martínez. The CLAH is a professional association devoted to encouraging the diffusion of knowledge about Latin America through fostering the study and improving the teaching of Latin American history. The Conference is a non-political, autonomous, incorporated, tax-exempt and non-profit society affiliated with the American Historical Association.     Click here to read the original article

January 14, 2022     Sea level rise and land subsidence have made coastal areas around the world more and more vulnerable to flooding, with an increasing frequency and intensity of storms that has been well documented.     Globally, approximately three billion people — almost half of earth’s population — live within 200 kilometers of a coastline, and 20 percent of them reside in areas less than 10 meters above sea level. In the United States, more than half of the population lives in coastal counties.     Locally, the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 brought the climate crisis literally to the front doorstep of many Long Islanders.     But in the basement of Stony Brook University’s Heavy Engineering building, Ali Farhadzadeh, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, conducts research in the innovative Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering Research Laboratory (CHERL), which is designed to explore these issues and investigate possible solutions.     “In this lab we study a variety of research topics at the interface of ocean and land that has to do with the wave and storm surge interactions with built or natural environments around communities,” said Farhadzadeh.     The lab examines erosion and scours around beaches and buildings. One example would be bluff erosion, which Farhadzadeh notes is one of the problems Long Island has on both the north and south shores. “We also explore the possibility of nature-based or more environmentally friendly solutions for coastal mitigation.”     The facility was commissioned in Spring 2017 and has been operating ever since, with researchers conducting a variety of studies on the interaction of waves with coastlines, particularly with structures under extreme storm weather conditions.     “We need to project both the direct and indirect physical effects of future sea level changes and intensified storms when considering the engineering and design of coastal projects,” said Farhadzadeh. “Better preparedness against future extreme flooding requires a deeper understanding of coastal phenomena, which leads to novel design procedures and construction of coastal infrastructures.”     The lab features state-of-the-art equipment, highlighted by an 85-foot combined wave and bi-directional current flume. The massive tank is capable of generating combined random waves and reversible currents to simulate a variety of real-world phenomena, including those involving sediment transports. The flume can also be used for marine renewable energy projects, as well as testing and calibrating energy harvesting devices. There is also an instructional, smaller scale flume that shows the processes of sediment erosion and movement.     The wavemaker and pump can be controlled from a computer in the laboratory equipped with software that can produce sine waves and multi-spectral seas, as well as bi-directional currents.     The end result is a lab experience that enables students to witness first-hand the science underlying a critical environmental challenge.     “I was always interested in physics and the environment, and I thought coastal engineering was a great blend of the two,” said senior civil engineering major Ephraim Bryski ’22, who joined CHERL in his freshman year. “Once I started performing tests, it was really neat to be able to recreate what I see at the shore in a controlled setting. Since it’s a small lab, I can work closely with the professor and grad students, and get to see all the parts of the experiments come together, from the initial idea to writing a report on the analysis of our results.”     Farhadzadeh’s current research explores the impact of oyster reefs on the reduction of wave energy and shore mitigation, and erosion reduction or management. He said that there is increased interest in using more environmentally friendly solutions for coastal protection, as opposed to a more conventional approach, which requires the use of hard engineering solutions for shore protection.     This particular project is attempting to optimize engineered oyster reefs to dissipate and reduce more energy as a wave passes the reef. As a result, there will be less erosion if it’s a building, and less force on the building behind it.     “If we can achieve that, oyster reefs can be designed for more energetic wave environment,” said Farhadzadeh. “And that can make these types of shore protections work for many coastal areas in the nation that suffer from erosion and flooding problems.”     One of the driving forces behind the creation of the lab was the consequence and aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and similar weather events that have left a devastating impact across the country, and have facilitated a sense of urgency regarding coastal engineering research.     “The fact that more than 50 percent of the U.S. population lives within the proximity of the shoreline means that there is a great need for research and investment in the field of coastal engineering,” said Farhadzadeh. “We need to be better prepared for the future, and we expect more intensive storms and climate-related anomalies. That’s why we are investing a lot of time and effort in this. It’s critical that we develop the next generation of coastal engineers, and we’re doing everything we can to do that.”     — Robert Emproto     Click here to read the original article

January 6, 2022     In her first State of the State Address on Jan. 5, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the formal designation of Stony Brook University and The University at Buffalo as New York State’s flagship universities as part of her plan for “A New Era for New York.”     A joint statement from the two universities said, “The official recognition of these premier centers of higher education as joint flagships of the State University of New York (SUNY) system reflects the preeminent role that The University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University play statewide, nationally and internationally as models of research and academic excellence. This designation acknowledges the excellence and reputations of our universities and it will further enhance our ability to continue to recruit the world’s most accomplished faculty and attract outstanding students — regardless of their income or socio-economic background — and attract even more highly competitive federal research funding.”     “We are nationally recognized for our ability to produce cutting-edge research at the same time as we offer a world-class education to students from all socio-economic backgrounds, which in turn provides them unmatched social and economic mobility,” said Stony Brook President Maurie McInnis. “Our ambition, as leading public research universities, is to grow our combined annual research expenditures to bring jobs, innovation and renown to New York State. This recognition by the State of New York will strengthen our mission to deliver the benefits of our research, clinical care and education locally, regionally, nationally and globally. We thank Governor Hochul for her decision to designate our campus as one of two SUNY flagships.”     Hochul’s plan includes a number of proposals aimed at higher education in general and Stony Brook specifically, including:     Additional funding to construct a multidisciplinary engineering building on campus Supporting the Stony Brook/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory partnership to launch NeuroAI, an initiative that combines neuroscience and artificial intelligence Expansion of the Stony Brook Center for Clean Water Technology research to include wastewater treatment technology and creation of the Suffolk County Wastewater Management District, both with the goal of protecting Long Island’s aquifer system Funding for the modernization and repair of scientific labs Funding for “Grand Challenges” that will encourage cross-disciplinary research Increased funding to attract world-class faculty and researchers The joint statement noted that across the country, flagship universities are those that provide vital leadership in advancing their home state’s public higher education mission, provide a comprehensive array of professional schools and degree programs, and are proven economic catalysts. “Flagships attract the world’s best and brightest faculty and students and are nationally and internationally recognized for the quality and impact of their research and academic innovation and rigor.”     Stony Brook and Buffalo are both members of the prestigious Association of American Universities, have built reputations as research-intensive institutions with preeminent academic programs, and their combined economic impact on the state exceeds $8.9 billion annually. They enroll nearly 59,000 students, have hundreds of thousands of alumni, have annual research expenditures of over $660 million, and offer more than 700 degree programs across academic disciplines.     Hochul also outlined a healthcare plan aimed at rebuilding and growing the state’s healthcare workforce by 20% over the next five years, with a $10 billion commitment that includes $4 billion to support higher wages and bonuses, and $2 billion for healthcare capital infrastructure and improved lab capacity. The plan also calls for increased training, attracting students by providing financial support for the education of healthcare professionals who work in New York State, supporting career flexibility for direct care workers, investing in digital innovation, making affordable healthcare coverage available to everyone, expanding and improving access to prenatal and postnatal care, establishing a state master plan for aging, and strengthening addiction, suicide, mental health and domestic violence services.     Hochul’s agenda includes nine key components: rebuilding our healthcare economy; protecting public safety and taking strong action against gun violence; investing in New York’s people; investing in New York’s communities; making New York’s housing system more affordable, equitable, and stable; making New York a national leader in climate action and green jobs; rebuilding New York’s teacher workforce and reimagining higher education; advancing New York’s place as a national equity model; and making critical reforms to restore New Yorkers’ faith in their government.     Click here to read the original article

December 13, 2021 Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism (SoCJ) is launching a Master of Science in Journalism program. Students are now able to apply for the program and begin working toward their degrees in the 2022-2023 academic year.     An updated version of a previous program, the new master’s in journalism will offer students a firm grounding in multimedia journalism and ethics, while helping them develop skills that are increasingly important in our divided society: inclusive communication and community engagement, data journalism and visualization, and solutions-based journalism.      “Journalism is vital to democracy, but to fill that role, people need to trust journalism,” said Laura Lindenfeld, dean of the SoCJ and executive director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. “With this program, the School and its future graduates will help to re-establish trust in journalism by looking critically at data and working alongside communities to find and tell the stories that need to be told. Our graduates, in partnership with the communities they cover, will be able to reflect the reality of individuals’ lived experiences in ways that traditional journalism hasn’t.”     The program is designed for individuals who are new to journalism and early-career media professionals seeking to advance in their careers.     Click here to read the original article

December 14, 2021 Lonnie Wollmuth, professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, was named a recipient of the 2021 Lupus Innovation Award by the Lupus Research Alliance.     Wollmuth’s project, “Diversity of anti-NMDA receptor autoantibodies in lupus patients” is among 11 projects selected, representing a wide range of areas of discovery from probing the development and progression of lupus to pointing to potential personalized therapies. Studying the disease from different vantage points can maximize the overall understanding of the disease, which can lead to more viable treatment options. The award offers up to $150,000 per year total costs for up to two years.      Lupus is an autoimmune disorder where individuals produce antibodies against their own body leading to a wide range of symptoms. Prominent symptoms include brain disorders ranging from memory loss to more severe problems such as epilepsy and psychosis. These symptoms negatively impact quality of life, and treatments are limited.     Wollmuth’s lab will develop strategies targeting the NMDA receptor, a molecule that controls communication between nerve cells to prevent or reduce brain disorders in lupus patients. NMDA receptors are involved in numerous brain functions including higher order processes like learning and memory. In some lupus patients, antibodies are produced that target the NMDA receptor, which alters the functioning of the receptor and may be linked to brain disorders.     Using mouse models, Wollmuth’s research team will first look at the damage caused by individual antibodies targeting the NMDA receptor obtained from different lupus patients, and then see if the damage can be blocked by various agents. His study will lay the foundation for personalized medicine for lupus patients experiencing brain disorders by showing how the NMDA receptor is affected, and by identifying potential therapeutic agents.     “We are proud to support fundamental lupus research through these grants in order to encourage the development of novel and/or improved therapeutic options for the lupus patient community,” said Teodora Staeva, chief scientific officer, Lupus Research Alliance.       Wollmuth received his PhD in physiology and biophysics from the University of Washington, Seattle. Before joining the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior in the College of Arts and Sciences in 1998, he was a senior fellow in the Division of Cell Physiology at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research from 1993 to 1998. He is a co-director of the Center for Nervous System Disorders at Stony Brook University and is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and the Biophysical Society.     The Lupus Innovation Award provides support for highly innovative approaches to major challenges in lupus research with a special emphasis on exploring fundamental mechanisms, novel targets for drug development, novel technologies and interdisciplinary approaches.     Click here to read the original article

Brookhaven National Laboratory has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for “Battery500 Phase 2,” which involves research aimed at understanding and improving materials for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Stony Brook is a partner in Brookhaven Science Associates LLC, managing the Laboratory for the DOE.     Enyuan Hu (front) and Peter Khalifah, two of the principal investigators for battery research projects that just received DOE funding, at Brookhaven Lab’s NSLS-II X-ray Powder Diffraction beamline.     “President Biden’s administration wants to make it easier for millions of American families and businesses to make the switch to electric vehicles,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a DOE statement announcing the funding. “By developing smarter vehicle batteries, we can make these technologies cheaper and more accessible, while positioning America to be become a global leader of EV infrastructure production and clean energy jobs.”     As partners in Battery500 Phase 2, which is led by DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a team of scientists — including Peter Khalifah, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University who holds a joint appointment at Brookhaven Lab — will conduct studies to identify battery electrode materials with increased energy density. Such materials could reduce the size and weight of batteries used in electric vehicles and/or extend the vehicle’s driving distance for a given battery weight with better safety characteristics. Identifying lower-cost materials is another primary goal.     The total budget of Battery500 Phase 2 is $75 million for the next five years. It is a renewal of funding for the original Battery500 Consortium, which was established in 2016.     Under the new funding arrangement, Brookhaven Lab will receive $1.3 million per year for the next five years. Khalifah, along with Brookhaven associate chemist Enyuan Hu, will serve as the two leaders of a cross-cutting thrust on materials characterization within the consortium.      In the next five years, the Brookhaven team will continue their efforts to develop and deploy sensitive characterization techniques that can illuminate the changes that occur in lithium metal anodes, metal oxide and sulfur cathodes, and new electrolytes during their use in rechargeable batteries. These efforts will help understand and overcome the factors limiting the performance of this exceptionally high-energy density class of batteries and will accelerate the rate at which this technology can become commercially viable.

On Friday, December 3, musicians from the Stony Brook Department of Music caroled throughout the Children’s Hospital, spreading holiday cheer and joy to the children, families and staff. The Staller Center’s Instrument Petting Zoo is a program that helps the Staller Center for the Arts reach out to the community and share live interactive musical experiences. This program helps inspire an appreciation of music and instruments for young people.      “To be able to spend time at the Children’s Hospital and see the smiles on the kids faces and the tears of joy in the parents eyes as the musicians performed holiday music was emotional, but we’re so happy we were able to come together and collaborate in this way,” said Staller Center’s Outreach Director Paul Newland. “We are grateful to Island Federal who helped provide the support for this initiative, and we’re already planning more musical visits.”   

Stony Brook alumna Emily Carll ’20, who majored in Political Science and Asian and Asian-American Studies, has been selected for the nationally competitive Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Program Fellowship. Carll will become SBU’s first-ever Pickering Fellow, and receive $84,000 to pursue a Master’s degree in the field of international affairs.     Carll is a previous recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) in Hindi, and is currently serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Serbia. She is also guaranteed placement as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State upon completion of her degree.     “I am so proud of Emily and excited to see where she goes from here,” said Jen Green, director for Fellowships Advising and Professional Development at the Stony Brook University Graduate School. “She is already one of our most decorated alumni in terms of success in external fellowships competitions. Emily was also selected for a highly competitive State Department internship, during which she had the opportunity to serve in Washington, D.C. and at the U.S. embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I am thrilled, but not entirely surprised, that she was selected as Stony Brook’s first Pickering Fellow.”     “Emily is our first fellow from Stony Brook, and I am confident that the education and skills she gained there helped her compete in this rigorous selection process,” said Lily Lopez-McGee, director for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Program. “Her experiences and skills are sure to help her success in graduate school and eventually the Foreign Service. We are looking forward to seeing all that she will accomplish. I hope that more Stony Brook students and alumni will follow Emily’s lead into this rewarding career of international service.”     Carll recognized the community of mentors who supported her throughout her undergraduate career at Stony Brook, particularly Harsh Bhasin (Political Science), Anna Geisherik (European Languages), and Gregory Ruf (Asian and Asian-American Studies).     In order to be selected as a Pickering Fellow, candidates must successfully navigate a high-stakes interview at the national level, and a committee of Stony Brook faculty and staff helped Carll prepare, including Jennifer Carlino (Undergraduate Academic Affairs), Rosalia Davi (Graduate School), Miguel Garcia-Diaz (Pharmacology and the Graduate School), Lisa Ospitale (Graduate School), and Tara Rider (SoMAS).

Robert Crease, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the 2021 Institute of Physics (IOP) William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize. Crease has received this award for his 21 years writing Physics World’s outstanding “Critical Point” column, devoted to describing key humanities concepts for scientists, and explaining the significance of key scientific ideas for humanists.     Crease has written, co-written, translated, and edited nearly 20 books on the history and philosophy of science, several of which sprang from material in “Critical Point.” These books have been reviewed in places as diverse as The Economist, the London Review of Books, and the Wall Street Journal, and translated into a total of 10 languages. One book in particular, The Quantum Moment: How Planck, Bohr, Einstein, and Heisenberg Taught Us to Love Uncertainty, is about the real and fanciful impact that quantum mechanics has had on philosophy, culture, and life. The book stemmed from an innovative class that Crease and physicist Alfred Goldhaber co-taught at Stony Brook University.     “My sincere congratulations to Bob on his receipt of the William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize,” said Nicole Sampson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and distinguished professor of chemistry. “His decades-long contribution to the sciences from a humanist’s perspective, through his “Critical Point” column and numerous publications as well as inventive course offerings that blend the arts and sciences, is testament to the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration as we navigate our ever-changing world. I applaud Bob for his commitment to communicating ideas and knowledge from his own area of expertise for the benefit of other disciplines.”     Crease is also co-editor-in-chief of Physics in Perspective, whose mission is to “bridge the gulf between physicists and non-physicists through historical and philosophical studies that typically display the unpredictable as well as the cross-disciplinary interplay of observation, experiment, and theory that has occurred over extended periods of time in academic, governmental, and industrial settings and in allied disciplines such as astrophysics, chemical physics, and geophysics.”     “I’m thrilled to get this award,” said Crease. “The IOP, a century-old scientific organization, gave it to me for more than 20 years of writing the column, “Critical Point” for Physics World. It’s a good sign for the humanities, for the column explores the numerous intersections between humanities and the sciences. In a science-dominated world, I think, the vitality of the humanities is threatened, not by interacting too much with the sciences, but too little. By the way, Kelvin, the scientist for whom the award is named, occupied what at the time was called a ‘Chair of Natural Philosophy.’ ”     Other books include Philosophy of Physics, an IOP ebook, and the final portion of J. Robert Oppenheimer: A Life, which was begun by physicist Abraham Pais and left incomplete with his death. Crease also edited Science Policy Up Close by physicist and U.S. Presidential Science Advisor John H. Marburger III. For these and other contributions to history and philosophy of science, Crease was elected a fellow of the APS and IOP.     Crease received BA from Amherst College and PhD from Columbia University. He has written more than 75 reviews, editorials, and other short pieces on philosophy, history, and science for academic journals and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Nature, Newsday, and more. Crease has also appeared on a range of radio programs, from the BBC to the offbeat “Talk Nerdy.”     “On behalf of the Institute of Physics, I warmly congratulate all of this year’s Award winners,” said Professor Sheila Rowan, president of the Institute of Physics. “Each and every one of them has made a significant and positive impact in their profession, whether as a researcher, teacher, industrialist, technician or apprentice. Recent events have underlined the absolute necessity to encourage and reward our scientists and those who teach and encourage future generations. We rely on their dedication and innovation to improve many aspects of the lives of individuals and of our wider society.”     The Institute of Physics is the professional body and learned society for physics, and the leading body for practising physicists, in the UK and Ireland. The IOP awards celebrate physicists at every stage of their career; from those just starting out through to physicists at the peak of their careers, and those with a distinguished career behind them. They also recognize and celebrate companies which are successful in the application of physics and innovation, as well as employers who demonstrate their commitment and contribution to scientific and engineering apprenticeship schemes.

Ephraim Bryski ’22 — the URECA researcher of the month for December 2021 — is a senior civil engineering major who joined the Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering Research Lab of Ali Farhadzadeh, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, as a freshman. Bryski works on designs to increase the effectiveness of oyster reefs for wave attenuation and shore protection. His previous work in Farhadzadeh’s group on the motion of flood-borne debris led to a URECA presentation in 2019 as well as a recently co-authored publication in the Journal of Hydraulic Engineering.      In his sophomore year, Bryski also joined the Materials and Mechanics Lab of Kedar Kirane, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he has learned to use molecular dynamics to study quasi-brittle strength distribution in silica, has analyzed the size effect of creep in brittle rock, and developed models of rock beams and run simulations in Abaqus.      In Summer 2019, Bryski participated in the NHERI REU (National Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure – Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program at O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, Oregon State University.      On campus, Bryski has been involved as a peer tutor in the Academic Success and Tutoring Center since September 2019, and as a member of the Concrete Canoe Team since 2019. He also served as secretary of the Stony Brook Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (August 2019-August 2021). Bryski plans to continue at Stony Brook in the accelerated master’s program in Civil Engineering following his graduation in May.    

While it may not be the season for beach going and barbecues, people continue to work and gather outside in many settings. Is that cause for concern in these latest stages of the pandemic, and new variants? Not necessarily, but a new study indicates that low wind speeds and stale air are associated with a higher incidence of contracting COVID-19 when people socialize outside — perhaps as much as 45 percent more compared to when winds are stronger. Led by Sean Clouston, associate professor in the Program in Public Health, and the Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, the study is published in BMC Infectious Diseases.     The findings are based on COVID-19 incidence in Suffolk County, NY, from March 16, 2020, to December 31, 2020, from public health data of more than 96,000 cases. The researchers used these data in combination with daily reports by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the region’s average wind speed and maximal daily temperatures.     “The issue is really about an increased danger of infection spread in the presence of stale air as opposed to indoor versus outdoor settings,” explains Clouston. “The findings imply we are all safer when air flow is more significant.”     Clouston and colleagues developed a statistical modeling program which determined from the public health data and weather reports that warmer days with little wind when people socialized outside resulted in significantly more COVID-19 transmission. Their overall analysis revealed that days with temperatures ranging from 16 to 28 degrees C (approximately 61 to 82 degrees F) where wind speed was less than 8.85 kilometers per hour (approximately 5 mph) had significantly increased COVID-19 incidence compared to similar days with an average wind speed of greater than 8.85 kilometers per hour.

Project Sunshine has partnered with the Faculty Student Association (FSA) to organize and host a fun and interactive event to help children at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. On Wednesday, December 1, head over to East Side Dining from 1 pm to 2:30 pm to join others to make holiday cards for pediatric patients. As you get into the holiday spirit, listen to performances by the Stony Brook Vocalists while sipping complimentary hot cocoa provided by FSA.     Project sunshine holiday hero article photoProject Sunshine is a nonprofit organization with chapters on college campuses across the country. Their mission is to provide free social, educational, and recreational programming for children and their families as they face medical challenges. Stony Brook University’s chapter is dedicated to volunteering weekly at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, as well as leading initiatives on campus in support of the children and families there. They seek to restore a sense of normalcy to the pediatric healthcare environment and spread cheer to the children undergoing treatment.      Anthony (Tony) Gentile, facilities manager for FSA, donated dozens of plants that he nurtured in his own home for Project Sunshine to use for their fundraiser. “It warms my heart when we are able to collaborate with student groups to help them achieve their goals and bring the campus community together,” stated Gentile.     Juliana Welk ‘22, Biology, Project Sunshine chapter leader, explains, “Through our plant sale, this event will raise funds for Project Sunshine, which goes toward providing much needed resources to pediatric patients.” These resources include Sending Sunshine kits, which are craft and activity kits that are sent to children’s hospitals across the country and other programs as per the discretion of Project Sunshine Nationals. Meanwhile, the cards made at the event will be sent to children at local hospitals to read.      Project Sunshine holds many other fundraising events throughout the year. These include their annual Masquerade ball in February, the recent Tie-Dye fundraiser, plant sales, and benefit shows, among others. Sending Sunshines are hosted monthly so that craft kits can be put together and sent out to pediatric patients nationwide.

Have you ever thought of taking your idea to the SUNY level? Well, these students did!     The first annual SUNY Long Island Pitch competition between Stony Brook University, SUNY Farmingdale, and SUNY Old Westbury was held on November 16, 2021. The entrepreneurial development event gave students from each of the schools a chance to compete for more than $1,000 in prizes.     The competition took place virtually, with a combination of a live Q&A session, which gave students an opportunity to interact with successful business people, and asynchronous videos between presenters. The distinguished panel of judges deliberated on 10 incredible ideas from the students.     The first-place winner of the competition from Stony Brook was Soulo, a toe-nail clipper for older adults. Joshua Zhu, a second-year medical student in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, is the creator of Soulo. The second-place winner from Old Westbury was SunChok, healthy chips that curb your appetite; and the third-place winner from Farmingdale was Spider Shield, which makes bulletproof clothing.     The judges for the event — Derek Peterson, Gwen Cheni, Phil Rugile, Lionel Chitty and Edward Verlander — all have extensive entrepreneurial experience.     This multi-campus competition among several institutions was a unique learning experience for the students, and the judges provided excellent recommendations to everyone who took part in this event. These young professionals are now on their way to setting the stage for new ideas to emerge throughout the Long Island community.     — Arlene Alvarez

Samuel Grushevsky, a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Stony Brook University, has been elected as a fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) “for contributions to algebraic geometry and Teichmuller dynamics, and service to the mathematical community.”     Grushevsky is deputy director of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook University. His research interests include algebraic and complex geometry, relations with number theory, integrable systems and mathematical physics. He received the 2015 F.W. Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt foundation and was named a 2015 Simons Fellow in Mathematics.     Fellows of the AMS have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication and utilization of mathematics. They are recognized by their peers for their contributions to the profession.     “It is an honor to welcome a new class of AMS fellows and to congratulate them for their notable contributions to mathematics and to the profession,” said AMS President Ruth Charney. “We extend our thanks to the nominators and members of the selection committee for their help in highlighting the outstanding achievements of their colleagues. Congratulations 2022 fellows!”