The 2025 Presidentās Gala: Building Tomorrowās Leaders
FSC Announces New Million-Dollar Pasternack Challenge to Support Alumni Programs Fund
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, members of 51³Ō¹Ļās (FSC) campus community joined President Robert S. Prezant, PhD, for the 2025 Presidentās Gala, āa night to celebrate all that makes Farmingdale so extraordinary,ā President Prezant opened.
More than 275 FSC alumni, corporate partners, students, faculty, staff, and community friends gathered at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury to celebrate excellence, service, and leadership. The annual event, which included dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and a fabulous variety of raffle prizes, raised nearly $200,000 for the , to support scholarships and critical resources for FSCās students.
āWe wear many hats here at Farmingdale: education, discovery, opportunity, innovation, collaboration, and community,ā said President Prezant. āYet, at the heart of it all, we gather tonight because we care about tomorrow, and we know that the key to the future lies in preparing our students to lead the way.ā
In his remarks, President Prezant recognized new members of the Cabinet leadership team as well as FSCās remarkable faculty and staff, and highlighted the Collegeās top enrollment, growing research and scholarship, new and innovative programsāincluding at the graduate level, and record-breaking year in fundraising.
āOur studentsāour inspiration and our purposeāhave more opportunities and support than ever,ā he said.
Also recognized was the generous support of alumnus, engineer, and entrepreneur, Murray Pasternack,ā60, who, through an inspiring video message, announced The Pasternack Challenge, a new giving opportunity that pledges to match every dollar raised by the Alumni Programs Fund.
āIt is my great honor to announce here tonight that the Alumni Association has already raised a $250,000 gift towards the Murray Pasternack Challenge,ā said Chris Croken, Class of 2005, president of the 51³Ō¹Ļ Alumni Association and vice president, business development healthcare at FourLeaf Federal Credit Union. āWith Murrayās generous match, this brings us halfway to our goal of reaching one million dollars!ā
āFarmingdale is in building mode,ā President Prezant said. āWeāre building facilities, weāre building scholarship, weāre building new partnerships and friends, and weāre building tomorrowās leaders. And with your support, together we are building a brighter future for our students and for all of us, while we continue to reimagine what can be.ā
Honors and Awards
Additionally, the 2025 Presidentās Gala acknowledged five distinguished individuals whose remarkable contributions have enriched the institution on campus and beyond:
- The Ramās Horn Award for Corporate Leadership: David Antar
- The Presidentās Award for Alumni Leadership:
- The Presidentās Award for Academic Leadership: Jeff Hung, PhD, ā97
- The Presidentās Award for Professional Leadership: Patricia Lind-Gonzalez
- The Presidentās Award for Student Leadership:
āWe are proud to recognize these extraordinary people whose work and commitment have made a lasting difference for our students and our community,ā said President Prezant.
āI do know what it takes to run a successful organization,ā said Antar, a visionary entrepreneur with over 36 years of experience in the security technology and educational technology industries. ā51³Ō¹Ļ is also a well-run organization with a very special place in my heartānot just because of its history or its growth, but because of the incredible people who make up this College. The Rams Horn represents strength and perseverance, values that I see reflected in FSCās students,āÆfaculty, and everyone who works tirelessly to make this College what it is todayā¦When we invest in each other and in our community, we all rise together.ā
āIt is a true honor to be recognized among such distinguished alumni and community leaders,ā said Spiegel, chief executive officer of Florida Medical Center, who traveled with his wife, Chava, from Miami, Florida for the special evening. Spiegel, who has held numerous clinical teaching positions and executive leadership roles in health care systems across the United States, shared warm details about the classes, student clubs, faculty members, and FSC memories that had āa positive impact on me and my quest in shaping my career goals.ā
āThis recognition reminds me of how important it is to keep learning and collaborating,ā he added. āWhen I started my journey, I never imagined standing here today. Itās rewarding to see that the collective efforts made a differenceāit has with me. I was so proud to attend Farmingdale in 1974. I had no idea how my time at Farmingdale would shape me into the healthcare executive that I am today. Iāve continued my commitment to lifelong learningā¦and it is absolutely amazing how it all began here at Farmingdale.ā
As FSCās chief officer for institutional research and effectiveness, Lind-Gonzalez has ānot only moved us forward as a College, but also fostered a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous growth,ā said Senior Vice President and Provost Sean Lane, PhD. āPat leads with both vision and precisionātransforming data into meaningful action and ensuring that every metric reflects not just numbers, but people, progress, and potential.ā
āIt has been my great pleasure to work at Farmingdale for over 15 years and to have reported on the tremendous growth of the college,ā said Lind-Gonzalez. āIt is my privilege to work alongside such talented and dedicated faculty and staff who truly care about the success of our students.ā
Hung, FSC alumnus and professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department, has a tireless dedication and forward-thinking approach that āensures our students are prepared to meet the evolving demands of the workplace,ā said Kenneth Lee, PhD, PE, dean of The Murray Pasternack School of Engineering Technology.
āI want to thank the administration for bringing new initiatives and programs and exciting changes to the campus. They make my work very enjoyable,ā shared Hung. āDuring my time at Farmingdale, I have had great leaders, wonderful colleagues, and excellent corporate partners. Your ongoing support has helped us improve our programs, and your news about our students always brightens up my days. Thank you. For all of these reasons, I am not afraid of Mondays,ā he added to applause.
āAs a woman in STEM, 51³Ō¹Ļ has blessed me with many opportunities which allowed me to complete both my degrees in the span of four years,ā said Khan, a dual degree student in applied mathematics and applied psychology, who was recently named a Newman Civic Fellow. āEven though this award may have my name on it, itās actually a collection of all the people who have gotten me to this point today. This award is an incredible honor that I will forever cherish and is truly a reflection of everything Iāve learned at 51³Ō¹Ļ.ā
To accept The Pasternack ChallengeāFSCās Million-Dollar Mission: Is Possible, please visit the Pasternack Challenge webpage.
To meet the eventās esteemed honorees, please visit the 2025 Presidentās Gala webpage, or to learn more about the Farmingdale College Foundation please visit .
View more photos from the 2025 Presidentās Gala on our .
