The Inauguration of
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
Tenth President of the College
Friday, April 11, 2025

Presiding: Patricia Hill Williams, EdD, Chair, College Council
Grand Marshal: Lloyd Makarowitz, PhD, Presiding Officer of the Faculty & Chair, Physics
Master of Ceremonies: Martin Lewison, PhD, Associate Professor, Business Management
Installation of the President: John B. King, Jr., EdD, Chancellor, State University of New York
Music
Blue Skies
Farmingdale High School
Vocal
Jazz
Joe Franzino, Director
Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Arr. Paris Rutherford
Stand By Me
Farmingdale High School
Daler a
Cappella
Jessica Mischke, Director
Music & Lyrics by Ben E. King,
Jerry Leiber, & Mike Stoller
Arr. Anne Raugh & Deke Sharon

Program
Academic Processional
Lloyd Makarowitz, PhD, Grand Marshal
Procession of the Nobles by Rimsky Korsakov
Presentations of Colors
New York State University Police Honor Guard
Star-Spangled Banner
Carol-Anne Drescher ’24
& Lea Garinis ’24
Welcome - A Campus Perspective
Laura Joseph, EdD, Senior Vice President & Provost
Perspectives on Collaborations
Chris Rosa, PhD, CEO, The Viscardi Center
Commitment to Shared Success
Hon. Monica Martinez, New York State Senator
Hon. Steve Stern,
New York State Assemblymember
Hon. Kwani O’Pharrow,
New York State Assemblymember
Interlude
Blue Skies
Farmingdale High School
Vocal Jazz
Looking Back, Thinking Forward
Jinan Jaber-Linsalata, PhD, ’72
Observations on Leadership
Joe Bertolino, EdD, President
Stockton University
Reflections on Mentorship
Eric Chapman, Senior Director
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Interlude
Stand By Me
Farmingdale High School
Daler a
Cappella
A Message From the Student Body
Jairo Orozco ’25, President
Student Government Association
Installation of
the President
Introduction of the SUNY Chancellor
Patricia Hill Williams, EdD
Presentation of the Medallion & The Installation
John B. King, Jr., EdD
Inaugural Address
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
Closing Remarks
Martin Lewison, PhD
Recessional
Fleetwood Mac
Don’t Stop

Presidents & Delegates
Glen Hinckley, PhD
Alumnus
University at Buffalo
Founded 1846
Ilene Crawford, PhD
Provost
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Cornell College
Founded 1853
RADM John A. Okon
President
SUNY Maritime College
Founded 1874
Tracy Tyree, PhD
Vice President for Student Affairs
Southern Connecticut State University
Founded 1893
Laili Paksima, MS
Director of Advancement,
Major & Planned Giving
Adelphi University
Founded 1896
Manohar Singh, PhD
Interim President
Western Connecticut State University
Founded 1903
Steven Mauro, PhD
President
Alfred State College
Founded 1908
Darcy Medica, PhD
Provost
SUNY Cobleskill
Founded 1911
W. Hubert Keen, PhD
President Emeritus
51³Ô¹Ï
Founded 1912
John S. Nader, PhD
President Emeritus
51³Ô¹Ï
Founded 1912
Mary Bonderoff, EdD
President
SUNY Delhi
Founded 1913
David Cohan, BS
Alumnus
Binghamton University
Founded 1946
C. Michelle Piskulich, PhD
Provost
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Molloy University
Founded 1955
Edward Bonahue, PhD
President
Suffolk County Community College
Founded 1956
Maria P. Conzatti, EdD
Chief Administrative Officer
Nassau Community College
Founded 1959
Timothy Sams, PhD
President
SUNY Old Westbury
Founded 1965
Joe Bertolino, EdD
President
Stockton University
Founded 1969
David Troilo, PhD
President
SUNY College of Optometry
Founded 1971
The State University of New York

Trustees
Chairperson: Merryl H. Tisch, EdD
New York City
Vice Chairperson: Cesar Perales, JD
Brooklyn
Joseph W. Belluck, JD
New York City
Courtney E. Burke, MS
Albany
Eric Corngold, JD
New York City
Marcos Crespo, BA
Bronx
Robert J.Duffy, MA
Rochester
James F. Haddon, MBA
New York City
Keith Landa, PhD
Purchase
Eunice A. Lewin, EdD
Buffalo
Stanley S. Litow, MS
Armonk
Edward M. Spiro, JD
New York City
Cary F. Staller, JD
Old Field
Camille Joseph Varlack, JD
Brooklyn
Candice Vacin, PhD
Batavia
System Administration
John B. King, Jr.
Chancellor
Melur K. Ramasubramanian
Provost
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Ian Rosenblum
Senior Vice Chancellor for Policy Implementation
Chief of
Staff
F. Shadi Sandvik
Senior Vice Chancellor for Research,
Innovation, and Economic
Development
Beth Berlin
Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and Management
Chief
Operating Officer
Kapil Longani
Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General
Counsel
Donna Linderman
Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Success
Ricardo Nazario-Colón
Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
Valerie Grey
Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Health and Hospital
Affairs
Robert M. Haelen
Senior Vice Chancellor for Capital Facilities
General Manager
of the State University Construction Fund
51³Ô¹Ï

Council
Patricia Hill Williams, Chair, EdD
West Babylon
Jairo Orozco
Hewlett
Paul F. Caroleo, BS
North Babylon
Randi Shubin Dresner, AS, Hon. LLD
East Meadow
James E. Durant, MA
Port Jefferson
Ralia E. Polechronis, JD
Manhasset
Robert K. Sweeney, MPA
Lindenhurst
Farmingdale College Foundation
Executive Officers
Robert L. Van Nostrand ’77
President
John Witterschein
First Vice President
Maureen P. Knott ’84
Second Vice President
Vincent Naab ’78
Treasurer
Kara Cannon
Secretary
Board of Directors
David Antar
Stephen Bello
Richard A. Catalano
Jerome T. D’Antone
Sal Ferro ’84
Jason Golden
Veronica Henry ’77
Gregory W. O’Connor
Susan Ring ’77
Robert E. Sandler
Fred Skolnik
Vincent Tedesco
Liz Uzzo
Matthew Colson
Vice President for Development
and Alumni Engagement
Ex-officio
Robert S. Prezant
President
Ex-officio
Administration
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
President
Laura Joseph, EdD
Senior Vice President
Provost
Gregory W. O’Connor, MBA
Executive Vice President
Chief Financial Officer
Kevin D. Jordan, EdD
Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive
Excellence
Chief Diversity Officer
Matthew Colson, MS
Vice President for Development
and Alumni Engagement
Chris Maio, MS
Chief Marketing
& Communications Officer
Rohan Howell, MBA
Vice President
for Enrollment Management
Ronald Jackson, EdD
Vice President for Student Affairs
Christopher Malone, PhD
Associate Provost
Christopher LaBarbera, PhD
Assistant Provost
Thomas Ward, PhD
Dean
School of Arts and Sciences
Richard Vogel, PhD
Dean
School of Business
William Steedle, MA
Assistant Dean
School of Business
Nanda Viswanathan, PhD
Assistant Dean and Chair
of Business Management, School of
Business
Kenneth Lee, PhD
Dean
School of Engineering Technology
Bahar Zoghi Moghadam, PhD
Assistant Dean
School of Engineering Technology
Sarah Gross, PhD
Dean, Theresa Patnode Santmann School of Health Sciences
Laura McMullin, PhD
Executive Director
University in the High School Programs
Michael Nembhard, MS
Acting Dean of Students
Carolyn Fedder
Executive Assistant to the President
Alumni Association
Executive Officers
Chris Croken ’05
President
Bill Jimenez ’10
Immediate Past President
Jenna Natale ’16
First Vice President
Danielle Escalante ’09
Second Vice President
Board of Directors
Noreen DeSalvo ’78
Denice Evans-Sheppard ’86
Samantha Pallini ’20
Andrew Tedesco ’22
Marla Jorgensen ’93
Khalid Hachil ’16
Michael Natale ’19
Matthew Colson
Vice President for Development
and Alumni Engagement
Ex-officio
Michelle Johnson
Director of Alumni Engagement
and Stewardship
Ex-officio
Inauguration Committee
Co-Chairs
Nicole Miller
Associate Director of Social Media
& Digital Communications
Kimberly Parris
Director of Special Events & Scheduling
Committee Members
Carolyn Fedder
Alicia Femoyer
Keri Franklin
Dylan Gafarian
Karen Gelles
Jonathan Goldstein
Michelle Johnson
Andrew Kalos
Lukas Miedreich
Mark Orlich
Andreia Ramos
Francesca Scala
William Steedle
Brett Southard
Peter Thomas
Brittany Villalta
Daniel Walsh
Thomas Ward
Student Research Presentations
Selin Akcay
The Assessment of Well-being Among States and Counties Through
DLATK Analysis
John Dickran
Kelly Parsley
Community Centered Design:
Engagement & Awareness
Sophia Lugo
Exploring the Impact of School Violence Statistics on Teacher
Willingness to Carry Firearms on School Grounds
Damari Machado
Experiences and Sense of Belonging among
Students
at 51³Ô¹Ï
Jairo Orozco
Exploring the Interaction Between SES and Social Behaviors:
Pathways to Social Anxiety
Jhoanna Ortiz
The Impact of Recycled Plastic in RCA
Kelly Parsley
Community Centered Design:
Engagement and Awareness
Christopher Allocca
Mayan Amin
Kelly Willig
Vito Postiglione
Parenting Reimagined
Jayden Sampeur
The Design and Analysis of DUNE FD2 Penetration Cable Trays
Mishal Syed
Exploring Medical Provider Perspectives on Hidradenitis
Suppurativa (HS), a Chronic Dermatological Condition
Lauren Varagnolo
Full Mouse Cryosectioning
Kayli Villalta
The Neural Effects of Meditation: Examining EEG Changes and
Growth Mindset Shifts
Gary Xavier Valdez
Assessing the Potential of a Clinical-Stage FABP5 Inhibitor
for
Osteoarthritis Treatment
Kinza Yasmeen
Brain evolution in threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus
aculeatus) from recently transplanted and long-established lake
populations in Cook Inlet, Alaska

Inauguration Week Supporters
Angel Plants
Aramark
Auxiliary Services Corporation
Fantastic Tours
Farmingdale Alumni Association
Farmingdale Foundation
Office of Sustainability
Student Government Association
Sylvestri Landscaping
Send Your Congratulations
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the inauguration of Robert S. Prezant, PhD, as the 10th President of 51³Ô¹Ï. As we mark this exciting new chapter, we invite you to share your thoughts, best wishes, and memories with President Prezant. Leave a message, share a memory, or offer your congratulations at the link below.

For more information about 51³Ô¹Ï and the
Inauguration of President Robert S. Prezant, please visit our
Inauguration webpage
or contact the Office for Marketing
and Communications.