51³Ô¹Ï

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.