School of Communication and Journalism Advisory Boards

Joye Brown

Columnist, Newsday

Errol Cockfield

Senior Vice President of Communications, MSNBC

Michael Dukmejian '76

Publisher, Bloomberg Media Group

Scott Higham

Investigative Reporter, Washington Post

Debby Krenek

Publisher, Newsday

Marcy McGinnis

Former Senior Vice President, News Coverage, CBS News

Arlene Morgan

Former Assistant Managing Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer

Matthew Moskowitz

Senior Editor/Producer, CNN

Andrew Revkin

Climate Reporter, New York Times

Ira Rosen

Producer, 60 Minutes

Bedel Saget

Multimedia Graphics Editor/Photographer, New York Times

Dan Slepian '92

Supervising Producer, Dateline NBC

Rebecca Anzel '16

Statehouse Reporter, Capitol News, Illinois

Philly Bubaris '13

Freelance Producer

Katie Epifane '12

Producer, Madison Square Garden

Taylor Ha '18

Staff Writer, Fordham University

Heather Khalifa '15

General Assignment Photographer, Philadelphia Inquirer

Arielle Martinez '17

Digital Production Coordinator, Council on Foreign Relations

Rachel O'Brien-Morano '08

Reporter, Law360

Frank Posillico'13

Video Journalist, Spectrum News, NY1

Michael Ruiz '14

Social Media Producer, Fox News

Jackie Zabielski '10

Media Relations Specialist

Doreen Abanema Abayaa

Graduate Student

Journalism Program

Doreen Abanema Abayaa is a graduate student in Journalism with five years of professional experience in the field. She specializes in creating and reporting engaging content across multiple digital media platforms, with a focus on storytelling, social media engagement, and breaking news coverage. Her background includes roles in editorial design, radio broadcasting, and journalism, both in the U.S. and Ghana. As a member of the Student Advisory Board, Doreen is committed to representing student voices, fostering collaboration between students and faculty, and enhancing the campus community.

Rafael Auza

Senior

Mass Communication Major

Rafael Auza is a mass communication major, a resident assistant, a student assistant for the Uniti Cultural Center, and a member of the Black and Latino men's group. He's also a photographer and an opinion writer for the Statesman. He does photography as a hobby, has a deep interest in media, sepcifically film, long-form video, documentaries and video games.

Sophia Capocci

Junior

Mass Communication Major

Business Management Major

Sophia is a junior studying mass communications and business management. Sophia is an active student on campus being a part of various organizations. She is a part of Sigma Beta Honor Society along with being a representative for Women in Business! She is excited to be more involved in the School of Communication and Journalism!

Sky Crabtree

Junior

Journalism Major

Political Science Major

Sky Crabtree is a junior studying journalism and political science. He serves as the News Editor for The Statesman and as the Political Anchor for the Stony Brook Media Group. He has also completed internships at WSHU Public Radio and NBC 4 New York, and is working towards a career as a reporter after graduation.

Arralon Cyrus

Sophomore

Mass Communication Major

Political Science Major

Arralon is a sophomore and I started the student advisory board last spring. I am a first-generation student, and my family is from Guyana. I am a political science and mass communication major with aspirations to go to law school or become a reporter. I like cooking, true crime, eating, and meeting new people. If you see me don’t hesitate to say hi!

Kateryna Dykun

Junior

Mass Communication Major

My name is Kateryna Dykun and I am a junior at Stony Brook University majoring in Mass Communication with a minor in Linguistics. I am originally from Ukraine, and my family moved to the United States in 2013. I am part of the SBU swimming club and ballroom dance club! I am also planning on pursuing corporate communications after I graduate. I am very excited to be part of the SAB, and I am looking forward to being more involved in the Stony Brook University School of Communication and Journalism!

Keira Ferretti

Junior

Journalism Major

Concentration in public policy and public affairs

Keira Ferretti is a journalism student, with a concentration in public policy/affairs set to graduate in May of 2026. She is a transfer student from SUNY Westchester, where she was the editor in chief of the campus newspaper the Viking; she and her team placed for Best Newspaper at the Apple Awards. She is currently working as for The Statesman and at other campus media sources. She is looking forward to her first year at Stony Brook and working with the Student Advisory Board.

Mariam Guirgis

Senior

Journalism Major

Political Science Major

Mariam Guirgis is a third-year student, on track to graduate a year early with a double major in Journalism and Political Science. Mariam is an Assistant News Editor of The Statesman. She is also in charge of the international segment for the SBU Media Group. Mariam received an award for "2024 Best College Newspaper Reporter" from Press Club of Long Island over the summer for her work in The Statesman. Mariam also received an award for her reporting of the student protests that occurred in Spring 2024 semester. Outside of journalism, Mariam is part of Phi Alpha Delta and is hoping to have a career in both journalism and law when she graduates from Stony Brook.

Anna Hanzl

Senior

Mass Communication Major

Anna, a senior studying mass communication, is set to graduate this May. She's new to the School of Communication and Journalism and the Student Advisory Board. Excited to contribute her voice and make an impact, she's eager to dive into her role and learn more about the board.

Saamia Hassan

Sophomore

Mass Communication Major

Political Science Major

Saamia Hassan is a sophomore studying Mass Communications and Political Science as a double major. She is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity on campus and has recently joined the student-run paper, The Statesman.

Manny Jaquez

Graduate Student

Journalism Program

Emmanuel Jaquez earned an associate's degree in Journalism from Suffolk County Community College and a bachelor's degree in journalism from Stony Brook University. He is pursuing a Graduate degree in Science Journalism at Stony Brook University, with an expected completion date of 2025. Emmanuel has completed several internships, the most recent being as the communications intern for the Central Pine Barrens Commission, where he co-directed documentaries and script writing.

Melanie Karniewich

Senior

Journalism Major

Film and Screen Studies Minor

Melanie Karniewich is a senior Journalism major with a minor in Film and Screen Studies. Melanie is a part of Her Campus at Stony Brook, serving as Vice President, and is a Communications Intern for the Stony Brook Career Center. Her love of story-telling has encouraged her to find a home within SoCJ, and she hopes her work with the Student Advisory Board will help other students feel the same way.

Angela Panganiban

Senior

Mass Communication Major

Angela Panganiban is a senior studying Mass Communications. She is a student assistant for the Charles B Wang center. She is currently a Playlist Curator Intern for Sound Stats Savvy. She is excited to connect with other students through the SoCJ Advisory board and help promote and develop the department within campus. She also loves to travel and cook.

Hadar Pepperstone

Graduate Student

Science Communication Program

Hadar Pepperstone is a graduate student in the Science Communication Master's program. She studied environmental science in undergrad and has a focus on climate communication. Recently, Hadar had her undergrad thesis published in the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies. She's excited to be able to represent graduate students in SoCJ.

Miles Reese

Junior

Journalism Major

Miles Reese is a sophomore journalism major and is also an entertainment reporter on “The Media Minute” segment for the SBU Media Group. Miles is also the recipient of the Stony Brook Greene Summer Institute Next Generation scholarship. He advocates for newsroom diversity and has a deep passion for storytelling. Miles also has a strong musical background and is an active member of The Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band where he plays the saxophone and the flute.

Ben Ryan

Junior

Mass Communication Major

Ben Ryan, a sophomore from Mount Sinai, NY, majoring in Mass Communications. Ben's passion for creative storytelling extends beyond academics, as he serves as a Creative Assistant for Stony Brook Athletics, where he creates engaging videos that capture the spirit of our student athletes. Ben is eager to continue honing his skills in Mass Communications, sharing his love for the natural world, and contributing to campus life. Ben is thrilled to be a part of the SoCJ Student Advisory Board, where he eagerly steps into the role to advocate for the student body.

Kaitlyn Schwanemann

Senior

Journalism Major

Kaitlyn Schwanemann is a senior journalism major. She is currently the managing editor at The Stony Brook Press and a diversity verticals intern at NBC News. She has also completed internships at NBC and Telemundo Miami, CNN and Nerdwallet via the Dow Jones News Fund.