2019-2020  Student Life Awards Winners

Student Life Awards

Advisor of the Year Award: Honors a faculty or staff member who has served as an advisor to a student club or organization. This advisor is involved with the student leaders offers knowledge and experience to the organization, and provides assistance and support on an ongoing basis.

     2020 Winner: Amber Serrano

Advocacy Leadership Award: Honors a student who has demonstrated strong leadership in generating campus wide awareness about existing social issues and advocated for change in the community.

     2020 Winner: Tamara Smith

Best New Organization Award: Honors a student organization that newly registered within the past 12 months and is dedicated to student life. This organization takes the initiative to make the organization visible on campus, has grown in membership since its recognition, and shows potential for continued growth and success on our campus.

     2020 Winner: CSTEP (The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program)

Campus Community Impact Award The Campus Community Impact Award is presented to an organization that is committed to engaging the student population in programming and initiatives that are impactful, lasting and generate a sense of community, pride, inclusivity and engagement. 

     2020 Winner: Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc

Commuter Student Leader Of the Year Award: This award celebrates a commuter student with outstanding involvement on campus, who displays commitment to providing inspiring leadership and advocacy for commuter students and beyond.

     2020 Winner: Yessenia Flores

Distinguished Service Award: Honors an organization that has made a continuous effort to service the student body and the University community. This organization's efforts are exceptional, meaningful, and make a lasting impact on campus.

     2020 Winner: Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corp

Diversity & Inclusion Program Award: Honors an event that promoted cross-cultural learning and interaction, appealed to a broad audience, and provided a meaningful exchange of ideas

     2020 Winner:  CSTEP: Quieres Bailar?

Educational Program Award: Honors a creative program that promotes greater awareness of an existing academic, political, or social issue through educational efforts that enhance student learning and provide a meaningful exchange of ideas.

     2020 Winner:  Japanese Student Organization: Taiko Performance and Workshop

Emerging Leadership Award   Honors a freshman or sophomore student who has taken on leadership roles and has demonstrated significant progress towards achieving their leadership potential through campus and community involvement.

     2020 Winner: Vinay Bijoor

Executive Board Member the Year Award: Honors a member of an executive board of a recognized organization who has gone beyond the call of duty to enhance the purpose of their organization be it through acquiring new skills, membership engagement, leadership development, cross-campus collaboration, and relationship building.

     2020 Winner: Layla Essaily

Most Improved Organization Award: Honors an organization that has shown significant, meaningful and lasting growth and development in areas such as programming, leadership and organizational management.

     2020 Winner: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Organization of the Year Award: Honors an organization that has made a significant effort to further its purpose through its contribution to Stony Brook and/or the community at large. This award recognizes the student organization that has demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity and perseverance through their activities and programs.

     2020 Winner: Pakistani Student Association

Organizational Leadership Award: Honors non-executive board members of recognized organizations who go above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to enhance the purpose of their organization

     2020 Winner: Claire Cassidy

Professional Development Award: Honors clubs that go beyond serving the needs of their members through speakers, workshops, retreats and other initiatives

     2020 Winner: 3Diatrics 

Program of the Year: Honors a program that has had a positive impact on the overall Stony Brook community. This award recognizes a program that embodied the SBU spirit of inclusiveness and school pride, and promoted a community of awesome.

     2020 Winner: CASB: Cultural Carnival

 Residential Student Leader of The Year Award: Honors a residential student who is committed to providing outstanding and inspiring leadership and advocacy for residential students, and who shows outstanding involvement on campus.

     2020 Winner: Anand Ayier

Seawolf Spirit Award: Honors an individual who demonstrates an unwavering commitment to promoting and generating a sense of community, pride, inclusivity and engagement across a broad subset of the campus population

     2020 Winner: Kaitlin Hennig

Service Program Award: Honors an event whose outcomes promoted the tenets of selfless acts of service and civic engagement.

     2020 Winner: Omega Phi Beta:3rd Annual Tote Project

 Social Program Award: Honors an event that promoted a sense of community and engagement across a broad subset of the campus population, and had a significant impact on the campus community.

     2020 Winner:  RHA Super Smath Bros: Hall!

The Peter Baigent Recreational & Leadership Activities Leadership Award: Honors a student for their outstanding leadership in sports, recreational, or leisure activities.

     2020 Winner: RJ Costanzo

The Theresa Montenaro 200% Student Leadership Award: Throughout her 20 years as a custodian in the Stony Brook Union, Theresa Montenaro was committed to providing a caring and safe environment for all students, faculty, and staff. This award honors a junior or senior student leader who goes beyond the call of duty, regularly gives 200%, and exemplifies  Theresa Montenaro’s unique qualities, which include the ability to listen with understanding, guide without boundaries, give and take with love, and grow with each passing day. 

     2020 Winners: Adrian Ortega

The Elizabeth D. Couey Award: The Elizabeth D. Couey Award was established in 1974 in memory of the first Director of the Stony Brook Union and honors a graduating senior for outstanding contributions toward the improvement and growth of student life at Stony Brook. This award is the highest honor we bestow upon a student leader. Nominees must exemplify Elizabeth Couey’s unique qualities of exemplary service, visionary leadership and an unceasing dedication to enhancing campus life.

     2020 Winner: Kunika Chahal

The Shirley Strum Kenny Steel Magnolia Award: This award is presented annually to a staff or faculty member who has demonstrated compassion and strength in support of enhancing the overall student experience. The award is named in honor of former President Kenny who was presented the first "Steel Magnolia" award by a group of students in 2009.

     2019 Winner: Rabbi Joseph Topek

The Sister Margaret Ann Landry, RSHM Lifetime Achievement Advising Award: This award is presented annually to a staff or faculty member with 10 or more years of service, who has provided extraordinary commitment mentoring and advising individuals and/or student groups on campus. The award is named in honor of its first recipient, who received the honor in 2003.

     2019 Winners: Pat Rasso & Dorothy Corbett

Graduate Student Organization Awards

Distinguished Advisor Award: John Klecker

Outstanding Leadership Award: Noele Certain

Most Dedicated Service Award: Chikako Takahashi, Gagan Somasekar & Sergey Madaminov

Outstanding Advocate Award: Dr. Eric Wertheimer (Dean of the Graduate School)

Exceptional Service Award: Kaushik Londhe & Matthew Castellana

Emerging Leader Award: Alec Cali &  Cristina Mata

Outstanding Organization: Computer Science Graduate Student Organization (CSGSO) & Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWISE)

Outstanding Administrator Award: Lauren Brookmeyer (Government Relations),  Maryanne Reinhardt (FSA) & Denise Eylers (FSA)

Undergraduate Student Government Awards

Student Advocate of the Year:  Yamilex Taveras

Outstanding Service Award: Pujan Patel, Maya Voytelmgum, Christopher Smith,  Joshua Emmanuel Pointdujour, Christopher Jean & Jecenia Carcamo

Unsung Hero Award: Angel Lee & Afshana Hoque

Most Dedicated Service Award: Asna Jamal,Jolena Podolsky, Mitchell Plozov & Muhammad Tanveer

Emerging Leader Award: Lamisa Musarat & Mahambe Toure

Community Partnership Awards: Office of Multicultural Affairs & Student Engagement and Activities

Staff Recognition Award: Denise Eylers & Elizabeth Frisenda

Health Sciences Association Student Leadership Awards

Health Sciences - Community Impact Award:  Jessica Allen - School of Nursing &  Aubrey Luna - School of Health Technology and Management

Health Sciences - Campus Life Enhancement Award: Emma-Leah Hess - School of Health Technology and Management 

Student Leadership - Clinical Caregiver Award:  Sarah Williamsen - School of Nursing

Student Leadership - Good Samaritan Award: Reginald Archer - School of Health Technology and Management & Yia Yia Soumounou - School of Health Technology and Management 

Student Leadership - Health Technology Award: Christine Ly - School of Health Technology and Management

Student Leadership - Health Ally Award: Caitlyn Bucco - School of Health Technology and Management