2020-2021  Student Life Awards Winners

Student Life Awards

STUDENT PROGRAM AWARDS

  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.

      2021 Winner:  Running Club- Spooky Brook Invitiational

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

      2021 Winner: Japanese Studen Organization- Stop Asian Hate Awareness Walk

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.

      2021 Winner:  Violence Intervention, Prevention, and Relationship Education Peer Educators- Sexual Harassment Assertiveness- Defend Yourself! (SHADY)

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

      2021 Winner:  Special Olympics- Virtual Dance Camp

Virtual Program Award: Honors an online program that has used virtual resources to keep atendees engaged and has had a significant impact on the campus community.

      2021 Winners: Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program- Fireside Virtual Chats 

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.

      2021 Winner: Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council- Wolfiethon

STUDENT LEADER AWARDS

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.

      2021 Winner: Kiara Arias

Peter Baigent Recreational & Leadership Activities Leadership Award :   Honors a student for their outstanding leadership in creating a unique community space on campus for studnets to express themselves focusing on a particular hobby, passion or interest, while allowing stduents to find community they might not be able to find elsewhere on campus.

      2021 Winner: April Zhang

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.

      2021 Winner: Isaiah Daniel

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.

      2021 Winner: Nikhil Krishnani

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.

      2021 Winner: Asna Jamal

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 h onors 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. 

      2021 Winners: Pujan Patel

Elizabeth D. Couey Award: This award was esablished in 1974 in memory of the first Director of the Stony Brook Union and is awarded for outstanding contributions towards the omprovement and growth of stduent life at Stony Brook. 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. Nominees for this award must be undergradute student leaders of senior standing (expected graduation date of May, August, or December 2020), with a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 of higher, in good standing with the University.

      2021 Winner: Scott MacKenzie

STUDENT ORGANIZATION 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.

      2021 Winner: Mei Lin Chan

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.

      2021 Winner: Polish American Student Association

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.

      2021 Winner: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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. 

      2021 Winner: Japanese Student Organization

Social Media Engagement Award:   Honors  an organization that has sucessfully utilized one or more social media platforms, and whose social media content promotes engagement through a variety of innovative methods.

      2021 Winner: Running Club

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, and has contributed signficiantly toward the groth of its members.

      2021 Winner: Philippine United Student Organization

DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Distinguished Service Award for COVID-19 Community Response: 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.

      2021 Winner: Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corps

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.

      2021 Winner: Judith Greiman

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.

        2021 Winner: Alan Devries

Graduate Student Organization Awards

Distinguished Service Award: Zared Shawver

Outstanding Leadership Award: Vamiq Mohammed Mustahsan

Most Dedicated Service Award:Christine Wang

Exceptional Service Award: Gagan Somashekhar and Julia Brown

Emerging Leader Award: Chuankai Chen and Joanne Saldanha 

Outstanding Administrator Award: Kathleen Flint Ehm

Outstanding Advocate Award: Eric Wertheimer

Outstanding Club or Organization: Students with Children

Peer Service Award: Caitlin Duffy

Program of the Year:GSO Radio Hour on WUSB - Helena Van Nieuwenhuizen, Artemis Giannakopoulou and Omkar Bhatt

Undergraduate Student Government Awards

Student Advocate of the Year: Kiara Arias

Unsung Hero Award: Sampson Berlinski

Community Outreach Award: Benjamin Owusu

Spirit of Leadership and Community: Pujan Patel

Emerging Leader Award: Victoria Sarita

Visionary Award: Sowad Ocean Karim

Most Innovative Member: Malina Del Vino

Most Helpful Volunteer: Kenny Desai

Diligence Award: Sarah Rahim & Matthew Mangan

Most Valuable Players: Maia Gomis & Maira Gomis

Most Dedicated Service Award: William Laderer, Thaliyah Fraser & Arsh Naseer

Outstanding Service Award: Christopher Jean, Lamisa Musarat, Alexandra Nunez & Reginald Ligonde

Community Partnership Award: Center for Prevention and Outreach & Student Engagement & Activities

Staff Recognition Award: Carlos Cobo, Elizabeth Frisenda, & Adrian Ortega

Health Sciences Association Student Leadership Awards

Community Impact Award:  Jillian Macchia- School of Nursing&  Brianna Gianni- School of Nursing

Campus Life Enhancement Award: Jillian Macchia- School of Nursing&  Alexia Lengyel- School of Nursing

Good Samaritan Award: Brianna O'Sullivan- School of Nursing