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College of Arts & SciencesNews and EventsDifference You MakeThe Difference You Make 2025

The Difference You Make 2025 Awards and Recognition Ceremony
may 13, 2025

This annual event celebrates excellence in our community. This year, we honored  IDEA Grads, Guiliano Fellows,  and members of the the Dean's Student Leadership and Advisory Council, as well as recipients of the Godfrey Excellence in Teaching Awards, John S. Toll Endowed Award for Excellence in Teaching,  Staff Excellence Awards, and those retiring from the College this year. 

View Photos from the Difference You Make

Faculty and staff retirees

  • Dongmei Zeng, Asian and Asian American Studies
  • Shikaripur N. Sridhar, Asian and Asian American Studies 
  • Georges Eugene Fouron,  Africana Studies
  • Shoki Goodarzi, Art
  • Martin Levine, Art
  • Patricia Nolan, Chemistry
  • Lobna Kahek, Chemistry
  • Fumio Aoki, Ecology and Evolution 
  • Heidi Hutner, Department of English; Affiliate Faculty in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • John Parise, Geosciences
  • Brian Phillips, Geosciences
  • Owen Evans, Geosciences
  • Kathleen Vernon, Hispanic Languages and Literature 
  • Andrea Fedi, Languages and Cultural Studies
  • Lowell Jones, Mathematics 

 

  • Frank Y. Chin, Physics and Astronomy
  • Frederick Walter, Physics and Astronomy
  • Richard Gerrig, Psychology 
  • Anne Moyer, Psychology 
  • Kenneth A. Feldman, Sociology
  • Patricia R. Bremer, Sociology
  • Oyeronke Oyewumi, Sociology
  • Sarah Azzara, Program in Writing and Rhetoric
  • Patrizia Cecilia Benolich, Program in Writing and Rhetoric
  • William Marderness, Program in Writing and Rhetoric

Godfrey Excellence in Teaching Awards/john S. Toll Endowed award for teaching excellence 

Students from across the College were invited to nominate faculty for the Godfrey Excellence in Teaching Award, named in honor of our longtime colleague, the late Aaron (Bill) Godfrey, whose 53-year career at Stony Brook impacted the lives of so many students. A student panel selected our 2025 recipients, one in each of five areas, from nearly 100 nominations.

The John S. Toll Endowed Award for Teaching Excellence at Stony Brook University is presented to a faculty member based on their exceptional teaching and passion for their field of study, as well as for the mentorship of students. Recipients are selected by the Dean’s Student Advisory Council among current and previous years’ recipients of the Godfrey Excellence in Teaching Awards.

  • Benjamin Martin
     Portrait of an adult with shoulder-length brown hair and a full beard, wearing a beige shirt, standing in front of a leafy green backdrop.
    Godfrey Excellence in Teaching - Life Sciences   & John S. Toll Endowed Award for Teaching ExcellenceDepartment of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
  • Andrew Engelhardt 
    Portrait of a smiling person wearing a red sweater over a checked shirt, set against a neutral-colored background.
    Godfrey Excellence in Teaching - Social SciencesDepartment of Political Science
  • William Bernhard
    Person standing indoors wearing a beige sweater, with a beard and bald head, positioned in front of a window with white blinds diffusing bright light.
    Godfrey Excellence in Teaching - Physical Sciences Department of Mathematics
  • Samuel Dodd
    Portrait of an individual with shoulder-length brown hair and a beard, wearing a beige shirt, standing in front of a leafy green background.
    Godfrey Excellence in Teaching - Fine ArtsDepartment of Art
  • Susan Scheckel
    A person smiling at the camera, wearing a multicolored scarf and standing in front of a green wooden background.
    Godfrey Excellence in Teaching - HumanitiesDepartment of English

Staff Excellence Awards

Our staff are an integral part of the College, providing exceptional support and service to our community. These individuals are the backbone of the College, recognized for the excellence demonstrated in their positions and their extraordinary dedication and commitment. 

IDEA Grads  AY 2024-25

Guiliano fellows

Dean's Student Leadership and Advisory Council 2025 Graduates

Portrait of a smiling person wearing a brown hijab against a neutral background.

Leena Alzafarani

Psychology and Biology double major

 

 


 

Person smiling, wearing a black shirt with a background of blurred colorful lights.

Maximillion Bolkhovsky

Psychology BA with a concentration in Biology

Person smiling for the camera inside a brightly lit atrium with a glass ceiling and railing.

Laci Burton

English Honors College; minors in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Writing and Rhetoric 

A man poses in front of a majestic tree, surrounded by nature, highlighting the beauty of the outdoors.

Victor Chacon Cabrera

Hispanic Languages and Literature with a concentration in teacher preparation, minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Person in a striped shirt smiling, standing in front of a wooden panel background.

Daniel Canavin

Biology, minor in Anthropology

Person in a formal gray suit with a tie stands smiling under a building overhang, with a parking lot and cars visible in the background.

Siddhant Desai

Biology; Scholars for Medicine BS/MD 

 

 

Portrait of a smiling person with shoulder-length curly hair, wearing glasses, a red tie, and a dark jacket.

Matthew Jacob

Business Management and Economics double major; minors in Globalization Studies and International Relations, Political Science and Sustainability Studies


 

Portrait of a smiling person wearing a checkered shirt, standing indoors with a plain background.

Dominic Stanz 

Honors College; Economics and Human Evolutionary Biology double major

Person standing in a park at sunset, with sunlight flaring through the trees.

Rebekah Zhao 

Environmental Design, Policy and Planning, and Studio Art double major, minors in Art History and Digital Art

Person standing on a paved area with mountains and a clear blue sky in the background.

Shreya Motaganahalli 

Biology BS; minor in Creative Writing and Literature

 

 

 

Noor Imran

Peter Joyce

Honors College; History and Political Science double major