Aidan Vergano '26

BA English Honors, BFA in Creative Writing  
Summa Cum Laude


How did you hear about Stony Brook?

Growing up on Long Island, I was always aware of Stony Brook University and its strong academic reputation. After high school, I initially went away for school, but I quickly realized being away from home was not the right fit for me.. After my first semester, I transferred to Suffolk County Community College, where I earned my associate degree. During that transition period, I realized SBU was the only university I truly wanted to attend.

On Stony Brook:

I chose Stony Brook because of the strength of its Department of English and Creative Writing program, as well as the opportunities it offered both creatively and academically. As a transfer student, I wanted a university where I could challenge myself while still remaining connected to home and my community. Stony Brook gave me the opportunity to grow as both a writer and scholar while surrounding me with supportive faculty and a strong literary community.

On his major:

I am graduating with a BA in English Honors and a BFA in Creative Writing. I initially began college as a nursing major, but I quickly realized my true passion had always been English, literature, and storytelling. After transferring to Suffolk County Community College, one of my creative writing professors encouraged me to apply to Stony Brook’s Creative Writing BFA program, and I was genuinely shocked when I was accepted.

 What made my experience at Stony Brook so meaningful was the duality between my English and Creative Writing studies. My English coursework deepened my appreciation for literary scholarship, book history, and critical analysis, while the creative writing workshops allowed me to grow as a storyteller and develop my own voice as a writer.

What degree are you graduating with?

BA English Honors and BFA Creative Writing, graduating Summa Cum Laude

Favorite class:

Two of my favorite classes were EGL 345: Shakespeare I with Professor Douglas Pfeiffer and EGL 491: On Fictions, an honors British literature seminar with Professor Benedict Robinson.

The Shakespeare course completely changed the way I thought about literature and literary scholarship. Through the course, I became deeply interested in bibliography, material book history, and the relationship between literary texts and their physical forms, which helped shape my interest in rare books and archival studies.

EGL 491: On Fictions, challenged me in a different way by exploring why fiction matters and how storytelling shapes the ways people understand themselves and the world around them. Together, both courses profoundly shaped the way I think about literature, storytelling, and scholarship.

Interests and accomplishments:

During my time at Stony Brook, I served as president of Alpha Nu Zeta, Stony Brook’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society.

 My academic work became increasingly focused on rare books, bibliography, archives, and material text studies. Funded by the URECA Research and Creative Activities program, my English honors thesis, completed under the mentorship of Professor Douglas Pfeiffer, explored the history and preservation of dust jackets in modern book culture through the lenses of bibliography and material text studies. I presented this research at both the URECA Symposium and the English Honors Symposium.

 One of the most meaningful parts of my time was serving as a teaching assistant for Shakespeare I. Through that experience, I independently lectured on material book history and bibliography in relation to Shakespeare studies, which strengthened both my confidence and my passion for teaching and scholarship.

 In addition to my honors research, I am also completing a Creative Writing BFA thesis under the mentorship of Alison Fairbrother. I am also actively involved with the Bibliographical Society of America and have attended Bibliography Week and the society’s annual meetings in New York City.

I was incredibly honored to receive the 2026 Lillian F. Kahn Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in the Department of English.

Plans for post-graduation:

Following graduation, I plan to pursue a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree with a focus on archives, rare books, and special collections.

Advice for future Seawolves:

Speak with your professors as much as possible and don’t be afraid to share your interests with them. Someone can help connect you with opportunities and communities you may never have discovered otherwise.
I would also encourage students to get involved in as much as they can. Join organizations, attend events, and take opportunities outside the classroom seriously. College is ultimately what you make of it, and the relationships and connections you build can become just as meaningful as the coursework itself.

Favorite SBU memory:

What I will remember most is the sense of community I found within the Department of English. Whether through workshops, Sigma Tau Delta events, public readings, or conversations with professors and classmates, I found people who genuinely cared about literature and creativity. Those experiences made Stony Brook feel like home.

Parting thoughts:

What ultimately meant the most to me at Stony Brook were the relationships I formed with professors and mentors within the English Department, especially professors like Professor Pfeiffer. Their enthusiasm, mentorship, and over-the-top engagement with both literature and their students made a lasting impact on me academically and personally. Being surrounded by people who cared so much about literature, scholarship, and teaching reinforced my own passion for the humanities and helped shape the direction I hope to pursue in graduate school and beyond.