The men’s basketball team was unanimously selected to win the conference in the NEC Preseason Poll, while redshirt senior Malachi Davis and graduate student Jamal Fuller were named as Preseason All-NEC selections. The Sharks, who finished second in the NEC last season, enter the 2025-26 season with three returning All-NEC selections: Davis (First-Team All-NEC), Fuller (Second-Team All-NEC), and sophomore Shadrak Lasu (NEC All-Rookie Team).
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National Civics Day Celebrated Nationwide
National Civics Day was celebrated on October 27th by organizations and institutions across the U.S. The Roosevelt School and The Society of Presidential Descendants founded National Civics Day in 2021 to recognize the importance of civic education as a foundation for a strong democracy. This year’s events included an early screening of Ken Burns’ forthcoming documentary The American Revolution at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential site.
Bank of New York Names Justin Grant ’06 as Senior VP
Bank of New York named Justin Grant ’06 as Senior Vice President, Head of Content – Wealth Management Product Marketing. Grant, a member of the LIU board of trustees, previously served as Executive Director of JPMorgan Chase. With over twenty years of experience, he has worked as a news reporter for Thomson Reuters, ABC News and as a corporate communications professional for top U.S. financial services firms like Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase.
Pharmacy Faculty Win National Award for Best Publication
Pharmacy professor Dharati Desai’s new cardiovascular research earned her the Dr. Dennis J. Baumgardner Clinician Research Award at the Advocate Aurora Health Scientific Day Research Symposium.
Dean Barton Recognized at United Nations
LIU Honors College Dean Gregory Barton was honored by the United Nations’ SDG Media Zone during the UN’s General Assembly week. Barton served as the Project Director for a new digital anthology called “Vision for the Future 2025 Capturing Inspiring Stories from Leaders and Changemakers.” The publication features stories from over 25 changemakers and visionaries, sharing their unique perspectives and connections to technology in an ever-changing world.
Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at LIU Named to Billboard Magazine’s 2025 Top Music Business Schools List
New York, NY (October 28, 2025) – Today, the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University’s (LIU) Brooklyn campus has been honored by Billboard Magazine as part of the publication’s 2025 Top Music Business Schools List, which recognizes the country’s elite colleges and universities preparing the next generation of music business leaders.
It marks the second straight year that the Roc Nation School has been honored on the prestigious list, reinforcing the school’s reputation as one of the leading music education programs.
The list also spotlighted the Roc Nation School’s innovative curriculum with a special focus on its Music Entrepreneurship course, which guides students through developing business proposals, pitching ideas to industry decision-makers, and launching ventures. The course culminates with the New Venture Pitch Off, a dynamic end-of-semester event where students present their entrepreneurial ideas to executives from Universal Music Group and Live Nation.
Additionally, Billboard highlighted the school’s expanded partnership with JPMorgan Chase to strengthen its financial education offering in tandem with the Money Smart Financial Coaching Program. The initiative helps aspiring music executives develop essential money management skills, fully preparing students for long-term success in the music industry.
Billboard also highlighted the school’s commitment to bringing industry executives, artists, thought leaders and more to campus to speak and provide students with advice on navigating the evolving music industry.
This announcement follows the school’s recent collaboration with MetaMoon on the third annual summit centered on uplifting Asian representation within the music and entertainment industry. The event took place on Oct. 22 on the Roc Nation School campus and brought together executives from Live Nation, Roc Nation, NBA, Foot Locker and more who discussed the importance of authentically connecting with audiences in Asia and beyond.
Most recently, the school celebrated its first-ever graduating class in May 2025, which resulted in students securing full-time positions at Roc Nation, Bob Elliott’s Music Makers Studio, and more organizations.
About The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment
The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University (LIU) is a globally renowned destination for world-class education, exceptional career development, cultural initiatives and philanthropic endeavors. The school prepares students for a wide range of careers in entrepreneurship, music, sports business, management, performance and more with an esteemed faculty inclusive of university professors, adjunct leaders, as well as special guest lecturers.
The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment, which began enrolling students at LIU in Fall 2021, leverages its versatile resources and expertise to help students graduate with immersive internship experience and develop a robust network of professional contacts. Located in Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter’s hometown of Brooklyn, the school also provides Roc Nation Hope Scholarships to 25 percent of enrolled students, which enables them to graduate tuition debt-free. The Hope Scholars are also selected from a pool of academically competitive, New York-based, first-time freshmen with the highest need.
Derek Leebaert Wins 2025 National Book Award
The Society of Presidential Descendants, in partnership with the Long Island University Roosevelt School, conferred Derek Leebaert with the 2025 Biennial Presidential Leadership Book Award for Unlikely Heroes: Franklin Roosevelt, His Four Lieutenants, and the World They Made. Leebaert’s bold reinterpretation of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency examines the lives of four extraordinary lieutenants—Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes, Frances Perkins, and Henry Wallace—who helped steer the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.
Screenwriter Alum’s Iconic Blockbuster Celebrates 30 Years
The Tribeca Film Fesitval hosted a special screening to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of Casino (1975), written by alumnus Nicholas Pileggi ’56 and director Martin Scorsese. The film starred Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci and was nominated for several academy awards. Pileggi is a celebrated journalist and screenwriter best known for writing classic mob movies Goodfellas, American Gangster, and The Irishman.
Haagmans’ Hat Trick Follows Third NEC Recognition
Sophomore forward Lotte Haagmans of the field hockey team was named an NEC Prime Performer for the third time this season following her two-goal performances in back-to-back games versus Mercyhurst University and Lehigh University. Haagmans followed up the conference honors with a hat trick in the Sharks 5-1 win over Merrimack College, scoring 3 goals and assisting one another.
New Research Offers Safer Biomedical Implants
Biochemistry professor Azzedine Bensalem co-authored new research detailing a novel approach for strengthening hydroxyapatite, a material often used in medical implants, by adding carefully balanced silver nanoparticles. Published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B, the study suggests that the method can boost antibacterial protection while remaining safe for human cells, an advancement that could lead to safer and more effective orthopedic and dental implants.