Athletics has earned six consecutive Best College Sports Program honors and is nominated for a seventh in the 2027 Best of Long Island competition. LIU has won more awards than any other university in the contest’s history. Men’s hockey head coach Brendan Riley is nominated for Best College Sports Coach. Finley is nominated for Best Mascot.

Football holds first place in the NEC with an undefeated 3-0 conference record following a 14-9 win over Wagner. The Sharks return to Shark Stadium on Saturday seeking their fourth consecutive conference win as they host Stonehill.

Women’s volleyball leads the NEC with a perfect 6-0 record and 10 straight wins. Back-to-back sweeps of New Haven extended the Sharks’ run to eight consecutive matches without dropping a set. That streak includes all six conference wins.

Men’s basketball enters the 2026–27 season as the NEC preseason favorite. The reigning champions earned seven of nine first-place votes following an NCAA Tournament appearance. A league-high three players earned Preseason All-NEC honors: Vasean Allette, Daquan Davis and Jahki Howard.

Travis Demers ’03 will call Portland Trail Blazers games on television to open the 2026–27 NBA season. The assignment follows seven seasons as the franchise’s lead radio voice. Demers will handle television play-by-play on a game-by-game basis.

Physiology and Immunology Professor Xiaolei Tang was named Co-Editor in Chief of Critical Reviews in Immunology. Tang has developed novel therapeutic technology to treat or potentially even cure multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.

Michael Hittman ’63 authored The Brooklyn Paramount Theatre: An Intimate Portrait, chronicling the history of the iconic venue, part of LIU’s campus since 1960. The theatre hosted legends including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Miles Davis and Chuck Berry before reopening in 2024 following a comprehensive restoration. LIU will celebrate its 2027 Gala at the Brooklyn Paramount in May.

A $175,000 gift from local veterinarian Dr. Gay Senk established the Dr. Gay Senk Feline Spay/Neuter Centre at the Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine. The center provides hands-on training for veterinary students while supporting feral cat care and local rescue efforts.

Mohammed Cherkaoui, Senior Vice President for Research at LIU, joined the advisory board of the Amity Global Research Hub, an international initiative strengthening research and innovation partnerships between the United States and India. Recognized among the world’s top 2% of scientists, Cherkaoui brings more than three decades of research experience to an initiative advancing collaboration in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, healthcare and emerging technologies.