Long Island University announced the winners of the George Polk Awards in Journalism for 2024. The latest winners were selected from 493 submissions of work that appeared in print, online or on television or radio, nominated by news organizations and individuals or recommended by a panel of former winners. The awards, which place a premium on investigative and enterprising reporting that gains attention and achieves results, are conferred annually to honor special achievement in journalism.
Brooklyn Paramount Named Billboard Top Music Venue
Billboard named the Brooklyn Paramount the “Top East Coast Club or Theater” on its list of Top Music Venues for 2025. The historic venue, which has been part of the LIU campus since 1960, opened in 1928 and played host to dozens of iconic musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Chuck Berry. The theatre reopened to the public in 2024 following a comprehensive restoration.
Recent Grads Deliver Winning Pitch on ABC’s Shark Tank
Jared Ebersol ’23 and Luke St. Amand ’22 appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank to pitch their startup Lectec and its innovative build-your-own electric skateboard kits. The recent graduates met as students on the Post campus and quickly bonded over their shared passion for electric skateboards. The primetime appearance was a success, as Lectec’s dynamic duo accepted Robert Herjavec’s offer of $100,000 for 15% equity in the burgeoning company.
Model UN Team Wins Five Awards in National Competition
The LIU Model UN team competed at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in Washington, DC and brought home five awards. The team represented France in seven committees, earning one team award and four individual awards. NMUN is the world’s largest, most prestigious, most diverse, and oldest ongoing university-level Model UN.
New York Times Profiles Air Force Secretary’s Legacy
The New York Times published an article profiling Frank Kendall ’80 and his contributions as the 26th U.S. Secretary of the Air Force. Kendall was appointed to the Post by President Biden in 2021 and has served in several senior positions in the U.S. Department of Defense. A West Point graduate, he retired as a Lieutenant colonel LTC from the U.S. Army Reserves. Read the story here.
Long Island University’s Veterinary College Named Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine in Honor of Renowned LI Philanthropists
Partnership with Lewyt Trust will also Provide Scholarships, Staff Training Centers at Shelters, and Host Community Events
Brookville, NY. February 5, 2025 – Long Island University today announced that its Veterinary Medicine College will bear the name of renowned Long Island philanthropists, animal rights advocates and founders of one of the world’s largest shelter, North Shore Animal League Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt. It will be known as The Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine, under a $20.5 million agreement with the Lewyt Trust.
The Lewyt Trust will provide annual scholarships for selected students enrolled in the Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine, beginning August, 2025.
The agreement will also allow the University to provide staffing and support at animal shelters to be known as Lewyt Training Centers and perform a series of annual free community outreach programs where students will provide basic veterinary care, and distribute pet food and supplies to those in need.
“The Lewyt name is synonymous with humane and compassionate care for all animals, and through their Trust, Alex and Elisabeth’s philanthropy continues. Long Island University is honored to have their name on the College of Veterinary Medicine,” noted Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, President.
“With their strong devotion to Long Island, the Lewyts would be honored to have Long Island University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in their name,” says Wendy McColgan, who together with Thomas R. Amlicke serves as co-trustee of the Alex & Elisabeth Lewyt Charitable Trust.
The Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine is the only such school in the New York Metropolitan area and one of only four in the Northeast, along with Cornell, Tufts, and the University of Pennsylvania. It began enrolling students in 2020, with its first class graduating in May, 2024. Long Island University has substantially invested in enhancing existing research facilities and constructing a 33,000 square-foot state-of-the-art Veterinary Medicine Learning Center including an Animal Simulation Suite where students can perform examinations, surgeries and medical imaging on virtual patients.
Alexander Lewyt (1908 – 1988) was a visionary, inventor, and entrepreneur who held many patents but was best known for the Lewyt vacuum cleaner, a compact machine with no dust bag designed to operate without distorting television and radio reception. Elisabeth “Babette” Lewyt championed organizations that followed a no-kill policy for stray and abandoned pets. Together, the Lewyts were instrumental in saving countless animals from euthanasia, through philanthropy and hands-on work. From 1958 until his death, Alex was president of the North Shore Animal League and was credited with restoring it to solvency and turning it into one of the largest animal shelters in the country. Mrs. Lewyt served as chairperson of the North Shore Animal League board until her death.
About Long Island University
Long Island University, founded in 1926, is a leading research and teaching university that continues to redefine higher education by providing high-quality academic instruction by world-class faculty, serving more than 16,000 students from its Long Island and Brooklyn campuses. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its “value added” to student outcomes, the University is ranked in the top 7% of national research universities. LIU has a network of over 285,000 alumnus, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe. Visit www.liu.edu for more information.
World’s Largest Hedge Fund Founder Inspires Course
Students at the School of Business are learning from one of the highest achieving alumni in the nearly 100-year history of LIU: Ray Dalio, founder and co-chief investment officer of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates. Principles for Life, Work, and Impact, a course inspired by Dalio’s bestselling book Principles, teaches the transformative power of principles-based decision making by giving students hands-on experience through real-world projects. Dalio, Class of 1971, was ranked on the Time 100 List of Most Influential People in the World.
Renowned Pharmacy Alum Launches Wellness Institute
Alumnus Howard Murad, Class of 1962, an internationally renowned dermatologist, pharmacist, clinical professor, and founder of Murad Skincare Inc., will be establishing a new wellness initiative. The Howard Murad Inclusive Wellness Program seeks to integrate cosmetic science, beauty, and wellness by expanding the role of pharmacists in delivering more comprehensive health and beauty care to their patients.
Research Finds Cancer Risk in Topical Creams
Arash Dabestani, Dean of the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences co-authored groundbreaking new research published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The study, conducted alongside faculty atYale University, found a substantial portion of topical benzoyl peroxide (BPO) acne and rosacea treatments currently on the market are unstable and contain unacceptably high levels of benzene, a known human carcinogen.
LIU Wins Best of Long Island for Record 5th Straight Year
Long Island University won three top honors in the annual Bethpage Best of Long Island Contest. LIU was recognized as Best College or University, the Sharks earned Best College Sports Program and President Cline was named Best College President. This is the fifth year in a row LIU has earned recognition in Best of Long Island, the highest number of consecutive years since the contest began.