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LIU Post Student Thomas Liantonio Goes From Brain Surgery to Lacrosse Field

LIU Post Pioneers lacrosse player recovered from brain surgery to become top scorer in Tuesday's game.

Three months ago Thomas Liantonio had brain surgery. On April 17, the Miller Place native was the leading scorer on the LI Post men’s lacrosse team.

“We have a very, very good comeback story,” said News12 Long Island’s sports reporter James Stuart on the evening cable broadcast.

The Pioneers have won six games in a row. On Tuesday the leading scorer was Thomas Liantonio, the first time he’d led the team in goals in two years.

He’d  been off the field so he could recuperate. Last year he was diagnosed with myocarditis, a serious heart inflammation, and subsequently cured. Then in January of this year, he started suffering severe headaches. The doctor told him the reason was that he’d developed a brain tumor. He had surgery on Jan. 8. Three months later he was scoring goals for the Pioneers.

“What a turnaround! No one would have thought it,” Liantonio told the reporter. He scored four times and had one assist.

After Tuesday’s game, his Pioneers lacrosse coach Eric Wolf couldn’t have put it better. “He did awesome,” Wolf said.

LIU Brooklyn Dean Barry Eckert Elected to Two Accreditation Boards of Directors

LIU Brooklyn's Dr. Barry S. Eckert, Dean of the School of Health Professions

LIU Brooklyn Dean of the School of Health Professions Barry S. Eckert continues to be recognized for his prowess in academic accreditation.

On Monday, April 16, Dr. Eckert was re-elected to another three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Last week Dr. Eckert was re-elected to another term on the Board of Directors of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA).

“These are very important activities to me because I am able to participate in the process of accreditation of health professions programs, gaining higher levels of insight into accreditation and how decisions are made,” said Dr. Eckert. “In addition, these boards provide valuable information about future trends in accreditation as well as information about the U.S. Department of Education’s priorities. All of this is beneficial to LIU Health Professions programs and to my work as dean.”

The Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors is an association of organizations that evaluate the quality of programs in higher education for more than 100 different professions and specialized disciplines—from nursing to architecture, and physical therapy to engineering. According to ASPA, accreditation is the public recognition awarded to academic programs that meet established educational standards. It ensures that teaching, student achievement, curricula, academic support and other criteria meet certain levels of excellence and quality.

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is the largest programmatic accreditor of the health sciences professions. In collaboration with its 23 review Committees on Accreditation, CAAHEP reviews and accredits more than 2,100 individual education programs in 30 health science occupations.

LIU Post Hosts Successful Relay for Life

LIU Post held its annual Relay for Life with more than 600 students participating from 7 p.m. until midnight in the event at the Pratt Recreation Center.

With Pioneer pride running high, they raised more than $41,000 for the American Cancer Society on April 12.

Making a contribution was a moving experience for all those involved.

Samantha Adams, a freshman on the Relay for Life committee, helped to plan and organize the event because cancer has touched her life and she wanted to make a difference in the cancer fight.

“I relayed for my grandma and my little cousin,” she said. “I lost my grandma four years ago who had been diagnosed with leukemia. My little cousin had a tumor but thankfully, because of donations and available surgery, she had surgery and has been in remission for six years.”

Erica Ferrara, a junior on the committee, said participating in Relay for Life is “incredibly important” to her.

“It helps me to be able to help those who have been affected by cancer,” she explained. “I love being able to support such a great organization and working with my peers.”

This event is part of the LIU Cares service-learning initiative.

 

LIU Brooklyn Holds Interprofessional Education Event for Hundreds of Students

More than 550 LIU Brooklyn students from different health professions and majors came together in the gym at the Steinberg Wellness Center on April 12th for the sixth annual Interprofessional Education Event.

This event, which is held twice a year, is a joint effort of the School of Health Professions, the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (LIU Pharmacy) and the Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing.

“It is important for students to learn about Interprofessional Education as they enter their professions,” said Dr. Barry S. Eckert, Dean of the School of Health Professions at LIU Brooklyn. “Team-based health care is an important process that focuses the expertise of a team of professionals on the specific needs of each patient.”

Students from a wide range of programs break down into small interdisciplinary teams to discuss a case study they’ve never seen before in order to resolve an ethical issue in health care. A faculty member in each group helps facilitate the discussion.

The overall goals of the Interprofessional Education program are to develop core competencies in four areas: understanding roles and responsibilities of all professions, the values and ethics in health care, communication within the team, and teamwork dynamics and relationships.

“We have been holding these events for six years,” explained Dean Eckert. “These students utilize a case study to focus on a specific one of these competencies. We do a different case study in the fall from the one in the spring.”

The New York Times’ International Editor Tells LIU Post Students What It’s Like to Cover the World

Michael Slackman, The New York Times' international editor, shares his far-ranging experiences to students gathered at the Great Hall in Winnick House. (Photo by Nicholas Tangorra/LIU Pioneer)

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Michael Slackman, currently the international editor of The New York Times, shared his insights gained from a long career that has taken him from covering murders on Long Island to dodging bullets fired at him by a government helicopter during a protest in the kingdom of Bahrain.

As dozens of students lunched on pizza in the Great Hall at the Winnick House on April 12, Slackman recounted his experiences in other countries, talked about his work at Newsday and The Times, and took questions that ranged from the value of the written word in the age of social media to his opinion on President Donald Trump’s flagrant use of the term “fake news” to describe his present employer.

Slackman’s appearance at LIU Post was co-sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Arts Communications & Design. He was introduced by Nathaniel Bowditch, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who first met Slackman in Egypt when he was then The Times’ Cairo bureau chief and Dr. Bowditch was Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the American University in Cairo.

Since being named international editor in September 2016, Slackman now oversees more than 30 bureaus scattered across the globe as well as three hubs in London, Hong Kong and New York City. He admits he spends a lot of time traveling between them all.

“If you view the world through the prism of your experience, you’re going to get things wrong,” the seasoned journalist told the students. “Here we are, in a world more interconnected than at any time in human history, yet we often don’t really hear what is being said because we don’t know how to listen. Words matter. Language matters. Cultural context matters.”

Asked about the changes he’s seen now that journalism has firmly entered the digital era, Slackman was sanguine.

“I guarantee you that you are reading more news than I did when I was your age,” Slackman told the students, referring to Facebook, Twitter and Reddit, to name a few sources. “I no longer think about print; I think about content. I’m platform neutral.”

One student asked Slackman how he felt as an editor at The Times whenever President Donald Trump lets loose a tweet attacking his “failing” paper as a purveyor of “fake news.”

“I’m proud to be part of an American tradition that is about holding the powerful to account,” Slackman said. “We don’t view our role as opposition to Donald Trump. If the other side comes in, what are we, lackeys for the other side? When the president declares us ‘fake news,’ it’s propaganda as far as I’m concerned.”

Slackman admitted that the old days of relying on advertisers to bankroll journalism are long gone, but quality journalism is far from dead in America.

“I can tell you that there are more people that pay for The Times today than at any time in its history,” he said, citing some 3 million subscribers.

He asked the students what kind of country they want to live in.

“How important is it to you that we have a free and open press that sometimes may say things that make you uncomfortable but will give you a vehicle and those who are on your side or in your community an opportunity to be heard as well?” he said. “I hope we don’t lose that!”

Amneal Pharmaceuticals co-CEO Chintu Patel to Receive Honorary Degree at LIU Pharmacy Commencement

Renowned Entrepreneur to Receive Honorary Doctor of Science Degree

Chintu Patel, co-CEO and Chairman of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, which has grown to become one of the world’s largest generic drug manufacturers, will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (LIU Pharmacy) commencement ceremony on May 17, 2018, at 9 a.m. at the Barclays Center.

“We are honored to have a leader in the pharmaceutical industry like Chintu Patel at this year’s LIU Pharmacy commencement because he shares our commitment to quality, integrity and innovation,” said LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline.

Patel has spent his career developing superior and affordable medicines to benefit people around the world through research and development. He has more than 20 years of distinguished experience within the industry, starting with his career in Eckerd Pharmacy, where he won numerous awards.

With his brother Chirag, Patel co-founded Amneal Pharmaceuticals in 2002, based on their vision of building an innovative pharmaceutical company founded on quality and integrity. Amneal is one of the world’s fastest-growing generic drug companies. It is now in the Top 5 of the largest U.S. generic pharmaceutical companies by prescription volume, with 5,000 employees across North America, Europe and Asia. Patel’s passion for excellence in research and development and his therapeutic breakthroughs have also led him to invest in several independent healthcare companies — Asana Biosciences, Kashiv Pharmaceuticals, and Prolong Pharmaceuticals — specializing in innovative health-care platforms across many therapeutic areas.

Amneal’s corporate culture prides itself on the shared belief that the legacy of the company is based on a strong sense of family values, and that every employee is a member of the Amneal family.

He also serves on the LIU Board of Trustees.

“LIU Pharmacy’s vision and mission makes it a perfect fit for Mr. Patel,” said Dr. John M. Pezzuto, LIU Pharmacy Dean. “We work with industry leaders like Mr. Patel to create transformational opportunities for our students and faculty so they can have an impact all over the globe.”

Patel has been recognized by his peers on numerous occasions, including the 2011 Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Life Sciences.

He has been a strong advocate for both business and nonprofit endeavors. Patel serves on the boards of the Long Island Association and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He was honored by the Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation. He has been involved with Habitat for Humanity, as well as the international nonprofit organization KaBoom. With his wife, Falguni, he created the Irada Foundation, which focuses on health, education and community outreach in India and the United States.

 

Brooklyn-Born Hollywood Producer Michael Tadross to Serve as LIU Brooklyn Commencement Speaker

Michael Tadross, a Brooklyn-born producer who’s been a major Hollywood figure for over 30 years, will be the featured keynote speaker at LIU Brooklyn’s commencement ceremony on May 17, 2018, at 9 a.m. at the Barclays Center.

Tadross has produced a roster of smash hits at the box office for Warner Brothers, including “Sherlock Holmes” with Robert Downey, Jr., “I Am Legend” with Will Smith, and the upcoming “Ocean’s 8” starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna, due to be released in June.

“We are honored to have Brooklyn native Michael Tadross, who has made his mark in the film industry, as our speaker for this year’s commencement ceremony, honoring LIU Brooklyn’s Class of 2018,” LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline said.

Tadross’ producing credits also include “Hitch” for Columbia Pictures with Will Smith and Kevin James, “Basic” for Columbia Pictures with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, “Rollerball” for M.G.M. with Chris Klein, L.L. Cool J and Jean Reno, “The Thomas Crown Affair” for M.G.M. with Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo, “Indecent Proposal” for Paramount Pictures with Robert Redford and Demi Moore, “School Ties” for Paramount Pictures with Brendan Frazier, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and “Die Hard with a Vengeance” for 20th Century Fox with Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons and Samuel L. Jackson — the highest grossing worldwide film of 1995.

In addition to his film production, Tadross has also worked extensively in television, producing “When Will I Be Loved?” with Stephanie Powers, and “Deadly Illusion” with Billy Dee Williams, as well as more than 20 movies of the week. He started his career as a camera trainee and assistant film editor. As a music producer, he has earned one gold and two platinum records. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Tadross was born and raised in Brooklyn. He currently resides in New York City, Quogue, N.Y., Palm Beach, Fla., and Beverly Hills, California. He is married to Dr. Georgia Witkin, TV host and author of over 14 books. His son, Michael Tadross Jr., is a very successful independent film producer.

In addition to having served on the Board of Victory Memorial Hospital and Wagner College, his many honors include being made a member of the Honor Legion of the New York City Police Department, being given the State Achievement Award by Florida, The Governor’s Appreciation Award by Nevada, having The City of Yonkers declare Michael Tadross Day (June 12), and receiving the key to more than eight cities.

Tadross will receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.

He has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award and received The Movie Guide Award for best family-oriented film of 2006 (Hitch). He is cited in Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals.

 

 

The New Group and LIU Brooklyn Announce New Partnership

Jesse Eisenberg and Kunal Nayyar in The New Group production of "The Spoils." (Photo credit Monique Carboni)

Beginning in Fall 2018, the new B.F.A. Program in Acting for Theatre, Film, and Television will offer Master Classes and Internship Opportunities at LIU Brooklyn.

Two powerful New York institutions, Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn and the renowned theater company The New Group, have announced a new partnership to help train the next generation of great actors. Launching this fall semester, the new B.F.A program in Acting for Theatre, Film and Television will be founded on the studio model, in which students will study stage acting, voice and movement under the supervision and guidance of faculty in collaboration with the award-winning The New Group.

“This is an elite partnership which will allow LIU students to train alongside some of the biggest names in theater,” Long Island University President Kimberly Cline said. “The opportunities this partnership will create for our students exemplify what it means to study acting at a great New York institution. The New Group is responsible for so many important, iconic works, and we are excited to embark on this partnership.”

“The New Group has long been connecting with and giving back to our community through our education programs, but we have been wanting a more intensive relationship with a university, where we can connect students to our work and our family of artists in an ongoing way,” said Founding Artistic Director Scott Elliott. “This new collaboration with LIU is perfectly tailored. They have the vision and the resources to truly make something great out of this new acting program. I look forward to creating a studio program that embodies our ensemble acting model in all its facets.”

In addition to taking classes, students will attend The New Group’s performances as part of their studies and participate in talkbacks and master classes with renowned guest artists. Students will also be offered internship opportunities with the company.

Located in the heart of the Brooklyn arts community, LIU Brooklyn features world-class venues, including The Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, which showcases students in major performances during the academic year, and the historic LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, currently under renovation which will reopen in Fall 2019 as part of an entrepreneurial and experiential learning partnership with Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment.

For more information on the B.F.A. program in Acting for Theatre, Film and Television, please visit www.liu.edu/acting

About The New Group
The New Group is an award-winning, artist-driven company with a commitment to developing and producing powerful, contemporary theater. While constantly evolving, the company strives to maintain an ensemble approach to all its work and an articulated style of emotional immediacy in its productions. In this way, The New Group seeks a theater that is adventurous, stimulating and, most importantly, “now,” a true forum for the present culture.

The New Group’s current education programs provide opportunities for artistically inclined middle school, high school, college and adult students to experiment and take risks with forms of theatrical expression in an environment of trust and collaboration. Under the tutelage of New Group artists, students in the company’s programs are exposed to our process by creating original works as an ensemble. Working together in diverse teams, participating students channel creative impulses, develop craft and build confidence in their artistic talent and individual worth.

Notable productions include Good for Otto, by David Rabe, directed by Scott Elliott; Jerry Springer – The Opera, music by Richard Thomas and book & additional lyrics by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, choreography by Chris Bailey, and directed by John Rando; last season’s hit revival of Sweet Charity, choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, directed by Leigh Silverman with Sutton Foster; Wallace Shawn’s Evening at the Talk House, directed by Scott Elliott; David Rabe’s Sticks and Bones, with Holly Hunter and Bill Pullman; Joel Drake Johnson’s Rasheeda Speaking, with Tonya Pinkins and Dianne Wiest, helmed by Cynthia Nixon; Jesse Eisenberg’s The Spoils, with Jesse Eisenberg and Kunal Nayyar; Ecstasy, This is Our Youth, Aunt Dan and Lemon, Hurlyburly, Abigail’s Party, Rafta, Rafta…, The Starry Messenger, A Lie of the Mind, Blood From a Stone, Marie and Bruce, The Jacksonian, Intimacy, and many more. Since its founding in 1995, the company has received more than 100 awards and nominations for excellence, including the 2004 Tony® Award for Best Musical (Avenue Q). In 2011, The Kid received five Drama Desk nominations and the Outer Critics Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. That year, The New Group and Scott Elliott were honored with a Drama Desk Special Award “for presenting contemporary new voices, and for uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions.” Visit TheNewGroup.org for more information.

About Long Island University
LIU continues to redefine higher education, providing high quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its “value added” to student outcomes, LIU is an elite teaching and research university with a network of 200,000 alumni that includes industry leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe. LIU’s renowned faculty, the LIU Promise student mentoring program, and its ongoing innovation in engaged learning further distinguish LIU as a leader among the nation’s most respected universities. Visit liu.edu for more information.

 

 

Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CEO Brett Yormark to Serve as LIU Post’s 60th Annual Commencement Speaker; Rao Anumolu, President and CEO of ASR International Corp. to Receive Honorary Doctorate

L to R-- Brett Yormark, Lt. General Robert Caslen, and Rao Anumolu, will participate in LIU's commencement exercises on May 11.

Lt. General Robert Caslan, Superintendent of U.S. Military Academy at West Point to Keynote Ceremony for Doctoral, Master’s, and Dual Degree Candidates

One of today’s top impresarios in the world of sports and entertainment, Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment CEO Brett Yormark will be the featured keynote speaker at LIU Post’s commencement ceremony on May 11, 2018. Ceremonies for bachelor’s degree candidates will begin at 10 a.m. The doctoral, master’s, and dual degree candidates will receive their degrees at 2 p.m. in a separate ceremony with keynote speaker Lt. General Robert L. Caslen, Jr., Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

As CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Brett Yormark oversees the business enterprise that manages Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets, New York Islanders business operations, NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, Webster Hall, and the Nets’ G-League team, the Long Island Nets.

“As one of our region’s most dynamic business leaders, Brett Yormark is well positioned to honor the hard work of our graduates and inspire them to achieve their goals,” LIU President, Dr. Kimberly R. Cline said. “As a leading innovator and entrepreneur who gives back to the community, he embodies the values we work to teach at LIU.”

In addition to sports programming, Yormark has been instrumental in bringing some of the most popular names in music to Barclays Center and the Coliseum, including Jay-Z, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Metallica, and more. His venues have also hosted top shows in family entertainment, such as Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe Live, Cirque Du Soleil, and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Yormark has been honored with the Leadership Award by the Nassau County Firefighters Museum. He was named three times to the “Forty Under 40” list by Sports Business Journal, selected twice to the “40 Under 40” list by Crain’s New York Business, and has been profiled in Newsweek, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, Gotham, Hamptons, Success, The New York Times and USA Today. Yormark will also receive an honorary Doctor of Business degree.

LIU will also present an honorary degree to Rao Anumolu, President and CEO of ASR International Corporation, which he founded on Long Island in 1986.

Anumolu founded ASR with a handful of employees. Today, he has grown the business into a world-renowned high-tech company that provides engineering, information technology, training, and support services to global Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. It has a presence in all 50 states and 40 countries.

He has been cited by Congress for the contributions he and his firm have made towards homeland security in the United States, and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, recognized as one of the nation’s highest awards for individuals whose accomplishments inspired service to our nation and whose past recipients include six presidents of the United States and winners of the Nobel Prize. Anumolu has also been recognized by the American Society of Quality, the American Management Association, the President’s Council on Small Business, the Indo-American Friendship Council, the Indian Association of Long Island, the Nassau and Suffolk County Legislatures, the Telugu Association of North America, the American Telugu Association, and the World Business Forum.

Anumolu, who is member of the LIU Board of Trustees, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

“Rao Anumolu is the embodiment of the American dream and giving back,” President Cline said. “He is a great success story and has built a world-class company that has a tremendous global reach and reputation.  We are honored to have someone with his entrepreneurial spirit on our Board of Trustees.”

Lt. General Caslen became the 59th Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on July 17, 2013. He previously served as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq. Lieutenant General Caslen’s prior deployments and assignments include serving as the commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which oversees the Command and General Staff College and 17 other schools, centers, and training programs located throughout the United States; commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (Light); and commanding general of the Multi-National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters. General Caslen also received a Master’s Degree from LIU.  He will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the ceremony.

“General Caslen has dedicated his life to honorable service to our nation,” President Cline said.  “As a distinguished alumnus of LIU, we are honored that he is returning to share his perspective with our doctoral, master’s and dual degree candidates.”

 

 

LIU Brooklyn’s Honors College Physics Major Wins National Prize

LIU Brooklyn Associate Physics Professor Michael Kavic, left, and Assistant Physics Professor Matthew Lippert, right, stand with senior Michael Ramsey, who just won a top prize at a national honors society conference in Portland, Oregon.

Just reintroduced in the fall semester after a decades-long absence, LIU Brooklyn’s new physics major has begun with a big bang.

Michael Ramsey, an Honors College senior triple-majoring in physics, biology and psychology, has just won the Jim Kirby Prize in Physics, Geology and Astronomy at the national honor society Alpha Chi’s 2018 convention held April 5-7 in Portland, Oregon. This marks the first time an LIU student has won this prestigious academic award.

Facing a packed conference room on a Saturday afternoon, Ramsey delivered a 12-minute presentation entitled “Energy Extraction From Black Holes by Cosmic Strings,” which drew on research overseen by LIU Brooklyn Associate Physics Professor Michael Kavic and Assistant Physics Professor Matthew Lippert. Then the student had to explain himself.

“Little did I know that there were Ph.D. physicists sitting in the audience and they just grilled me with some very hard questions,” said Ramsey, who credited his professors for preparing him well by having him speak on this complex subject to students with no background in theoretical astrophysics. But this crowd unexpectedly had some experts facing him. Still, he remained confident, thanks to his firm grounding in the subject matter.

“I was able to stay poised,” Ramsey said.

Afterwards, one of those in attendance came up to Ramsey and congratulated him. “He told me that my mentors must have done a fantastic job teaching me,” Ramsey said. “He gave me a lot of praise. I had no idea that he was the person judging me!”

Ramsey didn’t learn that he’d won the Kirby prize until it was handed out at the convention’s closing ceremony Saturday evening. The prize is named after a long-time sponsor of the Alpha Chi chapter at Tarleton State University in Texas and a former member of the organization’s national council.

“This is the first year we’ve had our physics major and the fact that we won a nationally acclaimed award for that is a very big deal,” said Ramsey. “I think it reinforces what Professors Kavic and Lippert do—and it was great for them to know that.”

Kavic gave Ramsey kudos.

“It is a daunting thing for a student at that level to understand the complexities of a black hole,” Dr. Kavic said. “It is equally daunting for them to understand the complexities of a pulsar and the complexities of a cosmic string.”

Kavic credited his colleague Prof. Lippert for mentoring Ramsey. “Those two really worked shoulder to shoulder,” he said.

“All of us in the physics department are extremely proud of Michael’s achievement,” said Dr. Lippert. “He has been a student in now three of my classes. He stands out for his obvious interest and passion for the subject and his strong work ethic.”

Until Ramsey came to LIU Brooklyn, the southern California native hadn’t taken a physics class since high school, and he didn’t look forward to fulfilling the requirement that he take it for his biology major.

“I just did so poorly in it,” said Ramsey. “I hated math and I hated physics. I did everything I could to put it off for as long as I could.” But after his first week in his introductory physics class with Dr. Lippert, he was hooked.

Ramsey was recruited to play soccer for the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, where he became the goal-keeper on a varsity team that not only won the Division 1 championship two years ago but also went undefeated for the third time in the history of the conference. Ramsey said studying spin and rotation in his physics class actually made keeping a soccer ball out of the goal “a little bit easier!” Unfortunately, Ramsey suffered a season-ending injury his senior year when he tore his left shoulder trying to block a shot.

He was planning to become a doctor but now he is “rethinking things.”

“If I could be an astrophysicist and a neurosurgeon at the same time,” Ramsey said, “that’d be the best life I could possibly imagine for myself!”

Accompanying Ramsey at the convention were Dr. James Clarke, director of the Honors College at LIU Brooklyn, and Melissa Antinori, associate director of Honors College.

“He got some really tough questions from the judges and the other people in the audience who are engineers and physicists,” said Dr. Clarke. “They were testing the depth of his knowledge—and he came off like a graduate student or higher. He had a pretty tough group to compete with, and I just think he knocked one out of the ballpark.”

Dr. Clarke, who received a 2018 Distinguished Service Award for his regional work on behalf of Alpha Chi, was very pleased with how well LIU did in Oregon. “Having students who reach the bar of presenting research nationally is one of the indicators of a thriving program,” Dr. Clarke said.

“We did not have an active physics major for a long time,” observed Dr. Kavic. “We brought it back to life, and we’ve been incredibly lucky about the number and quality of students we’ve been able to attract.”

There are now 30 physics majors at LIU Brooklyn—and many more outstanding students like Michael Ramsey still to come.

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