Dr. Ali Mazzara, dean of LIU Global and director of the Roosevelt School, was one of three women recognized by the National Organization of Italian American Women at the New York Region’s Epiphany Celebration. Dr. Mazzarra was recognized alongside Dr. Angela Christiano, a geneticist at Columbia University, and Lisa Veglia, Chief Executive Officer of QSAC (Quality Services for the Autism Community).

Olympic fencer Dwight Smith, a four-time USA National Team member, appointed as head Coach for the men’s and women’s fencing programs. In 2021, Smith was an Olympic alternate for USA Fencing, and traveled with the team as a training partner to Tokyo. He has medaled at multiple national championships, including a silver in 2015, and earned bronze at the 2019 North America Cup Olympic qualifier. Last year, Smith was selected national assistant coach of men’s epee for USA Fencing.

The White House Experience at The Roosevelt School added another media spotlight with Newsday’s “exploreLI” cover story. The feature article highlighted a recent visit from Uniondale and Oceanside high school students as they toured the replica of the White House Oval Office, Situation Room, and Press Briefing Room. The only White House replica in the Northeast, this experience has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fox, NBC, American History TV, The New York Times, and other national media outlets.

Long Island University won four top honors in the Bethpage Best of Long Island Contest. LIU was recognized as Best College or University, the Sharks earned Best College Sports Program, President Cline was named Best College President and Head Coach Ron Cooper won Best College or University Sports Coach in Football.

LIU hosted the of South Africa’s UN ambassador Mathu Joyini and her colleagues for a special visit to the Roosevelt School. The distinguished guests visited to Sagamore Hill, the historic home of the President Theodore Roosevelt. In addition to Joyini, LIU students met with Dr. Shernice Soobramoney, Director of Global Engagement at North-West University in South Africa.

LIU senior Maya Radwan was selected as a scholar for the Ibrahim Student Leadership and Dialogue Program in the Middle East. Radwan spent three weeks over winter break traveling in Egypt, Jordan, and Washington, DC with a group of 20 other students from across the country. Radwan, a psychology major, is co-founder of the LIU Honors Journal and winner of the prestigious Jeanette K. Watson Fellowship.

The LIU cheerleading and dance teams won national championships for a second straight year. The combined Sharks team won the Open Spirit Program Game Day division at the College Nationals Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and Universal Dance Association (UDA), national championships at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. LIU topped St. John’s, the University of Puerto Rico and Northwest Missouri State in the finals.

Authority Magazine featured the expert insight of Davinder Athwal, ’95, in an article on “What You Need to Succeed in The Modern World of Finance.” Athwal is the Chief Financial Officer for Phenom, a global recruiting firm that uses artificial intelligence to help companies streamline their hiring processes. The publication has interviewed prominent authorities across industry, including Marc Cuban, Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, Jane Goodall, Jillian Michaels, Floyd Mayweather, Maria Shriver, Shaquille O’Neal, Jenny Craig and Venus Williams.

National media outlets are heaping praise on The Peer Effect, a new book
co-authored by Dr. Syed Ali, Professor of Sociology. In interviews with the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, Dr. Ali unpacks the book’s insights on how peers can influence one another beyond school performance. Dr. Ali is the recipient of two Fulbright fellowships and former editor for Contexts Magazine, an official publication of the American Sociological Association.

LIU Pharmacy students organized a registration event for bone marrow donations on the Brooklyn campus. Twelve heroic students signed up to become marrow donors. The event was held in collaboration with Gift of Life, a national nonprofit that facilitates transplants for children and adults suffering from life-threatening illnesses.