Men’s basketball senior Ty Flowers was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 36 points against Sacred Heart to begin conference play. Flowers currently ranks in the top five in scoring and blocks, and top ten in rebounding and steals in the NEC while leading the Sharks to an undefeated record at home this season.
Prolific Researcher Named a 2021 Freedom Scholar
Orisanmi Burton ’09, a renowned scholar of social anthropology, Black studies, and prisons and policing, was named a 2021 Freedom Scholar by the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Group Health Foundation. The annual award provides support to emerging leaders in academia whose research encourages social justice reforms in our democracy, economy and society.
LIU Named ‘Best of Long Island’ for Second Straight Year
Long Island University won five top honors in the Bethpage Best of Long Island Contest, including Best College or University, Best College President, and Best College Sports Program for the second straight year. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts was also recognized as the Best Theatre Arts Center for the second year in a row, and women’s hockey Head Coach Rob Morgan won Best College or University Sports Coach.
Ron Cooper Named Sharks Head Football Coach
Coach Ron Cooper joins Shark Nation directly from #1 ranked University of Alabama. Cooper previously served as head coach at Eastern Michigan University, University of Louisville and Alabama A&M. He was also on staff at Texas A&M, LSU, University of Arkansas, University of Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Mississippi State.
Expanding Financial Tech Company Adds New Vice President
Michael Baez ’88, ’91 was selected as the vice president of professional services and customer strategy for Leasepath, a cloud-based intelligent workplace finance organization and customer engagement platform. Baez brings unmatched financial services experience having previously worked as a vice president for CitiGroup and a director of banking at Capgemini.
Researchers Develop Virtual Reality Training Tools for Counselors
Assistant Professor Dogukan Ulupinar and his graduate school colleagues developed an immersive and interactive video series called “Moments of Excellence in Counseling” for Mindscape Commons, the world’s first and largest database of virtual reality content for teaching and learning in the field of mental health.
Seasoned Special Education Leader Selected as BOCES Administrator
Jill Guzzardo ’04 was appointed to the administration at Nassau BOCES Children’s Readiness Center. Her wealth of experience includes roles as a special education teacher, unit coordinator, administrator of New York State Alternative Assessments, and specialized training in the treatment and education of autistic and related communication handicapped children.
Decorated Detective Appointed to County Prosecutor’s Office
Detective Ryan Durham ’07 was assigned to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, where he will serve as a member of the agency’s Grand Jury Unit. Durham’s law enforcement career includes twice receiving the Distinguished Service Award from the Gloucester County Police Academy, and twice receiving the New Jersey College & University Public Safety Association Meritorious Service Award.
Four Sharks Crowned Champions at Wilkes Invitational
Freshman James Johnston, sophomores Bryce Cockrell and Drew Witham, and graduate student Nunzio Crowley all finished as champions of their weight classes at the 2021 Wilkes Invitational. Their dominant performances led the Sharks to a first-place finish in the tournament.
Accomplished Entrepreneur Promoted to President
Paul Severino ’96 was promoted to president of Intelligent Product Solutions, an award-winning product design and development firm. Severino co-founded the company in 2007, serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer while expanding across North America and international markets.