Robert Blount ’07, head football coach at Oceanside High School, was named a New York Jets High School Coach of the Week. Now in his 13th season, Blount is the winningest coach in Oceanside history. He was a four-year starter at quarterback for LIU, finishing his college career as the University’s all-time leader in passing yards, total offense, and touchdown passes.

Richard Katzenstein ’83 was named head of strategic partnerships for Ready Capital Corporation, where he is charged with increasing commercial real estate lending volume through a variety of existing and newly formed strategic partner relationships and strengthening loan sourcing channels.

Intelligent.com ranked LIU as a best university in the nation in nine categories on its “Best Colleges of 2022” list. The respected college ranking source recognized LIU as a best college in New York, with a best homeland security degree program, best master’s degree in taxation, best master’s degree in library science and more.

Joshua Lafazan, Nassau County legislator and LIU adjunct professor, was named to the prestigious Forbes “30 Under 30” list for his achievements in education. He currently teaches innovative courses at LIU on how to run for elected office and how to start local, community-based businesses or nonprofit organizations.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Chelsea De Jesus ’20 as an Empire State Fellow. This full-time leadership training program recognizes rising talent in the public service area and prepares the next generation of professionals for careers as New York State policy-makers. De Jesus will support projects across the Executive Chamber’s Constituency department with a concentration on women’s affairs.

Women’s hockey star goalkeeper Tindra Holm was named the National Rookie of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners Association. Holm ranks in the top 10 nationally in save percentage among Division I goalkeepers. She has led the defending-champion Sharks to a commanding first-place lead in the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance with a 10-0 record against conference opponents.

Students in the Fashion Merchandising Program partnered with The Community Thrift Shop in Huntington to design attractive thematic and seasonal displays that maximize sales in the store. This experiential learning opportunity allows the students to work on signage, messaging, photography and social media to broaden the customer base. Net sales from the shop directly benefit the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk.

Tannaz Zafarnia and Magnus Yoshimura came in first and second place respectively in the veterinary division at the 21st Annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Welfare Assessment Contest (AWJAC). The College of Veterinary Medicine also placed first in the veterinary division team event ahead of Ohio State and Michigan State.

Students at the LIU Palmer School of Library and Information Science digitized a collection of society photographer Bert Morgan’s never-before-seen photos of Southampton’s wealthiest residents and celebrities at various events. This groundbreaking “Digitizing Local History Sources” project was featured in several media outlets including Dan’s Papers and Patch.