Stony Brook School of Health Professions

08/04/2026

Camp Dream. Speak. Live. is more than a summer camp—it's a place where young people who stutter find confidence, community, and the freedom to communicate. 💙

Hosted by the Speech-Language Pathology program, the week-long program empowers children and teens through communication, self-advocacy, resilience, and connection—not by focusing on fluency, but by celebrating every voice.

At the same time, our graduate speech-language pathology students gain invaluable hands-on experience, learning what it truly means to support the whole person.

As one camper shared: "You come here and you see that you're not the only one that stutters... It makes you feel better about yourself."

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's camp an unforgettable experience for our campers, families, faculty, and student clinicians. 💛

Camp Dream. Speak. Live. is a free weeklong camp at Stony Brook University offering children who stutter a supportive environment to build confidence, communication skills, and self-advocacy through engaging activities and peer connections.

07/21/2026

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2025 DPT Clinical Education Awards. These awards are incredibly meaningful because they are selected solely based on outstanding student feedback and clinical evaluation reflections.

CLINICAL INSTRUCTORS OF THE YEAR:

• Thomas Sanders – Advanced S.P.O.R.T.S. Miller Place
• Walter Chomicki – Advanced S.P.O.R.T.S. Miller Place

CLINICAL SITES OF THE YEAR:

• Advanced S.P.O.R.T.S. Miller Place
• Professional Physical Therapy

Our students shared exceptionally high praise regarding their mentorship experiences:

"Tom was the most kind, patient, considerate clinical instructor that I have had... He always put my feelings and my learning style first. There is no one more deserving of recognition."

"Dr. Chomicki is incredibly adept at allowing students room to practice their skills and hone their own particular treatment styles, while simultaneously providing constructive feedback... I could not have asked for a better mentor."

Thank you to these incredible facilities and professionals for your unwavering commitment to mentoring the next generation of physical therapists!

We also want to give a heartwarming shoutout to our retiring PT faculty member, Dawn Blatt, who can be seen in the photos celebrating alongside our awardees. Thank you, Dawn, for your years of dedication to our program's excellence!

07/20/2026

Great news for future health professional students!

The U.S. Department of Education recently expanded its list of designated "professional" graduate degrees, increasing the federal student loan cap from $100,000 to $200,000 for eligible programs.

We are thrilled to see key fields within our School of Health Professions recognized under this definition, including:

🏋️‍♂️ Physical Therapy
🏃‍♀️ Athletic Training
👐 Occupational Therapy
🩺 Physician Assistant
🗣️ Speech Language Pathology

This expanded access to federal financial support empowers our students to pursue advanced clinical training, gain specialized expertise, and step directly into essential healthcare roles without hitting early funding barriers.

https://bit.ly/4hnXfXz

Posted Date June 29, 2026 Author Federal Student Aid Electronic Announcement ID GENERAL-26-42 Subject Update to List of Professional Degree Programs Due to Court Order (Updated July 10, 2026) Note Update on July 10, 2026:  On June 29, 2026, the Department published the list of Classification of Ins...

07/15/2026

Congratulations to Jeannie on this incredible honor!

We are proud to celebrate Jeannie's appointment to a three-year term on the ASCP Council of Laboratory Professionals, beginning November 20, 2026. This prestigious appointment recognizes her leadership, expertise, and dedication to advancing the laboratory profession.

Congratulations, Jeannie, on this well-deserved achievement. We know you'll make a meaningful impact, and we're excited to see all you'll accomplish in this important role!

07/06/2026

Congratulations to our outstanding faculty and partners on receiving prestigious recognition at the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Annual Conference!

We're proud to celebrate Dr. Danielle McDonagh, Program Director of the Radiation Therapy Program at the Mount Sinai Center for Radiation Sciences at Stony Brook, who was honored with the Radiation Therapist Distinguished Author Award for her contributions to the profession.

We also congratulate our partners at the Mount Sinai Health System, recipients of the BeRad Professionalism Award, recognizing their commitment to excellence and professionalism in patient care.

Finally, a special congratulations to Professor Joe Whitton, former Program Director of Stony Brook's Radiologic Technology Program, who was awarded ASRT Life Membership—the Society's highest honor. Since its establishment in 1964, only 48 individuals have received this distinguished recognition, a testament to Professor Whitton's extraordinary impact on the profession.

These achievements reflect the excellence, leadership, and dedication of our faculty, alumni, and clinical partners in advancing the future of medical imaging and radiation therapy. Congratulations to all!

07/03/2026

We are !

Congratulations to Dr. Agnes McConlogue Ferro and 12 Doctor of Physical Therapy students on the publication of their research, "Shall We ALL Dance?!" in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation.

Conducted in collaboration with the National Dance Institute and Teachers College, Columbia University, the study explored the perspectives of children with disabilities, their parents and caregivers, and their age-matched peers participating in the National Dance Institute's DREAM Project—an inclusive dance program in New York City co-founded by Dr. McConlogue Ferro, Kay Gayner, and Aileen Barry.

By amplifying the voices and lived experiences of participants, this collaborative research offers valuable insights into the impact of inclusive arts programming and reinforces the importance of creating spaces where every child belongs.

The publication was co-authored by Dr. Lori Quinn of Teachers College, Columbia University, whose expertise and mentorship were instrumental in bringing this work to publication.

The conclusion says it best: We shall ALL dance. 💙

Congratulations to everyone involved on this meaningful contribution to inclusive research and practice!

https://bit.ly/4wjhnOL

The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives of children with disabilities, their parents, and age-matched peers following participation in an inclusive dance program.Participants included...

06/29/2026

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Linda Vila to the School of Health Professions!

Dr. Vila joined SHP on June 15 as the Chair of the Department of Health Sciences, bringing decades of experience in higher education, healthcare leadership, and health law.

With nearly 30 years in academia, leadership roles across accredited health programs, and extensive experience in healthcare law, compliance, and risk management, Linda is passionate about preparing students for success through real-world learning and interprofessional collaboration.

A lifelong learner and dedicated mentor, she looks forward to partnering with faculty, staff, and students to create meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom.

Welcome to the SHP family, Dr. Vila! We're excited for all that's ahead.

06/15/2026

Huge congratulations to the newest members of Stony Brook University’s 40 Under Forty! 🎓✨

These exceptional alumni are shaping the future, making meaningful impacts in their fields, and lifting up their communities. They truly embody what it means to be a Seawolf.

Melissa H. Molina-Trinidad ’09
BS Health Science
Program Manager in Education Strategic Initiatives at NYU Langone Health’s Department of Surgery

Michael Mayrsohn, DPT ’12
DPT Physical Therapy
Chief Executive Officer of Metro Physical and Aquatic Therapy

Nickolas Srica ’14, MD
BS Health Science
Emergency Medicine Faculty Physician at Yale School of Medicine
Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine
Assistant Residency Program Director and Associate Clerkship Director at Yale School of Medicine

Ndome Yvonne Essoka ’12, Esq., MPH
BS Health Sciences
Human Rights Attorney at the New York City Commission on Human Rights

We can’t wait to celebrate their achievements and connect with the SBU community.

06/09/2026

We may have recently wrapped up National EMS Week, but we have to take a moment to give a massive shoutout to three of our own SBU Paramedic Program students who were recently honored at the Suffolk Regional EMS Council (REMSCO) Save Awards!

Current students Cameron Rothwell, Rylee Hoffer, and William Kane were recognized alongside our hospital paramedics and EMTs for their roles in multiple extraordinary, life-saving calls over the past year. In fact, Cameron and Rylee were involved in two separate cardiac arrest saves!

To receive the prestigious REMSCO CPR Life Saving Award, the field interventions must result in the patient being discharged from the hospital neurologically intact. It is the ultimate testament to the high-level, rapid clinical care these students are already delivering before they even graduate.

Please join us in celebrating our incredible students and all of our SBUH EMS award recipients:
Student Spotlights:
Cameron Rothwell & Rylee Hoffer (Two Cardiac Arrest Saves with Coram FD)
William Kane (Cardiac Arrest Save with Paramedic Noah Fisch, EMT Lauren Haas, SCPD 6th Precinct, & Coram FD)

SBUH EMS Honorees:
Lisa Anderson (Trauma Save)
Pete Amato, Tom Phelan, & Tyler Van Gorden (Cardiac Arrest Save)
Dennis Frankie, Michael Barnes, Michael Johnsonbaugh, & Erin O'Connor (Cardiac Arrest Save)
Amanda Irizzary, Grace McDermott, & RN Juan Serna (Critical Care Trauma Save)

05/28/2026

We are absolutely thrilled to share that the OT Program is the official winner of the NYSOTA Promote OT Challenge!

This achievement belongs to our incredible community. A massive thank you to everyone who stepped up—whether you were running tables, hosting events on and off-campus, juggling days, nights, and weekends, or assembling materials. Your dedication to being present for the occupational therapy profession is what made this possible!

A special shout-out to Inken Porchilo: Thank you for your endless enthusiasm, keeping us and our students on point, and encouraging everyone to bring their most creative ideas to the table. You kept everyone cheering!

We can’t wait to celebrate officially at the annual conference in October! Thank you, , for this incredible honor.