Faculty Student Association (FSA) Facilities Director Jeff Moss won the 2019 Long Island Business News Real Estate, Architecture and Engineering Award for Top Education Renovation for the new Market at West Side convenience store.
For Jeff Moss, the renovation of the convenience store at West Side Dining was about offering more to students. “The new Market at West Side is seven times the size of the previous store, and offers a lot more variety such as grab-and-go food and beverages including healthy snacks and local Long Island products as well as health and beauty aids. It also offers cooking essentials such as cookware and grocery items, addressing the needs of students living in apartments and cooking buildings.
The construction of the market was an eight-month project that he spearheaded. “We wanted to focus on meeting the needs of our students and set the standard for excellence in higher education retail locations,” Moss explained.
The results were a success, bringing the look of a high-end retailer to campus. Students’ excitement about the market was echoed by Long Island Business News (LIBN), which honors those who help create and build Long Island’s future, recognizing dynamic and successful leaders in the commercial real estate community. “It’s an incredible honor to receive this award not only because of how incredible the store came out, but also because of the remarkable people that collaborated to make this happen,” Moss said.
Outside of Jeff’s work on all facilities-related issues in FSA locations, he serves as a mentor for student interns who work within the Facilities Department. FSA offers summer internships that pair students with professional mentors to give them meaningful work experience related to their majors. Jeff mentors students aspiring to work in design, construction, and planning, including Mechanical Engineering major William Zhu ‘21. During Summer 2018, William served as a Facilities/Business Development Intern under Jeff’s guidance. “This internship has taught me to appreciate more than just the building itself,” William said. “I learned so much from him.”
“I want to teach students to appreciate not just the building aspect, but the teamwork that goes into construction projects,” Jeff said. Jeff points to the collaborative efforts that made the Market at West Side possible. “We overcame many difficult circumstances such as building the temporary outdoor market, but through the collaboration with CulinArt and the University’s Campus Planning, Design and Construction department we made it a reality.”
Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University, and has more than 25 years of experience in the food service industry, with expertise in facility design, construction and operations, preventative maintenance, and project management and compliance. Formerly, Jeff owned and operated various restaurants such as Pancho’s Border Grill in Great Neck and Bethpage, giving him the experience and knowledge to evaluate a business from all sides. “It’s all about helping students get the most of their time in college,” he said.
After his first year working at Stony Brook University, Jeff was awarded the Outstanding Service Award from the Division of Campus Residences for his work on the construction of Chávez and Tubman residence halls and dining facility, which also included a convenience store.
“From the residence halls to the dining locations, students should feel comfortable and supported, with anything they need available to them,” Jeff said. “I want students to feel excited about calling this campus their home.”
For more information on the award, click here.
Congratulations Jeff!! We love the market 🙂