1,605 Degrees Conferred at Stony Brook University’s December Commencement Ceremony
![]() |
STONY BROOK, N.Y., December 23, 2016
– Stony Brook University held its 19th annual December commencement ceremony in the Island Federal Credit Union Arena, where more than 1,600 students had their degrees conferred. Stony Brook’s newest undergraduate, graduate and doctoral alumni join more than 155,000 fellow Seawolves who are living and working around the globe.
![]() |
President Stanley with December 2016 graduate |
Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. paid tribute to the diversity and the welcoming climate of Stony Brook, stating, “the extraordinary diversity, both from our students from the US, and from our very strong international students, creates a unique environment. Stony Brook is not a University where everyone looks the same, has the same religious or ethnic background, sexual orientation, ability, or socioeconomic background. And we celebrate that diversity because it makes us stronger.”
“In these tumultuous times, I hope you will use your Stony Brook education, not just the remarkable academic components, but your experiences in working and living side by side with some amazing people, to help create a welcoming, inclusive, and productive environment wherever you go,” Dr. Stanley said.
Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) addressed the graduating class, urging them to follow their dreams. “My advice to the Class of 2016 is simple: go for it,” Sen. Schumer said.
![]() |
President Stanley and Arafun Azad |
- EOP/AIM students Anel Gomez and Arafun Azad, who credit their academic and personal successes to advising, mentorship and the support received through the program, received bachelors’ degrees in history/sociology and psychology, respectively.
- Alec Day, President of Stony Brook Game Developers and member of the underrepresented community in STEM fields. He received a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
- Emily Ostrander, who began taking courses at Stony Brook since she was 15. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from the English Honors Program. Emily has been deemed one of the best TAs ever to assist in the English Department and will continue to use her teaching abilities as a children’s librarian in the public library system of New York after graduation.
![]() |
Anel Gomez |
![]() |
Alec Day |
![]() |
Emily Ostrander |
-
835 Bachelor’s Degrees
-
620 Master’s Degrees
-
120 Doctoral and Professional Degrees
-
55 Certificates
Stony Brook University’s spring 2017 commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 19, 2017 at the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
For more information visit, https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/commencement/
Part of the State University of New York system, Stony Brook University encompasses 200 buildings on 1,450 acres. Since welcoming its first incoming class in 1957, the University has grown tremendously, now with more than 25,700 students and 2,500 faculty as well as over 175,000 alumni worldwide. Its membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. U.S. News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 100 universities in the nation and top 50 public universities, and Kiplinger names it one of the 35 best values in public colleges. One of four University Center campuses in the SUNY system, Stony Brook is part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, putting it in an elite group of universities that run federal research and development laboratories. The Center for World University Rankings lists Stony Brook in the top 1 percent of institutions worldwide. It is one of only 10 universities nationwide recognized by the National Science Foundation for combining research with undergraduate education. As the largest single-site employer on Long Island, Stony Brook is a driving force of the regional economy, with an annual economic impact of $4.65 billion, generating nearly 60,000 jobs, and accounts for nearly 4 percent of all economic activity in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and roughly 7.5 percent of total jobs in Suffolk County.