Stony Brook Confers 1,820 Degrees

Identical Twins Received Identical MBA Degrees

STONY BROOK, NY – December 21, 2018 – Launching 1,820 talented graduates aged 19 to 71 into a promising future, Stony Brook University held its 21th annual winter commencement ceremony today in the Island Federal Arena.

During his commencement address, President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. highlighted key elements of the Stony Brook experience, congratulated the accomplished graduating class, and celebrated the University’s forward trajectory and diverse landscape.

“I know that behind each and every one of your degrees is a story of hard work, of passion for knowledge, and of challenges, but ultimately today, perseverance and sweet success,” President Stanley told the assembled class. “You are graduating at an extraordinary time for our country and the world. We face tremendous challenges, but also tremendous opportunities, and I am convinced more and more everyday that you and Stony Brook University are absolutely at the right place and the right time to make a positive difference in these difficult times.”

The commencement ceremony honored recipients of 995 Bachelor degrees, 670 Masters degrees, 110 Doctoral and Professional degrees and 60 certificates. The new graduates join 190,000 alumni who are already bringing Stony Brook expertise and spirit to all corners of the globe.

President Stanley cited a recent study showing that SBU is a proven path toward upward advancement for students from low-income households, far ahead of many of its better-funded peers, public and private.

“This is upward mobility, the key to ending income inequality. This is what we do at Stony Brook, and we’re proud of it,” he said.

Also celebrating at today’s commencement were MBA degree recipients and identical twins Christopher and Andrew Wheaton, who marked an interesting milestone: they received identical degrees after sharing every class of their academic career. They studied, faced deadlines, advised and pushed each other to complete their goals and their Masters degrees.

Student speaker Rian Leung, a Marine Sciences major who intends to pursue a career in environmental conservation addressed her fellow graduates. “Stony Brook has provided us with a community and family … that supports you unconditionally, that offers you guidance and advice, and one that is always cheering you on,” Leung said. “I leave here now knowing that I am not just one of 26,000 [students], but part of a family of 26,000.”

About Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University, widely regarded as a SUNY flagship, is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with nearly 26,000 students and more than 2,700 faculty members, and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S.News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 40 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University fuels Long Island’s economic growth. Its impact on the  Long Island economy amounts to $7.38 billion in increased output. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.

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