Alumnus Chris R. Vaccaro, MA ’11, has incorporated his passions — civil engagement, journalism, baseball and Italian American heritage — into everything he does. And he attributes many of his professional successes to the skills he developed at Stony Brook University.
Whether it’s been analyzing budgets at The Topps Company and Altice USA, getting involved in his local community and school district, teaching at Hofstra University, running the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame or founding the Italian American Heritage Society of Long Island (partnering with Stony Brook’s Center for Italian Studies), Vaccaro believes Stony Brook prepared him to make a difference as a leader, organizer and community advocate.
A Stony Brook University 40 Under Forty honoree, Vaccaro was the director and executive producer of Mission Classic, a documentary that follows the Italian National Baseball Team’s journey to the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Vaccaro traveled to Italy with the Italian American Baseball Foundation to interview players and film their practices ahead of the World Baseball Classic. The film premiered at the 40th annual Milano Federation of International Cinema Television Sportifs Fest in Italy, and the three-part series is now available on YouTube.
Read a Q&A with Vaccaro on Stony Brook Matters.
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