Seawolves Earn National Recognition for Blood Donation Efforts

After collecting more than 36,000 pints of blood through a 20-year partnership with the New York Blood Center — an effort that has been estimated to save more than 110,000 lives — Stony Brook University has been named the 2026 School Partner of the Year by the Association for Blood Donor Professionals (ADRP).

The ADRP is an international organization focused on advancing blood donation and transfusion practices. The award recognizes the years of collaboration between Stony Brook University and the New York Blood Center (NYBC), as well as the commitment of the entire university community, which has made an effort to donate or support. 

The university was nominated for the award by Yadira Navarro, director of community and stakeholder relations at the NYBC.

Generations of Seawolves have contributed to the university’s recognition, from goal-shattering student-run blood drives held every month on campus to the numerous individual donations at the Stony Brook University Hospital blood bank. 

“I’m just so proud that Stony Brook is being recognized for the effort that we’ve done,” said Zachary Don, a senior in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program at Stony Brook and president of the Student Blood Drive Committee. “I’d be lying if I said it was hard, because this is just who we are at Stony Brook. Seawolves are always ready to donate and show out, and we’ve seen continued success, especially since COVID, when donations dropped elsewhere, but ours rose.”

Don was selected by university leaders to travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the ADRP 2026 Annual Conference, May 12-14, to accept the award in person. He will be representing not only the work of the current Student Blood Drive Committee but also decades of past donors and volunteers, including those who responded in the aftermath of 9/11 and during other critical shortages.

“We are incredibly honored to receive the 2026 ADRP School Partner of the Year Award,” said Richard Gatteau, vice president for Student Affairs. “Much of this effort has been spearheaded by our outstanding Seawolf and campus champion, Zachary Don, so we are grateful for his leadership and the lasting impact of his work.”

Gatteau and many other campus leaders emphasized how widespread the spirit of giving and donating is on campus, spreading wider than students and staff to the broader community. 

Kate Valerio, host of WUSB’s Health Matters as well as advisor and volunteer with the Student Blood Drive Committee, echoed these sentiments about the strength of community. 

“We want this award to shine on everyone who has ever shown up to a drive, staffed a table or worked behind the scenes,” Valerio said. “Every pint has a story, and together those stories are why Stony Brook is being recognized on an international stage.”

The award also brings visibility to the Clinical Laboratory Science Program, whose students are essential to the blood collection and testing at Stony Brook. Faculty such as Jeannie Guglielmo, clinical associate professor and chair of the program, have worked to ensure that students, like Zach, are trained for real-world laboratory work and to be community-minded healthcare professionals. 

“This recognition underscores the essential role our students play in advancing patient care and public health,” said Guglielmo. “Zach is exceptionally deserving of this honor; he exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism, leadership and dedication.”

Guglielmo also pointed to hands-on initiatives like the Get Typed! event, where students learn blood typing and transfusion fundamentals, as an example of how the program connects classroom learning to real-world impact.

As Don prepares to accept the award on a national stage, he emphasized that the honor belongs to the entire Stony Brook community. 

“This is the voice and spirit of everybody,” Don said. “It’s something we have built together.”

— Lily Miller