From individual accomplishments to exciting events, here are our top stories from each month.
Panther pride was on full display in 2024, another successful and inspiring year at Adelphi. Here are our selections of our top stories featured on our news site.
January
Carl the Collector became the first PBS animated series starring a character on the autism spectrum. Stephen Shore, EdD, clinical associate professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences and a globally recognized expert on autism who is on the spectrum himself, was called in to advise. He was also quoted in The New York Times about the show.
February
Justyna Widera-Kalinowska, PhD, professor of chemistry, was appointed director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works. In this role, she will support and work with faculty to offer more scholarly activities for undergraduates.
March
To kick off Women’s History Month, Adelphi hosted its annual Women’s Leadership Conference. Titled “The Era of Embracing Change: Dare To Be Extraordinary,” the conference, now in its seventh year, was the most highly attended ever. Women—and men—across professions and career stages came together to attend workshops and roundtable discussions, network and be inspired by guest speakers who are leaders in their respective fields.
April
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman ’73, ’02 (Hon.), helped launch Adelphi’s first literary festival on April 5–6, an event to celebrate storytelling and the power of the imagination. The event was later covered in print and online in Adelphi University Magazine.
Adelphi celebrated a momentous achievement during its seventh annual Giving Day. The community rallied together to raise $684,564 from 2,011 donors—both Giving Day records. The funds raised will support more than 21 causes and programs, including academic scholarships, cutting-edge research projects, athletics and support for the Adelphi Fund.
May
More than 1,000 graduating seniors walked across the stage at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and more than 900 master’s and doctoral degrees were granted at the University’s 128th Commencement ceremony. Separate ceremonies were held for the conferring of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively, each featuring an honorary degree recipient/Commencement speaker. Eduardo Vilaro ’85, artistic director and chief executive officer of Ballet Hispánico, delivered the address at the undergraduate student ceremony, and Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA ’13, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health, delivered the address at the graduate student ceremony.
President Christine M. Riordan and other outstanding Adelphi leaders shared words of encouragement, new perspectives and compelling life stories with the Class of 2024 at the University’s Commencement ceremonies. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” Alexa Amato ’23, MA ’24, president of the Graduate Student Council, told her classmates.
June
Capping off an exceptional year for Adelphi University Athletics, the program won all three of the 2024 Northeast-10 Conference Presidents’ Cups—the NE10’s highest honors given to the top-performing programs in the conference. Highlights this year: a hard-fought national championship for men’s lacrosse and a run to the national title game for women’s lacrosse.
Under the guidance of Kevin Liang, PhD, assistant professor of physics, six computer science majors made Adelphi history competing in a prestigious NASA competition.
July
The men’s lacrosse team was hosted by the White House on Monday, July 22, as part of the Biden administration’s second annual NCAA Sports Day. The special event, held on the South Lawn, celebrated the achievements of every 2023–2024 NCAA national champion from across the country.
August
This summer, six undergraduates made new discoveries—inside and out of the lab–under the guidance of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works.
From shadowing surgical technicians at an eye bank to researching nanotechnology in Poland, students spent the summer of 2024 having extraordinary internship experiences.
Adelphi announced the largest fundraising initiative in its history: The Momentum Campaign: Extraordinary Impact.
September
More than 100 Adelphi students gathered in Blodgett Hall to watch the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
October
The Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program, which is housed within the School of Social Work, was awarded a significant five-year grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a groundbreaking program to support and enhance the quality of life for young women diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as metastatic breast cancer patients and their families.
In time for the then-upcoming presidential election, senior Joseph D’Andrea worked with University Libraries to curate an exhibit of his political memorabilia. Titled American Ideas in Full Color, it focused on the importance of being an active participant in society and showcased historical and political memorabilia dating back to the 1900s.
Students, faculty and staff celebrated our eighth annual Spirit Weekend on September 27–29 with a full schedule of events, including the naming of our Prestigious Panthers and Spirit Court.
November
The Wall Street Journal ranked Adelphi as the top university on Long Island in its 2025 list of America’s Best Colleges.
The Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences launched an innovative new PhD in Learning Sciences program.
Will Coss ’17 returned to Adelphi to speak at Matriculation and give his insights into his role as vice president and executive producer for Macy’s Studios.
In response to the growing demand for mental health services across the United States, the College of Nursing and Public Health announced the launch of its new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Psychiatric-Mental Health.
December
The American Psychological Association Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (APA Division 29) presented J. Christopher Muran, PhD, professor and dean of the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, with its 2024 Distinguished Psychologist Award for Contributions to Psychology and Psychotherapy.
We looked back at how our students have spent their vacations doing community service around the world and look forward to the upcoming winter 2025 alternative break in Lisbon, Portugal.