Student Profiles
Hometown: Mount Sinai, N.Y.
Year: Senior
Major: Marine Vertabrate Biology
With her Veterinary Technology license in hand and a clear-cut goal of attending veterinary school after graduation, Caralyn Schwartz finds Stony Brook Southampton the ideal place to get the education she needed to follow her dream.
"I wanted zoology, and the only school that offered that as a major was in upstate New York," she says of her choice to enroll here. "I looked at Stony Brook Southampton's marine vertebrate biology curriculum, and it interested me, because it was very animal-based. I also liked the small class size."
One visit to the campus reinforced Caralyn's decision. "I thought that it was very open, and I liked the windmill, and it seemed like a good option," she says.
The proximity of the ocean to the campus was a huge factor as well: with a marine center just steps from the dock, getting from the research vessel to the lab and back to campus would be easy. Caralyn says of the biological oceanography class she took with Professor Chris Gobler, "In almost every class we were out on the boat, and we would take samples and immediately go back to the lab, immediately look at the samples under a microscope and assess them. The lab for that class was maybe fifty feet from the boat."
In addition to classes, Caralyn works at a local animal hospital as a veterinary technician. She has also found no shortage of opportunities to explore other options, such as conservation work with animals. Through her department she got an internship at the nearby Riverhead Foundation, a marine mammal and turtle rescue organization, over the summer, where she helped rescue wild seals.
Last year Caralyn was involved in Stony Brook Southampton's student newspaper. She has also been active in starting an acting and theater club this year on campus.
When asked about her future veterinary plans Caralyn says she will probably not go the conventional route, but will likely look for work in a research or conservation setting.
"I love dogs and cats but I want something more exciting," she explains. "That's the beauty of being a veterinarian. One year you can be working in an elephant reserve in Africa and the next year you can come home and work in a medical lab, helping to develop drugs. And then you can open your own practice. The variety really appeals to me."
Hometown: Owego, N.Y.
Year: Junior
Major: Marine Vertebrate Biology
Forget your dog Spot or your cat Simba. Cephalopods—squid, octopi, and cuttlefish—are off the chain. "I find them fascinating," says Anthony Patelunas.
Anthony discovered these creatures in his marine vertebrate biology classes. "They're some of the most intelligent invertebrates on the planet," he says. "Did you know that the cuttlefish can change the color and texture of its skin, as fast as it can see? I'd love to do behavioral studies of them, or learn more about their camouflage."
The lure of the sea convinced Anthony to transfer to Stony Brook Southampton. "The ocean's right here," he says, "and so is the marine field station with all the boats and equipment."
In the biological oceanography course Anthony took with Chris Gobler, he went out on one of the colleges research vessels eight times to conduct water sampling in the Shinnecock Inlet and Sag Harbor. He plans to go on to graduate school for neurobiology and hopes to become a marine sciences professor, so he can share his passion with others.
Anthony is an R.A. on campus, was lieutenant governor of the student government’s board of finances, and is starting an Ultimate Frisbee club. "I like interacting with and helping fellow students," he says.
For him, Stony Brook Southampton was an obvious choice. "It's a new and developing campus, so there's plenty of room to create your own experience," he notes. "The faculty-student ratio is small. It's a personal, one-on-one environment and you get to know your professors. It's easy to spend an extra five minutes after class just chatting with them, or to go to their office. They're very welcoming. The whole staff here is very warm."
Location played a big part in his decision, too. "It's beautiful here," Anthony says. "There's a lot of history on campus. And there are towns on Long Island's East End that are fun to wander in and explore."
Hometown: Riverhead, N.Y.
Year: Senior
Major: Marine Sciences
After visiting Florida in high school, Terra Dunlop confirmed what she already knew in her heart: she wanted to study marine sciences. When she heard that Stony Brook Southampton was offering such a program, and that it was taught by the same top-notch faculty she'd have at the University campus, Terra was there.
"Stony Brook's marine sciences program has a great reputation, and it's affordable," she says. With the Shinnecock Inlet adjacent to the campus marine station, total immersion into the physics and life of the ocean has been supremely satisfying for Terra.
With interests that include the turf as well as the surf, Terra is making her mark all over campus. She is one of the founders of the Garden and Greenhouse Club, in which she and her classmates plant, tend, and harvest of vegetables and herbs, with guidance from professor and longtime organic gardener Jim Hoffmann. Their labors yield tasty produce and first-hand experience in plant ecology. Blueberries like acidic soil, so the group became experts in soil composition and pH balance. In this completely organic garden, a thorough understanding of plant pathogens and biological pest control is a must. And following the example of Native Americans, the club planted "three sisters"—corn, beans, and squash—in the time-honored, environmentally sound tradition of companion planting.
Terra has big plans for the garden's future. Using connections made at her part-time job with nearby Garden of Eve organic farm, she's organizing a harvest festival with regional growers. She and fellow club members are developing community outreach programs that will bring local residents to the garden to learn the benefits of fresh, locally grown food.
In addition, Terra serves on the Board of Finance, the functional student government of the college, and she helped start the Commuter Students Association. She tutors students in calculus, and in her spare time works in both the registrar’s office and the office of the Dean of Students.
"If there's something you love, like organic gardening, there are awesome opportunities at this school to pursue it," says Terra. "My advice to new students is start a club, create traditions, get involved."
Hometown: Islip Terrace, N.Y.
Year: Freshman
Major: Environmental Design, Policy and Planning
Minor: Environmental Studies
From the bottom of a tank at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, New York, Michelle Felipe watched a giant turtle and sand sharks swim past her and decided that joining the scuba club had been a good move.
"It was amazing," says the freshman. "They scuba'ed us up and lowered the cage—just my friend and the dive master and me. It was probably the best thing I've ever done."
The scuba, gardening, and sailing clubs Michelle belongs to at Stony Brook Southampton add a huge amount of fun to her busy schedule as a first-year student in the Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning program. Not only do they play a part in where she wants to live ultimately — here on Long Island, surrounded by water — but the gardening club ties directly into her plans to be a landscape architect and to run her own business someday.
"I knew in high school that was what I wanted to be," Michelle says, "so I researched colleges that focused on the environment. My guidance counselor told me that Stony Brook Southampton was a new school and it would be a great opportunity for me. Then my dad brought me here and we took a tour.
"We came in the dead of winter and, oh my gosh, the winds were so cold. But we walked up to the windmill and as soon as I saw the ocean, I said this is definitely where I want to be."
Michelle was inspired to go into landscape architecture by her uncle, a horticulturist, who lives in California, where she grew up. Since she loves to draw and to be outdoors enjoying nature, the field presents the perfect combination for her talents.
"I plan on going to graduate school and maybe working for someone who has a really good business going in landscape architecture, so I can learn the steps of running that type of business," Michelle says. "On Long Island we have all four seasons, so during winter I can get a lot of sketching and plans done for the spring and summer to come. And at this college I can learn about landscaping and how to do it in an eco-friendly way—making sure that I'm using the right soil and the right plant for the zone it’s in. That’s what Southampton does."
Even though her first-year classes don’t yet include science, Michelle is delighted with how they're going. "The classes are small and really interactive. You can definitely get in touch with your professors and talk to them during office hours and after class."
She hopes to begin taking landscaping classes next year and adds with a laugh, “My family is already saying, come work on my lawn.”
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Year: Freshman
Major: Environmental Studies
Kenny Zhu remembers seeing a documentary when he was seven about global warming and the extinction of the human race. "It made a big impression on me," he says. "By the time I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to focus on helping solve the world’s environmental problems."
After four years in the environmental club in his high school, Kenny looked for a university that offered the program he wanted in a setting near his family's home in Brooklyn. Stony Brook Southampton — with its small classes and train station close by — fit the bill.
"I've become really close friends with a lot of people," Kenny says. "People say that in college you'll be good friends with only ten people, but here, because it's so small, you get to know everybody. It's like a family."
So far Kenny has been taking the first-year core classes. "I really like my writing class, even though it's at 8:20 in the morning. My professor, Julie Sheehan, has helped me a lot with my writing. She sometimes has these strokes of brilliance that she gives to her students. I was in her class last semester, and now I have her for writing 102."
Outside of class, Kenny is the vice president of the newspaper club and treasurer of the environmental club. He also belongs to the innovative trends club, which explores new technologies in the renewable energy field. "At one meeting we talked about a type of renewable energy that's being used in Peru," he explains. "They have a machine that makes electricity from the movement of the ocean waves. I find that fascinating."
Kenny is considering a minor in business management and hopes to land an internship with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he'd like to work after graduation. His ultimate goal: "To be one of those people who cracks down on companies that damage the environment."
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Year: Freshman
Major: Marine Sciences
A train ride away from her home in Brooklyn, N.Y., freshman Jayvette Roberts-Romain is quick to point out what she loves about living at Stony Brook Southampton.
"I like waking up in the morning and smelling salt water," the Marine Sciences major says with a smile.
Jayvette discovered her passion for the ocean while taking a summer course in marine biology at Brooklyn College. She wanted to go away to college, but at the same time not be too far from home. She was also looking for a change from the metropolis.
"The intimate setting helps me focus on my work," Jayvette says. "I like knowing everybody's name and how everybody knows my name, and nothing beats the scenery and the relaxed pace here."
Between her busy class schedule, Jayvette works at the waterfront marine station helping crew members ready the research vessel before launch and assisting in the lab. She hopes her duties expand to helping professors set up laboratory equipment for class.
"Being that I'm going to be taking those classes, I'll be getting a heads up," she says.
The job is also helping Jayvette save for a car so she can get back and forth to Brooklyn. Right now, the Long Island Rail Road is an easy and convenient way for her to see her family.
With plenty of clubs to choose from, Jayvette has become very involved in campus life. She is working to help Southampton students establish their new student government, and she's active in the volleyball club. She's also thinking about joining the gamers and surfing clubs as the year goes on.
Her plan is to go for a master's degree in marine sciences after she graduates, and along with that to pursue an acting career. "If I get a break acting, I'll use the money to start my own aquaculture farm," Jayvette says. "I might raise tilapia, salmon, or flounder for public consumption." After a pause, she adds, "I might minor in business, I suppose!"
Hometown: Rocky Point, N.Y.
Year: Junior
Major: Environmental Studies
Lucas Merlo's internship with the Suffolk County Department of Health last summer gave him a close-up-and-personal view of Long Island’s water.
"I worked three days a week in the County's bacteriology lab in Hauppauge, testing water samples for various unfriendly bacteria," Lucas explains. "We tested well water and water from local parks and rivers, and we tested every beach on Long Island every three days. If a beach was closed because of too much bacteria, it was our office that made that determination."
On the other two days, when he wasn't working in the lab, the environmental studies major was in a kayak in the Peconic River, picking an invasive weed that has been threatening to take over Long Island's fresh water sources. His engrossing work that summer made Lucas all the more sure he was headed in the right direction with his education and career plans.
"I'd like to be an ecologist, working somehow with the plant environment," he says. "I enjoy both forest and marine ecology."
A junior who transferred to Stony Brook Southampton a year ago, Lucas is enjoying Professor Jim Hoffman's ecology lab this year. Last year he took the lecture portion of that class. He is also taking Hoffman's class on "Sustainability of the Long Island Pine Barrens."
Lucas is a member, for the second year, of Stony Brook Southampton's student government, where he helps allocate funding for clubs. But the bulk of his time is spent working at the marine center, where his duties are varied and always interesting.
"Today we're fixing the dock," Lucas says. "Sometimes we repair the boats, and on other days we fish for little shrimp to feed the fish that live in the marine center. Sometimes we acquire various types of fish for biology class."
"I love it here," he adds, his arm sweeping to include the marina and the lab. "I'm here five days a week pretty much all day long, when I'm not in class."
It’s an ideal way to combine learning with the environment at Stony Brook Southampton.
Hometown: Rocky Point, N.Y.
Year: Junior
Major: Environmental Studies
READ Julia's blog from Madagascar!
Before she interned at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge—a sanctuary 15 minutes from campus that houses injured animals unable to survive in the wild—Julia Hryvniak loved animals, but she had never thought about working with them as a possible career.
"It was a really good internship," she says. "I got to feed the animals and learn about them. I’d be happy doing that every day."
Julia hasn't decided yet on a direction to take her Environmental Studies degree after she graduates. This year, as a junior, she is exploring as many avenues as she can.
"I'm taking classes in the peoples of South America, anthropology, physics for the environment, philosophy, and oceanography," she says with a laugh. "And that's just the fall semester."
Julia is enthusiastic about the gardening club, which she joined last year.
"There are about ten of us," she says. "We plan what kind of plants we want to grow and how to arrange them. Right now our garden has a cool design with a star in the middle, and there's every kind of plant you can imagine in it. You can pick as much as you like. This fall we're planning to give a lot of the organic vegetables to the dining hall to use in meals."
There's a small community feeling to the campus that she also enjoys. "I like the way everyone's close together in the dorms, and the way all the professors are really connected to the students."
As far as her future plans, Julia says, "Maybe I’ll work on Long Island. There are a lot of environmental projects having to do with land preservation, human impact on the environment, and things like that. I guess I’ll take more classes and see what sparks my interest the most."