Welcome to 2016 and my first "TOGETHER WE TRANSFORM THURSDAY." I am not one who typically makes New Year's resolutions, instead looking at the onset of a new year by thinking of new opportunities that accompany the arrival of another January 1. This year I felt that it was important to create an avenue through which I can provide insight into the department by sharing updates and discussing critical issues.

In June, we announced our five-year vision for Stony Brook Athletics, Together We Transform. The vision is centered on our mission to positively transform the life of each student-athlete. We are focused on achieving the goals outlined within the plan, which can be read in its entirety at http://seawolvesunited.com/about/together-we-transform-2015-2020/.

As we enter 2016, I am more confident than ever that we will be successful. The primary reason is that Stony Brook is a world class institution led by a visionary president. President Stanley has helped position Stony Brook among the top public research institutions in the country and our ambition to be one of the nation's premier intercollegiate athletics program will come not at the detriment of our high academic standards but rather because of it.

We are one of 62 members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), which consists of the leading public and private research institutions in North America. Our AAU peers include such schools as Cal, Maryland, Michigan, Texas, UCLA and Virginia. For the complete list, visit http://www.aau.edu/about/default.aspx?id=16710. Our aspirational peers within the AAU successfully utilize the platform of athletics to highlight their academic mission. In future editions of "Together We Transform Thursday" I will share examples of the power of intercollegiate athletics and how Stony Brook Athletics is working to enhance the profile of our university.

FUNDRAISING PROGRESS



I am often asked about the progress of our fundraising initiatives so wanted to provide an update. The highest priority for our department is to raise $5,000,000 in order to match the lead gift provided by Glenn and Eva Dubin for the construction of a new Indoor Training Center. To date, we have received more than $200,000 in cash and commitments toward the match. While there is always a sense of urgency with any fundraising initiative, it is important to note that since we announced the Dubin Challenge in October, our staff has spent the past months educating our supporters about the importance of this project. I encourage everyone to be a part of this project by making a contribution at https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/main-site/external/giving-to-stony-brook-dubin-challenge. It is true that every gift matters so I am exceedingly grateful for your support!

A critical element of Together We Transform was the launch of our new annual giving program, Seawolves United. Dollars raised through Seawolves United will benefit the entire department because we will able to invest in areas that impact our entire student-athlete population. Some examples of what we have done this past year include creating new positions in academics, sports performance and sports medicine; providing increased nutritional supplements; and refurbishing locker rooms for softball, women's soccer and women's track and cross country. You can join Seawolves United today and join our mission to positively transform the life of each student-athlete at https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/sslpage.aspx?pid=469.

DEPARTMENT UPDATES

It feels like only yesterday that we welcomed back our student-athletes in August and celebrated the start of the 2015-16 academic and athletic year. While we had our share of successes in the fall, I anticipate strong seasons from our football, volleyball, soccer and cross country programs in 2016. Building successful programs is a process that requires a partnership between the coaches and administration. We must have a unified vision for success as well as a plan. Success is not accidental, and I have complete confidence and trust in our process at Stony Brook.



In December, we announced the hire of Brendan Faherty of the University of Washington as our new head coach for women's soccer. Brendan and his fiancée have made the move from the Pacific Northwest (something I know a little bit about) and we welcome them to the Seawolves family. It is important to note that the candidate pool for the position was outstanding – a true testament to Stony Brook and its place on the national landscape. I do want to acknowledge Sue Ryan for her 31 dedicated years leading the women's soccer program from its infancy as a Division III program to a strong competitor in our current Division I home in the America East Conference.

Now that we are in the heart of conference play for basketball, I want to urge everyone to come to Island Federal Credit Union Arena to support our men's and women's teams. Simply stated, our teams are really good! Come and see for yourself. I promise that you won't be disappointed. Please visit the Stony Brook Ticket Central page at http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/tickets/.

One thing that I knew coming to Stony Brook but witnessed firsthand last year was that lacrosse is not just a sport but something of a religion on Long Island. Our women's team had a breakthrough year in 2015 and enters the year with a preseason ranking of No. 4. I am also very excited about the senior leadership of our men's team (preseason ranking No. 19) and believe that we are poised for success.

INTRODUCTION OF LIFE SKILLS

The final update that I would like to provide is about the creation of our new Life Skills department that ties directly to the first element in our five-year plan: Transforming the Student-Athlete Experience. Our Life Skills area, which is led by Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development Courtney Rickard and Coordinator of Life Skills Greta Strenger, is dedicated to working with our student-athletes on maximizing their personal and professional development. Their focus includes resume building, networking, internships, career planning and countless other areas that will help prepare our student-athletes for life beyond Stony Brook. The work that has been done by Courtney and Greta in the short time that they have been in their new roles is remarkable and I am excited for our student-athletes who will benefit from their guidance.

ON THE HORIZON

The NCAA Convention is currently taking place in San Antonio so I will report back on any interesting issues that arise. Our business is ever-evolving, but the focus must always remain on creating an unparalleled college experience for all student-athletes.

In the meantime, thank you very much for reading and I look forward to sharing more with you each week. I appreciate your support of Stony Brook Athletics and our incredible student-athletes.

Together We Transform!

Warm regards,

Shawn