Election Day isn't until November 8, but one can't turn on the news or pick up a paper (assuming people still do that!) without seeing images of presidential candidates and stories about their efforts to win over voters. Much like a political campaign, our job is to connect with people by building trust and emotional connections. The key word in Together We Transform is the first one and we know that our message around positively transforming the life of each student-athlete will continue to resonate. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about winning an election! We are in this to serve our student-athletes so that they leave Stony Brook poised and prepared to make their mark on society.

Superstar Stony Brook Alumni



Last week, I piled into the car with Head Baseball Coach Matt Senk, Senior Associate AD Rob Emmerich and Stony Brook grad Tom Koehler. We were headed for Manhattan where the Stony Brook Alumni Association hosted its second annual 40 Under Forty Awards.

Tom, a baseball alum who now pitches for the Miami Marlins, was one of the honorees along with women's basketball alum Dani Klupenger, track alum Dale Summerville and Seawolves United Board member Chris Algieri. As each honoree was recognized, I was blown away by the achievements that I heard. The graduates being produced by Stony Brook are literally changing the world as artists, entrepreneurs, researchers, activists and, of course, athletes. As we drove back to Stony Brook, Tom talked about the tremendous sense of pride that he felt in his school.

We feel the same way about Tom, Dani, Dale, Chris and all of our amazing alums who are making their mark on society and will continue to do in the future.

Welcome to the Newest Seawolves!

Yesterday was National Signing Day for football and soccer, which is always an exciting day because it means new additions to our Stony Brook family. Our football program gained 14 new members while men's soccer signed two and women's soccer welcomed four. As a department, we are constantly in recruiting mode. Whether we are working to recruit talented student-athletes, new donors or season ticket holders, our staff is constantly working to connect with people who can help our program evolve and grow.

Our student-athletes are the most important people to me, and I feel a tremendous responsibility to those who choose Stony Brook. I meet with many young men and women throughout the recruiting process and it is truly one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job. We have so much to offer at Stony Brook and I always tell prospective student-athletes that there are many wonderful options and it ultimately comes down to where they feel most comfortable. I also tell them that I don't know what other schools are doing but I know exactly what we're doing at Stony Brook. For those who choose to be a part of it, we are going to have an opportunity to make history together.

Together We Transform… In the Classroom



One of the most ambitious aspirations in Together We Transform is to reach a cumulative GPA of 3.15 for all of our student-athletes. We took a step closer toward that goal for the recently completed fall semester by achieving a 3.09 GPA. Our student-athletes earned a 3.08 GPA last year so their hard work is definitely paying off!

Since we are always inundated with statistics, here are some that we can all appreciate:

- 248 student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or above
- 195 student-athletes earned a 3.15 or above
- 95 student-athletes earned a 3.5 or above
- SEVEN student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0! (Six of our seven academic superstars are pictured above!)

I am grateful to the members of our outstanding academic success staff who work tirelessly to ensure that all Stony Brook student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom. Thanks to their efforts and those of our coaches and student-athletes, I have complete confidence that we will reach our goal of 3.15 by 2020.

On the Horizon



There are many compelling reasons why you should attend Monday night's men's basketball game against Hartford. Only three regular season home games remain, and that means only a handful of opportunities to cheer on our senior trio of Rayshaun McGrew, Carson Puriefoy and Jameel Warney. All three have been huge for Stony Brook throughout their careers, but on Monday fans will see a version of Jameel that is rather small. You will definitely want to arrive early for your chance to walk away with a very limited edition Jameel Warney bobblehead.

Be sure to get your tickets now by visiting stonybrookathletics.com/tickets.

Together We Transform!

Warm regards,

Shawn