Collaboration, Innovation, Education

A new and innovative partnership is bringing an anchor tenant to the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park (BHBP) while delivering a five-year commitment of funding to support the newly launched Honors Program at FSC.

In February, Farmingdale State College (FSC) announced that The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) will lease 40,000 square feet at BHBP’s vacant building located on the FSC campus. Estée Lauder expects to create 30 new bioscience jobs at the BHBP site.

The partnership agreement, which was widely lauded by state officials, brings a premier bioscience tenant to the Bioscience Park. The alliance between the College, Estée Lauder, and Broad Hollow provides revenue from the ELC partnership agreement that supports the College’s Honors Program and offers internships, co-ops, and research opportunities to FSC students. The lease agreement was completed in 2022 after two and a half years of negotiation between FSC, BHBP, ELC, and the Empire State Development Corporation.

The agreement directs $1.75 million over five years to the Farmingdale College Foundation to support scholarships and programming at FSC. In addition, internships for Farmingdale students and applied learning opportunities at the labs are scheduled to start in fall 2022.

FSC is working with ELC to develop opportunities to support applied education programs for students and faculty research in the science and engineering programs, said Dr. Laura Joseph, EdD, FSC’s Senior Vice President and Provost. “With the close proximity of our campuses, we expect that opportunities to engage faculty in synergistic research activities will be promising, especially across bioscience, chemistry, and manufacturing/mechanical/electrical engineering technology.”

Estée Lauder presently employees a number of Farmingdale grads and has begun recruiting FSC grads for new positions.

Tara Sooknauth, an Associate Scientist at Estée Lauder and a 2010 FSC graduate with a degree in Science, Technology, & Society, said she works on a range of products. “I learn something new every day,” said Sooknauth, a Syosset, New York, resident. “It’s great that I can apply science to makeup, which I didn’t know was possible until I started working there.”

Gary Nasta '06, the Director of Environmental Programs for ELC, said the company is working on ways to improve its sustainability practices, and that opens new doors for FSC graduates. “I think it’s great,” he said about the partnership. “We can get Farmingdale students involved.” Classes in facility management and energy efficiency at FSC helped him get his job at Estée Lauder, he added.

“We are very proud to collaborate with Farmingdale State College and SUNY to further fuel research and development innovation and empower STEM leaders of tomorrow across Long Island and New York State,” said Lisa Napolione, Senior Vice President of Global Research & Development at The Estée Lauder Companies, in a prepared statement. “Our collaborations with universities around the world help us stay on the cutting edge and advance our commitment to scientific excellence and delivering the highest quality, breakthrough prestige beauty products to consumers.”