A Letter From President Robert Prezant

One year in and so far, so good! Before I assumed the presidency at Farmingdale State College, 12 short months ago, I had expectations about what I would find once I arrived, expectations based on advance studies and inquiry. As a scientist, I reviewed all the information I could find and hypothesized about what I signed up for. I am thrilled to share that all I expected has been confirmed— FSC is a college on the move, a college that offers students unending opportunities, and a college that helps reimagine what is possible.

In our 113 th year, emerging from a prominent agricultural school to the largest tech school in the State University of New York System, how do we define ourselves? There is no end to the marketing rhetoric to help promote an institution of higher learning. However, it takes true marketing savvy to help find the language that best characterizes a school. In this issue of FSCNow you’ll hear directly from students and alumni, folks who have “been there, done that,” how Farmingdale “allows someone to really excel,” “has been incredibly supportive,” “gives everyone a chance to not only succeed, but to achieve any dream…they can think of,” how alumni “loved the professors” and “thrived in the environment” with “professors (who) truly cared and wanted us to succeed.” From my vantage point, and confirmed by students past and present, praising FSC is easy. It’s easy because of the outstanding programs that support our students, the phenomenal support from alumni and industry, and the ultra-dedicated faculty, administration, and staff. From the roots of our Research Aligned Mentorship Program, to studying in Madagascar, to RamChella, and to our Visiting Scholars Program, Farmingdale is the “go to” for an outstanding education in a supportive environment.

The mechanics of “running” a college are complex. The pieces don’t simply merge, and new programs don’t just appear. In this issue, you’ll read about the hard work of our faculty, staff, and administrators that keeps us moving forward. This issue of FSCNow speaks to the all-important accelerators pushed by alumni, who serve as role models, mentor students, and help ensure our growing success—alumni and donors like Murray Pasternack, whose more than $8M in giving will make a difference to innumerable future engineers, and partners like Henry Schein, Inc., whose generosity will enable sensory challenged individuals to get appropriate dental care.

The possibilities at FSC are palpable, and the uniform focus on our students is a point of pride. That pride is richly sprinkled in the pages to follow. The smiles you’ll see are genuine and are a reflection of the success we see in our students, the scholarship of our faculty, the partnerships with our communities and industries, and the knowledge that Farmingdale will continue to prioritize learning, discovery, and well-being.

Read on and Go Rams.