Laura Lindenfeld, who serves as Dean of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism (SoCJ) and Executive Director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, has been announced as a finalist for the Scripps Howard Fund Administrator of the Year award.

The Scripps Howard Fund, a nonprofit organization, actively champions philanthropic initiatives aligned with The E.W. Scripps Company’s values. In collaboration with the company and the Scripps and Howard families, their mission is to foster well-informed and involved communities through initiatives in journalism education, childhood literacy and local community support.

The Scripps Howard Awards is one of the nation’s most prestigious journalism competitions. It is hosted by the Scripps Howard Fund and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. 

Lindenfeld was nominated for the award by a group of faculty members from Stony Brook’s SoCJ. 

“It’s such an honor to have been nominated. I feel like I’ve won,” Lindenfeld said. 

Although this award highlights her success as a leader, Lindenfeld attributes her achievements to the team at the SoCJ. 

“The greatest strength in the SoCJ is the students and faculty who want to do this work and come here to learn,” she said. “I think we have a lot of opportunities, in particular, to bring communication and journalism to STEM and health, which is a renowned strength of Stony Brook University and a really distinct area for us to stand out in the world.”

Lindenfield reiterated the importance of communication in the field of journalism.

“I think that as a field, communication matters so much more to our society than most people give it credit. They tend to notice communication when it doesn’t work.”

Before coming to Stony Brook, Lindenfeld was a professor of communication and oversaw operations in the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, an independent research hub at the University of Maine. In recognition of her contributions, she was honored with the University of Maine’s Presidential Public Service Achievement Award in 2015.

Both administration and students alike can benefit from Lindenfeld’s experience and dedication.

“Dean Lindenfeld has really transformed our school in the last few years,” Maureen Robinson, a staff advisor in the SoCJ, said. “She’s a very supportive person to work for, she always encourages kindness and collaboration among the staff and faculty and she leads by example. She’s got tremendous energy; it’s tough to keep up with her.”

Robinson, who works daily with Lindenfeld and her students, sees firsthand how interactive and welcoming the school is.

“I think students see how invested she is in their success. Whenever she walks past when I have a student in the office, she always takes the time to ask how they’re doing and she always tells students to feel free to reach out to her about anything they need,” Robinson said.

Lindenfeld prides herself on her empathy with those that she works with. 

“Caring about people helps because then you remember, if things aren’t moving as fast as I want them to, it’s because other people are not ready.”

Even though Lindenfeld attributes the SoCJ’s success to the staff and faculty, members of the school argue that she is simply a good leader. 

“Laura is full of energy and ideas,” Irene Virag, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Undergraduate Program Director of the SoCJ and Professor, said. “She’s a strategic thinker who knows how to make things happen. She recognizes and nurtures talent and encourages collaboration and collegiality. She’s a leader who encourages the best from her team. And she has a great sense of humor.”

Lindenfeld strives to create an environment where students are both challenged and accepted. Even students outside of the SoCJ feel the effects of her efforts. 

“Laura is amazing,” Patterson Summers, a freshman majoring in political science and close family friend of Lindenfeld, states. “She is always out supporting and promoting the journalism program and classes.”

On the backend of her nomination, Lindenfeld hopes to improve the school and herself in the future. 

“I want to make it as outstanding as possible for students,” she said. “To enable the faculty to do their work, their teaching, their scholarship and their research. I want to make sure we’re on the map.”

Lindenfeld, along with other nominees, will hear back from the Scripps Howard Fund in October during a special broadcast on Scripps News.