In fifty years, Stony Brook University has risen from a small campus in Oyster Bay to a mega-educational institution that encompasses 123 buildings. In the last few years, it has added 246 acres to its 1,100 acres of campus for further research endeavors and has become home to approximately 23,000 undergraduates and graduate students. On May 3, the University’s innumerable accomplishments were highlighted in a festive event at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers. The event, Stars of Stony Brook Gala, took place to honor Erwin and Cary Staller, who endowed SBU with one million dollars.
The Gala commenced with a cocktail hour at 6:30 PM that facilitated the mingling of the honored scholarship recipients with several alumni, faculty and philanthropists. Against the backdrop of a ship that sprouted red-, white- and blue-colored water, the Stallers; Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny, the President of the University; Dr. Robert Kerber, Professor in the Chemistry Department and Ms. Karen Kernan, Director of Undergraduate Research among others interacted with honored guests who had paid $750 to attend this fundraising event.
The cocktail hour was followed by dinner at 7:30 PM, during which Mr. Richard Gelfond, Co-chairman of the Stony Brook Foundation and Co-CEO of IMAX Corporation invited President Kenny to say a few words. President Kenny highlighted the heights that SBU has covered, including a second Nobel Prize in the last three years, the National Medal of Science and the Marshall scholarship among several other honors.
The gala succeeded in being the second-highest fundraiser in its history. Quickly becoming a tradition, the previous six galas have raised over $7 million for scholarships and other initiatives. In response to his reasons for being a part of this, Mr. Gelfond, who has endowed the Richard and Linda Gelfond Scholarship, has said, ‘As a student at Stony Brook it was a struggle to keep up with the academics and pay my bills. It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to help talented undergraduates find their passion and to give back to Stony Brook.’ One recipient of this scholarship, Danielle Cavaliere, has stated ‘This scholarship helps me to manage my heavy financial burden and also gives me to confidence to continue to strive for all my dreams.’
President Kenny also stated the reasons for honoring the Stallers, as she said, ‘This is a time to look back with gratitude of the extraordinary generosity of the Staller family. But it also is a time to look to the future, as we begin our next 50 years, and the role Stony Brook will play in the region, the state, and the nation.’
The University’s Arts Center, named in honor of Max and Mary Staller in 1988, began the tradition between the Stallers and the University. Cary Staller, who has been on Board of Directors of the Staller Center for the Arts, was elected to the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees in 1998. Erwin Staller, who has been a member of the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees since 1983, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Stony Brook in 2001.
President Kenny’s speech was followed by a musical showcase by the Stony Brook Jazz Trio. The gala ended with the presentation of awards to Cary Staller, presented by Dr. James H. Simons, President Kenny and Mr. Gelfond. An award was presented to Erwin Staller by David Finckel, President Kenny and Mr. Gelfond. While Cary Staller’s speech generated several ovations, it was Erwin Staller’s presentation of the award that generated the most emotion.
