Award-winning Long Islanders

MICHAEL ANDREWS

Educator

Michael Andrews, of Levittown, has received the Diamond coach award from the National Speech & Debate Association in recognition of his professionalism, excellence and longevity in speech and debate education. Andrews is a social studies teacher and the speech and debate team coach at Cold Spring Harbor High School, where he has led the team since 1996. His other activities include being an Advanced Placement reader for the College Board and an adjunct associate professor of history and political science at Molloy College in Rockville Centre. He is also a former adjunct professor at St. John’s University and Nassau Community College.

XIAOJUN BI AND I.V. RAMAKRISHNAN

Professors 

Xiaojun Bi and I.V. Ramakrishnan have received $1.3 million from the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute for their project, “Intelligent Text Input and Editing Methods on Smartphones for Blind Users.” Bi is an associate professor in Stony Brook University’s Computer Science Department who holds 33 U.S. patents. Ramakrishnan is a Stony Brook professor and the associate dean for research in the Computer Science Department. The duo’s research strives to develop a new generation of accessible text input and editing.

JODI THOMPSON

Librarian 

Jodi Thompson, of West Islip, has received the New York State History Day Junior Teacher of the Year Award, as well as the 2024 Robbie Harte Teacher of the Year Award for the Long Island region’s junior division for her leadership and dedication to the regional contest for National History Day. Thompson is a librarian at Herricks Middle School, which she joined in 2010. Before that, she was a social studies teacher for eight years at Herricks High School and a social studies teacher for four years at Deer Park High School.

OLIVIA BROWN

Student

Olivia Brown, of Malverne, has received the 2024 Princeton Prize in Race Relations from the university for her contributions to improving race relations through leadership, understanding and actions toward racial equality. Brown, a junior at Malverne High School, was recognized for her leadership in a three-year campaign to rename a local street named after a Ku Klux Klan member. Her efforts consisted of “rigorous research, compelling advocacy at town hall meetings and the active engagement of her fellow students,” according to the Malverne school district.

BRET L. MCCABE

Law partner

Bret L. McCabe, of Old Brookville, is to receive the 2024 Emerging Leaders Award from the Subcontractors Trade Association in recognition of his commitment to improving and enhancing the role of subcontractors in the construction industry in New York. McCabe is a construction law partner at Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP and has been a part of numerous major developments and projects throughout his career — including renovations of Madison Square Garden and the demolition of structures as part of construction of Yankee Stadium.

JEFFREY H. GREENFIELD

Vice chair 

Jeffrey H. Greenfield, of Rockville Centre, has been named honoree of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s 40th Annual Golf Outing, which will be held at three golf venues in Nassau County. Greenfield, a longtime supporter of the hospital, is managing partner of the NGL Group in Lynbrook as well as vice chair of the Nassau County Planning Commission and a member of the Rockville Centre Fire Department for more than 45 years. He has also served as volunteer co-chair of the hospital’s 45-member golf outing committee.

THEODORE DRIVAS 

Assistant professor

Theodore Drivas, of Stony Brook, has been selected as a 2024 Sloan Research Fellow, which comes with a $75,000 award toward his research investigating the mathematical characteristics of fluid motion, by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Drivas is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at Stony Brook University, which he joined in 2021, and he currently teaches an upper-division undergraduate course and a graduate course and has contributed to dozens of studies on topics such as fluid dynamics, turbulence theory and differential equations. He has also been an assistant professor of mathematics at Princeton University, where he completed his postdoctoral fellowship.

KURI DIFEDE

Educator

Kuri DiFede, of East Northport, has received the 2024 National Aspirations in Computing Educator Award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology for promoting gender equity in technology. DiFede is a high school computer science teacher and the teacher leader in the high school’s Computer Science Department for the Mineola school district. She also advises the high school’s robotics and computer science clubs and is credited with implementing an introductory college-level computing course for all ninth-graders.

JOHANNA FRANKLIN

Professor

Johanna Franklin, of Westbury, has received the Service Award from the Association for Women in Mathematics in recognition of her service in supporting women in mathematics. Franklin is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Hofstra University, where she has worked for 10 years, and before that worked at places such as the National University of Singapore. She also serves as secretary of the Mathematical Association of America’s Metro New York Section, which awarded her the chapter’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2018.

YIMEI ZHU

Senior physicist 

Yimei Zhu, of Stony Brook, has received the 2023 Vernon Cosslett Medal from the International Federation of Societies for Microscopy in recognition of his achievements in the field of microscopy instrumentation and methodology. Zhu is a senior physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and leader of the lab’s Nanoscale Structure and Structural Defects in Advanced Materials Group within the Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Division. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia and Stony Brook universities, has published 700 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and has served on various government review panels, committees, institutional advisory boards and editorial boards of microscopy journals.

ATAHAN YETIMOGLU

Referee

Atahan Yetimoglu, of North Lindenhurst, has been named 2023 Young Male Referee of the Year by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association. Yetimoglu, who is majoring in premed at Stony Brook University, began serving as a referee with the Long Island Soccer Referee Association in 2020 and recruited his two sisters to join him. He was also the 2022 valedictorian of Lindenhurst High School, where he was an all-county swimmer and a member of the soccer and track teams, and is a volunteer for the Lindenhurst Rotary Club.

JENNA PREVET

Referee 

Jenna Prevet, of Nesconset, has been named 2023 Young Female Referee of the Year by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association. Prevet, who graduated from Smithtown East High School in 2022, is working toward a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in political science at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, where she plays on the college’s field hockey team. She became an official with the Long Island Soccer Referee Association in 2018 and is one of three Prevet sisters who are refereeing on Long Island.

CHET DOBOE

Drummer 

Chet Doboe, of Uniondale, has been inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame and received the prestigious President’s Award. Doboe is the founder and lead drummer of the Hip Pickles Drum Band, a drummers-only ensemble that has performed at venues ranging from corporate meetings to sporting events like the U.S. Open. He is also a co-founder of an annual “Drumming for Our Veterans” benefit concert, which raises money for veterans serviced by Long Island VA Hospitals. He has also authored 21 drumming instruction books, has won numerous drumming championships and has performed for more than 1,000 schools.

KEASHA S. GUERRIER

Doctor

Keasha S. Guerrier, of Wheatley Heights, has received the Community Champion Award from the Long Island Health Collaborative for her dedication to the group’s mission to improve Long Islanders’ health. Guerrier, chairwoman of family medicine at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, has led many of the collaborative’s “Walk With a Doc” events, as well as its annual virtual “Talk With a Doc” series in partnership with AARP Long Island. She is also an assistant professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

ANA PENAGOS

Coach 

Ana Penagos, of Melville, has been named 2023 Girls Competitive Coach of the Year by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association. Penagos, who has been coaching for nearly nine years, has served three years as coach of the Merrick Pumas Under-12 team in the L.I. Junior Soccer League. Under her tenure, the team has gone from Division 2 to the Premier Division, and even won the Long Island Cup. She also coaches the Merrick Spartans Under-13 team and the Merrick Cyclones Under-11 team, and works for the soccer training organization Kapper Soccer.

ROMELO GREEN

Educator

Romelo Green, of Medford, has received the 2024 Susan Wasserman Young Professional Memorial Award from the New York State Council for the Social Studies for demonstrating potential within his first five years of teaching. For the past four years, he has been a social studies teacher at Bellport High School in the South Country Central School District, where he has taught classes ranging from 10th-grade global history to 12th-grade Advanced Placement government and politics. He is also a member of the American Historical Association and the Long Island and New York State councils for the social studies and has presented on civic capstone projects for middle school students at the Long Island council’s annual conference.

JEAN-MARIE MAIO

Board member

Jean-Marie Maio, of Brightwaters, has been named the 2023 Administrator of the Year by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association. Maio has been a member of the Long Island Soccer Referee Association’s board of directors for the past 16 years, and has been the recording secretary for the past decade. She also serves as the association’s director of referee development, assistant referee director and chairwoman of its scholarship committee.

BRITTNEY DI BELLA

Physician

Brittney Di Bella, of West Islip, has received the 2023 Emergency Medicine Unsung Hero Award from the New York American College of Emergency Physicians. Di Bella, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, is a night staff physician in the Emergency Department of Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, where she has worked since 2016. She completed her emergency medicine residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, where she served as chief resident, and graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2012.

BROTHER DAVID MIGLIORINO

Principal

Brother David Migliorino, of South Huntington, has received the President’s Award from the National Catholic Educators Association for modeling characteristics that advance the mission of Catholic education. He has served as the principal of St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington since 2019, and before that served as principal of Catholic schools in Connecticut and Missouri. He is also a board member of the St. Catherine of Siena Hospital Foundation in Smithtown and a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn General Council, the National Catholic Educational Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

KRISTEN FIEGER

Educator

Kristen Fieger, of Plainview, has been named Middle School Health Education Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance’s Suffolk Zone. Fieger is a health department chairwoman at Samoset Middle School in Ronkonkoma and has been teaching in the Sachem Central School District for the past 20 years. She has also previously coached the district’s volleyball and track and field teams.

CLODAGH HARTE

Educator

Clodagh Harte, of Islandia, has been named Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Health’s Suffolk Zone. Harte has served for 13 years as a physical education teacher at Tamarac Elementary School in Holtsville, where she is also adviser of the school’s Intramural Club. She also serves as secretary of the association’s Suffolk Zone Executive Board and has previously served as assistant coach of the varsity swimming and diving team for the Sachem Central School District.

MICHAEL D’AMBROSIO

Hall of Famer

Michael D’Ambrosio, of Oceanside, has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. D’Ambrosio’s achievements include having served on the Oceanside United Soccer Club’s board of directors from 1989 to 2003, as well as having volunteered for the Long Island Junior Soccer League’s board of directors since 2004. His other activities include serving on the Oceanside school district’s Board of Education since 2013. He has also volunteered on the Pastoral Council of St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside and has worked as the deputy to the Nassau County commissioner of parks.

PATRICK PIZZO

Assistant superintendent

Patrick Pizzo, of East Meadow, has received the Barbara V. Powell Sr. Civil Rights Award from the nonprofit Operation Get Ahead Inc., for his work on the promotion of civil rights in his community. Pizzo is the assistant superintendent for business and finance for the East Meadow school district and the education chair for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Hempstead branch. He is also a founding member and president of Equity 4 LI Youth, an organization dedicated to promoting equal educational and employment opportunities for all.

TIM SCHRECK

Educator

Tim Schreck, of East Hampton, has been named High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance’s Suffolk Zone. Schreck has served more than 20 years as an educator in the Southampton school district, where he is credited with introducing new physical education programs including archery, pickleball and ballroom dancing. He also oversees the district’s driver education program, is a co-adviser for the high school’s student council and coach of the boys’ golf team.

CARI GATTO

Founder/CEO

Cari Gatto, of Port Washington, has been named a winner of the 2024 Enterprising Women of the Year Award from Enterprising Women magazine. Gatto, who was one of five award winners in the $10 million to $25 million annual revenue category, is the founder and CEO of the Port Washington-based talent acquisition and consulting firm Swell Partners. She is also the owner and founder of Commune, a Port Washington-based studio that focuses on wellness classes and programs that support mental well-being.

JOHN LASPINA

President 

John LaSpina, of Long Beach, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of State Veteran Homes for his efforts to benefit those who have served in the military. LaSpina is the president of Maple Family Centers, which consists of five family-owned bowling centers nationwide, and is a former president of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America. He also recently retired as board chairman of the nonprofit Bowlers to Veterans Link, which doubled its annual fundraising since his tenure began in 2014, including a $1.4 million this past fiscal year.

FRANK GRESS

Chief of gastroenterology

Frank Gress, of Smithtown, has received the Master of the American College of Gastroenterology Award from the American College of Gastroenterology in recognition of his achievements in clinical practice, research, education and service to the field. Gress is chief of gastroenterology and director of interventional endoscopy for Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, as well as the lead for therapeutic endoscopy for the Mount Sinai Health System, and is a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

RUTH PFEFFER

Broker

Ruth Pfeffer, of Dix Hills, has been named 2023 Realtor Broker of the Year by the Long Island Board of Realtors for her dedication to the organization’s members and mission. Pfeffer is an office manager at Charles Rutenberg Realty in Plainview, which she joined shortly after its inception in 2006, and she has helped to foster its expansion to a network of more than 700 real estate agents. She also served last year as class dean for the Board of Realtors’ inaugural Leadership Academy and has been president of its Central Nassau chapter. In addition, she is a supporter of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

ZACHARY A. MORRIS

Associate professor 

Zachary A. Morris, of Brooklyn, has received the 2024 Social Policy Researcher Award for an Emerging Scholar from the Society for Social Work and Research. Morris is an associate professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare and conducts research on the financial and social inclusion of people with disabilities. He has also served as a research and policy analyst for the City of Berkeley, California; a fellow in public affairs at the Coro Center for Civic Leadership in Pennsylvania; and a summer fellow in disability policy research at Mathematica in Princeton, New Jersey.

RAO ALI SHAAN KHAN

Salesperson

Rao Ali Shaan Khan, of Melville, has been named 2023 Realtor Salesperson of the Year by the Long Island Board of Realtors. Khan is a real estate associate broker at Charles Rutenberg Realty in Plainview, which he joined in 2016. He has also served as chair of the Board of Realtors’ Bylaws, Strategic Planning and Diversity and Inclusion committees, and he has served as a director of the New York State Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

HASSAN M. ABDULHAQQ

Vice president 

Hassan M. Abdulhaqq, of Brentwood, has received the Arc Rising Star Award from The Arc, a community-based organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Abdulhaqq is vice president of talent acquisition, development and engagement for AHRC Nassau, a chapter of The Arc. The award recognizes his leadership and advocacy in the disability community as well as his work recruiting and empowering talent at AHRC Nassau.

MARIAN CONWAY

Executive director 

Marian Conway, of Lindenhurst, has received the Corporate Leadership Award from Molloy University in recognition of her accomplishments and career values. Conway is executive director of the New York Community Bank Foundation, and she teaches nonprofit and business courses as an adjunct professor for SUNY Empire State University. She is also a member of the Lindenhurst Economic Development Committee, a past president of the Lindenhurst Historical Society and a board member of the Cleary Foundation for the Deaf.

BARBARA SCHMIDT

Retired associate provost 

Barbara Schmidt, of Rockville Centre, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Molloy University. Schmidt, who recently retired from the university after 35 years, most recently served as an associate provost for academic affairs and before that held various positions, including associate dean for speech-language pathology, department chair and professor. Her other activities include having been on the adjunct medical staff in the Division of Otolaryngology at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island for 30 years.

MONIQUE DARRISAW-AKIL

Superintendent

Monique Darrisaw-Akil, of Freeport, is one of 25 superintendents nationwide named a 2023 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association in recognition of her innovative and effective use of technology to engage and inform the school community. Darrisaw-Akil serves as the superintendent of the Uniondale school district, where she has worked since 2021. Her other positions include having served as an assistant superintendent of secondary education for the Brentwood school district, executive director of the Office of School Programs and Partnerships for the New York City Department of Education and a high school principal at the Academy of Urban Planning in Brooklyn.

ALLEN FORAKER

Assistant principal 

Allen Foraker, of Commack, has been inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Boys Soccer Hall of Fame. Foraker, who is the assistant principal of Carle Place Middle/ High School, has coached multiple sports in Carle Place for more than 23 years — including spending 18 years as the high school’s head varsity boys soccer coach. He has also served as a conference coordinator, all-star game coordinator, all-state co-chair and Section 8 co-coordinator for Nassau County Boys Soccer.

JIM GRAMAROSSA

Behavior specialist 

Jim Gramarossa, of Northport, has been named Employee of the Year by the Developmental Disabilities Institute for helping students with their communication skills, creating innovative programs and mentoring staff under his supervision, the institute said. Gramarossa has been employed by the institute for 37 years and currently serves as a behavior specialist at its Children’s Day Program in Huntington. His other positions at the institute have included serving as a staff speech pathologist, a speech pathologist consultant and coordinator of the speech department.

STEPHEN A. KOCH

Professor emeritus 

Stephen A. Koch has received the Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry from the American Chemical Society for his contributions to bioinorganic chemistry and fundamental synthetic coordination chemistry. Koch is a professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University and his research efforts have centered on the synthesis and characterization of new types of transition metal compounds that exhibit structural, spectroscopic and reactivity properties. His other responsibilities include scheduling the various oral and poster sessions in the inorganic chemistry division at many of the society’s national meetings for more than a decade.

CHRISTIAN SCHNELL

Professor

Christian Schnell, of Stony Brook, has been named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society for his contributions to the field. Schnell is a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University, which he joined in 2012 as a member of the university’s Department of Mathematics. His research is in the field of algebraic geometry. He is also a past recipient of a Centennial Fellowship from the American Mathematical Society, a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation and a Simons Fellowship from the Simons Foundation.

RICHARD VOGEL

Dean

Richard Vogel, of Huntington Station, has received the Distinguished Fellow Award from the New York State Economics Association. Vogel has served the past decade as dean of the School of Business at Farmingdale State College, where he has been a faculty member since 1998, and previously served as chairman of the college’s History, Economics and Politics Department. He has also been an active member of the association for nearly 20 years and has served in roles including conference proceedings editor, vice president and president.

RICHARD GROH

Chief environmental analyst

Richard Groh, of Patchogue, has received the Stewardship Award from the South Shore Estuary Reserve for his dedication in protecting and restoring the reserve. Groh is the chief environmental analyst for the Town of Babylon, where he has worked for the past 37 years. His efforts have included spearheading the creation of Greiger Park in Deer Park, where work included the restoration of wetlands, investments in green infrastructure, and an updated connection to the sewer system.

ARTIE KOPELMAN

Environmental leader

Artie Kopelman, of Sayville, has received the Stewardship Award from the South Shore Estuary Reserve for his dedication to protecting and restoring the reserve. Kopelman has served the past 27 years as president of the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, a nonprofit that seeks to foster understanding and stewardship of coastal ecosystems through research and education. He was also a professor of science at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City from 1981 to 2020.

LEONARD R. RIVERA

Attorney

Leonard R. Rivera, of Westbury, has been named a Fellow of Information Privacy by the International Association of Privacy Professionals for demonstrating knowledge and leadership. Rivera serves as the data privacy counsel for Axiom Law in Manhattan, where he assists large businesses navigating complex data privacy and technology laws. He is a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Privacy Workforce Public Working Group, and is a former chief and current 35-year volunteer firefighter with the Garden City Fire Department.

SEAN DOOLEY

Educator

Sean Dooley, of Rockville Centre, has received the Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award from the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Dooley is a physical education teacher at John Philip Sousa Elementary School in the Port Washington School District and is the head coach for the district’s boys varsity basketball team. He also works with the basketball instruction company Hoops 101 and is involved with the American Cancer Society’s Coaches Vs. Cancer program.

KATHLEEN CORBETT

Marketing chairwoman

Kathleen Corbett, of Amityville, has received the President’s Award from the New York School Counselors Association for demonstrating dedication, leadership and innovation in the field of school counseling. Corbett, who is the association’s chairwoman for public relations and marketing, is also its former regional governor for Nassau and Suffolk counties and is credited with authoring grants for local school districts and educational organizations. She was also the first female president of the Amityville Kiwanis Club and has been a school board trustee.

WHITTNEY SMITH

Director of instructional technology 

Whittney Smith, of Merrick, recently received the Fred Podolski Leadership and Innovation Visionary Award during the 2023 Long Island Technology and Education Summit for demonstrating vision, leadership and support of technology initiatives. Smith is the director of instructional technology for the Mineola School District, where he has worked for 21 years. He has also served as principal, guidance director and assistant principal of Mineola High School and as the assistant principal at Mineola Middle School.

CASSIE REILLY

Educator

Cassie Reilly, of Bayville, has received the Iva Dean Cook Educator of the Year Award from the Division on Career Development and Transition for demonstrating her commitment to students with disabilities. Reilly has served as both a special education teacher and a transition coordinator for 10 years in the Northport-East Northport school district, where her work includes helping families and students navigate post-secondary agencies as well as providing training and consultations. She has also been an “integral part” of the district’s unified athletics program and its participation in Special Olympics programs, the district said.

Brian McCaffrey

Engineer

Brian McCaffrey of Port Jefferson has been named 2023 Engineer of the Year by the New York State Society of Professional Engineers' Long Island Chapter in recognition of his leadership. McCaffrey is a facilities and operations chief engineer at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where he is responsible for providing engineering design and technical support and implementing engineering policies and procedures on an institutional level. He also serves as vice president of the society's Long Island Region and coordinates the Long Island Chapter's scholarship program for local students enrolled in engineering programs at state colleges and universities.

STEVEN BENKOVSKY

Contractor

Steven Benkovsky, of Ronkonkoma, has been named 2023 Legislative Contractor of the Year by the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association for his effort and leadership in legislative and political action. Benkovsky is president and owner of Triple S Air Systems in Ronkonkoma, and served as an outside field supervisor before becoming vice president of the company. He is an advocate for the industry who strives to reform outdated regulations and legislation, the national association said.

Sophia Domokos

Physics researcher

Sophia Domokos, of Manhattan, has received a three-year grant totaling $135,000 from the National Science Foundation for a project exploring the inner workings of matter. Domokos, a physics researcher, is an associate professor of physics at the New York Institute of Technology, which she joined in 2018. Before that, she held a visiting assistant professorship at the New York City College of Technology, a provost's postdoctoral fellowship for academic diversity at New York University and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Kevin J. Tracey

President/CEO

Kevin J. Tracey, of Connecticut, has received the 2023 Science Prize from the Hans Wigzell Research Foundation in recognition of his contributions to the fields of neuroscience and neuroimmunology. Tracey is the president and CEO of Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, which he joined in 1992, and he directs the Laboratory of Biomedical Science. He is also co-founder of the Global Sepsis Alliance, an inventor who holds of more than 120 patents and an author of more than 400 scientific publications.

Kirsten Anderson

Librarian

Kirsten Anderson of North Massapequa has been named School Librarian of the Year by Nassau BOCES. Anderson is a library media specialist at Jonas E. Salk Middle School in the Levittown school district, where she has worked for nearly 30 years, and has also served seven years as chairwoman for Nassau BOCES School Library System's Advisory Council. In addition, she is a past co-adviser of Jonas E. Salk's Book Club and Spanish Club and has served on the application committees of the Schools to Watch and National Schools of Character programs, and on the RISE Character Education Committee.

Migdalia Otero-Terry

Former Island Harvest VP

Migdalia Otero-Terry of Southampton received the 2023 Linda Breitstone Spirit Award from Island Harvest Food Bank during its annual Taste of the Harvest Celebration, which was last month at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. Otero-Terry, who was recognized for her contribution to the organization’s growth and success, started with the nonprofit as programs services and operations manager in 2003. She also served as director of operations as well as vice president of operations and food procurement before retiring in 2020.

Barry and Marie Landsman

Attorneys

Barry and Marie Landsman, of Bellmore, received the 2023 Above & Beyond Award from Island Harvest Food Bank during its annual Taste of the Harvest Celebration last month at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. Marie Landsman is an attorney with Rivkin Radler LLP; Barry Landsman is a lawyer with Pryor Cashman LLP, and together they have made fundraising for the food bank a family tradition with their children, Zachary and Saria. They have also advised the nonprofit on matters involving the acquisition and financing of its main facility on Spagnoli Road in Melville.

Barry Barish

Physicist

Barry Barish, of Belle Terre, has received the National Medal of Science from President Joe Biden in recognition of his service to science — particularly his research on subatomic particles. Barish is a distinguished professor and a distinguished endowed chair in physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University, as well as an educator at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, Riverside. He is also a Nobel Prize in physics laureate and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Fred Millán

Psychologist

Fred Millán of Bayside has received the 2023 Alfred M. Wellner Lifetime Achievement Award for Practice from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists in recognition of his commitment to social justice and the well-being of underrepresented and underserved populations. Millán is a bilingual Latinx psychologist, a distinguished professor in the Psychology Department, and a director of the graduate mental health counseling program at SUNY Old Westbury. He is a past president of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and the National Latinx Psychological Association, former chairman of the New York State Board for Psychology and the American Psychological Association's Ethics Committee, and current chairman of the American Insurance Trust board of trustees.

Emily LaGiglia

Educator

Emily LaGiglia of Islip has received the Educator of Excellence Award from the New York State English Council in recognition of her efforts connecting with her students and providing "engaging and meaningful lessons," the council said. LaGiglia is an English teacher at Northport High School and has worked in the Northport School District for 18 years. She has also been an educator in the Deer Park School District and is a member of the Long Island Language Arts Council and the New York State English Council.

Chris Ceruti

Athletic director

Chris Ceruti of Shoreham has been inducted into the Dr. James Tolle Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Ceruti is a former director of athletics, physical education, health and family and consumer sciences for the Carle Place School District, which she joined in 1993, and served as the school's varsity softball coach for 19 years. Under her leadership, the team had a 75% winning percentage and won nine county championships, six conference championships and four Long Island championships.