Mohammed Harb '21
BS Biology, BA Sociology 

Where are you originally from?
Brooklyn, New York

Why Stony Brook?
I chose Stony due to its excellent educational reputation, having the best hospital in Long Island on the other side of campus, and the research opportunity in a Tier 1 university.

On his majors:
I chose Biology when I first came in due to my interest in the connection between how the microscopic level produces the functional organisms that we in a world made from simple atoms. Through my career here at Stony, I went to the SAC during the start of my sophomore year to learn more about other departments and I spoke with Dr. Marrone, who ignited the spark of my craving to learn about societies and human social behavior. I will never forget the moment when she handed me the yellow Sociology major declaration form and I filled it on the spot. From there on I took three of her courses and worked as a Teaching Assistant for one of them.

Favorite class: 
My favorite class will be the two Calculus courses I took during my freshman year with Dr. Bernhard. He would explain complex math concepts seamlessly and made every class fun and filled with laughter. He would share the funniest stories and provided multiple hour-long review sessions the night before exams. He helped make my transition to college easy and exciting and if I had the opportunity to take another class again, it would be with Dr. Bernhard.

Interests and accomplishments:
Some of my many interests include practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, going for long early morning runs, playing chess, and spending time with family and close friends.

Greatest achievement:
My greatest achievement thus far would be working with Remote Area Medical and providing free dental care to people who are not able to afford the treatment and/or don't have any providers in their area.

Awards and accolades:
Some awards would be the two scholarships I was fortunate and gratefully received and is on the Dean's list my entire college career. During my last year I was a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Student Advisory Council, working with Dr. Sampson on improving every student's experience during the transition to online and coping with the stress of school mixed with the unforeseen pandemic.

Plans for post-graduation:
Attending an esteemed Dental School

Career aspirations:
Working as a Specialized Dentist and a community leader.

Clubs and organizations:
A few clubs that I am a part of include being the President of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club, working on the Dean's Student Advisory Council, and multiple others during the four years.

Advice for future Seawolves?
Stay patient and enjoy yourself. There will be times when school, work, friends, and life, in general, seem overwhelming, what I advise you to do is just be patient and stay focused on your goal. The focus and the patients are mixed in with enjoyment because if you're doing something you love and being patient during the storm only leads to a brighter day.

Favorite SBU memory:
Favorite memory would be going to the gym and playing basketball with my good friends Haseeb, Abdul, Zubair, and many more. I loved going after a long day of studying and running from lecture hall to the next just to workout, play ball, and then eat together.

Parting thoughts:
I would like to give a warm thank you to the faculty that helped shaped me into who I am today: Erika Benhardt, Dr. Labropoulos, Janet Masini, Dr. Schmidt, Dr. Marrone, Jay Souza, Dr. Bellber, Dr. Sasson, the entire HDV team, and many more. I am grateful for all the close friends as well that I met in Stony Brook and the fun times I spent with them, and look forward to future times as well.