Marianna Maher '25
BA Anthropology, BA Art History 

On Stony Brook: 
Being from Long Island, I’ve always vaguely known about SBU. I decided to study here after taking a class on world religions at Suffolk County Community College, and my professor mentioned a colleague of hers who taught anthropology at Stony Brook. Having originally planned on transferring to Binghamton University, I began to research Stony Brook instead and decided it was a much better fit for me.

On her major: 
I am double majoring in anthropology and art history. Coming from an artistic family, I grew up knowing I wanted to do something in the arts. It wasn’t until I learned about anthropology that I realized I wanted to work with arts of the past instead of making my own, to learn about societies that created the cultural heritage items we now use to better understand their ways of life.

Favorite class:
It’s hard to choose a single favorite class as I’ve had so many great professors. In general, I’ve really enjoyed the seminar courses I’ve taken: Problems in Archaeology with Dr. Katheryn Twiss, Iranian Cinema with Dr. Shoki Goodarzi, and Bernini and Baroque Sculpture with Dr. Karen Lloyd. The interactivity of seminar courses and being able to do a deep dive into specific topics led to captivating discussions between me, my classmates, and our professor. 

Favorite SBU memory:
I was able to be part of the Zuccaire Gallery in the Staller Center. During my semester there, I made friends with my student colleagues, got a better idea of what it would be like to pursue a career in museums and galleries, and participated in the breakdown and installation of the exhibits. The latter was of particular interest to me, and it made me realize that I was going in the right direction and working towards a career that truly appealed to me.