Jerrold L. Stein Student Life Awards

Nominees must be sponsored by a recognized organization registered with the Department of Student Engagement & Activities OR supported by a campus department.

Social Program Award
Honors an event that promoted a sense of community and engagement across a broad subset of the campus population, and had a significant impact on the campus community.

Service Program Award
Honors a program whose outcomes promoted the tenets of selfless acts of service and civic engagement, and had a significant impact on the campus community.

Educational Program Award
Honors a program that promoted greater awareness of an existing academic, political, or social issue through educational efforts that enhance student learning and provide a meaningful exchange of ideas, and encourages an action-based response,  and had a significant impact on the campus community.

Diversity & Inclusion Program Award
Honors a program that promoted cross-cultural learning and interaction, appealed to a broad audience,  provided a meaningful exchange of ideas,  and had a significant impact on the campus community. 

Collaborative Program Award
Honors a program hosted with at least one other recognized organization or campus department that demonstrates effective teamwork and collaboration amongst sponsoring organizations, and had a significant impact on the campus community.

Program of the Year
Honors a program that has had a significant impact on the overall Stony Brook community that stands out above others, and embodied the SBU spirit of promoting inclusiveness, pride, and community.

Student Leader Awards

Nominees must have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.25 or higher, and be an undergraduate or graduate student in good standing with the University. Nominees must also be in appropriate conduct standing with the University. Sanctions of University Probation or higher, or a sanction restricting participation in clubs/organizations or from holding leadership positions disqualify students from being eligible.

Advocacy Leadership Award
Honors a student who has demonstrated strong leadership in generating campus wide awareness about existing social issues and advocated for change in the community.

Peter Baigent Recreational & Leisure Activities Leadership Award
Honors a student for their outstanding leadership in creating a unique community space on campus for students to express themselves focusing on a particular hobby, passion or interest, while allowing students to find community they may not be able to find elsewhere on campus.

Emerging Leadership Award
Nominees for this award must be undergraduate student leaders with an admit term between Fall 2023-Fall 2024. Honors a freshman or sophomore student who has taken on leadership roles and has demonstrated significant progress towards achieving their leadership potential through campus and community involvement.

Community Service Leadership Award
Honors a student for their unwavering dedication to principle and values of servant leadership, while generating awareness and providing service to community. 

Civic Engagement Leadership Award
Honors a student for their dedication to, and participation in government and democratic ideals, principles, education and/or civic related activities, while generating awareness of civic- and civility-based issues. 

Organizational Leadership Award
Nominees for this award must be undergraduate or graduate student leaders affiliated with a recognized organization registered with the Department of Student Engagement & Activities. Nominees who hold top 4 executive board roles (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) are not eligible for this award and should be nominated for Executive Board Member of the Year. 

Honors non-executive board members of recognized organizations who go above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to enhance the purpose of their organization

Executive Member of the Year
Nominees for this award must be undergraduate or graduate student leaders who serve in in the top 4 executive board roles (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) for a recognized organization registered with the Department of Student Engagement and Activities.

Honors a member of an executive board of a recognized organization who has gone beyond the call of duty to enhance the purpose of their organization be it through acquiring new skills, membership engagement, leadership development, cross-campus collaboration, and relationship building.

Theresa Montenaro 200% Student Leadership Award
Nominees for this award must be undergraduate student leaders of junior or senior standing.

Throughout her 20 years as a custodian in the Stony Brook Union, Theresa Montenaro was committed to providing a caring and safe environment for all students, faculty, and staff. This award honors a junior or senior student leader who goes beyond the call of duty, regularly gives 200%, and exemplifies Theresa Montenaro’s unique qualities, which include the ability to listen with understanding, guide without boundaries, give and take with love, and grow with each passing day.

Elizabeth D. Couey Award
This award was established in 1974 in memory of the first Director of the Stony Brook Union and is awarded for outstanding contributions towards the improvement and growth of student life at Stony Brook. Nominees for this award must be undergraduate student leaders of senior standing (expected graduation date of May, August, or December 2025) or a graduate student, with a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.25 or higher, in good standing with the University.

Faculty / Staff Awards

Nominees for this award must serve as an advisor for a recognized organization registered with the Department of Student Engagement & Activities. 

Advisor of the Year Award
Honors a faculty or staff member who has served as a Program Advisor or Faculty/Staff Advisor to a recognized student club or organization. This advisor is involved with the student leaders offers mentorship, knowledge and experience to the organization and its leaders, and provides assistance and support on an ongoing basis that stands out above others.

Nominees must be sponsored by a recognized organization registered with the Department of Student Engagement & Activities.

Best New Organization Award
Nominees for this award must be a recognized and newly registered organization with the Department of Student Engagement and Activities. These organizations should have completed the new club process in the 24-25 academic year, or the Fall 2025 semester.  All nominated organizations must be in good standing with the University to be considered for an award.

Honors a student organization that has newly registered and is dedicated to student life. This organization takes the initiative to make the organization visible on campus, has grown in membership since its recognition, and shows potential for continued growth and success on our campus.

Most Improved Organization Award
Honors an organization that has shown significant, meaningful, and lasting growth and development in areas such as programming, leadership, and organizational management.

Campus Community Impact Award
Honors an organization that is committed to engaging the student population in programming and initiatives that are impactful, lasting, and generate a sense of community, pride, inclusivity, and engagement.

Social Media Engagement Award 
Honors an organization that has successfully utilized one or more social media platforms, and whose social media content promotes engagement through a variety of innovative methods.

Organizational Philanthropy Award

Honors an organization that utilized creativity, effective communication, and sustainable strategies to achieve fundraising goals

PILLARS of Organization Excellence Award

Honors an organization that  completed at least the Successful Pillar criteria in the PILLARS of Organizational Excellence

Performance Organization of the Year Award
Honors an organization that has created a sense of community among members while showcasing talents through performances and campus events. 

Organization of the Year Award
Honors an organization that has made a significant effort to further its purpose through its contribution to Stony Brook and/or the community at large. This award recognizes the student organization that has demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity and perseverance through their activities and programs, and has contributed significantly toward the growth of its members.