For Immediate Release
January 7, 2026

Stony Brook Southampton and Suffolk County Community College Partner to Offer Sharks and Seawolves at Stony Brook Southampton Initiative

The State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) and Suffolk County Community College (Suffolk) will be partnering to present the Sharks and Seawolves at Stony Brook Southampton to be conducted at Stony Brook Southampton campus. Select classes from both institutions will be offered.

Sharks and Seawolves at Stony Brook Southampton is a college program created to strengthen educational and career pathways for East End students and residents. Through a partnership between Stony Brook Southampton, Suffolk’s Eastern Campus and Hampton Bays Union Free School District, the program provides high school students, current college students and adult learners with the opportunity to earn transferable college credit close to home.

Launching on January 26, 2026, the program will feature several courses offered by Suffolk County Community College and taught by Eastern Campus faculty, as well as an opportunity to enroll in a course taught by Stony Brook Southampton faculty. Both institutions are working with Hampton Bays Union Free School District to develop and administer this pilot program to include select students from Hampton Bays High School who will travel to the campus. Other East End high school students can also apply to attend. Students have the option to take one to three of the courses offered.

Classes offered include:

• PSY101 - Introduction to Psychology (offered by Suffolk): An introduction to the science of psychology and its history. Special emphasis placed on the field's foundations: research methods, biological bases of behavior, and laws of learning. These essential topics will lay the groundwork for students' critical examination of psychological theory and application as it relates to subjects that might include lifespan development, psychopathology, personality, therapies, cognition, sensation/perception, social psychology and others. Note: Fulfills SUNY-GE Social Sciences. 

• HSC100 - Introduction to Healthcare and Health Professions (offered by Suffolk): This course will provide an overview of the U.S. healthcare delivery system including healthcare facilities, healthcare reimbursement, the role of technology and the legal aspects. Healthcare roles and professions will be explored as well as a blueprint for planning a healthcare career. 

• SBU 102 -  Marine Biology of Eastern Long Island (offered by Stony Brook Southampton): An exploration of select culturally and ecologically important marine organisms found in the waters of eastern Long Island.  Taxonomic relationships, morphological characteristics, ecological roles, and conservation issues will be discussed for each taxa, with an emphasis on scientific research conducted by the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and the work of local conservation organizations: one credit. Taught by Stony Brook faculty.

To register for classes on the Stony Brook University site, visit here.

To register for classes on the Suffolk County Community College site, visit sunysuffolk.edu/sbsouthampton

“We envision this program as a powerful bridge for East End learners, from our local high schools to Suffolk County Community College and onward to Stony Brook University, the flagship of the State University of New York and the state’s number one public research university,” said Wendy Pearson, Stony Brook Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Executive Director of Stony Brook Southampton. “Our goal is to retain and cultivate the well-educated talent emerging from our East End communities, students who can build meaningful careers, strengthen the regional workforce, and contribute to the future of Long Island.”

“We see this partnership as an exciting new pathway for East End students to begin their college journey with the full support of Suffolk County Community College and Stony Brook University,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College. “By bringing high-quality, affordable courses directly to the Southampton campus, we are helping students stay connected to their communities, explore academic and career possibilities, and build the strong foundation they need for future success.”

“By connecting learners to the region’s premier public institutions, the initiative supports workforce development, community vitality, and long-term talent retention on the East End,” said Dr. Mary Reese, Executive Dean and Chief Operating Officer, Suffolk County Community College, Eastern Campus

“For us, this early college programming is more than giving students access to the rigor of college level coursework,” said Lars Clemensen, Superintendent for Schools, Hampton Bays Union Free School District. “It is about exposing high school students to the college campus experience – the development of self-advocacy and enterprise, certainly a cost-savings, and a true exposure to what post-secondary life is like.”

"Along with our existing three summer courses that are open to college and high students, this new Stony Brook Southampton course will further strengthen connections with East End schools," said Advanced Senior Lecturer and Faculty Director for the Semester by the Sea program Kurt Bretsch, PhD. "While learning about culturally and ecologically important marine organisms of our region, participants will also be introduced to the many future opportunities for involvement in coursework, research, and internships with our marine science faculty and partner organizations on the East End."

About Stony Brook Southampton

Stony Brook Southampton, on Long Island’s East End, is home to the Avram Theater and Avram Family Art Gallery, the Lichtenstein Center in the College of Arts and Sciences (MFA programs and Southampton Writers Conference), the FoodLab, the School of Health Professions (graduate programs), and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (Marine Sciences Center and the Semester by the Sea program).

About the State University of New York at Stony Brook

The State University of New York at Stony Brook is New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 27,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #59 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and Breakthrough Prizes in Mathematics and Physics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X@stonybrooku.

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk County Community College is the largest, most comprehensive community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 26,000 students in over 100 degree and certificate programs. With approximately 145,000 alumni, Suffolk County Community College is dedicated to meeting the demands of regional employers. The college has built an extensive track record of successfully training and educating its students through pathways from high school to college and into careers.