In 1938, Adelphi, then open only to women students, became one of the first American colleges to establish a university dance program, founded and run by internationally renowned modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. At that time, dance was typically grouped alongside physical education. Today, Adelphi’s conservatory-level dance program prepares students to become professional dancers and dance educators. Recent dance MFA grad Frida Molina ’23 is now performing with some of pop’s biggest stars—including Bad Bunny.

Modern dance was the focus of the department in its early days.

First Scientific Computer Minor

No university in New York state had a scientific computing minor until Fall 2019. That is when Adelphi’s program, developed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, addressed a shortcoming that had long plagued science undergrads: an inability to write code for highlevel research. Adelphi’s scientific computing program gives students majoring in sciences the computer and data analysis skills needed for an advanced degree in their discipline or for work in a research setting.

An Adelphi student monitors a screen at Long Island’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

First Private Coeducational University on Long Island

ÇŃ×ÓĘÓƵ holds the distinction of becoming the first private coeducational university on Long Island, breaking ground in Garden City in 1928. The first building raised was beautiful Blodgett Hall, still proudly standing almost 100 years later.

Designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, Blodgett Hall today is home to five academic departments.

First University-Based School of Psychology

Professor Gordon F. Derner, PhD, who founded the school in 1972.

Psychology majors at Adelphi build on the ingenuity and compassion of the late Gordon F. Derner, PhD. The longtime professor founded the nation’s first university-based professional school of psychology in 1972 as well as Adelphi’s clinical training program in 1951. For more than 55 years, the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology has earned international recognition for its innovations in psychology and related disciplines. “I believe that the artificial schism between mainstream psychology and psychoanalytic theory has been detrimental to both,” observed Professor Robert Mendelsohn, PhD. “I appreciate that the Derner School is one place where the integration of psychoanalysis into mainstream psychology occurs every day.”

One of the First College Radio Stations in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

On the air in 1982.

Adelphi’s groundbreaking student-run station, WBAU, is one of the only college radio stations cited by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The station was one of the first to give significant airtime to hip-hop. In the early 1980s, program director Bill Stephney gave a platform to Adelphi classmate and popular Long Island DJ Carlton Douglas Ridenhour ’84, ’13 (Hon.), on his Mr. Bill Show. The world knows Ridenhour by his professional name, Chuck D.

First in Nursing Leadership

Adelphi made history by establishing the first Central Collegiate School of Nursing in New York state. In response to an urgent need for nurses during World War II, this became one of the largest collegiate units of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. Thirty-nine years later, Adelphi became the first on Long Island to offer a doctoral program for nurses. It remains one of the few in the state. Adelphi’s nursing program is now among the highest ranked in the country; the undergraduate program jumped an unprecedented 32 points in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Adelphi had one of the largest collegiate units of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps.

First in Women’s Lacrosse Championships

Adelphi’s women’s lacrosse team was the first (and currently only) in NCAA Division II history to win three straight national championships (2009 to 2011). If that wasn’t dynastic enough, after a two-year break, the team won four more in six years.

The 2009 National Champions celebrate.

First in Student Success for Learning Differences

Professor Emeritus Fred Barbaro, EdD, founder of the Learning Resource Program.

The Learning Resource Program, the first of its kind at a university, was founded in 1979 by the late Professor Emeritus Fred Barbaro, EdD, who taught in the ÇŃ×ÓĘÓƵ School of Social Work. It allows students with “invisible disabilities” such as ADHD and dyslexia to thrive in college. Around 100 students annually are enrolled in this life-changing program. They have weekly sessions with a learning specialist, receive assistance with career planning, and participate in group and individual sessions with a clinical social worker.

Nearly 40 years later, Adelphi unveiled the first sensory room at a college or university for students on the autism spectrum as part of its nationally recognized Bridges to Adelphi program. A color-changing hurricane tube assists with emotional regulation, weighted balls and blankets offer sensory stimulation and low lighting offers a calm respite from the stress of college life.

The next firsts for Adelphi await. Regardless of whether it’s in academics, entertainment, athletics or student access, one thing is certain: Adelphi’s impact will travel far beyond Garden City.

Adelphi was the first college or university with sensory room for students on the spectrum.

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He found both—and a community of people and everyday experiences that helped shape his values, relationships and sense of self.

After Adelphi, Jordan set his sights on becoming a psychologist and pursued clinical and research experience wherever curiosity led him. He cold-emailed people and institutions, volunteered and created opportunities for himself in rehabilitation clinics, county jails, memory care units and suicide hotlines on his path to a clinical psychology doctoral program.

Jordan recently completed his doctoral internship with Lehigh University’s Counseling & Psychological Services and now works at Formal Therapy, a New York City private practice, at the intersection of mental health and athletic performance. He helps athletes and other high performers examine their experiences, navigate the pressures of competition and daily life, and better understand themselves.

Jordan brings firsthand insight to that work through his own career as an elite marathoner. He began running as an outlet during a stressful period, gradually building his mileage before entering—and winning—his first marathon. He went on to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, race the New York City Marathon three times, and complete both the Boston and Chicago marathons. He now aspires to compete in the marathon at the 2028 Olympic Games and provide psychological and performance services to Olympic athletes.

Of all these accomplishments, Jordan is proudest of his commitment to staying true to himself.

Adelphi celebrates Jordan as a 2026 10 Under 10 honoree for uniting clinical insight, athletic excellence and an uncommon willingness to persevere—giving himself and the people he serves another chance to grow.

Member of ÇŃ×ÓĘÓƵ’s

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Tell that to , the two-time All-American and National Champion midfielder, who was , picked by the Philadelphia Waterdogs.

Or ask , the hard-throwing right-hander who led all Division II pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings and received All-America honors before signing this summer with the Houston Astros. He is now living his childhood dream of playing pro ball, pitching for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Carolina League.

Lewis and Carver aren’t just occupying roster spots. They’re thriving.

Lewis delivered exactly the kind of professional debut scouts dream about: a behind-the-back shot against the Boston Cannons, part of a two-goal night that set the tone for a rookie season spent chasing a title with the league’s best regular-season team.

Carver has “carved” out a bullpen role for the Woodpeckers, the Astros’ Single-A affiliate, continuing to rack up strikeouts, fanning seven batters over his first 4.2 innings in the minors.

While both Panthers are on their way, the path they took to get there was not a straight line. Both credit Adelphi—and the outstanding guidance and support they received from their coaches—for providing the map to success.

Speed, Setback and a Second Chance

For Lewis, the breakthrough didn’t come easily.

A hamstring injury derailed the start of his senior season, and for a while, he wasn’t sure his draft stock would recover. “There goes your speed,” he said, describing how the injury took away the very tool that defined his game.

Head Coach leaned on a familiar analogy to keep him grounded, comparing Lewis’s recovery to Samson regaining his strength as his hair grew back. It stuck.

While he didn’t really feel like he was playing like himself again until the National Championship game in May, Lewis got a call on draft night in April that he’d been selected 29th overall by the Waterdogs, the team he grew up rooting for.

Coach Purdie says that resilience was always part of Lewis’s appeal. He points to Lewis’s incredible work ethic—a level of dedication that drove him to watch game film on bus rides home and organize players-only sessions just to keep the offense sharp—as the thing that separates him from other players.

“He wanted every practice to be perfect so we could be perfect on game day,” Coach Purdie said, crediting Lewis as the heartbeat of Adelphi’s back-to-back national championship runs in 2024 and 2025.

Taming His Fastball, Transforming His Career

Carver’s transformation was less about overcoming injury and more about rebuilding from scratch.

When first-year head coach arrived at Adelphi in the summer of 2025, he inherited a pitcher who threw in the mid-90s but couldn’t consistently find the strike zone. Coach Gaffney’s fix was simple: Commit to locating a glove-side fastball and trust it, even after shaky outings.

Carver bought in completely. “He was as coachable a player as I’ve ever had,” Coach Gaffney said, recalling how the same fastball command that once eluded Carver became the foundation for his standout 2026 season.

The turning point, in Coach Gaffney’s memory, came against a scout-heavy crowd for a Franklin Pierce matchup, when Carver outdueled a Power 4 transfer from Kansas State and served notice that his stuff played against anyone.

Weeks later, after going undrafted, .

Carver thinks it couldn’t have happened without the mentoring he got from Coach Gaffney. “He’s always looked out for me,” he said in a . “He’s always wanted the best for me. He’s always had such a huge belief in me.”

It was a life-changing experience for Carver. “I really don’t see a life that I’m living where I’m not talking to Coach Gaffney,” he said.

The Journey Continues

Both are adjusting to life as professionals while still leaning on the lessons that got them there.

Lewis is chasing a PLL title in Philadelphia while starting a master’s degree in health education back at Adelphi, supported by a highly competitive (only up to 126 students are awarded each year). He is also helping coach the men’s lacrosse team.

Carver is learning the rhythms of daily professional life in Fayetteville, applying the same routines and resilience that Coach Gaffney and his staff drilled into him during a season that transformed his career.

Different sports, different journeys, but the same story: Adelphi didn’t just prepare Lewis and Carver to compete. It taught them how to believe they belonged. It’s a lesson that’s taken them far, and has a good chance of taking them even further.

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