Students spotted a rare cassowary—the world’s most dangerous bird—in the Daintree Rainforest. The cassowary, although normally shy, can stand up to six feet tall and attack with dagger-like claws.

Led by biology and environmental studies and sciences faculty Aaren Freeman, PhD, Matthias Foellmer, PhD, and Elizabeth Buccheri, PhD, the group embarked on a two-week, hands-on expedition across Australia’s wild ecosystems—earning 2 course credits while having the trip of a lifetime.

Marine Ecology, Biology Research and Snorkeling

The adventure started long before takeoff. During the spring semester, students prepped by learning about marine ecology, practicing their snorkeling skills (with two students even getting SCUBA certified), and drafting their own research plans.

Then came the real world.

“Some had cogent plans, but when they arrived and put their faces in the water, what we thought would be there just wasn’t there,” Dr. Freeman recalled. “Adapting to the differences between planning a research project and the reality of conducting that research was an important field experience take-home academic lesson.”

(From left) Adelphi students Chelsea Javier, Ryan Will and Audrey Cozine after a day of scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. Students spent up to two hours a day in the water, observing coral atolls and marine wildlife.

Sharks, Giant Spiders and “Indiana Jones” Moments

Base camp for the marine portion of the trip was the Heron Island Research Station, right in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Students spent up to two hours a day in the water, swimming alongside sharks, stingrays and skates.

Adelphi student John DelCarpine enjoys a gondola high above a eucalyptus forest.

They also witnessed firsthand the harsh impact of climate change and coral bleaching on the 1,400-mile-long Great Barrier Reef—a sobering reminder of the planet’s fragility.

On this visit, Dr. Freeman, was pleasantly surprised at the corals’ resilience. “I remain hopeful,” he said. “But I’m not Pollyanna, the reefs aren’t really doing fine.”

When the group explored the ancient Daintree Rainforest, things were even wilder:

• The Cassowary: Students spotted the notoriously elusive—and notoriously powerful—cassowary, officially ranked by the Library of Congress as the world’s most dangerous bird.
• The Spiders: Guided by Dr. Foellmer (a terrestrial biologist and insect expert), the team navigated terrain packed with massive arachnids. “I had many interactions with big hairy spiders about the size of my hand,” Dr. Freeman recalled. “One web ended up on my back —with a four-inch spider on it—and made me feel like Indiana Jones. Yet, these spiders were harmless.”
• Canopy Views: The crew even hit the hinterlands, riding a gondola high above the canopy of a eucalyptus forest.

Beyond the Lab: Deep Diving Into Culture

It wasn’t all data collection and dodging wildlife. The group spent half a day in Mossman Gorge led by an Aboriginal guide, learning about sacred forests, traditional medicines and ancient toolmaking. Stops in Cairns and Brisbane introduced students to Australia’s vibrant city life and its incredible, Asia-influenced food scene.

For Dr. Buccheri, this kind of trip is full circle. She actually went on Adelphi’s 2017 Australia trip as an undergrad, which inspired her to move to Australia, earn her master’s and PhD in reef ecology, and eventually return to Adelphi to teach.

Dining alfresco in the Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest.

Expert Faculty as Australia Guides

Students benefitted not only from their professors’ individual scientific expertise, but also from their experience and knowledge of Australia and the climate change challenges facing its ecologically diverse reefs and rainforests, reflecting Adelphi’s commitment to sustainability.

“Each of us has our own area of expertise,” explained Dr. Freeman, a marine ecologist and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. In 2010, he and Dr. Foellmer, a terrestrial biologist and chair of the Department of Biology, took the first group of Adelphi students to Australia. This year’s was their sixth such trip.

According to Dr. Freeman, adjunct biology professor Dr. Buccheri’s experience as a student on Adelphi’s 2017 Australian alternative break trip was life-changing, as it inspired her to gain expertise in reef ecology and reproductive biology by earning master’s and doctoral degrees in Australia. “She’s a great success story,” he said.

Front left: Professor Matthais Foellmer, PhD, one of three professors serving as a guide, photographs wildlife along the Daintree River.

Next Australian Trek: 2028

For these 13 biology students, the trip was a massive eye-opener. As one student put it: “It will leave such an amazing impact on your life. You’ll want to go back as soon as you get home.”

Dr. Freeman and the department are already planning their next Australian trek for 2028. The Great Barrier Reef, the Milky Way in a clear night sky and a few friendly sharks are waiting.

Students and their Adelphi professors gather at sunset after a day of exploring coral atolls around Heron Island Research Station.

The post Forget Europe: Why 13 Adelphi Students Swapped Paris for Sharks, Spiders and Australia’s Coral Reefs appeared first on ������Ƶ.

Despite these impressive and lofty titles, Balboni has made himself accessible to the Adelphi community. And nowhere is this more evident than his TikTok series, Coffee With the Chair From a Chair. Although it was discontinued after Balboni’s ascension to president, this series offers a glimpse at a president who’s willing to listen to his students, hear their stories and share his own.

Creating a Series for TikTok

TikTok is currently one of the most popular platforms across social media. According to , approximately 63 to 68 percent of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 use TikTok, with one in five reporting that they use the app “almost constantly.” ������Ƶ initially lacked a strong TikTok strategy, viewing it as just another hosting platform like YouTube. It was Adelphi’s board of trustees who recognized the missed opportunity of using this platform to engage with young people and prospective Adelphi students. Creating TikToks suddenly became a top priority for the University.

The board tasked the Office of University Communications and Marketing with producing TikTok content to share the Adelphi story with young people. In the end, the board chair himself, Michael A.L. Balboni, became directly involved in the project. He agreed to a refreshingly simple concept: unscripted, unrehearsed conversations with students over coffee. With near zero production costs and maximum authenticity, the series Coffee With the Chair From a Chair was born.

Each video featured Balboni chatting comfortably one-to-one with a different Adelphi student at the campus Starbucks. featured Adelphi ’26, a political science major who is now a business graduate student. She discussed her rigorous schedule and her favorite memories at Adelphi.

“Having the opportunity to sit down with then-chairman of the board Michael Balboni and be interviewed for the series was a really unique experience. It made University leadership feel much more connected to the student body, and when I learned he would become Adelphi’s next president, I genuinely felt like the University was heading in the right direction,” said Munayirji. The video quickly garnered more than 2,500 views.

featured finance major Jerry Iavarone, who talked about his Greek life friends at Adelphi and his family-owned gourmet Italian food market, . Iavarone’s is a favorite spot for many Adelphi students, including, as it turns out, Balboni himself—who remembered going there as an Adelphi student.

“I was nervous at first because I didn’t know what to expect or if I needed to give specific answers to the questions. A few seconds in, I realized the interview was going to be a fun experience after Mr. Balboni brought up Iavarone Bros.”

This video amassed more than 10,000 views, making it Adelphi’s top-viewed TikTok at the time.

“I didn’t expect the video to take off like it did,” said Iavarone.

Winning the Circle of Excellence Award

The execution and success of Coffee With the Chair From a Chair earned Balboni’s TikTok series an award nomination from the , a prestigious and global nonprofit association for educational institutions. Coffee With the Chair From a Chair wound up , bronze level, in the Communications/Digital Campaigns (Student-oriented) category. The CASE judges noted, “The concept behind this campaign was great for student engagement, and we were impressed by what they accomplished without adding any extra resources and by getting their board chair to participate.”

“This is a huge honor for our creative team, but it’s also a testament to how impressive our students are,” said Balboni. “The confidence and professionalism they have developed at Adelphi, as well as their natural charisma, truly shined in these videos. I had a great time discussing their favorite campus experiences, and I know their future is bright.” Although , this particular victory highlights the University’s success with executing a TikTok strategy—and it also marks a major win for Balboni as he begins his role as president of the University.

The post Award-Winning, Student-Approved: Meet Adelphi’s New TikTok-Famous President appeared first on ������Ƶ.

It is a reflection of his own multicultural, multidenominational family’s passion for philanthropy and community—and their deep, foundational belief that there is but one family of man.

A Multicultural Family Legacy

“I could tell you from being in healthcare my entire life, that we’re all the same. The more we could bring people together from different religions, cultures, and disciplines to show we are all exactly the same, the better the world will be,” Achan insisted. “It’s meaningful, peaceful, and it can heal a lot.”

Achan is proud that his wife, pediatric speech pathologist Kimberly Mayo-Achan and children Lenny III and Katherine, agreed to establish the Center. In fact, they collectively signed their generous donation letter.

He hopes that by representing his family’s own diverse cultural legacy, the Achan Family Interfaith Center “speaks to the generations before me and hopefully to the generations after me.”

A First Generation Student from the Inner City

For Achan, a son of immigrant parents and a self-described inner city youth from Queens, college was an aspiration, rather than an expectation. “Opening that acceptance letter from Adelphi was like a spark of light,” he recalled. “I never thought I might go to college—and Adelphi became a beacon for me.”

Enrolling in the College of Nursing and Public Health gave Achan his first glimpse of how he might achieve his dream of helping people in need.

After graduating, he continued his education by earning a master’s degree in advanced practice nursing and a business degree, as well.. His leadership in health care has been recognized with awards from Crain’s New York Business and Healthcare Leaders of New York.

Today, the ������Ƶ board of trustees’ secretary is president and CEO of , a nonprofit organ procurement organization, as well as the founding chairman of a digital health organization. He is also a generous benefactor to his alma mater.

An Interfaith Center for All

With their significant gift, Achan Family Interfaith Center shines as a beacon of light for the entire Adelphi community.

“This donation is going to allow students to have deeper, more meaningful experiences with one another,” promised Michael Hoffner, coordinator of ������Ƶ’s Mindfulness Center and Leonard Achan Family Interfaith Center.

According to Hoffner, the Center will enable students to attend retreats, and bring programs to campus that will connect them with their spiritual, faith and religious traditions—while fostering the sense of belonging and purpose that is at the heart of the college experience.

Gifts Honoring His Father, and His Grandmother, a Holocaust Survivor of Auschwitz

Supporting the campus Interfaith Center is not the Achan family’s first major gift. In 2017, the memory of Achan’s father, Leonard Achan, Sr., was honored by a .

In 2024, a second gift from Achan and his wife endowed a scholarship for future mental health counselors studying at the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology. The scholarship memorialize Kimberly Mayo-Achan’s grandmother, Zosia ‘GiGi’ Levine, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz during the Holocaust, who went on to live a long, fulfilling life as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

When the family considered how they might address a deepening and challenging mental health crisis and shortage of mental health professionals, they were inspired by Gigi. Achan has described how “My family exists because she survived. Helping others create a legacy was the thought behind how we could be supportive.

“Helping even one person makes a difference.”

Fulfilling Dreams for Future Adelphi Students

According to Achan his role as an Adelphi trustee gives him a unique perspective. By remembering his own experience and dreams as a first-generation student, he recognizes how seemingly impossible student dreams will be fulfilled because of the foundation Adelphi provides. And he has committed himself to doing everything he can to help them realize their dreams.

“I feel blessed to give back to Adelphi and blessed to have a career in helping people,” he admitted. “Adelphi gave me a platform and opportunity that is the foundation of everything I do today in my community and with my family.”

He uses this platform as a trustee, to champion the goals of Adelphi’s strategic plan. By establishing the Achan Family Interfaith Center, he has directly supported the university’s commitment to its inclusive community.

This is, for him—and his family—the right time to create the Center. “When you look at our faculty and students and alumni, when you look at the contributions we are making to society and the world, it’s a moment to scale impact.”

Achan believes that as a place for the Adelphi community to embrace differences, discover commonality, and celebrate and explore individual faith and purpose, the Leonard Achan Family Interfaith Center is doing just that.

The post Trustee Leonard C. Achan ’99, and Family Establish the Leonard Achan Family Interfaith Center as a “Beacon of Light for the Adelphi Community” appeared first on ������Ƶ.

Along with a wide range of e-posters, exhibits and oral presentations from students in the sciences, social sciences and humanities, this year’s Research Day will introduce new events with a particular emphasis on the arts and creative projects, including a 24-Hour Play Festival from theater majors and thesis presentations from art majors.

This year’s conference also offers another exciting first: a keynote address delivered by a Nobel laureate, William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, the Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, senior physician-scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Dr. Kaelin received the . He also recently endowed a prize at Adelphi in honor of his mother, who graduated from Adelphi in 1954.

We spoke with Research Day co-chairs Karolina Lempert, PhD, assistant professor in the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, and Wei Liu, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health, to learn more about the exciting new developments to the conference and Adelphi’s commitment to showcasing student-led research.

What are some of the new additions to Research Day this year, particularly those focused on the arts?

Dr. Lempert: For the 24-Hour Play Festival, theater students will write, direct and act in 10-minute plays based on abstracts of research that will be presented at the conference. They’ll receive the abstracts the day before the conference and will only have 24 hours to create and rehearse them before performing in the University Center (UC) ballroom from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This will be a different kind of presentation and it definitely involves more of the arts, which has generally been less represented at the conference.

Dr. Liu: Another new addition is the Senior Art Gallery Presentations. David Pierce, assistant professor of art and art history, will have seven students present their graduating theses in the UC art gallery from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. While we’ve had students display their art in past conferences, this year, they’re going to be there so they can converse and discuss their work with attendees. We’re also going to have anthropology students from two different culture and society classes display photos from their midterm assignments.

Are these new events the result of an effort to incorporate more creative disciplines in Research Day?

Dr. Liu: Adelphi has always tried to promote interdisciplinary collaboration with the conference, but inevitably there are some departments that have less representation. We’re very lucky to have worked with Laura Mroz [associate director of executive communications], who played a critical role in conducting outreach to other departments.

Dr. Lempert: There’s a norm in the sciences of presenting posters at conferences, while arts students have other ways that they display their work. So I think changing that culture and showcasing arts and humanities may take some time, but this is the start of the effort. This year, we’ll have the biggest representation from those fields so far.

How is Adelphi engaging local high school students as part of the conference?

Dr. Liu: For the first time, we’ll be hosting a for a chance to win a full-tuition scholarship to Adelphi. The admissions office, which is sponsoring the competition, is encouraging high school juniors from research classes to submit their abstracts to be presented on conference day. We’ll have judges at the conference who will review their work and select the winner.

How else will the Research Day conference be larger in scope this year?

Dr. Liu: We received approximately 350 abstract submissions—100 more than we usually receive. This marks increased submissions in every single category, including e-posters, oral presentations and computer science exhibits. While we used to host computer science and gaming exhibitions in the charter room on the second floor of the UC, this year, we’ll actually use a bigger space on the first floor to accommodate more participants.

Dr. Lempert: This is also the first year we expanded the event out to the entire UC—not just the second floor—and I think that it will only keep growing.

What are your plans for Research Day going forward?

Dr. Liu: If this year’s conference is a success and we receive positive feedback, we can do even more outreach and incorporate more disciplines next year. We’re also hoping to receive abstracts for new presentation types, such as humanities panel presentations and film presentations.

What do you hope students and attendees take away from Research Day?

Dr. Lempert: I hope the conference empowers students to do research of their own and to engage in their own creative work. I also hope it brings students closer together and helps them see that research is for everyone.

Dr. Liu: I really want students and faculty to take away the message that Adelphi promotes a strong community, and we encourage collaboration and inclusiveness. When we gather post-conference feedback from our presenters, we always hear that they appreciate people outside their own disciplines coming to see their posters or listen to their presentations. It’s just really encouraging, this knowledge-sharing among students and faculty across disciplines.

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No. 1-Ranked Men’s Lacrosse Reloads for Defense of Back-to-Back National Championships

The road to an NCAA Division II National Championship runs through Garden City.

Fresh off winning back-to-back national titles, the became the first NCAA Division II team since 2018 and 2019 to repeat, and the first Panther squad to accomplish the feat since 1998 and 1999, under Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famer . The ‘Cats enter the 2026 season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, according to the .

A new face will stand between the pipes following the graduation of National Goalie of the Year , who ranks second among the University’s career save leaders with 797 saves. A competitive “goalie room” featuring four contenders is headlined by , a three-time USA Lacrosse All-American whose collegiate journey has included stops at Belmont Abbey College, Keiser University and The Ohio State University.

While the defense sorts out its next anchor, the offense returns its biggest star.

Kyle Lewis: Tewaaraton Watch List Standout Leads the Midfield

Few moments in Adelphi’s athletic history compare to overtime game winner in last spring’s . The strike secured the Panthers’ second consecutive national crown and etched Lewis’ name into program lore.

Now the All-American midfielder enters the 2026 season as the lone Division II player named to the , lacrosse’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. He has also been cited as and headlines a group of .

Women’s Lacrosse Eyes Another Trip to the NCAA Finals

Under three-time national championship coach , has remained the gold standard in Division II. Though the ‘Cats finished as in each of the previous two seasons, falling to the University of Tampa in both instances, the program still boasts a national-best .

in 2026, Adelphi has all three of its All-Americans back from a year ago: , and . Now add and to that, and you have a team leading the country with five USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-America selections.

Lionetti was also tagged as the , after earning recognition last spring.

The foundation is in place for another deep postseason push.

Adelphi Baseball Begins New Era as Mike Gaffney Takes the Helm as Skipper

Spring also signals a fresh chapter for the .

The Panthers are turning the page following the retirement of , who dedicated 12 years to the program, including five as head coach. During that span, Ianniciello compiled more than 100 career victories, guiding Adelphi to an NE10 Championship final in his debut season as skipper and an NCAA Tournament bid just a year later, off the heels of a 30-15-2 finish in 2022.

Now steps into the Adelphi dugout with his own pedigree.

As a player, Gaffney was chosen in the 13th round by the Kansas City Royals in 2002 and spent five seasons in the organization, reaching the AA level. He built LIU Post into a perennial power during his managerial tenure from 2014 to 2019, guiding the Pioneers through the winningest five-year stretch in program history, capped by a single-season record of 38 victories in 2019 that earned him ECC and ABCA East Region Coach of the Year distinction.

“My family and I are so excited to be a part of Adelphi,” Gaffney said. “From my father being a Hall of Famer here to my sons now donning Panther gear, this is truly a full-circle moment for all of us. Our coaching staff will work tirelessly to make this program a success, on and off the diamond.”

His father, , is an Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famer who led the Panthers to a Knickerbocker Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1977.

Postseason Aspirations: Tennis Hosts at USTA, Golf Builds on Historic Breakthrough

Championship opportunities extend beyond the diamond and turf.

enters the spring unbeaten at a perfect 6-0 against Division II opponents. Later this spring, the team will serve as hosts for the 2026 NE10 Championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, home of the US Open Tennis Championships.

After falling short in last fall’s conference final, the Panthers aim to reclaim both the regular season and tournament titles they captured in .

, meanwhile, continues to build on a historic fall season that saw the program capture its . Just a decade after its inception, the Panthers completed a remarkable rise under head coach , winning the conference crown by 23 strokes and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals this May in Findlay, Ohio.

With a roster that blends award winners and postseason-tested performers, Adelphi’s momentum shows no signs of slowing.

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As phones go dark and eyes close, Michael Hoffner, the founding coordinator of the center, guides them to be here and in the moment. For half an hour, on a campus and in a culture built on constant doing, the only task is to stop.

Stress Relief From the Pressures of Student Life

College students arrive on campus carrying heavy loads: classes, jobs and family responsibilities. Add pressure to perform well, along with the sense that your future hinges on your actions, and daily life can feel like a pressure cooker.

To address that, many colleges are simply designating “quiet rooms.” But Adelphi has gone a step further by creating a dedicated sanctuary for stress relief. Located within the renovated University Center, the Mindfulness Center—which opened in 2022—is a true retreat featuring soaring ceilings, soft twinkling lights and the calming scent of essential oils. A licensed social worker ordained in the Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village Buddhist tradition, Hoffner was a natural choice to shape the new center.

“Integrating mindfulness into the college experience is something that is valuable on so many levels,” Hoffner said. It can transform “the energy of the campus as a whole” when more people show up calmer and more grounded.

The center’s weekly rhythm is simple: drop‑in mindfulness sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hoffner leads the meditations himself, inviting students to set down their to‑do lists, notice their breathing and rest.

For many, that’s an unfamiliar experience.

At Adelphi, Achieving Mindfulness Isn’t a Solitary Pursuit

Paloma Jose-Day, a senior majoring in psychology, first tried mindfulness on her own. Like many people, she quickly ran into frustration. Sitting alone with her thoughts didn’t feel calming. It felt impossible, even overwhelming.

Coming to the Mindfulness Center changed that. Practicing in a room with others, supported by Hoffner’s quiet guidance, finally helped her “get it.” The presence of other students made mindfulness feel less like a private test she was failing and more like a shared practice she could grow into over time.

Jose-Day has been going to weekly 30-minute guided sessions at the center since she transferred to Adelphi in Fall 2024. The experience has quietly reshaped her daily habits.

“I didn’t go to the Mindfulness Center to quit my phone, but that’s what happened,” she said. “I’m not reaching for it first thing in the morning anymore. I wake up, stretch, breathe and think about my day instead.” She has stopped doomscrolling while she eats lunch, too, she said. “When I’m eating now, I’m not looking at my phone. Instead, I’m actually enjoying my food.”

Achieving mindfulness can even be part of career preparation. Ryan Mijumbi, MA ’24, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Adelphi’s Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, says the techniques he’s learned at the center will help him in his career.

“The same mindfulness skills I practice here—being aware of myself, the space and the other person—are exactly what I’ll need in the therapy room with my clients,” he said.

It has also made his life better. “For me, the Mindfulness Center is a quiet place where I can step out of the chaos of grad school, breathe and remember that despite everything, it’s going to be okay,” he explained. “Mindfulness didn’t help me pass any tests, but it kept me going when grad school stress and burnout were at their worst.”

Weekend “Retreats”—Right on Campus

Recently, the Mindfulness Center mission has grown.

A weekend mindfulness retreat on campus has drawn about 125 participants over the past two years. Students practice sustained silence, meditation and mindful activities.

An alternative spring break retreat offers an even deeper dive. Hoffner and his team take a small group of students to a Buddhist monastery in the Plum Village tradition. Past trips have gone to retreats in upstate New York and Mississippi. This year, 12 students will spend a week at a monastery in California.

There, they join the daily rhythm of monastic life. Practices that feel strange or uncomfortable to students on the first day often become cherished by the end of the week, Hoffner said. “When it’s time to leave, many students ask the same question: How do I bring this back with me?” he explained.

Building a Mindfulness Community on Campus

Hoffner is now helping launch a mindfulness residential community at Adelphi, bringing together a handful of students to live together on campus. Next year, the program will expand into a full‑fledged community.

“Our mindfulness practice is not intended for us to escape the world,” Hoffner said. “It’s actually here to help us encounter the world more deeply so that we’re not running away from the world, we’re actually leaning in and showing up more fully.”

He hopes his students’ experiences will help build a new normal: a community where mindfulness isn’t an escape hatch, but a way of meeting the world with steadiness, courage and care.

The post A Quiet Room, a Campuswide Impact: Inside Adelphi’s Mindfulness Center appeared first on ������Ƶ.

But what if you don’t earn a spot on Adelphi’s highly competitive varsity lacrosse or soccer teams?

This fall, there is a solution.

Beginning in Fall 2026, ������Ƶ will introduce premier club offerings in men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse, creating expanded opportunities for students who want to play in a competitive league, with full-time coaching and intercollegiate games.

The move reflects a broader vision for : To ensure participation in competitive sports remains a defining and accessible part of campus life.

has long played a central role in the identity of the University. With 19 national championships, Adelphi has built a tradition of excellence that resonates well beyond its Garden City campus. The and teams account for a remarkable 10 of those titles, making them two of the most storied programs in the University’s history.

Now that legacy is opening new doors.

Building on Adelphi’s Championship Lacrosse and Soccer Tradition

The has begun paving the way for a dynasty, entering the 2026 season as the in the land, after winning back-to-back and , the most recent of which was a 9-8 overtime thriller to stun The University of Tampa in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Interest in the program is at an all-time high, and lacrosse continues to be a hotbed as one of the most popular collegiate sports in the region.

The , which staked its only national championship in 1974 (the University’s first, in fact!), has remained nationally competitive in recent years. Under head coach , the Panthers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times and earned a place in the rankings in five of Book’s eight seasons.

The launch of premier club soccer and lacrosse is not a replacement for that success. Instead, it is an extension of it.

“These premier club sports programs are an extension of the strong campus life that Panther Athletics has always supported,” said , Adelphi director of athletics and campus recreation. “They will complement our varsity, club and intramural offerings and give students another meaningful way to connect with the University through sport.”

What Makes Premier Soccer and Lacrosse Clubs Different

Unlike traditional student-run club teams, Adelphi’s premier club programs will have full-time coaches, regular practices and competitive schedules against peer colleges offering similar high-level club experiences.

“These premier club sports serve as an elevated experience,” McCabe discussed. “The professional coaching component is the key differentiator. Students will receive high-quality training and structured competition while still enjoying the flexibility that club sports provide.”

For students who want to continue improving and competing at a high level, this pathway offers another avenue to catch the eye of Adelphi’s varsity squads.

“Certainly, for students who want to continually improve at their sport, this provides a unique opportunity to compete after high school and potentially try out for varsity teams.”

Expanding Access and Opportunity in Athletics at Adelphi

At its core, this initiative is about widening access.

Competitive sports are often described as one of the most rewarding aspects of college life. Adelphi’s leadership believes that experience should not be limited to a select number competing only at the varsity level.

“It’s exciting to know that we will offer athletic opportunities to every kind of athlete,” McCabe noted. “From intramurals to club to varsity, our students will have options to stay active and be part of a vibrant campus community.”

A Model for the Future of College Athletics

Men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse will be the first premier club sports at Adelphi, serving as the initial launch of a model designed to expand structured athletic opportunities across campus.

“There are a number of schools offering high-level club experiences like this,” McCabe said. “We look forward to competing with those institutions as schedules are developed and continuing to evaluate how this model may work with other sports.”

The University’s long championship history remains a point of pride. Now, with the launch of premier club sports next fall, that tradition of excellence expands to include even more student-athletes.

At Adelphi, the message moving forward is clear: Competitive opportunity and campus engagement can go hand in hand.

And the foundation remains the same.

Athletics are for everyone.

Students interested in learning more can reach out by email or by filling out an interest form:

• or email clubmsoc@adelphi.edu
• or email clubmlax@adelphi.edu

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For Stafford, the 56th was an opportunity to expand her network and develop her professional skills. As vice president of chapter operations and a voting delegate, Stafford got an inside look at the legislative process. “I was really excited to learn about the process of voting and to be in a parliamentary procedure-style election,” she says. “To be able to think about the operations of the organization and how changes could affect certain things was really valuable.”

Sam Dotterman, an Adelphi Deltasig who attended the conference as an alternate delegate, also enjoyed learning about how organizations function. “That was the best part of the whole conference—hearing what the other chapters across the country are like and how they operate,” he says.

Connecting, Problem-Solving and Plenty of Networking

Talking with other Deltasigs helped Adelphi members brainstorm solutions for issues their chapter faced. “Being able to connect with chapters that are the same size who had the same problem and hearing how they approached it was really valuable,” Stafford says. Those conversations inspired them to build local partnerships for fundraising events and service hours.

Outside of legislative meetings, conference attendees could participate in education sessions led by alumni working in different companies. Sessions covered various business- and career-related topics, such as AI in the workplace, leadership development, how to land competitive internships and networking. Dotterman, who’s interested in a career in financial services, received practical career advice, from how to format his résumé to the importance of applying for internships early.

He also appreciated the opportunity to build networking skills. “I hadn’t had the experience where I’d fly across the country and have to talk to a bunch of new people,” Dotterman says. “That’s a really good skill to develop.”

His networking paid off: He met an alumna on the flight to California who’s helping him apply for an internship.

Founding Deltasig Alumna Sings the Fraternity’s Praises

Networking and professional development opportunities like this are exactly why Deborah Viola ’84, PhD, a founding member of Adelphi’s Delta Sigma Pi chapter and current Robert B. Willumstad School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board member, supports events like the Grand Chapter Congress. “Learning how to network when you’re younger is so beneficial—it’s much harder to acquire these skills once you get older,” she says. Many of the relationships she built as a Deltasig continue showing up today. “You may not keep in touch with the folks you aligned with when you were younger every day, but chances are they’re in your field,” she notes.

Social events at the conference facilitated these connections. Stafford’s casual basketball conversation at arcade night with a group of entrepreneurs made it easy to connect with them the next day to learn about their startup. “It made people more approachable,” she says.

Beyond individual connections, the conference format itself helps students develop as business professionals. “Personal and professional growth really comes from attending these conferences and meetings,” Dr. Viola says. “If you’re in business, you really need to understand others’ perspectives, and as a student, you challenge yourself more and appreciate what you’re learning in class.”

To maximize these benefits, Stafford recommends full participation. By attending as many sessions and social events as possible, she met professionals in fields she’s exploring, like forensic accounting. “I’ve been interested in forensic accounting for a while, but it can be hard to find people who are in the field, as it’s a bit more up-and-coming,” Stafford explains. Showing up to events gave her the opportunity to ask a forensic accountant about his experience working in the field. “The things he didn’t like about it were things that really interested me about it, so that was kind of funny,” she says.

Both Stafford and Dotterman returned to campus with strong connections and opportunities to pursue during their time at Adelphi. “The experience has really continued to open the door,” Stafford says.

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Interim President Christopher Storm, PhD, takes a moment with Shadow, the beloved pet who greets visitors to the president’s office.

Adelphi Interim President Christopher Storm, PhD, understands this well. His standard poodle, Shadow, joins him in the office most days—a presence he finds instantly makes the president’s office more warm and welcoming. And at Adelphi there is an academic component as well. Students in a First-Year Seminar class recently learned about human-canine relationships alongside Echo, a black labrador who works regularly in the Learning Resource Program classroom.

This profound human-canine connection is the reason why James Tullo, a junior in Adelphi’s accelerated exercise science program (BS/MS), founded the Collar Scholars Club. Tullo, drawing on his experience raising service dogs, has seen the powerful impact a dog can have on someone’s life and he has brought that dedication and passion to campus. The club, launched last May, began small but has grown quickly as more students have become interested in service dog work and animal-assisted service programs.

Tullo answered a few questions about Collar Scholars and why he believes so strongly in its central mission.

Q: What inspired you to form the Collar Scholars club?

A: I’ve always been genuinely passionate about dogs and community service. I began raising service dogs before college, which showed me firsthand how profoundly those dogs could change someone’s life. I wanted to establish a space at Adelphi where students could merge that same love for animals with a meaningful cause.

Adelphi students love , and this club is helping them develop essential life skills like responsibility, leadership and empathy. Dogs possess a unique ability to bring those qualities out in people they interact with.

Q: Where do you source your service dogs? Are they pets, or are they specially vetted for this work?

A: Our dogs come from certified service dog organizations that partner with universities and community puppy raisers. These organizations conduct careful breeding to select puppies with the temperament needed for service work. That means they must demonstrate the ability to be calm in all environments, be friendly and social, and always remain patient with their human companions.

The official logo of Adelphi’s new Collar Scholars club.

Q: What is the main mission, or goal, of the Collar Scholars club? What are you trying to accomplish?

A: The main goal is to help raise and socialize service dogs so they are prepared for the next stage of their training. This is a critical role that every member of the club takes part in, as service dogs are essential today for many individuals with disabilities who need greater independence.

Q: What are the benefits for Adelphi students?

A: Beyond the primary mission, we also aim to educate our campus community about service animals, accessibility and disability awareness. The club provides students with hands-on experience in training, teamwork and leadership, and addresses mental health directly. It’s truly amazing to engage in this work while contributing to something bigger than ourselves.

Q: Can you tell us a little about the response from students?

A: The response has been incredibly positive.

Students love seeing the dogs around campus, and many have shared that meeting them instantly brightens their day. We’ve had significant interest from people wanting to volunteer, become puppy raisers or simply learn more about service animals. It’s also helped initiate great conversations about inclusion and mental health. Overall, the initiative has brought a lot of positive energy and purpose to campus life.

Q: Any long-term goals?

A: My ultimate hope is that we can raise a puppy entirely on Adelphi’s campus to become a future service dog and help someone who needs a canine partner achieve more independence.

That would be life-changing for both the students and the eventual owner.

It may be a long way off—but we are headed in the right direction.

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Just 10 years after the establishment of the , the Panthers completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent NE10 history.

When head coach assumed leadership midway through the 2021–2022 season, the program had never finished higher than fifth at the NE10 Championship. By the following fall, the team had surged to a then-program-best runner-up finish, fueled by ’s record-setting individual title.

Three years later, the Panthers reached the pinnacle.

For the Win: Women’s Golf Secures Victory

Adelphi clinched its first-ever this fall, posting an 88-over team score across two days to win by a commanding 23 strokes. The Panthers built a 14-stroke lead after the first round and never looked back, displaying consistency and composure throughout the 36-hole tournament.

, the 2023–2024 NE10 Rookie of the Year, tied for second individually at 20-over, shaving four strokes off her total from Day 1 to Day 2. followed closely in fifth (+21), buoyed by an impressive second-round 78. and locked down sixth and eighth place, respectively, while added a top-12 finish to round out the scoring.

Men’s Golf Secures Second-Straight NE10 Runner-Up Result

The continued its resurgence under head coach , finishing as the NE10 runner-up for the second consecutive season—this time by a narrow four-stroke margin behind two-time defending champion Southern New Hampshire University.

The Panthers entered the championship as the top selection in the , and their strong play validated that confidence.

led Adelphi with a fourth-place finish at 4-over, firing rounds of 74, 71, and 72 while collecting 10 birdies, en route to NE10 All-Championship Team honors. placed seventh at 7-over, stamped by an opening-round 72, with rounding out the top-10 at 10-over.

added a steady 14th-place finish (12-over), and delivered one of the weekend’s most electric performances, subbing in after Round 1 and carding back-to-back rounds of 71 (E) and 70 (-1). Lanuza excelled at the par-5 10th hole, circling the scorecard twice there in what led to six total birdies across his two rounds.

National Champions Receive Their Rings … Again

A spotlight shined on Adelphi men’s lacrosse, as the team celebrated with a dazzling ring ceremony—honoring a run that ended a 23-year drought in 2024 and doubled down with another trophy in 2025.

The Panthers secured their latest title last May with a dramatic 9–8 overtime victory against top-seeded University of Tampa at Gillette Stadium, where , after the Panthers won the opening face-off of sudden death, scored the game winner just 1:19 into extra time.

The ceremony unveiled a striking championship ring, trimmed in gold, crowned with a radiant AU lettermark, and adorned with two national championship trophies. Head Coach became only the third coach in program history to win multiple NCAA titles, joining legendary Adelphi men’s lacrosse coaches and —both of whom are Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famers in their own right.

The Panthers stand as the first program since 2019 to repeat as Division II men’s lacrosse national champions.

2025 Athletic Hall of Fame Class Announced

The ������Ƶ Department of Athletics proudly introduced its , honoring a distinguished group of student-athletes and coaches whose accomplishments continue to elevate the University’s legacy.

This year’s class features five individual inductees and a Legendary Team. Among them is Greg Nerko ’70, MA ’74, recipient of the Frank Cassell Memorial Award, recognized for decades of leadership, service and unwavering support for Adelphi Athletics. Joining him is Bill Eickelberg ’75, the Woodruff Award honoree, celebrated for more than 40 years as a teacher, multi-sport coach and champion of inclusive physical education.

The class also includes standout performers whose athletic achievements left an indelible mark on their programs:

● , a dynamic midfielder who played a pivotal role in three consecutive NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse national championships.

● , a trailblazer in cross country and track and field as Adelphi’s first men’s individual national qualifier, and a two-time All-American.

● Dan DeMilt ’93, a centerpiece of the 1993 baseball team and an ABCA All-American whose postseason performance helped carry the Panthers to the NCAA Division II College World Series.

● , one of the most decorated hitters in Adelphi softball history, a three-time All-American and a record-setting force at third base.

● Frank Tashman ’86, a two-time All-American, and one of the leading offensive players of Adelphi’s Division I men’s lacrosse era.

Rounding out the class is the 1993 ������Ƶ baseball team, a legendary group whose unprecedented first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series secured their place among the University’s most iconic squads.

Together, the 2025 inductees represent excellence across generations, reinforcing Adelphi’s proud tradition of competitive achievement, leadership and community impact.

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