Shout Outs
By Office of the President | Sep 22, 2026
SUNY Administration Business Office Visits Downstate
Each year, the SUNY Administration Business Office visits select campuses to learn more about their operations, facilities, and the distinct role each institution plays within the SUNY system.
Recently, Richard Miller, Ph.D., Chief Financial Officer, and Downstate’s Finance team welcomed Christopher Herbert, Michael Breton, Kevin Urena, Dhyey Patel, and Steven Beyer from the SUNY Administration Business Office.
Bernadette Selby, MPA, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Senior Assistant Vice President for Finance, led a tour of the Nursing Simulation Center, Library, Residential Life facilities, planned hospital expansion site, renovated maternity suites, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Transplant Unit.
The delegation later met with Jason M. Lazar, M.D., Ph.D., MPH; Heidi J. Aronin, MPA; Alishia Goodridge, MLS, MBA; Dr. Miller; and members of the Finance team to discuss the complexities of operating an academic medical center and supporting Downstate’s education, research, clinical care, and community service missions.
Special thanks to Ishola Adeyemo, M.D.; Jacob V. Aranda, M.D., Ph.D.; Norris Boucher; Mudar Dalloul, M.D.; Christina Guillén, M.D.; Deanne Kennedy-Lorde; Marie-Claire Rosenberg Roberts, Ph.D.; and Cheryl Rolston, DNP, for sharing their expertise and providing information about their respective areas. Thanks, also to Rebecca Morales, Vincent Castro, and the Office of Communications & Marketing for coordinating the in-house tours.
THEO Celebrates Its 2026 Peer Leadership Class
Family members, alumni, mentors, and community partners recently gathered to celebrate THEO’s 2026 Peer Leadership Class and welcome a new generation of youth health advocates.
The students completed six weeks and 120 hours of training through THEO—Teens Helping Each Other, a peer leadership initiative of the STAR Program. They studied adolescent health, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, healthy decision-making, research, communication, and public speaking.
The trainees also shared health information and resources at Wingate Park, Love Fest, and other community events across Brooklyn. Each graduate earned recognition as a Health Education Youth Worker.
The ceremony recognized Faith Pierre, the 2026 class valedictorian, who encouraged her peers to use their knowledge and
voices to make a difference now.
THEO alumnae Raeann Rolston, MA, Director of Admissions and Recruitment in our School of Public Health, and Roudjessie Charles, MPH, Manager of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health’s Health Science Academy, discussed how the program shaped their careers in education and public health.
Participants also honored THEO founder and longtime director Christine L. Rucker, MPA, AEP/THEO, whose legacy lives on with the recent appointment of Marian Searchwell-DeSouza, Ed.D., who now carries it forward as THEO’s Director.
Congratulations to THEO’s 2026 Peer Leadership Class!
“This Week at Grand Rounds” Highlights Medical Expertise at Downstate
Developed by Moro O. Salifu, M.D., MBA, MPH, MACP, Chair of the Department of Medicine, “This Week at Grand Rounds” highlights physicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders who share their expertise
with Downstate residents and faculty.
The series opened with Dr. Salifu’s presentation on glomerulonephritis, which addressed early diagnosis, kidney biopsy, and advances in targeted treatment. A nationally recognized nephrologist, Dr. Salifu is a tenured Professor of Medicine and the Edwin C. and Anne K. Weiskopf Endowed Chair in Kidney Diseases and Hypertension
A recent Grand Rounds welcomed back Steven L. Cohn, M.D., MACP, SFHM, a Downstate internal medicine residency alumnus and former faculty member who spent nearly 30 years at Downstate and Kings County Hospital. Dr. Cohn presented a case-based discussion of cardiac risk assessment and perioperative management for patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.
Now Professor Emeritus at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Cohn is nationally recognized for his work in perioperative medicine and medical education.
Watch Dr. Cohn’s Grand Rounds presentation, and remember to follow SUNY Downstate on LinkedIn for more Grand Rounds presentations featuring the physicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders advancing medicine across our campus.
Bioethics Division Hosts Lecture on New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act
The John Conley Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities recently welcomed Beth Haroules, Senior Staff Attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), for a lecture
on the ethics and implications of New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. The program
took place weeks after the law went into effect on August 5, 2026, allowing eligible
terminally ill New Yorkers with a prognosis of six months or less to seek medical
aid in dying.
Ms. Haroules reviewed the law’s development and practical considerations before turning to its central ethical tension: balancing patient autonomy with the irreversible implications of the practice. She also addressed concerns about the physician-patient relationship and how perceptions of disability, quality of life, and end-of-life care may influence deeply personal decisions.
The program drew a capacity audience to PHAB Hall and concluded with an engaging question-and-answer session. The strong turnout reflected the Downstate community’s interest in complex issues at the intersection of medicine, ethics, and society, as well as the Division’s commitment to fostering these important conversations.
Medical Aid in Dying Act
Representing Downstate College of Nursing in Washington
Congratulations to Mary Chan, an FNP graduate student in Downstate’s College of Nursing, who represented the College
at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 2026 Graduate Nursing Student Academy
Conference in Washington, D.C.
Nominated by the College of Nursing to attend, Chan joined graduate nursing students and professionals from across the country for two days of sessions on leadership, nursing innovation, emerging technologies, wellness, mentorship, and collaboration.
A highlight for Ms. Chan was hearing Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, President of the American Nurses Association, share her nursing journey and discuss the importance of leading with purpose. She also connected with nurse practitioners, DNP and PhD students, and emerging nursing leaders from across the country, exchanging ideas and learning from their experiences.
Congratulations, Mary, for representing Downstate and the College of Nursing on the national stage!
Dr. Vales-Lewis Contributes to Newly Published Book
Congratulations to Vanessa V. Vales-Lewis, Ph.D., MAT, Assistant Dean in the School of Health Professions, on her contribution to the newly
published book Embracing Life and Death: Diverse Perspectives on Living, Dying, and
Beyond, Volume 2. Dr. Vales-Lewis authored Chapter 4, “Matrescence: Obstetric Violence
and Self,” which explores maternal wellness, lived experience, self-care, and the
transition to motherhood.
From her doctoral research and mentorship at CUNY to publication on an international stage, this achievement reflects Dr. Vales-Lewis’s continued commitment to scholarship and health professions education.
As the School of Health Professions celebrates 60 years of preparing healthcare professionals, we are proud to recognize Dr. Vales-Lewis and the scholarship and impact of our Downstate community.
A Meaningful Tribute of Remembrance
A heartfelt thank-you to the Student Center Governing Board and the University Council for its generous donation of the commemorative wreath placed in The Grove during
Downstate’s 25th Anniversary 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony.
The wreath served as a moving tribute to the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders and healthcare professionals who answered the call to serve.
Special thanks to Adam Burgman, M.Ed., Director of Student Activities and the Student Center, for his leadership and collaboration in making this meaningful tribute possible.
Downstate Research Leader Takes on eLife Role
Congratulations to W. Marcus Lambert, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Research and Associate Professor of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, on his appointment as a Reviewing Editor for eLife.
eLife is a nonprofit scientific publisher that has developed a more open approach to peer review, emphasizing constructive scientific discussion and greater transparency in the review process.
As a Reviewing Editor, Dr. Lambert will engage with research in epidemiology as well as studies examining how science itself is conducted, including mentorship and training, biomedical workforce development, research assessment, and peer review.
The appointment allows Dr. Lambert to contribute his expertise in epidemiology, research training, and the research enterprise to an evolving approach to scientific publishing.