Suffolk Reporter

The Collaborative for the Earth (C4E) held its third town hall event on December 4, aiming to strengthen partnerships at Stony Brook University. The focus was on addressing environmental issues through collaboration with community and industry partners. Heather Lynch, director of C4E, emphasized the importance of connecting campus research with real-world problems and fostering community engagement.

“It’s critical that we connect the research we do on campus to real world problems, and that we work closely with partners off campus to make sure we’re asking the right questions," Lynch stated. "Again and again, faculty express a desire for more engagement with the community but building those relationships takes time."

A significant partnership has been formed around Stony Brook's role as an anchor institution of The New York Climate Exchange at Governors Island. This collaboration has led to internship opportunities, including one for Uzair Mahmud, a third-year student who worked with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

“This internship is an example of cross-sector collaboration," Mahmud said. "I’m thankful for this opportunity and hopeful that I can translate my research into something that the masses may be able to understand through their own culture and understanding.”

Kevin Reed, associate provost for climate and sustainability at Stony Brook, highlighted the need for innovative internships to develop sustainable climate solutions. “We need to break down silos through innovative internship opportunities for students and coordinating research with faculty and staff across external partners,” he said.

The Stony Brook Career Center coordinated these opportunities along with job fairs involving organizations like PSEG Long Island and Environmental Defense Fund. Kimberly Joy Dixon from the Career Center stressed providing diverse experiences for students: “Our goal is to work with departments and our partners to make sure that our students are getting experiences.”

John Turner from Four Harbors Audubon Society expressed interest in further discussions about wildlife conservation involvement: “We’d be delighted to have more discussions about how to involve students that have an interest in wildlife conservation issues.”

Derek O’Connor from the Office of Economic Development discussed workforce development programs aligning expertise with industry needs: “What we try to do is triangulate a center’s expertise with an industry need.”

Rebecca Shuford from New York Sea Grant noted their long-standing role in coastal environmental sustainability: “Everything we do has societal benefit or a connection to trying to make sure information gets into the hands of our coastal constituents.”

— J.D. Allen