Robert W. Greene Institute for High School Journalists Wins First PCLI Spotlight Award

Inaugural honor tops list of 15 award winners from Stony Brook University

The School of Communication and Journalism's (SoCJ) Robert W. Greene Institute for High School Journalists led an impressive contingent from Stony Brook University at the annual Press Club of Long Island Media Awards, winning the inaugural PCLI Spotlight Award in recognition of its positive impact on the future of journalism on Long Island.

Members of the program's faculty were presented the award at the PCLI Media Awards dinner June 4 at The Fox Hollow in Woodbury. It was one of 15 awards presented to Stony Brook students and staff, including seven first-place winners.

The Greene Institute was established in 2009 in honor of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Greene. The six-day summer program is designed for high school sophomores and juniors aspiring to enter the field of media and journalism. Students will learn from SoCJ's faculty of professional journalists the fundamentals of news reporting, writing, editing, as well as photography and podcasting. The program brings the classroom to life by guiding students through conducting interviews, writing impactful stories, and producing news broadcasts.

"We are honored to be recognized by PCLI for the Greene Institute," said Zachary Dowdy, journalism instructor and program leader. "The program has launched careers in journalism for dozens of HS students who have come through our program. Many alumni are members of prominent journalism organizations across the country. We're happy they can be recognized for their work today."

This year's program will welcome 20 students from Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, and Westchester counties from July 26 to July 31. Students will reside on campus in the university's residence halls for the duration of the program to immerse themselves in the Stony Brook University experience.

PCLI is a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and is devoted to protecting and advocating for First Amendment rights, furthering ethical standards and providing ongoing training for its members. The PCLI Media Awards, held annually in June, honor the best in local journalism.

The complete list of PCLI Media Award winners from Stony Brook:

First Place

Narrative - Health - Science and Technology
Stony Brook Magazine
'A Legacy of Quantum'
Jessica Stallone

Narrative - Weather
SBU News
'Weathering the Storm: How SBU's Climate Research Is Shaping Long Island's Future'
Beth Squire

Student Journalism - Best College News Website
The Stony Brook Statesman
Angelina Livigni, Viyang Hao, Amen Ruth Galinato, Michelle Grisales, Jonathan Pascuzzi, Humza Malik, Maggie Gawor, Aloki Pandya, Sonia Kinyua, Sarah Chaudhry, Teagan O'Connell, Stanley Zheng, Henna Jeong, Christopher Yang, Zoie Mastriano, Madison Salimullah, Sophia Lin, Daniel Freeman, Michelle Jiang and Christina Wang.

Student Journalism - College Reporter of the Year, Narrative
The Stony Brook Press
Kaan Ozcan

Student Journalism - Investigative
The Stony Brook Statesman
Amen Ruth Galinato, Amit Ben-Bassat

Student Journalism - Video, Feature Package
The Stony Brook Media Group
'The Superstorm'
Miles Reese

Student Journalism - Narrative, Feature Story
The Stony Brook Statesman
'Stony Brook researchers and students navigate Trump-era budget cuts to scientific research'
Viyang Hao

Second Place

Student Journalism - Editorial/Commentary
The Stony Brook Statesman
Jonathan Pascuzzi

Student Journalism - Race & Diversity
The Stony Brook Press
'Rediscovering Setauket's Indigenous legacy: The history and challenges of the Setalcott Nation'
Leanne Pastore

Third Place

Student Journalism - Narrative, News Story
The Stony Brook Statesman
Michelle Grisales, Humza Malik

Student Journalism - Narrative, Feature Story
The Stony Brook Press
'What is a trinket?: An exploration of tchotchkes, doohickeys and knickknacks'
Samantha Sanso

Narrative - Best Magazine
The Stony Brook Press
Liam Hinck, Kaan Ozcan, Brian Chen, Steven Ospina Delgado, Sonia Zahid, Vik Pepaj

Radio - Interview
WUSB-FM
'Play It Forward: Interview with Laura Berman'
Allison VanCott-McEntee

Video - Interview
WUSB-FM
'Play It Forward: Uniting Science, Advocacy and Hope - The Armour Families Interview'
Allison VanCott-McEntee