More than 140 graduating seniors from Stony Brook University showcased their senior projects and theses at the 2025 University Honors Senior Symposium on April 29. The event, held in the Student Union Ballroom, featured research and creative work from students across 55 academic departments.
Catherine Sherman, assistant dean for University Honors Programs, addressed attendees: “It’s a pleasure to be gathering with you all to recognize and celebrate the exceptional research and creative work of our graduating Honors College and WISE Honors seniors.” She emphasized that the projects represent more than just completion but are testaments to students' "intellect, curiosity, perseverance, and hard work."
The cohort of students worked with 95 faculty mentors on topics ranging from marine animal rehabilitation to machine learning in chemical physics. The symposium allowed students to share findings and reflect on their academic journeys.
Molly Rubin, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in marine sciences, designed a weighted vest for Chestnut, a disabled green sea turtle. Rubin said the project gave her experience in designing for marine animals and credited the honors program for expanding her network.
Biochemistry major Gabriella Vaccaro developed a bioinformatic pipeline to analyze RNA sequencing data related to pulmonary cryptococcosis. She noted that "the Honors College played a pivotal role" in shaping her academic path. Vaccaro will pursue a PhD at Carnegie Mellon University.
Daniel Julian, who double-majored in physics and applied mathematics and statistics, presented his work on neural network models predicting reaction probabilities in chemical processes. Julian plans to continue his research as a PhD student at Stony Brook.