STONY BROOK, NY, April 2, 2008 – The annual Stars of Stony Brook Gala will honor Dr. Nancy Douzinas, president of the Rauch Foundation, on Wednesday, April 9 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. The Gala begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30 PM and dinner will be served at 7:30 PM.
A member of the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees since 2005, Dr. Douzinas has led the Rauch Foundation as its president since 1991. In 2004, she spearheaded the annual Long Island Index, a powerful catalyst that has spurred more regional thinking and planning, increased awareness of issues and an understanding of their interrelatedness, and inspired Long Islanders to work together in new ways to achieve shared goals. Under Dr. Douzinas’ leadership, the Foundation has had a tremendous impact on Long Island by drawing attention to critical issues facing the region and its future. Because of the Foundation’s strategic investments and vision, passion and dedication, a coalition of community leaders in business, government, and the nonprofit sector have come together to address these challenges in unprecedented ways.
Dr. Douzinas says that with its recent designation as a “flagship” campus within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Stony Brook University is uniquely positioned to help “re-imagine and invent the future” for the region.
“Stony Brook University is truly one of Long Island's world class institutions and it will be a critical element in Long Island's future development,” says Dr. Douzinas. “The University's Center for Survey Research has been a strategic partner of the Index from the start. They have conducted the surveys that have enabled us to gather data on what Long Islanders are thinking and feeling and this information has been integral to the success of the Long Island Index.”
“Stony Brook keenly feels its responsibility to be a leading university and partner for Long Island corporations and non-profit organizations, and so it is with particular pleasure that we honor Nancy this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations,” says President Shirley Strum Kenny.
Since the establishment of the Stars of Stony Brook Gala in 2000, the Stony Brook Foundation has netted more than $12 million to fund scholarships for undergraduate students and other university initiatives. The Gala is the capstone Manhattan-based event for the University’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Proceeds from the Gala will move the University closer to completing its $300 million dollar capital campaign, “The Emergence of Stony Brook.”
About Stony Brook University: Part of the State University of New York system, Stony Brook now encompasses 123 buildings on 1,100 acres. In the nearly fifty years since its founding, the University has grown tremendously, now with more than 22,000 students and 1,900 faculty, and is recognized as one of the nation’s important centers of learning and scholarship. It is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, the invitation-only organization of the best research universities in the country, and has been listed as one of the best universities in the world by the London Times.
About the Rauch Foundation: The Rauch Foundation is a Long Island-based family foundation that supports innovative and effective programs designed to: 1) Give disadvantaged, young children a better start in life 2) Improve the natural environment on Long Island and in Maryland and 3) Build management skills and develop leadership in the nonprofit sector. Based in Garden City, the Foundation seeks to promote systemic change by supporting programs that address the root cause of problems, rather than short-term approaches.
