Distinguished Alumni Award
The Department of Political Science is proud to recognize alumni whose professional accomplishments, public service, scholarship, and leadership reflect the excellence of our programs. As the achievements of our graduates become known to the department, distinguished alumni may be selected for this prestigious honor. Because the award is granted only when a particularly deserving candidate is identified, it is not necessarily conferred every year. We welcome nominations for outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions in their fields.
Nominations should be submitted to polsci_alumni@stonybrook.edu.
2025 Department of Political Science Distinguished Alumni Award
Steven Raga (M.A. in Public Policy, 2008)
New York State Assemblymember for District 30
Steven Raga proudly serves as Assemblymember for District 30, encompassing the neighborhoods of Woodside, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Maspeth, and Jackson Heights.
With two decades of public service experience, Steven has served as Executive Director of the non-profit organization Woodside on the Move, as the Northeast Regional Manager for Policy & Advocacy for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Chief of Staff for Assemblymember Brian Barnwell, and Senior Strategist for Multicultural Leadership at AARP.
He has previously sat on the boards of the Western Queens Community Land Trust, Queens LGBT Pride, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), National Urban Fellows Alumni, and Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro), which he founded in Woodside. Steven also served as a Member of Queens Community Board 2 and the Queens District Attorney’s Advisory Commission for Asian American Affairs.
Currently, he is also a NY State Advisory Committee Member for the U.S. Federal Commission on Civil Rights, appointed under President Obama, which has conducted investigations on discriminatory practices in housing, education, and prison reform.
Steven has completed fellowships at the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, New American Leaders, National Urban Fellows, We Are All New York-Queens Fellowship, Cornell Law School, the Cornell University Emerging Markets Institute, and Coro New York's Immigrant Civic Leadership Program.
Previous Distinguished Alumni
- 2025: Steven Raga, New York State Assemblymember for District 30 ('08)
- 2024: Sean F. Conroy, Specialist Director Mission Team, Department of Defense, Microsoft Corporation ('03)
- 2023: Kimberly Jean-Pierre, Assemblywoman, NY Assembly District 11 ('07)
- 2022: DK Bartley, Chief Diversity Officer at Moody's Corporation ('95)
- 2021: Jennifer Nassour, J.D. , founder of Pocketbook Project ('93)
- 2019: Eric R. Wagner, Executive Vice President of Insurance and Diversified Operations for MedStar ('79)
- 2018: Erin C. Cassese, Associate Professor, University of Delaware ('07)
- 2017: Janet Bernier, JD, Principal at BDO ('86)
- 2016: Hooman Azmi-Ghadimi, MD ('93)
- 2015: Latoya Joyner, New York State Assemblywoman ('08)
- 2014: Barry Devolin, Member of the Canadian House of Commons ('86 G)
- 2013: Lynda Nicolino, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Corporate General Counsel ('88)
- 2012: John T. (JT) Mastranadi, Political Director for Citizens United ('05)
- 2011: Aylin Karamehmetoglu, Chief of Staff, Cordoba Initiative ('07)
- 2010: Ron Nehring, Chair, California Republican Party ('92)
- 2009: R. Stephanie Good, Attorney at Law & Bestselling Author ('88)
- 2008: Kabando-wa-Kabando, Member of the National Assembly, Kenya ('01 G)
- 2007: Scott Middleton, Mayor and Justice, Lake Grove, NY ('84)
- 2006: Jonathan Salant, President, National Press Club ('76)
- 2005: Marlene Budd, Suffolk County Family Court Judge ('86)
- 2004: Kevin Law, President, Long Island Power Authority ('82)
- 2003: Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive ('81)
- 2002: Colleen Murphy Ommundsen, NYC Police Officer and 9-11 Responder
- 2001: Osita Iroku, Businessman; Chair, Delta Acquisitions Group ('93)
- 2000: James F. Gesualdi, Attorney at Law ('85 G)
- 2009: R. Stephanie Good, Attorney at Law & Bestselling Author ('88)
- 2008: Kabando-wa-Kabando, Member of the National Assembly, Kenya ('01 G)
- 2007: Scott Middleton, Mayor and Justice, Lake Grove, NY ('84)
- 2006: Jonathan Salant, President, National Press Club ('76)
- 2005: Marlene Budd, Suffolk County Family Court Judge ('86)
- 2004: Kevin Law, President, Long Island Power Authority ('82)
- 2003: Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive ('81)
- 2002: Colleen Murphy Ommundsen, NYC Police Officer and 9-11 Responder
- 2001: Osita Iroku, Businessman; Chair, Delta Acquisitions Group ('93)
- 2000: James F. Gesualdi, Attorney at Law ('85 G)
- Hamad A. Al-Kawari, Information and Cultural Minister, Qatar ('90 G)
- Denise Coleman, Author; Founder, Chronic Pain Awareness Project
- Robert Gallucci, Ambassador, Assistant Secretary of State, United Nations Weapons Inspector; Dean, Georgetown School of Foreign Service; President of the John D. and Catherine T. Mac Arthur Foundation ('67)
- Richard Gelfond, Co-Chairman and Co-Ceo, Imax Corporation; Chair, Stony Brook Foundation ('76)
- Babak Movahedi, Real-estate developer ('82)
- Len Spivak, Partner, Cahill Gordon & Reindell ('64)
- Carole Weidman Nussbaum, Founder, Weidman & Siegel Baum; President, Cabrillo Music Theater ('73)