Celebrating Excellence: Stony Brook Honors 2024 Class of 40 Under Forty Alumni

As Stony Brook continues to make strides in advancing the future of education, research and medicine, so do our exceptional young alumni, who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their communities. 

On October 24, more than 150 alumni and friends celebrated the 2024 Class of 40 Under Forty alumni honorees. These Seawolves made significant strides early in their careers, earning recognition for their achievements in healthcare, technology, public service, academia and environmental sciences, among other fields. From making sure our veterans get the resources they need and working in the New York State Assembly for senior citizens’ rights, to competing in the Olympics and raising money for nonprofit organizations, this year’s class of honorees joins the ranks of alumni dedicated to helping their communities and addressing global issues. 

“This year’s honorees are joining a community of very distinguished alumni,” said Stony Brook University Interim President Richard L. McCormick. “They are accomplishing great things in their fields and providing exceptional service to their communities — helping to fuel Stony Brook’s unstoppable momentum across Long Island, our state, our region and the nation.”

Our honorees have answered the call during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic by providing strategic counsel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, working as a respiratory specialist and specializing in disaster response and recovery programs in the U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms — Office of Security, Emergency Preparedness and Continuity. They are also sharing their knowledge at universities across the country, including Stony Brook University. And they are healing the next generation at hospitals near and far.

These Stony Brook alumni are making their mark on the world in many sectors across the country. For example, Jonathan Conyers ’17 works as a respiratory therapist, specializing in neonates and pediatrics. He co-founded the Brooklyn Debate League, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide speech and debate programming to at-risk communities. He is the author of the memoir I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here and has been featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and “Revisionist History,” as well as in The New York Times. While at Stony Brook, Conyers was part of the EOP/AIM program — which he credits for his success at Stony Brook.

“Without EOP, who knows what I’d be doing now,” he said. “It didn’t just change my life, it changed my daughter’s life. Stony Brook is creating better citizens and a better country. It’s a cascade. This is how we become a better world.”

Nusrat Alam ’06 is the CEO and co-founder of I Am Perspective, a community-based organization that creates social impact by fostering empathy, multicultural awareness and growth. She was also elected as a judicial delegate of New York State’s 24th Assembly District in 2022, the first Bangladeshi woman to hold the position. Through her organization, Alam has dedicated her time to establishing secure spaces internationally for difficult conversations on race, gender, religion, sexuality and socioeconomic fears. She has curated and facilitated more than 300 thought-provoking workshops and training sessions for teachers, students and parents from diverse backgrounds.

“Stony Brook showed me that I can make a great impact on the world,” said Alam. “With my work at I Am Perspective, I aim to create a united society through multicultural awareness and honest dialogue in open, safe and non-judgmental spaces,” said Alam.

From studying health sciences to winning the World Series, Patrick Cantwell ’12 is unstoppable. As a former Stony Brook student athlete, Cantwell helped the Seawolves have a magical run in the College World Series in 2012. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 2012 MLB draft and currently serves as a bullpen catcher for the team. He and his Stony Brook teammate Travis Jankowski were members of the Texas Rangers organization when the club won the 2023 World Series. Cantwell is a two-time Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Famer, as he was inducted with the entire 2012 baseball team in 2022 and was individually inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2024 on October 26. “I loved being able to help lead the Seawolves to two America East Championships,” said Cantwell.

“My coaches at Stony Brook instilled my strong work ethic and the true meaning of teamwork. I’m grateful for my time with the team, and I’m honored to be included with these truly remarkable alumni.” – Cantwell

“Like their fellow honorees, Nusrat, Patrick and Jonathan exemplify the unstoppable spirit of Stony Brook,” said Scott Barrett, interim vice president for University Advancement at Stony Brook University. “It’s inspiring to know that there are more than 200,000 ambitious, dedicated, exceptional Stony Brook alumni like them making their mark around the world in so many interesting and important ways.”

For more information on Stony Brook’s 40 Under Forty program, visit stonybrook.edu/40underforty. 

Scroll through photos of the event below.

-Christine McGrath