“Mentorship Is Valuable.” Nancy Neff ’72 Establishes Endowed Fund for WISE

Mentors can transform young people’s lives. They can help navigate critical decisions and assist in choosing a career. But for Nancy Neff ’72, there was no one at her high school in Rockland County who was able to guide her. “They told me I could do whatever I wanted,” she said, “but never really gave me a clear direction of how to achieve my goals.” Neff made it a point throughout her career to help mentor colleagues and now clients through her consulting business. 

Wanting to ensure students have the resources and guidance they need to succeed, Neff has contributed to Stony Brook University’s mathematics and physics departments for the past 10 years. When she learned about the WISE Honors Program, she knew that was what she wanted to support in perpetuity through an endowed fund. “I love that they have a huge mentorship program,” she said. “I think mentorship is so valuable because it’s something I didn’t have early in my career, being a female in a traditionally male-dominated field.”  

Paving the Way for Herself

With no clear direction in high school, Neff knew one thing: She wanted to go to a state university. “I had a minimal Regents Scholarship and had to pay the tuition on my own,” she said. She chose Stony Brook University because she was hoping for a different environment than her hometown upstate. “I was a really good student, but socially, I wanted to get out more,” she said. “And I felt that Stony Brook was a great opportunity for me to do that.” She worked several jobs, putting away money each week, as she excelled in her mathematics and physics classes.

After graduating, Neff followed in her parents’ footsteps and became a high school math teacher, assuming she couldn’t have a math-based career without an advanced degree. However, after two years, she realized being part of the public school system wasn’t right for her. She moved back to the Hudson Valley area and started looking for a role that was more in line with her skill set. “IBM was hiring in the area. It seemed like everyone’s parents worked there,” Neff said. “So, I walked in and asked if they had any opportunities for someone with a math degree.” At the time, they had openings for computer programmers. “I remembered I had taken an early FORTRAN computer programming class at Stony Brook, which I found intuitively easy and enjoyed,” she said. 

Neff spent 30 years in different programming and engineering support roles at IBM. “One of the reasons I liked math is because there’s always a right answer, and I felt the same way about computer programming,” Neff explained. “It is a satisfying feeling to be able to solve a problem.” As Neff continued to solve programming problems at IBM, she also shared her knowledge. “To be able to debug an issue and then be able to explain and teach someone how I did it was something I really enjoyed. This kind of personal instruction, unlike the school math classes, was very satisfying.”

Paving the Way for Others

Upon her retirement, Neff wanted to continue to help people in different ways. She founded Nancy L. Neff Coaching and Healing, where she coaches others to be more comfortable with themselves and move forward in their lives. “When I first started my own business, I would do a lot of blog writing,” she said. “And now, through the courses I’ve been taking on self-empowerment, dreams and vision improvement, I meet with people to guide them, to better themselves and their lives. Learning how to soften and release my own strong myopia has opened up my worldview and expanded my life in ways I could have never imagined. I love guiding others to believe this is possible for them too.”

In addition to helping her clients, Neff has been supporting Stony Brook philanthropically for the past 10 years. Last fall, she established the Nancy L. Neff Endowed Fund to provide general support for WISE, a community-focused honors program for undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It offers a blend of small, seminar-style courses, early exposure to research, leadership development, community engagement, mentorship and more. “I wish there was a program like this when I was at Stony Brook. My heart just opened up when I learned about the WISE program,” said Neff.

For Amber Connell ’25, a recent graduate and former WISE Honors Student Leadership Council president, WISE is a community of motivated students looking to better themselves. “WISE provided me with the resources I needed to get acclimated to college,” said Connell. “The program also guided me as I switched majors, and my peers and mentors kept me accountable in my classes.” Connell has also taken advantage of the networking opportunities with WISE alumni. “With the variety of interests in the STEM fields, I love connecting with WISE alumni to understand the current needs of the workforce as I pursue my own career path,” said Connell.

The program features a curriculum that builds leadership, communication and professional development skills. “Through hands-on research experiences, workshops, networking opportunities and leadership roles, WISE helps our students build confidence, find their path and prepare for meaningful futures in STEM,” said Catherine Sherman, assistant dean of the University Honors Program.

The fund will be used to support student activities such as the mentorship program, networking events, workshops and invited speakers. “WISE is honored to have the support and engagement of Stony Brook alumni like Nancy,” said Sherman. “Nancy’s gift will help foster the WISE community, as well as student access and success in STEM education and careers.” 

Jacquelyn Gatta, director of WISE Honors, added, “We are truly grateful to Nancy for her generous gift, which will profoundly benefit our students. Her support will allow us to continue to provide transformative experiences that help WISE students thrive.”

Neff hopes that the endowed fund will help undergraduate students interested in STEM fields through outreach, recruitment and retention efforts. “These students are critical thinkers. They are smart and productive. They are our future leaders,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be a small part of their success and the evolution of WISE.”

Funding for the Nancy L. Neff Endowed Fund is amplified by both the New York state endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge, which will triple the impact this endowment gift will have on Stony Brook. For more information, visit stonybrook.edu/endowments. If you have interest in or questions about endowments or the match opportunities, contact Scott Barrett, interim vice president for Advancement, at (631) 632-9128 or scott.barrett@stonybrook.edu. 

-Christine McGrath