Stony Brook University The State University of New York at Stony Brook ( commonly referred to as Stony Brook University , Stony Brook , or SBU ) is a public research university located in Stony Brook , New York in the United States . It is the youngest among university centers of the state , and has grown to be a flagship institution of New York , consistently being ranked as the top public university in New York by multiple publications . The university is one of the 62 research universities that comprise the Association of American Universities ( AAU ) , an invitation - only organization of leading research universities in North America . It has been ranked among the top forty public research universities in the United States , and among the top 1 % of universities in the world . Stony Brook has additional smaller campuses in Manhattan and Southampton . The university was founded in 1957 in Oyster Bay as State University College on Long Island . What would become the university moved to Stony Brook in 1962 . Since its establishment in Stony Brook , the university has expanded to include more than 200 major buildings with a combined area of more than 11 million gross square feet across 1 , 454 acres of land . The university owns the Stony Brook University Medical Center , co - manages the Brookhaven National Labs , and in 2005 acquired land for a Research & Development Park adjacent to its main campus , and has four business incubators across the region . The university has a regional economic impact of over $ 4 . 6 billion annually accounting for nearly 4 % of economic activity in eastern Long Island and research expenditures that have surpassed the $ 200 million mark annually . As of 2012 Stony Brook has over 24 , 500 students enrolled at the main campus , an alumni base of over 150 , 000 , and over 3 , 200 academic related staff with a total of 13 , 500 employees , the largest single - site employer in Long Island . Increasingly a more residential university , The " Stony Brook University " census - designated place corresponds to the campus and had a residential population of 9 , 216 at the 2010 census . Its athletic teams , nicknamed the Seawolves , are members of the America East Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association competing at the Division I of the NCAA since 1994 . The football team plays at Kenneth P . LaValle Stadium , the largest outdoor stadium in Suffolk County , while the basketball programs compete at the Stony Brook Arena ( temporarily at Pritchard Gymnasium . ) History . The university was founded in 1957 as the State University College on Long Island with about 140 students . The first temporary campus was at the William Robertson Coe Planting Fields estate in Oyster Bay . Originally , Stony Brook was a college for preparing secondary school teachers in mathematics and the sciences . Since 1962 , the campus has been located in Stony Brook on land donated by philanthropist Ward Melville . The original donation consisted of more than 400 acres ( 1 . 6 km² ) , but the campus has since grown to about three times that size . Among the four SUNY University Centers , Stony Brook is the only one that was founded after the 1948 establishment of the SUNY system . The Stony Brook campus was initially concentrated around what was called G - Quad ( now Mendelsohn Quad ) , and almost all offices were located there . Classes took place in the Humanities building , and some classes were still offered at Oyster Bay . With rapid growth during the 1960s and 1970s under university president John S . Toll , more buildings were erected on campus , and academic programs and enrollment grew . Stony Brook has undergone a number of changes in its logo and naming . In 1957 , while it was still located in Oyster Bay , it was officially called the " State University College of Long Island at Oyster Bay " . A year after , it was changed to " State University Center on Long Island at Oyster Bay " . When it moved to its present campus in Stony Brook in 1962 , it became officially known as the " State University of New York at Stony Brook " , or " SUNY - Stony Brook ( SUNY - SB ) . " Another form used in documents was " University at Stony Brook ( USB ) , " as can be seen in one of the previous logos . Today , the university is known and marketed as " Stony Brook University " . In the 1990s , the school underwent a project to revitalize the campus . Numerous buildings were renovated , including the Student Activities Center , as well as each residential quad . On October 22 , 2002 the school completed construction of a massive Charles B . Wang Asian American Center that was funded , in part , by a $ 52 million donation from Charles Wang . The university constructed Kenneth P . LaValle Stadium for $ 22 million in 2002 . , new apartments have been added for undergraduates . Also , renovations were completed on the original Humanities building and existing undergraduate residence halls . New residence halls continue to be built , such as a new hall just completed according to green - building specifications . In December 2011 , a donation of $ 60 million was made by former math - department chair and retired financier Dr . James Simons for the construction of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics . Most recent development projects include the completion a new baseball complex , led by the gift of alumnus and Major League Baseball Player Joe Nathan , and the Dubin Athletic Performance Center , a $ 4 . 3 million project to support the strengthening athletic programs . In progress building developments include a Hilton Garden Inn , situated between the Admissions Building and Medical Complex and an 85 , 000 ft . Campus Recreation Center , both scheduled to open in the fall of 2012 , as well as the plans for a cutting - edge , Marine Sciences Building at the Stony Brook Southampton Campus , scheduled to be completed by 2013 . Due to its long history as a concert venue , the university was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 15 , 2006 . In 2011 , the American Chemical Society designated Stony Brook ' s Chemistry Department a National Historic Landmark for its development of the MRI under the supervision of Paul Lauterbur . In December 2011 , Stony Brook moved closer to becoming a top - notch flagship for the SUNY system , thanks to the generosity and advocacy of billionaire James Simons . Simons and his wife , Marilyn , donated $ 150 million to Stony Brook University , by far the largest gift to a SUNY institution , and the sixth - largest donation to any public university in the country . Although Stony Brook is a state institution , private philanthropy helps in supporting the development of the university . Stony Brook ' s endowment , managed by the Stony Brook Foundation , amounted to more than $ 95 million in fiscal year 2008 / 2009 ; the Foundation manages assets in excess of $ 235 . 5 million . Academics . Stony Brook was one of ten national universities awarded a National Science Foundation recognition award in 1998 for their integration of research and education . In 2001 it became a member of the Association of American Universities ( AAU ) , an invitation - only organization of the top research universities in the U . S . , currently having 62 members . In the last three years two Nobel Prizes were awarded to professors for their work conducted at Stony Brook . The University has an annual $ 4 . 65 billion economic impact on the region . Stony Brook co - manages Brookhaven National Laboratory through Brookhaven Science Associates , a 50 - 50 partnership with Battelle Memorial Institute . Stony Brook is also one of two public schools in New York to have a medical school and a dental school , the other being University at Buffalo , The State University of New York . Tuition . For the 2012 - 13 academic year , annual undergraduate tuition is $ 5 , 570 for in - state students and $ 16 , 190 for out - of - state students with additional fees of $ 1 , 990 for all attending students . For graduate level education the tuition ranges from $ 4 , 685 to $ 8 , 970 for in - state students and $ 8 , 340 to $ 16 , 110 for out - of - state students depending on program and / or credit hours per semester . Stony Brook tuition is rising approximately $ 300 yearly , or 5 % yearly for the next five years for in - state students and 10 % yearly rise for out - of - state students after the passage of the SUNY 2020 legislation for rational tuition increases in 2011 . Demographics . Stony Brook University students , numbering 24 , 594 in Fall 2012 , represent all states of the Union and numerous nations around the world . The ratio of women to men is 1 : 1 as of Fall 2011 and 33 percent are graduate and professional students . Stony Brook has a diverse student body composed of roughly 39 percent European Americans , 19 percent Asian Americans , 8 percent Hispanics of any race , 14 percent international , and 15 percent undisclosed . Forty - seven percent of the students reside in Nassau or Suffolk county , while 22 percent reside in New York City . Ten percent of the student population comes from counties north of NYC , while only 7 percent reside in other states of the Union . Stony Brook has a sizeable international community amounting to 14 % of the student body . Rankings . In 2013 , " U . S . News & World Report " ranked Stony Brook University as the 40th best public university in the United States , and 92nd overall among all national universities . The School of Engineering is ranked 56th , Best Medical Schools : Research is ranked 57th , the School of Social Work is ranked 66th , and the School of Medicine and Biological Sciences is ranked 68th for best research . " . In 2013 , Stony Brook was ranked 22nd best value among the country ’ s public institutions for in - state students , and 9th for out - of - state students by Kiplinger ' s Personal Finance The Wall Street Journal ranked Stony Brook University ( SUNY ) # 8 amongst public universities sending students to elite graduate programs . , " U . S . News & World Report " has ranked the following programs : 4th - ranked Nuclear Physics graduate program under the category of " Physics Specialty " ; the 6th - ranked Geometry graduate program categorized as a " Mathematics Specialty " ; and the 11th - ranked Clinical Psychology graduate program . The University ' s graduate program in Topology ( categorized as a Mathematics specialty ) was ranked 12th ; the Physician ' s Assistant graduate program ranked 13th ; the graduate program in American Politics ( categorized as a Political Science specialization ) ranked 20th ; the graduate program in Physics ranked 23rd ; the graduate program in Mathematics ranked 24th ; the graduate program in Midwifery ranked 24th ; the graduate program in Political Science ranked 33rd ; the graduate program in Earth Science ranked 34th ; the graduate program in Materials Science ( categorized as an Engineering specialty ) ranked 37th ; the graduate program in Sociology ranked 41st ; the graduate program in Computer Science ranked 44th ; the graduate program in Chemistry ranked 49th ; graduate program in Psychology ranked 50th ; and the graduate program in Biological Sciences ranked 68th . Research . The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences ( SoMAS ) is the SUNY center for marine and atmospheric research , education , and public service . More than 300 graduate and undergraduate students from 16 different nations currently work and study at SoMAS . The School ' s students study coastal oceanographic processes and atmospheric sciences in a natural and academic setting that offers abundant opportunities for conducting field work , solving real problems in both local and distant environments , and learning to express their opinions in the weekly seminars . The Marine Sciences Research Center , the original institute for marine studies , was incorporated into the new School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences ( SOMAS ) on June 15 , 2007 . Also , the University co - manages Brookhaven National Laboratory , joining an elite group of universities – including the University of California , University of Chicago , Cornell , MIT , and Princeton University – that run federal laboratories . In the Physical Sciences , Mathematics and Engineering area , some of the research centers of Stony Brook University are the Institute for Mathematical Sciences , and the C . N . Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics among others . In the biomedical sciences , Stony Brook houses the Center for Biotechnology and the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery , among many others . In March 2008 , the University received $ 60 million endowment from James Simons to establish the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics . The Louis and Beatrice Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology was established by a generous gift in 2008 from Dr . Henry Laufer . In July 2007 Stony Brook won a grant from the Department of Defense to devise ways to prevent terrorists from corrupting computers , and another from the Department of Homeland Security to design a system to detect radiation without triggering false alarms . The New York Center for Computational Sciences ( NYCCS ) , formed in 2007 , is a joint venture of Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory . Its centerpiece is an 18 rack Blue Gene / L and 2 rack Blue Gene / P massively parallel supercomputer based on the IBM system - on - chip technology , also known as New York Blue Gene supercomputer . In the June 2008 Top 500 supercomputer rankings New York Blue Gene / L was ranked 17th , and Blue Gene / P was ranked 75th . The total peak performance for both Blue Gene / L and Blue Gene / P consists 103 . 22 teraflops ( trillion floating - point calculations per second ) . Notable research and discoveries . There have been many notable research projects and important scientific discoveries at Stony Brook . Admissions . In 2011 , 39 . 2 % of 26 , 770 applications were accepted , with 2 , 500 of those 10 , 506 accepted students enrolling as freshmen in September . The middle 50 % of the 2009 enrolled freshmen had the following score ranges : The average SAT score for the class of 2014 was 1251 / 1600 Campuses . Main Campus : Stony Brook . The main campus is located at Stony Brook near the geographic midpoint of Long Island , approximately east of Manhattan and west of Montauk . Bounded to the north by New York State Route 25A ( North Country Road ) the Stony Brook campus is sub - divided into three parts by Nicolls Road : the West Campus , East Campus , and South Campus . The Long Island Rail Road Stony Brook Station is situated along the northern border of the campus . The West Campus houses the majority of academic buildings and undergraduate housing and is the original site of the university . The modern campus is centered around the academic mall which contains most of the academic buildings . The academic mall includes the Student Activity Center , Frank Melville Jr . Memorial Library , Staller Center for the Arts , Humanities , Psychology A & B , Harriman Hall , the Earth and Space Science and Administration building on the west and east end respectively . Short distances from the mall are most of the other academic buildings and athletic facilities . Among the newest additions to the campus is the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics , a new student recreation center , the construction of a campus hotel , and renovations of the Old Chemistry building . The Staller Center which contains the largest movie screen in Long Island ' s Suffolk County holds the annual Stony Brook Film Festival . The athletic facilities are located north of the mall which include the Stony Brook Sports Complex , Stony Brook University Arena , Kenneth P . LaValle Stadium , Joe Nathan Field , University Track , and University Field . The South Campus is located about half a mile south of the academic mall and separated from West Campus by the Ashley Schiff Forest Preserve . It is home to the School of Dental Medicine , the Marine Sciences Research Center , and the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities . Located on Stony Brook Road , a mile from the center of campus is the Research and Development Park . On November 3 , 2005 , the University announced that it had formally acquired of the adjacent Flowerfield property , originally owned by the St . James Gyrodyne Company of America , through eminent domain , three years after the University had expressed its desire to acquire the property . Stony Brook is using this property as a Research and Development Park , similar to other university - affiliated science parks around the country . The campus will ultimately house ten new buildings . The first building , the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology , was completed in October 2008 . Construction for the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center , designed by Flad Architects , commenced in the Summer of 2008 and is open as of spring 2010 . The East Campus is separated from the main campus by Nicolls Road ( CR - 97 ) . It is home to the Stony Brook University Medical Center . Stony Brook University Medical Center , completed in 1980 , is Suffolk County ’ s only tertiary hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center , and the only academic medical center in Suffolk County — larger also than any in Nassau County . The hospital is the largest in Suffolk County , and the attached Health Sciences Center ( HSC ) and Basic Science Tower ( BST ) houses numerous laboratories , the medical school , the nursing school , and numerous Allied Health programs . The Chapin Graduate Apartment Complex , Long Island High Technology Incubator , Ambulatory Surgery Center , and Children ' s hospital can also be found on the East Campus . Manhattan Campus . In 2002 , the University established a presence in Manhattan with the opening of Stony Brook Manhattan . The original site was located at 401 Park Avenue South ; a newer operation opened in late 2008 in the adjacent building on the third floor of 387 Park Avenue South . The University consolidated operations in 2011 to just the 3rd floor of 387 Park Avenue South , with a classroom entrance around the corner at 101 East 27th Street . The site allows Stony Brook to offer professional and graduate courses targeted towards students in New York City ; undergraduate courses are held primarily during the summer and winter sessions . Conferences and special events take place throughout the year . Southampton Campus . On March 24 , 2006 , the University completed the purchase of the Southampton College ( on the east end of Long Island ) property from Long Island University with the intent to develop it as a full college campus focusing on academic programs related to the environment and sustainability . Stony Brook expanded its original program , started in the fall of 2005 , when it offered an undergraduate marine sciences program , with teaching and research facilities at the campus leased from Long Island University . An enrollment of about 2 , 000 students is expected within the next five years . Professor Martin Schoonen was appointed interim dean of Southampton campus on August 3 , 2006 , and conservationist Mary Pearl was appointed dean and vice president in March 2009 . On April 7 , 2010 , the University had suspended residential programs and transferred sustainability programs to the main campus . The change was prompted by severe state budget cuts . Although the Marine Sciences and Graduate Writing programs are still in session at Southampton , undergraduates were relocated to the main campus . As a result of the suspension of residential programs , all dining services and retail operations were suspended by the Faculty Student Association . The old LIU radio station and National Public Radio affiliate no longer operate on the campus . In September 2011 Stony Brook Southampton began offering an undergraduate program called Semester by the Sea , where students attend undergraduate classes to study the Ocean or the Arts . Students studying the Ocean are immersed in marine topics that are enhanced with close proximity to the water , a fleet of research vessels and graduate research projects that are ongoing . Students studying the Arts are engaged in studies for filmmaking and creative writing who interract with Master ' s of Fine Arts students plus notable filmmakers and authors being part of the cultural legacy of the Hamptons . Both programs offer a Public Lecture Series which connect highly prestigious scientists and writers with the community . Korea . In May 2009 the SUNY board of trustees granted Dr . Samuel Stanley Jr . , authority to conduct negotiation measures towards a partnership campus between Stony Brook and the South Korean government . Stony Brook would be joining other universities in a univerCITY complex , potentially involving other schools such as North Carolina State University , George Mason , Carnegie Mellon , Johns Hopkins , and Boston University . The campus would be a global university with intentions to offer a diverse learning environment while at the same time stimulating the economy of South Korea . In July 2011 , President Samuel Stanley Jr . , announced that the Ministry of Education , Science and Technology in South Korea has approved the establishment of SUNY Korea as part of Songdo International Business District in Incheon . The campus was expected to begin academic programs in March 2012 with an enrollment of 200 . Student life . Stony Brook has wide variety of student run organizations on campus , which include sororities and fraternities , and a count of almost 300 recognized student clubs and organizations . The Undergraduate Student Government at Stony Brook University is trusted with the responsibility of budgeting the undergraduate student activity fee which funds most student run organizations on campus . Graduate students also pay a graduate student activity fee which is budgeted by the Graduate Student Organization . The campus has three student run newspapers released in a weekly basis : Stony Brook Statesman , Stony Brook Press , and Stony Brook Independent . Stony Brook has its campus wide public radio station , WUSB , which also serves most of Long Island and dedicates programming to Stony Brook athletics and other events on campus . The school has a high commuter population , and a strong student - commuter community . Approximately 55 % of the student population lives on campus . Events . At the start of the fall semester the campus takes part in what is called Chillfest which is a month - long set of events and activities that take place across campus . This is also done in the beginning of the spring semester which involves events like Seawolves Basketball , comedy shows , performances at the Staller Center , and the display of films . Homecoming usually takes place about midway through the college football season which has been gaining popularity in recent years . One of the more popular events at Stony Brook is the yearly Roth Pond Regatta which often attracts dozens of competitors and hundreds of attendees composed of students , faculty , staff , and alumni to witness the boat competition . The competition involves groups making boats out of cardboard and tape with the challenge to get across the Roth Pond first without sinking . 2011 marked the first year that the Roth Pond Regatta would be coupled with a concert . The 2011 concert was attended at capacity at nearly 4000 individuals and was headlined by Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae . The 2012 concert featured Wiz Khalifa and Miguel . The Stony Brook Concert Series was revived in the 2010 - 11 academic year . SBC previously brought acts like Jimi Hendrix , Red Hot Chili Peppers , Grateful Dead , Pink Floyd , The Allman Brothers and many other artists to play on campus in the early years of Stony Brook . Weekly , throughout the academic year on Wednesdays , there is a period of two hours referred to as Campus Life Time in which events often take place in the academic mall for students , and no classes are in session . Among other popular traditions at Stony Brook is the yearly Strawberry Fest in which students gather at the academic mall to enjoy a wide array of strawberry treats combined with live music performances often held in the last week of April at Campus Life Time . RockYoFaceCase series takes place on Mondays every other week in the University Café in which local bands from the regional underground scene are brought to play on campus . The campus also hosts many lectures as part of the Provost Lecture Series . Personalities like Daniel Ellsberg and Ralph Nader have lectured at the university . Other popular events are the Earthstock and Shirley Strum Kenny Students Art Festival , the former promoting environmentally friendly living in a week - long festival with series lectures , displays , and concerts across the Academic Mall . Since , Fall 2011 the Undergraduate Student Government has sponsored a week long Human Vs Zombies game each semester which has proved to be popular at campus with many participants . The Staller Center for the Arts is home to the Stony Brook Film Festival which takes place yearly in the summer . Also , the Emerson String Quartet , a quartet who also contribute to the Department of Music perform multiple times a year . In front of the Staller Center , the Staller steps serve as a gathering place throughout the spring for many students wishing to socialize . Marching Band . The Spirit of Stony Brook University Marching Band was created in 2006 and plays at athletic games and other events . The first public performance was at the September 2006 convocation . The band grew to 70 members the second year and added additional staff . The band first traveled to the America East Men ' s Basketball Tournament in March 2007 and has done so regularly ever since . By July 2008 , the band had reached 100 members . The Stony Brook Marching Band first participated in the NYC Columbus Day Parade in 2011 , as well as appeared in an episode of and a commercial for the New York Lottery , furthering their exposure state and nationwide . Athletics . Stony Brook University ’ s intercollegiate athletics teams , known as the Stony Brook Seawolves , compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) at the Division I level and are members of the America East Conference for all sports with the exception of football which plays in the Football Championship Subdivision ' s Colonial Athletic Association . Historically the team was known as the Patriots while participating at the Division III level . In 1994 Stony Brook initiated a transition to Division I successfully completed by 1999 offering scholarships in a range of sports , it didn ’ t offer scholarships in football until 2006 . Since then , the Seawolves have participated in the NCAA tournament in 16 different occasions across a range of sports and have received numerous conference tournament championships primarily in Baseball , Football , Men ’ s Lacrosse , Men ’ s Soccer , and Women ’ s Cross Country . Administratively , the athletics department ’ s budget has seen a rise in expenses under director Jim Fiore from $ 9 million to slightly over $ 20 million and widespread support by donations which have led to the construction of a new Student - athlete development center funded by a $ 1 . 2 million gift by alumnus Stuart Goldstein , the reconstruction of the new Joe Nathan Field partially funded by a $ 500 , 000 donation by alumnus Joe Nathan , a new athletic performance center funded by a $ 4 . 3 million donation by alumnus Glenn Dubin , the reconstruction of the University tennis courts , a $ 3 million reconstruction project for the track and field , a $ 1 . 3 million renovation of the Pritchard Gymnasium , and an upcoming $ 21 . 3 million overhaul of the Stony Brook University Arena with funds unfrozen in 2011 by the State of New York . In recent years the Seawolves have had increased success in the field particularly in the 2009 - 10 athletic season highlighted as one of the best performing season in the history of the University with five conference championships . Led by the football team with a Big South Co - Championship it was followed throughout the year with a string of championships by the Women ’ s Cross Country team , Men ’ s Soccer , Baseball , and Men ’ s Lacrosse who capped their season with a memorable NCAA Quarterfinal run , a first for the program with the largest crowd ever at LaValle stadium . The season also included a regular season championship by the Men ’ s basketball team falling short of their first NCAA bid but participating in their first ever post - season tournament , the National Invitation Tournament . Baseball captured their first ever win in the NCAA tournament despite being eliminated in the first round . With increased expectations , the 2010 - 11 athletic season followed up with another football Big South Co - Championship but a failure to capture the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in a controversial tie - breaker rule that eliminated the team from contention the final day of the season . After increased expectations , the Men ’ s basketball team participated in their first conference championship game overcoming a season filled with injuries and adversity , the team came close to their first NCAA tournament berth but fell short at the end . The Men ’ s lacrosse team fell in the Conference championship game in a last second goal ending their 13 - 4 season short of the NCAA tournament after a quarterfinal run the previous season . The disappointment was followed by the Baseball team after earning a regular season championship with a school - record 41 - 10 season but were ousted early in the conference tournament . The season was highlighted by another outstanding performance by the Women ’ s Cross Country team in the NCAA Championship coming out ranked as the seventh best team in the nation . However , the Seawolves returned to national prominence in 2011 - 12 season after an off year with six programs participating in NCAA sanctioned tournaments . The fall season took the football team to new heights with a record - breaking nine game winning streak which led the team to a 9 - 4 , 6 - 0 Big South season earning their third consecutive conference championship and first outright followed by an NCAA tournament berth which saw the Seawolves advance to the second round for the first time ever . The season included multiple sellout games at LaValle stadium , a first for the program . Men ’ s soccer returned to the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years after winning their third America East championship at home but fell in their first round match after penalty shootouts . The success continued with Women ' s volleyball advancing to the Conference Championship game despite falling in three sets . After being predicted to finish second in the league , the Men ' s basketball program surpassed expectations and clinched another regular season championship with a 20 - 8 , 14 - 2 regular season record and headed into the America East tournament as the top seed reaching the finals for the second consecutive year and falling just short of the NCAAs , with participation in the postseason NIT . In Track & Field , Lucy Van Dalen became Stony Brook ' s first NCAA individual National Champion after winning the mile at the NCAA Indoor Track championships . With the addition of Joe Spallina as head coach of Women ' s lacrosse , and several players from Adelphi , the program was chosen to finish third in the America East and ended their season with a trip to the conference championship game and 5 - 1 , 14 - 5 overall record . Men ' s lacrosse also introduced Jim Nagle as the new head coach and the team was predicted to finish second in the America East . After a slow start through non - conference play they picked up in league play to earn their fourth consecutive regular season championship and then went on to earn conference championship and advance to the NCAA tournament for the third time with an early first round exit . Women ' s tennis earned their first Conference championship and entered the national tournament for their first time ever , but were ousted in the first round . The success included one of the most unlikely runs in intercollegiate athletics by the baseball program which captured a regular season and conference tournament and went on to the NCAA College World Series defeating along the way established national powers with seven players selected in the 2012 MLB draft , led by the 2012 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Coach of the Year Matt Senk . In the 2012 - 13 season the Women ' s Soccer captured their first America East championship participating in the NCAAs . Similarly , both Men ' s and Women ' s Cross Country captured Conference Championships and Football continued their dominance capturing their fourth Big South Championship and an at - large berth into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs returning to the second round for back - to - back years . Notable people . Faculty Awards & Honors Nobel Prize in Economics Nobel Prize in Physics Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Prize in Medicine Pulitzer Prize Crafoord Prize Wolf Prize Fields Medal Abel Prize National Medal of Science National Medal of Technology Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Benjamin Franklin Medal National Book Critics Circle Award Oliver E . Buckley Condensed Matter Prize Grammy Award NASA Distinguished Service Medal Obie Award Howard Hughes Medical Institute Award Humboldt Research Award for Senior U . S . Scientists Fellows of Academic Societies Fellows of the Royal Society ( 4 ) MacArthur Foundation Fellows ( 3 ) National Academy of Engineering Fellows ( 3 ) National Academy of Sciences Fellows ( 13 ) American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellows ( 12 ) Guggenheim Fellows ( 71 ) Fulbright Association Fellows ( 54 ) Sloan Foundation Fellows ( 41 ) Rockefeller Foundation Fellows ( 11 ) Institute of Medicine Members ( 3 )