40th year of the Stony Brook Ph. D. program celebrated at the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony with the University's first Ph.D., Dr. Raymond MacKay as Guest Speaker

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Stony Brook University commemorated the 40th year of the Ph. D. On Thursday, May 18 the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony's guest speaker was Dr. Raymond Mackay, the first person to be granted a Ph.D. from Stony Brook. Dr. MacKay shared a few golden words of wisdom with the graduates.

From being a research associate at SUNY, in the Nuclear Engineering Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory and receiving a doctoral degree from SUNY Stony Brook in 1966 to being Director, Research and Technology, at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center of the U.S. Army in 2003, Prof. Raymond MacKay has had a truly exemplary career.

After serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army, Dr. Mackay joined Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a Professor of Chemistry and in 1984 went on to teach at Clarkson University. Currently as Director of Research and Technology, at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center of the U.S. Army, Dr. Mackay offers ECBC a wealth of knowledge in science and technology solutions.

An author / co-author of over 140 technical publications, he completed a13-year tenure as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society in 1997. His list of awards and honors, include the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, the Army's second highest civilian honor and the Maryland Chemist of the Year award from the American Chemical Society.

The Doctoral Hooding is an event that evokes pride amongst graduates capping years of study and hard work with a degree earned at one of the nation's best universities. Dr. Raymond Mackay, with his achievements, truly symbolizes the spirit of this joyful ceremony.