Long Island University

Long Island University. It is a private institution of higher education founded in 1926, with its original campus located in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The university has grown into a multi-campus system serving the New York metropolitan area, known for its professional programs in fields such as pharmacy, health sciences, and business administration. Its athletic teams, known as the Sharks, compete in the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference.

History

The institution was chartered in 1926 by the New York State Board of Regents, with its inaugural campus established in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Its founding was part of a broader movement to expand access to higher education in the region. A significant expansion occurred in 1954 with the establishment of the C.W. Post Campus on the former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post in Brooklyn. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the university grew through mergers and acquisitions, including absorbing the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy in 1976. In 2019, it consolidated its NCAA athletic programs under the unified Long Island University Sharks branding.

Campuses

The university operates several primary campuses across Long Island and New York City. The original Brooklyn Campus is situated near Brooklyn Bridge Park and houses the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The LIU Post campus is located in Brookville on the former Gold Coast estate, featuring the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. A third major site, LIU Hudson at Westchester, is located in Purchase. Additional locations include the LIU Brentwood campus and the Rockland Graduate Campus in Orangeburg.

Academics

The university is organized into multiple schools and colleges, including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Business. It is particularly recognized for its Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, one of the oldest pharmacy schools in the United States. Other notable units are the School of Health Professions and Nursing and the College of Veterinary Medicine, which partners with the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation. The university confers degrees ranging from bachelor's to doctoral levels and operates the LIU Global program for international study.

Athletics

The athletic teams are known as the Sharks and compete primarily in the Northeast Conference of NCAA Division I. The university's major athletic facilities include the LIU Field for soccer and lacrosse and the Steinberg Wellness Center for basketball. In 2019, the programs of the former LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and LIU Post Pioneers were merged. The Sharks have a notable history in basketball, with the men's team having made appearances in the NCAA tournament. The school also fields teams in swimming, track and field, and volleyball.

Notable alumni and faculty

Prominent alumni include Nobel laureate Robert Lefkowitz, Tony Award-winning actress Jane Alexander, and former Major League Baseball player Carlos Peña. In government and public service, alumni feature U.S. Senator John L. McClellan and New York State Senator Kevin Parker. The faculty has included figures such as poet John Ashbery and author Mary Higgins Clark. Other distinguished graduates are journalist Gabe Pressman and musician Donald Fagen of the band Steely Dan.

Category:Universities and colleges in New York (state) Category:Private universities and colleges in New York (state) Category:NCAA Division I institutions Category:Educational institutions established in 1926