Past Award Winners

Gozde Ustuner (right) with WEDLI VP Michelle McQueen. Gozde Ustuner
Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
Stony Brook University

Gozde Ustuner is pursuing her PhD in Materials Science and Chemical Engineering from Stony Brook University. Not only does she demonstrate her academic excellence with a 3.96 GPA, but she is also a visiting assisting professor, a mentor for the new online course management system, and participates in many outreach events, seminars, and conferences, including working with high school students teaching science experiments through her volunteer work with Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Her current research focuses on developing a new catalyst for fuel cells which will be used for passenger and commercial vehicle operations, as well as generating clean electricity, thus reducing pollution, producing clean energy, and creating jobs. Ms. Ustuner commented in her personal statement, “My passion for cleaner and greener future is the driving force for my education, research and my goals and it gives me a purpose to work toward providing a sustainable future for the next generation as well as creating new job opportunities in the renewable energy field to promote economic growth and development on Long Island.”

Karla Rodriguez Molloy
Liberal Studies – Nonprofit Management
Stony Brook University

Karla Rodriguez Molloy is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Stony Brook University, with an exceptional GPA of 3.96. She has worked in human services for over thirteen years, ten of which have been case management in mental health, developmental disabilities, and AIDS/HIV services. Most recently, she served as supervisor for a case management team overseeing wraparound services for over thirty homes in Suffolk County and a subsidy providing critical housing stability to individuals and families facing homelessness. Ms. Rodriguez Molloy commented in her personal statement, "I have a clear vision for the future of my community - one in which BIPOC groups have greater access to higher education, more leadership opportunities, and subsequently, higher pay." This year, Ms. Rodriguez Molloy completed an Organizational Leadership program at Adelphi University meant to broaden and strengthen the pipeline for leaders of color in the nonprofit sector. She adds, "Representation is of utmost importance in leadership to remind our BIPOC service recipients that they too can attain larger-than-life roles and effect change in their communities."