Our Mission
The Lichtenstein Center promotes the creation of original work in a range of disciplines, while offering opportunities for collaboration and experimentation outside of traditional program borders.
To train an artist in today’s cultural landscape means training a well-rounded, independent, imaginative entrepreneur, one with the resourcefulness to draw on a range of literary and visual traditions and genres, as well as new media and technologies in the pursuit of artistic excellence.
Creative inquiry into the human condition is equivalent to scientific inquiry, and
offers similar benefits to individuals and to society. Creativity is becoming more
important to our futures, not less.
- Program design: student-centered, project-driven, taught by the most distinguished practitioners
in the world.
- Position within the university: Creative Arts programs should be gathered together, not housed in traditional academic
departments. The enterprising spirit of creative arts most closely resembles the culture
of science research.
- Procedure: Embrace change. Always innovate. Respond with intelligence and agility to the continuous
disruptions to the creation and delivery of art in society and the marketplace.
- Tone: Creativity requires confidence and a sense of humor. Do not cower. Laugh whenever
possible.
Awards, Prizes, and Scholarships offered by the Lichtenstein Center are supported
by the Lichtenstein Reeves Endowment Fund, the BookEnds First Page Fund, the Robert
Sklar Scholarship Fund, the FoodLab Education Fund, the Deborah Hecht Memorial Fund.
- MFA Creative Writing Awards: The Deborah Hecht Memorial Prize in Fiction, Jody Donohue
Poetry Prize and Joseph Kelly Prize in Creative Writing
As of Fall 2013, these prize awards of $500 each are presented to three incoming MFA
in Creative Writing students of exceptional promise in fiction, poetry and creative
nonfiction. All applicants are eligible. Winners will be notified upon acceptance.
- Lichtenstein Center Excellence in Service Award
During the academic year a prize award of $1,000-$3,000 is presented to a currently
enrolled MFA student or shared among MFA students in Creative or Film who have shown
extraordinary dedication to their educational pursuits.
- Lichtenstein Center Excellence in Service Award
During the summer session, a prize award of $1,000 is presented to a currently enrolled
MFA student or shared between two students who have shown extraordinary dedication.
- MFA in Film Award: Sklar Prize
As of Fall 2015, these prize awards of $1000 each are presented to incoming MFA in
Film students of exceptional promise in directing, producing and screenwriting. All
applicants are eligible. Winners will be notified upon acceptance.
- SUNY: Thayer Fellowship & Patricia K. Ross Award
Each year, the State University of New York awards a Thayer Fellowship in the amount
of $7,000 to a graduating SUNY student who demonstrates outstanding achievement and
high professional potential in the arts. The Patricia Kerr Ross Award, for $1,000,
goes to a student who has demonstrated excellence, originality, and promise in the
arts. Both awards, which are occasionally shared among several recipients, are intended
as a bridge between SUNY study in the arts and entry into a professional career in
the arts.
The awards are competitive: applications in creative writing, film and theater, together
with those from dance, music and the visual arts, are evaluated by a panel of experts
in the various arts disciplines. Finalists are interviewed in person by the panel,
and their work reviewed during performances, readings, screenings, and exhibitions,
before the jury panel determines the winners.
- BookEnds First Page Fund
The BookEnds Page One Endowment makes need-based partial scholarships available to
our Fellows. We are ever grateful to the anonymous donor who made this possible.
Become a Patron of the Arts
If you are interested in establishing a scholarship or endowment, or donating to one
of our existing ones, please email LC@stonybrook.edu
2006 - Southampton Campus Acquired by Stony Brook
Robert Reeves is hired by Stony Brook President Shirley Strum Kenny in January 2006,
and charged with building “strength in the creative arts” for the new Southampton
campus. Reeves’ first hire in February 2006, is Carla Caglioti, to partner on the
new arts enterprise.
2006 - Southampton Creative Arts Programs
- Founding Principles: Creative inquiry into the human condition is equivalent to scientific inquiry, and
offers similar benefits to individuals and to society. Creativity is becoming more
important to our futures, not less.
- Program design: Student-centered, project-driven, taught by the most distinguished practitioners in
the world.
- Position within the university: Creative Arts programs should be gathered together, not housed in traditional academic
departments. The enterprising spirit of creative arts most closely resembles the culture
of science research.
- Procedure: Embrace change. Always innovate. Respond with intelligence and agility to the continuous
disruptions to the creation and delivery of art in society and the marketplace.
- Tone: Creativity requires confidence and a sense of humor. Do not cower. Laugh whenever
possible.
2007 - MFA in Creative Writing and Literature
Our flagship program, designed by Reeves and Caglioti, approved and registered by
SUNY in May 2007.
- Since then: Continuous growth in applications and enrollment. Recruited the premier creative writing
faculty in the country. Established important secondary location in Stony Brook Manhattan
(then at Park Avenue South), beginning the two campus design.
- Project driven: The work itself is as important as the degree. A sterling record of student success.
2007 - Southampton Writer's Conference
In June 2007 the MFA in Creative Writing fully integrated into its curriculum the
Southampton Writers Conference, an East End institution for 45 years, widely regarded
as the premier literary conference in the country. In the last fifteen years, the
Conference has served as a summer “term,’ offering MFA students the opportunity to
study with world-renowned writers, including Nobel Laureates, Poet Laureates, winners
of National Book Awards, Academy Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys.
Christian McLean has served as Director for the last six years.
2007 - The Southampton Review
Founded Summer 2007, The Southampton Review is central to the identity of the MFA
in Creative Writing. Over time, phenomenal growth in number and quality of submissions
from established and emerging writers, as well as visual artists. Founding Editor-in-Chief,
Lou Ann Walker, and founding Publisher, Robert Reeves. The award-winning literary
and arts journal celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2022.
2009 - Young Artists and Writers Project (YAWP)
Founded in 2008/09, YAWP has teams of MFA students teaching creative writing –playwriting,
essay, fiction and poetry– to middle and high school students. Designed by Emma Hamilton
and Will Chandler, YAWP began with a small number of local schools, and reached a
pre-pandemic of 13 Long Island and New York City districts and 1000 students every
year. Special programs reach underserved populations, including workshops at Shinnecock
Nation, Brooklyn, and Harlem. Self-supporting through school payments for instruction
and contributed income.
2010 - Children's Literature Fellows
Founded August 2010: Our first “boutique” graduate program offering advanced training
in a special discipline. Designed by Julie Sheehan and Emma Walton Hamilton. Students
work with mentors to produce a manuscript ready for market. “Alternate Residency”
program offers one summer residency in Southampton and one winter residency in Manhattan.
Impressive record of student success: publishing, awards, and agent representation.
2011 - Southampton Arts
The Southampton programs first gathered as “Southampton Arts,” a plan developed by
Reeves and approved by then Provost Eric Kaler. Building upon the success of the existing
programs, the new vision included expanding locations beyond Southampton, as well
as building new programs, undergraduate and graduate, both degree-granting and advanced
training.
2011 - Minor in Creative Writing
Responds to enormous demand on West Campus for innovative creative arts instruction.
Julie Sheehan extended the graduate in-the-practice model to undergraduate education.
Begins three-campus design of the Southampton Arts enterprise. Steady growth since
inception. Currently 120 undergraduates have declared a Creative Writing Minor. In
Fall 2022, CW offered 52 courses and reached 776 students.
2015 - MFA in Film
In Spring of 2015, SUNY approved our program as the first MFA in Film in the SUNY
system. It is designed to be the film program of the future: small footprint, DIY sensibility, storytelling across platforms.
Designed and launched by Magdalene Brandeis and Reeves. First hire as Artistic Director: Christine Vachon, co-founder and principal of legendary indie film production company,
Killer Films. The MFA in Film frequently makes “top programs” lists. Numerous student
awards and festival honors.
2015 - The Food Lab
Founded in 2015, the Food Lab is our first “incubated” program: leverages East End
location and talent, including Executive Director Geof Drummond. Emphasizes Food
Education, Food Policy, Food Media, Entrepreneur Training. First conference held June
2015. Virtually limitless opportunity for growth.
FoodLab Education initiative led by Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz, supported by recently
created FoodLab Education Fund.
2017 - Book Ends
Founded by faculty novelists Meg Wolitzer and Susan Scarf Merrell in Fall 2017. Our
second "boutique" program.
- Design: Highly selective manuscript-development program. Accepts only the most promising student
novels from around the country and takes them to fully realized form.
- High demand: Dozens of applications arriving from the best student writers in the nation and from
around the world. Significant number of participant manuscripts getting representation
and getting published. Scholarships supported by First Page Endowment Fund, established
in 2021.
2017 - Minor in Filmmaking
First offered in 2017, sponsored by the Graduate Film programs, and created by Karen
Offitzer.
- Design: Delivering expository information through a short narrative film is a basic competency,
not unlike first-year expository writing. Students shoot and edit a short film using
a smart phone or similar device. Especially popular with science majors who create
short documentaries explaining their research.
2017 - Stony Brook Manhattan Center for Creative Writing and Film
Following the end of the SBU lease at Park Avenue South, Reeves, Caglioti, and Scott
Sullivan, on behalf of the Southampton programs, identified a location, negotiated
and funded a lease for a space dedicated to creative arts. In 2017, 535 8th Avenue was officially designated by SUNY as the Stony Brook Manhattan Center for
Creative Writing and Film, with Scott Sullivan as Director.
2018 - MFA in Writing for Television
High demand for Graduate-level Film courses led to a proposal for a dedicated MFA.
Perfectly positioned between MFA in CWL and MFA in Film Production.
Designed, launched and directed by our first TV Writing hire, Alan Kingsberg.
Program designed to place students in writers’ rooms. Students study with show runners,
staff writers, executive producers, and observe actual writers’ rooms in action.
2018 - Audio Podcast Fellows
In Fall 2018, we launched Audio Podcast Fellows, our third “boutique” advanced-training
program.
First of its kind in an area of explosive growth. Audio podcast is on-demand radio
programming, closely aligned to the future of storytelling and intellectual discourse.
Program created and directed by Kathie Russo, in partnership with Frank Imperiale.
- Design: Innovative in-the-practice model. Extremely high demand in its first five years, drawing
applications from around the country and the world. An undergraduate course in podcasting
was launched in 2021.
2018 - BFA in Creative Writing
In June 2018, our BFA in Creative Writing in was approved, as the second in the SUNY
system and the first affiliated with an MFA program. Leverages the strengths and prestige
of the graduate programs and extends to a new population of incoming SBU students.
Program design by Julie Sheehan, with Carla Caglioti spearheading SBU, SUNY, and NYSED
approval.
2020 - The Lichtenstein Reeves Endowment Fund created and funded
Created in 2020 and funded by longtime supporter of the Southampton programs, SBU
Board Trustee member, Dorothy Lichtenstein. The fund agreement, created by Reeves,
is designed to ensure the long-term sustainability and financial stability of the
Southampton programs, and also to support the creation of a new institutional identity.
2021 - Minor in TV Writing
Sponsored by the MFA in TV Writing and designed by Karen Offitzer, the new minor complements
the existing undergraduate offerings, addressing a creative discipline of high interest
and demand.
2023 - Lichtenstein Center
The new umbrella identity for the Southampton creative arts enterprise, as envisioned
in the Lichtenstein Reeves Endowment Agreement. The Center spans three locations and
includes three MFAs, a BFA, two minors, and four advanced training programs. Home
to over 145 grad students, over 200 declared majors and minors in Creative Writing,
Film, and TV Writing, with over 120 students participating in advanced training every
year.
Creative inquiry into the human condition is equivalent to scientific inquiry, and offers similar benefits to individuals and to society. Creativity is becoming more important to our futures, not less.
- Program design: student-centered, project-driven, taught by the most distinguished practitioners in the world.
- Position within the university: Creative Arts programs should be gathered together, not housed in traditional academic departments. The enterprising spirit of creative arts most closely resembles the culture of science research.
- Procedure: Embrace change. Always innovate. Respond with intelligence and agility to the continuous disruptions to the creation and delivery of art in society and the marketplace.
- Tone: Creativity requires confidence and a sense of humor. Do not cower. Laugh whenever possible.
Awards, Prizes, and Scholarships offered by the Lichtenstein Center are supported by the Lichtenstein Reeves Endowment Fund, the BookEnds First Page Fund, the Robert Sklar Scholarship Fund, the FoodLab Education Fund, the Deborah Hecht Memorial Fund.
- MFA Creative Writing Awards: The Deborah Hecht Memorial Prize in Fiction, Jody Donohue
Poetry Prize and Joseph Kelly Prize in Creative Writing
As of Fall 2013, these prize awards of $500 each are presented to three incoming MFA in Creative Writing students of exceptional promise in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. All applicants are eligible. Winners will be notified upon acceptance. - Lichtenstein Center Excellence in Service Award
During the academic year a prize award of $1,000-$3,000 is presented to a currently enrolled MFA student or shared among MFA students in Creative or Film who have shown extraordinary dedication to their educational pursuits. - Lichtenstein Center Excellence in Service Award
During the summer session, a prize award of $1,000 is presented to a currently enrolled MFA student or shared between two students who have shown extraordinary dedication. - MFA in Film Award: Sklar Prize
As of Fall 2015, these prize awards of $1000 each are presented to incoming MFA in Film students of exceptional promise in directing, producing and screenwriting. All applicants are eligible. Winners will be notified upon acceptance. - SUNY: Thayer Fellowship & Patricia K. Ross Award
Each year, the State University of New York awards a Thayer Fellowship in the amount of $7,000 to a graduating SUNY student who demonstrates outstanding achievement and high professional potential in the arts. The Patricia Kerr Ross Award, for $1,000, goes to a student who has demonstrated excellence, originality, and promise in the arts. Both awards, which are occasionally shared among several recipients, are intended as a bridge between SUNY study in the arts and entry into a professional career in the arts.
The awards are competitive: applications in creative writing, film and theater, together with those from dance, music and the visual arts, are evaluated by a panel of experts in the various arts disciplines. Finalists are interviewed in person by the panel, and their work reviewed during performances, readings, screenings, and exhibitions, before the jury panel determines the winners. - BookEnds First Page Fund
The BookEnds Page One Endowment makes need-based partial scholarships available to our Fellows. We are ever grateful to the anonymous donor who made this possible.
Become a Patron of the Arts
If you are interested in establishing a scholarship or endowment, or donating to one of our existing ones, please email LC@stonybrook.edu
2006 - Southampton Campus Acquired by Stony Brook
Robert Reeves is hired by Stony Brook President Shirley Strum Kenny in January 2006,
and charged with building “strength in the creative arts” for the new Southampton
campus. Reeves’ first hire in February 2006, is Carla Caglioti, to partner on the
new arts enterprise.
2006 - Southampton Creative Arts Programs
- Founding Principles: Creative inquiry into the human condition is equivalent to scientific inquiry, and offers similar benefits to individuals and to society. Creativity is becoming more important to our futures, not less.
- Program design: Student-centered, project-driven, taught by the most distinguished practitioners in the world.
- Position within the university: Creative Arts programs should be gathered together, not housed in traditional academic departments. The enterprising spirit of creative arts most closely resembles the culture of science research.
- Procedure: Embrace change. Always innovate. Respond with intelligence and agility to the continuous disruptions to the creation and delivery of art in society and the marketplace.
- Tone: Creativity requires confidence and a sense of humor. Do not cower. Laugh whenever possible.
2007 - MFA in Creative Writing and Literature
Our flagship program, designed by Reeves and Caglioti, approved and registered by SUNY in May 2007.
- Since then: Continuous growth in applications and enrollment. Recruited the premier creative writing faculty in the country. Established important secondary location in Stony Brook Manhattan (then at Park Avenue South), beginning the two campus design.
- Project driven: The work itself is as important as the degree. A sterling record of student success.
2007 - Southampton Writer's Conference
In June 2007 the MFA in Creative Writing fully integrated into its curriculum the
Southampton Writers Conference, an East End institution for 45 years, widely regarded
as the premier literary conference in the country. In the last fifteen years, the
Conference has served as a summer “term,’ offering MFA students the opportunity to
study with world-renowned writers, including Nobel Laureates, Poet Laureates, winners
of National Book Awards, Academy Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys.
Christian McLean has served as Director for the last six years.
2007 - The Southampton Review
Founded Summer 2007, The Southampton Review is central to the identity of the MFA
in Creative Writing. Over time, phenomenal growth in number and quality of submissions
from established and emerging writers, as well as visual artists. Founding Editor-in-Chief,
Lou Ann Walker, and founding Publisher, Robert Reeves. The award-winning literary
and arts journal celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2022.
2009 - Young Artists and Writers Project (YAWP)
Founded in 2008/09, YAWP has teams of MFA students teaching creative writing –playwriting,
essay, fiction and poetry– to middle and high school students. Designed by Emma Hamilton
and Will Chandler, YAWP began with a small number of local schools, and reached a
pre-pandemic of 13 Long Island and New York City districts and 1000 students every
year. Special programs reach underserved populations, including workshops at Shinnecock
Nation, Brooklyn, and Harlem. Self-supporting through school payments for instruction
and contributed income.
2010 - Children's Literature Fellows
Founded August 2010: Our first “boutique” graduate program offering advanced training
in a special discipline. Designed by Julie Sheehan and Emma Walton Hamilton. Students
work with mentors to produce a manuscript ready for market. “Alternate Residency”
program offers one summer residency in Southampton and one winter residency in Manhattan.
Impressive record of student success: publishing, awards, and agent representation.
2011 - Southampton Arts
The Southampton programs first gathered as “Southampton Arts,” a plan developed by
Reeves and approved by then Provost Eric Kaler. Building upon the success of the existing
programs, the new vision included expanding locations beyond Southampton, as well
as building new programs, undergraduate and graduate, both degree-granting and advanced
training.
2011 - Minor in Creative Writing
Responds to enormous demand on West Campus for innovative creative arts instruction.
Julie Sheehan extended the graduate in-the-practice model to undergraduate education.
Begins three-campus design of the Southampton Arts enterprise. Steady growth since
inception. Currently 120 undergraduates have declared a Creative Writing Minor. In
Fall 2022, CW offered 52 courses and reached 776 students.
2015 - MFA in Film
In Spring of 2015, SUNY approved our program as the first MFA in Film in the SUNY
system. It is designed to be the film program of the future: small footprint, DIY sensibility, storytelling across platforms.
Designed and launched by Magdalene Brandeis and Reeves. First hire as Artistic Director: Christine Vachon, co-founder and principal of legendary indie film production company, Killer Films. The MFA in Film frequently makes “top programs” lists. Numerous student awards and festival honors.
2015 - The Food Lab
Founded in 2015, the Food Lab is our first “incubated” program: leverages East End
location and talent, including Executive Director Geof Drummond. Emphasizes Food
Education, Food Policy, Food Media, Entrepreneur Training. First conference held June
2015. Virtually limitless opportunity for growth.
FoodLab Education initiative led by Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz, supported by recently created FoodLab Education Fund.
2017 - Book Ends
Founded by faculty novelists Meg Wolitzer and Susan Scarf Merrell in Fall 2017. Our
second "boutique" program.
- Design: Highly selective manuscript-development program. Accepts only the most promising student novels from around the country and takes them to fully realized form.
- High demand: Dozens of applications arriving from the best student writers in the nation and from around the world. Significant number of participant manuscripts getting representation and getting published. Scholarships supported by First Page Endowment Fund, established in 2021.
2017 - Minor in Filmmaking
First offered in 2017, sponsored by the Graduate Film programs, and created by Karen Offitzer.- Design: Delivering expository information through a short narrative film is a basic competency,
not unlike first-year expository writing. Students shoot and edit a short film using
a smart phone or similar device. Especially popular with science majors who create
short documentaries explaining their research.
2017 - Stony Brook Manhattan Center for Creative Writing and Film
Following the end of the SBU lease at Park Avenue South, Reeves, Caglioti, and Scott
Sullivan, on behalf of the Southampton programs, identified a location, negotiated
and funded a lease for a space dedicated to creative arts. In 2017, 535 8th Avenue was officially designated by SUNY as the Stony Brook Manhattan Center for
Creative Writing and Film, with Scott Sullivan as Director.
2018 - MFA in Writing for Television
High demand for Graduate-level Film courses led to a proposal for a dedicated MFA. Perfectly positioned between MFA in CWL and MFA in Film Production.
Designed, launched and directed by our first TV Writing hire, Alan Kingsberg.
Program designed to place students in writers’ rooms. Students study with show runners, staff writers, executive producers, and observe actual writers’ rooms in action.
2018 - Audio Podcast Fellows
In Fall 2018, we launched Audio Podcast Fellows, our third “boutique” advanced-training program.
First of its kind in an area of explosive growth. Audio podcast is on-demand radio programming, closely aligned to the future of storytelling and intellectual discourse. Program created and directed by Kathie Russo, in partnership with Frank Imperiale.- Design: Innovative in-the-practice model. Extremely high demand in its first five years, drawing applications from around the country and the world. An undergraduate course in podcasting was launched in 2021.
2018 - BFA in Creative Writing
In June 2018, our BFA in Creative Writing in was approved, as the second in the SUNY system and the first affiliated with an MFA program. Leverages the strengths and prestige of the graduate programs and extends to a new population of incoming SBU students. Program design by Julie Sheehan, with Carla Caglioti spearheading SBU, SUNY, and NYSED approval.
2020 - The Lichtenstein Reeves Endowment Fund created and funded
Created in 2020 and funded by longtime supporter of the Southampton programs, SBU
Board Trustee member, Dorothy Lichtenstein. The fund agreement, created by Reeves,
is designed to ensure the long-term sustainability and financial stability of the
Southampton programs, and also to support the creation of a new institutional identity.
2021 - Minor in TV Writing
Sponsored by the MFA in TV Writing and designed by Karen Offitzer, the new minor complements
the existing undergraduate offerings, addressing a creative discipline of high interest
and demand.
2023 - Lichtenstein Center
The new umbrella identity for the Southampton creative arts enterprise, as envisioned
in the Lichtenstein Reeves Endowment Agreement. The Center spans three locations and
includes three MFAs, a BFA, two minors, and four advanced training programs. Home
to over 145 grad students, over 200 declared majors and minors in Creative Writing,
Film, and TV Writing, with over 120 students participating in advanced training every
year.