Stony Brook Southampton recently held an open house focused on career opportunities in drone technology. The event, titled “Careers for Tomorrow,” took place on October 18 and drew over 160 participants from across Long Island to the Southampton campus.
The open house was organized in partnership with the Stony Brook University Office for Research and Innovation, the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), FoodLab, the New York Power Authority (NYPA), and Drone Cadets. Attendees were able to see demonstrations by experts from NYPA and Drone Cadets, who provided information on drone piloting and the technology behind drones. Faculty and staff from Stony Brook University also presented at the event.
“This collaboration reflects the kind of thoughtful, hands-on engagement we’re working to build at Southampton,” said Wendy Pearson, vice president for strategic initiatives and executive director of Stony Brook Southampton, who served as the event emcee. “The event offers a chance to explore how emerging technologies can shape new career opportunities while helping us gauge interest in future workforce development programs. It’s an important step in our continued effort to revitalize the campus as a center for innovation and opportunity on the East End.”
Derek O’Connor, workforce development manager with Stony Brook’s Office for Research and Innovation, highlighted the value of the event for community engagement: “As drone piloting becomes more universally adopted by a multitude of industries, events like this are ideal to engage the community about workforce opportunities. At Stony Brook Southampton, the attendees are able to learn about infrastructure projects using robotics in their neighborhoods, student enrichment opportunities for children at local schools interested in drones, and advanced image-capturing with SoMAS and the FoodLab. Regardless of discipline or industry we learned from the presenters that there’s a role for everyone with drones.”
O’Connor also spoke about the university’s broader workforce initiatives before introducing the speakers.
Peter Kalaitzidis, NYPA senior robotics program manager, discussed how drones are used for dam inspection, security, and wildlife monitoring, explaining that these applications make fieldwork safer and more efficient. Tony Reid, founder of Drone Cadets, described his organization’s efforts to train both youth and adults for drone-related careers and reduce barriers for underserved populations to access technology training.
Christopher Paparo, manager of the Marine Sciences Research Center at Stony Brook Southampton, presented drone footage of marine wildlife and discussed how drones help advance research on local bays. Judiann Carmack-Fayyazz, executive director of FoodLab, explained how drones are used in agriculture to detect plant disease, assess soil quality, and monitor irrigation—practices important for maintaining crop yields as populations grow.
After presentations, guests attended live drone demonstrations outdoors where Drone Cadets and NYPA displayed various equipment including a power-washing drone and a fertilizer-spreading drone. Attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions and explore training opportunities in the field. Among the guests was Lars Clemensen, superintendent of the Hampton Bays Union Free School District, who attended with students from his district.
