Farmingdale State College Receives $5M Gift, Renames School of Engineering Technology

FARMINGDALE, NY — Farmingdale State College received a $5 million commitment from Murray Pasternack, a class of 1960 alumnus, engineer, and entrepreneur, the school announced.

The gift, the largest ever to the college, will support scholarships and programs in engineering technology. It is also among the largest gifts ever received by one of the SUNY technology colleges.

The grant, the college stated, "directly aligns" with Gov. Kathy Hochul's Workforce Development agenda to educate and prepare students to meet the industry needs in fields like computing,
electrical engineering, technology, renewable energy, and software engineering, including encouraging women in STEM.

The gift will fund a minimum of 56 students each year with four-year scholarships across all 15 majors in the School of Engineering Technology, in addition to student programming, mentorship, co-curricular resources, and experiences to attract, retain, and empower students who are less likely to pursue careers in computing, engineering, and technology.

The college has named its engineering technology school The Murray Pasternack School of Engineering Technology in recognition of the historic gift and Pasternack's ongoing support of the college and students, as well as his all-time giving to academic programming campus-wide, according to the school. The SUNY Board of Trustees approved the renaming on Tuesday.

"Mr. Pasternack has been a longtime friend of Farmingdale State College, a donor who continues to recognize the remarkable potential of our students and the impact they will have on the region," said Robert S. Prezant, president of FSC, in a news release. "This historic gift will support students who might otherwise have struggled to find essential resources and will be reflected in the important contributions our students will make in an array of engineering and technology fields."

Pasternack draws on his experience of working while earning his associate's degree in electrical technology at FSC in 1960.

"I know first-hand the effects and the trade-offs of trying to earn a living and getting an education at the same time and greatly appreciate an education that leads to a productive future," Pasternack said. "My hope is that this gift will allow engineering students the opportunity to concentrate more on their education and less on earning money to pay for it."

Pasternack, who founded Pasternack Enterprises as a radio frequency engineer, is the largest individual donor to Farmingdale State College, in both a single largest gift and in total giving. He has donated a total of $8.2 million in personal philanthropy in the last four years.

Recent impacts of Pasternack’s donations across campus include the student-managed investment fund, state-of-the-art trading room in the School of Business in 2024, and the radio frequency and microwave technology lab in Lupton Hall in 2023, in addition to funding the launch of the Honors Program at FSC in 2022.

"This investment is so much more than an act of giving — it's a tremendous statement of confidence in Engineering at Farmingdale State College and represents Murray's legacy that we will proudly steward," said Matthew Colson, vice president for development and alumni engagement at FSC. "Our gratitude to Murray extends beyond the depth of his generosity; we are inspired by his commitment to his alma mater, and by his desire to lift others up to reach their fullest potential."

Students can apply for the Murray Pasternack scholarship in engineering upon their acceptance into an engineering program at Farmingdale State College. For more information, people may visit FSC’s Murray Pasternack School of Engineering Technology.