East Northport Resident Earns SUNY Chancellor's Award For Excellence

OLD WESTBURY, NY — Timothy Coventry of East Northport was among 193 students across the State University of New York system to be recognized with the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, SUNY's highest honor for academic excellence and leadership, according to a news release.

"SUNY represents academic excellence, and our students have worked tirelessly to not only excel in their academic studies, but also stepped up as community leaders," said SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. in a news release. "Congratulations to this year’s CASE awardees who’ve distinguished themselves amongst their peers through their work ethic, determination, and commitment to their fields of study."

Coventry, a senior media and communications major at SUNY Old Westbury, will graduate in May having earned a 4.0 GPA.

"Tim is a dedicated young man, and highly motivated to pursue a career in journalism," said SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy Sams. "He has showcased his talent and intellect both in the classroom, through his internships, and in his presence across varied channels of student media on campus."

A fall 2023 transfer student from Suffolk County Community College, Coventry has had a deep involvement in student media while a student of Old Westbury. He served as a reporter and anchor for the Old Westbury Media Innovation Center, as well as a reporter and anchor at OWWR — Old Westbury Web Radio.

"Earning the CASE award solidified all the hard work that I’ve put into my academics, but also the hard work I put into student media," said Coventry, who noted that the MIC and OWWR were the reasons he chose to enroll at the University. "Everything this school has given me — whether that be the instruction, the tools, the cameras — the access to all of those things has allowed me to excel.”

His work in student media included several high-profile activities and achievements. In 2024, he earned a FOLIO Award from the Fair Media Council and has been announced as a winner in 2025 as well, for pieces produced at the Media Innovation Center. Additionally, he served as an anchor and host during that nationally broadcast "Student News Live" coverage of the 2024 elections coordinated by the College Radio Foundation.

In addition to continuing his coursework and campus commitments, Coventry served throughout the 2024-2025 academic year as an intern at MSNBC, working directly with Jen Psaki, the producers, and staff of the nightly "Inside with Jen Psaki" show.

The 2025 Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence recognize students for outstanding achievements throughout their SUNY experience in areas including academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service, and the arts. This year’s recipients include a wide range of honorees including veterans, parents, policy issue advocates, and athletes.