Honoree-
Robert Donald Spector

Dr. Robert Donald Spector’s association with the University dates back to his college days; he earned his B.A. in English at the Brooklyn Campus in 1948. After completing an M.A. at New York University, he returned to Long Island University to begin a teaching career that has spanned more than five decades. In 1967, he organized a movement to oppose the sale of the Campus. Thanks in large part to his efforts, faculty and students successfully lobbied against the sale preserving the campus for generations to come.

Dr. Spector, the renowned author of scholarly books, articles and volumes of poetry, currently serves as director of humanities and communications, fine and performing arts at the Brooklyn Campus. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Brooklyn Campus in 1994.

In addition to fulfilling his teaching and writing commitments, Dr. Spector chairs the prestigious George Polk Awards for excellence in journalism. Established by the University in 1949, the Awards memorialize a CBS correspondent slain covering a civil war in Greece and rank among America’s most coveted journalism honors.

Despite the magnitude of his achievements, Dr. Spector cites “over 50 years of teaching thousands of students” as his greatest accomplishment. His commitment to his work earned him Long Island University’s Trustee Award for Scholarly Achievement and Alumnus of the Year Award.

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