Stony Brook Southampton hosted an exciting open house for people interested in building a future in drone technology.

"Careers for Tomorrow" was presented 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. It offered an inside look at how drones are driving career opportunities in this fast-growing field.

More than 160 people came from across Long Island to the Southampton campus for the October 18 event, which featured experts from both NYPA and Drone Cadets leading demonstrations on drone piloting whlie providing background on the drones themselves. Faculty and staff from Stony Brook University also presented, as attendees took advantage of the opportunity to gain both insight and connections in drone-related fields.

"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."

"As drone piloting becomes more universally adopted by a multitude of industries, events like this are ideal to engage the community about workforce opportunities," said Derek O'Connor, workforce development manager with Stony Brook's Office for Research and Innovation. "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 set the stage by talking about the university's broader workforce initiatives, and then introduced the speakers.

Peter Kalaitzidis, NYPA senior robotics program manager discussed how drones are used for dam inspection, security, and even deer counting, illustrating how these tools make fieldwork safer and more efficient. He was followed by Tony Reid, founder of Drone Cadets, who described how his organization trains both youth and adults for drone-related careers while working to reduce barriers for underserved populations to access tech training.

Christopher Paparo, manager of the Marine Sciences Research Center at Stony Brook Southampton, shared stunning drone footage of marine wildlife and explained how this technology advances research and our understanding of the local bays. Judiann Carmack-Fayyazz, executive director of FoodLab, presented on the use of drones in agriculture, demonstrating how they help detect plant disease, assess soil quality, and monitor irrigation, all of which are critical for sustaining crop yields as populations grow.

Guests enjoyed refreshments before heading outdoors for live drone demonstrations. Drone Cadets and NYPA showcased an impressive range of equipment, including a power-washing drone (which was demonstrated outside), a fertilizer-spreading drone (displayed indoors), and a wide variety of industrial and recreational drones used across multiple sectors.

Many attendees stayed well beyond the scheduled 2 pm conclusion, asking questions and exploring career and training opportunities. Guests included Lars Clemensen, superintendent of the Hampton Bays Union Free School District, who attended with several of his students.