Three Consecutive Presidential Debates
Hofstra University is the only school to ever host three consecutive U.S. presidential debates: 2008, 2012 and 2016.
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
POINTS OF PRIDE
At Hofstra University, pride is not just a feeling, it’s about being part of a community that celebrates the contributions of each member. Taken together, these Points of Pride tell the story of Hofstra, from its founding in a single building in 1935 to the world-class institution that it is today.
Francis Ford Coppola
Academy Award winner Francis Ford Coppola, director of such classics as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, graduated from Hofstra in 1960 with a theater arts degree.
Research Centers
Hofstra has about 20 research centers through which students can work with professors on scholarly projects in their fields of study.
Shakespeare Festival
ofstra’s annual Shakespeare Festival is performed on the most historically accurate replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Stage in the US. The Globe replica is erected each year by students in the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater at Hofstra’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse. The Playhouse is named for the University’s second president, who was a Shakespearean scholar and founder of the Festival.
Law Clinics
Law clinics at Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law, which provide high-quality legal representation to clients in need, were among the first of their kind in the nation.
The Unispan
Hofstra has three elevated, enclosed pedestrian walkways between its south and north campuses, including the iconic Unispan, which connects the library to the student center.
Expert Faculty
Ninety-four percent of Hofstra faculty members hold the highest degree attainable in their field.
270+ Clubs and Organizations
Hofstra has 270 clubs and organizations that offer myriad student leadership opportunities.
A Nationally Recognized Arboretum
Hofstra is a nationally recognized arboretum, and the 240-acre campus is dotted by more than 12,000 evergreen and deciduous trees, representing 625 species and varieties.
Shakespeare Festival
Hofstra’s annual Shakespeare Festival is performed on the most historically accurate replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Stage in the US. The Globe replica is erected each year by students in the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater at Hofstra’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse. The Playhouse is named for the University’s second president, who was a Shakespearean scholar and founder of the Festival.
Law Clinics
Law clinics at Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law, which provide high-quality legal representation to clients in need, were among the first of their kind in the nation.
John Cranford Adams Playhouse
Hofstra’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse – built to house the University’s annual Shakespeare festival – was named after the University’s second president, who was a Shakespearean scholar and founder of the Shakespeare Festival.
>Dr. Sabrina G. Sobel
Dr. Sabrina G. Sobel, PhD, chair of the chemistry department, collaborated with her chemist father to develop Cold-Eeze, the zinc lozenge cold remedy.
Hofstra Alumni
Hofstra has more than 151,000 alumni, who are spread throughout all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
75th Anniversary Cake
For Hofstra’s 75th anniversary in 2010, the University celebrated with a cake shaped like Axinn Library and the Unispan, made by baker Duff Goldman, who starred in the television show “Ace of Cakes.”
Bob Rozakis
Hofstra University alumnus Bob Rozakis ’73 is the author of more than 400 DC Comics books, including one that depicted a fight between Robin and the Joker’s daughter atop the “Hudson University” Unispan.
Hofstra Tulip
Hofstra has a tulip named for it. The Hofstra University Tulip was designated and presented to Hofstra by Dr. Cornelius Boertien, commissioner for the Queen of the Netherlands to the Province of Zeeland, in 1985.
Campus Sculpture
Hofstra is home to more than 70 works of sculpture, including some by major 20th century artists such as Seymour Lipton, Paul Manship, Henry Moore and Tony Rosenthal.
Presidential Visits
Six presidents have visited Hofstra: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Observatory
Hofstra has an observatory on the roof of Berliner Hall with Celestron telescopes and computerized CCD cameras.
Men’s Soccer
Hofstra’s men’s soccer won a historic four consecutive Coastal Athletic Association titles, clinching the title from 2021 to 2024.
Hofstra University Museum
The Hofstra University Museum has been awarded continued accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest honor a museum can receive and a distinction bestowed on just three percent of museums nationwide.
Windmill Cake
Carlo’s Bakery from TLC’s “Cake Boss” sweetened Hofstra’s 32nd Annual Dutch Family Festival with a giant, motorized windmill cake.
Two Mascots
Hofstra is among only a few universities in the country that feature two mascots: Kate and Willie Pride, a lioness and lion who are named after University benefactors Kate and William Hofstra.
Fall Fest
Hofstra’s annual Fall Festival weekend has hosted musical acts such as Shaggy, Janelle Monae, Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Flo Rida, T-Pain, DNCE, Ludacris, Salt n’ Pepa, Matt & Kim, Big Sean, Cobra Starship, Ke$ha and Trey Songz, as well as comedians including Jimmy Fallon.
Women’s Lacrosse
The Hofstra women’s lacrosse team won four consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championships from 2006 through 2009 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament each season.
Student Newspaper
The Hofstra Chronicle, the University’s student newspaper, has received numerous national and regional awards for journalism excellence.
WRHU Radio
WRHU-FM has been recognized as one of the nation’s premier college radio stations and has received multiple Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters.
Dutch Heritage
Hofstra is built on the estate of Kate and William Hofstra. William, a lumber executive, was of Dutch heritage. Every spring, Hofstra’s campus blooms with tens of thousands of tulips in a nod to that Dutch heritage.
Campus Arboretum
Hofstra’s 244-acre campus is recognized as an arboretum and features more than 12,000 trees representing hundreds of species from around the world.
Nobel Laureates
Numerous Nobel Prize winners have visited Hofstra University to lecture, participate in conferences, and engage with students and faculty.
National Conferences
Hofstra hosts nationally recognized academic conferences and symposia that attract scholars, policymakers, journalists, and public figures from around the world.
Distinguished Alumni
Hofstra alumni have gone on to become leaders in business, government, media, entertainment, law, healthcare, education, and countless other professions.
Student Research
Students regularly collaborate with faculty on meaningful research projects across disciplines, often presenting their findings at regional and national conferences.
Greenberg Trading Room
The Martin B. Greenberg Trading Room in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business is equipped with 34 Bloomberg terminals, making it one of the largest and most technologically advanced academic trading rooms in the world.
Long Island Location
Located on Long Island and just 25 miles from New York City, Hofstra provides students with unparalleled access to internships, networking opportunities, and cultural experiences.
Academic Excellence
Hofstra’s nationally recognized academic programs combine rigorous classroom learning with hands-on experiences that prepare students for successful careers and meaningful lives.
Softball
Hofstra’s softball program has appeared in the NCAA tournament 15 times, including the Super Regionals in 2012.
Community Engagement
Students, faculty, and staff contribute thousands of hours of community service each year through partnerships with local organizations and initiatives that address community needs.
Rhodes Scholars
Hofstra has had one Rhodes Scholar, Resa Nelson ’25, and two Rhodes Scholar finalists: Joe Burg ’13, a math and physics major and star pitcher on the baseball team, and Dr. Hilarie Cranmer ’89, a physician and professor at Harvard University.
Bob Rozakis ’73
Hofstra University alumnus Bob Rozakis ’73 is the author of more than 400 DC Comics books, including one that depicted a fight between Robin and the Joker’s daughter atop the “Hudson University” Unispan.
Hofstra Tulip
Hofstra has a tulip named for it. The Hofstra University Tulip was designated and presented to Hofstra by Dr. Cornelius Boertien, commissioner for the Queen of the Netherlands to the Province of Zeeland, in 1985.
The Zucker School of Medicine
The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is the first allopathic medical school in New York since 1963.
U.S. Presidents
Six presidents have visited Hofstra: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Observatory
Hofstra has an observatory on the roof of Berliner Hall with Celestron telescopes and computerized CCD cameras.
Robert O. “Bobby” Muller ’68, Law ’74
Robert O. “Bobby” Muller ’68, Law ’74, paralyzed while serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War, co-founded the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. He also co-founded Vietnam Veterans of America with Secretary of State John Kerry. He was awarded an honorary degree in 1998.
Internships
Of students participating in the internship program, the average student completes 2.35 internships during their time at Hofstra.
Libraries
Hofstra’s libraries contain over 575,000 volumes and provide 24/7 online access to more than 250,000 full-text journals and 1,000,000 electronic books.
Nelson DeMille
Bestselling thriller author Nelson DeMille, whose works include Word of Honor and The General’s Daughter, was a graduate of Hofstra’s political science and history programs.
Presidential Conferences
The Hofstra Cultural Center has hosted 13 presidential conferences, highlighting every president from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Barak Obama.
Dr. Robert Leonard
Dr. Robert Leonard, PhD, director of Hofstra’s graduate programs in forensic linguistics, is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field and was also a founding member of the doo-wop music group Sha Na Na. The graduate forensic linguistics program is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding
The interactive off-Broadway show Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding began as a gag among Hofstra students who, upon graduation, took their playful improv to off-Broadway, launching a new theatrical genre that remains popular to this day.
Global Reach
Hofstra students come from all over the world: 50 states and territories and 82 countries.
Thomas P. DiNapoli ’76
New York State’s 54th comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli ’76 – a former New York assemblyman – is a magna cum laude graduate who majored in history.
Hofstra/Northwell Partnership
Hofstra University and Northwell Health launched the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies in 2015, expanding their successful medical school partnership.
Accessibility
Hofstra was one of the first private universities in the country to achieve 100 percent program accessibility for people with disabilities.
Dr. Sina Rabbany
Dr. Sina Rabbany, PhD, Dean of the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science and director of the bioengineering program, is part of a research team that found that damaged or diseased organs may someday be restored with an injection of endothelial cells, possibly eliminating the need for donated organs and transplants.
Phi Beta Kappa
Hofstra is the only private college on Long Island that grants the Phi Beta Kappa – the nation’s oldest honor society – distinction.
Class Size
The average undergraduate class at Hofstra is 21 students per class, and our student:faculty ratio is 13:1.
Debate Volunteers
More than 400 students served as volunteers when Hofstra hosted a presidential debate in 2016, and more than 400 won a ticket to attend the debate.
Long Island’s First
Hofstra became Long Island’s first private university, on March 1, 1963.
Founded in 1935
Hofstra University was founded as an extension of New York University in 1935, and was housed in single building – Hofstra Hall – that still stands today on the south campus.
David A. Paterson
The first African-American governor of New York, Honorable David A. Paterson, is an alumnus of Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
Kalikow School
In 2015, Hofstra created the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, a new school devoted to training the next generation of public policy leaders.
WRHU-88.7 FM
WRHU-88.7 FM has won the National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi Award for being the top non-commercial station in the U.S. five times, in 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2025.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was commencement speaker in 1965 and received an honorary degree.
American Presidency
The Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency at Hofstra University is one of a very few institutions in the country with a unique focus on the presidency.
James Bond
Two Hofstra alumni have played James Bond villains. Academy Award winner Christopher Walken, who was an English major at Hofstra, appeared in A View to a Kill, and Robert Davi, a drama major, was in Licence to Kill.
Alafair Burke
Hofstra law professor Alafair Burke is a bestselling author of 16 crime novels, several of which she collaborated with “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark.
Shakespeare Festival
Hofstra has hosted its annual Shakespeare Festival every year since 1950, featuring such successful actors as Susan Sullivan, Madeline Kahn, Phil Rosenthal, Joe Morton, Tom McGowan, Peter Friedman, Margaret Colin and Broadway musical director Susan H. Schulman.
Women’s Lacrosse
The Hofstra women’s lacrosse program has seen four student-athletes named to the USA National Team (Stephanie Clarke ’97, Kim Hillier ’07, Corrine Gandolfi ’10 and Katie Hertsch ’11) and one to Team Wales (Maisie Osteen ‘08).
Lawrence Herbert
The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication is named for alumnus Lawrence Herbert, the inventor of the Pantone Matching System.
Billy Joel
Billy Joel delivered the commencement speech to Hofstra’s Class of 1997, and was awarded an honorary degree.
Phil Rosenthal
Phil Rosenthal, creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy-winning sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and his wife, Monica Horan, who played Ray’s sister-in-law, are both Hofstra alums.
Chris Weidman
Four-time Ultimate Fighting Championship Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman is a 2007 alumnus who was a two-time All American on the wrestling team.
Randy Levine
New York Yankees President Randy Levine is a graduate of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law, and a former member of Hofstra’s Board of Trustees.
Dr. Stephen Lawrence
Physics professor Dr. Stephen Lawrence, PhD, was part of the research team that discovered a new, more accurate way to measure the distance of novae, the nuclear explosion of a star system, from earth.
Hofstra Origins
In 1939, the Dutch ambassador to the U.S. left his country’s flag with Hofstra for safekeeping during World War II, and the insignia inspired Hofstra’s school colors, the university seal and coat of arms.
ROTC
Hofstra is the host university for the ROTC Program on Long Island.
Ron Kovic
American anti-war activist Ron Kovic, who was portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Academy Award-winning film Born on the Fourth of July, is a Hofstra alum.
Community Service
Hofstra was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll until the federal program’s end.
Law, Medicine, and Engineering
Hofstra is among only three schools in the New York metropolitan area with colleges of law, medicine and engineering.
NBA Draft Picks
The Hofstra men’s basketball program has produced six NBA draft selections: Bill Thieben ’56, Fort Wayne Pistons; Rich Laurel ’77, Portland Trailblazers; John Irving ’77, Detroit Pistons; Craig “Speedy” Claxton ’00, Philadelphia 76ers; Charles Jenkins ’11, Golden State Warriors, and Justin Wright-Foreman ’19, Utah Jazz.
New York Islanders
WRHU-88.7 FM has been the flagship station of the NHL’s New York Islanders since 2010.
Wrestling
Hofstra wrestling alum Nick Gallo won the 126 lb. weight class at the 1977 NCAA National Championship and went on to become a member of the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Wrestling teams.
Clubs and Organizations
Hofstra has 270 clubs and organizations that offer myriad student leadership opportunities.
Joe Morton
Emmy Award-winning actor and drama alum Joe Morton, best known for his role as the sinister Eli Pope in the hit ABC series Scandal, returned to campus for Hofstra’s 68th Annual Shakespeare Festival in 2017.
AACSB Accreditation
Hofstra’s Frank. G. Zarb School of Business was the first Long Island business school to receive accreditation from AACSB International, a rigorous certification that attests to how well Hofstra prepares its graduates for today’s global business environment.
Osler Society
The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is the first medical school in New York state to establish a chapter of the Osler Society, a worldwide organization for health professionals that offers programming in music, art and other creative outlets.
Dennis W. Mazzocco
Dennis W. Mazzocco, PhD, professor of radio, television and film, is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, a board member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and received the guild’s 2012 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award for career achievement.
Stephen Dunn
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn is an alum of Hofstra’s history program.
Dr. Oskar Pineño
Dr. Oskar Pineño, assistant professor of psychology at Hofstra, made it more affordable to study animal behavior by creating a low-cost Skinner box that uses an iPod Touch.
Incoming First-Years
Twenty-four percent of incoming first-year students in Fall 2025 were in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
Speedy Claxton
Hofstra men’s basketball coach and alumnus Craig “Speedy” Claxton was a member of the 2003 San Antonio Spurs championship team and has been inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Frank G. Zarb
Former NASDAQ chairman Frank G. Zarb, for whom Hofstra’s business school is named, was CEO of the NASDAQ stock exchange during the dot-com boom of the late 1990’s. He served five presidents – Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton, most notably as “energy czar” for President Ford.
Undergraduate Programs
Hofstra offers more than 180 undergraduate program options, more than 190 graduate program options and more than 100 dual-degree programs.
Kristen Shaughnessy ’90
NY1 News anchor/reporter Kristen Shaughnessy ’90 graduated from Hofstra’s journalism program.
Accreditations
Hofstra holds 44 academic and 47 total accreditations.
Zucker School
The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is housed in the former training facility for the New York Jets, located on the north campus.
Herbert School of Communication
The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication has state-of-the-art production and post-production facilities, including the News Hub, which is a converged multimedia classroom. And in 2015, the school became the first university worldwide to use Hitachi’s innovative 4K-technology cameras in its broadcast curriculum.
Emergency Medical Technicians
The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is among just a few medical schools in the country that trains first-year students to become emergency medical technicians.
Cheerleading and Dance
Hofstra’s cheerleading and dance teams are among the best in the nation, capturing a combined 16 national championships since 2003.
Co-operative Education
Hofstra’s Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science launched a co-operative educational program in 2015, giving qualified students real work experience at engineering and technology firms.
Speedy Claxton
Herb Deutsch, Hofstra alumnus and professor emeritus of music, collaborated on the design and development of the first music synthesizer in 1964, revolutionizing the music industry.
Outcomes
Ninety-one percent of Hofstra graduates are employed or pursuing graduate studies within one year of graduation.
Dr. Donna Mendes ’73
Dr. Donna Mendes earned a degree in biology from Hofstra in 1973 and went on to become the first female African American vascular surgeon in the United States.
Charles Dryden ’55
Hofstra alum Charles Dryden ’55 was one of the first African American military pilots in the U.S. Armed Forces during WWII.
Ruth Prigozy
Professor Emerita of English Ruth Prigozy is considered one of the world’s leading experts on the life and work of F. Scott Fitzgerald and helped found the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.
Monroe Freedman
Law professor Monroe Freedman was a legal ethics and civil rights scholar who is credited with establishing legal ethics as an academic field.
School of Health Sciences
The School of Health Sciences (originally the School of Health Professions and Human Services, founded in 2012, brought renewed energy and an interdisciplinary focus to the University’s health professions curriculum. It has internship and networking affiliations with more than 300 off-campus healthcare and educational facilities in Long Island and New York City.
Speedy Claxton
Brazilian and New York Cosmos soccer legend Pelé received an honorary degree in 2014 for his humanitarian work and contributions to the sport during an international conference examining the historical, political, and economic impact of the game.
Fulbright Scholars
At least 29 members of Hofstra’s faculty have been Fulbright Scholars.
Madeline Kahn ‘64
Actress Madeline Kahn ‘64, twice nominated for an Academy Award, attended Hofstra on a drama scholarship.
Yonia Fain
Hofstra Fine Arts History Professor Yonia Fain was an internationally acclaimed artist, poet, author, and educator known for using powerful imagery to pay tribute to the memories of those lost in the Holocaust.
Hofstra and China
Hofstra and China’s Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in 2016 launched a program that offers students bachelor’s degrees from both institutions and a summer internship in China. It is one of the only programs of its kind in the US.
Saltzman Community Services Center
Since 1991, the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center has provided cutting-edge therapies to the public, and unique research and training opportunities to students.
DeMatteis School
The Fred Dematteis School of Engineering and Applied Science is one of the only schools in the New York metropolitan area that allows undergraduate students to work on sophisticated equipment such as an atomic force microscope as early as their freshman year.
Maureen Murphy
Maureen Murphy, professor emerita of Teaching and Curriculum and former director of the Irish Studies program, is a premier scholar of Irish history who led the development of the New York State Great Famine Curriculum and is the historian of the Irish Hunger Memorial in Lower Manhattan.
Oscar Hijuelos
Novelist Oscar Hijuelos was a Hofstra faculty member in 1990, when he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his book, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. It was later made into the movie The Mambo Kings, starring Antonio Banderas.
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