Dowling College Athletics is pleased to announce the recipient of the first Lifetime Achievement Award at Dowling, Dr. Richard F. Laskowski. With this honor, the award will be now known as the Dr. Richard F. Laskowski Lifetime Achievement Award for all future honorees.
Dr. Laskowski has been involved in college athletics for almost 50 years, beginning his college career at St. Johns University where he would play baseball for four years on scholarship. He would go on to work at LaSalle Academy as a teacher and baseball and basketball coach before starting as a guidance counselor and lacrosse coach at Holy Trinity High School.
Richard would eventually come back to St. Johns where, during a 19 year stint, would serve as the first full time academic counselor for the student athletes, then as the Assistant Director of Intramurals, Recreation, Club Sports, the Director of Intramurals, Recreation, and Club Sports and Assistant Director of Athletics. In his last 8 years there, he would hold the position of Associate Director of Athletics where he would also serve as the chair of the Big East Tennis Committee and was a member of the baseball and soccer committees. During his time at St. Johns, Laskowski would go on to earn 4 degrees including a BA in Social Sciences, an MA in Guidance and Counseling, a PD in Guidance and Counseling, and an Education Doctorate in Administration. In addition, he was inducted into Phi Delta Kappa and the Golden Key Honor Society.
In 1993, Dr. Laskowski would accept the position of Dean of Physical Education and Athletics at Stony Brook University, with his first mandate to elevate the athletic program to Division I from Division III, a goal he achieved in 1999. Two years later, the program would join the America East Conference.
During his tenure at Stony Brook, Dr. Laskowski would transform the athletic department in many ways, paving the way for the University, community, and future student athletes. Overseeing a budget that would grow from 1 million to over 9 million dollars, Richard was instrumental in the creation and opening of the $26 million dollar LaValle stadium, home of the Seawolves football, lacrosse, and soccer teams, a new softball stadium, and six new tennis courts. Major improvements and renovations to the baseball facility, the Sports Complex arena, Pritchard Gym, the weight training facility, and all outdoor practice facilities were also overseen by Dr. Laskowski.
Another great accomplishment under Dr. Laskowski was the creation of Providing Athletes with Scholarship, or PAWS, the athletic department’s annual fundraising campaign which has raised over 3.2 million dollars in athletic scholarships since its inception in 1998. Over 200 athletic scholarships are now available for student athletes, compared to zero in 1994. He also implemented various programs for student welfare including SAAC, Academic Advisement, Life Skills, Tutoring, and Mandatory study halls for freshmen. For his accomplishments, Laskowski was named the 2002 Village Times Sportsman of the Year.
Dr. Laskowski has served on numerous committees and boards during his time in college athletics, including the ECAC and NECC Executive Boards, ECAC Membership Committee, ECAC Marketing and Television Committee, NECC Tennis Committee, and NECC Marketing and Television Committee among others.
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