The State University of New York at Old Westbury received the 2026 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine -- marking the ninth consecutive year the campus has been honored.
This national honor recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building across all levels of campus life.
“Earning the HEED award affirms the values that define our campus community,” said President Timothy E. Sams. “It highlights the dedication of our students, faculty, and staff to advancing academic achievement while creating a welcoming culture where everyone feels valued, included, and able to reach their full potential.”
As an awardee, SUNY Old Westbury will be featured along with 60 other recipients across varied categories in the October 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.
“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach to reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient,” said Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of Insight into Academia magazine. “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus”
Insight Into Academia magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in higher education excellence. Through thought-provoking print and online articles, we share expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top programs at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep our readers informed and empower them to advance initiatives at their institutions.
Read more about SUNY Old Westbury's Rankings, Distinctions and Awards