Musician, educator and public advocate Shoshana Hershkowitz will be honored for her community service and commitment to constructive dialogue at the fifth annual banquet of Hofstra University’s Center for Civic Engagement.
The event will be held Thursday, April 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hofstra University Club.
Hershkowitz, a resident of Setauket, L.I., will receive the Michael D’Innocenzo Award for Outstanding Contribution to Constructive Public Dialogue, an honor established in 2023 to recognize individuals who advance principled conversation and civic engagement.
The award celebrates the legacy of the late Dr. Michael D’Innocenzo, Hofstra’s longest-serving faculty member and a co-founder of CCE. A scholar deeply committed to civic responsibility, D’Innocenzo also co-founded the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and was the inaugural recipient of the university’s Harry H. Wachtel Distinguished Teaching Professor for the Study of Nonviolent Social Change and the recipient of a Hofstra University Presidential Medal.
Hershkowitz’s career reflects a longstanding dedication to education, advocacy and community engagement.
A music educator for more than 25 years, Hershkowitz has served as an artist-in-residence at Stony Brook University since 2009, where she conducts choral ensembles and teaches first-year experience courses for incoming students.
Beyond academia, she works at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, where she manages the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, a statewide coalition advocating for universal childcare in New York. Hershkowitz is also the founder of Suffolk Progressives, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing progressive public policy at the local, state and national levels.
Through her leadership and advocacy, Hershkowitz has helped create spaces where diverse perspectives can be heard and respected – an approach that aligns closely with the mission of CCE.
Since its founding in 2007, CCE has emphasized conflict resolution, social transformation, community building, and leadership development. Each academic year the center presents conferences, debates, workshops, exhibitions, cultural gatherings, and performances exploring themes such as nonviolence, social justice and sustainability, the democratic process, and globalization.
Under the leadership of Dr. Philip Dalton, associate professor in the Rhetoric and Public Advocacy Program, students participate in CCE as volunteers, interns, and fellows. Fellows – the highest tier of involvement – commit to weekly service with community partners such as the Greater Uniondale Area Action Coalition and the Uniondale Community Land Trust, working to facilitate positive, transformative change on Long Island.
The CCE banquet will bring together students, faculty, community leaders, and supporters to celebrate the center’s ongoing efforts to strengthen civic literacy and democratic engagement.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $50, and journal ads are available for $125. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact communityaffairs@hofstra.edu.
