Take a moment: Welcome to Friday, intrepid innovators, and to the end of July, almost – by this time next week, it will be August already!
Yes, the sultry Summer of 2025 is whizzing by – let’s slow things down a bit with a calm, cool and collected review of the week in innovation.
Say “cheese” (and “wine”): It’s an off-the-charcuterie kind of day.
Open to interpretation: Today is indeed the last Friday of July (July 25, to be precise) and we’re kicking things off with National Thread the Needle Day, which has many possible meanings – to literally thread a sewing needle, to find a path through a difficult situation, to executive a difficult yoga posture, to pull off a tricky sports move and more. Take your pick.
More to the point is National Hire a Veteran Day, encouraging former servicemen and servicewomen to fill out job applications – and urging employers to give them extra consideration.
Days of wine and cheeses: For a relaxing Friday evening, embrace National Wine and Cheese Day, when we’re meant to kick back and savor the finer things. (We’d recommend a sweet, full-bodied port paired with a pungent, salty blue Stilton.)
Whatever cheese you choose, be sure to chase it with an all-time classic – today is also National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, always running hot and cold on July 25.
Cautionary tale: Not that this has anything to do with current events, but it was this date in 1830 when France’s King Charles X – who clashed with liberals throughout his reign, bankrupted his nation and fired ministers who disagreed with him – issued the July Ordinances, which nixed the freedom of the press, restricted legislators’ ability to amend laws, eliminated free elections and quickly triggered the July Revolution, which saw Charles unceremoniously bounced from the throne.
Looked good on paper: Also wrapping things up was Albany-based inventor Seth Wheeler, who patented modern wrapping paper 154 years ago today.
Merry go: It was that same date – July 25, 1871 – when Iowa-based inventor Wilhelm Schneider patented the electric carousel.
Totally tubular: Louise Joy Brown (right, with mom Lesley) was the first successful test tube baby, after 101 failed IVF attempts.
This is a test (tube): Also bringing the merry (the joy, actually) was the world’s first baby conceived through in vitro fertilization – Louise Joy Brown, who was born on this date in 1978. (Conventional births below.)
Equality in spaaaaace: And it was July 25, 1984, when Soviet Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space.
Savitskaya, who on that same mission became the first (known) woman to travel to space twice, conducted welding experiments during a three-hour-plus extravehicular jaunt outside the Salyut 7 space station.
Right on time: English mechanic Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) – a maker of scientific instruments, watches and other timekeeping mechanisms that qualify him as the “Father of English Clockmaking” – would be 386 years old today.
How sweet it was: The late, great Walter Payton was a versatile — and often unstoppable — football force.
Also born on July 25 were German pathologist, physiologist and biologist Paul Langerhans (1847-1888), who lent his name to the pancreatic islets of Langerhans; Scottish Canadian American geologist Andrew Lawson (1861-1952), who discovered the San Andreas Fault; Russian chemist Sergey Lebedev (1874-1934), who industrialized the production of synthetic rubber; English chemist Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958), who co-discovered DNA’s double-helix structure and got royally screwed; and American professional football running back Walter Payton (1953-1999), a Pro Football Hall of Famer who earned the nickname “Sweetness” over 13 incredible seasons with the Chicago Bears.
The one where Joey stops chasing fame and just relaxes: And take a bow, Matthew Steven “Matt” LeBlanc! The American actor – a household name during and after his 10-year run on “Friends” who’s been widely praised for his post-acting life choices – turns 58 today.
Give your best to the retired (?) sitcom star at editor@innovateli.com, where we’re always stuck in second gear without your news tips and it hasn’t been our day, our week, our month or even our year when you don’t send calendar events. (But when you do, we’ll be there for yooouuu….)
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BUT FIRST, THIS
Septic signing: A new state law will make it easier and more affordable for New York property owners to upgrade to new septic systems that can significantly reduce water pollution.
As part of a Wednesday victory lap between Manhattan and Suffolk County – which also included new funding announcements for law enforcement initiatives – Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will reimburse property owners up to 50 percent of eligible costs (up to $10,000) for the installation of new conventional septic systems and up to 75 percent of eligible costs (up to $25,000) for the installation of enhanced septic systems. Suffolk County residents are also eligible for reimbursements up to $10,000 on new septic-system costs through a county-based funding program.
The state reimbursements, funded through the NYS Environmental Facilities Corp.’s Septic System Replacement Fund, continue Albany’s commitment to improving water quality and public health across the state. “Long Island’s water resources are vital to the people who live there, to the local economy and to the plants and animals that call the Island home,” Hochul noted. “This bill is a promise to future generations that we will keep building a more resilient, sustainable state while ensuring clean water for all.”
Coming up Rosens: Jeanette and Jonathan Rosen have donated $1 million to Glen Cove Hospital’s Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Unit.
Glen Cove generosity: A seven-figure gift will kickstart a first-of-its-kind outpatient program for patients with moderately advanced Parkinson’s disease at Glen Cove Hospital.
Jonathan and Jeannette Rosen have donated $1 million to the Northwell Health hospital, reflecting their “deep appreciation for the expert, compassionate care Jonathan has received” from doctors Alessandro Di Rocco and Lyubov Rubin and other members of Glen Cove Hospital’s Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Unit during his two-decade-plus battle with the progressive neurological disorder, according to a Northwell Health statement. The hospital will use the money to expand upon its nationally acclaimed Parkinson’s disease inpatient program by creating a state-of-the-art outpatient facility stocked with cutting-edge rehabilitation technologies, including artificial intelligence-powered smart equipment and various virtual reality tools.
Glen Cove Hospital President Kerri Scanlon said the substantial gift would go a long way toward improving services for Parkinson’s patients. “We are deeply grateful to the Rosens for their generous support,” Scanlon added. “This donation will accelerate our mission to provide innovative patient-centered care and create a new space where (Parkinson’s) patients can receive comprehensive support.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Galaxy quest: A Stony Brook University astrophysicist has led an exciting intergalactic mission that sheds new light on the formation of stars in a distant galaxy … and, quite possibly, right here in the Milky Way.
Latest developments: Real estate ace Scott Burman joins “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” to discuss family affairs, his innovative development history and the future of regional real estate.
ICYMI
Uniondale-based Rivkin Radler has announced a strategic partnership with Liberty Partners Group, a powerful District of Columbia lobbying firm with a top-level federal access and a leg up on volatile healthcare laws.
Something to say? Welcome to The Entrepreneur’s Edge, Innovate Long Island’s new promoted-content news feature platform – a direct link from you to our innovation-focused audience. Progressive product to promote? Singular service to sell? Sociopolitical position to push? Shine a bright light on the big picture, the little details and everything in between with The Entrepreneur’s Edge. Living on the edge.
BEST OF THE WEST (AND SOMETIMES NORTH/SOUTH)
Innovate LI’s inbox overrunneth with inspirational innovations from all North American corners. This week’s brightest out-of-towners:
From California: San Diego-based beauty-focused biotech Debut introduces proprietary plant-cell platform that creates new fragrances without lengthy plant cultivation.
From Texas: Tomball-based home-growing guru Vego Garden promotes sustainability, water conservation and abundant harvests with innovative “summer solution.”
From California: Los Angeles-based neuro-acoustic software engineer NuCalm measures nervous system resilience with groundbreaking stress-assessment tool.
ON THE MOVE
Geraldine O’Sullivan Coyne
+ Geraldine O’Sullivan Coyne has been named system head and principal investigator of Northwell Health’s START Center for Cancer Research. The internationally recognized oncology researcher was a clinical investigator at START Dublin (Ireland) and is a former head of the Clinical Science Section at the National Cancer Institute.
+ P. Scott Carney has been named chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Stony Brook University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, effective Sept. 1. Carney, who will be a visiting professor through Aug. 31, was the director of The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester and is the co-founder of surgical microscope developer Diagnostic Photonics.
+ Adelphi University has announced two leadership team promotions:
- Susan Dinan has been appointed interim provost. She was the dean of the Adelphi University Honors College.
- Nicole Rudolph has been appointed interim dean of the Adelphi University Honors College. She was Adelphi’s associate dean for student engagement and director of the university’s Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships.
+ Paul Majkowski has been elected to the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Board of Directors. He is a partner at Uniondale-based Rivkin Radler.
+ Allison Xiong has been elected chairwoman of the Albany-based National Association of Independent Review Organizations’ Technology/AI/Cybersecurity Committee. She is assistant vice president of federal and state healthcare assessment at IPRO in Lake Success.
+ Kristen Fehr-Thompson has been appointed humanities director for the South Country Central School District. She was an English and AP seminar teacher at Bellport High School in Brookhaven.
+ Timothy Piciullo has been hired as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Hicksville Public Schools. He was principal of South Ocean Middle School in Patchogue.
+ Stacey Rosen has been elected president of the American Heart Association. She is the executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health in New Hyde Park.
+ Akira Byng-Regan has been hired as coordinator of music and arts in the Garden City Public Schools. She was lead music teacher and choral director at the Roosevelt Middle School and High School and director of Roosevelt Performing Arts.
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BELOW THE FOLD (Lightning Bolt Edition)
Losing some luster: They’re not endangered yet, but firefly numbers are dwindling, according to recent studies.
Lightning bugs: Their numbers are dwindling, but fireflies are lighting it up this year.
Lightning port: A cutting-edge case is breathing new life into older iPhones.
Lightning quick (thinking): How to avoid lightning strikes during a thunderstorm.
Shocking developments: Please continue supporting the innovative institutions that support Innovate Long Island, including SUNY Old Westbury, supercharging higher education with an electrifying combination of small-school individuality and 21st Century ingenuity. Check them out.
