Farmingdale State College (FSC) will award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from the State University of New York (SUNY) to Murray Pasternack, '60, during its 2026 commencement exercises on May 22 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Pasternack will also deliver the commencement address to the FSC graduating class of 2026.   

From his beginnings as an electrical technology student at FSC and earning an associate degree in 1960, he rose to national prominence as an entrepreneur and innovator in the RF/microwave and electronics industries. In 1962, he founded the Electro-Physics Corporation of America (EPCOA), where he served as Chief Executive Officer for more than sixty years. Building on this foundation, he established Pasternack Enterprises in 1972 and grew the company into one of the world’s leading suppliers of radio frequency and microwave components. He also co-founded Environmental Communications, Inc., where he served as Executive Vice President from 1970 to 1972, engaging in cutting-edge electronics research and development. In addition to his technological enterprises, Pasternack received his law degree as a member of the California State Bar, maintaining an active practice since 1976. He also played a significant role in the financial sector as a founder, director, and loan committee member of Capital Bank, serving from 2008 to 2017. 

“Murray’s professional achievements, national impact, and transformational philanthropy embody our core values here at Farmingdale and the SUNY mission,” said Robert S. Prezant, PhD, President of Farmingdale State College. “He is an inspiration and a role model to our students, representing a future reimagined with hard work and ingenuity. We are grateful for his unwavering support to our entire campus community.” 

Together with his wife Judy, Pasternack is the largest individual donor in FSC history, with more than $8 million in personal giving over the past five years. His $5 million gift in 2025 to fund scholarships, student support, and STEM programming will endow 56 four-year scholarships annually across all 15 majors in the Pasternack School of Engineering Technology. In 2024 he supported the creation of the student-managed investment fund and trading room, and in 2023 he funded the radio frequency and microwave technology lab in Lupton Hall.

“It is truly humbling to receive an honorary doctorate from Farmingdale State, an institution I hold in such high regard,” said Pasternack who, like many FSC students and alumni, worked nearly full time while attending classes to fund his education. Much of his philanthropy is aimed at “helping students spend less time working to afford their education and more time focusing on learning.”

“I am at a point in life that allows me to reflect on the path I took, and to thank those institutions that helped me achieve my goals,” said Pasternack. “I can’t think of a better way to thank the school that contributed greatly to my success than to provide the tools needed to train the next generation.

“My highest priority is helping students thrive,” he continued. “Judy's and my hope is that our support will provide a life-changing education for students from working-class families and help empower educators to do what they do best.” 

 

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