A gift from William T. “Ted” Frantz ’80, P’13 will establish a new endowed chair in engineering and computer science. (Photo by Joey Heslin)

His new gift, which will be partially matched by the University through the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, will establish the William T. Frantz Endowed Chair in Engineering and Computer Science. “The idea for this gift has been simmering for nearly 20 years,” says Frantz. The engineer turned investor, who has studied and invested in many promising concepts and companies, says his newest investment in ECS as part of the was a matter of just-the-right timing.

“The timing is ideal, coming on the heels of Micron Technology’s ��$100 billion commitment to the region,” says Frantz. He says the partnership opportunities between the technology company and the University are a boon for students, faculty and the wider community. “It’s a great time to invest in the University, the expansion of the engineering program and in the region. These things tend to build on each other.”

Frantz draws similarities to the success of Silicon Valley, where he once worked for Hewlett-Packard. “I witnessed the growth of Silicon Valley and how nearby universities like Stanford, Berkeley and Santa Clara provided the intellectual expertise, engineering and research,” he says. Forward-looking investors seized opportunities brought about by the region’s dynamic partnerships and ingenuity.

New Ideas

Investing in new ideas has always held appeal for Frantz, who has provided capital for companies exploring new computer technologies and biotech firms developing new therapeutics for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and other diseases. “It’s the challenge of seeing something grow and make a go of it, get off the ground and get bigger,” says Frantz.

The man who loves to see new ideas get off the ground and soar was perhaps inspired at a young age by his neighbors. They were airline pilots who built an aerobatic plane in the garage. A curious young Frantz helped out after school. One of those neighbors was Leo Loudenslager, who was a mechanic in the Air Force and a pilot for American Airlines, but who is best known for winning multiple U.S. Aerobatic Championships. “Leo was innovative,” says Frantz. “The design changes he made shook up the aerobatic community. And he not only built it, he flew it.”

Frantz, who has his own pilot’s license, has combined his passion for flight with his desire to fuel innovation through investment in a significant gift he made to Syracuse University students and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2008. Frantz funded the purchase and upkeep of an advanced flight simulator that would allow students to get hands-on experience with flight vehicles that they designed and to experiment “with the ‘edge of the envelope’ without endangering any persons or property.”

Edge of Innovation

Similarly, Frantz hopes his latest gift will help keep ECS on the edge of innovation, build on past successes and bring greater prestige. He notes that the gift is structured to allow for flexibility in that it is not restricted to a particular aspect or field of engineering. The recipient of the endowed chair will be selected by the dean of the college and hold a term of five years that is renewable. Frantz says flexibility allows the dean to look into the future and identify new fields where investing in faculty expertise would be most promising.

“Ted is a visionary in his approach to philanthropy,” says ECS Dean J. Cole Smith. “His background as both an engineer and investor allows him to look far into the future, to see where technology and creativity can take the next generation of engineers and computer scientists. His generosity is literally helping us shape the future of our program as we address the challenges facing our globe.”

“I’ve been studying the history of Syracuse,” says Frantz. “At one point, it was the center of commerce with proximity to the Erie Canal that allowed steel and manufacturing to thrive. But the city did not adjust to change, and new growth industries did not take root and adapt. Now, with Micron’s investment, the city has new opportunities, and Syracuse University is perfectly situated to take advantage of those opportunities.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

Robert ’86 and Kathryn Taishoff

How do you inspire people to open their hearts and provide the support to raise the hefty sum of $2.5 million? Just ask retired U.S. Navy Capt. Robert “Rob” P. Taishoff ’86 who sees opportunities where others see obstacles, and who is determined to change the way the world views intellectual disability. With the recent Taishoff Family Foundation gift of $2.5 million to inclusive higher education at Syracuse University, Taishoff is challenging others to see the world the way he does and match his family’s pledge.

“I’ve seen the confidence that these young men and women with intellectual disabilities develop when given educational opportunities, and it’s mind-blowing,” says Taishoff. “If we give them the chance to pursue their interests and prepare them for careers, just like we do with every student at Syracuse University, they will thrive, excel, succeed and surprise us.”

Taishoff continues to marvel at the successes of the students who attend InclusiveU and the accomplishments of the , named for his father in 2009 with a $1.1 million grant from Taishoff. The center and InclusiveU have become national models for the inclusion and education of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At that time, Taishoff was a University Trustee; he served as a voting trustee from 2009 to 2021 and is now a life trustee. Taishoff has been involved in many University initiatives, but it was inclusive education and the work going on at the (CDI) in the School of Education that captured his whole heart.

Taishoff’s daughter, Jackie, was born with Down syndrome in 2001, and he experienced firsthand the promise and the heartbreak felt by the families of young people often marginalized by society. “Jackie is very social and friendly, and frequently surprises us with what she’s capable of doing,” says Taishoff. He’d love to see her attend InclusiveU but as a resident of Maryland, her benefits associated with her disability won’t cross state lines. The portability of benefits is one of those systemic policy issues that CDI’s staff is working to change, helping students overcome barriers to pursue an education and career.

According to Sara Hart Weir, a national expert in disability policy and former president of the National Down Syndrome Society, Taishoff is the kind of visionary who “sees endless opportunities not just for Jackie, but for all people with disabilities. Rob wants them to have the kinds of opportunities every other American has, from education to health care, from financial services to careers.” Weir says individuals with Down syndrome are an “untapped workforce who, with access to programs like InclusiveU, can skill up, enter the workforce and become taxpayers.” She says InclusiveU is the “best of the best” in providing these kinds of opportunities.

Strengthening Programming

The Taishoff Family Foundation has contributed several million dollars over the years to strengthen CDI, the Taishoff Center and InclusiveU, providing resources for programmatic growth. “They’ve achieved all their goals in the last five-year plan and that set the stage for the next five-year plan,” says Taishoff, who hopes his new gift will be leveraged to bring in new donor support. The next five-year plan seeks to grow enrollment by 25% and offer new experiences for students with intellectual disability.

“We’re never satisfied with what we’re doing,” says Beth Myers, the Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education, executive director of the Taishoff Center and assistant director of CDI. “We may be the largest program of our kind in the nation, but there are always more opportunities to pursue. For example, I dream of first providing our students with a two-week study abroad in Italy with the goal of a full semester of study abroad in any location where any other Syracuse University student can go. Am I dreaming huge dreams? Yes. Is it possible? Yes!” But, Myers acknowledges, it takes more resources and staffing to achieve those dreams.

Myers credits her “amazing team and an incredible staff at InclusiveU who would do anything for these students” to deliver on dreams. She has watched the program at InclusiveU grow from 14 students in three majors to 100 students in 45 majors taking more than 300 courses across the University. “We have allies in every department across campus, top down and bottom up support,” says Myers. “It’s a culture grounded in the University’s 60-plus year history in disability advocacy. People really value the work we do in inclusion.”

“I am continuously inspired by Rob Taishoff’s generosity and, now, his strategic challenge to others to help advance Syracuse University’s leadership in the disability community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Rob persists in challenging all of us to think of innovative and creative solutions and to collaborate across units and colleges to ensure equitable opportunities for all our students and to be a standard-bearer for academic institutions nationwide.”

Through those opportunities, Taishoff sees how students become one with the University community. “Our intellectually disabled students are woven into the fabric of the University, from the classroom to living arrangements, from social activities to career preparation,” says Taishoff.

Going Beyond

CDI’s strategic plan for growth goes beyond assisting the growth of the Taishoff Center and enrollment in InclusiveU. It would enhance access to higher education among students in the Syracuse City School district (nationally, less than 2% of high school students with intellectual disability go to college). It would invest in innovative technical assistance for disabled students and establish an Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance Center to help other colleges and universities. It would support research, fellowships and teaching to advance the field. It would provide more resources for career advising and career placement (only 17% of adults with intellectual disabilities are employed nationally). The newly established Robert and Kathryn Taishoff Fund would support many of these initiatives and scholarship support for students.

In addition to the new fund, the latest Taishoff gift continues support through the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education Endowed Fund. Part of the $1.5 billion , Taishoff’s gift builds on and the legacy of the School of Education. Rob Taishoff’s father Lawrence and grandfather Sol philanthropically supported education, journalism and health research. Taishoff says his father was “exceptionally close” to granddaughter Jackie, perhaps because he had witnessed a cousin with Down syndrome sent to an institution and shielded away from society and opportunity.

Taishoff says his own military experience also reinforced the family’s commitment to opening the doors of opportunity. He spent more than two decades in active duty in the Navy and managed Navy and Marine Corps attorneys and civilians representing service members. “No matter what background or walk of life someone was from, whether enlisted or an officer, we were all pulling for the same goals, trying to fulfill a mission,” Taishoff says. “I saw people who were given opportunities in the military that they would not have had otherwise, and I saw them thrive and excel.”

The Taishoff Family Foundation’s legacy aligns with that of the School of Education, which is recognized as an international leader in the deinstitutionalization and school inclusion movements. The school is home to the first disability studies program in the country and the first joint degree program in law and disability studies, and it helped Syracuse become the first research university to launch an integrated elementary and special education teacher education program.

“It’s time to build on history once again,” says Taishoff. “I hope others will join me in creating new futures for countless young people who deserve a chance to contribute in ways that will amaze us.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

John E. Breyer

Breyer was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2001, co-chaired the Budget Committee from 2003-2006 and was a life trustee participant on the Board Finance Committee. He was a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council at ECS and the Atlanta Regional Council.

His deep connection to the University began when he moved to Central New York to pursue a career with General Electric. For nearly three decades, Breyer worked for this Fortune 500 company’s underseas business division and rose to serve eventually as general manager of the entire underseas systems business. He took graduate courses at ECS and became the company’s representative for GE Corporate-sponsored programs on campus. Several of his employees were adjuncts in the college, and he appointed a member of his human resources department to initiate a program to help support minority students in engineering.

“We feel strongly that all citizens should support education, and we wanted to do something that would make a difference for many years to come,” said Breyer when it was announced that he and his wife bestowed a $1.1 million faculty endowment gift to establish the John E. and Patricia A. Breyer Professorship in Electrical Engineering to attract world-class faculty specifically to the electrical engineering program, and advance excellence in engineering research and teaching. The couple also established an endowed scholarship fund to support deserving students.

“John was such an ardent supporter of the College of Engineering and Computer Science and Syracuse University,” says J. Cole Smith, dean of the . “He and his family have made a tremendous impact in supporting our students and our research enterprise. I will miss him and will be forever grateful for the generous and sincere way John helped advance the aspirations of so many people in ECS.”

Breyer himself earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1961, after serving in the United States Navy as an enlisted soldier and continuing in the Navy Reserve. Described as a lifelong learner by his family, Breyer graduated from GE’s rigorous Advanced Engineering and General Management Programs. He was recognized as an innovator and leader in multiple fields related to communication, signal intelligence and antenna measurement.

Breyer joined Scientific-Atlanta Inc. in 1989 as the company senior vice president and president of two divisions before ascending to become president and chief executive officer of MI Technologies, a company he founded along with other investors. He continued to lead in these roles as the company expanded and merged to become NSI-MI Technologies, a high-tech company that develops and manufactures testing and measurement systems, equipment and products used to test communications, radar, satellite, wireless and EMC/EMI systems. He retired in 2021 at the age of 86.

Breyer’s connection to Syracuse University was personal and professional. His daughter, Deborah Knoblock ’88, G’90, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the School of Education and is chair of the School of Education’s Advisory Board. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia, his daughters Deborah and Tamara, and three grandchildren. The family has requested that memorial contributions be directed to benefit ECS or the School of Education or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation that serves veterans and first responders.

Doctoral students in clinical psychology��Alexa Deyo ’21 and Alison Vrabec G’23 spent their summer testing a theory that a certain kind of therapeutic technique called motivational interviewing could improve sleep and overall health among adolescents. According to the , sleep problems can impact how people learn, think and get along with others. “If teens are sleeping better, their mental health is improved; they are more emotionally regulated and less impulsive,” says��, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, who is supervising the clinical research.

Kathy Walters

Their research is exactly the kind of promising work that philanthropic alumni��Kathy Walters��’73, H’23 and her husband, Stan ’72, had in mind when they set up the Walters Endowed Fund for Science Research in 2016. According to Kathy Walters, they were hoping to create new opportunities for research that would benefit humanity—and they left the door open for the dean and faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) to define what those benefits might be.

“Researchers tend to see things that those of us not immersed in science would never see,” says Walters, a Syracuse University Trustee. “I’m not a big believer in telling capable people what they should be researching.” In fact, the funding is to be used to support a vast array of academic inquiry, including “undergraduate, graduate or faculty-led research in the sciences, including departments of biology, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, Earth science, mathematics, psychology and physics.”

The funding is awarded at the discretion of the A&S dean and associate dean for research to recognize outstanding research faculty. “Research funding is critical to supporting our academic mission,” says A&S Dean��Behzad Mortazavi. “With Kathy and Stan’s gift, we can invest in more of our stellar faculty and students, so they can contribute their enormous expertise to solving challenges in the areas of the environment and climate, health and wellness, social justice and human thriving.”

Favour Chukwudumebi Ononiwu

Since the fund was established, it has supported research by graduate students in physics, chemistry, biology and psychology. “Thanks to the Walters, I was able to spend the summer of 2023 in the lab full-time,” says Favour Chukwudumebi Ononiwu, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in cell biology and is dedicated to figuring out the cellular behavior that governs early development of human tissue. “This particular tissue helps the body organize itself. Understanding how that happens is key to understanding developmental defects.”

“Bench to bedside research” like this takes years of toil at the “bench” in the lab to reach the “bedside” where people can benefit. Ononiwu says the funding from the Walters allowed her to spend a lot more time at that bench, reduce some of the costs associated with conducting the research, and speed up the process of discovery. “It was also empowering to be in a space where I didn’t have to worry about my finances and could come into the lab and focus on the experiment. It also helped get my research to the point where I could apply for more grants and fellowships to accelerate the research.”

Ononiwu, who hopes to pursue a job in a biotechnology, pharmaceutical or biomedical company, says the Walters funding was a “catalyst for my development as a researcher and a professional.”

Kidwell says her graduate students are deepening their own clinical training through the funded research and positioning themselves to be more competitive for National Institutes of Health grants.

“Oftentimes, teaching assistantships take precedence over research assistantships because of financial need,” says Deyo, a first-year doctoral student in clinical psychology.

Professor Katie Kidwell (second from left) with members of the Child Health Lab, including graduate students (from left) Toni Hamilton, Alison Vrabec, Lyric Tully, Alexa Deyo and Megan Milligan.

The doctoral students were able to accelerate the launch of their study this past summer, recruit a significant number of teens aged 13 to 17 as study subjects, expose them to the intervention called motivational interviewing and measure the impact on their sleep using a smart watch-type of device called an actigraph.

The intent of their research, of course, is to help teens and college students problem-solve and deal with stressors that impact their well-being. The research aligns with Kathy Walters’ sensitivity to the impact of stress on health. “The world is moving at such a rapid pace that it’s difficult for people to prioritize and focus amidst the change and anxiety,” says Walters. “Helping faculty and students make the most of opportunities to improve health and humanity remains our priority.”

“We are so grateful to Kathy and Stan for their generosity and vision in establishing this fund,” says John Quigley, A&S assistant dean for advancement. “We hope others who are similarly passionate about academic and research excellence at the University will follow suit. An endowment of $100,000 or more provides the kind of annual supplemental support needed by our talented faculty to accelerate the impact of their teaching and research.”

Walters says it’s important to provide gifts that are not too restricted. “Students are developing the critical thinking skills required to pursue knowledge that answers the big questions facing our world. By supporting research, we are helping them find the answers.”

Edward C. Magee Sr.

“My dad was serious about work, community, country and Syracuse University athletics,” says Magee. The senior Magee died in 1989 at the age of 78. In recognition of his son’s gift to the John A. Lally Athletics Complex and the Athletics Opportunity Fund, the dining hall will be commonly referred to as Magee One Team Dining.

“My father was a low-key guy, but I know he would have wanted to help student-athletes and the athletics program in meaningful ways,” says Magee. Both father and son shared an appreciation for the power of sports to enhance the visibility and reputation of the entire University. “He turned me into an avid Syracuse University sports fan at a young age,” says Magee. “We had football season tickets forever!”

When his father became too ill with congestive heart failure to attend games, he would watch from his recliner chair at home. “This was before the internet, and he would create his own score sheets,” says Magee. On the day he died, Magee Sr. was watching the Syracuse basketball team play Missouri. “Five to ten minutes into the game, he took his last breath. My brother Tom, who graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 1973, still has that score sheet.” Now, Magee Sr.’s dedication to the Orange is memorialized in a place that honors the dedication of more than 600 student-athletes across 20 sports.

“Since we launched a dedicated campaign in 2021 to raise $150 million to enhance the student-athlete experience, we’ve been amazed and gratified by the support of donors like Ed,” says John Wildhack, director of athletics. “They truly appreciate the value of student-athlete focused facilities and services in attracting the most talented student-athletes and staff and ensuring competitive excellence in the athletics program.”

Edward “Ed” C. Magee

The athletics fundraising goal is part of the $1.5 billion for Syracuse University. “Philanthropy has always been critical to creating an environment where all our students can thrive, in the classroom and beyond, and in their chosen careers,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “I am grateful to Ed for recognizing that his gift can elevate the entire student experience, along with the reputation of the entire University.”

Magee graduated from the in 1970 with a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering, and earned an MBA in management data systems from the in 1972. He says he wasn’t a great athlete or an outstanding student, but he learned from his father and mother, a teacher, the value of hard work and dedication to family, community and country. He signed up for Air Force ROTC while in college, earning a scholarship that “would help out my parents.”

His father, Magee Sr., graduated from the in 1933 and completed a law degree in 1936. He joined the U.S. Army, served with the 84th Infantry Division in the South Pacific and Asiatic theaters, and trained soldiers for combat. He was a reservist for 20 years and retired as a major. He was equally devoted in his professional life, spending 40 years at the Utica Mutual Insurance Company.

Similarly, his son Ed was loyal in service to both country and a corporation that gave him the means to build wealth that could be used in service of others. Magee served four years at Eglin Air Force Base as an officer in the Air Defense Command and, as an air force captain, he designed real-time software to drive the world’s first phased-array Space Track Radar. Following the Air Force, he devoted himself to PepsiCo, first developing information systems and ultimately rising to the level of Pepsi-Cola International chief information officer. He retired at the young age of 48 and has spent his time since consulting and investing in promising ventures, giving back to community through various charities, and supporting his beloved alma mater.

Rendering of dining hall at the One Team Olympic Sports Center

In 2018, Magee established the Edward C. Magee Endowed Scholarship to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students in the and “help students who need a helping hand.” Believing students and student-athletes across all disciplines and sports can contribute to a thriving university and a culture of competitive excellence, Magee targeted his latest gift for the benefit of student athletes who will “fuel their bodies” at Magee One Team Dining.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

Beth and Steve Ballentine

When Steven “Steve” W. Ballentine ’83 recalls his years playing club volleyball at Syracuse University, he remembers the fun, comradery and deeply satisfying sense of belonging it created for him. He also remembers the challenges: “Club sports didn’t receive University funding back then. I remember each of us on the team had to chip in $5 so we could travel to play at the University of Rochester. We brought our sleeping bags to my parents’ home and slept there when we travelled to Philadelphia.”

Those memories helped lay the foundation for the most recent gift from Steve and his wife, Beth (Shuman) Ballentine ’83, both of whom love sports and their alma mater. The nearly $2 million gift is part of the and will be used to create a dedicated field with lights for club sports and an endowed fund to support club sports programs and participants who might need help with fees, equipment and travel expenses.�� In recognition of this transformational gift, Syracuse University’s Club Sports Program has been named the Ballentine Club Sports Program.

Steve, an investment advisor by profession, and Beth, a published writer and essayist, describe sports as “very important to us as a family,” with both of them playing on sports teams throughout adulthood. Beth played on a women’s ice hockey team for nearly 20 years. Steve is a competitive tennis player. “We’ve made lifelong friends through sports,” says Beth. “For me, it’s about physical health, connections with people and sisterhood.”

The couple has also maintained strong connections to their alma mater through service and philanthropy. They provided lead gifts for the establishment of the Ballentine Investment Institute at the Whitman School of Management and have supported other initiatives in the and Athletics. Beth majored in advertising at the . Steve received a degree in business administration with dual majors in finance and accounting from the Whitman School, where he is a member of the Advisory Council. He has been a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 1998, currently serving on the Executive, Investment and Endowment and Athletics Committees.

“Steve and Beth’s support will create an even more outstanding experience for the hundreds of students every year who find a place of belonging at Syracuse through club sports,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Their generosity will help nurture student success beyond the classroom. It will also encourage more students to integrate fitness, teamwork, and leadership into their Orange experience. I am grateful to the Ballentines for a gift that will improve students’ wellbeing and enhance the student experience.”

As chair of the Board of Trustee’s Athletics Committee, Steve is especially appreciative of the impact athletics has on the student experience. “Growing up, I played everything until I wasn’t good enough to play it at the varsity/JV level, then moved on to another sport—from baseball and basketball to volleyball and bowling. There are so many young people like me who weren’t sports superstars, who played sports in high school and who really miss that part of their lives when they get to college. Finances can stand in their way of participating in club sports.�� Beth and I saw the need to address that.”

There are currently 45 at the University, with more than 1,500 students participating. Most teams are ��organized by student leaders and supported by club sports staff in the Student Experience Division. The Ballentines met with student leaders of the club sport teams to better understand how their financial support could have the greatest impact.�� “It was an incredibly eye opening and impressive experience,” says Steve. “They are entrepreneurial leaders, raising funds to book transportation for the teams, sharing ideas, learning from each other.” Beth was impressed by their dedication to helping others and “essentially doing a part-time job for which they don’t get paid, while managing a full course load.”

The Ballentine Club Sports Program Endowed Fund, established through this ��gift, will help ensure teams have the resources to enhance participation in post-season competition and playoffs and team leaders have the tools to manage their programs more effectively. “We’re big on teaching someone to fish rather than just handing them the fish,” says Steve. That idea was also foundational to the previous creation of , which provided students with the kinds of tools, training and resources to prepare them for a career in finance. Steve’s own career in the financial industry began as an equity analyst and portfolio manager for Prudential Life Insurance Co. of America. In 1989, he founded his own investment management firm, Ballentine Capital Management Inc.

The Ballentine Field for Club Sports will be located on South Campus on grounds that are across from the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion. “There will be irrigation and lights, so players can practice or compete after classes, when the sun goes down,” says Steve.

The Ballentines look forward to seeing the growth of club sports that present “a huge opportunity for students from all walks of life to come together” and excel beyond the classroom.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

H. John Riley Jr.

On his journey from his first job in a corporate mailroom to the executive suite, H. John Riley Jr. ’61 often credited the education and opportunities he received at Syracuse University for his success. His gratitude shaped his approach to both service and philanthropy at his alma mater. Riley was still serving as a life trustee and co-chair of the Forever Orange Campaign and its $1.5 billion goal when he passed away on June 1, 2024, at the age of 83.

“John was incredibly thoughtful and generous in all things, including his support for Syracuse University,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “John was committed to ensuring meaningful student experiences—in and out of the classroom—were accessible to all Syracuse students. His philanthropy opened doors and carved paths of opportunity for engineering students to succeed in the business world, just as he had over his lifetime.”

The 2017 endowed gift from John and Diane Riley establishing the H. John Riley Dual Degree Engineering/MBA Program was designed to give Syracuse University students the opportunity to set themselves apart. Earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering along with an MBA in five years prepares students to make an immediate impact.

“John recognized that successful business executives understand multiple disciplines and that it was important for students to have both theoretical and experiential learning in interdisciplinary ways of thinking,” says J. Cole Smith, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). Since the dual degree program’s inception, it has drawn high-achieving students to both ECS and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and helped carve a path that was so important to Riley’s own career success.

Riley was the first in his family to go to college, an opportunity made possible with a scholarship from The Gifford Foundation. He was only 16 when he graduated as valedictorian from his high school. After four years of riding the bus from his parent’s home on Syracuse’s North Side to campus and back, Riley earned a degree in industrial engineering. During college, he worked in the mail room of Crouse-Hinds, the electrical products manufacturing company that Riley once described as a “kind of family affair.” His father, three sisters and brother all worked there for a time.

Shortly after graduation, Riley entered a training program at General Electric, but eventually returned to Crouse-Hinds where he rose through the ranks, given more executive responsibilities as the company grew and acquired other firms. Riley, who also completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program, eventually became the CEO of Cooper Industries, the multi-billion-dollar parent of Crouse-Hinds. The Riley family moved to Houston, Texas, where Cooper was headquartered.

Still, the loyal alumnus never left Syracuse University far behind. Riley was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2004 and served as a voting trustee until 2016. He served on the Audit and Risk and Student Experience Committees and chaired the Student Experience Committee from 2008-2012. He also served as a lifetime member of the Whitman Advisory Council. In 2019, he was recognized with the Dritz Life Trustee Award. When he died he was serving as tri-chair of the National Campaign Executive Committee for the Forever Orange Campaign, alongside trustees Patricia Mautino ’64, G’66, and Michael Thonis ’72.

“John was an exemplary alumnus and trustee,” says Board Chairman Jeff Scruggs. “He was laser-focused on ensuring that the University had the vision, guidance and resources to meet the evolving needs of our students, faculty and staff. He will be sorely missed.”

At his funeral mass at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Houston, Riley’s daughter Beth recalled that her father never missed a Board meeting or an event at his alma mater. “How did he accomplish so much? Well, my dad had a no-nonsense way about him that cherished truth over fanfare, responsibility over impulsiveness, long-term value over short-term gain.” She said he taught his children to be curious and empathetic, to “do it once and do it right. He was a great man and lived a great life.”

Throughout their marriage, Riley and his wife were generous in their time and financial contributions to many organization. They established the H. John and Diane M. Riley Family Fund when he retired in 2006, directing their philanthropy to education, health, welfare and civic improvement. Major beneficiaries include Syracuse University, the Women’s Home, Baylor Breast Center, Discovery Green, the Hobby Center, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard, the MV Preservation Trust, the MV Youth Scholarship fund and many others. The Rileys have chaired many major fundraising events: the United Negro College Fund, the Star of Hope, Houston Grand Opera, Ronald McDonald House and the Women’s Home.

The Rileys have supported many other initiatives at Syracuse University, including in ECS, the Whitman School, Syracuse University Athletics and the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life. The family has requested that memorial contributions be directed to

Riley is survived by his wife of 60 years, Diane; his daughter, Beth (Marcus) St. Raymond; Thomas (Dr. Lizabeth) Riley; and Patrick ’90 (Beatrice) Riley; seven grandchildren, Emma and Charlotte St. Raymond; Matthew Riley, Megan Riley ’24 and Tristan Riley ’26; and John and Connor Riley.

“We are excited to welcome these new trustees, all of whom have a connection to the Orange community either though their personal experiences or through their families,” says Board Chair Jeff Scruggs. “They have each demonstrated extraordinary vision and expertise in their different fields of interest, and we look forward to their insights and service to our students and the continued growth of the University.”

“Our trustees express their dedication in so many different ways,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “They share their wisdom, their experiences and their generosity of time, talent and treasure in ensuring that we deliver on the promises we make to our students to prepare them for success. The newest trustees are joining a board that works collaboratively and effectively to strengthen our university.”

Nomi Bergman

Nomi Bergman

Bergman is a senior executive at Advance and president of Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership, a subsidiary of Advance. Throughout her career, she has been an executive, investor and advisor in the communications and emerging technology space with a focus on transforming the customer experience.

Bergman also recently served as interim CEO of 1010data, a technology platform provider of decision science, data management and data analytics that was owned by the Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership and acquired by SymphonyAI. Previously, Bergman was president of Bright House Networks and helped lead the company to become the sixth-largest cable operator in the nation. She and her team provided corporate guidance, execution and oversight of technology, product and strategic partnerships across the company’s video, broadband, voice and wireless platforms.

Bergman currently serves on the board of directors for Advance’s growth investment HawkEye360. In addition, she is on the boards of Visteon and Black & Veatch, and was honored to serve as a Comcast board member. She is involved with several industry and nonprofit organizations; as a member of the FCC Technological Advisory Council, The Marconi Society, Adaptive Spirit and Bridging Voice.

She received the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership in 2008. In 2011, she was recognized with Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) highest honor, Woman of the Year.

Bergman earned a B.A. in economics and statistics from the University of Rochester in 1985. Growing up in Syracuse, her association with Syracuse University runs deep. Her father, Bob Miron ’59, is a Martin J. Whitman School of Management alumnus and a life trustee. Her husband, Neal, is a 1981 graduate of the Whitman School. Bergman herself has served on the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Dean’s Leadership Council and taught part-time as an adjunct professor. She is working to complete her own Syracuse degree, as she is enrolled in the Whitman School’s online MBA program.

Bergman lives in Fayetteville, New York, with her husband. They have three adult children, Becca (Hayworth), Dori and Allison.

Brian D. Grossman

Brian D. Grossman

Grossman is managing partner and chief investment officer for San Francisco-based PFM Health Sciences, a $1.6 billion health care focused investment advisor. The firm is one of the longest tenured public market life science investment funds, which focuses broadly across health sciences from small biotech firms to large global pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics companies.��The firm also has a long history of investing in hospitals, health insurance and other businesses involved in providing medical services.

Grossman was a founding member of Partner Fund Management (PFM), which started operations in the fall of 2004. Prior to PFM, Grossman spent time as an investment analyst at Andor Capital (2001-2004) and Pequot Capital (2001) where he focused primarily on the biotech industry. He started his career in 1996 at J.P. Morgan Investment in the summer of 1996.

A graduate of economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Grossman grew up in Syracuse and has strong familial ties to Syracuse University. His grandfather Lionel O. Grossman L’1916; his father, Murray Grossman ’43, G’45 (College of Medicine); and his uncle Richard D. Grossman ’51, L’55 all attended the University as undergraduates, with his grandfather, uncle and sister Sarah going on to graduate from the College of Law. His father, Murray, provided medical services for many years to the athletics department, for which he was later recognized in 2016 with a Letterwinner of Distinction Award.

Grossman now lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife, Elizabeth, and three children: Brady, Zoe and Sylvie. He currently serves as co-chair of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health Executive Council, which evaluates business strategies, operations and financial performance for UCSF Health. The Grossmans are active philanthropically in their community, supporting the S.F. Ballet, Planned Parenthood, The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Tipping Point and their children’s schools.

Stephen H. Hagerty ’91, G’93

Stephen H. Hagerty

Hagerty is a management consultant, entrepreneur and civic leader. He is the founder and president of Hagerty Consulting, one of the nation’s leading emergency management consulting firms that help governments, schools, hospitals, businesses and other large organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Between 2017 and 2021, he served as the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, successfully leading the city through a global pandemic and social unrest. As a result of his leadership, Evanston had one of the lowest infection and fatality rates in the state and one of the highest vaccination rates.��Soon after leaving office, Evanston was named an All-American City in 2021 by the National Civic League.

Hagerty has successfully helped manage the recovery efforts from major U.S. disasters, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires. Before starting his firm in 2001, Hagerty worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for eight years building a disaster recovery practice.

Hagerty earned a B.S. degree from the College for Human Development (now the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics) in consumer studies and went on to earn an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He has served on the Maxwell Advisory Board since 2014.

Together with his wife, Lisa Altenbernd G’93, they established the ��in 2022, the Stephen Hagerty and Lisa Altenbernd Faculty Fellow Fund in 2018 and the William D. Duncombe Faculty Research Endowment in 2014. Hagerty and Altenbernd reside in Evanston, Illinois, with their two children, Caroline, a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, and Garrett, a sophomore at Evanston Township High School.

Allegra F. Ivey G’99

Allegra F. Ivey

Ivey is a managing director at BofA Securities Inc. She has served as a public finance investment banker in the municipal banking and markets division for 15 years, primarily covering large cities, such as New York, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans.

During her 25-year career, Ivey worked for PaineWebber Inc. (which became UBS Financial Services), J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She has helped state and local governments nationwide finance over $40 billion in infrastructure projects, including airports, toll roads and water and sewer facilities, among others.

Ivey earned a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School, where she has served on the advisory board since 2017. She inspired other Maxwell graduates when she delivered the keynote speech at the 2018 convocation.

Ivey came to Syracuse University after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1997. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Matthew Brennan, and their four children, Tiernan (TJ), Ellison (Ellie), Kellan and Braden.

Jeannine L. Lostritto ’90

Jeannine L. Lostritto

Lostritto parlayed her interest in architecture into her professional, personal and volunteer experiences, most recently in her engagement with the board of trustees of Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York, an independent Quaker college-preparatory private school serving early childhood through 12th grade.

A former Friends Academy parent, Lostritto serves as a member of its board of trustees and on its Governance Committee, and helps oversee new building construction, maintenance of the campus and existing buildings as clerk of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

With an undergraduate degree from the School of Architecture, she first took a job as an architectural consultant at Avis Rent-a-Car and on commercial architecture projects. From 1995 to 1998, Lostritto was employed in the civil engineering division at Sear-Brown—an architecture, engineering, planning and construction services firm—where she worked on large highway and expressway projects, such as the renovation of the Queens Midtown Tunnel, as well as drainage and landscape architecture projects.

She is currently a board member of her family’s real estate company, Steel Equities and is a member of the Board of Regents at NYU-Winthrop Hospital. Additionally, she and her husband, Glenn, actively support Syracuse University through contributions to such initiatives as the Barnes Center at The Arch and the General Supported Scholarship Fund. She is also a member of the School of Architecture Advisory Board.

Lostritto lives in Old Brookville New York, with her husband. They have three children, Domenica “Sunny” L’23, Glenn Jr. and Joseph.

Kirthiga U. Reddy G’95

Kirthiga Reddy

Reddy is an��entrepreneur and��investor who has been at the helm of technology-driven transformations in innovative companies. She is CEO and co-founder of Virtualness, a mobile-first platform to help creators and brands navigate the complex world of Web3, and use��the power of generative AI and blockchain. She is a��founding investment partner of f7 Ventures,��whose mission is��“Bold Women Investing in Bold Ventures.” She is co-founder of Liftery, a��social impact��initiative focused on working mothers.

Previously, she was the first female investment partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers focused on frontier, enterprise and health tech investments. She was managing director for Facebook India and South Asia and then became managing global partner��and emerging markets lead for global accounts in markets, including Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Middle East.��She has also held engineering and product executive��roles at��of Phoenix Technologies, Motorola and��Silicon Graphics��Inc.

Reddy earned a master’s degree in computer engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and later earned an MBA from Stanford University. She served on the ECS Dean’s Leadership Council for several years and has established the Kirthiga Reddy Graduate Scholarship in ECS.

Reddy lives in Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband, Dev G’94, who also attended the College of Engineering and Computer Science. They have two adult children, Ashna and Ariya.

Michael Falcone

Michael “Mike” Falcone ’57 often said he was of entrepreneurs, and when he passed away on April 10, 2024, accolades poured in for the man who helped develop millions of square feet of office buildings, shopping centers, assisted living centers, hotels and urban mixed used projects throughout the nation.

, representing thousands of companies, chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations, observed his “passion for the state’s business community and vision for growing the economy.”

(OHA) had previously honored the Falcone family with the OHA Medal Award, noting a “generational legacy of entrepreneurship that literally and figuratively built the Syracuse community.”

Falcone was also deeply committed to his alma mater. He earned a bachelor’s degree in real estate from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and carved a career in real estate development that impacted the University (building graduate student housing at an early point in his career) and its surroundings. He served the Board of Trustees as a voting trustee from 1995 to 2009, and later as a life trustee participant on the Board Facilities Committee. Falcone was also a member on the Whitman School of Management Advisory Council. In 1992, he was awarded the Whitman School’s Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year.

Well before he attended Syracuse University, at the age of 16, Falcone began a real estate career, inspired by his family’s successes in business. “It didn’t surprise me to learn that Mike was the youngest licensed real estate salesman in New York state,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He loved developing and enhancing communities, and he was dedicated to the idea of inspiring that kind of passion in future generations of students.”

He and his late wife, Noreen, were fundamental to the creation of the Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises program. They established the Michael J. Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises and the Michael J. Falcone Endowment Fund for Entrepreneurship and were early supporters of the Whitman School’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program.

Falcone’s goal was to boost entrepreneurial activity on campus and in the region, providing funding for a center that provides valuable resources and advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. The Falcone family also created the Falcone Chair in Real Estate.

Falcone was an influential real estate developer throughout Upstate New York spanning from the early 1960s. In his early years as a real estate broker for Egan Real Estate in Syracuse, he started buying small rental properties, improving them, and eventually selling them. After serving in the Air Force Reserve, he began purchasing and redeveloping shopping centers throughout Upstate New York. In 1969, he and classmate Robert Congel from Christian Brothers Academy formed the Pyramid Companies, building shopping centers, warehouses, office buildings and student apartments throughout the Northeast.

Less than a decade later, Falcone started his own development company, the Pioneer Group, the predecessor to today’s , a property management and development company headquartered in Syracuse whose projects have included master-planned industrial parks, stand-alone rehabilitation centers, new-urbanist living communities, suburban office parks, downtown office buildings, high-rise mixed-use developments, lifestyle shopping centers and various senior housing and hospitality products. After stepping back from his role as chairman, Falcone became chairman emeritus, described by the company as an “engaged advisor on our existing portfolio as well as new investment opportunities.”

Falcone and his wife, Noreen, who died in May 2021, were well-known throughout Syracuse and Skaneateles because of their civic involvement and philanthropy. They lived most of their lives together in Central New York, and, for many years, had a home in North Palm Beach, Florida, where Falcone passed away. They took great pleasure in grape-growing and wine-making through their involvement in Hobbit Hollow Vineyard in Skaneateles, which grows Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes and serves as a grower for Heart & Hands Wine Company, Union Springs, New York, among others.

Their portfolio of philanthropic initiatives include the David B. Falk College��of Sport and Human Dynamics, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the WAER public media organization. They also supported Le Moyne College, Christian Brothers Academy, Skaneateles Festival, The Skaneateles Lake Association, the Finger Lakes Land Trust, The Everson Museum, Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, Syracuse Symphony and Opera, and Francis House.

Some of Michael’s awards include the Syracuse Mayor’s Achievement Award, the Boy Power Distinguished Citizen Award, Temple Adath Yeshurun Citizen of the Year Award and the Post-Standard Achievement Award.

Falcone (who was known to his closest friends as Mickey) was also an avid traveler, hunter, golfer, skier (he skied into his 80s) and could be seen often rowing his Adirondack boat on Skaneateles Lake.�� He was also an enthusiastic fan of horse racing.

Falcone is survived by his children��Michael,��Mark, Michelle and Melissa; 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Three of his grandchildren are Syracuse University alumni: Olivia L. Falcone ’14 (College of Arts and Sciences), Michael J. Falcone ’15 (Falk College) and Gabriella Drumm��’22 (College of Arts and Sciences).

Bernard “Bernie” Kossar

“Bernie Kossar was really one of the smartest people I have ever known,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud, recalling the esteemed Syracuse University and College of Law graduate, trustee, advisor, engaged alumnus and generous philanthropist. “Bernie’s IQ was so high and, with persistence, it was what kept opening up opportunities for him; but it was really his EQ, his emotional intelligence, that made him great, that made him most successful in my view. Bernie was a great judge of people.”

Syverud conveyed his thoughts at a memorial service for Kossar, who passed away at the age of 91 on April 10, 2024. Over many decades, Kossar had forged a legacy of innovation, leadership and generosity. He was recalled as an extraordinary individual with an unmatched work ethic, fierce loyalty to friends and important causes, and a born entrepreneur who was always willing to help others, especially his alma mater.

Kossar majored in accounting, graduating with a B.S. from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1953 and earned a J.D. from the College of Law in 1955. “The combination of a strong business undergraduate degree, especially focusing on accounting and finance, mixed with a solid legal education equips you for almost anything and everything,” Kossar said in an interview for the College of Law’s , in explaining both his “proprietary interest” in his alma mater and his sense of responsibility to be supportive and engaged.

He served on the University Board of Trustees Advancement and External Affairs and Finance Committees as a life trustee participant. He was a voting trustee from 2000-2012 and chair of the Budget Committee from 2003-2006. In 2013, he received the Dritz Life Trustee of the Year Award. He was also a member of the Whitman Advisory Council, serving as its chair for 13 years. In 1996, he was the recipient of the University’s Outstanding Alumni Award. He was a member of the College of Law’s Board of Advisors and a member of the Society of Fellows.

In 2023, he received the first-ever Dean’s Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor created by College of Law Dean Craig Boise to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding alumni.�� “Bernie achieved so much in his professional life, and yet he was very involved in giving back and helping succeeding generations earn their own accomplishments,” said Boise.

It was his legal education that set the stage for extraordinary success in business. “In law school, you learn how to think, how to evaluate and come to an informed judgement. The greatest thing you get out of law school is learning how to take an analytical approach to a problem, to tax your brain to get to the depth of the issue and understand it,” said Kossar. After passing the bar, he served in the Marine Corps with a two-year active commitment. While practicing law upon his return, he attended New York University Law School at night to earn a master’s in tax law.

Working at the New York City-based law firm of Van Buren, Schreiber, and Kaplan, Kossar focused on the complexities of corporate law, eventually becoming indispensable to one of his clients, Franklin Stores Corporation. He ended up working full-time for the expansive New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed company, and it was his legal acumen and business sense that earned him the responsibilities and title of president and chief operating officer.

After his tenure there, he strengthened other corporations, becoming the president and COO of Vornado, a NYSE-listed company engaged in retail and real estate holdings. He was special advisor to the chairman and CEO of Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company before joining W.R. Grace & Company as senior vice president. At W.R. Grace & Co., Kossar served as senior vice president of seven retail companies. During this time, Kossar created HQ Home Quarters Warehouse, which he eventually purchased from W.R. Grace. As its president and chief executive officer, Kossar negotiated a highly profitable sale of HQ in 1988. That same year, he founded OW Office Warehouse Inc., an office supply superstore chain; six years later, OW was sold to OfficeMax at a substantial profit. Thereafter, Kossar founded Millennium Partners, LLLP, a private investment partnership focused on public and private investment opportunities.

Kossar’s grandson, Michael Kossar ’13, co-managed Millennium Partners with his grandfather, along with another private investment partnership, the Kossar Family LLLP. Michael was a finance major at the Whitman School, and credits his grandfather for teaching him that success in business is about building relationships and loyal friendships. “My grandfather instilled in me that it’s all about the people that surround you. He cared about everyone, every employee, accountant and lawyer. He may have started as a caboose on the train, but he ended up at the head of the train and everyone followed him.”

Kossar and his wife of more than 70 years, Carol Karetzky Kossar ’53 (College of Arts and Sciences), impacted countless lives with their philanthropy. At Syracuse University, they established the Bernard R. Kossar Endowed Scholarship, and generously supported other initiatives in the College of Law, Whitman School, College of Arts and Sciences, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Other philanthropic endeavors included the Tel Aviv Foundation, the Kossar-Karetzky Park and the Kossar-Karetzky Senior Center.

Kossar once described philanthropy as a “selfish endeavor,” adding “I have derived more pleasure and more satisfaction and more good feelings from some of the good things that we’ve done. I’ve had payback beyond belief.”

Kossar is survived by his wife, Carol, their daughters��Stephanie Kossar Stuart and Valerie Lise Kossar, grandchildren Michael and Ariana Kossar Cohn ’16, and great-grandchildren Blaine Monroe Kossar and Juliette Kossar Cohn.

Fatimah Moody ’90 (left) and Rachel Vassel ’91, G’21, associate vice president, Office of Multicultural Advancement, with Chancellor Kent Syverud

Syracuse University’s has received the prestigious 2024 Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. This award brings national distinction to the team that supports and advocates for underrepresented alumni and students, raising funds for more than 50 scholarships and hosting the iconic Coming Back Together (CBT) reunion event.

According to Diversity Inc., the Alumni Award honors alumni association programs, culture and initiatives that encourage and support diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging for all alumni, regardless of racial or ethnic background, sexual or gender identity, religion, socio-economic status, world view and more.

“We know that alumni associations are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion and belonging,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university alumni associations as role models for other institutions of higher education.”

“I am grateful to our team in Multicultural Advancement, which has been building on a 40-plus year commitment to students and alumni with diverse backgrounds,” says Rachel Vassel ’91, G’21, Multicultural Advancement’s associate vice president. “This accolade recognizes their hard work, which is having measurable impact across the University.”

Vassel cites the growth of CBT, the triennial reunion for Black and Latino alumni, which drew 50 alumni to campus in its first year and is now in its 14th year, drawing 1,500 alumni back to campus to engage with students and network with each other. “CBT has truly become part of the fabric of Syracuse University,” Vassel says. “It is a unique example of targeted programming that taps into the special interests of our Black and Latino alumni. From engaging speakers and VIPs to cultural food and entertainment, CBT speaks to a network of alumni who serve as inspiration to today’s students.”

Class of 1974 check presentation at CBT 2017 Gala

Vassel says the dramatic increase in alumni engagement—along with the eight-fold increase in Black and Latino alumni giving during the Forever Orange campaign—helped Syracuse University stand out among alumni association programs competing for the award. “I often hear from other academic institutions wanting more information about targeted engagement,” says Vassel. “I’m pleased that Syracuse University is now a case study for others who are hoping to more effectively engage various alumni segments.”

Vassel describes their fundraising approach as “community-based” and closely partnered with groups that mobilize and empower individuals to understand the greater power of the collective. She cites as an example the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

“A key part of our culture as Black women is working together to get things done,” says Vassel. “When the Delta’s of Syracuse University decided to create a million-dollar endowment, they reached that goal by helping their members understand the multiple avenues to philanthropy, from cash donations to stock transfers to planned gifts. We would not have many of those new donors if it weren’t for the support of the sorority working in partnership with our office and the University.”

Over the past seven years, the Office of Multicultural Advancement has been recognized by CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education) for the CBT 2017 reunion, diverse volunteer engagement, their targeted magazine (Syracuse Manuscript) and for its virtual CBT reunion in 2021.

“I’m really proud of the good work this team has done to cultivate deep and meaningful relationships with members of our alumni community, increase our pipeline of donors, and diversify our alumni volunteers,” says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “Their work is critical to the division and the university at large.”

The new award, presented to the Office of Multicultural Advancement in the June issue of Diversity Inc. magazine, is also recognition of the close-knit community of alumni of color and the 30-member Multicultural Advancement that helps to drive alumni engagement. “They give real meaning to the importance of connectedness and the power of community,” says Vassel.

Marco Campos

Since childhood, Marco Campos has carved his own path, one that took him from poverty to great success. Today, Campos, together with his sister, Deanna Campos-Miller, are committed to creating opportunities for educational institutions and communities in support of student success through their foundation, .

Through the foundation, Campos, whose son is a third-year student in the , has just pledged $2.15 million to Syracuse University as part of the Forever Orange Campaign. The gift will fund a new student center in the . The student center will offer programming designed to attract underrepresented students to the college and support the academic success of all ECS students. It comes at a time of tremendous growth for ECS. As part of the University’s Academic Strategic Plan, ECS will grow its enrollment and faculty ranks by 50% by 2028.

“The Campos Student Center will provide dedicated space for our students with a home for collaboration, community and access to resources that maximize their success,” says ECS Dean . “This space will facilitate club activities that enhance the experience of our diverse student body. More than that, it will be a home on campus that is inviting and welcoming to all.”

The Campos Student Center will be housed on the second floor of the Center for Science and Technology.

Marco and his sister grew up in West Denver, Colorado, raised by a single mother with limited resources. Campos-Miller says her brother literally wore the boots in the family. “Marco got the snow boots, but I didn’t have any, so when we had to walk to school in the snow, he would walk in front of me and pave the way to school,” says Campos-Miller. “He told me, ‘Walk right behind me in my footprints.’”

Today, the siblings are paving the way for student success through the Campos Foundation.

“As a young teenager, I didn’t have role models,” says Campos. “I sensed there was something bigger, but there wasn’t a clear path.” He was talented in math but received little encouragement or support until becoming part of a summer bridge program in his senior year of high school. That opened the door to engineering at the University of Colorado in Boulder where, for the first time, his potential was recognized and cultivated. “I never loved engineering and math, but I saw the pathway to a career in an engineering degree,” says Campos. “It was grueling work, but the perseverance and grind ultimately get you there. You have to be consistent and hold the course.”

Campos-Miller says her brother has never forgotten where he came from. “Marco wants to elevate as many people as possible, and he can do that by funding the right kinds of programs,” says Campos-Miller. “Grit, perseverance and compassion are the best ways to describe Marco. He was always a really good dreamer!”

Marco Campos with three of his four children. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Campos’ gift was inspired by a recent visit to campus and by the success of an earlier gift made by his foundation to the University of Colorado in Boulder. He says he saw the geography and the demographics of Syracuse and thought he could make a similar impact. He believes the new student center will be a welcoming and inclusive home where engineering, computer science, and other STEM students can go for academic support, financial advice and career direction. The student center is intended to inspire those who have big hopes and dreams but maybe haven’t been empowered in the past, he says.

“This kind of philanthropic support represents a true endorsement of and investment in the vision, mission and strategic planning of the College of Engineering and Computer Science,” says . “I am grateful to Marco and Deanna for their commitment to Syracuse University and am confident this center will have an impact on generations of students pursuing career paths in engineering.”

Campos’ career began with an internship at Texaco during his college years, and he was hired immediately upon graduation. By age 30, he had accumulated enough work and consulting experience, confidence and wealth to start his own company and start giving back. , established in 2005 with headquarters in Denver, offers engineering, procurement and construction counsel for utility, energy and midstream organizations. The company also offers STEM education initiatives through a community outreach program, while the foundation supports summer bridge programs, scholarships and SmartLabs at primary and secondary schools, among other initiatives.

“When I talk about the company, I rarely talk about the business,” says Campos. “Everyone can engineer. Everyone can project manage, but I want to be known for trying to improve the community and improve quality of life.”

He credits his hard-working employees for their commitment to giving back and driving the success of the Campos Foundation. He notes that the guiding principle of Campos companies is, “Our People are our Power,” and the power of philanthropy rests with his employees.

Campos and his sister believe the foundation’s intensive focus on mission through philanthropy, and the recruitment of specialized talent to lead and manage these kinds of student-centered programs helps universities “move the needle” when it comes to attracting students of all backgrounds to engineering fields. “This has become our corporate and social responsibility,” says Campos. “You have to be focused and disciplined and patient in your approach. Working with the University, we set up metrics to make sure the funding is accomplishing our established goals.”

Campos-Miller says the naming of the new student center aligns the hopes and dreams of students with the man who forged an enviable path to success. “Campos isn’t just a name. It’s the story behind the name. It represents possibilities and pathways to get there.”

“We all have a sphere of influence and it’s incumbent on each of us to affect our sphere of influence in the most positive ways we can,” says Campos. “Putting good out there in the universe brings back good, even more than we put out.”

Doris “Dottie” Payson

Doris “Dottie” Payson ’57 first parlayed a bachelor’s degree in education from Syracuse University into a teaching career in the Brooklyn School District. But her passion for travel and learning about the wonders of the world led to her second career in the travel industry, serving clients at Jeffrey’s World of Travel, Ltd. in Great Neck, New York.

Payson passed away on Feb. 12, 2024, at the age of 87. She was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2000 and served as a voting trustee until 2012. She was co-chair of the Academic Affairs Committee from 2003-07, and continued to be engaged in that committee and the Facilities Committee as a life trustee.

Payson’s service to Syracuse University went far beyond the Board of Trustees. She was an alumni representative for the Office of Admissions for nearly two decades. Payson also served on the Metropolitan New York and advisory boards and was co-chair of the National Campaign Council for the Commitment to Learning Campaign, a multi-year capital campaign launched in the 1990s.

After graduating from the , Payson earned a master’s degree in history from Columbia University and enrolled in New York University’s Law School, but took a break from her law studies to raise a family. While parenting, she taught in the Long Island School System.

Payson’s philanthropic endeavors included the , the Maxwell School (where a scholarship fund is set up in honor of her parents David and Tillie Greenberg) and the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center.

Payson and her husband, Martin, a renowned media executive and former vice chairman of Time Warner Inc., set up the Martin and Doris Payson Foundation. They had a fund dedicated to supporting the New York Jewish Film Festival. Dottie Payson also served on the boards of the United Jewish Appeal and Yivo Institute for Jewish Research, and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

It was her love of the arts and international travel that drew her to the travel agency business where she served an impressive array of clients and earned the description, “travel agent extraordinaire.” She is her husband of 63 years and their children Michele Rosenfield, Leslie and Eric Payson; grandchildren Benjamin, Simon and Daniel Rosenfield; and son-in-law Mark Rosenfield.

Vernon L. Lee Jr.

It’s a love story that began at Hendricks Chapel, where Vernon L. Lee Jr. first met Marcia L. Heath. Both undergraduates, they raised their voices in song together, worshipped together and, six days after they both graduated from Syracuse University in 1954, they married. Their devotion to each other and to the Orange Community lasted a lifetime and beyond—in the establishment of the Marcia ’54 and Vernon ’54 Lee Endowed Fund for Hendricks Chapel.

The Reverend Vernon LaMont “Bonky” Lee Jr. was 92 when he passed away on Dec. 10, 2023. He had served as a voting trustee on the Syracuse University Board of Trustees from 1976 to 1989, when he became a life trustee. He also served on the Hendricks Chapel Advisory Board.

“Vernon was a valued trustee and supporter of Syracuse University for decades,” Chancellor Kent Syverud says. “I am so grateful for his life and work.”

Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and drama from the College of Arts and Sciences followed by a master’s degree in theology from the Boston University School of Theology in 1957. He began as a pastor in 1957, advancing to the position of superintendent of the Elmira District of the Methodist Church in New York. Lee also had served as executive director of the church’s Central New York Conference, headquartered in Syracuse. In retirement, he had been a senior consultant to the United Methodist Frontier Foundation Inc.

It is noteworthy that the Methodist leader was so dedicated to and engaged with his alma mater, a university that was initially founded by resolution of the Methodist State Convention in Syracuse in 1870. “Reverend Lee embodied the dynamic relationship between faith and learning,” says the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “Through his lifelong commitment to mission and ministry, Vernon truly lived the famous quote by Methodist theologian John Wesley: ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’”

“To be on the receiving end of Rev. Lee’s kindness and wisdom was an honor. Though Syracuse University is no longer affiliated with the Methodist Church, leaders such as Vernon help to ensure that the spirit and soul of our campus community will remain strong for generations to come,” says Konkol. Lee’s ministry mentor was Charles Noble who was the dean of Hendricks Chapel when he and Marcia were students. The endowed fund set up by the couple was created “to initiate, support and/or enhance programs that fulfill the mission of Hendricks Chapel.” Konkol says it provides support for students in need, and creates opportunities for student engagement.

As a Methodist pastor in the Central New York Conference, Lee served churches in Watkins Glen, Syracuse, Auburn, Geneva and Elmira. In later years, he became district superintendent for Elmira, and subsequently conference executive. He completed his active ministry at the United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, New York.

Lee was a member of the United Methodist Frontier Foundation’s Board of Directors, serving New York and Connecticut. He was past president of the Board of Directors of the Folts Foundation Inc. in Herkimer, New York; past chair of the Board of Trustees of Alban at Duke Divinity School (formerly The Alban Institute in Herndon, Virginia); and past president of The Rotary Club of Syracuse.

He and his wife Marcia, who received a bachelor’s degree from the School of Education, were also generous supporters of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University Athletics and Syracuse University Libraries.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Marcia, two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Jay N. Zemel

“Syracuse Physics was and still is a vast entryway to the future.” Words by alumnus and philanthropist Jay N. Zemel when he was in his 90s and reflecting on his experiences at Syracuse University. He earned a B.S. in 1949, a master’s in 1952 and a Ph.D. in 1956. Such was his love for his alma mater that Zemel made the University the beneficiary of a $1.5 million estate gift in an endowed fund as part of the Forever Orange Campaign to support summer undergraduate research experiences for students studying physics.

Zemel took what he learned at Syracuse University and launched a career in research and teaching—much of it at the University of Pennsylvania—that brought him national renown, 26 patents, 120 journal articles and book chapters, and the endless praise of mentees, colleagues and admirers along the way. After his death at the age of 95 on July 20, 2023, one of his former graduate students Carlos Lopez Reyna wrote to his daughter Babette: “He gave me the gift of knowledge, experience and a listening ear when needed.”

Zemel was passionate about teaching and personally guiding young researchers because he knew firsthand how vital it was to one’s future. He described his undergraduate years as difficult because he suffered from dyscalculia, which limited his ability to do simple math—though he was a math major and had no problem with logic, complex variables and quantum mechanics. Zemel’s professor in geometric optics, William R. Fredrickson (who is named and honored in the gifted endowment), recognized his potential despite the challenges.

“It was Fredrickson’s decision to grant me a teaching assistantship in his remarkable course on the history of science and his approving my entrance to graduate school that I have never forgotten,” Zemel shared in an with the College of Arts and Sciences. “Indeed, that course on history has been one of my key intellectual enlightenments, as well as giving me the insight into teaching that should accompany highly technical courses.”

“As a distinguished researcher and committed educator, Dr.��Zemel��saw the immense value of undergraduate participation in faculty-guided scholarly research,” says Behzad Mortazavi, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The benefits of undergraduate research are numerous, including helping students to apply their classroom knowledge and giving them valuable experience in working as part of a team.” The Zemel Undergraduate Research Experience Endowed Fund will provide research stipends for students who are interested in pursuing research as a career, especially multidisciplinary research.

‘Learning by doing’

Zemel had a distinctive approach, blending teaching and research to create a “unique learning environment,” according to colleague and former mentee Jan Van der Spiegel, professor of electrical and systems engineering at Penn. “At the undergraduate level, his teaching philosophy centered around the principle of ‘learning by doing and making mistakes.’ Rather than dictating precise instructions, he encouraged students to explore potential solutions independently. While maintaining a hands-off approach, he remained a constant pillar of support, readily available with an open-door policy for students to seek guidance at any time.”

Even when Zemel officially retired from his academic career directing Penn’s Center for Chemical Electronics/Sensor Technologies, he continued to mentor student researchers. “He would get so jazzed when he saw a student putting things together,” recalls Babette. She, like Zemel’s other children and several grandchildren, have become teachers and mentors. “Mentoring is, by far, the most enriching and fulfilling thing that I do,” says Babette. “Young researchers need encouragement, a sympathetic ear, professional connections and guidance on how to secure funding during these challenging times.”

Remembering his encouragement

The young researchers who worked with Zemel most remember his encouragement, empathy and warmth. “Working for his group was the best thing I could have ever done,” says Ashok Sood, president and CEO at Magnolia Optical Technologies. “He was an amazing professor,” Sood says of his thesis advisor. “I also learned from him to always stay busy, to keep your neurons working!”

Even into his 90s, Zemel challenged his neurons, continuing to analyze scientific data and contribute to meaningful research. He worked with daughter Babette’s colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania to develop a device called the Neoneur that measures the flow of fluid through a nipple in a baby bottle to characterize infant sucking behavior and help parents and physicians determine if a baby was feeding properly. And just weeks before his death, recalls Babette, he solved the problem of how to manage wrapping his oxygen tubes around his ears, while wearing glasses and hearing aids.

Jennifer L. Ross, chair of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, says Zemel’s gift is as inspiring as he was. “His passion and generous gift will fuel the physics department’s dream of having all undergraduate physics majors get hands-on research experiences,” says Ross. “The experiential learning opportunities will expose our students to the wonders of the universe and create the scientists who will make amazing discoveries of the future.”

That was clearly Zemel’s intent in setting up the endowment. Recalling that Syracuse physics opened the doors of discovery for him, Zemel wrote in a letter to the physics department: “You and your colleagues are part of a great tradition that I sincerely hope continues now and into the future.” His estate gift ensures that the tradition continues.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

Sidney “Sid” ’53 and Helaine Lerner

Words that resonate, a memorable message and the power of the media to inspire action—these are fundamental to improving public health and foundational to the . Established at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2011 with a gift from Sidney “Sid” Lerner ’53 and his wife, Helaine, the Lerner Center has brought together students, faculty and disciplines from across the University to bring marketing and promotion best practices to public health.

Now, with a new $2.52 million gift to the Lerner Center and the Forever Orange Campaign, Helaine Lerner strives to amplify the impact of the center’s work to educate, inspire and empower a new generation of advocates for public health: “We hope the center can build on Sid’s creative vision and legacy to train the next generation of skilled, smart and tech savvy individuals who can modernize and broaden the impact of public health promotion.”

, who died at the age of 90 in 2021, was a legend in the advertising business, helping to create the “Please Don’t Squeeze the Charmin” campaign featuring Mr. Whipple for his client, Procter & Gamble. He applied his gift for developing a simple and compelling message to improving public health after a conversation he had with physicians about the need to cut back on dietary saturated fats. “That was the genesis of the campaign, an idea that became a global phenomenon,” says Peggy Neu, former president of the , the nonprofit public health organization behind the Meatless Monday movement. “Sid figured it would be a lot easier for people to grasp the idea of just skipping a day of meat, rather than measuring their intake of saturated fats at each meal.”

The Meatless Monday campaign, which convinced two-thirds of Americans to reduce meat consumption, grew in spirit and morphed into a movement, transforming the first day of the work week as a day when Sid Lerner said “all health breaks loose.” According to Neu, the interdisciplinary approach at Syracuse University that combines the expertise in communications from the Newhouse School of Public Communications with the focus on public policy and engaged citizenship at the Maxwell School is highly effective in amplifying the impact of the movement.

Over the past several years, the Lerner Center has launched numerous health promotion programs and community partnerships, including the Monday Mile walking routes developed in partnership with the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, city parks, local hospitals and the Madison County Rural Health Council.

The new gift will allow the Lerner Center to initiate new programs, expand reach and enhance impact. For example:

• Syracuse University will house the Healthy Monday website, develop new content, manage social media channels and develop new partnerships with targeted populations, like veterans, educators and media.
• A Social Impact Investigation Competition would be launched to engage students in creating novel solutions to pressing public health challenges.
• Classroom competitions will inspire new approaches to the dissemination of public health information.
• A new undergraduate seminar will focus on best practices in health communication and marketing, health policy, and population health research and translation.
• New short courses in health promotion and best practices will be marketed to other higher education institutions.
• Seed grants will encourage research related to population health and public health communications.

“This gift will enhance the Lerner Center’s ability to build evidence about the strategies that can best help Americans live longer and healthier lives and to train tomorrow’s leaders on how to use that evidence to influence policy,” says Shannon Monnat, Lerner Chair in Public Health Promotion and Population Health and director of the Center for Policy Research at Maxwell.

“It’s important to make research more accessible to broader audiences,” says Lerner Center Director Alexandra Punch. “We intend to develop programming that helps undergraduates, graduate students and faculty focus on translational research that can help create new public health policies. Our programming will be action-oriented to help people readily apply health information to their own lives.”

Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke says the center will collaborate with the new in Washington, D.C., a partnership of Maxwell and Newhouse. The institute offers a platform for evidence-based, nonpartisan research, teaching and experiential learning and could help to build trust in media and governance. “Sid Lerner was a strong believer in the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing important policy challenges and using ‘sticky’ messaging to change behavior and achieve positive outcomes while providing public impact,” says Van Slyke. “We are grateful for Helaine’s continued confidence in the Maxwell School and the Lerner Center to realize her and Sid’s vision of accessible options to address public health challenges.”

The Lerner Center based at Syracuse University will work closely with Lerner Centers at , and to expand awareness of research and student engagement opportunities.

“One of the best ways to change policy and impact public health is to ensure that communities are empowered and educated,” says Punch. “People need to know how to find and implement information in a way that actually helps people. Students are craving these types of opportunities, to learn how to evaluate programs, how to write policy briefs, how to create impactful campaigns.”

Neu says the new gift from Helaine Lerner will pass the torch to a new generation, along with the resources to help them be successful in improving health and well-being: “They will be building on Sid Lerner’s vision and legacy.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

Dick Clark

One of Syracuse University’s most famous graduates, Dick Clark ’51 started his broadcast career in Central New York and grew to prominence in Philadelphia as host of “American Bandstand.” But it was Los Angeles that offered the greatest opportunity for the visionary who would become legendary for building an entertainment empire that launched countless careers.

“LA remains the center of the broadcast industry, and Dick always wanted to support young people hoping for a career in entertainment,” says his wife Kari, explaining the reasoning behind the Kari and Dick Clark Foundation’s Forever Orange Campaign gift to significantly expand the University’s presence and impact in the entertainment field. Soon to be named the Syracuse University Dick Clark Los Angeles Program, the expansion of the includes new space for offices, classrooms, studios, additional academic programs, faculty and internships. The expansion aligns with one of the strategic priorities of “Leading with Distinction,” the University’s new academic strategic plan which seeks to make study away and study abroad opportunities more accessible to all undergraduate students.

“When Dad moved his company to LA, it flourished,” says Clark’s daughter Cindy, who graduated from the in 1986 and built her own successful career in television and film production in LA. “The expansion of the is a continuation of my father’s commitment to fostering new talent in the entertainment business. Seeing how the sausage really gets made—it’s just an invaluable experience.”

“Dad was always of the mind that nothing beats a practical hands-on experience in this business,” says Clark’s son RAC, who has produced thousands of hours of live event and entertainment programming and created Lion’s Heart Entertainment in LA. “You get to be in the belly of the beast.”

Chancellor Kent Syverud and family members of the late Dick Clark ’51 gathered Sunday in California to celebrate a gift from the Kari and Dick Clark Foundation to expand the University’s presence in Los Angeles. From left are Eve Adair ’86, Chancellor Syverud, Kari Clark and Clark’s son RAC P’27.

That’s why, about 40 years ago, Dick Clark met with University administrators and laid the foundation for SULA. He helped initiate the idea of a “Hollywood benchmark trip,” which started with fewer than a dozen students coming from Syracuse to meet with him in LA and visit production studios. Clark’s legacy of helping generations of students will endure as new students benefit from the incredible mark he left on the entertainment industry and through the family’s generosity.

“The entertainment business offers vast opportunities for students interested in careers in performance, production, drama, music, engineering, design, marketing, public relations, media, technology, business development and more,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Dick’s legacy spans so many aspects of the entertainment world, which is captured in here on campus. Now, with this new gift, we will offer students unrivaled academic and experiential opportunities to explore interests in this evolving industry.”

All the Clarks take pride in the connection with Syracuse University. The Dick Clark Studios opened in the Newhouse School in 2014, with generous funding from the family. It provided cutting-edge facilities to train students interested in broadcast, television and film production. “My first time on campus was for the dedication of the studios,” says RAC. “I was just so proud to be his son.” When RAC’s daughter enrolled in the , he told her: “You are carrying a legacy that goes back generations.” Her mother, Eve Adair ’86, graduated with a degree in communications and is a successful director of live entertainment programming.

Though the world knows Dick Clark through his on-camera work, and watched him for four decades counting down the seconds to midnight as host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” Clark’s undergraduate degree was from the Whitman School of Management. It was his business sense, his work ethic and his commitment to innovation and excellence for which he is most remembered by those who knew him best.

“Dad was a ‘famous face’ but that was tangential to his work,” says RAC. “It was the means by which he started his production company. Everyone knew him as a host, but it was the business side that drove him.”

Soon to be named the Syracuse University Dick Clark Los Angeles Program (rendering of program name at new location pictured), the expansion of the SULA Semester includes new space for offices, classrooms, studios, additional academic programs, faculty and internships.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that Dick was a pioneer, boldly going into the uncharted waters of radio and television,” says Kari, who worked with him for more than 40 years. She remembers how he described going door-to-door in Philadelphia asking people if they would be willing to pay to watch football games in their homes, long before the advent of cable. “He was thinking that far ahead,” she says.

RAC recalls his father talking about how entertainment “would be piped into your home in a box. He predicted the beginning of streaming.”

Dick Clark was excited to share knowledge with Syracuse University students who came to LA to study or experience the industry, and with those who came to work for Dick Clark Productions. “He loved imparting advice,” says Kari. She says the many young professionals he helped train would say they went to Dick Clark University (DCU).

“There wasn’t a better run production company,” says Cindy. “The company was so buttoned up. Everyone learned how to do production right and do it well. It was all about preparation. It was the DC way.”

“Looks good, sounds good, on time, on budget,” says RAC. “That was the adage that permeated the staff and all the freelancers who worked there.”

For Dick Clark, that was an important part of everything he did to help others move ahead and find their own success. “Dick was always happy for people who worked on his shows to learn and then advance in their careers as graduates of DCU,” says Kari. “Now, there will be a real university program in LA that carries the Dick Clark name.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

“The film festival provides a space for faculty, students, staff and community members not just to view impactful films, but more importantly have a space in which we can share our reactions to them, ask questions of their filmmakers and learn more about the situations, people and events they depict,” says Roger Hallas, associate professor of English and director of the festival. “This is how films can change the world, one conversation at a time.”

“When Spring Came to Bucha”

Founded by Tula Goenka, professor and graduate director of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School, the festival has consistently engaged the urgent issues of our time, from climate change to institutional racism to ongoing wars. Two films about the current war in Ukraine, to be presented Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m., were made by filmmakers with Syracuse connections. Shashkov Protyah’s short film��“My Favorite Job”��offers an intimate look of Ukrainian volunteers rescuing civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol. “I was struck by how powerfully this short film conveyed the courage and resilience of the rescuers,” says Hallas. Protyah is a member of��, a film collective from the city, whose members include Oksana Kazmina, who is also a current graduate student in the M.F.A. film program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“My Favorite Job” is paired with the feature film��“When Spring Came to Bucha,” directed by Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz, which follows the lives of the Ukrainian village outside Kyiv after liberation from Russian occupation as the full extent of the atrocities committed there come into full view. Photographer and filmmaker Teshaieva was an artist in residence at Light Work in 2016. Teshaieva, Protyah and Kazmina will all participate in the post-screening discussion.

The film festival is part of Syracuse Symposium, which is marking its 20th anniversary. The Symposium theme of “Landscapes” weaves throughout the films. “The film festival’s 2023 lineup takes up diverse meanings of the concept, from the politics of memory to questions of grief and trauma to human trafficking to war, traversing national boundaries and engaging in different genres and visual technologies,” says Vivian M. M​ay, director of the University’s Humanities Center. “Juxtaposing local and global human rights issues and weaving questions of justice across contexts is what SUHRFF does best.”

Opening the festival on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. is “North by Current,” a searing look at family trauma, grief, addiction and transgender identity captured by the filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax when he returns home to rural Michigan after the death of his niece. Minax will introduce the film and participate in post-screening discussion.

The dual national landscapes of Greenland and Canada are featured in “Twice Colonized” by Lin Alluna, featuring the lifelong struggle for the rights of Indigenous people by Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter who will be available for Q&A after the film screening on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.

Similarly, director Sanjeewa Pushpakumara will discuss his film “Peacock Lament” that closes the festival on Saturday evening, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. Hallas calls the film an “enthralling drama” into the corrupt world of trafficking babies from unwanted pregnancies in Sri Lanka.

Aaju Peter appears in “Twice Colonized” by Lin Alluna, an official selection of the World Documentary Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Angela Gzowski Photography.

Festival founder Goenka remains both engaged and enthusiastic about this year’s screenings. “Collaborating with Roger on SUHRFF since 2010 has been one the most professionally rewarding and inspiring experiences I have had in all my years on campus,” says Goenka. “I am extremely thankful that he has now taken over as its sole director. The 2023 program is stellar and topical as always, and I am very excited about it.”

The festival also includes a new collaboration with the�� (UVP), another program at Light Work, which presents��large-scale architectural projection of the artist’s work onto I. M. Pei’s Everson Museum building in downtown Syracuse. “UVP’s director Anneka Herre suggested that our shared commitment to social justice and art would provide a strong opportunity for collaboration,” says Hallas. On Saturday afternoon, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. there will be an artist talk with which presents an Afro-Surreal poetic virtual reality experience featuring 3D renderings of objects from Afro-diasporic culture in local archives.

May points out that the film festival helps advance the mission of the Humanities Center, “showcasing the humanities as a public good, and enhancing the scholarly community by bringing people together to confront some of the most pressing issues of our time.”

All screenings are free and open to the public (no tickets are required). The has more details describing each screening with specific dates and times. All films are closed-captioned or subtitled and audio described in English. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is available during all Q&A sessions. For other accommodations, contact Jacqulyn Ladnier (humcenter@syr.edu) or 315.443.7192.

Courtney Mauldin

This fall, the corridor marks 15 years in existence and its fifth year into the endowment that provides humanities research support in perpetuity, thanks to an award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Though the administrative home of the corridor is at the��, the corridor is a consortium of 11 institutions connecting faculty, academic staff, students and members of the wider community across disciplinary, geographic and institutional boundaries.

“The corridor has truly become a regional consortium with global reach,” says Vivian M. May, director of the Humanities Center and the corridor, and professor of women’s and gender studies. “Thanks to our support this past year, working groups engaged with over 3,800 individuals and collaborated with over 260 institutions and organizations across at least 37 states and 23 countries around the world.”

With funding from the corridor, Mauldin has been able to bring together educators and others who aspire to mentor Black girls to explore ways to give them more voice. As part of their research (the working group is now in its third funding cycle), Mauldin and her co-lead Misha Inniss-Thompson, assistant professor in the department of psychology at Cornell University, discovered that the adult educators first needed to explore their own beliefs, backgrounds and judgments and “discover the Black girl in all of us and unlearn some of what we had learned as girls” to more effectively mentor and inspire the next generation.

Misha Inniss-Thompson

“In a world where we are constantly bombarded with messages of who we ought to be (or not), in the working group we’ve cultivated a space that truly begins to embody what it means to express our thoughts freely, make space for our healing and co-construct spaces where current generations of Black girls can have a space to be in intentional community with one another,” says Inniss-Thompson.

Now, each event sponsored by Mauldin’s working group has an intergenerational element. “The corridor has given us an opportunity to do the kind of applied research that doesn’t fit into a box,” says Mauldin. “We go in with one idea and discover something new, always thinking about impact.” At an at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in Ithaca, New York, the art of Nydia Blas will be used as a springboard for participants to��consider the role of family, history and home in shaping understanding of Black girlhoods.

“The corridor brings to life our commitment as stated in the Academic Strategic Plan to support and encourage research focused on the community good and fosters empathy and civic engagement through the arts and humanities,” says Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix. “Together with our academic colleagues across Central New York, we grapple with critical questions and address issues that have the potential to transform society in positive ways.”

The collaboration of researchers across disciplines and backgrounds is key to the corridor’s success in sparking new ways of thinking and ensuring that the humanities remain relevant as an area of study. “Many of us who were trained in the humanities didn’t really have to make a case for ourselves. It was a given that the humanities were important. It never occurred to me to wonder what I was going to do with the work,” says Lois Agnew, associate provost for academic programs and professor of writing and rhetoric. “The world has changed and students are pressing for answers on how to make the humanities more relevant and how they can make a difference in the world.”

Lois Agnew

Agnew, along with Stacey Langwick, associate professor of anthropology at Cornell, and Andrew London, professor of sociology at Syracuse, co-leads a working group on . “Health humanities is a broad discipline that provides a vehicle for acknowledging the complex factors that shape people’s experiences with health,” says Agnew. “For example, we know that illness is something everyone experiences. But we don’t always think about the structural inequalities that affect people’s access to medical treatments and the quality of care they receive. We are looking at the complex ways in which there are barriers that might not be obvious, as well as the sociocultural influences that shape people’s assumptions about health, medicine, disease and disability.”

An sponsored by Agnew’s working group is designed to move attendees beyond those assumptions by challenging them to consider how they define “healthy food” in the context of food deserts. Keynoter Hanna Garth, assistant professor of anthropology at Princeton University “illuminates how the concept of ‘healthy food’ is loaded with assumptions about the ways different racialized populations eat, and operates a racial signifier indexing whiteness and in opposition to Black and Latine ways of eating.”

“All of us in academia will likely take some of the questions she introduces back to our students and that should help them understand the world a little better, specifically how structural inequality in the world is interfering with people’s ability to live and flourish,” says Agnew.

Other corridor activities have included an early modern philosophy conference; a skills-building archival research workshop; writing workshops for military veterans; a colloquium on ethics and data science; a public lecture and youth workshop on grassroots organizing; Indigenous performance and art; a micro-theater festival; career workshops for doctoral students; the formation of a new public policy humanities network; several book circles and writing workshops to provide mentoring and advance research outcomes across all career stages.

“To my knowledge, there is no other program of its kind nationally, which is fiscally supported by a combined endowment physically located at three universities,” says Gregg Lambert, founding director of the corridor. He credits Chancellor Kent Syverud for providing the commitment and support that resulted in $3.65 million matching endowment grant from the Mellon Foundation, enabling the corridor to establish centers at Syracuse, and the University of Rochester, and include other institutions in the collaborative to form a whole that is truly more powerful than its parts (including Colgate University, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University, Union College, Le Moyne College and the Rochester Institute of Technology).

“What is truly unique is a funding model that fosters interdisciplinary research that is organic and evolutionary,” says Lambert. “Through this faculty-driven collaborative model, the working groups have flexibility in developing and adapting their research in response to discoveries and innovations that broaden the creative process and impact.”

Vivian May

“In addition to advancing our mission to provide research support, build bridges and cultivate scholarly community for faculty, students and academic staff across our region, working group collaborations lead to diverse outcomes,” says May. “The ripple effects of our funding include publications, cross-institutional learning communities and teaching collaborations, external grants and fellowships, archive-building, newly commissioned musical scores, and more.”

“Central New York is fortunate to have such a thriving and engaged humanities community, and the consortium’s co-directors and I are proud to support the wide-ranging needs and interests of the region’s scholars, artists, performers and activists,” says May. “Such heterogeneity, evocative of a vibrant quilt of different fabrics, textures and colors, is key to our vitality as a research consortium that advances cutting-edge research and brings the humanities to bear on a range of local and global concerns.”

Minnie Bruce Pratt

Pratt died on July 2 at the age of 76. According to an in The New York Times, her death was caused by glioblastoma. A few weeks before her death, her sons Ben and Ransom Weaver that she was “free of pain and surrounded by loving friends and family.” It was a poignant post by the sons she fought for but lost custody of after she came out as a lesbian in the mid-1970s. In North Carolina where she lived at the time, same-sex relationships were considered a crime.

Pratt was already a renowned feminist, poet, essayist and activist when she came to Syracuse University in 2005, with a joint appointment as a professor in the departments of writing and women’s studies.��She began her Syracuse tenure teaching two courses: Nation, Sex, Sexuality: Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Life in the U.S. in the women’s studies program and Narratives of Power in the writing program. She was a key architect in the 2006 launch of the in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Pratt also co-chaired and keynoted numerous academic conferences, served as an affiliated faculty member in disability studies, and lent her expertise to major programs and initiatives, including the University’s Future of Minority Studies Project and the Stone Canoe arts journal.�� At a retirement celebration to honor her decade of teaching at Syracuse, she was credited with helping the University be named as one of the nation’s top-50 LGBT-friendly institutions.

Pratt was born Sept. 12, 1946, in Selma, Alabama, and attended a segregated high school. She earned a B.A. from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where she was also Phi Beta Kappa, and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to Syracuse University, she taught at the University of Maryland-College Park and was the Jane Watson Irwin Chair of Women’s Studies at Hamilton College.

She was a member of Feminary, a feminist journal and collective. She co-authored “Yours In Struggle: Three Feminist Perspectives On Anti-Semitism and Racism,” chosen in 2004 as one of the 100 Best Lesbian and Gay Nonfiction Books of all time by the Publishing Triangle.

Pratt published eight books of poetry: “The Sound of One Fork,” “We Say We Love Each Other,” “Crime Against Nature,” “Walking Back Up Depot Street,” “The Dirt She Ate: Selected and New Poems,” “Inside the Money Machine” and “Magnified.”��“Crime Against Nature,” on Pratt’s relationship to her two sons as a lesbian mother, was chosen as the Lamont Poetry Selection by the Academy of American Poets, an annual award given for the best second full-length book of poetry by a U.S. author. “Crime Against Nature” was also chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and given the American Library Association Gay and Lesbian Book Award for Literature. “The Dirt She Ate” received the 2003 Lambda Literary Award for Poetry and the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America.��Pratt also received a Lillian Hellman-Dashiell Hammett award given by the Fund for Free Expression to writers “who have been victimized by political persecution.”

Pratt’s book of autobiographical and political essays, “Rebellion: Essays 1980-1991,” was a finalist in nonfiction for the Lambda Literary Awards. This volume includes her essay “Identity: Skin Blood Heart,” which was adopted for teaching use in hundreds of college courses and community groups.

Pratt with these words published on her website: “The struggle—for social justice and for workers and oppressed people, against racism and imperialism and for liberation for women and all gender and sexually-oppressed people—is my life.” And though she was determined through her work to educate and raise consciousness, that wasn’t enough: “We must act on what we understand to be unjust, or our hard-won consciousness is useless, nothing more than sand running back and forth through an hourglass.”

Pratt was predeceased by her longtime partner, author and trans activist Leslie Feinberg and is survived by her two sons, their partners and five grandchildren.

A $1M gift for a culinary hub in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex honors Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55, H’04.

“When Joe was a young boy, his father took him to all the football games. He even got to sit on the bench with the team, and he grew up determined to go to Syracuse University,” says Shawn. “I’ve never known someone to be so in love with his university. And he loved all sports. We often had to cancel social plans to stay home and watch Syracuse basketball games on TV. As the new athletics complex was taking shape, I wanted to honor Joe there in some special way. It made sense to make a gift that would put his name on the kitchen that will nourish every student-athlete in the ‘One Team’ Olympic Sports Dining Hall and the Football Dining Hall.”

The Lampe Culinary Hub and dining halls are centrally located in the new John A. Lally Athletics Complex, which has entered a new phase of development and where on the new Football Operations Center and the “One Team” Olympics Sports Center. The new complex replaces what was once known as the Joseph and Shawn Lampe Athletics Complex. “As a real estate executive and a fundraiser, Joe understood how things must evolve to meet current needs and demands. I know he would be pleased to have his name in a location in the new athletics complex where there will be energy and intention to help students,” Shawn says.

“A native of Syracuse, Joe bled Orange,” said Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “Every Syracuse student, including each one of our student-athletes past, present and future, are the beneficiaries of Joe’s passion for the Block S. We are grateful for the generosity and commitment he and his wife, Shawn, make to the place we are all fortunate to call home.”

“Joe was generous in countless ways, giving of his time and wisdom and wealth, always trying to enhance the student experience from the classroom to the playing field,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “With his name forever present in the new athletics complex, generations to come will know of his contributions and impact on his alma mater.”

Joe Lampe’s connection to Syracuse University runs as far back as his birth at the former Hospital of the Good Shepherd in Syracuse, now known as Huntington Hall. From birth until the day he died on Jan. 25, 2018, he was connected to the University. He earned a degree in speech and dramatic arts and continued his education at the College of Law. He served as a member of the Air Force Reserve at Hancock Field and was called to active duty after completing his law degree.

Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55, H’04

Though he did not return to Syracuse, instead building a life and career in Arizona where he had been stationed, he remained connected to campus. He supported the Student-Athlete Fund and established the Joseph O. Lampe Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded to the captains of the football and men’s basketball teams. He also supported Our Time Has Come and College of Law scholarship funds, along with dozens of other scholarship programs. For the College of Visual and Performing Arts, he established the Iris L. Pérez Celis Fund to support studio arts majors from traditionally underrepresented groups.

“When Joe was ready to go to college, his father had a financial setback,” says Shawn. “That’s why he got the job in the cafeteria. He was a determined person. Nothing got in his way when he put his mind to something. He believed his education enabled him to be successful. Joe wanted to help students with financial challenges and give them opportunities to be successful.”

Lampe described his desire to make life better for others in a book about leadership, written by former Syracuse University Chancellor Kenneth A. “Buzz” Shaw. In “The Intentional Leader” (published Aug. 29, 2005), Lampe is quoted: “Work is important to me. I want to work hard and I want to believe that the work I am doing makes things better for people…It is important to me to believe that my time on earth results in the betterment of others.”

Shawn recalls that her husband’s work ethic, loyalty and determination applied to all his dealings with the University. He was on the College of Law Board of Advisors and the Chancellor’s Council. He served on the Board of Trustees beginning in 1987 and was its chairman from 1998 to 2004. “Joe barely missed a meeting, despite the difficulty in flying from Phoenix to Syracuse. In fact, he kept a bag at the campus hotel, so it was ready for him on quick trips,” Shawn says.

In honor of Lampe’s contributions to the University and its students, Syracuse recognized him with numerous awards, including the Syracuse Athletics honorary Letterwinner of Distinction award in 2003, SU Alumni Award in 1984, the Distinguished Service Award from the College of Law in 1991, the George Arents Award for Business and Service to Alma Mater in 2003 and an honorary doctor of laws degree in 2004.

“I knew what Joe was passionate about,” says Shawn. “He had so much energy. Now, his name will live on in a place filled with positive energy.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About the Legends Society

The Legends Society is an exclusive group of Syracuse fans, family and alumni who join in this shared vision and are actively supporting the John A. Lally Athletics Complex by making commitments to the capital campaign. Donors to the Legends Society enjoy unique stewardship opportunities in recognition of their support. .

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

Michael Wohl

Today, it all makes sense for a man who built a successful career by meeting the needs of the less fortunate. Wohl co-founded Pinnacle Housing Group in 1997, which came to be recognized as the leading producer of affordable housing in the southeastern United States, creating homes for countless families across three states.

“I’m very passionate about affordable housing and providing for the workforce, for the elderly and for those transitioning out of homelessness,” says Wohl, who is now a principal in Coral Rock Development Group LLC, a real estate investment firm focused on mixed-use developments that help communities prosper. One of its most recent projects is in North Miami, Florida, where a new affordable housing complex will feature 138 apartments. “The fact is that this form of real estate development is a very lucrative business and it has allowed me to engage in philanthropy. What is better than doing well by doing good?”

Real estate investment has allowed Wohl to invest in the future of others, especially students at Syracuse University and its College of Law. Wohl has invested his own “time, treasure and talent” in the development of the campus, its programs and services, and its students. He served on the College of Law’s Board of Advisors; is a Life Trustee of the University; was a driving force behind the development of the Barnes Center (the connecting lobby is named for Michael and his wife, Betty) and the development of Dineen Hall; provided support for the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic at the College of Law; funded the Sheila and Alfred Wohl Dining Center at the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life in honor of his parents and the Alfred Wohl ’34 Lacrosse Field behind Manley Field House; and supports the academic success of promising students through the Alfred Wohl Memorial Law Scholarship funds. His daughter, Heather Wohl Herzberg ’12 has carried on the family tradition of philanthropy, naming the Dean’s Suite at Falk College.

Wohl says that investing in law students pays lasting dividends because so many of them go on to contribute to their communities (and to the college) after graduation. In a letter of thanks to Wohl, one scholarship recipient wrote: “The College of Law has provided me with a number of incredible opportunities to grow as an aspiring attorney and, more importantly, as a person. I am incredibly grateful. I hope that one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals, just as you have done for me.”

Just as his father set an example for him, Wohl says his philanthropy is motivated by a deep desire to show others “what you can do with your education, your life, your background and your affiliation with Syracuse University.”

When he majored in sociology as an undergraduate, focusing on the study and dynamics of small groups, Wohl had no idea how it would come to serve him in his career. “All of my business involves dealing with groups of people, recognizing the dynamics and understanding how to utilize those dynamics to achieve success.”

Similarly, Wohl entered law school with an open mind for knowledge and no predisposition to any particular aspect of the law. He recognized the usefulness of a broad legal education. “I knew that law school was going to be a huge stretch for me in terms of academics and discipline. I wasn’t like many of my classmates who had the scales of justice hanging above their cribs, destined to be lawyers. I did not. But I had a tremendous sense of the value of my law school education,” says Wohl. “The skill sets that you acquire—having the ability to dissect material, to reason and think logically, to speak publicly, to stand up and advocate for a position. These are invaluable in business and in life—and they came from my law school experience.”

College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise says it is Wohl’s sensitivity and vision for how a legal education can amplify any career that makes him such a valuable advisor, engaged alumnus and philanthropist. “Michael is supportive of initiatives that make the College of Law more relevant and contemporary in meeting the needs of students and ensuring that their education enhances their professional opportunities. He has taken many of our graduates under his wing and helped them succeed beyond the college.”

As his father before him, Wohl used his law degree to excel in the real estate business. Alfred Wohl ’34 consulted in the construction of apartment houses, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, shopping centers and post office buildings. As his success increased, so did his generosity. “My father started some amazing things,” says a very proud son. “He founded the largest boys and girls club in the United States, in Queens, and he was co-founder of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, the place where the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered.”

When his father passed away, Wohl was in charge of managing his estate and assets, which included a lot of apartment developments in Manhattan. That’s when he really fell in love with the real estate business and saw the value of his legal training. He structured sales that ultimately reaped huge benefits for his estate. In the 1990s, there were a lot of distressed properties for sale. Wohl seized the moment and the momentum. “I built my first affordable housing complex in the Little Havana area of Miami, and the 35 units sold out quickly,” he recalls. “Again, what is better than doing well by doing good?”

The business of affordable housing not only aligned well with the philanthropic legacy of his father, it also “played into my social consciousness, if you will, that grew out of my academic experiences and being a child of the 60s.” Wohl was at Woodstock in the infamous summer of 1969, just as his Syracuse University student experience was being shaped.

“Music had a profound influence on me in the 1960s and 1970s,” reflects Wohl. “Perhaps the most beautiful lyric ever written came from the Beatles: ‘And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.’”

A fitting phrase for a man who has created opportunities for so many through the love of giving.

Fellow graduate and wife Judith C. “Judy” Mower ’66, G’73, G’80, G’84 shares his conviction that a great professor can make a profound difference in a student’s approach to learning. That belief drives their latest gift to the University.

The Mowers

“At the very heart of its academic value, Syracuse University continues to build upon the excellence of its faculty—excellence that is found, nurtured, developed and celebrated,” says Judy Mower. “As the University increasingly heightens its already impressive reputation in academia as a special place, there are no boundaries to what we can achieve as a learning community.”

In support of nurturing and growing faculty excellence, the Mowers have made a gift to establish the Mower Endowed Professorship of Persuasive Communications in the . Their $1.3 million gift to create the professorship is enhanced by a $666,000 commitment by the University through the .

“Judy and I have always tried to match our interests with what the University needs,” says Eric Mower, in describing their approach to philanthropy. As generous supporters of academic programs, lectures, athletics and the libraries—among other programs—both were recognized recently with the dedication of the in Bird Library, a gathering space for faculty to come together to collaborate, work across disciplines, encourage creativity and innovation, and inspire scholarship and research.

Having spent his entire career in marketing and communications, Mower saw the need for a new kind of professorship to integrate the various fields of communications that encompass persuasive communications in the advertising department of the Newhouse School.

“Persuasive communications is the essence of successful advertising, brand-building and public relations programs,” says Mower, who earned a master’s degree in public relations from the Newhouse School. Persuasive communications involves a deep understanding of the “sender-receiver” relationship in creating credible, original, engaging and effective messages that convey the benefits of a product or the strength of an idea.

“My graduate degree is in public relations but two-thirds of my business is advertising,” says Mower. “And on any given day, the work we do at Mower embraces one or the other or both from client assignment to client assignment. My time as a student at Syracuse University and what I learned in sociology, economics, history, philosophy, literature, psychology and religion all provide food for thought and the problem-solving our work requires to make what we at Mower call ‘Fierce Friends’ on behalf of our clients.”

“A communications school must remain nimble and maintain strong professional connections in order to keep up with the quickly changing industry,” says Newhouse Dean . “Alumni like Eric and Judy Mower represent this dynamic at its best. Their on-the-ground understanding of current issues, combined with their generous financial support, enhance our curriculum and faculty in ways that provide enormous benefits to our students.”

Persuasive communications has also driven the success of the agency over the last 55 years as an integrated communications firm in a fast-evolving industry that uses all forms of communications to create “deep emotional connections between people and brands.”

As Mower describes it: “We view the work of our industry through the lens of persuasive communications where the business, the art and the science of marketing and communications intertwine and overlap.”

Today, Mower has senior-level staff located in 10 cities around the country, employing more than 150 people in a profession that is “forever revolving, evolving and involving.”

Mower keeps up with the changing world by perusing multiple newspapers every day (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, plus various daily newsletters and trade journals) because they “provide the vital, raw material for the work we do that might enrich our messaging.” He expects the person who holds the Mower Endowed Professorship of Persuasive Communications to inspire that same kind of passionate curiosity and love of learning in Newhouse students, producing the kind of graduates that will be successful in the field he loves.

“When I interview someone who wants to join our company, I’m hoping to see someone with great curiosity about the world, a welcoming appreciation of human diversity, a desire to problem-solve as part of a thinking team in the pursuit of outstanding message programs. If they bring those things, then maybe they can be successful in helping a client evaluate their needs in whatever business category they may function and better understand their marketplace and their customers. Every school of communication ought to have a persuasive communications professorship that embraces all the moving parts of�� message creation and delivery and how they fit together,” Eric Mower says.

This newest gift through the Faculty Excellence Program adds to an extraordinary history of philanthropy and service to the University by both Eric and Judy Mower. From 1990-2006, Eric Mower served as a voting member of the Board of Trustees and is now a Life Trustee; he is a member of the and a past member of the Whitman Advisory Council. Judy Mower was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2007 and became a Life Trustee in 2019. An organizational development consultant, Judy Mower is currently chair of the Libraries Advisory Board and has been an adjunct faculty member in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Judy and Eric met while students at Syracuse University and married in Hendricks Chapel.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Point of Contact is a nonprofit collaborative initiative exploring contemporary visual and verbal arts.

Originally founded in 1975, Point of Contact (POC) is a nonprofit collaborative initiative exploring contemporary visual and verbal arts. Through forums, readings and exhibitions, POC has provided opportunities for writers, scholars and artists to display and explore diverse cultures and identities. Initially conceived by its founder, the late Professor Pedro Cuperman in the College of Arts and Sciences, as an arts journal, it evolved into a series of books and bilingual poetry editions and, eventually, a gallery and multicultural arts education program.

“We look forward to a new age for Point of Contact and the opportunity to expand the reach of its exhibition programs and annual celebration of poetry month,” says Tere Paniagua ’82, who studied under Cuperman when she was a student at the University. Paniagua is now executive director of the , overseeing both Point of Contact and . “With POC’s new collaboration with the museum studies program, we will have the opportunity to use the gallery space in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, where Point of Contact will present an exhibition each fall and its poetry readings program in April.”

POC has plans to present “The Border Is a Weapon” in the fall of 2023 to mark Hispanic Heritage Month. This contemporary art installation show features work by a collective of artists in a project initiated at the Laredo Center for the Arts, curated by Gil Rocha. The show has received a grant from the and will be part of the 2023-24 Syracuse Symposium on “Landscapes.”

POC’s board president, , associate professor of studio arts in the School of Art at VPA, and a native of Laredo, Texas, is working in collaboration with the museum studies program to bring this exceptional work representing the arts and culture of the border regions to the community.

“Point of Contact’s transition to the provost’s office positions us in a broader context and gives us an opportunity��to share our unique brand of interdisciplinary arts to a larger��audience,” says Juarez. “POC’s unique blend of creative writing and visual arts is an excellent platform to engage with Syracuse University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. With the provost’s office support, we will be able to expand what we can offer the University, local and international communities.”

, assistant professor and program coordinator of museum studies in the , is excited about the partnership between museum studies and POC.

POC has plans to present “The Border Is a Weapon” in the fall of 2023 to mark Hispanic Heritage month.

“The ongoing partnership between museum studies and Point of Contact represents one of the most valuable community collaborations for our students,” says Saluti. “Both within the exhibition space and beyond the gallery walls, the work that our programs engage in intersect on multiple levels. This newly formalized relationship will not only enhance our practical approach to educating emerging cultural heritage professionals but will forge invaluable relationships across the University and greater Syracuse community.”

Paniagua believes POC’s collaboration with the museum studies program will greatly benefit students and faculty in interdisciplinary studies throughout the University, exposing them to international scholars, resources and art and literary collections. Historically, POC has engaged students from across the academic spectrum in such programs as creative writing, Latino-Latin American studies, public relations, nonprofit management, arts leadership, art collections management, design and printmaking, among others.

“POC reaches across the campus and around the globe and aligns well with Syracuse University’s commitment to provide students with diverse cultural experiences and international connections,” says Paniagua. “POC’s board recently welcomed several new members, including representation from the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with whom we have partnered for years.”

The new members include Matías Roth, from the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and José Sanjinés G’90, professor of communication, media and culture at Coastal Carolina University.

The art collection accumulated by POC will be available for study and research and will travel to other museum spaces in the U.S. and across Latin America and the world. One of its signature pieces, the “Tower of Babel,” by Argentine artist Joseph Kugielsky, will be featured in a tour next fall, traveling to the Munson in Utica, New York, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Mattatuck Museum, for a co-curated show: “Between Worlds: Stories of Artists and Migrations.”

Each spring, POC hosts Cruel April, a series of events that takes its title from T.S. Eliot’s 1922 poem “The Waste Land”: “April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.” This program complements the release of POC’s annual poetry collection, Corresponding Voices, currently a 15-volume series.

After a yearlong process of review and reorganization, plans are in place to publish a new poetry collection in 2024 and resume the Cruel April poetry reading series featuring some of the best poets from around the world. POC will be innovating its long-established program by leveraging textual and visual content with new online platforms and technologies to make poetry accessible to a wider audience.

“We believe that making poetry accessible, regardless of location or access to resources, is key in creating meaningful conversations and experiences around poetry and across cultures. The program’s aim is to draw attention and appreciation for the art form while creating a platform for poets, both established and aspiring, to share their work across cultures,” Paniagua says.

Thonis and his wife, Susan, recently gifted $1.34 million to establish the Thonis Family Professorship III of Earth Science. As part of the , the University contributes an additional $666,000 to the gift amount to fund the professorship. This is their third endowed professorship supporting the geosciences, though each recipient is distinctive in their research and teaching. This latest gift supports the work of , professor of Earth and environmental sciences, who joined Syracuse University in 2011.

“I think any problem that geochemistry can solve, Zunli can take it on,” says Thonis. He speaks with similar enthusiasm about the work being done by the other endowed professors in the Earth and environmental sciences department. The first Thonis Family endowed professorship currently supports research into “what’s going on way down deep in the Earth” and the second endowed professorship currently “uses geochemistry to understand rainfall, past and future.”

Lu’s work covers a wide range of topics intersecting geology, energy, environment and climate. “I like to use my science as a vehicle for exploring complex interactions among rock, water and life, to the maximum extent across space and time,” says Lu. , Lu and a team of interdisciplinary scientists were awarded a $2 million grant from the Frontier Research in Earth Sciences program of the National Science Foundation to study the causes of mass extinctions and how animals millions of years ago responded to environmental changes. Specifically, Lu looks at the stressors placed on marine animals by changing ocean conditions, such as elevated temperatures and reduced oxygen availability.��The research could help predict the impact of climate change on the entire ecosystem that supports animal and human life.

Thonis believes these gifts to advance research and scholarship help boost the overall reputation of the University. His focus on the geosciences may be personal, but his philanthropic goal is broad: “I know there are others out there who are passionate about math or philosophy or creative writing. I hope to propel someone to make a gift in the field of their choice.”

“This series of endowed professorships from Mike’s generosity has driven strong positive feedback in the growth of our faculty and in the reputation of our department,” says Lu.

“The Thonis family’s commitment to academic excellence, demonstrated by their generous support of our faculty, is deeply appreciated,” says College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Lois Agnew. “It’s inspiring to see someone parlay their own positive experience as an undergraduate into advancing the careers of countless students and researchers who are making a real difference in the field.”

“Through their continued philanthropic commitment to Syracuse University, Mike and Susie are helping us attract and retain top scholars who drive discovery,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “In the field of geology, discovery involves looking back millions of years to help us shape the future for years to come. Similarly, endowments are long-term investments in the future of scholarship that impacts generations to come.”

“The time I’ve spent with Mike and Susie Thonis drives home the value of the student experience within the department and the student-professor relationship in instilling a lifelong passion for both the department and institution,” says Gregory Hoke, chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. “As we enter our 150th year as a department, their generosity does so much to cement our future as one of the University’s oldest academic units.”

In addition to his philanthropy, Thonis has generously donated his time and talent. He serves on the Advancement and External Affairs Committee and Finance Committee as a life trustee, and is a tri-chair of the National Campaign Council Executive Committee. He served as a voting trustee from 2008-2021, and was a member of the Boston Regional Council and College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board. In 2015, he received the Dritz Trustee of the Year Award, and in 2022, he received the Dritz Life Trustee of the Year Award for outstanding Board service.

After Thonis graduated from Syracuse, he earned an M.S. in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then changed his career trajectory with an MBA from Harvard Business School. He launched a career in endowment management and co-founded Charlesbank Capital Partners, where he remains a senior advisor. With a career devoted to helping others understand what it means to invest in the future, Thonis sees his own philanthropy as a gift to the University and to himself.

“When you give gifts, you begin to feel more like your career matters,” says Thonis, who has gifted more than $5 million to support scholarships and academic excellence in research and teaching at Syracuse University. He says he was inspired by the teachings of Arthur Brooks, Ph.D., a former professor in The Maxwell School, and now Harvard Kennedy School and professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School. Brooks writes about the link between charitable giving and increased happiness and prosperity.

“When people give more money away, they tend to prosper,” Brooks . In other words, it’s good for the giver and for society because there’s an economic multiplier effect to philanthropic investments. Applying the same principles, Thonis continues to be a fervent supporter of Syracuse University.

“When you retire in business, it doesn’t mean you’re done contributing,” says Thonis. “If you want to be happy, you need to take what you’ve done in your career and convert it into something new and different. For me, it has meant returning to my geology and Earth science roots and becoming even more fervent in my support of the University.”

The direct beneficiary of his latest gift shares Thonis’ appreciation for the broad impact of a focused investment. “I think there may be a surprising number of parallels between understanding the Earth system and navigating the finance world,” says Lu. “You need to pay attention to micro-scale details while tracking the big picture on a global scale. You constantly struggle with too much information and not enough information. The amazing thing about Mike is his success in having substantial influence and long-lasting impacts in both worlds.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Robert Gang was recognized with a certificate by Elizabeth G. Kubala, teaching professor in the College of Law and executive director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, in front of current faculty, alumni, students and honored guests during a College of Law Alumni Weekend event in 2021. (Photo by Mike Roy)

Gang passed away on Feb. 18, 2023, a few months shy of his 105th birthday. The World War II and Korean War Army veteran, attorney, outdoorsman and world traveler demonstrated the meaning of the phrase Forever Orange in his loyalty to his alma mater and his determination to serve others through the skills he learned as a student.

Last year, Syracuse University named Gang a “Hometown Hero” at a celebration during a campus football game (the game ball holds a place of honor in his home). The National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building also and military memorabilia in an exhibition last year. And on his 103rd birthday, College of Law Dean Craig Boise celebrated the oldest living alumnus of the college with a party at Gang’s home and a proclamation recognizing the day as “Bob Gang Day.”

Dean Boise paid tribute once again to Gang in a to the College after he died, noting that Gang had practiced law for 50 years and continued to do pro bono work well into his 80s: “His dedication to the legal profession, to country and to service, his palpable commitment to family and community, and his smile were infectious.”

Gang grew up in the Syracuse area and attended Christian Brothers Academy. According to family lore, his attendance at Syracuse University was mandatory—his father gave him no choice (either Syracuse or no college!). He lived at home as an undergraduate and walked 3.5 miles to campus for class! He chose Army ROTC as a gym class alternative, became a cadet in the “Stalwart Battalion” program and joined the Pershing rifle team.

Gang entered the College of Law immediately upon his graduation in 1939, but the completion of his legal education was interrupted by military service. In fact, he was just five credits from completing his degree when he joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1942 to 1951 as an infantry officer. He completed his law degree while on duty and passed the New York State Bar in 1946, using his legal skills to help represent soldiers charged with misconduct. He served in the inspector general’s office in Camp Bowie in Texas and became an inspector general at Fort Hood.

Bob Gang served from 1942 to 1951 as a U.S. Army infantry officer.

Between World War II and the Korean War, Gang also helped carry on the family funeral home business in Syracuse, which was founded by his great grandfather. After serving his country, Gang started a very successful career in private legal practice, working in the firm Smith, Dolan, Gieselman and Gang. He specialized in real property law and served as the assistant city corporate counsel during his career. Later, he joined the firm of Mackenzie Hughes and retired after more than 50 years, though he continued to practice and serve others in the community.

Gang was a longtime trustee of Christian Brothers Academy, founding member of the Ka-Na-Wa-Ke Canoe Club, an early member of the Onondaga Ski Club, a part owner of the Ironwood Ridge Ski Center and a member of the Angler’s Association of Onondaga; Onondaga Bar Association; Skaneateles American Legion, Post 239; German-American Society of Central New York; Otisco Rod & Gun Club; the Arion Stein Club; Arion Singing Society Men’s Chorus; the Skaneateles YMCA and Community Center; and the Osceola Snowmobile Club.

He is by his wife, Holly Gang, eight children, 15 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, 10 nieces and nephews and eight great-nieces and nephews. Gang’s sons-in-law Ed Moses L’68 and Michael P. Williams L’95 and grandson Matt Moses L’97 all attended Syracuse University for their law degrees.

Jimmy Luckman

For Jimmy Luckman, college opened his eyes to a world he never knew existed. With fewer than 50 graduates in his high school class in Lyndonville, New York, the opportunity to attend SUNY Brockport gave him access to new and exciting ideas and experiences. “I majored in sociology, and I didn’t even know what that was in high school!” says Luckman. “But I had amazing mentors who saw potential in me and my love of learning.”

Luckman’s sister was not so fortunate. She had such a negative experience during a college orientation that she decided not to attend college at all. His sister has cerebral palsy and felt so unsupported at that college during orientation that she declared it just wasn’t for her. “I witnessed the pain she experienced because she did not feel a sense of belonging and support,” says Luckman.

Those personal experiences shaped Luckman’s decision to enter the field of Orientation, Transition, and Retention (OTR), a specialized area in academia that applies rigorous research to the understanding of why some students excel and others don’t, why some are fully engaged in the college experience and others feel marginalized. Luckman’s research and passion serve him well in his position with the Office of Academic Affairs as associate director of the First Year Seminar (FYS).

Luckman’s work with students, faculty and staff has already earned him national awards and accolades. This past year, he was awarded the by the Association for Orientation, Transition, Retention in Higher Education (NODA), given to graduate/doctoral students who are contributing to the enhancement of the field. Luckman also received the 2023 award from the . In nominating him for the latter, Associate Dean of Student Services Chandice Haste-Jackson wrote: “Jimmy is one to watch; he will undoubtedly be among the change leaders of our time.”

Haste-Jackson detailed how Luckman developed curriculum for the first-year course and training modules using high-impact practices grounded in research, consulted with and trained peer instructors and faculty, delivering the modules to more than 600 individuals in just one year. He “exhibited consummate leadership and the capacity to mentor and support individuals that were tenured and seasoned well beyond Jimmy’s experience. Yet, what he had to offer was not anything they could learn without his guidance and support.”

Luckman brings his personal experiences and insights together with his professional interest in data-driven research. He came out as queer in graduate school; he received his master’s in counseling and student affairs from Northern Arizona University and is currently a doctoral student at St. John Fisher University, studying LGBTQ+ students’ sense of belonging and the phenomena of queerbaiting on college campuses.

“My personal experiences, continuing self-reflection, learning and research demonstrate the importance of exploring identity. I see how much I still have to grow,” says Luckman.�� “The big picture of a campus climate—that sense of belonging, feeling comfortable in navigating campus life—weighs on me every day. College is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. And the first-year experience is just one lap around the track. What students learn in their first year guides them in the next lap around and then the next. For example, they learn to have difficult conversations in FYS, to talk about differences—a skill that will help them throughout college and throughout life.”

Luckman was integral in transitioning the first-year course from being a 5-week, 0-credit, seminar-style course based on a shared reading to a 1-credit, 15-week, semester-style course including experiential learning, which is a graduation requirement for all incoming first-year and transfer students.

In recommending Luckman for the emerging professional award, Associate Professor Kira Reed noted Luckman’s passion for data collection and analysis by monitoring the attendance of all 4,300 incoming students to assess patterns of engagement. “Jimmy presents almost weekly with campus partners data on what we learn about each year’s respective first-year class regarding the number of withdrawals, drops, fails and concern flags raised to brainstorm remedies in real-time that will support student success and retention. The result has been decreased drops and a low percentage of failures.”

Luckman explains how he worked with one college that offered lectures on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility issues as part of the first-year experience but had disappointing student engagement. Luckman called upon campus partners in student experience to help the college implement programs that offered more opportunities for social interaction and dialogue, along with lectures, to engage more students. The associate dean was appreciative and the data demonstrated success.

According to Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix, “Jimmy provided leadership to explore what was done in the past as well as ways to enhance practices in the future to ensure that FYS effectively reflects its mission of helping students transition into the Syracuse University community and engage in conversations focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.” Haddix says Luckman’s work is making education “more engaging, relevant and equitable.”

Luckman believes that Syracuse University is the perfect place for him to put theory into practice to advance research in student success. “We are really innovative at Syracuse,” says Luckman. “In comparison to other first-year experience programs, we have tremendous engagement by a large population of student peer leaders and greater intentionality to integrate DEIA into weekly programming. We are setting new expectations in the field. And we are keeping up with what students are asking for.”

Feldman still majored in biology but decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and pursue a law degree. She eventually entered into practice with her father and grandfather, concentrating in medical malpractice and complex litigation. She formed the first all-female owned trial law firm in Philadelphia and specializes in medical malpractice, drug and medical device injury, and other personal injury cases. Feldman also serves as chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Public Interest Section, advocating on behalf of individuals who are often marginalized by society.

Laura Feldman ’81

Despite her professional success, Feldman has never forgotten the challenges she faced as an undergraduate. That memory—and the desire to ease the journey for others—is what drives her philanthropy. In her latest gift to Syracuse University through the , Feldman has bequeathed $1.5 million to the SUSTAIN program in the . Launched in 2017 with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the , provides scholarships and academic support along with professional and social experiences to attract and retain students from underrepresented groups in science and mathematics (STEM).

“What I learned as a biology major served me well in my career,” says Feldman, whose specialty demands a deep understanding of medicine and pharmaceuticals. “I like to think I ended up in a non-conventional science job. That’s why I want to help students with an interest in science see the possibilities they might explore.”

The world of possibilities is what SUSTAIN is all about. “Many of our young scholars are first-generation college students who come to Syracuse thinking of being a doctor or veterinarian or dentist,” says John W. Tillotson, associate professor of STEM Education and chair of the Department of Science Teaching in A&S. “What we try to do in SUSTAIN is expose them to all the many career possibilities beyond the traditional. We bring in professionals, give them early immersion research experience and help them with internships and job shadowing. We open their eyes to what exists out there in STEM fields.”

Tillotson says the SUSTAIN program is truly turning the tide for many students interested in STEM fields. “Typically, only about 40% of students who enter college with the intention of being a STEM major graduate with a STEM degree,” he says. “Many of them change course in their first year. With the support and encouragement SUSTAIN provides our students, our first-year retention rate is 95% and our graduation rate is over 75% into STEM fields.”

That kind of statistical success impressed Feldman and inspired her first gift to SUSTAIN, a $250,000 five-year commitment to support the program. She was even more impressed and inspired by the letters from SUSTAIN students who wrote to thank her for her ongoing support.

“I was contemplating transferring out of a STEM major because it was becoming too stressful and time-consuming,” wrote one student. “The SUSTAIN scholarship’s resources and guidance are the primary reason I am still studying a science major today.”

“I started college with the intention of being pre-med and wanting to go on to medical school. Joining a lab as a freshman, and getting to listen to special SUSTAIN speakers, helped me realize I would prefer a career in research,” wrote another student. “With the extra support and guidance of the SUSTAIN program, I was able to finish my undergrad degree a full year early with a major in biology and a minor in anthropology.”

Feldman, who serves on the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board, says she was moved to tears by letters from students like this one: “Overall, my experience in SUSTAIN was as influential as it was because it was the first time that anyone had been willing to invest in me because they believed I had the potential to succeed.”

The “belief in potential” strikes Feldman close to home. She became foster parent to five siblings, ages 6 to 17, after their mother died. “Their mother was one of my father’s clients,” Feldman says. “She died of AIDS after a blood transfusion. Her legal case involved negligence in the medical care she received that led to the transfusion. Before she died, she made me promise to take care of her kids. I quickly realized the many challenges these kids would face in their pursuit of the American dream.”

Feldman adds that she truly believed in her kids’ potential: the oldest became a first-generation college student; all are now adults working in fields they enjoy.

“Belief in potential” is a critical element in SUSTAIN. Tillotson says students who come from challenging backgrounds—whether low-income or historically marginalized groups—often suffer from “imposter syndrome.”

“They find it difficult to fit into the culture at many universities, feeling like they are not talented enough to compete with their peers,” Feldman says. Through faculty mentorship and other support, they gain confidence and recognize their capabilities.

“The SUSTAIN program is a fine example of what we mean when we say Syracuse University is committed to preparing our students for personal and professional success,” says College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Lois Agnew. “That preparation goes well beyond the classroom. We create a holistic environment for students to thrive, give them the opportunities to explore their passions, allow them to see what success looks like, and provide them the tools they need to get there.”

The endowed fund created by Feldman’s latest gift will ensure the SUSTAIN program can continue in perpetuity to carve pathways to success for countless students. “Laura is making a long-term investment in the human capital these students possess,” says Tillotson. “She is investing in the future well-being of these young people, who have demonstrated their desire to pay it forward.” Tillotson says SUSTAIN graduates stay involved with the program, motivating the students who come after them.

Feldman is heartened by the fact that her gift will “keep on giving” through SUSTAIN graduates. “I’d like the people who benefited from my gift to give back to future generations,” she says.

Judging from the letters written to her, that’s already happening: “I really appreciate your generosity and your gift has allowed me to attain my goals,” writes one SUSTAIN graduate. “You have motivated me to give back to students in the future so that they too have the opportunity to achieve their goals.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Samuel V. Goekjian ’52

“I have always considered myself a Maxwell man,” Goekjian . It’s where he “ not only about the rights of citizenship, but also of the obligations that accompany that citizenship.” He took what he learned and made a real difference in the world and in the lives of hundreds of Syracuse students.

Goekjian’s father, Vahram, was an Armenian journalist who escaped the bloodshed in Turkey at the end of World War I. He married another Armenian refugee in Greece, and emigrated to Ethiopia to build a business and raise their two sons, eventually sending them to an American boarding school on the island of Cyprus. Later, Goekjian returned to Ethiopia to work at the Ministry of Education, where one of his responsibilities was to place students in British and American universities. That’s when he was presented with an opportunity that would change his life—a four-year scholarship to Syracuse University. He arrived in 1948, as one of the few international students on campus.

At the University, Goekjian demonstrated his diverse skills, interests and leadership: he was a three-sport letter winner in soccer, track and tennis (recognized by the Varsity Club of Syracuse University Athletics 40 years later as a 1996 LetterWinner of Distinction); he belonged to the Phi Kappa Alpha Honor Society, the Orange Key and was a Phi Beta Kappa; he was elected president of his junior class, the debate society and the men’s student government in his senior year. He graduated magna cum laude in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in history.

After graduation, Goekjian joined the U.S. Army and served as a mortar gunner in the Korean War. Following two years of combat service, he attended Harvard Law School and earned a law degree in 1957.

Fluent in seven languages and having lived in four continents, he navigated the world of international law and business with ease, spending the next five decades working for law firms, businesses or consulting firms with international offices. At Surrey & Morse, he rose to managing partner, overseeing its finance committee, international arbitration department and offices in Paris and Beirut. For nearly ten years, he was chair and CEO of Consolidated Westway Group Inc., an international trading and agro-industrial group. He was past chair and CEO of Intracon Associates LLC, an international business consulting firm in Washington, D.C., and managing partner of Kile Park Reed & Houtteman, which specializes in intellectual property, internet technology and international trade.

He also served as a senior consultant to various agencies at the United Nations and was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. The author of papers on international law and finance, Goekjian taught at the George Washington University Law School, the Georgetown University Law Center and Georgetown’s International Law Institute. He also taught a course in international economic development at Maxwell as an adjunct professor of international relations from 1998-2003.

Goekjian served his alma mater in diverse ways. He was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 1997 and was a voting trustee until 2010, serving on the Academic Affairs and the Enrollment and the Student Experience committees. He had the distinction of being one of the longest-serving members of the advisory board of his beloved Maxwell School, which recognized his service with the Horizon Award in 2005. He received the University’s highest alumni honor, the George Arents Award, in 2009 for his excellence in international business and law.

Ensuring a legacy of his love for the University and commitment to international affairs, he established the Samuel V. Goekjian Endowment in Global Affairs. His philanthropy supported hundreds of summer travel research grants for Maxwell students doing international field research, providing students with the opportunity to gather information and data that would position them to better compete for future research funding. Each summer, the fund provides more than a dozen grants, awarded through Maxwell’s Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. Recipients have used the money to help with airfare, translators and basic expenses.

, Goekjian committed another $250,000 to the fund that had already exceeded $1 million. In a 2018 Maxwell School news article about the celebration, one of the award recipients said, “this is the type of financial and intellectual generosity that positively alters the course of people’s lives.”

At the time of his death, he lived in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his children Kenneth, Christopher, Peter and Lisa, and six grandchildren.

Walter Broadnax

“Public service isn’t about something you do today and then you’re done. It’s about improving our society, improving the world…for the people that live in it.” Words attributed to Walter Broadnax G’75 that defined the way he approached life, education, work and volunteer service. The esteemed Syracuse University alumnus, professor, trustee and benefactor passed away on Dec. 2, 2022, at the age of 78.

Broadnax was raised in Hoisington, Kansas, in the part of town that had no paved roads, no indoor plumbing or sewage, and attended a predominantly white elementary school. He demonstrated both ambition and leadership early in life, becoming superintendent of his Sunday school at the First Baptist Church when he was just 16 years old, and graduating from Hoisington High School as an outstanding senior student in 1962.

That was just the beginning of what would become a long and distinguished career in public service. With a Ph.D. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (his dissertation was titled “Role Differentiation Between Minorities and Non-minorities in Urban Administration”), Broadnax shaped a career in the public and nonprofit sectors that led him to be considered one of America’s most respected scholar-practitioners in the field of public policy and management.

“As a teacher, scholar and lifelong public servant, Walter has always been an inspiration,” says Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Walter’s humility, intellect and commitment to making a positive difference could be seen in the magnanimous ways he interacted with people from all walks and stations in life and treated them with dignity, respect and compassion.”

Walter Broadnax

Before joining the Maxwell faculty in 2008 as Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs, he served as president of Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia; dean of the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C.; and professor of public policy and management in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Maryland, where he directed the Bureau of Governmental Research, and was founding director of the Innovations in State and Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

In addition to his academic career, Broadnax held many positions in the government sector, including deputy secretary and chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing a major restructuring of the agency and the creation of the Social Security Administration as an independent entity; transition team leader for the Clinton/Gore administration; president of the Center for Governmental Research Inc. in Rochester, New York; president of the New York State Civil Service Commission; and director of Children, Youth and Adult Services for the state of Kansas.

In 2010, Broadnax and his wife, Angel, to provide scholarship and financial assistance to a graduate student or students enrolled in Maxwell, and pledged a $1 million bequest gift to support public administration students in perpetuity. Acknowledging the gift, Van Slyke said that Broadnax represented “the ideals of the Maxwell School” parlaying his Maxwell education into public service and sharing his acquired wisdom with students aspiring to public service.

Five years later, Broadnax retired from teaching and took on emeritus status at the Maxwell School.

Walter Broadnax speaking at the M.P.A. convocation in 2015. (Photo by Arthur Paris)

In honor of his retirement, his former colleague at Maxwell, James D. Carroll, wrote a tribute: “Walter’s distinctive contribution has been his unique combination of study and experience and his ability to share it with others—a contribution in the finest Maxwell tradition.”

Broadnax’s commitment to Syracuse University included election to the Board of Trustees in 1999, serving as a voting Trustee until 2008 and then Life Trustee. He and his wife supported other initiatives beyond Maxwell, at the College of Visual and Performing Arts and Hendricks Chapel. Broadnax received the George Arents Award for excellence in public service in 2001, the University’s highest alumni honor.

Earlier this year at the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Chancellor Kent Syverud paid tribute to Broadnax, along with Dr. King and Charles Willie G’57, H’92, who earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the Maxwell School. Broadnax had been one of Willie’s students. “Let’s take our inspiration from Dr. King and Dr. Willie and Dr. Broadnax,” said Syverud. “Let’s persevere through setbacks. Let’s commit ourselves to excellence that is rooted in equality. Let’s make Syracuse University an example of the transforming power of higher education.”

Broadnax is survived by his wife, Angel, of Fayetteville, New York, and their daughter, Andrea A. Broadnax-Green (Leonard), of Loxahatchee, Florida, along with several nieces and nephews.

Xin Liu

As co-founder and president of The Enlight Foundation, Liu has focused her philanthropy on projects and people who share a desire to create equal educational opportunities around the globe and nurture social entrepreneurs and change-makers.

That same desire drives the parents of Alexia Tsairis, for whom The Alexia is named. Alexia was 20 years old—a photography major in the Newhouse School—in 1988 when she was killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, as she was returning home from a semester abroad in London.

“All through our almost 34 years since that fateful night in 1988, we have had hopes and dreams,” says Alexia’s mother Aphrodite Tsairis. “We have been dedicated to visual journalism by supporting the important socially relevant work of professionals and by providing a platform for educating emerging photojournalists.”

Aphrodite and her husband, Peter, founded the in partnership with Newhouse in 1991 and, since then, it has awarded $1.7 million in grants to 170 students like Liu and professional photographers through annual competitions, encouraging them to heighten the impact of their work. In 2021, the program transitioned to the Newhouse School and became The Alexia.

“Our overriding interest is in the stories they produce,” says Aphrodite Tsairis. “We care about current issues that plague our crisis-ridden planet and, most importantly, how to solve them. We elevate the visual journalist to the role of change-maker, not just reporter.”

That philosophy resonates deeply with Liu. “Visual storytelling can connect people in powerful ways,” she says. “Those connections can inspire social change around the globe. Journalists, photojournalists and videographers play a vital role as change agents in our world and when we support the profession, we help amplify its impact.”

Through the , Syracuse University is providing an additional $1 million to enhance the impact of the Enlight Foundation’s $2 million gift. The funding creates The Alexia Endowed Chair and provides continuous support for the grants, and for teaching, research, fellowships, programmatic and educational opportunities to inspire more impactful storytelling.

“I am so thankful to Xin for having the vision to expand The Alexia,” says Bruce Strong, associate professor in visual communications and The Alexia Endowed Chair in the Newhouse School. “In addition to offering the grants, our plan is to provide fellowship opportunities for top-tier professionals so they can pull away from their hectic careers and take time to reflect, develop additional skill sets and research relevant topics before going back into the industry. This will also provide an additional opportunity for our Newhouse faculty and students to engage with accomplished visual communicators.”

Liu believes the Alexia grant helped her rise to the “top of her game.” Born and raised in China, she attended Renmin University of China with the intention of becoming a journalist. The university had just launched a new major in photojournalism, and she was immediately attracted to the idea: “I had never even touched a camera before,” she says. “But I figured that if I could do both writing and photography, I could go on assignment and do all parts of the story.”

She worked at the China Youth Daily for almost three years. While there, she was contacted by a former professor and advisor, as she had been selected as a graduate student upon graduation, and informed about The Alexia grant opportunity for students. She seized the opportunity. After a three-month internship at The Baltimore Sun, Liu arrived in Central New York in the winter of 1994 (just before a season of nonstop snow that she says destroyed two pair of her military-style boots!).

“Everything I learned in Syracuse was so very different from what I had learned in China,” she says. She developed storytelling skills in photo essays and still remembers the story she crafted about a Syracuse high school student who was struggling as a single mother (in fact, Liu includes these photos in an upcoming book collection that will capture pivotal moments in her life). When Liu interned at The Baltimore Sun, she “met all these amazing photojournalists, including many women, which truly encouraged me. In China, most of them were men.”

Ultimately, she was offered a full scholarship to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she earned a master’s degree in visual communications. She worked for the Miami Herald, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Palm Beach Post.

Liu founded Enlight Foundation in 2004 to provide opportunities for Chinese students to study abroad. She describes how Enlight evolved to focus its philanthropy on rural education, youth leadership training and programs that would foster the growth of social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Funding for journalists became a priority more recently as the profession became more vulnerable to political attacks.

“Journalism is the fourth pillar of our society and a critical pillar of democracy,” says Liu. “International bureaus are closing. Local newspapers are dying.” Her support of The Alexia is based on her belief that journalists are witnesses to history and can influence its course. She notes that photojournalists often capture “a decisive moment” in history—an iconic image that “captures the soul of a historical era.”

Newhouse School Dean Mark Lodato says the power of great journalism and communications can be wielded to strengthen society. “The gift from Enlight, along with Xin’s vision for the future, will enable Newhouse to further broaden its reach around the globe and heighten the impact of deep thinkers and trailblazers who understand the power of storytelling to transform lives.”

Strong stresses that The Alexia grants go beyond simply recognizing great work. “The grants are essentially incubators for important projects,” he says. “We find people who desire to make a difference in the world and heighten their influence. The Alexia was created to help people understand different cultures, something we need now more than ever. Visual communication is a language that cuts across all cultures, all backgrounds, all languages. You don’t have to speak the language of the photographer to understand what they are saying in their story.”

Peter and Aphrodite Tsairis still think about what stories their daughter might have told through her photojournalism had she had a chance. “With the support of the Newhouse School, which gave us a home, we were able to channel our loss in a way that made us whole again,” says Aphrodite. “We felt closer to her as we met students and professionals who showed us what her life would or could have been had she lived. It was healing.”

Now, the promise of a young life cut short lives on in a legacy gift made by the woman who still treasures the grant that carries Alexia’s name. “This is about capacity building,” says Liu. “The capacity of storytellers around the globe to bridge cultural divides, to foster understanding, address social issues, and bring about lasting change.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68 and William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68 at the dedication of the Joan Breier Brodsky Conservation Lab and Classroom in Bird Library in August

“As first-year students, we all had to take a course in citizenship taught at the Maxwell School,” says Bill. “Civic responsibility was a concept that was simply instilled in us, to Syracuse University’s great credit.”

Fast forward to 2022, when both Bill and Joan were recently appointed to serve their country in new ways by the president of the United States: Bill was chosen by President Joe Biden L’68 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a board member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which administers a fund that is used to restore investors’ missing assets in the event of a brokerage firm failure. Joan was appointed to the National Museum of Library Services Board, which advances��programs in museums, libraries and information services throughout the nation and the public’s access to historically significant resources.

In making these prestigious appointments, the president considered the expertise and commitment “brought to the table” by both Bill and Joan. “We are bringing all our worldly experiences to these new roles,” says Joan. “We both wanted to do something where we could do some good.”

They both credit Syracuse University for providing the education, the inspiration and the vast network of alumni that has sustained their lifelong commitment to the Orange community. Most prominent among the latter is President Biden, who attended the College of Law with Bill. Two of the Brodsky’s sons worked for Biden as interns on Capitol Hill; the families remain close.

Drawn to Public Service

It was during law school and their dating years that both Joan and Bill were drawn to public service. Bill learned about a federally funded program in downtown Syracuse to provide legal services for those who could not afford it. He became its first employee. He helped create Onondaga Neighborhood Legal Services Inc. Meanwhile, Joan, who graduated from the School of Information Studies and developed a keen interest in book preservation and library conservation work, made sure to create a record of his public service, and donated his important papers to the Equal Justice Library in Washington, D.C. Also early in their marriage, Joan had a federal grant to set up an innovative media center in an inner city school in Syracuse.

It was a Syracuse University professor who would set the trajectory for the rest of their public service. “Michael Sawyer was a revered Maxwell School professor,” says Bill. “Upon graduation from law school, I had offers to stay in poverty law or to go to Wall Street. Sawyer told me: ‘Go to Wall Street, make a lot of money and you’ll do more good for people in poverty than being a poverty lawyer.’” So that’s exactly what they did. Says Joan: “The impact of one great professor on people’s lives can be extraordinary.”

Bill began his New York City career as a securities lawyer, joining the American Stock Exchange in 1974 and became its head of options trading in 1976. Then, he and Joan had the opportunity to move to Chicago to advance his career. He rose to the highest levels of leadership at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the World Federation of Exchanges, a global body of more than 60 of the leading exchanges of the world.

“Moving to Chicago was the biggest risk we ever took,” Bill recalls. They had no family and no friends there. But the Syracuse connection came into play once more: the alumni association connected the Brodskys to alumna Renée Schine Crown ’50, H’84, whose philanthropy established and maintains the Schine Student Center. “We co-hosted a tailgate party with the Crowns. They became our role models in civic engagement and philanthropy.”

“We’ve always tried to find good people and emulate them,” says Joan. “To this day, the Crowns are the most kind, outstanding and generous people we know.”

Remaining Connected

Like the Crowns, the Brodskys remained closely connected to Syracuse across hundreds of miles. Bill served on the Law School Board of Advisors for several years, and on the Board of Trustees for decades and is now a life trustee. Joan serves on the Libraries Advisory Board and formerly served on the iSchool Advisory Board.

Together, Bill and Joan spearheaded the campaign that established the Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics at the Maxwell School, tapping into the generosity of alumni and colleagues who wanted to carry on Sawyer’s legacy. They are also generous supporters of the University and the Libraries, having established an endowment for the Brodsky Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation,��and provided significant funding to renovate the conservation lab on the sixth floor of Bird Library, with new equipment and space to care for special collections materials and preserve rare and fragile materials. Their three sons all attended Syracuse University and their grandson Matthew is a senior in the Newhouse School.

In his to graduates of the College of Law in 2015, Bill advised: “Find ways to share your gifts of talent and time and ultimately maybe some money with the broader community. One of the greatest sources of satisfaction for Joan and me is our involvement in the community, in the political process, in professional and industry organizations, in educational and medical institutions and through our philanthropy. It’s amazing that as our activities have grown, how our lives have become enriched.”

“We are forever intertwined with Syracuse University,” says Joan. “And we are forever grateful.”

Throughout his career, Conservation Librarian David Stokoe has had an extraordinary window into history.

For the last 16 years, Stokoe has worked in Syracuse University Libraries and its . Located on the sixth floor of Bird Library, the recently dedicated Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68 Conservation Lab is responsible for the conservation and preservation of individual items and entire collections, carrying out repairs to bound and unbound manuscripts, printed books, works on paper, architectural drawings and much more.

Throughout his career (which began at age 17 in his native Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom), Stokoe has had an extraordinary window into history. That’s the nature of a conservator who has worked in museums, libraries, government archives and academia. Some of the most memorable items that have passed through his hands include the following:

• Materials relating to King Herod’s census
• 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets used by shepherds to record their flocks
• Artwork and writings from internment camps on the Isle of Man during World War II (housing people deemed a security risk at that time)
• Early printed medieval bibles and manuscripts from the 14th century onwards
• An eloquently written letter by Malcolm X outlining his philosophical evolution on racism

Stokoe says the most challenging project involved piecing together parts of the epic cartoon strip “Prince Valiant” created by Hal Foster in 1937. It’s an adventure story that continues through 4,000 comic strips.

“It was originally drawn on large boards with stuck on captions, many of which became loose or completely detached over time,” says Stokoe. He designed a spread sheet to keep track of all the “orphaned” captions, words and letters. Much like a giant jigsaw puzzle, Stokoe essentially “rebuilt” the series with the help of printers’ proofs and rehoused individual sheets in acid-free portfolios to preserve for all time.

A conservator’s work involves everything from repairing torn and tattered paper, to removing scotch tape, to rebuilding books, to cleaning and chemically treating paper, to preparing items for preservation in cold storage in a humidity-controlled environment.

With generous philanthropic support, Stokoe has had the privilege of working with the most advanced tools in special conservation laboratories, including a that makes acid-free archival book boxes (it used to take 20-30 minutes to assemble archival boxes by hand; now it takes under five minutes).

For the last 16 years, Stokoe has worked in Syracuse University Libraries Special Collections Research Center and its Conservation Lab.

Recently, Syracuse University completed on a 15,000 square foot facility that includes cool and cold storage vaults to provide optimal environmental conditions for materials that are crucial to teaching and research.

Stokoe is responsible for training staff in many aspects of preservation and also teaches a graduate class “Preservation of Library and Archival Collections” covering storage environments, disaster planning/reaction, book and paper repair, and much more. That’s why students in his class get to beat up on books: “They each get a hardback and a paperback book. We damage the books and repair them. We break the joints and spines, tear pages, take spines off and damage the board corners. Of course, it’s all hypothetical and they don’t get any points for the damage, just for the repair,” he says. He notes that the damage inflicted in seconds can take hours to repair.

He brings with him to class, lectures and workshops from vast experience in damage and destruction, along with extraordinary detail on the disaster recovery process.

“At one institution we had twenty-nine water-based emergencies in just five years,” says Stokoe. “Multiple construction projects contributed to water ingress, burst and leaking pipes, basement floods and more. We used a freeze-drying technique to rescue numerous historically important medieval volumes and other material affected by water damage.” He remembers using more than 2 miles of duct tape to hang protective plastic sheeting and filling bags with 26 pounds of dust during HVAC renovation work.

Fortunately, his disaster experiences at Syracuse University have been less dramatic, but no less interesting. Circulating books sometimes come back with mold, stains and even bugs “We have to bag everything and freeze them at minus 30 degrees for two weeks to kill the insects,” Stokoe says. “Then we have to vacuum and sanitize but are able to recover the most materials.”

Stokoe keeps detailed notes on each conservation process in a database; recording every treatment detail is a critical part of a conservator’s job.

“I keep specific records so someone in the future can review what I did,” he says. “And almost everything I do is reversible. It all entails a little bit of physics, math, chemistry, biology, environmental science, mechanics and a lot of attention to quality control.”

Stokoe says the job requires tremendous patience and attention to detail as it can take months to conserve some damaged materials, but he never gets discouraged.

“Repair is not the final straw,” he explains. “Items that cannot be treated to be made accessible can always be stored in their current condition in the hope that future technology will find a way. If it’s beyond my capacity to fix today, I hope for a fix in the future. That means nothing is ever really disposed of because of its current condition.”

“We are making it more affordable than ever for first responders to achieve undergraduate certificates, and undergraduate and graduate degrees,” says Green, executive director of online student success in the college. The new tuition grant program is another component of the Go Local Learn Local initiative, which recently expanded opportunities for health care workers in the region. Similar to the health care worker grant, first responders will be able to earn degrees through online part-time studies at a fraction of the normal cost.

“But first we have to overcome some negative perceptions—concerns they might have over not being able to do their studies while doing their jobs, or not being able to afford a higher education degree,” says Green. By appearing in person, Green hopes to build trust with the community’s public servants—trust in the University and trust in themselves and their abilities to excel.

“Just as they serve the entire city, police and firefighters serve our university community every day. We want to support and strengthen them,” says Michael Frasciello, dean of the College of Professional Studies. “As part of Syracuse University’s commitment to community, we have an obligation to be an innovator in providing education, training, services and support. Our greatest asset is our excellence in teaching and learning. We should be providing as many pathways to that excellence as we can.”

All full-time and part-time first responders in the City of Syracuse are now eligible to apply for online professional certificates and undergraduate degrees in a wide variety of subjects, including data and predictive analytics, business management, cybersecurity, leadership and project management. The cost for admitted and eligible first responders represents a significant discount (50% of the normal part-time tuition rate, and an 89% discount off the full-time tuition rate).

In addition, all first responders throughout the entire state of New York who already have an undergraduate degree can apply for a 30-credit hour online graduate degree in project management at the discounted rate of $1,000 per credit hour.

“Everyone at every level of every organization does project management in some way,” says Frasciello. “The more training and skills acquired in all the dimensions and practice of project management, the more valuable individuals will be in their workplace. They become proficient in asset resource usage, time management, delegation and staff management.”

Frasciello says the offerings for undergraduate degrees and professional certificates are based on the rapidly changing needs of employers and employees to “upskill and reskill” to meet industry demands. For example, police officers are increasingly adding skills in research and data analysis. “So much of modern policing is digital, involving sifting through and analyzing large amounts of data,” he says. “That’s why our data science courses will be valuable.”

Frasciello expects police officers, many of whom have associate degrees in criminal justice, to pursue policy studies and other courses that will help them progress in their careers in the public sector and pivot to the private sector. “We know there’s a great interest in business management and creative leadership as well,” he says.

Interest in continuing education through online programs increased dramatically during the pandemic and Syracuse University’s programs have expanded dramatically to meet student needs. “It’s crucial for continuing education leaders to engage with people who live in the area and respond with programming that residents and employers find valuable,” says Frasciello. “We are the gateway to the University for the community.”

For more information on how to enroll, visit the .

Robert “Robbie” Robinson

Shortly after Robert “Robbie” Robinson became the University’s chief of public safety in October 1993, he had a “chance encounter” with James K. Duah-Agyeman, who was then the director of the Center for Academic Achievement in the Division of Student Support and Development. “I made it a point to introduce myself to him,” says Duah-Agyeman, who now serves as lead director, Intercultural Collective, and director, Multicultural Affairs. “As I began to do so, the chief chimed in and said, ‘I know who you are, James. It is my job to know those I serve and protect.’”

The memories of the former chief’s deep sense of public service came flooding back to Duah-Agyeman after learning of Robinson’s death earlier this year. Robert T. Robinson was 75 years old when he passed away April 8, 2022. Today, he’s being remembered for what he brought to Syracuse University when he was appointed to lead the Department of Public Safety in 1993 and what he left behind when he left the job nearly nine years later in January 2001.

“Robbie led by example,” says Keith A. Alford, who was an assistant professor of social work when he met Chief Robinson in 1996. Alford is now dean of University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work. “Robbie was fiercely dedicated to his role as chief of public safety. He was a hands-on leader and had a special ability to make sure that everyone he encountered felt uniquely valued—this included students, staff and faculty.”

It was that dedication to inclusion that Robinson brought with him to Syracuse. He had previously served as chief of police at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. When he stepped down from his SMU post, The Daily Campus newspaper published a story (Aug. 31, 1993, Vol. 79, No. 2) quoting Robinson: “My goal and intention at the time that I took the position was to present a challenge to SMU. That was a challenge of diversity, of sensitivity—that the SMU police department would be inclusive within the community, as opposed to exclusive. When I came here, I was on a journey. Now, I’m taking this journey to Syracuse, New York.”

Duah-Agyeman says that’s exactly what happened: “A dedicated servant leader and diversity change agent, Robbie was very committed to engaging his department in relevant trainings on diversity, equity and inclusion to raise the level of sensitivity and awareness of his staff on diversity related issues as they interacted with our students.” Duah-Ageyman recalls it was a difficult time and “there was a need for our students of color to see that they could relate to law enforcement.”

When Alford arrived on campus three years later, progress was underway. “I remember the public safety division being quite diverse, inclusive of women and people of color,” says Alford. “Robbie was well known for making sure his department had the proper training to engage a diverse campus and work well with diverse groups around campus. He met with campus leaders and student leaders, and he was good at sponsoring gatherings, just pulling folks together to engage in opportunities for dialogue. I remember attending several cultural festivals with Robbie front and center. It was important for someone of his stature to embrace multiculturalism.”

Robinson was born in Jefferson, Alabama. He joined the United States Air Force after graduating high school. Following the Air Force, he joined the Baltimore City Police Department and later became a Baltimore City Court Commissioner. He attended Baltimore City Community College where he received an associate’s degree; University of Baltimore for a bachelor of science degree in law enforcement and Coppin State University for a master’s degree in correctional education-administration.

According to a memorial tribute authored by family and friends, Robinson was the first black assistant director of public safety at Georgetown University Law School; the first black director of public safety at Goucher College in Baltimore; the first black director of public safety at Youngstown State University; and the first black director of public safety at SMU before coming to Syracuse University. Robinson ended his career at two historically black institutions as director of public safety at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, and the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.

Robinson is survived by his wife Carol, two daughters, a son, three grandsons and extended family.

“The ADA was the floor, not the ceiling,” says Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion. “As we reflect on the anniversary of the ADA, it’s important for us to understand how inclusion and accessibility fit into our diversity commitment. We must dismantle all the barriers to inclusive learning and move toward a more social justice and equity-minded framework.”

There is a need to press beyond the tenets of the ADA. “Like the experiences of persons with marginalized identities based on race, gender identity, and religion for instance, the civil rights laws that have provided some tools for protecting the disabled from discrimination have not eradicated the attitudinal barriers that society creates and that our social structures perpetuate,” says William N. Myhill, M.Ed., J.D., interim director and ADA/503/504 coordinator. “This is why compliance with the laws is not enough, and why we have offices of diversity and inclusion that champion equity, where attitudes fail to provide meaningful access in our learning materials, teaching practices, workplaces, and the information and communication technologies we use.”

It is the attitudinal transformation that is still underway, 32 years after the ADA became law.

“When you pass a civil rights law, a culture goes with it,” says Stephen Kuusisto, director of interdisciplinary programs and outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute. “A disability culture has begun to permeate the arts, the public sector, corporate life, even international diplomacy. But there is still a stigma attached to the disabled and the disfigured. And that’s why the unemployment rate for the disabled remains 70 to 80% in this country. And why only one in four students who enters college and identifies as disabled actually persists to graduation.”

“It is now a crucial time to recommit to the principles of the ADA for full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities,” says Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D., chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), a global advocacy organization for people with disabilities. BBI, a distinctive program built at Syracuse University by the former dean of its School of Education, has offices in Syracuse, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

Valuing Diversity

The University’s draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Strategic Plan, states clearly that accessibility involves ensuring that “physical and psychological obstacles do not prevent individual achievement or participation.” Throughout its history, the University has acknowledged the value of diverse individuals, talents and experiences—from creating programs for nontraditional learners to the vast set services for students of color and underrepresented groups, as well as veterans and military-connected families.

Recently, the Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted Syracuse University as one of the first universities in the nation to create a disability cultural center. In the article, “In Fight Against Ableism, Disabled Students Build Centers of Their Own,” the authors noted that such centers “help students find a sense of self and belonging” and “foster a sense of community, promote activism and disability justice.”

“There is still much work to be done to ensure full and equal participation of people with disabilities,” says Carrie Ingersoll-Wood, director of the Disability Cultural Center. “While the ADA provides specific protections for the disability community, the onus of enforcement and compliance of the law continues to fall on the individuals it protects. For example, if an individual with a disability faces discrimination on campus or at work, it is incumbent on the individual with the disability to file a complaint or lawsuit to enact compliance.��Looking into the future, it is important that��everyone��on campus understand the importance and power of collective action to challenge ableism in all its forms.��I think that modeling an inclusive community on campus is pivotal to driving positive generational and societal change toward embracing disability as a diverse identity.”

University leadership who collaborate on diversity and inclusion issues say policies and practice must be acutely sensitive to the intersection between the disabled and those who have been historically marginalized or discriminated against.

“Each year as we celebrate the anniversary of the ADA, it is important to reflect on the progress we have made in advancing disability rights, but it is equally important to acknowledge that the law is not always equally applied,” says Paula Possenti-Perez, director of the Center for Disability Resources. “Our diverse identities that intersect with disability, leaves many experiencing violence, oppression and discrimination. Our complacency is ableism; therefore, we must remain vigilant in our work toward upholding the ideals of the ADA.”

More Inclusive Approaches

The community that is defined as disabled is growing exponentially to include individuals with psychiatric, emotional and intellectual challenges—oftentimes defined as invisible disabilities—that demand more inclusive approaches to teaching and learning.

“We know that the adverse impact of the pandemic—from isolation to economic hardships to medical complications—was amplified for people with disabilities. Still, the pandemic forced all of us in academia to think more creatively about the learning process for all our students, and to redesign pedagogy and curricula,” says Almandrez. “Frankly, one of the principles of good design is that it is good for everyone. Now that we are moving through this pandemic, let’s not forget the inclusive thinking that values each individual for their potential and for their contributions.”

On this 32nd anniversary of the ADA, those who advocate for inclusion of individuals with disabilities see no difference between disability rights and human rights. The ADA, by establishing standards for compliance with the law, also inspired the world to see disability through an equity lens, and expanded opportunities for people with disabilities to contribute in countless ways to a dynamic campus culture, society at large, and progress on a global scale.

“There’s not much poetry in the ADA, but in a way, that’s what it needs,” says Kuusisto. “It needs more imagination.”

Robert B. Menschel

“Bob was truly a model of service to Syracuse University,” says Board chair Kathleen A. Walters ’73. “First elected to the Board of Trustees in 1981, he served as a voting trustee for more than two decades, becoming a trustee emeritus and part of a select group of honorary trustees recognized for their contributions. From exhibitions to lecture series to professorships and endowed chairs, Bob supported creativity, innovation and academic excellence that defines this university.”

Menschel earned a bachelor of science degree from the College of Business Administration in 1951. After earning a degree from the Graduate School of Business Administration at New York University in 1954, he joined Goldman Sachs & Co. where he founded the first Institutional Department, which became the model for the securities industry. Menschel subsequently became a partner in charge of institutional sales and later rose to become one of the firm’s senior directors. In 2002, he published “Markets, Mobs & Mayhem: A Modern Look at the Madness of Crowds,” where he explored the phenomenon of crowd psychology and its effects on business and culture.

Along with his Board of Trustees work, which included serving on the executive and investment and endowment committees, Menschel served on the Commitment to Learning Campaign, the Schine National Committee and the Ballentine Center Committee. His philanthropic support was widespread, including the Paul Volcker Endowed Chair in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; the Robert B. Menschel Endowed Fund; the Maxwell-Eggers Building Fund; the Tolley Distinguished Teaching Professorship in the Humanities; and the William Safire Chair in Modern Letters. He was lauded for his foresight when he provided a gift in 2001 to establish The University Lectures, a cross-disciplinary lecture series bringing to Syracuse individuals of exceptional accomplishment in the areas of architecture and design; the humanities and the sciences; and public policy, management and communications.

His philanthropy supported the renovation of Light Work and Community Darkrooms in the Watson Theater Complex, which was dedicated as the Robert B. Menschel Media Center. He was the major sustaining private supporter of Light Work and Community Darkrooms, providing financial support, resources and extensive collections of photographs to the Light Work holdings and for exhibitions in the Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery.

Similarly, Menschel was widely praised and recognized for his support of photography exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Joyce and Robert Menschel Hall for Modern Photography��at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The 2016-17 MoMA exhibition titled “The Shape of Things: Photographs from Robert B. Menschel”��told the story of photography over 150 years from its start in 1843, and featured works acquired over 40 years with Menschel’s support. Menschel was a member of the Committee on Photography at MoMA with building the vast photography collection through financial support and donations from his personal collection.

The 2017 exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, titled “Posing for the Camera: Gifts from Robert B. Menschel,”��once again demonstrated his passionate advocacy for photography. The exhibition explored portraiture and featured photographs acquired with funds from Menschel or pledged as gifts from his personal collection.

Robert Menschel, second from left, accepts the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy from Harvey Fineberg of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 2015. Judy Woodruff and Vartan Gregorian of the Carnegie Corp. of New York, in background, were also on stage at the event at the New York Public Library. Photo by Filip Wolak (Source: Carnegie Corp. of New York)

In 2015, Robert and his brother Richard L. Menschel ’55 shared the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, which honors those who that “with wealth comes a responsibility to contribute to the world’s betterment and a more open and just society.” In the medal presentation, it was noted that the brothers’ “dedication and talent took them both to the top of the investment banking field at prestigious Goldman Sachs, and they have been giving back in countless ways for decades.” Robert was quoted as saying “there is no mode of disposing of surplus wealth creditable to thoughtful and earnest men into whose hands it flows save by using it year by year for the general good.”

Menschel received the University’s George Arents Pioneer Medal in 1980 for “excellence in business, excellence in life” and was awarded an honorary degree by Syracuse University in 1991. In 1999, he was awarded the Martin J. Whitman School of Management’s Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year award.

Beyond his Board work at Syracuse University, Menschel served as chairman of The Vital Projects Fund Inc., a charitable foundation with an interest in human rights and criminal justice reform; chairman emeritus and former president of MoMA; member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the New York Presbyterian Hospital; honorary trustee and former board president of the Dalton School; member of the trustee council of the National Gallery of Art; and member of the Council on Foreign��Relations where he is the namesake of the Robert B. Menschel Economics Symposium.

He is survived by his partner, Janet Wallach; his former wife, Joyce Frank Menschel; his children, David Frank Menschel and Lauren Elizabeth Menschel; several grandchildren; and his brother and sister-in-law, Richard Menschel ’55 and Ronay Menschel.

Harry E. Goetzmann Jr.

Goetzmann passed away on April 20, 2022, at the age of 84. “It was his determination to succeed that defined Harry’s life and service to Syracuse University,” says Board Chair Kathy Walters ’73. “As a student-athlete, he played one sport—lacrosse—and cheered on others as captain of the football and basketball cheerleading teams. He parlayed that enthusiasm for the Orange community into generosity with his time, treasure and talent, serving as a voting trustee from 1987 to 2003 and supporting a computer terminal room in the Schine Student Center, named for him and his wife Sylvia. We remain grateful for his generosity during his lifetime.”

While pursuing an undergraduate degree in business from the Whitman School of Management, Goetzmann was an Army ROTC cadet, graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate and serving our country by flying helicopters as an officer in the U.S. Army.

Goetzmann began his professional career with IBM in Syracuse as a salesman and later as a sales manager. Just six years after joining IBM, he started his own company, Syracuse based Continental Information Systems (CIS), which bought, refurbished and leased IBM computers to businesses. CIS, which was launched out of Goetzmann’s home, eventually grew to 1,200 employees with offices in the United States, Germany, England, Switzerland and Japan. Eventually, CIS expanded its operations into leasing commercial aircraft, trains and ocean-going ships.

A serial entrepreneur, Goetzmann also helped launch Schomann Entertainment, an entertainment and communications company. He then founded and developed MegaCom Limited in 1993, the first cellular company in the Republic of Georgia. MegaCom provided the ability for Georgians to communicate on an international level.

Goetzmann was actively engaged with numerous business and civic organizations, including holding Board positions at Cazenovia College, WCNY, Chase Lincoln First Bank, the Salvation Army, Hiawatha Boy Scout Council of America, Crouse Irving Memorial Foundation, American General Life Insurance Company, Central N.Y. Leukemia Society, Citizens Foundation, Computer Dealers and Lessors Association, Central NY Metropolitan Development Association and Syracuse Symphony. He also served as chairman of the Board for the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Syracuse Services Corporation.

In his free time, Goetzmann enjoyed relaxing with family and friends on Skaneateles Lake. He and his wife Sylvia, whom he met at Syracuse University, raised five children together in Skaneateles.�� He is survived by Sylvia and their children, Craig ’85 (College of Arts and Sciences), Dan G’87 (Whitman School of Management), Eric, Harry and Darlene; fifteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Christine A. Carona

“I believe if you see it, you can become it,” says Carona, in explaining her motivation behind the new Carona, Beney and Malarney Family Endowed Faculty Fellowship in the Sciences (in the names of her parents, daughters and husband). The $1 million endowment includes matching funds from the University, made possible through the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program. Carona, a devoted alumnus, generous donor and engaged member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, says the design of the new Faculty Excellence Program gave her a greater opportunity to impact more lives, in much the same way the University impacted her own.

Now a Forbes Top Advisor, family wealth director and executive director in wealth management, the Syracuse native says she was only able to afford going to Syracuse University because her mother got a job in the health center there after her father suffered a career-ending heart attack. This opportunity wouldn’t have been available to her and her brother Phil Carona ’86 without tuition benefits provided to employees. Carona and her brother witnessed their stay-at-home mother literally reinvent herself to become the family’s sole breadwinner. “My mother could do anything she put her mind to. She taught me to always keep moving forward with perseverance, hard work and faith. My father was kind, generous and giving. Essentially, my parents made me feel like the sky was the limit. There were no boundaries.”

Carona embraced all the University had to offer, including the dance team and Alpha Phi (the University’s first sorority now celebrating its 150th year). She was inspired by professors and mentors she met through internships coordinated by the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Still, after graduating with a bachelor of science degree in human development from Syracuse and completing a financial planning program at Northeastern University, Carona discovered the challenges of breaking boundaries in the working world and receiving appropriate recognition as a top-performing woman. She points to the experiences detailed in a TED Talk by her close friend, Elizabeth Rowe, the only woman in a principal flutist position in a top tier orchestra. “As a woman in my position, I didn’t fit in, I stuck out…. I have tried to be flawless, impeccable, unflappable.” Yet, gender inequities led Rowe to file (and win) an equal pay lawsuit against the Boston Symphony.

Carona advocates for opportunity and equity for all women. “Women can lift each other up to achieve new heights,” says Carona. She admires College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Dean Karin Ruhlandt, impressed that along with her rise in a male-dominated field, she remains authentic, kind and a genuine mentor to students. Through her endowed gift, Carona hopes that the faculty member chosen for the fellowship housed in the college will influence hundreds of young students to excel in fields where they are underrepresented.

Carona’s own daughters are excelling as they pursue careers in the sciences. Sophie Beney ’22 majors in psychology and graphic design in A&S. Marissa Beney works at a cloud-computing company focused on pharmaceuticals and life sciences while pursuing an MBA at Whitman. Both were inspired by teachers at the Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, where the motto is “Courage and Confidence.” Now, Carona wants to pass that confidence on, beyond her daughters and stepdaughter Caroline, who is a nurse, to other young women, along with a sense of optimism and possibilities.

Optimism is what Carona says she feels every time she steps onto the University campus. She quotes from a recent video called Rhapsody in Orange released by the University. “At Syracuse University, the climb up the hill is never easy, but there’s always a fresh view at the top.” Carona says she’s “hoping this gift opens the door to many possibilities for young women in the sciences and helps Dean Ruhlandt attract and retain talented faculty who are committed to mentoring and developing women in the sciences.”

Carona says her own mentors made her better: “The one thing they always said to me when I thanked them was ‘do the same for someone else.’ I’m honoring my promise through this endowment, grateful for their words and examples that guided me throughout my work life.”

Carona herself mentors students from high school through college, offering internship opportunities in wealth management, helping several young women launch careers in the financial services industry in the Boston area. She tries to instill in them a sense of mission in advocating for clients, especially those who find themselves overwhelmed by sudden life experiences that require personalized wealth management. As a testament to her professionalism, dedication and results, Carona was named a Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisor 2022, 2021, 2020 (and 2017), a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor 2022, 2021, 2020 and a Five Star Wealth Manager Award winner 2022, 2021 and 2020.

She was appointed in 2020 to Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees, serves on the Boston Regional Council for the University and is a member of The Hill Society. Previous gifts to the University were designated to support the Barnes Center at The Arch, the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Fund, scholarships and Syracuse Responds.

She often speaks to other alumni about their personal goals in philanthropy, espousing a similar philosophy to what she practices in wealth management and the teachings of a priest who inspired her at Bishop Grimes Jr-Sr High (“to whom much is given much is asked”).

“While many donors have given back to the University in ways that have been transformational, I feel blessed to have been able to give back in a way that makes a significant impact while fitting my family’s goals,” says Carona. “Once you examine what your wishes and goals are, Syracuse University can design a plan that’s right for you and create a gift that really does matter to countless others.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas,individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Jillian Schultz

This week, Schultz and her team are placing collection boxes at 40 different locations throughout campus, including the Schine Student Center, Barnes Center at The Arch, Ernie Davis Dining Hall and various schools and colleges. Supplies needed for the relief effort include everything from bandages and over-the-counter medical supplies to non-perishable food and personal hygiene supplies, to blankets and flashlights.

“When Luba shared with me her family’s plight, and that her home and town were likely destroyed, I just knew I had to do something,” says Schultz, a senior majoring in television, radio and film at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, who aspires to become a talent agent and advocate for others trying to achieve their dreams.

She credits her desire to help others to her upbringing, recalling that her parents encouraged philanthropy when she was as young as 6. “They would write things like ‘Miss Jillian Schultz has made a donation to St. Jude’s’ on my Christmas stocking!” Schultz says. Her parents are supporting the Ukraine effort, offering to drive all donated supplies to a collection source in New Jersey that ships directly to Ukraine.

Schultz is working closely with Olecsander Taras Colopelnic ’23, president of the Ukrainian Club at Syracuse University.

“The students in our club and those from Ukraine have been working nonstop to do everything we can to help Ukraine,” says Colopelnic, who is studying management and entrepreneurship in the Whitman School. “This is what makes our SU community great. I have no doubt that there will be a great willingness from all students to take part in this humanitarian aid drive. Everyone can donate something, and their donation of a tangible item will make them feel more connected to the people they are helping. They can be assured that every single medicine, food product or other supplies will directly help someone in Ukraine.”

Jillian Schultz labels a box for donations to Ukraine.

Schultz says she is grateful for the support her team of volunteers have received from the University administration, including Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves who personally delivered to her 50 empty boxes to assemble for distribution around campus; the Athletics Department; Student Association; and many in the Greek Life community.

“It’s so rewarding to see so many individuals and organizations at Syracuse come together to make an impact on the world around us,” says Marin Grillo ’23, director of philanthropy for the Syracuse University Panhellenic Council, who is studying entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises in the Whitman School. “We have been given a unique opportunity and I cannot wait to see what we’re able to accomplish!”

The drive will continue until the end of April, when the boxes are collected and supplies sorted for shipment. “The fact is that Luba can’t return home, but we as an Orange community can do something to support the country that is her home,” says Schultz.

Anthony Y.C. Yeh

After earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Anthony Y.C. Yeh G’49 returned to his native country determined to help the throngs of refugees fleeing into Hong Kong from mainland China. He had a brilliant mind, an innovative spirit and a keen understanding of the intersection of engineering and business that helped him build an international company that supplied custom-made carpets to Queen Elizabeth II, President John F. Kennedy, the king of Thailand and other notables.

While building a global business, Yeh never lost his fondness for Syracuse University. He had been active on campus as a graduate student, serving as president of the Chinese Students Club and a junior member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 1994, serving six years as a voting trustee. He was recognized for his business acumen with the Arents Award in 1992, the highest honor recognizing alumni for their professional achievements. Yeh passed away Feb. 24, 2022, just two months shy of his 99th birthday.

“Tony was instrumental in building relationships between Syracuse and China, ensuring that Chinese and American students understood the importance and nuances of the global economy,” says Board Chair Kathleen A. Walters ’73. “He forged a partnership between the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the China National School of Administration (CNSA) that has continued to thrive for nearly three decades.”

Yeh’s connection with Syracuse University began after receiving a bachelor’s in science from the Henry Lester Institute of Technical Education in Shanghai, China, in 1945. While working on a master’s degree from Syracuse, he served as a technician and engineer at the U.S. Army Air Forces Kiangwen Air Base in Shanghai and on board Chinese Maritime Customs patrol ships. His career in the cotton industry began after he received a master’s degree. Together with colleagues from a Hong Kong-based cotton producer, he launched a carpet company in 1956 in Hong Kong with the expressed purpose of supplying jobs for Chinese refugees.

Yeh served as managing director of Tai Ping Carpets and used his engineering prowess to create and patent an electric hand-held tool that tufted the elaborate carpets 100 times faster than hand tying. , Yeh developed the techniques in hand tufting carpets, leading to the successful commercialization of the product. He helped form alliances with other Asian partners and established international sales subsidiaries, leading to the formation of the world-recognized custom carpet group of today. Tai Ping has showrooms in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Yeh was also a partner in Suntec City in Singapore, a major mixed-use development in Marina Centre that established Singapore as an international convention and exhibition center.

Together with his wife, Sylvia, Yeh established the Anthony Y.C. Yeh Endowed Beijing Scholarship and the Anthony Y.C. Yeh Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship. They have supported other initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Goldstein and Alumni Faculty Center, the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center, Syracuse Abroad and alumni relations.

Notably, as part of Yeh’s efforts to ensure a global experience for Chinese and American students, he served as a member of the Council of the (CUHK). CUHK is a comprehensive research university with offerings in English, Cantonese and Putonghua (Mandarin). It is a world partner with Syracuse and requires an application from Syracuse Abroad and CUHK. The , program is available to Martin J. Whitman School of Management undergraduates.

Yeh is survived by his wife, Sylvia; two sons, Kent and Russell Yeh; two daughters, Lucienne Cheng and Monique Poon ’74 (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics); and eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors��closes��the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together,��we’re��a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

Syracuse University Global provides students who are unable to engage with the University full-time or on campus with transformational educational opportunities, combined with integral support services, in pursuit of a Syracuse University degree, credential or certificate.

Syracuse University today announced the official launch of , a virtual and extended campus that integrates and elevates the University’s broad range of digital and place-based learning opportunities to students around the globe. Regardless of location or life circumstances, undergraduate students, graduate students and lifelong learners have access to relevant, challenging and innovative courses, programs and non-credit credentials in a range of fields, from cybersecurity to health care to business.

“Syracuse University Global takes many of the high-quality academic programs available, along with new programs in high-demand fields, and expands their reach beyond the borders of our campus,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Syracuse University Global removes barriers to obtaining degrees, credentials and knowledge that create opportunities for career advancement and professional success for students. Making a Syracuse University education accessible to a wide array of learners supports our mission of advancing academic excellence in a university welcoming to all.”

Attending the University through Syracuse University Global positions traditional and non-traditional students to grow, kickstart and accelerate their professional, academic and personal aspirations. Syracuse University Global provides students who are unable to engage with the University full-time or on campus with transformational educational opportunities, combined with integral support services, in pursuit of a Syracuse University degree, credential or certificate.

“Over the past four years—and as we rapidly adapted to the challenges of a global pandemic—we developed innovative and robust learning platforms to meet the needs of students who are not physically on campus,” says Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation J. Michael Haynie. “Syracuse University Global takes the excellence of the University to a new level, offering online degrees, executive and professional education, credentialing programs and more. We are meeting students where they are, with what they need.”

Syracuse University Global is designed to engage and educate a wider range of students from any location who are at different points and paths in their lives, making a Syracuse University education more accessible.

“Syracuse University has a proud history of serving students who, for many reasons, could not attend campus classes full time,” says Vice Chancellor and Provost Gretchen Ritter. “Back in 1918, when the University launched its first evening session for part-time adult students, through decades of innovation at University College and now, as the College of Professional Studies, this university has found new ways to meet people where they are—in their lives and in their careers—and help them advance.”

The flexibility of digital learning is especially important for students like Edward Furcinito ’22, who works during the day for his family’s construction company. In the evenings, he joins a diverse cohort of classmates, including some serving overseas in the military, who connect across continents and time zones to learn together and share their interests in the emerging field of . “Knowledge management prepares me to work in any sector, because every company has data and people,” Furcinito says. “The focus on data-driven skills appealed to me as I believe in an education that not only prepares you for today’s job market, but for the future.”

College of Professional Studies Dean Michael Frasciello says it’s students like Furcinito who the University had in mind when building this global initiative.

“The strength of Syracuse University Global is the result of extraordinary collaboration among deans, department chairs, faculty and staff who brought this vision to life,” Frasciello says. “Our students are directly and immediately benefiting from the creativity, energy, commitment and excitement generated by their work. Together, we are redefining and reimagining transformative education through unbound access.”

Syracuse University Global also offers students flexible access to a suite of support services, including individual counseling and advising on personalized academic pathways and career development.�� More than 60 degrees and credit certificate programs are offered. They are delivered digitally, and faculty are available to students on flexible schedules.

“As a global institution, we send students abroad to live and learn, and we bring students here from around the world to live and learn on campus,” adds Ritter. “Now, through Syracuse University Global, we are connecting high-quality opportunities for advancement to individuals regardless of how and where they learn.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors��closes��the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together,��we’re��a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

Jane ’56 and Daniel Present ’55

Just a few days after Jane Werner Present ’56 died, students at Syracuse University received a gift from her … in the form of a reading by New York Times bestselling author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah G’16, the Jane and Daniel Present Lecturer. Jane and her husband Daniel ’55 had supported the creative writing program through an endowment.

“My mother was truly Forever Orange,” says Douglas (Doug) A. Present ’86. “For years before she passed away and afterwards. Despite having been involved with so many non-profits during her lifetime, her only posthumous gift was to Syracuse University.”

The posthumous gift playing out was especially fitting because writer Adjei-Brenyah had attended Syracuse University as a graduate student and taught there, mentoring other young writers. He : “I love my students and those that call me mentor.�� I love being part of a long legacy of love passed down through craft.” He could have been channeling the thoughts of Jane Present.

The Present family is defined by a long legacy of love and one that continues to make an impact on countless Syracuse University students and others through mentorship programs and more. Jane founded Friends of the High School for Leadership and Public Service in New York City and the Syracuse University Mentor/Mentee Alliance there, pairing alumni with inner-city youth as mentors and role models.

But the Present legacy of love really started when Jane was a freshman at Syracuse University. Walking across Comstock Avenue with three girlfriends, she encountered a group of four boys walking the other way. In an incredible stroke of fate, each student met the person who would eventually become their spouse. Jane Werner and Dan Present started dating at Syracuse University and forged a union that would foster each of their career interests and, literally, change the world for the better.

Daniel and Jane Present (left and second from left) started dating at Syracuse University and forged a union that would foster each of their career interests and change the world for the better.

After graduation with a biology degree in 1955, Dan went on to medical school and became a nationally renowned researcher and clinician in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dan passed away in 2016. Together, they played a major role in the creation of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation with Jane serving as its national president. Later, they launched the Foundation for Clinical Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease which supported research and education for both physicians and patients. Jane, who earned degrees in American literature from the College of Arts and Sciences and in TV-radio from Newhouse, parlayed her communication skills into patient education, traveling the nation to raise awareness and improve patient care.

Separately, both Dan and Jane received the Arents Award, the only alumni couple to receive Syracuse University’s highest honor in different years and for different service. Dan received the Arents Pioneer Medal for excellence in the field of medicine in 2008; Jane was honored for Excellence in Philanthropy and Public Service in 2012. In a video interview recorded for the Arents Award presentation, Jane defined the source of her energy, philanthropy and service: “The idea of righting a wrong, making the world a better place, fixing something if it’s broken, that’s been what drives me.”

Her words resonate daily with her son Doug. He and his two sisters visited campus several times as children. “My mother often dressed us in Orange and was relentless in teaching us the fight song. It was important to them, as was maintaining their lifelong friendships with other alumni.”

Doug started his own love affair with the University after a campus visit when he was a high school senior. “It was an unusually sunny day. The Carrier Dome had just been built. The Rolling Stones had just played there. The Grateful Dead were coming the next month,” Doug says. At first, he says he was more interested in all the extracurricular activities. But that all changed freshman year. “I actually took up studying, became more leadership focused and developed the confidence needed for success.”

With a marketing management degree from Whitman, Doug went on to receive an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and carve a successful career in the health care services industry. For 13 years he served as chairman and CEO of Managed Health Care Associates, one the country’s largest pharmaceutical and medical supply purchasing groups. After selling the company in 2013, Doug founded Douglas Present Associates, a family office that invests in and helps manage private-equity-backed health care services companies. He has been on the faculty at the Wharton School for 15 years and won Wharton’s prestigious “Excellence in Teaching” awards numerous times. Doug had served for many years on the Whitman School of Management Advisory Board and, in 2019, was appointed to the Board of Trustees at Syracuse University. “My mother was always proud of me, but on the day that I was asked to become a Trustee—I think that was perhaps the day she was most proud.”

Trustee Doug Present ’86 (left) with his mother Jane Werner Present ’56

Doug and his wife Susan have carried on the Present family legacy of love. Their philanthropy at Syracuse has focused on first-generation and Pell Grant students and improving the overall experience for these students at the University. This has included funding summer internships for those who cannot afford to accept an unpaid opportunity and helping students who experience hardships while at Syracuse, to ensure their ability to continue in their studies and make it to graduation.

Doug says his parents helped define his own philanthropic goals: Provide opportunity. Take a chance on deserving kids. Expand access to Syracuse University. Doug tells the story of a young boy he mentored as part of his own volunteer work with . The boy was in third grade when he met Doug and they remain close over 30 years later. Jane helped this young man attain the scholarship that allowed him to go to Syracuse University, where he met his wife and began a successful career of his own. Doug says, “Syracuse has a long track record of taking chances on deserving students and giving them the opportunity to succeed. My wife and I hope to help create more of these opportunities for other deserving students in the future.”

It’s the Present family way of giving life and meaning to the phrase Forever Orange: “If you can achieve something, you should. If you can help someone, do it. If you can help in a big way, do that. If you can help in a little way through a small act of kindness, that is good enough.”

Michael and Sharon Bill

Michael Bill ’58 was a top student-athlete at Syracuse University, a center on the highly ranked football team that went to the Cotton Bowl. After graduation, he lost touch with his alma mater, but never lost the Orange spirit. In fact, his wife Sharon recalls that when they met and married in the 1970s, Mike told her: “If I get a chance, I’m going to give back to Syracuse University. They gave me the foundation for my success in business.”

That sense of gratitude—and the desire to see other student-athletes succeed—is the motivation behind the Bill family’s latest gift to the Forever Orange Campaign. ��Mike and Sharon Bill have pledged $2 million to support the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, a state-of-the-art academic and athletics center designed to benefit all student-athletes and enhance the entire student experience.

In honor of their generosity, the new football locker room will be named the Michael M. Bill #59 Football Locker Room, acknowledging Mike’s legacy on the field (he wore #59) and his continuing support off the field.

“Mike and Sharon’s commitment to Syracuse Athletics and our student-athletes is remarkable,” says Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “Their passion inspires all of us and their support of the Lally Athletics Complex will significantly aid in our efforts to recruit student-athletes who excel academically and athletically.”

“To attract talented young men and women, colleges have to have a great athletics complex,” says Mike. “Better recruiting means better teams. ��And, in the case of football especially, great teams help build donor support. We see this as a long-term investment and a very good investment in the future of the Orange.”

Mike says his experience as a student-athlete at Syracuse University in the 1950s truly defined him. ��He had been an outstanding athlete at Garden City High School on Long Island, New York, playing basketball, football, baseball and track. He was courted by several universities, all offering scholarships. He played high school basketball against Jim Brown and was impressed that Brown had chosen Syracuse University (he was a year ahead of him in school). But what sealed the deal with Syracuse for Mike was the University’s academic reputation.

“Academics were extremely important to my Dad,” says Mike. “My high school baseball coach was also a history teacher and a Syracuse University graduate. He took me to visit Syracuse.” After that visit, Mike was all in.

“Syracuse really took care of me,” says Mike. “They gave me a scholarship and an education. ��If you wanted to play, you had to play hard and study hard. It’s really a time management skill.” He credits his coaches with improving his performance and nurturing a “linebacker mentality.” He had strength and speed.

After graduation—even with an invitation to join the Green Bay Packers—Mike set new goals and focused his energy on business. ��So with his history degree, an entrepreneurial spirit (and well-honed time management skills!), Mike became a respected entrepreneur and built MJ Insurance, one of the top 100 privately held insurance agencies in the country. He also founded company subsidiaries, Omnibus Financial, a finance vehicle for premiums; Benefit Design and Administrators, a third-party administrator; and Omnibus Insurance, products for the mining industry.

Once successful in business, he got reconnected to his alma mater. He was invited to join the Board of Trustees in 2001, serving as Audit Committee chair for several years. Both Mike and Sharon visited campus frequently.

“The Board includes the spouses in campus activities,” says Sharon. “I went to classes and met the deans. ��I saw how everyone was working together for the good of the students, to make their experience better and to give them more.” That’s what motivated the Bills to support the Ernie Davis 44 Endowed Football Scholarship and create the Sharon C. Bill and Michael M. Bill Endowed Football Scholarship which, each year, aims to bring the best and brightest to Syracuse.

“Both the physical and intellectual are important,” says Mike. “We believe that if these young men and women have a high-level experience at Syracuse they will continue on as enthusiastic alumni and donors.”

Sharon says that when she looks up to Mike (she’s only 5’8” and he is 6’3”), she sees “someone who has always been very determined, who always set goals and had a plan for how he was going to achieve what he was going to achieve. And I think a lot of that comes from football. To carry out a plan and know where you must go to reach the goal.”

Their shared goal: to see the Lally Athletics Complex come to fruition, and set the stage for successful students and alumni, on and off the playing field.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Patricia A. Wood

A newly endowed fund set up to support undergraduate interdisciplinary research recognizes the importance of connecting diverse fields of thought in generating new ideas. It also reflects the experiences and passions of William Hrushesky ’69 who graduated cum laude with majors in philosophy, zoology, fine arts and anthropology, and was a teaching assistant in biology and histology.

The fund will be the Patricia A. Wood, M.D., Ph.D., Spinoza Award Fund, in honor of Hrushesky’s late wife and their shared passion for the ideas of the 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza and his fearlessness in breaking boundaries to explore new ideas.

“Be not astonished at new ideas,” wrote Spinoza, “for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many.”

Similarly, Wood carved new paths in cancer research, exploring the concept of medical chronobiology to create innovative approaches to cancer care. Together, Wood and Hrushesky found connections not previously explored in medical research.

In recent years, Hrushesky provided gifts toward what was known as the Spinoza Award, offered by the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (The SOURCE) to an undergraduate exploring philosophical aspects of issues that arise within the sciences or other professional disciplines. To establish the award, he had contacted Danielle Smith, director of�� She told him about the course Linked Lenses: Science, Philosophy, and the Pursuit of Knowledge, co-taught by philosopher Samuel Gorovitz and paleontologist/oceanographer Cathryn Newton and connected him with Gorovitz. That led to Hrushesky’s initial donations.

One award recipient brought philosophical principals to the blending of theater and technology; two others together redesigned the interior of spacecraft. This new $50,000 endowment from Hrushesky ensures that such creative pursuits will continue in perpetuity, aligned with the mission of the .

Hrushesky explains that the new fund will provide ongoing support for the kind of exploratory critical thinking that turns learning into understanding: “During the Enlightenment, the intimate connections among science, philosophy, art, music and literature became vividly obvious; these deep and broad connections are now atrophying. This��award must go to ambitious students who see how these things are intimately connected, rather than separated. Patricia had that kind of encompassing perception, which fuels great creativity. She developed and gained approval for the first cellular gene therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, saving tens of thousands of American children’s lives each year. My intent is for her example to inspire future students to emulate her and for my gift to inspire other donors to establish endowments to support student research in other ways.”

The endowment supports the kind of creative thinking fostered in courses like Linked Lenses.

“Creativity is often fueled by the blending in new ways of ideas, images, perceptions, or processes that might have been thought to be unrelated to each other,” says Gorovitz, founding director of the current Honors Program (2004-2010). “I’m convinced that any two items we identify are related to each other, if we can just see deeply and imaginatively enough to recognize, or invent, the relationships.”

Gorovitz explains that students must be encouraged “to abandon the idea that you have to have it all figured out before you start speaking, writing, drawing or composing. You may have a bunch of ideas; they may seem inconsistent with each other. You should let them tumble out in any order, don’t filter or censor. That comes later.”

This creative process is energized by The SOURCE, where the new endowment will be housed. Founded swiftly by Newton in collaboration with 60 colleagues, it was launched in 2019 to drive discovery and innovation and helps coordinate support for the interdisciplinary and inclusive research that Newton says is so vital to student success.

“Each of us has superpowers, right? My own gifts are not necessarily the same as all the members of the team, and that’s frankly what makes us strong,” says Newton, professor of interdisciplinary sciences, dean emerita of Arts and Sciences, and until recently special advisor to the Chancellor and provost for faculty engagement. “When you encourage original thought and creative work, and you look for ways to combine things that haven’t formerly been combined, you can have a powerful impact on the success of all students across diverse constituencies.”

Hrushesky says his beloved wife was always open to new ideas, welcoming contradicting arguments and data in the rigorous formation of evidence-based scientific breakthroughs. Her commitment to independent thinking and intellectual rigor was similar to that of Spinoza, a brilliant young ex-communicated Spanish/Jewish immigrant whose family and community fled the Spanish Inquisition to Holland near the end of the 16th century.

Both Wood and Spinoza provide a compelling intellectual model for students, says Hrushesky.

Now retired from academia, Hrushesky is co-owner of Oncology Analytics, a company whose mission is to ensure that cancer patients have access to evidence-based, data-driven guidance to receive the right diagnostic tests and treatments at the right time for the right reasons. He and his colleagues are creating a suite of decision support products to help cancer patients from the moment of diagnosis through end-of-life care.

“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Hrushesky for his vision and commitment to supporting undergraduate research that is dynamic, innovative and meaningful,” says Ramesh Raina, interim vice president for research. “These awards, named for individuals who were both thinkers and doers, will impact generations of students who want to make a positive difference in our world.”

Students interested in applying for the Patricia A. Wood, M.D., Ph.D., Spinoza Award will apply through The SOURCE Grant application process in either fall or spring. Visit����for instructions.

Howie ’70, G’71 and Louise Phanstiel

Now, Phanstiel and his wife, Louise Phanstiel, are paying tribute to the Syracuse University legend, pledging a $5 million gift to the that will enhance the student-athlete experience in alignment with the vision of the $150 million fundraising initiative recently announced by the Department of Athletics. In recognition of the Phanstiels’ generosity, an atrium entryway commonly referred to as the Little Atrium will be named in honor of Little.

The couple’s latest gift continues an extraordinary legacy of philanthropy from the Phanstiels. Howie, a Life Trustee, and Louise, a Voting Trustee, continue to serve the University and its students in countless ways, including a decade of scholarship support to more than 80 Phanstiel Scholars through a program designed to encourage students to balance community service with their academic pursuits.

Floyd Little ’67, H’16

Phanstiel says that Little embodied service to community and dedication to others throughout his lifetime.�� Little passed away on Jan. 1, 2021, at the age of 78 after nearly a year of battling cancer. “He was a fierce competitor on the field,” says Phanstiel of Little, the three-time all-American who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. “Off the field, Floyd was gentle, kind and a very engaged and giving person. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to help Syracuse University. Floyd and his wife, DeBorah, bled Orange, giving back in every way they could.”

Phanstiel says that he and Louise began thinking about making a gift in Little’s honor long before they knew he was ill.�� They often worked together on capital campaigns and initiatives that would strengthen the football program. “Floyd always demonstrated the work ethic and the commitment required to achieve goals. He was a great teammate, understanding the importance of everyone on the team. He was truly inspiring.”

Syracuse University Athletics Director John Wildhack says the gift from the Phanstiels is similarly inspiring. “Just as Floyd Little left a legacy, so are the Phanstiels. Floyd Little impacted so many people, not just by his passion for football, but through his mentorship of students and the guidance he imparted to our staff. He was always willing to share his time and his wisdom. By giving such a generous gift to the Lally Athletics Complex in Floyd Little’s name, the Phanstiels are keeping his spirit alive and reminding us of the best of Orange values and virtues.”

Wildhack added that the Phanstiels’ philanthropic support of the academic and athletic aspirations of student-athletes is aligned with the transformative vision behind the Lally Athletics Complex. The $150 million to be raised from private philanthropy will help transform the Manley Field House into the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, a state-of-the-art academic and athletics village. In the spring of 2022, the multi-million, multi-year project will get started with the construction of a new front entrance to the center for student-athlete life.

Phanstiel says the decision to honor Little with their newest gift to the Lally Athletics Complex is their way of reminding others of what it means to pursue goals and achieve them. And not just on the football field. “For us, life is about winning, but not in the context of whom you defeat. Winning should be about fulfilling your personal goals and those of the organizations you believe in,” says Phanstiel, the past chairman and CEO of PacifiCare Health Systems, one of the nation’s most prominent consumer health companies that eventually merged with UnitedHealth Group.

“Winning is about fulfilling a mission and giving back to community,” says Phanstiel. “No one exemplified this more than Floyd Little.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

As part of the Forever Orange Campaign, the pledge by Merle Goldberg Fabian ’59 will establish an endowed professorship in citizenship and critical thinking in the Maxwell School. “I was a good high school student, but didn’t have a vision,” recalls Fabian. “But when I took classes with professors who had a world view, who were so educated and incredibly articulate, they inspired me. They had a great sense of what government responsibility and citizens’ responsibility should be. I learned not to simply accept what I heard without challenging it in some way.”

She went on to earn a graduate degree in library science from Catholic University of America and held positions of responsibility at the Canadian Embassy Library, the San Francisco Public Library and the Government Affairs Institute.

Fabian believes the need for critical thinkers is more important than ever in a nation plagued by divisiveness and disinformation. Her conversations with Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke convinced her that today’s students could fill that need when inspired, as she was, by dynamic professors.

“I’m so encouraged by the fact that our students really want to make a difference,” says Van Slyke. “Merle believes, as I do, that professors can do a lot to expose students to a range of ideas that they may not have thought about or experienced. The most impactful professors bring together research and teaching and policy relevance to send their students out into the world to be constructive forces of change.”

Van Slyke is confident that the Merle Goldberg Fabian Professor of Excellence in Citizenship and Critical Thinking will be an inspiring force who can impact careers and change lives. Fabian’s gift endowing the professorship says it is intended to support “an accomplished professor who champions ethical citizenship and educates students on the importance of critical thinking in service of democratic values within American politics and government.”

Van Slyke notes that “nearly every student at Syracuse University takes a social science class in Maxwell where they are similarly encouraged to challenge ideas, wrestle with issues, and become a force for positive change.” Van Slyke intends to name a faculty member in the spring semester.

“I would like to see the person who is awarded this professorship be someone with a strong academic background and who is already engaged in public issues,” says Fabian. “This person should be highly articulate and care deeply about student achievement and engagement. People of my generation may not have that much more time to contribute, but somewhere between me and those college students, there are people who are smart and creative and making a difference.”

Through their family business—Bowl America Inc.—Fabian and her brother Leslie H. Goldberg accrued an impressive estate. Following Leslie’s death, his sister focused on setting up a family foundation and making donations in his name to his alma mater, the University of Virginia. That inspired her to create an endowment at her own alma mater while she is alive and able to see its impact on Maxwell faculty and students.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Charles Vert Willie

The legacy of Syracuse University alumnus Charles Vert Willie G’57, H’92 will forever be tied to that of his friend Martin Luther King Jr., making Willie’s passing a week before MLK Day 2022 especially poignant. Willie, who died on Jan. 11 at the age of 94, will be remembered in his own right as a champion for inclusion, equity and social justice.

Twenty years ago, Willie delivered some on the occasion of MLK Day 2002 at Harvard University: “By idolizing those whom we honor, we fail to realize that we could go and do likewise. As I have said on many occasions, honoring Martin Luther King Jr. would be dishonorable if we remember the man and forget his mission. For those among us who believe in him, his work now must become our own.”

Willie, indeed, made the work of King his own, as a student, teacher and administrator at Syracuse University for nearly 25 years. He arrived on campus as a teaching assistant in 1950, joined the faculty two years later as an instructor and earned his doctorate in 1957 from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. A decade later, he was appointed chair of the Sociology Department, becoming the first Black man appointed to an academic administration position at the University. He was also named vice president for student affairs in 1972.

Willie once described Syracuse University as a place “where I made thousands of friends and learned hundreds of lessons about reform and rebellion, redemption and reconciliation.” He engaged with students during campus protests, always seeking justice through understanding and mutual respect.

Charles V. Willie, at left, was awarded the Chancellor’s Citation Lifetime Achievement Award by Chancellor Kent Syverud during the One University Awards Ceremony in 2017

Willie brought to academia and administrative work a perspective grounded in history and personal experience as a child of segregation. He detailed what that meant to him in 1989 for the Concord, Massachusetts, Oral History Project, recalling his boyhood in Dallas, Texas: “I also grew up during the period when blacks had to sit at the back of the bus and at the back of the streetcar. It was always humiliating to me to pay one’s fare and then have to push through a crowded streetcar all the way to the back of it, but these were the experiences that one grew up with…. High office and prestige is no basis for knuckling under to injustice, and that’s been a tenet of my life over the years. So, wherever I find injustice, I am sorry, I have to oppose it.”

Chancellor Kent Syverud, who presented Willie with the 2017 Chancellor’s Citation Lifetime Achievement Award, noted his dedication to social justice. During the presentation, Chancellor Syverud said, “Through teaching, research and public service, Dr. Willie built a powerful legacy of advancing access and opportunity for all. Educator and social activist, he served as a court-appointed master, expert witness and consultant in many school desegregation cases. Throughout his career, he leveraged the power of social research to advance the cause of justice.”

Martin Luther King Jr., right, and Professor Charles Willie during King’s 1965 visit to the Syracuse University campus.

During his tenure at Syracuse University, Willie twice hosted his friend Martin Luther King Jr. on visits to campus, in 1961 and 1965. Willie and King had been classmates at Morehouse College, where Willie earned a B.A. in 1948. Years later, Willie once again stood by King’s side when introducing him to a Syracuse audience: “We have great affection for you in this city,” Willie told his friend. “We honor you because you have visited us and because of your achievement and because of your suffering.”

In 1974, Willie left Syracuse to accept a tenured position as professor of education and urban studies at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. His areas of research included desegregation, higher education, public health, race relations, urban community problems and family life. He published more than 100 articles and 35 books. Even after formally retiring from Harvard in 1999, Willie continued to teach part-time for another decade.

In 1992, Willie was awarded an honorary degree by Syracuse University. And, in 2000, he received the George Arents Pioneer Medal, Syracuse University’s highest alumni honor, presented to alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their chosen fields.

His is a tribute to his life and legacy: “He strove to bring the ideals of justice, equity, empathy, and reconciliation to every conflict he faced. He uncovered the best in everyone, understanding that no matter how intransigent the conflict, resolution required neither the annihilation nor the humiliation of opposing sides. Following those principles allowed Willie to build strong professional and personal bonds; he leaves behind a broad and diverse community of those who were touched by his grace.”

Charles and Mary Sue Willie and their daughter, Sarah Susannah Willie-LeBreton

Willie is survived by his wife of 59 years Mary Sue (Conklin) Willie; daughter Sarah Willie-LeBreton (Jonathan LeBreton) of Media, Pennsylvania; son Martin Willie (Jayme) of Denver, Colorado; son James Willie (Susan) of Takoma Park, Maryland; grandchildren Jeremy-Nathaniel Willie LeBreton, Susannah James Willie and Addison Jean Willie. Continuing Willie’s legacy with Maxwell, his son James and daughter-in-law Susan are former and current Maxwell Advisory Board members, respectively.

Kenneth “Kenny” Goodman ’70

“When we launched IMPRESS, we targeted first-year students who had dreams of pursuing careers in business,” says Goodman.�� “I knew they would acquire important skills in the classroom—but not all the skills they would need for success. I had seen a lot of really smart people come into the business world who were not successful.�� They had all the academic skills but they didn’t have the right means of connecting to people within an organization that would make them successful.”

Lindsay Quilty, Whitman School assistant dean for undergraduate programs, says that IMPRESS has achieved notable results—it is a magnet that attracts prospective students to Syracuse University. In addition, it has contributed to better job placement rates in higher paying positions for graduates of the program. “IMPRESS is giving our students an edge,” says Quilty. “It’s a co-curricular program that offers the soft skills necessary for career success—how to work within teams, develop better listening skills, have difficult conversations in the workplace, read someone’s body language, even greet someone during a job interview.”

IMPRESS stands for Initiating Meaningful Partnerships and Responsibilities to Encourage Student Success. “This program is helping our students be prepared for an ever-changing future by enhancing professional and personal skills,” says Alex McKelvie, Whitman School associate dean for undergraduate and master’s education and professor of entrepreneurship. “The new Goodman gift essentially creates IMPRESS 2.0. Just as we are preparing our students to be adaptable to rapidly changing circumstances in our world, we are adapting and customizing the program to make it more accessible to more students and for a digital work environment.”

Every new student admitted to Whitman becomes part of one of four IMPRESS houses. Each house is led by a faculty “house mentor” who guides students through their first business course and helps them engage in extracurricular activities for which they are rewarded with points. These activities include community engagement, the exploration of career possibilities and certifications.�� Through their involvement in these activities, students collect points toward a personal point total and a group point total–with the gamification acting as an additional motivator to get involved. Each year, the group with the greatest number of points is awarded the Goodman Cup at a celebratory event.�� The points accumulated and the experiences pursued are reflected on student co-curricular transcripts.

The enhanced IMPRESS program will have components that are personalized for upper division students with a focus on leadership development, says Goodman. “We want to create a leadership development plan for those students who demonstrate capabilities,” he says. “We know we can positively impact their futures.” Goodman says the plan to expand IMPRESS includes increased access to experiential learning opportunities, soft-skills training and certifications, and an emphasis on diversity, inclusion and equity. “I know that a lot of students figure things out on their own, but it is my sense that we could do a much better job helping develop the next generation of leaders. If we ensure our students are better trained in the non-academic side of things, more of them will be hired into great jobs at better pay, improving the university’s overall ranking and reputation.”

Goodman, who serves on the Whitman Advisory Council, was formerly vice chair of the University Board of Trustees and is now a Life Trustee.�� Though he started his academic pursuits at Syracuse University in engineering, he switched to accounting.�� Graduating in 1970, he quickly recognized that a career in public accounting would not satisfy his spirit to innovate, create and drive new products to market.�� He decided to “take a risk” and join a start-up that grew to become an international leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing.

“When you end up managing many thousands of people, you realize that it takes much more than an education to make a real difference in business,” says Goodman. With his continued generosity and support of IMPRESS, Goodman is ensuring Whitman graduates are well-prepared to make that difference.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

The Forever Orange campaign is focused on advancing academic excellence at all levels

“Words can’t fully express the depth of our gratitude to our generous donors,” says Matt Ter Molen, chief advancement officer and senior vice president, Advancement and External Affairs. “We are making incredible things possible through the Forever Orange campaign, things our campus community couldn’t have imagined 10 years ago. We are literally reshaping futures in providing the resources to support the dreams and aspirations of our amazing students and faculty.”

The Forever Orange campaign is focused on advancing academic excellence at all levels, including providing opportunities for talented students to excel; supporting new ways to deliver the learning experience; attracting and retaining faculty who are engaged in interdisciplinary and meaningful research; and ensuring that the Orange promise to create a better world is accessible to all.

The Forever Orange campaign accomplishments thus far include:

• Allocation of $115.5 million to student financial aid and another $135 million to research funding;
• Creation of nearly 500 new scholarships, dramatically increasing the amount of financial support available to our students; and
• Establishment of approximately 65 new funds to support faculty research, including 18 new endowed chairs and professorships.

The campaign has also allowed the University to be responsive to the unique needs brought about by the global pandemic, raising $1.8 million for the Syracuse Responds COVID-19 relief effort to provide students with immediate financial support to continue their studies with minimal disruption. In addition, about $4.6 million has been raised to advance the University’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives.

Some of the campaign’s impact is visible across campus in new or transformed facilities, including the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center, renovations to the Syracuse University stadium, the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building and the Barnes Center at The Arch.

Recent gifts to the campaign demonstrate the variety of donor interests, the diverse opportunities for giving, and the potential impact for philanthropy to change lives and fuel career success. These include:

• A legacy gift that advances academic excellence by establishing a new institute to foster life science research and entrepreneurship that will bring discoveries to market safely and efficiently.
• New funding for undergraduates to have global experiences and opportunities to pursue communications careers.
• New support for students from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in science and mathematics (STEM).
• Financial assistance for graduate students dedicated to careers in citizenship and public affairs.
• A intended to expand the numbers of minorities majoring in engineering and computer science.
• Funding that advances futures for student-athletes and the athletics program.

Ter Molen also notes that more than 5,100 donors made a gift during Boost the ’Cuse giving day on Oct. 7, 2021, raising nearly $1.3 million. He credited the collaboration, creativity, enthusiasm and support of both donors and staffers who fuel the Forever Orange Campaign and sustain its momentum. More campaign initiatives are on the way as the University sets it sights on achieving the $1.5 billion campaign goal.

Sharon Jacquet’s gratitude and recognition that teachers bring value to many industries is the foundation for her ongoing generosity to the School of Education and service to Syracuse University.

Sharon Jacquet graduated from Syracuse University in 1972 with a degree in elementary education but decided against becoming a teacher. “I felt it was an awesome responsibility and I was too immature to be responsible for those young minds,” Jacquet recalls, with just a hint of irony. Today, Jacquet bears the responsibility of being a wealth manager, providing guidance and advice to families whose livelihoods and retirements often depend on her expertise.

In fact, Jacquet uses the skills she learned in the School of Education—just not in a classroom setting. Jacquet is a vice chairman of JPMorgan Private Bank where she leads a specialized team that works with corporate executives and ultra-high net worth individuals. “I’m still a teacher. I teach people all the time,” she says, with both pride and appreciation for what she learned at her alma mater.

Jacquet’s gratitude and recognition that teachers bring value to many industries is the foundation for her ongoing generosity to the School of Education and service to Syracuse University. She is a Life Trustee and also serves on the School of Education Board of Visitors. She has given more than $1 million to support initiatives at the school, including the Sharon Haines Jacquet Endowed Scholarship as part of the .

When the new Center for Experiential Pedagogy and Practice (CEPP) opens at the School of Education in the fall, it will be partly because Jacquet is determined to help the school stay on the cutting edge. “Sharon knows the impact that money can have,” says former School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila. “She wants the school to have the resources to be innovative and distinctive.”

The CEPP will focus on simulations, digital counseling and supervision to provide students with immersive and challenging experiences designed to better prepare them for complex human interactions. “This kind of clinical simulation provides rich conversation about the educator’s responsibilities,” Masingila says. “I remember when I was a teacher facing parent-teacher conferences. I thought it would have been good to have been better prepared.”

The concept appeals to Jacquet. “I believe that people learn by doing,” Jacquet says. “In financial advising and in teaching, the best of the best are the ones who do the most listening.”

“We prepare our teachers and leaders to know it’s a whole system,” says Masingila. “You have to get to know the whole family and the community, not just how the child is doing in my math class.”

This holistic view of an educator is in alignment with Jacquet’s holistic view of a financial advisor. “I deal with multi-generations in large families,” says Jacquet. “I get to impact the relationships between the person who made the money and their children, grandchildren and future generations.”

Jacquet has come to realize that the relationship between a financial advisor and client is very much like the relationship between a teacher and student. “It’s very intimate. You really need to know everything about the individual and the family in order to serve them properly.”

“Sharon is genuinely committed to supporting the good work of education and educators,” says Masingila. “She’s an educator even though she’s not a teacher. She has a big vision for education, and we are the beneficiaries of that vision.”

“Syracuse University gave me so much,” says Jacquet. The School of Education graduate who worked her way up on Wall Street to the uppermost levels at JPMorgan says she succeeded because of her intellectual curiosity, critical thinking skills learned in liberal arts courses and a semester abroad in France that exposed her to other cultures. “I got to where I am today because other people wanted me to succeed and helped me along the way. “

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Vernon Greene

Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and International Affairs Vernon Greene, who passed away on Oct. 10 at the age of 77, saw the aging process as much more than a person getting old, and his vision helped build Syracuse University’s reputation as a national leader in gerontology, home of the Aging Studies Institute (ASI) and the Center for Aging and Policy Studies (CAPS).

“Vernon is a bedrock for one of the most distinguished interdisciplinary aging institutes in the nation,” says Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke. Greene was the director of the All-University Gerontology Center (1988-1993), the predecessor to the Aging Studies Institute. He was a political scientist by training (M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington; B.A. from University of Texas, Austin).�� He taught at the University of Arizona before coming to Syracuse University as an associate professor of public administration in 1986. He was promoted to professor in 1992 and was the longtime chair of the doctoral program in social science at Maxwell.

“It is a testament to his work that we have been able to recruit and retain prolific research faculty and talented students who have an interest in aging as a life course and its direct relationship to public policy,” says Van Slyke. “Throughout his career—as researcher, teacher, advisor and mentor—he challenged colleagues and students to question conventional norms and to rethink issues through an interdisciplinary lens and rigorous research methodology.”

That’s what attracted Professor Douglas Wolf to Syracuse University more than two decades ago. Wolf, now professor of public administration and international affairs and the Gerald B. Cramer Professor of Aging Studies, says the interdisciplinary nature of the team and Greene’s approach to teaching reflected “the Maxwell way of looking at the world.”

“Vernon taught his students to ask the ‘central questions’ about the rationale for government intervention in people’s lives,” says Wolf.�� “He explored implications for public funding and policies involving the safety net, housing, organizational and community support. He included the neurosciences, biology and social sciences in his perspectives on aging. His lens was broad and analytical.”

Greene referenced this approach in The Gerontologist in December 1999 in his farewell message as he stepped down from his position as editor-in-chief. “I have tried to steer a course for the journal that is multidisciplinary in substance and ecumenical in methodological philosophy. As other journals in the (Gerontological Society of America) have increasingly defined their missions along section and disciplinary lines, I have tried to maintain and enhance the commitment of The Gerontologist to providing a venue for a reflective and scholarly conversation that seeks to broadly involve the Society as a whole.”�� (Vol. 39, No. 6, 644).

“His legacy are the students whose work he supervised,” says Wolf. “He was training people to be exceptionally rigorous in laying out the rationale and the tools for carrying out public services.”

“He was both big picture and a stickler for details,” says Stuart Bretschneider who, along with Greene, taught doctoral students research methodology. Bretschneider is now director of the Center for Organization Research and Design at Arizona State University. “Vernon trained a lot of people to do very careful, high quality analytical research.�� He had high expectations for his students and worked tirelessly with them to help them achieve those expectations.”

Sarah Laditka, now professor emeritus in public health sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, was one of Greene’s Ph.D. students. “Vernon was generous in sharing his wisdom and advice, which helped me greatly to succeed in my academic career. Vernon was never too busy to talk with me. When I needed his advice the most, he put meeting with me ahead of everything else. He was a role model for my entire career. I will always be inspired by Vernon’s dedication to mentoring graduate students in research and to promoting the health and well-being of older adults.”

Kristina Lambright, Greene’s graduate assistant from 1996-97, says he “influenced me to become a professor in public administration. The lessons I learned 25 years ago from Vernon about what it means to be a kind, thoughtful and conscientious faculty mentor continue to impact my own work with graduate students today as a professor at Binghamton University.”

Dean Van Slyke recalls that Greene served on his own mentoring committee when he first came to Syracuse as an assistant professor in 2004. “I recall people saying he’s exactly the kind of person you want on your mentoring committee because if you can make it by Vernon Greene, you can make it by most people. Vernon was seen as a proxy for quality. He did not suffer fools gladly. He was going to ask hard questions and scrutinize things.”

Bretschneider jokingly recalls that if Greene was in the audience for any research presentation, “he would invariably ask about some endogenous factor in the methodology, inspiring a comprehensive discussion of the issue. Vernon thought deeply about why things happen the way they do. He was a serious scholar who tackled the truly important things in life.”

Greene is survived by his wife of 42 years, Deborah Monahan, emerita professor of social work, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, their daughter Rachel (Philip Roth) Greene; son, Samuel (Kseniia) Greene; brothers, Geoffrey (Carol) Greene, Mark (Dani) Greene; and several nieces and nephews.

A gift from Dr. Jason Soifer ’51 creates new endowments in Soifer’s name in the Department of Drama to support scholarships and in the Setnor School of Music to support international study and experiences, both in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Soifer, who passed away on July 14, 2021, at the age of 91, named Syracuse University the beneficiary of his $2.7 million . As part of the Forever Orange Campaign, the gift creates new endowments in Soifer’s name in the Department of Drama to support scholarships and in the Setnor School of Music to support international study and experiences, both in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA).

“I had always been stage-struck, gifted with a booming voice, backed up with a lack of talent, but I persevered and ended up in the box office during my four years at Syracuse,” said Soifer in describing the inspiration behind the endowments, during an interview earlier this year. “I trained at Medical School in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and realized how important an international education was, especially in language and to broaden one’s view of life. It can be quite educational to people—watch from a sidewalk cafe in Paris!” Soifer served abroad in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Paris for NATO as its medical head. The endowment to the Setnor School to support international study is intended to give students the same opportunities to absorb new cultures and expand their worldviews.

“This gift is very personal to me,” says Milton Rubén Laufer, director of the Setnor School of Music. Even though Laufer never met the man behind the gift, he appreciates deeply the potential impact of Soifer’s endowment funds to support music and drama students in VPA. “Though I was a promising student, my family couldn’t afford the tuition for me to go to my top choices. It was a scholarship like this one, earmarked for under-represented students, that gave me the opportunity to attend the best schools and travel internationally. I would not be where I am today without those experiences or support.”

Echoing Laufer’s sentiments, Holly Thuma, interim chair of the Department of Drama, also describes the Soifer gift as one of opportunity that “helps us to overcome the inequities many students face.” The Jason Soifer Endowed Scholarship for Drama is intended to provide scholarship and financial assistance to students who will bring diverse perspectives to the dramatic arts. “We are one of the top-rated drama programs in the country,” says Thuma, “but many gifted students can’t afford to come here. We are so grateful for Dr. Soifer’s gift, which offers a real chance to change things.”

Thuma points out that exposure to diverse perspectives and voices is vital to the developing artist. “To become better actors requires empathy, to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes,” says Thuma. “That’s what actors do. We step into someone else’s shoes and walk that life experience. Part of our job is to help students expand their worldview—in acting, directing, designing, all aspects of the performance arts. Diverse voices are part of our art form and we need to expand the stories we tell. The Department of Drama has a strong vision for the future, one in which stories that have long been excluded will be given their due and brought center stage.”

“Cost is the biggest barrier for anyone of talent to come here,” says Laufer. “Scholarship support that brings diverse voices and perspectives to the stage will strengthen the whole college.” Laufer also serves as co-chair of VPA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “These students could be the next Fulbright Scholar or Grammy winner or Tony Winner, or the next professor or dean. I’m the first person of color to lead Setnor in its 140-year history. It’s not my intention to be the last.”

The Jason Soifer Endowed Fund for International Music Opportunities offers students expanded world views through cultural music exchange and immersion programs, international competitions, concerts, performance tools, student stipends, student research and internship opportunities.

“I think every Setnor student should have a chance to be on foreign soil,” says Laufer. “It increases our abilities as artists to immerse ourselves, transcend language in many ways and break down barriers. It helps our students develop as human beings and as global citizens. There’s a certain aspect of fearlessness that accompanies international travel and that, too, is an important gift to give our students. In addition, the more our students interact with students from other nations, the more likely we are to get international students here.”

VPA Dean Michael Tick calls the Soifer gift transformational. “Jason Soifer has provided opportunities for current drama and music students and invested in the future of Syracuse University. I am deeply grateful for the ways in which the Soifer endowments will lift up VPA for years to come.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Richard M. (Rich) Jones

The incoming chair of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) , Richard M. (Rich) Jones ’92, G’95, L’95, believes that President Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address provides us with a call to action. He says that the most important obligation as a nation and as a university community is to “[T]o care for those who have borne the battle.” Jones says it is this very commitment that has guided the leaders of Syracuse University for many decades and will shape the future for generations to come. “The idea of how to best support our veterans and military families is continuously evolving,” Jones says. “Our nation spends billions of dollars each year recruiting and then training our young men and women in uniform. We need to be as equally purposeful as they transition out of uniform and into the civilian workforce.”

Jones, who is the executive vice president, general tax counsel and chief veteran officer at ViacomCBS, believes the OVMA is well-positioned to build a broader, innovative network of support for veterans and their families—one that leverages the resources of the University as well as those of the public and private sector.

“In my estimation, in order for the OVMA to be as impactful as it can, we must, to use a military term, be hyper aware of ‘the conditions on the ground’ because conditions affecting this generation of transitioning veterans are changing in ways that we can’t even imagine and they will need our best thinking and support,” he says.

Jones describes himself as just a hard-working soldier who has never forgotten where he came from. He was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, where he served honorably as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and 10th Mountain Division. “I still operate like the staff sergeant that I was: head on a swivel, always looking out 1,000 meters,” Jones says. “Our mission at Syracuse University is to provide a world-class education. What should distinguish our approach to serving student veterans? What Syracuse does, which is so unique, is to supplement the classroom instruction with community, support, mentoring and life-coaching and always providing the practical survival skills necessary to be successful in the civilian workplace and beyond.”

Guidance and support

Richard M. (Rich) Jones, front, founded the ViacomCBS Veterans Network 13 years ago to provide mentoring, education, internships and economic empowerment to veterans.

Jones credits Syracuse University for changing his life and providing the guidance, support and education that he needed to successfully take on the challenges of life after the military. After six years of service, he was medically retired from the Army after being critically injured when his parachute malfunctioned during a training exercise. Jones was being treated at the Syracuse VA Medical Center when he made the decision to hobble across Irving Street on crutches to campus and found his way to the office of Horace Landry, professor emeritus of accounting in the Whitman School of Management and a WWII Navy veteran. Jones says that Landry’s genuine concern exemplifies the old saying that “everyone needs someone in their life to give them the courage to be what they are meant to be.”

Jones went on to earn a bachelor of science degree (summa cum laude) as well as law and business degrees (with honors) from Syracuse University. He credits that chance meeting for setting in motion the events that led to where he is today. “At a critical point in my life, Syracuse University literally helped me get back on my feet,” says Jones. “It gave me the gift of an outstanding education, allowed me to have a great career and, most importantly, the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Despite any success, he has never forgotten how gut-wrenching it was to have his military career end and how difficult it was to overcome the pain, physical limitations and trauma. It drives him to help others, just like Professor Landry and the Syracuse University community helped him, to get to the other side stronger and empowered.

Jones, who was awarded the University’s highest alumni honor, an Arents Award, in 2014, works closely with many of the nation’s most impactful veteran service organizations to ensure that we honor the sacrifice of this generation of veterans and their families. He founded the 13 years ago to provide mentoring, education, internships and economic empowerment to veterans. He considers it a great honor to serve as the chief veteran officer at ViacomCBS where nearly 1,000 veterans are currently employed, bringing with them skills essential to both military and corporate success, like leadership, problem solving, teamwork and attention to detail.

Thiéyacine Fall

“For us, it’s all about selfless service and quiet, impactful action,” says Jones. He cites the as an example of how companies can help student veterans with��hands-on experience, career-building workshops, professional development courses and networking opportunities.

Thiéyacine Fall G’22, who is pursuing an MBA at the Whitman School, is one of the program interns, working in the Global Sourcing Department. Fall was an active-duty U.S. Army soldier in the infantry, assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. When he left the service, he got an undergraduate degree at Fordham University. “When I got out of the service, I saw all these promotional promises: ‘Hire vets! Hire heroes!’ I figured if I got a degree, the doors would be open, and the bounty would be plentiful,” Fall says. “But the reality was—there were no doors.”

Fall discovered the painful truth suffered by many veterans. Companies didn’t seem to value the skills they had developed on the battlefield.

Translating military skills

Janina Rios, another ViacomCBS intern and Syracuse University undergraduate, was similarly discouraged. The army veteran had gone directly from high school into basic training, serving in the National Guard before suffering an injury that forced her into medical retirement. “Everybody kept saying it’s going to be easy, you served in the military,” Rios says. “But every time I applied for a job, I was told I didn’t meet the qualifications.”

Janina Rios

Looking back, Rios wishes someone had helped her translate her military skills into civilian language to improve her resume and her interviewing skills. That’s exactly what the programs at Syracuse University, OVMA and the ViacomCBS Veterans Network can help with. Rios, now majoring in film studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is editing content to create engaging videos. “The fact that I was selected for the internship in my freshman year and am able to connect with people who are extremely passionate about veterans…it’s genuine love and care that you’re experiencing, along with mentorship and understanding,” Rios says.

Both Fall and Rios say that the greatest challenge for veterans transitioning to civilian life is the lack of structure. The internship program provides opportunities that are well-defined and a clearer pathway to career success. “Rich Jones is making the roadmap easier for me,” says Fall. “And I’d like to make that roadmap easier for other veterans.”

“We have to make sure that we provide our student veterans with the mindset and the tools to navigate their transition,” says Jones. “That sums up the mission of the OVMA, its board and this wonderful Syracuse University community. We have the great privilege to continue this work, to honor a promise that was made decades ago and the unique opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of transitioning veterans and their families for generations to come.”

2014 Arents Award, Excellence in Finance and Veterans Affairs

Charles (Charlie) and Carolyn Wheeler

Charles (Charlie) and Carolyn Wheeler ’67 have been married and in business together for more than five decades. They have lived conservatively, which has allowed them to build an estate that achieves a shared dream—to help humanity for generations to come. Their recent gift to Syracuse University will do just that, advancing academic excellence and innovation in both the life sciences and business.

It all began when Carolyn graduated from Syracuse University in 1967 with a degree in psychology, sociology and the fine arts. The young coed walked into the Syracuse office of the British-based Royal Insurance Co. where Charlie was part of the leadership team. Carolyn had applied for a job as an underwriter. Charlie rejected her application—he was concerned about her lack of experience and the investment in resources the company would have to make to train her–but he was overruled by a hiring committee. ��Carolyn became the first woman underwriter hired by the company in the United States.

Six months later, Charlie married her.

“Charlie knew how to capitalize on the company’s investment,” says Carolyn with a chuckle. “And throughout our lives together, he has demonstrated a great business sense, putting us in a position to be able to make this significant estate gift to the University.” The Wheelers prefer to keep the total amount of their bequest confidential, but their extraordinary generosity will be recognized with their name on a new institute and two endowed professorships. Their planned gift advances the Forever Orange Campaign’s support of breakthrough and impactful research.

The vision for the Carolyn B. and Charles M. Wheeler Institute is to combine the talents, ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen among faculty and students in the life sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The intent is to bring discoveries in life sciences to market safely and more efficiently to address global challenges in health and materials innovation. The collaboration among researchers, faculty and students in the Wheeler Institute will accelerate the development of breakthroughs in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

The institute will foster basic and applied life science research, while tailoring curriculum and research in finance, regulation and supply chains for specific business conditions in industries like pharmaceuticals and medical devices. There will be internships, experiential learning opportunities, professional development and networking, along with grants to help launch products and services emanating from life sciences research.

“The life sciences are essential drivers of health, as well as economic growth and employment,” says Whitman School Dean Gene Anderson. “The Wheelers’ generous gift will greatly advance the impact of the life sciences on the health of individuals and communities through the power of business.”

“We’ve known so many brilliant people who had great ideas but lacked the business acumen to bring those ideas to fruition,” says Charlie. “You can be extremely intelligent in the sciences, but you’ve got to have business sense in order to thrive.”

The Wheeler Institute will be led by two endowed professorships: the Carolyn B. Wheeler Endowed Professorship in Arts and Sciences and the Charles M. Wheeler Endowed Professorship in Whitman. The professorships will recognize highly accomplished faculty members and support them in taking their research and teaching to the next level.

“I am grateful to Charles and Carolyn Wheeler for their generosity in establishing the Wheeler Institute and its two new endowed professorships,” says College of Arts and Sciences Dean Karin Ruhlandt. “Thanks to the Wheelers’ visionary gift, students will develop the scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial insight needed to help push the boundaries in pharmaceutical and medical innovation for healthier communities, as the world continues to face down the pandemic.”

The Wheelers hope the new institute will attract the best and brightest students in biological research and business to Syracuse University. “They are our hope for a better future, to transcend all the problems our world is facing,” says Carolyn.

Five decades after they first got together, the Wheelers look forward to leaving a legacy, filled with promise. “We are so lucky to have achieved just about everything we’ve wanted to achieve in life and in business,” says Charlie. “We have had no desire to live an extravagant lifestyle,” says Carolyn. “Our desire now is to see this institute thrive, to bring even greater excellence to Syracuse University, and to produce the kind of talent that will change our world for the better and help humanity in the long run.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Jennifer Karas Montez [Please note, this image pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic]

“I absolutely love what I do,” says Montez, professor of sociology, Gerald B. Cramer Faculty Scholar in Aging Studies, director of the (CAPS) and co-director of the in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Montez has built a career around asking “big questions” in the search for solutions to some of life’s most pressing public health problems: Why do people in one state live longer than those in other states? Why is the United States losing ground in its international ranking in life expectancy? Why is life expectancy worse for lesser-educated adults than most other groups? What can be done to reverse these disturbing trends and change life trajectories?

It is noteworthy that Montez dramatically changed the trajectory of her own life because of her fascination with these kinds of questions. Her childhood years were marked by “hard times.” Though her mother never went to college, she insisted that Montez do so. With an undergraduate degree in math and a master’s in statistics, both from Purdue University, Montez got a job in the private sector. But her work in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and petrochemicals did not satisfy her.

“By all standards, I had an amazing and financially-rewarding career,” says Montez. “But my spirit was unfulfilled and at age 37, I quit my job and went back to school. My biggest risk was a game changer for me. It’s not an exaggeration to say that my upbringing and experiences literally impact everything I do every single day.” She recognizes that the population health work she now does can literally change the trajectory of millions of lives—and dramatically improve them.

“Jennifer is so deserving of this recognition,” says Zhanjiang (John) Liu, interim provost and vice chancellor. “Her scholarly pursuits and passion for public health bring significant recognition and critical resources to the entire University to continue to pursue relevant and impactful work.”

Her work was recognized in 2018 when she was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow, a prestigious fellowship in the social sciences and humanities. Known as “,” the fellowships provide funding for research that “shows potential for meaningful impact” and “the capacity for dissemination to a broad audience.” For Montez, the funding meant a greater opportunity to study polarization in state policies and its impact on life expectancy. She has already shared findings with state legislators to help them understand the downstream impact of their policy work.

As a member of the Syracuse University research cluster on Aging, Health and Neuroscience, she has also received significant grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). A five-year $2.1 million NIA grant supports the , a consortium of three upstate New York universities. CAPS research is designed to improve the health, well-being and independence of older adults. It is one of 12 such centers across the country. Montez is the director of CAPS and principal investigator for the grant.

Another five-year $2.3 million NIA grant, for which she is a co-principal investigator, leads the national , an interdisciplinary group of 75 scholars looking at why life expectancy in the United States is not keeping pace with other nations.

Montez is also the principal investigator of a five-year $1.7 million NIA grant to examine how U.S. states’ policy contexts affect life expectancy for people with different levels of education. “When we started our work a decade ago, we faced an uphill battle,” says Montez. “We believed that state policies really mattered, but the focus at that time was on neighborhoods. Over time, people started to pay more attention and, with the pandemic, there’s a greater awareness of the consolidation of power at the state level. States have taken power away from cities and towns, and been given more power from the federal government. Policies on mask mandates, eviction moratoriums and stay-at-home orders show how states will continue to be major actors in our lives.”

“In addition to being a talented scholar engaged in research that is shaping the way in which policymakers think about issues and the decisions that are made about programs, clients and resources, Jennifer is an engaging and highly sought-after teacher that challenges her students to think through the multidimensional contexts of real-life issues that impact the livelihoods of disadvantaged populations,” says David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School.

“Jennifer’s ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible manner and with humility and empathy for those she’s engaging is one more reason she’s having the impacts that led to her being named a University Professor. And, we are so delighted that she is with Maxwell and SU making those contributions and changing the communities she serves for the better,” he says.

Jessica Powers

“In her graduate studies, Jessica has already published more on this specific topic than any other researcher,” says Ditre. “An award like this means that NIDA recognizes her exceptional potential to deliver an impactful study that could ultimately help inform the way health care providers treat nicotine-users who are suffering from pain.”

For Powers, the award is not only validation of the importance of her work. It presents an opportunity to broaden awareness of a significant public health problem. The fact is that many people (including clinicians) are not aware that chronic pain (including back, chest, abdominal and limb pain) can be worsened by the intake of nicotine.

“With the growing use of e-cigarettes, it’s critical to understand how pain influences and is impacted by new trends. Pain is an important and unrecognized risk factor in nicotine use and dependence, and we need to specifically study its impact on e-cigarette use,” says Powers. Her funded work will be the first prospective study to test whether pain predicts a greater likelihood of initiating co-use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, by looking at data from over 30,000 participants in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study launched in 2013 by the NIH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

During her graduate studies at Syracuse University, Powers completed a practicum at a community-based pain treatment center. “More than half of my patients were smoking,” says Powers. “It was a stark reminder of the importance of this research and the need to better understand how pain may make it harder for patients to quit using tobacco and other nicotine products.”

Powers’ work aims to advance the field that attracted Ditre to pain and addiction research when he was a graduate student. “Back in 2004, we were just beginning to understand the link between smoking and pain. We were able to show that pain can promote smoking, partly because smokers often report experiencing pain relief when using nicotine. But with more research, we realized there was a vicious cycle: pain promotes smoking and, over time, smoking increases pain.” Ditre notes that many medical professionals remain unaware of this cycle.

Ditre says that Powers’ research “will allow us to stay ahead of the curve on a landscape that continues to change. If you’re not examining meaningful data in a timely manner, you may miss something important that’s happening and that has implications for the future.”

Powers’ findings may very well help to shape the way health care providers treat patients suffering from chronic pain and those who are dealing with nicotine addiction. It’s rare to find anesthesiologists, physiatrists or neurologists who are pain specialists also focusing on the smoking habits of their patients during pain therapy. But the linkage between pain and nicotine necessitates new knowledge and understanding that could lead to the design of integrated pain therapies. In addition, smoking cessation programs must recognize the importance of pain management for clients to achieve success in breaking nicotine addiction.

Henrietta “Etta” Fielek

Opportunity is defined as a situation that makes it possible to do something you want to do. For Henrietta “Etta” Fielek ’70, G’77, the opportunity to attend her dream school—Syracuse University—was made possible by scholarship support and financial aid. Now, she’s ensuring that others have similar opportunities, especially those who are driven by the same kind of passionate curiosity that inspired her.

“I’m from a small town, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, a dying industrial city,” says Fielek. “I was a curious girl with a mother who encouraged me to be independent and to explore whatever I was interested in.” The young Etta showed an early interest in journalism, even reading newspaper headlines at age 4. As a teenager, she started a weekly newspaper for the town’s recreation department, reporting on playground news.

“I was always ‘nosey’ and curious and information-oriented. If you give people information that helps them make connections with people and things they need, they can have better lives,” Fielek says. She was editor of her high school newspaper and dreamed of a career in journalism. She saw the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications as the best way to achieve that dream.

It was the late 1960s when she headed to Syracuse University. The Vietnam War, the Kent State shootings and campus unrest dominated the national news. This small town girl began to see a much bigger world with even greater opportunities to explore. So she took advantage of scholarship support once more and headed to Florence, Italy, to study abroad during the spring semester of 1969. “I took an additional six weeks to travel around Europe on a train with another woman from Syracuse University,” Fielek says. “It was such an eye-opener!”

Those experiences as a Syracuse University student inspired Fielek.�� In 2020, through her estate plans, she established the Henrietta Fielek Endowed Scholarship to provide financial support to first-year students at Newhouse, supporting students both now and in the future. This year, she also established the Fielek Syracuse Abroad-Newhouse Fund, to cover program fees and other non-tuition expenses for undergraduate students in Newhouse interested in global experiences.

Dean Mark J. Lodato expresses deep gratitude for Fielek’s continuing support of the Newhouse School. “Her generous contribution will help more women and other curious and adventurous students succeed at Syracuse University and achieve their personal and professional goals,” Lodato says. “Etta is a shining example of the strength of the Newhouse School alumni network.”

In the late ’60s Fielek recalls women did not have the same opportunities to excel in reporting careers. After graduation, she worked at starter papers in New Jersey. “It wasn’t until that time that I understood the limitations professionally because I was a woman,” says Fielek. Female reporters were not allowed to cover what editors saw as more dangerous stories like an industrial plant explosion; they were forced to work the phones in the office instead. When offered a “promotion” to work the overnight desk, she decided to leave journalism and pursue new adventures.

“I knew there was a big world out there and unless I took the initiative to dip my toe in it, it wasn’t going to happen,” says Fielek. She headed to Washington, D.C., hand-delivered resumés to dozens of Congressional offices, pursued a job opening she heard about in an elevator, worked various public affairs and media relations jobs in government and eventually joined the American Hospital Association (AHA) where she spent nearly two decades and helped to launch the Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care. Two years ago, she retired from her position as vice president of political outreach for the AHA.

Fielek says her own professional success comes from both pursuing opportunities and seizing them when they come along. She credits her mother with essentially giving her permission to explore, take risks and be bold. “She never questioned my ideas. She never tried to get in my way. She let me try new things, screw up, make mistakes. She was never judgmental, even when I did crazy things. I think I have made every mistake there is to make,” she says. “The point is not to make the same mistake twice!”

Through her philanthropy, Fielek hopes to nurture in others, especially young women and others who have an entrepreneurial spirit, that sense of adventure that her mother offered her. “I just want to make it possible for them to fulfill their own dreams,” she says. “You don’t have to be a mega-millionaire to support a cause, to advance education and to support young people. You just have to decide what your priorities are—and then take action.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

Southeast ADA Center staff person Cyndi Smith training a group at the Center for Independent Living in Macon, Georgia

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration on Community Living (ACL), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the Southeast ADA Center is one of 10 regional centers in the ADA National Network, providing information, training and guidance about the ADA throughout the eight state Southeast region. BBI provides the center with analyses of legal issues affecting the ADA as well as other resources such as “plain language” legal briefs written by Syracuse University College of Law students.

“The complexity of the issues facing the disability community is daunting, along with the increasing need for reliable information in the public domain. The Southeast ADA Center will continue to provide up-to-date, accurate and accessible information on all aspects of the ADA,” says Peter Blanck, University Professor at Syracuse University and chairman of BBI. “The center’s role is, perhaps, most important than ever in making a positive difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families by fostering ADA understanding and compliance.”

“In the next five years, the Southeast ADA Center will continue to be an important source for information on the ADA,” says Barry Whaley, project director and co-principal investigator. “In addition, we will engage in dynamic research exploring the intersectionality of race, ethnicity and disability across the domains of employment, technology equity and poverty.”

Peter Blanck, University Professor at Syracuse University and chairman of BBI, guest lecturing a class at University of Kentucky College of Law

The Southeast ADA Center’s educational and advocacy work, providing ADA training, technical assistance, research and user-friendly information, reaches and supports more than one million stakeholders annually across the Southeast region. The renewed funding will allow the center to achieve multiple objectives, including:

• Encouraging and supporting meaningful partnerships among the disability community, government, business and community organizations to facilitate ADA implementation
• Improving and expanding training, technical assistance, and information dissemination that promotes voluntary compliance with the ADA
• Empowering individuals across the diversity of disabilities and at the intersection of race, ethnicity, age and gender to increase understanding of ADA rights and responsibilities
• Customizing and disseminating outreach materials to culturally and linguistically underserved populations, including Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and Latinx communities
• Conducting research that produces new knowledge and understanding of barriers��to employment and economic self-sufficiency, to increase the civic and social participation of people with disabilities
• Creating a comprehensive website with a searchable database that is regularly updated
• Supporting advocacy and education among students and youth with disabilities

The new funding will support the center’s initiatives through 2026.

About the Southeast ADA Center

The Southeast ADA Center answers questions and provides training and information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The center, based in Lexington, Kentucky, serves an eight-state geographic region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) and has a network of partners in each state that includes Centers for Independent Living (CILs), individuals with and without disabilities, small and large employers and businesses, nonprofit organizations and universities, and state and local government agencies. The center is one of ten regional ADA centers in the ADA National Network. For more information, visit the .

About the Burton Blatt Institute

(BBI) at Syracuse University reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic and social participation of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, former dean of SU’s School of Education and a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. BBI’s offices are in Syracuse; Washington, D.C.; Lexington, Kentucky; and New York.

Patrick W. Berry

“There’s a rhetorical dimension to all language, the words we use, the assumptions and choices we make, when we teach, speak and write,” says Patrick W. Berry, associate professor and outgoing chair of the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition in the College of Arts and Sciences, who co-organized the RSA’s Summer Institute, with Charles (Chuck) Morris III, professor and chair of VPA’s Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies.

“For rhetorical studies scholars, the question is ‘What do the words do?,’” says Morris. “Do they make people feel alienated or unsafe? Institutional racism, a phrase often heard these days, is founded on the perpetuation of policies that come about because of words that are said and words that are not said. From the classroom, to email exchanges between faculty and/or administrators, to the everyday ways people talk to each other, words have implications for behaviors.”

Both Berry and Morris believe the RSA itself has needed to look critically within its own structure and history to understand how it must become more inclusive as an academic field. That’s why, as RSA President Michelle Ballif said, “the Institute took up the important work of interrogating #RhetoricsSoWhite” and acknowledging racialized systems of power in the discipline of rhetoric itself, a discipline historically led by white men.

Charles (Chuck) Morris III

“What does it mean to imagine a completely different field?” offered Karma R. Chávez, who noted that many students of rhetoric were unable to advance in the field because they were “too black, too brown, too working class, too first-generation, too queer, too trans, too foreign, too lacking in English, too disabled, too feminine.” She spoke of the history of “alienizing logic,” a structure of thinking that recognizes some as necessarily members of a community and some as not belonging, “even if they reside there.”

Chávez set the tone for participatory workshops in subjects as diverse as Indigenous rhetoric, trans rhetoric, rhetoric and sexual violence, border rhetoric, pandemic rhetoric and rhetoric in dark times.

“During my workshop, I really took away a lot of tips regarding teaching and being a woman of color in academia,” says Shewit Mikael, a teaching assistant and graduate student in communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University. “In terms of my teaching, being a critic of my students’ work means being honest regardless of my own background or theirs. It was reassuring to hear from scholars of color that professors would give them exemplary marks on their work but when submitting to journals they would get consistent rejections and that was because professors or peers were afraid to be honest with them. As a teacher, I must make sure that I give my students the opportunity to be better.”

Morris and Berry believe that the institute inspires students and teachers to listen more, to pay more attention to the assumptions they make, to ensure that the words they use don’t frame discussions as being “for something or against it.”

“For our field, the four years of Donald Trump was a bonanza for examining how the rhetoric has an effect on people’s lives,” says Morris. “Our field is premised on the public good of public discourse, the public good of rhetoric. Yet, the years of his presidency produced a great deal of anxiety because he unleashed a lot of biases and bigotries, and heightened culture wars and adversarial positions. In a spectacular fashion, he forced us to understand the dark side of communications on a daily basis and highlighted the pressing need to examine how and what we teach, and why the ability to critically consume and critically engage in discourse is vital.”

The importance of rhetoric is behind the in the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition in the College of Arts and Sciences on topics like climate change and social justice. The study of rhetoric can help inspire activism and advocacy in areas that are truly meaningful and, as Berry has previously pointed out, students can “learn how to use writing to make a difference in the world.”

Karma R. Chávez

The Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts is recognized as one of the premier graduate programs in the nation because of its critical and scholarly focus on the field of rhetoric. It received the 2020 Outstanding Master’s Program Award from the��. In the College of Arts and Sciences, the is the first doctorate in rhetoric and composition studies in the country to be offered by an independent writing department.

Hosting the recent RSA Institute reaffirms the University’s commitment to ensuring that rhetoric is an inclusive discipline.

“We are continually asking ourselves questions—when we write, when we speak and when we teach,” says Berry. “How are we dealing with complex issues? How do we represent others in our writing? How to we find new ways to write about things that are controversial?”

“There is an increasingly activist spirit among rhetorical studies scholars,” says Morris. “Our students and faculty are interested in having academia make a positive difference in the world beyond us.”

“Words can help us navigate our way through crisis,” says Berry. “Words can either enable and sustain dark times or they can prevent or heal them.”