On Tuesday, April 8, MSCHE’s vice president for institutional field relations, , will hold an open forum to provide information and answer questions about the reaccreditation process. All students, faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to attend. The event will be held from 11:15 a.m. to noon in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3. A virtual option will also be available; .

For more information about MSCHE accreditation, visit��.

Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein Social Justice Award honoree Jessica Perusse (center, with plaque) with graduate students and faculty from the School of Social Work. In the front row, from left, Taylor Koennecke, Chair and Professor Carrie Smith, Perusse and Madeline Heintz. In the back row, from left, Undergraduate Director and Assistant Teaching Professor Nadaya Brantley, Allan Zheng, Mary Claytor, Carina St. Andrews, Benetta Dousuah, Gideon Casper, Muhammed Cisse, and Graduate Director and Associate Teaching Professor Jennifer Genovese.

As director of The Camden Life Center in Camden, New York, , LCSW-R, CSSW, has several ties to the students and faculty in the in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

That connection grew even stronger on March 27, when Perusse received the School of Social Work’s prestigious Social Justice Award. Perusse also served as the keynote speaker of the annual Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein Social Justice Award program that was held before a standing-room-only audience in Room 200 White Hall in Falk College.

Presented for more than 30 years during in March, the Rubenstein Social Justice Award is given in honor of the late professor Dan Rubenstein, a former faculty member in the School of Social Work, and his late wife, Mary Lou, a former school social worker. Recipients of this award are role models whose courage and strength inspire others to stand up—and step up—to advocate and be a voice in their local community. The values of social justice are integral to honorees’ daily lives, and their work represents the true spirit of the Rubenstein Social Justice Award.

The theme of this year’s program was “United for Change: Honoring Collective Impact and Collaboration in Rural Communities,” and Perusse’s impact in Camden and collaboration with Syracuse University is second-to-none in Central New York.

“This year’s theme invites us to think deeply about what it means to stand together in solidarity, especially with communities that have too often been overlooked or underserved,” said School of Social Work Chair and Professor .

“Jessica reminds us that collective impact begins with one person saying, ‘Yes, this matters.’ With one person having the courage to care,” Smith added. “She reminds us that justice is not a destination, it is a daily practice.”

, a partnership between the and (CFLR), is a center for multiple agencies to come together and act in their areas of strength for the maximum impact and overall benefit of their community. The primary goal is to inspire hope, provide help, promote wellness, and transform lives with a focus of being “in Camden, of Camden, for Camden.” Camden is located less than an hour’s drive northeast of Syracuse.

During her keynote address, Perusse described the evolution of The Camden Life Center and how she wanted to tailor its services to the needs of the rural community.

“We don’t need mega, multiple agencies providing tons of services,” Perusse said. “We need partnerships with agencies that are willing to understand our rural culture without changing our values and beliefs.

“It wasn’t easy; we had to earn the trust of our residents,” she continued. “It took time, consistency and showing up time and time again to show that I’m not just a provider, I’m your neighbor.”

Matthew Rubenstein (left) and Ali Gilsdorf (right), the son and granddaughter of Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein, with School of Social Work Chair and Professor Carrie Smith (second from left) and 2025 Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein Social Justice Award honoree Jessica Perusse.

Perusse noted that the national shortage of mental health providers is even worse in rural communities, where “the work can be very lonely.” She said the challenges in Camden were intensified this winter, when 30 feet of snow fell in the area and caused the collapse of several homes and businesses.

“I was struck by the magnitude of destruction in our community, and it hurts my social worker heart to think how we’re going to recover from this,” Perusse said.

Perusse regularly supervises (M.S.W.) students as interns at The Camden Life Center and plays an integral role in connecting students to research and practice. Perusse and , assistant dean of online education in Falk College and associate teaching professor of social work, were colleagues on the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans team in the Syracuse VA Medical Center and that work helped inform ongoing collaborations between Perusse and Syracuse University.

Marfilius, who introduced Perusse at the Social Justice Award event, and Assistant Professor of Social Work , worked on one grant project with The Camden Life Center and recently started a second one. The first project in 2023-24 involved a $350,000 grant from the CFLR/Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties. That project utilized the lens of social determinants of health and trauma-informed behavioral health approaches to identify and address the unmet service needs of rural residents in Camden, aiming to enhance the quality of care provided by The Camden Life Center.

For the current project, which received an $839,000 grant from the , Marfilius and Wang are serving as the research team for the Camden Life Center’s launch of the . This partnership between CFLR and The Camden Life Center is designed to foster connection, resilience and well-being for families and individuals in Camden and its surrounding communities.

Perusse said for this latest initiative to be successful, she and her team will need continued support so they can support those in need in Camden.

The School of Social Work was founded in 1955 and opened in 1956 after Syracuse University received a major grant from the Rosamond Gifford Charitable Corporation. In 2024, the School of Social Work was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the “” ��in the country, and its national profile will continue to rise with the start of the prestigious��that was created recently through a $300,000 gift to the school.

The School of Social Work is known for its long history of community impact and outreach, including��organized by Social Workers United. On July 1, the School of Social Work will move to Syracuse University’s to enhance the academic and community impact of the program, grow enrollment, drive research excellence, and strengthen the University’s long-standing commitment to preparing professionals to thrive in human, health and social services.

Learning didn’t stop during spring break for dozens of Falk College students who took part in immersive travel opportunities. The college offers a wide array of travel programs for students, with and being pillars of the experience.

Three immersion travel programs this spring provided Falk students with unique opportunities for hands-on learning from leading industry professionals, while also discovering and embracing different cultures.

Ireland

Students enrolled in the SPM/EXE 300 Sport Culture in Ireland class spent nine days in Ireland over spring break. The group of 13 students, comprised of and majors, traveled to iconic Irish spots such as the Cliffs of Moher, Temple Bar and Kilmainham Gaol to experience the culture of Ireland.

The students visited the Na Fienna Gaelic Athletic Association club, where they participated in Gaelic football, hurling and handball games with classmates while learning about the sports’ history and impact in Ireland. At University College Dublin’s Institute for Sport and Health, experts in the fields of sports medicine and exercise science gave insightful presentations about injury and rehabilitation research. At a visit to the Leinster Rugby Club, students learned from team officials about the role of technology in athlete development and what it takes to manage a winning sport organization.

Visit the to learn more about the students’ experiences in Ireland.

Italy

Falk College students enjoy a cooking lesson in Italy.

In each of the last two springs, students in the SPM/SAL 300 Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes class have visited Italy to meet with representatives from Serie A soccer clubs and learn about Italian culture surrounding soccer, or calcio.

The students on this year’s trip met with representatives from Soccerment, an Italy-based artificial intelligence platform seeking to accelerate the adoption of data analytics into soccer; networked with front office officials from Bologna FC; and toured Viola Park, home of ACF Fiorentina. Students experienced exciting Serie A matchups at Stadio G. Sinigaglia, home of the Como 1907 football club, and Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, home of Inter Milan. Aside from soccer, students toured historic locations such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Milan Cathedral. On the final day of the trip, students learned how to make authentic Italian pasta from scratch.

Los Angeles

Falk College students visit SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Students have enjoyed the Falk in Los Angeles Career Exploration trip for more than a decade. Open to all Falk students, the trip offers students the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, explore career paths and visit leading organizations in one of the country’s largest sport markets.

This year’s trip included stops at the NFL Network, FOX Sports, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, the Rose Bowl and more. Students met and networked with Falk’s extensive based in southern California to set themselves up for successful careers in the industry.

The and the program at Syracuse University have entered an agreement that will allow Syracuse sport analytics students to complete statistical analysis and provide insights and visualizations to the UFL. The agreement marks the first time an American college or university has worked with the spring football league.

As part of the agreement, the UFL will provide Syracuse students with experience in professional football and access to its employees, while Syracuse will provide the data analysis skills of students from the leading sport analytics program in the country.

“The United Football League is proud to team up with the two-time national champion Sport Analytics program at Syracuse University,” said UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon, a member of Syracuse University’s Department of Sport Management . “Innovation is at the heart of the UFL, so it is only fitting that we seek out the creativity and the expertise of these students as we look toward a new approach to sports analytics.”

The UFL is the premier spring football league formed from the merger of the XFL and USFL in 2024. Under the combined ownership of RedBird Capital Partners, FOX, Dany Garcia, and Dwayne Johnson, the UFL features eight teams in key markets: Arlington, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Detroit, Mich.; Houston, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; San Antonio, Texas; St. Louis, Mo., and Washington, D.C.

The 2025 UFL season will kick off at 8 p.m. ET Friday, when FOX Sports debuts “FOX UFL Friday”—a new night dedicated to UFL action taking place each Friday during the 10-week regular season—with a matchup featuring the St. Louis Battlehawks against the Houston Renegades. The league’s second season will conclude on Saturday, June 14, when ABC presents the 2025 UFL Championship Game.

“The UFL envisions itself as a gathering place for innovative thinkers,” said UFL Vice President of Football Technology Brad Campbell. “Thanks to the contributions of the sport analytics team at Syracuse we will be able to raise this vision to a whole new level.”

Under the leadership of Sport Analytics Undergraduate Director and Professor , Syracuse’s sport analytics students captured back-to-back National Sport Analytics Championships in 2023-24, and they have won numerous player and team analytics competitions in football, basketball, and baseball. About 70 students are providing data collection and analysis for 13 of Syracuse University’s athletic teams, and the program’s other professional partners include the Kumamoto Volters’ men’s basketball team in Japan, the Farjestad BK women’s hockey team in Sweden, the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, Major League Soccer’s CF Montreal, and others.

Under the agreement with the UFL, the Sport Analytics program is coordinating student participation, and seven students have joined the first phase, with more to be added later. The UFL is assigning projects related to league operations and initiatives, and the parties are holding regular meetings to discuss projects, share findings through visualizations (charts, graphs, dashboards), and strategize on next steps.

“We are honored to partner with the UFL and look forward to providing insights and actionable items for the teams and league,” Paul said. “The experience and feedback our students will gain from this partnership is something that’s impossible to replicate in the classroom.��Opportunities like this have been our dream since the start of the program, and we are so appreciative of all the wonderful people in the UFL and how their experience and expertise will benefit our students in so many ways.”

A warmer future could lead to less salty rivers by reducing the need for road salting. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

The chemistry of U.S. rivers is changing—and will change further in complex ways in different regions of the country. Scientists are exploring ways to predict future changes in watershed chemistry, which could improve managing them for climate change and community health.

University researchers are combining traditional geochemistry with artificial intelligence to predict how alkalinity—a measure of a solution’s ability to neutralize acids—and salts in rivers around the country could be affected by further climate warming and population growth, according to a study published in .

Tao Wen

The research team was led by��, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Wen also directs the���������Dz���dz���𳾾����ٰ�����And eN�������DzԳ���Գٲ�����D���ٲ���Sciences (HANDS) and��Noble Gases in��E�����ٳ���S����ٱ𳾲���Tracing (NEST) research laboratories.

An excess of salt can make water undrinkable, increase the cost of treating water and harm freshwater fish and wildlife.

Past research shows that as salt levels in U.S. rivers have gone up, these waters have also become more alkaline, which can damage water, wastewater treatment and aquatic life. Increased alkalinity is occurring because of rising temperatures and more rainfall. Human activities, such as more people living in certain areas, might also contribute to it.

Yet alkalinity is also beneficial. When river waters are more alkaline, they help draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and limit climate warming over time. However, before rivers can be harnessed for this purpose, researchers must first understand the basic chemistry at play.

Using machine learning models, the Wen team projected how salinity—measured through sodium levels—and alkalinity will change in 226 U.S. rivers between 2040 and 2100 under different climate and human population scenarios.

In northern states, rivers would become less salty because warmer winters mean less salt will be applied on icy roads. However, in the South and West, where people don’t use much road salt, river salinity will likely stay the same. But as these areas get hotter and drier, more salt from the soil might accumulate and wash into waterways.

The study also found that rising temperature can affect alkalinity. In watersheds rich in carbonate rocks, such as limestone, researchers found that alkalinity flux—the product of the natural breakdown of rock minerals—declines when temperatures surpass 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). This finding suggests that warming past a certain temperature level could suppress alkalinity in rivers.

Researchers from the College of Arts and Sciences are integrating traditional geochemistry with artificial intelligence to forecast the impact of climate warming and population growth on the alkalinity and salt levels in rivers nationwide.

However, in watersheds dominated by silicate rocks or organic carbon, higher temperatures accelerate silicate weathering and the decomposition of organic material, leading to increased alkalinity levels. More rainfall can also increase the amount of these chemicals in rivers, but only up to a certain point.

In the future, some watersheds with lower alkalinity could be manipulated to take up additional alkaline from watersheds, allowing rivers to sequester more carbon from the atmosphere.

For this and other multidisciplinary research, Wen received a 2025��. The award highlights excellent work by independent researchers in their early career that bring new insights into the field of geochemistry or to promote geochemical applications.

Visit the ��to read the full story.

Story by John H. Tibbetts

Plastic components are commonly used in infrastructure and transportation that we depend on—from water and sewer pipes to planes, trains and automobiles. But plastic materials experience stresses that degrade them over time. That’s why plastics in many critical applications are replaced on pre-set schedules, which is expensive but crucial for maintenance and public safety.

Xiaoran Hu

“When mechanical forces cause stress and deformation that go unnoticed in the plastic engineered parts of an airplane, for instance, it can cause significant consequences that we want to avoid,” says Xiaoran Hu, assistant professor of chemistry and member of the .

Supported by the University and the American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund, Hu and his team have created new molecules that someday could cut down on these risks and expenses. Mechanophores are molecules that respond to mechanical stress by changing characteristics such as their colors, and their incorporation into plastic components could enable visualization of mechanical stress. Hu’s team developed exceptionally sensitive mechanophore molecules—called “configurational mechanophores,”—that undergo mechanochemical isomerization reactions. The activated material can exhibit a color to indicate that a mechanical event has happened in a component. This visible signal would be useful in applications such as autonomous damage monitoring of materials.

“These new molecules could enable research into previously unobservable mechanical events in different materials, including synthetic plastics and biomaterials,” Hu says.

Ultrasensitive molecular force sensors facilitate structural health monitoring in plastic components and could enable scientists to investigate previously unobservable mechanical events in biological systems.

The Syracuse team’s mechanophores are unique. According to a new study in the Journal of the ACS, their chemical transformation is triggered by minus mechanical forces as low as 131 piconewtons, which is below what is required to trigger any other mechanochemical reactions known up to date. For comparison, mechanochemical reactions involving carbon-carbon bond scission typically require nanonewton scale of forces (1 nanonewton = 1000 piconewton). Hu’s mechanophores, on the other hand, are more sensitive than the tiny forces relevant in many biological molecules, such as the unzipping of DNA strands (~300 pN), the unfolding of protein domains, and the breaking of antibody-antigen bonds (~150-300 pN). The new mechanophores could be effective tools in biology, allowing scientists to study stress changes at the nanoscale that were previously unobservable or difficult to measure. This could lead to a better understanding of how mechanical forces influence and regulate various processes in biology.

Additionally, unlike most traditional mechanophores, which are prone to damage by heat or light, the new molecules are stable upon thermal and light exposure, and therefore are well suited for applications in different complex environments.

Hu’s research on configurational mechanophores paves the way for the development of mechano-responsive materials with unprecedented mechanosensitivity. These materials could enable the study of previously unobservable nanoscale mechanical behaviors, playing a crucial role in advancing our understanding across scientific disciplines ranging from polymer physics, materials science, to mechanobiology.

“Our lab is developing the next-generation molecular force sensors with further enhanced mechanosensitivity and capable of exhibiting fluorescence signals or other functional responses,” Hu says. “We also aim to apply our mechanophores to different materials platforms such as mechanosensitive elastomers and paints to develop safer and smarter plastics that autonomously monitor and report mechanical damage. Additionally, we will explore the potential of these molecular force sensors to investigate cellular processes in the future.”

Story by John H. Tibbetts

Arts and Sciences alumna Phyllis Greenberger ’64 (right) with President Bill Clinton at the White House in the early 1990s. During the Clinton presidency, Greenberger was a key lobbyist for women’s health issues. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

When Phyllis E. Greenberger ’64 walked the campus of Syracuse University as a student, she could never have imagined that nearly three decades later, she would be in the Oval Office, advocating for women’s health with United States President Bill Clinton. After graduating from SU, her career led her from social work to federal lobbyist. Greenberger eventually became a leading voice for women’s health while serving as President and CEO of the����(���±��).

Greenberger credits her time on the SU Hill for her success on Capitol Hill. Armed with her liberal arts education, which honed her critical thinking, adaptability and cultural awareness, she developed a “never take no for an answer” attitude that would ultimately transform the landscape of women’s health research.

During her time leading SWHR, Greenberger continually fought for equal attention to women in healthcare. This was necessary because, before SWHR was founded in 1990, medical research predominantly focused on men, resulting in significant gaps in understanding how illnesses manifest in women as compared to men. Thanks to her passionate and steadfast advocacy, Greenberger and others with SWHR helped pass legislation that advanced patient-specific treatment with an emphasis on addressing sex differences, ensuring that both men and women benefit equally from scientific advancements.

Phyllis Greenberger (Photo by Geoff Livingston)

Shining the light on women’s health is a fight that Greenberger helped to start, but a fight she says is far from over. According to a recent report from the��, the cancer incidence rate for women younger than 50 has increased from 51% higher than men in 2002 to 82% higher in 2021. Additionally, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and autoimmune disorders including lupus, celiac disease, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis continue to occur more commonly in women than in men, as reported by��. Greenberger stresses the need for researchers and advocates to persist in integrating sex differences into medical and pharmaceutical studies, as this will lead to better health outcomes for all.

Phyllis Greenberger Career Snapshot:

• 1943-1960: Grew up in Brooklyn, NY
• 1964: Graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in liberal arts
• 1975: Received a master’s degree in social work from The Catholic University of America
• Mid-1970s: Interned with the American Psychiatric Association (APA), where her interest in women’s health advocacy was ignited
• 1980-1993: Worked at the APA as an Assistant Director of Government Relations and was Director of the Political Action Committee
• 1990: Served on the board for the Society for Women’s Health Research
• 1992: Leading voice for women’s health during Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign
• 1993: President Clinton addresses women’s health in his acceptance speech, for which Hillary Clinton acknowledges Phyllis Greenberger’s contributions
• 1993-2016: Served as President and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research
• 2016-present: Served as Senior Vice President of Science and Health Policy for HealthyWomen and is currently a consultant

We recently sat down with Greenberger to learn more about her Syracuse experience, her role as a champion of women’s health and her views on the current state of women’s health.

Take us back to your time at Syracuse. Why did you choose SU and what do you remember most fondly from your time as a student?

Being a native of Brooklyn, I fell in love with the Central New York region while taking summer courses at Cornell University as a high school student. Those experiences motivated me to apply to Syracuse University.

I really enjoyed my time at Syracuse. I was in a sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, and I still have many friends that I keep in touch with. One of my most memorable experiences, though, was my time abroad in Florence. Having the opportunity to study abroad was very unusual at that time, and it was very transformative.

What did you enjoy about studying abroad?

Living with two separate Italian families was an incredibly enlightening experience and allowed me to become fluent in Italian. Immersing yourself in a new culture broadens your perspective and I highly recommend that students study abroad if they have the opportunity.

How would you describe the significance of a liberal arts education, study abroad programs and experiential learning opportunities?

Having an academically and experientially diverse education is critically important. It’s unfortunate that many universities are focusing too much on technology, with students attending college solely to secure a specific job upon graduation.

While employment is essential, we should also understand history, read literature and develop strong writing skills. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the world is changing rapidly. Students need to explore various classes and experiences to discover what truly interests and excites them.

Shifting to your career as a women’s health advocate, what inspired you to become involved in that field?

While interning with the American Psychiatric Association, I met several female psychiatrists who were concerned that women weren’t included in clinical trials, even though women suffered more from depression and anxiety than men.

That internship led to your job with the APA, where you served as��Assistant Director of Government Relations��and Director of the Political Action Committee. After that role, how did you transition to the Society for Women’s Health Research?

While with the APA, I met an OBGYN by the name of Florence Haseltine, who was founding the society. I suggested that in addition to having researchers and scientists on the board, the society also needed someone that knows Washington. With the APA I ran their Political Action Committee, so I knew many women members in Congress and my husband was in the media, so I knew the journalists, so they asked me to be on the volunteer board.

Greenberger with Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro at a political function in Washington, D.C. during the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

Can you explain your role in advancing women’s health advocacy at the presidential level?

Phyllis Greenberger (right) with Hillary Clinton at a women’s health research dinner in the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

In the early 1990s, while I was with the APA, I began working with the staff of (former second lady) Tipper Gore, who was interested in mental health issues. Later, a friend asked me to organize a group of women for an event during President Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, where Hillary Clinton was speaking. After the event, I suggested to Hillary, ‘If you’re going to be speaking to women across the country, you might want to talk about women’s health.’

When I arrived at my office the following day, Hillary had left a message asking me to join their campaign as an advocate for women’s health. During Bill’s acceptance speech the following January, he made a reference to women’s health. After the speech, Hillary came over to me and said, ‘that was because of you,’ so that was really nice. That was sort of where it all started.

How did your experience as a lobbyist with the Clinton campaign lead to your leadership role with the Society for Women’s Health Research?

After Bill Clinton talked about women’s health in his inauguration speech, I went back to the board of the society the next meeting, and I said, ‘Now that the President is talking about women’s health, I think we have to become a real organization, not just volunteer.’ They spent six months looking for a CEO. During that time, I thought I might want to work for the Clintons in the White House, but then I decided it would be more fun and interesting to help start an organization. I put my resume in, and I ended up being selected to head the society.

Phyllis Greenberger (left of center) with President Bill Clinton at the White House after Clinton signed an appropriations bill in support of women’s health. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

Can you talk about some of the issues women faced from a healthcare standpoint when you started with the Society for Women’s Health Research?

In the early 1990s, medical devices such as pacemakers, joint replacements and stents were designed based on male anatomy, ignoring the differences between men’s and women’s bodies. Now we know medications and devices work differently for each gender. However, issues like undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions persist because some physicians lack familiarity with the different symptoms, so the fight for women’s health rights isn’t over yet.

How have you seen the scope of women’s health organizations change during your career?

When I started with the society, we were the only organization dedicated to women’s health. Now, there are several. I also played a role in convincing the American Heart Association to recognize that women have heart attacks, which they hadn’t considered before due to the lack of women in clinical trials. Similarly, the National Osteoporosis Foundation was initially focused on men. Thankfully, a lot has changed for the better.

Greenberger’s book,��, chronicles the fight to overcome bias and discrimination in women’s healthcare. It emphasizes the ways in which biological sex significantly impacts both health and the quality of healthcare received. Although conditions like heart and autoimmune diseases, migraines and others manifest differently in individuals with XX chromosomes, Greenberger argues that many patients do not receive the appropriate attention or care due to sex bias present in clinics, laboratories and clinical studies.

Your acclaimed book,��Sex Cells,��outlines the historical context of women’s health. What was the motivation to write it and bring this story to the public?

I think it’s important for people to understand the history of women’s health, not only because of the progress, but also because of the fact that we’re not there yet. The beginning of the book focuses on the history and the end is patient stories and quotes from researchers. The quotes from the researchers make it obvious that there’s still a lot of ignorance, a lot of denial and a lot of research that is not being taken into consideration. The patient stories bring attention to women who have been turned away because their symptoms are different, or they’re not taken seriously.

Can you provide an example?

Doctors often dismiss women’s complaints about pain. There are numerous stories of women experiencing indigestion, stomach pains, or chest pains, only to be ignored in hospitals and then later on discover that they were having a heart attack. The last part of the book is really a statement about how much ignorance and denial still exists.

How do you hope your book informs future healthcare professionals?

I hope medical students will read the book, especially those at universities where sex differences aren’t part of the curriculum. By doing so, they can advocate for their medical schools to include this important topic. The goal is to educate future doctors about sex differences and the various ways men and women differ. This knowledge will improve patient care, enhance treatment effectiveness and ensure that medical research is comprehensive and inclusive.

For her contributions to the field of women’s health, Greenberger has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions:

• Medical Herald’s 20 Most Influential Women in Medicine Today
• Perennial Hero Award from the Alliance for Aging Research
• Women in Government Relations Lifetime Achievement Award
• Washingtonian Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women
• Woman’s Day magazine “Red Dress Award”
• Woman’s Day magazine’s 50 Women Who Are Changing the World
• Trailblazer Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Throughout your career, you consistently challenged the status quo to advocate for others. What’s your secret to achieving success in this endeavor?

I’ve been asked so many times how I managed to do what I did. It really had to do with me having, as they say in Yiddish, “chutzpah.” I just never took no for an answer. When heads of major health organizations ignored what we were trying to do for women’s health advocacy, I just kept on going. Don’t take no for an answer. If you really feel strongly about something, then you need to really push it.

My advice to students: Hopefully you can find something that’s not just a job, but a vocation. Something that you really care about and that you can really pursue. If it’s something that you can do that is going to help individuals or help your community, that’s what’s important.

The cutting-edge weight loss and diabetes research developed by medicinal chemist has offered significant and consistent weight loss and glucose control to its recipients through peptide-based treatments.

Doyle and his fellow collaborators reported that two new peptide compounds­­—GEP44 and KCEM1—considerably reduce body weight and normalize blood glucose levels without causing the typical negative side effects experienced by patients who take currently available GLP-1-based anti-obesity drugs.

Doyle, the Jack and Laura H. Milton Professor and Dean’s in the , focuses his research on pharmaceutical drug development for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. He says that while the first-generation of weight-loss drugs did lead to results, there was a problem: while weight loss occurred, it was almost a reaction to taking the GLP-1 peptide, and that weight loss came with a cost.

Due to side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, 70% of patients who started taking these drugs were not taking them one year later, and that 30% stopped taking the drugs within three months, generating a very low patient tolerability for the drugs, Doyle says.

Robert Doyle

The recent discoveries Doyle and his collaborators introduced at conferences of the American Chemical Society and The Obesity Society give hope for those battling obesity and type 2 diabetes. The methodology behind these peptide and similar weight-loss compounds could also hold the key to treating two other public health crises: cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., and opioid addiction.

“As medicinal chemists, we are focused on using peptides, or small proteins, to treat neuroendocrine disorders, primarily disorders that affect the brain,” says Doyle, the Dean’s Professor of Chemistry and adjunct associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. “We are looking at addiction, cravings, food intake, body weight reduction, glucose regulation, all those complex endocrine issues that are prevalent today.”

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Doyle discusses his breakthrough weight loss research, the important role students play in advancing his research, and how, through philanthropy, his work has come to life.

Check out�� featuring Doyle. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

How has this field evolved over the years?

A team of researchers at Syracuse University, led by medicinal chemist Robert Doyle, has co-developed a novel treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes without any of the harmful side effects.

The major change in the last 10 years is the creation of these GLP-1 drugs, exemplified by Ozempic and Zepbound. Until these drugs existed, there were no safe, viable weight loss alternatives. Diet and exercise have always been on the table, of course, but for people who needed or wanted a pharmaceutical intervention, there was nothing that could achieve anything greater than the 5% body mass index [BMI] loss that you’d be looking for to have any kind of clinical benefit.

With the creation of the first real breakthrough drug, Victoza, you were seeing that 5% BMI decline from a pharmaceutical perspective, and that was a huge success. That set the stage for these newer, more potent and more active weight-reducing drugs. But those initial drugs were often once- or twice-a-day injectables, and patients didn’t want to do that. In these last few years, we have upwards of 10% and greater body mass reduction coupled with once-a-week injectables. That has really broadened the appeal and created quite a phenomenon.

How did we proceed from the first generation of weight loss drugs to where we are now?

There was this discovery that this little hormone that you make in your stomach, if made long-acting and then injected, could trigger food intake reduction. We realized that and did pharmacological science to improve its half-life, make it hang around longer so it would maintain what was normally only a very short activity in a human. We drove that appetite off switch. The discovery of GLP-1—and what GLP-1 could do—hasn’t won a Nobel Prize yet, but it is going to. I wouldn’t be surprised this year if you see the Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of GLP-1 because it has revolutionized weight loss.

How has Syracuse’s Center for Science and Technology enhanced your studies?

Robert Doyle works alongside student researchers. (Photo by Evan Jenkins)

Within my own lab, we have multiple large scale peptide synthesizers that allow us to produce gram quantities of these drugs. We have multiple purification setup systems so that we’re able to purify to 99%, and we have cell labs that can screen for the required receptor binding.

We also have artificial intelligence and a molecular operating environment, these computational chemical approaches to aid in design. We can start from a concept on a piece of paper, begin to design something computationally and then physically make it in the lab. If it makes the grade, we put something in place that outlines what we want the drug to be able to do, and if it meets those criteria, it goes out into preclinical animal models at the University of Pennsylvania in this case. We’ll look and see if what we’ve created here is manifesting the effect we want it to in that preclinical model. If not, we go back to the drawing board. But if it does, we call that a hit and we’ll begin the process of optimizing it for development.

How do our students assist with your research?

They’re the ones who are in there grinding out the production, the purification, the screening, the failures and the redesigning. They bring passion and intellect. They’re wonderful. They roll up their sleeves. They jump wholeheartedly into all the aspects of drug development. I have to be willing to trust them that they’ll do it right. They have that sense of confidence, inquisitiveness and can-do. Every day they surprise me with some wonderful question or clever idea.

Robert Doyle talks with lab member Emily Ashlaw G’27, a Ph.D. candidate interested in peptide therapeutics.

Bob Mankoff

Bob Mankoff ’66, who melded academic interests in psychology and philosophy with comedy and satire to become one of the nation’s most influential cartoonists as cartoon editor of The New Yorker for 20 years, will deliver the alumni keynote address at the on Saturday, May 10, at 8:30 a.m.

His journey from a psychology student at Syracuse University to a prominent figure in American humor illustrates his lifelong dedication to exploring what makes people laugh and his remarkable ability to translate that understanding into a successful career spanning cartoons, editing, writing and education. The Queens native has remained committed to understanding and teaching the psychology of humor, leading workshops at institutions like Swarthmore College and Fordham University. More recently, his popular TED Talks have explored whether comedy is a distinctly human trait or if artificial intelligence might master the art of comedy—“”

Mankoff exemplifies how the breadth and depth of a liberal arts education helps students develop the professional flexibility that serves A&S | Maxwell School graduates throughout their lives. “I think it is hubristic to only focus on one area of study and not engage with all this past knowledge that humanity has acquired,” he said in 2024. “A liberal arts education illustrates the idea that now is as it was and as it will be.”

“We are honored to welcome Bob Mankoff ’66, who perfectly embodies A&S’ mission of creating agents of change,” says A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi. “His use of humor as a means of cultural commentary reflects the critical thinking, creativity and social awareness all students cultivate here. His work not only entertains but also challenges us to see the world from new perspectives—and maybe even change it for the better.”

About Mankoff

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Mankoff attended the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art before choosing Syracuse University. After graduating with a psychology degree in 1966, he briefly pursued doctoral studies before focusing on cartooning.

Success required persistence—Mankoff submitted approximately 2,000 cartoons to��The New Yorker��before his first publication. He eventually contributed nearly 1,000 cartoons to the magazine, including his famous “How About Never—Is Never Good For You?”

In 1997, he became��The New Yorker’s��cartoon editor, a position he held for 20 years, where he reviewed thousands of submissions weekly and mentored cartoonists. In 2005, he launched the “New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest,” later partnering with Microsoft and Google DeepMind to develop selection algorithms.

Mankoff’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to found the Cartoon Bank in 1992, which evolved into CartoonStock.com in 2018. This platform houses over 500,000 cartoons from an array of notable publications, supporting cartoonists while preserving the art form.

After��The New Yorker, Mankoff served as cartoon editor at��Esquire��and currently holds the same position at��Air Mail. He co-runs Botnik Studios, using big data analytics to enhance creative processes, and has authored several books, including his��New York Times��bestselling memoir “How About Never—Is Never Good For You?: My Life In Cartoons.”

Convocation will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome with a reception to follow in the Quad at 10:30 a.m.

Read a��.

The theme of this year’s TEDx Syracuse University event invites both speakers and attendees to challenge conventional stories and reshape the way we think about the world. In a time where narratives—whether personal, cultural, or global—often influence perceptions and drive actions, the power to change the narrative holds the potential to unlock transformative change. At its core, changing the narrative is about creating spaces for voices to be heard and sharing stories that shape our lives, our communities and our futures. Five featured speakers will delve into their personal journeys and inspire attendees to take ownership of their own stories as they think critically about how they, too, can be part of changing the narrative in meaningful and positive ways. Attendees can also network, share ideas and engage with Syracuse University’s TEDx community.

Ryan Nkongnyu

Co-sponsored by Syracuse University Libraries and the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, the event is being coordinated by (College of Visual and Performing Arts), who is majoring in Communications and Rhetorical Studies. Nkongnyu is an Our Time Has Come Scholar, as well as finance board member of the Syracuse Student Association, vice president of the Black Student Union, Mentor for JUMP Nation, and event coordinator for the Black Honors Society. He is also a writer for the Daily Orange and reporter for Citrus TV.

“In today’s world, our media and the messages we share have established narratives that affect the lens through which we all see our society,” notes Nkongnyu. “Changing the Narrative is meant to emphasize the role we all have as catalysts for positive change. Using our voices and platforms to positively influence, we can educate, empower and inspire others with our research, innovation and activism messages.”

Featured speakers and talk titles include:

• ’24, G’25: “Breaking Cycles, Not Ourselves””
• ’25: “Redefine Your Life”
• faculty, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications: “Be A Creator”
• ’24: “The Danger of A Single Narrative Story”
• ’10: “How Teaching Kids Emotional Intelligence Can Change the World”

“SU Libraries is pleased to sponsor TEDx at Syracuse University, and we hope it will spark thoughtful conversations and connections that will continue long after the event ends,” says David Seaman, dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian.

For more information about the event, or if special accommodations are needed, please contact Ryan Nkongnyu, rnkongny@syr.edu

The 108th Chancellor’s Review and Awards Ceremony recognizes the exemplary achievements of the University’s Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. The event on March 28 was held in the JMA Wireless Dome. Pictured are (from left to right) Ryan Kelly, senior associate athletic director; Army ROTC cadets Joshua Kubala and Nathan Edwards; and head football coach Fran Brown. (Photo by Candace Campbell Jackson, chief of staff and senior vice president)

We want to know how you experience Syracuse University. Take a photo and share it with us. We select photos from a variety of sources. Submit photos of your University experience by sending them directly to �����鶹��Ʒ at newsphoto@syr.edu. You might see it featured here.

On March 28, the campus community came together to honor the dedication of the University’s ROTC cadets while reflecting our commitment to supporting veterans and military families. (Photo by Charlie Poag)

The time-honored tradition of the Chancellor’s Review and Awards Ceremony underscores the University’s unwavering dedication to military service and mirrors traditional military ceremonies that date back to the Middle Ages. (Photo by Charlie Poag)

Students help cut Otto’s birthday cake during a campuswide celebration at the Schine Student Center. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook page)

Students help celebrate Otto’s birthday during a campuswide celebration. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook page)

During the annual University 100 Rugby Ceremony, U100 student ambassadors and tour guides were honored for their commitment to the University. (Photo courtesy of the Syracuse U100 Instagram page)

Falk College students in the “Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes” class spent their spring break in Italy, meeting with Italian soccer clubs, learning about their organizations and taking in the cultural significance of the sport. (Photo courtesy of Falk College’s Facebook page)

Operation Veteran Warmup, organized by the College of Law’s online JDinteractive students in collaboration with the Military and Veterans Law Society and the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, helped collect more than 100 winter clothing items to support unhoused veterans in the Syracuse community. (Photo courtesy of the College of Law Instagram page)

Student researchers in the College of Engineering and Computer Science present their work during the 2025 Engineering and Computer Science Research Day in the Schine Student Center. (Photo courtesy of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences’ Facebook page)

Hendricks Chapel recently hosted the annual Service of Commemoration, which honors students, faculty, staff, retirees, trustees and honorary degree recipients who recently passed away. (Photo courtesy of the Hendricks Chapel Facebook page)

During the annual Service of Commemoration, flowers were placed on the wall on the Quad outside of Hendricks Chapel to remember those students, faculty, staff, retirees, trustees and honorary degree recipients who recently passed away. (Photo courtesy of the Hendricks Chapel Facebook page)

During a postgame ceremony, the Syracuse University women’s basketball team honored departing seniors (pictured in their jerseys, from left to right): Izabel Varejão, Saniaa Wilson, Georgia Woolley, Kyra Wood, Lexi McNabb and Sophie Burrows. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University Athletics)

Students in the Syracuse Abroad Madrid program took a field trip to Spain’s oldest cultural institution, the Instituto Cervantes, which works to promote Spanish language education worldwide. (Photo courtesy of the Syracuse University Madrid Instagram page)

Alumni panelists Kim Burnett ’91, Savion Pollard ’25 and Joe Nehme ’11 speak during the first Micron Day, which showcased the innovation and growing momentum of the technology company’s transformative investment in the community and the deep connections being made with the University and Central New York. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

The Creations Dance Troupe performs for students during the Black History Month Closing Ceremony. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Students joined the Sleep in Heavenly Peace organization to build 88 beds for children living in poverty in Central New York. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

In the early evening hours, a snow-covered campus, including Crouse College and Maxwell Hall, is captured from the steps of the Newhouse Family Plaza. (Photo by Rano Dilmurodova)

The winning team celebrates after capturing the championship of the Black History Month Basketball Classic (Photo courtesy of the Barner-McDuffie House Instagram page)

A group photo of the 2025 Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition award winners. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University Libraries)

The Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship hosted a field trip to New York City for students in the Newhouse School’s and the Maxwell School’s Washington, D.C. programs. The group toured the United Nations headquarters, had lunch at a renowned Ukrainian restaurant and visited NBC News in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. (Photo courtesy of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship’s Instagram page)

Syracuse native Tom Kenny (front row center, wearing a green long-sleeved shirt), the iconic voice talent behind SpongeBob SquarePants, visited Syracuse University to meet with students and discuss what it takes to build a career in the creative arts. (Photo by Martin Walls)

Members of the Wind Ensemble practice inside the Setnor School of Music. (Photo courtesy of the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Facebook page)

During the 21st Annual WellsLink Leadership Program’s Transitions Ceremony, WellsLink Scholars from the previous year who have successfully transitioned to their second year on campus were honored. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Student members of the Black Reign Step Team perform during the University’s Black History Month Kickoff event. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook page)

Falk College students listen to New Balance Marketing Director Dominick Fabrizio ’99 during a recent on-campus presentation. (Photo courtesy of Falk College’s Instagram page)

The keynote speaker for the 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration was Sarah Willie-LeBreton, a sociologist and president of Smith College. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Students in the Newhouse Los Angeles immersive professional development program recently visited the set of the hit television show “Jeopardy!” (Photo courtesy of the Newhouse LA Instagram page)

Students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science met with alumni and industry partners during the Spring 2025 Engineering and Computer Science Career Fair. (Photo courtesy of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences’ Facebook page)

Students from the Newhouse School’s advanced media management graduate program traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend the Consumer Electronics Show, the largest tech and media trade show in the world. (Photo courtesy of the Newhouse School’s Facebook page)

Members of the campus community share a laugh while skating at the Clinton Square Ice Rink in downtown Syracuse. (Photo courtesy Syracuse University’s Facebook page)

Otto stops to visit with friends. (Photo courtesy of @theottoorange)

Lights glow from within Crouse College. (Photo by Randy Carroll, staff member with Information Technology Services)

Students walk past the Hall of Languages on a snowy day (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook page)

The University’s Women in Leadership Initiative (WiL) recently launched its fourth Diane Lyden Murphy Cohort experience. This immersive learning experience is made up of emerging women leaders, including faculty, staff and administrators, from across the university. It combines experiential learning, hands-on assignments, one-on-one coaching and self-assessment to help women grow and thrive as leaders at Syracuse University. Learn more by visiting the WiL website. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook)

A student tries out a virtual reality experience during the grand opening of the Gaming and Esports Center in the Schine Student Center. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Pictured from left to right during the grand opening of the Gaming and Esports Center are Chancellor Kent Syverud, Braeden Cheverie-Leonard ’26, vice president of the gaming and esports club, Gabriel Goodwin ’28, a Varsity Rocket League captain, and Brianna Nechifor ’26, who is pursuing an esports communications and management degree major. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Executive Director of Esports Joey Gawrysiak addresses the crowd during the grand opening of the Gaming and Esports Center on campus. (Photo by Tiancheng Tang ’26)

Three students sit around a table and chat in the Schine Student Center during the first day of classes for the Winter 2025 semester. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook)

Students were welcomed back to campus with a fresh coating of snow. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s Facebook)

Students arrive in Madrid, Spain, to begin their semester with the Signature Seminar: Marine Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse Abroad’s Facebook)

Nothing is better than a sunny day in Syracuse in the middle of winter. (Photo courtesy of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ Facebook)

Following a memorial service in Hendricks Chapel, Brian Konkol (center), vice president and dean of Hendricks Chapel, Devon Bartholomew (right), Baptist chaplain and Sensei JoAnn Cooke, Buddhist chaplain, lead a procession to the Place of Remembrance on Dec. 21, 2024. The service was held on the 36th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, 1988. The bombing claimed the lives of 270 people, including Syracuse University students returning from a semester of study abroad. (Photo by Qianzhen Li)

The flags in front of Syracuse University’s National Veterans Resource Center fly at half-staff in honor of former President Jimmy Carter (1924-2024). (Photo by Charlie Poag)

The move is part of a wider reorganization announced by the Lerner Center and The Monday Campaigns.

The Lerner Center, which was established at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2011��with a gift��from alumnus Sidney “Sid” Lerner ’53 and his wife, Helaine, now houses Healthy Monday digital materials and programming on a newly designed��. It will also initiate a broad campaign through social media, newsletters and other platforms, and implement signature programs that leverage Syracuse University’s expertise in health promotion. Students will continue to be involved in developing and implementing programming aimed at improving population health.

The restructuring follows����to the Lerner Center and Syracuse University’s Forever Orange Campaign by Helaine Lerner in 2023 and ensures the future of The Monday Campaigns’ beloved global health campaigns. While the Lerner Center will now own Healthy Monday, the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore will launch a new��. In addition, New York University Langone Health will launch��.

This��marks a new phase of growth for The Monday Campaigns and its programs, founded in 2003 by Lerner, an advertising and marketing innovator who died in 2021 at the age of 90. A legend in the advertising business, he helped 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. His Meatless Monday campaign became a global health phenomenon, reportedly convincing two-thirds of Americans to reduce meat consumption. In 2006, it morphed into the Healthy Monday movement in partnership with universities, workplaces, schools and communities.

“Sid’s original vision was to create initiatives that anyone could pick up and shape for their own institutions and lives, or as Sid said, ‘take my campaign please,’” said Dana Smith, campaign director for The Monday Campaigns. “Twenty-two years later, institutional partners and advocates worldwide have embraced Monday as—also in Sid’s words—‘the day all health breaks loose.’ We’re excited for the next chapter of this movement, anchored to trusted and leading academic partners.”

Through Healthy Monday, individuals and organizations use turnkey program guides or design their own programs to commit to better health every Monday.��Research shows that healthy thinking and behavior are synchronized with the week, with Monday being the day people are most open to positive changes.

“Healthy Monday is a dynamic, adaptable campaign that helps people start their week off right,” said Casey Collins, digital specialist for the Lerner Center. “As everyone from students to health professionals look for ways to achieve better health and well-being for themselves and the population as a whole, Healthy Monday has tremendous potential. We’re excited to move this important public health initiative forward.”

Guided by the principles of scientific rigor, equity, justice, community engagement, and multidisciplinary and multi-institution collaboration, the Lerner Center’s mission is to improve population and community health through research, education, outreach and health promotion programming focused on the social, spatial and structural determinants of physical, mental, and behavioral health and health disparities.

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, local hospitals and the Madison County Rural Health Council. In 2019, the Center launched��—a six-week workshop series for undergraduate students that offers evidence-based tools to help students manage their stress and thrive while in college.

Tatiyyanah Nelums

Aerospace engineering student Tatiyyanah Nelums ’25��was selected by the national nonprofit Patti Grace Smith Fellowship as a member of its latest cohort. The program is designed to support the careers of Black aerospace leaders. As part of the fellowship, Nelums will participate in a challenging summer aerospace internship at one of America’s leading aerospace companies. They will also receive a scholarship, personalized mentorship and access to a community of young Black professionals pursuing careers in aerospace.

Nelums conducts��research in computational fluid dynamics and aims to work in the commercial space sector. They��are the co-president of the Syracuse University branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and serve as the aerodynamics and propulsion lead for Syracuse’s AIAA Design/Build/Fly team.��As part of the fellowship, Nelums will be working at the research and development company Draper during the summer.

“Tatiyyanah’s fellowship is a recognition of their academic achievement and leadership skills as demonstrated during their studies in Syracuse. As their instructor in airbreathing and rocket propulsion, I can attest that they are well-equipped to succeed in the aerospace field. This award further sets them on that path to success,” says Ben Akih Kumgeh, associate professor and aerospace engineering undergraduate program director.

“Being a part of this fellowship is an amazing opportunity, and I am proud to be included in such an amazing program,” says Nelums. “It is not often that I get to interact with people in my field who look like me, so this representation matters a lot to me.”

offer tax savings on eligible health-related expenses for faculty, staff and their eligible dependents, while offer employees the opportunity to contribute pre-tax dollars to an account to help pay for daycare and related expenses for a dependent child or adult.

HealthEquity is the University’s flexible spending account vendor. Faculty and staff with questions about eligible expenses or the reimbursement process can contact the HealthEquity customer care team at 877.924.3967 (TTY: 866.353.8058). A searchable list of and is available on HealthEquity’s website.

Twelve seniors have been named as the 2025 Syracuse University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

The Syracuse University Scholars Selection Committee, a Universitywide faculty committee, selected the scholars using criteria that included coursework and academic achievement, independent research and creative work, evidence of intellectual growth or innovation in their disciplinary field, a personal statement and faculty letters of recommendation.

“We are proud to recognize our University Scholars for their many accomplishments. Not only have they achieved academic success, they have also embraced opportunities—like research and community service—to enhance and expand their undergraduate experience and make the most of their time here. As they prepare to graduate, we are looking forward to celebrating their future accomplishments and success,” says Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew.

The 2025 Syracuse University Scholars are:

• Jonathan Collard de Beaufort, a biochemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Charlotte Ebel, a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, a women and gender studies and German language, literature and culture major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Abigail Greenfield, a history major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a political philosophy major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Yuming Jiang, a mathematics and physics major in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Sierra Kaplan, a political science major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a health humanities major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Emmy Njue, a finance and business analytics majors in the Whitman School of Management;
• Kerrin O’Grady, a biomedical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Morgan Opp, a chemistry and biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Timothy Paek, a computer science major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Skyla Ross-Graham a psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Yifan Shen, an architecture major in the School of Architecture, a music history and cultures major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; and
• Sophia Znamierowski, a biology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

Assignment Design Days are dedicated sessions that provide faculty with the opportunity to (re)design assignments that align with the University’s Shared Competencies. These sessions focus on creating transparent assignments that help students develop knowledge and skills related to the University’s learning goals.

Goals of Assignment Design Days

• Engage in iterative teaching and learning practices.
• (Re)Design assignments to align with competency outcomes.
• Create transparent assignment prompts that connect competency learning outcomes, course learning objectives and assignments.

Eligibility and Participation

All Syracuse University faculty members teaching courses tagged with one or more Shared Competencies, or those wishing to tag their�� courses, are eligible to participate. Participants will receive a $300 stipend for participating. During the sessions, faculty will map their course assignments to the Shared Competencies rubrics and create transparent assignments using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework.

Session Schedule

Assignment Design Days are organized by competency:

• May 27, 2025
  • Ethics, Integrity, and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: 9:00 a.m.–noon
  • Critical and Creative Thinking: 1–4 p.m.
• May 28, 2025
  • Scientific Inquiry and Research Skills: 9 a.m.–noon
  • Civic and Global Responsibility: 1–4 p.m.
• May 29, 2025:
  • Communication Skills: 9 a.m.–noon
  • Information Literacy and Technological Agility: 1–4 p.m.

All sessions will be held in person at 400 Ostrom Ave., Executive Conference Room. Faculty interested in participating are encouraged to apply by May 1, 2025.

-Story by Naimah Rahman

Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) is accepting for the 2026-2027 academic year. The SCRC Faculty Fellows Program provides a $5,000 fellowship payment, pedagogical guidance in centering archival and special collections, and ongoing class support for those interested in providing students with an experiential learning opportunity by incorporating primary source materials as central to their course. Applications are being accepted for the development or revision of a three-credit course to be taught in the Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 semester from any discipline on campus.

Syracuse University Libraries’ SCRC Faculty Fellows Program aims to support innovative curriculum development and foster new ideas about how to transform the role of special collections and archival research in university instruction. During the four-week summer residency, each Fellow receives expert guidance through workshops and training sessions on handling special collections materials, teaching students how to research within and across collections and designing hands-on, individualized, creative and critically minded assignments with rare materials.

SCRC’s primary sources span over 4,000 years–from the 21st century BCE to the 21st century CE–and represent an array of topics, perspectives relevant to the study of human culture and knowledge. They include various formats, including written and printed material, art, architecture and design and music and recorded sound. Engaging with SCRC’s rare and archival collections allows students, faculty and researchers to explore and question historical evidence and testimonies while connecting with the innovative and enduring ways people have communicated, documented their experiences and recorded personal memories throughout history.

For questions or additional information about the SCRC Faculty Fellows Program, contact Jana Rosinski, SCRC Instruction and Education Librarian, at jrosinsk@syr.edu. See .

George Bain G’06, a member of the Library Associates, and William F. Gaske ’72, a member of the Libraries Advisory Board, provided generous gift funding towards the SCRC Faculty Fellows Program. The original funding for the program was made possible through the generosity of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, which promotes the advancement and perpetuation of humanistic inquiry and artistic creativity by encouraging excellence in scholarship and in the performing arts, and by supporting research libraries and other institutions that transmit our cultural heritage. For more information about how to financially support a faculty fellow for the upcoming academic year and beyond, contact Ron Thiele Assistant Dean for Advancement for the Libraries, at rlthiele@syr.edu or 315.560.9419.

isn’t just about gifts—it’s a campuswide celebration where the Orange community comes together to make an impact!

Here’s how you can be part of this exciting day on Thursday, March 27:

• Free Food, Games and Giveaways
  Schine Student Center | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Energize your day. Challenge your colleagues and classmates to a friendly game of ring toss, satisfy your sweet tooth with post-lunch treats and score some exclusive Orange swag!
• Student Organization Showcase
  Schine Student Center | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Discover the incredible work of 30+ student organizations. Your visit helps them earn extra challenge dollars, turning student dreams into reality. Which innovative student project will capture your heart?
• Orange Impact Livestream
  | Every hour from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
  • Tune in at the top of each hour for live shows featuring the amazing accomplishments of SU students, faculty and staff members! Watch the Orange pride in action, streaming live from Schine.
• Power Your Passion
  • —whether it’s $5 or $500! Support the areas of campus most meaningful to you, unlock challenge dollars to multiply your impact and help your favorite department climb the leaderboards.

Let’s show what the Orange community can accomplish together!

Bruce Mosler

The breakfast and Whitman Day event with Mosler will be held on Thursday, April 24, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Whitman School’s Flaum Grand Hall. Moderating the event will be Whitman alumnus Harold A. Fetner ’83, president and CEO of Fetner Properties Inc., which provides luxury high-rise apartment living in New York City.

Fetner will discuss with Mosler how Cushman & Wakefield, with revenues of $9.5 billion in 2023, 400 offices in 60 countries and approximately 52,000 employees and 5,100 million square feet of commercial space, strategically selected its building locations. They will explore the types of housing Cushman & Wakefield provides, and how technology plays a vital role in the current real estate market.

Mosler will also offer advice to current Whitman students eager to learn from his success and discuss the steps necessary to further enhance innovation both in his field and in the overall business arena.

Hal Fetner

“I’m always excited to be on campus, so I’m delighted to be at the school celebrating Whitman Day with my friend, Bruce Mosler. We’ll be moderating a conversation about my two favorite topics—Syracuse University and real estate. What could be better?” says Fetner.

Whitman Day is an annual event to celebrate—both in-person and virtually—how the Whitman School has positively impacted students, faculty, alumni and supporters while encouraging all to continue helping the school prepare future leaders in an ever-changing business environment.

In-person regional celebrations will also be held in Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City and San Francisco. . For more information, visit the .

Student outreach and tabling event hosted by the Office of Financial Literacy (Image credit: Smart Money)

The Office of Financial Literacy works year-round to offer accessible and equitable financial education to Syracuse University students and alumni with one-on-one peer counseling services, educational programming and free . Financial Literacy Awareness Month is celebrated annually across the nation in April and was created over a decade ago to raise public awareness about the importance of financial education.

Many University students often express concern with the rising cost of living. On top of this, with tax season, summer study abroad programs, internships and graduation fast approaching students may feel overwhelmed in managing their personal finances. The Office of Financial Literacy is focused on helping students manage such costs including tuition, personal expenses, credit and student loan debts, making the office an essential resource for students to take advantage of.

“Financial literacy brings clarity and certainty to both your immediate and long-term future,” says Karina Anderson, assistant director of financial literacy programs. “This April is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of empowering our students with the right financial knowledge to feel confident in navigating their journey to independence and achieving their goals.”

Here is a preview of some of the events that will be offered during Financial Literacy Week:

• Your Financial Map – Building a Sustainable Budget: Monday, April 7, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
• Borrowing and Credit Confidence – Building a Strong Financial Future: Tuesday, April 8, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Investing for Beginners: Thursday, April 10, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Panel Discussion: Balancing Finances & Mental Health: Thursday, April 10, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Registration for these events and more can be found .

Evan Tulsky in the Bionics, Systems and Controls Lab (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Observing his father’s work in physical therapy research and cognition tests, Evan Tulsky’s ’24 interest in robotics and rehabilitation took shape at a young age. He recognized the crucial role that rehabilitation devices play in transforming people’s lives, motivating him to pursue research in this field while attending the College of . This path would lead him to the Bionics, Systems and Controls (BSC) Lab, an interdisciplinary research space centered around robotics and rehabilitation.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of control systems, dynamics and rehabilitative devices,” says Tulsky, a mechanical engineering graduate student. “I was raised around research, and this was the best place for it. This is a really cool lab.”

Led by Victor Duenas, assistant professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering, the BSC Lab focuses on individuals who have had strokes or other neurological conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord or nerves. Tulsky joined the lab as an undergraduate research assistant and is now pursuing his Ph.D., where he’s been building devices that support hip, foot and ankle movements.

Because the muscles and joints in the lower body work together, problems in one area can impact the others during movement. A robotic ankle-foot device and hip exoskeleton could help individuals with hip and knee issues since ankle pain can put stress on the hip and knee.

“If you’re working on an ankle and hip device, you’re working on the entire leg—they’re interconnected,” says Tulsky. “The goal is to develop devices that support all three joints and different movements.”

The lower limb exoskeleton—a wearable device that helps with walking, standing and other lower limb bodily functions—is the latest project in development in the BSC Lab, which Tulsky has been assisting with. This exoskeleton will give individuals with spinal cord injuries or strokes balance and flexibility, allowing them to rotate their legs naturally around their pelvis and hip area.

“Most exoskeletons don’t focus on foot placement and balance,” Tulsky explains. “People with spinal cord injuries can’t land on their foot well. With this device, we’re trying to make motions as natural as possible and help people regain their confidence.”

Tulsky’s graduate studies build upon his research in muscle activity, particularly electromyography (EMG). EMG measures the electrical activity of muscles and nerves and is a great way to assess the health of nerves and muscles that allow movement and other bodily functions. He would present a research paper on EMG and muscle activity in the ankle and foot at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Conference on Controls, Technology and Applications. The conference took place in England in 2024.

The BSC Lab conducts research in collaboration with the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center since the University has a well-established history with the veteran population. Tulsky has been honored as the Richard A. Bernard Scholar for his efforts in assisting the disabled population and received recognition for the best thesis in engineering.

“My journey is driven by a deep-seated passion to leverage technology for enhancing human health and quality of life,” Tulsky says. “I aspire to continue contributing to innovations that advance the field of rehabilitative robotics and empower individuals facing physical limitations.”

is part of the 2025-26 cohort of cultural organizations being considered for accreditation by the (AAM).

The highest national recognition afforded to museums in the U.S., accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, governments, funders, outside agencies and the museum-going public. Just over 1,000 of an estimated 33,000 museums in the U.S. are accredited; of those, only 16% are university museums.

To prepare for the accreditation process, museum staff members, with support from University partners and advisory board members, have spent the last five years closely examining museum operations, activities and policies and creating five “core documents” required for accreditation. This has resulted in strengthened operations, adherence to best practices and strategic future-planning.

Museum staff also completed two Museum Assessment Programs (MAP): one in Collections Stewardship (2021) and the other in Community and Audience Engagement (2024). Offered through a cooperative agreement between AAM and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, MAP is widely considered the first step toward becoming a fully accredited cultural institution.

“Over the past five years, our team has been diligent in our path towards accreditation and already witnessed that this process is both vigorous and complex, yet highly rewarding,” museum director Emily Dittman says. “We could not have arrived at the final step in that process without the hard work of everyone on our talented team, and we are looking forward to the next year as we work towards securing AAM accreditation for the very first time.”

The accreditation process begins immediately with six-to-eight months of self-study, followed by a site visit by a team of peer reviewers in Spring 2026.

Staff Selection Process:

All Syracuse University staff members in good standing are eligible to apply. If you are interested in being considered for this important role, and submit it to svpchro@syr.edu by the deadline. Once all applications are reviewed, Chancellor Kent Syverud will be provided a list of up to three recommended candidates for final selection.

Important Dates:

• Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
• Representative Notification: The successful applicant will be notified in April
• Training for New Representatives: Training for staff, student, faculty and dean representatives will take place before the fall of 2025.

The creation of a staff representative position is a vital part of the Board’s commitment to hearing from all University constituencies. The Office of Human Resources strongly encourages all staff to consider applying for this opportunity to help shape the future of our university. They look forward to reviewing your applications and working together to ensure that many perspectives are represented at the highest levels of university governance.

Ryan Mitchell, from the series “Thank You, For Your Service?”

Part one of the exhibition runs March 22-28, with an opening reception on Friday, March 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The gallery is located in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse.

Over the course of these three exhibitions an unfolding of experiences, investigations and unforeseen connections will arise. As the French composer Pierre Boulez said, “Creation exists only in the unforeseen made necessary.” The exhibition schedule and artists are as follows:

Unforeseen Part I
March 22-28
Opening reception, Friday, March 21, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Exhibiting artists:��,��,��,��,��,��,��,��, Lely Soy,��,��,��.

Unforeseen Part II
April 5-11
Opening reception, Friday, April 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Exhibiting artists:��,��,��,��,��,��Olivia Qi, Grace Schamowski,��,��,��.

Unforeseen Part III
April 19-25
Opening reception, Friday, April 18, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Exhibiting artists:��,��,��, Hanyu Shi,��,��,��,��,��,��.

The Warehouse Gallery is the premier exhibition space for VPA students, faculty, alumni and staff. Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, noon to 6 p.m.; Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m.; and by appointment. Email warehousegallery@syr.edu��for more information.

Traci Geisler, Director of Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries, and Bruce Kingma, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the School of Information Studies, co-organizers of the 2024 RvD iPrize and Spirt of Entrepreneurship Award.

Last year, there were . The award competition highlights the University’s entrepreneurial focus. Raymond von Dran, who served as dean of the School of Information Studies from 1995 until his passing in 2007, was a long-time academic, entrepreneur and staunch supporter of student innovation.

The Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award began in 2018 through the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund and is awarded to students who best exemplify “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship.” Prizes honor the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, an SU student who died tragically in a distracted driving accident. In 2024, five winners each received $2,000.

Those are a few of the questions examined by a multidisciplinary panel of Maxwell School faculty experts during a recent “What’s at Stake” panel discussion hosted by the Center for Policy Research (CPR).

More than 250 people joined the virtual event held four days before the swearing in of Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. The same day, she sent her staff an email titled “Our Department’s Final Mission” fueling speculation that an executive order to abolish the Department of Education would soon follow. On March 11, the department announced it would cut its workforce nearly in half, to about 2,183 workers.

Sean Drake

Robert Bifulco, professor of public administration and international affairs, moderated the conversation with colleagues Elizabeth Martin, assistant professor of sociology; Michah Rothbart, associate professor of public administration and international affairs; and Sean Drake, assistant professor of sociology. All four panelists are senior research associates at CPR.

Robert Bifulco

To open the session, Bifulco provided some factual context about the Department of Education. In its 2024 fiscal year budget, he pointed out, the department administered programs totaling $268 billion—about 4 percent of the federal budget, a far smaller piece than agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Defense. About 60 percent of the Department of Education budget is spent on Pell grants and federal student loan programs; 17 percent on Title I grants to high poverty schools; and 14 percent to support the education of students with disabilities. “Each of these programs, which together account for over 90 percent of the department’s budget, was established prior to 1979, when the department itself was established,” said Bifulco, who serves as director of CPR’s Program on Educational Equity and Policy.

“President Trump claims the department has been overtaken by radicals, zealots and Marxists, that it promotes liberal ideologies in schools, and that it wastes taxpayers’ money,” Bifulco said. “But when you look at the overwhelming bulk of what the department focuses on and what its budget allocations go for, it’s not clear what most people would want to see cut.”

Martin, whose own research focuses on economic insecurity, credit and debt burdens and financial shocks, spoke to the broad impact of the Department of Education’s programs for students pursuing higher education.

Elizabeth Martin

“This is everything from Pell grants that help lower income students, to work study to student loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized,” she said. “So dismantling the Department of Education, moving the federal aid functions either to states or to the Department of Treasury, which is one proposal I’ve seen, would affect a lot of people. Something like 20 percent of all U.S. households have student loan debt; 30 to 40 percent of students who are currently enrolled are taking on loans every semester.”

One potential consequence of shifting student aid programs out of the federal government, she added, would be to increase gaps between states in higher education opportunities, particularly at public institutions.

“We see huge inequalities in appropriations per student, credit hour and tuition costs and merit- and need-based scholarships,” Martin said. “If federal aid or student loans are moved down to the state level, I imagine that we would see even more widening inequality between states.”

Shifting educational loans away from the federal government may also result in greater reliance on private loans—and the loss of key protections, pointed out Rothbart, who studies public finance and financial management particularly in education.

Michah Rothbart

“Federal student loans provide protections against inability to pay in some circumstances,” Rothbart said. “I could imagine a world where there would be a large increase in the use of private borrowing to pay for higher education, and then students would not have those protections as they move out in their careers.”

In the area of public school funding, Rothbart noted that cutting the Department of Education’s programs, or shifting them outside the federal government, could have unintended consequences on the department’s influence over policy.

“The federal government only provides a small portion of public school funding, but it leverages that to nudge educational priorities,” Rothbart said. “That approach has been in place for years, even predating the formation of the Department of Education. I think it’s important to note that the use of this funding to shape policies can be effective. It actually presents a catch-22 for conservative administrations like the one that’s currently in the office of the presidency, because if the federal government makes cuts to these programs, they could lose some of that leverage to incentivize their other priorities.”

Bifulco said the elimination of Department of Education programs that account for more than 90 percent of its spending would require congressional action. “I think that’s very unlikely,” he said. More likely, he said, is a shift of functions to other federal departments, for instance, moving the Office of Civil Rights out of the Department of Education into the Department of Justice. “That could have big effects on how civil rights are enforced, and what data is collected on civil rights,” he said.

Rothbart said the reshuffling of programs under federal departments “is actually a pretty fruitful discussion.” He pointed out several programs that fall under the purview of education yet are not overseen by the Department of Education. For instance, Head Start is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, national school meals programs are run by the Department of Agriculture, and the GI Bill is overseen by the Department of Veterans Administration. “You could imagine moving programs from other agencies into the Department of Education if it were a different administration,” he said, later adding, “There hasn’t been a major reshuffling of the federal government across agencies in a long, long time.”

Visit the to read the full story.

Story by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

Kellan D. L. Head

Kellan D. L. Head, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), was selected as the 2025 winner of the prestigious Mary Hatch Marshall Essay Award for his essay titled “Alienation and Cognitive Subjectivism About Well-Being.” A&S and the Syracuse University Library Associates will host a virtual award event and author reading on Tuesday, April 8, at 1 p.m. (EST). Anyone interested in attending can register by emailing libevent@syr.edu by April 4.

Head will receive a $1,000 prize. His essay focuses on well-being concerns and how well a person’s life is going for them. To have a basic grasp of how things like oppression, injustice, individual benefit and individual harm function, we need an accurate understanding of well-being. Cognitive subjectivism��holds that believing that ‘x’ is good for you establishes that ‘x’ is good for you. However, Head argues that cognitive subjectivism is false, because an agent can believe that some ‘x’��is good for them while simultaneously being alienated��by, averse to or estranged by ‘x.’ Subjectivist theories must not allow for alien objects to function as welfare goods for individuals; doing so would eliminate the attractiveness of subjectivist theories in the first place.����ead’s argument relies on two illustrative cases. He considers an objection and concludes by making a positive suggestion about an agent’s relation to their own welfare goods; a more nuanced and complex subjectivism is preferable to cognitive subjectivism. In short, having the belief by itself that something is good for us isn’t enough to make it good for us.

Head’s essay was chosen from those submitted by A&S graduate students currently enrolled in African American studies, English, art and music histories, languages, literatures and linguistics, philosophy, religion and writing studies, rhetoric, and composition.

Head plans to defend his Ph.D. in philosophy during the Spring 2026 semester. His areas of specialization are ethics, epistemology and social�� epistemology. He received his master’s degree in philosophy from Brandeis University and his bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and English: Creative Writing from the University of Rochester.

Professor Mary Hatch Marshall was a founding member of the Library Associates and holds a distinguished place in the college’s history. In 1952, she became the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of English Literature —the first woman appointed a full professor in the college— after having joined the faculty four years earlier. Library Associates established the annual Mary Hatch Marshall Award to honor and help perpetuate her scholarly standards and the generous spirit that characterized her inspirational teaching career, which lasted through her retirement in 1993. Members of Library Associates, Marshall’s friends and family, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and the Central New York Community Foundation all contributed to the endowment, established in 2004, that funds the award.

Library Associates are a group of dedicated SU Libraries supporters who help to raise funds and accessibility for the Libraries’ special collections, rare books, and manuscripts through opportunities like the Faculty Fellows program. Those wishing to join the Library Associates or make a gift to the Mary Hatch Marshall Award Endowment can contact Ron Thiele, assistant dean for advancement for the Libraries, at rlthiele@syr.edu or 315.560.9419.

Sidewalks in the area have been closed, and pedestrian detours are in place. Directional signage will be in place at all intersections, advising pedestrians of the sidewalk closures and directing them to safe paths of travel.

Pedestrians along Ostrom Avenue will be directed to walk along the east (Thornden Park) side of the road between Euclid Avenue and University Place, and to cross the street at the intersection of Ostrom and University Place to walk toward the center of North Campus.��Access to ADA-accessible walkways and ramps will be maintained at the southwest corner of the Ostrom/University Place intersection. Pedestrians along University Place will be directed to walk along the north (Dellplain/Ernie Davis) side of the street.

Fencing and pedestrian detours will be in place surrounding the construction site for the next two years as the project continues.

I also wanted to join in thanking the ESFAO [Employee Services, Fiscal Affairs, and Operations Committee] members and Doug [Yung] for their work. We did meet with them at length just before spring break, and we’re going to be meeting with them again before we submit the FY26 budget to the Board of Trustees for final approval. The reason for that is it’s a more intense process this year than past years.

I want to emphasize some of the points that Doug made. We ran a balanced budget in FY24, which ended nine months ago. We are running a balanced budget in FY25, which will end in three months. It’s pretty late in the year, so it’s pretty easy to see we’re going to be fine. We’re going to propose a balanced budget for FY26, and I’m not worried about that. I was worried about it in August, which is why I said what I said to the Senate in August and what I said to the University leadership team and to the deans, because of some of the foreseeable forces, which Doug illustrated in his report. If we’d done nothing since last August, we’d be facing a 3% budget deficit. By the way, 3% translates into millions of dollars. But if we can’t handle a 3% budget deficit humanely as managers and as a community, we’re not a very effective financial community, I believe.

Actually, we have been planning for months how to handle this. Obviously, there’s been additional wrenches thrown in the work by what’s happened with the federal government the last 60 days. Those have been remarkable wrenches for almost all our peers. That’s why you’re seeing these sharp announcements of Johns Hopkins laying off thousands of staff, of freezes of faculty hiring, freezes of graduate admissions. Really, I think you’ll see more of them, since a lot of academic institutions like to behave in a herd, and think behaving in a herd is the safe thing. I think you’ll see lots of institutions, including most of the AAU [Association of American Universities] doing things like this in the next couple of weeks.

My point to the ESFAO Committee and to you all is that we are in a different position because, let’s say, we’re fortunate in the sense that we don’t have an academic medical center heavily dependent on federal grants and the other agencies of the federal government that are looking closely at universities. We are fortunate, in a way that I never thought I would say, that our grants and contracts are heavily shifted away compared to our peers from NIH [National Institutes of Health] and NSF [National Science Foundation], which have been the most strongly acting so far.

That’s put us in a stronger position, but we’re also in a stronger position because we’ve been planning for this for a long time. Actually, we have been financially responsible for a long time, and that means that, I just need to say it again, we are not going to do some of the things you’re seeing elsewhere. We’re not going to have large-scale layoffs. We’re not going to have across-the-board hiring freezes. We’re not going to have deep budget cuts or other drastic measures in graduate programs. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have to be responsible as we’ve been all year in making a plane land with a balanced budget. Basically, what we’ve been doing since August is asking every unit, school, and college to identify efficiencies and realign their resources in ways that really make sense. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes, but they’ll be more consistent with the changes we do every year at Syracuse University in landing the plane or at least have been doing for recent times.

I think that calls for people to have a little bit of confidence. We are going to come back to the ESFAO with more concreteness as the plane nears landing in the next couple of weeks. The key moment, of course, is the presentation to the Board of Trustees committees going into the May full board meetings. Basically, it’s a boring headline for The Daily Orange and everybody else, but we’re going to propose a balanced ��budget for FY26. It’s going to be both sensible and humane, and there’s going to be opportunities to talk about it before it’s finalized. That’s basically the way it is, and I feel pretty blessed to be in that situation.

What I don’t feel blessed to be in is 60 days into this raft of changes coming in policies from the federal government. I don’t want to communicate complacency in what I’ve said already. In particular since we last met, the Department of Education has both lost half its workforce and has launched investigations related to antisemitism and racism into dozens of higher education institutions. It’s not the only part of the federal government that’s doing that, but the most significant one. Syracuse University is not one of the institutions being investigated, but our peers are, and we’re watching those other institutions closely. We’re watching what’s going on at Columbia with particular attention and concern because it’s not just the scale of what’s being asked of Columbia, but the substance, including the academic substance, that’s being requested of Columbia in order to benefit from federal funding. So, we’re paying attention to that.

On March 6, the faculty, students, and staff received a communication from [Provost] Lois [Agnew] and me and others regarding new guidance from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Broadly speaking, that guidance took the position that consideration of race in any aspect of student academic or campus life is discrimination and a violation of Title XI, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That new policy went into effect on Feb. 28, two weeks after it was first communicated. This broad interpretation is being challenged in the courts, and we’re following that closely.

I just want to emphasize two things. Syracuse University will comply with the law as it develops, but we strongly believe all of our university programs do not discriminate against any group. We strongly believe none of our university programs discriminate against any group. That means we need to be careful and thoughtful in responding. We are working through our Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Mary Grace Almandrez in a Universitywide effort to determine our path forward under the new guidance. Rather than kind of knee-jerk responses, like we’re seeing Columbia forced to do, this includes a process by which we’re actually outreaching and consulting with faculty, staff, and students whose work has helped hold this place together as a university welcoming to all over the last years. That’s going to guide our long-term strategy.

It’s not something I can get done in a week. We have time to look at this closely. We are looking at it closely. We are consulting appropriately, but we’re doing it against, once again, a belief that at our core and at our best, which we have not always been at, we’re a university that welcomes all. How we do that in each era and under each administration has had to be savvy and has had to be wise. We’re in a situation where we have to figure out how to continue doing that now. I believe this community really wants us to continue doing that in the right way, and that’s what we’re feeling our way through.

I do expect, again, that there will be more changes coming from Washington in the next 40 days. It’s 53 days to Commencement. I expect in the next 40 days we’ll see more.

Dean Chandler-Olcott referred to “those persnickety accreditors.” I believe we will come to respect and need to defend our persnickety accreditors before the next 40 days are out. I say that as someone who chaired an accrediting body and was on the Middle States Commission as well. As persnickety as they are, they are largely driven by our peers looking closely at what it takes to deliver a great education to our students and to every student, not just some favored group. So, I think there’ll be more changes coming.

I think we’ll have to report more at the April 19 Senate meeting on the progress, both on the budget and on the response to federal issues. I’m very grateful to a really wide range of people with a wide range of views who’ve been helping us in the last two months. And I hope you keep hanging in there. Thank you.

Gretchen Ritter

“” will begin at 6 p.m. in Grant Auditorium in the Falk College Complex. Led by Regina Luttrell, senior associate dean and associate professor of public relations in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and Jason Davis, research professor in the Office of Research and Creativity in the Newhouse School, the session will focus on the critical skills of detection, attribution and characterization, empowering participants to identify and counter deceptive narratives.

The lecture is part of the Life Together: Seeking the Common Good in a Diverse Democracy��initiative, led by Gretchen Ritter, vice president of civic engagement and education. The initiative began with an inaugural community conversation in October and expanded this semester.

Regina Luttrell

This event is open to the University community and welcomes all who value informed citizenry and seek actionable strategies to promote a resilient, truth-centered democratic society.

“Part of being an engaged citizen is being well-informed on pertinent public issues. We want to help the members of our campus community to be engaged, thoughtful citizens by helping them to understand whether different sources of information are reliable and trustworthy or suspect and problematic,” says Ritter.

“In an era where trust in civil society is eroding and the shared civic sphere is under strain, this event underscores the importance of regaining public trust in news and information,” Davis says. “By fostering critical thinking and media literacy, attendees will discover how these tools are essential not only for navigating today’s complex information environment but also for safeguarding the principles of democracy.”

Jason Davis

“With disinformation everywhere, understanding its long-term impact is critical for protecting democracy, public trust, and informed decision-making,” says Luttrell. “My hope is that people walk away with a deeper understanding of how media manipulation and information ecosystems shape��our world and what they can do to assess, challenge and mitigate its harmful effects.”

Luttrell and Davis serve as co-directors of the Newhouse School’s . The lab serves as a multidisciplinary research center focusing on analytics, artificial intelligence, digital and emerging media as well as an active classroom, and shared lab environment for projects undertaken by faculty and students.

We’ve set an ambitious goal of 6,600 donors this year. When we unite as one Orange community, even small gifts create massive impact. It’s not about the size of your donation—it’s about joining together with fellow Syracuse supporters worldwide.

Ready to join the friendly competition?

• ��and watch your impact multiply! Last year’s advocates TRIPLED the number of gifts made. Share your unique link, track the donations you inspire and claim your exclusive “Geared Up Otto” sticker!
• Get in early!�� now and challenge your Syracuse friends to match you. Every contribution moves us closer to our 6,600 donor goal.
• Follow the action live��at —our real-time leaderboards show which schools, programs and classes are leading the charge. Can your favorite area take the top spot?

Whether you support scholarships, campus improvements or groundbreaking research, your participation matters. Together, we’re not just giving—we’re competing to create the strongest possible Syracuse for generations to come.

Don’t sit on the sidelines for #CuseGivingDay. Join the thousands of Orange supporters worldwide to help us hit that 6,600 donor goal and write the next chapter in Syracuse University’s story!

The Syracuse University community is invited to one of the most inspiring and unforgettable nights of the year—the . On Friday, April 4, 2025, we’ll gather to honor outstanding alumni who embody the Orange spirit through their remarkable achievements, leadership and service.

The evening will be a beautiful tribute to the power of the Syracuse experience. From heartfelt videos to moments of pure Orange pride, the Alumni Awards Celebration is a can’t-miss event that brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to recognize and applaud excellence.

The celebration begins at 5 p.m. (doors open at 4:30) at the National Veterans Resource Center, Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building. A reception will follow until 8 p.m. !

Awardees are chosen by the Syracuse University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The George Arents Award is Syracuse University’s highest alumni honor and recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields.��This year’s honorees are��Paul Greenberg ’65, P’03;��Melanie Littlejohn G’97; and��Judith “Judy” C. Mower ’66, G’73, G’80, Ph.D.’84.

Chelsea Ransom-Cooper ’15��will receive the Generation Orange Award, which recognizes graduates from the past decade for career success, community engagement and overall commitment to Syracuse University.

Jack Kreischer ’65��will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for his loyalty and service to Syracuse University over the past 50 years.

Jamieson R. Ritter ’19��will posthumously receive the Military/Veteran Alumni Award. Ritter was killed in the line of duty while serving as a police officer in Cleveland, Ohio. This award highlights his bravery and dedication to our country and community.

Kimberly Wolf Price L’03��will be awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award for her commitment to Syracuse University as a volunteer.

Whether you’re a student looking for inspiration, a faculty or staff member eager to celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni, or a proud alum yourself, this event is for you. Expect an evening filled with powerful storytelling, meaningful connections and an atmosphere brimming with Orange spirit.

Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to celebrate our incredible alumni and connect with the broader Syracuse University community. The awards celebration is complimentary, but space is limited—!

Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact is located in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in downtown Syracuse.

For half a century, (POC) has served the University and local communities as a hub for artistic and literary exploration. Two special programs will be held this year in celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary.

Poet Diana Marie Delgado will read from her work April 2 as a guest of POC’s Cruel April poetry series.

On Thursday, April 2, a reading by acclaimed Mexican American poet will kick off POC’s Cruel April poetry series, which is held annually in observance of National Poetry Month. The reading will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the , located in Shaffer Art Building on campus.

The event will also feature a pop-up show of five artist books commissioned in honor of POC’s 50th anniversary. The exclusive works—created by POC advisory board members (board president and associate professor of studio arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts), Pedro Roth, Matías Roth, Joseph Kugielsky and Maritza Bautista—are inspired by Delgado’s poems and by poetry selections from POC’s early literary publications, including Argentine author Julio Cortázar’s “Five Erotic Sonnets.”

The 2025 Cruel April series is dedicated to the memory of poet , associate professor emeritus of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died in December. Burkard was a longtime partner of and contributor to POC, and his poetry was published in the POC poetry collection “Corresponding Voices, Vol. 4.”

Guests at the Delgado reading will also be able to view the exhibit “,” curated by , assistant professor of Latinx literature and culture, who will also speak at the event.

POC’s second 50th anniversary event will be a major exhibition of Latin American art from the permanent collection. “50 Sin Cuenta” will open Friday, Sept. 19, at the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Warehouse Gallery in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 West Fayette Street, Syracuse.

Artistic Evolution

Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact was founded by late scholar Pedro Cuperman. It began in 1975 as an independent editorial project at New York University, where Cuperman first taught when he migrated from Argentina in the late 1960s. He brought POC to Syracuse in 1976, and it evolved to include the “Corresponding Voices” book series, poetry editions and, in 2005, an art gallery. Cuperman, who died in 2016, taught Latin American literature and semiotics in the Arts and Sciences’ Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics for more than 40 years.

“I’ve always felt that Point of Contact is sort of a rare, hidden gem—a fiercely creative space where voices correspond across borders, disciplines and cultures,” says ’82, executive director of the Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community. “I am incredibly fortunate to have spent 22 of those 50 years working closely with Pedro Cuperman and with so many amazing colleagues, artists, poets and scholars. Point of Contact has also served as a training ground for students, many who now hold top positions as arts administrators, curators and museum professionals across the country, extending the impact of our mission far beyond Syracuse.”

For more information about POC and scheduled events, visit .

The invites the campus community to attend the fifth annual on Sunday, April 6, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center.

This event is a collaboration between the Center for International Services and registered student organizations (RSOs) on campus, celebrating the many global communities that make up the University community. The festival will feature a global variety of food, cultural exhibits, artistic presentations and performances.

“The International Festival creates an opportunity for our campus community to connect with student organizations, build intercultural understanding, learn more about the cultural traditions of the student organizations participating and celebrate our student body,” says . “The students have put a lot of work into preparing for the festival and we are looking forward to a great event.”

Below is a list of participating RSOs:

The festival is free to attend and includes a punch card to enjoy a selection of food samples from the participating student organizations.

For more information, contact the at international@syr.edu or 315.443.2457.

The lecture takes place on Thursday, March 20, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Bird Library’s Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Room 114). The lecture also will be streamed online. More details and a Zoom registration link can be found on the .

James Waller

Drawing from his award-winning book, “,” Waller will discuss internal and external factors that can lead ordinary people to commit mass atrocities if left unchecked and unexamined. By examining these forces, Waller argues that no country is immune to the potential for atrocity crimes and that this awareness can facilitate atrocity prevention.

On Friday, March 21, Waller will lead a Genocide Prevention Workshop as part of an to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Taking place in Huntington Hall 107 between 9 and 10:30 a.m., the workshop will present an analysis of genocide in the modern world that draws out the lessons to be learned in preventing genocide, further atrocities once genocide has begun and future atrocities when a society rebuilds after genocide.

is the inaugural Christopher J. Dodd Chair in Human Rights Practice and Director of the Dodd Human Rights Impact Programs for the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut. His other books include “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide,” and “A Troubled Sleep: Risk and Resilience in Contemporary Northern Ireland.”

Other events during the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination are “” at the Syracuse University Art Museum; the book talk “Representation Revolution: Black Twitter’s Lasting Impact on Television,” with Sherri Williams (10:30 a.m.; Newhouse 3, Room 434); and human rights tabling and open houses between 1 and 5 p.m. at , the , , and the .

Convening speakers from disciplines at the intersection of history, memory, and international human rights, the annual Atrocity Studies Lecture is supported by Lauri ’77 and Jeffrey Zell ’77. The 2025 spring lecture is co-sponsored by the following Syracuse University departments and programs: , , , , , and the .

student and lead author Alivia Uribe ’25, Sport Analytics Professor ��and Sport Analytics Associate Professor teamed with University of Reading (U.K.) Professor James Reade and University of Stirling (Scotland) senior lecturer Carl Singleton to write “Do Behavioral Considerations Cloud Penalty-Kick Location Optimization in Professional Soccer: Game Theory and Empirical Testing using Polynomial Regression and ML Gradient Boosting.”

Their research was named best in field at the prestigious , held March 7-8 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Sloan Sports Analytics Conference showcases cutting-edge research that’s featured in top media outlets throughout the world and has changed the way sports are analyzed. This year’s competition featured six sports tracks: basketball, baseball, soccer, football, business of sports and other sports. Abstracts were selected based on the novelty, academic rigor and impact of the research.

The team that won the Research Paper Competition at the prestigious MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference included, from left to right, Shane Sanders, James Reade, Alivia Uribe, and Justin Ehrlich.

Ehrlich explained that the group submitted an abstract in the fall. Out of thousands of submissions, the most promising were invited to submit full papers. These manuscripts were then evaluated, and the authors of the top seven papers were invited to present orally at the conference in Boston earlier this month. A panel of industry experts judged these presentations, and the winner was announced during an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the conference.

“I am incredibly proud of our team’s work as it resulted in a fantastic project that resonates deeply with others,” Ehrlich says. “Although aiming for riskier, higher areas of the goal can yield greater expected conversion rates, players typically avoid these zones due to the increased risk of missing entirely, which carries negative perceptions. Our findings generated enthusiasm among many attendees and received considerable attention at the conference.”

Uribe, a forward on the , is the first female lead author to be on the Research Paper Competition-winning team in MIT Sloan’s 19-year history, according to the event organizers.

“This is something I’m extremely proud of,” says Uribe, a sport analytics minor. “I could not be more grateful for the professors who have helped me create this opportunity. The knowledge and expertise I bring into it as a student-athlete is something very unique.”

Sanders and Ehrlich built on their previous analytics research to assist Uribe with her research, while Reade and Singleton provided invaluable soccer data. This was the second consecutive year that Sanders and Ehrlich had a research paper selected among the top seven at MIT Sloan. Last year, they presented their study on the NBA that shows the average expected value of 3-point shots has become less than 2-pointers since the 2017-18 season.

“Falk College is an ideal place to work and teach, the best college I’ve ever been affiliated with by far,” Sanders says. “The administrators, faculty, and students really pull together here like nowhere else I’ve been. Moreover, our leadership team has positioned sport analytics to shine as a program.”

Read the team’s full research paper on the MIT Sloan .

2024-25 Student Employment Recognition Awards

Students, faculty and staff are invited to submit nominations for National Student Employment Week recognition awards through Friday, April 4. Complete details are available on the .

• Student Employee of the Year: Nominate student employees who have demonstrated outstanding work, initiative, professionalism and other remarkable qualities. Complete the to nominate undergraduate and graduate student employees.
• Student Employee Supervisor of the Year: Nominate a staff or faculty member who supervises student employees for the Supervisor of the Year Award. Please email the ’Cuse Works team and include the supervisor’s name, email, department and a description of why they should be considered for the award.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please .

“Monumental Concerns 2”—a continuation of the first “Monumental Concerns” symposium held on campus in fall 2023—is scheduled for Friday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Museum of Modern Art’s Titus 1 Theatre, 111 West 53 Street, New York City. The event is free and open to the public. .

“As artists we are all profoundly engaged in our mutual practices, yet the water gathers us into a single pool,” Weems says. “I invite you to stand on the bridge as we consider contested sites of memory and monuments.”

The symposium seeks to evoke an examination of the politics of disagreement in order to collectively create a framework for moving towards a sense of belonging for all. Questions to be addressed include: How might we understand the stakes of the dialogue and debate around monuments and the sites they commemorate? How do we negotiate among multiple—and often conflicting—narratives and the way they show up in public space? Is disagreement crucial to transformation?

In addition to Weems, event participants include:

• , art historian and director of research programs, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
• , curator and director, Monument Lab
• , director of transformative art and monuments, City of Boston
• , civil rights lawyer and founder, 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy, Howard University
• , composer and pianist
• , assistant professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University
• , founder and principal strategist, Equity Empowerment Consulting
• , artist and associate professor of art, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
• , professor of communication and rhetorical Studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and director, Lender Center for Social Justice, Syracuse University
• , founder and CEO, Beyond Conflict
• , composer and 2025 Adobe Creative Resident, MoMA
• , poet and playwright
• , historian and director, Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation
• , composer and trumpeter
• , lawyer and founder, Equal Justice Initiative
• , architect and Nancy and George Rupp Professor of Architecture Planning and Preservation, Columbia University
• , assistant professor of art, architecture and design, Lehigh University

The event will conclude with “Defiant Life,” a musical performance by Iyer and Smith, from 6 to 7 p.m.

“Monumental Concerns 2” is co-organized by Syracuse University and The Museum of Modern Art, and supported in part by the Mellon Foundation. For more information, contact Kate Schwartz at 315.443.8017 or kschwa03@syr.edu.

Jennifer Hain Teper

Hain Teper’s hybrid lecture, titled “,” will be held on Wednesday, April 2, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Bird Library’s Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Room 114) and on Zoom. is required for the Zoom webinar and is encouraged for in-person attendees.

A hands-on workshop, titled “,” will occur on Thursday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 6^th floor of Bird Library in the Antje Bultmann Lemke Seminar Room and the Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68 Conservation Lab. The workshop is limited to 15 people and advance registration is required. To register, email Max Wagh, Special Collections Research Center administrative coordinator, at mlwagh@syr.edu.

All events are free to attend and open to the public.

The annual is endowed through a generous gift by William J. ’65, G’ 68 and Joan ’67, G’68 Brodsky. Celebrating its 20^th year in 2025, the endowment has been used to sponsor programs featuring prominent library conservators that promote and advance knowledge of library conservation theory, practice and application among wide audiences, both on campus and in the region.

Established in 2018, the Office of the University Ombuds is an informal, confidential, neutral and independent resource that helps members of the campus community navigate difficult situations without fear of retaliation or judgement. Neal Powless G’08 serves as the University Ombuds.

The survey seeks to gather input from individuals who have utilized the office’s services as well as those who have not. Survey results will help ensure that the Office of the University Ombuds continues to be a valuable and effective presence on campus that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty.

Questions about the survey should be directed ir@syr.edu. For more information about University Ombuds, email��ombuds@syr.edu.

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Kim and Mike Venutolo

Michael “Mike” Venutolo ’77 and his wife, Kim, vividly remember sharing an eight-hour bus ride through the 110-degree desert in the United Arab Emirates with a half dozen engineering students from Syracuse University. Mike had helped design a novel two-week internship experience to expose the students to issues involved in producing and transporting potable water hundreds of miles across the desert. It was the kind of experiential learning that the Venutolos have supported through their philanthropy. The kind that directly and rapidly transforms the student experience.

“In the many hours we spent together, we learned so much about their lives and hopes and dreams,” says Kim. “These students come from all walks of life and many of them don’t have the funding they need to help them get where they want to go.” The desire to directly help students “get where they want to go” is the motivation behind their recent gifts to the Forever Orange Campaign for Syracuse University and what has become a nearly $2 million legacy in philanthropy that can only be described as “outside the box” thinking by a dedicated alumnus who describes himself as “atypical.”

Venutolo, who was appointed to the University Board of Trustees in 2022, came from modest means—his father was a plumber, and he grew up in a New Jersey town where many teens went to vocational and technical high schools to learn trade skills. “I grew up in a household filled with experiences,” says Venutolo. “There was a lot less learning from textbooks and a lot more learning from doing what my parents and grandparents did.”

His parents insisted that he go to college, but he says he didn’t do very well—until he met a counselor who helped him identify a field where he could excel (civil engineering) and a few professors who spent the time to support his success.

The atypical student became an atypical graduate, taking his engineering degree overseas to work in Saudi Arabia. “I was a junior engineer, working on a multibillion-dollar project building the world’s first major desalination plant,” Venutolo says. “We had no Google. If we had a critical question, we had to drive two hours to the closest telegraph office. It was hands-on problem solving.”

Venutolo would spend more than four decades living overseas, building a successful career and creating a company that became a worldwide leader in engineering and construction services. Living in the Gulf region and England, he was disconnected from the Orange community, but decided to attend his 30th class reunion and forge a new bond to bring his international experience to benefit his alma mater. He helped originate the Middle East Regional Council and engaged his company, Raymond International Pipeline Services Group, in the design and implementation of summer internships for civil and environmental engineering students.

The Venutolos designed and supported engineering internship experiences, which included this group of six students who went to a site in Kuwait in 2014.

In a 2012 article published in the American Society for Engineering Education, Syracuse University professors credited Venutolo with “helping to create and support another model for successful development of future global engineers.” The article, titled “Stepping Outside the Box: Education of Global Engineers,” detailed the significance of this kind of experiential programming. “These programs have provided an essential service to the engineering profession by providing students with a solid foundation of genuine openness, cultural curiosity and cultural understanding, as well as a greater appreciation for the power of communication, interpersonal relationship skills, organization and team membership,” the professors wrote.

Venutolo also supported the creation of a new construction engineering lab in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) in 2016, providing students on campus with a dedicated space for hands-on educational and research initiatives. His appreciation for international experiences and experiential learning is reflected in Venutolo’s most recent philanthropy, pledging nearly $1 million to create or support:

• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Experiential Learning to support students studying abroad and the London Center program with particular focus on community and cultural engagement through program-sponsored travel,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Professional Development to augment the activities of ECS clubs and societies specifically oriented to building professional skills, networking and education through their activities, including student travel to conferences,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Undergraduate Endowment Scholarship to provide scholarship and financial assistance to deserving ECS undergraduates,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Remembrance and Lockerbie Exchange to support trips to Lockerbie, the Lockerbie Academy and other remembrance related activities and
• Invention Accelerator Fund, which supports undergraduates as they design, prototype and pitch their inventions.

“We want to make a difference in individual students’ lives, to make it possible to attend a conference or get a passport or get on a plane to the Middle East,” says Venutolo. For his wife, Kim, who never had a chance to get a college degree, helping college students achieve their dreams is particularly satisfying. “I feel like these students try their hardest and we like to help.”

“Mike and Kim have a deep understanding of the importance of experiential learning opportunities to student academic, professional and personal growth, and a passion for supporting these opportunities abroad,” says Erika Wilkens, Ph.D., assistant provost and executive director of Syracuse University Abroad. “Their generous gift will provide students with invaluable immersive learning experiences in London, Lockerbie and beyond, and enable them to develop global skills that will benefit them for years to come.”

Both Venutolos have been judges for , which encourages the kind of innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that guided Michael in his career development. “Michael has told me that he credits Syracuse University with his ability to succeed,” says Kim, who went to work after high school in order to help her family financially. Now married nearly 20 years, Michael credits Kim with being “a champion for the underdog” and identifying opportunities for philanthropy that directly help students. “It doesn’t have to be huge dollars,” says Kim. “It’s just got to be from your heart. I love the University that has adopted me. I’ve become Orange.”

“Through these extraordinary gifts, Mike and Kim have given current and future Orange students the chance to pursue a life-changing education: an education that is distinctive in the way it fosters innovation and professional growth,” says ECS Dean J. Cole Smith. “Thanks to them, ECS will now be able to provide new life-changing scholarships, support experiential learning initiatives through our engineering and computing clubs and organizations, and devise groundbreaking inventions through our invention accelerator program, Invent@SU.”

“When we can talk to the students, see what they are inventing or touch what they are building, that’s what gets us excited,” says Venutolo. Now that he is based in the states (he and Kim live in New Jersey), he has more access to the students and more reasons to visit campus as a University Trustee. “I’m really honored and proud to be part of the group. I’m enjoying bringing an international perspective and more outside the box thinking.”

The Venutolos’ philanthropy helps support such initiatives as Invent@SU.

Richard Alexander

Over the last decade, Richard Alexander L’82 has navigated his chosen profession (the law) and his chosen passion (Syracuse University and its law school) through incredibly challenging waters. As partner, managing partner and chair of one of the nation’s most prestigious law firms, Arnold & Porter, and as current University and College of Law , Alexander has always been directed by a North Star, a guiding light amidst uncertainty.

“During very dynamic and demanding times in academia and the legal profession, I have found some common challenges and opportunities.�� Among other things, universities and law firms are in the talent business,” says Alexander, who became at the start of 2025. “The mission of the university is to recruit and retain very talented people, develop student scholars and create the kinds of connections that will help them become future leaders of the world. Law is a similarly noble profession, but it has become brutally competitive, which requires law firms to differentiate themselves in terms of talent recruitment and retention while delivering great results for clients.”

Alexander is deeply proud of and grateful for the four decades spent at a law firm that is well known for its cutting-edge work, its strong pro bono program and its focus on providing opportunities for personal and professional growth throughout the organization. During his nearly ten years as chairman of the firm, he led the strategic combination of Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer (in 2017), and saw the combined entity surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2021. With more than 1,000 employees in 15 offices worldwide, Arnold & Porter has consistently been named to��The American Lawyer’s��A-List, according to the magazine, because of its ability to balance industry pressures with a commitment to core values.

Core Values

When the A-List was announced last year, Alexander said, “Our inclusion in The American Lawyer’s��A-List is a reflection of the firm’s continuing commitment to providing extraordinary client service, protecting and defending the rule of law, having a diverse workplace and investing in our talent.” He says those core values were reinforced while studying at the College of Law, including a commitment to pro bono work and the value of public service.

With his law degree, Alexander began his legal career in the federal government in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Though he was recruited just three years later to join Arnold & Porter, he told Syracuse law students that he left government work with great reluctance. In remarks delivered to first-year law students at the Sherman F. Levey Lecture in 2010, Alexander said, “Public service offers an opportunity to get fantastic experience and responsibility.��While I recognize that government jobs are not as lucrative as the private sector, they can be more rewarding in terms of professional development and personal growth.”

This belief drove the establishment of a scholarship in honor of his parents, the Rhoda S. and Albert M. Alexander Memorial Scholarship, to encourage law students to pursue public and government service. It also drives distinction for Arnold & Porter. Alexander points out the significance of its continuing pro bono portfolio of work. “We’re the firm that secured the constitutional right to counsel in��Gideon v. Wainwright—argued by one of our founding partners, Abe Fortas—and we believe we are one of the leading pro bono firms in the world,”��he .

Public Service Ethos

From helping to secure American Sign Language interpreters at White House briefings, to protecting civil rights and voting rights, to cases involving police discrimination, housing, public benefits, immigration and unemployment, the firm nurtures a public service ethos among associates and partners. Last year, Arnold & Porter was recognized by The American Lawyer as a top 10 firm on its .

“Do not forget those who are in need, and put your law degree to work to help the community at large,” Alexander counseled law students during his lecture.

Kevin Toomey L’12 says Alexander and the firm have “done a great job in recruiting top talent from the law school” and describes the firm’s commitment to both excellence and public service as a “unique combination.” A Syracuse native, Toomey first met Alexander while Toomey was in law school working at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and rising star at Arnold & Porter and head of the firm’s financial services practice group.

“It takes a certain type of character to lead a law firm of 1,000 very qualified, credentialed and also opinionated lawyers,” says Toomey. “Richard did that very well, while balancing collegiality and client success, getting the best of the best and retaining talent, and holding on to our core values as a firm.”

Syracuse’s ‘Secret Sauce’

Both Toomey and Alexander believe that Syracuse law school graduates are well-prepared to compete in an increasingly competitive industry. Both agree there’s something intangible about Syracuse that strengthens its students. “Maybe it’s walking up the hill to the law school through the snow every day,” says Toomey with a chuckle. “You feel some kind of obligation and responsibility to prove yourself.”

Alexander calls it Syracuse’s “secret sauce,” a kind of grittiness. “We also have a strong moral compass at the University,” says Alexander, who was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2016 and currently serves as its vice chair. He will become chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in May.

“Universities have had to navigate through some important challenges, including the rising cost of education, changes in athletics, the implications of technology and online learning,” says Alexander. “I think Syracuse has done an excellent job and there’s more to be done. The University and law school must continue to differentiate themselves. I want people to understand the strengths of the University as a place that brings together people with different life experiences and from all walks of life.”

Similarly, Alexander points to Arnold & Porter’s commitment to be a place that is welcoming to all. That idea of bringing a wide range of perspectives to the college and practice of law inspired the creation of the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship. Alexander and his wife, Emily, made a substantial gift to help establish the scholarship in 2022 to honor the legendary graduate and jurist whose public service demonstrated a deep concern for social justice and to provide opportunity for deserving students.

No matter what his role Alexander remains a steward of ethical principles and the dual pursuit of justice and excellence. After all, he says, “we are teaching young people to be citizens of the world.”

Installation view of “Joiri Minaya: Unseeing the Tropics at the Museum”

“We are thrilled to host Joiri Minaya’s work at the museum in conversation with the permanent collection,” says museum Director Emily Dittman. “Her work invites visitors to examine their notions of the ‘tropics’ as well as expand that to thinking more broadly. We hope that this critical examination will provide a platform for conversations at the museum as well as in the community.”

When thinking of the “tropics,” the Caribbeans islands often come to mind. Palm-fringed horizons, sweeping ocean views and pristine beaches have become a visual shorthand for “tropicality” and suggest landscapes that are idyllic, untouched paradises.

The idea of the “tropics” dates to the 15th century, when Spanish and Anglo-European explorers and writers, and later, in the 19th century, photographers represented these regions as virgin paradises or dangerous territories, inhabited by peoples perceived as “primitive.” This framework has reduced the “tropics” to a narrow set of images that have shaped colonial legacies and commercial interests. “Joiri Minaya: Unseeing the Tropics at the Museum” challenges this idea. It encourages reconsideration of the historical and contemporary misrepresentations that shape our perceptions of tropical regions. By juxtaposing Minaya’s work, including video, installation, and photography, with 20th-century artworks from the museum’s collection, the exhibition invites an “unseeing” of the tropics.

The interpretive text in the exhibition is bilingual, providing both English and Spanish text for visitors. Support for this exhibition is provided by Centro de Estudio Hispánicos; Latino-Latin American Studies; and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics in the College of Arts and Sciences; and the Program on Latin America and The Caribbean (PLACA) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

About the Artist

Joiri Minaya (born 1990) is a Dominican-United Statesian multidisciplinary artist whose recent works focus on destabilizing historic and contemporary representations of an imagined tropical identity. Minaya attended the Escuela Nacional de Artes Visuales in Santo Domingo (2009), Altos de Chavón School of Design (2011) and Parsons the New School for Design (2013). She has participated in residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Guttenberg Arts, Smack Mellon, the Bronx Museum’s AIM Program and the NYFA Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists, Red Bull House of Art, the Lower East Side Printshop, ISCP, Art Omi, Vermont Studio Center, New Wave, Silver Art Projects and Fountainhead.

She has received awards, fellowships and grants from New York State Council on the Arts/New York Foundation for the Arts, Jerome Hill, Artadia, the BRIC’s Colene Brown Art Prize, Socrates Sculpture Park, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Rema Hort Mann Foundation and the Nancy Graves Foundation, among other organizations. Minaya’s work is in the collections of the Santo Domingo Museo de Arte Moderno, the Centro León Jiménes, the Kemper Museum, El Museo del Barrio and several private collections.

Featured Events

On Opacity: Gallery Talk with Artist Joiri Minaya

March 18, 4:30 p.m., reception to follow

Syracuse University Art Museum

Lines of Flight: Screening + Q&A with Miryam Charles and Joiri Minaya

March 20, 6:30 p.m.

Presented by Light Work

Watson Theater, 316 Waverly Ave.

Community Day

March 29, noon-4 p.m.

Syracuse University Art Museum

Visit the museum’s website for more public programs surrounding the exhibition.

Antonio (Tony) Goncalves ’27, College of Engineering and Computer Science, used his fall 2024 Orange Innovation Fund grant to build a prototype for his tech startup, Gymin, an IoT device to track gym equipment usage, optimizing operations for health.

Syracuse University Libraries is accepting spring applications from graduate and undergraduate students for the����grant now through Friday, March 28, 2025, at 5 p.m. Interested applicants can access the����online or e-mail��OrangeInnovation@syr.edu��to request an application package.

Grants up to $5,000 per award will be made, with a total of up to $50,000 per academic year based on the merit of applications. The Orange Innovation Fund supports student research initiatives emerging from campus innovation programs. The grant ‘concept to commercialization’ fund is designed to help move student research or scholarly projects from ideation to proof of concept to commercialization. Initial funding from the program came from a gift to the Libraries from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill ’98, a member of the University Board of Trustees.

The program is administered through Syracuse University Libraries, in collaboration with the University’s research and commercialization programs such as the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE), the Blackstone LaunchPad, Couri Hatchery, Invent@SU, NEXIS, the Innovation Law Center, the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program at Syracuse, Intelligence ++, Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental Energy Systems, the Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering at Syracuse University (NYSTAR designated Center for Advanced Technology), the Startup Garage at the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, and the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Applicants can also come directly through research classes, labs or independent study programs across the University.

Student applicants must identify specific tangible needs related to the product, service or technology they are developing. Grants will support defined projects over a clear period with identified outcomes that will help move a research project or innovative venture toward proof of concept toward commercialization.

Linda Dickerson Hartsock, advisor, Strategic Initiatives, is available to help coach applicants through the process and can be scheduled for sessions on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons by emailing��ldhart01@syr.edu.

An interdisciplinary team of research faculty and alumni experts will review applications. Following the review process, announcements and award letters will be made in mid-April.

Seven students teams were the��Fall 2024 winners of Orange Innovation Fund awards.��Nine student teams were the��

727 E. Washington St., home to the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems

Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) is pleased to announce that four local organizations have been selected for the 2025 . This program provides SyracuseCoE Partners with funding to host a paid summer intern. Student interns work on projects related to indoor environmental quality, high-performance/green building design, energy efficiency, and water resources.

The organizations selected are:

• , a startup based in Ithaca, New York, that uses AI-powered technology to provide real-time equipment insights for site auditors, engineers and other HVAC professionals.
• , a startup located in Binghamton, New York, that diverts contaminated glass from the waste stream and repurposes it into a patent-pending material to replace cement in concrete mix.
• , a startup based in Potsdam, New York, that develops and manufactures innovative power electronics for applications in solar, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, and grid support.
• , a non-profit housing and community development organization with offices in Syracuse and Buffalo, New York.

Each organization will receive up to $4,000 to host an undergraduate or graduate student this summer. The Industry Collaboration Student Internship Program provides students with critical work-based learning experiences offering hands-on technical skill development and work experience. Ultimately, the program aims to increase post-graduation student retention in Central New York.

“SyracuseCoE is pleased to support local partners manage their talent needs, while also providing meaningful learning experiences for students,” says SyracuseCoE Executive Director . “Since 2004, SyracuseCoE has funded more than 140 student internships with industry partners under this program. This year, we’re pleased to also support an internship with a community-based partner, for the first time since this program was initiated.”

Student interns will present their work on a project poster at SyracuseCoE’s annual Innovation Showcase, to be held in August 2025.

Participation in this internship program is one of the benefits of the . To learn more or join the program, contact Tammy Rosanio, Associate Director of Partner Programs, at��tlrosani@syr.edu.

Andreas Acrivos

The College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) noted the passing of chemical engineering alumnus Andreas Acrivos ’50, on Feb. 17, 2025. Acrivos was recognized by the American Institute of Physics as one of the greatest fluid dynamicists of the 20th century and was a leading figure in the chemical engineering field.

Born in Greece, he came to the U.S. to study at the University on a fellowship and received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1950. He earned a Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954 and began his academic career as a faculty member in chemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, shortly after.

In 1962, he moved to the newly formed chemical engineering department at Stanford University and played a major role in bringing the chemical engineering program to national prominence. In 1986, Acrivos became the Albert Einstein Professor of Science and Engineering and the director of the Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics at the City College of New York, where he worked until his retirement in 2001.

Acrivos won numerous awards and recognitions for his research. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Physics of Fluids from 1982 to 1997. He received the National Medal of Science from President George Bush in 2002 and was awarded honorary doctor of science degrees from several universities. During his long academic career, he also mentored numerous students, many of whom distinguished themselves in academia and the industry.

“The two-quarter course that Professor Acrivos taught at Stanford was the most memorable course I ever took in my entire education,” says biomedical and chemical engineering professor Ashok Sangani, who was one of Acrivos’ graduate advisees. “The course was so good that I have been teaching the same material at Syracuse University over the past 40 years even though there is a lot of temptation to add more. It was simply a classic!”

As a fitting tribute to his monumental mentorship, the American Physical Society named its annual award for the outstanding doctoral dissertation in fluid dynamics after Acrivos. Since 2014, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers has also given the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering to individuals who have made significant contributions to chemical engineering.

Acrivos’s enduring legacy is reflected in his stellar academic family, which spans approximately four generations of scholars teaching at various universities across the United States and the world. Additionally, he was a great support of ECS and its commitment to providing its students with transformative learning experiences. His impact will be felt for generations to come.

Syracuse University has entered a partnership with the Caring Gene (CPT) to address health care workforce shortages in the hardest-hit areas of New York state, reduce barriers to career advancement and support individuals seeking to become compassionate professionals in the health care industry.

Through this partnership, eligible New York state residents and residents of certain bordering states receive full coverage of tuition, books and academic fees while pursuing education in 13 health care fields, including the program in the School of Education and the and programs in the School of Social Work.

The program, administered by the Iroquois Healthcare Association and funded by the New York State Department of Health, supports both new health care workers and current professionals seeking career advancement.

To qualify for the program, students must commit to a three-year service commitment with a health care, behavioral health or social care network provider in New York state that serves a patient population of at least 30 percent Medicaid-reliant or uninsured individuals. Additionally, students must complete their degree by spring 2027 and fulfill the service requirement by March 31, 2031.

Carrie Smith Jefferson

Visit the Caring Gene webpages for the and for more information and to apply.

Application assistance is available, and career specialists are available to help students navigate their educational options, identify the health care field that aligns with their strengths and interests, secure the financial support they need and assist students with their job search upon completion of their degree.

“Human services providers—including mental health counselors and social workers—are needed more than ever to respond to the growing demand for human services and mental health professionals,” says School of Social Work Chair and Professor . “This program provides a unique opportunity for students to fulfill their passion for helping others while alleviating part of the financial burden.”

Yanhong Liu

“We deeply value this opportunity to partner with CPT to prepare high-quality emerging social workers and clinical mental health counselors to meet critical workforce needs,” says School of Education Counseling and Counselor Education Professor . “Our award-winning faculty brings diverse research expertise and clinical experiences. Incoming students will engage in highly experiential learning and rigorous clinical training in a supportive and welcoming community.”

“Syracuse University shares our commitment to investing in the next generation of New York state health care workers,” says Kevin M. Kerwin, Esq., acting president and CEO of Iroquois Healthcare Association. “This program is an important step toward strengthening our health care workforce and expanding access to quality care in the communities that need it most. We look forward to working with Syracuse to recruit and guide candidates through the Caring Gene’s CPT program.”

Here are the eligibility requirements for the Caring Gene Career Pathways Training Program:

• Residency: A student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen residing in New York state. Applications are accepted by a student’s county of residence.
• Enrollment: Students must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an education program in one of the 13 health, behavioral health, or social care titles approved by the Caring Gene® Career Pathways Training Program. These titles include an M.S.W., Advanced Standing M.S.W., and M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
• Other Financial Assistance: A student must complete FAFSA and TAP applications and accept all grants offered through these programs.
• Service commitment: A student must commit to a three-year service requirement working for a health care, behavioral health, or social care network provider in New York state that serves a patient population that is at least 30 percent Medicaid-reliant or uninsured.
• Completion commitment: Support through the program will be provided until spring 2027, and all participants must fulfill their service commitment by March 31, 2031.

In order to be assigned a career specialist, applicants should apply at the to be considered for funding and either the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through the School of Education or the M.S.W. programs through the School of Social Work.

For assistance and additional information, contact Breana Nieves Vergara, assistant director of graduate admissions in the School of Education, at bknieves@syr.edu, or 315.443.2505; or Adrienne Renfroe, coordinator of graduate admissions in the School of Social Work, at alrenfro@syr.edu or 315.443.1443.

John Chawner ’84 holds a disk of aluminum that was part of a testing device for supersonic airflow he created during his time at the University. Chawner recently provided a gift to establish a new endowed professorship.

In his home office, John Chawner ’84 proudly displays a disk of aluminum dated “4-8-84.” It is a treasured memento from his days at Syracuse University and, in many ways, it is symbolic of his approach to service and philanthropy to his alma mater, which includes a recent gift establishing a new endowed professorship. Chawner vividly recalls assembling a 100-foot-long shock tube, a testing device for supersonic airflow, in the basement of Link Hall, assembling it from parts, bolts and instrumentation that was scattered in offices throughout the engineering building. It was part of an independent study project under John LaGraff, then professor of mechanical, aerospace and manufacturing engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“Creating such a device required open-ended thinking that is critical to learning,” says Chawner, who credits Syracuse University for laying the foundation for a highly successful career that made possible the generous gift for the professorship. “I feel that I was transformed by my time at the University, from a raw 18-year-old to someone ready to enter the professional world. I want to ensure that today’s students and professors are able to maximize their time at Syracuse and enjoy the benefits of higher education.”

Chawner has supported scholarships for deserving students for years, but his latest gift funds an endowed professorship within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Through the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, the University will match one-third of the gift to ensure that the John R. Chawner Endowed Professorship��has the resources to support world-class scholars and the research needed to propel their work forward.

Chawner earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering in 1984 and, later, a master’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington. Immediately after graduation from Syracuse, he got a job with General Dynamics in Texas. “I came out of Syracuse University with a great body of knowledge and raw skills that allowed me to get into the aerospace and defense field at a great time,” says Chawner. “I’m an engineer by degree but I’m a programmer by practice because I got involved in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which was a brand new software technology back then. A bunch of us 22- to 25-year-olds were given the opportunity to develop this capability from scratch and that launched the rest of my career.”

Cultivating Talent

Chawner would go on to launch Pointwise Inc., which became internationally renowned for developing mesh generation software for CFD in aerospace applications. The technology has been applied to virtually every major military aircraft and spacecraft, including the F-16, F-22, F-35, B-2, and Space Shuttle. After more than 26 years at the helm, Chawner sold Pointwise to Cadence Design Systems where he continued to work until retiring in 2023 and forming his own consulting firm.

“Owning a small business is like agreeing to be punched in the face for a living,” Chawner told an interviewer in a blog on how to become a CFD engineer. In all seriousness, he loved the process of cultivating talent, inspiring creativity in teams, and the continuous learning required to develop and successfully market new technologies. “Everyone wants to pigeonhole engineers,” he says, but he personally defied being defined and found great value in following more than 300 blogs in engineering, business and marketing. He calls himself “an early adopter” of social media and eventually created a very popular blog called Another Fine Mesh to educate and share information.

Chawner is still educating, sharing and inspiring through a company called (he’s the chief gibberish officer), where he attempts to redefine the stereotype of consultants. “What you need is someone with direct experience to guide you through the gibberish with simple, direct and actionable advice. That’s my role,” he says, adding the consulting work allows him to remain relevant, to pass along earned wisdom.

Building Future Engineers

Chawner brings that same wisdom and experience to his role as a member of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Advisory Board at the College of Engineering and Computer Science and as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council. “John’s service to the college is invaluable,” says Dean J. Cole Smith. “He has acquired wisdom over the years that has impacted our approach to educating and preparing engineering students for successful careers. His generosity has opened doors, helped build futures and, with this new gift, creates a legacy that will continue to support innovation and creativity for generations to come.”

“I’m a big believer that an engineering education should not be like going to a trade school. It’s about developing the aptitude and ability to learn,” says Chawner, who describes himself as a continuous learner. “An engineering education allows one to be very impactful and I want to enable students and professors to enjoy that. The investment Micron has made in the Syracuse region amplifies that impact and essentially multiplies the effect of the gift.”

Chawner says he views philanthropy as a way to give back “to a place that gave me so much in terms of education and other life experiences.” Those “experiences” include his wife, Cathy, of nearly 40 years, whom he met “at a mixer” during freshman year. They lived in the same dorm and share many memories, including the first football games in the then-Carrier Dome.

Those were the years in the first phase of life, says Chawner—the learning phase, which is followed by the earning phase, and finally, the returning phase. Learn, earn, return. “I’m in the return phase where I give back what I’ve learned and earned,” he says.

From left are Rina Corigliano-Hart, director of client engagement and outreach, OneGroup; Lindsay Weichert, regional president, Central New York, Community Bank; Meghan Florkowski, director, WISE Women’s Business Center; and Alex McKelvie, dean, Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

In honor of International Women’s Day, has donated $10,000 to at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. WISE is a Women’s Business Center dedicated to empowering Central New York’s entrepreneurs in all stages of business through comprehensive training programs, counseling and connections.

The donation will directly support WISE’s Accelerate Financial Management Program, a hands-on initiative that equips entrepreneurs with essential financial skills to build and sustain successful businesses. Covering key topics like budgeting, cash flow, financial statements and profitability strategies, the program ensures participants gain practical financial management skills tailored to their needs.

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we recognize the importance of empowering women through financial literacy and economic opportunity,” Community Financial System Inc. Director of Community and Corporate Relations Pam Brunet says. “Women make up a significant percentage of our workforce, and we are deeply committed to investing in initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for women in our communities.”

Women are a driving force within Community Financial System Inc., playing a vital role across its companies:

• , overall — 71% women
• , corporate — 51% women
• — 79% women
• — 46% women
• (BPAS) — 59% women
• — 72% women

“At WISE, we believe in the economic power of women entrepreneurs. This generous donation from Community Bank will directly support our local business owners, providing the essential financial tools and resources they need to succeed,” says Meghan Florkowski, director, WISE WBC. “By working together, we are empowering women to strengthen their financial management skills and build more sustainable businesses, ultimately contributing to the growth and vitality of our community.”

Community Bank donated $10,000 to the Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Women’s Business Center at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Those pictured include WISE staff and board members, as well as Community Bank and OneGroup staff.

Their research, recently published in the Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, is the result of a collaboration between the and the to address teaching disparities in K-12 public school districts. Numerous studies have shown that students are more likely to be successful when they can identify with their teachers.

The two-fold endeavor was launched in the fall of 2021 with a gift from Syracuse University alumni couple Marcia Baldanza and her late husband, Ben, who passed away this past November. While the School of Education developed the Baldanza Fellows Program that provides a full-tuition grant, a partial cost-of-living stipend and the promise of a teaching job in a partner school district, the X Lab used behavioral science to test the effectiveness of various types of email recruitment to prospective applicants.

Messages that were crafted as letters and promoted a long-term career opportunity were more successful in recruiting applicants to a School of Education teacher recruitment fellowship, their findings revealed.

X Lab researchers developed an email list of thousands of candidates, some of whom had recently completed their undergraduate degrees at Syracuse University. They then developed different types of email messages with trackable links to determine which elicited the most interest in the form of opens, clicks and ultimately, applications. The first message was delivered to approximately 6,000 candidates in November 2021, followed by a second email six weeks later.

Leonard M. Lopoo

The email recipients received either an official letter with the University seal, signed by the dean of the School of Education, or a message that was formatted as an informational flyer with photos. “Individuals also received one of two different message framings,” says Len Lopoo, director of the X Lab and associate dean, chair and professor of public administration and international affairs. “One appealed to those who want to pursue a challenging new endeavor, while the other appealed to those who may be looking for stable and long-term career prospects.”

Each email had a link to the fellowship website, which included details on the program and a link to the application.

The findings show that the emails in the form of an official letter were 15 to 17 percent more likely to be opened than emails that resembled a flyer for both the introductory email and the reminder email. The letter was also more effective at getting recipients to click on the link to the Baldanza Fellows website, but only for the reminder email, Lopoo says.

The official letter reminder email increased the likelihood of clicking by over 80 percent, relative to the flyer.

“The findings also demonstrate that messages that emphasized the long-term career opportunity of teaching were more successful at pushing recipients to open the follow-up message than those that highlighted the challenge of a career in teaching,” says Lopoo. “How does one communicate effectively with an email? The question is small, but I think the implications are important. This project has massive important implications in lots of fields.”

For example, says Lopoo, the findings can be applied by employers seeking job candidates as well as by social welfare organizations wishing to better align their services with those who could most benefit.

Ashraf Haque, a Ph.D. student in the Public Administration and International Affairs Department, was part of the X Lab’s research team. “I learned how to approach research systematically, how to analyze data in the most transparent way and how to communicate my findings,” he says. “Also, I learned about the academic publication process, which is immensely beneficial for my future research and publication.

In addition to Haque and Lopoo, the Maxwell research team included Robert Bifulco, professor of public administration and international affairs, and Hannah Patnaik, managing director of the X Lab. Professors Christine Ashby and George Theoharis represented the School of Education.

Ashby and Theoharis continue to run the using the outreach findings to recruit applicants. This year’s cohort of nine fellows will graduate in May 2025 and applications for the fourth cohort are currently under review.

“Collaborating with our Maxwell colleagues has been a delight. The same is true for working with our partner school districts,” says Theoharis of four area public school districts.

Theoharis meets three times a semester with the school district administrators. “They tell us ‘This is important to us—this is an issue we’re deeply committed to. We need teachers with varied life experiences and perspectives.’”

At the 2025 Syracuse Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Summit, GEN Agency and GEN NIL founder and CEO Rachel Maeng Brown will meet with Syracuse University student-athletes to present brand deal case studies and lead a content creation workshop with products from W by Jake Paul.

The 2025 Syracuse Name, Image and Likeness Summit is a first-of-its-kind event organized by students for student-athletes. The Syracuse NIL Summit will bring Syracuse University student-athletes together with corporate brands for an event consisting of networking, education and NIL development.

and GEN NIL founder and CEO , the 2024 CEO of the Year in Influencer Management and NIL Education, will present brand deal case studies and lead a content creation workshop with products from . Additionally, the sector of Morgan Stanley will educate student-athletes about financial literacy.

The NIL Summit will take place from noon to 2:30 p.m. March 28 in Grant Auditorium at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University.

Jeremy Jordan

“The Syracuse NIL Summit demonstrates the impact and innovation of Falk College and its students,” says Falk College Dean . “This event is another example of the collaboration we have with Syracuse University Athletics to provide Falk students with learning experiences beyond the classroom, and it will directly benefit Syracuse student-athletes with an educational opportunity with NIL industry leaders that includes on-site brand activations at a time when NIL is redefining collegiate sports.”

This exclusive student-athlete event is designed to bridge the gap between business leaders and encourage Name, Image and Likeness partnerships. Accordingly, attendees will gain valuable insight into NIL deal structures, financial literacy, personal branding strategies and partnership opportunities.

Corporate representatives will engage directly with student-athletes to build connections for potential collaborations. For example, the content creation station for student-athletes will have every student-athlete leave the event having activated a unique NIL deal with W by Jake Paul.

“We are grateful for the opportunity for our student-athletes to learn from industry leaders and participate in NIL activations,” says Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “The partnership we have with Falk College is expanding in many areas, including this event, led by its students, to help provide our student-athletes with continued education to ensure they are well-prepared to navigate and maximize their NIL opportunities.”

The 2025 Syracuse NIL Summit is presented by Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in partnership with the Syracuse Sport Group and .

Story by Sue Edson, professor of practice, Department of Sport Management in the Falk College.

Reuters won the 2025 Toner Prize for national political reporting for comprehensive stories published as part of the news organization’s “Politics of Menace” special report during the presidential campaign.

NJ Advance Media earned the 2025 Toner Prize for local political reporting.

The winners of the annual    were announced March 6 by the  . The honors will be formally presented March 24 at the Toner Prizes Celebration in Washington, D.C.

Awarded annually by the Newhouse School, the Toner Prizes recognize the best political reporting of the past year. They are named after Robin Toner ’76, the first woman to hold the position of national political correspondent for The New York Times.

In addition to the winners, Politico took an honorable mention in the national political reporting category.

The judges were:

• Christina Bellantoni, journalism professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, columnist and former editor-in-chief at Roll Call.

• Ann Compton, Emmy Award-winning retired reporter for ABC News and the first woman to cover the White House for network television.

• Lucy Dalglish, professor and dean emeritus at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, former executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; attorney and former reporter and editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

• Beverly Kirk, director of Washington programs and professor of practice of broadcast and digital journalism at the Newhouse School, with more than two decades of experience in journalism working at national and local outlets.

• Rick Rodriguez, professor of the Southwest Borderlands Initiative at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, and former executive editor and senior vice president of The Sacramento Bee.

• Maralee Schwartz, retired political editor of The Washington Post and contributing editor at Columbia Journalism Review.

• Joseph B. Treaster, professor at the University of Miami School of Communication; prize-winning reporter who spent more than three decades as a reporter and foreign correspondent�� at The New York Times.

Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting��

Winner: Reuters

Reporters: Peter Eisler, Ned Parker, Aram Roston and Joseph Tanfani

Entry: “The Politics of Menace”

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“Breathtaking reporting … explains not just the actions, the impact, but also the grievances that empower.” _Schwartz

“Well-documented catalogue of threats, their impact, the growth of combative political forces and the ferocity of cultural clashes.” _Compton

Honorable Mention: Politico

Reporters: Jessie Blaeser, Kelsey Tamborrino, Benjamin Storrow, Zack Colman, David Ferris, Timothy Cama and Christine Mui

Entry: “Biden’s Billions”

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J�ܻ岵���’ Comments

“This is an important story that documents the success and failures of the Biden agenda.” _Dalglish

“Meticulous, dogged reporting inside every agency and delivered one well-written narrative after another. This is the kind of accountability and investigative work I like teaching my students.” _Bellantoni

“Politico looked almost step by step into an enormous plan.” _Treaster

Finalists

• ProPublica with Wisconsin Watch, Documented and The New York Times Magazine: “Investigating the Christian Right’s efforts to influence elections,” Andy Kroll, Ava Kofman, Phoebe Petrovic and Nick Surgey

• NBC News: ”The disinformation machine: How falsehoods shaped American politics,” Brandy Zadrozny

• The Boston Globe: “Vibe Check,” Emma Platoff, Sam Brodey and Jim Puzzanghera

• The Atlantic: “Inside the Trump Campaign,” Tim Alberta

Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Political Reporting

Winner: NJ Advance Media

Reporters: Spencer Kent and Riley Yates

Entry: “Project Extreme”

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J�ܻ岵���’ Comments

“The storytelling and reporting here was riveting and courageous …�� The writing was so clear I couldn’t stop reading.” _Rodriguez

“An excellent examination of the different forms of extremism, the people affected by it and the threat it presents to democracy.” _Kirk

Finalists

• The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and Votebeat:  “Noncitizen Voting,” Vianna Davila, Lexi Churchill, James Barragán and Natalia Contreras

• The Boston Globe: “State Secrets,” Laura Crimaldi, Samantha J. Gross, Emma Platoff and Matt Stout

• Chicago Tribune:  “Culture of Corruption,” Ray Long, Rick Pearson, Gregory Royal Pratt, Dan Petrella, Joe Mahr, Rick Kogan and Kori Rumore

• Santa Cruz Local:  “Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide,” Jesse Kathan, Nik Altenberg, Stephen Baxter, Jay Leedy, Tyler Maldonado, Jesse Greenspan, Samantha Lim, Jessica Zimmer, Fidel M. Soto, Corinne Kappeler and Kara Meyberg Guzman

• Houston Chronicle: “How Gov. Greg Abbott made the Texas border America’s problem,” Benjamin Wermund and Matt Zdun

• The Texas Tribune: “A Texas Supreme Court justice’s disregard for ethics rules,” Robert Downen

About the Toner Prizes

First presented in 2011, the Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting highlight and reinforce quality, fact-based political reporting—work that illuminates the electoral process, reveals the politics of policy and engages the public in democracy.

They are named after Robin Toner, who covered five presidential campaigns, scores of Congressional and gubernatorial races and most of the country’s major political figures during her nearly 25-year career at The New York Times. A 1976 graduate of Syracuse University, Toner earned a bachelor’s degree as a dual major in journalism from the Newhouse School and political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Toner died in 2008, leaving a husband and two young children. To honor her legacy, family and friends established the Toner Program in Political Reporting at the Newhouse School.

• “The United States imports completely assembled vehicles from Mexico, Japan, Canada, S. Korea, Germany, UK, Slovakia, Italy, Sweden, China, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, South Africa, Netherlands. In each of these cases, the US runs a trade deficit in vehicles, (i.e. we import more from that country than we export). If the goal is to bring vehicle manufacturing jobs back to the US, then tariffs would need to be imposed on all these countries, or at least the top volume countries. Otherwise, companies like Toyota can shift imports from Canada to Japan, or BMW can shift imports from Mexico to Germany,” said Lau.
• “It will take time to make these shifts, as many factories are capacity constrained. Automakers like building in the USA because it is a large market. That is why so many plants have opened in the deep south. They didn’t need tariff protection to be convinced to build in the USA. USMCA led to more union jobs in the USA, not less. It created a bigger pie in all 3 countries,” said Lau.

• “The automobile industry is not a zero sum game. It takes many years to build new vehicle factories along with supply chains. A 25% tariff is more than the profit margin on most mass-produced vehicles. Tariffs on Canada and Mexico will impact automakers differently, and will impact products in different segments differently. Therefore, consumers will see some models become more expensive than others. Whenever tariffs are in place and prices rise, domestic producers tend to take advantage of this by also raising their prices, capturing greater profit. Therefore, a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico is not likely to lead to widespread new investment in auto factories in the US, it will lead to higher vehicle prices, and will make winners and losers out of certain brands overnight, without regard to the competitiveness or attractiveness of a particular product,” said Lau.

The Syracuse University contingent at the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. From left to right, Sport Analytics Program Undergraduate Director and Professor Rodney Paul, undergraduate student Hunter Geise, graduate student Owen Brown, undergraduate students Piper Evans and Madelyn Forster, graduate student Andrew Odnoralov, and undergraduate student Jonah Soos.

After students from the Sport Analytics program at Syracuse University captured back-to-back undergraduate team titles at the in 2023-24, the program had just one more mountain to climb: An individual championship.

Late last month in Nashville, Tennessee, major Jonah Soos ’25 reached that pinnacle by in the undergraduate business analytics division.

“It was awesome,” Soos says. “Any time you can win a national event of this caliber against steep competition, it’s an incredibly validating feeling for the work you put in.

“I was so proud to represent Syracuse and the Sport Analytics program and all the time and effort they put in to cultivating the best rising talent in sports,” Soos adds.

The Syracuse University undergraduate team of Soos, Piper Evans, Madelyn Forster and Hunter Geise just missed a three-peat by finishing a narrow second to the team champions from the University of Iowa. Graduate analytics students Andrew Odnoralov and Owen B. Brown also participated in the competition for Syracuse.

Sport Analytics Undergraduate Director and Professor and Sport Analytics Program Coordinator accompanied the students to Nashville and mentored the group, and Soos praised Paul, Dorchester, and Director of Corporate Partnerships and External Engagement for “making opportunities like these a possibility.”

“Our group did an excellent job in a challenging and exciting event,” Paul says. “Jonah, as always, was incredible; calm and poised in the heat of competition. He’s truly a superstar as he makes it look so easy. You can almost see ‘the game’ slow down when you hear him present and see the literal art he creates with data. It is amazing to witness.”

Soos, who is minoring in economics and sport management, has worked as a baseball analytics intern at Wasserman, a baseball talent agency, and he’s currently a data engineering intern for the Syracuse University men’s basketball team. This past August, after presenting his research on pitchers at the Saber Seminar in Chicago, Soos was was hired by the Cincinnati Reds as a baseball analytics trainee for the 2025 season.

We reached out to Soos to learn more about his experience in Nashville and what it took to become a national champion. Here’s that conversation:

Q: What was the format for the individual and team competitions at the National Championship?

Jonah Soos with the trophy he earned for winning the undergraduate business analytics division

A: It was set up in a March Madness-style bracket, starting with 64 students in 16 different rounds of four students, and two students advanced from each round. Points were awarded for teams for every round a student advanced and totaled over each section (undergraduate and graduate) once the competition concluded to create the team standings.

As students, we presented to a room of judges each round, and if selected in the top two, we moved on to face other students until a winner-take-all final four in front of the entire conference.

Q: What was your “assignment,” and were you given any advance notice of what you would be doing?

A: Our assignment was analyzing PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) social media data provided by Zoomph to create analytical insights about ways the brand can continue to grow and expand. We were provided sample data and a study guide ahead of time to think through the question and understand the data. Most questions on the study guide were very broad and built to give a lot of flexibility for interpretation and analysis, leading to the true assignment of creatively interpreting the data to find critical data-driven insights.

Q: What was your reaction when you received your assignment?

A: I definitely felt like the competition played into my strengths. My favorite part of data analysis is the storytelling component–placing data in context to find actionable insights and key takeaways that anyone can understand. In this format with quick presentations and limited time, you really have to be at your best and cut the fluff, only giving judges quick hitters to make a cohesive story.

Q: Can you explain what kind of data you received, what you needed to analyze and how you went about that?

A: We received data from different social media platforms for each PWHL team tracking post reach, engagement and platform-specific effects. We were given roughly four hours to create the data-driven insights and build a presentation before everything was locked and no changes could be made.

Q: How was the data judged and how was it determined that you were the champion of the undergraduate division?

A:��The first round was definitely the hardest; you had never given your presentation before and had very little prep time. As the rounds went on, I was in a flow state and felt every time my presentation got stronger and stronger up until the finals. The final round, unlike the previous ones, was a winner-take-all from the four students that advanced through the elite eight. Judges then voted on the order of the final four presentations, and I was fortunate enough to be crowned champion.

Q: From your experiences at Syracuse University and Falk College, what is it about the program that prepares you to have this kind of success at the national level?

A: The Sport Analytics program is revolutionizing education in sport. To have the opportunity to so frequently interact with alumni in the industry, learn using real world data, and practice and compete against peers to build a collective wealth of knowledge, it’s what leads us to win all these competitions. I’ve learned so much from everyone around me–my peers, mentors, professors, and industry professionals–and without that experience, there is no way I would be where I am.

To read the full story, visit the Falk . To learn more academic programs, experiential learning, and career opportunities in sport analytics, visit the Falk College .

Details surrounding the test optional policy remain the same as for those who applied for admission since the policy was first established in 2021, including the important fact that students who choose not to submit standardized test scores will not be disadvantaged.

“Our comprehensive review process has always considered standardized test scores as just one factor,” says Maurice A. Harris, dean of Admissions. “With our test-optional policy, we place greater emphasis on other aspects of a student’s journey, including academic performance, the rigor of their chosen coursework, and their extracurricular involvement.”

Students who do not submit test scores will also remain eligible for merit scholarships.

Students who choose to submit test scores may share either self-reported or official scores. Students who self-report their scores will not be required to submit official score reports unless they are admitted and choose to enroll.

Erdogan is the director of the , an interdisciplinary research hub focused on the interaction of human, physical and natural systems and on connecting the interdependencies between them. The center seeks to leverage information science and digital technologies to inform public policy, advancing sustainability and resiliency.

Professor Erdogan’s Faculty Fellow project, “Smart Cities Research Network Development for Sustainable and Resilient Communities,” aims to bring together faculty members, government agencies, and community partners to develop an institutional framework for smart cities research. A smart city is one that utilizes sensor networks, advanced Information Communication Technologies (ICT), Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, big data analytics and cloud computing to deliver services more efficiently and improve quality of life for residents. The applications can span almost all aspects of city governance including but not limited to mobility, resilience and disaster response, environmental monitoring, energy efficiency, engagement and community, economic development, housing, waste management and more.

The Feb. 14 event was the first of two workshops supported by this Faculty Fellow award. With a strong interdisciplinary approach, the workshop engaged faculty from the School of Information Studies (the iSchool), the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the School of Architecture and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Government stakeholders also attended, including representatives from the City of Syracuse’s Office of the Mayor and from the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC).

To kick off the workshop, Professor Erdogan, along with iSchool Associate Dean for Research and SyracuseCoE Executive Director , gave opening remarks. Jennifer Tifft, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the City of Syracuse, and Vincent Scipione, Director of Digital Services for the City of Syracuse, shared relevant initiatives and research needs at the municipal level. Faculty from across SU then gave lightning talks to highlight ongoing scholarship. also facilitated a working session to identify research themes and areas for potential collaboration.

“This workshop was a crucial step in establishing a collaborative foundation for smart city research at SU and positioning the university as a leader in smart city innovations,” says Erdogan. “At its core, this initiative is about using technology and data for social good, about creating sustainable and resilient communities. Meaningful smart city research begins with collaboration, which is why bringing together key community members was essential.”

“In this first workshop, we focused on engaging faculty and government partners, leveraging our collaboration with the City of Syracuse to identify critical problems, develop potential real-world applications, and explore how Syracuse can help lead in smart city innovation. Looking ahead, our next workshop will expand this effort by engaging community organizations and industry partners. We want to build a research network that actively listens to and serves the community, ensuring technology is used to meet real needs.”

“SyracuseCoE is pleased to host and support this and future workshops on smart cities research and collaborations,” says Zhang. “In collaboration with our academic, industrial and community partners, SyracuseCoE is establishing a multiscale air quality, stormwater, and energy flow monitoring system testbed across Syracuse. The multiscale testbed and its near-real-time data will open ample opportunities for both academic research and industrial innovations in the development of smart city technologies and systems, including preliminary results that support applications for externally sponsored collaborative research projects.”

Faculty who are interested in joining the second Smart Cities Research @ SU workshop should contact Professor Sevgi Erdogan at serdogan@syr.edu.

Wilson is an associate professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University, where he directs the and conducts research. Wilson has published 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles related to nutrition, exercise performance and health.

In 2020, Wilson published “,” a book that garnered national and international attention. The Athlete’s Gut��offers athletes and practitioners a window into gut functioning and provides tips to help them prevent and manage gastrointestinal problems, ultimately allowing athletes to feel and perform at their best.

Patrick Wilson

“We are excited to have Dr. Wilson share his expertise in gut health and athlete performance, which is a novel topic for the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series,” says , chair of the in Falk College. “His background in both nutrition and exercise science highlights the important connections between these two disciplines.”

Wilson’s work has focused on the causes of gut troubles in athletes, as well as interventions aimed at alleviating such problems. In addition, his research has explored the utility of common hydration biomarkers used in sport and the impact that various factors can have on their validity.

A national thought leader in sport nutrition, Wilson has served as a featured interviewee for numerous news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Runner’s World, and The Globe and Mail (Canada).

Outside of his work, Wilson is a committed distance runner. He enjoys the process of applying what he’s learned over the years to optimize his own performance.

Wilson earned a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2014, where he also took substantial coursework and received training in the areas of public health and epidemiology. Prior to earning his doctorate, he spent a year at the Mayo Clinic gaining expertise in the realms of clinical and community nutrition. He has a Bachelor’s degree in dietetics and is credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Wilson’s lecture in person or virtually. For more information about the Ann Litt Lecture, accommodations and parking requests, please contact Amy Edmond-Drapas at aledmond@syr.edu or 315.443.8989.

About the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series

Ann Selkowitz Litt ’75 (1953-2007) was a nationally known nutritionist who helped children and adolescents with eating disorders and assisted developing athletes in reaching their full potential. The nutrition consultant to CosmoGirl magazine, Litt was the author of “The College Students’ Guide to Eating Well on Campus,” “Fuel for Young Athletes,” and the “American Dietetic Association Guide to Private Practice.” She was the nutritionist for the NFL’s Washington Commanders and served as spokesperson for several media campaigns during her career, including the “Got Milk” campaign. After her death, the Ann S. Litt Foundation, Inc., was created to support nutrition education. Through a generous gift from this foundation to Falk College, the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series was created at Syracuse University in 2015.

A delegation of 12 students from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs recently returned from Washington, D.C., where they participated in the International Model NATO under the guidance of Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs and director of the master of arts in international relations program.

Pictured from left to right are Col. Ben Schneller, Associate Professor Michael Williams, and students Joseph Reed, Casimir Wypyski, Angelica Molina, Austen Canal, Armita Hooman, Jake DeCarli, Megan Whipple, Caleb Mimms, Bella Biorac Haaja, Leah Harding, Ethan Engelhart. Not pictured is Ella Rozas.

The students represented Türkiye and Romania in the three-day simulation of the proceedings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The events, held at Howard University, are augmented by pre-conference study sessions and briefings at embassies.

“Model NATO provides a unique opportunity for students to develop and refine a professional skillset,” says Williams. “It’s no easy task to work under pressure to advance a common NATO agenda against the disparate national interests of each state. But every year, the students come back with the same comments: ‘that was hard, but awesome.’ Watching them learn in real time, and helping them along the way, is immensely rewarding.”

Howard University has hosted Model NATO for the past 40 years, in collaboration with Converse University, Northeastern University and the embassies of NATO member states. This year, 23 universities participated, with students attending from Sweden, Belgium, Canada and the United Kingdom.

This was the third time the Maxwell School participated. The trip was sponsored by Maxwell’s public administration and international affairs department and the Moynihan Institute’s Center for European Studies.

Alongside Williams, Lt. Col. Ben Scheller advised the Model NATO team on military matters, as he previously commanded a NATO battalion with service members from nine allied nations. He is a visiting scholar through the U.S. Army War College, studying at Syracuse University’s Institute for Security, Policy and Law for a year. As part of his professional development through the Army, Scheller takes courses through Maxwell and the College of Law and will return to command this August.

The student participants included:

• Joseph Reed, Caleb Mimms, Jake DeCarli, Meghan Whipple and Ethan Engelhart, all of whom are pursuing master’s degrees in international relations.
• Casimir Wypyski, Austen Canal, Armita Hooman, Ela Rozas and Angelica Molina, all of whom are pursuing master’s degrees in public administration and international relations.
• Leah Harding and Isabella Biorac Haaja, who are pursuing master’s degrees in public diplomacy and global communications through Maxwell and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Hooman was honored with the “Superior Delegation in Committee” award for her work on the

Armita Hooman was honored with the “Superior Delegation in Committee” award for her work on the Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee

Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee.

A highlight of Harding’s experience was speaking with a diplomat at the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. Even with her background covering NATO as a journalistfor Al Jazeera, Harding says that Model NATO gave her a fresh perspective on being part of the decision-making process.

“International Model NATO is all about role-playing,” says Harding. “You have to understand how your country operates and make decisions based on its historical positions, all while responding to real-time scenarios. But it meant more than just knowing its policies—it required interacting with other member states as if I were actually a Turkish diplomat.”

Through this experience, Harding learned to balance diplomacy with national interest, recognizing that decisions for a nation go beyond just policies—they also involve considering its presence, alliances and priorities.

Story by Mikayla Melo

The Chancellor’s Review serves as a platform to recognize the exemplary achievements of the University’s Army and Air Force ROTC cadets. Cadets from both ROTC detachments will be presented awards for their commitment to service and success. Scholarships from military commands, veterans service organizations and Syracuse University alumni will also be presented to cadets to support their continued academic journey prior to commissioning into the military.

This annual ceremony not only honors the dedication of our ROTC cadets, but also reflects the University’s historic commitment to supporting veterans and military families.

“The annual Chancellor’s Review is one of the few events throughout the year where the campus community can get a glimpse of what makes Syracuse University the ‘Best Place for Veterans.’ The Army ROTC program at Syracuse is one of the longest-running ROTC programs in the country and our Air Force ROTC program was one of the first programs in the nation. These programs are vital components to the University’s rich history of supporting veterans, service members and their families,” says retired U.S. Army Colonel Ron Novack, executive director of the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs (OVMA). “With the “University celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the OVMA later this year, the Chancellor’s Review ceremony is an excellent time to see the growth both the Army and Air Force ROTC programs have experienced during the University’s revitalized initiatives to support military-connected students.”

We encourage all students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to join us in recognizing and celebrating the future leaders of our nation’s armed forces. Those interested in attending can .

The ceremony will be live streamed this year for those who cannot make it to the JMA Wireless Dome. Stay tuned to the RSVP link for updates on how to access the live stream.