Erica Kiduko self-secured an internship with the Global Peace Foundation to connect and enhance the research in her thesis with a hands-on summer internship.

Erica Kiduko G’25, who grew up in Tanzania, decided to use her 2023-24 to help further her research and promote education around gender-based violence through a nonprofit in the country.

Kiduko, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Pan-African studies in the , was doing her thesis research on the status of women in Tanzania and a National Plan of Action to help prevent violence against women when she decided to expand her work through a Clements Internship.

“I was working on a project that is my passion, and I applied for an internship that captured my goals and my passions,” Kiduko says.

The Mark and Pearle Clements Internship Awards are now open for juniors, seniors and graduate students of any major who seek to further their career development through undertaking self-obtained unique internship opportunities. The award provides students with financial assistance to help in the pursuit of their unique professional goals.

The award typically provides students with $1,500-$6,000 to assist with internship-related travel, accommodations, required materials or living expenses.

Erica Kiduko

Kiduko was working on a thesis titled “Reckoning an Icon: Exploring Scholarship and Activism of [Kenyan professor] Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo,” where she explored the ongoing imbalance women in Tanzania face and why, despite the implementation of the National Plan of Action, many women were still experiencing physical violence.

The action plan focuses on protecting the rights of women and girls, preventing such violent acts from occurring in the future and providing relief to help violence victims recover, but Kiduko says many of the citizens are unaware of the plan and many of the laws in place to protect these girls and women aren’t strict enough.

Wanting to connect and enhance the research in her thesis with a hands-on summer internship, Kiduko turned to the Clements Internship Award to study the effectiveness of the National Plan of Action through a self-secured internship with the Global Peace Foundation, which was one of the organizations involved in launching the National Plan of Action.

As a program officer, Kiduko worked on the Global Peace Foundation’s Uniting to End Violence Against Women in Football [soccer] initiative, which focused on both resolving issues of gender-based violence in women’s soccer and changing the societal norms and behaviors that often prevent victims of violence from reporting these incidents.��Kiduko worked with soccer players ages 16 to 25.

“The initiative was trying to promote women’s empowerment by preventing gender-based violence while creating a safe environment for everyone to play their sport,” Kiduko says.

Kiduko helped run workshops where she and her fellow program officers would provide consultations to determine how much they understood about the prevalence and risks of violence while also equipping them with the knowledge of how to proceed should they witness an attack. One of the culminating projects was the release of an app where the players could anonymously report incidents of violence, whether they were the victims or the witnesses to an attack.

Erica Kiduko (back row, third from the left) turned to the Clements Internship Award to study the effectiveness of Tanzania’s National Plan of Action to help prevent violence against women through a self-secured internship with the Global Peace Foundation.

“It can be really hard for these players to report these incidents. Soccer could be their entire life and they’re afraid of being taken off the team for reporting an attack,” Kiduko says.

How will Kiduko apply the critical lessons learned through her internship and apply them to her work once she graduates from Syracuse University?

“Once I graduate, I still plan on exploring this community-driven approach to solving the important issue of gender violence. Now, I can conceptualize the different types of activism, from political and humanitarian activism, and I’m so grateful to have received the Clements Internship Award,” Kiduko says.

Applying for the 2024-25 Mark and Pearle Clements Internship Award

This year’s application process closes on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. In addition to being responsible for self-securing internships, students interested in applying are also required to include their internship proposal, including outlining the purpose and goals of the internship and how this relates to their educational and career objectives. Interested students also need to secure a faculty or staff sponsor letter by the application deadline. Visit the for complete details.

Ghael Fobes ’22, an alumnus of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, has been named a 2025 Marshall Scholar.

The Marshall Scholarship program was created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a living memorial to former U.S. Secretary of State Gen. George C. Marshall and American assistance provided following World War II. The scholarship allows up to three years of fully funded graduate study in any academic topic at any university in the United Kingdom. Fobes is one of 36 students selected from around the country and is Syracuse University’s seventh Marshall Scholar.

“Marshall Scholars continue to represent the very best of American society, dedicating their time and effort to address some of the great challenges of our time, from cyber security and artificial intelligence to advancing our knowledge of the universe,” says Dame Karen Pierce, British ambassador to the U.S. “The Marshall Scholarship remains an integral part of the U.K.-U.S. relationship, established through British gratitude to General Marshall at the end of WWII. We are delighted to welcome such a diverse and talented group of students to the U.K. next year as they continue their studies at some of the U.K.’s top academic institutions.”

Fobes plans to pursue two master’s degrees—in data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and in future governance—at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He began producing for NBC News as an intern in college and is currently an associate White House producer for NBC News in Washington, D.C. In his position, he has a firsthand perspective on the role that AI is playing in journalism today.

“I think the effects right now are pretty wide-ranging and pose some great opportunities and challenges,” Fobes says. “For example, we’ve been using artificial intelligence tools at NBC News to make transcription more efficient and effective. We also use them to help verify the provenance of social media content. As for challenges, I think anybody using social media has seen a flood in content created with generative AI. That presents significant obstacles to journalists’ ability to quickly determine the veracity��of content.”

Building upon his Marshall experience, Fobes hopes to return to NBC News ready to lead an innovation office embedded in the network’s newsgathering operation. “My goal is to develop ethical workflows that enhance our ability to gather and present news, focusing specifically on expanding efforts to combat digital misinformation,” he says.

As an undergraduate, Fobes majored in broadcast and digital journalism in the Newhouse School and minored in political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences. He was a Syracuse University Scholar and Commencement class speaker in 2022, and says he continues to carry his Syracuse University experience with him.

“My coursework and the faculty at Newhouse and Maxwell deepened my technical knowledge of broadcasting, sharpened my storytelling skills, and broadened my understanding of domestic and international politics,” he says.��“While a lot��of the learning behind my broadcast degree allowed me to hone my use of a camera, what was truly enriching was learning from Professor Les Rose about the subtleties��of interviewing and story development. It is not just about what catches someone’s eye, but is also about finding ways of introducing your audience to new people, places and perspectives.”

Fobes says his academic experience prepared him for working at NBC News. “It gives me a great foundation for approaching my Marshall Scholarship proposal for developing ethical newsgathering workflows with AI,” he says.

“I am especially grateful to Syracuse for its focus on preparing students with professional development and networking opportunities, and for its satellite campuses in New York City and Washington, D.C,” he says. “Specifically, I’m thankful for Professor Cheryl Brody Franklin’s mentorship through the Newhouse NYC program and Professor Charlotte Grimes, who led the Robin Toner Program in Political Reporting, which I was a part of for four years. They opened the door that allowed me to intern at NBC News throughout my time at SU.”

Fobes��also worked for the Daily Orange. He led the newspaper’s audio department, expanding its footprint as the founder, editor and host of “The Daily Orange” podcast.��“I am grateful to the Daily Orange for giving me the creative space and resources to launch our weekly podcast. Leading the podcast taught me how to pitch and integrate new technologies into the operations of a storied newspaper,” he says.

Fobes worked with the University’s Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) on his Marshall application.

“Ghael’s extraordinary record of service and leadership in his field—and his preparation for and commitment to graduate study in artificial intelligence ethics—made him an outstanding candidate for the Marshall Scholarship,” says Jolynn Parker, director of the CFSA.��“We are thrilled this award will help him achieve his goals.”

Fobes is grateful to Parker and CFSA. “I would not have known about, pursued or completed the application, much less gotten the award, without Jolynn’s encouragement and guidance,” he says. “I am also grateful for the professors who took the time to conduct mock interviews with me.”

Students interested in applying for national scholarships that require University endorsement, such as the Marshall Scholarship, should complete an “intent to apply” form with Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising by the end of June 2025 and plan to work with��.

Dana Spiotta

The December Vogue is a special issue guest-edited by fashion icon Marc Jacobs. is a long profile of Kaia Gerber, who in addition to being a well-known model and up-and-coming actress, now has a large following for her online book club, . Spiotta’s article explores Gerber’s experience growing up in the fashion world and the challenges of how the world perceives her vs. how she perceives herself.

Along with penning the Vogue cover story, Spiotta’s book “” is the inspiration for an alternative opera, which will take to the stage Jan. 9-17 as part of the in New York. The prestigious festival is a co-production of , “two trailblazers in the creation and presentation of contemporary, multi-disciplinary opera-theatre and music-theatre works.”

“Eat the Document” follows the intertwined lives of two anti-war activists who come together during the Vietnam era. After a protest they orchestrate goes tragically wrong, they are forced into hiding, adopting new identities to escape their past. The story alternates between the 1970s and the 1990s, delving into themes of identity, memory and the impact of political activism. Spiotta’s “Eat the Document” was a finalist for the National Book Award and the winner of the American Academy’s Rosenthal Foundation Award in 2007.

The new opera has been in development since 2020 by John Glover (composer), Kelley Rourke (librettist), Kristin Marting (director) and Mila Henry (music director).��.”

A faculty member in the since 2009, Spiotta is one of the University’s leading fiction writers. She is the author of five novels. Alongside “Eat the Document,” she has written “Wayward,” which was named a best book of 2021 by Vogue and The New York Times, “Innocents and Others,” winner of the St. Francis College Literary Prize and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, “Stone Arabia,” a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and “Lightning Field,” which was a New York Times Notable Book. Spiotta is currently teaching workshop classes in the undergraduate and graduate Creative Writing Program.

On this “‘Cuse Conversation,” Kathrine Switzer discusses making history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, why she’s never stopped advocating for the inclusion of women in sports and what it means to be a proud alumna.

Instead of wallowing in what could have potentially been the lowest moment of her life, Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72, H’18 used the adversity she overcame during her historic run at the Boston Marathon as fuel to inspire women around the world.

Switzer, who in 1967 became the first woman to officially run and finish the Boston Marathon when she entered as K.V. Switzer using bib number 261, contended not only with the grueling course and frigid race conditions, but also a physical challenge from race director Jock Semple. Around mile four, Semple leapt out of the photographers’ press truck and headed straight for Switzer and her contingent of runners from Syracuse University.

Kathrine Switzer (wearing bib number 261) is harassed by Boston Marathon race director Jock Semple (in black) while she is running in the marathon. Switzer’s boyfriend at the time, Tom Miller (wearing bib number 390), delivers a block to Semple that frees up Switzer to continue running. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Herald)

As Semple tried to rip Switzer’s bib off the front and back of her grey Syracuse track sweatshirt, Switzer was frightened. Her coach, Arnie Briggs, the University’s mailman and a veteran runner at the Boston Marathon, tried to convince Semple that Switzer belonged in the race, to no avail. Only after Switzer’s boyfriend, Tom Miller, a member of the Orange football and track and field teams, blocked Semple, was Switzer free to continue chasing down her pursuit of history.

In that moment, Switzer followed Briggs’ advice to run like hell, driven to prove Semple and the other doubters wrong by finishing the race. She hasn’t stopped running with a purpose since.

Kathrine Switzer

“As I was running, I realized that if these women had the opportunity, just the opportunity, that’s all they needed. And by the time I finished the race I said, ‘I’m going to prove myself, play by their rules and then change those rules,’” says Switzer, an emeritus member of the of Sport and Human Dynamics’ .

“From the worst things can come the best things and that’s what I tell students whenever I speak to classes. If something is wrong, there’s an opportunity to change it, and we can then reverse it. When you’re training for a marathon, you’re out there for hours by yourself. I loved to use that time to take on a problem and solve it,” says Switzer, who earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism from the and English from the , and a master’s degree in public relations from the Newhouse School.

After her triumph in Boston, Switzer would complete more than 40 marathons, including winning the New York City Marathon in 1974, and she was instrumental in getting the women’s marathon included in the Summer Olympics. Switzer’s global nonprofit, (an homage to her Boston race bib), has helped thousands of women discover their potential through the creation of local running clubs, educational programs, communication platforms and social running events.

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Switzer discusses making history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, why she’s never stopped advocating for the inclusion of women in sports and what it means to be a proud alumna whose running career was launched as a student on campus.

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

How did you use the Boston Marathon experience to create more running opportunities for women?

Kathrine Switzer finishes the Boston Marathon in 1975 doing her personal best: 2:51.37. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Johnson)

I was raised by parents who said you know right from wrong, so always go for what’s right. I knew it was going to be time-consuming, but I knew it was important to both correct the error the establishment had made, but more than that, I wanted women to know how great you can feel when you’re running. When I was running, I felt empowered. I felt like I could overcome anything. Running is naturally empowering, it’s a super endorphin high, and I wanted women to experience that.

One of the issues I wanted to solve was getting the women’s marathon into the Summer Olympics. It came down to opportunities and I wanted to create these opportunities, so [once I was working for Avon Cosmetics] I created the Avon International Running Circuit, a series of races around the world that are for women only, where we could make every woman feel welcome and treat her like a hero.

Eventually, we had 400 races in 27 countries for over a million women around the world. We had the participation, we had the sponsorships, we had the media coverage and we had the international representation. In 1981, by a vote of nine to one, women’s marathon was voted into the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. That was an incredible feeling.

What has running given you?

Running has given me just about everything. It’s given me my religion, my husband, travel opportunities, my health and wellness, but the biggest thing it has given me is this��perspective on myself, this empowerment and belief in myself that I can do whatever I set out to accomplish.

What kind of impact has 261 Fearless had in empowering and lifting up other women through running?

We’ve already proved that, regardless of your age, your ability or your background, if you get out there and put one foot in front of the other, you’re going to become empowered. If you want to lift a woman up, show her how to run.

We need to do it at the grassroots level and invite women around the world to have a jog or a walk with one of our more than 500 trained coaches. We’re working village by village, city by city, country by country to spread the word on the life-changing benefits of running, and we’ve worked with nearly 7,000 women in 14 countries and five continents so far. 261 was perfect for this mission. It became a number that means being fearless in the face of adversity. People have told me that 261 Fearless has changed their lives and that they’re taking courage from what I did.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

Kathrine Switzer speaks to students in Falk College Professor Lindsey Darvin’s Sport Management “Race, Gender and Diversity in Sport Organizations” class. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)

Elizabeth Paulin

Student teams pitched their respective social impact ventures for a chance to win a total of $15,000 in prizes, supported by generous donations from Libraries’ donors. This year’s winners are:

• 1^st Place: $6,000 awarded to Elizabeth Paulin ’24 () of Paulin Capital.
• 2^nd place: $4,500 awarded to Jordan Pierre ’23, G’24 (), founder of Voice.
• 3^rd place: $3,000 awarded to Olutosin Alabi G’25 (), founder of Diabetech.
• Runner-Ups: $500 each awarded to Ava Lubkemann ’27 (), founder of ReVamped; Alie Savane ’25 (Arts and Sciences), founder of Beta Kola; and Dylan Bardsley ’26 (Whitman School) and Mark Leaf ’27 (Engineering and Computer Science), founders of Clarity.

These seniors have been involved as students taking the course in their first year of college, then as peer leaders for (FYS) for three subsequent years. The one-credit, 15-week required course engages students in��conversations, activities and assignments about making the transition to life on campus. It not only serves as an introductory course to Syracuse University, but also actively builds community, connects students to faculty/staff and each other, and encourages a positive transition to a new environment. Within that setting, students explore the topics of belonging, interdependence, wellness, development of identity, socialization, discrimination, bias and stereotypes.

First Year Seminar students Amya Jenkins, left, and Luis Gomez at an information table representing the program at Bird Library’s Welcome Fest. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman)

Since the program began in 2021, more than 500 faculty, staff and students have participated in FYS in various roles. They’ve served as����(faculty, staff and graduate students) or��as ��(undergraduate students). Lead instructors partner with peer leaders to guide seminar discussions for class sections. With some 4,000-plus new students in first-year classes, and with sections capped at 19 students to create an intimate, seminar atmosphere, 225 students were needed to fill the peer leader role in 2024.

Peer leaders are the embodiment of FYS and they are the connectors that are integral to the program, say , FYS director, and Jimmy Luckman, associate director. Peer leaders work in conjunction with lead instructors to guide discussions that are anchored around increasing students’ sense of belonging on campus.

“The program isn’t advanced only by faculty and staff; peer leaders are a big part of the FYS experience. They are connectors for FYS participants and they’re conduits who facilitate discussions on many issues while sharing the kinds of University resources that are available. They connect students where students want to be connected. Through discussions, they can transform the classroom experience, providing a space for sometimes difficult conversations, and that’s been a very strong thing,” Luckman says.

The past four years have been a time of growth for the program, as the previous FYS leaders, Schantz and her team have built “a great foundation,” she says. “Now, we are looking ahead and seeing how to enrich the peer leader experience.”

In addition to monthly leadership development meetings for peer leaders, Luckman says the team is considering creating a peer leader development model and potentially expanding leadership opportunities for the students. ��They are also conducting focus groups to obtain feedback on the peer leader role and may form a peer leader alumni group. They also hired a coordinator to supervise peer leaders and manage the myriad details of hiring and tracking a 200-plus student workforce.

In addition to working with First Year Seminar classes, peer leaders commit time to community service projects, such as a “Blessings in a Backpack” food initiative to help local school children.

While hundreds of peer leaders are needed each year, Luckman says it has not been difficult to recruit for those roles because students love working with fellow students and they understand the value community-building work adds to their background and experience. Many also recognize the role as a chance to develop leadership skills and want to take advantage of that, Luckman says.

The team asked for peer leader feedback to continue to enhance the position and the co-facilitation model the course follows. Schantz says the responses showed the importance of the lead instructor and peer leader in creating a positive atmosphere in the course. Another factor that influenced peer leaders returning to their roles in subsequent years is the respectful environment that peer leaders form with their students.

Four students who took FYS their first year on campus and then stayed on as peer leaders for the next three years are set to graduate this spring. They shared with SU News their reasons for deciding to remain in those roles and what the program has meant to them since their earliest days at the University.

Mariana Godinez-Andraca

Mariana Godinez-Andraca, a dual public relations/psychology major in the and the , is an international student from Mexico City. She likes that FYS embraces “uncomfortable” conversations, such as discussions about cultural awareness, microaggressions and learning to have empathy for others, she says.

“What I value most is that FYS embraces these conversations wholeheartedly, creating a space where students can open up, challenge their beliefs and grow into more empathetic individuals.” She says she has appreciated “sharing my experiences and cultural background…in a space where we actively listen to each other and where everyone’s stories and perspectives enrich our understanding, broadening my own cultural awareness while giving me a meaningful platform to share my journey. I hope I leave an impression that encourages others to embrace diversity and engage more thoughtfully with the world around them.”

Aaron Hong

Aaron Hong, a finance and accounting major in the , credits FYS for helping him overcome difficulty returning to in-person classes after almost two years of virtual learning during COVID. Coming from a mostly white community in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hong says he appreciated the focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. “As a person of Asian heritage, those conversations are very important to me. This experience gave me a different lens on diversity. Having the opportunity to have those conversations and to share those experiences is pretty important.”

Adira Ramirez

Adira Ramirez, a library studies and information management and technology student in the , says participating in FYS for four years has helped her become skilled in how to talk to people in different ways, confidently address a public audience and “better understand people and explain to them who I am in a more cohesive way.”

She says learning about the concept of intersectionality—where everyone has multiple layers of identity that comprise who they are—”has taken me by storm. It’s our lens. It teaches who your audience is, how we learn things, how we view the world and how the world views us.”

N​ehilah Grand-Pierre, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School, finds the give-and-take between FYS participants and peer leaders invigorating and gratifying.

Nehilah Grand-Pierre

When FYS participants were offered the opportunity to ask peer leaders any question about any topic, she says one participant asked how to discover one’s self-worth while in college. “I said the best way is to not define your self-worth through other people. I told how studying abroad in London forced me to stop defining myself by the activities and relationships I had on main campus, and instead define myself by my reactions to all the new things I was experiencing. I said what happens to you doesn’t define you, but how you react to those situations does. I recognized that as a senior, I had so much experience to pull from, and I saw how real experiences helped drive discussions.”

Applications for peer leader positions are now being accepted for the 2025 sessions, says Luckman. Interested students who want to become a peer leader can apply by early December through the Handshake website. More information is available by emailing�� firstyear@syr.edu��or contacting the program office at 315.443.9035.

Bradford Smith (left) working with Danielle Lanphere (right) during a conversation club meeting at the Gebbie Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic. He and other individuals who use Alternative Augmentative Communication to help express themselves gather weekly to build community and expand their communication abilities.

“At each meeting, members share stories, thoughts and plans while participating in engaging and fun activities,” says Hammerle. “This allows them to grow the complexity of their language, increase efficiency with AAC use, and develop a sense of community and support through interaction with other individuals utilizing AAC.”

Michael Theobald (right) uses a Smartbox Gridpad speech-generating device to communicate with others at a conversation club meeting.

Practical Experience

Meetings revolve around a specific theme, and participants take part in various related activities, including games, trivia and guided discussions. Some recent group exercises have included filling out a March Madness bracket, participating in Syracuse history trivia and planning a cross-country road trip.

Each session is planned and facilitated by graduate students, with oversight from Hammerle and other faculty. Through this experience, students acquire transferable skills that will benefit their careers as speech-language pathologists after graduation. They learn how to:

• Use different types of high-tech alternative augmentative communication devices;
• Assist group members with programming and troubleshooting; and
• Operate various software used by each participant.

Alongside these practical skills, students also build relational competencies through their interactions with group members, allowing them to see AAC users as individuals rather than just focusing on their devices.

“By spending a semester in the group, they form great relationships with the AAC users that can help inform their empathy and clinical care in the field,” says Hammerle.

Spreading AAC Awareness

To help educate the public about Alternative Augmentative Communication, several organizations came together in 2007 to designate October as AAC Awareness Month. It marks a time to celebrate individuals who utilize AAC for communication and create supportive communities for AAC users. Each October, members of the conversation club create outreach initiatives to express their unique perspectives, and this year they produced a news article. According to Hammerle, the goal was to help make the public aware of what AAC is, provide tips for communicating with AAC users and express what AAC means to them.

Below are excerpts from the team’s news article, lightly edited for length and clarity:

The Significance of AAC Awareness Month

This month encourages advocacy, education and understanding, helping to raise awareness about the diverse methods of communication available. By promoting AAC, we aim to empower users, foster connections and enhance inclusivity, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves and be heard.

By raising awareness, we can break down barriers and misconceptions surrounding communication challenges, empowering individuals to express themselves fully. AAC awareness encourages empathy, patience and support from friends, family and the community, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for those who rely on these tools. As we advocate for AAC, we promote not only the right to communicate but also the celebration of diverse perspectives, reminding us that every individual’s voice matters.

The Advantages of AAC for its Users

Mike, an AAC user who comes to the Gebbie Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic for conversation club, says that AAC serves as a vital means of communication for him, as it helps him “get the thoughts out of [his] head. I don’t want them going into the ether.”

Shannon, another member of the conversation club, says that while some people may use AAC occasionally, for others, “it’s a lifeline to the rest of the world so we aren’t so encapsulated in our own heads with our own thoughts.”

Tips for Effective Communication with AAC Users

Brad, a member of the conversation club, says that AAC is “unpredictable technology. They want to work when they want to work.” Shannon added, “just because I use this to speak doesn’t mean I don’t understand what you say and do.” Brad says that AAC is akin to learning a foreign language, and often, the user may be the only person in their family fluent in this form of communication, highlighting the need for patience and empathy from those around them.

The group notes, “We want people communicating with AAC users to know that the process can be time-consuming.” Mike says, “Just give [us] time to speak. It may take a while, but [we] may have something important to say.”

The group notes that everyone deserves to have the time they need to express themselves fully, so patience is key. Rushing the conversation can lead to missed opportunities for deeper understanding, so allowing for that extra time can make all the difference in fostering genuine communication.

If you use AAC and would like to find out more about the conversation club or learn about the clinic’s other services, visit the website or contact them at gebbie@syr.edu.

Eva Legge has been named a Mollie Beattie Visiting Scholar by the Society of American Foresters and was also awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. (Photo courtesy of Eva Legge)

Legge will receive a $10,000 scholarship to pursue her research on the role mycorrhizae play in boosting forest resilience. Mycorrhizae are fungi that grow on the roots of trees and plants and provide mutual benefits. As a Mollie Beattie Visiting Scholar, she will gain valuable professional development and networking opportunities. In addition to connecting with SAF members across the country, she can also submit her research to an SAF journal and collaborate with staff and partners at the SAF headquarters in Washington, D.C.

This latest award comes on the heels of Legge winning a����from the National Science Foundation over the summer. Like the Mollie Beattie award, the NSF fellowship includes a stipend and access to professional development opportunities. According to the NSF program, its mission is to “help ensure the quality, vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States.”

Legge is part of A&S biology professor����Mycorrhizal Ecology Lab and SUNY ESF Professor����Applied Forest and Fire Ecology Lab. As a member of these teams, she studies how climate-adaptive forest management, such as timber harvest, assisted tree migration and prescribed fire, affects the symbiotic relationship between fungi and forests. Their goal is to devise strategies to safeguard these crucial yet delicate symbioses, ultimately aiding in the development of effective forest management practices.

“Climate change will likely add to the many stressors facing eastern U.S. forests. However, the positive benefits of fungal partnerships with tree roots can, in certain contexts, increase a forest’s stress tolerance,” Legge said in an��.

With this funding, she will continue her research exploring the connection between forest management, mycorrhizal symbioses and seedling success. She hopes to improve management practices and maximize the advantages mycorrhizae offer to “future-adapted” seedlings, thereby enhancing the resilience of America’s forests.

Eva Legge (second from left) and her team have been conducting their latest field research in Huntington Forest, located in the Adirondacks. (Photo courtesy of Eva Legge)

“Eva is an exceptionally driven graduate student motivated by addressing critical knowledge gaps in forest ecosystem resilience to global change,” says Fernandez. “Her research focuses on the crucial role of belowground dynamics in forest resilience, bridging fundamental ecological research with applied forest management. Her multidisciplinary approach promises to advance both basic scientific understanding and sustainable land management practices in a changing world. I am thrilled to see her outstanding work recognized with these prestigious awards.”

Learn more about the�����Ի���.

• First place ($1,500) was awarded to Celes Buffard ’27 (School of Information Studies), founder of Return 2 Reality, an entertainment company focusing on a podcast for entrepreneurs around navigating and getting past the hurdles and challenges throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
• Second place ($1,000) was awarded to Olutosin (Tosin) Alabi G’25 (Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech, a med-tech venture for a diabetic foot ulcer wearable.
• Two third-place prizes ($500 each) were awarded to Alie Savane ’25 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Bete Kola, a health and wellness venture focusing on kola nut food and beverage products; and Mian Hamid ’26 (School of Information Studies), founder of Chai YEAH, a beverage venture offering authentic Indian chai tea to the U.S. market.

“From the beginning of this process, my priority has been developing and implementing a plan that repositions and strengthens the human dynamics academic programs, research and communitywide impact,” says Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “This repositioning elevates our human dynamics programs, fosters stronger collaborations across colleges, advances faculty scholarship and better serves our students and the communities we serve.”

In June, task force members began assessing the current state of the human dynamics disciplines, both on campus and at peer institutions, aggregating feedback from key stakeholders and compiling recommendations for how these programs can be positioned for success and growth in the future. As part of the go-forward plan:

• Marriage and family therapy will merge with human development and family science and become one department within the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Public health will join the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
• Social work will be housed in the School of Education.

These changes, informed in large part by task force recommendations, are designed to enhance the academic and community impact of these programs, grow enrollment, drive research excellence and strengthen the University’s long-standing commitment to preparing professionals to thrive in human, health and social services. They will go into effect July 1, 2025.

“I am grateful to the members of the task force for their thorough, thoughtful and strategic recommendations. I also extend my appreciation to the many students, faculty and staff who provided feedback along the way—through surveys, engagement sessions and other opportunities for submitting input. Their participation in this process and candid feedback were invaluable,” says Provost Agnew.

Today’s news follows an April announcement that the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics will become the Falk College of Sport, the first standalone college on an R1 campus that specifically focuses on sport through a holistic academic lens. As part of the Falk transformation, the University convened the Human Dynamics Task Force, co-chaired by Rachel Razza, associate dean for human dynamics, and Peter Vanable, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School. The task force, which consisted of human dynamics faculty representatives elected from each department, staff and community partners, delivered a final report to the provost last month.

“This work required a commitment to collaboration, a willingness to engage in challenging but necessary dialogue and a shared focus on the immediate and long-term future of the human dynamics academic disciplines,” says Vanable. “Associate Dean Razza and I are grateful to our fellow task force members for their time, dedication and outstanding work. We also appreciate the provost’s commitment to upholding the spirit of our recommendations and look forward to seeing these programs thrive in the future.”

Razza says, “Syracuse University has long been a leader in interdisciplinary education. The task force agreed that taking a reimagined approach to the human dynamics programs furthers our mission to provide students with a robust, future-focused education that emphasizes both theory and practice. I believe all members of the human dynamics community—students, faculty, staff and Central New York partners—benefit from this important realignment.”

Students currently enrolled in these programs will transition to their new schools and colleges effective July 1, 2025. Students enrolling in these programs in fall 2025 will matriculate into the school or college housing their academic program.

What is involved?

• Completing online surveys or a phone interview to screen eligibility
• A speech pathology assessment to fully determine study eligibility (~90 minutes)
• A session to assess the participant’s response to teaching strategies (~50 minutes)
• Sixteen (16) free 60-minute sessions using a treatment called speech motor chaining. Sessions will be delivered by a qualified speech-language pathologist. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to complete either two visits per week for eight weeks, or one week of intensive treatment and the remaining sessions within the next three weeks
• Completing additional surveys and progress monitoring recordings
• Total duration of the study is about 11 weeks

Who can take part?

• Children ages 9-17 who have difficulty pronouncing the “R” or “S” sound (or both) relative to peers who speak the child’s same dialect of American English
• Speak English as their first language
• Have normal hearing
• No oral or facial structural issues, voice disorders, brain injury or developmental disorders

Where will the study take place?

Participants can be seen at Syracuse University or in their homes if they live within 20 miles of one of our research speech-language pathologists. We have multiple speech-language pathologists throughout New York state.

Cost

• There is no cost to families. Families will be compensated for their participation with an Amazon, Target or Walmart gift card (up to $105) if all visits are fully completed.

Contact

For more information, or if you are interested in the study:

• Email: SpeechProductionLab@syr.edu
• Phone: 315.443.1351
• Web: https://speechproductionlab.syr.edu/

The Executive Board for Syracuse University’s Student Veterans of America are all military veterans, and they’re all full-time students at the University. In addition to their academic responsibilities, many also hold jobs, have families and take on additional responsibilities on and off campus. It is because of their desire to be of service to something bigger than themselves that fuels the time and effort they give back to the campus community.

Get to know these impactful��student veterans.

Leonel “Leo” Aviles ’26 – U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
School of Information Studies

Leonel “Leo” Aviles

Leo, as he is affectionately known among friends and the military-connected community, is president of the Student Veterans Organization (SVO) at Syracuse University. Originally from Florida, Aviles found Syracuse University through the Warrior-Scholar Project and credits the University’s admissions staff, along with OVMA’s staff with why he ultimately decided to enroll at Syracuse.

“The staff at this university has open arms for veterans out there wanting to pursue higher education. The amount of people wanting to help veterans with school is incredible,” says Aviles. “I would highly encourage any military-connected student to reach out to the SVO to find out more about what opportunities are available on and off campus.”

Derick Ramos G’26 – U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
College of Arts and Sciences

Derick Ramos

Ramos served as a tank crewman in the Marines for four years and is currently the SVO’s vice president. A graduate student, Ramos is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics. One of the biggest reasons why Ramos chose Syracuse University was because of the competitive academic programs available, particularly for doctoral studies.

“When transitioning from the service we may believe that we are behind in some instances compared to other students attending college after high school,” says Ramos, “Keep your head down and work hard, your dreams and goals will come true. Always remember the words of Winnie the Pooh, ‘You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.’”

Jurgen Baeza ’26 – U.S. Navy Veteran
College of Engineering and Computer Science

Jurgen Baeza

Baeza discovered Syracuse University while still in high school in San Diego, California. His journey to Central New York required a brief stint in the U.S. Navy, serving as an aviation structural mechanic specializing in the F/A-18 Super Hornet’s safety equipment.

With an interest in computers starting at an early age, Baeza began teaching himself to code and is pursuing that interest as a computer science major. While trying to adapt to life as a non-traditional college student, Baeza came in contact with other student veterans on campus and quickly got involved with the SVO.

“As I started going to more events and talking to more of the student veterans, I would talk to them about our similar life experiences and I was able to relate to them a lot easier than those students who are a lot younger than me,” Baeza says.

Savion Pollard ’26 – U.S. Navy Veteran
College of Engineering and Computer Science

Savion Pollard

Pollard served in the Navy for eight years working on board nuclear submarines as a nuclear electronics technician. His time at Syracuse has been marked by significant accomplishments, including being the first local hire for Micron and being an honored guest of U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer during the 2023 State of the Union Address��from President Joseph R. Biden L’68.

“I chose to come to Syracuse University because it brought me closer to family, and because of its proclamation as the ‘Best Place for Vets,’” says Pollard, who is currently studying electrical engineering with a minor in computer science. “I’ve grown to love the campus community, the Syracuse city community and the deep connection between the two.”

Pollard has been a member of the SVO’s executive board for a few years and says his biggest advice for new military-connected students is to “buy into the campus culture and to try new things along the way. All of my greatest achievements as a student have been due to being involved and making myself uncomfortable,” Pollard says.

Tojyea “TJ” Matally ’27 – U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
College of Visual and Performing Arts

Tojyea “TJ” Matally

Matally is a sophomore pursuing a degree in communications design, and he served as a combat photographer in the Marine Corps until 2023, when he opted to pursue higher education and found Syracuse University because of its reputation for providing educational opportunities for veterans and military families.

“I chose to attend Syracuse University because I had heard it was an ideal place for veterans to assimilate into higher education; plus, I wanted to remain in the New York area after being stationed on Long Island for five years,” Matally says.

His advice to other student veterans is to “be honest with your limitations and strengths, and enjoy your new transition. It’s a privilege to pause and invest in yourself for four or more years. Be grateful and lean on your community to support you throughout the journey,” Matally says.

To learn more about the military-connected students at Syracuse University and the programs and services available for student veterans, please visit the .

“Spending time with my grandparents was really an important part of my childhood, and it helped me develop a lot of compassion and respect for older adults in our community,” Sako says.

Katarina Sako ’24 speaks with a participant in the recent Age Well Days event (Photo by Charles Wainwright)

Sako’s interactions with her grandparents, including more recently as part of her family’s role in caregiving, planted the seed for her interest in her work assisting older adults through the creation of community programming.

Sako is an volunteer through . As a community organizer, Sako works to improve how older adults get connected to services that can help them thrive.

“I’m able to look at systemic issues in our society and how that impacts older adults and their health,” says Sako, who is also working to strengthen and expand a coalition of aging services organizations. “Because you can’t really address one facet without addressing the model.”

As an undergraduate student, Sako was initially interested in researching memory from a psychology perspective. She joined a lab at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and through that work, Sako decided to focus on neurodegeneration and dementia from a biology perspective.

“When you’re talking about dementia, which is my hope to study as a geriatrician, it’s not just focused on the biology—you can’t just address things from a biological perspective,” she says. “You really need to look at the entire person.”

The skills utilized in her current role took shape during her time on campus, where she majored in biology and neuroscience and minored in Spanish in the .

Katarina Sako demonstrates an apple crisp recipe during a recent Age Well Day event in Syracuse

Sako volunteered as a telehealth consultant over the summer with InterFaith Works. She created a pilot program to help older adults gain the skills needed to navigate telehealth appointments, which gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are a lot of benefits offered by telehealth, such as not going in person to your doctor’s appointment, which can be especially helpful if you have mobility issues,” says Sako. “However, technology issues can be really challenging for many older adults.”

The AmeriCorps VISTA program is focused on reducing poverty in the community. Sako’s skills and experience made her the perfect fit for the community organizer role.

Lori Klivak, senior director for the Center for Healthy Aging at InterFaith Works, was Sako’s supervisor in her telehealth consultant role and later introduced Sako to the community organizer opportunity, where Klivak��continues to be Sako’s supervisor.

One of InterFaith Works’ initiatives is the Greater Syracuse Aging Services Coalition, which started in 2020 to unite aging services organizations under one umbrella.

One of the ways Sako reaches out and makes connections is through Age Well Days, an event that brings community services together for older adults. During the most recent event, held on Sept. 24 at Park Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Syracuse, attendees were served a healthy lunch (including a salad made by Sako). They heard presentations from community organizations on health, digital literacy, voting and food assistance, while Sako demonstrated how to make a healthy (and tasty) apple crisp. Attendees took home fresh produce.

“These are opportunities for lower-income older adults in the community to receive important services. The goal is to have people actively enroll in things,” says Sako. “For example, if you need food assistance or you are experiencing food insecurity, let’s enroll you in SNAP. We want to ease this enrollment process because as much as we have these resources available, the number of older adults who are actually enrolled in these programs is low.”

A timeline of Age Well Day events is still being determined, but Sako plans to hold the events at three different locations throughout the community. The Sept. 24 event focused on eating well, and funding was provided by the Syracuse Onondaga Food Systems Alliance.

Sako believes the project has a lot of longevity. “You could compare it to a resource fair, but it’s really meant to be a more intimate setting where we’re connecting with the participants who are there,” she says. “It’s affirming the dignity of all races, all religions and recognizing the diversity that is Syracuse and Onondaga County.”

“My hope is that in forming these connections, we’re able to build long-term partnerships for the Greater Syracuse Aging Services Coalition,” Sako says. “Our goal is promoting aging well in the community and reiterating that ageism doesn’t have a place here.”

Klivak says that Sako’s work is helping to fill a critical gap between services and knowledge. “We have programs, we have support, we have things in place in our community that can help older adults who age better,” she says. “But there’s a gap between what people understand or know about what we have and actually providing those services. And we don’t have all the services in all the right places.”

“Our goal is to improve the way that we, as service providers and program providers get information out, connect with communities and build relationships with communities so that they feel comfortable coming to us,” Klivak says.

It’s also raising awareness about what older people need that goes beyond the conventional wisdom that may focus on food or heat assistance or health care. There are other needs, such as AIDS and HIV prevention, digital literacy and voting issues that are not at the forefront of people’s minds.

“You may think of food or help with heat, but you’re not thinking about how it may not be easy for them to get on a computer or a smartphone and access these resources,” Klivak says. “We tend to think about aging through the lens of death, disease and decline, but that’s not the full story.”

Older adults are the number one voting bloc, the number one volunteering demographic and 42% of the local tax base, Klivak says. “These are people who are helping raise their grandchildren, helping their neighbors and who want to communicate with friends who have moved, all sorts of things,” she says. “And we want them to thrive.”

Klivak says as more outreach and connections are made, everyone is learning how to move the conversation forward and change the narrative to be more age-positive and age-friendly.

Klivak says that Sako has been a good fit for her role. “She is pretty fearless,” she says. “She jumps right in, asks really good questions and then just gets to work.”

Her title, community organizer, illustrates her mission to build relationships. “This is about making change, and change happens when people trust you,” Klivak says. “Her primary role is to be out and about in the community, meeting people, learning what’s going on, getting people interested in what we’re doing. And she has taken that seriously.”

Ultimately, Sako believes that, through her work, she is honoring her grandparents. “I think my grandparents could also benefit from Age Well days, definitely,” Sako says. “I think that they’re happy that I’m trying to make a difference.”

The event, “Lender Conversation in Los Angeles: Seeking Racial Equity in the Entertainment Industry,” was hosted by the and was held at the NeueHouse Hollywood. It was attended by about 100 Southern California-area alumni, entertainment industry leaders and other invited guests.

Moderating the panel was journalist and TV host ’99, an alumna of the (VPA) and its Communication and Rhetorical Studies program. Nottingham has worked as a reporter covering national and international breaking news, entertainment and politics. She was joined by four alumni panelists:

• ’88, president of domestic marketing at Universal Pictures and previous president of domestic theatrical marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment. Caines is an alumnus of the Newhouse School of Public Communications and an instructor in the school’s Newhouse LA program
• ’85, an Emmy-nominated writer for film and television and a VPA alumnus
• ’07, an actress, writer and producer who graduated from VPA. She is known for her recent comedic role on the hit NBC sitcom “A.P. Bio”
• ’20, an associate attorney in the entertainment transactions group at Mitchell Silberberg & Krupp, LLP. She earned her undergraduate degree from VPA’s Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries.

, Lender Center director, says the conversation “provided valuable insights into how racial inequity continues to exist within the entertainment industry, as well as offering promising paths towards reducing these barriers. We hope to use what we’ve learned here to help craft new paths towards closing the racial wealth gap in other industries.”

The Los Angeles event was the fourth in a series of conversations hosted by the Lender Center to bring experts and thought leaders together to improve understanding of and present ideas to help mitigate the racial wealth gap’s community impacts. Those events and other research initiatives are made possible by a $2.7 million grant from MetLife Foundation. The funding has also supported three research symposia, three postdoctoral scholars and 15 faculty grants for research on the topic.

“Lender Center’s work with support from MetLife Foundation generated important new thought leadership, boosted awareness of racial wealth equity issues and created valuable new partnerships with key institutions and organizations,” says Phillips. “We have discovered many new possibilities for addressing how the wealth gap affects communities, and those ideas have provided worthwhile new understandings.”

These photos show highlights of the event.

Lender Center for Social Justice Director Kendall Phillips, far left, who is also a professor in the Communication and Rhetorical Studies program at VPA, introduces the conversation panelists, all entertainment industry executives and alumni of the University. From left are Danielle Nottingham ’99, Lyric Lewis ’97, Rob Edwards ’85, Bryse Thornwell ’20 and Dwight Caines ’88.

The event drew 100 guests, including numerous alumni and entertainment-�� industry guests. Panelist Dwight Caines ’88, at left, speaks with David Oh G ’00, ’07, now an associate professor of communications at the Newhouse School of Public Communications; and Joan Adler, G’76, assistant vice president of regional programs at the University’s Los Angeles center.

Jason Poles ’99, the University’s director of advancement for the Southwest region, speaks with fellow alumnus and basketball team player Antonio “Scoop” Jardine G’12.

Tari Wariebi ’10, enjoys a reception conversation. The alumnus graduated with dual majors in communication and rhetorical studies from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and writing and rhetoric in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The panel provided opportunities for attendees to hear directly from entertainment leaders about their experiences with the racial wealth gap in that industry. Rob Edwards ’85, left, an Emmy-nominated writer and an adjunct instructor for the Newhouse School of Public Communications, spoke with this guest.

Jason Poles, ’99, left, the University’s advancement director for the Southwest region, chats with alumni attendees Christina Ledo ’11, center, an international relations major at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; and Tiffany Bender-Abdallah ’11, a communication and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The Los Angeles event brought together faculty, staff, entertainment industry panelists and alumni. Kendall Phillips, Lender Center director, at left, and David Oh G’00, ’07, second from left, an associate professor for the Newhouse School of Public Communications, met with Anna Proulx, Visual and Performing Arts program director for the Syracuse University Los Angeles semester program, and right, Allison Gold ’15, a College of Visual and Performing Arts graduate.

Tyler Gentry ’25, a Syracuse University student in the ��Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries, spoke during the question segment of the evening’s event. Seated behind him is Tiffany Bender-Abdallah ’11.

Posing for a finale photo on the stage as the event concluded are, from left, Leonard Garner Jr., Kendall Phillips, panel moderator Danielle Nottingham and panel members Lyric Lewis, Rob Edwards, Bryse Thornwell and Dwight Caines.

Science festivals offer a platform for researchers to demystify complex scientific phenomena and help the public better understand the relevance and importance of their work. By making science accessible to broader audiences, it can also inspire future scientists to pursue careers in STEM.

Syracuse University postdoctoral researcher Graeme Eddolls (left) and his collaborator Andrew Spencer (right) presenting their research on gravitational waves during the Orkney International Science Festival.

Graeme Eddolls, a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) who works with the (CGWAA), recently attended the in Scotland. The festival regularly draws prominent scientists, historians and experts who share their research with the public in approachable ways. Notably, when it was founded in 1991, it was the world’s second ever science festival, following the renowned Edinburgh Science Festival, which was established in 1989. Eddolls and his collaborators, Andrew Spencer, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow, and Leon Trimble, an audiovisual artist and honorary research associate at the University of Birmingham, presented their “Swimming with Gravitational Waves” project, which includes creative and interactive experiences that connect water, sound and gravitational waves. During the week, they also showcased their “Music of Deep Time” project and hosted booths at an Orkney Festival family event as well as a workshop at Kirkwall Grammar School.

About the Project

Leon Trimble performing at the Swimming with Gravitational Waves event.

To a general audience, the concept of gravitational waves may seem complex and challenging to understand. However, as Eddolls explains, gravitational waves follow similar physics principles as those we observe in everyday phenomena like light, water and sound waves.

Gravitational waves are produced in the aftermath of some of the most energetic processes in the universe, like when black holes or neutron stars collide. These events produce ‘ripples’ in spacetime, a concept which was first predicted by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity. By the time these signals reach Earth, they are extremely faint. To detect them, researchers measure laser interference using detectors known as laser interferometers.

When a gravitational wave passes through a detector, it alters the distance that laser light travels along the detector’s two arms, changing their interference pattern. This technology, used by some of the most advanced detectors like the (LIGO) in the U.S., helped scientists make the first direct observation of gravitational waves in 2015, a monumental discovery made by an international team of physicists, including several researchers from Syracuse.

Eddolls points out that a fascinating aspect of gravitational waves is that their vibration frequencies fall within the range of human hearing.

The team brought their rubber spacetime demonstrator to the cliffs of Orkney to capture a scenic photo during the festival.

“While we can’t directly hear gravitational waves with our ears, we can take the signal from our detectors and turn it into sound,” he says. “You can actually to the converted signal of the first ever gravitational wave detection.”

Participants enter a swimming pool, where they can hear sound waves through speakers positioned above and below the water. This setup creates a unique auditory experience, mimicking how gravitational waves are produced everywhere in the universe. Furthermore, by swimming in the pool, participants can experience water waves through sight which gives the audience a good physical intuition of what waves are, how waves move and how waves interfere when they pass through each other.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Theresa Cross ’99

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Theresa Cross ’99, who graduated from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, will be the guest speaker at the University’s official observance of Veterans Day this year. Cross says that to her, Veterans Day is as “American as apple pie.”

One thing that makes it personally important for her to observe the day is the low percentage of citizens who do choose to serve, “The total number of people who have served in military service to our nation is around 6%. To me, that’s a very small amount of people, and I think it’s a small amount to pay for the many sacrifices that those people have made for our country,” Cross says.

Cross came to Syracuse University in 1997 on the U.S. Army’s Green to Gold program, meaning she already had military service prior to coming to campus in pursuit of becoming a commissioned officer. Having obtained the rank of staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, Cross had considerable experience under her belt, including several deployments and having just come off a peacekeeping tour in Bosnia.

“At the time I was married, I had two children, and I had done my time in the Army. I knew I needed help with the kids to go to school full time, and Syracuse was a family school,” says Cross.

Theresa Cross ’99, center, with her family

When Cross calls Syracuse University a “family school,” she means the school runs through her family’s veins through multiple generations of Syracuse University alumni, including most recently her own daughter, who graduated from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the School of Education in 2014.

Cross grew up in Syracuse; her mother graduated from the university in 1974, her brother in 1985 and sister in 1994. Cross knew her Orange family was ready to step in and support her in her academic goals. To this day, she’s grateful for that support and the experiences that it allowed her to have during her studies.

Cross went on to be an intelligence officer and a strategist officer; the latter meaning she helped translate national priorities into military strategies and plans as well as developed solutions for complex problems, encompassing a total of 28 years of service. One of the greatest lessons she carried with her back into military service after graduation was learning just how different things would be as an officer compared to her years of experience as an enlisted soldier.

Theresa Cross, second from left, with her Veteran sorority sisters at a Veterans Day event in Florida in 2023.

“I had just come off a tour after being a staff sergeant for two years and deploying with the 18^th Airborne Corps to Bosnia, so to make that move into the officer corps–it was different,” Cross recalls. While non-commissioned officers are the experienced enlisted troops who take on a mid-level management and leadership role, commissioned officers (NCOs) are generally the primary decision makers in a unit and responsible overall for the success of that unit’s mission.

“The ROTC program helped me make that transition a lot better. We had other NCOs on campus that worked with us through the program, and I think it was just one of the best preparations for my time as an officer; learning those things that I, as an enlisted person, didn’t know about,” says Cross.

The University’s celebration of Veterans Day will begin early in the morning on Nov. 11 this year. At 6:30 a.m., the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) will host the annual Veterans Day 5K Fun Run and Walk. Those interested in participating should and plan on arriving a little early to meet fellow runners and warm up for the run.

Afterwards, the doors to the K.G. Tan Auditorium at the National Veterans Resource Center will open for the 2024 Veterans Day Celebration which will start at 11 a.m. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to by the close of business on Friday, Nov. 1.

Five students will soon begin a two-year research project examining the potential social justice and public health impacts of living in neighborhoods that have experienced the historical discriminatory practice of redlining. That is a practice where, for decades, financial institutions designated certain neighborhoods—primarily Black ones—as poor credit risks, making it difficult for residents there to own homes or improve their properties.

The students, recently named 2024-26 Lender Center for Social Justice student fellows, will work with Miriam Mutambudzi, assistant professor of public health in the , who is .

They are:

• Tomiwa (“Tommy”) DaSilva ’26, dual major in public health in the Falk College�����Ի� policy studies and citizenship and civic engagement in the
• Adara (“Darla”) Hobbs ’22 G ‘26, a graduate student in Pan African studies in the (A&S)
• Jamea Johnson ’25, a psychology major in A&S
• Sabrina Lussier ’26, a triple major in geography, citizenship and civic engagement, and environmental sustainability and policy in the Maxwell School
• Shreya Potluri ’27, an architecture major in the

DaSilva, from Newark, Delaware, is interested in promoting health equity through health promotion policies and community-based practices. On campus, he has been involved in the Student Association of Public Health Education and Connect 315. In the community, DaSilva has interned with the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County, ACR Health and the City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development.

Hobbs, of Syracuse, earned a bachelor’s degree in��communication and rhetorical studies from the . She has worked for more than a decade with the Syracuse City School District as a teaching assistant, art teacher and as a diversity, equity and belonging building lead.��Hobbs is currently researching the historical and contemporary impacts of redlining on Syracuse’s Black and Latino communities.

Her project, “The Past, Present and Future: An Overview of Redlining in the City of Syracuse,” examines the legacy of residential redlining and resident displacement from the 15th Ward and the ongoing I-81 viaduct project. She also contributed to the development of themes and aesthetic elements for the Barner-McDuffie house, the University’s first Black student center.

Johnson, from Grand Prairie, Texas, has extensive experience in public service, entrepreneurship and community engagement. She is a Congressional intern for New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, working on legislative research, policy development and constituent service. She’s also founder and chief executive officer of Black Girls Garden, an organization that teaches young Black girls and women in low-income living situations to grow their own food to combat food insecurity and poor nutrition.

She took first place in the 2023 Blackstone LaunchPad Small Business Pitch Contest for that startup and also received the 2023 Black Honor Society’s Community Service Leadership Award. On campus, she is Residence Hall Association president and a member of the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble.

Lussier, from the Washington, D.C., area, is an honors student and Maxwell Leadership Scholar. She is a STOP Bias peer educator, a resident advisor for the MORE in Leadership Living Learning Community and has spent the past year working for the Syracuse Neighborhood and Business Development Office.

Her research and academic interests focus on how urban planning intersects with community engagement, social justice and sustainability. Her citizenship capstone and honors thesis looks at the effect of freeway demolition on marginalized communities, focusing on Syracuse’s East Adams neighborhood near I-81 in the historic 15th ward.

Potluri, of Frisco, Texas, is interested in research pertaining to social justice, urban planning and housing. She has researched student learning environments, minority students’ experiences and accessibility to community spaces and facilities in the Syracuse community, along with how architecture is connected to social justice.

Potluri says she wants to determine how architecture can be used to provide people with opportunities and the agency to combat the consequences of redlining.

Miriam Mutambudzi

Mutambudzi’s project examines how Black adults who reside in what have been historically redlined neighborhoods can experience a disadvantaged occupational life course and subsequent health consequences. She says that while redlining began in the 1930s, it has resulted in decades of urban decay and poverty for those neighborhoods that has left a legacy of social and economic disadvantage that continues today.

In addition to Mutambudzi’s role as an assistant professor of public health, she is also a faculty affiliate of the , and at the Maxwell School.

Before any scientific question can be answered, it must be dreamed up. What happens to cause a healthy cell or tissue to change, for instance, isn’t fully understood. While much is known about chemical exposures that can lead to genetic mutation, damaged DNA, inflammation and even cancer, what has rarely been asked is how physical stressors in the environment can cause a cell or tissue to respond and adapt. It’s a piece of the puzzle upon which future medical breakthroughs might depend.

Homeostasis refers to a state of equilibrium; at the cellular and tissue level, any changes in environment will spur a response that balances or accommodates it. “Mostly people think of chemical changes, exposure to drugs, for instance,” says Schwarz, principal investigator on the project. “Here we ask, what if you squeeze a cell—or a group of cells or tissue—mechanically? Can it still carry out its functions? Maybe not. Maybe it needs to adapt.”

�����Ի� , both professors in the �����Ի� members of the��, have been awarded a four-year National Science Foundation grant from Physics of Living Systems, for a project titled “.”

From left, Alison Patteson and Jennifer Schwarz

As co-principal investigator Patteson notes, describing the idea this way is a new use of scientific language. “As physicists, we are proposing this idea that there is a mechanical version of homeostasis,” she says. “We have proposed a framework for that.”

Drawing upon previous collaborations that have examined specific scales (such as chromatin molecules, individual cell motion, and collective cell migration through collagen networks), the investigators will work to build a multiscale model to capture how chromatin remodels from physical stressors at the cell- and tissue-level. They will conduct experiments involving mechanical compression, and working with the��, observe detailed microscopic images of the cells in action.

3D reconstruction of a collection of cells, called a cell spheroid, with individual nuclei in yellow. This is an example of a detailed microscopic image used to study cell motility. (Photo credit: Minh Thanh of the Patteson Lab and Blatt BioImaging Center)

All week:

• Sign your graduating class’s first-generation banner at the Intercultural Collective in the Schine Student Center. The banner will be displayed during graduation season. Participants can also get free first-generation stickers.
• A poster display, “Exploring the First-Generation Syracuse University Experience,” featuring campus community members, will be on exhibit on the first floor of Bird Library. Learn about the history of the first-generation identity in higher education, the diverse definitions of “first-generation” and inspiring profiles of current first-generation campus members. A library research guide will offer a wide array of books and resources by and for first-generation individuals, covering themes such as cultural education, memoirs, celebrations and wellness.

Monday, Nov. 4

• • A workshop on “Crafting Your Pitch” will be offered by Career Services and the Kessler Scholars Program from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in Room 104 of the Tolley Humanities Building. The workshop is tailored to the needs of first-generation students, with a special emphasis on undergraduate students. Participants will discover, practice and leave with branding and elevator pitch techniques to support their career journeys.
  • “,” will be held from 4-6 p.m. in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library. A diverse panel of faculty, staff, students and alumni will share their unique experiences, challenges and advice in navigating college and the professional environments. The discussion and Q&A session will include how to gather support and resources,

Tuesday, Nov. 5

• The Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS), located on the lower level of Bird Library, will hold an open house from 3:30-5:30 p.m. for first-generation students to explore the variety of individual and group academic support services available.

Wednesday, Nov. 6

• Affinity and networking pop-up space for first-generation students, faculty and staff will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Intercultural Collective office in the Schine Student Center. Meet fellow first-generation peers, share your experiences, sign your class banner and enjoy some light refreshments while building a supportive community.
• “Thriving as a First-Generation Professional: Navigating the Workforce with Confidence,” a trauma-informed workshop designed to empower first-generation college students as they prepare to enter the professional workforce, will be held from 1:30-3 p.m. in 103 Huntington Hall. Participants will explore practical strategies for overcoming challenges unique to first-generation professionals, such as navigating workplace dynamics, developing self-advocacy and managing financial independence.

• A on “Building Your Professional Network” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Learn how to unlock life-changing conversations, mentorships, internships and jobs. Connect with members of the vast Orange community. Open to all undergraduate students, regardless of school/college affiliation.

Thursday, Nov. 7

• An open house will be held in 208 Bowne Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for participants to learn about research, fellowship and other resources and opportunities available for first-generation students with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA), Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE), Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) and the Lender Center for Social Justice.

Friday, Nov. 8

• A First-Generation Resource Fair will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Jacquet Commons in Huntington Hall. The fair will feature information from�� SOURCE, Syracuse Abroad, Blackstone Launchpad, the McNair Scholars Program, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and more.
• A First-Generation Celebration featuring “Living Between Two Worlds” with Tianna Faye Soto will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the��Jacquet Commons in Huntington Hall. Soto will focus on empowering first-generation students to explore their identities, celebrate intersectionality and highlight the unique strength each person holds.

The National First-Generation College Celebration is celebrated annually on Nov. 8 to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The act provides equal opportunity for those from low-income and minority backgrounds. The legislation created grants and loan programs, invested in higher education institutions and started the Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) to facilitate the academic success of first-generation college students.

First-Generation College Celebration Week events are made possible by the collaboration and generous contributions of multiple individuals, offices and units on campus that believe in elevating and celebrating our first-generation community of students, faculty and staff.

New Student Programs maintains the for those who self-identify as first-generation college students. The list serves a visual representation of faculty and staff dedication to helping current first-generation college students build their personal success networks and their eagerness to help grow a campus of support. Students are encouraged to connect with faculty and staff members who can share their personal journeys, insight and support throughout this unique student experience.

Doctoral student Cijun Zhang explains his research to BioInspired Symposium attendees. Zhang studies in the Xiaoran Hu functional organic materials lab.

The event featured poster presentations by 79 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Several researchers presented “lightning talks” on topics such as how and how the human body reacts; fabricating and creating and new technologies to address��problems from clean energy to robotics to medicine. Guest speakers from several universities made special presentations. Awards were presented to recognize researchers in multiple ways.

Three recipients were chosen in the Best Overall Poster category:

• ’25, a dual mathematics and physics major in the (A&S), for “.” (Principal investigators are , physics professor, and Antun Skanata, research assistant professor of physics.)
• , a doctoral student in physics in A&S, for “.” (Principal investigator is , William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Physics.)
• , an M.D./Ph.D. student in cell and developmental biology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, for “.” (Principal investigator is , associate research professor of biology.)

Two presenters were recognized as Stevenson Biomaterials Poster Award winners:

• , a biomedical and chemical engineering doctoral student in the (ECS), for her work on “.” (Principal investigator is , associate professor of .)
• G’21, a mechanical and aerospace engineering doctoral student in ECS, for “.” (Principal investigator is , associate professor of .)

Two researchers received awards recognizing Best Lightning Talks:

• , a doctoral student in chemistry in A&S, whose topic was “.” Her work involves testing to find an improved diagnostic biomarker��for prostate and other cancers. (Principal investigator is , professor and director of biochemistry.)
• , a doctoral student in biomedical and chemical engineering in ECS, for her research on bone tissue, described in “.”(Principal investigator is , professor of biomedical and chemical engineering.)

A project by , “,” was recognized as having the best commercialization potential. Can is a biomedical and chemical engineering doctoral student in ECS. (Principal investigator is Mary Beth Monroe.)

Receiving honors for her “social impact” initiative was , G ‘22, an assistant teaching professor in the , for her work, “ The project explored an interdisciplinary collaboration between the University’s Departments of Chemistry and Architecture that aimed to foster societal impact through sustainable innovation in architectural materials.��(Her collaborator was , associate professor of chemistry in A&S.)

Winston Oluwole Soboyejo, SUNY Polytechnic Institute President, asks Alexia Chatzitheodorou, a graduate research assistant, about her work on “Shape Morphing of Twisted Nematic Elastomer Shells.” Soboyejo was one of several university representatives to speak at the symposium.

Winner of the People’s Choice Award was , a biomedical and chemical engineering doctoral student in ECS. His project, “”

His research examines how hemostatic materials with antibacterial and antibiofilm properties can reduce infection rates and enhance the healing of traumatic wounds. (Principal investigator is Mary Beth Monroe.)

Best Publication Awards went to:

• G’22, a graduate of the applied data science program who is now a doctoral student in bioengineering and biomedical engineering in ECS. He is exploring the use of hiPSC-CMs to study and understand cardiomyocyte biology through biology with artificial intelligence. His paper, “,” published in Cell Reports Methods in June, presented new methods for investigating the physiological functioning of cardiac organoids using machine learning algorithms.

• , a doctoral student in bioengineering at ECS, studies wound healing and tissue regeneration. His paper, “,” was published in the journal ACS Applied Biomaterials in February.
• , a doctoral student in bioengineering at ECS, received an honorable mention. His paper, “” was published in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering in June.

As technology advances, companies face a growing need to hire graduates skilled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, finding the ideal candidate can be difficult at times due to a limited pool of applicants. Part of the reason for this is that 1 in 3 students who originally declare as a STEM major change their field of study before they graduate, according to research from the .

Professors (from left) Abrar Aljiboury, Heather Coleman and Carlos A. Castañeda have been awarded an NSF grant to welcome undergraduate students from around the country to Syracuse to conduct research over the summer. (Photo by Elise Krespan)

One way to keep STEM students engaged in their major is through hands-on research, where they can apply their theoretical knowledge to address real-world challenges. In 1987, the National Science Foundation launched the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program to help attract and retain STEM students by funding experiential learning opportunities during the summer.

Three biology faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) have been awarded that department’s first three-year , “.” , associate professor of biology, serves as the grant’s principal investigator (PI), with , associate professor of biology and chemistry, and , biology professor of practice, collaborating as co-PIs. The award will fund 10 undergraduate students per year (30 in total) from other institutions to conduct summer research at Syracuse University in biology and biology-affiliated labs alongside faculty.

While this is the first REU site grant in biology at Syracuse, faculty from the department have collaborated on similar programs through the site in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the site in A&S. Other active REU site grants at the University include the and the programs.

According to Coleman, a primary objective of the team’s project is to promote diversity within the STEM field and offer meaningful hands-on research experiences to students who may not have access to such opportunities at their home universities. They will focus on recruiting domestic students from minority-serving institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions and community colleges.

“Students who participate in research are more likely to see themselves as scientists and remain in STEM,” says Coleman. “Through this 10-week summer program, students from diverse backgrounds will have the opportunity to conduct research, join a cohort of summer undergraduate researchers across the university, participate in professional development and present their research.”

Beginning in 2025, REU students will conduct 10 weeks of summer research with one of 14 biology and physics faculty mentors. Research will focus on using microscopy to understand form and function across biological scales. This entails developing insight into the relationship between the shape, size and structure of an organism and exploring how these characteristics enable functions that support the organism’s survival.

“Each student’s project will incorporate microscopy into innovative biological research,” says Coleman. “All REU participants will gain exposure to microscopy methods, including fluorescence and super-resolution, using state-of-the-art instrumentation to address questions that cross multiple scales of biological research.”

The team notes that this REU will take advantage of the University’s strengths in microscopy, and the core facilities and resources, including the (directed by biology professor and managed by co-PI Aljiboury) and the BioInspired Institute’s (directed by Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D.).

Potential student projects include investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning neurodevelopment; identifying the connections between form, function and environment in animals that interface with and attach to surfaces; examining mechanisms driving plant responses to climate change; elucidating mechanisms of protein quality control to understand the assembly and disassembly of biomolecular condensates; and understanding how cells self-organize and develop.

The will host its first cohort of undergraduates in the summer of 2025. The program will begin accepting applications in November 2024 through the .

Maloney, a researcher who investigates fundamental questions in theoretical physics and quantum information theory, comes to Syracuse from in Montreal.

Alexander Maloney

“I am delighted by the opportunity to work with the outstanding students and faculty at Syracuse University to help push the forefront of research in quantum science,” Maloney says.

The Walters Endowed Professorship was established by a $2.5 million gift from Syracuse University Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus Kathy Walters ’73 and her husband, Stan ’72. Their gift was made as part of the , which supports the recruitment and retention of high-caliber faculty.

“The commitment of the Walters family has allowed us to recruit a world-class leader for Syracuse University’s quantum science program,” says , vice president for research. “Professor Maloney will bring together outstanding faculty from the and the and provide new opportunities for our students to engage in cutting-edge research.”

Maloney’s research focuses on connections between quantum information theory, field theory, statistical mechanics and quantum gravity.

“Over the last century, advances in our understanding of the quantum world have underlain some of the most important scientific and technical advances that have changed both our society and our understanding of the universe,” Maloney says. “This includes deep questions ranging from elementary particle physics and black holes to materials science and engineering. Many of the most exciting current directions lie at the intersection of quantum science and information theory, where a new field of science is being created that may have profound implications, both for our understanding of fundamental physics and for the construction of quantum computers and precision devices.”

A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi notes that health care is another area of promise in quantum information science. “For example, we can imagine the potential for much earlier detection of diseases like cancer through quantum sensing, and the creation of highly personalized, more effective treatments for those diseases based on analysis of massive amounts of DNA data,” he says. “With Professor Maloney bringing his internationally recognized expertise to join the other top researchers in A&S physics, we are excited to be on the leading edge of this frontier.”

Maloney’s previous positions include James McGill Professor of Physics and Sir William Macdonald Chair in Physics at McGill University, where he was honored with the John David Jackson Award for excellence in teaching. He was a member of the in Princeton, New Jersey, and a research associate at the . He was selected as a Simons Fellow in Theoretical Physics in 2013. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University and an M.Sc. in mathematics and B.Sc. in physics from Stanford University.

At Syracuse, Maloney will work with four new researchers—now being recruited by the University with support from and —who will grow teaching and research in quantum science, providing opportunities for students to advance understanding of nature and design the next generation of quantum technologies.

A team of Syracuse University researchers have published a study exploring how genomic diversity of acetic acid bacteria can alter properties of sourdough. Pictured are sourdough starters grown up from experimental communities (from the left: control [no microbes added], yeast only, yeast plus lactic acid bacteria, yeast plus lactic acid bacteria plus acetic acid bacteria).

When millions of people��went into lockdown��during the��pandemic, they went in search of new at-home hobbies to help cure their boredom. Among them was making sourdough bread. In addition to being sustainable for its use of natural ingredients and traditional methods which date back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, it also is valued for its nutritional benefits. For example, studies have shown that sourdough contains more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants compared to many other types of bread. For people with mild sensitivities to gluten, sourdough bread can be easier to digest since much of the gluten is broken down during the fermentation process. What’s more, many lactic acid bacteria species, which are foundational to sourdough, are considered probiotics, associated with improved gastrointestinal health.

A Flavor Profile Years in the Making

The process of making sourdough bread begins with a sourdough starter. These starters are created when microbes–communities of bacteria and yeast–stabilize in a flour and water mixture. Known as a microbiome, this community of wild yeast and bacteria is what makes sourdough bread rise and contributes to its taste and texture. Sourdough notably differs from most bread because it relies on this starter of wild microbes to help it rise instead of baker’s yeast packets.

Many sourdough starters are preserved over generations, with some samples dating back thousands of years. To maintain a sourdough starter, you extract a sample from a previous dough and mix it into new flour and water. With enough transfers of the sourdough starter, the microbial community will be composed of the yeast, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and acetic acid bacteria (AAB) that are best adapted to the sourdough environment. What makes different sourdough starters unique are the varying strains of yeast and bacteria that produce the distinctive sour flavor.

Testing Genetic Diversity

Advances in sequencing technology have enabled researchers to rapidly profile microbial communities, such as the sourdough microbiome. In the College of Arts and Sciences, members of biology professor����lab have been studying acetic acid bacteria to determine how genetic diversity of AAB impacts sourdough communities.

Professor Angela Oliverio (left), Nimshika Senewiratne (middle), a Ph.D. candidate in Oliverio’s lab, and Beryl Rappaport (right), a Ph.D. student in Oliverio’s lab, co-authored a study which characterized acetic acid bacteria (AAB) from 500 sourdough starters to better understand how genetic diversity of AAB influences characteristics of sourdough.

While previous research has focused more on lactic acid bacteria and yeast, the ecology, genomic diversity and functional contributions of AAB in sourdough remain largely unknown. Beryl Rappaport, a Ph.D. student in Oliverio’s group, recently led a paper published in , a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, where she and other sourdough scientists, including Oliverio, Nimshika Senewiratne from the Oliverio lab, SU biology professor��, and professor Ben Wolfe from Tufts University, sequenced 29 AAB genomes from a collection of over 500 sourdough starters and constructed synthetic starter communities in the lab to define the ways in which AAB shape emergent properties of sourdough. The team’s work was supported by a��awarded to Oliverio earlier this year.

“While not as common in sourdough as lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria are better known for their dominant roles in other fermented foods like vinegar and kombucha,” says Rappaport. “For this study, we were interested in following up on previous findings which stated that when present in sourdough, AAB seems to have a strong impact on key properties including scent profile and metabolite production, which shape overall flavor formation.”

Plates testing for presence or absence of microbes grown in synthetic sourdough communities.

To assess the consequences of AAB on the emergent function of sourdough starter microbiomes, their team tested 10 strains of AAB, some distantly related and some very closely related. They set up manipulative experiments with these 10 strains, adding each one to a community of yeast and LAB. They kept a separate community of just yeast and LAB to serve as the control.

“Since we can manipulate what microbes and what concentrations of microbes go into these synthetic sourdough communities, we could see the direct effects of adding each strain of AAB to sourdough,” says Rappaport. “As we expected, every strain of AAB lowered the pH of the synthetic sourdough (associated with increasing sourness) since they release acetic acid and other acids as byproducts of their metabolic processes. Unexpectedly, however, AAB that were more closely related did not release more similar compounds. In fact, there was high variation in metabolites, many related to flavor formation, even between strains of the same species.”

The new station, “,” is “a thrilling and significant breakthrough” for the growing Spanish-speaking community in the area, says , executive director of cultural engagement for the Hispanic community and director of the University’s . “The station is poised to become a vital resource, reflecting the vibrant mix of Hispanic and Latino cultures and effectively engaging these populations like no other local or regional medium does.”

Paniagua and many others at the University were integral to the development of the station. She first got involved in the summer of 2023 when WCNY CEO and President approached her wondering if a Spanish-language radio station was available in the area. When he discovered there wasn’t one, Gelman asked Paniagua to help him assess the community’s interest in filling that void.

Gelman formed a community task force, which he co-chaired with Paniagua and WCNY-FM Station Manager . Over many months, more than two dozen task force members planned the station’s structure, helped developed funding, sought collaborators and generated programming ideas.

Teresita Paniagua, left, the University’s executive director of cultural engagement for the Hispanic community, speaks to students at an event celebrating Hispanic culture. Paniagua was instrumental in spurring community interest in and involvement to help bring about WCNY’s Spanish-language radio station.

Several University faculty members and instructors from the College of Arts and Sciences, including , associate teaching professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Spanish language coordinator, and , Spanish instructor, participated in the task force efforts.

Also involved in other ways were , Spanish department professor and chair; , Spanish professor; , assistant teaching professor of film in the College of Visual and Performing Arts; , development director for Syracuse Stage; , professor of Spanish at Onondaga Community College; Josefa Álvarez Valadés, ��Spanish professor at LeMoyne College; and , a Newhouse School of Public Communications alumnus and former radio/TV producer who is an associate professor of communications at SUNY Oswego.

As part of the task force’s fact-finding, Paniagua enlisted Whitman School of Management students Nicolas Cela Marxuach ’25, Zachary Levine ’25 and Jonah Griffin ’24 to develop and distribute a community interest survey, which the students circulated to several hundred local residents at community events. She says 98% of respondents supported the idea. The survey also provided insights into audience demographics and programming ideas—including sports, community news, talk shows, music and faith-based content.

There are upwards of 1,000 Spanish-speaking radio stations in the U.S. but Pulso Central is the first of its kind in Central New York. The region is home to some 18,000 Spanish-speaking households, with Spanish-speaking people making up about 10.5% of the area’s population and comprising a segment of the community that has grown 30% over the past decade, according to research done by WCNY.

A Learning Resource

Pulso Central also provides a unique learning opportunity and “an extraordinary new pedagogical tool for experiential education” for the University’s students, says Ticio Quesada.

M. Emma Ticio Quesada, center, a professor in Syracuse University’s Spanish department, uses WCNY’s radio station studio as an experiential learning space and resource for her courses.

Five students from her immersive course, Community Outreach: Language in Action, are interning at the station. The students, Lailah Ali-Valentine, Adam Baltaxe, Kimberlyn Lopez Herrera, Nicolas Bernardino Greiner-Guzman and Jade Aulestia recently created their first podcast.

Ticio Quesada says she also expects students in SPA 300: Our Community Voices, an course, to benefit from the same kind of internship opportunity. The course connects native and non-native Spanish speakers, inspires them to contribute to the local community, and promotes inclusion and social justice.

Partnering Results

Miranda Traudt, the University’s assistant provost for arts and community programming, says the task force is a good example of the positive outcomes that can result when members of the University and local communities work together to achieve specific goals. “This project continues La Casita’s meaningful engagement with Hispanic communities in Central New York and helps fulfill its mission through work in the arts, media, cultural heritage preservation and research adding to the high quality of life,” she says.

Several dozen community members helped WCNY form and air the area’s first Spanish-language radio station. They included, from left, Mitch Gelman, WCNY president and CEO; M. Emma Ticio Quesada, Syracuse University professor of Spanish; Stephanie Gonzalez Rawlings, content producer; and DJ Lorenz (Renzo Quesada), music host. (Photo by Eric Hayden, WCNY)

Game Changer

Paniagua believes the station “can be a game changer,” not only in providing news and information about and for the Latina/Hispanic community but also by “helping to change long-established stereotypes and present a whole new world of possibilities for the people of this community,” she says. “There are many wonderful stories about people who have established their lives in this community and I hope Pulso Central can be a showcase for those stories.”

Launch Event Oct. 24

An official launch event, “,” will be held Thursday, Oct. 24, at WCNY studios and La Casita.

“WCNY is thrilled to help launch Pulso Central,” Gelman says. “Our goal is to provide a platform that will come alive with music and talk that engages listeners and fosters community connection.”

The station reaches listeners in 19 counties. Pulso Central airs on WCNY 91.3 HD-2 in Syracuse, WUNY 89.5 HD-2 in Utica and WJNY 90.9 HD-2 in Watertown. It is accessible online at and streaming on the Pulso Central app.

Graduate students from the Experimental Neutrino Physics group with Syracuse-area high school students who took part in the Syracuse University Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program in summer 2024.

It takes sophisticated technology to study the behavior of invisible particles like neutrinos and cosmic rays, which pass through our bodies every second before zooming back off into the universe without us even knowing. While they might be tiny, these particles have massive importance, as understanding their interactions could help scientists determine why our universe exists and why all of the “stuff” in the universe, including stars, planets and people, are made out of matter and not antimatter. Faculty and students in the ��group in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) are part of an international effort to explore the secrets of neutrinos.

So, what’s the buzz about neutrinos? Neutrinos and other invisible particles such as cosmic rays are produced by some of the most extreme events in the cosmos, like the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago or when massive stars end their life cycles in a blaze of glory known as supernovae explosions. Neutrinos come in three flavors (electron, muon and tau) and have some mysterious characteristics, such as puzzlingly low masses and the ability to oscillate, or change from one type of neutrino to another. Scientists use cutting-edge particle detectors to study the information embedded in neutrinos and make definitive determinations of neutrino properties.

Physics Professors �����Ի�����are working with undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers on everything from detector construction to operation and analysis, both at Syracuse and at larger detection sites like��. Fermilab is one of the few places on Earth where a focused beam of neutrinos can be created and aimed at a detector.

Through Fermilab’s����(DUNE), particle detectors are being constructed one mile underground in a former gold mine in South Dakota right in the path of a neutrino beam originating from Fermilab in Illinois. Once operational, DUNE scientists will be able to study a phenomenon called “neutrino oscillation,” which looks at how the three different flavors of neutrinos that make up the Standard Model (electron, muon and tau) change between types as they travel. These insights could reveal why the universe is dominated by matter and whether a fourth type of neutrino (sterile neutrino) exists, which would go beyond the Standard Model, indicating that there is more to the universe’s fundamental particle makeup than we currently understand.

Prototype Paves the Way

Physics graduate student Tom Murphy (right, in orange hard hat) working on a DUNE prototype. (Photo by Dan Svoboda)

DUNE, currently under construction, will be the most comprehensive neutrino experiment in the world. But before it comes online, scientists have been testing prototype equipment and components in preparation for the final detector installation. Members of Syracuse’s Experimental Neutrino Physics group have been part of the��, which recorded its first��. While the final version of the DUNE near detector will feature 35 liquid argon modules, the prototype has four modules arranged in a square and allows scientists to validate the design.

“Our group members who are resident at Fermilab, including postdoctoral researcher Luis Zazueta and graduate student Tom Murphy, have helped with final detector construction, installation and operations,” says Soderberg. “Zazueta was the inaugural “deputy run coordinator” for the 2×2 effort, which is a leadership role important to the operation of the detector. We are anticipating more involvement in the full-size DUNE detector that the 2×2 is a prototype for.”

Exploring the Cosmos on Campus

Physics Ph.D. student Sierra Thomas is another one of the A&S scientists who has been involved in the DUNE collaboration. She is currently setting up the equipment to make observations of cosmic events at Syracuse using the new prototype “pixel” Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber detector. Located on the third floor of the physics building, this hi-tech device allows researchers to make observations about the universe from the comforts of campus. What’s more, the experiments conducted with this equipment are contributing to the enhancement of larger detectors at Fermilab.

Watch the video below for Sierra’s take on the detector.

A Search for Oscillation

In addition to the DUNE project, Fermilab also hosts the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program, which is a chain of three particle detectors—ICARUS, MicroBooNE and the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND). SBND is the near detector for the Short Baseline Neutrino Program and the newest of the three. ICARUS, which started collecting data in 2021, is the far detector. SBND will measure the neutrinos as they were produced in the Fermilab beam and ICARUS will measure the neutrinos after they’ve potentially oscillated. The neutrino interactions collected from these detectors play a critical role in performing searches for neutrino oscillations, which could provide proof of the elusive fourth kind of neutrino.

The Short-Baseline Near Detector and ICARUS are the near and far detectors, respectively, in the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program. (Photo courtesy of Fermilab)

Rohan Rajagopalan standing in the SBND building near the detector.

SBND, the final element that completed Fermilab’s Short-Baseline Neutrino Program, recently reached a key milestone as scientists identified the detector’s����earlier this year. Members of Syracuse’s Experimental Neutrino Physics group played integral roles in��constructing and commissioning the detector, whose planning, prototyping and construction took nearly a decade. Current group members Amy Filkins, a postdoctoral researcher, and Rohan Rajagopalan, a graduate student, are currently based at Fermilab and working on SBND, having made major contributions to SBND’s first operations.

Amy Filkins (in yellow hard hat) working on the Short-Baseline Near Detector’s data acquisition rack.

The collaboration will continue operating the detector and analyzing the many millions of neutrino interactions collected for the next several years.

“I’m proud of the work that our team has been undertaking,” says Whittington. “I find the process of building, understanding and operating these experiments very engaging, and I’m excited to see them come to fruition over the next few years.”

Students interested in hands-on, international research and exploring the secrets of neutrinos can learn more by visiting the����group website.

Pop star Dua Lipa (right) holding a copy of George Saunders’ book, “Lincoln in the Bardo.” The book is her October book of the month for her 87.5 million followers on Instagram.

Bestselling author and professor of English G’88 has received numerous accolades in his literary career. His book, “Lincoln in the Bardo,” won the 2017 Man Booker Prize; his most recent work, “Liberation Day,” was chosen as one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2022; and earlier this year, three of his books were included in The New York Times list of .

Now, Saunders’ work is reaching an even broader audience as his “Lincoln in the Bardo” takes center stage as Grammy-winning superstar Dua Lipa’s October book club pick.

Lipa’s monthly book club is part of her global platform, , which provides fans with a curation of lists, stories, perspectives and conversations with the world’s most compelling voices. Club members are invited to read a different book each month and engage with content centered around the author, including discussion guides, author Q&As and further reading lists. She amplifies that content to her millions of social media followers around the world.

“Lincoln in the Bardo” was Saunders’ first novel and debuted at number one on The New York Times Bestseller List. The book is Saunders’ conception of a visit by President Abraham Lincoln to the cemetery where his deceased 11-year-old son, Willie, is buried. The experimental novel explores Abraham Lincoln’s grief for the loss of his son alongside a cast of narrating ghosts who are in the “bardo” — a limbo state between death and the afterlife.

The global acclaim for “Lincoln in the Bardo” demonstrates the profound impact that creative writing can have in uncovering fresh insights on history, while also nurturing readers’ emotional and intellectual growth.

When asked why she loved the book, Dua Lipa said in an article on , “There is no one writing today who can match George Saunders for compassion and empathy. The very last page still replays in my mind. The voices of these spirits — the wretched and the brave, and the dead boy Willie Lincoln —will stay with me forever.”

Throughout October, the Service95 Book Club will offer exclusive insights, interviews and articles from Lipa and Saunders.

Service95 content includes:

The MOST’s giant ear exhibition is visited by the author’s daughter, DuRi Kang, in August 2024.

But its depiction of one organ—the skin—was not as encompassing as it could be.

Now, the has received a much-needed inclusive makeover, thanks to a professor, ., who also is a dual professor in the and an associated professor in the , and his former student, Karyn Meyer-Berthel G’21.

Preserving art

For close to 30 years, Meyer-Berthel has worked as a professional artist, becoming known for her ability to combine paint colors into perfect matches to any skin tone.

This skill came over time, she says. Her start was painting theater sets.

For theater, she painted backdrops and scenery, primarily for opera and musicals. “Musical theater was my favorite to paint because it was usually really dramatic and full of character,” Meyer-Berthel says, who had to stop after an injury. “That kind of work is heavy labor—you’re carrying five-gallon buckets of paint; you’re standing on your feet all day. I loved it, but having that injury, I had to give it up. So that led to a world of figuring out all these different jobs in the arts.”

A slew of roles followed, including working for three different art material manufacturers, as well as a year as a Mellon intern, where she assisted in the conservation department at the National Gallery of Art.

“The work I did there was on painting conservation and understanding what materials last a really long time,” Meyer-Berthel explains. She learned not only how to preserve art for future generations but also how museums can protect pieces from the public, learning which materials work best to seal historic treasures, especially from the oils on little fingers that crave to touch them.

According to her former arts education teacher, this notable professional background combined with her art materials expertise made her a perfect fit to help complete a needed update to the MOST’s human body exhibition.

Rolling—who has taught arts education at Syracuse since 2007 and serves as interim chair of the Department of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences—also runs JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies, a DEI consultant entity. In his role as consultant, he was tapped to help the MOST make improvements to its exhibitions, with an eye toward equity and inclusion.

Creative placemaking

MOST staff identified models in the Upstate Medical University Life Sciences exhibition as a key area where improvements in representation could be made.

“Our main objective with this project was to better fulfill our core values by making sure that the models and images in our exhibitions reflect the people who visit them,” says Emily Stewart, Ph.D., senior director of education and curation. “Our community is dynamic and diverse, and our exhibitions should be too.”

This led the MOST to Rolling because his consultancy utilizes the concept of “,” a way of transforming a lived environment so it is accessible, inviting, and representative of the community. “That life sciences exhibition was over 10 years old, and it’s striking that there were no persons of color represented,” Rolling says. “Out of all those body parts—none.”

Karyn Meyer-Berthel G’21 helped transform the MOST body exhibition to make it more inclusive.

The Upstate exhibition explores the science of human anatomy with larger-than-life body parts, including a heart visitors can walk through, a brain that lights up and a giant ear, nose, lips and more.

Rolling immediately thought of his former student, connecting the MOST to Meyer-Berthel, due to her materials and preservation skill, unique background and understanding of inclusivity, .

Perfect balance

Meyer-Berthel and staff settled on the MOST’s giant ear display to receive the upgrade. “Different ethnicities have different shape ears, certainly, but this anatomy is a little more streamlined across the globe, so an adjustment with paint can change the representation,” she says. “The ear was the clearest choice, because changing the shape of something might actually mean completely rebuilding the object, and that part wasn’t quite in my wheelhouse.”

But the skill Meyer-Berthel does excel at is combining colors to match skin tone. “No matter the ethnicity, every skin tone includes blue, red and yellow,” she explains. “You can often tell by looking at a person’s wrist what their undertones are … Finding the perfect blend and balance is the joy.”

Because 28% of Syracuse’s population is African American, the MOST wanted to change the ear to a brown skin tone, but the answer wasn’t as simple as mixing up a batch of paint and applying it.

Other factors Meyer-Berthel had to consider were the museum’s lighting and how this would impact the hue, and how well the paint would hold up to being touched. “The beauty of this exhibition is being able to touch it,” she says, noting that the paint needed to adhere to the material already coating the ear, the composition of which she and the MOST did not know.

After testing samples under the museum’s warm lighting, Meyer-Berthel first cleaned the existing model, using a micro sanding product to help her paint layer adhere. She chose acrylic paints, because she finds these to be the most versatile, and utilized Golden Artist Colors, a New Berlin, New York-based manufacturer of professional artist paints best known for its acrylics, where she also worked as a commercial applications specialist for three years.

“While house paint is wonderful for painting a house, it’s not going to be good for a museum because it has too many fillers in it, like chalk,” Meyer-Berthel explains. “For a museum model, a piece that needs to be so brilliantly colored, you don’t want much in it besides pigment and resin.”

Lastly, Meyer-Berthel coated the paint with a sealant because of how much the ear is touched, protecting it from absorbing oils and dirt from hands.

“We are so thrilled with the work she has done,” says Stewart. “Her thoughtful consideration and expertise helped us to identify the right paint colors, finishes and techniques to give our older anatomical model a new life.”

Story by Ashley Kang ’04, G’11

They were also witnesses to major political events, such as President Richard Nixon stepping down after the Watergate scandal and President Gerald Ford taking office (and being memorably lampooned the next year on new television program “Saturday Night Live”). At Syracuse University, a less known yet still consequential development occurred.

That year, the department that became����was born.

On July 1, five College of Arts and Sciences departments came together to become “one new department under the chairmanship of Louis W. Roberts,” according to a press release from the time. The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures unified the former individual departments of classics, German, linguistics, Romance languages and Slavic languages and literatures to create, as then-Dean Kenneth Goodrich noted, “a needed synthesis of the traditional and the progressive in the field of foreign language and literature education.”

Excerpt from the 1974 news release creating LLL’s forerunner (Photo courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center)

The department’s name was changed under Dean Robert Jensen to “Languages, Literatures and Linguistics” in 1995 to recognize the breadth of world languages and cultures being taught and the strength of the linguistics program.

As part of celebrating its 50 years as a multilingual, multicultural department, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics (LLL) is hosting a film series this semester, including a discussion evening on Oct. 30. “Film is a critical medium through which students can develop cultural and linguistic competencies,” says , professor of Spanish and LLL chair.

The films span genres, cultures and times, reflecting the department’s commitment to global perspectives and the exploration of language through art.

The film series includes the following screenings:

October

• “” (Italy, 1994)—Oct. 9, 5:30 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium
• “” (France, 2023)—Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium
• “” (France, 2011)—Oct. 17, 7 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium
• “” (Lebanon, 2018)—Oct. 18, 2 p.m., 341 Eggers
• “” (Italy, 1975)—Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium
• “” (France, 2012)—Oct. 24, 7 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium
• “” (Taiwan, 2010)—Oct. 28, 7 p.m., 113 Eggers
• —Oct. 30, 5:30-10 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium:
  • “There’s Still Tomorrow” (Italy, 2023)
  • “Perfect Days” (Germany, Japan, 2023)

November

• “” (Germany, 2012)—Nov. 4, 6:45 p.m., Kittridge Auditorium
• “” (Italy, 2023)—Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m., Kittredge Auditorium
• “” (Soviet Union, Japan, 1977)—Nov. 21, 11 a.m., 107 Huntington Hall
• “Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission” (Korea, 2019)—TBD

For more information about the film series, contact��Gail Bulman.

Other events celebrating LLL’s 50th anniversary in 2024 included the annual Wor(l)ds of Love Valentine’s Day poetry festival in February, Women across the World events in March, theater and musical performances, an LLL majors and minors’ celebration and the department’s annual Culture(s) on the Quad in April.

Spring 2025 event dates will be announced at a later time.

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

Kathy Walters

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

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

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

Favour Chukwudumebi Ononiwu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In conjunction with the exhibition, Sachs will be joined by members of the feminist filmmaking
group The Abortion Clinic Film Collective and local reproductive justice advocates for
“Communities of Care: Documenting Reproductive Justice in a Post-Roe Country,” a film
screening and panel talk at Light Work (316 Waverly Ave., on the SU campus) on Thursday,
Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m.

About “This Side of Salina”

Four Black women from Syracuse, New York, reflect on sexuality, youthful regret, emotional vulnerability, raising a daughter and working in reproductive health services. In a series of their own choreographed vignettes, each woman thoughtfully engages with the neighborhoods she’s known all of her life. Two performers flip through classic 1960s titles by Black authors in a bookstore. Others sit in a hat store finding time to pour into each other, as mentors and confidantes. These are businesses that are owned by local Black women, and they know it. In Brady Market, a community grocery, they playfully shop and chat with ease and confidence. They dance to their own rhythms in the outdoor plaza of the Everson Museum of Art. Together they look down at the city from its highest point and ponder how to battle the inequities of the place that they call home.

Sachs is an American experimental filmmaker and poet based in Brooklyn, New York.
Working from a feminist perspective, she has created cinematic works that defy genre through
the use of hybrid forms, incorporating elements of documentary, performance and collage into
self-reflexive explorations of broader historical experience. Her films have screened at the
Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, Wexner Center for the Arts, and festivals such as New
York Film Festival, Oberhausen Int’l Short Film Festival, Punto de Vista, Sundance, Viennale
and Doclisboa. Retrospectives of her work have been presented at Museum of the Moving
Image, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Cork Film Festival, Havana Film Festival, among others. In 2021,
both Edison Film Festival and Prismatic Ground Film Festival at the Maysles Documentary
Center gave her awards for her lifetime achievements in the experimental and documentary
fields. In 2014, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship in the Creative Arts. In 2019, Tender
Buttons Press published her first book of poetry, “Year by Year Poems.”

Related Programming

All programs are free and open to the public.

“Living to Tell: Using Filmmaking as a Tool for Reproductive Justice”
Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Salt City Market Community Room, 484 S. Salina St.
484 S. Salina St.
Free,

“Communities of Care: Documenting Reproductive Justice in a Post-Roe Country”
Thursday, Oct. 17,�� 5:30 p.m.
Light Work, Watson Theater, 316 Waverly Ave.

Communities of Care is sponsored by the Syracuse University Humanities Center as part of
Syracuse Symposium 2024-25: Community and by the Lender Center for Social Justice.
at Syracuse University. This program is also partnered with the Department of Women’s and
Gender Studies and the CODE^SHIFT lab in the Newhouse School, both at Syracuse
University.

Living to Tell is co-presented with Engaged Humanities Network, an engaged scholarship
initiative of Syracuse University.

Edward C. Magee Sr.

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

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

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

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

Edward “Ed” C. Magee

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

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

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

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

Rendering of dining hall at the One Team Olympic Sports Center

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

About Syracuse University

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

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

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

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in children, and the numbers are only expected to rise. The CDC reported that in 2022, over 7 million (11.4%) U.S. children aged 3–17 years were diagnosed with ADHD, an increase of 1 million compared to 2016. The elevated numbers aren’t limited to children. According to a����in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 8.7 million adults in the U.S. have ADHD.

Kevin Antshel

ADHD is a chronic condition characterized by difficulty focusing, restlessness and impulsive behavior. If untreated, ADHD can have severe negative consequences on physical and mental health throughout a person’s life, including low self-esteem, chronic stress, fatigue and higher risk of substance abuse. That’s why diagnosis during childhood and early intervention are crucial for helping children reach their potential and avoid the potential life-long challenges associated with the disorder. To educate the public with reliable information, reduce stigma and highlight the importance of ADHD diagnosis and treatment, several advocacy groups joined forces to designate October as ADHD Awareness Month.

The College of Arts and Sciences sat down with��, professor of psychology and principal investigator for Syracuse University’s��, to discuss the rise in ADHD diagnosis among children and adults, the signs to look out for, and the importance of treatment.

Below, five students share their experiences; what they did and what they learned.

Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship

Five Syracuse University students were selected as Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship recipients this year. They were Sofia DaCruz ’25, a women’s and gender studies and citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences; (McGill University); Abi Greenfield ’25, a history and political philosophy major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences (University of Victoria); Chloe Britton Naime ’25, a mechanical engineering and neuroscience major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (University of British Columbia); Kerrin O’Grady ’25, a biomedical engineering and neuroscience major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (University of Victoria); and Kanya Shah ’25, an aerospace engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (University of Quebec at Chicoutimi).

Abi Greenfield

Greenfield worked with Penny Bryden, professor of history at the University of Victoria. Greenfield was first research assistant on Bryden’s Canadian constitutional culture project; she created a dataset of political cartoons about the Canadian Constitution from five periods in Canadian history.

Abi Greenfield

She mined the databases of past editions of four major Canadian newspapers and developed a dataset of approximately 500 cartoons. “I then analyzed the cartoons from the 1980-82 period to understand what major themes appeared in relation to the Constitution reform debates during this period and what these themes and metaphors demonstrated about public thought around these topics,” Greenfield says. She produced a report for Bryden analyzing four major themes she identified, along with any regional or temporal variations. Greenfield’s research will form part of a forthcoming collaborative article on editorial cartoons and Canadian constitutional culture.

Greenfield says this work strengthened her skills in research design, dataset creation and analysis, and analysis of images as historical documents, as well as deepened her knowledge of Canadian political and legal history.

“This experience has been invaluable in informing the topic and goals of my undergraduate thesis for the Honors program and the Distinction program in History, as well as how I have gone about designing my project,” Greenfield says. “The chance to connect with established scholars in my field helped me to understand the breadth of research areas available to me and led me to change my thesis topic from what I had originally planned.��My improved knowledge of Canadian legal history will also help inform my work as a research assistant on the Global Free Speech Repository Project in the Campbell Institute in the Maxwell School, where I work with Canadian free expression decisions, among others.”

After graduation, Greenfield hopes to return to the University of Victoria to pursue a master’s degree in history under Bryden’s direction.

Kanya Shah

Kanya Shah

Shah interned at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC)’s Anti-Icing Materials Laboratory (LIMA-AMIL), where she worked on the “Evaluating Passive Protection Systems for Solar Panels Against Snow and Ice Accumulations” project. Under the supervision of Research Professor Derek Harvey and with LIMA-AMIL faculty support, she conducted extensive literature review to aid the team in designing a test bench to evaluate the effectiveness of superhydrophobic and icephobic coatings against snow and ice accretion on a solar panel placed in a cold climate chamber.

The freezing rain and snowstorm tests performed honed her laboratory techniques for testing and developing coating application methods to address snow and ice adhesion on solar panels in cold climates.

“This program provided invaluable international research exposure, solidifying my commitment to advancing sustainable solutions in mechanical and aerospace engineering,” Shah says. “As I look ahead, I’m excited to pursue this passion further, either through a master’s program or an industry-related career.”

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI)

Corinne Motl ’25, a physics major in the College of Arts and Sciences, engaged in an internship at Argonne National Laboratory this summer through a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Corrine Motl

Quantum networks are of significant interest within the commercial and scientific communities as they hold potential for complete information security, as well as connecting dispersed quantum technologies. Quantum memories are a key part of realizing these networks.

Motl worked on simulations to test parameters when designing a nanophotonic cavity to optimize the quality factor of the cavity. “What this means on a larger scale is that we aim to develop quantum memories that are able to get an input, preserve that single then reemit it. This is a critical part in creating technologies such as quantum repeater,” she says.

“This research involved my simulation work, as well as creating a data analysis software for X-ray detraction (XRD) data. I also worked on creating optical set up as well as alignment and matinee of a separate optical set up,” she says.

Motl says her work at Argonne gave her new skills and helped her develop her problem-solving abilities. “The more problems you solve the better you get at solving new ones. I learned to try to find the simplest solution,” she says.

Motl is currently helping to organize a branch of the 2025 conference, which will be held at Syracuse University in January.

Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (PPIA)

Four students were selected as PPIA JSI Fellows this year. They were Linda Baguma ’25, an international relations and political science major in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences (Carnegie Mellon); Victoria Knight ’25, a policy studies and economics major (pre-law track) in the Maxwell School (UC-Berkeley); Caroline Ridge ’25 a political science and policy studies major in the Maxwell School (Carnegie Mellon) and Evelina Torres ’25, a political science and citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School (Carnegie Mellon).

Linda Baguma

As part of her PPIA experience, Baguma completed rigorous coursework on quantitative methods, economic analysis and policy research, all aimed at addressing real-world public policy challenges. The program also emphasized diversity in public service and leadership development.

Linda Baguma

Baguma worked on a project analyzing the impact of social policies on low-income communities, using data to evaluate the effectiveness of various poverty reduction programs. “This experience directly complements my studies at Syracuse, especially my concentration in international security and diplomacy within the international relations major,” she says. “I plan to apply the quantitative analysis skills I gained to my coursework, particularly in areas related to policy design and evaluation, and to further explore how international policies impact African development, which is my regional focus.”

She says her experience was made even more meaningful by the opportunity to move beyond the classroom and apply what she learned to real-world challenges. Baguma contributed to an additional project focused on abandoned mine lands (AMLs) in the Pittsburgh area. “Our goal was to analyze the impact of AMLs on surrounding communities, using a variety of data sources to uncover the relationships and effects these sites have on public health, environmental justice and economic outcomes. I even learned how to run regressions to better understand the correlations between AMLs and the well-being of nearby communities,” she says.

Baguma says the PPIA experience gave her a broader understanding of public service. “I’m eager to incorporate this perspective into my academic and professional trajectory, and I look forward to continuing this work as I prepare for a career in public policy, particularly in U.S.-Africa relations,” she says.

Victoria Knight

The UC-Berkeley PPIA program offered a law track that gave Knight valuable insights into succeeding at top law schools. She took four courses: Law and Public Policy, Economics for Public Policy, Policy Analysis and Quantitative Methods for Public Policy.

Victoria Knight

Beyond the classroom, the program provided numerous opportunities to connect with notable alumni and guest speakers, including Dean David Wilson, Robert Reich (former U.S. secretary of labor) and Janet Napolitano (former secretary of Homeland Security and president of the University of California).

“These experiences not only prepared me for law school and a master’s in public policy, but also for my final year at Syracuse. I’m working on my honors thesis, which examines the economic impact of varying abortion laws. The skills I gained through PPIA are invaluable in helping me write a more substantial thesis and better analyze questions at the intersection of law, policy and economics.”

At Syracuse, Knight serves as a task force coordinator for the Skills Win! Coaching Program in the Syracuse City School District, teaching students critical skills like budgeting, typing and public speaking. “Thanks to PPIA, I now have the skills to understand better the impact of New York State education laws, enabling me to analyze the data we collect and recommend meaningful program improvements.”

“The PPIA experience was incredibly eye-opening and rewarding. I’m grateful for the connections I made with the guest speakers and other participants and for everything I learned during the program,” Knight says. “I highly encourage anyone who gets the chance to apply—it was easily one of the most memorable and impactful parts of my college experience.”

During this prestigious fellowship, Kim will work on her new book “Dignity Archives: Accompanying the Dead and Posthumous Care.”

Eunjun Kim

Kim is among 31 fellows from 492 applicants. In addition to working on her research project, she will have the opportunity to share ideas in seminars, lectures and conferences at the HNC, headquartered at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.

Kim’s book project asks what kind of political work the dying and the dead are doing and what kind of connections and disconnections are happening around them.

“The collection of cases includes disabled people who were killed in an institution in Japan; factory workers who became disabled and terminally ill from toxic exposure; and people who died from neglect in an AIDS care facility in South Korea,” explains Kim. “By exploring the ways in which mourning and the demand for justice are intertwined in cultural and political discourses, my book aims to encourage others to rethink the primacy of autonomy, ability and health in the understanding of dignity.”

“The National Humanities Center is the world’s only independent institute dedicated exclusively to advanced study in all areas of the humanities,” says , professor and associate dean for research in the School of Education. “NHC is a highly prestigious fellowship and former fellows have gone on win a number of distinguished awards, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.”

Additionally, SOE is represented at NHC by , professor of disability studies and a NHC Resident Fellow, who is researching for , “Fermenting Stories: Exploring Ancestry, Embodiment and Place.”

The NHC is the world’s only independent institute dedicated exclusively to advanced study in all areas of the humanities. Through its fellowships, the center promotes understanding of the humanities and advocates for their foundational role in a democratic society.

Karen Doherty

, professor of (CSD) in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), has been named A&S’ associate dean for faculty affairs. In this cabinet-level role, Doherty will work closely with department chairs and academic units to develop strategic faculty hiring and retention plans; assist in onboarding new faculty; develop support networks for faculty; and liaise with the Office of Faculty Affairs. She will also support the efforts of the senior associate dean, other members of the cabinet and faculty in the areas of promotion and tenure; managing regular review and leave processes; and assessing college governance and policy documentation, committees, and processes, including serving as a representative of the college at a variety of meetings of councils and committees across campus.

A&S Dean  says that Doherty is the right person for this role. In addition to her being a faculty member at Syracuse for almost 30 years, she has served as the department chair of CSD and been a successful scholar and teacher, having received external funding for her research and the University’s Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award.

“I’m so pleased to welcome Professor Doherty to this new role at A&S,” says Mortazavi. “In addition to her experience with faculty mentoring and support as a department chair, she has also served on the College Promotion and Tenure Committee—experience that will serve us well as we seek to help our faculty develop their strengths in research and teaching to meet the demands of the academy in the 21st century.”

“I am honored to join Dean Mortazavi’s cabinet and work with the outstanding faculty in the college to promote academic excellence, all of whom play a vital role in the mission of Syracuse University,” says Doherty. “I look forward to collaborating with the A&S department chairs and all faculty to foster a supportive environment where everyone can succeed as a scholar and teacher.”

While carrying out the duties of this part-time cabinet position, Doherty will continue to conduct research and teach courses for the communication sciences and disorders department.

Doherty joined the CSD department in 1996. She has taught courses on hearing aids, hearing science and clinical audiology, and has been an integral member of the neuroscience program and Aging Studies Institute. The focus of Doherty’s research is twofold: studying the effects of age-related hearing loss on people’s ability to communicate and developing methods to improve older adults’ use of hearing aids. Doherty’s research has been funded by NIH/NIA, NIH/NIDCD, National Organization for Hearing Research and multiple foundations.

She was the chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders from 2014 to 2021, president of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology in 2021 and currently is a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. In May 2024, Doherty was named the University of Connecticut’s Department of Speech Language and Hearing Science’s Distinguished Alumnus.

Doherty holds a Ph.D. in audiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.A. in audiology from the University of Connecticut and B.S. in communicative disorders from the University of Rhode Island.

Her four-year appointment as associate dean began September 1, 2024.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a private, nonprofit grantmaking organization, started its to begin to answer some of them. The program’s stated goal is “To sharpen our scientific understanding of the physical principles and mechanisms that distinguish living systems from inanimate matter, and to explore the conditions under which physical principles and mechanisms guide the complexification of matter towards life.”

To that end, the program awarded (left) and (right), professors in the in the and members of the BioInspired Institute, a three-year grant to explore what they’ve described as a fundamental unanswered question about the functionality of cells and the energy and entropy landscape of cell interiors.

Jennifer Ross (left) and Jennifer Schwarz, professors in the Department of Physics, received a three-year grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Matter to Life program.

“There is a lack of quantitative understanding of the principles governing the non-equilibrium control knobs inside the cell,” Ross and Schwarz explained in their proposal. “Without this knowledge, we will never understand how cells work, or how we can replicate them in synthetic materials systems.”

They’ve chosen to focus their work on one very particular aspect of the biology of cells, the concentrations of protein molecules within them known as protein condensates, and specifically their liquid-liquid phase separation, which they describe as the “killer app” for the sculpting of energy and entropy in the cell.

“Liquid-liquid phase separation is when two liquids separate, like oil and water,” Ross says. “The proteins separate out [into droplets] and make what we think of as membrane-less organelles. We’re interested in how both energy-using systems and entropy-controlling systems can help to shape those organelles.”

They’re hoping to gain an understanding of how cells self-organize without a “manager”—in this case, a membrane to act as a physical containment system—as well as how they react and adapt to their environment.

“This droplet formation is so sensitive to temperature and its surroundings,” says Schwarz. “The cell knows, ‘A ha!’ The temperature is increasing, so the environment is slightly different. So…I’m going to adapt.”

Ross is serving as principal investigator, and with graduate student assistance, will be performing reconstitution experiments to explore these processes, while co-principal investigator Schwarz and her team will be delving into the theoretical side of the science using predictive simulations. The three-year grant will also fund a paid undergraduate and two local high school students through summer programs.

The hope is that a better understanding of cell behavior at this level could ultimately lead to breakthroughs in the development of smart synthetic materials. “Imagine a road-paving material that could identify when a pothole develops and heal itself,” Ross says.

It’s just one example of countless possibilities for learning from biological systems.

Story by Laura Wallis

Researchers increasingly analyze gigantic volumes of digital information to understand how and why individuals and groups of people conduct their lives the way they do, both during ordinary days and under extreme stress such as disease outbreaks or social unrest. A program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) develops and employs methods that could help unearth fundamental principles of human behavior. Now one of Syracuse’s own is providing critical guidance for this federally supported research.

Psychology Professor Amy Criss will serve a year-long appointment as a program director for the NSF’s Human Networks and Data Science Program.

, professor of psychology, recently began a year-long appointment to the NSF as a program director for the (HNDS). She will oversee the merit review process for $8 million in annual federal funding and help to guide the direction of basic research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences across the United States and partner nations.

“The NSF funds research on big theoretical questions, thinking about what’s next for the future of science,” Criss says.

The goal of HNDS is to help future investigators identify human phenomena that have been previously hidden from view, using new hardware, software and investigative approaches to analyze “big data” or vast volumes of digital information from the internet and other resources.

There are two types of HNDS projects. HNDS-I research proposals seek to develop and improve scientific infrastructure and other tools for future big-data studies.

“These proposals aim to maximize all the data available for a research question,” says Criss. “The researcher community may need new hardware, new software or new ways of approaching large, dynamic, complex datasets. These proposals develop and improve supporting data networks and infrastructure that researchers can use in the future to understand human behavior. These innovations could allow scientists to ask questions they could not have asked because they didn’t have the tools to address them.”

HNDS-R proposals are the second type. They aim to answer important theoretical questions with large or highly complex datasets, diverse scales of measurement across time and space and multi-scale, multi-level network data and techniques of network analysis. These projects would make innovative use of NSF-supported data networks, databases, centers and other forms of scientific infrastructure.

“Researchers on these projects seek to understand data that are highly dynamic in time or reflect interconnected systems,” Criss says.

Both types of basic research support conditions for future scientists to generate novel ideas about people and their societies.

According to Criss, the goal is to understand different types of human behavior. “We look under the hood to learn how a person or groups of people operate,” she says. “With that understanding, we could develop better tools to solve practical problems.”

This story was written by John H. Tibbets

Britt Tevis

To help scholars delve deeper into a greater understanding of antisemitism, from its history to its implications for the U.S. today, the (A&S) and announced the appointment of as an assistant professor in the in the Maxwell School and as the Phyllis Backer Professor of Jewish Studies in the in A&S. The Backer professorship was established in A&S in 2020 through a $1.5 million gift from the Phyllis Backer Foundation, which supports education and medical research organizations with an emphasis on Jewish-related causes.

Bringing vast knowledge as a modern Jewish historian with a focus on American Jewish history and antisemitism in the U.S.,��Tevis has had various academic appointments in her career, most recently as the Rene Plessner Postdoctoral Fellow in Antisemitism and Holocaust Studies at the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia University. She has a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Jewish studies and political science from the University of Florida.

“Our program is absolutely delighted to have Dr. Tevis’s appointment as the Backer Chair of Jewish Studies,” says , who served as director of the Jewish studies program when she was hired. “She brings invaluable expertise in the history of law and civil rights as reflected in the American Jewish experience, and she will contribute new and rich dimensions to the program.”

Tevis is eager to introduce modern Jewish history to students through coursework that will include such topics as the history of antisemitism in the U.S., Jews and American popular culture, Jews’ efforts to secure legal rights, the challenges of integrating into non-Jewish citizenries, changes to religious practices and traditions, and the array of Jewish American culture.

According to Tevis, studying American Jewish history and antisemitism as part of larger U.S. history sheds light on critical aspects, as the gap between the American ideal of equality, per the Declaration of Independence, and the country’s persistent denial of political and civil rights for certain segments of the population remain a fundamental tension in U.S. history. The interaction between degrees of discrimination and prosperity continues to describe the American Jewish experience from when Jews first arrived in North America in the 17th century through the present.

“Many people struggle to define the boundaries of antisemitism,” Tevis says. “Like most topics, understanding antisemitism requires studying the past so as to be able to understand its origin, particular characteristics and varied dimensions.”

Tevis intends to add to the intellectual vibrancy of the history department and the Jewish studies program through her teaching, research and publications. She is awaiting her forthcoming anthology, “Sanctioned Bigotry: A Documented History of Antisemitism in the United States,” in 2025. And, she is currently completing a book about Jewish emancipation lawyers who worked to secure rights for American Jews in areas like immigration, labor and civil rights but were overlooked by historians who painted them as political radicals. Tevis also has a long list of research interests examining Jews and U.S. law as she begins this next chapter of her career.

“To my mind it is impossible to overstate the importance of historical knowledge. History teaches us why our world functions as it does, illuminating how people made given choices and shaped later developments,” she says. “I am overjoyed to join the incredible faculty here as the Backer Professor of Jewish Studies and embrace the opportunity to uncover underdeveloped and undertheorized dimensions of American Jewish history.”

Students (from left) Janese Fayson ’26, Astrid Melendez ’25 and Adalys Sanchez ’26 share what their Latine heritage means to them, how they’ve discovered a cultural home on campus and why they wanted to get involved in planning Latine Heritage Month celebrations on campus.

What does it mean to be a descendant of Latine/x/o/a and Hispanic heritage and trace your cultural roots to one of the more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, Central America, South America or the Caribbean?

It’s impossible to come up with a singular defining trait, characteristic or value that represents Latine culture, but beginning this week and running through Oct. 26, the University community is coming together to learn more about the rich cultural history of various identities within the Latine community during Latine Heritage Month (LHM).

Three current students—Astrid Melendez ’25, Adalys Sanchez ’26 and Janese Fayson ’26—share what their Latine heritage means to them, how they’ve discovered a cultural home on campus and why they wanted to get involved in planning LHM celebrations.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Fronteras Sin Limites: Embracing our Borderless Cultures,” exploring the experiences of Latine communities who live along and across borders, both physical and cultural, and highlighting the resilience and adaptability of the Latine community who navigate multiple identities and spaces.

Learn the stories of how these three student leaders celebrate their cultures, then check out the complete schedule of��.

Astrid Melendez ’25

Academic major: Information management and technology ()

What is your cultural heritage? “My entire family is from Lima, Peru.”

Astrid Melendez

What role does your cultural heritage play in your life?��“It plays a very important role. Growing up in Germany and moving to the United States when I was in elementary school, I knew that my cultural background made me different. My parents left Peru when they were in their 30s, and growing up, my parents were still learning English. Spanish was my first language and no matter where I lived, our Peruvian culture was always prevalent in my day-to-day life. Especially when it came to language, food and our customs. When I am at Syracuse, I like to cook Peruvian meals and treats like Lomo Saltado and Alfajores. Back home, my family and I often go to Peruvian cultural events and restaurants.”

How have you found a cultural home on campus? “Joining SALSA [the South American and Latine Student Association] is the place I have been able to find a cultural home at Syracuse. Before SALSA, I had never met any other Peruvian my age that wasn’t related to me. It made me happy to not only get to meet other Peruvian college students, but also other students with South American heritage. SALSA and its members have turned into a family for me here.”

How has SALSA helped? “SALSA’s mission is to have a student organization focused on South American culture and we thrive creating events while educating and building a community for students belonging to or interested in South American cultures. I’m currently president, and this club is special and exciting! I’ve learned more about other South American countries and cultures and it’s been amazing working with the proud and passionate executive board members.”

Adalys Sanchez ’26

Academic major: Earth science with a minor in women and gender studies ()

What is your cultural heritage? “I am a first-generation college student who was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and I also have family roots in the Dominican Republic.”

Adalys Sanchez

What role does your cultural heritage play in your life?��“My Puerto Rican heritage shapes my perspective on resilience and community, influencing my drive to succeed as a first-generation student. It deeply influences my passion for environmental justice, as I’ve witnessed firsthand the effects of environmental inequality on marginalized communities. Part of why I wish to study environmental law is because I want to go back home and create sustainable policies that allow everyone to live in a safe and clean environment. My heritage is also important because it means that if I succeed in my career goals, I will be bringing a new and diverse perspective to the legal field.

“Whenever I’m home, I try to visit the different parts of the island to learn about our rich history. I also participate in local festivals such as Fiestas Patronales, where the streets come alive with music, dancing and traditional foods. And during the holidays, our culture really comes alive. At Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), we gather for large feasts of traditional food, including some of my favorite food like arroz con gandules (rice with peas), lechon (pork) and coquito (a coconut-flavored drink similar to eggnog). We also tell stories and do parrandas (similar to caroling).”

How have you found a cultural home on campus? “Through the student organizations I belong to, like the Puerto Rican Student Association, which allows me to connect with other people who celebrate Puerto Rican culture, discussing current events on the island and getting to organize events where we participate in our traditions. It really makes me feel like I have a little piece of home here with me at Syracuse. I’m also a member of the Raíces Dance Troupe since I’ve always loved dancing and I can enjoy my culture through music and movement.”

Why did you want to get involved in organizing the LHM celebrations? “Latinx culture is deeply rooted in community, joy and resilience, which are often expressed through vibrant celebrations, music and gatherings. My main role was organizing the (Oct. 10), where students can have fun roller-skating while enjoying one of the most prominent music genres in current Latinx culture. I want everyone, especially first-year students, to embrace their roots and do so in ways that educate the community while having fun and empowering ourselves. I want to show how important claiming your heritage can be to finding your place on campus and in society.”

Janese Fayson ’26

Academic majors: Marketing and finance ()

What is your cultural heritage? “I am a first-generation college student from Miami, Florida. I am Black and Puerto Rican.”

Janese Fayson

What role does your cultural heritage play in your life?��“My heritage influences so many things, from my style to my way of expressing myself, it is so inherently engrained in me. Good music, great food and amazing company is my go-to way to celebrate. I love my heritage.”

How have you found a cultural home on campus? “I belong to so many different organizations [including the Caribbean Student Association, the Black Student Union, Student Living and Student Association], not only because I enjoy being involved, but because I love being able to meet new people, some of whom share similar identities with me, and others who do not. I feel so immersed in culture when I am with them.”

How has the Caribbean Student Association helped? “I joined my freshmen year at the Welcome Fête and have been involved ever since, now holding the title of president. Our mission is to uplift, inspire and bring Caribbean people and the Syracuse community together. It has helped me find some of my favorite people and I learn something from them every day, whether about their culture, heritage or as individuals. Being president of such a vast organization is so fulling for so many different reasons and I have learned more about myself through it all.”

Shikha Nangia

is professor and interim chair of biomedical and chemical engineering in the (ECS). is a distinguished professor of physics in the (A&S). They succeed outgoing co-directors and .

Nangia joined the University in 2012 as a tenure-track professor. Her work involves the creation of computational models to examine the body’s blood-brain barrier at the molecular level. Those findings help develop drugs that can penetrate the barrier to advance medicinal treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Marina Artuso

Artuso is an experimental physicist who works in experimental particle physics. Her research focuses on interesting properties of beauty and charm quarks and on the novel instrumentation needed to study their decay properties. She came to the University as a research assistant professor of physics in 1993, was appointed a professor of physics in 2005 and recently was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

WiSE faculty co-directors serve as advocates, engaging with university leadership, the campus community and external audiences. They also develop strategic vision for the organization, offer budget input, and actively participate in programming. WiSE was created by and is led by faculty. Its goals are to increase the representation and retention of women faculty members in STEM fields, to highlight women scholars and to develop advising and mentoring programs.

WiSE serves members across 18 departments in six colleges and schools: A&S, ECS, , , and the .��It presents social, academic and professional development programming for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty in tenure, tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions.

One of the programs WiSE hosts is the career-focused Future Professionals Program (top).

Faculty present workshops, act as mentors, offer portfolio reviews and serve in many capacities to support learning and teaching, says WiSE director Sharon Alestalo.

“Their active involvement helps direct how we can support faculty success. We do that through programming for them and by providing activities and events that support the students and scholars they work with,” Alestalo says.

WiSE also supports the recruitment of women faculty in STEM. When the program was founded, there were 18 women faculty members teaching in 10 A&S and ECS departments. Today, there are 174 tenure, tenure-track and non-tenure women faculty members working in 18 areas, Alestalo says. STEM women faculty in WiSE have also attracted more than $104 million in research funding during the last five years, she says.

WiSE also supports programming for Women of Color in STEM.

The organization is open to all. Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty women and their allies of any gender, race, ability and identity who work, study or are interested in the STEM fields are welcome.

Managed by the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), the Bernard D. and Louise C. Rostker IVMF Dissertation Research Fund recently provided more than $40,000 to four students who are at varying stages of their dissertation pursuits. The Rostker IVMF Dissertation Research Fund operates annually for a span of five years. This marks the second cycle of funding dedicated to supporting Ph.D. candidates conducting dissertation research on topics related to and in support of veterans and military families.

The Rostkers have spent years of dedicated effort supporting military families. Bernard himself is a U.S. Army veteran, and Louise has a devoted history of supporting education for military children and expanding employment opportunities for military spouses. The pair met while pursuing their own advanced degrees at Syracuse University, and make the funding available to support those students who may face insurmountable barriers in their pursuit to obtain higher education just as they did in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“We both are so pleased with the program Syracuse University has established in our name,” says Bernard Rostker. “We know how demanding individual research can be, and we hoped that the support we could provide at a critical moment would have a positive impact. We look forward to the continued success of the program and the students it has helped.”

The four 2024 recipients are:

Mariah Brennan – Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Mariah Brennan

Brennan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a research associate with the IVMF. Her dissertation, “Post-9/11 Veterans: Gender Differences in Health, Stressors and Social Support During Reintegration,” examines health outcomes, reintegration stressors and social capital among veterans who recently separated from the military. Her work with the IVMF explores social determinants of health for veterans and veteran transition experiences. Prior to working at the IVMF, Brennan worked at the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health as a Lerner Fellow.

With support from the Rostker award, Brennan successfully defended her dissertation proposal this semester. “Being a Rostker Fellow has given me the opportunity to focus on my research in ways that would not be possible without this funding,” she says. “This fellowship has provided me with extra support and resources that have allowed me to participate in advanced methodological courses necessary for my research. This is a fantastic opportunity for any student who wants to do military or veteran research. I am incredibly grateful for the Rostkers’ support of my research on women veteran health after transitioning out of service.”

Rachel Linsner—David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Rachel Linsner

Linsner G’15, G’24 received her Ph.D. from the Department of Human Development and Family Science in Falk College. Linsner is a research associate at the IVMF, where she supports research on military families, military spouse employment, veteran transition and family policy. This semester, Linsner successfully defended her dissertation, “Maternal Employment Fit for Military Spouses: Implications for Attitudes Toward the Military, Individual Well-Being and Family Functioning.” Through the support of the Rostker fund, Linsner was able to conduct secondary data analysis with a convenience sample of 495 female active-duty spouses with children. This study explored differences in individual, family and military related outcomes based on employment fit or the actual and desired employment status, and the correspondence between them.

Linsner’s results revealed that lack of employment fit conferred significant risk across various outcomes for military spouses. Military spouses lacking employment fit were more stressed and socially isolated, and scored lower on measures of well-being, sense of belonging to their local civilian community and economic security than respondents who had employment fit. “I am so thankful to the Rostkers. My progress in my dissertation and degree is a direct result of their generosity. This award has provided valuable support for me and my family,” says Linsner.

Paul Sagoe – College of Engineering and Computer Science

Paul Sagoe

Sagoe is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering. His research aims to develop a drug delivery system for treating post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) a painful joint condition common among veterans and military personnel.

Originally from Ghana, Sagoe came to Syracuse University after earning first class honors in biomedical engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. He also served as a clinical engineer at a teaching hospital in Ghana, an experience that invigorated his passion for medical science and informed his decision to pursue research studies in a field dedicated to impacting human health, improving patient’s well-being and alleviating pain. “As a Rostker Fellow, I am thrilled by the honor of being supported financially to pursue my research goals to the fullest capacity,” says Sagoe.

Sagoe’s dissertation, “Synovial Macrophage Targeting Immunomodulatory Therapies for Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis,” aims to design a disease-modifying intervention for PTOA by selectively targeting and eliminating inflammation-promoting synovial macrophages. The strategy aligns with mounting evidence highlighting the crucial involvement of synovial inflammation in PTOA progression, a problem that impacts more than 30 million Americans suffering from osteoarthritis following a joint injury.

Kyle White–College of Arts and Sciences

Kyle White

White, a graduate student in psychology, is a graduate research assistant at the Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he has become increasingly interested in military and veteran populations. His dissertation, “Pain Intensity and Alcohol Use Behavior Among Veterans with Chronic Pain: The Moderating Role of Chronic Pain Acceptance,” aims to examine chronic pain acceptance as a construct linking pain and alcohol use in veterans.

“This fellowship will be instrumental in advancing my research goal of identifying psychological mechanisms underlying pain and addiction among veterans,” says White, whose research builds off previous studies that found chronic pain acceptance to be negatively associated with opioid use severity. “A greater understanding of the interplay between chronic pain and hazardous alcohol use has the potential to inform the development of tailored treatments for the many veterans suffering from these conditions.”

Brennan, Linsner, Sagoe and White join a cohort of other Rostker Fellows, who, collectively, have received over $90,000 in funding to conduct military-connected research. Applications are currently open for the next round of funding from the Bernard D. and Louise C. Rostker IVMF Dissertation Research Fund and will close on Sept. 30, 2024. For those interested in pursuing dissertation research on military-connected topics at Syracuse University, please visit the .

Those interested in supporting research on the military-connected community are encouraged to consider donating to the campaign.

The 2024 cohort of Syracuse-area high school students who took part in the Syracuse University Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program.

Thanks to a new National Science Foundation grant, Syracuse University’s physics department doubles the number of Syracuse-area high school participants in their paid summer internship program.

STEM jobs are quickly becoming the backbone of America. By 2031, STEM occupations are��, while non-STEM occupations will grow at about half that rate at 4.9%. Therefore, it’s essential for today’s students to gain a solid foundation in math, science and engineering subjects. Syracuse is about to see its own boom in STEM jobs, as the arrival of the Micron chip manufacturing facility will include 9,000 high-paying positions at the Central New York campus.

Federal funding organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) have acknowledged this workforce shift and are seeding and supporting initiatives aimed at growing a diverse STEM workforce. Since 2022, the Department of Physics has hosted one such program, bringing in Syracuse-area high school students to participate in a paid research internship. In support of that program, the NSF recently pledged nearly $1 million to Syracuse University through their Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) campaign, which will fund the physics internship over three years.

Ruell Branch

Originally known as Syracuse University Research in Physics (SURPh) during its first two summers in 2022 and 2023, the program seeks to create STEM career pathways for historically excluded groups by involving them in authentic research experiences and providing mentoring and peer networks. SURPh was the brainchild of former physics student Ruell Branch ’24, who pitched the idea to his professors as a way to strengthen the University’s connection with the local community and inspire local students to pursue STEM.

“I wanted Syracuse high school students who have interests in physics to see what it’s like to work as a paid scientist,” says Branch, who graduated from the Syracuse City School District. “I think it’s extremely important for students to get experience conducting research in an actual science lab.”

Expanding the Program

With the help of physics professor��, Henninger High School science teacher Melanie Pelcher, and fellow Syracuse alum and Henninger High School graduate Devon Lamanna ’23, G’24, SURPh was born. Now, thanks to the NSF funding awarded to Ross and fellow physics professor and department chair , the summer program will be funded through the summer of 2026.

“The new NSF support is a game-changer,” says Soderberg. “It signifies to the students who participate that not only those of us in the SU physics department and Syracuse city schools, but also policymakers in the federal government, see value in helping them get excited about STEM disciplines and see the potential for them as future professionals who will someday help drive innovation and discovery.”

The three-year grant, totaling nearly $1 million, allowed the program to grow from 12 students in 2023 to 24 in 2024 and brought in additional faculty mentors. SURPh was made possible in past years thanks to funding from the John Ben Snow Foundation and internal support from the Engaged Humanities Network and the physics department.

“This program could not have achieved NSF funding without these other sources to prop us up,” says Ross.

Now called the Syracuse University Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program (SUPER-Tech SHIP), the program just wrapped its summer session with a closing ceremony and poster session.��Through SUPER-Tech SHIP, students were exposed to skills and concepts related to computational physics, biophysics and particle physics during the six-week program.

Read the full story on the��.

Eduardo Kac

, an internationally recognized contemporary artist and poet, will speak on��, at 4:30 p.m. in the Life Sciences Complex atrium. His talk, “Rockets for the Sake of Poetry,” will feature highlights of his 40-year artistic career, his development of bio art and insights about his space artworks. This year’s lecture is hosted by the and its research focus group.

‘Bio Art’ Developer

Kac uses biotechnology and genetics to create and explore scientific techniques. In the early 1980s he created digital, holographic and online works that anticipated today’s global culture of information that is constantly in flux. In 1997, he coined the term “bio art,” which launched a new art form.

“GFP Bunny,” a rabbit bred to glow a fluorescent color under special lights

Among his famous works are the transgenic rabbit , for which he used and a jellyfish protein to create a live rabbit that glows a fluorescent green color under blue light.��In “,” he combined his own��DNA with that of a petunia flower to form a new “plantimal.”

“Natural History of the Enigma,” transgenic flower with artist’s own DNA expressed in the red veins

His pieces have been shown around the world and, in one��instance, out of this world: his , “,” was . Kac’s “” was also realized in outer space with assistance from French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

His career also spans poetry, performance, drawing, printmaking, photography, artist’s books, early digital and online works, holography, telepresence and space art. He is a professor of art and technology at the and a Ph.D. research fellow at the Centre for Advanced Inquiry in Interactive Arts at the University of Wales in Newport, Wales.

BioInspired Focus

As an institute for material and living systems, BioInspired hosts researchers who examine topics in complex biological systems and develop and design programmable smart materials to address global challenges in health, medicine and materials innovation. They include faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars from life sciences, engineering, physics and chemistry who work in three focus areas: �� ���Ի���

Last year, the institute added a fourth focus area, Posthumanities: Arts and Sciences, to push the boundaries of traditional scientific inquiry through activities and collaborations between the arts and humanities and the science-based disciplines.

The Posthumanities’ focus area coleaders, Boryana Rossa, of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and G. Douglas Barrett, of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, spearheaded the proposal to invite Kac as the 2024 Wali Lecture keynote. They worked with BioInspired leaders Jay Henderson, institute director; Heidi Hehnly-Chang, associate director, and Jeremy Steinbacher, operations director.

The Wali Lecture represents a partnership of the Department of and the Syracuse University . It is part of the 2024-25 Syracuse Symposium “.”

Kameshwar C. Wali

The lecture was established in 2008 by his daughters to commemorate Wali’s vision and leadership to recognize their parents’ dedication and contributions to the University and the greater community. Wali was the Steele Professor of Physics Emeritus in the College of Arts and Sciences and internationally recognized as a theorist for research on the symmetry properties of fundamental particles and their interactions, as well as for his work as an author. He joined the University in 1969. He previously was at Harvard and Northwestern Universities, the University of Chicago, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in France and the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Italy. As a fellow of the American Physical Society, whose India Chapter named him Scientist of the Year in 2022, he received Syracuse’s Chancellor’s Citation for exceptional academic achievement and was one of the founding members of the .

Sinead Feeney O’Connor performing in her class’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

When enrolling in an English class about Shakespeare, you might imagine that the course will involve reading, writing and discussing the famous playwright and his plays. In professor of English�� class, ENG 411: Doing Shakespeare, which was offered in Spring 2024, this was just the beginning. Shirilan wanted students to explore for themselves how theatrical practice and production generate different modes of inquiry than text study alone. By engaging in hands-on and active learning, the experience aimed to enhance students’ problem-solving abilities, boost their confidence and encourage their creativity—soft skills which are crucial for success after graduation.

“The idea of the course, simply, is that students learn Shakespeare by ‘doing Shakespeare,’” says Shirilan. “I issued an invitation to make of this course what they willed, and what they willed was a full production of a play chosen, as we strove to do with every decision, collectively.”

Learning by Doing

Shirilan’s inspiration for this course draws from the educational technique of “learning by doing,” a teaching methodology where students retain information through active learning and hands-on experience. In “Doing Shakespeare,” students were presented with a full range of options for the scale and scope of production to pursue.

“They chose to mount a full show, or aim towards it, understanding that we would be working collaboratively and distributing the labors across as many hands as were able and willing,” says Shirilan. “Everyone was involved in multiple areas of production. Everyone acted, most students took responsibility for a production element, including props, costume and sound design.”

Together the students conceived of, organized and performed a full theatrical production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The crew, many of whom had little to no prior theater experience, included Tate Abrahmason, Maurissa DEmello, Sinead Feeney O’Connor, Anderson Fuentes, Valerie Goldstein, Eva Greene, Victoria Lafarge, Jenny Lee, Ailis McVearry, Blair Seaman, Alexandra Steward and Cricket Withall.

Before moving into production, students spent the first half of the semester largely devoted to text study, table work, vision work and research. During the second half of the semester, the team went into production mode, blocking, rehearsing and producing the play. The semester concluded with a full theatrical performance at Syracuse Stage.

Professor Stephanie Shirilan reviewing the script during a rehearsal.

Wearing Many Hats

“Doing Shakespeare” offered students a unique opportunity to have a hand in every aspect of the performance, from design to direction.

Valerie Goldstein ’24, who majored in policy studies in the College of Arts and Sciences | Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and minored in applied data analytics in the School of Information Studies, went into the experience thinking it would mostly involve acting, but was delighted to discover the wide range of skills she would ultimately utilize.

“I played Bottom and Oberon and was an assistant director, producer, projections designer and did other odd jobs like creating the daily rehearsal schedule, carpool system and tech to-do lists,” says Goldstein. “There were so many lessons in problem-solving and actually following through and creating something that I never would have learned in a traditional classroom.”

After graduation, Goldstein accepted a position with��. As she embarks on a career in teaching and education policy, she says taking part in a course involving performance-based learning—where students apply their knowledge and skills to execute a task—will inform her own instructional techniques.

Valerie Goldstein (right) playing the role of Bottom during the class’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“I think there are better ways to engage students than having them study something abstractly all the time,” says Goldstein. “This class gave me an opportunity to explore a new pedagogy that I may be able to implement in my own profession.”

Blair Seaman ’24, who majored in broadcast and digital journalism in the Newhouse School of Public Communications, was an assistant director and played Titania and Hippolyta in the production. Rounding out her time at Syracuse with an acting role in a Shakespeare play marked a full circle moment for her as she had previously participated in a children’s Shakespeare troupe in her hometown.

“The theater had a huge impact on me deciding to come to Syracuse to study journalism, as I wanted to fuse my love for storytelling with a passion for helping others,” says Seaman. “As much as I loved my degree, I had truly missed performing, and so, I eagerly jumped at the chance to take a class called ‘Doing Shakespeare.’”

She notes that the class was the perfect way to end her four years at Syracuse, and on a more personal level, provided an opportunity to memorialize her mother, who passed away when Seaman was a sophomore at Syracuse.

“[My mother] always sat front row in every production I had previously been a part of, and in a way, it felt like a gift to her to perform in one last show,” Seaman says. “As I said goodbye to my college experience, I was able to return to a passion of mine that was built up through her love.”

Honoring a Classmate

While the performance marked a time to celebrate the culmination of the team’s hard work, it also presented a moment to honor a classmate who gave so much to the production but was unable to participate in the finale due to health reasons. Ailis McVearry ’24 assumed various duties during the semester, from working as an assistant director to head of costuming to starring as Oberon and Theseus.

In support of their classmate, students collected contributions and donated proceeds from the final performance to defray transportation and other costs related to her care.

“Our final production honored her and the beautiful work she poured into this class both on and off the stage,” says Shirilan. “We hope that the money we raised can be used to provide comfort to her during this difficult time, assisting with medical bills and other essentials.”

A Performance for the Ages

According to Shirilan, the culminating performance marked a milestone for the English department and the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), as it was likely the first full theatrical performance put on by an A&S class at Syracuse Stage. A testament to their hard work, shows were nearly sold out before opening night.

“The final performance was truly a triumph,” recalls Shirilan. “I was consistently amazed by the insights and discoveries made through this process, a success that reflects the astonishing commitment, capability and courage of this team.”

With the high level of interest shown by students for this class, Shirilan is exploring possibilities for expanding the course as a 6-credit offering to facilitate running it as another full production experience. She is scheduled to teach it in Spring 2025 as a 3-credit course, for which students will collectively decide the scope and scale of production.

Watch the class’s performance of “.”

In today’s interconnected world, cultural competency, critical thinking and innovative problem solving are important proficiencies that are highly sought after by employers. The Institute for the Future predicts that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 have not yet been invented, highlighting the need for adaptable graduates. The humanities play a vital role in cultivating skills such as agility, resilience and flexibility by broadening students’ worldviews and exposing them to diverse cultures, perspectives and experiences.

For the last 21 years, the Syracuse Symposium has done just that through a public series of art exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, workshops and musical performances which encourage people to think critically about important questions and reflect on their values and beliefs.

“Syracuse Symposium’s free, inclusive programming is so important to creating a sense of purpose and contribution larger than our individual selves,” says , professor of women’s and gender studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of both the Humanities Center and Central New York Humanities Corridor. “Symposium’s diverse lineup of immersive experiences in the arts and humanities helps to humanize large-scale problems and to imagine how we can make a difference, together.”

Each year’s symposium programming centers around a theme, with this year’s being “community,” as chosen by the . May notes that the range of events will engage attendees in conversations about social justice and well-being, while also demonstrating how community is vital to achieving more just and equitable futures. For example, a lecture and workshop with prison studies scholar Brandon Erby will highlight how incarcerated individuals are developing communities to foster a sense of belonging and emotional support as they work to prepare for life after release. Another art exhibition and film screening will highlight how the women artists in the Mithila region of northeast India are using art to challenge longstanding gender-based violence and patriarchal structures to foster empowerment and social reform.

“This fall’s lineup invites us to immerse in a rich array of cultural forms to consider how community can be imagined and built but also undermined,” says May. “Our fall offerings underscore the humanities’ central role in how we craft identity and forge community, including in contexts of constraint; in how to confront myriad forms of violence rupturing our communities; and in how we imagine community differently and tap into its possibilities in more just ways.”

Fall Symposium Events at a Glance

Friday, Sept. 6

Gordon Parks

– During his career as a photojournalist from the 1940s to the 1970s, Gordon Parks illuminated issues of race relations, poverty, civil rights and urban life in America. An exhibition of his works, which he donated to Kansas State University, will be on display at the SU Art Museum’s Joe and Emily Lowe Galleries through Dec. 8. At the Sept. 6 event, , associate curator at Kansas State University’s Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, will discuss the legendary photographer and his wide-ranging artistic ideas.

– , professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara and prominent architect and architectural historian, will introduce participants to new methodologies in researching architectural and urban space through colonial and post-colonial lenses. The workshop will feature selected archival materials in the Special Collections Research Center and will also include a walking tour of the Erie Canal in downtown Syracuse.

Thursday, Sept. 12

Swati Chattopadhyay

– Chattopadhyay, whose research specializations include modern architecture and urbanism, and the cultural landscape of the British empire, will present a public lecture exploring how analyzing architecture, urban design and monuments can help people understand sovereignty and its relation to colonialism.

Friday, Sept. 20

– will commemorate Latine Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) with the opening of its new exhibition, “Weird Barrio,” featuring the work of Syracuse-based Puerto Rican artist Manuel Matías. The installation will feature a collection of miniature three-dimensional dioramas that depict the Latino experience of Syracuse and Central New York.

Friday, Oct. 18

– An art exhibition at the SU Art Museum and film screening of will emphasize how women in the Mithila region near the India-Nepali border are shifting gender and other social norms through storytelling and art. The film screening will include a question-and-answer session with producer Coralynn Davis.

Sunday, Oct. 20

– Composer Kurt Erickson and award-winning poet and veteran Brian Turner will discuss the creative process behind their collaborative works, which blend Erickson’s compositions with Turner’s poetry. As part of Remembrance Week, the artists’ talk follows a of “Each Moment Radiant,” which commemorates the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The concert will also include a rendition of “Here Bullet,” featuring a poem by Turner reflecting on his experiences as an American soldier in Iraq, and chamber music of Johannes Brahms.

Alba

Thursday, Oct. 24

– This year’s Kashi and Kameshwar C. Wali Lecture in the Sciences and Humanities will feature “bio-artist” Eduardo Kac, who gained prominence at the beginning of the 21st century with his transgenic work GFP Bunny (pictured). Kac used molecular biology and a gene found in jellyfish to create Alba, a bunny which turned fluorescent green when exposed to blue light. Kac will revisit key highlights in his career, with emphasis on his current space artworks.

Brandon Erby

Thursday, Nov. 7
– , assistant professor of writing, rhetoric and digital studies at the University of Kentucky, will discuss how incarcerated individuals build communities inside jails and the vital role they play in their emotional well-being, rehabilitation and reintegration.

The faculty are and of (ECS); and of the ��(A&S); and of the .

, vice president for research and Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics, says the awards demonstrate the exceptional promise of junior faculty in both research and education. “It is exciting to see such a diverse range of research projects recognized by the federal government and philanthropic foundations,” Brown says. “The awards provide funding that will help our researchers find ways to reduce inequality, develop new forms of energy, build better aircraft, secure computer systems and advance the frontiers of mathematics.”

Endadul Hoque, Yiming Zhao��

Hoque, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science in ECS, and Zhao, assistant professor of mathematics in A&S, both earned Awards—the NSF’s most competitive award for early-career faculty.

Endadul Hoque

Hoque will use the to enhance computer network security by developing an innovative technique known as “fuzzing.” Fuzzing injects invalid or unexpected inputs into a system to find security vulnerabilities in software, but current techniques have limitations. His work involves creating a language to encode complex structures of inputs that change depending on the context and creating techniques that can mutate inputs to systems without losing their context sensitivity. The research will create new methods to find loopholes in real-world security-critical systems. Hoque also plans to hold workshops for K-12 students to promote cybersecurity awareness and support students from historically marginalized communities to pursue careers in STEM.

Yiming Zhao

Zhao, a mathematician who specializes in convex geometry, geometric analysis and partial differential equations, will use the to explore new variations of two of geometry’s oldest problems: the isoperimetric problem and the Minkowski problem. These problems focus on recovering the shape of geometric figures from their geometric properties, such as their volume and surface area. Applications of the techniques developed can be used to create new solutions to science and engineering problems ranging from antenna reflector design to urban planning. He will host special educational sessions at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology for K-12 students to encourage them to think about math as discovery, not just as applying a set of formulas on an exam.

Yiyang Sun

Yiyang Sun��

Sun was presented with a from the , the basic research arm of the Air Force Research Laboratory. That program enhances career development for outstanding young researchers who advance the Air Force’s mission in science and engineering. Only 48 scientists and engineers received the award in 2024.

Sun’s grant of $446,360 is for her project, “Multi-Modal Interactions in Three-Dimensional Unsteady Flows.” Her research uses a cutting-edge technique to analyze multi-modal interactions in fluid flows to analyze and understand unsteady aerodynamic problems. The research outcomes could have a significant impact on advancing the designs of aircraft with improved aerodynamic performance for challenging operation conditions.

Craig Cahillane

Craig Cahillane��

Cahillane was awarded an��by the . He was one of only 23 researchers selected nationally in the first class of IGNIITE fellows and received the award at a The program supports early-career innovators who are working to convert disruptive and unconventional ideas into impactful new energy technologies.

The $500,000 award supports two years of work in fusion energy optimization on the project, “Ultra-High Power Photoneutralization Cavity for Neutral Beam Injection in Fusion Reactors.”��Cahillane is developing a prototype that has the potential to make fusion reactors nearly twice as efficient as they are with current technology. His lab will develop an ultra-high power laser cavity designed to help efficiently reheat and refuel a fusion reactor.

Ying Shi

Ying Shi

Shi received $350,000 from the Scholars Program for her exploration of Asian American students’ exposure to victimization and hate crimes in school. That program supports early-career researchers who are working to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and improve research evidence in decisions that affect young people in the United States.

Only four to six scholars are selected for this award each year, and Shi is the first scholar��from Syracuse University to receive it. Shi’s project, “School Victimization and Hate Crime Exposure Among Asian Students: An Evidence Base to Reduce Well-Being Inequality,” is funded for five years. Shi plans to use administrative data from studies across multiple U.S. cities and states to collect information on the prevalence and consequences of exposure to school victimization and hate crimes for Asian students, as compared with their peers.

New Student Association President German Nolivos ’26 (right) and Vice President Reed Granger ’26 strive to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.

Listen. Learn. Lead.

Those three simple verbs were repeatedly emphasized by German Nolivos ’26 and Reed Granger ’26 during the spring general elections.

German Nolivos

Hammering home an effective message to Syracuse University’s student body was especially important since Nolivos and Granger were running unopposed. With no competition, the duo was essentially guaranteed to assume leadership roles as president and vice president. But they did not intend to simply coast to victory.

Rather, they worked tirelessly to convey the important role SA plays as a bridge that listens to student concerns and works with the administration to resolve them.

“We wanted the students to understand that we cannot effectively work without their input. We want to leave our mark on student government by focusing on these recognized student organizations and multicultural organizations that have been looking for help from the student body and the SA. We can strengthen the relationship between our students and student government,” says Nolivos, a Posse Leadership Scholar and first-generation college student studying political science in the and and public relations in the��.

“We needed to convince students to engage with the Student Association, and we campaigned on those values of listening, learning and leading. Our goal is to advocate for new policies that are effective in resolving the issues our students face, and to let the student body know how truly important our advocacy is,” adds Granger, who is studying photography in the Newhouse School and political science in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences.

Reed Granger

The message was well-received, as Nolivos and Granger were elected president and vice president, respectively, after garnering more than 90% of the votes. The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.

Nolivos and Granger have held previous leadership roles on campus, and they are excited to hold these positions while striving to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.

The “listen, learn, lead” motto extends beyond a campaign slogan, influencing Nolivos and Granger’s main objectives as elected student leaders. For this upcoming academic year, their main goals include:

• listening to the voices of traditionally underrepresented student populations;
• learning from and engaging with the collective diversity on campus;
• leading by continuing to foster an inclusive, accessible and welcoming campus for all;
• improving campus safety, especially on South Campus;
• enhancing the quality of the food in the dining halls and continuing to provide students access to food through complimentary grocery trolley runs;
• helping the University reduce its carbon footprint while striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2032; and
• creating changes that will enhance the student experience for all.

Nolivos and Granger sat down with SU News to discuss their goals for the academic year, offer their advice to new students on campus and share how their time at Syracuse has fueled their growth as student leaders.

What will make this a successful academic year?

German Nolivos: My goal is always to empower the students who work under me, to make sure the Student Association’s 100 members know that they’re appreciated, and that the work they’re doing has an impact on our campus. For this year to be successful, we want the campus community to know who we are and that the Student Association can be a valuable resource for our students.

Reed Granger: To spread the word of Student Association to more students than ever before and continuing the good relationship we have with our administration. Being able to improve on what previous student leaders have done while continuing to advocate for the student body.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started your Syracuse journey?

Granger: Time management. I don’t know if there’s an overall secret to time management, but I wish that before my first day, somebody told me about how to manage my time. Given my areas of study and my involvement on campus, everything I do, every meeting I have goes through my Google Calendar, even homework assignments. And I encourage new students to make sure you have some free time.

Nolivos: In the first couple of weeks on campus, it’s important that you build up your support system. You’re going to have opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Make sure you really take the time to find the people that you want to be there with you for this journey. This is the opportunity to become the person that you want to become. It’s a new chapter in your life. Give this 100% of your attention. One thing that helped me my first year was extracurriculars. Discovering your community will help you feel more connected to campus.

German Nolivos ’26 (left) and Reed Granger ’26 conveyed the important role the Student Association plays as a bridge that listens to student concerns and works with the administration to resolve them.

Are there any common mistakes for first-year students to avoid?

Nolivos: Think about the classes you’re taking, especially your required classes, and figure out which classes you should take first to set you up for future success. And from a social perspective, make sure that you’re treating this as the first page of the rest of your life. Be transparent with yourself on this journey. Be an open book with everything. You’re going to find people from different paths of life and different experiences than you. Make sure you’re always respectful of other people’s opinions and experiences and learn from them.

Granger: Don’t join too many clubs or take too many classes, you’re just overwhelming yourself while you’re still trying to learn what it means to be an undergraduate at Syracuse University. You can lose your sense of self while you’re trying to figure out who you are. Don’t put too much on your shoulders when you first get here.

How has Syracuse University helped you become the person you are today?

Granger: I’m a fully changed person since my first year. This campus has given me elements of friendship that I never experienced in high school as I figure out what I seek in friendships. Who do I want to spend time with? Why do I want to spend time with them? The true value of friendship and what it can do for your life is something that I truly have learned in the past two years here. Also the importance of making connections, whether with your classmates or your professors. So many of these connections are either involved in your career path or are going to be involved. Learn to maintain those connections. That’s one way the Syracuse experience has changed me for the better.

Nolivos: I’m a political refugee. I arrived in this country six years ago. I always had trouble trusting myself and my abilities, and felt I was always going to be behind my peers. But Syracuse made me realize how much power I have and how far I can push myself to become the person I want to become. Syracuse has given me the tools to build that future for myself.

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) mourns the passing of John Baldwin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of chemistry.

Remembered as a dynamic scholar of physical organic chemistry, Baldwin was a pioneer in utilizing density functional theory to gain insight into chemical bonding and reaction mechanisms. He published more than 150 articles over the course of his career, and continued to publish important works up until his retirement, including articles in the��, the�������Ի� the .

A Promising Beginning

John Baldwin

Baldwin was born in 1937 in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Oak Park, Pennsylvania. According to his obituary, he was an exceedingly well-rounded student, excelling in many sports and becoming valedictorian of his high school class at Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1955. He continued both his studies and his athleticism at Dartmouth College, participating on the ski, lacrosse and track teams, and once again becoming valedictorian of his class in 1959. He earned his doctorate in physics and chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 1963.

Baldwin began his career as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was recognized through an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, associate membership of the Center for Advanced Study at the University of Illinois and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. He soon transitioned to the University of Oregon as a full professor, where he spent 16 years. Baldwin then joined Syracuse University’s chemistry department as the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowed Professor of Science in 1984, where he was to spend the next 40, very productive years.

From the start of his career, Baldwin developed a reputation for excellence, as a scholar and researcher, but also interpersonally; he was a generous collaborator, teacher and mentor. Baldwin became known for successfully addressing highly challenging questions regarding organic reactions by applying rigorous methods with exacting measurements and careful analysis, and by combining the experimental work with molecular computations.

This work, as well as its history and development, was summarized by Baldwin himself in a seminal��Chemical Reviews (2003) article. A collaborator recently was quoted as saying, “When John’s illness prevented him from communicating his creative thoughts about reaction mechanisms and science more broadly, a large hole was created in the field of physical organic chemistry, a hole that no one has since been able to fill. He has been irreplaceable.” Another colleague says, “Having been impressed and amazed by John’s published work, I was excited to start my career in the same department. John was always a treasured colleague, both for his expertise and for his personal approach, always with caring, kindness and friendship.”

A Career of Accolades

Baldwin was instrumental in bringing the Life Sciences Complex project to fruition.

Baldwin’s service to the field and the University were extensive. He served on the President’s Science Advisory Committee; the Medicinal Chemistry Study Section of the National Institutes of Health; the National Science Foundation’s Chemistry Division Standing Review Panel; the executive committee of the American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry; and the Advisory Board of the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society. He received the American Chemical Society’s James Flack Norris Award in 2010, as well as awards from the John Simon Guggenheim and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundations.

In addition to his teaching and research, he led Syracuse University’s chemistry department as chair for many years and played a pivotal role in the lobbying for the Life Sciences Complex, which opened in 2008. Baldwin contributed to the facility’s ultimate design, resulting in all new teaching labs and research space for chemistry. He received the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence, was awarded a Distinguished Professor title, and graduated more than 10 Syracuse University Ph.D. students from his lab before retiring and earning emeritus status in 2014. His graduate students remember him as a thoughtful listener and a mentor whose gentle and respectful manner fostered their development.

Pinyuen Chen

Professor�� from the Department of Mathematics has received an award that honors the best publication each year from the Journal of Sequential Analysis. The Abraham Wald Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of sequential analysis, which is a technique in mathematical statistics that, unlike classical techniques, analyzes data in real-time, allowing researchers to make decisions on whether to stop or continue an experiment as new data comes in, often leading to faster and more efficient results. It was developed during World War II as a tool to improve industrial quality control for the war effort.

Chen’s paper “” was co-authored by Elena Buzaianu, who received a Ph.D. from Syracuse in 2006, with Chen as her advisor, and Lifang Hsu, professor of mathematics at Le Moyne College. There is a connection from Chen to the namesake for the award, Abraham Wald. Wald, a mathematician who founded the field of sequential analysis, was the advisor for Milton Sobel, subsequently Chen’s advisor for his dissertation in 1982 at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Teaching at Syracuse University since 1982, he is both a serial collaborator and an innovator, “I thank the department and my colleagues for giving me the time to work on my favorite research in the last 42 years,” says Chen.

Elena Buzaianu accepted the prize on behalf of herself, Chen and Hsu at Utah Valley University.

Chen conducts interdisciplinary research with scholars from other disciplines at Syracuse and around the world. He is a senior member of the�������Ի� affiliated with the�� at Syracuse University, both interdisciplinary programs within the College of Arts and Sciences that also include faculty from computer and information sciences, management, psychology and the social sciences. Chen has worked on military projects with electrical engineers at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, on data used for radar signal processing that may improve the detection and specific location and speed of a target.

“It’s always a thrill when our faculty are recognized for their outstanding scholarship,” says Graham Leuschke, professor and chair of mathematics. “The entire department is proud of Professor Chen’s accomplishment, and it’s especially sweet that our former Ph.D. student, Elena Buzaianu, was recognized as well.”

This is the 20th anniversary of the Abraham Wald Prize, established in 2004 and first awarded at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Minneapolis in August 2005. Elena Buzaianu accepted the award for Chen and the team in a special 2-hour ceremony at the 8th International Workshop in Sequential Methodologies, held at Utah Valley University.

The program, NRT-URoL: Emergent Intelligence Research for Graduate Excellence in Biological and Bio-Inspired Systems (EmIRGE-Bio), will support the integration of research and education on emergent intelligence in both biological and bio-inspired systems and allow doctoral students to work and experience team-building across disciplinary and departmental boundaries.

Lisa Manning speaks at a previous BioInspired Symposium. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

“Many of society’s most pressing challenges—including food security, sustainability and supporting aging populations—will require breakthroughs in biotechnology and bio-inspired science,” says , William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), who is principal investigator (PI). “This program will train a new generation of scientists and engineers who can evaluate and harness complex systems, such as biological tissues or next-generation materials, to drive intelligent responses such as sensing, actuating and learning, leading to breakthrough technologies.”

Co-PIs are , associate professor of biology and chemistry in A&S; , associate director of BioInspired and Renée Crown Professor in the Sciences and Mathematics and associate professor of biology in A&S; , Samuel and Carol Nappi Research Scholar and associate professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS); and , associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in ECS.

BioInspired director , professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in ECS, says, “the Research Traineeship Program is currently one of—if not the most—competitive funding programs at the National Science Foundation. Receipt of the award speaks to the existing strength of graduate education in BioInspired fields at Syracuse University and to the exciting new opportunities and programming that Lisa and the team designed and proposed and now stand poised to deliver.”

The EmIRGE-Bio program will feature advanced core disciplinary courses in areas foundational to biotechnology and bio-inspired design; the development of two new courses utilizing team-based learning paradigms; and a longitudinal professional development program. It will also include a STEM entrepreneurship course offered by the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, an internship program and a co-curricular workshop series on project management and technology transfer.

Some 115 Ph.D. students from fields that span the life and physical sciences and engineering are expected to take part in the training, which the research team says will address a STEM workforce gap identified by local and national partners in industry and academe.

“Emergence in biology and bio-inspired design is one of the University’s signature areas of strength, and we have seen that borne out by the success of BioInspired since its founding in 2019,” says Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer . “This initiative draws on that strength and supports our long-term strategic goal to transform STEM at Syracuse and enhance graduates’ potential for success in a swiftly evolving marketplace.”

Adds , vice president for research: “The NRT award will advance BioInspired in ways that are core to Syracuse University’s identity: recruiting and retaining a diverse student population, advancing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and education and providing our students with the entrepreneurial skills needed in the 21st century workforce.”

Members of the Kehr/Hirsh family (from left to right): Steven Hirsh, Samantha Hirsh, Michael Kehr, Alice Hirsh, Ryan Kehr, Jonathan Hirsh and Rebecca Hirsh.

On an overcast Mother’s Day in 2018, a photo was taken outside of the Hall of Languages depicting a proud Syracuse University graduate, Ryan Kehr ’18, surrounded by happy family members.

It’s the kind of photo that gets taken repeatedly during Commencement weekend. This particular photo tells the story of the Kehr/Hirsh family—a proud collection of alumni whose connections to Syracuse date back to the fall of 1966. That’s when Alice (Musikar) Hirsh ’70 began her pursuit of a nursing degree from the College of Nursing.

Hirsh is the matriarch of an Orange legacy family that currently boasts seven alumni members:

• Alice and her husband, Steven ’70 (philosophy, );
• Alice’s children, Jonathan ’99 (marketing management, ) and Samantha Hirsh ’10 (inclusive elementary and special education, ); along with Jonathan’s wife, Rebecca (Rosenstein) Hirsh ’99 (child development in what is now the );
• Hirsh’s nephew, Michael Kehr ’86 (political science, and the College of Arts and Sciences), and his son, Ryan (information management and technology, )

The family will add another branch to the tree when Julia Kehr ’26, Michael’s daughter, graduates in May of 2026 with dual degrees in international relations (Maxwell School) and information management and technology (iSchool).

Alice, Ryan and Julia sat down with SU News to discuss their love of the University, the Orange bonds that connect them and the impact Syracuse has had on their lives.

Alice Hirsh ’70

Alice Hirsh

What drew you to Syracuse University? “The College of Nursing had a stellar reputation. It was hard to get into, and it was exactly what I wanted academically. When it came to choosing Syracuse, I wanted a big school, one with great sports teams and Greek life. It was everything I wanted and more, and the College of Nursing really did a great job of teaching and preparing us.”

Involvement on campus: A member of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, Alice met her husband, Steven, during the fall semester of her sophomore year. They married a few months after graduation.

How strong is your affinity for Syracuse? “I had such a positive experience at Syracuse University. It was an important part of my life. I’m still very close friends with a group of 15 women who graduated from the College of Nursing with me. We still communicate and we get together every couple of years for Orange gatherings that we plan ourselves. Now, seeing so many members of my family go on to study and earn degrees from Syracuse really warms my heart. Everyone has had their own, great experiences. My family knows that everything I own is orange, and they know how important Syracuse University is to me.”

What makes Syracuse special? “Each one of us found something different to focus our attention on. For me, it was Greek life. For Jonathan, he was passionate about . Samantha was on the . We each discovered our passions and interests because of our time on campus, and as a family we all believe Syracuse is a great place.”

Ryan Kehr ’18

Ryan Kehr

What drew you to Syracuse University? “It wasn’t instilled in me that I had to attend Syracuse, but Syracuse was my number one choice. Plus, anyone I ever talked to about Syracuse always mentioned how great their experiences were and how strong the alumni network was. I didn’t know what I wanted to study at first, so I applied to the iSchool and completely fell in love with the tight-knit community.”

Involvement on campus: An iSchool peer advisor, Ryan also worked for SIDEARM Sports, eventually running the student team of workers. “Working under SIDEARM Sports’ founder Jeff Rubin ’95, G’98 was invaluable. I owe so much of my career success to the lessons I learned from Jeff and from my classes. The first class I took from Jeff made me fall in love with technology as a career.”

Current job: Ryan is in his third year as a product manager for the NFL. He helps the league build up its electronic medical records platform for athletic trainers, team physicians and the players.

How did Syracuse set you up for career success? “The iSchool gives students so many opportunities to learn, grow and pick their own career path. I learned how to be a good communicator, a good problem-solver and a good team player. Another key lesson I learned is to take advantage of every opportunity to meet with alumni. We did these iSchool road trips where we would go to Silicon Valley, New York City and Boston and meet with different companies that had Syracuse alumni. We’d hear about their career journeys, and that helped me know what I wanted to do when I graduated. I’m thankful for all those opportunities; they shaped me into the person I am today.”

Julia Kehr ’26

Julia Kehr

What drew you to Syracuse University? “When we were all on campus for Ryan’s graduation and I saw all of my family members together, that was really cool to see everyone who shared that Orange connection. I knew right then that I was meant to be at Syracuse. I applied early decision my senior year of high school and didn’t visit any other colleges.”

Involvement on campus: A member of the Delta Gamma sorority, Julia became involved with Slice Consulting, a student-run consulting firm that provides pro bono services to clients and nonprofits in Syracuse. She currently serves as a project manager.

Career ambitions: “I interned at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey this summer and really enjoyed that experience. That solidified my interest in working for a nonprofit, which Maxwell definitely instilled in me and has been enhanced through my work for Slice Consulting. I feel like working in the public sector consulting or working as a project manager for a nonprofit would be a great fit.”

What makes Syracuse special? “I always saw how closely tied to Syracuse my family was, but I never realized what that meant until I enrolled. The second I came back to campus from winter break my freshman year, I understood how special it was that we all shared the same values because we were all at the same place for college and learned such valuable life lessons.”

Katherine Kidd

is an English Studies professor at Syracuse University who organizes a banned book read-out event each year. She took time to answer some questions about the new law and how this and other book bans can have far-reaching effects.

Q: Is there anything in particular about this latest banning effort that stands out to you?��

A: It’s hard not to think of it as part and parcel to the broader trend toward censorship and suppression of information, and the repression of marginalized identities, especially the aims of Project 2025, which seeks to create a conservative Christian social order by way of government restructuring.

The fact that almost all of Utah’s book bans this go-around are written by women and are about women’s experiences in the world, makes it pretty clear that there’s a correlation between the book bans and the ideology that drives Project 2025, as well as a correlation with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, etc. That it’s happening statewide in Utah is not entirely surprising, but I worry that Utah’s reputation with regard to its unique religious demographics can obscure the details of the actual law that passed and what it entails for the rest of the US.

The law passed there that has allowed for this banning is actually bananas. According to the law, a book can be banned if at least three of the state’s school boards determine the content is pornographic or otherwise offensive. That’s only 3 of over 40 statewide school districts in Utah. So, in Utah, if fewer than 10% of the districts deem a text inappropriate, the other 90%+ don’t have a choice in the matter. That kind of thing can happen anywhere, there are people actively working to make it happen everywhere, and those people have an agenda that goes well beyond books.

A silver lining is that for some authors and books, a banning or contestation can amplify the message. A book can become a best-seller and a cultural touchstone that people talk about for a long time because of a banning.

Katherine Kidd

Q: What kind of impact might it have on young readers and their teachers?��

A: As an English professor, book banning is a personal affront to the values that I hold dear. However, I teach young adults, so I have more freedom (as of now) to share texts that aren’t likely to be taught in elementary, middle, and high schools, regardless of whether there’s a ban.

I feel sad for the kids who won’t have access to certain books. It will be more difficult for some kids to find books in which they see themselves, or books that answer real and valid questions about life. Since even textbooks are susceptible to being deemed pornographic, I also worry that young people – especially young girls, gender nonconforming people, and racial and ethnic minorities – will be deprived of crucial lessons about themselves, the working and care of their bodies, and their histories. It is antithetical to education.

A silver lining is that for some authors and books, a banning or contestation can amplify the message. A book can become a best-seller and a cultural touchstone that people talk about for a long time because of a banning. I think Gender Queer��by Maia Kobabe is such a book. Without the backlash about one particular scene/set of panels, the book would be just one of many queer coming-of-age stories that came out that year. Now it’s everywhere, and loads of people have heard of it and read it. I teach it in one of my classes because of its cultural significance as well as its content. It is a success because it was deemed a problem. Still, that’s only the case with some books on some topics.

I read everything under the sun as a child and introduced myself to all sorts of texts that challenged my mind and offered alternative perspectives, and I wonder what my life and trajectory might have been if I had not had access to all those books.

P.S. Banning books by angel-person Judy Blume just makes you look like a cartoon villain.

Q: What can people do to push back on banning efforts that might be happening in their own community?

A: Keep yourself informed on local politics, especially those related to education. Read all the time and share what you’ve read with others. Support and use the public library. Hug a librarian (but ask permission first).

To request interviews or get more information:

Chris Munoz
Media Relations Specialist
Division of Communications
cjmunoz@syr.edu

Green Teaching Summit attendees gathered beside the lake at Minnowbrook Conference Center in the Adirondacks.

Can religion, philosophy, history, English and writing help tackle issues of climate change, environment and ecology? Absolutely, says , professor of English and outgoing William P. Tolley Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities. Through his Tolley professorship, a role designed to support enhancement of the pedagogical experience and to boost effectiveness in the classroom, he made it a goal to show how the humanities subjects are vital to helping society understand and respond to today’s complex ecological challenges. Here are just four of many ways humanists are engaged in research relating to climate:

A. More Than Just a Map: While maps depict selected data about a place, humanists play a key role in translating and communicating what maps say about power, representation and climate urgency—crucial insights for leaders making decisions about the allocation of resources and implementation of policies.

B. Losing Languages: Climate change doesn’t just affect the physical world. It affects human culture too. When climate change causes people to leave their homeland, they often also lose their language. Through the study of language endangerment, humanists examine the causes, processes and consequences of languages becoming extinct and work on ways to preserve them.

C. Religion and Ecology: Religion scholars might explore the environmental consequences of festivals and pilgrimages that draw millions of people to a concentrated area. Or, research on sacred texts can delve into how the texts shape environmental consciousness in different faith traditions, highlighting political issues and raising doctrinal concerns.

D. Human-Animal Entanglement: Bestiaries, or works about mythical animals, can spark discussions about human-animal entanglements in different countries and contexts.

A main component of Goode’s professorship was highlighting opportunities for faculty and staff across campus to share resources to help students respond to the implications of the climate crisis and to think ecologically.

Inspired in part by the success of a collaboration with the Syracuse University Art Museum where Goode teamed up with staff and students to explore the ways in which objects and artworks in the museum’s collection could be utilized as , he wanted to see how others at the University could forge partnerships to elevate their own research and teaching around ecology. In May, he convened a team of faculty from numerous humanities disciplines at the Green Teaching Summit at University’s Minnowbrook Conference Center in the Adirondacks. The three-day conference provided a space for scholars to discover shared interests and forge collaborations, set in a location that itself is ecologically vulnerable.

Arts and Sciences Communications (A&S) sat down with Goode to talk about his motivation for the summit and how the humanities play a crucial role in sparking ecological discussions.

Why is now such a critical time for humanists to focus on ecology and climate?

When doing my English Ph.D. in the early 1990s, I remember one of my professors, Homi Bhabha, declaring that whatever our training and expertise in the humanities, every humanities course would soon need to engage in some way with the histories of colonialism and empire. His comment encountered considerable audience skepticism at the time, but it turned out to be prophetically accurate. We’re facing a similar turning point in the humanities. Whatever our training or expertise, we are likely less than a decade removed from a time when every one of our courses will need to engage with ecology, climate and environmental justice in some way. As the Tolley Professor, I focused on trying to help the humanities at Syracuse University lean into this coming shift and to increase their visibility on campus for doing so.

In between presentation sessions, faculty mingled with one another to discuss collaborations on the shores of Blue Mountain Lake.

What was the inspiration for the Green Teaching Summit?

Since the Tolley professorship is charged with expanding and improving humanities teaching, I wanted the summit to be a humanities-focused event with faculty from various environmental disciplines. I wanted as many of the most recently hired tenure-track humanities faculty as possible to attend along with staff who could highlight ways to further leverage campus resources, so the next generation of humanities scholars are empowered with the critical perspectives necessary to help raise awareness, inspire action and help shape policies that are socially just and culturally sensitive.

What do you hope that faculty can take away from this experience?

I had three goals:

1. Have people on campus who already teach in these areas connect with one another, describe what they do in the classroom, learn more about how different subjects get taught from different disciplinary vantage points and plant the seeds for future initiatives and collaborations.
2. Highlight campus resources, centers and offices with which to collaborate on experiential learning, student success and professional development related to ecology, climate and environmental justice concerns.
3. Bridge generations, connecting the newest tenure-track hires in the humanities at Syracuse to senior faculty on campus already teaching and researching in these areas, so we could mutually inspire, learn from and collaborate with each other moving forward.

What are the benefits of having a group of scholars (and administrators) come together at a summit like this? Do you think that the setting was/is particularly important?

One bit of feedback I have received repeatedly from attendees is that they did not realize just how many other people on campus were teaching in these areas and were thrilled to meet faculty with shared interests who they might not have met otherwise. The Adirondacks setting, however aesthetically pleasing, also probably contributed to a sense of urgency, since some of the weekend’s talks touched on the region’s ecological vulnerability and its connection to histories of environmental injustice through Native American displacement and dispossession.

Understanding that you are wrapping up the two-year Tolley professorship this summer, what do you hope the legacy or potential of the Green Teaching Summit will be at SU?

I’d love it if a dedicated environmental humanities chair could be created on campus to continue expanding and sustaining this kind of environmental humanities-focused programming, network-building and resource-sharing. We need people and resources to spearhead more humanities-centered working groups and to develop new campus collaborations related to ecology and climate. The Art, Ecology, and Climate Project (that I founded while Tolley Professor) is already being used in many different instructional contexts on campus, and I hope that it can eventually be grown to include holdings at repositories like SCRC and the Belfer Sound Archive. Unfortunately, climate change is the shared future of all of us, and every single faculty member needs to be positioned instructionally to grapple with it. I certainly hope that the newest humanities faculty on campus walked away from the summit energized to lean into that project more in their own teaching moving forward.

For more on the Green Teaching Summit, visit the .

With grant funding from the Department of Energy, Professor Mathew Maye and his collaborators will manufacture and test a new generation of Quantum dots.

Tiny but mighty semiconductors named Quantum dots (Qdots) could someday drive hyper-powerful computers.

Qdots are crystals squeezed in a space just a few nanometers in diameter. They are used today in products such as solar cells or LEDs and work by either absorbing or emitting light with high efficiency. The amount or color of the light is fine-tuned by Qdot dimension, chemical composition and crystal structure, which is designed by chemists in the lab or at the factory.

These applications rely on the excitation or relaxation of an electron in what is called “quantized” energy levels, but “the future of Qdots is not about bright colors or how much electricity they produce,” says��, professor and department chair of chemistry at Syracuse University.

Instead, the future is about what happens to the electron’s spin while in those energy levels—measuring or manipulating it in new ways.

For example, each electron in an atom has one of two spin states, “up” or “down,” which describes its orbit. Spins can then be “paired,” a situation where a spin-up electron is combined with a spin-down one or un-paired when a single electron is left, which is either spin-up or down. The amount of un-paired electrons affects a material’s magnetic property. When a single electron is excited in a Qdot, it should maintain the same spin, but there may be ways to engineer or flip its spin in the future.

Such ability will provide new pathways in communications and information storage, leading to powerful quantum computers and important cryptographies that use spin states to store information instead of the “1” and “0” bits of traditional computers.

Images of Quantum dots – or “Qdots.” Cell “a” shows photographs of Qdots of different compositions emitting light at tailored energies (i.e., colors). Cells “b-e” show transmission electron microscopy images of three different Qdot morphologies.

To do this, Maye is partnering with Brookhaven National Laboratory and its Center for Functional Nanomaterials, on a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to manufacture and test this new generation of Qdots.

Presenters and attendees at the 2023 SOURCE Symposium

Hua, a nutrition science major in the , has investigated the effects of fish oil on paternal obesity and its impact on offspring muscle function. Ross, a neuroscience and psychology major in the , has studied the impact of Cited2 excision and maternal folic acid supplementation among mice on neurodevelopment. And Lu, a music composition major in the (VPA), has worked with music ensembles and experienced the premieres of two of his original compositions.

They are among the more than 250 students who have actively participated in research this summer—both in-person and remotely—through initiatives of the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) and other programs, including the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP); Chemistry, iSchool, and BioInspired Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs; the SUNY Upstate Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program; the McNair Scholars Program; the psychology SPARC and STAHR programs; Renée Crown University Honors Program; Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)-supported students and others.

As a culmination of their experiences, the —a poster session featuring more than 110 undergraduate research students, will be held Thursday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Schine Student Center’s Panasci Lounge. A picnic will follow on the patio of Huntington Beard Crouse Hall. .

Some of the posters that will be presented include:

• Mercury Release From Alaskan Permafrost
• The Role of the Kit Tyrosine Pathway in Primordial Follicle Formation and Cyst Breakdown
• The Effects of the Post-Mating Immune Response in Drosophila on Female Fecundity
• Syracuse Policy Legacy Project
• Testing the Hydropathy of Synthetic RNA
• Polyurethane Foams for Hemorrhage Control
• Supporting Healthcare Outcomes and Access for Refugees
• Effects of I-81 Highway Construction on Freshwater Streams in the Valley Neighborhood of Syracuse
• Role of Rab GTPase-Mediated Ciliary Cargo Transport in Cilia formation and Cellular Polarity
• Validating Hydraulic Flood Control Risk Assessment Using High Resolution Satellite Imagery

“Summer research students make great strides in their research skill-building during these few short months; they explore fascinating topics, engage with existing work, try new methods and techniques and experience deep immersion and focus in their work,” says SOURCE Director Kate Hanson. “We are thrilled to learn about research at the Summer Symposium and grateful to the mentors that have supported them.”

Xuezhu (Stephanie) Hua ’25

Stephanie Hua

Hua’s research is inspired by the obesity epidemic. “Obesity is a growing concern, with two in five people in the U.S. affected. It not only diminishes quality of life but also has lasting effects on the health of future generations,” Hua says. “In our research explores the potential of fish oil supplementation in mitigating the detrimental, we focus on using fish oil as a dietary intervention for obese fathers.”

Hua and her colleagues have found that a father’s high-fat diet during the preconception period significantly impacts the muscle health of their offspring, potentially decreasing muscle function. Conversely, when the father follows a low-fat diet during the preconception period, the offspring’s muscle health is more influenced by their own diet. “Moving forward, I will employ an analysis of variance test to determine if fish oil supplementation can reverse the adverse effects of a father’s high-fat diet on offspring,” she says.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the SOURCE, Renée Crown University Honors Program and WiSE for sponsoring my research. This invaluable experience has allowed me to ask scientific questions, grapple with challenges and find solutions,” Hua says. “What drives me is the potential impact of my research on people’s lives. To me, research is about serving the community. This experience has been instrumental to me in preparing for my Ph.D. studies in obesity and metabolism.”

Hua’s faculty mentor is , assistant professor of nutrition and food studies in the Falk College.

Edward Lu ’26

Lu says his music composition research this summer has provided him with some of the most artistically fulfilling experiences in his career. He attended the Connecticut Summerfest and the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival at the Juilliard School as a part of their Emerging Composers Program.

Edward Lu (photo by Isaac Schwalbe)

“Both of these festivals were incredible, and they each provided a diverse array of insights into the business of composition and chamber music,” Lu says.

He traveled to Connecticut in June for a week of lectures, presentations, rehearsals, concerts and recording sessions. “I was paired with ~Nois, a saxophone quartet based in Chicago, who were an absolute joy to work with,” Lu says. “They premiered my piece, ‘Leaf Litter,’ and we also shot a separate professional video/audio recording with the Kinsmen Sound Studio. I loved how much creative liberty I was given during this process, and how much they valued my artistic input. Additionally, I enjoyed getting to know the other ensembles-in-residence.”

In July, Lu spent 10 days in New York City, attending lectures and masterclasses with Imani Winds and the composer-in-residence, Jessica Meyer, as well as other visiting composition faculty. “I was paired with Nimbus Winds, a student wind quintet, and we spent the week rehearsing and workshopping my piece ‘Cloud Shapes,’ which was premiered at Juilliard’s Morse Recital Hall on Aug. 3.” He also had the opportunity to present “Leaf Litter” in a masterclass and share his work from Connecticut Summerfest, bringing his summer research full circle.

“At both festivals, I met a lot of amazing people and built lasting and meaningful relationships while learning important skills such as outreach and finding my musical voice and message,” Lu says. “Additionally, I now have two new pieces and recordings to add to my portfolio. Most importantly, I’ve made colleagues and friends in the field of chamber music that will last my entire lifetime. I’m eternally grateful to SOURCE for making these experiences possible for me.”

Lu’s faculty mentor is , associate professor and chair of music composition, theory and history in VPA’s Setnor School of Music.

Kaniya Ross ’25

Ross’s project is specifically investigating the impact of Cited2 excision and maternal folic acid

Kaniya Ross

supplementation among mice on neurodevelopment. Loss of Cited2 (knockout) has been known to cause disruptions in brain development such as neural tube defects, reduced cortical thickness that can lead to microcephaly, and heart and lung defects.

“Based on preliminary research, prepartum folic acid supplementation has been linked to a reduction in�� neural tube defects like exencephaly. It has also been linked to rescuing reductions in cortical thickness seen with Cited2 knockout,” says Ross. Her team uses immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis and cell counting to measure whether reduced cortical thickness is due to increased cell density or decreased cells overall following Cited2 knockout and maternal folic acid supplementation. As microcephaly is linked to learning and memory deficits, they also do novel object recognition testing to measure changes in both following maternal folic acid supplementation.

“This project is deeply connected with my future endeavors as a pediatric neurologist who will continue doing research on neurodevelopmental disorders as well as providing affordable care and treatments in my own private practice,” Ross says.

Ross has worked with faculty mentor , associate professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and graduate student Sara Brigida.

Additional events featuring undergraduate research include the 2024 McNair Summer Research Symposium, which will be held Aug. 9 from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m. in 331 Sims Hall. The Psychology SPARC-STAHR & iSchool REU Program Symposium was held on July 25.