Conway, who revolutionized global information technology by inventing methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) silicon chips, was at Syracuse University on May 12 to receive an honorary doctor of science degree.

Lynn Conway is pictured with Chancellor Kent Syverud after receiving an honorary doctor of science degree at the University’s 2024 Commencement ceremony on May 12. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

As a young engineer at IBM Research in the 1960s, Conway made pioneering innovations in computer architecture. IBM fired her in 1968 upon learning she was undergoing gender transition. She restarted her career in a new identity in “stealth-mode” after completing her transition.

While working at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s, Conway innovated breakthrough methods that enabled engineers to design very powerful, complex chips. In 1980, Conway’s seminal textbook��“Introduction to VLSI Systems,” co-authored by Caltech Professor Carver Mead, became an instant classic, forever transforming computing and information technology.��The late John V. Oldfield, then a professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), brought the new VLSI methods to Syracuse right at the beginning of that revolution.

In the early 1980s, Conway became assistant director for strategic computing at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In 1985 she joined the University of Michigan as professor of electrical engineering and computer science and associate dean of engineering.

When nearing retirement in 1999 she began quietly coming out as a trans woman, using her new����to share her story with friends and colleagues. Conway became active in transgender advocacy.

“Lynn made this world a better place in so many ways. Her work on VLSI revolutionized microelectronic education and manufacturing, and her advocacy for women and transgender people was courageous and important,” says ECS Dean Cole Smith. “She was a role model to many, and she helped to broaden the image of what an engineer or a computer scientist looks like. I am incredibly grateful that we had the chance to honor her at Syracuse University and recognize her for the tremendous impact she made.”

In 2012 Conway published a��memoir��that revealed how—closeted and hidden behind the scenes—she conceived the ideas and orchestrated the events that disruptively changed global industries.

Conway was a life fellow of the IEEE, fellow of the AAAS, winner of Computer Pioneer Award of the IEEE Computer Society, member of the Hall of Fellows of the Computer History Museum, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and held several honorary degrees. In 2023 she was inducted into the����for the invention of VLSI. She was awarded the����by the����and the��.

In 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna����on behalf of the company for����back in 1968.����the IBM Lifetime Achievement Award.

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Congratulations graduates! The accomplishments of the Class of 2024 were celebrated by students, faculty, staff and families as the University held its annual Commencement ceremony in the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday, May 12. These photos capture some of the pomp and circumstance of this special day.

For more Commencement coverage, check out the keynote address by Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, Italy; Chancellor Kent Syverud’s remarks and student speaker Yvonne Chen-Yih Kuo ’24 addressing her fellow classmates.

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Bethaida “Bea” González, University Mace Bearer (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Chancellor Kent Syverud addresses the Class of 2024 and their families. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Peter A. Gianesini ’94, president of the Syracuse University Alumni Association, welcomes the Class of 2024 to the Orange alumni family. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter offers her congratulations to graduates. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

University Scholar Yvonne Chen-Yih Kuo ’24 addresses the Class of 2024. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

The Mayor of Florence, Italy, Dario Nardella, delivered the keynote address. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Lynn Conway, inventor of methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated silicon chips, receives an honorary doctor of science degree from Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68, chairman of Cedar Street Asset Management, is awarded a doctor of law degree by Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68, a National Museum and Library Services Board member, receives an honorary doctor of humane letters from Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, former Syracuse men’s basketball coach and special assistant to the director of athletics, is awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters from Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

From left are Student speaker Yvonne Chen-Yih Kuo; Joanie Mahoney, president of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; chair of the University’s Board of Trustees Jeff Scruggs; Dario Nardella; and Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Max Walewski)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Capdeville Quadruplets (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2024 (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

“Four years ago, COVID abruptly reshaped how we interacted with and experienced the world around us,” said Kuo, who was selected as the student speaker on behalf of the Class of 2024. Yet, even during the pandemic, “we found ways to learn, grow and connect on campus at Syracuse.”

As the pandemic eased, Kuo, a psychology and forensic science major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, continued to discover her passion and community in the psychology department and in the lab of Natalie Russo, associate professor of psychology.

“My time at Syracuse has been a journey of discovery and advocacy that serves as a foundation for my future as a clinical psychologist and my commitment to inclusivity and internationality in my work,” she said.

While everyone’s academic journey has been unique, Kuo said each degree comes with a responsibility for graduates to use their knowledge, skills and privileges to impact society.

“I encourage every one of you to not only embrace the inevitable changes that will befall you, but also to proactively enact change where you see fit,” Kuo said. “Rather than letting time propel us forward passively, let us be the generation that pushes time forward.”

Student volunteers like alumnus, philanthropist and Life Trustee Daniel D’Aniello ’68, H’20, who was studying abroad in Florence at the time, earned the title “Mud Angels” for getting their hands dirty and rescuing priceless works of art and historical artifacts after the great flood deluged the city’s churches, libraries and museums with mud.

During the University’s Commencement exercises inside the JMA Wireless Dome, Nardella encouraged the more than 6,700 graduating students to be like the “Mud Angels,” by taking ownership, getting their hands dirty and becoming active and involved with their own communities.

“Those ‘mud angels’ became part of our community, and our community became part of them, forever. This is the power of education, the power of embracing your journey,” Nardella told the graduates, their families and friends. “We were made to pursue virtue and knowledge. I ask you to take ownership, to never stop pursuing knowledge.”

Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, Italy, challenged the Class of 2024 to tackle issues concerning the environment and climate change, the protection of human and civil rights and an increase in worldwide polarization during his Commencement speech. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Syracuse University and Nardella’s city share a deep connection, as Florence is home to the , which opened in 1959 as the first American campus with a study abroad center in the city.

Grateful for the chance to address the Class of 2024—consisting of graduates from all 50 states and 66 countries around the world—Nardella challenged the graduates to tackle issues concerning the environment and climate change, the protection of human and civil rights and an increase in worldwide polarization.

While resolving these “colossal challenges” could seem daunting, Nardella reminded the graduates that their time on campus has equipped them with the necessary skills, including a “thirst for knowledge that can challenge differences, overcome fears and fight prejudice.”

“As you continue your journey through the world, set your sails towards the future and create your own map of the world. Facing the future can be scary. It might be hard. But if you use passion and curiosity as your compass, you will be able to advance confidently and successfully,” Nardella said. “We have the power to steer our history in a more positive direction, and I trust we will. Your moment is now.”

Beyond the skills they acquired on campus, Nardella emphasized the importance of practicing gratitude, paying attention to the needs of others, engaging with your community and remaining determined to take action without a fear of failure as other essential leadership traits.

“Nourishing your curiosity and knowledge as a defeat does not equate with failure if we take it as an opportunity to learn. Ignorance, on the other hand, is [a failure]. Be passionate and compassionate about what you do and who you are. And most importantly, don’t let anyone take that away from you,” Nardella said.

“Each of you graduating today got here because of your own hard work. Each of you got here by overcoming adversity. A global pandemic and so many other challenges made your time here unique,” the Chancellor told the graduates. “But you persevered, you displayed incredible grit and grace. Of course you did. You are Orange.”

The Chancellor conferred 6,727 degrees at the ceremony.

Student Leaders Leondra Tyler ’24 and Omnia Shedid L’24 have made their mark and discovered their career ambitions through their time on campus. They plan on using their degrees to make a difference.

This weekend’s Syracuse University Commencement marks a time to reflect and celebrate the end of a long journey for students. Two decorated student leaders, Leondra Tyler’24 and Omnia Shedid L’24, share their stories and their paths to Syracuse University on this edition of “�Ļ��ܲ��� Conversations.”

Leondra Tyler

A non-traditional student, Tyler will graduate cum laude with dual degrees in neuroscience and psychology from the and the through the Part-Time Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP).

Tyler has been recognized as a McNair Scholar, Our Time Has Come Scholar and Remembrance Scholar, and is a passionate leader with the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry. She is engaged in both social psychology and behavioral neuroscience research, including a (SOURCE) research fellowship, and she eventually plans on utilizing her degrees to impact her community as a doctor.

“I took advantage of all Syracuse University has to offer, and I made a mark on this campus. I’m making it a better campus for the next round of students that are coming in. It’s been such an amazing journey. While it’s very sad to me that it’s almost over, I know Syracuse will always be my home,” Tyler says.

Omnia Shedid

Shedid, the president of the College of Law’s Class of 2024, is a member of the Advocacy Honor Society’s Trial and Alternative Dispute Resolution divisions. She’s helped connect veterans with access to essential resources with the , and held two prestigious summer internships—as a law clerk at the Office of the Attorney General of Rhode Island, and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Shedid landed her “dream job” as an honors attorney with the government after graduation.

“Being at the College of Law taught me how to lead with understanding, which is such a beautiful way to tie up my entire experience because my law classes taught me how to understand not just the law, but other people’s perspective on the law. It’s important to understand where people are coming from and what they need as a lawyer, because you can’t really support people unless you actually know what it is that they need,” says Shedid.

On this Commencement-centric “�Ļ��ܲ��� Conversation,” Tyler and Shedid discuss their surreal paths to Commencement and how their time on campus reinforced their drive to make a difference once they graduate.

Check out episode 163 of the�� podcast featuring Tyler and Shedid. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

Dario Nardella

Dario Nardella, mayor of Florence, Italy, will share some words of wisdom with graduating students at Sunday’s in the JMA Wireless Dome. But what was one of the best pieces of advice he received as a young person?

SU News posed a few questions to Nardella before he makes his way to Syracuse.

Nardella is currently serving his second term as mayor of the Renaissance city. He also serves as Special Rapporteur for Ukraine at the European Union (EU) Committee of the Regions and secretary general of Eurocities, a nonprofit organization of over 200 large cities, representing more than 150 million people across 38 countries from within and outside the EU. He previously served as its president.

Nardella’s city is home to the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence—a program that has welcomed tens of thousands of Syracuse students for more than 60 years.

Class of 2024 graduates celebrate on campus. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

6,727 degrees will be awarded to the Class of 2024. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

As the various celebrations begin for the Class of 2024’s Commencement weekend, there are many important details that the graduates and their families and friends need to know. But have you ever wondered what goes into the behind-the-scenes details that make up the celebrations and the work that goes into preparing for this festive weekend?

Check out this roundup of some of the numbers behind the University’s academic celebrations this weekend:

The youngest graduate in the Class of 2024 is 18, and the oldest is 75. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Class of 2024 Takes the Stage

• Number of students graduating (including those who have petitioned to walk at Commencement): 6,727
• Number of schools and colleges represented: 13
• Number of degrees awarded: 6,607
• Number of bachelor’s degrees: 3,543
• Number of master’s degrees: 2,746
• Number of doctoral degrees: 174
• Number of law degrees: 236
• Number of honorary degree recipients: 5
• Number of degrees and certificates that will be awarded for the first time this academic year: 6
• Average age of the Class of 2024: 25
• Age of oldest graduate: 75
• Age of youngest graduate: 18
• Number of student-athletes receiving degrees: 105
• Number of military-connected students graduating: 283
• Number of U.S. states represented by the Class of 2024: 50
• Number of countries represented: 66

Behind-the-Scenes

The Commencement stage is 56 feet wide by 44 feet deep and is constructed from 77 sections of portable stage decks. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

• Number of production crew members and technicians who set up the Commencement stage at the JMA Wireless Dome, College of Law Commencement and convocation stages at the Dome and the Lally Athletics Complex 10 days before the ceremonies: 35
  

  150��international flags will be displayed on either side of the stage to represent the countries and regions of faculty, staff and students at Syracuse University. (Photo by Ross Knight)

• Commencement stage details: The stage is 56 feet wide by 44 feet deep and is constructed from 77 sections of portable stage decks.
• Number of feet of custom blue velour draping used as a backdrop on the various stages: 1,000
• Approximate number of��international flags displayed on either side of the stage to represent the countries and regions of faculty, staff and students at Syracuse University: 150
  

  50,000 students, faculty, staff and guests will attend the various Commencement week ceremonies at the Dome and Lally Complex. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

• Number of ceremonies during commencement weekend: 52
• Number of caps and gowns distributed: Over 5,000
• Number of diploma covers and frames sold: Over 1,000
• Number of stole of gratitude’s sold: Over 1,200
• Number of chairs on the Dome turf field for the graduating students during Commencement: 4,000
• Number of plants used during Commencement weekend as greenery (and later planted on campus after the ceremonies): More than 600
• Number of Commencement attendees that Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services will provide lodging for: 100
• What it will take to change over the Dome from Commencement to the first round of the men’s lacrosse NCAA tournament: 30 individuals working together to fill eight 30-foot box trucks in a three-hour window

What to Expect��

• Approximate number of students, faculty, staff and guests will attend the various Commencement week ceremonies at the Dome and Lally Complex: 50,000
• Anticipated high temperature for the day: 59 degrees (record high: 85 in 2022; record low: 30 in 1963)

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Congratulations to the Class of 2024 who will join more than 250,000 proud Orange alumni around the world. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

First-generation college students Melanie Salas (left), Jean Castilla (center) and Brianna Gillfillian discuss the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned and their plans for after graduation.

A trio of first-generation college students have demonstrated hard work and resiliency and shown how they ultimately set themselves on the path that will culminate Sunday morning inside the JMA Wireless Dome when they become the first members of their families to earn college degrees during Syracuse University’s .

• Melanie Salas ’24 was inspired by a high school coach to challenge herself to realize that she could do anything she set her mind to.
• Jean Castilla ’24 worked hard to strengthen his knowledge base and earn admission into a prestigious New York City high school that would prepare him for the rigors of college.
• Brianna Gillfillian ’24 pushed the limits of her comfort zone to leave her home country of Jamaica to earn a college degree and rely on the kindness of strangers to pay her way to Syracuse University through a GoFundMe account.

Surrounded by the nearly 6,700 fellow degree recipients, and in front of their families and friends, Salas, Castilla and Gillfillian will join the ranks of the more than 250,000 proud Orange alumni around the world, knowing that, hopefully, their stories will inspire other would-be college students to overcome their fears and blaze their own paths.

Leading up to convocation, these talented first-generation students sat down with SU News to discuss the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned and their plans for after graduation.

Melanie Salas ’24

Melanie Salas

Path to Syracuse University: “When I was in elementary school, people always told me I wouldn’t be anything in life. It motivated me and forced me to grow into the person I am today. When I was in high school, my softball coach helped me discover that I could do anything in this world, and that really inspired me to go out and learn as much as I can. My parents [Juan Salas and Lorena Granados] did everything for me to get to Syracuse University and now I am set to graduate early, and I’m just so thankful for the mentors on campus who helped me overcome the struggles I faced.”

Academic major: Biology ()

Involvement on campus: Our Time Has Come Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, orientation leader, Research Experience for Undergraduates, research assistant with SUNY Upstate Medical University, Food Recovery Network (part of the Catholic Center)

Best piece of advice: “Always put your foot in every single door, because you never know when the opportunity will come along that could change your life. Whenever I could, I represented myself, stood up and spoke out and from those moments, I grew into the person I wanted to be, who helped make change on campus. All those people who told me I would never be anything inspired me to bring about change to my community. You truly start on the path toward your dreams once you come to campus.”

Plans after graduation: Will be enrolling in Baylor University’s cell, molecular, health and disease biology graduate program, with the goal of earning a Ph.D. and one day opening her own research lab focused on studying ways to improve the overall health and well-being of society. “I want to help those who don’t have access to opportunities I’ve had. I want to give back to those less fortunate and help make a difference in our community.”

Jean Castilla ’24

Jean Castilla

Path to Syracuse University: “It’s been a mission of mine to attend college since I was in middle school. When I was in the eighth grade, instead of playing with my friends or playing video games, I was studying for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, which is used to determine who gets into one of the top eight specialized high schools in New York City. I was admitted into the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, and was on a path to college from there. The decision to focus on my studies changed the trajectory of my life and my family’s life. My mom, Rosa, made a lot of sacrifices so I could pursue an education, and knowing what she sacrificed drove me and inspired me.”

Academic major: Entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises ()

Involvement on campus: Our Time Has Come Scholar, Hendricks Chapel Scholarship, Whitman Internship Scholarship, Veteran Legacy Fund Scholarship, Lois and Martin J. Whitman Scholarship, Office of Veterans and Military Affairs Scholarship, Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Florence Scholarship, student liaison in the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs

Best piece of advice: “Especially for my fellow first-generation students, a big thing is to have faith that everything will work out. Having faith in yourself and believing in your abilities is something we all need to practice. If you can’t believe in yourself, it won’t happen. I know I’ve gone through a lot of obstacles and adversity in my life, but every time I remind myself that I’m just being tested to see if I’m ready to move on to the next chapter in my life.”

Plans after graduation: Castilla currently serves as a crew chief in the Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing and has a job lined up in the military once he graduates. He’s also planning on continuing his career as an entrepreneur, “creating an established business where I’m the CEO and I can help other people in my community. That’s my ideal situation. I want to be able to give back because I’ve been helped tremendously on my journey.”

Brianna Gillfillian ’24

Brianna Gillfillian

Path to Syracuse University: “My high school curriculum in Jamaica emphasized math, English and information technology, so I had a lot of experience in those fields and it was something I was genuinely good at and enjoyed. My parents didn’t graduate from high school, so after I graduated, people asked me ‘why don’t you stay in Jamaica for college?’ I knew I had to come to America, but I didn’t have the money to pay for a flight to Syracuse, so I personally launched a GoFundMe to get me to Syracuse. Because nobody in my family went to college, I relied on my high school guidance counselors for advice, and in terms of my finances, I had to do everything on my own. I learned that I am resilient from this process. It would have been easy to just stay in Jamaica, get a scholarship and get my degree but I knew if I didn’t go away to college I would regret it. I had a vision for myself and would stop at nothing to make it happen.”

Academic major: Computer science ()

Involvement on campus: Our Time Has Come Scholar, National Society of Black Engineers, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, Alpha Kappa Psi (business fraternity), Delta Sigma Theta (sorority), Kalabash Dance Troupe, Scholars on a Mission, Save our Child’s Heart Foundation

Best piece of advice: “I feel being as outgoing as possible helped me connect with the University and discover my community. I love being involved in organizations, and I feel that through my involvement I was able to put myself out there and become the person and the leader I wanted to be.”

Plans after graduation: Will be enrolling in Syracuse University’s engineering management program in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with the goal of one day working in product management or project management within the field of technology or engineering. “I’m a very creative person, and I’m always thinking in terms of the user experience and design when it comes to the different apps. I want to make sure that whatever product I’m helping to develop is suitable and maximizes the user experience.”

Photos by Chuck Wainwright

On Friday, May 3, the College of Law held its Commencement exercises for the Class of 2024, which included 208 recipients of the juris doctor (J.D.) degree, 26 master of law graduates (LL.M.) and one doctor of juridical science degree (S.J.D.).

Commencement Speaker the Hon. James E. Graves Jr. G’80, L’80, U.S. Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Class of 2024 Commencement Speaker the Hon. James E. Graves Jr. G’80, L’80, U.S. Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, said, in part, “Begin each day expecting that the world owes you nothing, because it doesn’t, and then you will be delighted with every kind word, every helping hand and every little smile, which is given to you during the day. Remember that as you go through life, you will inevitably encounter and interact with people. You’re making memories for those people. Make those memories, those moments, positive.”

Dean Craig M. Boise addresses the students and their families.

Dean Craig M. Boise said to the class, “In a world that is increasingly characterized by division, injustice and inequality, the need for principled, compassionate and courageous advocates has never been greater. You are the future leaders of the legal profession, and the challenges that lie ahead will require vision, integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice. Let your actions speak louder than words and let your commitment to justice be a beacon of hope in a world that is often filled with darkness.”

Teaching Professor and Associate Dean of Academic and Bar Success Kelly Curtis receiving the Res Ipsa Loquitor Award.

During Commencement, the J.D. Class of 2024 awarded Teaching Professor and Associate Dean of Academic and Bar Success Kelly Curtis the Res Ipsa Loquitor Award (voted upon by the graduating class in recognition of a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to the College of Law) and Assistant Director of Student Experience Vicki Donella the Staff Award (voted upon by the graduating class in recognition of a College of Law staff member in recognition of their support of students and faculty, and their accomplishments that make the college run day-to-day).

The LL.M. Class of 2024 awarded Associate Professor of Law Jenny Breen the Lucet Lex Mundum Award (voted upon by the graduating LL.M. class, it recognizes the professor who has made a significant impact on the success and experiences of LL.M. students during their studies).

In just a few days, Syracuse University will celebrate the academic accomplishments of roughly 6,700 students at this year’s Commencement. We are excited to honor this important rite of passage—a culmination of years of hard work. And, for many of our graduating seniors, this will be the first graduation they’ll have the opportunity to experience. We are committed to giving our students a memorable Commencement experience; they’ve earned it!

We are writing to share some important information about what you can expect this weekend and what you can do to support our students.

• First, as a reminder, Commencement is scheduled for Sunday, May 12, at the JMA Wireless Dome. The ceremony will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.
• Please arrive early to allow you time to make your way through security and find your seats.
• As is the case with all events in the Dome, our clear bag policy will be in place. Please review the . So, you’re aware, this means only the following bags can be brought into the Dome:
  • 12” x 6” x 12” clear tote bag (one bag per person)
  • One-gallon clear plastic storage bag (one bag per person)
  • 5” x 6.5” clutch or small purse (one bag per person)
  • Diaper bag
  • All other bags are prohibited and will not be allowed into the Dome.
• The Dome will also have its standard event security. This means you will need to enter the Dome through walkthrough metal detectors. You will be asked to present your cell phones, cameras and any other metal objects. Please be advised, additional metal detection may be necessary.
• Several items are not permitted in the Dome. They include air horns and noisemakers; amplified sound devices; banners, signs and flags; and balloons, among other items. Please review the full list of .

These are just a handful of some of the most important pieces of information. We encourage you to save the .

On behalf of everyone at Syracuse University, we look forward to welcoming you to campus and celebrating the success of our graduates.

Many thanks,

Major Events Team

Lisa Fontenelli

The Whitman School of Management is proud to announce that Lisa Fontenelli ’86 (Whitman School/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications) will be the school’s Class of 2024 convocation speaker. Fontenelli retired in 2017 as partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs, a world-renowned investment bank. She is a University Trustee and was chair of the Whitman Advisory Council for several years. Her support of Whitman has focused on experiential learning opportunities with an emphasis on immersive experiences in New York City.

During her decorated career, Fontenelli was global head of securities research and deputy head of the Global Investment Research Division, overseeing all equity and credit research globally. After starting her career in equity securities sales and research, she was named a Goldman partner in 2006 and served on the firm’s partnership committee.

Fontenelli holds an honorary doctorate of business administration from Georgian Court University, where she served as a trustee for 12 years, and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Misericordia University. These honors were awarded for her long-standing philanthropic support of the educational mission of the Sisters of Mercy, including initiatives around the world that provide educational opportunities for young women to build skills in critical thinking, leadership, collaboration and philanthropy. Throughout her career, Fontenelli has mentored many on the path of management and leadership development.

“We are delighted to have Lisa Fontenelli speak with our graduating class this year. This is the first convocation speaker that Whitman has had in some time, and Lisa brings a wealth of experience from a variety of global leadership roles,” says Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School. “She has been very active in providing advice and support to Whitman and Syracuse University and has a strong understanding of the current challenges graduating students face. She has sage advice about motivation, value creation and what it means to be Orange. I think her message will resonate well with the graduating class.”

The convocation for the Whitman School is Saturday, May 11, at 4 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.

It’s time to celebrate the Class of 2024! (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Bring on the pomp and circumstance! Graduates, it’s time for ! It’s the moment to recognize your academic accomplishments and celebrate with family and friends and the University community.

Syracuse University’s Commencement exercises will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome Sunday, May 12, beginning with the degree candidates’ procession at 9:30 a.m.

The Mayor of Florence, Italy, Dario Nardella, will deliver the keynote address.

School and college convocations and Commencement will also be livestreamed. Visit the May 9-12 to view the ceremonies online. The College of Law held its Commencement exercises during a ceremony Friday, May 3.

At Sunday’s Commencement, nearly 6,700 students are expected to graduate.

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud will address the graduates and confer degrees. Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter will give the welcome.

Graduates during Commencement 2023 in the JMA Wireless Dome (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

The University will recognize five honorary degree recipients:

• Hilton Als, writer at The New Yorker
• Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, former Syracuse men’s basketball coach and special assistant to the director of athletics;
• husband and wife, William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68, chairman of a specialized investment firm and an investment management firm, and Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68, a National Museum and Library Services Board member; and
• Lynn Conway, inventor of methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated silicon chips.

Joanne M. Mahoney ’87, L’90, president, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, will offer a greeting and recognize SUNY ESF degree candidates.

Bea González G’04, former vice president for community engagement, special assistant to the chancellor and dean of University College, will serve as mace bearer.

Tadodaho Sidney Hill, of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, will give the ceremonial opening. The Rev. Dr. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, will give the invocation. Peter A. Gianesini Jr. ’94, president of the Syracuse University Alumni Association, will welcome the newest alumni.

Student Marshals and Scholars

Representing the Class of 2024, Lucio Maffei and Sofia Rodriguez are the senior class marshals and will lead graduates during the ceremony.

(Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Along with the all-University marshals, 24 student marshals represent the 13 schools and colleges at the University. The marshals will lead the degree candidates of their respective schools or colleges.

Twelve seniors have been designated as Syracuse University Scholars. This is the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. University Scholar Yvonne Chen-Yih Kuo was selected as the student speaker on behalf of the Class of 2024.

Retiring faculty members who have been recommended to receive the title of emeritus by the University Senate to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees will be recognized by Jamie L. Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs.

The University Marshal is Kira Reed, associate professor of management, Whitman School of Management. Associate University Marshal is James K. Duah-Agyeman G’99, director of Multicultural Affairs.

Also during the ceremonies, Army and Air Force ROTC cadets will present the colors.

The Syracuse University Wind Ensemble will perform under the direction of conductors Bradley P. Ethington and Timothy W. Diem.

The national anthem will be sung by Patrick Seward ’24, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and Katherine Craig ’24, College of Visual and Performing Arts and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will sing the alma mater.

Clear Bag Policy, Security and Other Important Information

The University has a , which will be in effect for Commencement weekend. Metal-detecting devices will be used at all ceremonies, school/college Convocations and Commencement at all JMA Dome entry gates, as well as at the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, Hendricks Chapel, the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building and the Schine Student Center for both graduates and their guests.

To ensure that all guests have a safe and enjoyable visit, guests are not permitted to bring the following items into ceremony venues:

• air horns and noisemakers
• alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs
• amplified sound devices
• animals (excluding certified service animals)
• backpacks
• balloons and confetti
• banners, signs and flags
• cameras (with a 6-inch zoom lens or greater)
• coolers (including small soft-sided coolers)
• food and beverages (except for special needs)
• action cameras/selfie sticks
• laptops/tablets/tripods
• large purse or bags
• laser pointers
• open water bottles
• pocketknives or knives of any kind
• skateboards or Frisbees
• sports balls of any kind
• video recording equipment
• weapons of any kind

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(Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

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Class of 2024 Giving Campaign

��before��Friday, May 10,��to receive special orange, white and silver cords to wear at Commencement!

Fill up the Wishing Well!

Are you a soon-to-be grad or a friend or family member of someone graduating? Mark the milestone with a $24 gift in honor of the Class of 2024 to the Annual Fund and to have it featured on our Wishing Well website!

More information about Commencement 2024 can be found at .

The Student Experience Division has announced the selection of Mark Nzasi and Yifan “Ivan” Shen as the 2025 Senior Class Marshals. In this honorable role, Nzasi and Shen will lead their graduating class during Commencement, help to recommend the Commencement speaker, meet with senior University administrators to discuss their student experience and offer insights and suggestions, in addition to representing their class at Universitywide functions, networking with alumni and more.

“Woven throughout the tapestry of Nzasi’s and Shen’s undergraduate careers are their shared passions for academic excellence, campus involvement, personal development and community support. Serving as honorable representatives for the Class of 2025 will only further amplify a positive impact on the student experience now and into the future,” says , vice president for student engagement in Student Experience.

Mark Nzasi
Joining the Orange community from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and starting his collegiate journey in Madrid, Spain, as a Discovery student, Nzasi is a junior majoring in neuroscience and psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. His dedication to academics, service and leadership has been showcased early and often throughout his undergraduate career as an Invest in Success Scholarship recipient, through Dean’s List recognitions, as a participant in the Renée Crown University Honors Program and the Coronat Scholars Program, a 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar and through the Sanofi U.S. Scholarship, among other honors.

Nzasi eagerly awaits the opportunity to serve as a senior class marshal, representing the Class of 2025 and bridging connections between students, administration and the Orange community. “I would not be here today if not for my family and the incredible Orange community that’s supported me and always challenged me to be better each and every day. I’m excited to give back to this community and advocate for my peers,” he says.

As an aspiring physician, Nzasi has actively engaged in research and academic projects. His undergraduate research focuses on investigating the effects of maternal separation on adolescent CD-1 mice, aiming to shed light on the relationship between early-life adversity and the emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. As a project aide, Nzasi contributes to the exploration of intricate cellular mechanisms, and their association with underlying human conditions such as degenerative eye diseases, to develop interventions to mitigate disease progression.

Outside of the classroom, Nzasi has immersed himself into a variety of student experiences including serving as the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Theta Xi vice president, implementing health care initiatives and promoting representation in medicine through the Black Pre-Medical Society, and as an orientation leader.

During his time as a member of the Black Honors Society, he was the professional development chair and co-founder of the University’s first student-organized Black Excellence Gala, a celebration of the remarkable achievements of Black students and students of Afro-descent on campus. He also supports and or is a member of the Our Time Has Come Scholarship, Men of Color Initiative (MCI) and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP).

As an active member within the larger Syracuse and global communities and fueled through his passion for hands-on clinical experience, Nzasi gives back through volunteer experiences. Highlights include Riina Education for Innovation, empowering African refugee women through English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring, and leveraging his immigrant background and Swahili language skills to facilitate learning and essential computer skills. He served in Global Medical Brigades, assisting in sustainable clinical stations such as triage, dentistry and public health education. In his homeland, at Kitui County Referral Hospital of Kenya, he shadowed physicians during emergency surgeries and provided crucial support. Volunteering at Dr. King Elementary School and as a Sigma Beta Club mentor at Nottingham High School, Nzasi has exemplified his commitment to making a positive impact.

Reflecting on his journey, Nzasi draws inspiration from his roots in Kenya and the sacrifices his family made to find better opportunities in the United States.�� “As someone who believes in the ideal that representation is the lens through which we dream, I applied to be a senior class marshal as a testimony to show others that they don’t have to succumb to the stories that society places on them,” shares Nzasi. “I aim to utilize this platform to empower all minority youth, regardless of their background, to recognize that with belief in themselves, they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.”

Yifan “Ivan” Shen
Hailing from Shanghai, China, Shen is a junior pursuing dual majors of architecture in the School of Architecture and music history and cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences, in addition to a vocal performance minor in the Setnor School of Music.

Academic highlights include being named a 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar, Dean’s List recognitions and being a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. He is a recipient of the Asian Design Award, Alfred L. Kaskel Scholarship, Peter J. Moore Award for Excellence in Architecture Sketching, the Doug Whitney ’80 School of Architecture Global Experience Award and the Maxwell Citizenship Scholarship.

Through immersive learning and a dedication to research, Shen has placed his knowledge into action globally. Across continents he has worked with award-winning offices in Madrid, Kigali (Rwanda), New York City and Shanghai. Highlights of his contributions further include exhibitions, journal publications and supporting peers as a tutor and teaching assistant.

“I attended local schools under the communist regime in China and constantly faced shocks politically, culturally and interpersonally in foreign environments. My years at Syracuse University witnessed the possibility of a non-fluent English speaker from a totally different background becoming a campus leader,” shares Shen. “Being selected as a senior class marshal demonstrates the University leadership’s success in making the campus an inclusive environment where international students like me can find ways to grow and thrive.”

As a senior class marshal, Shen hopes to continue to support peers through inspiration and action. “I am excited to demonstrate to my fellow students that your identity does not limit what you can achieve. By showing them the capacities they possess and the opportunities the University provides, I hope to inspire more students to become as involved as I am.”

Reflecting on his own experience as an international student, Shen co-founded the International Mentor Squad (IMS), organizing events to further help international students who were nervous about branching out to make friends and merge into the community. He has been an active member of the School of Architecture Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee, a founding member of Architecture’s Honors Society, National Organization of Minority Students design team chair, member of the Hendricks Chapel Choir and member of the School of Architecture social media team. As a Hendricks Chapel Sunday Mass cantor, Syracuse Abroad Global Ambassador and more, Shen further supports others.

Oliver Fernandez ’08

Oliver Fernandez ’08 graduated with a civil engineering degree and played for the Syracuse University football team. He now lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Leah, and their two children. Fernandez owns McKenzie, a construction company that has successfully completed over $100 million worth of projects.

Fernandez will be the keynote speaker at the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s 2024 Convocation at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. The convocation will be held at the Lally Athletics Complex.

We asked Fernandez to talk about how he established his career and his advice for current students.

Hilton Als, writer at The New Yorker; Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, former Syracuse men’s basketball coach and special assistant to the director of athletics; husband and wife, William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68, chairman of a specialized investment firm and an investment management firm, and Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68, a National Museum and Library Services Board member; and Lynn Conway, inventor of methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated silicon chips, will be honored for their outstanding achievements in their professional careers and the difference they have made in the lives of others.

Hilton Als
Doctor of Letters

Hilton Als (Photo credit: Ali Smith)

Als is an award-winning journalist, critic and curator. He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1994. Prior to The New Yorker, Als was a staff writer for the Village Voice and an editor-at-large at Vibe. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2017), Yale’s Windham-Campbell Literature Prize (2016), the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism (2002-03) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2000).

His first book, “The Women,” was published in 1996. His next book, “White Girls,” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the winner of the Lambda Literary Award in 2014. His most recent book, “My Pinup,” a meditation on love and of loss, of Prince and of desire, was published in November 2022.

In 2017, he curated the critically lauded exhibition “Alice Neel, Uptown,” which traveled from David Zwirner, New York, to Victoria Miro, London and Venice. In 2019, Als presented “God Made My Face: A Collective Portrait of James Baldwin” at David Zwirner, New York, followed by Frank Moore at, David Zwirner, New York (2021) and Toni Morrison’s “Black Book,” at David Zwirner, New York (2022). He curated a series of three successive exhibitions for the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, of the work of Celia Paul (2018), Lynette Yiadom-Boakye (2019) and Njideka Akunyili Crosby (2022). In 2022, he curated “Joan Didion: What She Means” at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, which traveled to the Perez Art Museum Miami in 2023. He curated Jared Buckhiester “No heaven, no how,” which opened March 2024 at the David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles.

Als is currently a teaching professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and has also taught at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, Princeton University, Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Drama.

Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73
Doctor of Humane Letters

Jim Boeheim

Hall of Fame member Jim Boeheim had a remarkable run as head coach at his alma mater, Syracuse University. Boeheim guided the Orange to winning records in 46 of 47 campaigns. Syracuse made 35 trips into the NCAA Tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013 and 2016. The Orange won the national championship in 2003. Boeheim retired from coaching after the 2023 season but continues to work for the University.

Boeheim was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also honored with the John R. Wooden “Legends of Coaching” Award.

Boeheim enrolled at Syracuse in 1962 and was a walk-on with the basketball team. The Orange were 22-6 overall his senior year and earned the program’s second-ever NCAA Tournament berth. He earned a bachelor’s from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a master’s from the Maxwell School. In 1969 he turned to a career in coaching and was hired as a graduate assistant at Syracuse. In 1976, he was named head coach.

A four-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Boeheim has been honored as NABC District II Coach of the Year 10 times and USBWA District II Coach of the Year on four occasions. In the fall of 2000, he received Syracuse University’s Arents Award, the school’s highest alumni honor.

Boeheim was named 2001 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year. He has served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic teams that won gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016, and the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.

A champion of many charitable causes, Boeheim and his wife started the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation with the goal of enriching the lives of kids in need.

Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68
Doctor of Humane Letters

Joan Breier Brodsky (Photo credit: Richard Shay)

Joan Brodsky graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1967 with a bachelor’s in Latin language and literature and went on to graduate from the School of Information Studies (formerly the School of Library Science) in 1968 with a master of science degree.

Joan is passionate and knowledgeable about rare book and cultural heritage conservation and has been active nationally for many years, including sitting on the board of the Newberry Library in Chicago, as a Trustee for the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library, as well as the library advisory board of the Jewish Theological Seminary. She also served on the Advisory Board for the School of Information Studies and has been a member of the Syracuse University Libraries Advisory Board since its founding.

In 2022, Joan was appointed by President Joe Biden to the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the largest federal funder of America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development.

At Syracuse University, she is the founder and sponsor of the Brodsky Series for Advancement of Library Conservation. This sponsored program promotes and advances knowledge of library conservation theory, practice and application among wide audiences, both on campus, in the region and now online. This is an annual lecture series and workshop on book and paper conservation now in its 19th year.

In 2022, she and her husband Bill, a Syracuse University life trustee, funded the Conservation Lab in the Bird library and the Joan Breier Brodsky Media Preservation Vault in honor of Joan’s commitment to the preservation and conservation at the Bird Library.

Joan and Bill have been married for 57 years and reside in Chicago.

William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68
Doctor of Laws

William “Bill” Brodsky (Photo credit: Richard Shay)

Bill is chairman of Cedar Street Asset Management, LLC, an investment management firm devoted to investing in equity securities in international markets, and chairman of Bosun Asset Management, a specialized investment firm.

During his combined 35-year career at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), he was recognized as a global leader in the development of the future and options markets. His contributions to Chicago’s futures and options markets were a major factor in Chicago’s becoming the world’s preeminent city for the futures and options markets.

Bill served as chairman of the CBOE Holdings Inc. now known as CBOE Global Markets and its predecessor firms between 1997 and 2017. He also served as the chief executive officer of the CBOE from 1997 to 2013. During his CBOE tenure, he served as the chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges and the International Options Market Association. From 1985 to 1997, he was president and CEO at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Bill, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School and a law degree from the College of Law, began his career in 1968 at the Wall Street-based investment banking and securities brokerage firm of Model, Roland and Co. Inc. In 1974, he joined the American Stock Exchange and ultimately was executive vice president for operations.

In 1982, he became executive vice president and chief operating officer of the CME. In 1985, he was appointed president and CEO of the CME.

In 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker named him to co-chair the newly formed State’s Pension Consolidation Feasibility Task Force. In 2022, he was inducted into “The Order of Lincoln,” the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service.

Brodsky is chair emeritus of the board of directors of Navy Pier Inc., one of Chicago’s most iconic cultural destinations, and past chair of the board of directors of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Brodsky was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022 to the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which maintains a special reserve fund authorized by Congress to help investors at failed brokerage firms.

Lynn Conway
Doctor of Science

Lynn Conway

Conway is a renowned computer scientist who revolutionized global information technology by inventing methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) silicon chips. Her work paved the way for the powerful microchips that animate modern high-technology systems.

As a young engineer at IBM Research in the 1960s, Conway made pioneering innovations in computer architecture. Sadly, IBM fired her in 1968 upon learning she was undergoing gender transition. She restarted her career in a new identity in “stealth-mode” after completing her transition.

While working at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s, Conway innovated breakthrough methods that enabled engineers to design very powerful, complex chips. In 1980, Conway’s seminal textbook “Introduction to VLSI Systems,” co-authored by Caltech Professor Carver Mead, became an instant classic, forever transforming computing and information technology. Professor John V. Oldfield brought the new VLSI methods into Syracuse right at the beginning of that revolution.

In the early 1980s, Conway became assistant director for strategic computing at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In 1985 she joined the University of Michigan as professor of electrical engineering and computer science and associate dean of engineering.

When nearing retirement in 1999 she began quietly coming out as a trans woman, using her new to share her story with friends and colleagues. Conway became active in transgender advocacy.

In 2012 Conway published a that revealed how—closeted and hidden behind the scenes—she conceived the ideas and orchestrated the events that disruptively changed global industries.

Conway is a life fellow of the IEEE, fellow of the AAAS, winner of Computer Pioneer Award of the IEEE Computer Society, member of the Hall of Fellows of the Computer History Museum, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and holds five honorary degrees. In 2023 she was inducted into the for the invention of VLSI. She was awarded the by the and the .

In 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna on behalf of the company for back in 1968. the IBM Lifetime Achievement Award.

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The Mayor of Florence, Italy, Dario Nardella, will deliver address Sunday, May 12, in the JMA Wireless Dome. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Nardella was first elected in 2014 and is currently serving his second term as mayor of the Renaissance city. He also serves as Special Rapporteur for Ukraine at the European Union (EU) Committee of the Regions and secretary general of Eurocities, a nonprofit organization made up of over 200 large cities, representing more than 150 million people across 38 countries, from within and outside the EU. He previously served as its president from 2020 to 2023.

Nardella’s city shares a deep connection with the University, as it is home to the . The Syracuse Abroad program, at the historic Villa Rossa, has welcomed tens of thousands of Syracuse students for more than 60 years.

“The City of Florence has hosted generations of Syracuse University students, and we are delighted to welcome Mayor Nardella to our campus to address the Class of 2024,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “His leadership of such a globally significant artistic, cultural and historical city, along with his collaboration with city leaders across Europe, will make for an inspired Commencement message to our graduating students, their families and the University community.”

Nardella’s visit is a continuation of the affinity between Syracuse University and Florence and its people.

“It’s always an honor and a privilege when one is called to address young people. But, we should always be aware that with honor and privilege also comes responsibility, more so, when the recipients are young professionals who will one day be our future leading class,” Nardella says. “I’m humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. Thank you for this opportunity and thank you, Syracuse University and Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence for your long-lasting commitment to the city of Florence, to the values it embodies and to the community I serve.”

Nardella graduated with a law degree with first class-honours at the University of Florence, where he also earned a Ph.D. in public law, construction and environmental law. He is also a graduate in violin from the Conservatorium Cherubini in Florence.

A professor at the University of Florence where he teaches Cultural Heritage Law, Nardella started his political career in 2004 when he was elected councilman for the City of Florence in the Democratic Party. He served as legal advisor to the Minister of Institutional Reforms during Romano Prodi’s premiership (2006-2008). In 2008, he was selected by the U.S. State Department to attend the International Visitor Leadership Program. In 2009, he was once again elected to the Florence City Council and appointed vice mayor.

Nardella has held several other elected and leadership roles. In 2013, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament and member of the Commission for tourism, industry and trade. In 2014, Nardella was elected as ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities) coordinator for Metropolitan Cities. He has been a member of the Global Executive Committee of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, as well as representative for the Europe Regional Seat. Since 2021, he has served as the appointed “Champion Mayor” by the “OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth” initiative. Most recently, in 2022, Nardella was elected representative of the local governments in the European Committee of the Regions, for which he is also special rapporteur for Ukraine.

Nardella is the author of the book “La città universale. Dai sindaci un futuro per l’Italia e l’Europa” (“The Universal City: A Future for Italy and Europe from the Mayors”). The book explores his time as mayor—and as a citizen of Florence—sharing his hopes for the future of his city.

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Ridgeway has also served as graduate research assistant for the (EHN) and received a $10,000 grant from Humanities New York to help high school students at the North Side Learning Center create a speech and debate team. Those students went on to successfully compete in public forum debate tournaments, Model United Nations and New York State History Day.������

A native of Boise, Idaho, Ridgeway received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Boise State University and a master’s degree in literature from the University of Vermont. He says he chose Syracuse University for doctoral studies because of the unique community engagement emphasis of the composition and cultural rhetoric program.

Ridgeway recently discussed his experiences here, his passion for community-engaged scholarship and his plans after graduation.

For more Commencement coverage, check out the keynote address by Donna E. Shalala G’70, H’87, former U.S. secretary of health and human services, Chancellor Kent Syverud’s remarks, student speaker Chelsea D. Brown ’23 addressing her fellow classmates��and a surprise video message delivered to graduates by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68.

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

The Class of 2023 processes at Commencement 2023. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Ross Knight)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Ross Knight)

Donna E. Shalala G’70, H’87, former U.S. secretary of health and human services, delivers the keynote address. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Chancellor Syverud addresses the Class of 2023. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Provost Gretchen Ritter offers her congratulations to graduates. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68 addresses graduates via a surprise virtual message at Commencement 2023. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

University Scholar Chelsea D. Brown ’23 addresses the Class of 2023. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Ross Knight)

From left: Student speaker Chelsea D. Brown ’23, incoming chair of the University’s Board of Trustees Jeff Scruggs and Joanie Mahoney, president of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, are all smiles at Commencement 2023. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Former student experience leader Cerri A. Banks ’00, G’04, G’06 was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters (posthumously) at 2023 Commencement. Her parents, Deryk and Cynthia Banks, accept the degree from Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Michael Crow G’85, president of Arizona State University, receives an honorary doctor of science degree from Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

David R. MacDonald, internationally renowned artist and professor emeritus of ceramics, is awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts degree by Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Kathleen A. Walters ’73, chair emeritus of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, receives an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at Commencement 2023. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Ross Knight)

A picture-perfect photo opportunity with Otto, Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (second from right), and Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

2023 Commencement (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Commencement 2023 (Photo by Ross Knight)

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud addressed the Class of 2023 during Commencement exercises Sunday, May 14, at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Chancellor Syverud noted the efforts of students during the challenges of the pandemic. “I don’t think there is any student body in the United States that did a better job throughout the pandemic in remaining open, in person, and safe. It was a heavy lift for all of us,” Chancellor Syverud said.

“I just want to remind you that we did remain open and in person for instruction and activities starting in the summer of 2020. Unlike almost all schools in the northeast, we did not close down in person for a year or more. Unlike almost all schools in the south and the midwest, we reopened and stayed open safely. We took so many steps, and enforced so many rules and restrictions, to contain the virus. For almost a year, we all lived under public health rules in New York State that said that if we had just 100 or more positive COVID tests among our 30,000-person campus population, we had to close down, most likely for the rest of the semester and the year. We came close to closing, but we made it, thanks to all of you and all of us.”

Finally, as Chancellor Syverud wrapped up his address to the Class of 2023, he also made the following favorable announcement, in the spirit of grace that so many showed during the pandemic, and to the delight of the Commencement audience: “As Chancellor of Syracuse University, I hereby declare and direct an amnesty for, and the expungement of all records concerning, COVID-19 related student conduct violations.”

Projected onto the massive videoboard hanging from the ceiling of the JMA Wireless Dome, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68 extended a heartfelt congratulations to this year’s graduates while reminding them of the duty that comes with being a Syracuse University alumnus.

As the country works to rebuild its economy, eradicate systemic racism, stop deadly gun violence and tackle a global climate crisis, President Biden admitted the task isn’t easy for these Orange graduates.

The circumstances are reminiscent of 1968, when President Biden earned his law degree from the . Back then, the country was grappling with the Vietnam War, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and the civil rights, women’s rights and environmental protection movements.

Thanks to the world-class education they’ve received at Syracuse, President Biden expressed his confidence that the Class of 2023 will rise to the occasion and make its mark on the world.

“No class gets to choose the world it graduates into. But some, once in every few generations, have a chance to change the trajectory of the country and in turn the world. … You face an inflection point,” President Biden told the Commencement crowd after describing the special place Syracuse holds in his heart.

“You’re the most talented, tolerant, best-educated generation in American history. … You represent the best of us. Your generation will not be silenced or ignored. We need you. This is your moment.”

As a graduate student in the , Donna E. Shalala G’70, H’87 was no stranger to protesting whenever she thought an injustice was occurring.

It was all part of Shalala’s plan to never play it safe, and to keep advocating for what’s right and just. Shalala, who earned master’s and doctoral degrees in social science from the Maxwell School, delivered the keynote address during Syracuse University’s Commencement on Sunday, May 15, in the JMA Wireless Dome.

She challenged the Class of 2023—consisting of more than 6,100 graduates from all 50 states and 98 countries around the world—to solve the tough challenges that await them, to demand a voice in creating a better future and to become involved global citizens.

“You have arrived!” Donna E. Shalala G’70, H’87, Syracuse University’s Commencement Speaker, told the Class of 2023, encouraging them to “never play it safe.”

“You are opening a new chapter in your lives. But ultimately, you’re not going to be judged by your degree, but by your character. You won’t be judged by who you know, but who you are. You won’t be judged by what you earn, but what you contribute,” Shalala said. “When I was in your position years ago, I didn’t exactly know where life would take me, but I promised I would never play it safe. I’ve kept that promise and my deepest hope is that you won’t play it safe, either.”

Shalala has held prominent leadership roles in higher education and the federal government since graduating from Syracuse. She’s served as U.S. secretary of health and human services during Bill Clinton’s presidency, was president of the University of Miami and is Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy at the University of Miami.

Lauding the Class of 2023 as “the toughest class ever to graduate from Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry,” Shalala told the graduates that, as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, they already possess the skills to succeed.

“You leave this great university equipped with both the map and the compass. Your map is your degree. Your degree will open up new doors of opportunity and empower you to pursue your chosen career, or more accurately, your first career, second career, third career, fourth career and so on. The compass is something more intangible, but arguably more important. It is the spirit of community that has been part of your education here from day one,” Shalala said.

If they should find themselves struggling along the way, Shalala encouraged the Class of 2023 to rely on a familiar and friendly face: Otto the Orange. She credited Otto with two personality traits that will serve this year’s graduates well.

“Otto teaches us that a positive attitude can go a long way,” Shalala said. “Approach each day with gratitude and curiosity, with open arms, open eyes, open ears and open hearts.”

“Otto also teaches us that, as members of a community, we have a responsibility to treat every person we meet with kindness, with dignity, and with respect,” Shalala said. “Define the future in your individual relationships. The simplest kind gestures, however insignificant they may seem, can be woven into a brilliant tapestry of compassion, love and strength.”

As the student speaker at Commencement 2023, Chelsea D. Brown ’23 shared a video looking back on the past four years of growth and transformation and an emotional speech reflecting on the loss of her mother during her first year at Syracuse.

Referencing “In the Midst of It All,” a song by Yolanda Adams, Brown painted a picture of how she and so many others in the Class of 2023 have persevered to become the resilient individuals they are today. “In the midst of it all, you will have help to make it through,” she quoted from the song, echoing words of encouragement her mother offered as she left Miami for Syracuse four years ago.

“We stood side by side to lift each other up when we saw that one was about to fall. Our ability to overcome the obstacles that we faced during our four years is what makes us Orange. Through the midst of it all, we became our mothers’ wildest dreams,” Brown said. “To the Class of 2023, as you begin to move out of—or back into—your mothers’ houses, I ask you to take a moment to look around you. These are the faces that will stand beside you as you become the next pioneers, innovators and changemakers.”

Brown is a television, radio and film major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a University Scholar and Posse Scholar. She was selected to address the Class of 2023 by her peers.

More than three decades later, following an unconventional path that took him from an office job in Philadelphia to serving his community as a nonprofit advocate on the Tuscarora Reservation, Printup was driving a truck delivering The Buffalo News when he had a life-changing epiphany.

Ruchatneet Printup ’23, who is earning a degree in film from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is a 2023 Syracuse University Scholar, a VPA Scholar, and a Haudenosaunee Promise Scholar.

As he meditated, he realized a need to pursue his passions and return to school to earn a degree in film.

This week, Printup will graduate from Syracuse University’s with a . One of 12 University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows, Printup has made the most of his second undergraduate experience. A , Printup plans to use his degree to ensure more Native Americans’ voices and stories are represented in film.

“My purpose for coming back to Syracuse as an older student was not that we don’t have Native people in film and media, but we’re very underrepresented and we’ve been largely invisible for a lot of years. I think right now with the environmental crisis that we’re in and the Earth right now, an Indigenous voice is needed in the landscape of film and media. I feel like part of my purpose is how can I infuse that in narrative film to expand how we look at the world or how we look at ourselves,” says Printup, who will address VPA’s graduates during the school’s convocation ceremony.

On this Commencement-centric ’Cuse Conversation, Printup reveals how he will make a difference as a film director, how the University’s well-rounded course load made him a better storyteller and why as soon as he walked into his first class at Syracuse, he knew he was where he was meant to be.

Printup, who says he had to venture outside his comfort zone and become fearless while making the difficult adjustment of going back to college later in life, also explores the documentary he produced on Native American boarding schools that served as a springboard to his current career path, and how he inspired his daughter, Yegunahareeta (Hareeta), to follow his lead and pursue her dreams as a fashion design student in VPA.

Check out episode 139 of the “�Ļ��ܲ��� ��DzԱ���������پ��DzԲ�” podcast featuring Ruchatneet Printup ’23. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

Graduates from the Class of 2023 celebrate around campus. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

As we celebrate the Class of 2023, there are many important details that the graduates and their families and friends need to know about the various celebrations happening on campus this weekend. But what about all the behind-the-scenes details that make up the festivities and the work that goes into preparing for Commencement?

Check out this roundup of some of the numbers behind the University’s academic celebrations this weekend:

Class of 2023 Takes the Stage

• Number of students graduating: 6,160
  

  2023 Syracuse University graduation cap and tassel. (Photo by Ross Knight)

• Number of schools and colleges represented: 13
• Number of degrees given: 6,503
• Number of honorary degree recipients: 4
• Number of degrees and certificates that will be awarded for the first time this academic year: 9
• Average age of the Class of 2023: 25
• Age of oldest graduate: 72
  

  Students celebrating Commencement weekend. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

• Age of youngest graduate: 19
• Number of student-athletes receiving degrees: 125
• Number of U.S. states represented by the Class of 2023: 50
• Number of countries represented: 98

Behind-the-Scenes

• 

  Banners representing the University’s 13 schools and colleges. (Photo by Ross Knight)

  Number of production crew members and technicians who set up the Commencement stage at the JMA Wireless Dome, College of Law Commencement and convocation stages at the Dome and the Lally Athletic Complex 10 days before the ceremonies: 35

• Commencement stage details: The stage is 56 feet wide by 36 feet deep and is constructed from 39 sections of portable stage decks.��The upper level ofthe stage is 6 feet high and the lower level is 4 feet high.
• Number of feet of custom blue velour draping used as a backdrop on the various stages: 1,000
  

  2,400 pounds of diced fruit will be served during Commencement weekend. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

• Approximate number of��international flags displayed on either side of the stage to represent the countries and regions of faculty, staff and students at Syracuse University: 150
• Number of ceremonies during commencement weekend: 49
• Number of caps and gowns distributed: Over 5,000
• Number of diploma covers and frames sold: 367
• Number of chairs on the Dome turf field for the graduating students during Commencement: 4,000

Cupcakes made by the University’s bake shop. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Festive Food

• Number of cupcakes for the various ceremonies: 8,000
• Number of sandwiches to be served: 10,000
• Pounds of cheese prepared: 1,500
• Pounds of fruit diced: 2,400
• Total gallons of lemonade, punch and iced tea made: 1,000
• Number of people to be served brunch at Drumlins and the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center: 1,100

What to Expect

• Anticipated high temperature for the day: 63 degrees fahrenheit (record high: 87 in 1942; record low: 30 in 1939)��

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Graduates from the Class of 2023 celebrate around campus. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Graduates, get ready for ! Join in an event-filled weekend to honor your academic accomplishments and celebrate with family and friends and the University community.

Syracuse University’s Commencement exercises will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome Sunday, May 14, beginning with the degree candidates’ procession at 9:30 a.m.

Donna E. Shalala G’70, H’87, former U.S. secretary of health and human services, will deliver the keynote address.

School and college convocations and Commencement will also be livestreamed. Visit the May 11-14 to view the ceremonies online. The College of Law held its Commencement exercises during a ceremony Friday, May 5.

At Sunday’s Commencement, over 6,000 students are expected to graduate.

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud will address the graduates and confer degrees. Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter will give the welcome.

The University will award honorary degrees to four distinguished recipients: the late Cerri Banks ’00, G’04, G’06, who served as the University’s vice president and deputy to the senior vice president of student experience; Michael Crow G’85, president of Arizona State University; David R. MacDonald, artist and professor emeritus of ceramics; and Kathleen A. Walters ’73, retired executive vice president of Georgia-Pacific and the first woman to serve as chair of the University Board of Trustees.

Bea González G’04, former vice president for community engagement, special assistant to the chancellor and dean of University College, will serve as mace bearer.

Tadodaho Sidney Hill, of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, will give the ceremonial opening. The Rev. Dr. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, will give the invocation. Ryan McNaughton ’96, president of the Syracuse University Alumni Association, will offer a welcome to the newest alumni.

Student Marshals and Scholars

Representing the Class of 2023, Simone Bellot and Michael “MP” Geiss are the senior class marshals and will lead graduates during the ceremony. Bellot, majoring in communication sciences and disorders and neuroscience in the College of Arts and Sciences, is originally from Nassau, Bahamas. She is in the Renée Crown University Honors Program. Geiss, a Syracuse, New York native, is in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in policy studies and physics and minoring in biology and economics. He is also a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

Along with the all-University marshals, 22 student marshals represent the 13 schools and colleges at Syracuse University. The marshals will lead the degree candidates of their respective schools or colleges.

Twelve seniors have been designated as Syracuse University Scholars. This is the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. University Scholar Chelsea D. Brown was selected as the student speaker on behalf of the Class of 2023.

Retiring faculty members who have been recommended to receive the title of emeritus by the University Senate to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees will be recognized by Jamie L. Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs.

The University Marshal is Shiu-Kai Chin ’75, G’78, G’86, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence and professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Associate University Marshal is James K. Duah-Agyeman G’99, director of Multicultural Affairs.

Also during the ceremonies, Army and Air Force ROTC cadets will present the colors.

The Syracuse University Wind Ensemble will perform under the direction of conductor Bradley P. Ethington and Timothy W. Diem.

The national anthem will be sung by Madeline McDermott ’23, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and Ben O’Connell ’23, College of Visual and Performing Arts, will sing the alma mater.

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2023 Graduate IG Stickers

Continue the celebration on social media: Add to your Instagram stories with digital swag. Search for the latest Syracuse University GIF using the keyword “#SUGrad23.”

Welcome to the Orange Alumni Family

Graduates can check out programming for new alumni as part of —an exclusive welcome to the Orange alumni family.

Go to the Wishing Well

Are you a soon-to-be grad or a friend or family member of someone graduating? Mark the milestone with a gift to the General Scholarship Fund and by May 12 at 9 a.m. for a chance to see it featured on the JMA Dome’s big screens during Commencement.

More information about Commencement 2023 can be found at .

Stemming from intense astrophysical events like exploding stars, neutrinos are notoriously tricky to pin down and detect since they rarely interact with other particles.

Neutrinos can come from many sources, but Benevides Rodrigues studies the ones that come out of nuclear reactions and those that are made in particle accelerators.

Whenever a neutrino is formed, it comes in three different types: electron, muon and tau (this is where the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry analogy comes into play). But unlike those ice cream flavors, which exist in one primary flavor, neutrinos can change as they travel through space.

Starting with an internship with Fermilab, the country’s renowned particle physics and accelerator laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, Benevides Rodrigues’ research has concentrated on studying how neutrinos interact and why they change from one state as they travel.

After successfully defending her physics dissertation, Benevides Rodrigues, a Ph.D. candidate in in the , has been selected as marshal for Syracuse University’s 2023 Commencement.

Ohana Benevides Rodrigues G’22

“It is such an honor to be recognized,” Benevides Rodrigues says. “It’s special because I do physics in an unconventional way. Most physicists are very mathematically driven and always start with formulas and equations. I start with the opposite end. I have to think about what is going on in a given system and only then I put together the formula in a kind of intuitive way.”

The Universitywide honor recognizes outstanding academic achievement, inspired research, campus and community involvement and��Orange spirit and pride. Benevides Rodrigues will lead the graduate student procession and walk the stage during Commencement.

“The Graduate School congratulates Ohana on her excellent academic achievements and innovative, distinctive research. She has been a dedicated, hardworking doctoral student and accomplished scholar. We look forward to her representation of the Graduate School at Commencement and wish her all the best in her future career path,” says .

Currently a postdoctoral senior research associate at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Benevides Rodrigues plans on pursuing a permanent position in the field of reactor neutrinos and MeV-scale neutrino physics.

Benevides Rodrigues currently works on three different experiments. One is located near a research reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, observing and studying how the neutrinos coming out of the high flux isotope reactor change when arriving at the facility’s detector. She’s also involved in a project called Mobile Anti-Neutrino Demonstrator, developing a detector that could be used as an extra tool for nuclear safeguards and surveillance. Lastly, she uses the MicroBooNE detector at Fermilab to search for MeV-scale neutrinos coming from the neutrinos at the main injector beam.

“When I was growing up, my dad was a lawyer who eventually became a judge. I always wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps, so I wanted to go to law school and become a prosecutor. I always had a sense of justice and I think I still have that sense of justice. I consider myself an activist in many ways, including the research I’m currently doing,” Benevides Rodrigues says.

Ohana Benevides Rodrigues G’22 prepares the anode plane assembly, a major component of the short-baseline near detector, for installation at Fermilab.

It’s a career path that got off to an inauspicious start. Growing up in Petropolis, a city in Brazil north of Rio de Janeiro, Benevides Rodrigues initially struggled with math since her school didn’t have a math teacher. Eventually, a high school physics teacher helped her realize her potential.

While her math skills weren’t on the same level as her classmates, Benevides Rodrigues enjoyed an advantage over her peers: Rather than memorizing formulas and equations and relying on math to solve problems, Benevides Rodrigues employed a more intuitive approach to physics.

“I love thinking about physics that way, of looking at systems and trying to figure out what was going on there by observing and looking out for patterns and behaviors. Eventually I understood I could use math to describe those patterns and behaviors, but that’s not the only way you can think of physics,” Benevides Rodrigues says.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the State University of Campinas in Brazil, Benevides Rodrigues was drawn to Syracuse University for her doctoral degree. She credits her advisors, especially , her graduate school advisor, and , associate teaching professor of physics, for inspiring and motivating her to press forward with her research.

“I was lucky to have great mentors around me that supported me through my failures,” Benevides Rodrigues says. “I’m a people-driven person who connects with people and science requires that. Science is a game where we’re supposed to fail all the time. You come up with a hypothesis and you test it. It doesn’t work and you try again. That’s rule 101 of science. You just keep doing it until you get it right, so having people supporting you throughout the failures is essential,” Benevides Rodrigues says.

Ava Hu ’23 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

At the suggestion of her mother, Hu applied to a few computer science programs at U.S.-based institutions, hopeful that a STEM major would ensure future professional opportunities.

But, knowing her ambitions weren’t in STEM fields, she also applied to communications schools—including the legendary . Hu was admitted to the at Newhouse and in summer 2019 she arrived in Syracuse, a bit unsure about this new experience abroad but excited for the future.

The transition was rocky at first. “I had trouble fitting in because of the culture gap and other factors,” she says. “In my freshman year, I didn’t go to Bird Library or Schine Student Center or even sit on the Quad when the weather was great. I just stayed in the Newhouse underground and studied and did not get in touch with other students.”

The circumstances of the world around her during her first year at Syracuse did not help Hu feel less alone—a series of bias-related incidents led to outrage and protests in fall 2019 and the coronavirus pandemic shut down the world in early spring 2020. But this confluence of events, ironically, is what prompted her to exit her comfort zone, start making connections on campus and ultimately come to see Syracuse University as her second home.

Going Viral on WeChat

Hu says a turning point came for her in fall 2019 when a post she authored on WeChat, a social media platform popular with international and especially Chinese users, went viral. She wrote about how it feels to be a student in a foreign country at a time when anti-Asian discrimination was on the rise.

“I published the article at 4 a.m. and woke up to a lot of people re-sharing it to their own accounts and agreeing with what I had written,” Hu says of the article, which was ultimately viewed by more than 30,000 WeChat users. “It was huge for me because I realized that even though I was refusing to make connections here, there were so many people who agreed with what I said and who were supportive of what I expressed in my article.”

The experience of writing it and the reaction of her peers was a catalyst for her to emerge further from her shell.

Soon after, she was invited to join , a student organization focused on new media, in recognition of her writing abilities. Hu also got more involved in the University’s and gradually became more open to establishing a network of friends, supporters and acquaintances on campus.

Hu (second from left), a proud graduate of the Class of 2023, began a job earlier this year as a marketing specialist with digital agency TangoSquared. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Seizing Opportunities to Gain Career Experience

Hu continued flourishing in her sophomore year as a broadcasting student, gaining real-world experience in reporting, editing and anchoring for Newhouse Communications Center (NCC) News, and as a contributor to WeMedia Lab. Opportunities to get involved in more and more aspects of campus life materialized with each decision she made to put herself out there.

During her junior year, Hu became editor-in-chief of WeMedia Lab, which at the time was creating multimedia content for the official Syracuse University WeChat channel. As editor, she oversaw a group of 20 student contributors and felt she was contributing in a positive way to the international student experience at Syracuse. “Basically, all Chinese students at Syracuse University have probably seen at least one of the articles we published, so I really saw this as a way to serve the whole community and help them feel more welcome here,” Hu says.

At the same time, Hu was realizing her passion was less in broadcast journalism and more in social media, marketing and public relations. Junior year, Hu landed an internship with the University’s working on social media and web content.

That summer, she also interned with Vox Media working on the organization’s Now This News social media channels. These dynamic experiences helped propel Hu toward an internship and then a career with TangoSquared, a digital design and development agency based in Syracuse. She began a full-time position as a marketing specialist in February of this year.

Mentorship and Service

After her viral WeChat post, Hu connected with Wei Gao, associate director for operations and outreach in the University’s Center for International Services. Gao had reached out to offer support, put her in touch with campus resources and help her feel less alone. As this relationship developed, Hu became involved with the center and its multitude of activities welcoming and serving international students.

When Hu was unable to return to China on summer breaks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she collaborated with Gao on WeChat posts highlighting helpful information for incoming international students. She also volunteered as a Welcome Ambassador International, assisting with orientation activities, giving campus tours, helping new students navigate language and cultural barriers, and taking them shopping for supplies.

Hu was also a mentor in the , open to all first-year and second-year undergraduate international students. Mentors like Hu help newer students navigate everything from settling into Syracuse and living with a roommate, to opening a bank account, making friends and balancing academic work with social activities.

“When stepping into my junior year, I realized I was now the older person on campus, and although I’m still an introverted person, I felt I had the responsibility to step further out of my comfort zone and help freshman students,” Hu says. “When I see them, I see myself when I first came to Syracuse. They don’t want to get in touch with the outside world and are struggling with cultural things.”

Hu began mentoring 12 students from China, meeting with them every other week to help navigate their experience at Syracuse and offer support. As she prepares to graduate and embark on her marketing career, she is still in contact with her mentees and considers them some of the most valuable connections she’s made at Syracuse.

As Hu begins her journey from undergraduate student to professional marketer, she offers her advice to incoming students, from China or elsewhere: “There are so many resources and opportunities on this campus. All the professors are so supportive and there was always a way for me to go after what I was trying to achieve. I would recommend students take every opportunity that comes their way, because you never know what it will lead to next,” Hu says.

The late Cerri Banks ’00, G’04, G’06, who served as the University’s vice president and deputy to the senior vice president of student experience; Michael Crow G’85, president of Arizona State University; David R. MacDonald, artist and professor emeritus of ceramics; and Kathleen A. Walters ’73, retired executive vice president of Georgia-Pacific and the first woman to serve as chair of the University Board of Trustees, will be honored for their outstanding achievements in their professional careers and the difference they have made in the lives of others.

Cerri A. Banks ’00, G’04, G’06

Doctor of Humane Letters (posthumously)

Cerri A. Banks

An outstanding leader in student affairs and a scholar-practitioner of education, Banks dedicated her life’s work to the betterment of the student experience. Banks passed away on July 31, 2022; Banks’ parents, Deryk and Cynthia Banks, will be accepting her honorary degree at Commencement.

Banks had a lifetime legacy at Syracuse University: as an engaged alumna, a staunch supporter of her cherished and the University, and a beloved leader and mentor in the Student Experience division. She was a thought leader in the field of student affairs, recognized for her work at the intersection of scholarship and practice, teaching and research, academic affairs, and student affairs.

A three-time graduate of Syracuse University, Banks earned a bachelor’s degree in inclusive elementary and special education, a master’s degree in cultural foundations of education and a Ph.D. in cultural foundations of education, all from the School of Education, along with a certificate of advanced study in women’s and gender studies from the . Her doctoral research focused on student engagement and belonging, examining how Black women undergraduates found ways to succeed on predominantly white college campuses.

From there, her research, scholarship and leadership continued to develop and deepen into an exemplary professional life of service to student affairs and success. Before returning to Syracuse University in 2021 as vice president for student success and deputy to the senior vice president of student experience, Banks had been Skidmore College’s dean of students and vice president for student affairs for nearly five years, overseeing all student services, serving on the president’s cabinet and overseeing the bias response group and the COVID-19 campus planning and response. She served in similar positions at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and at William Smith College in Geneva, New York, where she was also director of the President’s Commission on Inclusive Excellence.

Once at Syracuse, Banks quickly made an impact on the student experience and on Universitywide initiatives through leadership roles involving critical initiatives. In addition to her role with , Banks served as a member of the three-person interim leadership team charged with advancing the University’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility priorities and strategic planning efforts. She co-chaired the search for a new chief diversity officer and played a crucial role in creating open lines of communication between students and administration, serving as a fierce advocate and a mentor for students. As an alumna, she established a national mentoring presence and skillfully chaired the School of Education Board of Visitors for eight years, playing a key role in the school’s redesign.

Banks was a highly respected and internationally recognized academic leader and a prolific scholar. Among her published works were “Black Women Undergraduates, Cultural Capital and College Success,” “Teaching, Learning and Intersecting Identities in Higher Education” and “No Justice! No Peace! College Student Activism, Race Relations and Media Cultures,” as well as numerous articles, book chapters and presentations on culturally relevancy, identity and learning, and other subjects.

Michael Crow G’85

Doctor of Science

Michael Crow

A knowledge enterprise architect and science and technology policy scholar, Crow has led Arizona State University (ASU) through a transformation of academic innovation and educational accessibility that has made him known nationwide as a leader in the evolution of higher education. Crow became the 16th president of Arizona State University in July 2002 and since then the university has seen rapid growth in traditional, online and international student enrollment, retention and research—all while evolving the academic enterprise to meet the changing needs of students, especially those from underrepresented groups.

During his now more than two decades at ASU, the University’s enrollment grew from 55,000 to 80,000 students, with a dedicated commitment to increased diversity. Its substantial Hispanic enrollment has earned it a Department of Education designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Under President Crow, ASU, which is a Carnegie R1 University, has seen a nearly fivefold growth in research expenditures, and currently ranks 17th in federal expenditures. For its dramatic growth and modernization, ASU has been recognized as one of the top 100 most prestigious universities in the world by Times Higher Education, and a top 100 position in Shanghai Jiao Tong’s 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Under Crow’s leadership, ASU has established 25 new transdisciplinary schools, including the School of Earth and Space Exploration, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and launched trailblazing multidisciplinary initiatives, including the Biodesign Institute, the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, and initiatives in the humanities and social sciences.

Crow, who earned a Ph.D. in public administration from the and a bachelor’s degree in political science and environmental studies at Iowa State University, began building his distinguished academic career in various roles at Iowa State and Columbia University. At Columbia, he served as director of the Earth Institute, a collaboration of dozens of research centers and programs at the university and one of the nation’s leading resources on climate change, university vice provost and associate vice provost for science and engineering. At Iowa State, he was director of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology and director of the Office of Science Policy and Research. Throughout his career, including now as ASU president, he continues to teach and conduct research, staying grounded in the mission of higher education.

Crow has been recognized by his peers as an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has published numerous books and articles analyzing knowledge enterprises, science and technology policy, and the design of higher education institutions. His expertise has been tapped by the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce and Energy, as well as defense and intelligence agencies.

David R. MacDonald

Doctor of Fine Arts

David R. MacDonald

An internationally renowned artist and professor emeritus of ceramics in the (VPA), MacDonald uses clay as a medium for exploring the form and function of utilitarian vessels, his African heritage, themes of anger and injustice, and the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

A professor in the School of Art and Design (currently the School of Art) from 1971-2008, MacDonald has taught art and ceramics to legions of Syracuse University students, mentored both students and fellow faculty members, and co-founded the , a cultural and artistic hub committed to artists of the African diaspora, housed in the University’s African American studies department.

MacDonald received an undergraduate degree in art education from the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University, in Hampton, Virginia) in 1968 and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1971. He fell in love with pottery as an artform at Hampton under the mentorship of noted African American ceramic artist Joseph W. Gilliard and was heavily influenced by ceramicists Bob Stull and John Stephenson while studying at the University of Michigan.

In his early years as an artist, MacDonald’s work was influenced by the social and political issues of the time, including the Civil Rights Movement, producing ceramic work that reflected his anger and frustration as a young Black man. As he expanded his study of East and South African culture, MacDonald became more interested in and influenced by the strength of his cultural heritage.

His abstract paintings and sculptures fuse the art of the ready-made with assemblage, minimalism and postminimalism using unremarkable materials such as raw and painted wood, bricks, paper, cement and plaster. Surface decoration, mark making and the use of carved patterns are all hallmarks of his ceramics work.

MacDonald has held the distinction of professor emeritus since retiring from the VPA faculty in 2008. His work is housed in the permanent collections of the Studio Museum in Harlem (New York), Montclair Art Museum (New Jersey) and Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse). He has been honored with the National Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts’ Excellence in Teaching Award and the National Crafts Council’s Master Craftsman Award, and presented a solo exhibition at the Everson titled “The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald,” all in 2011. He also received the Trailblazer Award, which celebrates those who personify exemplary leadership, selfless acts and dedication to Syracuse University, from the University in 2017.

MacDonald’s pottery was featured in the nationally televised PBS series “A Craftsman’s Legacy” in 2016. He continues to create art in his home studio and occasionally returns to VPA as a guest lecturer.

Kathleen A. Walters ’73

Doctor of Humane Letters

Kathleen A. Walters

An accomplished alumna, retired global business leader, committed philanthropist and the first woman to serve as chair of the (2019-23), Walters has been one of the University’s greatest ambassadors for the past 50-plus years.

She launched her pioneering career in the consumer products and paper industries after receiving a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1973 and an MBA in finance and strategic planning from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1978.

Rising to prominence in a male-dominated industry during the final decades of the 20th century, Walters held international and North America leadership positions with Scott Paper Co., Kimberly-Clark Corp., SAPPI Fine Paper North America and Georgia-Pacific. She retired from Georgia-Pacific in 2019 as executive vice president and group president of its consumer products group, the largest retail and commercial tissue and tabletop businesses in North America, spanning more than 20 manufacturing locations and 15,000 employees.

Known for her strategic business competency, Walters has a proven record of leading companies to improved earnings from growth through innovation, revenue improvement and cost-efficiency strategies. As chair of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, Walters has leveraged her unmatched business acumen and tenacity on behalf of the University, navigating the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, championing historic investments on campus—including the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, the renovated Schine Student Center, ongoing enhancements to the JMA Wireless Dome and Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collection Research Center—and organizing and serving on the Board Special Committee on Campus Climate, Diversity and Inclusion. During her tenure, the Board has diversified significantly to include more women and people of color than at any other point in the University’s history.

Walters, along with her husband, Stan ’72, has provided lead gifts for the establishment of the Maxwell X Lab Support Fund which, among other initiatives, supports the Walters Community Partnerships providing funding for graduate and undergraduate student research. In addition, they have established the Kathy and Stan Walters Endowed Fund for Science Research and, most recently, the Kathy and Stan Walters Endowed Professorship for Quantum Science, both in the College of Arts and Sciences. They support a wide range of University priorities, including the Barnes Center at The Arch, where they have funded the Kathy ’73 and Stan Walters ’72 Pet Therapy Room. They have supported other initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University Athletics and Libraries, and alumni relations.

Walters concludes her tenure as chair this month. In addition to providing ongoing oversight and leadership as chair, Walters serves on the Board Executive Committee, Board Organization and Nominating Committee and serves, ex officio, on all standing committees. She also serves on the National Campaign Council Executive Committee; the Advisory Committee on University Climate, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (an outgrowth of the Special Committee on Campus Climate, Diversity and Inclusion); and the Free Speech Trustee Advisory Group. She was also Vice Chair of the Board from 2018-19 and chair of the Ad Hoc Workgroup on Volunteer Boards. In 2017, Walters received the Dritz Rookie Trustee of the Year Award. Her Syracuse University service includes memberships on the Atlanta Regional Council and the University Libraries Advisory Board.

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Donna Shalala G’70, H’87

Shalala, who is Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy at the University of Miami, served as U.S. secretary of health and human services during the Clinton administration and was president of the University of Miami.

“Syracuse University is truly honored and privileged to have Donna Shalala addressing our graduates, their families and friends, and our entire University for Commencement 2023,” Chancellor Kent Syverud says. “Donna represents a long commitment to public service that is an inspiration to our graduates. She is a distinguished member of our Orange community, and I look forward to the insights and perspectives she will share with the newest class of Orange alumni.”

Donna E. Shalala G’70, H’87

Shalala, who earned master’s and doctoral degrees in social science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has held prominent leadership roles in higher education and the federal government. During the Carter administration, she served as assistant secretary for policy development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. From 1993-2001, she served under the Clinton administration as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the longest-serving health and human services secretary in U.S. history.

In 2001, she was named president of the University of Miami, a post she held through August 2015. Under her leadership, the university solidified its position among top U.S. research universities. Shalala also previously served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and president of Hunter College (City University of New York). She has been elected to seven national academies, including the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Public Administration and the National Academy of Education.

Shalala is a member of the Maxwell Advisory Board and a staunch supporter and advocate of the Maxwell School, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, the National Public Service Award and the Harry S. Truman Legacy of Leadership Award. In 1992, BusinessWeek named her one of the top five managers in higher education and U.S. News & World Report named her one of “America’s Best Leaders” in 2005. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011 and has received more than four dozen honorary degrees (including an honorary degree from Syracuse University in 1987). She also received the George Arents Pioneer Medal, the University’s highest alumni honor, in 2015. Shalala was one of the nation’s earliest Peace Corps volunteers, working in Iran from 1962-64.

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Debra Adams Simmons

Debra Adams Simmons ’86, a national leader in journalism and a champion of diverse media organizations, inclusive editorial coverage, increased accountability journalism and a strengthened local news ecosystem, will deliver the alumni keynote address at the����on Saturday, May 13. The celebration will be held at 8:30 a.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.

A dual English and broadcast journalism graduate with three decades of extensive journalism experience as a reporter, editor and senior editorial executive, Simmons was named vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at National Geographic Media in 2022.

In that role, she helps lead diversity initiatives across the company’s parent organization, The Walt Disney Company, including efforts to amplify underrepresented voices through authentic storytelling. This guiding principle was honed in part by her English classes and liberal arts professors at A&S | Maxwell. “As a journalist you think, ‘What are the stories that can move the needle here, that can make a difference?’” says Simmons.

Before that, Simmons had worked since 2017 as executive editor of history and culture for National Geographic, the 135-year-old magazine known for its striking photojournalism and focus on the history and lived experiences of people and places around the world.

In her convocation remarks, Simmons will address one of the critical issues facing American society today: the imperative to build a stronger local news and information ecosystem as the number of community news outlets continues to shrink and the industry battles for survival. “If local news vanishes, can local democracy, civic engagement and accountability survive?” Simmons asks.

She also will discuss the importance of mentors, whether professors, alumni in a formal program like����or professionals in the workplace, in helping emerging journalists and other young professionals launch and successfully navigate their careers.

Following the path of her interdisciplinary student experience, Simmons has maintained deep alumni relationships with Syracuse University. She is vice-chair of the College of Arts and Sciences’ dean’s advisory board, which she recently hosted at National Geographic’s office in Washington, D.C. She has funded an endowed Our Time Has Come Scholarship to support Arts and Sciences students and is helping the Syracuse University chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. reach an ambitious $1 million scholarship goal. She also was among Newhouse’s 50 Forward, recognized as part of the school’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2015. She will serve as a facilitator and keynote speaker for the summer 2023 Newhouse DEIA Campus Immersion experience.

Lois Agnew, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, says, “I am thrilled that our graduating students will have the opportunity to hear Debra Adams Simmons speak at Convocation. Debra has built a high-profile, noteworthy career by combining an incredible talent for writing with a real passion for making positive change in the media industry. At A&S | Maxwell, our students go on to help make the world healthier, more hopeful and more humane. Debra is an outstanding example of the liberal arts’ power to do just that.”

About Simmons’ Career

In her first reporting job at the Syracuse Herald-Journal, which she began one week after graduating from Syracuse University, she wrote an award-winning story on abuses in the Syracuse-area foster care system. She continued writing about underrepresented communities when she later covered public city schools for the Detroit Free Press and the Hartford (Connecticut) Courant.

Simmons moved into management in 1995 as education editor at The Virginian-Pilot where she later served as metro editor and as deputy managing editor for local news. She was the managing editor and editor of the Akron Beacon Journal before serving in the same roles at The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. In 2014, she was named vice president of news development for Advance Local, the Newhouse family-owned company that includes The Plain Dealer as well as The (Syracuse) Post-Standard and Syracuse.com.

Along with her commitment to DEI, Simmons has prioritized accountability journalism—holding people and institutions responsible for their words and actions—and has worked to cultivate a new generation of news leaders. She spent a year as a fellow of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University in 2016 examining how best to create inclusively led, digitally focused media organizations.

A record of robust media leadership includes serving on the boards of the News Leaders Association (formerly the American Society of News Editors) and the International Women’s Media Foundation and serving as president of the Associated Press Media Editors Association and the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. She also has been an adjunct faculty member of Kent State University’s journalism and mass communications program teaching media ethics and media marketplace classes. Simmons currently serves on the board of Signal Ohio, a statewide nonprofit news organization launched by the American Journalism Project, a group focused on addressing the news and information needs of citizens across the country.

Her broader work includes helping organizations implement journalism projects to help address news voids that exist in many communities. Simmons has participated seven times as a Pulitzer Prize juror (including in 2023) and spent five years as the Midwest judge for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, a program of the University of Michigan Knight Wallace Fellowship. She also is a longtime judge of the Newhouse School’s Mirror Awards.

“Every moment in my career has been a DEI moment because in the 1980s and ’90s there weren’t that many women senior leaders,” Simmons says. “When I became the editor of The Plain Dealer [in 2010], I think there were two Black women executive editors in the country.”

Today’s newsrooms in such cities as Dallas, Houston, Charlotte and Miami are led by women, many of whom Simmons has mentored and supported.

Simmons advises students to seek and nurture mentors and, when more experienced, to guide and support the next generation. “I’m hoping to smooth the path for future generations of leaders,” she says.

“Throughout their student experience, Lucio and Sofia have distinguished themselves as changemakers. They exemplify leadership, commitment to service and academic excellence in all that they do, and they strive to make a positive impact on the world around them. As Senior Class Marshals, I know they will carry forward these same attributes and serve as outstanding representatives for the Class of 2024,” says Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience and chair of the selection committee.

Lucio Maffei

Lucio Maffei

Hailing from West Orange, New Jersey, Maffei is a junior majoring in political philosophy and ethics in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He is a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and has earned academic accolades spanning Dean’s List recognition each semester, selection as a Maxwell School Leadership Scholar for his academic excellence and exceptional leadership abilities, and an Invest in Success Scholarship recipient for his strong academic performance beginning in his first semester.

In his time on campus, Maffei has fully immersed himself in his academic pursuits and fostered community among those majoring in philosophy and who share an interest in philosophy. He founded and now serves as president of Phi Sigma Tau International Philosophy Honor Society and serves as vice president of the Philosophy Club. To support undergraduate students interested in research, he also founded and serves as editor-in-chief of Aurantium, an undergraduate philosophy journal.

Leading new initiatives has resonated across Maffei’s time on campus. In his first year at Syracuse, Maffei launched the Helpful and Ethical Leadership Project (HELP) to address needs he recognized in the local community primarily focused on poverty and homelessness. Since founding HELP in 2020, Maffei has worked with fellow students to organize clothing drives to benefit the Rescue Mission, raise funds to support Ukrainian refugees and volunteer with Meals on Wheels. In his role as a Senior Class Marshal, Maffei says he hopes “to extend and support more efforts that help impoverished and unhoused communities in Central New York.”

Among his other leadership roles, Maffei was recently elected the president of the Mock Trial team at Syracuse University, and previously served as quartermaster, captain and an executive board member of the team. He is also a board member of the Mock Trial Association of America’s National Student Advisory Board, as well as a member of the Pre-Law Society.

Maffei is also a leader when it comes to his service to others on campus. In his roles as a resident advisor for the last two academic years, as well as a peer leader for the First Year Seminar, Maffei has had a chance to support first-year students in their transition to college life and build connection with the Orange community.

Similar to his other roles on campus, Maffei takes on this responsibility with great pride and deep commitment as he looks forward to representing his peers to the larger community.

“I think that students are the voice of our generation and I want to be a part of channeling and directing that voice to make our community and world a better place,” says Maffei. “I am proud to be a Syracuse University student, and to be able to serve my peers in this capacity means the world to me.”

Sofia Rodriguez

Sofia Rodriguez

Rodriguez is a junior majoring in communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts from Miami Gardens, Florida. Recognized for her extraordinary academic and leadership potential, Rodriguez is a Posse Leadership Scholar who has also been recognized for her creative talent as a Gold Key recipient in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. While on campus, she has also earned Dean’s List recognition each semester and the Highest Academic Achievement Award as an Our Time Has Come Scholar.

Building upon her academic experiences, Rodriguez applies her communication skills to further her passion for creating connections among her peers, alumni and the greater Syracuse community. As a co-host of “Shades of ’Cuse,” Rodriguez aims to expand the network of current students and Posse Scholars by sharing the stories of alumni. She has done the same as an Our Time Has Come Scholar by supporting alumni and community events that bring people together.

Supporting other students transcends every facet of Rodriguez’s on-campus experience. She has served as a resident advisor for the last two academic years and a peer leader for the First Year Seminar. To support first-generation college students, Rodriguez has also organized guest speakers, discussions and community-building opportunities through Many2Come. She is also an active member of the Black Student Union, a club dedicated to create and support spaces for the Black community.

Being selected as a Senior Class Marshal signals that she has accomplished what she set out to do when joining Syracuse University—“giving my all to this community and helping us do better while being better,” says Rodriguez. “I hope to use the role as a tool to foster communication and help create more equitable space for those who may be unseen or forgotten.”

Beyond her roles on campus, Rodriguez is the founder and communications director for a nonprofit organization, With Love, that serves undocumented Latine refugees with translation, housing, food and job search resources. She also spent last summer as a communication and policy intern with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C. As a Posse Scholar, she has interned with the Posse Foundation to assist with fundraising efforts and event management to benefit scholars.

When thinking about why she applied, Rodriguez says she wanted to “make her community proud, have the best year yet, and show that an Afro-Latine womxn from Miami could represent what it means to be Orange.”

Now that she has received this honor, Rodriguez looks to those who have supported her along the way.

“Being selected as a Senior Class Marshal means that every sacrifice my mom and dad��made was worth it. I would not have made it this far without their support and dedication to my successes,” says Rodriguez, “Syracuse has given me purpose and support that has changed my life. I will forever be grateful and proud to be surrounded by such incredible people who have supported me—Bradley Seymour, Helen Pepin, Maria Lopez, Easton Davis, Jersey Cosantino, Posse, Gabe, Javi, my friends and my family. You are all my greatest accomplishment.”

Monster Jam: With Monster Jam taking over the JMA Wireless Dome, parking changes are set to be in effect on Saturday, April 8. All campus parking lots will be restricted to Dome event permits, so if you need to park for academic reasons, Syracuse University parking permits will be honored at the University Avenue Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage, and Harrison lot. For the event itself, your Syracuse University permit will be honored in the Comstock lot, Colvin lot and Skytop lot.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert: If you’re planning on attending the Friday, April 14 concert, please be aware that all campus lots will be restricted, and valid Syracuse University permits will only be honored at University Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage and Skytop lot. If you need to be on campus for academic reasons and are arriving after 2 p.m., please use the University Avenue or Comstock Avenue garages.

Block Party: For Block Party on Friday, April 28, the Quad lot will be closed to all Quad permit holders, with limited space available for those with accessible parking permits. Quad permits will be honored in the other campus lots on a space-available basis. The blue and orange shuttles will continue their route to the Quad lot.

Commencement Weekend: Lastly, for Commencement on May 13-14, please note that on Saturday, May 13, home lot parking permits for the Quad, Lyman-Hinds lot, Carnegie and Barnes will only be honored on a space-available basis due to Convocation activities. For Commencement on Sunday, May 14, parking lots will be restricted to special event passes until 1 p.m. Restricted parking locations include the Quad, Lyman-Hinds, Carnegie, Barnes Arch lot, Irving garage, Women’s North and Hillside. If you have a “home lot” permit for these locations and need to park on Sunday, parking is available on a space-available basis at University Avenue Garage, Comstock Garage, University North, University South and Harrison lot. The Comstock and Colvin lots, along with West campus parking locations, will not be restricted.

“The College of Law is proud to have Rob as our 2023 commencement speaker. As Syracuse and the surrounding area welcome Micron to our community, I am excited to build a truly symbiotic relationship with Micron, to help it accomplish its ambitious goals and to advance our mission, our students and our surrounding communities,” says College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise. “We look forward to Rob’s perspective as a C-suite leader of one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, and the important impact the law has on global business and innovation.”

Rob Beard

“I am honored to deliver the commencement address to the 2023 graduating class at Syracuse Law,” says Beard. “These talented lawyers will be the leaders who help move our world forward in sustainable ways, greatly contributing to the communities where they work and live.”

The College of Law commencement will take place on Friday, May 5, at 11 a.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome. Visit the for updates and details.

“Rob is among the many members of the Micron team that were instrumental in bringing this transformational company to our region,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “His experiences and accomplishments will be valuable lessons for our graduates as they make their way in the professional world. It is especially fitting that Rob will speak at this year’s law commencement, the first since Micron announced its $100 billion investment that will revitalize Central New York and its economy, and impact lives for generations to come.”

Beard was involved in Micron’s plans to invest more than $100 billion over the next 20-plus years in Clay, New York, and led the team that negotiated a historic incentive package with Empire State Development. Beard also promoted the CHIPS & Science Act and now co-heads Micron’s CHIPS grant application process. His team of around 100 lawyers and legal professionals at Micron spans 11 sites globally, including the United States, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and the European Union.

Beard joined Micron in 2014 to work with the company’s corporate development team on a wide range of strategic transactions.

Before joining Micron, Beard was an associate at Weil Gotshal & Manges in London and New York, where he focused on M&A and capital markets transactions, and at Shearman & Sterling in London, where he focused on debt capital markets transactions. He has also taught at the University of Illinois College of Law and the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, and clerked for the Honorable Judge N. Randy Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is a member of the New York State Bar.

Beard graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s in political science and received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, summa cum laude. He was a college athlete and continues to be active today through mountain biking, skiing and other outdoor activities.

Removed from the Commencement spotlight, Candace Hayden G’23 and the were also celebrating, but for a different reason. Sure Hayden, the executive director, and her team of Jordan Clifford ’12, director, Emily Haff, director, and Michele Lapierre ’13, assistant director, were pleased to witness the newest members of the Orange alumni family cherishing the final moments of their college experience.

But after COVID-19 postponed Commencement for the Class of 2020 and forced the University to hold not one but three separate Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021, this was a return to normalcy for Hayden and the Major Events team. One Commencement ceremony honoring all Syracuse University graduates.

After a year of event planning, a year spent thinking of every worst-case scenario, Hayden and her staff pulled off a smooth and seamless Commencement. And while Hayden is quick to point out that her staff treats every event with the same level of dedication, preparation and energy, ��it was especially important for Commencement 2022 to run flawlessly.

Candace Hayden, executive director, major events

“We take a lot of pride in what we do, regardless of what kind of pressure is on that particular event. But Commencement comes with a lot of pressure and that is an added motivation to make sure it is flawless. We want to make sure our students are happy and that their parents are happy. Commencement is a time to celebrate the students, and if the Major Events team can obsess over the details to create that venue and that space where it has a celebratory feel, those are things that we strive for,” says Hayden, who has worked at the University since September 2018.

Planning for Commencement begins each summer and includes working with assorted leadership teams on campus—from the Chancellor’s office and the provost to facilities, parking and physical plant—to create each school or college’s convocation schedule. Hayden and her staff serve as partners in the process, ensuring each convocation has its own identity, look and feel.

The pressure of planning and executing the biggest event on the University calendar was magnified because the Major Events team, which at its biggest consisted of seven staff members, featured only two staffers until Clifford and Haff started less than two weeks before Commencement. Hayden never once used the staffing shortage as an excuse.

Michelle Lapierre, assistant director, major events.

“We all just stepped up. I received the additional team members just in time to help execute Commencement, and a lot of credit goes to Michele Lapierre, who was always by my side. Plus, we have an honorary team member, our manager, Chuck Merrihew, the person I report to. He has a production background and really took the lead on a lot of the video aspects in setting up the Commencement production with the JMA Dome team. Chuck is a godsend, and I wouldn’t be successful without those key staff members and a lot of grace,” Hayden says.

The impact the Major Events team has on campus life extends beyond Commencement. Whenever there is a large-scale on-campus event—from New Student Convocation to Forever Orange campaign events—chances are good that Hayden and her Major Events staff members pored over the relevant details to ensure the program goes off without a hitch.

Jordan Clifford ’12, director, major events

Clifford, who earned a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, spent the previous eight years working in events and marketing for the New York City-based Meredith Corporation before coming to Syracuse University. Haff spent the last eight years working in events and donor relations before accepting the job on campus.

“I’m very blessed to have the staff I have, and I’m grateful to have Jordan and Emily on our team. They were able to be thrown into the fire of Commencement a week prior, and they took the lead in a lot of areas that I couldn’t be present for. My hope with this team as we move forward is that we’re able to have a hand in executing advancement events while still managing our traditional Commencement ceremonies and New Student Convocation,” says Hayden.

For someone so focused on details, Hayden admits she “accidentally fell into event planning” years ago while working at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Emily Haff, director, major events

After graduating in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Hayden served as an academic records coordinator at Drexel University in Philadelphia for two and a half years. Hayden worked in the registrar’s office on student diplomas and records, but it wasn’t until she accepted a position as academic events coordinator for Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, a role that required her to plan both Commencement and the awarding of degrees, that she began to really obsess over the details of events.

“It was important to make sure I thought through how someone experienced an event from beginning to end. We can obsess over what the ceremony looks like, but if a guest had a bad experience at check-in or had trouble parking, that’s the thing that’s going to stick with them. Over time, my obsession with details and event planning has grown and now I can’t get past it. Even when I go to an event I’m not in charge of, my eye hones in on the finer details,” Hayden says with a chuckle.

As the student speaker, University Scholar Ghael Fobes Mora ’22 shared memories of the past four years during Syracuse University’s 2022 Commencement on Sunday, May 15, 2022.

“While today might seem like the closing of our collective Syracuse chapter, fear not. The thing about stories is that our favorite characters are often recurring. They follow us on long journeys and in brief, spectacular moments. Thank you all so much for being a part of mine,” said Fobes Mora, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud addressed the Class of 2022 during Commencement exercises.

“Today, I ask that we all thank in particular one subset of our Orange community. These last two years have been extraordinarily challenging for the world, and for every university in the world. In so many college towns in this country, things fell apart. It was not possible to continue in-person instruction and activities. But that did not happen in Syracuse. In this place, our community came together in support of this university, and this university came together in support of this community,” Chancellor Syverud said.

“You have done wondrous things here in the most challenging of times. We all have faith you will do marvelous things in the future. Please aim high. And as always, go Orange!” Chancellor Syverud said in concluding his remarks.

David Muir, one of the most highly respected journalists in the country, has covered the issues that challenged us over the last four years: the COVID-19 pandemic; a national reckoning around race and social justice; a rise in hate crimes against some of the most marginalized communities; the war in Ukraine, and more.

Echoing what would be the two major themes of the day, Muir both lauded the resolve and determination of the nearly 6,500 students who had their degrees conferred inside the stadium—“you soldiered through, you kept all the noise at bay and you kept going”—and issued yet another challenge to the resolute Class of 2022.

“We’re all counting on you. In this moment we have never been in greater need of a generation of thinkers, of doers, of change-makers than we are right now. … Young people who care about themselves but also about their neighbors, their communities, the world. … There’s simply too much at stake for us not to care. Every single one of you here today has the power to have a profound impact on the world around us,” Muir said.

Members of the Class of 2022 listen to the Commencement address from “ABC World News Tonight” anchor David Muir.

A Syracuse native, to millions of people each night as the anchor of “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir,” and is also co-anchor of ABC’s “20/20.”

It’s a path Muir has been on since he was 14 years old, when, as “the only kid in the neighborhood watching the evening news,” he began writing letters to the reporters and news anchors in town. That determination opened doors for Muir, who soon became a familiar face in Syracuse newsrooms.

Once he walked through that door, “I never left. Summer breaks, school vacations, I’d be in the back of the news cruisers wherever they would take me. The snowstorms, Syracuse City Hall, the Great New York State Fair, I remember it all. Every story, every moment, they were such defining moments, they are etched in my mind,” Muir said.

As a teenager, Muir admired the broadcasting style of “ABC World News Tonight” anchor Peter Jennings, and he would one day go on to hold down the same network anchor seat as Jennings as the voice and face of ABC’s network news coverage.

Commencement is a time to celebrate, but it’s also a time of great uncertainty. While Muir admitted it’s easy to become overwhelmed pondering that next chapter, he offered some advice to help these Orange graduates find their own door.

David Muir addressing Syracuse University’s Class of 2022 during Commencement.

“You have a gift within you already. You just have to discover it. I’m here to encourage you to find that dream and then to chase it. … Think about something you’re passionate about, that excites you, fuels you, challenges you, and then just follow the path. Don’t worry about the fear. You should never worry about the fear. You should worry if there is no fear because fear is proof that you’re still testing yourself, you’re still learning,” Muir said.

Marveling at the “extraordinary achievement” and the resiliency displayed by the Class of 2022 in earning their degrees, Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud credited the hard work, determination and dedication of the graduates while setting the bar high for their successes once they leave campus.

“You have done wondrous things here. You will do marvelous things in the future. Please aim high. And always, go Orange,”��Chancellor Syverud said.

Three students with ties to the Central New York area—Lia Diaz Marrero ’22, who earned an international relations degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; Nathan Redmond ’22, who earned a health and exercise science degree from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; and Victoria Baratta ’22, who earned a psychology degree from the College of Arts and Sciences through the College of Professional Studies—received recognition from Chancellor Syverud during his Commencement remarks.

Baratta’s story drew a standing ovation from the stadium crowd, as her degree marked the completion of a journey started 20 years ago. Baratta, a U.S. Army veteran, pursued her degree while working full-time as one of the first Black female police officers in the Syracuse Police Department.

These students from Central New York were referenced to demonstrate how “this university is more a part of this community, and this community is more a part of this university, than at most places,” according to Syverud, who thanked the Central New York community and the Syracuse University community for rallying around each other and responding to the challenges of the last few years.

“In so many college towns in this country, things fell apart. It was not possible to continue in-person instruction and activities. But that did not happen in Syracuse. In this place, our community came together in support of this University, and this University came together in support of this community. Our people, our institutions, our colleges, Upstate Medical University, our hospitals, our county and city governments, our neighbors—all of us pulled together and helped this University so that you could have a university experience this last two years,” Syverud said.

“Anyone who has ever stepped on this Syracuse University campus knows that in this community, we get through these times together,” Muir echoed in agreement.

Blazing your path. Pursuing your dreams. Making your world a better place. Finding your door. Valuable advice to the Class of 2022 from a Central New York native who set out to make his mark on this world from an early age.

199 J.D. and 33 LL.M. students comprise the College of Law’s Class of 2022.

Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud provided remarks and introduced the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship, thanks to the generosity of Board of Advisors member Richard M. Alexander L’82, chairman of Arnold & Porter, and his wife Emily. The scholarship will provide Syracuse Law students with the education and cultural context to enable them to carry forward the legacy of Judge McKee, who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for 27 years.

Professor Todd Berger was voted by the J.D. Class of 2022 as the recipient of the Res Ipsa Loquitur Award, given to a faculty member for “service, scholarship and stewardship” to the students. Professor Richard Risman was voted by the LL.M. Class of 2022 as the recipient of the Lucet Lex Mundum Award, given to a professor who has made a significant impact on the successes and experiences of LL.M. students during their studies.

In his remarks to graduates, Cooper emphasized the importance of always embracing the most authentic pieces of ourselves and broadcasting how these strengths can play to our advantage in overcoming challenges. Reflecting on his personal journey, he also encouraged students to find their purpose and to find the “mud” that’s beneath and around all of us, and to ask themselves how they will help clear the mud and bring about a more inclusive world. “A great orator once asked, what’s most important…the flower…or the ground that grows it? In order for the flower to fully blossom and mature it must traverse a muddy path slowly, and with intention, bending it toward the light. That muddy path contains the secrets to its beauty…the secrets to its magic.”

Class of 2022 President Gabriella Kielbasinski remarked, “Class of 2022, we have struggled and studied and sacrificed for that idea of a career that we now get to pursue. We have lived through some historic, and sometimes exhausting moments, and while today is a great triumph, I also know that some of us feel like we just need a second to catch our breaths, but I have high hopes for our futures. Because, yes, these have been unprecedented times, but I believe that unprecedented times can only create unprecedented lawyers.”

LL.M. Student Bar Association Representative Sindy Perez Ospino said, “To my fellow LL.M. classmates, I want to acknowledge the unique challenges that we as international students sometimes face. But, in a year rocked by invasions, coups, human rights violations and a pandemic, we must remember that we have to be resilient and continue fighting for our dreams, to speak up and not give up. Thank you, LL.M. students, for showing me the meaning of kindness, resilience and brotherhood.”

An unknown, fast-spreading global health pandemic.

The sudden shutdown of campus.

Postponing Commencement for the Class of 2020.

Shuffling between remote and in-person classes.

Holding not one but three separate Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021 that practiced social distancing and followed COVID-19 safety protocols.

A national reckoning around race and social justice spurring nationwide protests, including on campus and in the City of Syracuse, and a rise in hate crimes against some of the most marginalized communities.

It’s been anything but business as usual these last four years.

Weird.
Crazy.
Chaotic.
Surreal.
Exhausting.

Those are some of the adjectives used by Jonathan Danilich ’22, Cameron Joy Gray ’22, Diego Luna ’22 and Darnelle Stinfort ’22 to describe their time as undergraduates.

Leading up to Commencement, seniors Diego Luna ’22 (upper left), Cameron Joy Gray ’22 (upper right), Jonathan Danilich ’22 (lower right) and Darnelle Stinfort ’22 (lower left) reflect on their experiences at Syracuse University.

On Sunday morning, Danilich, Gray, Luna and Stinfort will be among the more than 6,400 undergraduates, graduate students, law students and doctoral students expected to have their degrees conferred inside the stadium before family members, friends and members of the campus community.

It marks the culmination of a challenging four-year period on campus, a time unlike any other in Syracuse’s proud 152-year history.

Leading up to Commencement, we caught up with Stinfort, vice president of the Student Association, Gray, a Syracuse University Scholar and Our Time Has Come Scholar; Danilich, the past president of Otto’s Army; and Luna, an Our Time Has Come Scholar, to discuss being a Syracuse University student during these uncharted times.

Darnelle Stinfort ’22, Student Association (SA) Vice President

Before she arrived on campus, whenever Darnelle Stinfort ’22 heard people say they were using their time at college to find themselves, she was confused.

“Why does anyone need to find themselves? Don’t they know who they are?” Stinfort says, reflecting on her attitude during her first year on campus.

Back in the fall of 2019, Stinfort knew who she was, or at least she thought she did. As she prepares to receive a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the College of Arts and Sciences, she admits her four years have been “a reality check,” that she “doesn’t have it all figured out,” and that it’s OK to not have the answers to life’s questions.

Darnelle Stinfort ’22

“There’s always twists and turns. Life is full of the unexpected. You need to learn to deal with the unexpected challenges life throws your way. I’m learning to just get by one day at a time,” Stinfort says.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, Stinfort had a hard time focusing on her courses. The sense of isolation was overwhelming. Stinfort also helped her father, a middle school math teacher, navigate technical difficulties he encountered teaching class on Zoom.

It was an anxious time, and that was before the protests calling for social justice following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others took over city streets across the country.

Hard work and dedication helped Stinfort thrive academically. But the constant reminders of deaths of Black men and women at the hands of a police officer became too much. Stinfort often burst into tears while scrolling through her Instagram feed, feeling completely overwhelmed.

Stinfort was ignoring her mental well-being and needed help. She reconnected with her faith, saw a counselor and ceased using social media. More importantly, Stinfort, who would minimize her own feelings because others were dealing with worse issues, allowed herself the grace to grieve and the right to feel the way she felt on a particular day

“I decided to get more into reading books that dealt with the social unrest in this country and the system in which we live. It gave me some clarity. Eventually, I regained my mental wellness, and prayer and reconnecting with my spiritual side definitely helped, too,” Stinfort says.

Stinfort is proud of what she and SA president David Bruen accomplished during the 2021-22 academic year, including the advocating for “Wellness Days” during each semester beginning in the fall of 2023; the grocery store trolley program that gave students complimentary rides to and from neighboring stores; and the resumption of the free Menstrual Product Program that supplies students with menstrual pads and tampons in bathrooms across campus.

She’s also proud of her new attitude, taking time to appreciate the resiliency required to make it to Commencement.

“I’m learning to celebrate myself. It’s okay to celebrate what I’ve accomplished and not just rush on to the next challenge. I feel more confident in being able to overcome future obstacles because of the lessons I’ve learned from these last four years,” says Stinfort, who wants to one day become a physician.

Cameron Joy Gray ’22, Our Time Has Come Scholar

“When are we coming back? Are we coming back? How do you do anything for school online? How are we going to shoot our sophomore films?”

These were some of the questions Cameron Joy Gray ’22 asked herself on that chaotic day in March 2020 when she and many of her peers made a mad dash to the Schine Student Center to collect boxes for packing up their belongings.

The timing was less than ideal. Gray and a classmate had each spent a few hundred dollars to cast and hire actresses for their production about middle school girls and female friendships.

Gray, a film major in the Department of Film and Media Arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, spent the first 10 weeks of the Spring 2020 semester mapping out her sophomore film project. Now, she headed home to Washington, D.C., to work on a condensed, four-week film project about a girl who discovers an old telephone in her attic that puts her in touch with people who were alive during the Cold War.

Cameron Joy Gray’s (center) filmmaking skills earned her a Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Student Research, and she was selected as a Syracuse University Scholar, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

The project connected the mass hysteria and fear of the unknown surrounding COVID-19 with the Cold War and concerns over communism. It also prepared Gray for “the most difficult semester of her life,” the Fall 2021 semester.

Cameron Joy Gray ’22

Through it all, Gray persevered. In April 2021, Gray was named the recipient of a 2021 Beinecke Scholarship, an award that provides graduate funding and mentorship for juniors in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Gray was just the second Beinecke Scholar in Syracuse’s history.

As part of her senior thesis film, Gray finally wrote her production about middle school girls and female friendships.

Gray’s filmmaking skills earned her a Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Student Research, and toward the end of her senior year, Gray was selected as a Syracuse University Scholar, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

“It’s been crazy rewarding, crazy surprising and just crazy in general. Each year on campus has been completely different than the one before it,” Gray says.

“I’m proud of our class and our professors for adjusting and adapting to every challenge we’ve had to face. We’ve achieved so much. I’m grateful we were still able to come together and have those experiences, even in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Jonathan Danilich ’22, Past President, Otto’s Army

Otto’s Army has a reputation as one of the most passionate student sections in the country. As its president for the 2020-21 school year, Jonathan Danilich ’22 faced an unusual dilemma.

When Jonathan Danilich (center) was president of Otto’s Army, students weren’t allowed in the stadium to cheer on the Orange. So Danilich found new and creative ways to engage with students.

In August of 2020, then-New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo decreed that fans couldn’t attend games because of concerns over COVID-19 when college sports teams returned to play that fall.

When your job is to rile up the student section, but you can’t attend the games, what is the president to do? You find new and creative ways to engage with students.

Danilich expanded Otto’s Army’s presence on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, and he and Otto’s Army’s leadership team live tweeted during Syracuse games, organized video watch parties and competed with the opposition’s fans on YouTube.

Toward the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester, fans were allowed back inside the stadium to root for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

Jonathan Danilich ’22

The hard work paid off for Danilich when, on Sept. 11, 2021, COVID restrictions eased and students and fans cheered on the Orange when Syracuse hosted Rutgers University, the first football game with fans in nearly two years.

“It felt different having everyone back in there smushed together again. It felt really weird after all that time with no fans. But all I was focused on was the mission we needed to accomplish,” says Danilich. “You have to make the first game count because students won’t come back if it isn’t fun. People arrived early and we taught them our chants and we just me made it a raucous atmosphere. It was so loud and everyone had a blast. It felt really good being back.”

Danilich plans to use the skills he’s acquired through his time with Otto’s Army and the relationships he’s built with the athletics department to transition into a career in sports marketing.

“College is a time where you really find yourself, and these past four years have given me a chance to rethink what I want to do in life,” says Danilich, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“I wanted to do something that makes people smile. Being part of Otto’s Army these last four years has helped me do that. It changed a lot of people’s school experiences for the better, and I’m really proud of that.”

Diego Luna ’22, Our Time Has Come Scholar

The situation was dire for Diego Luna ’22.

Back in his parents’ home in Brownsville, Texas, COVID-19 cases were high. Luna felt isolated taking virtual classes, and he was missing the sense of community and camaraderie he felt with his friends on campus, especially in the Pride Union student organization.

Luna almost transferred out of Syracuse, but thankfully, he stuck it out, making the most of a bad situation while recreating that sense of community in a virtual setting. Like the times Pride Union would hold drag shows and drag bingo nights virtually, in addition to starting new traditions like Netflix watch parties.

When classes resumed on campus and in-person activities were once again deemed safe, the time apart made gathering in person that much more special.

Diego Luna ’22

“When everyone finally got back together, it was such a strong and happy welcome back moment, especially for the students that were here during the pandemic. We had missed those in-person gatherings and interactions so much. The time apart made our bond even stronger,” says Luna, a biotechnology major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

That sense of community applies to the good times and the troublesome times, like when the country experienced a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, Blacks, the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized members of society.

Luna, who identifies as queer, was proud of the conversations he observed during those difficult moments. Especially the ones that focused on all the ways we’re similar instead of our differences.

“A mantra of mine is ‘Five seconds of courage,’ from the movie ‘We Bought a Zoo.’ Five seconds of courage is all you need to get a conversation going. It’s easier said than done, but if you take a chance, talk to someone and really get to know them, regardless of their political or ideological beliefs, it’s surprising the levels of community we can create that way,” Luna says.

What advice would Luna have for his freshman year self?

“You’ll be challenged like you’ve never, ever been challenged before, and you will think this is the most impossible, emotionally trying time you’ll ever live through. But you will get through it. It’s been a great experience and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The amount of growth I went through is immeasurable, mainly because of the amazing faculty, staff and students who created such a welcoming environment,” Luna says.

Syracuse University’s Commencement exercises will take place Sunday, May 15, at the stadium.

Graduates, it’s time to celebrate your accomplishments! Invite your family and friends, don your cap and gown, and meet you at the stadium for .

Syracuse University’s Commencement exercises will be held Sunday, May 15, beginning with the degree candidates’ procession at 9:30 a.m.

David Muir, anchor and managing editor of “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir,” will deliver the Commencement address.

School and college convocations and Commencement will also be livestreamed. Visit the May 12-15 to view the ceremonies online. The College of Law held its during a ceremony Friday, May 6.

At Sunday’s Commencement, Syracuse University will confer bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, juris doctor and master of laws degrees. The number of students expected to graduate is 6,468.

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud will address the graduates and confer degrees. Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter will give the welcome.

The University will award honorary degrees to four distinguished recipients: Nina V. Fedoroff ’66, a molecular biologist who has contributed to the development of modern techniques used to study and modify plants and an Emeritus Evan Pugh Professor of the Pennsylvania State University; Thomas Magnanti ’67, former dean of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering and Institute Professor and professor of operations research at the MIT Sloan School of Management; Howard “Howie” Phanstiel ’70, G’71, past chairman and CEO of PacifiCare Health Systems and a Syracuse University Life Trustee; and Gloria Somolekae G’94, senior research fellow and head of the governance unit for the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis.

Bea González G’04, former vice president for community engagement, special assistant to the chancellor and dean of University College, will serve as mace bearer.

Tadodaho Sidney Hill, of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, will give the ceremonial opening. The Rev. Dr. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, will give the invocation. Ryan McNaughton ’96, president of the Syracuse University Alumni Association, will offer a welcome to the newest alumni.

Student Marshals and Scholars

Representing the Class of 2022, Ava Breitbeck and Morgan Storino are the senior class marshals and will lead graduates during the ceremony. Originally from Cicero, New York, Breitbeck, a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, is majoring in physics and political science in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Storino, who is from Easton, Pennsylvania, is a chemistry and citizenship and civic engagement major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School, and is a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Programs.

Along with the all-University marshals, 23 student marshals represent the 13 schools and colleges at Syracuse University. The marshals will lead the degree candidates of their respective schools or colleges.

Twelve seniors have been designated as Syracuse University Scholars. This is the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. University Scholar Ghael Fobes Mora was selected as the student speaker on behalf of the Class of 2022.

Retiring faculty members who have been recommended to receive the title of emeritus by the University Senate to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees will be recognized by Jamie L. Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs.

The University Marshal is Shiu-Kai Chin ’75, G’78, G’86, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence and professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Associate University Marshal is James K. Duah-Agyeman G’99, director of Multicultural Affairs.

2022 Syracuse University graduates celebrate with Otto on campus.

Also during the ceremonies, Army and Air Force ROTC cadets will present the colors.

The Syracuse University Wind Ensemble will perform under the direction of conductor Bradley P. Ethington.

The national anthem will be sung by John Bentley ’22, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and Jada Crawford ’22, College of Visual and Performing Arts, will sing the alma mater.

2022 Graduate GIF Stickers

Continue the celebration on social media: Add to your Instagram or Snapchat stories with digital swag. Search for the latest Syracuse University GIF on either platform using the keyword “#SUGrad22.”

Check out the rest of @SyracuseU’s GIF sticker offerings, made for any occasion, by searching “Syracuse University.”

Welcome to the Orange Alumni Family

Graduates can check out programming for new alumni as part of —an exclusive welcome to the Orange alumni family. Visit the for in-person and virtual events.

More information about Commencement 2022 can be found at .

The members of the inaugural class, which comprises 45 of the 199 College of Law’s J.D. recipients this year, distinguished themselves in their legal studies. Many are graduating with honors. As students, they were also active in extracurricular activities and pro bono work. Twelve served on the Syracuse Law Review or other journals, many participated in the Student Bar Association and other student organizations, and some started new student organizations.

“I’m extraordinarily proud of all our 2022 graduates, but I’m particularly pleased to see our inaugural JDi cohort earn their law degrees,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “From across the country and around the world, they have studied with us year-round for more than three years, while balancing full-time work and family obligations. They are incredibly talented and motivated, and we’re honored to count them among our Syracuse Law alumni family.”

45 JDi students graduated—alongside their peers in the residential J.D. program—from Syracuse University’s College of Law on May 6.

The College of Law carefully designed JDi to make its J.D. program available to students for whom attending a residential program was not practical. By combining ��with self-paced instruction,����and externship opportunities, the program makes a foremost legal education available to students who need flexibility in their studies.

Consistent with the program’s goals of increasing access to legal education, the JDi graduates are a diverse group:

• They hail from 25 different states, including Hawaii and Alaska, and have taken classes while living in multiple countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.
• Eleven are members of the military or military-affiliated, including high-ranking, retired veterans and spouses of active-duty military personnel based in Germany and New Mexico.
• 30% are students of color.
• Their median age is 35.

“These students are the embodiment of the goal at the core of JDi: to expand access to legal education and the legal profession,” says Professor Shannon Gardner, associate dean for online education. “Without this program, this diverse group of talented, accomplished, and ambitious grads would not have been able to pursue their aspirations of becoming lawyers.”

Outside of their pursuits as law students, the Class of 2022 JDi graduates are global industry executives at prominent companies, such as Apple, John Deere and Lockheed Martin. They are national and local government employees, leaders at higher education institutions, public school teachers and administrators, bankers, insurance executives, paralegals, real estate agents, entrepreneurs and accountants. They are parents of one to nine children and caregivers to aging parents. Several already hold advanced degrees.

“Designing JDi required us to rethink how we deliver education and gave us the opportunity to take the best of what we do in our residential program and translate it into the online space,” says Professor Nina Kohn, faculty director of online education, who led the design and launch of JDi. “The College of Law could not be prouder of these students for their achievements here. Their success shows that—with careful planning and an insistence on always putting student learning first—we can deliver a high-quality legal education to students no matter where they may be located.”

For more information about JDinteractive, email onlineJD@syr.edu.

Lorrie Vogel

Vogel, who earned a bachelor of industrial design degree from VPA’s School of Design, is the founder of , an innovation consultancy that accelerates innovation by using the power of design thinking. She provides innovation consulting services to such large corporations as Google and to small technology start-ups.

Prior to founding ImagineNOW, Vogel enjoyed a 21-year career at Nike, with her last role in 2017 as the vice president of Nike’s Material Science and Innovation, where she incorporated emerging science and technology into materials, creating game-changing performance innovations for athletes. Her passion for design, innovation and sustainability made her a recognized global leader in bringing innovation to all facets of Nike’s products as well as shaping the future of the apparel and footwear industry.

Vogel has received several honors throughout her career. In 2011 she was named by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry as one of the top 12 innovators, holding over 20 utility patents. She was the co-creator of GreenXchange, which debuted at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in 2010, and she led the regional WEF discussion on sustainable consumption in India. In 2007, she was named to Fast Company’s “Fast 50,” the magazine’s annual compilation of innovative companies and the “incubators of genius.” Her sustainable design work has been recognized in several publications: “Strategies for Sustainable Design” (Adam Worbach), “Green to Gold” (Dan Estby) and as an MIT case study.

Vogel continues to be a frequent presenter at universities and is a celebrated keynote speaker for such symposiums as PopTech, Back End Innovation and Design Management Institute’s annual conference.

“I got my acceptance letter, and my mom asked me where Syracuse was. I had no idea,” Lim says. “I thought I was going to New York City.”

Sara Lim ’22

That might be the only part of Lim’s story that has seemingly taken her off track. She emigrated from South Korea when she was 5 years old, settling with her family in Suwanee, Georgia. Though her father served in the Korean military years before she was born, she found her drive to join Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) through experiences with other military-connected people growing up.

Lim says she always had somebody nearby who was a veteran or whose parents had served. When a neighbor’s experience inspired her to look toward a future career with the FBI or CIA, she learned they prefer a military background and fixed her path toward the military.

“I wanted to be different and do something nobody else in my family was doing, live the exciting life and join an organization where they send me to travel somewhere, but for the country,” she says. “I always looked at the military as one big opportunity.”

Lim’s high school had an Air Force Junior ROTC program, which she joined and cemented her affinity for the Air Force. When it came time for her to consider colleges, she knew she didn’t want to go to the same universities where others in her graduating class would head. Her parents also nurtured her desire to explore different options.

“Though their way of teaching changed as I got older, and they got a little less strict, I’ve always been encouraged to do something I love and I enjoy,” she says. “America is the place of opportunities, and I looked at college and Air Force ROTC as an opportunity to leave Georgia and make connections.”

Lim found all those opportunities at Syracuse University. She set out to study international relations at a top-rated university and serve as an Air Force ROTC cadet. This month she will graduate with a double major in international relations and political science with a region concentration in the Middle East and North Africa and a topic concentration in intercultural communications.

She’s also been selected to be an air battle manager (13B) in the Air Force, the military’s offensive team that coordinates with pilots during their missions. Lim will attend training at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida for her first six months of active duty.

“I never toured Syracuse, never came to visit, and I knew day one of ROTC that this is where I’m supposed to be,” she says. “The group was very welcoming, which was very affirmational. I knew the minute I set foot here that I made the right decision.”

Lim has found opportunities to start her military adventures early, including a professional development training called Ops Air Force Base the summer between her freshman and sophomore year. She spent two weeks at an Air Force Base in South Carolina with several other cadets from around the country to learn about the different career fields and how operations work. A few years later, she would see some of the same cadets again during her field training exercises, which helped reaffirm the familial feeling she appreciated in her Air Force ROTC experience.

Lim (left) with Isa Lee ’22

Lim also participated in Project GO, which stands for “global officer,” a competitive language immersion program available for all ROTC cadets, which afforded the opportunity to visit Korea for two months. As a native speaker of Korean, Lim welcomed the unique opportunity to study at Yonsei University in South Korea, one of the top three private universities in the country, alongside other universities with language programs there, in partnership with Georgia Tech. It was a unique opportunity to marry some of her foundational experiences in the same place. Coincidentally, one of the professors from the Georgia Tech program used to be Lim’s bible study teacher in elementary school.

Though some of her biggest challenges have come with trying to balance ROTC duties with the demands of her academics, navigating COVID during the process was an extra hurdle. For a while, all her classes were online, and her only in-person interactions were with fellow ROTC students. In addition to finding balance, she learned to navigate interpersonal relationships and how to be professional in a natural hierarchy.

Still, Lim knows she arrived at exactly the right place. She’s met students from other schools and knows she’s lucky to enjoy the tight-knit, caring nature of her fellow cadets at Syracuse. She’s proud to know that one of the things alumna and fellow Air Force ROTC Detachment 535 graduate Colonel Eileen Collins ’78, H’01, USAF (retired) mentioned in her book was being able to connect when she visited the Air Force ROTC detachment at Syracuse University.

“Obviously, it started out with the best people, because a strong culture of caring and being able to connect was embedded into our program years before we came,” she says. “We care for each other a lot more than you would expect.”

Emily Graham ’22

A chance meeting on the other side of the world in Bali, Indonesia, proved to be a pivotal step in the journey Emily Graham ’22 took to Syracuse. It prompted her to see what the University offers for veterans, and she would not be disappointed.

As a Navy Corpsman, Emily trained in San Antonio, Texas, before assignments at Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, during her six-year Navy career. Her husband Nicholas came with her to every post and completed his undergraduate education fully online. When he was admitted to Syracuse Law School, Emily had one year left in her military commitment. Nicholas deferred entry for a year while Emily finished her service and considered options in higher education. She had started her nursing degree and was planning to become a public health nurse but didn’t have a great passion for the nursing part so much as the public health part. That’s when she and Nicholas went on their trip to Bali.

“We saw a man with a Syracuse shirt on, which is unusual to see in that part of the world,” she says. “When we talked to him, it turns out he was on the board of directors for the IVMF [D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families]. He said I have to check out Syracuse. I was pretty dead-set on going to nursing school to become a public health nurse, but I looked into Syracuse’s public health program because of him. I’m glad I made the decision to switch.”

Emily and Nicholas are both natives of Watertown, New York, and Emily says she never really considered attending Syracuse as an option. Emily’s older sister is a nurse who also started her career as a Navy corpsman. Emily became interested in joining the Navy at a young age after attending her sister’s boot camp graduation.

“I was so inspired. That was all I wanted to do,” she says. “I never even considered college. I thought I would be a Navy corpsman and become a nurse, but it’s been nice to do my own thing.”

Emily got the Navy corpsman part done, heading out for boot camp only 10 days after high school graduation. Her job was to support nurses and strongly aligned with health education. She realized public health was a better fit for her and took the opportunity to reconsider her path when she discovered new options at Syracuse.

“My advisor Maureen Thompson is incredible. She’s always been really communicative and such a great contact,” Emily says. “She sat down with me and found how I could utilize credits from my military experience, and we created a whole schedule from when I started through graduation.”

Emily graduates this May from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics with a degree in public health with a concentration in health education. She has one year left in her 4+1 program and plans to finish her master’s degree next year. She and Nicholas have embraced life on campus as military-connected students. One interesting aspect of their post-service lives is they have taken up beekeeping. Emily says she appreciates how inclusive Syracuse has been for military spouses like Nicholas, as well as for older, non-traditional students, because she realizes spouses give up a lot to follow their service members. Importantly, Emily also has found meaningful connections through the veteran and public health communities on campus.

“I’m all about community, which is interesting to see, because when I got out of the military, I really felt like the transition is harder than people let you know,” she says. “After six years, every day you’re surrounded by people who completely understand this niche aspect of the world. You get out, and it no longer becomes your whole identity. It becomes a piece of you, and you have to figure out the other part. I really miss that connection, so public health has given me the opportunity to create community. I feel like I’ve found my place again after being a little disheveled after leaving the military.”

Emily works as a Barnes Center at The Arch peer educator on campus and tries to keep the veteran community engaged and involved with as many resources as she can. For example, she helps to educate her peers on college-specific behaviors, nutrition, healthy relationships, sexual health, mental health and harm reduction strategies for substance use. She chaired the Take Back The Night planning committee, which empowers survivors to stand up against sexual relationship violence. She also runs the Orange Recovery program, for students in recovery from substance use disorder.

“I love outreach and creating a community on campus, whether it’s for recovery or sexual/relationship violence survivors. I know the veteran community is at higher risk for these issues, which is why I try to always send the resources over to the veteran’s community,” she says. “It’s really incredible to see how I’ve fallen into public health. I’ve always felt like I’m making an impact. It’s giving people tools and resources to use when they need it most, and I hope to keep making a difference.”

Nina V. Fedoroff ’66, a molecular biologist who has contributed to the development of modern techniques used to study and modify plants and an Emeritus Evan Pugh Professor of the Pennsylvania State University; Thomas Magnanti ’67, former dean of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering and Institute Professor and professor of operations research at the MIT Sloan School of Management; Howard “Howie” Phanstiel ’70, G’71, past chairman and CEO of PacifiCare Health Systems and a Syracuse University Life Trustee; Gloria Somolekae G’94, senior research fellow and head of the governance unit for the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, will be recognized during Commencement exercises for their distinguished accomplishments in their professional careers and in service to others.

Nina V. Fedoroff ’66
Doctor of Science

Nina Fedoroff

Fedoroff has pursued her curiosity in the basic foundations of animal and plant life through decades of research. A leading geneticist and molecular biologist, Fedoroff has completed fundamental research in the molecular biology of plant genes. Her research focuses on the improvement of agricultural plants, animals and microorganisms through modern molecular methods. Fedoroff’s best-known research investigates how plants transpose “jumping genes,” or transposable genetic sequences, which is foundational for plant gene cloning.

Fedoroff graduated summa cum laude in 1966 from Syracuse University with a dual major in biology and chemistry from the College of Arts and Sciences, and in 1972 earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology from The Rockefeller University. In 1978, she became a staff member at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and a faculty member in the biology department at Johns Hopkins University. In 1995, she joined the faculty of Penn State, where she founded and directed the multidisciplinary organization the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; in 2002, she was appointed an Evan Pugh Professor, Penn State’s highest academic honor.

Fedoroff received the University of Chicago’s Howard Taylor Ricketts Award in 1990, the New York Academy of Sciences’ Outstanding Contemporary Woman Scientist Award in 1992, the Sigma Xi’s McGovern Science and Society Medal in 1997, Syracuse University’s Arents Pioneer Medal in 2003, the 2010 Leadership in Public Service Award of the American Society of Plant Biologists, and the 2013 Nevada Medal. She is a 2006 National Medal of Science laureate.

Along with her scientific discoveries in the lab, Fedoroff has elevated that knowledge to a wider audience, helping advise policymakers in matters of science and strongly advocating for the use of genetically modified organisms for the future of food production. She served as the science and technology adviser to Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, as well as to U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Henrietta Fore. She served as Distinguished Professor of Biosciences at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia from 2011-14, establishing its Center for Desert Agriculture. She is currently serving as the senior science advisor to OFW Law in Washington, D.C.

The author of dozens of technical and non-technical publications, Fedoroff is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She has served on the boards of the NAS, the AAAS, the Genetics Society and the Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company.

Thomas Magnanti ’67
Doctor of Science

Thomas Magnanti

A Syracuse native, Magnanti has led a distinguished professional career devoted to education that combines engineering and management with teaching and research in applied and theoretical aspects of large­-scale optimization. Influenced by his father, who was a mathematician, Magnanti earned an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University, and earned master’s degrees in statistics and mathematics and a doctoral degree in operations research at Stanford University.

While still a student at Stanford, Magnanti was recruited by MIT to join the faculty of the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he eventually served as head of the management science area, and has had an outstanding career at the institute. Magnanti, who was dean of MIT’s School of Engineering from 1999-2007, co-founded and led several centers and programs at MIT. He was the founding co-director of MIT’s Leaders for Manufacturing and System Design and Management programs, and was founding director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART).

As dean, Magnanti focused on educational innovation, industrial and international partnerships, technology-based entrepreneurship, and diversity in innovation in emerging domains. He was instrumental in creating the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation and was a strong advocate and supporter of programs in entrepreneurship, such as the MIT $100K competition, which brings together students and researchers to launch their ideas into companies. To recognize his accomplishments, MIT appointed him as an Institute Professor, the highest title awarded to an MIT faculty member.

In 2009, Magnanti went on to become the founding president of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, serving until 2017. Magnanti propelled the development and advancement of the university that is focused on nurturing leaders who are technically grounded and innovators through a focus on design in interdisciplinary clusters. For his work developing higher education in Singapore, he was awarded the Public Administration Medal in 2018 by the government, as part of its National Day of Singapore.

Magnanti has served as president of the Operations Research Society of America and of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. He has written numerous research articles and is the co-author of two textbooks, “Applied Mathematical Programming” and “Network Flows: Theory, Algorithms and Applications.” The recipient of many research awards and honorary degrees, Magnanti is a member of the prestigious U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Howard “Howie” Phanstiel ’70, G’71
Doctor of Humane Letters

Howard “Howie” Phanstiel

Phanstiel has held leadership roles in the public and private sectors, in the areas of health care, banking and finance, transforming organizations and programs, always focused on progress and the public good. Phanstiel earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a master of public administration from the Maxwell School. He is past chairman and CEO of PacifiCare Health Systems, one of the nation’s leading consumer health companies that eventually merged with UnitedHealth Group.

Earlier in his career, as a state financial executive in Wisconsin and Illinois, he supported efforts to expand homestead property tax relief for seniors and to provide home financing assistance to low- and middle-income consumers. He also provided leadership to overhaul the states’ financing systems. At the federal Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Phanstiel provided executive leadership in the formation of the administrative infrastructure for a new federal agency, the Health Care Financing Administration, now known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Phanstiel joined PacifiCare Health Systems as executive vice president and chief financial officer in July 2000. In late 2000, he was named to PacifiCare’s board of directors, and was appointed president and chief executive officer. In February 2004, PacifiCare’s board of directors elected Phanstiel chairman and CEO. In December 2005, he led PacifiCare in its merger with UnitedHealth Group prior to retiring in April 2007. In recognition of the company’s efforts to become a leader in corporate governance Phanstiel received the Director of the Year Award from the Forum for Corporate Directors.

During his tenure at PacifiCare the company transformed into a leading consumer health organization by providing consumers more choice and enhanced information regarding physician and hospital cost and quality. He also refocused the company’s brand to produce a consumer health enterprise to serve the unique health care needs of widely diverse communities. Under Phanstiel’s leadership the company also established several diversity initiatives regarding recruitment and development of colleagues of widely diverse backgrounds. As a result of these efforts, Phanstiel and PacifiCare have been honored by such groups as the National Committee for Employer Support of the U.S. National Guard and Reserve, Seven Seals Award for Patriotic Employers, FORTUNE Magazine’s “50 Top Employers for Minorities,” the Orange County Black Chamber of Commerce, LatinaSTYLE’s “50 Best Companies for Latinas,” Hispanic magazine’s “Corporate 100/Best Places for Hispanics” and Asian Enterprise magazine’s “Best Companies to Work for Asian Americans.”

A staunch supporter of Syracuse University, along with his wife, Louise, a Board of Trustees member, Phanstiel has served the University and its students through his leadership roles on University committees, and as co-chair of the University’s second major Capital Campaign, which raised over a billion dollars. He has served as a mentor to students, including financial support to more than 80 Phanstiel Scholars through an innovative program designed to recognize students who engage in community service along with their academic pursuits. In support of faculty, the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership was established by the couple. More recently, the Phanstiels provided support to the Forever Orange campaign for the student-athlete experience as part of an Athletics fundraising initiative—in tribute to the late Floyd Little ’67, H’16. His philanthropy also extends into a range of causes for the arts and health care, including a new emergency room medical center on Long Island’s East End.

Gloria Somolekae G’94
Doctor of Humane Letters

Gloria Somolekae

A barrier-breaking academic in her home country of Botswana and a dedicated public servant, Somolekae has been a leader in women’s rights, democracy and development in Botswana and throughout southern Africa. Somolekae, who earned a Ph.D. in public administration from the Maxwell School, was the first citizen of Botswana to earn a Ph.D. in public administration, and the first woman in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at the University of Botswana—a trailblazer as one of only a small number of women in academics at the university at the time.

Somolekae earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration and political science from the University of Botswana and Swaziland in 1981. She then earned a master’s in public policy and administration at the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague in 1983, before coming to Syracuse.

After her studies, Somolekae returned to Botswana where she became a senior lecturer at the University of Botswana. She then worked in various policy advisor and director roles for foundations in Botswana, including as a policy advisor on rural development for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, before entering government service. The president of Botswana appointed her first to a position in the 10th Parliament of Botswana, and then to the position of deputy minister of finance and economic development. It was another first for the nation—the first woman to serve in a senior position in the Ministry of Finance. She was tasked by the president to review the country’s rural development; the Somolekae Report led to major policy shifts in the country’s rural development programs.

Along with her public service, Somolekae has had a deep presence in leading civic engagement projects, helping to energize voters and engage more citizens in politics in Botswana. She co-founded and directed the “Democracy Project” in Botswana, which was organized to help preserve and strengthen democracy through education of the public on their rights and responsibilities in a democracy and monitor elections. She was a board member of the organization Emang Basadi, which successfully challenged a number of laws that discriminated against women, and helped conceptualize the organization’s effort to encourage women to get involved in politics.

Currently, she serves as senior research fellow and head of the Governance and Administration Unit in the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis. She is working to build capacity in governance, advocating for evidence-based policymaking.

In recognition of her public service and engagement with the citizenry, she was awarded the Presidential Order of Honour by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, the highest civilian honor in Botswana, in 2008; was named one of Botswana’s 50 Inspirational and Formidable Women by W.A.V.E. as part of Botswana’s independence celebrations in turning half a century in 2016; and was named by the All Africa Council of Churches, based in Kenya, as an Eminent Persons for Peace in Africa.

Mike Tirico ’88

Tirico, who earned a B.A. in political science from A&S | Maxwell and a B.S. in broadcast journalism from the Newhouse School in 1988, is host and play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports Group. At NBC he covers an array of high-profile sporting events including “Sunday Night Football,” the Summer and Winter Olympics (which he hosted), select golf telecasts and other major events.

Tirico joined NBC after 25 years as one of the signature voices on ESPN/ESPN Radio and ABC Sports, including assignments for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” the NBA, college basketball, golf, tennis and other major events. He previously hosted the nationally syndicated “Mike Tirico Show” on ESPN Radio, launched in 2007 from the studios of WAER-FM—the same public radio station at Syracuse University where Tirico began his broadcasting career. In 2010, Tirico was named Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA), an award voted on by his industry peers.

“To be a successful broadcaster on the global stage is a form of diplomacy. It requires the ability to connect with diverse people while navigating potentially sensitive issues across cultures and values, and political and economic systems,” says David M. Van Slyke, the Maxwell School’s dean. “Mike’s dexterity in addressing challenging issues like human rights and structural racism, and health and economic disparities while never losing sight of his audience is what makes him stand apart in his profession and as an alumnus of Maxwell and the College of Arts and Sciences.”

Tirico was elected to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees in 2016, where he serves on the Advancement and External Affairs Committee, and Enrollment and the Student Experience Committee; the National Campaign Council Executive Committee; the Subcommittee for Marketing and Communications; and the Free Speech Trustee Advisory Group.

He and his wife, Deborah Gibaratz Tirico ’89 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), have established the Mike Tirico Scholarship Endowment and supported other initiatives in the Maxwell, Newhouse and Whitman Schools, WAER public media organization, and Syracuse University Athletics.

For his service and commitment to the University, Tirico received the George Arents Award (2005) and the University’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award (1996).

Syracuse University will take place May 12–15. will be held Friday, May 13, at 10 a.m. in Hendricks Chapel. The College of Arts and Sciences | Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Undergraduate Convocation Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 14, at 8:30 a.m. in the stadium. will be held on Saturday, May 14, at 2 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

David Muir

“David Muir is a highly respected journalist who shares powerful stories of the most consequential events of our time. His experiences, insights and worldview will make for a compelling Commencement address for our students, their families and all Commencement participants,” Chancellor Kent Syverud says. “We are privileged to have David speak at Commencement 2022 and look forward to welcoming him back to Central New York.”

An Emmy Award-winning journalist, with a career of headlining, exclusive interviews and on the scene reporting from global hotspots, Muir, who is a Syracuse native, delivers national and international news to millions of people each night as the anchor of “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.” Muir is also co-anchor of ABC’s��“20/20.”

“It is a true honor to come home to celebrate the Class of 2022 at Syracuse University. They are the next generation of thinkers, changemakers and leaders who will guide us through the challenges and triumphs that lie ahead,” Muir says. “These graduates have already proven their strength, and their ability to persevere even in these times.”

Muir, who joined ABC in 2003, became anchor and managing editor of its daily evening news program in 2014, first traveling the globe to cover conflict, humanitarian crises and natural disasters as a correspondent for the network. His dispatches from all over the world for years built a connection with the American audience back here at home. Muir has reported from war zones and disasters, including Afghanistan, Iraq, the Ukraine border, Tahrir Square, Mogadishu, Gaza, Guantanamo, Fukushima, Beirut and the Syrian border.

Muir has landed exclusive interviews with world leaders pursuing answers from those in power, often generating global headlines.

With the world focused on the war in Ukraine, Muir was the first network anchor to interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early March. In December 2021, Muir questioned President Joseph Biden L’68 about the state of preparedness in the U.S. in the face of another COVID-19 surge. Muir was the first to interview former President Donald Trump in the White House on Inauguration Day, and landed the first network interview with President Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Muir traveled to Afghanistan to interview the top U.S. commander amid talks with the Taliban, to Iraq to interview American military leaders in the fight against ISIS and to Cuba where Muir spoke with then-President Barack Obama during the president’s historic trip. Muir also moderated a town hall with President Obama, “The President and the People,” a conversation about race, policing and bridging the divide, earning an Emmy for his work. Muir also moderated the first-ever Vatican town hall with Pope Francis, conducting the town hall entirely in Spanish.

Muir has reported numerous in-depth ABC News specials, including most recently, “The Children of Climate Change” from Southern Madagascar—generating nearly $4 million for the World Food Programme, the most ever generated for the organization after a news report. Muir earned the prestigious George Polk Award for his reporting on climate.

Muir documented the return of Auschwitz survivors back to Poland, 75 years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, and profiled America’s World War II veterans who returned to Normandy 75 years after they stormed the beaches in France.

Further showcasing the depth of his reporting, Muir has covered the heroin crisis in America; he was the first American journalist to anchor from the scene of Europe’s refugee crisis on the Hungarian/Serbian border; and��Muir was granted��rare access to Guantanamo prison.

His skillful, detailed reporting and analysis have been honored with multiple Emmy awards and Edward R. Murrow awards, along with the Polk Award, and the Society of Professional Journalists has honored��Muir��for his reporting overseas.

Muir’s “Made In America” and “America Strong” reports are hallmarks of the broadcast, celebrating Americans across the country working to keep jobs here in the U.S., and who are making an impact on their local communities. Muir returned to Syracuse for his “Going Home” series, spotlighting efforts to save jobs and celebrate small businesses.

A magna cum laude graduate of Ithaca College,��Muir��also attended the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University and studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain. Before joining ABC News, Muir distinguished himself as an award-winning anchor and reporter at WCVB-TV in Boston, and at WTVH-TV in Syracuse where he first began interning at the station at just 14. Muir often points to his Syracuse roots, and to those who welcomed him to that TV station, for helping him to build a foundation for his career in journalism.

Eva Williams G’00

“Eva Williams’ ability to bring out the best in her students and her colleagues is legendary in this community,” says Kelly Chandler-Olcott, interim dean of the School of Education. “I can’t think of anyone better equipped to help us celebrate our students’ accomplishments and inspire us to work collaboratively for change.”

“Eva’s leadership and guidance has modeled for so many of us how to walk in both darkness and light, self-assured steps always moving forward despite the unknown,” says Reba Y. Hodge ’01, G’16, vice principal of Van Duyn Elementary School. “Her support for and faith in the people around her is remarkable. She exemplifies excellence and magic in the real world.”

A 2000 graduate of the School of Education’s program, Williams was named the 2021 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). She was chosen for her commitment to educational excellence, her dedication to meeting the academic and social needs of her diverse community of students, and her connections with staff, families and the greater Syracuse community.

In its announcement, SAANYS noted that since becoming Van Duyn Principal in 2013, Williams has implemented frequent two-way communication with parents; cultural and climate practices, including restorative circles; incentives for students to actively engage in learning, such as CHAMPS (courageous, hardworking, achievers, motivated, persistent, scholarly) incentives for individuals and classrooms; and opportunities for families to learn strategies for helping children at home.

Also a graduate of SUNY-Binghamton and SUNY-Oswego, Williams has made it her mission to increase student academic achievement. Under her leadership, Van Duyn moved from a school in New York State “Priority Status” to “In Good Standing” in five years. Her school also saw the greatest increase districtwide in ELA and math scores on the NYS assessments for two consecutive years. Additionally, chronic and referable behaviors decreased from more than 300 in 2012-2013 to zero since 2016.

“Simone and MP have made an incredible impact on campus across their academic pursuits, research opportunities, campus involvement and community service. They are passionate and driven about their goals and have fully embraced the opportunities around them to shape a meaningful student experience. They will serve as great representatives for their graduating class,” says Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience and dean of students.

Syracuse University’s 2023 Senior Class Marshals are Simone Bellot (left) and Michael “MP” Geiss (right).

Simone Bellot

Bellot, a rising senior majoring in communication sciences and disorders and neuroscience in the College of Arts and Sciences, is originally from Nassau, Bahamas. In her early academic career, Bellot earned the Invest in Success Scholarship for her academic accomplishments in her first semester at Syracuse University, which continued throughout her time here as she earned Dean’s List honors each semester. Bellot is also in the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

As an aspiring professor of speech language pathology, Bellot has immersed herself in research and academic opportunities. Working in the Voice and Swallowing Lab, Bellot is an undergraduate researcher studying treatment techniques for muscle tension dysphonia, as well as a research lab assistant supporting a Ph.D. candidate conducting a comparative study on the swallowing patterns of adults with dysphagia. In addition, Bellot is currently conducting independent research through the Diversity in Language and Literacy (DILL) Lab evaluating the morphosyntax and vocabulary production in Bahamian Creole English-speaking preschool-aged children, a research opportunity funded through the Syracuse Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE).

Bellot has also embraced experiential opportunities to gain hands-on experience in her field. She has served as an intern with the Doctor’s Hospital Rehabilitation Center, assisting in post-traumatic brain injury speech therapy sessions, as well as an intern with Bahamas Plastic Surgery, scrubbing in on cleft lip and palate repair surgeries and supporting patient rehabilitation. She also interned for the Renee O’Neil Center for Childhood Development, assisting in therapy sessions with speech-language pathologists and applied behavioral analysis therapists.

In addition to her experience in the classroom, lab and field, Bellot has fully engaged in campus and community service. She serves as the vice president of external affairs for the Caribbean Student Association, an executive board member of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Team, an international student peer leader for the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and a First-Year Seminar 101 peer facilitator.

Bellot’s leadership and drive to support other students extends to her role as a student research mentor and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) peer leader with SOURCE. In this role, Bellot is part of the first class of DEI peer leaders who will help educate students on the intersection and importance of DEI in research.

Bellot is also a member in the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), Women of Color in STEM Career Preparation Program, the Black Honors Society, Iota Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association. She was also a member of the WellsLink Leadership Program as a first-year student.

Outside of campus, Bellot volunteers with the Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment Program, assisting with tutoring, fundraising activities and promotional materials.

“Serving as a Senior Class Marshal has been a dream of mine since freshman year. Having this come to fruition given the unconventional journey I have had at Syracuse is a display that when I navigate the University with intention and passion, my goals can be realized,” says Bellot.

“I placed a great focus on using the tools available to me to become a holistic student. My engagement, coupled with my perspective as a black woman international student has afforded me the ability to have a diverse perspective on the student experience. Putting this perspective into practice and having the opportunity to enhance the student experience as a Senior Class Marshal is a service I am honored to give back to the student body that has crafted my unsurpassed undergraduate experience,” adds Bellot.

Michael “MP” Geiss

Geiss, a Syracuse, New York native, is a rising senior in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in policy studies and physics and minoring in biology and economics. He is also a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and is a Maxwell Leadership Scholar recipient.

Academically, Geiss has excelled with the opportunity to combine his interests in the natural sciences and policy. He is part of the Maxwell School’s accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program and has been conditionally accepted to SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Early Assurance Program to pursue an M.D. degree.

Geiss has dedicated himself to pursuing his intellectual interests outside the classroom through long-term research projects. He joined Dr. Teng Zeng’s water chemistry group in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in 2018 to characterize organic micropollutants (OMPs) in Central New York lakes through Syracuse University’s Summer High School Research Internship Program and has continued related work as an undergraduate.

Geiss earned a SOURCE research grant to study how varying land-use practices and onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) impact the concentrations and frequencies of OMPs and their transformation products (TPs) in Suffolk County groundwater. Earlier this month, he presented the project’s progress as a Syracuse University representative at the 2022 ACC Meeting of the Minds Conference at the University of Virginia.

Geiss has also earned SOURCE funding to work as a research assistant for Dr. Robert Bifulco for the Municipal Finance Journal paper, “Assessing How COVID-19 Impacts NYS Fiscal Practices and Pending State Economic Struggles,” and to test synthetic hydrogel drug delivery systems for encapsulating Osteoarthritis�� inflammatory inhibitors with the Jain group in the Syracuse BioInspired Institute. This summer, Geiss is interning this summer at SUNY Upstate’s Center for Vision Research with Dr. Samuel Herberg’s group to study how YAP (Yes Associated Protein) mechanotransduction and epigenetic chromatin remodeling modulate glaucomatous trabecular meshwork cell dysfunction.

As a SOURCE student research mentor, Geiss has worked to grow the campus undergraduate research community by serving as a peer mentor and is outreach coordinator for the Syracuse Undergraduate Research Yearbook’s first edition.

Following a four-year varsity high school career at Christian Brothers Academy in the Syracuse area, Geiss has continued to play on the University’s club baseball team and will represent the University at the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Symposium on Baseball and American Culture in June. There, he will present about baseball’s rich history at Syracuse University and honor its legacy 50 years after the varsity program ended.

In addition, Geiss has served as a summer camp unit leader and treasurer for the Camp Kesem chapter at Syracuse University, a teaching assistant for the Urban and AI Policy Smart Cities course sequence, and an ophthalmic technician at Eye Associates of Central New York (CNY).

Geiss looks forward to representing his class as a student liaison to the administration and greater Orange community as a Senior Class Marshal.

“As a Syracuse native and lifelong Orange fan, I am deeply humbled to receive this honor to serve our campus community over the next year,” says Geiss. “Syracuse University’s collaborative and innovative community has inspired me to challenge myself academically while trying new things that have helped grow my perspectives. As a Senior Class Marshal, I aim to give back by working with my peers and administrators to tangibly improve each student’s Orange experience. I cannot wait to get started!”

Caines is responsible for all areas of the domestic marketing department at Universal, and directly oversees media, digital marketing, multicultural marketing, data analytics and publicity.

Dwight Caines ’87

Prior to joining Universal, Caines served as president of domestic theatrical marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he crafted campaigns for a vast slate of releases, including “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” “Spectre,” “Captain Phillips,” “22 Jump Street,” “Angry Birds,” “The Equalizer” and “American Hustle.” In this role, he was the first digital executive to be appointed head of marketing at a major studio. Caines launched the Digital Marketing Strategy department for the studio in 2000, rising to the rank of president of worldwide digital marketing in 2008.

Caines is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and previously served on the board of The Entertainment Industry Foundation. In 2009, he joined a short list of executives to receive the iMedia Visionary Marketer Award.

A dedicated and active alumnus of Syracuse University, Caines recently worked with the University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs as an alumni mentor. He is a past member of the Newhouse Advisory Board and an adjunct for the Syracuse University Los Angeles Semester program. He recently sat down with program director Robin Howard for a .

All graduating students and their families are invited to attend the Newhouse Convocation Ceremony. Syracuse University Commencement will be held May 15. For the most current information about Commencement weekend, visit .

Luke Cooper

College of Law has announced that alumnus and Fixt founder and corporate executive Luke Cooper L’01 will serve as its Commencement speaker on May 6, 2022. Cooper is CEO of Latimer Ventures, a partner at San Francisco-based Preface Ventures and the 2022 Visiting Scholar at the University of Maryland Baltimore, which encompasses Maryland’s law school, medical school and other graduate programs.

“Luke has been a strategic planner, technology innovator and product developer for more than 20 years,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “We are honored to welcome him back to Syracuse University and look forward to hearing about his entrepreneurial successes and how his law degree from the College of Law and personal life experiences have shaped his leadership style and professional pursuits.”

In a , Cooper credits Syracuse Law with developing skills in critical thinking, analytical reasoning and advocacy that have fueled his successes. Importantly, Cooper is passionate about building diverse and inclusive work cultures and lifting up Black entrepreneurs.

Cooper, who built and sold his first cyber startup to CACI in 2011, founded the device support platform Fixt, which he sold to Assurant in 2020. He is only the second Black tech entrepreneur to see a company through to a successful exit in Baltimore, Maryland. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation and has been appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan to serve on the board of directors of Maryland’s .

Cooper’s upcoming memoir—”Mud to Magic: A Black Tech Entrepreneur’s Inspiring Journey“ (2022)—will tell his life story and share his powerful message, that showing up as your most authentic self will drive the best outcomes.

2020 Senior Class Marshal and University Scholar Serena Omo-Lamai ’20 gave remarks to the Class of 2020 during Commencement on Sunday, Sept. 19, in the stadium.

Omo-Lamai, of Lagos, Nigeria, spoke of an African proverb that reminded her of the Class of 2020: “If you want to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today.”

“Those stones have appeared in the form of challenges we have had to overcome or the opportunities that we have seized,” Omo-Lamai said. “I see in front of me many mountain movers who have taken advantage of the stones of opportunity that we have encountered at our time at Syracuse University.”

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud addressed the Class of 2020 during Commencement exercises for both Syracuse University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in the stadium on Sunday, Sept. 19.

“You have been through so much and you lost so much in your final year at Syracuse,” he said. “The challenges continued after graduation for you and for your loved ones. And yet you carried on—including to this joyful day.”

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80, the state’s 57th governor and first female to hold the state’s highest office, spoke to Syracuse University’s Class of 2020 during Commencement Sunday, Sept. 19, in the stadium. The ceremony also celebrated the Class of 2020 of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Hochul, an alumna of the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, congratulated the Class of 2020, wished them happiness and success, and noted how they had persevered through a difficult time. “You can put it all in perspective—that you can handle any challenge that comes your way,” Hochul said.

Commencement 2020

On Sunday, Sept. 19, graduates from the Class of 2020 were honored in a Commencement ceremony in the stadium after an in-person Commencement in May 2020 had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commencement 2020

Chancellor Kent Syverud and New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80 approach the stage during Commencement 2020.

Commencement 2020

Kevin Richardson, criminal justice reform advocate and one of the Exonerated Five, received an honorary bachelor of fine arts degree at Commencement 2020.

Chancellor Syverud presents an honorary doctor of humane letters degree to Life Trustee Daniel D’Aniello ’68 at Commencement 2020.

Commencement 2020

2020 Senior Class Marshal and University Scholar Serena Omo-Lamai ’20 addresses her fellow classmates.

Commencement 2020

Commencement speaker and New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80 addresses the crowd on Sunday, Sept. 19, in the stadium.

Commencement 2020

Commencement 2020

Chancellor Syverud delivers remarks to the Class of 2020.

Commencement 2020

Commencement 2020

Commencement 2020

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80, the state’s 57th governor and first female to hold the state’s highest office, will deliver the address at Syracuse University’s Class of 2020 Commencement ceremony Sunday, Sept. 19, in the stadium. The ceremony also celebrates the Class of 2020 of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Hochul, an alumna of Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, was sworn in as the state’s chief executive on Aug. 24.

weekend, scheduled for Sept. 17-19, will celebrate the Class of 2020, after an in-person Commencement in May 2020 had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commencement exercises will begin at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19.

“It is an honor to welcome Gov. Hochul back to campus to address the graduates of the Class of 2020 and their families,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “She is a champion for New York’s citizens and a committed advocate for Syracuse University and SUNY ESF.�� The governor is a member of an esteemed group of Orange alumni who have answered the call of public service. For these reasons and many others, Gov. Hochul is a fitting choice to address the Class of 2020.”

Hochul, who was head of government and strategic relations for M&T Bank until her nomination for lieutenant governor, served as the state’s lieutenant governor since 2015. As lieutenant governor, Hochul served as president of the New York State Senate and the state’s liaison to New York’s federal representatives in Washington, D.C. She chaired the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, the state’s Workforce Investment Board, the Women’s Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commemoration Commission and the New York State Heroin and Opioid Abuse Task Force. She also spearheaded the state’s “Enough is Enough” campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses. Hochul participated in a roundtable discussion on sexual and relationship violence at Syracuse University in April 2015.

“It takes a certain caliber of people to attend Syracuse University—they’re engaged, care about the community and come��from many walks of life,” says Gov. Kathy Hochul. “Syracuse University provided me with an opportunity to spark my activism, while offering a caring, nurturing and diverse community. Congratulations to the Syracuse and ESF Classes of 2020—you have created a special bond with your fellow graduates and alumni that will last for a lifetime. It’s now time to go out into the world and not only do well, but do good—and Syracuse has prepared you well for that.”

A former U.S. Congresswoman, Hochul represented New York’s 26th congressional district in western New York from 2011-13. While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Hochul was on the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, traveling to Afghanistan to confer with military leaders and meet with active-duty men and women. Her focus in Congress was job creation and bridging the skills gap by bringing together business and academia, and creating opportunities for returning veterans.

Before her election to Congress, she served as a practicing attorney, member of the Hamburg Town Board (1994-2007), deputy county clerk (2003-07) and clerk (2007-11) of Erie County in western New York. Earlier in her career, she was a legislative aide to Congressman John LaFalce and Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), a University Professor in the Maxwell School, and was instrumental in drafting legislation related to campaign finance reform, immigration reform and combating drug abuse.

Hochul came to Syracuse University in 1976 to major in political science. She took political science courses, including Modern American Politics, Russian Politics and Constitutional Law. She also engaged in debates, sharpened her public speaking skills and participated in student government. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Syracuse in 1980 and holds a juris doctor degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

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 close 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.

The Class of 2020 is being celebrated as part of a full of on-campus activities, after an in-person Commencement in May 2020 had to be postponed due to public health guidelines.

Daniel A. D’Aniello ’68
Doctor of Humane Letters

D’Aniello, a Syracuse University Life Trustee, found success in the international world of business as a pioneer in the private equity industry, and his philanthropic impact has had a broad reach.

Daniel A. D’Aniello

His path is one of hard work, determination and service. Raised by a single mother in Butler, Pennsylvania, he attended Syracuse University to study transportation economics. A member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society for business scholars and a varsity gymnast, he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1968 from what is now the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Drafted in the U.S. Navy in 1968, D’Aniello spent three years serving as a supply officer aboard the USS Wasp (CVS 18). Following his military service, D’Aniello continued his education at Harvard Business School. He received an MBA in 1974 and was also a Teagle Foundation Fellow.

D’Aniello is co-founder and chair emeritus of The Carlyle Group, which has 27 offices across five continents, with $276 billion in assets under management. Prior to forming The Carlyle Group in 1987, he was vice president for finance and development at Marriott Corporation.

As a business leader, D’Aniello has long championed diversity and equity. He led efforts at The Carlyle Group to advance opportunities for women in private equity, leading to more women in senior-level management positions.

In 2016, he received the prestigious Lone Sailor Award from the United States Navy Memorial Foundation. The award honors sea service veterans who have distinguished themselves in their subsequent careers and lives, while exemplifying the core values of honor, courage and commitment.

D’Aniello has given back in meaningful ways in support of many organizations and communities. His philanthropic work is far-reaching, with a focus on education, mental health, the performing arts, veterans, entrepreneurship and faith-based organizations.

At Syracuse University, D’Aniello has supported entrepreneurship in the Whitman School, the Whitman Dean’s fund, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the National Veterans Resource Center and various Chancellor’s priorities. He has provided substantial scholarship support to graduate and undergraduate students and contributed to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities.

In 2018, D’Aniello and his wife Gayle made a transformational $20 million gift in support of the Syracuse University National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC). The Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, home to the NVRC, enables class-leading innovative academic research and programming in support of our nation’s service members, veterans and their families at Syracuse University and around the world.

D’Aniello chairs the board of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. He is also chairman of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, an advisor to the John Templeton Foundation and a founding trustee of the Lumen Institute. His impact also includes sponsoring and funding many programs for the poor and indigent, and programs to care for aging members of the Catholic community of priests and nuns.

In addition to his service to the University’s Board of Trustees, D’Aniello is a member of the Chancellor’s Council, the Whitman Advisory Council and serves as co-chairman of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families advisory board. D’Aniello received the George Arents Award in 2017, the University’s highest alumni honor.

D’Aniello and his wife reside in Virginia. They have two daughters, Dana F. Ziegler ’04 and Bethany D’Aniello.

Kevin Richardson
Bachelor of Fine Arts

Kevin Richardson

Richardson’s story is one of courage and resilience, and a dream ultimately fulfilled. He will be the recipient of the first honorary undergraduate degree in University history.

Richardson was one of five teenagers wrongly convicted and sentenced in the highly publicized Central Park jogger rape case in New York City in 1989; he was just 14 years old at the time of his arrest. Richardson served more than five years in a juvenile detention facility, where he earned an associate’s degree and pursued a bachelor’s degree. He and the other men were exonerated in 2002 when another person admitted to the crime. The story of the Exonerated Five was highlighted in 2019 in the Netflix four-part series “When They See Us.”

Since his exoneration, Richardson has been an advocate for criminal justice reform, working with The Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that works to free those wrongly accused and reform the criminal justice system that allows unjust imprisonment. In collaboration with the Innocence Project, Richardson and the other men wrongly convicted turned their injustice into hope for the betterment of the common good—they helped pass a law to film interrogation of minors from the beginning process to the end, to avoid future coercion, which occurred in their case.

Richardson, who lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters, is also a motivational speaker who travels around the country to bring awareness of injustice in the legal system. He uses his platform to raise awareness and inspire in a therapeutic way that touches others globally. Richardson says he never imagined how impactful his words would become until he witnessed firsthand the power of “When They See Us”—not only do people literally “see” him and his friends who were also wrongly convicted, they now “hear” the passion in every sense of the word.

Before his wrongful conviction, Richardson’s dream had been to pursue an undergraduate degree and play the trumpet in the marching band at Syracuse University. While honorary degrees are usually awarded at the doctoral level, when the University contacted Richardson about the conferral, he specifically requested that he receive the bachelor of fine arts that he had hoped to earn before he was prosecuted and jailed for a crime he did not commit.

In September 2019, Richardson visited Syracuse University for the first time and was honored with the creation of the , which is awarded with a preference for supporting Black and Hispanic students with unmet financial need. Richardson sees himself through these young adults who benefit from the scholarship, which provides them a platform to start making changes in this world.

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 close 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.