The collections include:

As the has observed in “A Guide to Documenting Latino/Hispanic History and Culture in New York State,” “Historical information is inadequately represented in the documentation of broad areas of Hispanic culture, including the fine arts, popular music and dance forms, and folk and traditional arts.” ��Information pertaining to Hispanic businesses as well as the social, political and religious organizations of the community is also limited, and the historical record has poorly reflected Latine experiences related to immigration, discrimination and access to services.

These nine digital collections will begin to remedy the documentation gap relating to the Syracuse Latine community, supporting further work and study in the fields of anthropology, sociology, art, history and Latine studies. La Casita maintains both its physical and digital objects and collections with support from the Libraries, the , the and in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, as well as from community partners including the , the and other colleges and educational institutions in the region.

“The collaboration between La Casita, Syracuse University Libraries, CLRC and the NY Heritage Digital Collections is a wonderful, combined effort that benefits all parties and the greater community, ensuring that these important resources are preserved and discovered by scholars, researchers and community members,” says Elisa Dekaney, associate provost for strategic initiatives.

��includes over 400,000 digitized books, manuscripts, maps, letters, photographs and memorabilia. New York Heritage provides access to stories spanning the history of New York, with contributions from over 430 libraries, museums, archives and other community organizations.

“It is very exciting to see one of La Casita’s long-term goals, to make our Cultural Memory Archive accessible online, finally become a reality,” says Tere Paniagua ’82, executive director of the University’s Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community. “This is a project developed by La Casita’s Bilingual Library, one that we have been working on for over a decade. Many graduate students from the University’s have contributed to the project, and now that the platform was created for these first nine collections, we welcome more students to take on the task of building new online collections.”

Déirdre Joyce, head of digital stewardship and the Digital Library, added that “the Digital Library Program supports library, campus and community partnerships that find creative ways to publish and express their unique, local digital output to wider digital audiences. In this case, we were delighted to leverage the Libraries’ membership with CLRC on behalf of La Casita, thereby making this content–and�� and the stories of this diverse, Syracuse community–broadly discoverable in New York Heritage. We look forward to continuing this important collaboration.”

More than 60 pieces from the institutional collection are featured in the show, housed at the of the University’s Nancy Cantor Warehouse Building at 350 W. Fayette St. The show runs through Friday, Nov. 22. Admission is free and open to the public.

The exhibition, “Libro de Artista,” features more than 60 artists books from the collection at the Argentine National Museum. (Photo by Matias Roth)

The exhibition is a production of the University’s POC) gallery in partnership with the (MNBA) and the University’s in the .

Sergio Moscona’s “Personajes Diarios,” in ink, acrylic and collage, depicting the intervention of facsimile 1956 edition of “La Prensa,” a daily newspaper that was censored in 1951. (Photo by Matias Roth)

Latin American creators represented in the exhibition include artist books by Diana Dowek, Luis Felipe Noé, Lucrecia Orloff, Jacques Bedel, Daniel García, Miguel Harte, Carolina Antoniadis, Marcos López and Marcia Schvartz. The exhibition also includes the Agentinian ���ܲ���ܳ�’s latest accession to the collection, a piece co-authored by Argentine artists Pedro Roth and the late Syracuse University professor and POC founder Pedro Cuperman.

Juan Astica’s acrylic-on-paper piece, “Diversos Conjuros,” consists of 64 paintings. (Photo by Matias Roth)

“It is an honor to partner with MNBA in its first showing of the ‘Libro de Artista’ collection in the United States,” said , executive director of the Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community at Syracuse University.

“Point of Contact worked in close collaboration with the Roth family of creators and with the National Ministry of Culture of Argentina in exhibitions at the New York Art Book Fair held at MoMA PS1 from 2012 to 2018. ‘Libro de Artista’ culminates such a project with this timely exhibit as we commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024,”she says.

Andrés Duprat, MNBA director, explains the art form. He says, “The artist book or Libro de Artista is generally not considered a work of art in itself, but for us, it holds great interest because it is in artist books where explorations, intentions, sketches, and even doubts and regrets or new searches are revealed.”

This foldable book in ink on paper, and bound in leather, is by artist Leonel Luna. It’s called “Genealogías del Arte Argentino.” (Photo by Matias Roth)

In terms of artist techniques, formats and materials, artist books take many forms on paper, cardboard, celluloid, acrylic, metal and other materials, transforming into boxes, intervened prints, collages and pop-up books.

One of the pieces in the show, “La Dama del Río,” is a collaborative work with original texts by Pedro Cuperman and illustrations by Pedro Roth. Pedro Roth is a recipient of the 2023 National Award for Artistic Trajectory, an honor bestowed by the National Ministry of Culture recognizing the exceptional path and contributions of living Argentine creators inducted to the National Gallery of Visual Arts.

Juan Pablo Ferlat’s digital print is titled “Golem.” (Photo by Matias Roth)

“Point of Contact, soon to commemorate its 50th anniversary, has much to celebrate with the accession of this piece to the MNBA’s permanent collection,” says Matias Roth, curator of the “Libro de Artista” Buenos Aires exhibition and an exhibiting artist in the show. “As a member of the Point of Contact board of directors and longtime collaborator of both POC and the National Museum, I greatly appreciate that this work will be preserved in Argentina’s National Art Collection.”

At Point of Contact’s exhibition opening are, from left, Tere Paniagua, gallery director; Matias Roth, Point of Contact board member and show curator; Museum Studies Professor Andrew Saluti and museum studies graduate students Paola Manzano and Molly Dano.

Carrie Mae Weems H’17 (Photo by Jerry Klineberg)

“Carrie Mae Weems’ commitment to telling the American story has secured her place among the greatest artists of our time,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “This extraordinary honor is a testament to her prolific and powerful work that has profoundly impacted the artistic community, contributed to cultural awareness and inspired change. Syracuse University is fortunate and proud to have such an accomplished artist as part of our community.”

The National Medal of Arts��is the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government. The medal is awarded by the president of the United States to individuals or groups who “are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.”

“As the first African American female visual artist to receive the National Medal of Arts in recognition for my contributions is profoundly humbling and a great honor,” says Weems.��“I��thank my colleagues, along with the many other great women artists of color who came before me, widened the path and took the heat, but unfortunately were not recognized for their tremendous achievements.”

Weems’ four decades of work, including groundbreaking and distinctive compositions of photography, text, audio, installation, video and performance art, depicts topics of race, gender, social injustice and economic inequity throughout American history to the present day.

She is the first African American woman to have a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, and she is represented in public and private collections around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Modern Art; Tate Modern; Whitney Museum of American Art; National Gallery of Canada; and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

In April, Weems reviewed the work of College of Visual and Performing Arts students in the studio arts program at the University’s Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence (Photo by Francesco Guazzelli)

Weems is a 2023��Hasselblad Award��laureate and has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships, including the��, the U.S. Department of State’s Medal of Arts, the Joseph H. Hazen Rome Prize Fellowship, the National Endowment of the Arts fellowship and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award.

In April, Weems participated in the conference, organized in concert with the , and reviewed the work of College of Visual and Performing Arts students in the studio arts program at the University’s Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence.

Her solo exhibition, “The Shape of Things,” is currently running at the in New York City through Nov. 9.

As the University’s artist in residence, Weems engages with Syracuse University faculty and students in a number of ways, including working with students in the design, planning and preparation of exhibitions.

Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff, who co-created the Artist in Residence program with Academic Affairs leadership, says, “This well-deserved honor recognizes Carrie Mae Weems’ incredible cultural contributions as a groundbreaking and visionary artist. It also reminds us once again how proud we are to call her our artist in residence. Carrie’s longstanding connection with the University has been a source of inspiration to the arts on campus here and abroad and resulted in numerous one-of-a-kind opportunities for our students.”

Weems first came to Syracuse in 1988 to participate in Light Work’s artist-in-residence program. Over the years, she has participated in several programs at Light Work and has a long history of engaging with students and the University community.

Weems taught at Syracuse University previously, and out of her two courses Art in Civic Engagement and Art and Social Dialogue came the innovative and popular . She previously was artist-in-residence in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (2005-06) and she was a distinguished guest of the University Lectures in 2014.

Weems also was bestowed an honorary doctorate by the University in 2017 (along with honorary degrees from Bowdoin College, the California College of Art, Colgate University, the New York School of Visual Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art and Smith College).

Emily Dittman

Following 17 years of service to the , Emily Dittman has been named director, effective Oct. 16. The announcement was made today by Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Elisa Dekaney.

“Emily’s steady, visionary leadership has already guided the Syracuse University Art Museum along a successful path and secured its place at the center of campus life,” Dekaney says. “I am excited to continue working with her to further expand and strengthen the museum as a resource for students, faculty, staff and the local community.”

Dittman has served as the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s interim director for two years, leading operations, financial and strategic planning, alumni relations, fundraising and communications and marketing, and managing a staff of six full-time and 14 part-time employees. Additionally, she directs the collections care team, overseeing cataloguing, storage, environmentals and the design and function of the collection database.

“I am thrilled to embark on the next chapter of my leadership journey with the arts at Syracuse University,” Dittman says. “The museum’s prestigious permanent collection, engaging exhibitions and dynamic programs inspire me daily with their potential to serve as transformative experiences for our community. I am excited for the opportunity to collaborate more closely with our students, faculty, artists and community members during this exciting period of growth for the museum as an arts destination that is welcoming and open to all.”

Dittman joined the Art Museum in 2007 as a collection and exhibition manager, a role she held for 11 years. In that capacity, she had oversight of the SUArt Traveling Exhibition program, the Campus Loan program, special exhibitions and photography exhibitions at Syracuse University Art Galleries. She also handled communications tasks, including gallery publications and media relations. She later served as associate director for four years.

Dittman has curated a number of exhibitions, including “Impact!: The Photo League and its Legacy,” “Wanderlust: Travel Photography,” “Everyday Art: Street Photography in the Syracuse University Art Collection” and “Pure Photography: Pictorial and Modern Photographs.” She serves on the board of and teaches museum studies courses in the .

Dittman earned an M.A. in museum studies and an M.S. in library and information science from Syracuse University and a B.A. in history from Allegheny College.

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

About “This Side of Salina”

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

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

Related Programming

All programs are free and open to the public.

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

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

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

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

Under the new banner Arts at Syracuse University, are top-notch museums and galleries, active maker spaces, robust community centers and a myriad of creative events and programs.

The new name is part of a rebranding and profile-boosting effort to highlight the University’s arts offerings and strengthen and grow awareness of its diverse group of centers and programs, says , assistant provost for arts and community programming.

The initiative includes the , which comprehensively illustrates the range of arts centers and programming available to students, faculty, staff and community members. The site also includes a dedicated that highlights events, ongoing programs and exhibitions.

Spaces and programs include , , , , , , at Syracuse University Libraries, , the , Syracuse University Artist-in-Residence Program and the in New York City.

Outdoor visual displays are conducted at the Urban Video Project.

New ideas about how academic and community arts programming and experiences are presented to a range of constituencies—students, faculty, staff and the general public—and as part of student experiential learning, teaching activities and individual entertainment and enjoyment resulted from a year-long planning process spearheaded by the , Traudt says.

Miranda Traudt

“This is much more than a name change. It’s a true rethinking of the arts at Syracuse University,” she says. “We purposefully considered how all the individual units and centers that are doing such fantastic work on their own could band together to have greater overall impact and visibility and to create wider local, regional, national and international awareness of these exceptional offerings.”

In addition to enhancing the visibility of the separate arts programs and centers, Arts at Syracuse University highlights how, grouped together, the units offer distinctive experiential learning opportunities for students that are typically available only at much larger national and international venues, Traudt says.

Syracuse Stage puts students and their artistic presentations at the center of downtown Syracuse and hosts theater offerings that are enjoyed by all of Central New York.

“The Syracuse University Art Museum has one of the largest university-owned art collections in the country. La Casita, as a vital part of the Syracuse Near West Side community, is the only Latin cultural center in this part of New York state. The Community Folk Art Center is a vibrant seat of community programming for people of all ages. Light Work’s renowned Artist-in-Residence Program has hosted more than 400 artists coming from every U.S. state and 15-plus countries. Urban Video Project is an important international venue for the public presentation of video and electronic arts and one of the few projects in the U.S. dedicated to continuous and ongoing video art projections. Exhibitions of nationally and internationally known artists hosted here mean you don’t have to travel to New York City to see that kind of artistic excellence.”

Elisa Dekaney

Elisa Dekaney, associate provost for strategic initiatives, makes this comparison. “We pride ourselves on the fact that the University’s study-abroad programs utilize their locations as classrooms. We say, ‘Florence is our classroom; London is our classroom’ because of what these cities offer in the arts and cultural experiences. But we can also say ‘Syracuse is our classroom’ because of the rich arts programming the University offers right here.”

Other goals defined in the strategic operating plan include serving as an international model of arts and humanities engagement for institutions of higher education; expanding community partnerships; growing reciprocal relationships with local, regional, national and international arts and strategic partners; increasing faculty, alumni and donor engagement with the arts programs and centers.

Directed by School of Education Professor , Breedlove Readers encourages girls ages 13 through 17 to celebrate black girl stories through reading, writing and creating in the community.

For the , the club will explore ideas around identity and coming-of-age, two themes that the Art Museum addresses in its latest exhibition, “.”

Book club participants will read a novel that resonates with the life and works of Gordon Parks—a pioneering Black photographer, poet and musician—and then visit the Art Museum to explore connections between the novel and his photographs.

As a photographer, Parks worked in a variety of styles, including fashion photography, celebrity portraiture and social justice subjects. Parks famously called his camera a “tool of social consciousness” and a “weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs.” The exhibition includes photographs from Parks’ full body of work, which spans decades of his career.

About the Breedlove Readers Fall 2024 Program

• Meeting Dates: Saturday, Nov. 2 (Syracuse University Art Museum) and Saturday, Dec. 7 (Syracuse University MakerSpace)
• Applications close Tuesday, Oct 1. .
• Space is limited to 10 participants per cohort, ages 13-17.
• All programming is free of charge.
• Transportation is available.
• If accepted, participants must commit to attending all meetings.

Gordon Parks, “Mrs. Jefferson,” from the series Fort Scott Revisited (Photo courtesy of The Gordon Parks Foundation)

“Homeward to the Prairie I Come” features more than 75 of Parks’ images, examining his wide-ranging artistic ideas. The exhibition not only includes Parks’ documentary photography such as the series Paris Fashions, Fort Scott Revisited and The Redemption of the Champion��(featuring images of Muhammed Ali), but also his thoughts on photography as a fine art medium and his engagement with celebrated paintings and sculptures.

Most significantly, the photographs instigate cultural change by challenging viewers to imagine a more inclusive culture than the one they know: a world where Black skin represents ideal beauty, where an African American athlete embodies the exemplary hero and where an artist of African heritage has a place within the lineage of excellent artists in Western art history.

“This exhibition leverages the power of art to catalyze dialogue about the wide range of issues that Parks engaged with in his photography, from systemic racism to the labor and ethics of the global fashion industry to ideas of celebrity and home,” says Melissa Yuen, the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s interim chief curator.

Interim director of the museum Emily Dittman says, “Gordon Parks was a visionary interdisciplinary artist whose work had a lasting impact on the world. His dedication to continually tell the stories of individuals that were—and still are—too often hidden and overlooked is clearly evident and inspiring throughout his artistic work.”

In this spirit, the museum is taking steps to creating an accessible, diverse and multilingual space for all communities and families. The interpretive text in the exhibition is bilingual, providing both English and Spanish text for visitors, large-type text will be available and a family guide is provided to help youth and families explore the exhibition. An open access digital exhibition catalog for the exhibition will be available for visitors in the reflection area, as well as reading materials on Gordon Parks and his multifaceted career. The exhibition will be accompanied by a dynamic slate of public programming, all free and open to the public.

Co-curated by Aileen June Wang, Ph.D., curator, and Sarah Price, registrar, at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University, the tour is organized by Art Bridges. The exhibition and related programs have been made possible by generous support from Art Bridges, the Wege Foundation and the Humanities Center (Syracuse Symposium).

About the Artist

Parks, one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, was a humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice. He left behind an exceptional body of work that documents American life and culture from the early 1940s into the 2000s, with a focus on race relations, poverty, civil rights and urban life. Parks was also a distinguished composer, author and filmmaker who interacted with many of the leading people of his era—from politicians and artists to athletes and celebrities.

Born into poverty and segregation in Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1912, Parks was drawn to photography as a young man when he saw images of migrant workers taken by Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographers in a magazine. After buying a camera at a pawn shop, he taught himself how to use it. Despite his lack of professional training, he won the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship in 1942; this led to a position with the photography section of the FSA in Washington, D.C., and, later, the Office of War Information (OWI). Working for these agencies, which were then chronicling the nation’s social conditions, Parks quickly developed a personal style that would make him among the most celebrated photographers of his era. His extraordinary pictures allowed him to break the color line in professional photography while he created remarkably expressive images that consistently explored the social and economic impact of poverty, racism, and other forms of discrimination.

Featured Events

• Opening Reception and Keynote—Sept. 6, 4-6:30 p.m.; keynote: 4-5 p.m., 160 Link Hall; reception: 5-6:30 p.m., Syracuse University Art Museum
• The Duke Ellington Orchestra presented in partnership with the Malmgren Concert Series—Sept. 22, 4 p.m.; Hendricks Chapel, with reception to follow at the Syracuse University Art Museum
• Community Screening of “Shaft” (1971), directed by Gordon Parks—Oct. 4, 7 p.m.; The Westcott Theater, 524 Westcott St., Syracuse
• Community Day—Oct. 5, noon-4 p.m.; Syracuse University Art Museum
• Art Break: Gordon Parks with Nancy Keefe Rhodes—Oct. 16, noon;��Syracuse University Art Museum
• Celebrating the Legacy of Gordon Parks—Nov. 9, noon-4 p.m.; Syracuse University Art Museum;��1 p.m.: Art Break with contemporary photographer Jarod Lew; 2:30 p.m.: screening of “A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks” (2021)
• Gordon Parks Community Gathering/Showcase—Dec. 7, timing TBD;��Deedee’s Community Room, Salt City Market, 484 S. Salina St., Syracuse

Visit the for event information. Members of the media may contact Emily Dittman, interim director of Syracuse University Art Museum, for more information or to schedule a tour.

[Featured image: Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks, “Mrs. Jefferson,” from the series Fort Scott Revisited, 1950, printed in 2017, gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches. Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, gift of Gordon Parks and the Gordon Parks Foundation, 2017.373. Image courtesy of and copyright by The Gordon Parks Foundation]

“Syracuse University is so fortunate to count outstanding teachers, scholars and administrators like Julie and Elisa among its faculty members, and I am truly grateful for their willingness to serve in these important roles,” Agnew says. “Their past leadership experiences and fresh perspectives position them to make a positive impact not only on the Academic Affairs team, but also across the University and in the local community.”

Julie Hasenwinkel

Julie Hasenwinkel

As associate provost for academic programs, Hasenwinkel will support teaching, learning and student success. Her portfolio will include oversight of a wide range of University offices and programs in these areas, including the , the and . She assumes the role from Agnew, who was named interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer July 1.

, a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence, is currently chair of the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the (ECS). She is also a faculty affiliate of the . She has served as ECS associate dean for academic and student affairs and senior associate dean.

Her professional and scholarly areas of expertise include faculty development in teaching and learning; engineering education and active learning pedagogies; student success initiatives; orthopedic biomaterials; and biomaterials for nerve regeneration. She holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University, an M.S. in bioengineering from Clemson University and a B.S.E. in biomedical engineering from Duke University.

“I’m very excited to take on this role and to have the opportunity to work with colleagues across the University and the leadership team in Academic Affairs to enhance our academic programs, student success, experiential inquiry and teaching and learning excellence,” Hasenwinkel says. “I look forward to implementing the goals of the academic strategic plan and exploring innovative ways that we can meet the current and future needs of our students so they can thrive at Syracuse University and beyond.”

Elisa Dekaney

Elisa Dekaney

In the role of associate provost for strategic initiatives, Dekaney will work to strengthen the academic experience through strong connections with campus and community-based programs, particularly in the arts and humanities. In this role, she will oversee University-based cultural organizations like the , and , among others. Dekaney will also have oversight of the University’s study abroad and study away initiatives. She assumes the role from Marcelle Haddix, who was recently named dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

, now the associate dean for research and global engagement and a professor of music education in the , is also a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence.

Her scholarly research focuses on aesthetic response to music, world music and cultures, International Phonetic Alphabet, Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian culture and clinical simulation applied to music education. She holds a Ph.D. in choral music education from Florida State University, a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas, a bachelor’s degree in sacred music (piano) from the Seminário Teológico Batista do Sul do Brasil and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the Universidade Federal Fluminense.

“I am honored to join Interim Provost Lois Agnew and the entire Academic Affairs team. This role presents an incredible opportunity to collaborate with Syracuse University faculty, staff and students in driving innovative projects and fostering a culture of excellence in an environment welcoming to all,” Dekaney says. “I am committed to advancing our strategic goals with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. By ensuring that our initiatives reflect these core values, we can create a transformative educational experience that benefits all members of our community.”

In conjunction with the exhibition, artist Paulina Velázquez Solís will be present for a live performance on the Everson Plaza on July 26 at 8:30 p.m.

About the Exhibition

“Unseen/forgotten: An ode to the humble landscape” is the continuation of a project Velázquez Solís developed during the pandemic. She found herself in a new environment in Brooktondale, New York, surrounded by a creek where the change of pace and isolation brought via COVID accentuated the sound perception of the river, and its presence as a neighbor and living entity.

This sonic connection was similar to her home in Costa Rica, which is also next to a river, making the sound and the experience of the river both grounding and nostalgic. This project, which includes interactive and performance-based elements, explores Central New York as a site of “post-industrial natural wonder,” using regionally extinct species in local herbaria as tools to meditate on “the tension between what prevails and what has shifted or disappeared” in a field of “memory, transformation and territory.”

Paulina Velázquez Solís, “Unseen/forgotten” installation view, 2024 (Photo courtesy of Light Work)

About the Artist

(she/her) is a multimedia artist from Latinoamerica with an interest in the oddities hidden within nature and the body. She was born in Puebla, Mexico, and grew up between Mexico and Costa Rica, where she went to art school. She works in diverse mediums, including installation, sculpture, drawing, animation and multimedia performance.

She graduated with a degree in art and visual communication in printmaking at Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica and obtained an M.F.A. in new genres from the San Francisco Art Institute as a Fulbright Scholar. She moved to Ithaca, New York, in 2018 and is currently a faculty member in the art department at Cornell University and Ithaca College.

Her work has been shown around the world, including at the Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo and TEOR/éTica in Costa Rica, Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan, Ex-Teresa Arte Actual in México City, Museo de Arte in San Salvador, Torino Contemporanea in Italy, La Casa de las Américas in Havana, Cuba, Mengi in Reykjavik, Iceland, Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C., UCLA Biennial in Los Ángeles and the Berkeley Art Museum in the San Francisco Bay Area.

To request high-resolution images for press reproduction and interviews, contact Cali Banks, Light Work communications coordinator, at cali@lightwork.org.

UVP programs are made possible by a Tier Three Project Support grant from the County of Onondaga, with the support of County Executive Ryan McMahon and the Onondaga County Legislature, administered by CNY Arts. All Light Work programs are made possible by the generous support of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

As associate director of First Year Seminar, Jimmy Luckman helps provide a warm, welcoming and engaging atmosphere for the thousands of first-year students who arrive at the University each year.

When Jimmy Luckman prepared to embark on his college journey at SUNY Brockport, he desperately sought a meaningful connection with the campus community, opting from the get-go to become involved with a multitude of activities.

“I wanted to be a part of that process to welcome students into the college experience,” Luckman says.

Today, as associate director of the University’s (FYS) in the , Luckman helps provide a warm, welcoming and engaging atmosphere for the thousands of who arrive at the University each year.

His professional career and accompanying research studies the emerging field of orientation, transition and retention, which aims to examine why some college students excel and engage with their campus community while others feel disconnected once they arrive on campus.

Jimmy Luckman

“Every day I get to bring in the things that I’m passionate about, what I learned in the classroom, and figure out how we can continue to enhance the student experience and help students figure out their identities. That’s important because I didn’t really find out who I was and discover all the elements of my identity until graduate school. I’m still learning who I am,” says Luckman, a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ issues who identifies as a queer man.

Recently, Luckman completed a doctoral degree from St. John Fisher University in executive leadership and successfully defended his dissertation, “More than Just a Sticker of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity: Exploring College and University-Based LGBTQ+ Center Director’s Process and Perceptions of LGBTQ+ Campus Climate Assessments.”

Among the goals of his research: collecting and leveraging the stories of LGBTQ+ students at various universities to both ensure their experiences are being heard and to create meaningful changes and to explore what universities are doing to connect students with local LGBTQ+ community resources.

“By being outspoken and an advocate in public spaces, hopefully, I can inspire queer scholars, queer community members and allies in our community to make a difference. We have an obligation to inspire queer youth and we must support those who want to support the LGBTQ+ community, and that starts with setting an example. I’m grateful for these opportunities,” says Luckman, entering his fourth-year teaching FYS.

Luckman sat down with SU News to discuss how he uses his lived experiences to enhance his FYS teachings, how he hopes to use his dissertation research to make a difference and effect change and why you can find him wearing his trademark bow tie in class and around campus.

How does First Year Seminar enhance the development of our students?

Jimmy Luckman (second from right) poses with the Department of the Year award.

I tell my students that my classroom is a space for them to actively make a difference on campus. FYS helps students with their transition to the University.

Another thing I love is making students a little uncomfortable. When we think about the transition to college, we think about how to make a comfortable and inclusive environment, and I recognize that. But when I talk to my students about my LGBTQ+ identity, specifically my queer identity, I automatically tell my students on the first day that, based on the way I sound, you’re potentially going to assume certain things about me. This doesn’t make you a bad person if you did. That’s part of FYS, learning about yourself and the opinions we form and learning to get uncomfortable.

Syracuse University is a place to engage in conversations, and for some of our students, they’ve never talked to someone who was so out before. I often share my queer identity and that openness invites students to share the elements of who they are, and potentially to expand what they know about the LGBTQ+ community.

How has your time on campus helped you discover your queer identity?

Some people say coming out, but I say I came into my identity at age 24 because that reflects how I was able to truly embrace who I am. I came into my queer identity in my graduate program [at Northern Arizona University] and Syracuse was the space and the place where I first explored how my identity looks as a working professional and as a role model who engages with and forms friendships and connections in the community.

I started volunteering at the immediately when I came to Syracuse in 2019. The majority of my really close friends are members of the LGBTQ+ community because we have similar interests and that commonality of seeking spaces where we can be authentically queer, which is something that I didn’t get to do when I was younger.

Syracuse has given me an opportunity to learn, reflect and try to find those alliances, resources and people to help propel our community forward. The has been very intentional and inclusive in its efforts to provide counseling and resources to the community. The has invited me to do a on my dissertation. We have a space to celebrate queer work and I know we have people on campus who feel a sense of support through the people and the resources available to them.

How did you decide on your dissertation?

There’s not a lot of literature specifically focusing on LGBTQ+ campus climate assessments to see how we are actually supporting students. I wanted to look at it from a lens of what do colleges and universities say or do to bring in students while offering an inclusive space, collecting data from LGBTQ+ centers and then utilizing that data to share that out from the perspective of these centers. How do we leverage this data to make changes on campus?

For my dissertation, what I really focused on was the importance of storytelling. We have students who share their stories of their experiences on a college campus, and I explored how can we leverage this information and these stories to make sure their voices are being heard and then go about creating change. How can we support LGBTQ+ students and create inclusive environments and affirming spaces that allow our campus community members to feel safe sharing their life experiences.

What’s the significance of the bow ties you frequently wear?

Jimmy Luckman poses with a First Year Seminar participant.

It’s all about having fun. Students are spending their Friday afternoons with me, so why not dress up for them? I’ve lost track of how many bow ties I own. I have different color bow ties. Holiday-themed bow ties. Floral bow ties. Even an SU-themed bow tie! It’s just a fun and different way to engage with my students. For them to see their professor dressed up and excited for class, I’ve noticed that they will open up with me and trust me more than previous students might have. I’m known on campus hopefully for my positive demeanor and for being a queer leader, but the bow ties help me standout and they’re a conversation starter. Plus, it brings me happiness!

“Closing the Racial Wealth Gap: Public, Private and Philanthropic Collaborations” centered on how a plan of targeted, intentional philanthropy can help bridge racial wealth disparities and lead to the practical implementation of economic equity. Taking part in the discussion were Syracuse faculty members who have been studying the causes of and solutions to the racial wealth gap in America, Lender Center leaders and MetLife Foundation officials. Also involved were several local business leaders who have supported the Atlanta community by investing in innovation and startup businesses, neighborhood revitalization and historic preservation.

Villaneuva discussed the need for reparations to Black and Native American communities and efforts by his to create racial equity through education and “radical reparative giving.” The discussion was led by alumna ’78,��director of operations for the National Association of Black Journalists. ��

A roundtable discussion featuring community leaders followed. Participating were alumnus ’83 of ; , an Atlanta housing commissioner and founder of ��; , president and CEO of ; and , ombudsman for neighborhoods for the City of Atlanta. Additional participants were Syracuse University Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Lender Center Interim Director . Closing remarks were provided by , policy advisor for neighborhoods for the City of Atlanta and director of the Center for Urban Research at Georgia Tech University.

The event was part of an ongoing initiative of the Lender Center to examine the racial wealth gap in America and identify solutions to mitigate its impact. In nearly two years, the work has resulted in symposia and community conversations in Syracuse, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta; funding for nine faculty research projects; and the creation of three postdoctoral fellowships. The center also formed a racial wealth gap composed of 15 notable business and community leaders and scholars from universities across the U.S. Those steps have been made possible by a $2.7 million grant from MetLife Foundation that was awarded in fall 2022.��

Kira Reed, senior research associate at the Lender Center for Social Justice, left, greets guest speaker Edgar Villaneuva for the Atlanta convening of a conversation about the racial wealth gap in America. Villaneuva advocates for the use of intentional philanthropy to provide economic racial equity.

Kendall Phillips, far left, interim director of the Lender Center, hosts the group of roundtable panelists for a question-answer segment.

A large audience gathered for the third conversation hosted by the Lender Center for Social Justice and supported by MetLife Foundation to discuss causes of and potential solutions for the racial wealth gap in America. The event was held at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. Roundtable panelists (at left) were Brendan Doherty, an Atlanta housing commissioner and founder of The Same House; Jodi Merriday, ombudsman for neighborhoods for the City of Atlanta; Angela Y. Robinson ’78, of the National Association of Black Journalists; Cheneé Joseph, president and CEO of Historic District Development Corporation; and Thomas R. Boyle ’83 of Atlanta community group Fourth Ward Neighbors.

Robinson, left, hosts Villaneuva’s talk with the audience.

Roundtable panelists included Atlanta investors, business leaders and neighborhood advocates, from left, Brendan Doherty, Jodi Merriday, Cheneé Joseph, Thomas R. Boyle ’83 and David Edwards.

A number of alumni participated in and attended the racial wealth gap conversation. Thomas R. Boyle ’83, center, was a roundtable panelist. He is involved in the Atlanta historic preservation association Fourth Ward Neighbors.

Charlie Pettigrew, right, MetLife Foundation representative, chats with guests at the event reception. They include Vicki Brackens (left), president of Brackens Financial Solutions Network, LLC of Syracuse; and University staff members Peter Cronin (second from left) vice president in Advancement and External Affairs; Stephanie Walgamott (center), director of regional development/South; and Rachel Vassel (right), associate vice president, multicultural advancement. A MetLife Foundation grant supports the racial wealth gap community conversations and other research initiatives.

Alumnus Jonathan Olens ’15, center, was among the attendees.

Alumnus Jonathan Olens ’15, center, was among the attendees.

Faculty who have received Lender Center Racial Wealth Gap research grants also were present. At left is Willie Reddic, Whitman School of Management; and at right, Laverne Gray, School of Information Studies. At center is Kristen Barnes, of the College of Law, a member of the Racial Wealth Gap initiative’s thought leader advisory group.

Lender Center for Social Justice Thought Leader Advisory Group members Pablo Mitnik (left), of the University of Michigan Center for Inequality Dynamics, and Gregory Price (right), minority and emerging business faculty member in the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of New Orleans are joined by Hannibal Newsom (center), assistant professor in Syracuse University’s School of Architecture and Lender Center research project grantee.

The Lender Center Racial Wealth Gap initiative’s three postdoctoral associates also attended. From left are Yvonne Christophe, Mauricio Mercado and J Coley.

As a leading funder of humanities programs, including several recent grants to faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the NEH plays a pivotal role in bolstering the work of humanities scholars, educators and students. Through grants to cultural institutions, scholars and educational initiatives, NEH promotes research, preserves cultural heritage and fosters lifelong learning.

NEH Makes an Inaugural Visit to CNY Humanities Corridor

Claudia Kinkela, senior program officer in the division of research for the NEH, discussed the NEH grant evaluation process during her presentation at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center.

The arrival of , senior program officer in the division of research for the NEH, marked a milestone for humanities scholars across Central New York. Sponsored by the , the March 1 event at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center saw 137 registrants, demonstrating a need and eagerness to hear Kinkela’s insight and guidance on crafting competitive applications for agency funding. Her presentation provided attendees with invaluable knowledge about the NEH evaluation process.

, associate provost for strategic initiatives, gave welcome remarks and noted the significance of the event, stating, “This was such an important opportunity for all in the humanities and beyond. We will continue to elevate the importance of the work being done across our corridor community.”

As part of the visit, Kinkela engaged in one-on-one afternoon consultations for individuals with existing projects under development.

“Having the opportunity to engage with Claudia Kinkela one-on-one was incredibly valuable,” says , associate professor of English. “Her personalized feedback has not only helped me refine our NEH proposal but also provided me with a deeper understanding of the overall landscape of public funding for the humanities.”

Hailing from 22 regional institutions, the gathering included registrants not only from institutions of higher education, but also representatives from local nonprofit organizations including the , the and . All 11 corridor institutions were in attendance, signaling a unified interest and commitment to advancing the humanities together. Academic institutions within the corridor include Syracuse University, Cornell University, the University of Rochester, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University, Union College, Le Moyne College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The provided additional support for the event.

Instrumental in securing this important senior NEH officer site visit was , associate director for research development in the humanities at Syracuse University. Together with her corridor colleagues, including Aimee Germain, program manager for the CNY Humanities Corridor and Vivian May, professor and director of the Syracuse University Humanities Center, Workman led the development of the event’s robust programming and brought the event to fruition.

The group enjoyed a public lecture presented by Syracuse University Artist in Residence at the University’s Villa Rossa facility in Florence. Weems was in Italy for the “” conference, which was co-sponsored by the University as part of the in Venice. She participated in the panel discussion, “Black Realities Through Digital Media.”

University Artist in Residence Carrie Mae Weems presented a public lecture titled “Resistance As an Act of Love” while in Florence. (Photo by Francesco Guazzelli)

Jonathan Nelson, a faculty member with the Florence program and a specialist in late 15th- and 16th-century��Italian painting and sculpture, also participated in the conference as part of the “Radical Curricula” panel.

In Florence, Weems, an internationally known and widely acclaimed artist, spoke to the students in their studio and exhibit space and conducted individual critiques of their artwork.

Eight VPA students also traveled to Venice to take in the international cultural and artistic exhibition at 2024. Attending the event allowed them to view art and other forms of creative expression made by people from all over the world.

Artist in Residence Carrie Mae Weems spoke to students studying at the University’s Florence, Italy Center. (Photo by Francesco Guazzelli)

They included Anastasia Cardona (studio art), Mark Casadevall (computer art and animation), Sidney Hanson (studio arts/art history), Madeleine Herberger (illustration), Sarah Mednick (illustration), Rumini Nguyen (studio art), Sarah Skalsk (illustration) and Alissar Youssef (illustration). Accompanying the group were Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives, and Miranda Traudt, assistant provost for arts and community programming.

Another three Syracuse University students studying in Florence participated in the critique with Weems: Paige Esposito (social work), Oskar Kraft (studio art) and Zohra Mekki (illustration).

“It was wonderful for students to learn from our artist in residence in a close-up, informal atmosphere, then see her present on the world stage about a topic that is prominent across America and the world now. Students’ exposure to world-renowned artists, emerging creatives and global thought leaders provided them with experiential learning that brought enjoyment in the moment and lasting experiences that are likely to impact them for their lifetimes,” Traudt says.

A one-day symposium April 19, supported by the Central New York Humanities Corridor, will explore how philosopher Immanuel Kant’s 1795 essay “Toward Perpetual Peace” can help lay the foundation for lasting peace.

Philosopher Immanuel Kant’s 1795 essay “Toward Perpetual Peace” still holds significant relevance even now more than two centuries after it was first published. With ongoing wars across the globe, securing peace remains elusive.

An upcoming will explore how Kant’s principles can help lay the foundation for lasting peace. The symposium is supported by the , whose administrative home is based at the . The event, “” will be held Friday, April 19, at Cornell University, with a symposium and workshop on one of Kant’s most widely read essays, Zum ewigen Frieden (“Toward Perpetual Peace”).

The symposium, as part of the , is organized by , Dean’s Professor of the Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences and a founder and co-director of the Perpetual Peace Project, and , director of the Institute for German Cultural Studies and associate professor in the Department of German Studies and Graduate Field of Comparative Literature at Cornell University.

The Perpetual Peace Project, an ongoing international forum on the concept of peace, began as an initiative of the Humanities Center in 2008.

Gregg Lambert

“The purpose of the project is to raise awareness and attention to the fact that war is not one regional issue,” Lambert says. “It is a global issue, and the number of wars only seems to increase each year.”

Open to the public, Friday’s symposium, which also is a celebration of Kant’s 300th birthday, will begin with three individual papers that examine different aspects of Kant’s treatise and its contemporary relevance.

“Kant’s popular essay was reviewed and cited as an inspiration by numerous thinkers from the start,” Gilgen says. “Anyone thinking about peace and what it means and implies had/has to take Kant’s profound remarks into account.”

The treatise served as an inspiration for the League of Nations, the first worldwide intergovernmental organization, founded in 1920, as well as its successor organization, the United Nations, in 1945.

“At the symposium, we hope to draw on a wide audience interested in Kant’s political philosophy as well as the theory and practice of peace—a topic that could not be more timely in light of the many ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world,” Gilgen says.

Peter Gilgen

The second half of the event is dedicated to a workshop on the Perpetual Peace Project.

Lambert, who is also founding director of the Syracuse University Humanities Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, and , associate professor in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering, Arizona State University, and co-director of the Perpetual Peace Project, will present the workshop, which will launch the Perpetual Peace Academy. The academy will feature a curriculum created by faculty from all over the world, contributing designs of courses that they would teach in a virtual setting.

“We are really trying to engage students on all campuses and other participants in talking about the Perpetual Peace Project, and then we’re going to inaugurate the Perpetual Peace Academy,” Lambert says. “The academy will be driven by international faculty who want to contribute their ideas from across the disciplines.”

Along with his presence at the symposium, Nocek also joined Lambert in Lambert’s undergraduate seminar, , Tuesday for a discussion with students, and other participants, about the Perpetual Peace Academy. Nocek’s time at the symposium and in the seminar is supported as part of Syracuse University’s Distinguished Visiting Collaborator (DVC) initiative of the CNY Humanities Corridor.

Adam Nocek

Vivian May, director of the SU Humanities Center and lead director of the CNY Humanities Corridor, says the scholar mini-residency bridges the Syracuse University campus with another corridor campus, a model that deepens collaborative networks.

“In conversation with Lambert, Gilgen, and a range of other interlocutors over the course of his visit,��, founding director of the Center for Philosophical Technologies at Arizona State University, will discuss the importance of philosopher Immanuel Kant’s yet-to-be-realized concept of ‘perpetual peace,’” May says. “I encourage everyone who can to engage with this year’s DVC events and activities, as they offer an important opportunity for us to step back, refuse broad acceptance of violence and devastation, and actively pursue planetary peace—a peace that centers climate justice and holistic thriving.”

Since its start in 2008, the Perpetual Peace Project, structured around Kant’s six preliminary articles, has gone through three phases, with the first at Syracuse University and the United Nations in New York. This first phase included a co-edited and re-issue of a new book publication of Kant’s “Perpetual Peace” and several different events.

In partnership with the Humanities Center and the Centre for Humanities at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the second phase from 2013-15 included a series of events commemorating the Treaty of Utrecht and a documentary film.

Vivian May

This latest phase has reinaugurated the project following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Lambert partnered with Nocek to kick off this latest phase, including a launch event conference at the University of Warsaw, Poland, followed by conferences at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy and the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, both in the Czech Republic.

Friday’s symposium features a presentation by Gilgen, moderated by Elke Siegel, German studies, Cornell; a presentation by Patchen Markell, associate professor, government, Cornell, and moderated by , Renée Crown Professor in the Humanities and assistant professor, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University; and a presentation by Neil Saccamano, associate professor, literatures in English, Cornell, and moderated by , associate professor, philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University.

For this latest phase, Lambert edited a new version of Kant’s original treatise, which has been published and is available for event participants.

Goode teamed up with staff at the�� and students across campus to explore the ways in which objects and artworks in the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s collection could be utilized as teaching resources. Over the past year, the transdisciplinary team has conducted countless hours of research to develop a collection of electronic museums (e-museums) called the��. The following section of questions and answers provide details and information about the curators, the extensive research that went into this effort and how teachers can utilize these resources.

“Interrogating the Racial Wealth Gap: Thinking Locally,” featured presentations by five faculty teams whose research is supported by 2023 grants. Projects focused on how demographics, situations and policies may create conditions that contribute to—or can help resolve—the existence of a .

The term “” refers to disparities in levels of accumulated wealth for individuals, families and groups and the ability of different racial and ethnic populations to access and accumulate opportunities, means of support and resources.

The symposium’s local focus is especially pertinent because has one of the highest poverty rates () in the U.S. and a child poverty level of close to 50%, according to and . Poverty rates impact such as accessibility to health care, housing, employment and educational opportunities, as well as economic well-being and racial and social equity.

At the symposium, researchers presented their findings and local community leaders spoke about how their organizations are addressing wealth gap issues.

Five Research Teams

“Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Through Environmental Justice and Participatory Design” findings from research of and of the and Daniel Cronan of the were presented.

The researchers reported on how air quality, heat islands, recreational facilities, public infrastructure, shelter and outdoor activity spaces affect the well-being and livelihood of neighborhoods in marginalized communities. Working with community partners and city agencies, they planned a new community space on Syracuse’s south side that features structures, landscaping and programming, with construction to begin this spring. Lender Center postdoctoral researcher J Coley also spoke on “Gentrification and Displacement in the American Rust Belt.” That presentation examined the impact of federal housing policy and gentrification on Black Americans’ ability to build wealth.

“Do Underserved and Underrepresented Communities Pay a Higher Premium in Employer-Sponsored Healthcare Coverage?” was presented by and of the and Patricia Crawford of the University of Rhode Island. They discovered significant socioeconomic disparities in healthcare coverage costs for underserved and underrepresented communities, especially for employer-sponsored health insurance at the state level. They reported that underserved populations, particularly those identifying as Black, allocate a higher percentage of income to employer-sponsored healthcare premiums than white and Hispanic individuals.

University Trustee Gisele Marcus ’89, a Whitman alumna, chaired that discussion session. Marcus is vice dean for the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and a professor of practice for diversity, equity and inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis.

Food Policy, Mental Health Response

“Food Policy Councils as a Vehicle to Address the Racial Wealth Gap in Food System Labor” was presented by of the and of the .

Data from 2016-2022 surveys by The Food Policy Network at the Johns Hopkins University Center for a Livable Future, and labor questions from its 2023 survey, were analyzed to assess tensions between small-scale food business owners and worker advocates. The pair found that while food business owners may be reticent to discuss labor policy, worker advocates want to see improvements in wages and labor conditions. Though both groups have worked with American food policy councils, the researchers said progress toward racial justice for food system workers may be limited due to these divided viewpoints and differing priorities. The researchers are continuing to conduct interviews and focus groups with some of the food policy councils.

“Advancing Mental and Behavioral Health Equity through the Promotion of an Equitable Crisis Response System” was presented by of the Maxwell School. She created two surveys—one for Syracuse University students, the other for the general public—to measure attitudes and perceptions about the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, particularly among communities of color. The surveys gauge attitudes toward mental health help-seeking; barriers to help-seeking behavior; perceptions and concerns about the service; and experiences of unfair treatment based on race and other identities.

Lender Center Senior Research Associate Kira Reed (right) introduces Maxwell School researcher Michiko Ueda-Ballmer (to her left) and community panelists Ann Rooney (far left) of Onondaga County and Carrie Brown of the University’s Barnes Center at The Arch for a discussion on a 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and community resources.

“K-12 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Policies and Plans” was presented by and of the . They discovered a spotty approach to the development and adoption of DEI policies and program integration in the New York State school districts they studied. While many had a DEI plan or have integrated DEI into their strategic goals, they found that support for the DEI work leaders are doing, and the speed and quality of those program implementations are highly varied. They also noted that several districts experienced community resistance to adopting DEI initiatives, especially around practices concerning LGBTQIA students.

Land and Wealth Loss

Thomas Shapiro, research professor of law and social policy at Brandeis University, also spoke about how the dispossession of lands from Black farmers has contributed to the racial wealth gap in the U.S. Though they collectively owned 16 million acres of land by 1910, Black farmers were dispossessed of 90% of that land over 70 years, extracting $326 billion in wealth (in today’s dollars) from that group, he said. Shapiro cited Pigford v. Glickman, a lawsuit the farmers brought against the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging systemic racism in the allocation of farm loans and assistance. He called it “an important story…of racialized structures, policies and institutions that might be important to the work…of reparation frameworks and reparative justice.”

Community Participation

The event concluded with a community roundtable featuring local government and organizational leaders and moderated by , associate provost for strategic initiatives. Reporting on how their groups are addressing the racial wealth gap locally were Sharon Owens, Syracuse deputy mayor; Melanie Littlejohn, president and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation; and Robert Simmons, director of Micron Gives North America at the Micron Foundation.

This was the second annual symposium supported by MetLife Foundation’s $2.7 million award sponsoring three years of inquiry regarding racial wealth gap causes. The funds have also permitted the Lender Center to host community conversations and form new partnerships with leading national civic and academic institutions.

The next conversation, “Closing the Racial Wealth Gap: Public, Private and Philanthropic Collaborations,” takes place June 4 at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.

Juan Felipe Herrera

As a “natural wonderer, dreamer, traveler… mega listener…and only child,” poet grew up in California’s and “listening to everything and everyone,” he says, and those habits led him “to the magical lands of words, stories, ideas, books, songs, riddles and ultimately writing.”

Herrera, the 2015-17 U.S. Poet Laureate, will be in Syracuse this week as the opening poet for the 2024 Cruel April Poetry Series.

Herrera will lead creative writing workshops for students and community members on Wednesday, April 3,��and Friday, April 5. Both sessions are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at , 109 Otisco Street in Syracuse.

His public poetry reading is Thursday, , from 6 to 8 p.m., also at La Casita.

We sat down with Herrera to discuss his poetry and creative work and learn about his creative process.

Weems, an internationally renowned artist, will travel to Florence to deliver a public lecture, “Resistance as an Act of Love,” April 17. While there, she will review the work of students in the studio arts program.

Carrie Mae Weems (Photo by Jerry Klineberg)

The students will also attend the conference in Venice April 20 and 21. Weems and Florence faculty member will participate in the conference, which is co-sponsored by Syracuse University. Weems will be a panelist for the discussion “Black Realities through Digital Media,” and Nelson will serve on the “Radical Curricula” panel.

Students traveling to the conference include studio arts majors Anastasia Cardona, Sidney Hanson (a dual art history major in the College of Arts and Sciences) and Rumini Nguyen; computer art and animation major Mark Casadevall; and illustration majors Madeleine Herberger, Sarah Mednick, Sarah Skalski and Alissar Youssef.

Black Portraitures, now in its 14^th year, is organized in concert with the . This year’s theme “Shifting Paradigms,” brings together thought leaders in the arts from Africa and the African Diaspora. Founder Deborah Willis says the convening “will explore and expand narratives on memoir and memory studies; migration stories through family and politics; and reimagine ideas about art practices and the exhibition experience, all while considering new research practices.”

The conference provides opportunities for Indigenous and women of color in higher education to network and learn from the work of their peers through workshops, poster presentations and speakers addressing topics related to DEIA and leadership planning. Talks and workshops are designed to encourage professional development, career advancement, personal well-being and scholar activism. Hosted by Virginia Tech, the conference takes place in Arlington, Virginia. Attendance is coordinated by the Office of Strategic Initiatives under the leadership of Associate Provost Marcelle Haddix, a former member of the FWCA national advisory board. The University is a gold sponsor of the 2024 event.

Attending this year are:

• , associate dean for research, ;
• , director of diversity and inclusive excellence, ;
• , assistant teaching professor, and co-director, Fashion and Beauty Communications Milestone;
• , faculty fellow, and the Office of Academic Affairs; and teaching professor, ;
• , assistant professor of public health, ; and
• , assistant professor, ; co-founder, ; and executive director, .

Melé�Ի��� says the conference is focused on research, writing and literature and is “characterized by a true spirit of camaraderie and support across identity, across discipline and across the different roles that women play on campuses. It’s a fortifying and fulfilling experience and fertile ground where you can grow as a professional. It is an especially important experience in these times of challenges for higher education and for society.”

Among the conference attendees are leading professional educators, authors and researchers. They include Stephanie Adams of the University of Texas, Dallas, editor of “Dear Department Chair: Letters from Black Women Leaders to the Next Generation,” and Victoria Reyes of the University of California-Riverside, author of “Academic Outsider: Stories of Exclusion and Hope.”

Keynote speakers are Menah Pratt, vice president for strategic affairs and diversity and professor of education at Virginia Tech; Cherrie Moraga, a writer, scholar feminist and professor from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Gabrielle Tayac, associate professor of public history at George Mason University.

A panel discussion, “Pathways to Leadership,” will include Miriam Lam, vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at the University of California, Riverside; Javaune Adams-Gaston, president of Norfolk State University; and Mari Castañeda, dean of the Commonwealth Honors College and professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Josh T Franco

The will host artist and art historian Josh T Franco in residence at the museum and on the Syracuse University campus to activate “Scriptorium con Safos: Syracuse,” and to engage with the community. The mini-residency is sponsored through generous support provided by .

The mini-residency begins on Thursday, April 4 at 2 p.m. with “Rocks, Water, Responsibility: Responding to Site,” a workshop open to the public to explore interconnections between people, rocks, and water. Franco will collaborate with Kate Holohan, curator of education and academic outreach, to lead the workshop that will begin at the museum to examine Franco’s work alongside American artist Robert Smithson’s installation “Double Nonsite, California and Nevada.”�� Through this examination, the group will consider how we might use that lens to explore the local geological landscape at Canal Landing Park in Fayetteville. Advance is required for this workshop.

Franco will then activate the museum galleries for a performance of “Scriptorium con Safos: Syracuse,” from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5. Afterward, Franco will be in conversation with , associate professor of studio arts in the School of Art in the , from 5-5:30 p.m., which will be followed by a reception hosted by the museum.

Franco, who is overseeing the permanent collection installation at the museum for 2023-24, will conclude his mini-residence with a live performance of “Scriptorium con Safos: Syracuse,” from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.

ParKer Bryant

and found the existence of AI technologies in communities affects people in many ways. They were part of a five-student research team working with , professor of anthropology in the , who was chosen as the 2022-24 Lender Center faculty fellow to study how artificial intelligence impacts weapons systems, communities and issues of social justice.

Bryant has worked in education since 2008. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education leadership and moved to Syracuse from Georgia to pursue her doctorate in literacy education in the . Now in her third year, she wants to work as a faculty member or education researcher after graduation to stay involved with students but use data to ensure that educational policies are structured to benefit them.

Aren Burnside

Burnside is a third-year Ph.D. student in anthropology at the Maxwell School. He grew up in the Syracuse area and obtained dual bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and philosophy from Syracuse University in 2020. He wants to become a professor because he especially enjoys teaching.

Here, Bryant and Burnside discuss how their thinking about AI evolved after investigating its social intricacies. Together with Bahn and other student fellows, they will present their findings at the Lender Fellows Symposium on Friday, .

On , Bhan and her student fellows present their findings at the Lender Center symposium, “DeCoded Vision: Land, Bodies and AI in Syracuse,” from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center’s Comstock Room. The event is open to the campus community; is required.

The researchers will define AI and show how the technology transfers to industry, workforce training, community development policies and such everyday activities as police presence and the use of technology in social contexts. They will discuss how AI technologies are fueling the “Syracuse Surge,” a city- and regionwide initiative boosting technology education, tech-job training and new industries, and offer insights about their exploration.

Student fellows are ParKer Bryant, a Ph.D. student in literacy education, ; Aren Burnside, a Ph.D. student in anthropology, Maxwell School; Nadia Lyngdoh-Sommer ’25, a sociology major in the ; Cheryl Olanga ’25, a computer science major in the ; and Anna Terzaghi ’24, an international relations and anthropology major and a member of the in the College of Arts and Sciences.

In this SU News Q&A, Bhan previews key findings.

The awards are funded by a 2022 grant that supports research and community programming over three years to examine the racial wealth gap’s root causes and ideas that may resolve its economic and social inequalities, says , Lender Center interim director. The awards are part of the Lender Center for Social Justice initiative led by the

The racial wealth gap is an ongoing issue that undermines potential economic and social progress and opportunities for members of underserved and underrepresented communities, according to , Lender Center senior research associate and associate professor in the Whitman School of Management.

“These research projects are noteworthy because of their unique courses of inquiry, their highly inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional nature and their close engagements with Syracuse community members and organizations,” says Phillips.

Projects receiving the one-year grants and involved faculty are:

“Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap Through Increasing Decennial Census Self-Response Rates in Marginalized Communities”

Leonard Lopoo

This project will test mechanisms to try to increase self-response rates for the 2030 federal census in undercounted communities in New York State. Successful efforts could offset census undercounts that might otherwise reduce federal funding for education, health care, housing, infrastructure and other vital services.

• , , principal investigator
• ,

Brice Nordquist

“Syracuse Futures”

This study looks at Syracuse’s arts and humanities infrastructure and how universities and community organizations can partner in offering arts and humanities programming and college and career support to historically marginalized communities.�� Led by the ’ , the effort involves multiple South Side organizations.

• , College of Arts and Sciences, principal investigator.
• ,
• ,

“Does Military Service Mitigate the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap? Overlooked Pathways for��Underrepresented Minorities in Public Service”

Arielle Newman

Corri Zoli

This project explores how military service intersects with racial wealth disparities. Researchers will look at military service as a means of economic advancement and a way to overcome social barriers that may hinder underrepresented minorities who are pursuing post-service career advancement and entrepreneurship.

• , , and , Whitman School, principal investigators
• , (IVMF)
• ,
• , Maxwell School
• , IVMF
• , Lender Center for Social Justice
• , University of Pittsburgh

“From Highways to High-Speed Internet: Leveraging Equitable Infrastructure for the Data Economy”��

LaVerne Gray

Researchers are determining whether access to first-class digital information, services, assets and increased technology training can reduce the racial wealth gap by lessening barriers to digital networks, critical information and data literacy skills. Skills-training workshops are planned with community members.����

• and , (iSchool), principal investigators
• , iSchool
• , iSchool
  

  Beth Patin

• iSchool
• , College of Arts and Sciences/
• , , Whitman School

“Opportunity Design: Engaging Public Health in Low-Income Communities”

Hannibal Newsom

This study leverages interest in ongoing energy retrofit work at 418 Fabius Street in the James Geddes Housing development in Syracuse to generate a more comprehensive examination of social determinants of health through the process of opportunity mapping.

• , , principal investigator
• , College of Visual and Performing Arts, co-principal investigator
• , School of Architecture, co-investigator

“Nourishing Families: Parents as Partners in the Alignment of a Mindful Eating Intervention to Meet the Needs of Low-Income and Marginalized Families With Young Children”

Lynn Brann

Parent and teacher workshops that include mindful yoga and mindful eating lessons for children are planned to address the nutrition needs of low-income, underrepresented families in Syracuse. Research will explore if better nutrition for vulnerable populations can mean better health for families and more opportunities for their gainful employment, lessening the racial wealth gap.

• , , principal investigator
• , Falk College
• , Falk College

“Addressing Obesity and Hypertension in Refugees through Culturally Relevant Meal Interventions”��

Miriam Mutambudzi

This project looks at obesity and hypertension in diaspora populations and works with African immigrants on post-immigration diets to introduce healthy adaptations while preserving culinary heritage. The goal is to assess whether healthier eating can reduce health issues and boost labor force participation, generating improved socioeconomic status.

• , Falk College, principal investigator
• , Falk College

“Disability as a Critical Element in Exploring the Racial Wealth Gap”

Nannette Goodman

Researchers will identify challenges faced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color individuals with��disabilities and will examine the role of disability in the racial wealth gap. They plan to develop recommendations regarding policies and practices that limit economic inclusion and trap people with disabilities into poverty.

• , College of Law, principal investigator
• , College of Law

“Optimizing Corporate Supplier Diversity Programs and Corporate-Facing Regulations for Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap”��

Karca Aral

This initiative examines diversity interactions and legislative interventions in business-to-business aspects of wealth distribution and corporate supplier diversity programs. Researchers will develop guidance on diversity programs and diversity initiatives while enhancing those programs’ potential to level the racial wealth gap.

• , Whitman School, faculty lead
• , Whitman School
• ., Whitman School

“We are seeking a skilled, experienced arts professional who will leverage the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s existing strengths to expand its impact on campus and beyond,” Haddix says.

Miranda Traudt, assistant provost for arts and community programming, is chair of the committee.

Members are:

• Kate Holohan, curator of education and academic outreach, Syracuse University Art Museum
• Samuel Johnson, assistant professor and director of graduate studies in art history, College of Arts and Sciences
• Juan Juarez, associate professor of studio arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• David Seaman, dean of Libraries and University Librarian

The search firm m/Oppenheim will assist the committee in all aspects of recruitment and selection. To , visit the Syracuse University Job Board. To apply or nominate individuals for the position, contact Lee Kappelman at 202.803.6674 or leek@moppenheim.com or Oscar Quiros at 415.762.2643 or oscarq@moppenheim.com.

At Syracuse, the was launched in 2021 to help incoming students create meaningful and rewarding connections within the University community. Faculty, staff and graduate students participate in FYS as lead instructors, partnering with undergraduate students who serve as peer leaders.

Hundreds of University employees have served as lead instructors since the beginning of the program—but faculty engagement has not been as high as that of staff. This past fall, for example, of 162 lead instructors, only 39 were faculty.��FYS leadership is now putting out a call for more faculty members to participate in the program.

“Due to the small class size and discussion-based pedagogy of First Year Seminar, faculty get to know their students and what they are experiencing on campus well. We find that faculty speak very highly of their experience, and they take what they learned from their students into their own disciplines,” says FYS Director .

Lead Instructor: A Pivotal Role

Following the Fall 2023 semester, a FYS 101 course feedback survey drew a 72.13% response rate and over 2,700 responses. Results indicated that students feel lead instructors and peer leaders create a trusting and positive environment and allow for dialogue and connections across differences.

“The impact that lead instructors and peer leaders have on students is what makes FYS unique,” Schantz says, noting that questions about these connections resulted in the highest course feedback averages among all students.

Rochele Royster

The desire to connect with students was one reason , an assistant professor of art therapy at the who recently joined the Syracuse community, decided to participate in FYS.

“Engaging with undergraduate students through meaningful conversations, coursework and assignments has provided invaluable insights. This interaction has allowed me to forge connections that extend beyond the traditional academic realm,” Royster says.

The impact isn’t just felt by faculty.

“The involvement of faculty in a leadership role significantly enhances the student experience by providing exposure to a diverse range of expertise, especially for students whose majors or fields of study may not naturally intersect. The diverse composition of students from across the campus adds richness to this experience,” Royster says. “In my role as an instructor for graduate students in a more specialized field, I found it particularly rewarding to share insights about my field, sparking interest and curiosity among undergraduate students who may not have otherwise encountered the field of art therapy. Beyond academic exposure, the presence of someone on campus not directly involved in grading or academic evaluation can offer valuable non-biased support, creating a more holistic and inclusive learning environment.”

A lead instructor guides discussions for one section of FYS 101 with the support of one or two peer leaders. Sections are capped at 19 first-year or incoming transfer students who come from programs across campus, including . Discussions are intended to create a sense of belonging and help new students navigate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), the University and the local community.

Lead instructors receive course materials, including Blackboard Ultra course shells, but they can expand those materials as desired, drawing from their own expertise and experience. In addition to instructing the weekly 80-minute class, lead instructors meet weekly with their peer leader, hold one office hour, grade assignments, input attendance in Orange Success and engage in training with the FYS team. Compensation is $2,500 per section.

In the first six weeks of the course, students engage in dialogue on their own intersectional identities and attend the shared experience activity and the first Home College Experience (HCE), which provides discipline-specific opportunities for students to connect to and build community within their home school or college. (Lead instructors do not hold classes during the HCE weeks.)

Over the subsequent weeks, the students engage in discussions on the foundations of DEIA before attending the second HCE. As the course progresses, students engage around the concepts of privilege, oppression and marginalization, and how these concepts work in context, specifically in the Syracuse community. Finally, students create a personal engagement plan, map personal goals and action items and attend the final HCE week.

Lead instructor training sessions are held during the summer. Participants can choose either a daylong, in-person session or two half-day, virtual sessions. Interested in becoming a lead instructor? . For more information, email firstyear@syr.edu or call 315.443.9035.

This is the first time SHP has done a mobile bed build on the University campus. Student volunteers will build 40 beds from scratch in three hours with assistance from the organization’s members. The event is open to all students; students must register on .

“We often take a bed for granted, but it can have such an impact on one’s overall physical and mental health. This is an opportunity for Syracuse students to support the community right from campus. Please join us to learn valuable skills, strengthen community relationships and support such a worthy mission,” says Claire Ceccoli, president of SUVO.

SHP is a national nonprofit organization with the mission of “no kid sleeps on the floor in our town”; volunteers build, assemble and deliver bunk beds to children in need. The Syracuse chapter of SHP has already built and delivered 4,564 beds to the community. There is still a list of 870-plus applicants waiting for a bed in the area.

SHP build manager Dave Holcraft says, “I am very excited about teaming up with Syracuse University students on campus to build beds for children in our town who currently do not have a bed of their own. With help from groups like Syracuse University we can work toward our mission.”

As a student-driven event, supported by the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service, SUVO members hope to strengthen engagement between the campus and community. By offering volunteering opportunities directly on campus, the goal is to inspire and empower students, encouraging them to sustain and strengthen community relationships beyond the event.

SUVO is optimistic that this collaboration with SHP will become an annual tradition, Ceccoli says.

Krushil Watene, Peter Kraus Associate Professor in Philosophy, University of Auckland, New Zealand

This spring, the welcomes a visit by renowned Māori scholar, moral and political philosopher, Krushil Watene. She is a member of the Māori tribal communities of Ngāti Manu, Te Hikutu, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the Pacific Island of Tonga (Hunga, Vava’u). Watene is the Peter Kraus Associate Professor of Philosophy, and associate professor, faculty of arts, at the University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Aotearoa New Zealand. She will be in residence on campus as the .

The center provides major support for a faculty member to organize the Watson Professorship. This year, two College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) faculty members are partnering to host Professor Watene, each bringing distinct expertise and leadership capabilities: Professor , associate professor of philosophy, and , assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous studies and environmental justice.

Watene’s scholarship draws on Indigenous philosophies to address climate change. For example, she suggests that people can transform how they think about the environment by looking through the lens of “kaitiakitanga,” the Māori concept of stewardship of the sky, sea and land. This mindset, rooted in a deep connection to history, ancestors and the environment, offers valuable wisdom for informing policy and law and helping cultivate a healthier, more reciprocal relationship between humans and the environment.

, the title of Watene’s residency, will address fundamental questions in ethics, politics and Indigenous philosophy. In particular, Watene will explore various philosophical traditions, emphasizing the essential contribution of local communities to achieve global change. Watene’s areas of expertise include mainstream theories of well-being, development and justice, intergenerational justice and Māori philosophy.

“We are honored to welcome Krushil Watene as the Watson Professor this spring,” says , director of the Humanities Center and professor of women’s and gender studies, both in the College of Arts and Sciences. “At a time when we are confronting environmental crises on multiple fronts, we need solutions to climate change that draw from diverse knowledges and experiences, and that foreground the humanities’ important role in our collective future. Watene brings a depth of expertise grounded in Māori philosophy and in her own community engagement and climate justice work in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Professors Erlenbusch-Anderson and Huambachano collaborated to host Watene for the Watson Professorship because of her important contributions to contemporary Western philosophy and scholarship on intergenerational justice. They agree that her body of work provides crucial guidance in finding solutions to environmental degradation and climate change by robustly embracing Indigenous philosophies that consider obligations to future generations, as well as ancestors.

“Professor Watene’s work exemplifies the social and political urgency of philosophy and shows how transformative philosophy can be when it is grounded in a commitment to justice, connected to local Indigenous communities and in dialogue with other disciplines,” says Erlenbusch-Anderson. “Her work provides a striking contribution to contemporary philosophy by foregrounding Indigenous values as an innovative way to ensure a sustainable future.”

“From a local to a global scale, Professor Watene’s research highlights the valuable role that Indigenous epistemologies, ontologies and ethics play in improving planetary health,” says Huambachano. “Her work urges humanity to listen to and learn from Indigenous philosophies about our responsibilities to build resilient communities in which both human and non-human entities, like rivers, forests and the Earth itself, can thrive in unison, paving the way for present and future generations to live in flourishing communities.”

Watene will headline six public scholarly events. These will draw on her research on Indigenous conceptions of well-being and sustainable development, including insights from Māori tribal communities and how these are influencing policy and law.

Her two-week residency includes the following opportunities to engage:

Wednesday, March 20, 4-5:30 p.m.

Watene discusses how Indigenous philosophies are inherently good for equitable social, economic, environmental and cultural development. Also, she shares insights on sustainable development, achievable through the proven methods of Māori communities.

Thursday, March 21, 4-5:30 p.m.

Faculty working in the fields of Native American and Indigenous Studies and Philosophy join Watene to discuss reconciliation, transitional and Indigenous justice.

Friday, March 22, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (Space is limited, registration required.)

A three-part interdisciplinary graduate student workshop on reclaiming Indigenous philosophy, including the Māori philosophy of kaitiakitanga (stewardship), and how these philosophies are transforming policy and law. Interested students should follow the link for all details and requirements.

Public lecture: Monday, March 25, noon-1:30 p.m.

Watene highlights key Māori concepts for intergenerational justice, showcasing how Indigenous philosophies foster relationships, regeneration and innovation. She suggests that applying these perspectives to policy-making can empower communities and cultivate lasting collective responsibility for climate justice.

Public dialogue: Friday, March 29, 3-4:30p.m.

Kyle Whyte from the University of Michigan and Syracuse University’s Mariaelena Huambachano will join Watene to discuss the impact of Indigenous philosophies, leadership and diplomacy on global justice and policy development. They draw from Whyte’s experience with the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, Watene’s service on the UN Human Development Reports and International Science Council’s Committee, and Huambachano’s work with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the UN High-Level Panel Experts on Food Security and Nutrition.

A closing reception will be held on Friday, March 29 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Hendricks Chapel.

All events are free and open to the public. Read all the details about these events, including date, time and location on the .

About the Watson Professorship

The Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professorship in the Humanities is a distinguished lectureship founded by the Watson family with the aim of fostering on-campus residencies for distinguished scholars, writers, and artists in the humanities. Individuals who have previously held this professorship include Noam Chomsky, Angela Davis and Toni Morrison.

Those appointed as Watson Professors actively participate in the University community through various means, such as delivering public lectures, conducting mini-seminars, engaging in readings or performances, and more. Their residency extends over a significant duration within a semester, or they may opt for a series of brief visits throughout the academic year. Starting this year, the Watson Professorship will be awarded biennially to maximize its funding and potential for collaboration. The center’s next call for Watson Professor proposals will be in fall 2024 for a spring 2026 mini-residency.

Additional Syracuse University departments and centers that are supporting this year’s Watson Professors residency with Watene include anthropology, the Engaged Humanities Network, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ food studies, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ geography and the environment, Hendricks Chapel, the Native American and Indigenous Studies program, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, philosophy, religion and sociology.

The lineup features lectures, art exhibitions and conversations that invite us as a community to immerse in art, narrative and architecture to raise our awareness about the environmental impacts of chemicals, mass extinction and colonialism. The events invite us to deepen a sense of ecological care, unpack environmental ethics and explore reproductive justice issues in a post-Roe world.

Contemplating Syracuse Symposium’s earlier this year, , director of the Humanities Center and of the Central New York Humanities Corridor, noted that the annual series is core to the center’s mission to advance humanities research, showcase the humanities as a public good and enhance our sense of shared community by bringing people together to confront some of the most pressing issues of our time.

“Connecting humanistic inquiry and expertise with broad questions of social justice and public welfare is fundamental to the Syracuse University Humanities Center’s mission,” observes May. “This spring, Landscapes explores complex global and local issues tied to our natural and built environments, but also our cultural and political landscapes. Whether through art, by learning from ancient trees, or by listening to reproductive justice advocates and health care workers on the ground, Landscapes examines the complex interplay of politics, histories and memories in shaping the diverse environments around us.”

Spring Symposium Events

The 2024 Spring Symposium kicks off on Feb. 13 with . Landscape architect Julie Bargmann (FASLA) will discuss imaginative strategies in architecture and design that reveal rather than conceal the chemical aspects and physical legacy of the built environment and post-industrial sites.

On Feb. 22, a lecture, , by philosopher Timothy Morton from Rice University will explore how art provides a model for ecological ethics in a time of mass extinction. A gallery reception for the Syracuse University Art Museum’s spring exhibition, “Assembly,” will follow.

Historian and author Jared Farmer from University of Pennsylvania will give a talk on March 4, , to discuss how ancient trees, regarded as cultural and religious symbols, are under threat due to climate change.

On March 7, Environmental Storytelling CNY welcomes Susanna Sayler and Edward Morris, both of Syracuse University, for a conversation, . They will discuss how art in the “Assembly” exhibition at the Syracuse University Art Museum deepens ecological understanding of the places we share.

, on March 26, will feature a series of multi-disciplinary panels over the course of the afternoon focused on navigating the post-Roe landscape, followed by a closing reception. Speakers include SeQuoia Kemp (Syracuse doula and birth-worker), Lori Brown (School of Architecture), Shoshanna Ehrlich (UMass Boston), Kimala Price (San Diego State) and Melissa Shube (Planned Parenthood Federation of America).

On April 4, artist Sophia Chai will talk about her current exhibition at Light Work, “,” featuring a collection of photographs centered on the Korean alphabet and ideas of language, optics and photography. A reception will follow.

Anna Arabindon Kesson from Princeton will lead a discussion on April 11 titled , exploring the representation of plantations in 19th-century British colonial art and how contemporary artists work with these histories to reimagine forms of care for each other and the environment.

Read more about the , including all event details, times and locations.

The National Endowment for the Arts grant will support Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program.

“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to Light Work, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” says National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”

The grant will support Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program. Light Work invites between 12 and 15 artists to Syracuse to devote one month to creative projects every year. Over 400 artists have participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program, and many of them have gone on to achieve international acclaim.

The residency includes a $5,000 stipend, a furnished artist apartment, 24-hour access to its state-of-the-art facilities and generous staff support. Work by each artist-in-residence is published in a special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual, along with an essay commissioned by Light Work.

Work by former artists-in-residence is also part of the Light Work Collection.

“We are thrilled to have the continued support of the National Endowment for the Arts to support our Artist-in-Residence Program,” says Dan Boardman, director of Light Work. “The NEA has been a cornerstone in building the AIR program. With this funding we offer artists a unique experience to develop new and exciting work in lens based media. We are truly grateful.”

For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit .

The deadline to of both groups is Jan. 29. Meetings are held on Saturday afternoons (1 to 3 p.m. for the book club; 3 to 5 p.m. for the Marigold Arts Group) at the Southside Communications Center, 2331 South Salina St., Syracuse, starting Feb. 24. Space is limited to 15 participants, ages 13 to 17. All programming and materials are free, and snacks are provided.

The Breedlove Readers book club was formed in 2020 by , assistant professor of educational leadership in the School of Education, and , associate provost for strategic initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice in the School of Education. The club combines Mauldin’s and Haddix’s love of books with a mentorship model that also explores social, political and personal topics.

Books selected reflect an array of Black girl experiences that resonate with its young members. Topics—including body positivity, identity formation, navigating high school, community change and social activism—are explored through dialogue, writing and art creation that will be showcased in an exhibition on April 26 at CNY Arts.

To learn more about The Breedlove Readers, email thebreedlovereaders@gmail.com or call 734.358.4611.

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Fellows receive research support for both years along with summer stipends and resources to implement the project and publicize findings. They work with an interdisciplinary team of student fellows and present the team’s work at the annual Lender Center Symposium.

Applications are due by Friday, April 12, at 5 p.m. Details about and the submission process are available on the . Questions can be directed to lendercenter@syr.edu.

Kendall Phillips

“We look forward to seeing new proposals that address pressing social issues,” says Kendall Phillips, interim director of the Lender Center. “Our faculty fellows and their student teams have taken up a wide variety of research questions and their work has generated interesting answers and valuable interventions.”

Last year, , assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the��, was named the 2023-25 faculty fellow. Her project examines media coverage of Muslim people and communities and the impact of that reporting. The 2022-24 faculty fellow, , associate professor of anthropology and Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies in the�� has been investigating how artificial intelligence weapons systems transform war and surveillance and how they affect social and political vulnerabilities to violence. , the 2021-23 fellow, led a project examining whether a building planned as a women’s wellness center in the City of Syracuse’s North Side neighborhood fulfilled its intended purpose. Two other fellowships have been awarded since the Lender Center Faculty Fellowship program began.

Carla Ramirez

The grant from the for $700,000 will support the hiring of additional undergraduate students for tutor positions for the next two years. The University’s Literacy Corps tutors primarily work with elementary school students but also with middle and high school students at Syracuse City Schools, other Syracuse-area schools and at community organizations throughout Greater Syracuse, according to , Shaw Center assistant director and Syracuse University Literacy Corps program coordinator.

Students interested in participating can apply now through the end of January. Positions begin in February 2024. Those hired can continue the positions throughout their years at the University. In many cases, students can also use their work as community service hours to fulfill academic program requirements, Ramírez says.

How to Apply

Interested candidates may or through Career Services’ (job posting #8425846). Ramírez also encourages applicants to visit the Shaw Center at 111 Waverly Ave. in person to apply and to learn more about the role.

Reciprocal Value

The 25-year literacy partnership between the Shaw Center and the Syracuse City School District is based on the core principle that literacy provides a foundation for lifetime success, from schooling to employment to navigating life challenges such as maintaining wellness and accessing health care, says , associate vice president and Shaw Center director. The Cabrini Foundation grant is a recognition of the importance of the program and literacy skills in general and especially to maintaining health, she says.

While teachers report about an 88% improvement in classroom participation, behavior, attendance and literacy skill development for tutored students, the benefits go both ways. “The teachers are extremely pleased with the outcomes, and for a program to be consistently in place for this amount of time indicates its success and impact for both the community and the University,” Heintz says. “It also helps our students understand the challenges of doing community-based work and shows them how to have more consistent, effective, authentic relationships and partnerships.”

Shaw Center Fall 2023 semester tutors at their reading program orientation. (Photo by Carla Ramírez)

Ramírez affirms how tutors benefit from the experience. For many, she says, the community is reflective of home, and being involved here helps them feel a sense of belonging. “We tell our tutors that they’re not only helping and teaching students in the district but that this work provides learning opportunities for them, too. They are working on communication skills and building professional skills, but while they’re teaching, they’re also learning from the kids that they tutor.”

Katie McPeak ’24, a senior policy studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been a Literacy Corps tutor since her first year at Syracuse. She has enjoyed all her tutoring work and especially likes helping older students with college preparation. “This has helped me develop my skills and I’ve become much more outgoing,” she says. “I think it’s very important to become engaged with the community you’re living in for four years while building your professional skills. This has been an amazing experience. Syracuse is a beautiful community and I think everyone should be really excited to get involved.”

Position Details

• Undergraduate students of all grades, majors, programs and colleges are welcome to apply.
• Applicants must be in good academic standing.
• Prior tutoring experience is not required; training is provided.
• Positions pay $15 per hour.
• Students must work eight to 10 hours a week in blocks of a minimum of three hours.
• Tutor transportation is provided by the Shaw Center’s shuttles.
• District teachers coordinate tutor classroom placements.
• Since Syracuse City School District students speak more than 70 languages, multilingual speakers are encouraged to apply.

Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks, “Pool Hall,” 1950, printed 2017, gelatin silver print, 8 3/8 x 12 in., Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, gift of Gordon Parks and the Gordon Parks Foundation, 2017.445. Image courtesy of and copyright by the Gordon Parks Foundation.

The grant of more than $93,000 will support exhibition production costs and programming. It will also fund the hiring of two project-related positions: a project K-12 engagement specialist, who will work closely with the museum educator to engage Central New York students with the exhibition through tours and lesson plans, and a program assistant to aid in the planning and execution of programs both on campus at the museum and in the Syracuse community. Planned events include a screening of one of Gordon Parks’ films at a public park in Syracuse, with local vendors and artists present to contribute to a festive, community-focused atmosphere.

(1912-2006) was a prominent 20th century photographer whose work, spanning the 1940s through the early 2000s, documents American life and culture with a focus on race relations, poverty, civil rights and urban life. “Homeward to the Prairie I Come” is considered by many curators to be his self portrait. The collection’s title comes from the first line of a poem written by Parks, a Kansas native, who was also a composer, author and filmmaker.

“This exhibition leverages the power of art to catalyze dialogue about the wide range of issues that Parks engaged with in his photography, from systemic racism to the labor and ethics of the global fashion industry to ideas of celebrity and home,” says Melissa Yuen, the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s interim chief curator.

Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks, “Mrs. Jefferson,” 1950, printed 2017, gelatin silver print, 16 7/8 x 14 in., Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, gift of Gordon Parks and the Gordon Parks Foundation, 2017.373. Image courtesy of and copyright by the Gordon Parks Foundation.

Interim museum director Emily Dittman says the project will allow the museum to experiment with new interpretation strategies and expand other existing interpretation plans. For example, museum staff members are planning to produce large-type labels and a family guide and incorporate audio, she says. Other plans include dedicated spaces for reading and reflection and features like a sound cone so that visitors will “not only be surrounded by his photographs, but also hear his music and read his writings for a multisensory experience of his wide-ranging output,” Dittman says.

Additionally, an open-access digital community catalogue will allow members of the University and local arts communities to record their responses to the work. Through this project, and in partnership with venues, the museum will seek to establish new connections with area photographers and the Syracuse Black Artist Collective, Dittman says.

An opening reception will take place in the Kathleen O. Ellis Gallery at on Thursday, April 4, from 6-7 p.m. There will be a public lecture beforehand in Watson Theater from 5-6 p.m. The exhibition will run through Friday, May 17.

This event is part of the Syracuse University Humanities Center’s 20th annual Syracuse Symposium, focused on a “Landscapes” theme for 2023-24.

“60 Squares” (Photo courtesy of Sophia Chai)

“While being carried on the back of my mother in our neighborhood of Busan, I would point at the signs and repeat the words that Mom would read to me,” says Chai. “Soon I was able to read without understanding all of the words. The ease of learning to read the Korean alphabet is because there is a certain logic. The shapes of the vowel characteristics, for instance, correlate with how open or closed you could make the inside space of your mouth in making each word. Each character is a picture diagram of the space inside the mouth.”

In 1987, Chai immigrated to New York City from South Korea as a teenager without knowing English. Looking back, she has described that experience as feeling untethered to any internal compass that she could use to navigate her place in a new country with a new language. She visually explains these experiences by reinterpreting the Korean language’s characters in photographs that enable us to see the contradictions of visual and verbal communication. Her images rest in the space between intellect and intuition.

Chai’s curiosity about the interior space of her tool—the large format camera, comparable to the interior space of a mouth—leads to the idea of the camera obscura, a darkened room with a small opening to the world. Chai uses optics (focal length, perspective, perception and magnification) to pin down the marks, rubbings and paintings on her studio walls. The overall effect is a collage of ideas, with an efficient yet complicated economy of picture making with intentional gaps. These gaps can describe the moment right before the sound of a word comes out of the interior space of the mouth. One’s mouth may understand and sound out words, but one’s conscious knowledge of their meaning may not be fully there yet. This liminal space is the punctuated strength and slippery ambiguity of her photographs.

Chai is an artist who remains open and disciplined, committing to the mindset of the child at odds with that of the adult. The photographs born from this are restrained but not withholding.

About the Artist

was born in Busan, South Korea. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Chai has presented her work widely at sites including the Bronx Museum of the Arts, Knockdown Center and multiple galleries. The city of Rochester and Destination Medical Center in Minnesota have commissioned her first permanent public outdoor art project to be completed in early 2024. Chai is represented by Hair+Nails Gallery. She lives and works in Rochester, MN.

Story by Cali Banks, communications coordinator, Light Work

The panel discussion, workshop presentations and discussions on communicating recommendations to different community stakeholders and policymakers were part of a research initiative funded by a grant from . Guest presenters included , chief economist at the ; , professor of economics and director of the at Howard University; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; , deputy commissioner of the at��the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; , ’07, an alumnus of the and executive vice president of the DC Health Practice at Edelman; and , president and CEO of Community Housing Associates Inc.

, Syracuse University’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and co-founder of the Lender Center, says the grant from MetLife Foundation has allowed the center to involve more external partners and stakeholders in the wealth gap conversation and broaden the base of people and institutions able to contribute to possible solutions. Haddix says the center is planning additional conversations on the racial wealth gap in other cities.

These images capture moments from the event.

Phaedra Rice Stewart ’91, left, an alumna of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, poses a question. Next to her is Kira Reed, Lender Center senior research associate and associate professor at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Jim (Davis) Hull II ’13 (left) talks with Whitman School Associate Professor Willie Reddic.

Kristen Barnes, left, College of Law professor and event panelist, chats with Charlie Pettigrew, center, director, corporate giving and employee engagement at of MetLife Foundation. Barnes researches how the factors of property history and ownership and real estate practices contribute to the racial wealth gap in the U.S.

Coordinators and panelists (from left): Kendall Phillips, Lender Center interim director; Jhacova Williams, American University assistant professor of public administration and policy; Kristen Barnes, Syracuse University College of Law professor and associate dean for research; Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics associate professor of food studies; J Coley, Lender Center postdoctoral fellow; Daniel Cronan, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry assistant professor of landscape architecture; Marcelle Haddix, Syracuse University associate provost for strategic initiatives; and Kira Reed, Whitman School of Management associate professor and Lender Center senior research associate.

Carrie Mae Weems (Photo by Jerry Klineberg)

Syracuse University Artist in Residence H’17 has joined the where a solo exhibition of her work will be held in Fall 2024.

Weems’ four decades of work, including groundbreaking and distinctive compositions of photography, text, audio, installation, video and performance art, depicts topics of race, gender, social injustice and economic inequity throughout American history to the present day.

Weems is the first African American woman to have a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum. She is represented in public and private collections around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Modern Art; Tate Modern; Whitney Museum of American Art; National Gallery of Canada; and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Weems is a 2023 Hasselblad Award laureate and has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships, including the , the U.S. Department of State’s Medal of Arts, the Joseph H. Hazen Rome Prize Fellowship, the National Endowment of the Arts fellowship and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award.

NYSCA also awarded a $40,000 Organizational Support grant to an interdisciplinary art and storytelling collaboration by faculty from the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and the School of Education and a separate, $20,000 award to Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact Inc.

This is a record-setting achievement for the University, since it marks the second year in a row that five faculty have received the highly competitive NYSCA awards, says Sarah Workman, associate director of research development (humanities) in the Office of Research and College of Arts and Sciences.

Duncan Brown, vice president for research, says the grants represent “an investment in the vibrant and diverse artistic voices of our faculty.”

“The breadth of this year’s awardees reflects our continued excellence in engaged scholarship in the arts, both by scholars working independently and by those working in unique collaborations— from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture, the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the School of Education,” Brown says.

Individual Artist Grants

Individual Artist grant awardees are:

Clockwise from top left: VPA faculty members Ann Clarke, Natalie Draper, Anne Laver, Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris

, associate professor of studio arts and dean emerita of VPA, for an outdoor textile installation, “Interior Landscapes.” She is using the concept of landscape writ large as a metaphor for states of mind to create sanctuary settings for reflection on the environment and the self. The installation will be developed at Stone Quarry Art Park in Cazenovia, New York.

VPA faculty members , associate professor of applied music and performance (organ), and , assistant professor of music composition/theory and history, for their project, “Reimagining the Organ—A Composer Portrait Project by Anne Laver and Natalie Draper.” Draper will write three new musical works that expand and diversify the classical organ repertoire. The pieces will be part of a new commercial recording and a contemporary music festival.

Canary Lab co-directors and VPA faculty members , associate professor of art photography, and��received a grant for their project, “Watershed.” The work reflects on the historical, spiritual and ecological significance of the Mahikannituk (Hudson) River through photography, video, writing and a program of public engagement.

, assistant professor of architecture at the School of Architecture, for the narrative documentary podcast “Here There Be Dragons: Odes(s)a, Film, Media and New Technology.” The podcast explores contemporary urban territories and engages listeners in the concept of security narratives. Season four is about Odesa, Ukraine.

Jess Myers (School of Architecture), left, and Dana Spiotta (College of Arts and Sciences)

, professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, for��“Mutual,”��a novel about multiple generations of a family in New York. The book engages with historical and personal forms of amnesia, notions of belonging, solitude and community.

Organizational Support Grants

The $40,000 Organizational Support grant was awarded to��, assistant professor of art therapy at VPA (as principal investigator), and��, ��assistant professor of educational leadership in the��School of Education (as co-principal investigator). The grant is for their research work and curriculum development project, “This Woman’s Work: Elevating Black Women Voices in CNY Through Visual Storytelling, Freedom Makerspaces and Community Arts.”

From left: Courtney Mauldin (School of Education), Rochele Royster (VPA) and Tere Paniagua (Point of Contact)

They plan to unearth historical and present-day stories regarding abolition, health disparities and anti-Black violence and connect a cohort of oral historians with local artists to create an interactive arts exhibition. They will also co-create open art studio/makerspaces, host intergenerational storytelling workshops and create curricula for public schools and libraries to chronicle the narratives, history and artwork to create a more complete picture of local history through the lived experiences of Black women.

At Point of Contact, the award will support the organization’s annual programs in literacy and visual arts and its work as a forum for community collaboration and open dialogue, says , executive director, cultural engagement for the Hispanic community.

FYS 101 is a semester-long, one-credit course taken by all first-year and incoming transfer students. The course helps students learn about themselves, the University and the local community through guided conversations, experiential activities and reflective assignments. The goal is to create a more welcoming, inclusive and diverse campus community.

Since the start of the program, more than 400 faculty, staff and students have participated in FYS 101, either as (faculty, staff and graduate students) or (undergraduate students). Lead instructors partner with peer leaders to lead discussions for a single section of FYS 101, which is capped at 19 students.

As part of First Year Seminar 101, peer leaders like Sydney Rothstein (left) partner with lead instructors like Kal Srinivas to facilitate discussions for a single section of FYS 101.

, director for retention and student success, and Sydney Rothstein, a sophomore in the , make up one such pair. They both say they are gratified by the opportunity to help new students share their stories and become comfortable with what can sometimes be uncomfortable conversations.

“Our goal is to create a place for our students to share their thoughts without fear of being incorrect, and they often teach me and each other about how to communicate about uncomfortable topics without fear and with the goal of learning,” Rothstein says. “We all learn something new because of the discussions we have.”

“Students have told me that we have empowered them to be okay with telling their stories in class and also will speak up if they see, observe or witness anything. Engaging across differences and leaning into the more difficult conversations has become more comfortable,” adds Srinivas.

Srinivas says the experience has helped her learn about herself. “Taking the time to understand how my own identity impacts my ability to engage the students in supportive dialogue has been rewarding. FYS 101 has helped me be introspective about the biases that I bring to each conversation.” And while unlearning biases has been a challenge, she says, FYS 101 “has given me the opportunity, platform, tools and voice to speak about issues that I had not been comfortable with before.”

Rothstein says the most rewarding part of the experience is seeing other students succeed. She also enjoys the working relationship she has cultivated with Srinivas. In her first year at Syracuse, Rothstein was herself a student in a FYS 101 section led by Srinivas.

“Kal and I work well together because we can bridge the student vs. teacher experience for our students and encourage them to go outside of their comfort zones. We compare our experiences in front of our class so that students can see examples of civil cross-cultural communication and can contribute to the conversation across their differences as well,” Rothstein says.

Srinivas says the collaboration between lead instructor and peer leader is key.

“As we try to take our ideas and change some of the rhetoric circulating around today in the world, we truly believe that with constant conversations in our classroom, we can make a difference in the young minds of our students and launch them into this world equipped with knowledge, self-confidence and the ability to accept the whole (beauty and ugliness) within us,” adds Srinivas.

Information sessions for students, faculty and staff members interested in being part of FYS 101 will be held ; and ().

For more information, contact firstyear@syr.edu or call 315.443.9035.

Inside the Skä·noñh Great Law of Peace Center (photo courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Assocation)

Syracuse University students, faculty and staff will now enjoy free admission to , thanks to a new partnership with the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA).

Skä·noñh Center is a Haudenosaunee cultural center located in the Syracuse suburb of Liverpool at 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway. The center offers a history of the native peoples of Central New York through the lens of the Onondaga Nation. Permanent and temporary exhibitions cover topics such as Creation, European Contact and The Great Law of Peace, among others.

The goal of the partnership is to “educate students, faculty and staff about the history, culture and knowledge of the Haudenosaunee people and the perspective of the citizens of the Onondaga Nation,” according to Lisa Moore, OHA executive director.

The , or “People of the Longhouse,” represent a confederacy of Six Nations: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora. The Onondaga are considered the Central Fire of the Confederacy. The Onondaga Nation Territory is located 10 miles south of the Syracuse University.

“Our University is located in an area with a rich, multilayered history, and getting off campus and learning about that history—and how it contributes to the present day—is an important experience not only for our students, but also for our faculty and staff,” says Marcelle Haddix, vice provost for strategic initiatives. “Partnerships that allow us to engage with our community, like this partnership with OHA, are vital to Syracuse University’s mission.”

Free Skä·noñh Center admission will be available through June 30, 2024. Funding will cover individual visits as well as attendance at center programs or classes. A valid Syracuse University ID is required for admission.

The group will work with , assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism (MND) in the , who last spring was��named

Student fellows will conduct research, analyze data and present findings related to how American media coverage of the war on terror affected U.S. policymaking and later impacted Muslim individuals and communities. They will also learn oral history methods to conduct trauma-informed interviews with individuals and in communities affected by war-on-terror policies; examine resistance projects and movements contributing to U.S. policymaking; and collaborate with Husain’s research partner, , associate professor of criminality, law and justice at the University of Illinois – Chicago College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, to publish findings.

Kendall Phillips, Lender Center interim director, announced the following as 2023-25 student fellows:

Mohammad Ebad Athar

Mohammad Ebad Athar

Athar is a Ph.D. candidate in history and a graduate research associate in the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs South Asia Center in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Athar’s dissertation examines the global impact of the post-9/11 period for the South Asian diaspora in the United States and the Persian Gulf. In drawing connections between those regions, Athar hopes to illustrate how South Asian identity has been securitized across transnational borders and how South Asian political activism has resisted that framework.

Olivia Boyer

Olivia Boyer

Boyer is a second-year MND major in the Newhouse School with a minor in South Asian studies in A&S.

Boyer has been involved in several on-campus publications, including The Daily Orange and University Girl. She has served since January as a research assistant for Husain, analyzing news media coverage of the war on terror and its impact. The Akron, Ohio, native’s interests include civic engagement, social justice, storytelling and fashion.

Azadeh Ghanizadeh

Azadeh Ghanizadeh

Ghanizadeh is a Ph.D. candidate in writing studies, rhetoric and composition in A&S. Her dissertation focuses on media representations of refugees in the United States through film, public service announcements and United Nations celebrity endorsements. Her work challenges prevailing assumptions about multiculturalism and migration by examining how American media portray forced migration and how those portrayals affect public policy.

Ghanizadeh holds degrees from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. She has taught courses in critical thinking and composition, introductory and intermediate college writing and Middle East studies at Oregon State, Syracuse and Colgate Universities.

Mary Hanrahan

Mary Hanrahan

Hanrahan is a communication and rhetorical studies master’s student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She researches how structures of power are articulated through cultural texts and how texts mutate, enforce or disrupt systems of privilege and oppression.

She is interested in narrative reclamation and communications from communities experiencing surveillance and containment. She also investigates Islamophobic biases in the news media, their impact on marginalized groups and how affected communities work around the consequences of those biases.

Tia Poquette

Tia Poquette

Poquette is a third-year policy studies major in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences with double minors in architecture in the School of Architecture and sociology in the Maxwell School. Poquette is interested in urban policy, sustainability, social justice and criminal justice. She has interned with the nonprofit Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance and Youth Public History Institute. Her work there focused on community building and the history of prisons and policing, as well as their contemporary connections. She serves as a teaching assistant for Introduction to Public Policy Analysis.

Lender Center student fellows work on projects for two years, receive a $2,000 fellowship and will present their work at the 2025 Lender Symposium.

The Lender Center will soon issue a call for proposals for faculty fellowships for the 2024-26 term, according to Phillips. The announcement is timed for early December, and the expected deadline for applications to be submitted is April 18, 2024. Established in 2018, the Lender Center for Social Justice hosts research projects, activities and programming, including multidisciplinary conversations related to issues of social justice and collaborations with other University units, to promote a robust dialogue about issues of justice, equity and inclusion.

, an initiative of the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education in the , offers a full four-year college experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For the first time this fall, InclusiveU students were invited to participate in FYS 101—a significant step toward full campus inclusion.

“Students in the InclusiveU program contribute significantly to the fabric of our campus community, and they bring invaluable perspectives to the conversations that are at the heart of FYS 101,” says , associate provost for strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, who oversees the First Year Seminar program. “Integrating our 27 first-year InclusiveU students into FYS 101 this fall just made sense—it is the right thing to do, and every single student present in these classrooms is benefiting from their presence.”

Leaders from FYS and InclusiveU assembled before the fall semester began to build mutual understanding of the InclusiveU program and the unique needs of its students. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman, associate director, FYS)

Since FYS 101 encourages learning, conversation and introspection on topics relevant to all incoming students at Syracuse, incorporating InclusiveU students required no modifications to the curriculum.

“This is a class about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), so it’s just another identity we were able to add to the classroom conversations,” says Shannon Hitchcock Schantz G’21, director of FYS and a current lead instructor for the course. “Students are doing activities about their own identity and their transition to Syracuse University, and we’ve seen full participation from the InclusiveU students, sharing about their disabilities and their perspective on life.”

Brianna Shults, director of InclusiveU, says she sought out this partnership to broaden the participation of InclusiveU students in campuswide initiatives and offerings.

“These are students who want the opportunity to go to college and to be fully immersed in the culture, community and educational experience here at Syracuse,” Shults says. “We know that all students need an introduction to the University, which is why FYS exists. To include our students in things that are already being done here usually just takes a few extra steps in education and preparation, and I think the FYS 101 team has done a phenomenal job of incorporating InclusiveU students into their classrooms and fully enveloping them into the curriculum.”

The partnership officially kicked off in August, when InclusiveU staff attended training sessions for all FYS 101 lead instructors and peer leaders to provide education and build mutual understanding. “We wanted our lead instructors and peer leaders to know the InclusiveU program, understand the intentionality behind including those students in FYS 101 and learn ways to further support these students in the classroom,” says Schantz.

First-year InclusiveU student Stavros Ioannidis shared how he has appreciated the opportunity to take FYS, saying, “I like the classmates I have who tolerate different opinions, the teachers who are willing to help me (and others) out and the creativity of the teachers. They expose us to things we may not seek out on our own.”

InclusiveU students benefit not only from the curriculum, but the relationships and networks they’re able to develop with FYS classmates. “This is a class that our students take really seriously, and they’re engaged with, and it’s been great to see that level of commitment,” says Shults. “I think this only builds the network our students have available to them and increases understanding among the larger student population of why InclusiveU is here and the purpose of the program.”

Lead instructor Maithreyee Dubé ’96, ’16, G’17 has enjoyed having an InclusiveU student in her section. “Zach [Kilga] has a great sense of humor, participates in small group discussions, is great at remembering names (and helps me remember when he recognizes the need!) and submits all his work—even anything I clearly state as extra,” Dubé says.

Maithreyee Dubé (kneeling front, toward the right) and her FYS 101 section visited La Casita Cultural Center during their week 4 shared experience, which involves visits and collaborations with various organizations across campus. (Photo courtesy of Maithreyee Dubé)

“As the largest, most inclusive program in the country, we are continually thinking about new ways we can give our students access to things they didn’t have access to before,” Shults says. “This is just an expansion of that. We want InclusiveU students to be able to do and achieve anything they want during their time here on campus.”

As part of First-Year Seminar, students made winter care packages of gloves, hats, socks, handwarmers and ChapStick for the Rescue Mission Alliance. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman)

A wave of first-year and transfer students in the University’s First Year Seminar 101 (FYS101) recently rolled across campus and into the greater Syracuse area to actively learn about campus, the local community and how they fit into their new surroundings. More than 10,000 students in total have taken FYS101 since its inception in fall 2021; that includes more than 3,900 students this year.

The seminar’s Shared Experience Week introduces students to the . Activities involved (mindfulness, opioid overdose prevention and sexual health programs); ; ; ; ; ; ; and the ; ; ; ; ; and . Presentations were hosted by ; ; ; the and the .

During Week Four of the 15-week session, students enjoyed 45 types of “in real life” engagement activities. They created an impactful 780 care packages and sourced materials to benefit 13 local organizations that became new participating partners with the University, says Jimmy Luckman, associate director of the First Year Seminar. That included:

• 180 care packages for
• 180 care packages for , Veterans Administration
• 120 hygiene packs for the
• 120 care packages for
• 96 bags of food for , Syracuse City School District
• 48 backpacks for
• 24 care packages for mothers with children in area neonatal intensive care units
• 12 celebration/birthday bags for kids at
• 6 blankets and 882 diapers for

“Blessings in a Backpack” students in the Syracuse City School District received tortilla-based meals assembled by FYS101 students. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman)

FYS101 students made six blankets and helped select 882 diapers for the Sankofa Reproductive Health and Healing Center. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman)

At the Center for International Services, FYS101 students played international board games to learn more about other cultures. (Photo by Meriel Stokoe)

The Community Folk Art Center in Syracuse was the site of an interactive drumming session and a chance to learn about musical customs. (Photo by Evan Krukin)

Light Work’s Community Darkroom provided a setting for hands-on experiments in photography. (Photo by Cali Banks)

Interns at the Shaw Center introduced FYS101 students to the University hub for academic community engagement. (Photo by Dalton Dietz)

Students enjoyed a tour of Syracuse University Art Museum with Kate Holohan, curator of education and academic outreach. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman)

Another Shared Experience Week highlight: a tour of Syracuse Stage. (Photo by Becki Bruzdzinski)

Students created care packages with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, sanitizer wipes, body lotions and deodorants, along with personalized notes, to donate to the food pantry at Hendricks Chapel. (Photo by Breana Nieves Vergara)

“The Lender Conversation: Interrogating the Racial Wealth Gap,” is planned for Monday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the , with a reception to follow. Guests are asked to the public event, which is sponsored by the and .

Panelists include researchers from and other academic institutions who will discuss how housing availability and costs, transportation and labor issues exacerbate the . They will also offer solutions to help offset its negative economic effects.

The event is among several community-based academic gatherings and interdisciplinary research initiatives supported by a three-year, $2.7 million grant from MetLife Foundation, allowing Lender Center researchers to examine the racial wealth gap’s various dimensions.

The Lender Center for Social Justice held its first symposium on the topic of “Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap” in spring 2022.

Syracuse University panelists include , associate dean for faculty research and professor in the ; associate professor of food studies in the ; , associate provost for strategic initiatives and Lender Center for Social Justice co-founder; and Lender Center postdoctoral fellow.

Kendall Phillips (left) and Kira Reed

Joining them are�� assistant professor of public administration and policy at American University, and , assistant professor of landscape architecture at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Lender Center interim director and co-founder and , the center’s senior faculty research associate, are coordinating roundtable arrangements.

We spoke with Haddix to learn more about the event and how Lender Center research efforts and community-building activities are generating new ideas about the economic and opportunity gap.

Faculty, staff and students gather to discuss their collaborative work at an Engaged Communities cohort meeting.

Sports teams that succeed are those that feature athletes who work well together and bring different skills to the field. Humanities scholarship is no different. When College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement ��founded the�� (EHN) in 2020, one of the guiding principles was to seed, support and foster collaborations among publicly engaged researchers so they could address a range of pressing issues and amplify a diverse range of voices. As Syracuse University moves forward with a new focusing on experiential inquiry and engaged citizenship as two of its pillars, the work of EHN aligns closely with the mission and goals of the University.

To build on the community-engaged work already happening across the University, city and region, Nordquist and his team established the Engaged Communities (EC) initiative in 2021. This program provides faculty, students, staff and community partners with support for publicly engaged research, programming and creative work. Inspired in part by a desire among faculty, staff and students to collaborate with communities beyond the University, the program provides project teams with seed money for their work over the next academic year. Nordquist says critical to the prolonged success of this effort is forming collaborations among project leaders that enhance the scope and reach of their work.

“While many of us are deeply invested in improving the well-being of our communities, there are few structures that bring us together to share resources, collectively problem solve, align efforts, and better understand and invest in each other’s work,” says Nordquist. “Engaged Communities is designed to draw more people into a network of mutual support to improve the efficacy and sustainability of community-engaged research, creative work and programming.”

Brice Nordquist

With funding from A&S, the Academic Affairs’ Office of Strategic Initiatives and external grants awarded to EHN, a record 11 publicly engaged projects received mini-grants through the Engaged Communities initiative, an increase from last year’s cohort of six, and five the year prior. Project leaders come from four different schools and colleges and from 17 different departments and units, making this a truly interdisciplinary effort.

Over the course of the year, the 11 teams will convene regularly in the Tolley Humanities Building on campus to workshop project ideas, exchange resources, work through challenges, collectively advocate and collaborate across projects and communities. Members of previous years’ EC cohorts will also participate in those meetings so that their projects continue to grow along with this expanding network, notes Nordquist.

One example demonstrating the benefits of this collaborative structure is a partnership between Write Out and the Natural Science Explorers Program, two projects that received mini-grants in ��and��, respectively. Write Out is a youth storytelling initiative run by students and faculty in the Department of English’s creative writing program and NSEP is a science exploration program for children at the North Side Learning Center organized by students and faculty from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Biology. Together, they have held joint creative writing and science workshops at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) and the North Side Learning Center–a testament to EHN’s mission of fostering collaboration between faculty, students and communities.

2023-24 Engaged Communities Mini-Grant Recipients

• The Body Project

• Creative Art Lab: Cradle to Cradle Open Art Studio, Exhibition & Story Space

• Exploring the Intersection of Math Education and Geography through Youth-Centered Community-Engaged Research on Environmental Justice

• Family Pictures Syracuse

• Fermenting Stories: Exploring Ancestry, Embodiment and Place

• Imagined Identity / Identidad Imaginada

• Not in a Book: Haudenosaunee Elders Series

• Onondaga Community Trauma Task Force’s Community Healing Series
• Onondaga Language Project
• Syracuse University Research in Physics (SURPh)
• Unearthing Black Girl Literacies ‘In Place’

Visit the College of Arts and Sciences website to learn more about the .

Organizers of the community photographic project, “,” want to visualize just that and are asking Syracuse families to share their family photos and stories on camera to create a living photo archive. Community members—particularly those whose histories have been marginalized—are invited to talk about their family histories at a recorded interview station, digitize their family photos for later exhibition and have new portraits taken with their family photographs.

Thomas Allen Harris

The project is designed to build a more inclusive history of the city. It takes place Oct. 13-15 through a��series of activities and events with Yale University artist and filmmaker and his . The initiative is being coordinated by students and faculty in the University’s Turning the Lens Collective. The group is composed of , associate professor of English; , a Ph.D. candidate in English; , a Ph.D. candidate in history; Sarhia Rahim ’26, a policy studies major and Aniyah Jones ’25, an English and textual studies and psychology major.

Three Weekend Events

Events include a film screening and discussion of “: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People,” with Harris (, from 6 to 8 p.m.). The with community members takes place , from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A to celebrate the archived images and oral storytelling is planned on , from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., and includes music, poetry and special guests. All events take place at the Everson Museum at 401 Harrison St. in downtown Syracuse.

Hallas says the project will build a testament to marginalized families from across the city, cultivate a more inclusive archival history of Syracuse and recognize the people suppressed, forgotten or lost to a highway (the I-81 viaduct) that created a decadeslong economic and racial barrier in Syracuse.

“Syracuse is experiencing significant transformation and renewed hope for economic progress spurred by Micron’s multi-billion-dollar investment in a semiconductor megafacility, the city’s decades of commitment to refugee resettlement and the redevelopment of housing, transportation and industry when a community grid replaces the I-81 viaduct,” Hallas says. “Yet, in moving forward equitably, it’s necessary to remember and document the past. Syracuse remains one of the most impoverished and segregated cities in the nation, specifically for its Black and Latinx communities. In its redevelopment of housing, transportation and industry, the city must not repeat the systemic violence of the past.”

Community members shared treasured photos with Jessica Terry-Elliot, right center, along with their memories of family.

Jessica Terry-Elliott, a project co-organizer, researches the application of various methodologies that comprise what scholars call “Black archival practices.”��She says Family Pictures Syracuse will use oral history methods��coupled with the captured moments of Black life in photographs that are��often held in domestic��repositories.

“Using these methods to develop this project��is an actual application of Black archival practices,” Terry-Elliot says. “It will reveal the complexities of how Black life in Syracuse was and is documented and remembered,��while at the same time constructing pathways to engage with memory for��the future.”

Collective member Charles is writing a dissertation on the Black visual archive in film. “I’ve discovered that family photographs play a tremendous role in shaping our identity and history beyond the purview of our institutional archives,” Charles says. “The photographs we all keep in our homes—hanging on walls or tucked inside family albums—contribute to a larger story. Yet, those items are not always seen as important historical knowledge. This project affirms our photographs are themselves invaluable archives that should be studied and celebrated as such.”

Collective member and undergraduate student Aniyah Jones ’25 looks over a collection of family photos.

Undergraduate students Jones and Rahim have supported the initiative through their Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) appointments as research assistants on the project. A team of undergraduate students from the department of film and media arts and the Orange Television Network will staff the photo-sharing event and students in Hallas’ upcoming “Everyday Media and Social Justice” and Jessica Terry-Elliott’s “Public History” courses in spring 2024 will further the project after its launch.

��The collective is also coordinating with the Network’s WriteOut Syracuse, a youth afterschool program designed to get students Interested In writing and storytelling, and Black and Arab Relationalities, a Mellon Foundation-funded research project led by College of Arts and Sciences faculty members and .

Wide Community Connections

Organizers are working with the Community Folk Art Center, Onondaga Historical Association and the North Side Learning Center and are collaborating with several other Syracuse community organizations for future programming.

Many sources of funding have made the project possible, including the University’s departments of African American Studies; anthropology; communication and rhetorical studies; English; film and media arts; history; Jewish studies; Latino/Latin American studies; LGBTQ studies; policy studies; religion; sociology; television, radio and film; visual communications; women’s and gender studies; and writing. External funding has been provided by Humanities NY and the Allyn Family Foundation.

Also sponsoring the project are the Democratizing Knowledge project; Engaged Humanities Network; SOURCE; Special Collections Research Center; Syracuse Humanities Center; The Alexa; Lender Center for Social Justice; Light Work and Orange Television Network.

In November, the Special Collections Research Center at Bird Library will host “Family Pictures in the Archive” (, 5 to 7 p.m.). The exhibition displays Black photographs from the University’s collections along with community photos archived during the Family Pictures Syracuse events.

The dialogue will occur at an all-day symposium, “Monumental Concerns.” It is being presented by University artist in residence Carrie Mae Weems H’17 and the University’s Office of Strategic Initiatives in conjunction with the Syracuse University Art Museum.

“Lincoln Memorial, 2015-2016” ©Carrie Mae Weems (Photo courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York)

The symposium will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in Watson Theater, located in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center, 316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse. The symposium is free and open to the public; guests are asked to . Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) will be available both days.

An opening presentation featuring Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman from the For Freedoms Collective will be held Friday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. in the Shaffer Art Building’s Shemin Auditorium. A reception will follow in the , also located in Shaffer Art Building.

The discussion will focus on:

• the role of monuments in contemporary society and their contested histories;
• the pros and cons of monument adjustment, removal or displacement;
• why racial conflicts erupt over the meanings and representations of monuments and how they can be addressed; and
• how the emotional and nationalistic role that monuments often play can be acknowledged, even while advocacy occurs for more inclusive historical framing.

Among the participants will be Weems; Willis Thomas; Gottesman; Paul M. Farber, director of Monument Lab in Philadelphia; Idris Brewster, executive director of Kinfolk and an artist using artificial intelligence to create interventions in public spaces; Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh; and Julie Ehrlich, director of presidential initiatives and chief of staff with the Mellon Foundation.

“The October convening brings together some of the leading thinkers and practitioners around monuments in the United States. In delving into the many histories that these public artworks commemorate, we will be addressing important and timely issues,” says Melissa Yuen, interim chief curator at the Syracuse University Art Museum. “It is our hope that the event will be the first step in helping us to build community and create a sense of belonging across the University in ways that will allow us to have productive conversations about these difficult topics.”

Below, Weems addresses why it is important to have this discussion, and how it can help move us forward.

Kendall Phillips

, founding co-director of the Lender Center and professor in the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Sciences in the , will serve��as interim director. The appointment was announced by , associate provost for strategic initiatives. Haddix also named a search committee to reprise the search for a permanent director.

Committee co-chairs are:

, associate dean for research and professor of inclusive education and disability studies in the School of Education, and , professor of women’s and gender studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Additional members are:

, teaching professor in the College of Law and faculty fellow in the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Office of Diversity and Inclusion;

, interim chair of citizenship and civic engagement, Daicoff Faculty Scholar and professor of history in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs;

, professor of educational leadership and inclusive elementary/early education in the School of Education; and

, vice president of advancement/academic affairs.

Marcelle Haddix

“We are seeking a nationally recognized scholar in social justice research, teaching and action to lead the Lender Center’s charge to promote the pursuit of equity, justice and transformative change,”��Haddix says.

For more information about , visit the .

The Lender Center, established in 2017 by a gift from Helaine and Marvin Lender, is a multidisciplinary research, teaching and action center and national hub for leadership and conversation on social justice issues. Its initiatives include innovative faculty and student fellowship programs, an annual symposium and a conversation series encouraging dialogue among researchers, practitioners, activists and thought leaders. Phillips and Haddix were co-founders of the Center.

Kate Holohan, curator of education and academic outreach at the Syracuse University Art Museum, provides a tour during an open house.

Established in 2005, the mission of CMAC is to support the legacy network of cornerstone art organizations at Syracuse University by celebrating and exploring the arts and humanities culture through robust programming, exhibitions, publications, education, scholarship and public engagement.

CMAC consists of eight University and affiliated organizations: Syracuse University Art Museum, the Louise and Bernard Palitz Gallery, the Community Folk Art Center, Light Work (which includes the Urban Video Project), Point of Contact, La Casita, the Special Collections Research Center, and the Photography and Literacy Project.

Get to know CMAC and its coalition members, and be sure to visit their respective websites for a full listing of upcoming programs and exhibitions.��You can also stay up-to-date on by visiting the Syracuse University events calendar.

Syracuse University Art Museum

Located in the Shaffer Art Building, the acquires and preserves important works of art, serving as a museum-laboratory for exploration, experimentation and discussion. The teaching museum fosters diverse and inclusive perspectives by uniting students across campus with each other and the local and global community, engaging with artwork to bring us together and examining the forces that keep us apart.

Tanisha Jackson, Ph.D., executive director of the Community Folk Art Center, poses with art from Shaniqua Gay’s “Carry the Wait” exhibition.

Community Folk Art Center

The . (CFAC) was founded in 1972 by the late Herbert T. Williams, a professor of African American studies, in collaboration with University faculty, students, local artists and Syracuse city residents. CFAC promotes and cultivates artists from the African diaspora, celebrating cultural and artistic pluralism by collecting, exhibiting, teaching and interpreting the visual and expressive arts. CFAC is a proud unit of the Department of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, serving as a beacon of artistry, creativity and cultural expression.

Light Work

Housed in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center, was founded as an artist-run, nonprofit organization in 1973. Its mission is to provide direct support through residencies, publications, exhibitions, a community-access digital lab facility and other related projects to emerging and underrepresented artists working in the media of photography and digital imaging.

Urban Video Project

(UVP) is a Light Work program in partnership with the Everson Museum of Art and Onondaga County. UVP is an outdoor architectural projection venue dedicated to the public presentation of film, video and moving image arts, enhancing Central New York’s reputation as one of the birthplaces of video art.

Point of Contact

, Inc. fosters a collaborative model to explore contemporary visual and verbal arts, working across disciplines and cultures. Founded in 1975, Point of Contact is an organization in residence at Syracuse University, with offices in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in downtown Syracuse and is an open forum for diverse identities to engage in open dialogue, working expansively across intellectual, social and geographic boundaries.

La Casita

is a program of Syracuse University established to advance an educational and cultural agenda of civic engagement through research, cultural heritage preservation, media and the arts—bridging the Hispanic communities of the University and Central New York. La Casita Cultural Center is located in the historic Lincoln Building in the city of Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood.

Special Collections Research Center

Located on the sixth floor of Bird Library, the (SCRC) advances scholarship and learning by collecting, preserving and providing access to rare books, manuscripts and other primary source materials. SCRC’s collections document the history of the University and our global society through printed materials, photographs, artworks, audio and moving image recordings, University records and more.

Photography and Literacy Project

The (PAL) brings University students into Syracuse City Schools to develop projects involving photography, video, audio recording and writing. The objective is to improve student’s writing and reading skills by linking these studies with photography, video and poetry. PAL Project also connects graduate and undergraduate student mentors and educators-in-training to community youth in an experiential learning environment.

CMAC is an initiative that falls under strategic initiatives in academic affairs at Syracuse University. To learn more, contact Miranda Traudt G’11, assistant provost for arts and community programming.

Courtney Mauldin

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

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

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

Misha Inniss-Thompson

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

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

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

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

Lois Agnew

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vivian May

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

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

“We are very pleased to advance these efforts to more closely examine the root causes of the racial wealth gap in the U.S.,” says Kendall Phillips, Lender Center interim director. “These thoughtful initiatives should produce exceptional insights and have practical impact. We look forward to learning about their findings.”

The following projects received grants:

“Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Through Environmental Justice and Participatory Design”

, associate dean for research; , assistant professor, ; and , assistant professor of landscape architecture,

Researchers will explore how built environments can positively impact basic life��needs that may be neglected in underprivileged communities. The project looks at the health and wellness benefits of installing shade structures and public recreational infrastructure; the economic and social stability impact of infrastructure that promotes business opportunities and wealth generation; and community empowerment created by citizen involvement in the design and construction of public spaces.

“K12 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Policies and Plans”

, professor of educational leadership and inclusive elementary education, and , associate teaching professor in educational leadership,

Researchers are examining how school policy is implemented. Key areas of exploration are the elements school districts include in DEI policies to create more equitable schools in an increasingly diverse society and the steps and interventions school districts use to move those policies forward.

“Advancing Mental and Behavioral Health Equity Among Historically Marginalized��Populations Through the Promotion of an Equitable Crisis Response System”

, associate professor of public administration and international affairs,

Ueda is exploring effective strategies to increase the use of the “988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline” (988 Lifeline), a phone, text and online chat service, among Black, Indigenous and people of color populations to advance health equity. The project focuses on people experiencing mental health emergencies and potentially suicidal ideation and the factors affecting their use or non-use of the hotline. The project also examines promotion opportunities to build greater awareness of the service since it transitioned to 988 Lifeline.

“Food Policy Councils as a Vehicle to Address the Racial Wealth Gap in Food System Labor”

, associate professor of food studies, , with , associate professor of geography and the environment, Maxwell School

This project examines whether the policy work and grassroots advocacy efforts of national food policy councils can address racialized wage and wealth injustice. It looks at organizational tensions between labor advocates and small food and farming business interests regarding racialized labor and wage disparities.

The researchers want to��develop best practices to reduce inequalities for food chain workers of color in stagnant tipped and minimum-wage positions and identify barriers for beginning farmers and other food business owners of color.

“Do Underserved and Underrepresented Communities Pay a Higher Premium in Employer-Sponsored Healthcare Coverage?”

, associate professor of accounting; , professor of accounting; and Patricia Crawford, doctoral candidate in finance, Whitman School

This project studies the potential economic inequities and health insurance coverage disparities faced by underserved and underrepresented communities. Researchers will analyze and compare insurance payment levels and coverage provisions.

The semester kicks off with several key events next week. All are free and open to the public.

Thursday, Sept. 14

4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building

• Onondaga Nation artist ceramic works exhibition, “,” is part of the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s 2023-24 Syracuse Symposium, “Landscape.” His work illustrates Haudenosaunee culture as a continuum that has resisted and persisted despite attacks on the confederacy’s lands, sovereignty and cultural identity.

5 to 7 p.m.
Light Work, Watson Hall, 316 Waverly Ave.

• Photographs by taken in his childhood hometown of Phoenix, Arizona explore personal histories of family, community and environment.

5 to 7 p.m.
Light Work, Watson Hall, 316 Waverly Ave.

• Photographs from 2023 Grant in Photography award recipients Amy Kozlowski, Linda Moses and Tahila Mintz are featured.

Friday, Sept. 15

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building

• Onondaga Nation artist Peter B. Jones will discuss how his art comments on the Haudenosaunee cultural continuance and the challenges the Haudenosaunee people have faced through time.

6 to 8 p.m.
La Casita Cultural Center, 109 Otiso St., Syracuse

• Highlighting the works of Chicano artists Cayetano Valenzuela (Syracuse) and Zeke Peña (El Paso, Texas) “” focuses on Latino futurism and includes art by La Casita’s summer program youth. This community event kicks off La Casita’s fall season and observes Latine Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Community Folk Art Center, 805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

• Local musicians perform music by African American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane.

In addition, another exhibition opens the following week.

September 21

:
“In Pursuit of Justice: Pan Am Flight 103”
4:30 to 6 p.m.
Bird Library, 6^th floor gallery, 222 Waverly Ave.

• The exhibition documents the Dec. 21, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that claimed the lives of 270 individuals, including 35 students returning from studying abroad through Syracuse University. Featuring materials donated to Libraries’ Research Center by victims’ loved ones and investigative team members, the exhibition provides an overview of the disaster, investigation and first trial.

For details about current and upcoming exhibitions and other events hosted by the Coalition for Museums and Art Centers, refer to the throughout the year.

(Featured photo: “Bomba, 2022 by Eduardo L. Rivera)

Peter Jones, “Twins,” 1989 Everson Museum of Art

A new exhibition of clay sculptures by acclaimed and highly innovative artist Peter B. Jones (Onondaga) will open at the on Aug. 24 and will be on view through Dec. 15. “Continuity, Innovation and Resistance: The Art of Peter B. Jones” comments on and actively resists the impact of colonialism on Haudenosaunee communities, past and present. His art presents Haudenosaunee culture as a continuum that has resisted and persisted despite serious attacks on Haudenosaunee lands, sovereignty and cultural identity.��

Under the direction of professors and (Akwesasne Mohawk Nation), this exhibition was co-curated by students at Syracuse University including Charlotte Dupree (Akwesasne Mohawk Nation), Eiza Capton (Cayuga Nation), Anthony V. Ornelaz (Diné), Ana Juliana Borja Armas (Quechua) and Jaden N. Dagenais. “It has been a distinct pleasure to co-direct this project with professor Stevens and to see the students who shaped the exhibition—Charlotte, Eiza, Anthony, AJ and Jaden—grow as scholars, curators and storytellers,” says Scott. “I am proud of the work they have done, which honors Peter Jones as a groundbreaking artist and has created space for teaching the Syracuse University and local communities about Haudenosaunee culture, history and vibrant present.”��

The exhibition features ceramic works lent from the National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C.), the New York State Museum (Albany, New York), the Fenimore Art Museum (Cooperstown, New York), the Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse, New York), the Longyear Museum of Anthropology at Colgate University (Hamilton, New York), the Iroquois Museum (Howes Cave, New York) and private collectors.��

About the Exhibition��

Peter B. Jones’s work is a testament to Haudenosaunee cultural continuity despite cataclysmic and overt challenges to Indigenous sovereignty owing to waves of colonialism, first by European powers and later by the United States and Canada. His traditional vessels revive ancient Haudenosaunee pottery techniques and styles, which were almost lost as Indigenous peoples adopted European trade goods and owing to profound disruptions by displacement, war and epidemics. Many of Jones’s innovative figurative sculptures celebrate Haudenosaunee worldviews and social organization, while others address��the negative impacts of missionary activities, Indian removal, assimilationist policies and capitalism. His sculptures of storytellers, wampum readers, medicine women, warriors and elders, remind viewers that, in the face of these tremendous pressures and challenges, Haudenosaunee peoples have maintained their culture, which is still thriving today. “Peter Jones has been recognized as the leading Haudenosaunee artist working in clay for over three decades and this exhibition gives us a great overview of his remarkable career,” says Stevens. ��

The exhibition and related programming has been made possible by generous support from a Humanities New York Action Grant, a mini-grant from the Engaged Humanities Network, which included access to a network to seed, support, and foster exchanges for the project, Syracuse University SOURCE grants, as well as co-sponsorship from the Humanities Center (Syracuse Symposium), College of Arts and Sciences, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Hendricks Chapel, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Native Student Program, Department of Art and Music Histories, and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program.��

About the Artist��

Peter B. Jones was born an Onondaga citizen (Beaver Clan) in 1947 and grew up on the Cattaraugus Seneca Reservation in western New York, where he now operates a pottery workshop and studio. He studied under Hopi artist Otellie Loloma while attending the Institute of American Indian Art in New Mexico. His pottery, which has revived traditional Haudenosaunee pit firing, hand-built coiling, and slab construction, is admired and collected by community members, art collectors, and museums across the country and internationally. Reminiscent of early Haudenosaunee pottery, Jones’ art both speaks to cultural continuity and directly reflects the issues that have impacted Haudenosaunee people. Jones works mostly in stoneware and white earthenware clay. He is currently teaching young potters at the Seneca Nation Sully, building a traditional arts and Seneca language facility on the Cattaraugus reservation.��

Featured Events��

Opening Reception: “Continuity, Innovation, and Resistance: The Art of Peter B. Jones”
Thursday, Sept. 14: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Syracuse University Art Museum��

Peter B. Jones Artist Talk
Friday, Sept. 15: Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Syracuse University Art Museum��

Community Day
Saturday, Oct. 14: Noon to 4 p.m.
Syracuse University Art Museum��

Art Break: A Conversation with the Curators of Continuity, Innovation, and Resistance
Wednesday, Nov. 15: Noon to 12:45 p.m.
Syracuse University Art Museum��

website for more public programs surrounding the exhibition. Members of the media, please contact Emily Dittman, interim director of Syracuse University Art Museum, at ekdittma@syr.edu for more information or to schedule a tour.��

George Theoharis

and note that among data-informed disparate outcomes, school discipline disproportionally targets students of color, students with disabilities and transgender students; students with disabilities make up 58% of students placed in seclusion or involuntary confinement; and LGBTQ+ students are targeted in school at alarming rates: 76% are verbally harassed, 31% are physically harassed and 13% are assaulted.

The project recognizes that local, state and federal educational policies have played a role in fostering these disparate outcomes but that contemporary DEI policies are designed to help dismantle such educational and social injustice.

However, “[s]chool policy does not implement itself. There is local ‘sense making’ that happens to put the policy into action,” write Theoharis and George. “This ‘sense making’ leads to policies implemented in a range of ways, including with enthusiasm and in the spirit intended, or only for compliance but nothing in practice changing, or with unintended consequences.”

Leela George

As experts in educational leadership and directors of the School of Education’s —a educational services partnership with Central New York school districts—Theoharis and George often hear from school leaders looking for support, especially with DEI policy “sense-making.” Their experiences have led them to pose the following research questions that will drive data collection:

• How are school districts planning to create more equitable schools in an increasingly diverse society?
• What interventions have school districts chosen to move DEI forward?
• In what ways, have school districts changed disparate outcomes by race and other intersectional identities?

The researchers seek participation from CNY districts, to gather and analyze their DEI policies and plans, to interview school leaders and ultimately to learn the extent to which they are working to disrupt disparate realities and what data they have that indicates impact.

“We see this work as potentially contributing to two of the for Social Justice grant proposal’s requested accomplishments: ‘Identify and capture factors leading to or minimizing the racial wealth gap’ and ‘offer solutions to minimizing the racial wealth gap that are data-driven and evidence-based,’” say Theoharis and George.

Husain is an assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the , where she teaches data and documents journalism. Before joining the University in 2021, she did data reporting and wrote for the on state surveillance of Muslim Americans, carceral units targeting Muslims, the 2017 “Muslim Ban,” refugee communities and the government’s historical disinvestment in Chicago’s communities of color. She also helped build back-end infrastructure for election reporting and contributed to visual journalism projects.

Nausheen Husain

, associate provost for strategic initiatives, whose office oversees the Lender Center for Social Justice, says determining how news coverage can both inadvertently and knowingly impact everyday life as well as perspectives about specific individuals and communities “is an engaging and significant investigation. We look forward to Professor Husain’s findings and the opportunities she presents to engage our students regarding how journalism and journalists may be exacerbating complex community and individual situations.”

Student Fellow Selection

Each year, several students are selected as Lender Center student fellows to work with the faculty fellow for the two years of their project. Students from all academic disciplines who are passionate about finding solutions to complex problems are invited to apply. More information about the application process and deadlines will be announced early this fall.

Q&A with Husain

We recently sat down with Husain to discuss her project, “The Stories We Told Ourselves: The American ‘War on Terror.’”

Carrie Mae Weems, center, at the opening of her show at the Barbican Art Gallery in London (Photo courtesy of the Goodman Gallery)

Widely considered to be one of the most influential American artists working today, Weems is celebrated for her exploration of identity, power, desire and social justice through work that challenges representations of race, gender and class. Through her intimate and thought-provoking images, Weems challenges societal norms, reclaims narratives and encourages views to critically examine their own assumptions and biases.

This presentation of Weems’ multidisciplinary work captures the performative and cinematic nature of her practice through photographs, films and installations, from the iconic “Kitchen Table Series” (1990) to “From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried” (1995-96), focused on systemic racism, to the incisive film installation “The Shape of Things” (2021), calling out the “pageantry” of contemporary American politics.

The Evening Standard calls the exhibition “breathtaking” and “a transcendent show from an artist who has delivered for 30 years.”

“My responsibility as an artist is to work, to sing for my supper, to make art, beautiful and powerful, that adds and reveals, to beautify the mess of a messy world,” Weems told Dazed. The exhibition’s co-curator, Raúl Muñoz de la Vega, added, “Beauty and elegance is a key formal aspect of saying her work. In order to lure you to enter a very difficult conversation, she does it with the trick of beauty.”

The exhibition is accompanied by “Carrie Mae Weems: Reflections for Now,” the first publication devoted to her writings. It will highlight Weems’ influence as an intellectual, reflecting the dual nature of her career as an artist and an activist.

Carrie Mae Weems, right, greeting guests at the Barbican Art Gallery in London. (Photo courtesy of the Goodman Gallery)

2023 has been a busy year for Weems. She was the guest of honor at the 12th Annual Brooklyn Artists Ball, presented by Dior, on April 25 at the Brooklyn Museum. She was honored for her “innumerable contributions as both a trailblazing artist and a community-focused activist.” An exhibition featuring “The Shape of Things” opened at the Luma in Arles, France, in May.

Together, with the Barbican exhibition, “Perhaps we’ll finally get the message on this side of the pond, too, that Carrie Mae Weems deserves our fullest attention,” wrote Caroline Roux in the Financial Times.

On Aug. 15, a video presentation and talk with Weems on her work “Leave, Leave Now” will be held at the Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts (Martha’s Vineyard). The event is presented by the University’s Office of Multicultural Advancement and the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.

Earlier this year, Weems was named a 2023 Hasselblad Award laureate by the��, a prize that is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of photography. An award ceremony will take place on Oct. 13 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

A����(a.k.a. “Genius Grant”) recipient and the first African American woman to have a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum,��Weems has used multiple mediums (photography, video, digital imagery, text, fabric and more) throughout her career to examine themes of cultural identity, sexism, class, political systems, family relationships and the consequences of power.

Weems has created a complex body of work that centers on her overarching commitment to helping us better understand our present moment by examining our collective past. Determined as ever to enter the picture—both literally and metaphorically—Weems has sustained an ongoing dialogue within contemporary discourse for over 35 years.

As artist in residence at Syracuse University, Weems engages with faculty and students in a number of ways, including working with students in the design, planning and preparation of exhibitions. The artist in residence program is overseen by the .

Weems first came to Syracuse in 1988 to participate in Light Work’s artist-in-residence program. Over the years, she has participated in several programs at and has a long history of engaging with students and the University community.

She has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships, including the MacArthur Fellowship, U.S. Department of State’s Medal of Arts, Joseph H. Hazen Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, National Endowment of the Arts fellowship and Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, among many others.

Weems is represented in public and private collections around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; Whitney Museum of American Art; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Weems has been represented by Jack Shainman Gallery since 2008.

, an innovative female artist of her time and an outspoken champion of arts education, is regarded as one of the most important American Abstract Expressionist painters and printmakers of the 20th century. She established and endowed the foundation to advance her legacy and inspire a new generation of practitioners through philanthropic, educational and research initiatives.

The University’s art museum is now one of just 20 academic art museums in the U.S. to receive the award, says Emily Dittman, the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s interim director. The museum will receive 10 published prints, a full set of process proofs for one of those prints and the funds to host a project or program for the study, presentation and interpretation of the artworks. This is the second time the grants have been given.

Frankenthaler Prints Initiative grantees are chosen based on the institution’s demonstrated commitment to making the prints a significant collection area and teaching tool, according to Elizabeth Smith, the foundation’s executive director.

“These gifts advance the study of Frankenthaler’s work and invite new scholarly investigation about her printmaking practice. We are excited to see what fresh insights arise from the prints’ inclusion in curricula, curatorial programming and other new academic and artistic contexts at universities fostering the next generation of artists and scholars,” Smith says.

One of Helen Frankenthaler’s abstract works housed at the Syracuse University Art Museum.

“This grant is very exciting. It distinguishes our art museum as a top-level institution in the country and adds prominent recognition for the strategic work at the museum to build its large and impressive print collections that are used by our University community for interdisciplinary research and projects,” Dittman says.

Melissa Yuen, interim chief curator of SUArt Museum, says the University is extremely fortunate to receive the materials. “Frankenthaler is world-renowned as one of the most prominent American artists of the second half of the 20th century. She came of age when printmaking took off after World War II, then expanded her techniques to push the envelope artistically. She used traditional methods such as lithography, screen printing and woodblock, but added the use of diverse objects such as chainsaws and dental tools in the printmaking process to really upend how prints are made,” says Yuen.

Andrew Saluti, assistant professor and program coordinator of museum studies in the School of Design in��the College of Visual and Performing Arts, who with Dittman contacted the foundation upon initially hearing of the initiative, believes the award “is a validation of many years of advocacy for the museum and the extensive print collection that’s been built over the last 50 years. It will act as a conduit for research that crosses archive and art within the University’s holdings.”

The 10 museums selected as a part of the second cohort have few, if any, Frankenthaler prints in their collections. The art ���ܲ���ܳ�’s collection currently includes three Frankenthaler works: a painting gifted by alumnus Clement Greenberg ’30 and two screen prints. Syracuse University Libraries’ also maintains the Grace Hartigan papers, which contain correspondence and connections to Frankenthaler. Hartigan was an American Abstract Expressionist painter.

Selections of work going to each museum have yet to be determined. While waiting for the materials to arrive, museum staff members are developing ideas for educational programming and activities about the artist, her processes and her legacy in American art. They plan to involve students and faculty from programs across the University, including museum studies, art history, art education, studio arts, women’s and gender studies, language arts, architecture and anthropology. They also plan to explore ways to engage with the greater Central New York community, including activities for K-12 students and youth outreach efforts, to broaden the gift’s impact.

More than 650 guests from the art world and beyond gathered to celebrate Weems at the event, which is the Brooklyn Museum’s largest fundraiser. This year, a record $2.8 million was raised to support the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s programming, including special exhibitions, reimagined collection installations and educational programs.

Carrie Mae Weems, second from right, and guests at the Brooklyn Artists Ball, presented by Dior. (Credit: BFA, Joe Schildhorn, Ben Rosser)

“We are overjoyed to be honoring Carrie Mae Weems, an artist who has made a profound impact on our contemporary culture,” said Anne Pasternak, the Shelby White and Leon Levy Director of the Brooklyn Museum, in a news release prior to the event. “Over the years, the museum has collaborated with Weems in numerous ways—from mounting exhibitions to supporting her important COVID-19 relief efforts—and we’re thrilled to highlight her remarkable achievements at this year’s Artists Ball.”

In her remarks to guests that evening, Pasternak said, “Faced with a world shaken by inequality, division and crisis, [Weems] sought to change our field, and invited hundreds of artists to join her in magnifying the potential for cultural and social change.”

“Almost 20 years ago, I began photographing myself standing in front of museums, wondering about their function, failures and future, and remembering the forgotten ones,” Weems says. “Museums are meant to collect, serve, preserve, reveal and educate; the best of them open their arms in welcome providing respite, deep reflection and consideration. The least of them close us out and seem to exist to remind us of the power of privilege.”

“I have stood outside many museums and other cultural institutions—wondering how to get in,” she says. “Then one day, someone who understood the limits of power, and the winds of change, heard me knocking and led me in.”

The event’s creative art advisor, Brooklyn Museum trustee and artist Mickalene Thomas, worked with Dior to select table settings and décor inspired by Weems’ series “Slow Fade to Black” (2010), which highlights Black women in popular culture.

In celebration of the evening, Weems’ immersive video installation “Leave! Leave Now!” (2022) will enter the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s collection. The artwork is currently on view in the ���ܲ���ܳ�’s exhibition “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration.”

A����(a.k.a. “Genius” grant) recipient and the first African American woman to have a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum,��Weems has used multiple mediums (photography, video, digital imagery, text, fabric and more) throughout her career to explore themes of cultural identity, sexism, class, political systems, family relationships and the consequences of power.

Weems has created a complex body of work that centers on her overarching commitment to helping us better understand our present moment by examining our collective past. Determined as ever to enter the picture—both literally and metaphorically—Weems has sustained an ongoing dialogue within contemporary discourse for over 35 years.

In 2019, in Weems’ first solo exhibition in Toronto, Canada, curator Sarah Robayo Sheridan wrote of her work, “With a sensibility honed to the rhythms and workings of power, Weems points to a tidal pull of oppressions, inextricably linked, recurrent and indelible.”

Weems was recently named a 2023 Hasselblad Award laureate by the��, a prize that is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of photography. An award ceremony will take place on Oct. 13 in Gotherburg, Sweden.

As artist in residence at Syracuse University, Weems engages with faculty and students in a number of ways, including working with students in the design, planning and preparation of exhibitions. The artist in residence program is overseen by the Office of Academic Affairs.

The table settings and décor for the evening were inspired by Weems’ series “Slow Fade to Black” (2010), which highlights Black women in popular culture. (Credit: BFA, Joe Schildhorn, Ben Rosser)

Weems first came to Syracuse in 1988 to participate in Light Work’s artist-in-residence program. Over the years, she has participated in several programs at Light Work and has a long history of engaging with students and the University community.

She taught at Syracuse University previously, and out of her two courses Art in Civic Engagement and Art and Social Dialogue came the innovative and popular��. She previously was artist-in-residence in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (2005-06) and she was a distinguished guest of the University Lectures in 2014.

In 2018, the Syracuse University Art Galleries (now Syracuse University Art Museum) acquired three significant works by Weems through a generous gift from alumnus Richard L. Menschel ’55 and the artist: “People of a Darker Hue” (2016), a 15-minute video, and “All the Boys (Blocked 1)” and “All the Boys (Blocked 2)” (2016), archival photographic prints with screenprint.

Recently, through her nonprofit organization, Social Studies 101, Weems created RESIST COVID/TAKE 6!, a public-art campaign that addresses the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Latino and Indigenous communities, which has been activated by museums across the nation and abroad. In July 2020, she was honored by the City of Syracuse for the project.

Weems has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions at major national and
international museums, including the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Frist Art Museum, Nashville; Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Seville, Spain.

She has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships, including the MacArthur Fellowship, U.S. State Department’s Medals of Arts, Joseph H. Hazen Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, National Endowment of the Arts fellowship and Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, among many others.

Weems is represented in public and private collections around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; Whitney Museum of American Art; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Weems has been represented by Jack Shainman Gallery since 2008.

She was bestowed an honorary doctorate by the University in 2017 (along with honorary degrees from Bowdoin College, the California College of Art, Colgate University, the New York School of Visual Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art and Smith College).

Weems earned a B.F.A. degree at the California Institute of the Arts and an M.F.A. degree at the University of California, San Diego, and studied in the Graduate Program in Folklore at the University of California, Berkeley.

Miranda Traudt

Traudt will provide operational and programming leadership for arts, humanities and community-focused academic initiatives at the University and within the Syracuse community to support faculty and student engagement. She will work closely with the Coalition of Museums and Art Centers, South Side and Community Initiatives, Light Work, the Shaw Center and various community partners and stakeholders.

Traudt is an experienced arts administrator and educator who has managed art centers and galleries in the region and has been responsible for multi-faceted arts programming. Most recently, she oversaw the curation, administration and promotion of arts and cultural initiatives at the State University of New York at Oswego, where she developed and implemented a shared vision for a comprehensive arts program serving campus and community audiences. At SUNY Oswego, she also spearheaded creation of the college’s first artist-in-residence program that focused on artistic engaging with issues of diversity, intersectionality, inclusion and belonging.

Previously at Syracuse University, she served four years as the managing director of Point of Contact. She also served as program director at Auburn’s Schweinfurth Art Center and has taught in the areas of arts management and museum studies and art history at several area colleges and universities.��

Traudt received a B.F.A. in the history of art and design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. She earned two master’s degrees, one in museum studies and another in art history, from Syracuse University in 2011.

“We welcome Miranda back to the Syracuse University campus. We are excited to put her skills and knowledge to significant use in this integral role serving multiple arts, humanities and community relations arenas,” Haddix says. “She will be a wonderful asset to this office’s wide range of operations at the many important centers, art spaces and organizations we work with and with our campus and community stakeholders.”

That was the outgrowth of scholarship presented by more than 40 University faculty, students, alumni and guest presenters at the recent Symposium supported by MetLife Foundation. The two-day forum held provided close examinations of structural and systemic social, economic and government factors that have contributed to an ongoing and widening wealth gap for Black, Latinx, Indigenous and other communities of color.

The event, led by , associate provost for strategic initiatives; , interim director of the Lender Center for Social Justice; and , senior research associate of the Lender Center for Social Justice and co-lead of the , also provided for discussion on ways to mitigate those factors.

The overview of wealth disparities covered the areas of law, sports, satire, humanities, the criminal legal system, writing as healing, educational systems, health care, food insecurity, access to capital and business opportunity. The research, case studies and statistics offered drew compelling pictures of the wealth gap’s impact.

More than 40 University faculty, staff, students and alumni presented over two days at the Racial Wealth Gap symposium. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Presentations cited how:

• The average white family has more than seven times the wealth of the average Black family and five times more wealth than the average Hispanic family.
• White families are more likely to receive inheritances and other family support, such as help paying for college and down payments on homes, than are Black or Hispanic families.
• Black and Hispanic students face more stressors at home that may affect classroom behavior and the learning environment than white students do. Classrooms are also affected by the concentration of students from impoverished families.
• Black Americans still face obstructed access to education and disparities in educational quality because schools are funded based on the wealth of residential home values in a district.
• Families of incarcerated individuals often go deeply into debt to support imprisoned loved ones so the family member has enough food and can afford phone calls and other essentials the system doesn’t provide.
• Incarceration impacts family earnings and future economic security long after a sentence is served. Aside from being deprived of typical earnings, a family can’t build wealth when there are no retirement account contributions, Social Security payments, or savings deposits being made.
• The ability to access information is a strategy to develop wealth. For instance, becoming proficient at a sport—even pickleball, for instance—can provide the leverage to be admitted to a university and obtain a college education without typical out-of-pocket costs. That setting creates entrée that can produce important networking and other life opportunities.

Marvin Lender, center, who with his wife presented a gift to launch the Lender Center for Social Justice, attended the symposium and offered remarks. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

, a University Life Trustee who with his wife provided the gift that helped establish the Lender Center for Social Justice, said he was impressed with the information presented and pleased with the center’s work and the University’s initiatives on social justice. “This issue is not an easy one; it is complicated and challenging. You are courageous people doing what you do to help our children and help the world,” Lender said during his remarks at the event.

Haddix said while it is very important that historical narratives are corrected, “We also need to make sure we’re documenting and bearing witness to what’s happening in contemporary times.” She asked attendees to continue their cross-disciplinary work and collaborative projects, citing the good work that faculty, staff, students and others have already done across campus.

Purser concluded, “What’s been presented today should push us to think differently. How do we create interventions to address wealth concentration? Two concepts come to mind: political will and imagination. Then the questions are: Where are we going to find the political will to address the structural inequality in our society? How can we develop the imagination to imagine a different world?”

MetLife Foundation provided the Lender Center a $2.7 million grant last fall to fund a variety of research and scholarship, community-building initiative and dialogues on the racial wealth gap.