Derek Davis

Three years later, Davis’s efforts to further advance the capabilities of cosmic research have earned the doctoral student recognition from the international LIGO Laboratory based at Caltech and MIT. The LIGO Laboratory in November named Davis an inaugural winner of the LIGO Laboratory Award for Excellence in Detector Characterization and Calibration. Davis shares the award with T.J. Massinger, now a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech who earned his Ph.D. in physics from ���ϲ����� in 2016.

The award, which comes with a $1,000 cash prize and a chance for the winners to present their work before fellow LIGO scientists, recognizes outstanding early-career researchers who “have made impactful contributions to gravitational wave astrophysics” through detector characterization or calibration research.

LIGO is shorthand for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, a National Science Foundation-funded project engaging a global network of scientists—including ���ϲ����� physicists and students—in the study of cosmic phenomena. The project’s founders earned the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for its 2015 gravitational-wave discovery. It generated worldwide headlines again in 2017 after the two U.S.-based LIGO detectors, in tandem with Europe’s Virgo detector, identified the collision of two massive neutron stars and the resulting alchemy that would mark the formation of gold, platinum and other heavy metals.

Davis and Massinger both initially got involved in detector characterization as part of ���ϲ�����’s own LIGO team, based in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Physics; Massinger has continued his research in the field at Caltech. The award recognizes the two for their work to clean up data from the two LIGO detectors during the second observing run of the worldwide gravitational wave detector network. Their efforts to clean up glitches and identify transient noise that affected data dramatically enhanced the LIGO detectors’ sensitivity and extended their reach into deep space.

“We work in that middle area between the people who build these instruments and the people who are really focused on the astrophysics,” Davis says. “Each of the LIGO detectors has 300,000 different sensors throughout the site, and that means there is a lot of noise coming in.” The job of detector characterization is to sort the important disturbances—those detections that might signify the collision of black holes, for instance—from the scientifically insignificant, “whether it’s a case of ravens pecking on the tubes on the outside of the LIGO detector, a refrigerator on the site that is turning on, or a disturbance triggered by the shaking of one of the optics tables supporting the laser,” Davis says.

Derek Davis in the LIGO-Livingston Observatory.

In its awards announcement, the LIGO Laboratory credited the work of Davis and Massinger with enhancing LIGO’s astrophysical reach in searches for gravitational waves by up to 50 percent.

Peter Saulson, the college’s Martin A. Pomerantz ’37 Professor of Physics who provided faculty support for both Davis and Massinger in their doctoral research, says the award brings well-deserved recognition to Davis and Massinger as well as to some of the critical, behind-the-scenes scholarship that ultimately makes the headline-generating breakthroughs possible. Saulson is a member of the University’s gravitational-wave astronomy group along with Duncan Brown, the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Stefan Ballmer, associate professor of physics.

“Those working in detector characterization and calibration, like Derek and T.J., are the ones who look at the data generated by LIGO detectors—and then look back at the instrument and say, ‘Should I believe what I thought the instrument was saying?’” Saulson says. “For most of the world, it’s not the glamorous work, but we in the business know how important it is and how understaffed those efforts are. It’s the reason why LIGO created this award—to reward people who do it well and make it visible enough to encourage others to pursue it.”

Jess McIver ’09, now a senior postdoctoral scholar at Caltech and co-chair of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s Detector Characterization Group, says the pair’s work at “cleaning” up noisy data has been vital to LIGO’s capacity to confidently identify gravitational wave signals from what would otherwise be marginal indicators. “Derek and T.J.’s work has allowed scientists here at Caltech and around the world to detect more gravitational-wave signals with high confidence and produce more groundbreaking science,” McIver says. “We’re all very proud of them.”

Massinger says the recognition conveyed by the award is gratifying. “It’s a good feeling to be able to quantify the positive impacts of our work and have it recognized by the collaboration,” Massinger says. “Most of all, I’m happy that this award exists to highlight the excellent work done by the calibration and detector characterization groups. The astrophysics that we’re able to do with LIGO is groundbreaking, and rightfully takes center stage, so it’s nice that this award highlights the work that makes our discoveries possible.”

“Our ability to use LIGO to detect and study sources of gravitational waves depends on accurately calibrating and characterizing the detectors,” says Brown. “It is wonderful to see an award recognizing this work, and I’m pleased that it has been awarded to Derek and T.J. They continue a strong tradition of leadership in these fields at ���ϲ�����.”

The University has ties to several leading scholars in the detector characterization field today. In addition to Davis, Massinger and McIver, they include former ���ϲ����� postdoctoral scholars Laura Nuttall and Andy Lundgren, both with the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom; and Josh Smith ’02, who returned to ���ϲ����� for postdoctoral study in detector characterization and now serves on the physics faculty at California State University at Fullerton.

“These are not casual ���ϲ����� connections,” Saulson says. “Each one of these people committed to detector characterization research came through here. So I think we can be really proud of how much of a difference ���ϲ����� and the College of Arts and Sciences have made in this important function of LIGO.”

Davis appreciates that the award helps underscore the many subgroups within gravitational-wave research—such as detector characterization and calibration—that all play an essential part in driving progress toward the next potentially towering breakthrough. That so many fellow LIGO colleagues in detector characterization share Davis’s ���ϲ����� connections makes the work even more gratifying.

“It has been really great to see and work with people who were either here at ���ϲ����� the same time I have been or who are alumni now working at different institutions,” Davis says. “That we are continuing to work on these projects together, even as people have moved on—that indicates that this is a really great research program that has been developing here at ���ϲ����� for a long time.”

Kimberly Rattley, a renowned organizational development specialist with the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm Cook Ross, will deliver the keynote address, titled “Understanding Everyday Bias.” Rattley will gear her presentation to staff, supporting them in their efforts toward embracing diversity and inclusion.��She also will examine factors that shape perceptions; explore the science of bias; review the impact of unconscious bias on relationships; and identify strategies to recognize and mitigate bias to improve decision-making and interactions.

“I am pleased that Kimberly Rattley will share her expertise with us,” Alford says. “As I have said before, at ���ϲ����� our credence in the dignity and worth of humankind is paramount. We champion inclusivity and view it as a dimension of excellence, enhancing who we are as students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

Andrew Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, says, “Our staff members impact every aspect of University operations every day. This program is designed to support them at all levels and in all they do to help foster a respectful and inclusive workplace for all.”

Rattley has more than 20 years’ experience partnering with clients to bring clarity, focus and cohesiveness to their diverse teams. She has extensive experience working with universities and colleges, and she combines her expertise in business, leadership development, diversity and systems analysis to assist clients with organizational challenges. She has designed more than 100 diversity training curricula, inclusive of culturally competent practices, for such clients as the Smithsonian Institution, American University, University of Pennsylvania and Skidmore College.

Rattley earned a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University and a Master of Social Work from Howard University. She also is certified in the areas of life management facilitation and organizational development from Georgetown University.

In addition to Rattley’s presentation, Cook Ross will facilitate two afternoon workshops, titled “Addressing Microbehavior,” for staff with supervisory or management responsibilities. Because space is limited for the workshops, invitations will be sent to invitees. Staff who have a special interest in attending, however, are welcome to contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services at equalopp@syr.edu to secure a seat.

American Sign Language interpretation and Communication Access Real time Translation (CART) will be provided during the Dec. 14 presentation and discussion. For any accommodation requests, please contact William Myhill, interim ADA coordinator, at ada@syr.edu.

“The Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence was established to help nurture a safe and respectful campus community for all,” says Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy, who co-chairs the group with Robert Hradsky, senior associate vice president for the student experience and dean of students. “Meeting this goal requires open communication—to the greatest extent possible given any confidentiality concerns—of our work and of the progress we are making toward this goal.”

Earlier this week, the task force convened its regular monthly meeting, during which it discussed proposed federal changes to Title IX regulations and reviewed strategies for better educating and engaging with the campus community. Randi Bregman, executive director of Vera House and a member of the task force, also provided a preliminary report on the annual White Ribbon Campaign.

The task force members discussed the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed changes to Title IX regulations. A sub-workgroup, including students, faculty and staff (along with the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services and the Office of the University Counsel), was formed to further review the proposed regulations and their impact.

Following its Title IX discussion, the task force focused on new initiatives designed to enhance its communications efforts. This included a decision to run regular meeting updates in SU News and SU Today, to incorporate meeting highlights into the University’s monthly campus update email and to further enhance the task force’s website presence.

Before the conclusion of the meeting, Bregman provided details about the March 2019 White Ribbon Campaign. Bregman said that the campaign not only serves as a fundraiser but also as an important means of building awareness across campus and the larger community. The task force indicated it plans to publicize and support the campaign as it has in past years.

The task force’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25.

This year’s cohort has specifically been charged with developing recommendations on a strategy that includes some or all of the following areas:

• Evaluating strategies for, and building coordination and incentives into, recruiting and retaining undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students from China
• Building meaningful relationships with select Chinese universities for joint programs, shared centers, scholar exchanges and other scholarly relationships
• Building a robust program for outreach to alumni and other donors
• Examining study abroad options in mainland China
• Developing a strategy for engagement with the Chinese government and corporations

“Over the years, ���ϲ����� has developed many meaningful relationships in China with regards to recruiting students, scholarly exchanges, executive education and study abroad,” Bennett says. “Given the breadth and depth of the University’s efforts in China, the Internationalization Council will help coordinate the efforts across schools, colleges, departments and functional areas, and provide the University community with a holistic set of strategies for engagement and relationship management in China.”

Co-chair Liu says, “We are going to take a programmatic approach to identifying areas of cooperation and collaborations. It is our hope that the strategies the council develops will enhance our institutional focus on internationalization, enrich the experience of students, and identify areas where we��can achieve mutual beneficial relationships.”

This year’s focus follows the work of the council last year to identify ways to better foster distinctive global learning experiences for students, both on campus and abroad. That group was co-chaired by Joanna Masingila, dean of the School of Education, and Ravi Dharwadkar, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence and professor and chair, Department of Management in the Whitman School.

Dharwadkar says this year’s focus on China builds on the council’s work over the last year. “The council last year highlighted the growing political and economic influence of Asia, reflected in the increasing number of international students from China and India at ���ϲ�����,” Dharwadkar says. “But we also noted that a large majority of our students took advantage of global learning opportunities mostly in our European centers.”

Masingila emphasizes the council’s overarching relevance to all of the schools and colleges. “The work of and guidance from the Internationalization Council is very important for schools and colleges as they each work on internationalization initiatives within and with other units across the University,” Masingila says. “Having representatives from each school and college as well as other units on campus has been key in having many stakeholders at the table.”

Launched by Provost Wheatly in 2016, the council is an outgrowth of the Academic Strategic Plan, which calls for an expanded international focus in curriculum, scholarship, and campus climate as a key institutional priority. The council works to further this goal by providing advice, information, feedback, and support on key topics and initiatives, such as pedagogy and curriculum; study abroad; international student recruitment, support and integration; regional studies programs; research collaborations; and Memorandums of Understanding and other agreements.

Joining Bennett and Liu on the Internationalization Council for the 2018-19 academic year are:

• Michael Speaks, dean, School of Architecture
• Joanna Masingila, dean, School of Education
• Andrew Horsfall, assistant dean of international programs, College of Law
• Eunkyu Lee, associate dean for global initiatives, Whitman School of Management
• Hub Brown, associate dean for research, creativity, international initiatives and diversity, Newhouse
• Elisa Dekaney, associate dean for research, graduate studies, and internationalization, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Eileen Lantier, senior associate dean, academic affairs, Falk College
• Peg Hermann, director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Maxwell School
• Yingyi Ma, associate professor of sociology, Maxwell School
• Ruth Chen, professor of practice, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Erika Wilkens, associate provost and executive director, ���ϲ����� Abroad
• Ryan Williams, vice president of enrollment management
• Alexandra Epsilanty, assistant vice president for international advancement
• Joe Stewart, senior associate vice president, operations
• Alexandra Goodnough, undergraduate representative
• Izmailia Sougoufara, undergraduate representative
• Sarah Li, undergraduate representative
• Dongshu Liu, graduate student representative
• Huilin Ma, graduate student representative

The council will issue a report of its findings and recommendations to Chancellor Syverud next summer.

Charged by Chancellor Syverud with identifying strategies to deter sexual violence and further enhance education and advocacy services, the task force works to advance key recommendations that had been put forward in the group’s original 2015 report to the Chancellor.

“The work we have done so far shows that we have many resources and people who are deeply invested in eliminating instances of sexual and relationship violence and providing needed support and services when they do occur,” says Murphy. “We will continue working this year to build on those assets and to pursue best practices that help to ensure a safe and respectful campus community for all.”

“Assuring the safety and well-being of our students is our most fundamental priority,” says Hradsky. “Students cannot thrive—academically, socially or emotionally—unless they feel safe in their campus environment, and I look forward to making even greater progress toward that goal in the months and year ahead.”

In addition to Murphy and Hradsky, the following faculty, staff and student representatives will serve on the task force for the 2018-19 academic year:

• Laurie Boucicaut, Panhellenic Council
• Randi K. Bregman, executive director, Vera House
• Katelyn U. Cowen, director, Office of Health Promotion
• Jeremiah Deep, campus minister, Hendricks Chapel
• Kaitlin Donovan, student-athlete representative
• Emily Durand, “It’s On Us” representative
• Herman R. Frazier, deputy director of athletics
• Tula Goenka, associate professor, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Andy Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer
• Huey Hsiao, associate director, Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Sheila Johnson, chief equal opportunity and Title IX officer
• khristian kemp-delisser, director, LGBT Resource Center
• Andrew S. London, professor of sociology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Bobby Maldonado, chief, Department of Public Safety
• Jeffrey S. Pauline, associate professor of Sport Management, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• Abby R. Perer, associate general counsel, Office of the General Counsel
• Pamela A. Peter, director, Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president, University Communications
• Sarah T. Solomon, director, Office of Student Assistance
• Linda Stone Fish, professor of marriage and family therapy, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• Cory Wallack, director, Counseling Center
• Barry L. Wells, special assistant to the Chancellor
• Ralph Zito, professor and chair of drama, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Denise Dowdall, support staff

The task force, which meets regularly throughout the academic year, aligns with a best practice recommended by the Education Advisory Board for campuses seeking to work proactively to curb sexual and relationship violence.

To learn more about the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence, visit .

Chris Johnson

Johnson fills the vacancy created last June after Jeff Stanton stepped down as associate provost to resume his faculty and research role at the School of Information Studies. Johnson has been at ���ϲ����� since 1989 and a member of the faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Science since 1990.

“Chris Johnson has proven himself as a scholar, teacher and departmental leader, and his passion for excellence across all three realms will be a tremendous asset to the University and to the work of Academic Affairs,” says Provost Wheatly. “This is an exciting time as we build on the success of our Middle States reaccreditation effort and focus on further advancing the strategic priorities of the Academic Strategic Plan. Chris will bring a fresh perspective and energy to these and other key academic initiatives, and I look forward to collaborating with him on this important work.”

Johnson started his career at ���ϲ����� in 1989 as a postdoctoral research associate. He joined the civil and environmental engineering faculty the following year and chaired the department from 2010 to 2014 after serving one year as interim chair. He also served as interim director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program from July 2016 until June of this year. He has served on many committees and task forces within the College of Engineering and Computer Science and across the University.

“I am very excited to be taking on this role,” Johnson says. “This is a great time to be working on academic programs at ���ϲ�����, with new resources coming from the Invest ���ϲ����� initiative and upcoming fundraising efforts. I look forward to working with students, faculty and the University’s leadership team to achieve the goals set out in the Trajectory to Excellence plan. We��have a chance not just to improve the University’s rankings, but to create opportunities for students and faculty to expand significantly the breadth and depth of scholarship and creative work taking place here.”

In addition to serving on the engineering faculty at ���ϲ�����, Johnson has served as a visiting faculty member at Charles University in Prague and Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. He is involved in a number of research projects in the broad area of environmental chemistry, including work on the fate of trace metals in forest soils and landscapes; the effects of clear-cut logging on soils and drainage waters; and the changing acid-base chemistry of soils historically affected by acid rain. Johnson has served on advisory panels for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Academies, the National Science Foundation and the Swedish Research Council.

Ramesh Raina, professor and chair of the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences and one of several faculty with whom the provost consulted prior to the appointment, says, “I am very excited for Chris to take on this position. I have worked closely with him as a member of the core faculty and his role as interim chair of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. Students, faculty and staff will greatly benefit from his leadership of the academic programs of the University. I look forward to working with him in this role.”

Anne Mosher, associate professor of geography and chair of the Maxwell School’s Citizenship and Civic Engagement Program, cites Johnson’s skill as a collaborator. As a member of an interdisciplinary research team at ���ϲ����� that brought together engineers, natural scientists and social scientists, she says, “Chris operated as a skilled translator between these constituents, who often operate in silos.��Because of him, we found common bonds faster and were able to start doing real work together.”

Mosher also cited Johnson’s work as interim director of, and a teacher in, the Honors Program. “I have heard students rave in particular about the honors course he leads on ‘Ancient Aqueducts of Rome,’ ” Mosher says of the multidisciplinary-focused course that culminates in a 10-day trip to Italy and France. “Honors students from the humanities and social sciences really appreciate the ways in which he values their home disciplines and perspectives—even when many of the other students on the trip were engineers.”

Johnson earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering, an M.S. in statistics and a Ph.D. in geology, all from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi, and was a Fulbright Scholar in the Czech Republic in 1994.

As Johnson transitions to his new position, Wheatly also extended her thanks to Stanton for his service as associate provost for academic affairs for the past two years. “Jeff was indispensable in leading the Universitywide Middle States reaccreditation effort that concluded on such a successful note in June,” Wheatly says. “He also introduced the program review process to the academic leadership, stewarded our shared competencies and oversaw a large number of academic service organizations. I am grateful for his focused leadership on these initiatives and in many other areas. And I look forward to continuing to work with him as a member of the faculty.”

As students returned to campus this fall, more than 300 ���ϲ����� faculty engaged in learning exercises of their own as participants in workshops designed to enhance self-awareness, detect and respond to unconscious bias, and strengthen their skills for more inclusive classrooms, labs, studios, and field experiences.

The three-hour workshops—titled Inclusive Teaching in the Classroom and Beyond—were organized as part of the First-Year Experience Initiative and engaged a total of 327 instructors over six workshops conducted between August 16-24. Designed and created by faculty for faculty, and built using materials crowdsourced from ���ϲ����� colleagues, the workshops are fast-paced and highly interactive.

The workshops originally were developed to coach instructors of anchor courses on the use of inclusive teaching practices in order to prepare them to effectively address the diverse needs and abilities of first-year undergraduate students. Participation expanded when the Newhouse School and the College of Visual and Performing Arts requested that all full-time faculty in their schools participate.

“The outcomes we wanted to achieve with these sessions were fivefold,” says Jeff Mangram, associate professor in the School of Education, who co-led the workshops with Marie Garland, executive director of the University’s Center for Faculty Leadership and Professional Development in the Office of Academic Affairs. “We wanted participants to 1) understand the complicated nature of our own identities in shaping how we make sense of the world; 2) appreciate how our identities impact learning as well as how our everyday interactions shape the identities of others, especially our students; 3) explain how contexts and events—local, national, international—impact our identities and must be engaged; 4) develop skills to increase inclusivity and equity, including identifying and engaging microaggressions that occur in our daily interactions with each other; and 5) identify and commit to using inclusive pedagogies in the classroom space.”

Mangram says the key takeaway, from his perspective, was for faculty to gain a better understanding of how an individual’s multiple, intersecting identities shape how they make sense, or hamper their capacity to make sense, of the world. “These identities we have of ourselves both inform us as well as create blinders to our experiences with others,” Mangram says. “And we make sense of ourselves, somewhat, based on how others respond to us.”

Workshops were interactive, with participants engaging in small-group activities and exercises. One such exercise asked participants to examine their own identities, ��individually breaking down the different ways they see in themselves—such as through gender, ethnicity, political or religious affiliation—and then compared those self-perceptions to how others said they viewed them.

“It’s a way of understanding how you see yourself as well as how others see you,” says Kira Reed, who co-chairs the First-Year Experience Initiative steering committee. “And it’s about understanding that our identities are context based. Being aware of that is an important way to open up discussion.”

Martha Diede, director of the University’s new Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, also in the Office of Academic Affairs, agrees. “The first steps in any diversity effort involve looking at oneself, observing what one notices, and thinking about why,” says Diede, who also helped facilitate the workshops. “Overall, faculty responded positively to these activities, and many said the workshop helped them to process more deeply what it would mean to be inclusive in their classroom.”

Workshop participants also watched a video illustrating a potential “hot moment” in the classroom—behaviors that create obstacles to equity and inclusion—and discussed how instructors might appropriately respond. The video prompt—part of a collection titled “And nobody said anything: Uncomfortable conversations about diversity”—was previously created by ���ϲ����� professors Mara Sapon-Shevin of the School of Education and Richard Breyer of the Newhouse School.

Discussion also addressed concepts of bias; behaviors that can lead some to feel disrespected and/or their experiences diminished; the concept of stereotype threat; and strategies for fostering a positive learning climate.

“Many faculty expressed some relief in that the workshops provided them with practical strategies that can be applied in the classroom,” says Mangram. “They also appreciated having a space in which they could talk about some of the complicated issues they face in their classrooms and in their lives every day.”

Organizers say the workshop is not intended as a one-and-done learning opportunity but rather one step among many that are needed in order to move the University toward becoming a more inclusive and diverse campus community. “Because every person enters the work of inclusion from a different vantage point and with different experiences to bring to the table, this is not a one-time effort,” says Diede. “Rather, these workshops are the beginning of a concerted effort on the part of the University community to become more inclusive. As inclusion professionals will tell you—the work of inclusion is never fully completed.”

For school and college deans who want more information on the Inclusive Teaching workshops and how to schedule one, contact Cathryn Newton, special advisor to the Chancellor and provost for faculty engagement, at provost@syr.edu.

Stefan Ballmer

Stefan Ballmer, associate professor of physics at the College of Arts and Sciences, and Duncan Brown, the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, are principal and co-principal investigators, respectively, for ���ϲ�����’s $240,006�� portion of the collaborative project, titled “Collaborative Research: The Next Generation of Gravitational Wave Detectors.”

In addition to ���ϲ�����, the project’s core research team will include members from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University, California State University Fullerton and California Institute of Technology, each of��which received a portion of the $2.1 million funding award. The project will drive U.S. participation in an already-underway international effort to develop a third-generation gravitational-wave network and support the U.S. role in planning the future of gravitational-wave astronomy.

“Every year in the universe, hundreds of thousands of black holes collide,” says Ballmer. “That’s one collision every five minutes. Three years ago we observed our very first black-hole collision. This award will help us design a detector that will observe all of the collisions happening in the universe. This is the first step toward building observatories that can map the dark side of the universe and understand the structure that we see today.”

Duncan Brown

Both Ballmer and Brown are part of the Gravitational Wave Group in the Department of Physics, based in the College of Arts and Sciences. They were part of the international team of scientists who made worldwide headlines in 2015 with the first observation of gravitational waves—a discovery that confirmed a major piece of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity—and again in 2017 with the observation of gravitational waves emanating from the collision of two massive neutron stars in deep space. The new research project will build on the promise of those two breakthroughs, which opened wide the field of gravitational-wave science and expanded scientists’ capacity to find in deep space answers to some longstanding questions about the workings of the universe.

Both discoveries were made by the second-generation Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO) with detectors that survey only a small fraction of the universe. The enhanced sensitivity of third-generation detectors will allow scientists to survey the entire universe, providing answers to questions of broad interest in astrophysics, cosmology, fundamental physics and nuclear physics.

“The scientific potential of next-generation gravitational-wave detectors is astonishing,” says Brown. “The neutron star collision we saw just over one year ago led to a huge leap in our understanding of evolution of stars and the formation of heavy metals like gold. With these new detectors, we expect to see events like this every day—and surprises that we haven’t thought of yet.”

Students and postdoctoral candidates from ���ϲ����� and the other partnering universities will take part in the research work as well.

The project is funded for three years, at the end of which the research team will deliver to the National Science Foundation an analysis of the scientific potential of third-generation detector networks and the prospects for detectors and facilities required to build such a network. The analysis will be a key resource for the global community and funding agencies when designing and building third-generation observatories.

A historic $1 million gift to Hendricks Chapel will assist students experiencing financial hardship and ensure access to academic enrichment opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them, announced Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol.

The gift, from a ���ϲ����� alumnus and his wife who wish to remain anonymous, will launch the Hendricks Chapel Student Opportunity Fund. Konkol says the gift appears to be the largest single gift ever made to Hendricks Chapel.

The new endowment fund, which will be administered by the dean of Hendricks Chapel, will complement the University’s established network of financial aid and social support. The fund is designed to help cover the financial gap for students having difficulty covering their basic needs or unanticipated costs, freeing them to better focus on their coursework and maintain their academic progress. Categories of support may include food, clothing, emergency travel, emergency healthcare expenses, and other nonacademic expenses.

“This extraordinary expression of generosity speaks to the vital and multifaceted role the chapel plays in campus life,” says Konkol. “I am grateful to the donors for this historic gift, for the good that will immediately come out of it, and for the invitation it extends to others to contribute in a way that expands student wellbeing for generations to come. As a student-centered global home for religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical life, we are committed to fostering and supporting an inclusive and accessible campus community of possibility for a richly diverse student body. We are excited to expand our efforts far beyond the physical walls of the chapel, in order to help create and sustain a learning environment where the pursuit of excellence is supported through the expansion of opportunity.”

Since its dedication in 1930, Hendricks Chapel has defined and embraced its role as the physical and metaphorical “heart” of ���ϲ�����. In addition to serving as a spiritual home for a diversity of communities and programming, a key aspect of its service includes a pantry stocked with food and personal care items, in addition to a system of financial loans and grants, all of which draw visits from an assortment of students each academic year.

According to��a recent study by Temple University and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, researchers found that 36 percent of students at 66 surveyed colleges��and universities��do not receive enough to eat, and a similar number lack a secure place to live. By building upon the existing programs designed to support those in need, the new student opportunity fund will expand efforts to support and prepare students as engaged citizens, scholars and learners in a changing global society.

In addition to meeting basic needs, the new fund will help to defray costs of out-of-classroom opportunities—such as study abroad and unpaid summer internships—to students for whom such programs and enrichment experiences might otherwise be out of reach.

“���ϲ����� has a richly diverse student body that cuts across the full socioeconomic spectrum,” says M. Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience. “It’s a big part of what makes us such a vibrant campus community. And we are committed to ensuring that every student in pursuit of educational and personal excellence, particularly those from underrepresented communities, has the social support and academic opportunities needed to succeed at ���ϲ����� and beyond. This includes making sure their basic needs are met and that they have access to the kind of signature learning opportunities that will prepare them to thrive as citizens, leaders and professionals in today’s global society. This fund will be an important resource for helping our students achieve their full academic and personal potential.”

Others can donate to the endowment in order to build and sustain the fund for future generations of students.

For more information on how to make a gift to the Hendricks Chapel Student Opportunity Fund, contact David Wishart at awishart@syr.edu or 315.443.2766. For information on how to apply for aid from the fund, contact Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz at rrkantro@syr.edu or 315.443.5127.

Steve Mahan, right, works with students at Fowler High School as part of the Photography and Literacy Project. (Photo by John Dowling)

���ϲ����� learned the sad news this week that Stephen C. Mahan III, founding director of the University-based Photography and Literacy Project and a professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), died in a July 26 vehicular accident in Manlius.

Steve Mahan (Photo by Carrie Mae Weems)

For more than 30 years, Mahan was a leader in the ���ϲ����� art and photography community—and a mentor and teacher to both University students and city schoolchildren who came to know him through the Photography and Literacy Project on the city’s Near Westside. In that program, he helped city high school students develop a capacity for self-expression and their own unique “voice” through words and imagery. The program—whose origins go back to 2005 before taking on its current name in 2010—is a collaboration among the University’s Coalition of Museums and Art Centers, VPA and the ���ϲ����� City School District.

Mahan also worked tirelessly in the community with mentors and children at the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, the Southwest Community Center and the North Side Learning Center.��He also taught classes at the Community Darkrooms/Light Work Lab and served on Light Work’s board of directors from 2010-2018.

“Steve had an incredible dedication and desire to make the world a better place, and his infectious enthusiasm and curiosity touched everyone he encountered,” says Jeffrey Hoone, executive director of the Coalition of Museums and Art Centers at ���ϲ����� and Light Work. “He touched many people through his work and helped a generation of young students discover value and self-worth. We will do our best to honor his memory and the legacy of that work in the weeks and years to come.”

Under Mahan’s leadership, the Photography and Literacy Project earned national attention as a model for helping students develop literacy skills through the use of photography, video, audio recordings and writing. The program, based in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, earned national funding from the Joy of Giving Something in New York City and the Fay Slover Fund in Boston, and from The Gifford Foundation and the Central New York Community Foundation in ���ϲ�����, among others.

In his capacity as director of the Photography and Literacy Project, Mahan also taught the course Literacy, Community and Media in VPA’s Department of Transmedia. As part of that course, University students had the opportunity to become mentors to city schoolchildren involved in the project.

Mahan is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn, and daughters Riley and Sadie.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 18 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 220 E. Fayette St., ���ϲ�����. Calling hours are 5-7 p.m. Aug. 17, also at the church.

The notification culminates an exhaustively comprehensive two-year-long self-study process that directly involved more than 140 faculty, staff and students and incorporated input from all campus constituencies. The commission’s action to reaffirm accreditation was based on the University’s self-study report, submitted by the reaccreditation steering committee last December, and the findings of a team of representatives from Middle States-accredited peer universities who visited campus last March. During that visit, the team determined whether the information in the self-study report and supporting evidence accurately reflected the reality on the ground.

“We are pleased that Middle States has reaffirmed our accreditation status,” says Provost Michele Wheatly. “This important process is critical to assuring the future success of our university, our faculty, staff and students. This affirmation sends a message to the public that ���ϲ����� is committed to maintaining the highest standards of excellence and to operating in a way that solidly aligns with its vision and mission. I am grateful to the steering committee and the administrative team that drove this effort, and I thank them for their hard work. They really did an outstanding job.”

Like all Middle States-accredited universities, ���ϲ����� must undergo the full self-study process every eight years and a midpoint peer review every four years in order to retain its accreditation. In addition to serving as a public indicator of quality and accountability, accreditation is required in order for the University to be eligible for any federal funds, including federal financial aid for its students.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit��.

Simona Rosu

Rosu, who earned a Ph.D. in genetics from Stanford University and a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will be responsible for building professional and career development opportunities for��STEM��doctoral students as well as for ���ϲ�����’s population of postdoctoral scholars.

“Simona will be a tremendous asset to the University’s efforts to further enhance institutional support for our graduate scholars,” says Vanable. “Her extensive science background and ability to connect with students and postdocs in a variety of settings will be crucial as we continue to expand our support for graduate students and postdocs across many disciplines.”

Rosu comes to ���ϲ����� from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she served as a postdoctoral fellow. She has pursued research in the areas of molecular, cell and developmental biology, with a focus on DNA repair, chromosome dynamics and��stem��cells. She has also been involved in a variety of teaching, mentoring, outreach and service activities, including developing and teaching an introductory genetics course at the NIH, creating and presenting an outreach workshop for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and mentoring summer students in the lab.

During her time at the NIH, she was a member of the Fellows Committee and worked with the Office of Intramural Training and Education and the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences. In those capacities, she provided input and helped plan programs related to postdoctoral fellows training, education and professional development.

She came to the NIH from Stanford University, where she served as a community associate and worked with the Graduate Life Office to organize orientation and community events in addition to pursuing her doctoral and postdoctoral research.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

Erika Wilkens

Wilkens fills a role that was reimagined after Margaret Himley stepped down in September 2017 from her role as associate provost for international education and engagement to return to teaching. Petra Hejnova, director of curriculum and academic services for ���ϲ����� Abroad, has served as interim executive director since that time.

“Erika brings to this position a wealth of experience as an educator, an administrator and a leader,” says Senior Vice President for Academic Operations Steven Bennett. “She has been part of the ���ϲ����� Abroad team for many years, and in her various roles, she has brought enormous value to the University community. Most importantly, she has the vision and leadership to find ways to provide global experiences for all ���ϲ����� students.

“I am also grateful to Petra Hejnova for her service as interim executive director for the past year. She provided smart, steady leadership during the transition, which will help us sustain momentum at this crucial moment.”

As executive director, Wilkens will oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations of ���ϲ����� Abroad, including academic programming, personnel, compliance, budget and real estate. She will play a key role in developing a long-term strategic plan and advancing the University’s vision and commitment to internationalization. Working with faculty, administrators, and other stakeholders and partners on campus and abroad, she will work to further expand opportunities for students to pursue global study, research, and internships.

Wilkens brings deep international experience to her new role, most recently in conjunction with the ���ϲ����� Abroad program. In 2010 she was appointed the founding director of the University’s new study abroad center in Istanbul. She led operations at that center until 2017, when the center closed its doors due to political unrest in that region. Upon her return from Turkey, she became special assistant to the associate provost for international education and engagement and then, after Himley’s departure, special assistant for global engagement, reporting to Bennett.

Prior to joining ���ϲ�����, Wilkens served as an assistant professor at Okan University in Istanbul and as an instructor at Sabanci University, Istanbul, and New School University’s Graduate Program in International Affairs in New York City. She also has worked as a research consultant to the World Bank and as a visiting faculty member on a Soros Foundation Civic Education Project at Vilnius University in Lithuania. She has conducted international research in several countries, including Canada, Belgium and India.

Wilkens earned a Ph.D. in political science from ���ϲ�����; a master’s degree in international development from University of Calgary, Canada; a master’s degree in international relations from Lancaster University, United Kingdom; and a bachelor of commerce degree from University of Calgary.

Mary Eileen Graham

Graham, who earned her Ph.D. from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, began her appointment July 1 and will continue in it through June 30, 2019. In her new capacity, she will focus on working with the University Senate on behalf of the Provost’s Office to implement campus-wide shared competencies.

Reed, who earned a Ph.D. in management from University of Connecticut, assumed her new role June 1 and will continue in it through May 31, 2019. She will help lead efforts to develop a new approach to the first-year student experience, working in collaboration with the First Year Experience Initiative Steering Committee and a variety of faculty and administrators.

“The implementation of University-wide shared competencies and the development of a dynamic, community-building first-year experience both tie directly to our capacity to deliver a world-class student experience,” says Provost Wheatly. “Mary Graham and Kira Reed have the skills and the enthusiasm needed to advance both initiatives in a way that is both efficient and deeply collaborative. I know they are going to be a great asset to this effort, and I look forward to working with them in the months ahead.”

Kira Reed

Development and implementation of shared competencies emerged as a key priority in both the Academic Strategic Plan and the Middle States reaccreditation process. It is designed to ensure that all undergraduate students, regardless of major or school/college affiliation, graduate with a defined set of competencies, including four reasoning skills and four demonstrated abilities. Graham will consult and communicate with deans, associate deans, faculty, and students to further develop and finalize the shared competencies model for implementation in 2019. She also will work in collaboration with the University Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Shared Competencies and other key administrators.

“I am honored to be chosen as a Provost Faculty Fellow at such an exciting, forward-looking time for the University,” Graham says. “It is inspiring that all of the administrators, faculty, staff and students whom I have spoken with so far—and there will be many more—share the goal of enhancing the undergraduate learning experience at ���ϲ�����.”

A member of the Falk College faculty since 2012, Graham previously served on the faculty at Georgia State University, George Washington University, and Clarkson University, where she was a Newell Faculty Fellow. She has published extensively in the areas of human resource management, public policy and employment discrimination, and gender in employment. Graham is currently on the editorial board of the journal Human Resource Management, where she previously served as an associate editor. She has served as a visiting scholar at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Central University, and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Reed’s appointment supports the University’s commitment to develop a shared first-year experience that builds connections, promotes health and wellness, and fosters a respectful and inclusive campus community. Reed currently co-chairs the First-Year Experience Initiative Steering Committee along with Amanda Nicholson, assistant provost and dean of student success. In that capacity Reed has helped lead efforts to develop a University-wide, long-term and course-based first-year experience, and with implementing a professional development program to assist faculty in fostering a more culturally inclusive classroom. As Provost Faculty Fellow, she will collaborate with the Academic Affairs leadership team as well as with other administrators, faculty, and academic leaders across campus.

“We know that a student’s first year on campus strongly correlates with whether that student stays in school and thrives academically,” Reed says. “We are making good progress toward designing a shared first-year experience that supports student success, fosters connections across difference and advances our goal of maintaining a welcoming, safe and respectful campus environment for all. I am grateful for this appointment and for the opportunity it provides to bring that work to completion.”

Reed has been a member of the management faculty at the Whitman School since 2001. She had a previous faculty appointment at Iowa State University. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and currently sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Managerial Issues and Africa Journal of Management. She has been a leader in the Academy of Management as the division chair of the public and nonprofit division, and she currently chairs the Masters Board at Whitman and the Curricula Committee of the University Senate.

Chancellor Kent Syverud and Yang Zongkai, president of Xidian University.

���ϲ����� and Xidian University have jointly established an International Center for Information Fusion and laid the foundation for potentially broader collaboration between the two institutions in areas of mutual academic interest.

The agreement follows a recent trip to China by Chancellor Kent Syverud and other representatives from ���ϲ����� that included a visit to Xidian University. The visiting ���ϲ����� delegation also included Zhanjiang (John) Liu, vice president for research; Pramod Varshney, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of the University’s Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE); Peter Vanable, associate provost of graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School; and Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of engineering and computer science. During the visit, Chancellor Syverud and Xidian University President Yang Zongkai signed the broad agreement for cooperation while professor Varshney of ���ϲ����� and professor Hongwei Liu of Xidian University signed the agreement to establish the International Center for Information Fusion.

“This is an important opportunity for ���ϲ����� to broaden its research programs, says ���ϲ�����’s John Liu. “Using the existing collaborations as a foundation, our goal is to expand collaborations into broad areas, including graduate education, teaching and the student experience for both universities. I look forward to exploring the possibilities it offers for facilitating joint research and training in other areas of common interest and strength.”

Information fusion is the process of combining information originating from different sources in order to improve decision making. It is being applied to a wide variety of fields, such as health, the environment and security.

Varshney will serve as co-director of the newly established center as well as serve as the coordinator for the agreement for ���ϲ�����. A member of ���ϲ�����’s engineering faculty since 1976 and director of CASE since 2009, Varshney is known worldwide for his significant expertise in the field of data and multi-sensor information fusion.

The program will include an exchange of faculty and students, with five students supported by the China Scholarship Council coming to ���ϲ����� each year.�� Both universities also will encourage development of overseas study programs where mutually beneficial and appropriate.

The center, which receives partial funding through the Invest ���ϲ����� initiative, was created this spring to advance the Academic Strategic Plan goal of developing innovative programs to support teaching excellence and the learning experience.

Martha A. Kalnin Diede

“This appointment represents a major step forward in our commitment to fostering teaching and scholarly excellence and building an outstanding academic experience for all students,” says Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs LaVonda N. Reed. “Martha has the experience and skills needed to lead this critical initiative, and I very much look forward to working with her.”

The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence will promote the scholarship of evidence-based pedagogy; support the career development of faculty and instructional staff; and enhance student-centered teaching, course design and engaged learning. Among other responsibilities, Diede will oversee the design and execution of teaching support initiatives, including mentoring programs and coaching for faculty; attention to diversity and equity, and inclusion of marginalized populations; and the creation of a faculty professional development plan that enhances and supports teaching excellence.

Diede has served since 2016 as director of Western Carolina University’s Coulter Faculty Commons for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In that role she oversaw an academic affairs and information technology staff in areas relating to educational development, educational technology, faculty research support, and the Blackboard learning management system. She assured compliance with federal regulations and external accrediting bodies, fostered cross-campus departmental relationships, and conducted faculty teaching and technology assessments and follow-up.

“I am excited and privileged to have the opportunity to lead such an important initiative at ���ϲ�����,” says Diede. “Faculty who excel as teachers and scholars are vital to any university’s capacity to deliver an outstanding student experience. I look forward to collaborating with faculty and administrators on advancing this strategic goal here at ���ϲ�����.”

Prior to her appointment as director of the Coulter Faculty Commons at Western Carolina University, Diede served as interim director and senior educational developer at the center. Before that, she taught for 13 years as part of the English department faculty at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington.

Diede earned a Ph.D. and an M.A. at Baylor University and a B.A. at Seattle Pacific University.

Reilly Duffy

Reilly Duffy, a senior majoring in environmental engineering, is one of 50 students from 36 universities to be named a 2018-19 Astronaut Scholar by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

Founded by the Mercury 7 astronauts, the foundation awards scholarships to students in their junior or senior year who are pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering or mathematics and who plan to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree. Nominees are selected on the basis of having shown initiative, creativity and excellence in their chosen field.

In addition to a cash award of up to $10,000, the scholarship includes professional mentoring and the opportunity to participate in a professional development program; a trip to the Innovators Gala in Washington, D.C., in August; and membership in the Astronaut Scholar Honor Society.

���ϲ����� Services reached out to Duffy to get his thoughts on the award.

The Signature Hires initiative is designed to advance the University’s educational initiatives.

The additions will involve a combination of signature hires and cluster hires seeking to build a more diverse faculty, elevate the University’s national and international reputation in signature areas and enhance interdisciplinary collaboration through cluster hires.

“This initiative aligns solidly with the overarching goal of Invest ���ϲ�����, which is to provide all students with a distinctive, world-class learning experience to prepare them for professional and personal success,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “These strategic hires will advance our capacity to provide a state-of-the-art 21^st century education by enhancing professor-to-student ratios and generating significant new research opportunities for our students.”

Provost Michele Wheatly says the Signature Hires Initiative will advance the University’s Academic Strategic Plan while also strengthening the University’s Carnegie classification as an R1 research university. “As an international, student-focused research university, we are committed to growing the research enterprise; increasing discoveries, innovation and impact; diversifying our faculty; and enhancing our national and international reputation,” says Provost Wheatly. “This hiring initiative will leverage our existing cross-cutting strengths to facilitate interdisciplinary research that expands our capacity to address some of the most complex global challenges of the day.”

To initiate the signature hiring process, each school and college was asked, if given the opportunity, how they would distinguish themselves through signature hires. For example, one school noted in its signature hire proposal the desire to build a critical mass of faculty able to generate high-impact intellectual capital in key areas, such as entrepreneurship, to better distinguish the school among its peers.

Recommended signature positions were reviewed by a panel of senior faculty and campus leadership. Criteria for signature hires included a requirement to increase the quality of education at ���ϲ����� by a combined commitment to teaching and research. The initiative seeks to identify a diverse group of talented and passionate educators whose expertise in their research fields will enable them to translate their success into practical, real-world action by their students and prepare those students for careers that address contemporary issues.

Using that criteria, the Signature Hires Initiative review panel identified 31 positions across the 11 degree-granting schools and colleges, with positions to be cost-shared by the University and the schools and colleges.

“The greatest impact of the Signature Hires Initiative will be realized through the opportunities it will create for our students,” says John Liu, the University’s vice president for research. “In addition to providing a state-of-the-art educational experience for our students and increasing diversity among our faculty, new research opportunities resulting from the initiative will help pave the way for students to excel in their careers. In the long term, the success of ���ϲ����� is defined by the success of our graduates.”

Under the Signature Hires Initiative, identified signature hires should contribute to the national and international reputation of ���ϲ�����, bolstering the earning power of graduating students and enhancing institutional success in recruiting new students.

About Invest ���ϲ�����

Invest ���ϲ�����: Advancing Academic Excellence and the Student Experience aims to provide all students with a distinctive, world-class learning experience that prepares them for professional and personal success. The three-pronged initiative seeks to redefine the student experience, advance discovery and innovation and expand opportunity for students of promise and talent from across the socioeconomic spectrum. To learn more about Invest ���ϲ�����, visit .

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

Melanie Cuevas-Rodriguez

���ϲ�����’s Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services has hired Melanie Cuevas-Rodriguez to serve as an Equal Opportunity and Title IX investigator. The hire fills one of two new investigator positions created as part of the University’s expansion of that office to add capacity for handling complaints relating to sexual violence and sexual harassment.

In her new role, Cuevas-Rodriguez will handle a number of responsibilities that support University efforts to promote a safe, diverse and inclusive work and educational environment. In addition to investigating Title IX complaints, she will investigate and coordinate responses to complaints of discrimination and harassment and ensure compliance with Equal Opportunity policies and federal, state and local regulations.

“Melanie brings important skills and expertise to our work of ensuring that all members of the campus community are treated with fairness, equity and respect,” says Sheila Johnson, associate vice president and chief Equal Opportunity and Title IX officer for the University. “She has a clear passion for this work, and I know she will be a valuable addition to our staff.”

Cuevas-Rodriguez first joined the University’s Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services in March 2017, serving as an Equal Opportunity and inclusion analyst as a temporary professional staff member. She has been with ���ϲ����� since 2005, serving first as the assistant director of career services and then as the associate director of both student life and career services��at the College of Law. In that role, she counseled students and developed and implemented programs on diversity and inclusion.

Prior to joining the University, Cuevas-Rodriguez worked at the Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society in ���ϲ�����, representing clients in various civil and quasi-criminal matters.��She earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Binghamton and juris doctor and master’s degree in public administration from ���ϲ�����.

“I am excited for this opportunity to join such a talented team,” says Cuevas-Rodriguez. “Maintaining a safe, inclusive and respectful campus environment is essential to achieving our institutional goals and to ensuring the well-being of all students, faculty and staff. I am honored to be a part of this important work.”

The office also continues to make progress on the search for another Title IX investigator and for a new director of Equal Opportunity.

Meina Yates-Richard

Yates-Richard will use her leave to complete a monograph on the ways in which black maternal sound in African American and African diasporic literatures gives testimony to the legacy of slavery and associated trauma, as well as functions as a site of possibility for imagining liberation. A specialist in 20th- and 21st-century African American, African diasporic and American literature and culture, Yates-Richard will divide her time during the fellowship among the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Paley Center for Media, both in New York City, and the British Film Institute National Archive in London.

During the fellowship year, Janis Mayes, associate professor of African American Studies at ���ϲ�����, will serve as a senior faculty mentor to Yates-Richard.

Yates-Richard says her research topic is an outgrowth of her doctoral dissertation. “I have always drawn more keenly to aspects of sound in literature,” says Yates-Richard. “I wanted to know why there was so much attention given to the aural, to sound, and what they might offer in terms of interpreting text.”

Much of her work has focused on the sound of slave mothers and the connection between their sounds of pain and the slave narrative. Material for her monograph will range from 19^th century writings of Frederick Douglass to 2007’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” by Dominican American author Junot Diaz.

A member of the College of Arts and Sciences faculty since 2016, Yates-Richard has presented her work for numerous professional organizations, including the American Literature Association, Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States, Issues in Critical Investigation Symposium, and the College Language Association.

At ���ϲ�����, she has taught courses on women’s gender, and sexuality studies; global literatures in English; and on the varied roles race, place, class, and aesthetic norms play in creating diverse communities.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

Titled “Moving Beyond Phase I,” the workshops will be facilitated by Gavin Henning, a professor at New England College and president of the Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, an organization that sets standards for quality practice for programs and services in higher education.

Drawing on more than 20 years’ higher education experience as a practitioner, professor and scholar, Henning assists colleges and universities in building, implementing and evaluating cultures of assessment to document student learning and evaluate effectiveness of programs and services.

Following is the schedule for the May 22 workshop sessions:

Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Assessment—10:30-11:45 a.m.

Maximizing the Assessment Toolkit—1-2 p.m.

Using the CAS Standards for Program Assessment—2:15-3:15 p.m.

Putting Assessment into Action—3:30-4:30 p.m.

For a complete description of each session and to register for the workshops, go to the University’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment .

For other questions relating to the workshop, contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment at assessment@syr.edu or by phone at 315.443.4119.

The Unsurpassed Student Experience Diversity and Inclusion (USE D&I) Grant program was created in February to support diversity programs and practices that help deepen understanding and engagement across multiple areas of difference, including racial, ethnic, religious, disability, nationality and veteran status, among others.

Although the grant program originally called for five awards, organizers of the program decided to fund eight because of the high quality of the applications.

Following is a list of the winning proposals along with awardees and amount of funding:

• • Crosscultural Engagement of First-year Students, submitted by Ambika Krishnakumar, professor and chair of human development and family science in . This initiative is designed to provide first-year human development and family science majors with an opportunity to explore issues surrounding diversity and inclusion through opportunities for intercultural engagement. Participants will take part in a seminar course that will include active learning experiences that challenge them to engage with cultures and communities other than their own. Award: $5,000
  • Fostering Resiliency in Undergraduate Women of Color in STEM, submitted by Dawn Johnson, chair and associate professor, WiSE Leadership. This program seeks to help women STEM students of color develop the knowledge and strategies essential for personal resiliency and success. It will focus on building a sense of community and belonging and will help students develop a network of allies to support their individual success and foster an inclusive environment. $5,000
  • Haudenosaunee Influence on American Culture, submitted by Philip Arnold, associate professor and chair of religion in the . The proposal calls for creating a pilot course on diversity and inclusion that focuses on the Haudenosaunee and their influence on American culture. The program is described as a “signature experience” that taps into the significance of the University’s location in Onondaga Nation territory, and it will integrate coursework with field trips to the Skä·noñh-Great Law of Peace Center and the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, among other activities. Award: $5,000
  • Stories Untold, submitted by Katherine McGerr, assistant professor, Department of Drama, . This workshop series will increase contact between ���ϲ����� drama students and working artists whose stories—in their work or their pathway to making it—are underrepresented in the department. The program will bring to campus three working artists of varying disciplines whose work will supplement the department’s curriculum and productions. The guest artists will speak to classes, lead a workshop, and participate in a question-and-answer session with a smaller group of students. Award: $5,000
  • Disability, Aging, Trauma, and Veterans Issues in Healthcare, submitted by Stephen Kuusisto, University Professor, Cultural Foundations of Education in the . This interdisciplinary course will bring together health humanities and disability studies pedagogy and research methods for students interested in pursuing careers related to health, well-being and aging. The pilot course will focus on developing students’ skills in scientific reasoning, moral reasoning, moral imagination and the disability imaginary. It also will teach them how to cross disciplinary/professional boundaries as well as borders created by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender and sexuality, and disability. Award: $5,000
  • Diversity Dialogue, submitted by Deborah O’Malley, director of student affairs, . This initiative will engage up to 15 student leaders in a dialogue group with their peers to help foster recognition and understanding of individual and group differences. By engaging in the dialogue, participants will learn to appreciate different identities and life experiences, and enhance their ability to work in multicultural teams and thrive in diverse workplace settings. Award: $5,000
  • First-year Global Peers, submitted by Patricia Burak, director, Slutzker Center for International Services. This program would appoint a number of high-achieving students, both domestic and international, who have global experience to serve as “global peers” for First-Year Forums. Through their insights and their engagement with first-year students, they will help foster a sense of familiarity and enhanced understanding across cultural differences. Award: $4,736.
  • Project Transition, submitted by Robert Wilson, director, Office of Supportive Services. This initiative will focus on enhancing the student experience, persistence and graduation rates of first-generation and underserved students by addressing the role that families play. The program will develop programming and activities to better connect and engage families of first-generation students with the University and assist them in supporting their student through the transition from high school to college. Award: $4,300

The funded initiatives will be developed through the summer into a one-year pilot program ready to launch in the 2018-19 academic year. For more information on the USE D&I Grants, go to the grant web page.

Ben Dotger

And then there are the not-so-routine, sometimes deeply unsettling challenges: suspicious bruising on a child that may indicate physical abuse; a parent who objects to the teacher’s choice of assigned books; a frustrated student acting out in anger; a worried mother who suspects her child is being bullied.

Dealing calmly and constructively with such complex issues can test the skills of even the most seasoned teacher. For novice teachers, such situations can provoke missteps that could make an already tense situation worse.

“The practices of teaching have always been very complex,” says Ben Dotger, a professor in the . “It’s always been a complex mix of helping students move forward while recognizing the structures and systems that are in that student’s life, be it familial structure, neighborhoods and community, how that student is or is not engaging with peers. But I think we are more and more attuned to how those complex dynamics play out in everyday life and how teachers have to engage across those differences.”

Dotger, professor and chair of teaching and leadership, has heard first hand from teachers about some of the thornier situations they face—ones that rely less on pedagogical expertise and more on strong communication and interpersonal skills. To better prepare future teachers and novice school leaders for such challenges, he has developed a series of simulations that bring to life situations in which students can test their capacity to handle the sometimes difficult encounters they are likely to face as teachers.

“These are not role plays,” Dotger says. “They are simulations that are carefully designed using research literature and focus groups with area teachers and school leaders. The purpose is to bring to life some of the most frequent, most common situations that occur in a teacher’s classroom or school environment—as well as some of the situations that don’t occur all that often but that are really important for any number of reasons.”

One such example: how to respond when a student shows signs of suffering from abuse or neglect at home. “Thankfully, that’s not something that happens on a daily basis or even a weekly basis,” Dotger says. “But when it does happen, the teacher needs to engage really well. You don’t want to drop the ball on that one.”

In the simulations, the future teacher meets one on one with an individual who has been scripted to present a distinct problem of practice—for instance, depicting a worried parent or a bullied student. The teacher in training is not scripted and does not know how the encounter will progress; his or her response to the situation determines how the person depicting the “standardized” parent or student responds in return.

The encounters are filmed, and students who participate in the simulations as part of their teacher education program—conducted separately from Dotger’s research program—meet afterward to watch the tapes and assess their own response as well as those of their peers to the same scenarios. Individually and collectively, they analyze what worked, what didn’t work, and how the situation might have been handled differently. “Very seldom is there a single correct response or a single correct plan of action,” Dotger says. “But there are certainly better actions, better responses.”

The process of analysis helps students recognize their strengths and weaknesses within the context of a difficult situation. “These are places to make mistakes,” Dotger says. “They are demanding situations, but they are also forgiving. If you make a mistake or plot a course of action that might take you down a road where you probably shouldn’t go, this is an opportunity for you to recognize what you might do instead.”

Dotger began his research into teacher-training simulations in 2007, a year after he joined the School of Education faculty. He drew on the simulation model that medical schools have used for more than four decades to prepare medical students for productive doctor-patient interactions.

Since then, he has developed more than 50 simulations encompassing a wide range of school-based situations, including parent-teacher conferences, inclusion of students with disabilities, parental objections to curriculum content and bullying, among others. Scenarios for novice school leaders might include how to respond to threats of violence.

While many of the simulations focus on general situations in schools, Dotger has more recently expanded the roster to address content-specific challenges as well. Those might include a future math teacher working with a standardized student struggling to solve for “x” in an algebraic equation or a future science teacher explaining a difficult scientific concept such as natural selection.

Simulations are conducted and videotaped at the Clinical Skills Center at Upstate Medical University, with which the School of Education subcontracts for the use of the facility. It also hires the same individuals who serve as standardized patients for doctors in training to serve as standardized parents or students for the teacher simulations.

Dotger’s research has won funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, among others; and his writings on it have earned recognition from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. Several other universities have adopted Dotger’s simulation model, including University of Michigan, Vanderbilt, University of Connecticut and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Dotger says the most rewarding aspect of his work is the feedback he gets from former students who have gone on to face situations that mirror the simulations. “They will say, for instance, ‘I remember that simulation with the very angry student; I remember it acutely. I remember what they were asking, and I remember why I couldn’t go down that road because it was an unethical road. And I remembered it five years later when I met an acutely angry individual in my classroom,’” he says.

“That for me is the gold standard—knowing that we are designing and implementing scenarios that are very close approximations of what teachers actually encounter in their practice. Simulations are not the only way of working within the broader world of teacher education, but they do hold a space there. By no means are they a silver bullet, but they are a piece of the puzzle.”

Martin J. Whitman

The son of Jewish immigrants from Poland, Whitman was a fixture of the ���ϲ����� community for more than 70 years. He came to ���ϲ����� on the G.I. Bill after serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II and went on to climb the highest echelons of the fiercely competitive field of investment management. In the process, he developed a reputation among his peers in the industry as the “dean of value investing.”

“Marty Whitman represented the very best of a generation that believed in hard work, education and striving for excellence always,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He used his education and his extraordinary intellect to achieve the highest levels of success, and yet he never forgot his humble roots. He was a role model for thousands of students here at ���ϲ����� and elsewhere, and his legacy will live on through them.”

Graduating magna cum laude in 1949 with a B.S. degree in business administration, Whitman began his career as a security analyst at Shearson Hammill and went on to work in research and corporate finance for several firms. He earned a master’s degree in economics from the New School for Social Research in New York City and in 1974 founded his own firm, M.J. Whitman & Co. Inc., a full-service broker-dealer.

Ten years after opening his own firm, he participated in a takeover of Equity Strategies, an open-end investment company, where he became CEO and president. In 1990, he founded Third Avenue Value Fund, managing it from its inception through 2012 and serving as its chief investment officer through January 2010. He also shared his unique insights and investment savvy as author or co-author of four books, several of which would go on to become industry classics, including “Value Investing: A Balanced Approach,” “Distress Investing: Principles and Technique,” “The Aggressive Conservative Investor” and, his last, “Modern Security Analysis,” published in 2013.

“Mr. Whitman epitomized everything that the Whitman School of Management stands for,” says Gene Anderson, dean of the Whitman School. “His entrepreneurial, insightful and innovative spirit is reflective of our faculty, staff, students and alumni who follow his example in all they do. We are grateful for his many generous contributions of time, talent and treasure. He will be deeply missed by everyone in our community.”

He also had an enormous impact on ���ϲ�����. In 2003, through the generosity of Whitman and his wife, Lois, the University named its business school the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. With that gift came the creation of a 160,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building, where today undergraduates and graduates alike gain the knowledge, experience and drive necessary to achieve their career goals.

Whitman supported several other key initiatives at ���ϲ�����, including the Our Time Has Come Scholarship, the Martin and Lois Whitman Endowed Fund, the Martin J. Whitman Endowed Fund, the Martin J. Whitman Undergraduate Scholarship Fund and the Annual Fund.

Elected to ���ϲ�����’s Board of Trustees in 2003, Whitman frequently taught classes and led seminars as an adjunct faculty member at the Whitman School as well as at Columbia University and the Yale School of Management. He last visited the ���ϲ����� campus 11 days ago to celebrate the 15^th annual Whitman Day.

In presenting Whitman with an honorary degree in 2008, ���ϲ����� recognized him for his extraordinary success, his generous sharing of his expertise and his uncommon humility.

“Martin Whitman was a treasured friend to ���ϲ����� and especially to the students of the School of Management,” says Board of Trustees chair Steven Barnes. “He took his ���ϲ����� education and put it to work in a way that led to tremendous success. His achievements helped pave the way for countless students to follow his example as they launch their own careers in the world of business. He will be greatly missed.”

Whitman is survived by wife, Lois; his three children, Barbara, Thomas (Mira Rabin) and James (Sara McDougall); and six grandchildren.

Lampe passed away on January 25 of this year. Chairman of the Phoenix, Arizona-based real estate development and management firm Lampe and Company since 1979, he served on the Board of Trustees since 1987 and chaired the Board from 1998 to 2004. He was a Life Trustee at the time of his passing.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Photo courtesy of the AP Image Archive)

Hendricks Chapel, in partnership with Chancellor Kent Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen, will host a plaque dedication and unveiling honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4—a day that also marks the 50^th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s assassination.

The program, which will take place in the Shaffer Art Building Galleria, pays tribute to Dr. King and to the July 15, 1965, visit he made to campus to speak on “The Role of Education in the Civil Rights Movement.” The plaque dedication will take place near the location where King spoke, at what was then Sims Dining Hall.

“Dr. King’s visit to ���ϲ����� came at a pivotal time in the history of the country and the Civil Rights Movement,” says Chancellor Syverud. “It was just a few weeks after that visit that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. This plaque is a testament to Dr. King’s faithful pursuit of justice, and it affirms the University’s own commitment to access and opportunity for all.”

Dean of Hendricks Chapel Brian E. Konkol will preside over the program, which will feature remarks by Chancellor Syverud and Special Assistant to the Chancellor Barry L. Wells. It will conclude with the plaque unveiling and a short musical number by Jose “Peppie” Calvar, assistant professor of music and assistant director of choral activities at the Setnor School of Music.

“Although this commemoration of Dr. King’s assassination is difficult and challenging for many people both here and abroad, the King family has advised us to keep hope alive because King himself, even in the most troublesome times, always had faith in humankind,” Wells says. “So let us be strengthened by his example and teachings and use this occasion to renew our commitment to his radical purpose and power.”

King was assassinated on the evening of April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, while visiting the city to support striking sanitation workers.

In addition to the plaque ceremony, the University will toll the Crouse College Chimes 39 times starting at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday evening. The tolling is in response to a call from the National Civil Rights Museum for places of worship, colleges, universities and other institutions nationwide to toll their bells 39 times in honor of the years King spent on Earth and to pay homage to his legacy.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided for the plaque dedication. For requests relating to accessibility and accommodations, please contact the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services office at 315.443.4018.

For more information on the program, email Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or call 315.443.2901. To watch video footage of King’s funeral, which took place on April 9, 1968, visit the C-Span website.

George Saunders (Photo by Penguin Random House/David Crosby)

“George’s selection for membership into such a distinctive body speaks volumes about his extraordinary talent and impressive achievements as a writer,” says Karin Ruhlandt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The academy’s membership roster includes some of the most recognizable and beloved names in literature over the last century. This is a well-deserved tribute to his work and to his commitment to excellence in his craft.”

Founded in 1898, the Academy of Arts and Letters was created as an honor society of the country’s leading writers, artists, composers and architects. Its members are elected for life, with new members elected as vacancies occur. Among the writers elected to membership since its founding were Henry James, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Pearl S. Buck, John Updike and Willa Cather.

“It is a great honor, finding oneself beside so many great artists,” Saunders says.��“My main goal at this point is to somehow live up to it.”

In his nominating statement for Saunders, fellow writer and academy member Jonathan Franzen said Saunders “has a world-class ear for contemporary vernacular and a prose style utterly distinctive in its relaxed precision. Again and again, he persuades us that wacky, subversive, formally inventive fiction not only isn’t contrary to our nation’s spirit; it’s the most natural expression of that spirit. Only two other Americans, Twain and Vonnegut, have ever made it look so easy. Saunders is their hugely gifted heir.”

A member of the College of Arts and Sciences faculty since 1997, Saunders was already an acclaimed short story writer when in 2017 he published his first novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo.” The book was an instant success, debuting at number-one on The New York Times Best Seller List upon its release in February 2017 and going on to win the Man Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in English-language literature.

Saunders has earned numerous distinctions for his short story works. His 2013 short-story collection “Tenth of December” won the Story Prize and the inaugural Folio Prize, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Two other collections, “Pastoralia” and “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline,” were New York Times Notable Books. Another collection, “In Persuasion Nation,” was a finalist for the 2006 Story Prize. Other distinctions include MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, three National Magazine Awards for fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award and the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction. Last year Saunders wrote and produced a comedy pilot, “Sea Oak,” based on his 2000 short story. The pilot starred Glenn Close and premiered last fall on Amazon.

In addition to electing new members as vacancies occur, the American Academy of Arts and Letters seeks to foster and sustain an interest in literature, music and the fine arts by administering more than 70 awards and prizes, exhibiting art and manuscripts, funding performances of new musical theater works and buying artwork for donation to museums nationwide.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

���ϲ����� Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, second from left, and Middle States site visit team chair James Bean, third from left, listen to a presentation at the University’s study abroad center in Florence.

During the visit, the evaluators, who come from other Middle States-accredited universities, will meet with a number of faculty, administrators, staff, and students and engage in informal dialogue with members of the campus community. They will use what they learn to determine whether the self-study report the University submitted to Middle States last December reflects the reality on the ground here at ���ϲ�����—and whether the process itself has been sufficiently inclusive.

The visit is the last step toward reaccreditation, and the commission is expected to issue its decision in June.

“This site visit is an incredibly important piece of the reaccreditation process,” says Jeff Stanton, associate provost for academic affairs and co-chair of the Reaccreditation Steering Committee along with Libby Barlow, assistant vice president for institutional research and assessment, and Rochelle Ford, professor and chair of public relations at the . “It really shows Middle States that we are doing what we said we are doing in the self-study report. Their findings during the visit will inform their report to the board of commissioners at Middle States and, ultimately, determine the outcome of our bid for reaccreditation.”

A first step in the on-site evaluation process took place last month when Ford, along with Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly and ���ϲ����� Abroad Interim Executive Director Petra Hejnova traveled to the University’s Florence Center in Italy. There they hosted James Bean, provost of Northeastern University and chair of the site visit team, as he conducted a site visit of the University’s study abroad facility in that country.

“The site visit went very well,” says Ford, “and Dr. Bean came away very impressed with the operation we have there. He said he saw evidence of both formal and informal assessments, as well as improvements that were made based on those assessments. And I know the team will be looking for more examples of assessment and improvements when the full team of evaluators visits campus later this month.”

The main campus site visit will be the culmination of a two-year review process during which nearly 140 faculty, staff and students engaged in research, discussion and writing of the findings and recommendations that the University’s Reaccreditation Steering Committee included in the self-study report.

The steering committee put forward four recommendations, each of which represents a commitment to Middle States that the University will take the stated action. Those recommendations can be reviewed by following the link to the .

Membership on the steering committee and the eight self-study teams included formal representation from all schools and colleges, many nonacademic units and the University Senate. Campus input was gathered through open forums and online feedback, and the draft study that the team produced was posted online for additional feedback over the summer and early fall last year.

“The reaccreditation process from beginning to end was very inclusive,” says Barlow. “That is the way Middle States intended it to be, and it is the absolute best way to ensure that the findings in the report are accurate and the recommendations both aspirational and achievable.”

Accreditation serves as a public indication that ���ϲ����� lives up to its mission and strives for self-improvement. It also is essential for the University to remain eligible for federal financial aid, grants, contracts and other federal sources of support.

The current accreditation cycle is particularly crucial because it centers on a revised set of standards, with significant emphasis placed on assessment and academic program review. This is the first reaccreditation cycle by which ���ϲ����� will be reviewed under the new standards.

The steering committee chairs urge all those who are not yet familiar with the self-study report, its findings and recommendations, to read the document in advance of the site team visit.

For more information on the self-study process, as well as what is at stake when it comes to accreditation, go to the University’s Middle States reaccreditation website at .

M. Cristina Marchetti

Cristina Marchetti, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor and Distinguished Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed director of the University’s Soft and Living Matter Program. Marchetti, who was nominated by her colleagues in the program and appointed last month by Dean Karin Ruhlandt, will serve a three-year term.

The Soft and Living Matter Program is the outgrowth of the Soft Matter Program, which began in 2011 under the direction of Mark Bowick, the Joel Dorman Steele Professor of Physics. Based in the Department of Physics, the Soft Matter Program was founded by then-Dean George Langford to promote fundamental research and education in soft and biological matter at a time of rapid national and global interest in the field.

The program has now expanded to increase participation and buy-in from faculty across multiple departments, schools and colleges, and local institutions. “We wanted the output of the program to be much more than the sum of its parts,” says Marchetti. The group changed the name to Soft and Living Matter Program to better reflect the expanded focus, and it implemented a new administrative structure and assessment protocols.

As program director, Marchetti, who has also chaired the American Physical Society’s Topical Group on Soft Matter, will oversee the program’s operations and intellectual progress and monitor research advancements and effectiveness of educational/outreach activities. She will be aided by an executive committee whose composition—including professors Lisa Manning of physics, Mat Maye of chemistry and Shikha Nangia of biomedical and chemical engineering— reflects the broad interdisciplinary span of the program.

“Cristina is an international leader in the area of soft matter and one of the college’s most recognized academic stars,” says Dean Ruhlandt. “She is an incredible asset to this program, and she was the natural choice to lead the program to even greater distinction.”

Marchetti says, “As director, I would like for the program to be able to establish itself as a center that will generate and support collaborative research projects and attract external funding. The goal is to make ���ϲ����� recognized nationally and internationally as one of the leading hubs for research on soft and living materials.”

The program has already established a number of new initiatives, such as travel grants for graduate students and a Distinguished Visitor Program. It also plans to build on the IGERT Soft Interfaces Program to grow various educational activities, including interdisciplinary courses and professional skills training for students at every stage of their academic career.

Faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students participating in the program today come from a range of disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, biomedical and chemical engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering. Several faculty from Upstate Medical University are associate members of the program.

These multidisciplinary teams are organized into research thrusts that members feel ���ϲ����� can become world renowned for, and that draw on current strengths, combining faculty, student, staff and facility capability and know how. The first topics include:

• Topological Materials: Combining supramolecular design with the rules of geometry and topology for designing new materials with programmable and reconfigurable properties.
• Bioinspired Materials: Formulating the rules for the fabrication and optimization of functional materials with properties generally associated with living matter, including replication, repair, self-assembly, signaling, and molecular and cellular recognition.
• Active Matter: Studying the emergent properties of collections of self-driven entities that exhibit organized behaviors on scales much larger than that of the individuals. Examples range from the flocking of birds to the sorting and organization of cells in morphogenesis, and include synthetic analogues, such as bot swarms and engineered microswimmers.
• Living Matter: Describing the mechanical properties of tissues, including the ability of different cell types to sort and to form and maintain compartment boundaries, mechanical mechanisms of cell patterning and organization.

The work on active and living matter has potential implications for better understanding how wounds heal and cancers metastasize and for the design of smart and reconfigurable materials.

While these are current focus areas, Marchetti says there is potential for expansion to new topics as new synergies emerge.

Gerald B. Cramer

Gerald B. Cramer ’52, H’10, devoted friend, advocate and generous benefactor of ���ϲ�����, died Feb. 13, 2018. Cramer, whose extraordinary philanthropy seeded opportunity for countless students and advanced faculty excellence, had served on the Board of Trustees since 1995 and was a Life Trustee at the time of his passing.

Born in 1930, Cramer was a 1952 graduate of ���ϲ�����’s Whitman School of Management and remained deeply involved with his alma mater throughout his life. His dedication and impact were recognized with numerous University distinctions during that time, including a George Arents Pioneer Medal—the University’s highest alumni distinction—and an honorary doctor of laws degree.

After earning a degree in accounting from the ���ϲ����� Whitman School of Management and attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Cramer launched a successful career as an investment manager that would span 50 years. He was a managing director of GOM Capital and a co-founder and chair emeritus of the investment advisory firm Cramer, Rosenthal & McGlynn, where he held overall responsibility for the firm’s investment policy. He also was associated with the investment brokerage houses of Oppenheimer & Co., where he was a senior partner, and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith. He also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.

“Gerry exemplified the power of one person to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He funded dozens of scholarships and provided leadership support for innovative programs that were important to him. He had a big heart and an even bigger vision that will continue to shape ���ϲ�����’s legacy and impact for generations to come.”

Cramer’s love for ���ϲ����� touched every segment of the campus community. But his philanthropy had an especially transformative impact on students and faculty of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He served on the school’s Advisory Board for more than 15 years and vigorously supported initiatives designed to foster global scholarship and engagement. He funded faculty positions in global affairs, economics and aging studies; provided leadership support for the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism; and supported numerous scholarships and programs in international relations, including a student exchange program between Maxwell and the Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliya, Israel.

As a result of Cramer’s broad engagement with and support for its students and programs, the Maxwell School in 2004 selected him as the first recipient of the Maxwell School Horizon Award, which recognizes wise, inspirational volunteer leadership and exceptional philanthropic commitment. The award recently was renamed the Cramer Horizon Award in his honor.

“Gerry Cramer was an extraordinary friend and benefactor to the Maxwell School,” says Dean David Van Slyke. “He shared a commitment to the school’s core values of international engagement and academic excellence, and its mission to change the world for the better. And he delighted in working quietly and effectively behind the scenes to seed programs and opportunities that furthered those values. His impact, along with that of his wife, Daphna, will live on in the generations of people who have and will continue to benefit from their extraordinary support.”

Cramer once said his passion for international student exchanges is rooted in his conviction that on-the-ground experience in other countries gives students an understanding of that country and its people that they couldn’t have gotten any other way. In reference to the Maxwell exchange program with the Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliya, Israel, he said, “Of all I have done in my life from a philanthropic perspective, this is what I am most proud of.”

During his tenure on the University’s Board of Trustees, Cramer served a term as a vice chairman and on the Board’s Investment and Endowment Committee. He also served on the School of Architecture and Metropolitan New York advisory boards and was a strong supporter of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA).

Beyond ���ϲ�����, Cramer supported numerous professional, civic and community organizations, including Mt. Sinai and Montefiore hospitals, the National Dance Institute, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, the Glaucoma Foundation, and Teatown Lake Reservation Nature Preserve and Education Center, among others.

Cramer is survived by his wife, Daphna; six children, Lauren Cramer L’94, a current member of the University Board of Trustees and chair of the VPA Council; Douglas Cramer ’87, a member of the Whitman Advisory Council; Thomas Cramer; Kimberly Cramer-Germ; Roy Raskin ’95; and Shelly As; and 14 grandchildren.

The IRS is currently working to revise the withholding tax calculator and the W-4 Form. The revised calculator, which is expected to be updated by the end of this month, can be used along with the W-4 form to update withholdings in response to the changes in the law. The withholding calculator can be accessed via .

The University’s Office of the Comptroller advises that employees consider consulting their tax advisor regarding their individual situation in response to the new law.

For more details on the changes, the IRS has posted an FAQ information sheet about the withholding tables that can be found on the IRS website .

For ���ϲ�����-specific questions, contact the Office of the Comptroller at 315-443-3765 or via email at jbgallip@syr.edu.

Jason Fridley

Jason Fridley, associate professor of biology in the , recently received funding from the National Park Service to continue research into the effects of climate change on the forest vegetation and ecosystems of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Below, he describes his work and what he hopes to achieve from the findings.

The goal of the new internal grants is to enhance a diverse, inclusive student body.

The grants will support planning, implementing and evaluating high-impact practices designed to achieve the targeted objectives. The practices should have the potential of being scaled up to involve more students, and they should include real measurements to determine their effect on those involved.

“This grant program supports one of the key priorities that emerged from the Academic Strategic Plan, which is to enhance and sustain an inclusive, accessible campus of opportunity for a richly diverse student body,” says Provost Michele Wheatly. “Diversity and inclusion are core values of the University, and they are essential components of an outstanding academic experience. Our hope and expectation is that this grant will help generate creative ideas and identify high-impact practices that can really advance our goals in this area.”

Initiatives that are chosen for funding will be developed through the spring and summer and be ready to pilot in the 2018-19 academic year. The plan is to fund $20,000 worth of proposals, with the typical individual project budget totaling $5,000 or less.

Grant proposals are due March 19��by 5 p.m.

Each proposal must explain the target student audience that will be involved and why it would be best served through the proposed high-impact practice. In general, the target audience should be undergraduate students, although experiences that reach graduate students may also be considered. Programs that support training and professional development of faculty and staff who engage directly with students will be considered as well, as long as student impact can be measured.

Complete instructions on how to apply can be found via the . Questions about the grant initiative should be directed to Rochelle Ford, professor and chair of the public relations department at the and a Provost Faculty Fellow, via email at rlford@syr.edu or by phone at 315.443.9347.

About ���ϲ�����

Founded��in 1870, ���ϲ����� is a private international research university��dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching��excellence,��rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11��academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence��in the liberal arts, sciences and��professional disciplines that prepares��students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly��changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main��campus and��extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three��continents. ���ϲ�����’s student body is among the most diverse for an��institution of its��kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent��all 50 states and more than 100 countries. ���ϲ����� also has a long legacy of��supporting veterans and is home to��the nationally recognized Institute for��Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the��U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their��families.

���ϲ����� earth sciences professor C.A. Scholz’s research group conducts sediment coring operations on Walker Lake, Nevada.

The plan builds on a number of longstanding existing partnerships between faculty, students and staff of the two institutions in areas relating to research, student organizations and administrative operations. The new effort calls for an initial investment in collaborative projects focusing on water—an area of mutual strategic interest for both institutions.

“The challenges of the world today increasingly demand solutions informed by multiple perspectives, disciplines and areas of expertise,” says ���ϲ����� Chancellor and President Kent Syverud. “Some of the most urgent of these challenges relate to water, energy and the environment, and ���ϲ����� and ESF both have outstanding faculty with a passion for research in these areas. This partnership will generate even greater opportunities for us to pool our expertise and resources in ways that magnify the real-world implications of faculty scholarship and advance our shared academic goals.”

���ϲ����� supports a number of research and teaching initiatives relating to water, the environment and energy, including a graduate-level training initiative—the Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research (EMPOWER)—launched in 2016 with $3 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The interdisciplinary program focuses on research relating to water and energy cycles—combined with mentoring, field experiences, training in science communication, and interdisciplinary coursework—to better prepare students for careers in energy, environmental consulting, government, nonprofits and academia.

ESF President Quentin Wheeler says, “The collaboration draws on the impressive strengths of two great institutions to confront some of the most pressing issues facing society.��This relationship will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enrich the learning environment for students and amplify the positive impact we are having on the immediate and long-term prospects for water quality and sustainable solutions.”

ESF, which is designated as one of two lead institutions in a SUNY-wide water research initiative, participates in the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science. Within the last decade, its 25-plus water-affiliated faculty have collaborated to secure a large NSF facilities grant to improve aquatic laboratory facilities, offered an annual interdisciplinary graduate seminar in hydrology and biogeochemistry, and developed an undergraduate minor.

As part of the new agreement, ���ϲ����� will expand its participation in the New York Great Lakes Consortium, a multi-institution collaboration currently administered by ESF. Active engagement with the consortium is expected to open up additional grant opportunities for research by ���ϲ����� faculty and provide competitive funding support for student scholarship.

“The faculty, staff and students of ���ϲ����� and ESF together form a rich brain trust that offers great potential for the future of each institution,” says Cathryn Newton, who as special advisor to the Chancellor and provost for faculty engagement has been working to identify potential areas of collaboration in support of the University’s Academic Strategic Plan.

Both institutions will work with their water groups to further develop collaborative projects in research as well as field and lab education in water. This may include support for proposal development or resubmittal, consideration of infrastructure and instrumentation collaborations, and other opportunities. Submissions are invited especially for projects that already have initial results and are ready to move to the proposal phase and for proposals in need of revision or additional data.

In addition to spurring water-related research collaborations, the two institutions will strengthen partnerships in the area of sustainability and will pursue a visiting speakers initiative designed to bring scholars together across both campuses. More information on those initiatives will come at a later date.

While initial collaborations will focus on water, sustainability and a visiting speaker series, it is anticipated that new themes for collaboration will emerge on an annual basis. Toward that end, Newton, in coordination with ���ϲ����� Provost Michele Wheatly and Chancellor Syverud, will appoint a ���ϲ����� Advisory Committee on Collaborations with ESF to serve in an advisory capacity and propose themes for future consideration. A similar group will be formed at ESF for faculty there.

These advisory groups are expected to be appointed by mid-February and to convene shortly after that. Faculty members interested in serving on the ���ϲ����� committee, proposing a theme for collaboration or otherwise getting involved in this effort should send an email to facultyaffairs@syr.edu.

About ���ϲ�����

Founded in 1870, ���ϲ����� is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence, rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. ���ϲ�����’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. ���ϲ����� also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families. To learn more about ���ϲ�����, visit .

About ESF

The College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), founded in 1911, is at the forefront of confronting the challenges of the 21st century. ESF educates tomorrow’s leaders, explores new possibilities and inspires the public to engage in creating a better future. ESF is unique among institutions of higher learning in its singular focus on environmental discovery, learning and sustainability. The college has developed innovative programs in a broad range of academic areas, all of which focus on the environment. They include biology, chemistry, engineering, management, design and planning. ESF offers degrees ranging from the associate’s degree to the doctor of philosophy. ESF students leave the college equipped to pursue careers aimed at improving the quality of life in an ever-changing world. To learn more about ESF, visit .

The ��has named Danielle Taana Smith director of the .

Smith, who was selected after a national search, comes to ���ϲ����� from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she is a professor of sociology and director of the school’s honors program. Her initial term of appointment is five years, with a formal review at three years.

“Danielle will further distinguish the honors program as a key component of advancing the University’s academic goals,” says Dean Karin Ruhlandt of the College of Arts and Sciences, which houses and administers the Universitywide program. “She has an impressive record of success as a scholar, teacher and administrator, and she has an obvious passion for challenging and inspiring students to strive for intellectual excellence. She is going to be a tremendous asset to an already strong program, and I look forward to working with her to make it even stronger.”

As director of the Honors Program, Smith will hold responsibility for all aspects of the program, including advancing its core values and mission, representing the program to internal and external constituencies, building positive and productive cross-campus relationships, chairing the program’s core faculty, overseeing staff and budgets, and teaching in the program. She also will hold a faculty appointment as professor in the Department of African American Studies.

Smith, whose areas of expertise include gender studies, population studies and global health and development, among others, joined the RIT faculty in 2003, and she has directed the honors program since 2009. In that capacity, she led several initiatives to advance the program and expand its impact, including establishing a comprehensive academic curriculum for the honors program and organizing an Honors Curriculum Committee to ensure that the program was sufficiently rigorous. She also advanced measures to enhance diversity within the honors program, including leading collaborations with the Multicultural Center for Academic Success and McNair Scholars Program and initiating National Technical Institute for the Deaf representation in the program. In 2016, she organized the first Honors Program Undergraduate Research Symposium. From 2008-2009, Smith also served as coordinator for RIT’s Urban and Community Studies Degree Program.

“In order for our students to succeed in today’s competitive, globalizing world, institutions of higher learning must ensure that they acquire core competencies and mastery of their respective fields of study,” Smith says. “They must also gain familiarity with broader areas of inquiry, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. After graduation and leaving the halls of their alma maters, they are then well-rounded, global citizens, who understand their responsibilities to push boundaries for the improvement of their communities, countries and the world at large. I believe that the Renée Crown University Honors Program is well-suited to lead in these endeavors. I look forward to the challenges ahead and to working with University partners and the larger ���ϲ����� community.”

Among other honors and awards, Smith in 2016 was named an ERASMUS+ Exchange Scholar, Faculty of Pedagogy and Social Work, at Liepaja University in Latvia. She is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Anthropological Association and the American Sociological Association.

Smith earned a Ph.D. in sociology from University of South Carolina; an MBA from Saint Martin’s College, in Lacey, Washington; and a B.A. in Russian Studies from Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.

The Honors Program is named for Renée Schine Crown ’50, H’84, a civic leader and philanthropist, member of the A&S Board of Visitors, and member emerita of the University’s Board of Trustees.

About ���ϲ�����

Founded��in 1870, ���ϲ����� is a private international research university��dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching��excellence,��rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11��academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence��in the liberal arts, sciences and��professional disciplines that prepares��students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly��changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main��campus and��extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three��continents. ���ϲ�����’s student body is among the most diverse for an��institution of its��kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent��all 50 states and more than 100 countries. ���ϲ����� also has a long legacy of��supporting veterans and is home to��the nationally recognized Institute for��Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the��U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their��families.

Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55

Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55, a tireless supporter of and ambassador for ���ϲ����� and former chair of its Board of Trustees, passed away Jan. 25. Lampe, whose lifelong dedication to the University had earned him its highest alumni award—the George Arents Award—and an honorary degree, had served on the Board since 1987 and was a Life Trustee at the time of his passing.

Born literally steps away from ���ϲ�����, Lampe had deep connections to ���ϲ����� from the moment he entered the world at the former Hospital of the Good Shepherd—now known as Huntington Hall. His impact on the University and its students continues to resonate today through his vigorous support for student scholarship programs, commitment to enhance campus diversity and leadership in key fund-raising campaigns and national alumni initiatives.

“Joe Lampe was a visionary leader whose impact on ���ϲ����� can be seen across campus and in the lives of countless students,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He provided leadership support for numerous scholarship funds, greatly elevated the University’s presence on the West Coast and enhanced the Board of Trustees’ effectiveness and engagement through his forward-looking leadership. He was passionate about ���ϲ����� and all things Orange, and while he will be sorely missed, he will not be forgotten.”

Lampe earned a degree in speech and dramatic arts from ���ϲ����� in 1953, having studied under Sawyer Falk, founder and legendary professor in the University’s Drama Department. Upon graduation, he continued his education at the College of Law. While at ���ϲ�����, he served as a member of the Air Force Reserve at Hancock Field, and upon completing his law degree in 1955 he was called to active duty.

After concluding his service with the Air Force in 1957, Lampe decided to remain in Arizona, where he had been stationed, and set up a law practice in Phoenix. He developed a specialty in real estate law, and sensing the coming population boom, he went on to launch his own real estate business. Since 1979 he served as chairman of Lampe and Company, a diversified real estate development and management firm based in Phoenix.

Lampe was deeply involved in his community and in professional and service organizations in whose work he believed. But perhaps no group benefited more profoundly from his support than ���ϲ�����. His family name graces the corner of East Colvin Street and Comstock Avenue, where the Joseph O. and Shawn Lampe Athletic Complex provides primary training facilities for the University’s student athletes. He provided vital support for the Student-Athlete Fund, the Our Time Has Come and College of Law scholarship funds, and a dozen other scholarship programs; and he established the Joseph O. Lampe Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded to the captains of the football and men’s basketball teams. For the College of Visual and Performing Arts, he established the Iris L. Pérez Celis Fund to support studio arts majors from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Lampe was active in the Arizona Alumni Association and also played a key role in revitalizing the Southern California Alumni Association. His leadership of that group helped to enhance and elevate the University’s national profile and support the development of signature immersion learning experiences for students.

For the Board of Trustees, Lampe served as a Life participant on the Facilities Committee, and his visionary leadership as chair of the Board from 1998 to 2004 continues to shape the way the Board stewards and conducts the business of the University today.

“Joe was everything one could hope for in a Trustee, and then some,” says Board of Trustees chair Steven W. Barnes ‘82. “His deep commitment to the University spanned a lifetime, and his service and leadership on the Board stands as an example for all of us who were fortunate to know and work with him. On behalf of the Board, I offer our deepest condolences to his wife, Shawn, and their entire family. And I hope they take comfort in knowing that his work will live on through all those students who have benefited, and will continue to benefit, from his generous support for the University and its programs.”

Lampe served on the University’s $300 million Commitment to Learning Campaign Executive Committee and on the national committee for the Campaign for ���ϲ�����. He also served on the College of Law Board of Visitors and the Chancellor’s Council, and he was a lifetime member of the Society of Fellows.

Former Chancellor Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw worked closely with Lampe during Lampe’s tenure as chair of the Trustees. “Joe modeled ethical behavior in all his work and expected the same of all who were affiliated with his university,” Shaw says. “As a leader, he understood and respected the unique and important roles of the chair, the Board, the Chancellor and the faculty.”

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

In addition to his extensive involvement with ���ϲ�����, Lampe served as a trustee of the Phoenix Art Museum, where he and his wife, Shawn, took a special interest in promoting the work of Latin American artists. He also served on the board of directors for Scottsdale Healthcare and for the California Heart Center. His professional affiliations included serving as chair of the board of the National Bank of Arizona and Western Bancshares Inc.

Lampe is survived by his wife, Shawn; four children, Anthony, Scott, Mark and Stryker; and four grandchildren.

Members of the University community who have contributed toward making ���ϲ����� the best university in the world for veterans are eligible for the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence.

The Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence recognizes members of the University community who have made invaluable contributions in one of the following ways: creating an outstanding undergraduate experience, empowering research excellence, fostering change and innovation or positioning ���ϲ����� as the best university in the world for veterans.

Nominations can be made under four distinct categories. More information on those categories and the requirements of nomination can be found on the award .

Nominations for the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence should be addressed to the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence Selection Committee��in care of its chairperson, Professor Shiu-Kai Chin, and submitted in hard copy to Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs LaVonda N. Reed, 503 Crouse Hinds Hall, 900 South Crouse Ave., ���ϲ����� NY 13244, or by email to Sharon Alestalo at swalesta@syr.edu.

Seinfeld Scholar, Teaching Recognition Awards

Faculty also are reminded that they can submit nominations for the Seinfeld Scholar Award and the Teaching Recognition Award. The initial call for nominations went out Dec. 15 from the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs; the deadline for these awards, too, is Jan. 25.

The Seinfeld Scholar Award—which this year will go to two undergraduate seniors—recognizes faculty or students who have made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world, adding to human values and to ending human abuse anywhere in the world via any medium of expression. It recognizes those who have exhibited a passion for excellence, creativity and innovation in academic or artistic fields; encourages continued outstanding performance; and acknowledges recipients’ ability to motivate and inspire the best in others.

The fellowship program runs on a three-year cycle, with one faculty member recognized as a Seinfeld Scholar in each of the first two years and two graduating seniors recognized in the third year.

The Teaching Recognition Award program recognizes excellence in teaching and is an expansion of the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship Program initiated at the request of the Meredith Professors. Faculty with at least two years’ teaching experience at ���ϲ����� are eligible, including tenure-track faculty who are not yet in their sixth year credited toward tenure; full-time, non-tenure-track faculty; and adjunct and part-time faculty.

For more information on the Seinfeld Scholar and Teaching Recognition awards, including full requirements of nomination, go to the Faculty Recognition Programs website .

Completed nominations for both the Seinfeld Scholar and the Teaching Recognition awards should be addressed to the award review committee and submitted in hard copy to Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs LaVonda N. Reed at 503 Crouse-Hinds Hall and by email as a single PDF to Sharon Alestalo at swalesta@syr.edu.

Ensuring that students learn what faculty want them to learn has become a mantra of sorts that undergirds one of the most compelling trends in today’s sharply competitive higher education marketplace: assessment of student learning outcomes.

“Broadly speaking, the concept of assessment is not at all new in my department,” McConnell says. “Almost every department faculty meeting I’ve ever attended since coming to SU in 1985 has featured a discussion of how to improve our curriculum in some way or other. It was the rare academic year when we did not adopt some new tweak to our curriculum in response to observed shortcomings in our students’ mastery of what we were trying to teach them.”

Ensuring that students learn what faculty want them to learn has become a mantra of sorts that undergirds one of the most compelling trends in today’s sharply competitive higher education marketplace: assessment of student learning outcomes. As workplaces evolve ever more rapidly, and societal calls for accountability and return on investment grow more insistent, colleges and universities nationwide are formulating and adopting protocols for formally measuring just how well students are learning what professors want them to learn—and how well the skills and knowledge they cultivate during their time here serve them after they leave.

As of 2015, the American Association of Colleges and Universities reports, 87 percent of its member institutions conduct assessments of learning outcomes across the curriculum—a 15 percent jump from 2009.

���ϲ����� began its own push to formally institutionalize a campuswide culture of assessment—for all academic, co-curricular and functional units—three years ago. Since that time, each school and college has incorporated an assessment plan into its individualized strategic plan. While assessment activities have taken place to varying degrees across some departments, schools and colleges for years, the current push calls for expanded documentation and establishes Universitywide expectations, processes and supporting resources for ongoing assessment.

“Both faculty and staff have worked diligently on this effort over the last three years,” says Gerald Edmonds, assistant provost for academic affairs in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment. “They have put in a lot of effort to develop outcomes, implementation plans and methods of documenting results. And we are now at a place where we are seeing the benefits of those conversations.”

McConnell sees clear advantages to formalizing the process. “This move normalizes and systematizes these activities and provides a common language, making it possible for disparate subject areas to share results and practices,” McConnell says. “Learning outcomes expressed in simple, nontechnical language, and data detailing how well we succeed in preparing our students to meet expectations are essential as we face an increasingly skeptical public.”

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment outlines a collaborative assessment process including faculty, academic deans and department chairs and directors, with input from students and staff. Faculty themselves develop student learning outcomes and rubrics, discuss results and take actions. “The idea is for faculty to systemically—and systematically—reflect on their programs of study from a holistic standpoint and examine how the pieces fit together,” Edmonds says. The assessment process is driven by two overarching questions:

• What are the skills, knowledge, attitudes and dispositions students are expected to acquire from the program?
• What evidence do we have that they have done so at the completion of the program?

When Rochelle Ford arrived at ���ϲ����� in 2014 as newly appointed chair of the Department of Public Relations at the , one of the first things she asked to see was data on what students were currently learning, how well they were learning it and how well it matched what industry employers wanted them to know. She also sought input from alumni and hiring managers on how well Newhouse students were prepared for internships and jobs in terms of skills, knowledge, attitudes and ability to acclimate to the workplace.

It was a means, she says, of assessing just how well the department was meeting its academic objectives and how well-equipped its graduates were for success in the workplace. “All this information gave our department data to build strategically and to celebrate what we do well,” says Ford. “We knew we could not rest on our laurels and reputation, and we used that data to make necessary curriculum changes.”

The following fall, the department applied for external recognition from PR Week, the top public relations trade magazine, highlighting��its assessment activities and changes.��It went on to win PR Week’s award for Outstanding Public Relations Education Program, earning recognition in 2016 and 2017 as the number one school in the country for students interested in studying public relations.

Joseph Comprix, who as chair of accounting at the has been coordinating assessment for his department, says the process has been highly collaborative and the benefits clear. “I think it’s really important to follow a process like this because we all get so busy teaching our courses that sometimes we lose track of the big picture,” Comprix says. “Assessment makes sure that we are working together, and it also allows us as a group to make changes to the curriculum as the skill set that students need to succeed post-graduation evolves. If assessment becomes a part of the culture, what that really means is that we continually adapt and improve our teaching with each cycle of assessment. In other words, the process allows us to just keep getting better.”

The move toward institutionwide assessment took on particular urgency in 2014, after the Middle States Commission on Higher Education—the University’s federally recognized accrediting body—revised its reaccreditation standards to include a more rigorous emphasis on student outcomes assessment. Several universities encountered difficulty in meeting the new standards, and ���ϲ�����’s own reaccreditation process was just getting underway. The University’s Reaccreditation Steering Committee, which Ford co-chairs, is due to submit its reaccreditation self-study report to Middle States later this month. A campus visit by a reaccreditation team—the final step in the multiyear reaccrediting process—is scheduled for March, and a decision from Middle States on the bid for reaccreditation is expected in June.

“I want to emphasize that there already was, in some schools and colleges or departments, a strong tradition of specialized accreditation” prior to the institutionwide push, Edmonds says. “But others didn’t have any formal tradition because there was no external accrediting group to answer to. It’s not that we weren’t doing it; we just weren’t documenting it to the degree now required by both internal stakeholders and external agencies. We also began to look at best practices of our peers, and we realized this is what we need to do to bring us to where we should be.” While Middle States’ expectations admittedly added urgency to the effort, he adds, “This is not ‘Middle States’ assessment’; this is ���ϲ�����’s assessment.”

Kathy Hinchman, associate dean and professor in the , says that assessment, done well, enhances the quality and coherence of academic programs across multiple courses. “Systematic review of student learning outcomes invites faculty to understand better not only the impact of their own teaching, but also the impact of their teaching in combination with what students learn from other classes,” Hinchman says. “It provides a reality check to ensure that our programs of study are yielding desired outcomes—or that they are revised so that they are more likely to do so.”

As the University’s point person for assessment, Edmonds has spent much of the last year meeting with academic deans and other campus stakeholders to explain the three-phased assessment process, answer questions and, when necessary, offer reassurance about the nature and intent of the effort. Some faculty, for instance, have expressed concern about how assessment protocols might impede academic freedom. “Occasionally there’s this misperception that this office is dictating assessment and outcome processes,” Edmonds says. “We aren’t. We are a service to support faculty and academic freedom—not a ‘regime’ imposing this on faculty.”

McConnell acknowledges the concern. “Academic freedom is very precious and, these days, is increasingly fragile,” he says. “So we should always be concerned and vigilant about possible threats to it. Learning outcomes that are sufficiently broad, and drafted with ample input from all constituencies are essential to addressing concerns about academic freedom. I should also stress that academic freedom does not mean freedom to ignore the effectiveness of one’s work or shy from attempts to improve it.”

Edmonds says the message is slowly spreading. “Some faculty who were initially resistant have actually become very helpful to the process,” he says, once they understand the process is driven by departmental faculty themselves.

Ford, who led the student learning assessment effort for the Newhouse School’s Department of Public Relations, can attest to that. She recalls the reaction of a colleague to a presentation her department gave on the results of their assessment effort. “He was a senior professor and director of another program in the school, and after our presentation, he said, ‘Now I get it! Assessment really does show us across the board what our students are learning in a way I didn’t know before. There is real value in helping us to get better and be pre-eminent.’

“That,” says Ford, “was one of my best moments as chair of the department.”

For more information on institutional assessment at ���ϲ�����, go to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment website .

The CUSE program will support faculty research in all disciplines, including basic, translational and applied sciences; social sciences; physical and life sciences; engineering; liberal arts and humanities; and professional studies; as well as creative research and other scholarly activities.

The grant program seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaborations, grow the research enterprise and enhance University-based scholarship in order to increase extramural funding and high-quality scholarly output. It is designed to support faculty in becoming competitive in securing external funding and sponsorship.

“This is an important opportunity for our faculty researchers to acquire the funds needed to form interdisciplinary teams and collect preliminary data that will enhance their capacity to secure external support for meaningful scholarship,” says Vice President for Research John Liu. “As such, the CUSE grant program will not only help advance knowledge and technologies in the awardees’ fields and enhance the University’s research profile and impact, but will create more research opportunities for our students.”

The program will support faculty research in all disciplines, including basic, translational and applied sciences; social sciences; physical and life sciences; engineering; liberal arts and humanities; and professional studies; as well as creative research and other scholarly activities. The expectation is that CUSE-funded faculty members go on to seek extramural support that will increase national and international recognition of awardees, their programs, and the University.

The program encompasses four types of grants:

• Seed Grant: The funding levels of these grants are capped at $5,000 per grant for a period of up to two years. Applications can be individuals or teams.

• Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research Grant: Funding levels are capped at $30,000 per grant for a period of up to two years. Applications can be individuals (innovative) or teams (interdisciplinary research).

• Good to Great Grant: Funding levels are capped at $30,000 per grant for a period of up to two years. Applications can be individuals or teams.

• Interdisciplinary Seminar Grant: Funding levels are capped at $10,000 per grant. Applications can be individuals or teams.

The deadline for submitting applications for the CUSE Grant Program is Jan. 31. For more information on the program, types of grants or the application process, go to the Internal Grant Programs link at or click .��

Founded in 2010, the NCFDD is an independent professional development, training and mentoring institute serving scholars at more than 450 colleges and universities nationwide. With 120 institutional members at its core, the center focuses on skills development and support in areas relating to strategic career planning, research productivity, network building and work-life balance.

“This program is a great opportunity for ���ϲ����� faculty to tap into a national network of support around mutual aspirations, challenges, and opportunities,” says Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs LaVonda Reed. “The tools and services to which we have access as a member of the NCFDD will be an asset both to faculty individually and to the University as a whole.”

While the program is designed for all faculty across all disciplines, Reed says that having access to a broad, and broadly diverse, network of support will be particularly helpful to faculty of color and those from other traditionally underrepresented groups.

Among other services, members can participate in guest-expert webinars, multi-week courses, a dissertation-success program, a writing challenge and a weekly informational and motivational email message.

Faculty interested in learning more about the NCFDD and its services, or who want to activate their membership, should go to the NCFDD website at and choose “Activate my membership.”

For questions specifically relating to ���ϲ�����’s membership, contact Marie Garland, executive director of faculty development, Office of Academic Affairs, at mgarland@syr.edu.

Shobha Bhatia,��Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence in civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

The numbers attest to the progress made. This fall, for what is believed to be the first time, ���ϲ����� counts 100 women among its full-time faculty in the STEM disciplines. This includes four deans—Teresa Dahlberg of the , Liz Liddy of the , Joanna Masingila of the and Karin Ruhlandt of the —and Provost Michele Wheatly, a professor of biology and a longtime proponent herself of advancing access of underrepresented groups to STEM careers.

“Formulating solutions to today’s complex challenges requires a rich diversity of voices at the table and the brightest and best scholar-scientists in our classrooms and labs,” says Provost Wheatly. “This means ensuring that those who have long been underrepresented in the STEM fields, including women, have the encouragement, support and opportunities they need to achieve their full potential in this exciting arena. By increasing the number of women among our STEM faculty, we are making ���ϲ����� a stronger university and encouraging future generations of bright young scholars, across all demographics, to pursue their own STEM careers. ”

Data compiled by the ADVANCE team offer a snapshot of the changed landscape at ���ϲ�����. To consider just a few of the progress markers:

• From 2005-2010, 26.6 percent of tenure-track appointments were women. From 2011 to now, 40.4 percent have been women.

• In November 2010, women made up 20.4 percent of all STEM tenured or tenure-track faculty. In November 2016, they made up 27.2 percent. While growth of just under 7 percent seems small, the number of tenured and tenure-track STEM faculty overall grew by about 10 percent during that six-year span while the number of comparable women faculty grew by about 47 percent.

• In 2010, women made up just 14 percent of all full professors in STEM. In 2016, they made up 21 percent—a jump that represents a 53 percent increase in the number of women who are full professors in STEM.

“We really have made some notable progress in the last seven years,” says Marie Garland, whose role as executive director of SU ADVANCE since 2011 has now transitioned into a new position as executive director for faculty development, Office of Academic Affairs. “While the ADVANCE initiative can’t take full credit for these numbers by any means, I do think the ADVANCE program has helped search committees think about gender in the hiring process a bit more, and to consider how implicit bias can play a role in how applicants are viewed.”

Shobha Bhatia, a co-PI on the ADVANCE grant, remembers when she came to ���ϲ����� in 1980, the only female on the College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty at that time and the only female full professor in the college until 2008. Today the college counts 24 women among its full-time faculty—triple the number from 2010. Bhatia says that success can be attributed to many factors, including the support of University leadership for such efforts.

“We need to be very proud of these gains,” says Bhatia, a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence in civil and environmental engineering. “The University has really made some phenomenal appointments—some really extraordinary STEM women hires in recent years.”

Wheatly and Garland both credit another ���ϲ����� initiative, Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), for laying the foundation for SU ADVANCE, and for sustaining a strong community among STEM women. That program, for which Bhatia was a long-time co-director, began in 1999 and continues today working to support advancement of women in STEM across their full academic career, from first-year undergraduate to faculty.

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Ruhlandt, Distinguished Professor of chemistry and another of the co-PI’s for the ADVANCE grant, spoke at the October event about some of the ways ADVANCE and WiSE have changed how the University recruits faculty applicants and supports them once they are hired. “We wanted to make change, to advance institutional transformation,” says Ruhlandt. “To do that, we needed to simultaneously address a wide array of challenges and capitalize on many opportunities.”

Among other things, changes implemented as part of ADVANCE included expanding applicant pools, giving female candidates the opportunity to meet with current women STEM faculty, creating a promising-researcher program to familiarize early-career scholars with the University, and working with search committees to help those tasked with making hiring decisions to better understand implicit bias.

The program also supported leadership development through such services as executive coaching, mentoring, professional development grants and creation of a dual career network.

Lisa Manning, physics associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences

Associate Professor of Physics Lisa Manning, a recent recipient of an early-career award from the American Physical Society, says she had some awareness of the ADVANCE initiative when she joined the faculty in 2011 but has since seen its impact first hand. “I recently chaired a faculty search committee in our department, and all of our candidates were able to meet with a dual career coordinator to provide them with confidential resources in case that was an issue for them,” says Manning, who last year was the first woman and first American to receive the Young Scientist Award from the Statistics Physics Commission of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. “I heard from several of the candidates that this was impressive, and I think it played a role in our being able to hire a new female faculty member. This is great for the University as a whole, because it provides a network of mentors, teachers and scholars with diverse backgrounds who can connect with students who rely on those networks to excel.”

Garland says that although the SU ADVANCE project has completed its contract with the NSF, she and other ADVANCE staff will continue its work more broadly via the Center for Faculty Development and Institutional Transformation, with the support of Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs LaVonda N. Reed. They plan to use and adapt the strategies that worked for SU ADVANCE to further the goals of diversity and inclusion more broadly.

“It’s important not to think that we have now ‘succeeded,’ because it’s easy to go back,” says Bhatia of the gains made during the program’s run. “Now we have to work to continue these gains and retain these women faculty. We have to continue working to create a climate where they have opportunities to excel and are happy. And we have to work to duplicate this success more broadly.”

That’s a win-win for everyone, says Manning. “Perhaps unsurprisingly, the things that make a faculty job more desirable for a diverse set of candidates make the job nicer for everyone,” she says. “This program has really helped build community among faculty members. And I hope the University is able to continue the initiatives pioneered by the program on a long-term basis.”

Dympna Callaghan

“Dympna is highly deserving of this distinction,” says Provost Wheatly. “Her research in the area of early modern literature is widely acclaimed by scholars around the world. And she excels as a mentor and research leader to both undergraduates and graduate students. She also has been a leader in the humanities community here at ���ϲ�����, and her efforts have made us a better university.”

As University Professor, Callaghan will assist University leaders with implementing and championing the University-level Academic Strategic Plan, with a particular focus on further incorporating the humanities disciplines into the major themes of the plan.

“I am truly thrilled and honored to have been awarded a University professorship,” Callaghan says. “Working with Provost Wheatly and her team to realize the aspirations detailed in the University Academic Strategic Plan is indeed an exciting prospect.”

A member of ���ϲ�����’s faculty for 28 years, Callaghan has compiled an extensive body of scholarship relating to Renaissance poetry and drama, women’s writing and feminist theory. She has written or edited more than a dozen books, including, most recently, “Hamlet: Language and Writing”;��“Who Was William Shakespeare? An Introduction to the Life and Works”; “The Feminist Companion to Shakespeare, Second Edition”; and “Romeo and Juliet: Texts and Contexts, Second Edition.”

A former president of the Shakespeare Association of America, Callaghan is the editor of “The Taming of the Shrew, Norton Critical Edition”; and she co-edited the volume “Shakespeare in Our Time,” prepared on behalf of the Shakespeare Association of America to commemorate the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. She is currently writing a book on Shakespeare’s poetry.

Callaghan has held numerous prestigious fellowships, including an Andrew W. Mellon yearlong fellowship and a long-term fellowship at the Getty Research Institute. She has been a visiting fellow at Hughes Hall and Clare Hall, both at Cambridge University, and is now a life member of Clare Hall. She held her most recent fellowship in Italy at the Bogliasco Arts and Humanities Center.

In addition, Callaghan has mentored students on scholarship focusing on such areas as 18^th��century depictions of Ireland and the Irish; sexual violation as a theme in classical and early modern poetry; women, theater and nascent capitalism in the interregnum; race and colonialism in early modern drama; illiteracy and the early modern stage; and women and magic.

Over the past year, Callaghan chaired the College of Arts and Sciences’ strategic planning steering committee. She also served a one-year appointment in 2013 as interim director of the University’s Humanities Center.

The University Professor designation is a four-year, renewable appointment.

Physicists Peter Saulson, Duncan Brown and Stefan Ballmer

���ϲ����� physicists are among a global team of scientists to make a revolutionary discovery confirming the origins of gold and other heavy metals whose presence in the universe has been a long-standing mystery.

On Aug. 17, just days before the total solar eclipse would mesmerize the country, the ���ϲ����� team witnessed the telltale celestial event: the gravitational waves from the collision of two massive neutron stars in deep space—and the resulting afterglow that signified the process of gold being created from the cosmic smash-up.

The transformative discovery marks the first detection of colliding neutron stars by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo gravitational-wave detectors. Even more remarkable, it was the first time scientists were able to see the light from the collision with powerful telescopes that probe the farthest reaches of the universe. The public announcement today corroborates rumors and speculation about such a possible sighting that began swirling through cyberspace within days after the Aug. 17 event.

This is the second once-in-a-lifetime discovery to rock the astrophysics world in two years. And it not only confirms the origins of one of Earth’s most precious metals; it also opens a whole new window through which to probe the secrets of the universe.

“I would say that this probably will have a bigger scientific impact than that first detection of gravitational waves,” says Duncan Brown, the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. “The first detection in 2015 opened the new field of gravitational-wave astronomy, but this detection answers many more questions about the universe.”

The breakthrough is credited to the unprecedented detection power of the two Advanced LIGO detectors, one located in Hanford, Washington, and the other in Livingston, Louisiana, combined with that of a third detector, the French-Italian Virgo, located in Italy. The images from the Aug. 17 event—two neutron stars, each roughly the size of Manhattan, colliding at one-third the speed of light—tell the story.

This artist’s conception portrays two neutron stars at the moment of collision. Dana Berry, SkyWorks Digital, Inc.

“The gravitational waves told us that these were two neutron stars colliding,” Brown says. “They also told us where to point telescopes to see the aftermath of the collision. With telescopes, we can watch the fireworks in electromagnetic waves and see neutron-rich material being thrown off and radioactively decaying. When you watch that radioactive decay, what you’re basically watching is space alchemy. It’s the universe creating gold and platinum.”

The observation settles a riddle that has puzzled scientists for more than 60 years: Where do gold, platinum, uranium, and other heavy elements, known as r-process elements, come from? Scientists had long suspected that they originated from colliding neutron stars; they now have visual evidence.

In the images captured from the collision and its aftermath, the beginnings of those elements show up as a bright flash known as a kilonova. The elements created get recycled into the galaxy as it rotates “over a billion or so years, and they wind up back in future generations of star systems,” Brown says. “At some point in the past, one of these collisions happened, producing gold and platinum, which eventually got recycled by the galaxy into the gold we find on Earth.”

“It was so thrilling to make that first discovery of gravitational waves,” says Peter Saulson, the Martin A. Pomerantz ’37 Professor of Physics and a fellow ���ϲ����� member of the LIGO team. “But this time, hundreds of other astronomers are in on the act, and they’re thrilled too. It’s a much broader bit of excitement this time around.”

Stefan Ballmer, associate professor of physics at the College of Arts and Sciences and one of the builders of the Advanced LIGO detectors, agrees. “The complaint I heard from my astronomy colleagues about the first detection was that black holes are, well, black,” says Ballmer, who serves with Brown and Saulson on the ���ϲ����� LIGO team. “As thrilling as it was to confirm Einstein’s prediction after 100 years, this breakthrough is a Rosetta stone that brings together the power of gravitational waves and light to probe the secrets of the universe.”

With this discovery, Saulson says with a smile, “we have confirmed that the shiny thing I wear on my finger was formed in the collision of two city-sized atomic nuclei at some distant point in the past.”

In the residue of the collision, observers could see the signs of this space alchemy at work—and the brilliantly glowing, neutron-rich debris that someday billions of years hence will enrich a new planet with veins of gold and platinum.

“If you’re wondering how much the gold we saw being made is worth? About $10 octillion— $10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000—at today’s prices,” says Ballmer. “Give or take a zero.”

Brown remembers when he first got wind of the news. “It was about 9 in the morning, and I was in my office, meeting with a colleague. All of a sudden, I saw a bunch of alerts pop up on my computer screen. I unceremoniously threw him out of my office saying, ‘You have to leave now; the meeting’s over.’ ”

He immediately joined a teleconference call with other members of the LIGO team, and they knew within minutes that the alert was real. Unfortunately, a glitch in the Livingston LIGO detector data delayed the confirmation needed to localize the source. Fortunately, Saulson and Brown have trained a team of scientists, some located in ���ϲ����� and others spread around the world, who immediately set out to work around the glitch by manually processing the data.

Once the cleaned-up data showed that Livingston also had recorded the gravitational wave event, Brown and former ���ϲ����� student Alex Nitz helped prepare and dispatch the alert and sky map to telescopes that could zoom deeply into the point in space where the collision had occurred.

Brown is also part of a team at Harvard University that looks for optical flashes via a dark-energy camera mounted on a powerful, 13-foot optical telescope, known as the Blanco telescope. “After we sent out the LIGO-Virgo sky map, I tried to get hold of my collaborator, Edo Berger, at Harvard,” Brown says. “He was in a meeting, so I just kept texting, ‘GO GO GO!’ to his cell phone.”

“I remember seeing the first source localization maps and realizing that this particular patch of sky would be observable from Chile in just a few hours,” says Ballmer, who at the time was at the LIGO Hanford observatory. “A few hours later, my email inbox lit up again.”

And by the end of the day, Saulson says, they had the full story. The Blanco telescope located in northern Chile was one of three observatories to independently detect the flash in a small galaxy—NGC 4993—located 130 million light years from Earth.

The ���ϲ����� physicists say that none of this—the detection of the collision, the visual confirmation, and the signs of gold and other heavy metals emerging from the residue—would have been possible without the unprecedented detection power of the two Advanced LIGO detectors working in tandem with the Virgo detector. “Many of us have invested our career into making these machines a reality,” says Ballmer. “It is tremendously gratifying to see all three detectors perform so well.”

“There’s no question,” Saulson adds, reflecting on a remarkable stretch of breakthroughs that are rapidly opening up whole new realms of astronomical exploration, “this is going to be the biggest story in science—this year.”

���ϲ����� will host a special campuswide event on Monday, Oct. 16, to announce a revolutionary discovery credited to the work of physicists in the College of Arts and Sciences and their colleagues in the international LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

This important celebratory event will be located in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium, with doors opening at 9:15 a.m. and the program set to begin promptly at 9:55 a.m.

The news, which will be announced simultaneously from the National Press Club in Washington, DC, marks a transformative breakthrough in the field of astrophysics and the dawn of a new age of discovery in probing the mysteries of the universe. It comes on the heels of the recent Nobel Prize win by the same LIGO team for the historic September 2015 discovery of gravitational waves.

The three physicists who led the University’s involvement in that discovery—Duncan Brown, the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics; Peter Saulson, the Martin Pomerantz ’37 Professor of Physics; and associate professor of physics Stefan Ballmer—again played a significant and direct role in this latest once-in-a-lifetime breakthrough.

Sponsored jointly by ���ϲ�����, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Physics, the ���ϲ����� event will feature a live press conference, remarks from special guests, and an in-person Q&A and panel discussion with ���ϲ����� physicists Brown and Ballmer, alumnus Jaysin Lord, and Vice President for Research John Liu. Saulson will be in Washington, DC, for the National Press Club event.

Remarks will also be given by Chancellor Kent Syverud, Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, and Dean Karin Ruhlandt of the College of Arts and Sciences.

A reception with light refreshments will follow immediately after the event in Goldstein Auditorium.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available. If you have requests for accessibility and accommodations, please contact the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS) office at 315.443.4018.

The award will support a three-year project led by the ���ϲ����� Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (���ϲ�����CoE). The project will help start-up ventures and established companies develop innovations that monitor and control energy and environmental quality in built environments—homes, schools, offices, factories and neighborhoods—and in related applications, such as food production, transport and preservation.

“���ϲ����� is fortunate to have outstanding faculty, staff and facilities to support research and entrepreneurship in energy and environmental systems,” says ���ϲ����� Vice President for Research John Liu. “This award is a great opportunity for us to put the highest levels of scholarship to work on an issue of vital significance to our communities and world—and help position Central New York as a leader in energy entrepreneurship.”

The award builds on successes of a four-year initiative to spur the rebirth of a Central New York industry cluster in “Advanced Manufacturing in Thermal and Environmental Controls (AM-TEC).” The AM-TEC initiative, which was led by ���ϲ�����CoE in partnership with six other organizations and institutions, engaged 66 regional manufacturers, created or retained 98 jobs and resulted in more than $4 million in increased sales.

“The new project will ensure the long-term vitality of the fledgling AM-TEC cluster by connecting innovators to customers in major markets, and developing and testing proofs-of-concept of envisioned innovations,” says Ed Bogucz, executive director of ���ϲ�����CoE and associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at ���ϲ�����. “We want to continue to build on our region’s historic strengths in thermal and environmental control-related manufacturing—and to encourage development of innovations that promote healthier indoor environments.”

The project includes activities that are designed to support the development of 10 new ventures and 15 new products commercialized by existing companies. The project team envisions that successful results will include 50 jobs created within two years after the conclusion of the project and 200 jobs created within five years after its conclusion.

The RIS program, led by the Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, seeks to build innovation capacity-building activities in regions across the country. This is the fourth cohort of RIS awardees under the program.

William Coplin

Coplin has been a professor of public affairs and director of the public affairs program at the Maxwell School and the since 1976. Throughout his career at ���ϲ�����, he has advocated for reforms in high school and college education to address more fully the needs of students who see education as a path to better employment opportunities. He has consulted with more than 40 high schools throughout New York State on curriculum, and he designed and implemented curriculum to develop career and citizenship skills among college and high school students. Since the publication of his book “Ten Things Employers Want You to Learn in College,” he has written extensively on the subject of educational reform for national media as well as for the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Association of School Boards and for many other outlets.

Coplin is a passionate advocate for building public service into the college curriculum, and his course, Public Affairs 101: Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy, helped shape the guidelines for the New York state Regents course Participation in Government, required of all 12^th graders. His policy studies major, which he developed in 1978, requires at least six credit hours of coursework relating to community projects, and estimates show that students in that program have provided more than $100,000 in research services and more than $60,000 in direct services each year to clients of nonprofit agencies.

Coplin has published more than 110 books and articles in the fields of international relations, public policy, political risk analysis, social science education, citizenship and “doing good.” ���ϲ����� recognized him with a Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished service in 1993 and two years later appointed him one of the three inaugural Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professors for Teaching Excellence.

A Dean’s Associate Professor and chair of the reading and language arts center in the School of Education, Haddix received the Seinfeld Scholar Award in recognition of both her past accomplishments and her promising potential for greater achievements ahead.

Marcelle Haddix

Haddix joined the School of Education faculty in 2008, and since that time has developed a distinctive focus on and expertise in youth literacies, particularly in the urban context, and the preparation of teachers for youth in urban schools. In 2009, she created the Writing Our Lives project to provide ���ϲ����� area youth with creative opportunities to write, create, produce and share their stories. The program takes multiple formats, including after-school writing programs, summer writing institutes, book clubs, digital composing programs, theatrical performances and an annual youth writing conference.

In conjunction with the Community Folk Arts Center in ���ϲ�����, she also created the program Dark Girls: Celebration of Black Girlhood in 2013 to support literacy, identity, self-esteem and social development of adolescent girls of color.

Haddix also has pursued research and activities designed to better prepare future teachers of urban youth. She has engaged undergraduate and graduate students in both the Writing Our Lives and Dark Girls projects, and facilitated development of TEACH���ϲ����� programs at three local high schools to help encourage high school students to explore the field of teaching. Haddix has received several national early-career awards and recognitions, and in 2011, she earned a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award from ���ϲ�����.

Haddix is a core faculty member in the Renée Crown University Honors Program, an affiliated faculty member in women’s and gender studies, a member of the Democratizing Knowledge core team and a courtesy faculty appointee in the cultural foundations of education program. She authored the book “Cultivating Racial and Linguistic Diversity in Literacy Teacher Education: Teachers Like Me” and currently serves as vice president of the Literacy Research Association.

The Judith Greenberg Seinfeld Scholar Award is among many lasting gifts Seinfeld has created for ���ϲ����� over the years. Faculty recipients are nominated by academic deans, and awardees receive a restriction-free grant of $10,000 to encourage them in their continued outstanding performance.��

Michael Blackshear

Michael Blackshear, who will receive a Chancellor’s Citation at this week’s Coming Back Together reunion, serves as the North America chief compliance officer for Chubb Insurance Co., the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. Blackshear periodically lectures at universities and industry trade associations on compliance and risk management topics and serves on several advisory boards. As a ���ϲ����� student, he participated in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and on the University’s track and cross country teams. He and one of his fraternity brothers are spearheading the reinstatement of the Kappa Chapter-Omega Psi Phi endowed scholarship fund. Blackshear serves on the Management Department Advisory Board at the and is a 1991 graduate of the Whitman School. He is also serving this year as the Whitman School’s CBT chair.

The deadline for open feedback to the reaccreditation steering committee’s self-study report is Sept. 22; the final report must be submitted to Middle States for a preliminary review in October and for final review in December.

Specifically, the steering committee seeks input on four recommendations formulated in late spring based on the findings that emerged from the year-long self-study process. Each recommendation represents a commitment to Middle States that the University will take the stated action.

Following are brief descriptions of the four recommendations as currently proposed:

• Commitment to Assessment: ���ϲ����� will strengthen its rigorous and coordinated campuswide commitment to learning outcomes assessment.

• Institutional Learning Outcomes: ���ϲ����� will identify and adopt institutional learning outcomes, such as the proposed ���ϲ����� 4+4, to ensure every student graduates with a core set of critical skills and competencies.

• Enhanced Support Services: ���ϲ����� will provide a full range of enhanced and coordinated student support services to promote academic success, career placement, and student health and well-being.

• Alignment of Resources with Priorities: ���ϲ����� will work to ensure that University resources, including funding, staffing, facilities and managerial attention, appropriately align with the mission and priorities of the institution as a whole and those of the schools and colleges.

“These recommendations affect faculty, staff and students across the University,” says Associate Provost Jeff Stanton, who serves as the University’s Middle States liaison and co-chairs the steering committee with Rochelle Ford, professor and chair of public relations at the , and Libby Barlow, assistant vice president for institutional research and assessment. “It is important that they accurately reflect our top institutional priorities for advancing excellence across the student experience. The more input we have, especially from those who deal with these concerns on a daily basis, the more successful we will be in ensuring that.”

In order to further solicit campus feedback, the self-study chairs have begun to staff information tables at various sites around campus, and an email appeal has gone out to all campus constituencies.

To submit feedback on the recommendations:

• Go to and log in with your NetID.
• Read the full recommendation(s).
• Refer to the full report for additional context.
• Click on “Submit Your Comments” on the Recommendation page to share constructive feedback.

The report will remain posted until Sept. 22, after which final edits will be made with consideration given to campus community feedback. The final draft report will be submitted to Middle States by Dec. 22, and that document will be used as the basis for a campus visit by representatives of peer universities in March 2018.

Middle States accreditation is required in order for ���ϲ����� students to be eligible to receive federal financial aid. It also serves as a public indicator of quality and accountability, and that the University is operating in accordance with its mission, vision and higher education best practices.

For more information on the reaccreditation process at ���ϲ�����, go to . To access the report directly, go to .

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“We had a very productive year, especially in terms of information gathering on protocols and best practices,” says task force co-chair Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, interim senior associate vice president and dean of enrollment and the student experience. “That information, along with the expertise shared by those who work on the front lines of this issue on a daily basis, will be a great help as we work to formulate best policies and procedures for assuring a safe and respectful campus for all.”

In its year-end 2016-17 report, the task force reported several key activities and updates. They include:

• A��recommendation calling for appropriate training for faculty and staff to better facilitate a cultural change “from the ground up and the top down.” The recommendation emerged in response to the Campus Climate Assessment survey, which cited the importance of ensuring faculty and staff have appropriate training to talk with and offer support to students who might have experienced sexual assault.
• A��presentation by Susan Pasco, associate director of the Counseling Center, on the American College Health Association and her participation in a task force focused on sexual and relationship violence. The ACHA task force has created a tool kit that will assist campuses, including ���ϲ�����, with several aspects of the problem, including management, advocacy resources, defining best practices for prevention, risk reduction and response.
• A presentation on Title IX compliance by Deborah Osgood, a national expert on civil rights laws and regulations that govern educational institutions.
• A meeting with ���ϲ����� Police Chief Frank Fowler to discuss working together more proactively. In a related session, ���ϲ����� Chief of Public Safety Bobby Maldonado also clarified for the group the role of the Department of Public Safety and the ���ϲ����� Police Department in handling student sexual assault complaints.
• Continued efforts to enhance awareness of prevention strategies and resources and to solicit feedback on how to improve the campus climate and culture relating to sexual and relationship violence.

In June, Diane Lyden Murphy, dean of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, joined the task force as co-chair, replacing Joanna Masingila, who stepped down as chair at the end of the academic year. Masingila, dean of the School of Education, had served along with Kantrowitz as co-chair of the task force since its inception in 2015. Kantrowitz will continue to serve as co-chair with Murphy.

“Sexual and relationship violence is a scourge that affects every campus in the country today,” says Murphy. “It’s an issue that really requires a campuswide cultural change, and this task force has begun laying the foundation for that change. Dean Masingila has done a great job co-leading this effort these last two years, and I look forward to continuing that progress in the year ahead.”

The group also set several goals for the 2017-18 academic year, including the following:

• Explore ways to continue support for the Office of Health Promotion.
• Involve more men and male student-athletes in prevention, educational and outreach efforts.
• Identify outreach and education events and services that have been successful in the past and build on them.
• Explore the possibility of the University hosting a statewide conference on sexual violence.
• Continue collaborating with the ���ϲ����� Police Department.

To learn more about the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence, visit .

“The University’s commitment to these important values has been well established in many ways, including the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion, the Council on Diversity and Inclusion, the Academic Strategic Plan focus on internationalization and creation of the Internationalization Council,” says Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly. “The changes provide faculty with a valuable opportunity to share their accomplishments, activities and contributions relating to these important University initiatives.”

Relevant achievements may relate to classroom or creative work, research, outreach, governance and committee work, or disciplinary activity.

The action grew out of a recommendation of the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion last fall that all faculty and staff evaluations, including CV updates, give attention to diversity and inclusion. In a memorandum last week to faculty, Wheatly emphasized that while the changes are an opportunity to highlight related accomplishments, they do not represent a change in promotion and tenure criteria.

The final changes were formulated and implemented in consultation with key committee chairs of the University Senate as well as members of the deans’ council and faculty.

The next CV update submission is due shortly after the start of the new calendar year.

The revised CV update form can be accessed via the provost’s by navigating to the Faculty Affairs section and then to Policies and Procedures. More information on the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and internationalization can be found at and by viewing the Internationalization section of the Academic Strategic Plan, which can be accessed via .

The protocols, approved by Chancellor and President Kent Syverud and Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, create a pathway to degree completion for currently enrolled students whose studies may have been interrupted by the changes implemented by the Trump Administration. The protocols were initially drafted by the University Senate’s Academic Affairs Committee last spring and subsequently endorsed by the full Senate.

“We are an international community of scholars,” says Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs LaVonda Nichelle Reed. “As such, we have an obligation to ensure that those students affected by recent changes in immigration law have the support needed to successfully complete their ���ϲ����� degree program. These protocols create a pathway for them to do that by protecting the substantial investment of resources that they already have put into their ���ϲ����� education.”

The protocols apply to current undergraduate and graduate students who are refused re-entry to the U.S. by the first day of classes or who are deported from the U.S. on or after the first day of classes. They are formulated to maximize opportunity for students to complete courses and degrees, whether students are enrolled in programs that only require coursework for degree completion or in a graduate program requiring a thesis or dissertation.

In addition to other requirements, students must be in good standing, both academically and with respect to conduct, in order to be eligible.

All protocols are subject to the limits imposed by accreditation and professional licensing requirements for the specific degree program in which a student is enrolled.

To review the text of the protocols and a related Frequently Asked Questions document, go to the Office of the Registrar website or the Slutzker Center website .

“We assessed ���ϲ�����’s enterprise profile as very strong, characterized by a solid management team, a history of stable to slightly growing enrollment and good retention,” the S&P report states. It further states, “We assessed ���ϲ�����’s financial profile as strong, characterized by consistently positive operating surpluses on a full-accrual basis, low debt burden and solid available resource ratios as reflected in the cash and investments.”

A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is in the highest category of S&P Global Ratings and reflects a strong capacity for the obligated party to meet its financial commitment. The added plus sign (+), such as that assigned to ���ϲ�����, indicates that the University’s capacity to meet its financial commitments is extremely strong.

“I am pleased that the University has earned Standard and Poor’s highest credit rating for its short-term notes program,” says Amir Rahnamay-Azar, senior vice president and chief financial officer for ���ϲ�����. “It is a clear indicator of the University’s solid financial health as well as its overall stability within the higher education marketplace.”

The report also reaffirmed the University’s previously assigned AA- long-term credit rating based on its strong operating performance and cash and investment ratios.

S&P Global Ratings is the world’s leading provider of credit ratings on government, corporate, financial sector, and structured finance entities and securities. Its ratings serve as a tool for potential investors to assess risk and gauge an entity’s creditworthiness.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $4 million grant to ���ϲ����� to lead an effort to develop and implement strategies for augmenting the number of underrepresented minority students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs of study and careers.

The five-year grant, which runs through 2022, was awarded as part of the NSF’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program to support the continued work of the Upstate New York LSAMP alliance. Led by ���ϲ�����, the alliance will use the funding to further expand on its efforts to improve recruitment, academic success and persistence of traditionally underrepresented minority students in STEM majors; strengthen the pipeline from community college to four-year study; and develop best practices for better supporting and retaining underrepresented students in STEM fields of study. In addition to ���ϲ�����, the Upstate alliance includes Onondaga Community College, which will serve as co-lead for the project; Clarkson University; Cornell University; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Rochester Institute of Technology; and Monroe Community College.

���ϲ����� Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, who serves as principal investigator for the grant, says the recruitment of underrepresented students into the STEM fields is crucial. “In today’s knowledge economy, the greatest growth in job opportunities will continue to be in STEM-related fields,” says Wheatly. “And yet the number of minority students going on to become STEM professionals continues to lag significantly behind nonminority student numbers. This grant will help us continue to root out the causes behind this disparity and take steps to address them, for the benefit of our students, our Upstate economy and the STEM fields, industries and professions.”

Co-principal investigators are Tamara Hamilton, LSAMP program director at ���ϲ����� and co-principal investigator for the Upstate LSAMP alliance; Dawn Johnson, associate professor and chair of the Department of Higher Education in the University’s ; Andria Costello Staniec, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in the University’s; and Julie White, senior vice president for student engagement, Onondaga Community College.

“For an increasing number of students today, community college is the first step toward a four-year degree and the doorway to a successful career,” says White. “Our job as higher education professionals is to ensure that we are doing all that we can to support students as they��transition through the education pipeline. The research shows that underrepresented minority students initially attracted to STEM programs may face unanticipated obstacles in their pursuit of STEM careers, and this project will provide us with additional resources to help students successfully address those challenges.”

Hamilton agrees. “In order to prepare the next generation of innovators and STEM scholars, we must develop strategies to successfully attract, support and retain students across all demographics,” she says. “This grant will provide critical support for the Upstate alliance to continue our efforts to better engage and mentor minority students interested in these rapidly expanding fields at all stages of their academic career.”

Under the funded project, the Upstate alliance seeks to collectively graduate 860 underrepresented minority STEM students per year by the end of 2022. It also will work to expand, refine and study best practices for preparing community college students for successful transition into four-year STEM programs. The funding also supports a new component to the alliance’s work—a research study to investigate the role of student research experiences, faculty mentoring and the community college pipeline in promoting persistence and graduation of underrepresented minority students in STEM.

“We know that minority students enroll in STEM majors at the same rate as white students,” says Staniec, who will co-lead the research component of the funded project. “What we don’t know is why they do not graduate with these degrees at the same rate. We hope that this research component will help to illuminate those reasons and provide a solid theoretical foundation for developing solutions to effectively address them.”

“This research component is a tremendous opportunity for us to generate new knowledge that will benefit not only our Upstate institutions but institutions nationwide,” says Johnson, who is co-principal investigator on the research component along with Staniec and Cathy Engstrom, associate professor of higher education in the University’s School of Education.

The Upstate LSAMP alliance was formed 10 years ago to attract and maximize the number of potential students from underrepresented populations, specifically African-American, Latino American and Native American students in Upstate New York who are enrolled in STEM fields. It seeks to develop the next generation of innovators and grow a workforce that is both highly qualified for the knowledge economy and fully representative of the nation’s demographics.

Adrian Prieto

In this capacity, Prieto will work to secure major gifts from black and Latino alumni and increase overall giving among diverse alumni generally.��He will also work on corporate partnerships for the Coming Back Together reunion and the endowed scholarship fund, and on fundraisers and donor events.

Prieto comes to ���ϲ����� from Cornell University, where he established a strong record of success in a range of fund-raising and relationship-building roles with increasing levels of responsibility. He most recently served as assistant director for external relations for Cornell’s College of Business and assistant director for corporate relations for the School of Hotel Administration. In those capacities, he took a lead role in corporate fund-raising in all areas of real estate at Cornell, managed two advisory boards, managed multiple company and corporate relationships, and generated fund support for large-scale events.

Prior to that, Prieto served as assistant director of the Annual Fund at Cornell’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. In that capacity, he focused on building strategic support for the Johnson School, cultivating and stewarding leadership gift donors and prospects, and managing the class agent program.

For the last two years, Prieto also has chaired the Alumni Affairs and Development Diversity Council at Cornell, a body dedicated to building awareness of, and promoting, diversity and inclusion at the university.

He also is proficient in Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin), which will help the Office of Program Development connect more personally with Latino and Asian alumni.

This map shows where the steps are closed and the alternate route that can be used.

The stairs leading from University Place up to the front of Crouse College will be closed to foot traffic through Aug. 15. During the construction work, all pedestrians should use the stairs in front of Maxwell Hall, located adjacent to Crouse College.

The closure, announced June 20��by the University’s Office of Campus Planning, Design, and Construction (CPDC), is necessitated by repair work now under way to the exterior of Crouse College. The work includes replacement of the building’s skylights and restoration to the demi-domes on the bell tower.

The closure does not affect vehicle traffic.

Campus community members who have any construction-related questions, comments, or suggestions may send them via e-mail to cpdc@syr.edu. Questions relating to accessibility should be directed to Aaron Hodukavich, director and ADA coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion, and Resolution Services, at 315.443.2377 or via e-mail at ajhoduka@syr.edu. More information on campus construction activity can be found on the CPDC website .

Launched in 2015, the undergraduate research program is designed to provide student scholars with the financial and academic support to sharpen their research skills by delving into a subject of their own choosing over a 10-week period during the summer break.

The selected students will each receive $2,000 to perform summer research.

“I’m delighted that we could again partner with the Student Association to provide support to undergraduates for summer research and creative work,” says Interim Vice President for Research Peter Vanable, who also serves as associate provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School. “The summer provides an ideal time for mentored experiences with our faculty. Often, such experiences are instrumental in inspiring career direction and plans for graduate training.”

Students are required to devote 20 hours per week to the research project and will have full access to the University’s libraries and its science and computing laboratories during their time on campus.

Following are the names of the students selected to receive the stipend, their major and school/college, and the topic of their research project.

Basil Adams, health and exercise science (School of Education): barriers to exercise in breast cancer survivors

David Adams, earth science (College of Arts and Sciences): thermobarometry—rock crystallization

Zachary Barlow, writing and rhetorical studies (College of Arts and Sciences): further development of an international archive of working-class writing in London

Casey Bell, biology and psychology (College of Arts and Sciences): tactile stimulation in children with autism spectrum disorder

Rafaela Evans, writing studies, rhetoric and composition (College of Arts and Sciences): cultural programming to blunt recruitment strategies of ISIS in Southern Tunisia

Emily Greer, architecture (School of Architecture): cognitive implications to occupants of a room with window glazing and façade

Abigail Hamilton, marketing, retail management, and political science (Whitman School, Maxwell School/College of Arts and Sciences): Documentary on political action of millennials

Claudia Heritage, biochemistry (College of Arts and Sciences; Renée Crown Honors Program): detecting hepatocellular carcinoma via PET scans

Austin Kriews, biochemistry (College of Arts and Sciences; Renée Crown Honors Program): detecting hepatocellular carcinoma via PET scans

Stephanie Velazquez Lopez, psychology, neuroscience (College of Arts and Sciences): research experience in the Stress, Use, and Personality Lab

Jennith Lucas, sociology, citizenship and civic engagement (College of Arts and Sciences/Maxwell School; Renée Crown Honors Program): cognitive and universal access of knowledge to people with intellectual disabilities

Alaine Marji, biochemistry, neuroscience (College of Arts and Sciences): effects of different substances on the formation of liquid crystals

Attila Melegh, aerospace engineering (College of Engineering and Computer Science): variable wing airfoil design

Josué Muñoz, television, radio, and film (Newhouse): exploration of the intergenerational gaps and disconnection within Mexican-American families and communities

Sabrina Rambaran, linguistics and psychology (College of Arts and Sciences): data analysis relating to productivity of using native or other languages in the teaching of a foreign or second language

Josephine Ryder, physics, secondary science education (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education): next generation science standards and understanding how future teachers’ ideas change over time

Kelsey Scott, anthropology (College of Arts and Sciences/Maxwell School; Renée Crown Honors Program): study of proteins that affect the expression of lupus in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abby Rose Sugnet, magazine journalism (Newhouse): liberal transformation among millennial Christians

Emma Walen, biology and forensic science (College of Arts and Sciences; Renée Crown Honors Program): mutations in C. elegans neurons and phenotypic effects

Caitlin White, biochemistry, neuroscience (College of Arts and Sciences; Renée Crown Honors Program): biochemical properties related to the effects of the estrogen estradiol on memory

Student applications for the research stipend were reviewed by a faculty panel in April, and the final recipients were selected by Vanable.

The draft report has been posted on a dedicated website——where members of the campus community can log in with their NetID, review the draft, and submit feedback relating to the content. The report is organized by chapter, with Chapter Four encompassing the most critical component of the report—the findings of the working teams charged with assessing ���ϲ�����’s compliance with Middle States’ seven “standards of excellence.” The chapter comprises sections dedicated to each of the seven standards and an eighth section relating to compliance with federal regulations.

Readers are advised to read an entire chapter before submitting any comment relating to that chapter.

The report will remain posted until Sept. 22, after which final edits will be made with consideration given to campus community feedback. The final draft report will be submitted to Middle States by Dec. 22, and that document will be used as the basis for a campus visit by representatives of peer universities in spring 2018.

Middle States accreditation is required in order for the University to be eligible to receive any federal funds, including federal financial aid for students. Accreditation also serves as a public indicator of quality and accountability, and that the University is operating in accordance with its mission and vision and higher education best practices.

For more information on the reaccreditation process at ���ϲ�����, visit . To access the report directly, go to .

The visit is one of the culminating requirements of the University’s participation in the 13^th cohort of ACE’s Internationalization Laboratory. The University was invited to join the cohort in 2015, and the commitment runs through this spring.

The visiting team, which will be on campus May 2-3, will be led by Barbara Hill, senior associate for internationalization for ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement. Also visiting will be Hilary Landorf, professor, director of global learning initiatives and executive director of the Comparative and International Education Society at Florida International University; and David Fleshler, vice provost for international affairs at Case Western Reserve University.

“The purpose of this visit is to share collegial advice regarding the progress we have made over the last two years as a member of the ACE Internationalization Laboratory,” says Mehrzad Boroujerdi, provost faculty fellow for internationalization. “Their feedback will help advance our thinking on the multifaceted issue of comprehensive internationalization.” Boroujerdi co-chairs the University’s Internationalization Council along with Margaret Himley, associate provost for international education and engagement.

Among other activities, the team will meet with Chancellor Kent Syverud and Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, as well as other members of the University and academic leadership teams; tour the Slutzker Center for International Services and the Maxwell School’s Moynihan Institute for Global Affairs; and meet with the University’s Internationalization Council.

Membership in the ACE Internationalization Laboratory provides participating schools with guidance and support toward advancing institutional goals relating to internationalization. ���ϲ�����’s invitation to join the 13^th cohort followed on the heels of the University-wide strategic planning process, which identified internationalization as a key strategic goal. The plan called for a comprehensive focus—encompassing programming and curricula, expanded study abroad opportunities, cultivating global literacy, and developing strategies for better integrating international students into campus life—so that all students “engage with the world” from the moment they arrive on campus.

“Having the opportunity to be a part of the ACE Internationalization Laboratory really dovetailed with the University’s own determination that this is an area of critical importance to the University and to the students who come here,” says Himley.��“The insights we gain from the ACE reviewers will further strengthen both our capacity and our resolve to prepare all��students, domestic and international,��for success as global citizens and professionals.”