���ϲ����� ranks No. 3 in Best for Veterans for Online Bachelor’s Programs of private universities for three consecutive years, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 Best Online Programs rankings.

���ϲ����� additionally ranked No. 7 for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs of private universities, and the AACSB-accredited , a partnership between the College of Professional Studies and the Whitman School of Management, ranked No. 1 in Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs of private universities.

“The rankings are a testament to the excellence of the College of Professional Studies staff and faculty—of consistently and without fail delivering online programs of exceedingly high quality with a differentiated level of student support,” says Michael Frasciello, dean of the College of Professional Studies. “Our third consecutive year ranked No. 3 for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans of private universities similarly demonstrates our unwavering commitment to establishing ���ϲ����� as an unrivaled ‘best place’ for veterans and military-connected students.”

These rankings are attributed to the University’s innovative degree and certificate programs developed for online learning by best-in-class faculty and instructional design and course development teams.

The College of Professional Studies is raising the bar for what it means to be an online learner by prioritizing student success through high-touch admissions, advising and financial aid counseling. Students gain the prestige and rigor of earning a degree from a top-tier R1 research institution with flexible, part-time online programs taught by University faculty.

To learn more about continuing online education, visit .

The Forever Orange Campaign raised nearly $1.6 billion that is transforming the University’s campus, accelerating academic excellence and expanding access to talented students from across the socioeconomic spectrum. (Photo by Joey Heslin)

With its most ambitious fundraising campaign in history now complete, ���ϲ����� today announced it surpassed the $1.5 billion goal of Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����, raising nearly $1.6 billion by the time it closed on Dec. 31, 2024. The funds generated have already had an unprecedented impact on ���ϲ�����—creating and transforming the University’s facilities and spaces, accelerating academic excellence and discovery, and expanding access to talented students from across the socioeconomic spectrum.

“I am grateful to everyone who helped us reach and exceed the ambitious goals of the Forever Orange Campaign,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The extraordinary generosity of so many is already having a profound impact—transforming our campus, driving academic excellence and providing life-changing opportunities for our students. The Forever Orange Campaign was a catalyst to convert big ideas into exciting realities. But none of it would have been possible without the passion, support and commitment of our Orange community.”

Mission Accomplished

Forever Orange fundraising eclipsed that of ���ϲ�����’s last three campaigns combined—a testament to the tenacity, spirit of giving and dedication of the Orange community. Launched five years ago, Forever Orange sought to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support from 125,000 donors and meaningfully engage 20% of alumni—and all three goals were exceeded. At campaign close, thanks to the generosity of 125,699 individual donors—including trustees, alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, families and friends—the Forever Orange Campaign raised a total of $1,590,234,203, and meaningful alumni engagement now exceeds 20.5%.

Accomplishments of Note

The funds raised will fuel research, support faculty recruitment, enhance world-class teaching and learning, expand financial aid, increase access to experiential learning and immersion programs, elevate the success of Orange Athletics, foster entrepreneurship and innovation and more for generations to come. As a result of the campaign:

• The University’s endowment more than doubled to $2.1 billion.
• The amount of financial support available to students dramatically increased due to the creation of more than 800 new scholarships.
• Bolstered by the Faculty Excellence Program, 117 faculty positions and fellowships were created, helping to advance ���ϲ�����’s status as a top-tier international research university.
• The schools, colleges and special units received more than $1.3 billion in direct support.
• The Lender Center for Social Justice and the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., were established.
• More than 200,000 veterans and members of the military-connected community benefited from the learning opportunities and programs offered through the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
• The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications was the recipient of the largest gift in ���ϲ�����’s history from the Newhouse family, cementing its position as the premier public communications school in the country.

Beyond the classroom, sweeping physical changes have transformed ���ϲ����� since the onset of the campaign. Among those are:

• The creation of the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building—the first, best and only facility on a college campus dedicated solely to the well-being of veterans, service members and their families.
• The transformation of Manley Field House into the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, a best-in-class facility dedicated to the personal, academic and athletic success of the University’s 600 Division 1 student-athletes.
• The revitalization of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center into a vibrant new center for student life with centralized student services, contemporary food offerings and collaborative gathering spaces and study areas.
• The renovation of the JMA Wireless Dome to create an unmatched student-athlete and fan experience; this includes the Miron Victory Court, which was dedicated in November and is now a dynamic space for gathering ahead of athletic events.
• The consolidation of all student health, wellness and recreation services into the new Barnes Center at The Arch, making access to holistic student resources and supports a more seamless experience.
• The construction of the Einhorn Family Walk, a pedestrian-focused promenade that eliminated a busy road and created a more functional, connected campus.
• The conversion of an existing campus space into the Barner-McDuffie House, a dynamic and community-oriented space that celebrates the Black student experience.

Powerful Orange Network

Growing and formalizing the University’s volunteer leadership structure was critical to the campaign’s success. Since the campaign’s launch in November 2019, the University’s alumni engagement office hosted more than 3,700 events and programs, which collectively engaged over 30,000 alumni. The campaign also relied on a powerful network of nearly 15,000 leadership volunteers who served on alumni club boards, advisory boards, regional councils and more. Many of these individuals worked behind the scenes for years before the campaign launch to galvanize their own networks—often including alumni, parents, families and friends.

“When we talk about a campaign’s success, we often focus on the goals and metrics. But campaigns are really built on relationships, trust and a shared belief in one’s mission,” says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “The Forever Orange Campaign didn’t begin with a dollar goal; it began with people who loved ���ϲ����� deeply enough to imagine its future and then make it real.”

The campaign was chaired by trustees Patricia Mautino ’64, G’66, Mike Thonis ’72 and the late H. John Riley Jr. ’61. Barlok expressed her deep appreciation for their partnership.

“Pat, Mike and John were recruited because our leadership sought ambitious people—visionaries and influencers who had a conviction that audacious goals were part of the Orange DNA. And I can’t imagine three individuals who better embodied these characteristics,” Barlok says. “We are grateful to them, to all our campaign volunteers and to our supporters. And we’re so excited for what’s ahead.”

About ���ϲ�����

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

���ϲ����� members included in the 2025 cohort are:

• , associate professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition and chair of the Humanities Council,
• , professor of practice in public relations and associate dean for strategic initiatives,
• , teaching professor, executive director of clinical education and executive director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic,
• , assistant dean for undergraduate programs,
• , assistant provost for arts and community programming, Office of Strategic Initiatives,

The program will kick off with a virtual event on Feb. 7, followed by three on-site sessions at Wake Forest University (March 26-28), the University of Miami (June 23-25) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Oct. 20-22).

The sessions will focus on leadership topics and trends in higher education while promoting leadership growth, awareness and effectiveness. Participating faculty members from all member institutions have received foundational leadership training and served at least one year in a relevant leadership role.

Examining Black life and culture through time and space, this year’s theme, “African Americans and Labor,” explores work and working of all kinds, free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary within the collective intersecting experiences of Black life and culture.

“This year’s Black History Month planning has been a labor of love,” says Cydavia Patterson, program coordinator and member of the Black History Month Committee. “The committee has put in long hours, lots of emails and phone calls and many back-to-back meetings. We hope this month inspires you to celebrate your heritage, revel in your history, practice cultural wellness and look for those who you can reach out to and reach back to.”

Calendar of Events

The campus community is invited to join these programs, events and discussions that began on Jan. 22 and continue through March 2.

“Black history is deeply ingrained in the foundation of this country, not just this month but year-round,” says Lael Pierce, assistant director of . “We honor the bravery, talent and contributions of the men and women who’ve excelled and enacted change in our society. Black history is American history.”

A complete listing of Black History Month events is available on the . Among the highlights:

• Friday, Jan. 31, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.:��
• Friday, Jan. 31, 7-9 p.m.:��
• Monday, Feb. 3, noon-2 p.m.:
• Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m.:��
• Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.:��
• Sunday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.:��
• Sunday, March 2, 6-9 p.m.:��

For questions or to learn more, contact by emailing BIPOCSS@syr.edu or calling 315.443.0228.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to provide feedback on the value of the resources and services offered by the Libraries.

is conducting two awareness and perception surveys: one directed to all ��and one directed to .�� The surveys, launched on Jan. 15, will remain open through Feb. 10.

Both surveys will allow the Libraries to benchmark against results and feedback received in 2020, when similar surveys were implemented. The surveys, which take about 10 minutes to complete, provide a gauge of the University community’s perception of the value of various resources and services offered by the Libraries, and an opportunity to gather open-ended responses about ways the Libraries can meet the changing needs of its users.

Information gathered from the surveys will be shared with the Libraries’ leadership and staff and will inform strategic direction.

���ϲ����� will honor eight distinguished members of the Orange community during the , which is being held on Friday, April 4, in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building (NVRC). All members of the community are invited to attend this complimentary program. Registration will open in February.

This annual event recognizes and celebrates the exceptional accomplishments of alumni and students who exemplify what it means to be Forever Orange.��The honorees were selected by the awards committee of the Board of Directors.��The committee will soon announce the 2025 Outstanding Future Alumni Award, which goes to a most deserving student.

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

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

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

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

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

The Outstanding Future Alumni Award honoree will be announced in February.

and plan to join us in April for the celebration.

ITS offers up the following advice should you receive one of these calls or emails:

• Government agencies and legitimate businesses will NEVER demand payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers;
• If you receive a threatening email or call, do not respond—immediately report it to the ITS Helpdesk (315.443.2677) for assistance;
• Verify any requests by contacting the agency directly using official contact details.

Carly DiFulvio Allen

While at Disney Theatrical Group, DiFulvio Allen served on the advisory committee for Ensemble, an employee-led network with the goal of fostering and celebrating an inclusive culture, and was the founding member and co-chair for a parents and caregivers sub-committee.

Prior to Disney Theatrical Group, DiFulvio Allen was the company manager for Roundabout Theatre Company at the Todd Haimes Theatre (formerly the American Airlines Theatre) for 25 Broadway productions. Highlights from her tenure at Roundabout include the original Broadway production of “The 39 Steps,” the Broadway revival of “On the Twentieth Century” with Kristen Chenoweth and the original Broadway production of “Violet” starring Sutton Foster.

“We are thrilled to welcome Carly to ���ϲ����� Stage,” says Bob Hupp, artistic director. “Her background in New York City nonprofit theatres, and her recent work with Disney Theatrical Group, are perfectly suited to the leadership role she’ll assume when she joins us in March. Carly’s experience, her Central New York roots and her people-centered approach to our work make her a dynamic and exceptional addition to Stage leadership. We’re excited to introduce her to everyone this spring, and I very much look forward to partnering with her to help ���ϲ����� Stage make the strongest possible contribution to the cultural life of Central New York.”

DiFulvio Allen’s arrival at ���ϲ����� Stage is a homecoming of sorts. A Rochester native, she received theatre management and integrated marketing communications degrees from Ithaca College.

“I am thrilled to be joining the remarkable team at ���ϲ����� Stage and returning to Central New York,” she says. “���ϲ����� Stage’s now 50-year legacy of quality and inspired storytelling is a testament to the support, enthusiasm and engagement of this vibrant community. I look forward to working together to explore new opportunities for expanding Stage’s vision of reimagining what is possible for regional theatre.”

���ϲ����� Stage board of trustees chair Richard Driscoll says DiFulvio Allen is an ideal match for the company with its relationship to both Central New Yorkers and the professional theatre community. “The Board of Directors is excited to welcome Carly DiFulvio Allen as our new managing director at ���ϲ����� Stage. Her deep experience in the theatre industry and ties to Central New York will make her a perfect partner with our Artistic Director Bob Hupp and the rest of Stage’s amazing staff,” he says.

Board of trustees president Herm Frazier echoes Driscoll’s sentiment. “I am confident Carly’s enthusiasm, coupled with her experience in theater will make her a perfect fit for ���ϲ����� Stage,” he says.

DiFulvio Allen’s hiring concludes an extensive nationwide search led by Management Consultants for the Arts, with longtime ���ϲ����� Stage board of trustees member and former board chair Nancy Green chairing the search committee.

The ���ϲ����� Stage 24/25 season continues this year with the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Primary Trust” by Eboni Booth (through Feb. 9), an Indiana Repertory Theatre co-production of “King James” by Rajiv Joseph (Feb. 26 to March 16), Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” by Kate Hamill (April 23 to May 11) and the Julie Lutz Cold Read world premiere of “The National Pastime” by Rogelio Martinez (June 11 to 29).

The program expands existing , offered on campus or at sites in the U.S., by broadening the scope of social justice research to include examinations with global dimensions. The research is customized to students’ interests and location. London is the inaugural site for the Lender Global program, which was announced last fall.

After arriving in the U.K., “Green Britain” course participants visited several environmentally designed and redeveloped sites in Wales, led by London Center instructor and ���ϲ����� Abroad’s community engagement specialist, and Lender Center Director . They toured the , , , , and to learn about geographies, ecosystems, climate challenges, environmental preservation policies and cultural practices, as well as sustainable design.

Stops in Wales included visiting the parliament building, which was designed for the best use of light and with many sustainability and conservation-minded features. (Photo by Becca Farnum)

The Lender Global student research fellows describe how their involvement in the program and participation in the course is already enlightening them on how environmental issues are treated worldwide.

Jude Bazerman

Jude Bazerman ’26 is a dual major in broadcast and digital journalism in the Newhouse School of Public Communications and geography in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He believes his study abroad experience in the U.K. and Europe in general—regions he says have long been at the forefront of positive environmental change—will support his goal of becoming a TV news reporter whose focus is consumer and environmental stories.

“This experience has been hands-on, and that’s how I like to learn, rather than in a classroom with a couple hundred other people. As someone studying outside the U.S. for the first time, I would not have put Wales and Cornwall on my bucket list. But interacting with Welsh people and exploring various sites in Wales has been fantastic.”

Bazerman says his experience so far has taught him how to pivot and how to keep an open mind about new possibilities. “Leaving London and traveling in Wales just a few days after our arrival here has helped me learn to adapt quickly. Becca Farnum has taught me not to write anything off before you’ve had the chance to learn about it and experience it. I’ve learned that you have to adapt on your toes and roll with whatever comes your way. Those are skills I will use after I graduate and in my career.”

Gabrielle McCafferty

Gabrielle McCafferty ’25,��a dual biology and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, plans to eventually earn a doctorate in physical therapy. She says she comes from an environmentally conscious family that has long participated in sustainability practices.

Her time in London and trip to Wales have provided a new awareness of how other countries approach environmental concerns, she says. “I’ve seen a lot of sustainability features here that you don’t see as much of in the United States. Recycling bins are located everywhere. There are no paper towel dispensers, only electric hand dryers. The Welsh parliament’s windowed design and water-operated heating and cooling system is the most sustainable building I’ve ever seen. It has shown me how the little things add up here and that the United Kingdom has a very firm grasp on the environment. It is obviously working on a very sustainable future.”

Abdulai Jibril Barrie

Abdulai Jibril Barrie ’26, an industrial and interaction design major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, plans a career in footwear and product design geared toward addressing community challenges and creating solutions.

He says past visits to Ecuador, Senegal, Egypt, Germany and Jordan, and time living in both Guinea and the United States, have informed him on how differently various countries can regard environmental issues. Visits to museums and historic sites since he’s been in London have shown him how history, culture, natural resources and politics affect the ways a locale addresses environmental issues, such as the coal industry’s importance in Wales, yet its eventual shutdown due to environmental concerns.

“I’ve learned that preserving the environment is not just about recycling. It’s also about saving the trees and the oceans, where much of our air comes from. I think educating kids from an early age about the environment can be quite impactful, too.”

The second Lender Global location, announced earlier this month, is Santiago, Chile. Students studying there during the 2025-26 academic year will focus on social justice reparations and remembrances for hundreds of thousands of victims of human rights violations during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet from 1973-90.

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

Sarah Willie-LeBreton, president of Smith College, was welcomed back to ���ϲ����� by a stadium filled with nearly 1,200 people for the 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Sunday—and she was happy to return to the place she had called home.

“Although I have not lived here for 50 years, ���ϲ�����, the place of my first days, lives in my heart,” she said.

Willie-LeBreton, the keynote speaker for the event held in the JMA Wireless Dome, is the daughter of the late Charles V. Willie G’57, H’92, ���ϲ�����’s first Black full professor, department chair and vice president. Willie was a classmate of King at Morehouse College and was instrumental in bringing King to the University in 1961 and 1965.

Chancellor Kent Syverud gave the welcoming remarks. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

The University’s Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, the largest of its kind on any college campus, seeks to honor the message and mission of King and is a direct expression of the University’s commitment to advancing academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. This year’s theme was “Living History.”

In his welcoming remarks, Chancellor Kent Syverud noted that many freedoms have been won through the work of King’s contemporaries and those who followed him.

“Challenges and injustices persist, but his message urges us to act,” Chancellor Syverud said. “When he spoke last here in Sims Hall in 1965, he said, ‘The time is always right to do right.’ I think that means now, too.”

Cultivating Spaces of Mutual Respect

During her address, Willie-LeBreton spoke of the transformation of colleges and universities over the past 60 years, and of the good that higher education puts into the public space as the country’s central economic, medical, artistic, intellectual, scientific and public policy engines and most respected export.

“The work of higher education is intertwined with the work in which King was engaged because in the United States, the work of the university campus has always been in generative tension with the work of democracy,” Willie-LeBreton said. “The subjects explored in the university quite literally drive us forward as a species.”

Guests enjoy dinner prior to the program. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

In current times, she said campuses have been tested. “Those of us who are educators must redouble our efforts to cultivate spaces that are mutually respectful as much as they are sites of rigorous learning,” she says. “We have to be with people who are different from us, and we have to stay in relationship with them.”

How to Honor Dr. King’s Legacy

Willie-LeBreton offered two ideas for how to honor King’s sacrifice.

First, she said, resist the narratives that assail our educational institutions. “The needs of our schools are great and our goals for them are greater,” she said.

Her second suggestion is to talk with people you might not choose as friends. “Find a neutral place, your public library branch, a cafe, an empty classroom, a diner,” she said. “Bring along two of your friends and two folks you suspect have opinions you don’t share, but with whom you have something in common.”

Willie-LeBreton encouraged the audience to honor education as “our human birthright” and cultivate “dignity by listening carefully to yourself and to others and then honoring what you hear.”

“If we do these things, we will bring fellowship to each other and the world neighborhood of which King spoke,” Willie-LeBreton said. “Take the baton and let’s give this lap our all in the relay race for justice.”

The evening’s program also included performances by the Community Choir and the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble, and the presentation of this year’s��Unsung Hero Awards.

The Community Choir performs a selection. The Black Celestial Choral Ensemble also performed during the evening. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

The 2025 Unsung Hero Award recipients were honored at the event. They included from left to right, Andrea-Rose Oates ’26, James K. Duah-Agyeman, Isaiah Pollard from the SCORE organization and Laurence Segal. Rodney Jackson, far right, accepted a posthumous award on behalf of his brother, Jamie Jackson. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

On Jan. 29, we bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon and usher in the Year of the Snake, which, according to the Chinese Zodiac, represents harvest, spirituality and good fortune. Lunar New Year celebrations last up to 15 days and include such various customs as gathering with family, preparing traditional foods, artistic performances and the gifting of red envelopes to pass on good fortune and blessings to the younger generations.

Students enjoy the 2024 Orange After Dark/Center for International Services Celebration

For international students on campus looking for a taste of home or for anyone who simply wants to celebrate a new beginning based on the lunar calendar, check out the following selection of Lunar New Year events being held on campus.

Tuesday, Jan. 28—Asian American Journalists Association Celebration

The will hold a Lunar New Year Celebration in Newhouse 1 Room 303 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be fun activities, delicious food and an amazing night planned for all!

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Food Services Pop-Up

Campus Dining centers will host pop-up events in all dining centers at dinnertime, with a build-your-own stir fry station featuring noodles, rice and extra toppings; dumplings and spring rolls.

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Newhouse International Students Association Tabling Event

The will host a tabling event in food.com, located on the second floor of Newhouse 3, from noon to 1 pm. Stop by to get your lucky red envelope and Asian treats to celebrate the Year of the Snake.

Friday, Jan. 31: School of Architecture Lunar New Year Celebration

A will be held in Slocum Hall from 5 to 7:30 p.m., organized by international students in the and Dean Michael Speaks.��Students can engage in a wide range of activities, such as knot tying, calligraphy, fortune scratch-offs, Chinese horoscopes and a photo booth. There will also be musical and vocal performances and a dancing dragon. Food, chocolate coins and traditional candies, and tea with Dean Speaks will be served.��A series of short faculty presentations on East Asian culture and architecture will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 31: Orange After Dark/Center for International Services Lunar New Year Celebration

��The campus community is invited to celebrate the Lunar New Year with Orange After Dark and the from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in 304 ABC Schine Student Center.��There will be a light Chinese buffet and activities, including making a Chinese lucky knot, creating PaperCut, origami, Wish Tree, chopstick bean relay race and calligraphy. Tickets can be obtained through the .

Friday, Feb. 7: Chinese United Student Association and Chinese Student and Scholars Association Chinese New Year Party

The and the will host a Chinese New Year Party at 6 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. There will be programs relating to Chinese culture, dance, martial arts and music.

Share Your Lunar New Year Photos With Us!

However you decide to celebrate—whether at the events mentioned above or elsewhere—send your photos to SU News! Email��newsphoto@syr.edu��and we’ll share a selection of Lunar New Year pictures in the weeks to come.

“This award is a testament to the Libraries’ and the University’s commitment to creating an environment that is welcoming to all. We are committed to ensuring that our services and resources are inclusive and accessible. This includes our campus surveys that inform our strategy to expand our collections and exhibitions to include previously excluded or underrepresented voices. Such efforts expose Libraries’ users to a multiplicity of life experiences, cultures and viewpoints, and encourages the use of inclusive curricular materials across campus. Receiving this award is external acknowledgement that our actions�� align with our ethos and goals,” says David Seaman, dean of Libraries and University Librarian.

Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine, says “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”

The����hosts the ���ϲ����� Symposium, which encompasses a variety of art exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, workshops, musical performances and more. These events, open to ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff, along with the local community, inspire critical thinking about current issues and encourage reflection on personal values and beliefs, highlighting how the humanities can be applied in various real-world contexts.

The yearlong Symposium����with a series of events centered around this year’s theme, ‘community,’ as selected by the��. Continuing this spring, events will demonstrate how the humanities are essential for helping to create environments in which everyone can thrive, resulting in more inclusive communities and healthier and more just societies. Programming will also spark thoughtful discussions through unexpected juxtapositions, such as how sports and theater are vital to community-building, and how youth storytelling can be brought to life through film, music and dance. Explore the full slate of Symposium events below.

Spring Symposium Events

Sunday, February 2

��–��The�� (TwMC) collaborative will present a screening of works by ���ϲ�����-area high school students at the Watson Hall Theater. Films were shot using readily available tools like smartphones, illustrating that anyone can create impactful movies, regardless of their resources.

Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8

Resettled refugee youth from the����will host two storytelling events. On Feb. 7, the fellows����through poetry set to music by Iraqi composer Ameen Mokdad, performed by Cuatro Puntos musicians and Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet dancers, choreographed by ECB artistic director Elisa Schroth. On Feb. 8, the poets, composer, choreographer, musicians and dancers will facilitate a��.

Narratio storytelling event (Photo by Edward Grattan)

Wednesday, February 26

��– In this event presented by ���ϲ����� Stage, former ���ϲ����� athletes Eric Devendorf (basketball) and Eric Jackson (football) will discuss the role of sports in building community and how it can result in unexpected friendships and lasting connections. The panel discussion, in conjunction with the play��,��will be moderated by��, an instructor of Spanish in A&S and former editor at ESPNDeportes.com and ESPN.com.

Thursday, March 6

��–��, associate professor of teacher education and school improvement at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, will explore pathways and possibilities for justice-oriented, community-based and youth-engaged teaching and learning in the context of today’s polarizing political climate.

Tuesday, March 18

Two related events will spotlight Gertrude Berg, the groundbreaking writer-actress who created the serial comedy-drama��The Rise of the Goldbergs��(1929), later known as��. ���ϲ����� Trustee Professor����“” viewing series will feature radio and television screenings of Berg’s work, co-curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Emily Nussbaum. Later that day, Nussbaum will use archival letters from the Special Collections Research Center’s Gertrude Berg Papers to��.

Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4

Patricia Spears Jones

New York State Poet Laureate����will host a reading of her works and a craft-focused discussion. On April 3, Spears Jones will����at the ���ϲ����� Downtown YMCA’s Shinder Theater. On April 4, she will����in conversation with students and fans of poetry in the campus community. Space for that talk is limited. To register, contact��Phil Memmer, executive director of the Arts and Education Branch of the YMCA of CNY, by March 28.

Saturday, April 5

��–��Film director Will Fraser will share excerpts from his two decades of work producing documentaries and films related to the pipe organ. He will also join a panel of organists to discuss the instrument’s future.

.

Choolaah Makes Campus and New York State Debut��

Opening at food.com in the Newhouse Complex and at the Goldstein Food Hall in the Goldstein Student Center, Choolaah brings delicious, fast-casual Indian BBQ to campus. Guests can build their own power bowl or naan wrap, choosing a savory protein and fresh toppings, with options to add flavorful sides and specialty drinks. There are plenty of selections for vegans, vegetarians, and those who need gluten-free options. South Campus’ Food Hall location will be open for dinner from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The food.com location will be open for lunch and dinner from Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gluten Free and Halal Options Available in Every Dining Center

New this semester is the expanded availability of options for . Campus Dining’s registered dietitian, Ashley Leone, worked with dining center staff to create an area for Halal meals in each dining center. At Brockway, Sadler, Ernie Davis, Shaw and Graham, students needing Halal meals will find a protein, starch and vegetable option daily. At the Orange dining center, Halal meals will be made to order. Students can order ahead by calling 315.443.9750 or emailing Orangehall@groups.syr.edu to have their Halal meal prepared and ready when they arrive.

Gluten-free entrees and sides will still be available at every dining center. After experimenting with a made-to-order system last semester, Leone heard plenty of feedback from students with gluten sensitivities. While gluten-free meals can still be prepared made-to-order (and will continue to be prepared on an as-needed basis at the Orange dining center), Brockway, Sadler, Ernie Davis, Shaw and Graham dining centers will now have gluten-free options on the line, prepared ahead of time for students who need a faster option.

Residential Dining Adds New Selections, Pop-Ups, Longer Weekend Brunch

Following up on suggestions from students, the six residential dining centers will expand the number of special pop-up events they host each semester. Dining center visitors can expect special dinners to celebrate the Lunar New Year, Earth Week, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, among others.

Breakfast has also changed: every day, every dining center now offers self-made-to-order Belgian waffles, with a custom ���ϲ����� design built into the waffle iron. Weekend brunch hours have been extended: dining centers will open at 9 a.m. and will offer a full brunch menu through 3 p.m.

During the first week of the semester, Ernie Davis dining center debuted a Southern fried chicken concept, which has already proven popular with diners. Perfectly Southern, which features mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes and fried chicken—both breast and tender option—is available Monday through Wednesday for lunch and dinner. Campus Dining will look to expand this offering to other dining centers if this option continues to be well received.

Limited Time Offers and Extended Hours

Panda Express in the Schine Student Center is set to unveil three enticing, limited-time entrees throughout the spring semester. Firecracker steak and shrimp will debut on March 5, wok-fired shrimp will launch on May 28 and hot orange chicken will be available on July 9. The Schine Dunkin’ is currently serving the brown sugar shakin’ espresso, featuring a double-shot of espresso, oat milk and brown sugar syrup that is hand-shaken to create a light and frothy texture. Additionally, Yella’s at food.com is extending its hours and will now be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Inn Complete

The University’s campus pub (located on Skytop Road on South Campus) will be open nearly every Thursday and Friday evening from 3 to 8 p.m. during the semester. Its features made-to-order small bites, handhelds and flatbreads.

All campus community members are invited to visit for happy hour, when the pub will offer a rotating selection of wine and beer to guests ages 21 and over, along with plenty of board games, game tables, seating for dining and socializing and cozy spots to sit by a fireplace. As the weather warms, outside patio and deck seating will also be available.

In addition to its regular hours, the Inn Complete will continue to host catered events and departmental gatherings. To book an event, please contact the at 315.443.3605 to learn more.

Kenny will meet with students participating in the and the�� for an informal chat about how neurodiversity is a creative superpower. He will also speak to the broader campus community about his experience growing up in ���ϲ�����, connecting with like-minded creatives and his career trajectory.

Kenny, an award-winning voice actor, has also appeared on HBO’s “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” and has voiced characters on animated shows like “Rocko’s Modern Life,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and “CatDog.” He will share his experience on the skills needed to embark on an entrepreneurial journey and how to find your own creative voice, inspiring a new generation to learn more about content creation, storytelling and audience engagement.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

• 9:30-10:45 a.m.: Visit with Intelligence ++ Class and InclusiveU students. Location: Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, Bird Library. Media may listen to class discussion (please contact media@syr.edu to schedule).
• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Informal discussion and Q&A (open to the campus community and the media) on “Creative Entrepreneurial Journey,” featuring Tom Kenny and moderated by Oscar Arce (founder of Los Angeles-based Master Talent Agency) and Paul Kozlowski (writer, actor, artist, comedian and founder of the FAKE Gallery in Hollywood and the AKE Gallery in Cortland, New York). Location: Martin J. Whitman School of Management Grand Flaum Hall.

Kenny’s visit is being sponsored by , the Intelligence++ Program, the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education (InclusiveU), the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Pictured from left to right: Steven Blatt, Sarah Reckess and Suzette Meléndez.

The College of Law is adding the ���ϲ����� Medical Legal Partnership (SLMP) to its Office of Clinical Legal Education starting with the Spring 2025 semester. Professor Suzette Meléndez will be the co-director of the new clinic along with of Upstate University Hospital and Professor of Upstate Medical University.

The SMLP is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the pediatric unit at SUNY Upstate Medical University and ���ϲ�����’s College of Law. SMLP provides legal advocacy to improve the overall health and well-being of vulnerable patient populations. SMLP also works to achieve systemic change through the multidisciplinary education of law students, medical students, residents and other professionals whose expertise is important to this goal. Doctors and lawyers will learn to work collaboratively to attain favorable outcomes for patients. Through this partnership, patients receive critical legal assistance while professionals learn about using community resources and employing cooperative strategies to benefit patients and clients in their practices.

“The main goal of the SMLP is to educate law students about the role lawyers can play in positively affecting the lives of children facing significant medical and sociological obstacles,” says Meléndez. “Likewise, we hope to educate medical and social work professionals in how to best work with legal representation to deliver the best patient outcomes.”

The SMLP combines a clinical offering and the Child Health Policy and Legal Practice course for students interested in developing legal skills and policy analysis in children’s health. Students will provide non-litigation legal services (intake, advice, research and referrals) for a busy pediatric clinic in ���ϲ����� around legal issues that impact healthcare access and outcomes. This may include children’s access to education, safe housing, medical equipment, family court issues, government aid programs, transition-age youth and more. Special populations served by SMLP will be patients who have complex medical needs and patients who are aging out of pediatric health care and social services and need to preserve their legal rights.

“The SLMP is a unique approach to bridging the legal and sociological gap among a vulnerable population that is often faced with navigating the complicated systems during a crisis,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98. “Likewise, ���ϲ����� Law students will gain critical skills such as interviewing clients and researching legal and policy solutions that are invaluable to their legal careers.”

Students can register for the clinic when they select classes for the Spring 2025 semester. Students enrolled in the SMLP must be co-enrolled in Child Health Policy and Legal Practice as the classroom component of this experiential course.

The College of Law now offers students the opportunity to participate in eight clinics: Bankruptcy, Betty & Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Criminal Defense, Disability Rights, Housing, Sherman F. Levey ’57, L’59 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, ���ϲ����� Legal Medical Partnership and Transactional Law.

The Libraries now offer fifteen read and publish agreements, which expand the reach of researchers’ scholarly contributions by enabling all University-affiliated authors to publish their work open access at no charge to the authors. Open access allows for anyone to use these scholarly works, free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions for further use, thereby exponentially increasing the reach and impact of the University authors’ works.

• the agreement with Taylor & Francis enables University-affiliated authors to publish their work open in hybrid and fully open access journals, including Routledge titles;
• the agreement with Elsevier allows University-affiliated authors to publish openly in all eligible Core Hybrid journals;
• the agreement with De Gruyter allows University-affiliated authors to publish openly in hybrid, gold open access and subscribe to open titles.

“The expanded disciplinary coverage of these agreements ensures that cutting-edge research across the humanities, sciences and social sciences reaches a global audience, bolstering ���ϲ����� Libraries’ commitment to advancing open scholarship and maximizing the global impact of scholarship produced at SU,” said Dylan Mohr, open scholarship librarian.

More information and instructions on how authors can take advantage of these agreements can be found in the .

Stephen Maisto (left) and Jennifer Ross

College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Associate Dean of Research (ADR) returns to his research program after serving as ADR since October 2023. The ADR’s responsibilities include advancing the College’s mission by collaborating with faculty to increase grant funding and research expenditures and ensuring that the College’s research activities align with the University’s and A&S’ Academic and Strategic Plans (ASPs).

“Professor Maisto served as associate dean of research at a critical time as I came up to speed as a new dean,” says Dean Behzad Mortazavi. “I’m very grateful for his counsel and expertise during that crucial period, and for helping to position us well as we look to operationalize A&S’ new academic strategic plan.”

Stephen Maisto

Since joining the ���ϲ����� faculty in 1994, Maisto has focused much of his research on assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders. His cutting-edge work also extends to HIV prevention and intervention. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications and secured over $50 million in research funding.

Maisto has held several leadership positions at the University, with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) centers and other professional organizations throughout his career, including serving as director of clinical training and interim department chair of the Department of Psychology. An accomplished professor, mentor and researcher during his nearly three decades at the University, Maisto received the Chancellor’s Citation Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018 and was awarded emeritus status in 2020.

Prior to joining the University faculty, Maisto taught at Vanderbilt University, Brown University Medical School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He received an M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed a postdoctoral specialization in clinical psychology in 1985 at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Maisto is also Board Certified in Clinical Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Jennifer Ross

, professor of physics, has assumed the role of Associate Dean for Creativity, Scholarship and Research effective Jan. 1. In this new capacity, Ross will oversee efforts to increase research productivity, applications for funding, prize and award nominations and research expenditures. She will also work to enhance communication among interdisciplinary and convergent groups of faculty, and to ensure that faculty feel more supported and connected to the research mission of their departments and the shared mission of the entire College.

Ross has been a faculty member in the Department of Physics since 2019, serving as chair from 2020 to 2024. An award-winning biophysicist, she researches how cells organize their insides without a manager. By harnessing the fundamental and autonomous physics principles of biological cells, her group is working toward designing and creating next-generation materials inspired and empowered by biology.

Grants from government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and several private foundations, have funded her research. Ross��has been honored with numerous awards and professional recognitions, including being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society, a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation, a recipient of the Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award from the Biophysical Society and a recipient of the National Science Foundation INSPIRE Award.

Through her advocacy for diversifying STEM, Ross has been part of the EUREKA! summer program, working with middle and high school girls to teach them about science, health and self-care. She also co-leads the (SUPER-Tech SHIP), which offers paid science internships at the University to students and recent graduates from the ���ϲ����� City School District.

Prior to joining ���ϲ�����’s faculty, Ross was a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 2007 to 2019. She received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Professor Charles Willie, left, with Martin Luther King Jr. during Dr. King’s visit to ���ϲ����� in the summer of 1965.

Willie-LeBreton’s father, Charles V. Willie G’57, H’92, ���ϲ�����’s first Black full professor, department chair and vice president, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were friends since their time as classmates at Morehouse College.

When King spoke on the ���ϲ����� campus on July 15, 1965, Charles Willie introduced his friend to a crowd of more than 1,000 people.

Willie told the audience that if he and his wife, Mary Sue (Conklin) Willie ’59, were ever blessed with a male heir, they would name him Martin: “in honor of Martin Buber, whose life was devoted to reconciling gentile and Jew, and in honor of Martin King, whose life is devoted to reconciling Negroes and whites.”

The comment proved to be prophetic. As the Willies escorted King back to the ���ϲ����� airport, King asked Mary Sue if she was expecting. When Mary Sue said yes, King leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “My mother didn’t wash that cheek for a week!” says Willie-LeBreton, who was 2 years old at the time.

Five months later, the couple welcomed a son, Martin.

The anecdote demonstrates how interconnected we all are, says Willie-LeBreton, who will reflect on King’s legacy during the Jan. 26 celebration in the JMA Wireless Dome. It also perfectly represents the theme of this year’s celebration, “Living History.”

“It’s hard to put into words how special this is. I was so moved to receive the invitation, and it did feel like a full circle moment, knowing that my dad had invited Dr. King to speak at ���ϲ����� and now I’m speaking on campus as part of this special celebration of Dr. King,” says Willie-LeBreton, a distinguished administrator, scholar and sociologist who studies social inequality and race and ethnicity. “There are all these wonderful and lovely connections, and I am excited to honor Dr. King.”

, the largest of its kind on any college campus, are still available for the program.

Sarah Willie-LeBreton

Willie-LeBreton sat down with SU News to discuss her father’s impact, how she cultivated her leadership skills and what inspires her work in higher education.

What kind of impact did your father’s work have on you?

I was inspired by and enthralled by my dad’s career from an early age. He came home every night from work, which until I was 10 years old was from ���ϲ�����, and talked about his workday, the issues that were going on on campus and the topics he was wrestling with around the politics of campus life. I found that fascinating.

Most of our family vacations would happen around sociology conferences, and at a certain point I started attending some of the sessions, especially the ones where he presented. I remember feeling not just proud of him—he was really an extraordinary thinker and speaker—but being pulled into the topics of the conversations he was having, the dialogue between the panelists and the questions coming from the audience.

How did your parents emphasize the importance of conflict resolution and help nurture your leadership skills?

As an interracial couple who met in 1959 and married in 1962, my parents faced a good deal of discrimination. But they did not believe in shielding us from the difficult conflicts and conversations they experienced. They wanted us to see how they engaged those conflicts.

Charles and Mary Sue Willie and their daughter, Sarah Willie-LeBreton.

My siblings and I were not allowed to storm out of a room or slam a door if we had an argument or a conflict. The expectation was we would hash out the issue together. We had a family council that met Sunday nights to talk about our issues, but we also watched our parents engage in both community building and conflict resolution as part of their personal and professional lives. Seeing how our parents willingly engaged with conflict and searched for a resolution resonated with us.

My parents expected us to share our special skills with others, they expected us to continue to grow throughout our lives and that, as part of that growth, we would become leaders in our communities.

What fuels and motivates your work in higher education?

I’ve long been interested in inequality, whether it’s racial, sex/gender, class, sexual orientation, religion or nationality. That led me to teach courses on race and ethnicity on every campus where I have spent time. Along the way, I got very interested in working with departments about how they can better serve students and the college as a whole. That combination led me to be thinking more about what the student, faculty and staff experience is like on campus in terms of inequality.

Excellence in research, scholarship, creativity and the quality of the residential experience for students depends on having people from a variety of backgrounds, a variety of learning styles and a variety of approaches to the different kinds of intellectual conundrums with which we wrestle.

On the budget front, the good news is we are running a balanced budget in FY25. We’re six months into that, almost seven. The challenge is that it is going to be difficult to do the same thing for FY26, which starts on July 1, 2025. It is going to be difficult because of significant headwinds, including health care costs, labor costs, the changing landscape in athletics, and master’s and international enrollment. I think producing a balanced budget for FY26, which we are required to do over the course of this semester, will require or really mandate some tough choices to keep our university strong, but we’re working through it.

On enrollment, I am pleased to report that both new first-year and transfer undergraduate enrollment for spring 2025 exceeded goals, with wonderful groups of students This semester ���ϲ����� received 35 new starting first-year students in January. Our goal was 30. And we received 90 new transfer students. Our goal was 75.

Looking toward next year, this past Jan. 5 was the deadline for fall 2025 undergraduate first-year applications. Once again, for the fifth consecutive year, ���ϲ����� received a record number of first-year undergraduate applications. More than 46,000 have applied to be part of our academic community.

Undergraduate transfer applications for fall 2025 also are trending up from last year at this time.

There is a lot of work still to do before we welcome our first-year undergraduate class in August. But these are really good signs that we have a strong pool of applicants. It’s at a time where a growing number of our peers do not, and are facing undergraduate enrollment shortfalls and much more budget uncertainty as a result.

Turning to the fundraising campaign, the Forever Orange Campaign, which we launched publicly in November 2019, the campaign closed on Dec. 31, 2024, a couple weeks ago. The campaign exceeded its goals in every category. The total raised was $1.59 billion, $90 million dollars beyond our goal. We reached this milestone with support from 125,699 unique donors, which was nearly 700 donors above our goal. And alumni engagement in the University over the course of the campaign increased to 20.5%. That’s roughly a doubling of alumni engagement over where we were at the start of the campaign, and half a percent above our goal. Most importantly, it means thousands of alumni from every school and college are now more involved and invested in the future of ���ϲ�����.

I am really grateful to a lot of people who helped us get to this point. That includes Chief Advancement Officer Tracy Barlok and all the hardworking team in Advancement, but also the deans in the schools and colleges and their teams. Thanks also to all the faculty and staff across the University who shared their groundbreaking work, their stories, their teaching, who helped and mentored students, who inspired alumni, parents, friends, and a very substantial number of current students, to give. I also have to acknowledge the hard work of so many of our students who let us tell their stories and who helped us in reaching out to donors, alumni, and friends. I think the campaign has changed the University significantly, not just in state-of-the-art new facilities that advance our academic goals, but also in real improvements to the student experience and lots of initiatives to support the faculty, including new chairs and research funds. We’re going talk more later in the spring about what comes next for fundraising. But for now, it seems like a good time to just celebrate what was by far the most successful fundraising campaign in the University’s history.

The last thing I want to say is I think it’s important for all of us to acknowledge not just the horrible fires that have devastated the Los Angeles area, but how many members of our community have been involved. We had many students in our SULA center a week prior to classes starting here on campus, at the height of the fires. Fortunately, the new SULA center, and the areas where our students reside, were never in evacuation zones. But many of our alumni, many of our students from the LA area, and some of our staff were very seriously affected. It was a lot of work to ensure we had plans for taking care of our students and our alumni and friends in case we needed to move quickly.

I want to thank the academic affairs team, public safety team, and communications team, who worked closely with the people on the ground in Los Angeles for ���ϲ�����, and especially the dedicated faculty and staff in the center, who focused on our students when they had their own serious worries. We are very fortunate to have that team in Los Angeles.

I wish everyone a successful spring semester. I am looking forward to questions after the provost’s remarks. Thank you.

The 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Planning Committee is proud to announce the 2025 Unsung Hero Award winners: Andrea-Rose Oates ’26, James K. Duah-Agyeman G’99, Student Coalition on Race and Equity (SCORE), Laurence Segal and Jamie Jackson (posthumously).

The Unsung Hero Award is given to community members, students, faculty and staff who have made a positive impact on the lives of others but are not widely recognized for their contributions. The awards were created to honor Dr. King’s vision of creating positive change in a troubled world.

The award winners will be recognized at the 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 26, featuring keynote speaker Sarah Willie-LeBreton, president of Smith College. Tickets for the celebration are available��.

The Unsung Heroes are:

Andrea-Rose Oates ’26 (���ϲ����� student)

Oates, a public relations major in the and policy studies major in the and , has dedicated her life to community service, leadership and social justice. She is the president and founder of “Girlz Rize,” a nonprofit initiative focused on fighting for girls’ education opportunities.

Through her work last summer with NBCUniversal, Oates amplified underrepresented voices by highlighting community challenges and successes. Her summer internships with Comcast and Hilco Redevelopment Partners demonstrated her ability to translate corporate resources into meaningful community outreach.

Oates’ leadership roles at ���ϲ����� have included serving as president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Iota Upsilon chapter; co-secretary for the Black Student Union; events chair for the Women in Communications Club; a member of the Newhouse Student Representative Committee and an account associate for Hill Communications. She is dedicated to fostering inclusive, collaborative spaces that inspire academic and social growth and sustainable, generational change.

“Andrea-Rose doesn’t merely identify problems; she acts, empowering others to take part in solutions,” says nominator Diya Gupta. “Her actions reflect Dr. King’s enduring call to serve others and create a world where equity and justice prevail.”

James Duah-Agyeman G’99 (���ϲ����� Faculty/Staff)

Duah-Agyeman, former director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and special advisor to the Men of Color Initiative, has a 38-year record of achievement at ���ϲ�����—as a graduate student, teacher, academic counselor, administrator and leader.

“There are many who talk the talk of service, inclusion and integrity, but in the context of engagement with the world, Dr. D has walked the walk again and again,” says nominator Barry L. Wells. “In the process, he has set a powerful example for students, faculty, staff, and community members in how one person can make a significant difference in the development and expansion of a community that values service and inclusion.”

Duah-Agyeman most recently led Multicultural Affairs in developing programs to advance inclusion on the SU campus by creating best-in-class programs like the WellsLink Leadership Program; Dimensions, a peer mentoring program for women of color; and the Men of Color Initiative. He was instrumental in piloting and introducing the Conversations About Race and Ethnicity (C.A.R.E.) intergroup dialogue programs on campus. He also advocated for inclusion through his community work with Interfaith Works of Central New York and the Ghana Society of CNY.

Student Coalition on Race and Equity (SCORE) (Youth Community Organization)

��The Student Coalition on Race and Equity (SCORE) was launched in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd. SCORE harnesses the talent and leadership skills of high school students across Onondaga County to combat oppression and foster equity. It empowers youth, known as SCORE leaders, to educate adults on topics related to race and equity, sharing insights from their unique perspectives as young people.

After completing five weeks of training in equity-based topics and being equipped with the skills necessary to facilitate interactive workshops, SCORE Leaders take on the role of educators, leading workshop sessions for community stakeholders each August. SCORE has provided workshops on implicit bias and Black history to almost 3,000 community members.

“SCORE is a powerful program that not only centers and draws from the creativity and expertise of youth, but it also engages youth in meaningfully powerful professional experience,” says nominator Jenny Dombroske. “Our community is fortunate to have this access to the insights of youth and the opportunity to learn some of the hardest lessons from them, so that we may contribute to the future that they want for themselves.”

Laurence Segal (Community Member)

Segal quietly fights every single day for cancer patients, the homeless, the downtrodden and people the rest of society cast aside, says his brother and nominator, Andrew Segal.

Laurence has been known to stop his car and help stranded motorists, using his own AAA card to help them. Through his organization, , he has returned millions of bottles and cans for cancer patients and research and pulled millions of pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House of CNY. He hosts multiple every month that impact thousands of people, and he constantly strives to make the world a better place.

This summer, Segal cleaned up trash on city streets and passed out hot meals, cold drinks, sanitizers, masks and first aid kits to people experiencing homelessness. He has spent countless hours with cancer patients holding their hands while they go through chemotherapy, radiation and long hospital stays.

“He makes a difference constantly, but just chooses to keep it silent,” Andrew Segal says. “He is the gem of our family, and a gem in CNY.”

Jamie Jackson (Special Posthumous Recognition)

Jackson, a longtime employee with ���ϲ�����’s Parking and Transportation Services, was in a unique position to connect with almost every person on campus for over 20 years. He was assigned to the Quad lot outside Hendricks Chapel, where he offered assistance to campus visitors and befriended many members of the campus community. Jackson passed away unexpectedly in September 2024.

He was a graduate of Onondaga Community College and a U.S. Navy and U.S. Army veteran. In his obituary, he was remembered as a “wonderful son, beloved husband, fantastic father, a devoted veteran, terrific brother, great friend, kind uncle, good outdoorsman, strong record keeper and avid sports fan.”

Dara Harper, communications director at Hendricks Chapel, got to know Jackson well.

“In my opinion, Jamie’s role on campus was utterly unsung. He, a veteran, a dad, a confidante, a judge, a quiet and constant friend, touched every person on campus,” she says. “To tell you that he was the parking attendant limits his story to a singular piece of who he was. And for many of us, he is still just right outside.”

Jackson’s loss is felt every day on the University campus. “Jamie embodied the kindness, fortitude and patience that we all should strive for in this world,” says Harper. “He was a GOOD man, which is just the simplest way of saying that he was a hero.”

The Lender Global program was launched last year to offer students innovative research opportunities to examine social justice issues from a global perspective. The first cohort is studying environmental issues at the ���ϲ����� Abroad center in London now. In Santiago, student fellows will study the impact and consequences of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, which lasted from 1973 to 1990, during which more than 3,000 people died or disappeared, 200,000 suffered exile and 27,000 were tortured.

Three student fellowships will be awarded to students who plan to during the 2025-26 academic year. All students who have been accepted to study there via the OrangeAbroad portal will be invited to express interest in the fellowship project.

Information Session

An online information session about the program is scheduled Thursday, Jan. 30, from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. ET, with Mauricio Paredes, Santiago Center director. Students. interested in studying Spanish, human rights, engineering and/or collective memory in Santiago can register for the session .

for Fall 2025 semester ���ϲ����� Abroad programs are currently open and have a deadline of March 15. Applications for Spring 2026 abroad programs open on May 15.

Redress, Prevention

Student fellows will take courses about that period in Chilean history and will also work on a hands-on project at a memorial museum. They will also get involved with community members, share their new findings, enhance how victims are remembered and gain an understanding of how commemorative education can help redress and prevent human rights abuses.

Mauricio Paredes

The initiative will be led by Director , an expert on Chilean internment camps, nationalism and U.S. involvement in Chilean politics who teaches courses about human rights, political memory and Latin American dictatorships. He will teach the course, “Dictatorships, Human Rights and Historical Memory in Chile and the Southern Cone” and lead examinations of how the country has rebuilt art, culture and institutions since 1990. ��Paredes will also guide student fellows in enhancing a current display of victims of that time at Santiago’s (Museum of Memory and Human Rights). The museum documents the human rights violations committed by the State of Chile between 1973 and 1990 and provides those .

Parades’ viewpoint on the topic is unique. He is not only a scholar of the Pinochet dictatorship and the outcomes of that era, but was also a political prisoner of that government, so understands firsthand the impacts of political violence and the importance of social justice.

“One of the most important aspects of this project is its potential to demonstrate that abolishing democracy and installing terror as a means of accomplishing political goals will affect not only one’s political enemies but can also put everyone’s safety and integrity at risk,” Paredes says. “[This project] can serve as a reminder that once terror is unleashed, nobody is safe.”

Students chosen for Lender Global’s Santiago 2025-26 fellowship will conduct exhibit work at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. (Photo courtesy Museum of Memory and Human Rights)

Specialized Interests

Due to its unique nature, students who have specialized capabilities and interests that align with the project are encouraged to apply.

They include:

• A Spanish-speaking fellow to conduct an archival project exploring motivations for collateral killings and work with local collections and organizations to understand what happened to victims of the dictatorship (Fall 2025)
• An engineering fellow to work with a local technician to enhance a lighting system for the museum’s exhibit of victims’ photographs (Spring 2026)
• A design-centric fellow to develop materials that will be used to share research findings with broader audiences, comprising an enhanced display at the museum (and for later exhibit on the ���ϲ����� campus) (Spring 2026)

A group of students studying at the ���ϲ����� Santiago Center in 2023 visited the high peaks of Patagonia while there. Center Director Mauricio Paredes, third from left, accompanied them. (Photo courtesy ���ϲ����� Abroad)

, Lender Center director, says the Santiago program’s location and structure provide students a rare opportunity in the field of social justice studies to learn about the victims of political violence and mass death and get involved with the communities that experienced those atrocities. “This is such a powerful project and it brings together many of the key topics the Lender Center has engaged with in the past. It is exactly the kind of global perspective on social justice we seek to foster with the Lender Global partnership,” he says.

Audie Klotz

Founded in 1959, the ISA is comprised of more than 7,000 members around the world, including academics, practitioners, policy experts, private sector workers and independent researchers. A hub for the exchange of ideas, networking and programmatic initiatives, its conferences, virtual programs and sponsored journals (published by Oxford University Press) encompass a range of topics that foster the development of new ideas, relationships and skillsets.

Klotz will serve a three-year term—as president-elect, president and past-president—starting at the annual convention in March 2025. She previously served a two-year term as a vice president-elect and vice president (2016-2018), among other roles within the association.

Shana Kushner Gadarian, associate dean for research and professor of political science, praised Klotz for her selection and says she is highly qualified to lead the prestigious organization.

“Over the course of her career, Professor Klotz has developed a body of scholarship that is well-known and widely cited and that has influenced several distinct areas of research in political science and international studies,” Gadarian says, adding that the position will be mutually beneficial, as it will “create opportunities for Maxwell faculty and students to more deeply engage with critical international issues of our time.”

A specialist on global migration and international norms, Klotz has received awards and accolades for her scholarship and teaching, including the 2023 Wasserstrom Prize from ���ϲ�����, the 2020 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Organization Section of ISA, and the 2018 Distinguished Scholar Award from the Ethnicity, Nationalism and Migration Studies Section of ISA.

Klotz is the author of “Migration and National Identity in South Africa, 1860-2010” (Cambridge University Press, 2013), and Cornell University Press will publish a second edition of her book, “Norms in International Relations: The Struggle against Apartheid,” later this year. Her research has been supported with a Fulbright fellowship and by several funders including the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council and the MacArthur Foundation.

This story was written by Mikayla Melo

Andrew Joncas

Joncas is a visionary technology leader with over 25 years of experience in designing and implementing transformative IT and data strategies. During his tenure at the University, he has managed multimillion-dollar technology portfolios, driven AI-powered innovations and optimized data infrastructure to support academic and research excellence.

“Andrew brings deep technical knowledge and hands-on experience that perfectly aligns with this position,” Rubin says. “His expertise in AI and data innovation will help drive forward our university’s strategic goals in enterprise data management, enhancing both academic programs and operational capabilities.”

In his new role, Joncas will lead the strategic direction and operational execution of the University’s enterprise data and AI initiatives, including data access, governance, reporting and analysis.

“I’m thrilled to step into this new role and explore how we can harness the power of university data and artificial intelligence,” Joncas says. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to drive innovation and create transformative solutions for the entire University community.”

ITS will begin the search for Joncas’s successor as assistant vice president for infrastructure this month. In the interim, the ITS Infrastructure and Networking teams will report to Eric Sedore, associate vice president for information technology and chief technology officer.

Erin Cuevas (Boghosian Fellow 2024-2025)

Erin Cuevas

will teach the visiting critic studio, “Leotard 2.0: Redefining Performance,” which will extend the body into spatial architecture, exploring the performer’s body as a canvas for creating inhabitable, kinetic environments that embed social narratives within the wearables we design. Traditionally a functional garment that accentuates movement while maintaining freedom of motion, the quintessential ballet leotard will be the studio’s point of departure, beginning with a standard pattern and transforming it into an extension of the dancer’s body. Students will explore how the garment can complement and contrast movement while investigating the potential for wearables to mediate between body and space. Using both analog and digital media, they will refine and obsess their craft through detailed construction and tectonic experimentation. Throughout the course, students will investigate themes of embodiment and the potential for wearables to provoke social discourse on contemporary issues. Their final deliverable—a leotard garment to be photographed and captured on a dancer’s body—will bridge audience and performer relationships, becoming a canvas for discussion and interaction between parties. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the work, students will collaborate with experts in fields such as fashion design, dance, computational design, and film; workshops with these professionals will guide the process of constructing and evolving their apparel. This studio is co-enrolled with the in the , and students will work in collaborative groups.

Cuevas’ fellowship research will culminate in the form of a participatory public performance in the fall of 2025.

Sekou Cooke (sekou cooke STUDIO)

Sekou Cooke

will teach the visiting critic studio, “Community Collaborations: Urban Farms, Collaborative Design, and Prototyping,” which, partially funded by the at ���ϲ�����, is primarily invested in models of collaboration between community partners and designers, particularly urban farms around ���ϲ�����. While learning from multiple urban farms in the city, students will work directly with the community garden of the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in the Southside neighborhood of ���ϲ�����. They will assess the needs of the community garden for storage, shading, water collection, etc. then produce designs and full-scale prototypes for a new intervention on the site. Each design will be reviewed by local partners, stakeholders, and the directors of the Lender Center. Prototypes will also be displayed temporarily on-site for community feedback. To further familiarize themselves with the site, client, and community, students will dedicate their entire Tuesday studio session each week to working with local urban gardens providing any necessary volunteer services needed on those dates.

Alex Sheft and John Farrace (Sheft Farrace)

Alex Sheft and John Farrace

and will teach the visiting critic studio, “Brick Lust,” which will focus on the comprehensive design of a brick-and-mortar flagship store for “digitally native brands” in Los Angeles’ rapidly evolving Arts District in Downtown L.A. Conceived as an immersive introduction to retail design, the studio will delve into the history and core principles of store design while addressing the unique challenge of translating a brand’s digital identity into a compelling physical retail experience. Divided into four key phases—brand research dossier, retail lexicon, concept design pitch deck, and flagship store design—the course’s curriculum will go beyond design fundamentals, emphasizing practical strategies that architects can leverage to enhance their impact and agency throughout a project.

Farrace will give a on Tuesday, March 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the atrium of Slocum Hall.

Pablo Sequero (salazarsequeromedina)

Pablo Sequero

will teach the visiting critic studio, “Rural Assemblies: Climate, Affordability and Adaptation” which will explore the relationship between climate adaptation, affordability, and material assembly through the design of a series of small-scale additions to pre-existing vernacular structures. The studio will focus on the hinterlands of Spain, the so-called “Emptied Spain.” In the past decades, the rural exodus has left most towns and villages as ghost towns, currently struggling between depopulation, lack of infrastructure, and the climate emergency. These areas of high historic, ecological, and cultural value have also been subject to extreme weather events throughout 2024, highlighting their climate vulnerability. Heat waves, extreme drought and flash flooding continue to proliferate, including the most recent “Gota-fria” heavy rainfall storms that have caused severe damage. As cities remained resilient to these weather events, small and rural villages were almost destroyed. Further, the housing affordability crisis in metropolitan areas, mostly on the coast, and the accelerated depopulation of rural municipalities due to a lack of infrastructure, make the promise of reimagining the hinterlands a necessary utopia. For their explorations, students will travel to Madrid, Spain, and the hinterlands around the Madrid region, where they will visit, document, survey, and redraw a long list of recent remarkable case study projects—from adaptive re-use of historic structures, to projects that foreground circular initiatives and new materialities, to collectives that provide climate-resilient frameworks—for communities to reinhabit almost abandoned rural municipalities.

The liberal arts offerings through the (A&S) and the have always equipped students with the critical and creative thinking skills needed throughout their lifetimes.

Today, thanks to an important revision of the foundational (LAC), the two schools will offer a reimagined, robust and contemporary curriculum that will prepare students for adaptability and success in a constantly evolving world. The new LAC, slated to be implemented in the Fall 2025 semester, will apply only to those students matriculating beginning in the fall of 2025.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School will offer a reimagined, robust and contemporary curriculum that will prepare students for adaptability and success in a constantly evolving world.

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

Continuing to innovate as a leading higher education institution for and gaming in the United States, ���ϲ����� has officially opened its new, state-of-the-art Gaming and Esports Center—an exciting arena for competitors and those new to the action to take part in this ever-growing, evolving sports field. The community gaming space elevates the esports offerings at the University in support of student engagement opportunities and first-of-its-kind academic programming.

Pictured from left to right are Chancellor Kent Syverud, Braeden Cheverie-Leonard ’26, Gabriel Goodwin ’28, and Brianna Nechifor ’26.

“This new best-in-class esports center is an important milestone in a project that is still underway to make us the best university for esports and gaming,” said ���ϲ����� Chancellor and President , during its opening celebration Friday. “No other university of our stature is investing in esports like we are. This gives ���ϲ����� a unique opportunity to level up while others aren’t even in the game.”

The 5,800-square-foot center inside the Schine Student Center is the second recreational gaming and esports facility on campus. The esports gaming room at the Barnes Center at The Arch has attracted more than 100,000 visits by students since opening in 2019.

The new facility will allow even more students the opportunity to try their hand at esports and gaming while strengthening the University’s commitment to leading the way in esports through the creation of a space that sets the University apart from its peer institutions.

Joey Gawrysiak

The Gaming and Esports Center offers something for every member of the University community, says , executive director of esports, including the first-of-its-kind esports communications and management degree program, offered jointly by the����and the��.

The center will house the University’s competitive esports varsity teams and feature a long, elevated stage with 10 computers where teams square off in competition. Each computer has a camera attached to the top for live streaming, and there are two long, video boards running in front of and behind the stage, perfect for displaying match stats, graphics and video replays to the crowd of spectators seated in front of the stage.

The facility is also meant for gamers of all levels and interests. There are 24 high-end personal computers and assorted console gaming on systems like Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox, along with virtual and augmented reality offerings, two racing simulators, classic arcade games and tabletop gaming.

“We’re setting a new standard for what esports and gaming can be, and ���ϲ����� is embracing the impact esports and gaming can have at an institution of higher education,” Gawrysiak says. “This space shows that we’re innovative and that we have an eye on the future of gaming and esports. We’re using esports and gaming as an educational opportunity, and this facility is a showcase of all things gaming for all members of our campus community.”

A member of the University community tries out one of the racing simulators housed in the new Gaming and Esports Center. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)

The University and global esports and gaming organization have collaborated on a multi-year partnership designed to enhance student engagement opportunities and support the University’s esports degree program. Along with an opportunity to participate in an intensive, three-week study abroad program in South Korea, the partnership will bring Gen.G’s Campus Takeover conference and program to ���ϲ����� to celebrate the University’s Gaming and Esports Center.

The center also features a production area—where students can receive real-world experiences live streaming varsity and club esports competitions—and a space for student broadcasters to provide play-by-play and color commentary from the matches.

Will Delgado ’26 has been involved with esports since his first year on campus, first as a broadcaster and then as a content creator for the esports program’s social media channels. Delgado shot, edited and produced the esports promotional video that was shown during Friday’s grand opening.

Will Delgado

“This space is going to have a huge impact on the campus community. It will help educate and inform our students on the potential career opportunities presented by esports,” says Delgado, who is studying both supply chain management in the and television, radio and film in the .

“By getting involved with esports, students can walk away with career skills and experiences that will serve them well in this industry.�� I should know, as I want to merge my passions for gaming, esports and content creation into an esports career when I graduate,” says Delgado, who is a resident advisor for an esports-centric Living Learning Community in Haven Hall.

During the ceremony, ���ϲ�����’s Counter Strike 2 varsity team, which claimed a national championship from the National Association of Collegiate Esports, was honored with a trophy presentation that will proudly be displayed in the center. It’s the first of what Gawrysiak hopes is many trophies to come.

Later this summer, the University is launching construction on a competitive esports arena inside the Marley Building. The third esports venue on campus will provide real-world, professional experiences to esports student-athletes and to members of the esports academic degree program.

The Gaming and Esports Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week and is located immediately next to the campus bookstore. All games and experiences are free to play for members of the University community.

Members of the University community watch a competition featuring members of the ���ϲ����� esports team. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)

Merit scholarships that retain top first-year students. Fellowships that allow faculty to pursue their interests and bring emerging knowledge back into the classroom. Physical improvements to the , including Flaum Grand Hall, a centralized gathering place welcoming students and the entire Whitman community.

These are some examples of the impact made by the newly launched Whitman Leadership Circle (WLC), a philanthropic giving society created to transform the educational experience by harnessing the power and support of the Whitman School community.

The WLC was created as an opportunity for alumni, parents and friends to directly support Whitman through multi-year leadership commitments. In return, WLC members receive a personalized stewardship experience that includes special recognition, exclusive communication from the dean, invitations to speak at events and attend receptions, seminars and virtual meetings, unique gifts and apparel and opportunities to interact with students and faculty that not only thank them for their generosity but continue to enhance their commitment to the Whitman School’s mission and vision.

Alex McKelvie

“The launch of the Whitman Leadership Circle coincides with an exciting transformational time in our history,” says Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School. “The energy around the Whitman School is palpable, as we have seen our rankings reach the highest level in over 15 years, and, more importantly, have witnessed our students and faculty continue to succeed in the classroom, in their careers and in their communities.”

The official rollout of the WLC comes one year after the Whitman School restructured its advancement and external engagement team, including hiring Assistant Dean of Advancement and External Engagement Michael Paulus. The team’s goal over the past year? To recharge alumni, parents and others to raise the level of support for the Whitman School through new strategies and initiatives. The WLC is one example of how these new initiatives are coming to life, as it targets three essential pillars at the Whitman School: enhancing the student experience, providing faculty support and improving the learning environment and facilities.

Commitments to the WLC begin at $25,000 or more ($5,000 per year over five years) and can be designated to any restricted or unrestricted fund, ensuring a genuine connection to the area of education each chooses to support. The program encompasses six levels of commitment and extends up to $1 million or more.

“As I have had the opportunity to meet with more alumni, parents and other supporters from across the country, I am struck by the important role the Whitman School has played in their lives and how much they value Whitman as such a special place,” says Paulus. “The goal of the WLC is to harness that value into providing outstanding programs, as well as initiatives that make Whitman stand out and ensure that our students continue to get the best possible educational experience both in and outside of the classroom.”

To date, 70 donors have been recognized in the WLC cohort, including 32 who have pledged their support in the last six months during the silent phase of the WLC’s launch. Together during this time, these donors have generated over $4.7 million in new support for Whitman.

“Our goal for the future is to build a storied legacy and create an environment that is as vibrant as the students who enroll at Whitman and the faculty who teach here,” says , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School. “Our objective is bold, but our plan of action is specific, measurable and achievable. To ascend to excellence in business education will take a united Whitman community ready to commit to our shared vision— and the Whitman Leadership Circle is a vital component to that success.”

Visit the website to learn more about opportunities to make an impact, or complete the to learn how to become an essential part of the legacy of the Whitman School.

Leondra Tyler ’24 was the inaugural honoree of the Outstanding Future Alumni Award in 2024.

This prestigious honor recognizes a current student who exemplifies exceptional commitment to both the campus and local community through leadership, service and involvement beyond the classroom. The selected student has exactly what the ���ϲ����� Alumni Association envisions as a strong future graduate and representative of ���ϲ����� and what it means to be Forever Orange.

The award, presented alongside several other alumni honors, will be conferred during the ���ϲ����� Alumni Awards Celebration on Friday, April 4, 2025.

2024’s inaugural honoree, Leondra Tyler ’24, displayed exceptional involvement on and off the ���ϲ����� campus as a McNair Scholar, Our Time Has Come Scholar and Remembrance Scholar. Tyler graduated cum laude with dual degrees in neuroscience and psychology through the Part-Time Higher Education Opportunity Program. In addition to participating in several research projects on campus, ​​including a ���ϲ����� Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) research fellowship, she was also recognized for her work as a passionate leader with the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry.

The nomination form is open until Jan. 31, 2025, and anyone can .

For additional information or questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at 315.443.3258 or alumnievents@syr.edu.

Registration for the annual awards ceremony, which is free and open to the entire ���ϲ����� community, will open next month.

The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were chosen based on their leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects aimed at addressing a critical challenge or need in a community, profession or organization.

Ray Toenniessen

“I am honored to be selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar,” Toenniessen says. “This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from outstanding leaders across different sectors, exchange fresh ideas and collaborate on solutions to some of our country’s most pressing challenges. I’m eager to bring the knowledge and network gained through this program back to our work here at the D’Aniello IVMF, where we can continue driving meaningful impact for our nation’s service members, veterans and their families.”

Toenniessen, who served four years as a commissioned officer in the Army, leads more than 100 employees at the D’Aniello IVMF, both on campus and across the nation. He advances the Institute’s 16 national training programs and community services, its research and evaluation capabilities, its coalition for veteran-owned businesses and employers, the alumni and engagement network and the D’Aniello Institute’s policy work in Washington D.C.

Toenniessen’s work with the IVMF began upon his return to his alma mater in 2010 after transitioning out of the military, and he became the first national program manager of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans. In his time with the IVMF, he has been instrumental in the development and growth of the organization’s programs and services, which have impacted more than 230,000 service members, veterans and military family members.

“���ϲ����� and the D’Aniello IVMF are proud of Ray Toenniessen’s selection as a 2025 Presidential Leadership Scholar,” says , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF.��“Throughout his career, Ray has consistently advanced the interests of veterans and military families. We look forward to Ray’s continued leadership and significant contributions that only will be enhanced by his PLS experience.”

Throughout the program, Toenniessen and the other scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact.

Scholars have consistently reported remarkable growth in skills, responsibilities and opportunities for impact since the program began in 2015, including 96% of scholars reporting an improvement in how confidently they can lead social change, and 97% reporting they are inspired to accomplish more since beginning the program.

The 2025 program will begin on Jan. 29.

“Senior Class Marshals embody the spirit of academic excellence, personal growth and community engagement, representing the vibrant and inclusive experience of being Orange,” says Sheriah N. Dixon, associate vice president for the , Dean of Students and chair of the selection committee. “We encourage juniors to explore the process and apply to serve as representatives of the Class of 2026.”

In addition to leading their graduating class during Commencement, Senior Class Marshals help to recommend the Commencement speaker, participate in alumni networking, meet with a senior University administrator to discuss their student experience and offer insights and suggestions, represent their class at University-wide functions and more.

For more information about the role, including qualifications and instructions on how to apply, please visit the . The deadline to apply is Monday, Feb. 10.

For questions, contact Tracy Pierce at tmstark@syr.edu or call 315.443.3514.

A ���ϲ����� senior and an alumna were recently chosen for prestigious graduate fellowships that prepare students for careers in the Foreign Service.

Linda Baguma ’25, an international relations and political science major in the and , has been named a 2025 Rangel Fellow. Alexandria Johnson ’24, an international relations graduate from the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a 2025 Pickering Fellow.

The Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State where they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program supports fellows through two years of graduate study, domestic and overseas internships, mentoring and professional development activities.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship awards recipients two years of financial support, mentoring and professional development to prepare them for a career in the Foreign Service. Fellows will also complete a domestic internship at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and an overseas internship at a U.S. embassy.

Linda Baguma

Baguma, a 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar, participated in a Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (PPIA) at Carnegie Mellon University over the summer. Her interest in the Foreign Service started with her desire to build stronger relationships between the U.S. and Africa, especially in diplomacy and international security.

Baguma was born in Africa and raised in the United States and feels a strong connection to both places. “Growing up in a refugee camp and then resettling in the U.S. gave me a unique perspective on the importance of diplomacy in building stronger global relationships,” Baguma says. “It helped me understand how important it is to foster cooperation and support across nations and communities to create positive change in the world.”

In addition to her PPIA experience, Baguma spent the Fall 2024 semester studying in South Africa. “Studying abroad allowed me to see how international relations works in a country with a very different history and set of challenges. I learned about South Africa’s policies and how they impact local communities. This experience has made me even more excited about pursuing a career in the Foreign Service, particularly focused on improving U.S.-Africa relations,” she says.

“The Rangel Fellowship will give me the resources, mentorship and hands-on experience to deepen my knowledge of foreign service and diplomacy. It will provide me with training, internships and access to a network of professionals, all of which will help me develop the skills I need to navigate U.S. foreign policy,” Baguma says. “The chance to work in the U.S. Foreign Service will allow me to directly address global issues and contribute to solutions that benefit people around the world. With the Rangel Fellowship, I believe I will be in a stronger position to pursue my goal of working in international affairs, peace and security for Americans and the rest of the world.”

Alexandria��Johnson

Johnson’s interest in the Foreign Service was sparked in high school in Cleveland, Ohio. “I had the privilege to hear from a retired ambassador through the global studies program, which changed my perspective,” Johnson says. “The conversation helped me understand that there are more opportunities beyond my immediate community and it led me to research and learn more about U.S. foreign affairs and the Foreign Service.”

In the summer of 2022, Johnson interned at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, acting as a liaison between visiting professionals and professionals in her local community. “I learned a lot more about international relations and diplomacy, multilateral issues such as human rights and rule of law, my own city, and ultimately about myself. It was a challenging experience that I will never forget,” Johnson says.

In the spring of 2023, Johnson studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, where she interned with the Arab Center for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Education. She was also a 2023 Rangel Scholar, which funded a short-term summer program that gave her a comprehensive introduction to professions in U.S. foreign affairs. “I was surrounded by a cohort of 14 like-minded peers and I loved my experience. It inspired me to contribute my perspective as a Black woman from the Midwest to the field of diplomacy,” Johnson says. “The Rangel Summer Enrichment Program ultimately affirmed my commitment to pursuing a career in the Foreign Service to bridge global divides and advocate for inclusive and impactful diplomacy.”

“All of these experiences have taught me about diplomacy in different ways and have allowed me to make an impact. They all speak to a commitment to service in the field, which I will continue to strive for,” Johnson says.

Johnson currently works with the Truman Center for National Policy, a national security think tank in Washington, D.C. There, she focuses on subnational diplomacy and democracy building.

“The Pickering Fellowship will help me to attain my goal of public service. When I reflected on what I wanted out of a career, it had to be public service first and foremost. Coupled with my passion for foreign affairs, it is a perfect fit,” she says. “I hope to make positive change and to bring more awareness to what Foreign Service Officers do.”

Baguma and Johnson worked closely with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) on their applications and to prepare for their fellowship interviews. Students interested in learning more about the Pickering Fellowship and the Rangel Fellowship should contact CFSA.

The entire campus community is invited to participate in these four virtual events, which focus on key areas of the plan:

• Monday, Jan. 27, 3 to 4:15 p.m.: , facilitated by , associate provost for strategic initiatives, and��, associate vice president for academic operations
• Monday, Feb. 17, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: , facilitated by , vice president for research,��, associate provost for academic programs, and Dekaney
• Friday, March 21, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: , facilitated by Brown, Eiffe and Hasenwinkel
• Tuesday, April 29, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: , facilitated by Brown and��, professor of women’s and gender studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the ���ϲ����� Humanities Center

The town halls are designed to create an inclusive environment that promotes the sharing of diverse viewpoints, opinions and ideas, reflecting the participatory nature of the plan’s development during the 2022-23 academic year. Following an introductory presentation about the town hall topic, moderators will facilitate conversation centered on five key questions.

“These events will allow our community to come together to discuss progress on the plan and what it means for the future of the University,” says Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer in a message to the campus community. “We look forward to hearing from all of you.”

All events will be held on Zoom. To register, .

The competitive grant program, open to New York State-based individuals and teams who work in any of the design fields, helps to fund self-generated projects that seek to answer the question: Where can design go next? Recognizing design as an art form that can enhance our quality of life, the Independent Projects program seeks proposals that emphasize artistry and design excellence that may contribute to a broader understanding of design, and/or that advance a design discipline. Grants are made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

As part of the 2024 cycle, a panel of 10 designers and educators active in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, fashion, materials research and fabrication, history and preservation, graphic design, and community-centered design, selected 25 creative and research proposals to receive Independent Projects grants of $10,000 each.

Representing an array of locales, disciplines, formats and modes of practice, the selected projects demonstrate the potential for creative innovation and exemplify the program’s goal of making design accessible to the communities of New York state.

“Congratulations to our ���ϲ����� Architecture faculty on their selection for an Independent Projects grant by the Architectural League of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts,” says Michael Speaks, dean of the School of Architecture. “These prestigious grants will fund their forward-thinking design projects and research, reflecting the innovative mindset and strong commitment to social engagement that distinguishes our school.”

⁠Freeway Futures

���ϲ����� is fractured by the presence of the I-81 viaduct. As its demolition looms imminent, the interdisciplinary team of School of Architecture faculty and ; , assistant professor in the department of landscape architecture at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; and Yuting Fang and Gianna Rullo, School of Architecture student research interns, will work to design scenarios to assess the present condition of the freeway and to identify catalytic solutions for creating a sustainable and livable post-freeway future for the greater ���ϲ����� community. This process will culminate in an exhibition and strategic plan that will be disseminated to community collaborators.

“We are excited to be selected by the Architectural League of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts to take on this very important research for the Central New York region,” says Ali. “Although this grant will support the initial research, the ambition is to grow the work into a body of knowledge on systems thinking and strategies for approaching post-infrastructural sites through landscape remediation and civic-minded architecture.”

Birthing in Alabama: Design and Redesign of Reproduction

Featuring the work of School of Architecture Distinguished Professor , “Birthing in Alabama” is a research and design project about the historical, social and political dimensions of birthing, and engages the inherently political practice of architecture through this study. Consisting of an installation and a mockup of a wall section for the Alabama Birthing Center site, the project makes visible numerous structural inequities creating immense challenges to birthing healthcare across Alabama and brings the voices of those fighting to improve access into the conversation. The project is one of 25 site-specific, newly commissioned installations currently on view in the exhibition, “” at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York City.

“Being selected to receive a NYSCA grant is always an immense honor,” says Brown. “The award was instrumental in helping support my installation, Birthing in Alabama: Designing Spaces for Reproduction, for the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.”

In-Process: Alternative Methods in Reading Evolving Buildings

In-Process is an upcoming exhibition in the historic GereBlock building, a 150-year-old former warehouse in ���ϲ�����, New York, located along the Erie Canal. Designed by a collaborative team of seven architects— School of Architecture faculty , , and ; Rocio Crosetto, MIT Belluschi Fellow; Laura Salazar-Altobelli, assistant professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture; and Pablo Sequero, School of Architecture visiting critic—the exhibit highlights adaptive reuse and the cultural significance of underutilized industrial structures in post-industrial cities, inviting visitors to engage with strategies of continual adaptation and collective narratives in their own built environments.

Designed as an immersive experience, the project showcases innovative methods of documentation, analysis, and public engagement to transform perceptions of historic building stock, inspire similar preservation efforts in Central New York’s underserved communities, and to establish a framework for adaptive reuse that balances historical integrity with contemporary needs.

“As a collective of designers, educators, researchers, and practitioners committed to socially impactful projects, receiving this grant provides a platform to showcase our recent efforts in ���ϲ�����,” says Rodríguez. “The exhibition will serve as a valuable opportunity to deepen and expand conversations with community stakeholders, creatives, students, and policymakers, highlighting the importance of reimagining adaptive reuse in post-industrial cities across the United States.”

To view all of the 2024 Independent Projects grant recipients, visit . Continuing a successful collaboration since 2022, the League and NYSCA are pleased to once again partner to administer the Independent Projects program again in 2025.

���ϲ����� head football coach Fran Brown (center) is the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Newcomer Coach of the Year.

���ϲ����� head football coach is the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Newcomer Coach of the Year after his historic first season at the helm of the program.

Brown led the Orange to its first 10-win campaign since 2018 and just third double-digit win season since 2000. In the process, ���ϲ����� defeated three AP Top-25 teams at the time of their meeting, which was the most in a single season for the University since 1998.

All nine of ’Cuse’s victories came against teams that reached a bowl game this season, including eight in the regular season, which tied Texas for the national lead of most wins over bowl-eligible opponents. Brown’s squad also went 2-0 vs. teams ranked in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

The Orange saw a program-best 12 players earn All-ACC honors in 2024, despite the league now having 17 teams for the first time in conference history. Players shined under Brown’s tutelage, including Quarterback , who became the first ���ϲ����� player to finish in the top-10 of Heisman Trophy voting since Dwight Freeney in 2001 after his record-breaking campaign. McCord set a new ACC record for passing yards and school bests for completions, yards, touchdown passes and total offense.

Tight end earned AP All-America honors, while being part of a receiving corps that was the only school in the country to have four players with 60-plus catches. , , Gadsden and Jr. all accomplished the feat. Meeks went over 1,000 yards on the season, while Allen was one of two players nationally to have over 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. He led the nation in receptions by a running back.

Defensively, 10 different players came away with an interception on the season, freshman was named a Freshman All-American by 247Sports, and , and earned All-ACC honors.

Season Tickets for the 2025 season are on sale now at . Now is the time to renew your seats or become a new season ticket holder, as the Orange are coming off one of their best seasons in school history.

• Bird Library (open to all ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry affiliates with a valid user ID):
  • Monday through Thursday: 24 hours
  • Friday: Closes at 10 p.m.
  • Saturday: Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Sunday: Reopens at 10 a.m.
• The Special Collections Research Center (located on the sixth floor):
  • Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours Wednesday until 7 p.m.

• The Libraries will operate under reduced hours during Spring Break week (March 8-15) and extended hours during final exams (May 2-4).

As a congressionally designated depository for U.S. government documents, Bird Library is open to the public on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on weekends beginning at 10 a.m.

Serving as Universitywide faculty representatives, committee members advise the Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer and work to ensure consistent promotion and tenure processes and promote high academic standards. Members, who must be tenured full professors, serve two-year, staggered terms and are not eligible to serve consecutive terms.

Newly elected committee members are:

• , William Safire Professor of Modern Letters and University Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• , director, electrical engineering and computer science graduate program, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• , Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• , associate dean for academic affairs, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• , Albert & Betty Hill Endowed Professor, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• , Iris Magidson Endowed Professor of Design Leadership and director, School of Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts

Promotion and tenure cases that meet the criteria for review—for example, those that have substantial disagreement between layers of recommendation or a strong probability of a negative determination—are taken up by committee members. They offer an advisory vote to the provost but do not issue a formal report or consider appeals.

The committee is convened by Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Jamie Winders. Provost Lois Agnew is chair of the committee, and Vice President for Research Duncan Brown serves in an ex-officio capacity.

The student-run ’Cuse Baja organization participates in rugged, off-road vehicle competitions.

Assuming the position as the club’s leader, Storrs worked hard to rebuild ’Cuse Baja from the ground up, focusing on recruiting and training the next generation of engineers to take the wheel. Today, ‘Cuse Baja is a thriving student organization that actively competes across the country and the off-road vehicle that was nothing more than a simple frame is now breaking records.

“The development of our current car has been a long road. With a large amount of reverse-engineering and scrappiness, we managed to cobble together a functional car,” says Storrs.

Despite challenges in their early competitions, ’Cuse Baja didn’t let any roadblocks slow them down. In September 2024, the club would set new records at the Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) competition held in Michigan. After undergoing rigorous inspections, the team competed at different events that tested their vehicle’s acceleration, maneuverability, suspension and traction as well as rock-crawling ability.

The final event on the last day of the competition was the endurance race, where each team that passed inspections strives to complete as many laps as possible in 4 hours. ’Cuse Baja completed 15 laps, far exceeding the six laps they completed in a previous competition, making history with the best result from a University Baja team in more than 20 years.

“We had gone from having never been to a competition to being legitimately competitive in only one year,” says Storrs. “Prior to us, a Baja team from SU had not raced at a competition in 20 years, so we are enormously proud of our accomplishments.”

“This year was filled with many great successes allowing our team to meet multiple goals,” says aerospace engineering student Laney Price ’27. “However, when I look back at Michigan, I will not remember our scoring. I’ll remember the excitement our team felt and expressed during that week when we worked through many obstacles to reach that success.”

Through ’Cuse Baja, Storrs has connected with other students who share his passion for designing and building off-road vehicles and gained hands-on experience in engineering through machining and welding. As president and chief engineer, he has also developed valuable leadership skills that have strengthened his team-building and project-management abilities.

“Throughout my leadership, I have made it my number one priority to recruit and train the next generation of ’Cuse Baja members who will be able to grow the team after I have graduated,” says Storrs. “Our current success is due to the large influx of passionate and interested members over the past year, who have shown great initiative in learning and leading the team.”

“I became a member at the beginning of the 2023 school season and have witnessed ’Cuse Baja grow so much since I’ve been on the team,” says mechanical engineering student Riehen Walsh ’27. “With a new generation car being designed and an ever-growing connection with the local ���ϲ����� community, I look forward to seeing what the team can become in the upcoming years.”

Even as Storrs prepares to graduate, he believes the club will continue to thrive. “Baja and the other engineering teams are an invaluable addition to the ECS community, and are, in my opinion, undervalued. We provide practical and hands-on experience to students, which is something that cannot be taught in class. I hope that through our continued success and growth, we can further prove our value to the engineering community.”

A student works on an off-road vehicle as part of the ’Cuse Baja club.

Yage Huang

Huang recently obtained her doctor of juridical science (SJD) degree from Indiana University Bloomington and holds a master of law degree from China University of Political Science and Law.

Her research interests include criminal procedure law, evidence and human rights. In her position at the Law Library, Huang will provide legal research support, assist with researching and developing law collections, liaise with faculty and provide research instruction to law students, and promote library services to alumni and the local bar.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1931, Elman met his wife, Elise Barnett Elman ’52, while at ���ϲ�����, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. He went on to receive a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1955 and a master’s degree in history from New York University in 1970. Elman was the founder of the firm of Stark, Elman, Amron and Rosen in New York City and became a well-respected attorney over his 40-year career. More recently, he worked as a solo practitioner in New York City specializing in real estate law and banking.

Elman was also a member of the New York State and American bar associations and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, and he served as an active duty member of the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General Corps for three years. He was a trustee and board president of the Jewish Child Care Association of New York, as well as co-founder of two American history groups at the Harvard Club.

Always dedicated to his alma mater, he was a charter member of the A&S Board of Visitors, now called the��, for 20 years, where he served as chair of the executive committee, later becoming an emeritus board member. Elman also served on the University’s National Alumni Board and was chair of the Metropolitan New York Advisory Board. In 1996, he received the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

In 1988, he and his wife created the Richard Elman Memorial Fund in Creative Writing Endowment, in memory of his brother, who graduated from A&S in 1955 and became a distinguished author, novelist, poet and professor. The couple also established the Leonard S. and Elise B. Elman Fund for Creative Writing. Both funds allow two distinguished authors to hold a two-day residency at A&S annually as part of the��. Some of the most recent authors include novelist Anelise Chen, poet John Murillo, novelist Katie Katamura, poet Vievee Francis, author Illya Kaminsky and novelist Percival Everett.

“Len was one of the closest friends the creative writing program ever had. Coming from an eminent literary family himself, he wasn’t just generous, he was curious, and he loved to talk books and listen to writers he admired. He’s been one of us for a long time, and the many creative writing faculty who have been here a similarly long time are mourning his loss very personally,” says Associate Professor��, director of the creative writing program.

In 2016, Elman became president of The Phyllis Backer Foundation, Inc., which was supported by the estate of the late Phyllis Backer, a lifelong resident of Queens, New York, who established the foundation to support nonprofit organizations related to medicine or education with an emphasis on Jewish causes. Under Elman’s leadership, the foundation’s board voted unanimously in 2017 on a $1.5 million endowment to establish the����in the College of Arts and Sciences at ���ϲ�����.

At the time, Elman said he hoped the professorship would give students at the College “the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding on the interrelationships between ancient and contemporary Judaism through literature, philosophy, politics and language.” In 2020, the first Phyllis Backer Professor of Jewish Studies was hired, and, currently, Assistant Professor����holds the position.

“Thanks to Len’s time, dedication and generosity over the years, A&S has been able to bring numerous unique opportunities to our students,” says A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi. “From supporting our creative writing program so that students can learn from the nation’s top writers, to establishing the endowment for the Phyllis Backer Professor of Jewish Studies, which will help students become more engaged citizens, his influence has been incredibly important. A&S will be forever grateful to Len and Elise Elman.”

According to his obituary, Elman was known for his wry sense of humor, as well as his all-encompassing knowledge and his avid love of history. In his free time, he enjoyed being with family and friends, as well as theater, jazz, tennis, skiing and summers on East Hampton, Long Island. He is survived by his wife, Elise, of 71 years, as well as two children, Michael and Susan; a son-in-law, Joseph Ronson; and four grandchildren. A memorial service was held for Elman on Jan. 5 in New York City.

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Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the standard mileage rate is set at 70 cents per mile for business miles driven (up 3 cents from the 2024 rate of 67 cents per mile).

The rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

Employees with questions can reach out to the Comptroller’s Office at 314.443.3765.

This is the seventh year the Lender Center has awarded the two-year for research focused on a contemporary social issue. Faculty fellows work with a team of student research fellows. They receive $5,000 each year and $7,500 each of two summers for research support, plus another $5,000 to help publicize and present findings at the annual Lender Center symposium.

The fellowship is open to all full-time faculty members. Applications are due by Friday, April 11, at 5 p.m. Details about the and submission process are available on the��. Questions can be directed to��lendercenter@syr.edu.

“We encourage faculty to think of social justice in a broad sense and to develop projects that engage local, regional, national or global topics,” says Kendall Phillips, Lender Center director. “Lender Fellows projects have engaged a wide spectrum of social justice issues. Beyond providing support for research, this program creates a robust community of researchers, and past faculty and student fellows have described their programs as being rich, engaging and transformative experiences.”

Lender Center 2022-24 Faculty Fellow Mona Bhan, left, worked with doctoral students Aren Burnside, center, and ParKer Bryant on projects researching community impacts of artificial intelligence.

Previous Lender Faculty Fellows are:

• (2024-26), assistant professor of public health in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, who is researching the effects of redlining on employment.
• (2023-25), assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the , who is examining media coverage of Muslim people and communities and the impact of that coverage.
• (2022-24),��associate professor of anthropology and the Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies in the��, whose research used a cultural anthropology lens to assess how artificial intelligence (AI) weaponry and AI systems can transform the realities of autonomy, accountability, human rights and justice.
• (2021-23), associate dean for Research and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility; associate professor of environmental and interior design and Georgia Miller Associate Professor. She and her team studied whether the design and location of a new wellness center building affected whether the center reached its objectives.
• (2020-22), associate professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School, who continued the work of Evan Weissman, late associate professor of food studies and nutrition in Falk College, who researched the effectiveness of food systems in ���ϲ����� in meeting community needs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Casarae Gibson-Abdul-Ghani (2019-21), then an assistant professor of African American studies in the��, who researched the utilization of social media platforms as a way of uncovering social justice trends.

• “”
  • Thursday, Feb. 27, 5-6:30 p.m. in Bird Library, Room 114
  • Presented by , social science librarian
• “”
  • Wednesday, March 5, 5:30-7 p.m., online via Zoom
  • Presented by , librarian for the Newhouse School of Public Communications
• “”
  • Monday, March 17, 5-6:30 p.m., in Bird Library, Room 114
  • Presented by , assistant teaching professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• “”
  • Monday, March 24, 5-6:30 p.m., in Bird Library, Room 114
  • Presented by , open scholarship librarian, and , IVMF research and digital projects librarian
• “”
  • Tuesday, March 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in Bird Library, Room 114
  • Presented by , associate director for research and collections, College of Law Library, and , information literacy scholar, ���ϲ����� Libraries and reference assistant, College of Law Library
• “”
  • Wednesday, April 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in Bird Library, Room 114
  • Panelists include , associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; , associate professor of communications in the Newhouse School of Public Communications; , assistant teaching professor in the College of Arts and Sciences
• “”
  • Thursday, April 10, 6:30-7:45 p.m., Online via Zoom
  • Presented by , librarian in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and , online learning librarian

The inaugural event, “Life Together: A Community Conversation for Election Season and Beyond,” was held on campus on Oct. 22. Hundreds of University community members, including students, staff and faculty representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives, engaged in facilitated dialogue on important issues related to democracy, civic engagement, economic opportunity and the political climate. The event featured a moderated discussion among experts, followed by small group conversations led by trained facilitators who also were members of the campus community.

University community members engage in conversation during the October 2024 Life Together event (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The Life Together initiative is led by Gretchen Ritter, vice president for civic engagement and education; Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the ; and Tina Nabatchi, director of the Maxwell School’s (PARCC).

This next phase of the Life Together initiative includes several events planned for the Spring 2025 semester:

• Life Together Leadership Fellows: Ritter, in collaboration with PARCC, will lead a four-part training session for students, faculty and staff interested in developing the civic skills needed to promote democratic engagement in a diverse community. There will be four, two-hour required training sessions that focus on active listening, critical reasoning, inclusive advocacy and advancing the common good. for the Life Together Leadership Fellows program and are due by Jan. 31.
• “Civic Stories” Digital Storytelling Project: The project will collect and share personal and community-driven stories in the form of short video and audio recordings and reflective writing. “Civic Stories” aims to deepen our understanding and practice of civic engagement by humanizing complex issues, promoting empathy and connection, amplifying voices from marginalized communities, challenging assumptions and stereotypes, encouraging reflective dialogue, highlighting shared goals and collective action, and building civic identity and agency.
• Life Together Online Community Conversations Modules: Building on the fall’s facilitated community conversation, and in collaboration with PARCC and the College of Professional Studies, online modules will be developed that can be used to facilitate community conversations for members of the ���ϲ����� community who are not in residence in ���ϲ�����. The modules can also be used by instructors in various settings, such as part of the First Year Seminar curriculum for non-residential first-year students.
• Life Together Lecture Series: The series will bring speakers to campus who will deepen campus conversation and understanding around the initiative’s four critical civic engagement skills. Four colloquiums are expected to be offered in the spring.

��Further details on how the University community can participate will be shared early in the spring semester.

Tarky J. Lombardi Jr.

Longtime Board of Trustees member and dedicated University supporter Tarky J. Lombardi Jr. ’51, L’54, H’87 passed away peacefully on Nov. 24, 2024. Referred to simply as “Tarky” by all those who knew him in the Orange community and around Central New York, Lombardi was 95 years old.

Lombardi earned a bachelor’s degree from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1951 and a J.D. from the College of Law in 1954.��He was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from ���ϲ����� in 1987.

Appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1976, Lombardi served as a voting trustee for nearly three decades. He also served on the College of Law Board of Advisors, Falk College Board of Visitors and the National Alumni Association Board.��He was also co-chair of the Schine Student Center National Campaign and honorary chair of the College of Law Annual Fund. In addition, he supported various initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Law and ���ϲ����� Athletics. He was recognized in 1983 with the University’s highest alumni honor, the George Arents Award.

“Tarky was an incredibly dedicated public servant, a giant in Central New York politics,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Yet, no matter how busy he was legislating, lobbying and leading, Tarky could often be found in his Dome suite, cheering on his alma mater. The Dome is not only a place he helped get built, it is home to the spirit that drove his loyalty and passion for service to the Orange community.”

Lombardi was an avid ���ϲ����� Athletics supporter and longtime season ticket holder. His support started with the Orange Pack, the athletics fundraising arm founded in 1974, which became the Orange Club in 2006, and is now known as the ’Cuse Athletics Fund. He helped secure $15 million in state grants for the Dome’s construction.

Lombardi began his public service in 1959 when the Onondaga County Republican Party selected him to run for a seat on the ���ϲ����� Common Council. It was the first of what would mark many campaign victories. He served the Common Council for six years, including time as its majority leader. He eventually ran for statewide election and, in 1965, was elected New York State Senate representative for the 49th district. His district covered a large swath of Central New York situated almost entirely in Onondaga and Cortland counties.

He championed legislative efforts to contain health care and medical malpractice costs through medical malpractice reform and the creation of physician assistants and nurse practitioners. His signature piece of legislation was the Nursing Homes without Walls program—a pilot program that served as a model for other states and earned him recognition as Legislator of the Year from the National Association for Home Care. He chaired the Senate Health Committee from 1971 until 1989 and the Senate Finance Committee from 1989 until 1992.

Lombardi was similarly committed to supporting arts and culture initiatives, believing they were fundamental to a well-rounded education. He was chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Arts and helped re-codify the state’s art law. He became quite popular among members of the New York entertainment community and worked closely with celebrities like Kitty Carlisle Hart and Tony Randall on multiple legislative projects.��In 1986, he was named National Republican Legislator of the Year. In 1992, Lombardi retired from the Senate.

As special counsel to the law firm of Barclay Damon LLP in ���ϲ�����, Lombardi worked with clients in the energy, health care, insurance, telecommunications and transportation industries. His civic commitments included service on the boards of the New York Historical Society, ���ϲ����� Symphony Orchestra, ���ϲ����� Opera Company, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Advisory Board, WCNY Public Broadcasting, Loretto, Onondaga Community College Foundation, Landmark Theater Foundation, New York Historical Society in New York City and the New York State Council for Humanities.

Lombardi is survived by his wife, Marianne, and their children Tarky III; Jennine Lombardi Yonta G’92 (Whitman School); Marianne Lombardi Fogelson ’89 (College of Arts and Sciences), L’92; Michael ’91 (College of Arts and Sciences); and Rosemary; and eight grandchildren.

Carrying on his legacy, Lombardi’s family encourages memorial contributions to the ���ϲ����� Athletics Opportunity Fund in recognition of his commitment and passion for ���ϲ����� Athletics and his enduring love for supporting student-athletes, coaches and his alma mater.

Sydney Moore

The Blackstone LaunchPad at ���ϲ����� Libraries has awarded one $2,500 Student Start-Up Fund grant, formerly the Innovation Fund, for the Spring 2025 semester. Grants are awarded on a rolling basis to undergraduate and graduate students who need help moving an idea from concept to commercialization.

Sydney Moore G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Thrive Insights, received the grant. Thrive Insights hosts that informs and supports student-athletes with honest and engaging conversations about student-athlete issues. Sydney Moore, a Division 1 volleyball player, is the host. The podcast launched on all platforms on Dec. 9, 2024. The grant was used to help Moore incorporate the business.

Fund applicants define their need with identified outcomes within a set time. Initial money in the fund was provided by Jeffrey Rich L’67, a partner at Rich Michaelson Magaliff LLP, and a member of the ���ϲ����� Libraries Advisory Board. Rich provided a multi-year pledge of $25,000 per year for five years from 2020 to 2025.

“I wanted to contribute in a way that directly supports student new ventures and removes any obstacles to startup development,” says Jeffrey Rich.

The Economist described “Venice: The Remarkable History of the Lagoon City” (Oxford University Press, 2024) as “a sparkling account of Venice’s past and future” and said it “will become the history of choice for readers who want to better understand the lagoon city.”

In the book, Romano provides a comprehensive account of the political, economic, cultural, ecological, military and art history of Venice from the city’s origins to the present. Drawing from a wealth of archival material, he traces Venetian history across a long range, from the Ice Age emergence of the lagoon, its first permanent settlements and the rise of Venice’s maritime and commercial empire to industrialization, 20th-century fascism and contemporary tourism. In addition to covering elites like merchants and doges, the book offers portraits of Venetian commoners, drawing from documents such as diaries and last wills and testaments.

Emeritus Professor Dennis Romano

In an April��, The Economist wrote, “The result is a triumph.” It continued, “This is contemporary historical writing of the highest quality: clear, entertaining and yet academically rigorous.”

Romano has published eight books and over 20 articles on medieval Italy and Venetian history, politics, culture, art and kinship. He has received numerous grant awards spanning five decades from institutions such as the Guggenheim Foundation, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Gallery of Art and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Romano’s academic work explores medieval and Renaissance Italy, early modern Europe, and Venice’s social and cultural history.

Story by Mikayla Melo

Based on current conditions, the University expects to remain open and operational today.

Although ���ϲ����� rarely closes for inclement weather, individuals must make personal decisions based on a risk assessment related to travel. Employees are encouraged to take precautions and use good judgment when traveling to/from work. Faculty and staff concerned about their safety should contact their department chair or supervisor, respectively.

Any change in the University’s operating status will be announced via the University’s emergency broadcast notification system and will carry the notice SU WEATHER ALERT. Please be sure your Orange Alert settings are always up to date in MySlice.

SU WEATHER ALERT information will be announced via the following communications channels:

• via text message;
• via a “crawl” on campus TV monitors and University websites;
• on X: and ;
• on Facebook: and ;
• on news.syr.edu and ; and
• via ���ϲ����� public radio station and other local media outlets.

Only ���ϲ�����’s Internal Communications and Media Relations teams are authorized to transmit to the news media and the campus community announcements about closings, work-schedule changes or class-start delays.

To accommodate the space needed for the buses, permit holders in the Standart, Raynor and Henry lots are asked to park in Irving Avenue Garage on Jan. 9.

Please contact Parking and Transportation Services at 315.443.4652 or via email at parkmail@syr.edu with any questions or concerns.

Curated by Irina Savinetskaya, curator of early to pre-20th century, the exhibition showcases SCRC’s collection of predominantly Western European medieval manuscripts from the 13^th to the 16^th centuries, alongside examples of bookmaking from Persia, Japan and Ethiopia. The exhibition also features early printed and modern books inspired by the medieval book.

Medieval manuscripts have long fascinated the public with their hand-painted illuminations and decorated bindings. Often viewed as esoteric, precious works of art, they can seem largely inaccessible to all but specialists. Much more than treasures to be gazed upon, medieval manuscripts are dynamic and unique objects that hold a variety of stories, including about the natural and animal worlds, trade, religious movements and the everyday lives of their makers and owners. By examining how medieval books were made, used and reused by various individuals and communities, along with their place in modern imagination and book design, the exhibition explores the storied history behind the making of the medieval book.

The exhibition’s opening reception is on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 4:30-6 p.m. on the 6^th floor of Bird Library. Those interested in attending the reception can . Communication Access Realtime Translation will be provided at the reception. Those requiring other accommodations can email mlwagh@syr.edu by Jan. 20.

Here is how these attacks typically work and how you can protect yourself.

How The Attacks Work

• Spoofed emails: Attackers send emails that seem to originate from trusted peers or partners at other universities.
• Fake document links: The emails contain links you are expected to click on. Recent attacks have used the pretext that a document that needs to be shared is encrypted and, in order to decrypt it, you must log in to the link.
• Fraudulent validation: If recipients email the sender for confirmation because they are suspicious, attackers respond with reassuring but fake replies.
• Credential theft: Trusting the response, recipients enter their credentials into a counterfeit Microsoft login page at the other end of the link.
• MFA exploitation: The attackers harvest the credentials and use them to trigger a legitimate Microsoft multi-factor authentication (MFA) request, which victims will see in the Microsoft Authenticator app. Bad actors email their victims the two-digit code to enter into the app. If the victim enters it, the bad actors gain complete access to their accounts. If the victims use SMS as their MFA method, the bad actors will send an email trying to get the victim to send them the provided code.
• Account misuse: Attackers use compromised accounts to attempt changes to payroll direct deposit information and/or to launch further attacks from the victim’s email account.

Protect Yourself

• Be cautious of unexpected emails: Avoid clicking on links or providing information unless you are certain of the sender’s legitimacy.
• Validate by phone, not email: If you suspect a phishing attempt, verify directly by calling the sender. Never rely on email validation for suspicious requests.
• Beware of fraudulent MFA prompts: Be cautious of unusual MFA prompts or requests. Never enter codes from unknown sources. Microsoft MFA will never send the two-digit code via email. Any email claiming to provide such a code is fraudulent. If you use SMS as an MFA method, nobody will ever ask you for the code via text or email.
• Report phishing attempts immediately: You can use Outlook’s “Report Message” feature to flag suspicious emails.

Stay alert and reach out to the IT Security team (infosec@syr.edu) with any questions or concerns. Your vigilance is vital to keeping our community safe.

Campus Catering has launched a new online ordering system, CaterTrax.

Effective immediately, has launched a new online ordering system, , to improve the ordering experience for all Campus Catering and JMA Wireless Dome suites customers looking to place a catering order.

Among the changes:

• all activity and changes relating to a catering order are now tracked within the order, replacing the old email ticketing-based system;
• customers will be able to view all current and past order details and invoices directly in their account, making duplication of past orders a simple process;
• the system offers a streamlined ordering process, limiting miscommunication between customers and the Catering team and limiting order and delivery errors; and
• customers will have the ability to save payment options (chartstrings/credit cards) within their accounts.

To facilitate this transition, the Auxiliary Services training team is offering four different one-hour training sessions throughout January. All users are invited to attend the training session that is most convenient for their schedule. To attend, click the link for the session you prefer and follow the registration prompts.

• , from 2-3 p.m.;
• , from 10-11 a.m.;
• , from 1-2 p.m.; and
• , from 9-10 a.m.

Anyone with questions about the training sessions should contact Tori Budnik, auxiliary services training specialist, at vabudnik@syr.edu. Those with questions about the CaterTrax program should reach out to Campus Catering at catering@syr.edu or 315.443.3605.

Audra Weiss

When Weiss was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, she became a passionate advocate for early cancer detection and diagnosis, and holistic care. Weiss died Dec. 31, 2024, at the age of 57. Her husband Jim Weiss ’87 and their two children, Ethan and Emily, were at her side. “Audra was a quiet yet powerful force who walked through life exuding grace, strength and class,” .

Audra Weiss graduated from the , while her husband graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the . Jim Weiss founded Real Chemistry in 2001.

In 2012, a gift from Audra and Jim Weiss established the at the Newhouse School. The Weiss Center’s goal is to ensure students are immersed and educated in the digital world as they prepare for careers across the communications industries.

Nine years later, the Weisses for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new, state-of-the-art classroom established by a gift from Real Chemistry. The Emerging Insights Lab is a social media command center that serves as a central hub for the interfacing of digital media monitored and studied by students and faculty.

“Audra Weiss’ support meant so much to ���ϲ�����. She will always be remembered at Newhouse for her dedication to helping our students succeed, collaborating with Jim on mentorships, career advice, classroom visits or the many other ways they gave back big and small,” said Newhouse Dean Mark Lodato. “We mourn her passing and extend our deepest condolences to Jim, Ethan, Emily and the rest of the Weiss family.”

Born and raised on Long Island in Coram, New York, Audra Weiss worked in healthcare communications after graduating from Whitman. She connected with Jim through a mutual friend—they worked in the same field and shared a love for ���ϲ�����, though they never met while at school. They were married for nearly 25 years.

“She knew from the get-go that she’d happily trade in her stellar professional career for a lifelong role of motherhood.  She welcomed Ethan and Emily into the world and devoted herself to her calling,” her family said.

“Audra’s intellect and brilliance shined in the backdrop of Jim’s entrepreneurial quest to build a leading global communications firm,” the family said.  “As an advisor and confidant, Audra made her mark on the business that would become Real Chemistry. To her, success was a vehicle to do good—giving back through the ‘Weiss Family Office.’”

After being diagnosed with cancer, Weiss became a staunch advocate for the care of those living with cancer. She shared her wisdom about her cancer journey and connected with the Dempsey Center, joining the board of the organization founded by actor Patrick Dempsey. The Dempsey Center provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost.

The Weiss family said it would continue to advocate for early cancer detection and diagnosis, as well as advocating for treating cancer “holistically, not just with pharmaceuticals but with wraparound care that makes the journey a much better experience for patients and their families.”

Services will be held Jan. 8 in San Francisco, California. The family said donations in Weiss’ memory can be made to the , , and the . Read Audra Weiss’ .

Marianne Donley

Marianne Donley recently joined ���ϲ����� Libraries as the Physical Sciences Librarian in the Department of Research and Scholarship. In this role, Donley will be subject librarian for chemistry, forensic sciences, mathematics, and physics and astronomy.

Prior to joining ���ϲ����� Libraries, Donley worked as a health sciences library intern at Duquesne University while pursuing a master’s in library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Donley received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Villanova University and worked as a research and development scientist at Covestro LLC.

Kelly Delevan, at right, information literacy librarian and recipient of the 2024 Libraries’ Distinguished Service Award, is pictured with David Seaman, dean of Libraries and University librarian.

The award is a three-decade tradition recognizing Libraries’ staff who have made a significant contribution to both the Libraries and the broader University community. A cross-departmental panel of Libraries’ staff judged nomination entries and selected the recipient based on outstanding service to Libraries’ users, excellence in professional skills and significant contributions to the Libraries’ community. The Distinguished Service Award, which is open to all Libraries employees, allows peer recognition based on nominations, a recommendation from the person’s supervisor and recommendations from at least two members of the University community.

Delevan was selected as this year’s winner based on her strong and persistent commitment to excellence in education, mentorship and advancement of the field of library and information science. Delevan rebuilt and revitalized the Libraries’ instruction program, while championing information literacy as a shared competency for undergraduate students. She has fostered a culture of critical thinking while helping undergraduates build research skills and information fluency.

Delevan’s campus collaborations with the ���ϲ����� Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) and First Year Seminar have been incredibly impactful for undergraduate students. She developed workshops for students applying for SOURCE grants that include goal setting and project planning, skills important beyond their SOURCE participation. She also created a customized library research guide for First Year Seminar students that is now has a required assignment in all 200+ sections of the course. Additionally, Delevan created an online library tutorial for more than 90 athletic tutors to complete, which helps them better prepare the University’s student athletes.

Graduate students have also benefited from the Information Literacy Scholars program Delevan created that provides School of Information Studies students with substantive experiential learning opportunities, including instructional design. To date, twenty-four graduate students have benefited directly from Delevan’s knowledge, support and encouragement. learning by example and guidance how to become successful instructors.

Beyond engaging students at all levels, Delevan created a faculty professional development program, Information Literacy and Technological Agility (ILTA), to share with faculty how to incorporate these skills into their syllabi. This successful program is co-sponsored by Academic Affairs.

Collectively, these initiatives have established Delevan as a campus leader and beyond, with her workshops, lectures and writings widely recognized in the field of library and information studies and information literacy.

A past Information Literacy Scholar summarized Delevan’s work in this way: “Everything she does for her IL Scholars, for the students they teach together, and for our library community as a whole, without any expectation of recognition, makes her the perfect candidate for this award.”

faculty members , assistant professor of musical theatre, and , assistant professor of film, each won $10,000 NYSCA grants for their work.

Kathleen Wrinn

Wrinn is a musical theater performer, lyricist and librettist in the Department of Drama and founding artistic director of the department’s New Works/New Voices initiative. She earned the grant for her musical, “The Bridge, a New Musical Epic,” which was developed with the New Haven-based arts venture studio Midnight Oil Collective and was showcased at Yale University this fall.

Soudabeh Moradian is a director, producer, screenwriter and editor in the Department of Film and Media Arts. Her film, “,” is a psychological horror film exploring themes of trauma, misogyny and xenophobia.

Soudabeh Moradian

NYSCA grants also went to three University arts organizations:

• : $49,500 to support general theater productions
• (Punto de Contacto): $10,000 to support general operations
• : $10,000 to support a project by artists and .

Molina Martagon and McMillan will work in residence at Light Work in February. The project will be a participatory exploration of spirituality and emerging technologies, guiding viewers through a process of body-centered storytelling, digital avatar creation and motion-capture. The resulting work will be exhibited at Urban Video Project next fall.

This year, NYSCA to individuals and organizations. In the last six years, it has presented 302 capital grants totaling $92 million across 10 regions of the state to support visual, literary, performing and media arts organizations. NYSCA also supports individual artists and awarded grants to 426 of them last year.

A scene from “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at ���ϲ����� Stage.

Joey Gawrysiak, executive director of the esports degree program (left) and Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G (Photo courtesy of Gen.G)

���ϲ����� and global esports and gaming organization are collaborating on a multi-year partnership designed to enhance student engagement opportunities and support the University’s first-of-its-kind esports communications and management bachelor’s program.

The partnership will feature participation in the , which offers students the opportunity to take part in an intensive, three-week program to study in South Korea. The partnership will also bring Gen.G’s Campus Takeover conference and program to ���ϲ����� to celebrate the University’s soon-to-be-completed esports hub in the center of campus at the Schine Student Center. Campus Takeover events draw students, faculty, professional leaders and other stakeholders from around the world to discuss key issues and emerging trends in the esports and gaming industries.

���ϲ����� is the first��major university in the country to offer an esports bachelor’s program. The degree is offered jointly by the Newhouse School of Public Communications and��.

“As a leader in esports education, it is essential for ���ϲ����� to deliver to the right mix of academic excellence and hands-on experiences to our students,” says Joey Gawrysiak, executive director of the . “Given Gen.G’s outstanding track record of delivering educational programming that resonates with students, we look forward to building this important partnership in a growing field.”

The Gen.G Practicum Abroad program will offer ���ϲ����� students an expansive hands-on learning experience in the heart of the esports industry in South Korea. The program led by Gen.G professionals includes custom esports programming, mentorship by industry professionals, special lectures, industry “lunch-and-learns” and professional networking, all while immersing students in Korean culture and its history in esports. Students will visit competitive organizations and gaming publisher studios.

Students will also take part in Gen.G’s award-winning Campus Takeover event, which will be hosted for the first time on the ���ϲ����� campus in��fall 2025. The free-to-enter conference will focus on supporting the esports ecosystem in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, promoting academic, broadcast and competitive excellence through informative panels and seminars featuring industry professionals. The Campus Takeover at ���ϲ����� will also be the first to feature an innovative business case study competition.

“���ϲ����� and Gen.G believe education plays a critical role in the future development of esports and gaming globally, so we’re committed to delivering hands-on experiences for the students who seek a rewarding career in our industry,” says Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G. Hur and Yugina Yan, the company’s assistant director of operations for education will serve as development advisors to the ���ϲ�����’s esports program.

Last spring, Gen.G hosted industry lectures for students in the Department of Sport Management in Falk College and a marketing lecture exclusively for ���ϲ����� esports students during the League of Legends World Championships in Berlin.

Gen.G’s commitment to education is celebrating its fifth year with its Gen.G Foundation, a $1 million pledge over the next 10 years to advance the importance of education in the esports and gaming industry. The foundation awards scholarships to more than 40 students across the United States. Gen.G also operates the Gen.G Global Academy, the world’s first fully integrated academic esports program in Korea.

About Gen.G

United under #TigerNation, Gen.G’s core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. With an emphasis on education, DEI initiatives, and innovative partnerships, Gen.G is a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for gaming. Its unique portfolio of teams includes the Seoul Dynasty (Overwatch League), League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the Gen.G & Gen.G Black VALORANT teams, the PUBG Gen.G team, and the NBA2K’s Gen.G Tigers (the first non-NBA owned team in the NBA 2K League). Gen.G has also been a major proponent in seamlessly bringing in non-endemic brand partners to the world of gaming and esports, including 1Password, Burberry, Crocs, King’s Hawaiian, McDonald’s, Mobil1, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, and more. Gen.G also operates the Gen.G Global Academy, the world’s first fully-integrated academic esports program in Korea. Gen.G’s teams, content creators and corporate staff work out of their offices in Los Angeles, Seoul and Shanghai. For more information, visit GenG.gg or follow on Twitter @GenG.

���ϲ����� established the in 1989, one year after the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that claimed the lives of all 270 people on board, including who were returning from a semester studying abroad. Each Remembrance Scholar is paired with a victim and is tasked with honoring that individual and keeping their memory alive.

Miriam Luby Wolfe

When Sutherland found out she was accepted, she was studying abroad in India.

“I looked at my email and just immediately started crying,” says Sutherland, a public health major from St. Louis, Missouri. “It was instant honor and gratitude, but then as soon as you’re happy and excited, the next feeling that comes in is that weight and that heaviness of what that means to officially be a Remembrance Scholar.”

The news was equally emotional for Hulme, a public health major from Saratoga, California, whose grandfather had worked as a Pan Am pilot.

“I was on the phone with tech support for a computer problem when I got the email that I was selected as a Remembrance Scholar and I was so emotional I had to tell tech support I’d call them back,” Hulme says.

Miriam Luby Wolfe’s mother, Rosemary, sent this heartfelt note to Remembrance Scholar Alyssa Sutherland.

Sutherland’s scholarship is in honor of , a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts who had spent her semester in London interning at King’s Head Theatre and studying dance, dramatic literature, acting, voice and art history. Sutherland has connected through email with Miriam’s mother, Rosemary, who now lives in Hawaii. Rosemary sent Alyssa a copy of her book, “,” with a handwritten note, “For Alyssa, May life bring you many blessings. With love and Aloha! Rosemary.”

Hulme’s scholarship is in honor of , a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. He was an actor and athlete who competed on the ���ϲ����� men’s lacrosse team. Tabitha learned about Turhan’s life by spending time in the and having conversations with his friends, and she discovered almost kismet connections.

“There were so many commonalities between my life and his that I never expected to experience,” Hulme says. “In high school, he did journalism, and he got a national award for the type of journalism he did. It ended up that my father had actually received that same award when he was in high school.”

Turhan Michael Ergin

Sutherland and Hulme both share a strong dedication to service and intend to keep Miriam’s and Turhan’s memories with them throughout their lives. At this year’s , the two shared the following remarks:

Sutherland: “I lay this rose in memory of Miriam Luby Wolfe. I am acting forward by being a leader on campus and beyond. I am using my skills to promote and teach cultural competency as well as the importance of inclusivity and interdependence in every community.”

Hulme: “I lay this rose in honor of Turhan Michael Ergin. When I think of the profound impact of Pan Am Flight 103, I am reminded of the quote, ‘Grief is love with no place to go.’ This flight–meant to bring together family members, friends, beliefs, stories, cultures, and, above all else, love–has changed my perspective on action. As a pre-medical student studying public health and health humanities, I plan to act forward by pursuing a career as a physician focused on patient equity and forever a dedication to service.”

The annual Pan Am Flight 103 memorial service will be held at 2:03 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 21, at Hendricks Chapel (that is the time of the incident over Lockerbie). The service will begin in the chapel’s Noble Room, with attendees then processing to the Place of Remembrance.

Learn more about the and to be a Remembrance Scholar.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erica Kiduko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coach Mac’s daughters Janet Sweeney and Maureen MacPherson unveil the plaque for the Coach Mac Food Pantry at Hendricks Chapel. They were joined by their families, at left, and Chancellor Kent Syverud, College of Engineering and Computer Science Professor of Practice Dr. Ruth Chen, Sean McDonough ’84 and Vice President and Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol. (Photos by Zobayer Joti)

For 10 seasons, ���ϲ����� football coach Richard “Dick” MacPherson (Coach Mac) led his team on the gridiron–propelling ���ϲ����� Football back to the national powerhouse it once was. But it was the legendary football coach’s commitment to faith, family and the Orange that left an indelible mark on the ���ϲ����� community and the City of ���ϲ�����. Although Coach Mac passed away in 2017, his legacy lives on at ���ϲ����� and in the former student-athletes and students whose lives he touched.

Last month, members of the ���ϲ����� community, Coach Mac’s family and loved ones, former student-athletes and alumni gathered to celebrate the dedication of the at Hendricks Chapel. The devout Catholic and dedicated family man was born in 1930 amid the Great Depression, the eleventh of 12 children. Like so many families during that time, putting food on the table wasn’t easy. That’s an experience Coach Mac never forgot. And that’s why it is only fitting that nearly a century later, the food pantry at Hendricks Chapel, at his beloved ���ϲ�����, now bears his name.

Sean McDonough ’84 provided a lead gift for the renaming of the food pantry.

The naming of the food pantry was made possible by generous benefactors, including the lead gift from Sean McDonough ’84, longtime sportscaster and member of the Hendricks Chapel Advisory Board. McDonough met Coach Mac in the fall of 1980, worked for him for three and a half years as a work-study assistant, and maintained a special relationship with him.

“He became to me a father figure, a mentor, a shining example of how life should be lived, particularly by someone in the public eye,” McDonough says. “He was a Hall of Fame person who embodied his considerable Catholic faith through his abundant love and kindness. Much more than one of the greatest football coaches of all time, he was an all-time great as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, son, friend, mentor and a citizen of the world. He radiated God’s love in his interactions with everyone he encountered. He cared about everyone, everyone was and is important to Coach Mac. God is love. And Coach Mac was and is love.”

In recent years, McDonough, the MacPherson family and Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol began exploring ways to properly honor the man Coach Mac was off the field.

“We decided the food pantry would be the right place, the perfect place to honor Coach Mac and his life of compassionate care and service to others,” McDonough said. “In the place where faith is nourished and where people of many beliefs come to grow deeper in their faith.”

Cameron MacPherson ’16. G’18, Coach Mac’s grandson, looks at photos of his legendary grandfather.

In attendance at the naming ceremony and dedication were Chancellor Kent Syverud, Dr. Ruth Chen and members of the MacPherson family including Coach Mac’s daughters, Maureen MacPherson L’84 and Janet Sweeney ’85, G’92; son-in-law Greg Sweeney; and grandchildren Richard “Macky” MacPherson ’13, G’18, and his wife, Rachel, Cameron MacPherson ’16, G’18 and Suzy MacPherson ’20 and Molly Sweeney. Coach Mac’s wife, Sandra, who became a surrogate mom to many of Coach Mac’s players, died in January.

During his remarks, Konkol reflected on the significance of naming ceremonies. “Today we celebrate that the name of Richard MacPherson, Coach Mac, will be displayed here at Hendricks Chapel,” said Konkol. “We celebrate that from this day forward, more people will see his name. More people will be inspired by his name. Because more will associate his name with faith, with kindness, with generosity and with service.”

Coach Mac’s daughters, Janet Sweeney ’85, G’92 and Maureen MacPherson L’84, outside the food pantry named in honor of their father.

Chancellor Syverud recalled the first time he met Coach Mac, sharing breakfast together at the Chancellor’s House shortly after his arrival in ���ϲ����� in 2014.

“He did most of the talking, and he talked about three subjects: football, family and ���ϲ�����,” Chancellor Syverud recalled. “His greatest joy would be seeing the great human beings that each member of his family continues to be. What we’re doing right here is we’re honoring a good man.”

During the ceremony, a plaque that welcomes visitors to the food pantry was unveiled. Maureen MacPherson reflected on her father’s service off the field. “When he did food drives with the Salvation Army, it was personal to him. And for him to have this food pantry named after him, he’d be thrilled,” she said.

There are currently two food pantries on campus: the Coach Mac Food Pantry in Hendricks Chapel and another on South Campus. Both pantries rely on and donations.

Alison Murray, the chapel’s assistant dean for student assistance, is reminded daily of the importance of the food pantry. “Whenever someone supports the work of the pantry, they are directly supporting our students,” she said.

Leondra Tyler, Hendricks Chapel student engagement coordinator and a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, says “the Coach Mac Food Pantry plays an important role in the heart of campus in Hendricks Chapel. It allows students to have less worries, enhance their college experiences and succeed.”

Following the dedication ceremony, Coach Mac, who served as coach of the Orange from 1981-90, was inducted into the Ring of Honor during halftime of the Orange vs. Connecticut game in the JMA Wireless Dome.