Long lines of families turned out for support and shared their heartbreaking stories of evacuations and lost homes. Amid the sorrowful scene, Aga recalls watching a group of children playing tag and laughing in the parking lot while their mother waited in line for food and other provisions.

“It was just such a human moment in such a tragic, apocalyptic scenario that it just really struck me that this is something people are going to have to deal with for years, and it’s real people just trying to get through it,” says Aga, who has worked as a field representative in Chu’s Pasadena office for three years.

On the first day of the Eaton fire, Jan. 7, Aga fielded calls from residents who had evacuated, who had lost their homes, and who couldn’t find family members. Some had lost loved ones in the flames. Chu’s district, which covers most of northeastern Los Angeles county and serves nearly 750,000 residents, was heavily impacted by the Eaton Fire; it destroyed nearly 9,500 structures, scorched over 14,000 acres and claimed 17 lives before it was fully contained.

Maxwell alumnus Zayn Aga (pictured center, wearing a tie) is shown with colleagues during a visit to fire-ravaged Altadena, California, by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) and other lawmakers.

Aga was part of a team advocating for federal aid to support the affected community. They also assisted residents in receiving medical equipment and in recovering lost mail and other critical documents.

“It’s our job and our responsibility to make government work for people,” Aga says, adding that he strives to “make government work for somebody just a little bit better and be a little bit more accessible.”

Aga said he finds purpose in making a difference in small, meaningful ways. Despite evacuating his own home, he gathered supplies and drove across the city, visiting four different centers in search of one still accepting donations. One day he rounded up a lost dog and located its worried owner who had been searching since the fires.

“Helping people in a crisis, and exercising initiative and going the extra mile even when his own safety and property are being threatened, sounds so much like Zayn,” says , professor of political science. “He’s the complete Maxwell package—empathy, dedication to service and determination to improve government. I’m very proud of him.”

Aga says his Maxwell schooling helped prepare him to support others in times of need, reinforcing the importance of solving problems one step at a time. He said he gained especially valuable experience interning for U.S. Sen. Charles “Chuck” Schumer and U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi.

“At its core, this was all just people doing their best and trying to be there for one another,” says Aga of his experience.

Story by Mikayla Melo

Patrick Ahearn (Photo by Randi Baird Photography)

Ahearn serves on the School of Architecture Advisory Board, is a ���ϲ����� trustee and is a member of the ���ϲ����� Boston Regional Council.

Ahearn is founding principal of , an award-winning Boston-based architecture firm specializing in classic American architecture for contemporary living. For over 50 years, he has designed historically motivated private residences, which have advanced the art of place-making in some of America’s most desirable and storied destinations.

From an early age, Ahearn knew he wanted to be a designer, but his first passion wasn’t architecture—it was cars. Through his fascination with automobiles, Ahearn’s initial appreciation for the power of good design and the importance of scale, proportion and light was born. And while this interest in car design sparked Ahearn’s earliest aesthetic awareness, growing up in Levittown, New York—the nation’s first planned suburb—helped him understand how good architecture and urban design could improve people’s lives and foster a true sense of community.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in urban design from ���ϲ�����, Ahearn began his career in Boston, teaching at Boston Architectural College and designing for the Architects Collaborative and Benjamin Thompson & Associates. He worked on waterfront revival projects in Miami and Baltimore and new-build, mixed-use hotels and urban design initiatives in Cairo and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, along with renowned adaptive reuse projects including Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

In 1978, Ahearn founded Patrick Ahearn Architect. Over the next 20 years, he revived hundreds of historic townhouses in the then-struggling Back Bay neighborhood of Boston and reinvigorated the commercial corridor of Newbury Street. Ever mindful of scale, proportion and context, Ahearn worked carefully within zoning, conservation and community regulations to balance preservation concerns with the need to design structures that felt timeless—an enduring signature of his work today.

In the early 1990s, Ahearn expanded his practice to the community of Edgartown Village on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where much of his professional and personal energies were devoted for the better part of the three decades that followed. He has lent his expertise to more than 350 buildings—225 of them in the historic district alone—reimagining and redesigning many of Edgartown’s most notable private residences and public buildings. In the process transforming them into places and spaces for contemporary living, he has deftly blended them into the historic coastal landscape.

In the past 10 years, Ahearn’s commissions have taken him to locations farther afield, including California, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, Delaware, New York, New Jersey and Florida. Internationally he has designed residences on Vancouver Island and in both Australia and Scotland.

No matter the location, whether reviving centuries-old, landmarked structures along the coastlines or creating new homes that reimagine the local vernacular, Ahearn demonstrates an unparalleled ability to combine the romance of traditional architecture with the ideals of modernism. Through the practice of what he calls “narrative-driven architecture,” Ahearn creates a storyline for every home he restores, renovates or builds from the ground up.

Sensitive to the original spirit of every property and its surrounding neighborhood, Ahearn’s work ranges across a broad spectrum of project types, including master planning, new construction, historic renovation and restoration. His use of rich materials, artisanal craftsmanship and period details creates buildings that are so well suited to their context that they seem to have been built in the distant past.

Perhaps most importantly, Ahearn and his firm apply the “greater good theory”—a belief that architecture has the power to improve lives, increase happiness and encourage friendly and familiar interactions—to their work. This approach allows them to create what he calls “non-ego-driven architecture,” where the success of the project is judged on its capacity to enhance the public realm rather than on the architect’s singular design intentions.

Renowned for his skill and expertise, Ahearn has received many awards, including election to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows. His work has been featured in numerous publications and broadcast outlets, including Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, House Beautiful, HGTV and many others.

Ahearn is a registered architect in 19 states, the District of Columbia, and British Columbia, Canada, and has earned the NCARB Certificate. He is also professionally associated with the Boston Society of Architects, the Boston Architectural Center, the Boston Preservation Alliance, the National Trust for Historical Preservation, the Back Bay Neighborhood Association, the Back Bay Architectural Commission, the Town of Wellesley Planning Board, the Town of Wellesley Design Review Board and is a former Chairman of the Board of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust.

He has taught at the Boston Architectural College, the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, the Rhode Island School of Design, and ���ϲ�����’s own School of Architecture.

Patrick Ahearn’s acclaimed monograph, “,” was published in 2018 and is in its seventh printing. His second published book, “,” was published in 2023 and details the architectural process that transformed an historic seaside hotel into a gracious bayfront estate.

Charles W. Beach

Shortly after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Arts and Sciences, Charles W. Beach launched a firm representing manufacturers and helped a start-up company become a world class leader in opto-electronic components. Eventually, grew into a leader among manufacturers’ representatives, offering high technology component solutions and quality service throughout the Northeast. Long after Beach himself retired, the company remains family-owned and operated, in Jamesville, New York, with his son David at the helm.

Beach, who died on Feb. 22, 2025, at the age of 88, served his alma mater on the Board of Trustees as a voting trustee from 1991 to 2007 and remained active as a life trustee on the board’s Academic Affairs Committee. He also supported the University and its students philanthropically, including initiatives in the athletics department, and an endowed scholarship in the name of his parents, Arthur and Norma, both of whom were ���ϲ����� graduates. Like their son, Arthur Beach 1917 and Norma Vergason Beach 1925 earned degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences.

While building his business in the 1960s, Beach returned to ���ϲ����� to pursue a master’s degree in education in the School of Education. He continued to live in ���ϲ����� and commute to Rochester to support Kodak and Xerox with various electronic components.

“Through his service and philanthropy, Charlie demonstrated his enduring support of higher education and ���ϲ�����,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He built a company grounded in innovation and service, demonstrating the value of relationships, integrity, and ingenuity.”

Beach remained devoted to the greater ���ϲ����� region in his civic work and volunteerism. He was a founding member of InterFaith Works of ���ϲ�����, where he served as board president, and was also past president of the United Methodist Foundation Inc. and the Vera House Foundation, and past president of the boards of Elmcrest Children’s Center and ���ϲ����� Rotary.

The city he loved honored him in return. The Post-Standard honored him with a Person of Achievement award in 2003 for his “volunteer leadership and monetary contributions to a long list of Central New York’s social service, educational and cultural institutions over the decades.” Temple Adath Yeshurun honored Beach with a Citizen of the Year award in 2010. In 1991, he was named philanthropist of the year by the Central New York chapter of the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives.

Beach’s commitment to service and inclination toward leadership began early in life. He was elected class president at Nottingham High School after serving in that position at his elementary school, the Charles Andrews School. He pursued his passion for baseball in high school but, according to his family, his dream of playing professionally was dashed when he contracted polio in his pitching arm and shoulder.

Beach is survived by three children, Karen, Marilyn and David, along with seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

IBM’s Owego site supported special operations, and she worked on avionics system engineering and software development. She would be involved with a system throughout its entire life cycle from design and development to integration and testing. That broad view of problem solving and mission effectiveness helped inspire a desire in her to lead.

Carey Smith

“Engineering gives you a background,” says Smith. “The ability to ask questions. You have the technical background to ask the right questions.”

Smith decided to take advantage of a unique partnership between IBM and ���ϲ�����. Engineering and Computer Science faculty would travel to IBM’s campus twice a week and teach classes onsite for IBM employees who wanted to earn a master’s degree while they were working.

“It was a very good program and allowed me to move forward with my education while still working at IBM,” says Smith. “���ϲ����� is such a well-regarded university and the faculty were outstanding.”

Her first move into management was as a flight simulation engineering department manager at IBM. That led to managerial promotions at IBM and then leadership roles with Loral Corporation (acquired IBM Federal), Lockheed Martin (acquired Loral) and Honeywell. In 2016, she joined Parsons as president of the company’s Federal Business Unit. She was promoted to chief operating officer (COO) in 2018, president and COO in 2019, assumed the role of chief executive officer in 2021, and now serves as Parsons Corporation’s Chair, President and CEO.

Her first three years as CEO of Parsons Corporation marked a significant chapter in the company’s evolution from a traditional engineering firm to an advanced technology leader in national security and critical infrastructure. Since assuming the role of CEO in 2021, Smith has steered the organization through substantial growth and transformation.

Under Smith’s leadership, Parsons embraced digital solutions and technology innovation. She has strategically focused the company on high-growth markets, high profit and enduring markets including space and missile defense, cyber and intelligence, critical infrastructure protection, transportation, environmental remediation and urban development. She also initiated internal research and development and acquired 14 technology-differentiated companies since 2017 to be an industry leader in applying innovation and technology across Parsons’ global infrastructure and national security portfolios. This forward-thinking approach has helped Parsons secure significant contracts and expand its market presence.

“I have tried to look at our customer’s emerging challenges and define solutions to meet their needs,” says Smith. “Not things that have been done before. We’re about starting with a clean piece of paper.”

Parsons unique position as a global leader in both national security and global infrastructure allows them to offer coordinated services that are in high demand.

“Utilities, water companies, transportation and health care have to be protected against cyber threats. We are a unique company that has the domain understanding for example of how a rail and transit system works coupled with the cyber capabilities to protect the domain,” says Smith.

Parsons has achieved remarkable business growth and financial performance in the past three years. The company’s strategic acquisitions have expanded its capabilities and market reach. This growth strategy has been balanced with organic expansion and internal innovation initiatives. Smith credits the company’s outstanding performance to the hard work and dedication of Parsons’ nearly 20,000 employees in 50 states and 20+ countries around the globe. Her leadership style combines strategic business acumen with a deep understanding of the importance of human capital in driving organizational success.

“I wanted to create a person first culture,” says Smith. “Our leadership supports employees.”

While Parsons is well positioned for the future, Smith is still prioritizing growth, innovation and emerging technologies. She believes her engineering background has been key to her success in navigating change while leading a global corporation. She encourages young engineers and computer scientists who are considering management roles to gain as much experience as they can on a company’s business side.

“You have to have strong technical acumen along with strong business acumen,” says Smith. “That’s the way I operate–with a focus on delivering results.”

While she took all her classes remotely, Smith is still proud of her connection to ���ϲ����� and the important role it played in her career journey.

“I’m always proud to be a ���ϲ����� alum. It is a wonderful university.”

The annual Maxwell Awards of Excellence celebrated five exceptional alumni who embody the school’s commitment to engaged citizenship. Pictured are (from left to right) Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke with honorees Sahil Jain ’13, Margaret Abraham ’89 Ph.D., Ana Maria Menezes ’06 and Tom Bozzuto ’71. Tiesha Peal ’99 was unable to attend.

Standing on stage before an audience of community members, Sahil Jain ’13 B.A. (IR) reflected on the “incredible people, valuable lessons and pivotal experiences” leading to his receipt of the school’s Compass Award for exceptional accomplishments as an early-career alumnus.

“Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the resilience of my parents,” Jain said at the Awards of Excellence celebration in Washington, D.C., on March 27. “They fled turmoil and worked tirelessly to build a future for our family. Their unwavering determination taught me that true leadership is not solely about personal achievements but about the impact we have on those around us—uplifting others, empowering them and creating opportunities where few exist.”

Jain, who was one of five alumni honored at the event, shared how he completed his ���ϲ����� application at his family’s liquor store in Sacramento, California, and, upon receiving his acceptance months later, was so overwhelmed with excitement that he nearly hugged a customer.

“That moment marked the beginning of a transformative journey,” Jain said.

A foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, Jain has held roles across the U.S. government helping to advance peace and security around the world. From 2024-25, he was special assistant to the deputy secretary of state, focused on U.S. policy related to South and Central Asia. He served in the White House as a senior advisor at the National Security Council and as policy advisor in the Vice President’s Office of National Security Affairs. He was a political officer at U.S. Embassies in China from 2021-23 and India from 2018-20.

“Over the years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to serve in the halls of the State Department, our embassies overseas and at the White House,” Jain said. “Walking through these corridors of power, I often reflect on the journey from the liquor store in Sacramento to where I stand today. I arrived at Maxwell filled with uncertainty and hope; I departed empowered and prepared to contribute.”

Established in 2022, the Awards of Excellence program celebrates the contributions of the school’s alumni and friends to their fields, communities and society through work that reflects the Maxwell School mission and values. In addition to the Compass Award, recognition categories include the 1924 Award, Bridge Award, Charles V. Willie Advocate Award and Spirit of Public Service Award. In the spring of 2024 the event was expanded to celebrate Maxwell’s centennial year.

This year’s event was held at the University’s new home in Dupont Circle. In addition to Jain, honorees included Margaret Abraham ’89 Ph.D. (Soc); Tom Bozzuto ’71 M.P.A.; Ana Maria Menezes ’06 M.A. (PA); and Tiesha Peal ’99 B.A. (PSc).

Abraham received the 1924 Award, honoring graduates for their distinguished and sustained professional or civic leadership and achievement in the spirit of the school’s mission. She is a professor of sociology and the Harry H. Wachtel Distinguished Teaching Professor for the Study of Nonviolent Social Change at Hofstra University. Her leadership roles include serving as past president of the International Sociological Association and, at Hofstra, as senior vice provost for academic affairs, special advisor to the provost for diversity initiatives and director of the Women’s Studies Program.

An author, lecturer and advisor, Abraham bridges scholarship and social justice advocacy in the areas of ethnicity, gender, migration and domestic violence. She has published four books and two special volumes, including “Speaking the Unspeakable: Marital Violence Among South Asian Immigrants in the United States.”

Abraham thanked her supporters and reflected on recent transitions in the federal government. “We are at the crossroads, where we are witnessing multiple cascading effects of policies and laws on political, social and economic institutions that impact everyday lives, especially on the marginalized,” she said. “In these times our activism, engagement and pursuit of justice becomes even more vital. As social scientists, we must share our learning and knowledge with the broader societies of which we are a part. We need to use data and analytical tools, critique, counter misinformation, inform publics and collectively address issues we face. We have the responsibility to engage in building a better world.”

Bozzuto, chairman and co-founder of The Bozzuto Group, received the Bridge Award, which honors exemplary leadership across sectors. Throughout his career in real estate development and management, he has created more than 62,000 homes and apartments, nurturing vibrant multifamily communities. A Vietnam veteran, he worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and spent 13 years as mid-Atlantic regional partner at Oxford Development Corp. His leadership roles have included serving as board chair of the Baltimore Community Foundation, the National Multifamily Housing Council, the Maryland Science Center and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where he received undergraduate and honorary degrees.

He thanked Dean David M. Van Slyke for encouraging his re-engagement with the Maxwell School in recent years, and then, shared what has been his family’s guiding compass.

“My wife and I, and our children believe that as citizens, we have a responsibility to our community that goes beyond just paying taxes and obeying the law. As citizens, our duty does not stop at the doorway to our homes. As citizens, regardless of where we work, each of us in some way should try to make our world a better place in which to live,” Bozzuto said. “Our family has been blessed with the resources to allow us to be very active in our city and our state and even a bit in our nation. However, I also know that one of my greatest blessings was a terrific education, the capstone of which was the year I spent at Maxwell.”

Menezes received the Spirit of Public Service Award which recognizes contributions that have had a widespread global impact. For more than 35 years she has applied her knowledge in aquaculture and natural resource management to help eradicate food insecurity, improve nutrition and reduce poverty in some of the poorest regions of the world.

As senior fisheries officer with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, Menezes works with member nations to increase aquaculture production. Previously, she was national officer for the UN Environment Programme and she served as national director of planning and research for the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and aquaculture researcher at the Instituto Nacional de Investigação Pesqueira in her native country of Mozambique.

“I’ve witnessed from within the rise from Zero to the Blue Economy, the Blue Foods and the Blue Transformation movement, harvesting from the ocean, rivers and lakes, from man-made ponds to feed billions of people around the planet. It’s my great fortune to have been part of this,” she said, later adding, “What I really want to make clear is that what I learned at the Maxwell School in the public administration master’s degree program set me up for a fulfilling journey, a greater purpose and you in this room share in this honor.”

Peal, an attorney with 20 years of experience helping to ensure equal treatment for all under the law, received the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award. She was unable to attend the event to accept the award in person.

Peal previously worked as the assistant district attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney Office, handling litigation and conducting investigations into criminal activity ranging from contraband to gang assaults. She also represented New York City employees in housing court as an attorney for District Council 37 Union and was a staff attorney with Essex-Newark Legal Services, which provides free legal assistance to very low-income residents. She is a founding member of the Maxwell School’s Alumni Affinity Group and a frequent mentor to current students and alumni.

The ���ϲ����� community is invited to one of the most inspiring and unforgettable nights of the year—the . On Friday, April 4, 2025, we’ll gather to honor outstanding alumni who embody the Orange spirit through their remarkable achievements, leadership and service.

The evening will be a beautiful tribute to the power of the ���ϲ����� experience. From heartfelt videos to moments of pure Orange pride, the Alumni Awards Celebration is a can’t-miss event that brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to recognize and applaud excellence.

The celebration begins at 5 p.m. (doors open at 4:30) at the National Veterans Resource Center, Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building. A reception will follow until 8 p.m. !

Awardees are chosen by the ���ϲ����� Alumni Association Board of Directors.

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 was killed 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.

Whether you’re a student looking for inspiration, a faculty or staff member eager to celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni, or a proud alum yourself, this event is for you. Expect an evening filled with powerful storytelling, meaningful connections and an atmosphere brimming with Orange spirit.

Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to celebrate our incredible alumni and connect with the broader ���ϲ����� community. The awards celebration is complimentary, but space is limited—!

Kim and Mike Venutolo

Michael “Mike” Venutolo ’77 and his wife, Kim, vividly remember sharing an eight-hour bus ride through the 110-degree desert in the United Arab Emirates with a half dozen engineering students from ���ϲ�����. Mike had helped design a novel two-week internship experience to expose the students to issues involved in producing and transporting potable water hundreds of miles across the desert. It was the kind of experiential learning that the Venutolos have supported through their philanthropy. The kind that directly and rapidly transforms the student experience.

“In the many hours we spent together, we learned so much about their lives and hopes and dreams,” says Kim. “These students come from all walks of life and many of them don’t have the funding they need to help them get where they want to go.” The desire to directly help students “get where they want to go” is the motivation behind their recent gifts to the Forever Orange Campaign for ���ϲ����� and what has become a nearly $2 million legacy in philanthropy that can only be described as “outside the box” thinking by a dedicated alumnus who describes himself as “atypical.”

Venutolo, who was appointed to the University Board of Trustees in 2022, came from modest means—his father was a plumber, and he grew up in a New Jersey town where many teens went to vocational and technical high schools to learn trade skills. “I grew up in a household filled with experiences,” says Venutolo. “There was a lot less learning from textbooks and a lot more learning from doing what my parents and grandparents did.”

His parents insisted that he go to college, but he says he didn’t do very well—until he met a counselor who helped him identify a field where he could excel (civil engineering) and a few professors who spent the time to support his success.

The atypical student became an atypical graduate, taking his engineering degree overseas to work in Saudi Arabia. “I was a junior engineer, working on a multibillion-dollar project building the world’s first major desalination plant,” Venutolo says. “We had no Google. If we had a critical question, we had to drive two hours to the closest telegraph office. It was hands-on problem solving.”

Venutolo would spend more than four decades living overseas, building a successful career and creating a company that became a worldwide leader in engineering and construction services. Living in the Gulf region and England, he was disconnected from the Orange community, but decided to attend his 30th class reunion and forge a new bond to bring his international experience to benefit his alma mater. He helped originate the Middle East Regional Council and engaged his company, Raymond International Pipeline Services Group, in the design and implementation of summer internships for civil and environmental engineering students.

The Venutolos designed and supported engineering internship experiences, which included this group of six students who went to a site in Kuwait in 2014.

In a 2012 article published in the American Society for Engineering Education, ���ϲ����� professors credited Venutolo with “helping to create and support another model for successful development of future global engineers.” The article, titled “Stepping Outside the Box: Education of Global Engineers,” detailed the significance of this kind of experiential programming. “These programs have provided an essential service to the engineering profession by providing students with a solid foundation of genuine openness, cultural curiosity and cultural understanding, as well as a greater appreciation for the power of communication, interpersonal relationship skills, organization and team membership,” the professors wrote.

Venutolo also supported the creation of a new construction engineering lab in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) in 2016, providing students on campus with a dedicated space for hands-on educational and research initiatives. His appreciation for international experiences and experiential learning is reflected in Venutolo’s most recent philanthropy, pledging nearly $1 million to create or support:

• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Experiential Learning to support students studying abroad and the London Center program with particular focus on community and cultural engagement through program-sponsored travel,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Professional Development to augment the activities of ECS clubs and societies specifically oriented to building professional skills, networking and education through their activities, including student travel to conferences,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Undergraduate Endowment Scholarship to provide scholarship and financial assistance to deserving ECS undergraduates,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Remembrance and Lockerbie Exchange to support trips to Lockerbie, the Lockerbie Academy and other remembrance related activities and
• Invention Accelerator Fund, which supports undergraduates as they design, prototype and pitch their inventions.

“We want to make a difference in individual students’ lives, to make it possible to attend a conference or get a passport or get on a plane to the Middle East,” says Venutolo. For his wife, Kim, who never had a chance to get a college degree, helping college students achieve their dreams is particularly satisfying. “I feel like these students try their hardest and we like to help.”

“Mike and Kim have a deep understanding of the importance of experiential learning opportunities to student academic, professional and personal growth, and a passion for supporting these opportunities abroad,” says Erika Wilkens, Ph.D., assistant provost and executive director of ���ϲ����� Abroad. “Their generous gift will provide students with invaluable immersive learning experiences in London, Lockerbie and beyond, and enable them to develop global skills that will benefit them for years to come.”

Both Venutolos have been judges for , which encourages the kind of innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that guided Michael in his career development. “Michael has told me that he credits ���ϲ����� with his ability to succeed,” says Kim, who went to work after high school in order to help her family financially. Now married nearly 20 years, Michael credits Kim with being “a champion for the underdog” and identifying opportunities for philanthropy that directly help students. “It doesn’t have to be huge dollars,” says Kim. “It’s just got to be from your heart. I love the University that has adopted me. I’ve become Orange.”

“Through these extraordinary gifts, Mike and Kim have given current and future Orange students the chance to pursue a life-changing education: an education that is distinctive in the way it fosters innovation and professional growth,” says ECS Dean J. Cole Smith. “Thanks to them, ECS will now be able to provide new life-changing scholarships, support experiential learning initiatives through our engineering and computing clubs and organizations, and devise groundbreaking inventions through our invention accelerator program, Invent@SU.”

“When we can talk to the students, see what they are inventing or touch what they are building, that’s what gets us excited,” says Venutolo. Now that he is based in the states (he and Kim live in New Jersey), he has more access to the students and more reasons to visit campus as a University Trustee. “I’m really honored and proud to be part of the group. I’m enjoying bringing an international perspective and more outside the box thinking.”

The Venutolos’ philanthropy helps support such initiatives as Invent@SU.

Richard Alexander

Over the last decade, Richard Alexander L’82 has navigated his chosen profession (the law) and his chosen passion (���ϲ����� and its law school) through incredibly challenging waters. As partner, managing partner and chair of one of the nation’s most prestigious law firms, Arnold & Porter, and as current University and College of Law , Alexander has always been directed by a North Star, a guiding light amidst uncertainty.

“During very dynamic and demanding times in academia and the legal profession, I have found some common challenges and opportunities.�� Among other things, universities and law firms are in the talent business,” says Alexander, who became at the start of 2025. “The mission of the university is to recruit and retain very talented people, develop student scholars and create the kinds of connections that will help them become future leaders of the world. Law is a similarly noble profession, but it has become brutally competitive, which requires law firms to differentiate themselves in terms of talent recruitment and retention while delivering great results for clients.”

Alexander is deeply proud of and grateful for the four decades spent at a law firm that is well known for its cutting-edge work, its strong pro bono program and its focus on providing opportunities for personal and professional growth throughout the organization. During his nearly ten years as chairman of the firm, he led the strategic combination of Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer (in 2017), and saw the combined entity surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2021. With more than 1,000 employees in 15 offices worldwide, Arnold & Porter has consistently been named to��The American Lawyer’s��A-List, according to the magazine, because of its ability to balance industry pressures with a commitment to core values.

Core Values

When the A-List was announced last year, Alexander said, “Our inclusion in The American Lawyer’s��A-List is a reflection of the firm’s continuing commitment to providing extraordinary client service, protecting and defending the rule of law, having a diverse workplace and investing in our talent.” He says those core values were reinforced while studying at the College of Law, including a commitment to pro bono work and the value of public service.

With his law degree, Alexander began his legal career in the federal government in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Though he was recruited just three years later to join Arnold & Porter, he told ���ϲ����� law students that he left government work with great reluctance. In remarks delivered to first-year law students at the Sherman F. Levey Lecture in 2010, Alexander said, “Public service offers an opportunity to get fantastic experience and responsibility.��While I recognize that government jobs are not as lucrative as the private sector, they can be more rewarding in terms of professional development and personal growth.”

This belief drove the establishment of a scholarship in honor of his parents, the Rhoda S. and Albert M. Alexander Memorial Scholarship, to encourage law students to pursue public and government service. It also drives distinction for Arnold & Porter. Alexander points out the significance of its continuing pro bono portfolio of work. “We’re the firm that secured the constitutional right to counsel in��Gideon v. Wainwright—argued by one of our founding partners, Abe Fortas—and we believe we are one of the leading pro bono firms in the world,”��he .

Public Service Ethos

From helping to secure American Sign Language interpreters at White House briefings, to protecting civil rights and voting rights, to cases involving police discrimination, housing, public benefits, immigration and unemployment, the firm nurtures a public service ethos among associates and partners. Last year, Arnold & Porter was recognized by The American Lawyer as a top 10 firm on its .

“Do not forget those who are in need, and put your law degree to work to help the community at large,” Alexander counseled law students during his lecture.

Kevin Toomey L’12 says Alexander and the firm have “done a great job in recruiting top talent from the law school” and describes the firm’s commitment to both excellence and public service as a “unique combination.” A ���ϲ����� native, Toomey first met Alexander while Toomey was in law school working at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and rising star at Arnold & Porter and head of the firm’s financial services practice group.

“It takes a certain type of character to lead a law firm of 1,000 very qualified, credentialed and also opinionated lawyers,” says Toomey. “Richard did that very well, while balancing collegiality and client success, getting the best of the best and retaining talent, and holding on to our core values as a firm.”

���ϲ�����’s ‘Secret Sauce’

Both Toomey and Alexander believe that ���ϲ����� law school graduates are well-prepared to compete in an increasingly competitive industry. Both agree there’s something intangible about ���ϲ����� that strengthens its students. “Maybe it’s walking up the hill to the law school through the snow every day,” says Toomey with a chuckle. “You feel some kind of obligation and responsibility to prove yourself.”

Alexander calls it ���ϲ�����’s “secret sauce,” a kind of grittiness. “We also have a strong moral compass at the University,” says Alexander, who was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2016 and currently serves as its vice chair. He will become chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in May.

“Universities have had to navigate through some important challenges, including the rising cost of education, changes in athletics, the implications of technology and online learning,” says Alexander. “I think ���ϲ����� has done an excellent job and there’s more to be done. The University and law school must continue to differentiate themselves. I want people to understand the strengths of the University as a place that brings together people with different life experiences and from all walks of life.”

Similarly, Alexander points to Arnold & Porter’s commitment to be a place that is welcoming to all. That idea of bringing a wide range of perspectives to the college and practice of law inspired the creation of the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship. Alexander and his wife, Emily, made a substantial gift to help establish the scholarship in 2022 to honor the legendary graduate and jurist whose public service demonstrated a deep concern for social justice and to provide opportunity for deserving students.

No matter what his role Alexander remains a steward of ethical principles and the dual pursuit of justice and excellence. After all, he says, “we are teaching young people to be citizens of the world.”

Andreas Acrivos

The College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) noted the passing of chemical engineering alumnus Andreas Acrivos ’50, on Feb. 17, 2025. Acrivos was recognized by the American Institute of Physics as one of the greatest fluid dynamicists of the 20th century and was a leading figure in the chemical engineering field.

Born in Greece, he came to the U.S. to study at the University on a fellowship and received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1950. He earned a Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954 and began his academic career as a faculty member in chemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, shortly after.

In 1962, he moved to the newly formed chemical engineering department at Stanford University and played a major role in bringing the chemical engineering program to national prominence. In 1986, Acrivos became the Albert Einstein Professor of Science and Engineering and the director of the Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics at the City College of New York, where he worked until his retirement in 2001.

Acrivos won numerous awards and recognitions for his research. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Physics of Fluids from 1982 to 1997. He received the National Medal of Science from President George Bush in 2002 and was awarded honorary doctor of science degrees from several universities. During his long academic career, he also mentored numerous students, many of whom distinguished themselves in academia and the industry.

“The two-quarter course that Professor Acrivos taught at Stanford was the most memorable course I ever took in my entire education,” says biomedical and chemical engineering professor Ashok Sangani, who was one of Acrivos’ graduate advisees. “The course was so good that I have been teaching the same material at ���ϲ����� over the past 40 years even though there is a lot of temptation to add more. It was simply a classic!”

As a fitting tribute to his monumental mentorship, the American Physical Society named its annual award for the outstanding doctoral dissertation in fluid dynamics after Acrivos. Since 2014, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers has also given the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering to individuals who have made significant contributions to chemical engineering.

Acrivos’s enduring legacy is reflected in his stellar academic family, which spans approximately four generations of scholars teaching at various universities across the United States and the world. Additionally, he was a great support of ECS and its commitment to providing its students with transformative learning experiences. His impact will be felt for generations to come.

John Chawner ’84 holds a disk of aluminum that was part of a testing device for supersonic airflow he created during his time at the University. Chawner recently provided a gift to establish a new endowed professorship.

In his home office, John Chawner ’84 proudly displays a disk of aluminum dated “4-8-84.” It is a treasured memento from his days at ���ϲ����� and, in many ways, it is symbolic of his approach to service and philanthropy to his alma mater, which includes a recent gift establishing a new endowed professorship. Chawner vividly recalls assembling a 100-foot-long shock tube, a testing device for supersonic airflow, in the basement of Link Hall, assembling it from parts, bolts and instrumentation that was scattered in offices throughout the engineering building. It was part of an independent study project under John LaGraff, then professor of mechanical, aerospace and manufacturing engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“Creating such a device required open-ended thinking that is critical to learning,” says Chawner, who credits ���ϲ����� for laying the foundation for a highly successful career that made possible the generous gift for the professorship. “I feel that I was transformed by my time at the University, from a raw 18-year-old to someone ready to enter the professional world. I want to ensure that today’s students and professors are able to maximize their time at ���ϲ����� and enjoy the benefits of higher education.”

Chawner has supported scholarships for deserving students for years, but his latest gift funds an endowed professorship within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Through the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, the University will match one-third of the gift to ensure that the John R. Chawner Endowed Professorship��has the resources to support world-class scholars and the research needed to propel their work forward.

Chawner earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering in 1984 and, later, a master’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington. Immediately after graduation from ���ϲ�����, he got a job with General Dynamics in Texas. “I came out of ���ϲ����� with a great body of knowledge and raw skills that allowed me to get into the aerospace and defense field at a great time,” says Chawner. “I’m an engineer by degree but I’m a programmer by practice because I got involved in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which was a brand new software technology back then. A bunch of us 22- to 25-year-olds were given the opportunity to develop this capability from scratch and that launched the rest of my career.”

Cultivating Talent

Chawner would go on to launch Pointwise Inc., which became internationally renowned for developing mesh generation software for CFD in aerospace applications. The technology has been applied to virtually every major military aircraft and spacecraft, including the F-16, F-22, F-35, B-2, and Space Shuttle. After more than 26 years at the helm, Chawner sold Pointwise to Cadence Design Systems where he continued to work until retiring in 2023 and forming his own consulting firm.

“Owning a small business is like agreeing to be punched in the face for a living,” Chawner told an interviewer in a blog on how to become a CFD engineer. In all seriousness, he loved the process of cultivating talent, inspiring creativity in teams, and the continuous learning required to develop and successfully market new technologies. “Everyone wants to pigeonhole engineers,” he says, but he personally defied being defined and found great value in following more than 300 blogs in engineering, business and marketing. He calls himself “an early adopter” of social media and eventually created a very popular blog called Another Fine Mesh to educate and share information.

Chawner is still educating, sharing and inspiring through a company called (he’s the chief gibberish officer), where he attempts to redefine the stereotype of consultants. “What you need is someone with direct experience to guide you through the gibberish with simple, direct and actionable advice. That’s my role,” he says, adding the consulting work allows him to remain relevant, to pass along earned wisdom.

Building Future Engineers

Chawner brings that same wisdom and experience to his role as a member of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Advisory Board at the College of Engineering and Computer Science and as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council. “John’s service to the college is invaluable,” says Dean J. Cole Smith. “He has acquired wisdom over the years that has impacted our approach to educating and preparing engineering students for successful careers. His generosity has opened doors, helped build futures and, with this new gift, creates a legacy that will continue to support innovation and creativity for generations to come.”

“I’m a big believer that an engineering education should not be like going to a trade school. It’s about developing the aptitude and ability to learn,” says Chawner, who describes himself as a continuous learner. “An engineering education allows one to be very impactful and I want to enable students and professors to enjoy that. The investment Micron has made in the ���ϲ����� region amplifies that impact and essentially multiplies the effect of the gift.”

Chawner says he views philanthropy as a way to give back “to a place that gave me so much in terms of education and other life experiences.” Those “experiences” include his wife, Cathy, of nearly 40 years, whom he met “at a mixer” during freshman year. They lived in the same dorm and share many memories, including the first football games in the then-Carrier Dome.

Those were the years in the first phase of life, says Chawner—the learning phase, which is followed by the earning phase, and finally, the returning phase. Learn, earn, return. “I’m in the return phase where I give back what I’ve learned and earned,” he says.

Five extraordinary Maxwell School alumni will be recognized, and the school’s commitment to engaged citizenship will be celebrated, at a March 27 event at ���ϲ�����’s new home in Washington, D.C.

Members of the community are invited to an upcoming event in Washington, D.C., that will honor five accomplished alumni whose careers and civic contributions exemplify a commitment to giving back and improving the lives of others.

The annual Awards of Excellence, to be held on Thursday, March 27, will also serve as an opportunity to reunite, celebrate the school’s enduring commitment to engaged citizenship and visit ���ϲ�����’s newest DC home.

It will be held at ���ϲ�����’s recently opened center in the heart of Dupont Circle. It houses the and serves as a home base for study away programs offered by the Maxwell School, the and the .

Established in 2022, the Awards of Excellence program celebrates the contributions of the school’s alumni and friends to their fields, communities and society through work that reflects the Maxwell School mission and values. Recognition categories include the Compass Award, 1924 Award, Bridge Award, Charles V. Willie Advocate Award and Spirit of Public Service Award. In the spring of 2024 the event was expanded to celebrate Maxwell’s centennial year.

“We are honored to welcome members of the Maxwell community to join us for an evening of celebration and reflection,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Now in its fourth year, I look forward to this event each spring as it fills me with a sense of pride and hope. This year’s awardees work in and across the public and private sectors in a range of professions. Through their work and additional pursuits, they have demonstrated engaged citizenship, and a sustained commitment to leaving what they find greater, better and more beautiful. This public service ethos is central to our mission since the school’s founding in 1924.”

The five 2025 honorees are Margaret Abraham ’89 Ph.D. (Soc); Tom Bozzuto ’71 M.P.A.; Sahil Jain ’13 B.A. (IR); Ana Maria Menezes ’06 M.A. (PA); and Tiesha Peal ’99 B.A. (PSc).

Margaret Abraham

Abraham is the recipient of the 1924 Award, honoring graduates for their distinguished and sustained professional or civic leadership and achievement in the spirit of the Maxwell School mission. She is a professor of sociology and the Harry H. Wachtel Distinguished Teaching Professor for the Study of Nonviolent Social Change at Hofstra University, where she has served on the faculty for 35 years. Her leadership roles include serving as past president of the International Sociological Association and, at Hofstra, as senior vice provost for academic affairs, special advisor to the provost for diversity initiatives and director of the Women’s Studies Program.

An author, lecturer and advisor, Abraham bridges scholarship and social justice advocacy in the areas of ethnicity, gender, migration and domestic violence. She is the author of four books and two special volumes, including “Speaking the Unspeakable: Marital Violence Among South Asian Immigrants in the United States.” She has been quoted in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsday and India Today.

Tom Bozzuto

Bozzuto, chairman and co-founder of The Bozzuto Group, is the recipient of the Bridge Award which honors exemplary leadership across sectors while upholding the Maxwell School’s mission of making the world a better place. He has led an extraordinary career in real estate development and management, creating more than 62,000 homes and apartments and nurturing vibrant multifamily communities. A Baltimore community leader, he is a driving force-for-good in civic and charitable circles.

Before attending the Maxwell School, Bozzuto served as a combat correspondent for the 25th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in Vietnam. Early in his career, he worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and spent 13 years as mid-Atlantic regional partner at Oxford Development Corp. His leadership roles have included serving as board chair of the Baltimore Community Foundation, the National Multifamily Housing Council, the Maryland Science Center, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where he received undergraduate and honorary degrees. He also served as a congressional appointee to the Millennial Housing Commission and twice as a gubernatorial appointee to the Maryland Housing Commission.

Sahil Jain

Jain is the recipient of this year’s Compass Award for his exceptional accomplishments as an early-career alumnus. A foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, Jain has led an exemplary career in diverse roles across the U.S. government helping to advance peace and security around the world. From 2024-25, he was special assistant to the deputy secretary of state, focused on U.S. policy related to South and Central Asia. He served in the White House as a senior advisor at the National Security Council and as policy advisor in the Vice President’s Office of National Security Affairs.

A career diplomat, Jain was a political officer at U.S. Embassies in China from 2021-23 and India from 2018-20. He has contributed to key policy initiatives in the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and at USAID. He also managed the foreign affairs portfolio for California Congressman Ami Bera as a legislative assistant.

Ana Maria Menezes

Menezes is the recipient of this year’s Spirit of Public Service Award, which recognizes contributions that have had a widespread global impact. For more than 35 years she has applied her vast knowledge in aquaculture and natural resource management to help eradicate food insecurity, improve nutrition and reduce poverty in some of the poorest regions of the world.

As senior fisheries officer with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, Menezes works with member nations to increase aquaculture production using best practices that are both sustainable and profitable. She leaves a legacy of capacity development and good governance frameworks for government officers, financial institutions and farmers. Previously, Menezes was national officer for the UN Environment Programme and she served as national director of planning and research for the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and aquaculture researcher at the Instituto Nacional de Investigação Pesqueira in her native country of Mozambique.

Tiesha Peal

Peal, an attorney with 20 years of experience helping to ensure equal treatment for all under the law, is the recipient of the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award.

Peal previously worked as the assistant district attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney Office, handling litigation and conducting investigations into criminal activity ranging from contraband to gang assaults. She also represented New York City employees in housing court as an attorney for District Council 37 Union and was a staff attorney with Essex-Newark Legal Services, which provides free legal assistance to very low-income residents. She is a founding member of the Maxwell School’s Alumni Affinity Group and a frequent mentor to current students and alumni.

Seventeen students from the University were selected for Fulbright research, study and teaching awards for academic year 2024-25 to Andorra, Argentina, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Tajikistan and the United Kingdom.

The Fulbright competition is administered at��. This is the fifth time—and third year in a row—the University was named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution. The University was previously recognized for the 2012-13 cohort (under campus Fulbright advisor and professor emerita Susan Wadley) and the 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24 cohorts (under CFSA).

Thirty-eight faculty and staff members from across the University served on the campus Fulbright committee supporting the 2024-25 applicants. The committee is convened by CFSA; members interview applicants, provide feedback and complete a campus endorsement for each applicant. “Preparing our students to be strong Fulbright applicants, and supporting them through the application process, is an all-campus effort. Faculty and staff are crucial,” says Jolynn Parker, director of CFSA.

Alec Rovensky ’21, a School of Architecture alumnus, received a research/study grant to Germany. He has been pursuing a master’s degree in architecture typology at the Technische Universität Berlin. There, he is researching Berlin’s urban restructuring efforts through the adaptive reuse of buildings as a strategy to address the city’s housing crisis, with a focus on housing migrants and refugees. He is working with the Habitat Unit, a research center developing new approaches for urban change processes.

Alec Rovensky ’21, an alumnus of the School of Architecture, received a research/study grant to Germany in the 2024-25 Fulbright cycle.

Rovensky’s architecture cohort consists of students from all over the world, and his school offers courses that explore urban issues in a variety of global locations, including courses focused on Arab urbanisms and hand-crafting techniques in China. Next week, Rovensky will participate in a seminar hosted by Fulbright in Luxembourg and Brussels, where he and his cohort will visit the headquarters of the European Union and NATO.

He is also embracing life in Berlin. “I have been using the past seven months to explore my new home city’s museums, cafes and cultural centers. Berlin is one of the most bikeable cities I’ve ever visited, and I’ve been using my bike as much as I can to explore around. I’ve also been learning more about the many layers of history in Berlin, and visiting sites like the Berlin Wall Memorial to get a glimpse into what life was like in a formerly divided city.”

Rovensky says his Fulbright experience has also been a time of much personal growth.“By challenging myself to move to an unfamiliar place, meeting people with diverse perspectives, and embracing the differences in culture and attitude, I’ve placed myself in a position where I am learning and growing every day,” he says. “This experience has been eye-opening and will help me become a more well-rounded and globally aware designer and researcher in the future.”

Students apply for Fulbright awards in the fall and awards are made in the spring. In the current competition for the 2025-26 cohort, 29 of the University’s 44 applicants have been named as semifinalists. Awards will be announced this spring.

Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It is also among the largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 participants from all backgrounds and fields—including recent university graduates, teachers, scientists, researchers, artists and others, from the United States and over 160 other countries—have participated in the Fulbright Program. Fulbright alumni have returned to their home countries to make an impact on their communities thanks to their expanded worldview, a deep appreciation for their host country and its people, and a larger network of colleagues and friends.

Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors and the world and have included 41 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows and countless leaders and changemakers who carry forward the Fulbright mission of enhancing mutual understanding.

More information about the��.�� Students and alumni interested in applying for a Fulbright award in the next cycle should contact CFSA at cfsa.syr.edu.

This group of graduates was also stepping into the record books, as these 497 students recently reported the highest percentage of job placements and starting salaries for the Whitman School. A 180-day post-graduation survey of the Class of 2024, facilitated by the Whitman Career Center, reported that 98.7% of students actively pursuing full-time employment had secured a job, with an average starting salary of $72,156—far exceeding similar data collected over the past five years that averaged a 93.4% job placement rate and a $66,220 average starting salary.

The , overseen by Director Kara Primrose, played a pivotal role in these outstanding results. By providing transformative opportunities that connect academic knowledge to real-world applications, the Career Center team equips students with the life skills and meaningful experiences needed to succeed in a dynamic global economy.

“The Whitman Career Center team feels incredibly fortunate to support our students on their career journeys and see hard work lead to meaningful success,” says Primrose. “The dedication of our career advisors and the Whitman community, along with the hard work and determination of our students, collectively play a vital role in these outcomes. It is inspiring to see students gain clarity and confidence over their time at Whitman, developing the skills and passion needed to make a real impact in their fields. Their achievements are a testament to not only their efforts but also the strong academic and professional foundation of the Whitman School.”

The Whitman Career Center provides transformative opportunities that connect academic knowledge to real-world applications for students, enabling them to succeed in a dynamic global economy.

According to Primrose, Whitman students are highly sought after by top employers worldwide. The Class of 2024 secured positions at prestigious firms such as Bank of America, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, GroupM, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KPMG, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, PwC, Ross Stores, Tapestry, the Walt Disney Company, TJX Companies and Wells Fargo.

“We are tremendously excited to see the outstanding job placement and salary results from the Class of 2024. We know how talented our Whitman students are and are proud that our industry partners see this in the same way. We congratulate our successful students and our outstanding Career Center team who help support and prepare them to launch their careers,” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “These most recent placement numbers are a testament to the current impact and potential for the future of our Career Center and the Whitman School’s goal of becoming a Top 25 business school—and, it’s increasingly clear that we are on the right track.”

The School of Education’s freshman class being welcomed to campus during orientation in August 2024.

The School of Education will celebrate Alumni Week 2025 in February by launching EdMentor Connect, a pilot student-alumni mentoring program. EdMentor Connect will pair current undergraduate students with alumni to foster professional growth, enhance career readiness and provide students with insight into their future professions.

The program’s launch begins with —on Feb. 19 and 20—and culminates with a on Feb.y 21 at 5 p.m. in Huntington Hall’s Sharon H. Jacquet ’72 Education Commons. The invites School of Education undergraduates to build a profile to make the best match with an alum.

EdMentor Connect was developed by student leaders in the Deans’ Undergraduate Advisory Panel, with help from Assistant Dean for Student Success and Career and Certification Counselor and with support from Assistant Dean for Advancement and the School of Education .

“Everyone can benefit from a mentor, but those students who are in a teacher program and maybe realize they don’t want to only work in the classroom—and specifically our students—can learn about other real-world experiences,” says Gill, who will be the program’s point of contact and pair alumni with undergraduates. “A lot of students don’t realize the opportunities available for an education degree graduate, and our alumni have such a wide variety of backgrounds.”

“We have an extensive Orange network, and we help each other like a family,” says Hsiao, referring to the school’s more than 23,500 alumni, and especially Advisory Board members and School of Education , who have signed up to advise undergraduates. “Any and all students can benefit from EdMentor Connect, and mentors can offer students different perspectives on their futures.”

As she prepares to graduate, selected studies in education student Sofia DaCruz ’25, a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Panel, says she is “excited to connect with someone in the field for career advice.”

“As a senior, I think this program will be especially useful for students like me who are trying to figure out what they can do with the major after graduation,” DaCruz says.

Advisory Board Member Emily R. Ades ’89, P’21, P’23 says she is excited for the launch of the pilot program, ready to take on a mentee, and believes that mentoring programs can help students of any age.

Ades, currently director of The Kinnect Foundation, the nonprofit arm of fashion brand Kith, recalls how informal advisers have helped her throughout her career. “I started as an elementary school teacher had a mentor for nine years,” Ades says. “I then worked for the New York City Department of Education for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and found someone there, and for the past 12 years a mentor has helped me work in the nonprofit sector.”

Like Ades, Gill says mentors helped her early in her career. In fact, her host teacher from when she was a student teacher became her coach when she was hired into her placement school. “She stayed with me into my post-graduate life and shared teaching practices that I also used,” Gill says.

Madison Zeltzer ’25 contributed to this story.

Pictured from left to right: JaSheika James, Stacy Ike, JaNeika James and Ta’Rhonda Jones on the set of “Empire.”

JaNeika James G’05 and her twin sister, JaSheika, grew up watching television and “fell in love with TV” and the possibilities it could mean for them.

JaNeika James

Today, the two are accomplished TV writers and producers of several shows, including JaNeika’s role as supervising producer on FOX’s groundbreaking hit show, “Empire,” among others.

“Our story is an example of how dreams can be manifested. A lot of people think that you have to know every single step to get to where you want to be,” JaNeika says. “The truth is, if you’re clear and have a vision for what it is that you want to do with your life, all you have to do is declare it.”

On Feb. 7, JaNeika will bring her message to young scholars as the keynote speaker at the . The ceremony, which is open to the entire University community, honors from the previous year who have successfully transitioned to their second year on campus. Those who would like to attend are encouraged to .

“Allowed Us to Dream”

As youngsters, the James twins lived on an Air Force base in Wiesbaden, Germany, where their mother was stationed. Access to television was limited, and the offerings available were predominantly in German.

Thankfully for the sisters, their grandparents in the U.S. mailed them VHS tapes of popular U.S. TV shows like “A Different World,” “The Cosby Show,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls” and “Empty Nest.”

Watching television became “a source of comfort” for the sisters, and JaNeika says it provided hours of entertainment and it “allowed us to dream of what was possible for ourselves,” says JaNeika, who earned a master’s degree in television, radio and film from the .

It was an unlikely way to start their lifelong love affair with television, but today, JaNeika and JaSheika are accomplished TV writers. JaNeika was supervising producer on FOX’s groundbreaking hit show, “Empire,” co-executive producer on Netflix’s limited series, “True Story” and HBO Max’s reboot of “Gossip Girl,” and an executive producer on Peacock’s hit show, “Bel-Air.”

JaNeika and JaSheika co-authored a book, “Living Double,” describing their experiences working in the ultra-competitive TV industry in Hollywood. It outlines how, no matter the obstacles, the sisters were determined to turn their dreams into reality.

Pictured on the set of “Bel-Air” are (from left to right): JaNeika James (writer and executive producer), Jabari Banks (who plays Will Smith) and JaSheika James (writer and executive producer).

James sat down with SU News to discuss ���ϲ�����’s impact on her life, her successful career, the importance of giving back to current students and her message for the WellsLink students during their Transitions Ceremony.

What impact has ���ϲ����� has had on your life and your career?

The Newhouse School instills in those who decide to work in media an understanding of the importance of the media and how it shapes our world and culture. Knowing the responsibility we hold—not just as storytellers in Hollywood, but also those who deliver information through journalistic integrity.

There is a huge responsibility that comes with putting content out into the world for all to see and hear. That responsibility was embedded in me at ���ϲ�����. It’s had an incredible impact on my career.

What show had the greatest influence on you?��

“Living Single.” The stars were Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields and Kim Coles. When that show first aired, it was the first time I saw a show with Black women of all different shapes and sizes, who were best friends living their best lives as single, independent women. “Living Single” allowed me and my twin sister to see a future version of ourselves, and what was possible for our careers.

When did you realize you had made it as a producer?

That first time I was on set for “Empire.” I was flown out to Chicago to produce my first episode of television. I had been a fan of the show since season one and became a writer during season two. To go from being a fan of the show to walking into the studios and seeing where all the scenes were filmed was pretty incredible for me as a huge television fan.

One of the best feelings I’ve had as a writer is seeing actors I know and love—from Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson to Demi Moore, Forrest Whitaker and Alfre Woodard, among others— say words that literally came from my head. To witness them bring my words to life is when it started to settle in that I was actually living my dream.

JaNeika James poses with the cast of “Bel-Air.”

How can your success inspire future generations?

Representation is extremely important. If it wasn’t for representation, I personally would not be in this business. I was truly inspired by “Living Single,” but what really stood out was when I read an article about Yvette Lee Bowser being the first African American woman to create and run her own TV show. That planted this idea in my head that I could one day be an African American woman who created and ran her own TV show.�� It’s been a goal of mine and my sister’s to be a source of inspiration and an example that anything is possible when you put your mind to it.

Why is it important to give back to our students through the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Program?

I hope I’ve had an impact in helping students who didn’t think going to school was a possibility for them. I know what it’s like to want to go to college but not know if it’s something you can afford. I know what it feels like to have financial burdens when you’re deeply in pursuit of a dream. By supporting , I hope to help students feel free to pursue their dreams without being distracted by financial responsibilities.

What’s your message for WellsLink students during their transitions ceremony?

A lot of people have been disillusioned into thinking we are powerless through our circumstances. What I learned as an artist, writer, producer and African American woman is that there is a lot of power that we hold within that we, unfortunately, have been made to believe is not there. I really want to encourage and remind them of the power they hold to essentially move mountains—in their own lives and in the lives of everyone they encounter.

WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2027

This year’s ceremony will honor the following students:

• Kaitlyn Arzu (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Mouctar Barry (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Angelie Serrano Báez (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Umar Bilgrammi (Arts and Sciences)
• Nashaly Bonilla (School of Architecture)
• Sydney Brockington (Arts and Sciences)
• Frances Brown (Whitman School)
• Samantha Chavez (Newhouse School)
• Karrington Clay (Arts and Sciences)
• Eliora Enriquez (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Matthew Esquivel (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Kiara Reyes Estevez (Whitman School)
• Khalil Foreman (Whitman School)
• Edward Garcia (School of Information Studies)
• Ryann Gholston (Information Studies)
• Samayee Gupte (Arts and Sciences)
• Lindsay Hiraoka (Engineering and Computer Science)
• Monica-Lillie Jacobs (Information Studies)
• AJ (Angie) Jaramillo (Visual and Performing Arts)
• Hayden Jones (Arts and Sciences)
• Amy Kim (Information Studies)
• John Lasso (Whitman School)
• Bryant Lin (Engineering and Computer Science)
• Valarie Lin (Arts and Sciences)
• Kelly Lopez (School of Architecture)
• Nehru Madan (Newhouse School)
• Emely Marte (Visual and Performing Arts)
• Rosmery Martinez (Whitman School)
• Ariana Mithu (Visual and Performing Arts)
• Sophie Navarrete (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Dylan Okamoto (Whitman School)
• Kaylin Pagan (Arts and Sciences)
• Jiya Patel (Whitman School)
• Nayeli Perez (Information Studies)
• Simeon Sheldon (Falk College)
• Paris Smith (Arts and Sciences)
• Aramata Trawalley (Engineering and Computer Science)
• Jasmine Trenchfield (Newhouse School)
• Orezimena Ubogu (Arts and Sciences)
• Alexandra Vassel (Visual and Performing Arts)
• Aaron Wang (Whitman School)
• Yuki Zhang (Whitman School)

���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.

The program’s five focus areas—technology and media, schooling and diversity, physical activity, post-secondary and human services, or pre-teaching—prepare students for any career with a learning, training, service, or advocacy component, including coaching, counseling, higher education, instructional design, law, and library science.

Another path for SSE graduates is policy, politics and nonprofit and international development work, which has been the outcome for Yang and Woods.

Victor Yang ’16 says his education background comes in useful when advocating for older adults in the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging.

Yang ’16 is currently chief government affairs officer for the (NAPCA), having also worked in Congress, in the Biden Administration and for various political campaigns. Woods has worked for the Department of State (DOS) and, most recently, the Nakupuna Companies, a sub-contractor for the U.S. Bureau of Global Health, Security and Diplomacy. In December, she returned to DOS as the director of operations of the .

Yang’s and Woods’ careers illustrate how an SSE degree can provide in-demand skills and practical experiences—not to mention a spirit of exploration. Both alums are happy to pass along a few of the lessons learned from their journeys.

Lesson 1: It’s OK if classroom teaching isn’t for you—SSE lets you explore service careers beyond the classroom.

Both Yang and Woods set out to be classroom teachers, driven by early experiences. Yang, the son of immigrants, grew up in Boston’s Chinatown. As a young person, he worked as a legislative intern for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and at the American Chinese Christian Educational and Social Services (ACCESS), where he ran an after-school program to help Chinese immigrants navigate the educational system.

As an elementary education undergraduate, Yang had an early placement at a child care center, which gave him real world experience of the education system and challenged him “to think more about education policy, especially as this was during the implementation of No Child Left Behind.”

Yang’s interest in policy grew to the point he decided to transition to SSE in his junior year. Students often combine SSE with another major, and Yang also enrolled in English and textual studies: “I thought that honing my writing skills would help my job search.”

Originally from Florida, Woods was inspired to apply to SOE by her high school guidance counselor, an Orange alum. Like Yang, Woods began in elementary education. “One of the great things about SOE is that you get started early with classroom experience and by my sophomore year I had done both tutoring and classroom instruction,” says Woods.

Angela Woods ’05 (left) moderated the 2024 Women in Leadership panel for the U.S. Department of State’s TechWomen Program: “The opportunity was special because I had the pleasure of managing the program from 2019 to 2023.”

Although Woods eventually realized classroom teaching wasn’t for her, she wanted to stay in the education field, especially when she learned about careers in higher education. SSE’s flexibility also was attractive. “I could create my own path based on my interests,” she says.

Some of Woods’ interests lay in student development. Enrolled in the (part of SOE’s ), she interned for CAASD’s (CSTEP) during the summer. Selected studies also gave her the opportunity to , where she worked with the US-Spain Fulbright Commission in Madrid: “That opened my interest to international education and work in government.”

Lesson 2: When starting your career, networking works!

After graduating with his SSE and English degrees in 2016, Yang returned to ACCESS as a program coordinator, and like many freshly minted graduates, he made ends meet with a side gig driving for Uber.

But just as Yang took a chance on switching his majors, so he did with his career. A friend working in software engineering in the Capital Region persuaded him to give government service “a shot.” “So I moved to D.C. and went to networking events and started interning on Capitol Hill, answering phones and giving tours,” says Yang. These efforts eventually led to an entry level position as a health and appropriations legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Networking works, at least in Yang’s case: “If you can get your foot in the door, it’s totally worth it, but if you don’t succeed, it might mean it’s not the right timing.” The path to government work is often circumstantial, and Yang suggests anyone looking for this type of career should not be discouraged if it doesn’t work out initially.

Lesson 3: Diversify your experiences—you never know what will come in useful.

Woods discovered one way to give herself the best chance of success in public service was to diversify her experiences and keep options open.

After graduating, she continued on her path to a higher education career, earning a master’s degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. Like Yang, Woods then returned to an earlier experience—at CSTEP (“I really enjoyed working with the students”)—but the Florida native confesses that ���ϲ�����’s notorious winters discouraged her from settling.

Besides, her next move was a perfect fit for her combined background in higher education, student development and government programs. At The Washington Center, Woods managed academic internships for the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies.

In 2012, her internship abroad with the US-Spain Fulbright Commission proved useful, helping to land her job in DOS, where she assisted in managing the Critical Language Scholarship Program and eventually—from 2019 to 2023—the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ TechWomen program, which empowers women leaders in STEM from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East.

“I never imagined as an education graduate I would end up working for DOS,” Woods says. “I thought the only federal agency that would be open to my background was the Department of Education.”

For the full story, visit the .

Sadie Keefe ’26 (English education) contributed to this article.

Weijia Jiang

CBS News and Stations is partnering with the to explore the growing challenges of navigating misinformation and disinformation.

Two days of programming that focus on questions about how to discern truth from falsehood begin Jan. 30, when journalists will take part in the “An Eye on Misinformation and Disinformation.” Among those scheduled to attend are CBS News’ senior White House correspondent����G’06, congressional correspondent����’98, reporter����’15 and CBS News Confirmed executive editor��.

Scott MacFarlane

The and workshop mark the start of a new partnership with CBS News and Stations that will provide more distinctive opportunities for Newhouse students to engage with alumni and learn from leaders in the field. Plans include collaborative content creation with the network and student engagement with CBS News and Stations journalists in New York, Washington, D.C., and other cities.

Ali Bauman

“We are thrilled to work with Newhouse’s talented students and faculty, leveraging this relationship to foster meaningful discussions and prepare future journalists to navigate the complexities of reporting locally, nationally and globally,” says Laurie Orlando, SVP of Talent Strategy and Development, CBS News and Stations.

The collaboration highlights Newhouse’s enduring commitment to excellence in journalism education as the school��, says Newhouse Dean .

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Newhouse students to learn from some of the best reporters, editors and producers in the country, starting with our timely and intensive discussions about maintaining journalistic integrity while combatting disinformation,” Lodato says.��“On behalf of ���ϲ�����, let me express our deep gratitude to the CBS News and Stations team for sharing their time and insights about these critical topics.”

Rhona Tarrant

, senior associate dean at Newhouse, and��, a research professor, will work alongside the CBS News team during the masterclass to help students navigate the tools and techniques available to analyze misinformation and disinformation. The session will include interactive case studies, analysis of real-world examples and a hands-on interactive session where participants learn and apply practical techniques to combat misinformation and disinformation.

The 25 Newhouse students participating in the masterclass have been selected from an application process, which was open to Newhouse juniors, seniors or graduate students. As part of the visit to Newhouse, members of the CBS News and Stations team will also review student reels.

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.

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.

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.

.

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.

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’ .

A gift from William T. “Ted” Frantz ’80, P’13 will establish a new endowed chair in engineering and computer science. (Photo by Joey Heslin)

His new gift, which will be partially matched by the University through the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, will establish the William T. Frantz Endowed Chair in Engineering and Computer Science. “The idea for this gift has been simmering for nearly 20 years,” says Frantz. The engineer turned investor, who has studied and invested in many promising concepts and companies, says his newest investment in ECS as part of the was a matter of just-the-right timing.

“The timing is ideal, coming on the heels of Micron Technology’s ��$100 billion commitment to the region,” says Frantz. He says the partnership opportunities between the technology company and the University are a boon for students, faculty and the wider community. “It’s a great time to invest in the University, the expansion of the engineering program and in the region. These things tend to build on each other.”

Frantz draws similarities to the success of Silicon Valley, where he once worked for Hewlett-Packard. “I witnessed the growth of Silicon Valley and how nearby universities like Stanford, Berkeley and Santa Clara provided the intellectual expertise, engineering and research,” he says. Forward-looking investors seized opportunities brought about by the region’s dynamic partnerships and ingenuity.

New Ideas

Investing in new ideas has always held appeal for Frantz, who has provided capital for companies exploring new computer technologies and biotech firms developing new therapeutics for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and other diseases. “It’s the challenge of seeing something grow and make a go of it, get off the ground and get bigger,” says Frantz.

The man who loves to see new ideas get off the ground and soar was perhaps inspired at a young age by his neighbors. They were airline pilots who built an aerobatic plane in the garage. A curious young Frantz helped out after school. One of those neighbors was Leo Loudenslager, who was a mechanic in the Air Force and a pilot for American Airlines, but who is best known for winning multiple U.S. Aerobatic Championships. “Leo was innovative,” says Frantz. “The design changes he made shook up the aerobatic community. And he not only built it, he flew it.”

Frantz, who has his own pilot’s license, has combined his passion for flight with his desire to fuel innovation through investment in a significant gift he made to ���ϲ����� students and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2008. Frantz funded the purchase and upkeep of an advanced flight simulator that would allow students to get hands-on experience with flight vehicles that they designed and to experiment “with the ‘edge of the envelope’ without endangering any persons or property.”

Edge of Innovation

Similarly, Frantz hopes his latest gift will help keep ECS on the edge of innovation, build on past successes and bring greater prestige. He notes that the gift is structured to allow for flexibility in that it is not restricted to a particular aspect or field of engineering. The recipient of the endowed chair will be selected by the dean of the college and hold a term of five years that is renewable. Frantz says flexibility allows the dean to look into the future and identify new fields where investing in faculty expertise would be most promising.

“Ted is a visionary in his approach to philanthropy,” says ECS Dean J. Cole Smith. “His background as both an engineer and investor allows him to look far into the future, to see where technology and creativity can take the next generation of engineers and computer scientists. His generosity is literally helping us shape the future of our program as we address the challenges facing our globe.”

“I’ve been studying the history of ���ϲ�����,” says Frantz. “At one point, it was the center of commerce with proximity to the Erie Canal that allowed steel and manufacturing to thrive. But the city did not adjust to change, and new growth industries did not take root and adapt. Now, with Micron’s investment, the city has new opportunities, and ���ϲ����� is perfectly situated to take advantage of those opportunities.”

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.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����

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

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.

The Whitman School’s “Discover Florence: A Gastronomic and Cultural Odyssey,” runs June 26 to July 4, 2025.

The will host an , “Discover Florence: A Gastronomic and Cultural Odyssey,” during the summer of 2025.��The edu-tourism experience will run from June 26 to July 4, 2025, and is open to interested University students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of ���ϲ�����.

“The Whitman School has long valued the importance of experiential learning outside the classroom for students, and now we are excited to venture into the area of edu-tourism for faculty, alumni and others in our Orange family, too,” says trip leader ,��Whitman’s professor of supply chain practice and director of executive education.

“Not only will participants learn firsthand about food, wine, art and culture, but they’ll also see some of the business concepts behind them as they meet award-winning chefs and restaurateurs, vineyard owners, government officials and alumni in related fields,” Penfield says. “To round out the trip, travelers will get a firsthand look at the historical significance of one of the world’s most iconic cities.”

This nine-day trip kicks off with a welcome reception that includes insights from faculty based at the , as well as a unique opportunity to hear from , the European Union Parliament minister of food and agriculture and former mayor of Florence who delivered the 2024 Commencement address at ���ϲ�����’s graduation ceremonies.

This event will allow travelers to network and get to know one another, as they prepare for a slate of activities* that includes:

• visits to and vineyards;
• culinary adventures through a hands-on Florentine cooking class;
• Stops at iconic landmarks like the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery;
• first-hand looks at the work of Renaissance masters like Michelangelo and Ghirlandaio;
• premier dining at two Michelin-star restaurants, and ;
• escapes to ancient olive groves, charming local markets, quaint cafés and more; and
• free time to explore, shop, relax and take in the beauty of Florence.

The cost of the trip includes the above adventures and lodging at the four-star in the heart of Florence. Based on the maximum enrollment of 20 people, the cost is $9,600 for single occupancy and $12,600 for double occupancy. Transportation to and from Florence is not included in the price, allowing travelers to make their own plans from anywhere in the world.

The registration deadline is March 20, 2025, and space is limited so to experience Florence with the Whitman School.

*Itinerary subject to change

Robert E. Dineen Jr. (center) served on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2016 and was a member of the Budget and Advancement and External Affairs committees. He was also a member of the College of Law Board of Advisors and the National Alumni Association Board.

Dineen Jr. was generationally attached to the College of Law. His parents had attended the College of Law and Dineen Hall is named in honor of them: Robert E. Dineen Sr. L’1924, H’66 and Carolyn Bareham Dineen L’1932. His mother was one of only two women in her class. His father was raised in the Irish immigrant neighborhood near the law school at the western edge of the University campus, a neighborhood referred to as “the swamp.”

Dineen Jr. passed away Oct. 12, 2024, at 84. He served on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2016 and was a member of the Budget and Advancement and External Affairs committees. He was also a member of the College of Law Board of Advisors and the National Alumni Association Board. He was generous in his philanthropy, supporting scholarships and financial aid for law school students.

“For decades, Bob Dineen Jr. played a major role in ensuring ���ϲ����� remained at the forefront of legal education,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud. “That’s evident in all the ways he continued to give back to his alma mater, including his years of dedicated service on the Board of Trustees and on the College of Law Board of Advisors. His family’s transformational gift led the way in creating a state-of-the-art facility to support the next generation of law students, while honoring his parents’ legacy. And Bob’s accomplishments in finance law across the globe demonstrate that a ���ϲ����� education can take our students anywhere.”

When Hannah Arterian became dean of the College of Law in 2003, she asked for Dineen Jr.’s assistance in creating a strategic plan to form a new Board of Advisors. She described him as “an incredible person” for his guidance. ��He was a driving force behind the capital campaign that would bring Dineen Hall to life—a 200,000-square-foot building that brought together the law school community under one roof for the first time and would be hailed as one of the most architecturally attractive law school buildings in the world.

Robert E. Dineen Jr.

Dineen Jr. had attended the College of Law after earning his undergraduate degree at Brown University. He served as editor of the ���ϲ����� Law Review and was named to the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Honor Society. In 2010, the College of Law presented him with its Law Review Alumni Achievement Award.

Dineen Jr. had a successful career focused on public finance transactions. He was also a specialist in U.S. and international private banking and financial transactions, including equipment and project financing.

He was a partner of Shearman & Sterling LLP, a leading international law firm from 1974 until his retirement in��December 2005. While at Shearman & Sterling, he led several of the firm’s corporate groups, including those responsible for Latin America and Asia as well as��its global project finance work. Over the years, he spent significant time in the firm’s offices in Algeria, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, Toronto, and Washington.

“Bob’s brilliant career in international legal and financial transactions and steadfast client relationships inspires our students to excel in everything they do,” says College of Law Dean Terence Lau L’98. “As commendable is his leadership, along with his siblings, in honoring their parents when they led the campaign to build Dineen Hall that our students, faculty, and staff are thankful for every day.”

Dineen Jr. is survived by his wife, Jeanne C. Olivier, Esq., and his sister, the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King H’06, judge and former��chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kathrine Switzer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What has running given you?

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

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

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

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

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

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

First-year head coach Fran Brown guided ���ϲ����� to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, the 29th bowl appearance in program history. (Photo courtesy of ���ϲ����� Athletics)

For the third straight season, the ���ϲ����� football team has qualified for a bowl game, the first time the Orange have secured back-to-back-to-back postseason appearances since a run of five consecutive bowl games from the 1995 to 1999 seasons.

On Sunday afternoon, ���ϲ����� (9-3, 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) learned it will take on the Washington State Cougars (8-4) in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Dec. 27 and will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

Fans who are interested in making the trip to California to cheer on the Orange can visit for information on the Holiday Bowl, including how to purchase tickets. Fans are encouraged to buy their Holiday Bowl tickets through ���ϲ����� Athletics to ensure their seats in the ���ϲ����� sections of Snapdragon Stadium.

This year’s squad earned the 29th bowl appearance in program history, with the Orange sporting a 16-11-1 record all-time in bowl games. This will be ���ϲ�����’s first time playing in the Holiday Bowl.

First-year head coach Fran Brown has the Orange at 9-3 after the regular season, tied for the most regular season victories by a first-year head coach in program history. ���ϲ����� will enter the bowl game ranked in the College Football Playoff (No. 21), Associated Press (No. 22) and USA Today Coaches Polls (No. 25).

The Orange closed out the regular season with a thrilling 42-38 win over No. 8 Miami inside the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 30, a game where the Orange pulled off the largest comeback in school history (rallying from down 21 points), earned its first top 10 win since 2017 and secured its third win over a ranked opponent for the first time since 1998.

A win in the Holiday Bowl would be ���ϲ�����’s 10th this year and would represent the program’s third 10-win season since the 2000 campaign.

The Orange and the Cougars have met once before, in 1979, with ���ϲ����� defeating Washington State by a score of 52-25. With construction occurring on the JMA Wireless Dome, that game was played at then Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

In this new role, Toenniessen, who is currently the vice president for strategic initiatives and innovation, will assume operational responsibility for the IVMF, which serves more than 22,000 servicemembers, veterans and families each year.

Ray Toenniessen

“Ray has been with the IVMF since its inception. For more than a decade, he’s played a central role in almost every facet of the IVMF’s strategy, programming and growth,” Haynie says. “There is no one more committed to our mission or more qualified to drive future growth and innovation than Ray Toenniessen.”

As Deputy Executive Director, Toenniessen will lead the efforts of the IVMF’s more than 100 employees, both on campus and within military communities across the U.S.

“I am honored to assume this new responsibility, and greatly appreciate the trust Vice Chancellor Haynie has in me to lead the IVMF into the future,” Toenniessen says. “As a team we have accomplished a great deal over the last thirteen years, working to enhance the lives of veterans and their families. That said, there is much more to do. I look forward to the work ahead, leveraging our best-in-class programs, services, research, and evaluation initiatives to create positive change for the military-connected community.”

Vice Chancellor Haynie will continue to serve as the IVMF’s Executive Director and Toenniessen will collaborate closely with Maureen Casey, the IVMF’s chief operating officer, and Barb Carson, managing director of programs and services.

Toenniessen graduated from ���ϲ����� in 2006 with an international relations degree from the and was commissioned from its ROTC program as a second lieutenant. He served four years on active duty, including a combat deployment to Iraq in 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon his transition from active duty in 2010, Toenniessen returned to the University as the first National Program Manager of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, expanding the program across the country thanks to a partnership with ten world-class business schools while launching additional small business programs for veterans and their families out of the .

In 2011, Toenniessen assisted Vice Chancellor Haynie in launching the D’Aniello Institute, initially serving as director of programs and operations. As Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Toenniessen has been responsible for launching numerous innovative programs over the last ten years, including the IVMF’s partnerships with private sector firms, foundations and donors to the IVMF’s programs that have impacted the lives of more than 210,000 service members, veterans and military family members since 2011.

2024 ※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award winners (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

For the second year in a row, the University honored Orange ingenuity with two days of celebration, networking and a friendly pitch competition as part of the ※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards.

Last Thursday, the ※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards ceremony recognized the 2024 honorees, culminating with a live reveal of the top 10 fastest-growing Orange businesses. The evening also included a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E’s hit shows “Cake Dynasty” and “Legends of the Fork,” who participated in a fireside chat, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.

The next day, honorees of the ※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards headlined the ※�������50 Summit. The summit allowed students to meet and network with top thinkers on engaging, practical and forward-thinking opportunities. The summit also included a “Six for Six” student pitch competition, where the top six campus innovation teams participated in a spirited “Shark Tank”-style format for a “winner take all” $6,000 grand prize selected by ※�������50 honorees.

Check out how the two days went:

※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards (Nov. 14)��

Thomas O’Brien ’25, student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, kicked off the ceremony. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, provided the welcoming remarks for the evening. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer, and Buddy Valastro, celebrity chef and baker, participated in a fireside chat. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The University presented Valastro with an Otto the Orange cake as a thank you for participating in the evening’s festivities. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Student attendees were invited on stage to take a photo with Valastro and Otto the Orange. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Valastro posed for photos with attendees after the event. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Valastro posed with Aaron Krause ’92 (center), founder of Scrub Daddy and Otto the Orange. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Award winners and attendees had an opportunity to network after the awards portion of the evening. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Award winners and attendees gathered together after the awards portion of the evening. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students enjoyed the networking event after the ceremony. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Otto had fun joking around with the award winners. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

※�������50 Entrepreneurship Summit (Nov. 15)

The ※�������50 Summit included conversations and networking with the 50 fastest-growing alumni businesses. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Alex McKelvie, professor of entrepreneurship and interim dean of the Whitman School, provided welcoming remarks at the summit. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students met and networked with alumni founders and top executives of leading innovation companies at the ‘CUSE50 Summit. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Haynie addressed the ※�������50 Summit attendees. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

※�������50 honorees participated in various panel discussions. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students engaged with ※�������50 honorees. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The ※�������50 Summit brought out great conversations and collaboration. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students participated in a spirited “Six for Six” student pitch competition. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Nicolas Courbage ’26 (center), student in the Whitman School and founder of PapeX, won the “Six for Six” student pitch competition. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Douglas Present

The Whitman School of Management is pleased to announce a significant seed gift from Douglas ’86 and Susan Present to the school’s Opportunity Fund. The donation will serve to create a pilot project to allow students with great academic potential, but limited financial resources, to take advantage of the unique opportunities at Whitman by helping to cover certain expenses not traditionally covered by scholarships or financial aid.�� Specifically, the Opportunity Fund will assist students to cover the costs of student activities, unanticipated events leading to financial hardships and stipends to cover expenses related to increasingly important summer internships.

The Presents’ generosity has been primarily anonymous in the past, but they hope that by making the gift public, they can help to raise additional funds and inspire other Whitman alumni to contribute to the Opportunity Fund, as well as encourage University leadership to create a similar fund for all ���ϲ����� students across all schools.

A University Trustee, Doug Present is a member of the Board’s executive committee and chair of its finance committee, and has been a longstanding member of the Whitman Advisory Council (WAC). He graduated from the Whitman School and found success in the healthcare industry, having worked at Deloitte & Touche, Medsite, Inc. and Managed Health Care Associates, Inc., before starting his own investment firm, Douglas Present Associates, LLC.

“Susan and I want every student to have a complete and full ���ϲ����� Orange experience,” Present says. “Costs not covered by financial aid can inhibit opportunities for students with high financial need. All students should have the opportunity to participate in non-academic activities and have the ability to accept a summer internship opportunity in a high-cost city. Lastly, no student should have their academic ambitions thrown off track by unexpected events that lead to expenses not covered by financial aid. Our philanthropy has always been focused on creating opportunities for high-achieving students with limited financial means to have the same opportunities as students who come from higher income families. I am pleased that Whitman is taking the lead on this initiative, and I hope to encourage the implementation of a similar program across the entire University.”

Requests for grants from the Whitman Opportunity Fund will be facilitated on a rolling, case-by-case basis while funding remains available.

“We are extremely grateful for the thoughtful generosity of Douglas and Susan Present, who are strongly committed to relieving the less visible financial burdens that some of our students quietly face,” says Whitman School Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “We hope this gift will jump start a renewed awareness within our alumni supporters that this kind of need truly does exist and encourage others to help make a difference in Whitman students’ long-term success.”

For more information on the Whitman School of Management Opportunity Fund, go to .

Robert ’86 and Kathryn Taishoff

How do you inspire people to open their hearts and provide the support to raise the hefty sum of $2.5 million? Just ask retired U.S. Navy Capt. Robert “Rob” P. Taishoff ’86 who sees opportunities where others see obstacles, and who is determined to change the way the world views intellectual disability. With the recent Taishoff Family Foundation gift of $2.5 million to inclusive higher education at ���ϲ�����, Taishoff is challenging others to see the world the way he does and match his family’s pledge.

“I’ve seen the confidence that these young men and women with intellectual disabilities develop when given educational opportunities, and it’s mind-blowing,” says Taishoff. “If we give them the chance to pursue their interests and prepare them for careers, just like we do with every student at ���ϲ�����, they will thrive, excel, succeed and surprise us.”

Taishoff continues to marvel at the successes of the students who attend InclusiveU and the accomplishments of the , named for his father in 2009 with a $1.1 million grant from Taishoff. The center and InclusiveU have become national models for the inclusion and education of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At that time, Taishoff was a University Trustee; he served as a voting trustee from 2009 to 2021 and is now a life trustee. Taishoff has been involved in many University initiatives, but it was inclusive education and the work going on at the (CDI) in the School of Education that captured his whole heart.

Taishoff’s daughter, Jackie, was born with Down syndrome in 2001, and he experienced firsthand the promise and the heartbreak felt by the families of young people often marginalized by society. “Jackie is very social and friendly, and frequently surprises us with what she’s capable of doing,” says Taishoff. He’d love to see her attend InclusiveU but as a resident of Maryland, her benefits associated with her disability won’t cross state lines. The portability of benefits is one of those systemic policy issues that CDI’s staff is working to change, helping students overcome barriers to pursue an education and career.

According to Sara Hart Weir, a national expert in disability policy and former president of the National Down Syndrome Society, Taishoff is the kind of visionary who “sees endless opportunities not just for Jackie, but for all people with disabilities. Rob wants them to have the kinds of opportunities every other American has, from education to health care, from financial services to careers.” Weir says individuals with Down syndrome are an “untapped workforce who, with access to programs like InclusiveU, can skill up, enter the workforce and become taxpayers.” She says InclusiveU is the “best of the best” in providing these kinds of opportunities.

Strengthening Programming

The Taishoff Family Foundation has contributed several million dollars over the years to strengthen CDI, the Taishoff Center and InclusiveU, providing resources for programmatic growth. “They’ve achieved all their goals in the last five-year plan and that set the stage for the next five-year plan,” says Taishoff, who hopes his new gift will be leveraged to bring in new donor support. The next five-year plan seeks to grow enrollment by 25% and offer new experiences for students with intellectual disability.

“We’re never satisfied with what we’re doing,” says Beth Myers, the Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education, executive director of the Taishoff Center and assistant director of CDI. “We may be the largest program of our kind in the nation, but there are always more opportunities to pursue. For example, I dream of first providing our students with a two-week study abroad in Italy with the goal of a full semester of study abroad in any location where any other ���ϲ����� student can go. Am I dreaming huge dreams? Yes. Is it possible? Yes!” But, Myers acknowledges, it takes more resources and staffing to achieve those dreams.

Myers credits her “amazing team and an incredible staff at InclusiveU who would do anything for these students” to deliver on dreams. She has watched the program at InclusiveU grow from 14 students in three majors to 100 students in 45 majors taking more than 300 courses across the University. “We have allies in every department across campus, top down and bottom up support,” says Myers. “It’s a culture grounded in the University’s 60-plus year history in disability advocacy. People really value the work we do in inclusion.”

“I am continuously inspired by Rob Taishoff’s generosity and, now, his strategic challenge to others to help advance ���ϲ�����’s leadership in the disability community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Rob persists in challenging all of us to think of innovative and creative solutions and to collaborate across units and colleges to ensure equitable opportunities for all our students and to be a standard-bearer for academic institutions nationwide.”

Through those opportunities, Taishoff sees how students become one with the University community. “Our intellectually disabled students are woven into the fabric of the University, from the classroom to living arrangements, from social activities to career preparation,” says Taishoff.

Going Beyond

CDI’s strategic plan for growth goes beyond assisting the growth of the Taishoff Center and enrollment in InclusiveU. It would enhance access to higher education among students in the ���ϲ����� City School district (nationally, less than 2% of high school students with intellectual disability go to college). It would invest in innovative technical assistance for disabled students and establish an Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance Center to help other colleges and universities. It would support research, fellowships and teaching to advance the field. It would provide more resources for career advising and career placement (only 17% of adults with intellectual disabilities are employed nationally). The newly established Robert and Kathryn Taishoff Fund would support many of these initiatives and scholarship support for students.

In addition to the new fund, the latest Taishoff gift continues support through the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education Endowed Fund. Part of the $1.5 billion , Taishoff’s gift builds on and the legacy of the School of Education. Rob Taishoff’s father Lawrence and grandfather Sol philanthropically supported education, journalism and health research. Taishoff says his father was “exceptionally close” to granddaughter Jackie, perhaps because he had witnessed a cousin with Down syndrome sent to an institution and shielded away from society and opportunity.

Taishoff says his own military experience also reinforced the family’s commitment to opening the doors of opportunity. He spent more than two decades in active duty in the Navy and managed Navy and Marine Corps attorneys and civilians representing service members. “No matter what background or walk of life someone was from, whether enlisted or an officer, we were all pulling for the same goals, trying to fulfill a mission,” Taishoff says. “I saw people who were given opportunities in the military that they would not have had otherwise, and I saw them thrive and excel.”

The Taishoff Family Foundation’s legacy aligns with that of the School of Education, which is recognized as an international leader in the deinstitutionalization and school inclusion movements. The school is home to the first disability studies program in the country and the first joint degree program in law and disability studies, and it helped ���ϲ����� become the first research university to launch an integrated elementary and special education teacher education program.

“It’s time to build on history once again,” says Taishoff. “I hope others will join me in creating new futures for countless young people who deserve a chance to contribute in ways that will amaze us.”

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.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����

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

Dwayne Murray, deputy director of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA), discusses its impact on campus and around the world, explores what sets ���ϲ����� apart as a best place for veterans and shares his love for working with veterans and military-connected students.

���ϲ����� has a long, proud history of serving our veterans and military-connected students that dates back to World War I and the post-World War II era when thousands of veterans embarked on their journey to a college degree through the G.I. Bill.

One of the central organizations on campus that helps the University accomplish this mission is the (OVMA), which, for the last 10 years has played a critical role in helping veterans, military-connected students and their family members pursue their higher education dreams.

Dwayne Murray ’97 is living out his dream job as the OVMA’s deputy director, and he’s proud of the work the organization does through its programs and initiatives while serving as the University’s central hub for veteran and military-connected students.

Dwayne Murray

“The OVMA sets our veteran and military-connected students with an opportunity to go through the entire life cycle of being connected to ���ϲ�����, from being recruited to when they graduate with their degrees,” Murray says. “We provide student success opportunities, immersion trips, job readiness activities and an outstanding 100% job placement rate thanks to our career services office.”

Murray was a track and field student-athlete on campus and earned degrees in sociology ( and ) and information management and technology () before enlisting in the U.S. Army immediately after graduating.

Following a decorated 25-year active-duty career in the Army, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer, Murray returned to his alma mater in June 2022 to take on this latest career challenge, which blends his passion for his country with his drive to help veteran and military-connected students achieve their goals.

“To be at the intersection of where I’ve had some of the most formidable experiences of my life as a student, and then to combine that with the purpose, direction and motivation that comes from being in the Army, I had to take advantage of this opportunity,” Murray says. “It’s the only calling for me that was bigger than continuing to serve in the military because I could pay back my institution, I could pay back the students that walk these halls and I could share those lessons I’ve learned and experiences I’ve had with our campus community.”

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Murray discusses the impact the OVMA has had on campus and around the world, explores what sets ���ϲ����� apart as a best place for veterans and shares his love for working with veterans and military-connected students.

Check out . A transcript [PDF] is also available.

Global Impact as a Best Place for Veterans

Murray says the commitment to our veterans and military-connected students is “baked into our DNA as a University,” including the advent of the Student Army Training Corps, which was the forerunner to the Army ROTC. ���ϲ����� was also home to one of the first Air Force ROTC programs on a college campus in the nation.

Dwayne Murray (second from left) poses with attendees at the OVMA’s Stars & Stripes tailgate.

Among the many ways the OVMA and the University help facilitate the transition from active duty to student, Murray points to:

• a simplified, streamlined admissions process, including waiving application fees, which has led to a 300% increase in enrollment over the last 10 years;
• customized support services;
• innovative and creative programming under the leadership of Director of Veteran Career Services Jennifer Pluta G’15 that has yielded a 100% job placement rate for student veterans;
• a welcoming and inclusive environment, featuring various affinity groups;
• strong cross-campus relationships that lead to expanded opportunities for students; and
• significant scholarship opportunities that eliminate financial barriers to a degree.

Dwayne Murray enjoyed a decorated 25-year active-duty career in the U.S. Army, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer, before returning to ���ϲ����� in June 2022.

Add it all up and Murray says it’s easy to see why Military Times consistently ranks ���ϲ����� among the “best place for veterans” among private universities.

“We are fully committed to enhancing the opportunities for our students, and these efforts have led to a global impact,” Murray says. “We have close to 60 veterans enrolled in the fully interactive hybrid online juris doctorate program [known as JDinteractive], which gives our veterans and military-connected students the opportunity to earn their law degree completely online. We have students in the Defense Comptrollership program, that earn an MBA from the and a master’s degree in public administration through the Maxwell School. They go on to serve as leaders in their civilian agencies or their military branch of service.”

National Veterans and Military Families Month

While Murray has always seen ���ϲ����� as part of his identity—when he was 7 years old, his grandmother bought him a ���ϲ����� sweatshirt from the Salvation Army that became a cherished possession—the University is also ingrained in his family.

Dwayne’s wife, Alison Murray ’01, currently serves as the assistant dean for student assistance with Hendricks Chapel, where she is responsible for religious and spiritual outreach programs and services that assist students seeking holistic support. Alison, who earned a nursing degree on campus, served in the Army for more than 20 years.

With November being National Veterans and Military Families Month, the Murrays are an outstanding example of service to country and passion for giving back to students.

“Alison is a nurse by trade, and Hendricks Chapel is like a hospital in that she can diagnose folks and provide them with the type of support and assistance they need to grow, thrive and be successful,” Dwayne says. “It’s an amazing feeling knowing we share this strong connection with our alma mater.”

Alison and Dwayne Murray.

The ���ϲ����� Marching Band performs on the steps of Hendricks Chapel during Orange Central Weekend. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

The University welcomed about 1,300 alumni, friends and their families back to campus over the weekend to celebrate our community, our incredible spirit and Orange pride during Orange Central Homecoming Weekend 2024.

The campus came alive with excitement, memories and plenty of good times, including watching the football team pull out a thrilling 38-31 win in overtime against Virginia Tech.

Check out some of the photos below from the weekend’s activities. For more fun photos, browse the Orange Central photo album on the��.

Members of the Orange community pose for a photo with Otto at the Homecoming Alumni Breakfast. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

Attendees enjoying a home-cooked meal during the Homecoming Alumni Breakfast. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

During the SU Arts Fair and Brunch, participants demonstrated their rhythm on the drums. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

(From left to right): Alpha Chi Omega sisters Suzanne Hewett ’94, Rhonda Bergeron ’94, P’26, Shannon Von Vassel ’94 and Kim Tromba ’94 are all smiles as they reunite at Orange Central! (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

Orange alumni and student entrepreneurs listen to a panel discussion during the Orange Tank Business Pitch Competition. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

An attendee participates in a flight simulation during the Be a Pilot and Test Out the Flight Simulator with the SU ROTC Air Force Cadets program. (Photo by Liam Kennedy ’26)

Orange Central attendees show off their school spirit in front of the Hall of Languages. (Photo courtesy of the ���ϲ����� Facebook page)

During the “Destroy All Monsters” Exhibit Tour, attendees learned how fandom and participatory culture developed from the pre-Internet era to present day. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

Participants in the SU Arts Fair and Brunch. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

Forever Orange Friday was a fun and family-friendly evening on the Quad. Check out the JMA Wireless Dome lit up in Orange! (Photo courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving)

Head coach Fran Brown (center) leading the Orange football team onto the field for Saturday’s Orange Central game vs. Virginia Tech. ���ϲ����� would rally from down 21-3 to earn a 38-31 win inside the JMA Wireless Dome. (Photo courtesy of the )

It’s a thorny issue, raising questions of students’ and parents’ rights, school safety, academic performance—and mental health.

A scan of recent news stories offers a snapshot of various positions: banning devices is good for “” it could mitigate and , and even help social media. On the other hand, smartphones help parents in an emergency and, sometimes, they are for instruction or even for monitoring health.

One scholar addressing the potential harms caused by overuse of smartphones—in and out of school—is , assistant teaching professor of in the .

One of Butler’s research and clinical interests is process addictions in children and adolescents, a topic closely related to the smartphone question. Given the groundswell of concern —not to mention high-profile lawsuits for and —about young people’s online habits, the School of Education asked Butler about the connection between process addictions, phones, apps, and mental health—and what, if anything, schools can do.

As a mental health counselor, how does your clinical work and scholarship frame how you view the controversy surrounding smartphone bans in schools?

My interest centers around the overuse of smartphones and other devices by children that can develop into what mental health professionals refer to as a “process addiction.” We become concerned when we see extensive attachment to the phone, including high rates of texting; addiction to online games, such as “Roblox,” or “Call of Duty”; and dependency on social media apps, such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

In general, we can say that gaming addiction affects boys more, leading to issues of quality of sleep and academic performance, while for girls social media addiction is more of an issue, leading to self-esteem, body image and other mental health challenges.

The data bears out these concerns. say they play video games, while children 8 to 17 years of age spend an average of one and a half to two hours daily playing online. Statistics reveal that 8.5% of children and teenagers younger than 18 have .

Meanwhile, associate the absence of their phone with at least one of three emotions: loneliness, being upset, or feeling anxious. Girls are more likely than boys to feel anxious or lonely without their phones. Interestingly, some unease is self-reported: 54% of US teens aged 13 to 17 say they spend too much time on their phones.

Sabrina Butler

How is a “process addiction” related to other kinds of addiction?

Process addictions are those compulsive behaviors where no chemical or other addictive substance is used. In addition to smartphone use, other examples include addiction to gambling, shopping, eating, self-harm, sex, and exercise.

Understanding and researching process addictions is hampered by the fact that the “” only recognizes a couple of these examples: gambling and sex addictions.

But process addictions can re-wire the brain much the same way as chemical addictions do. That is, the brain learns to reward pleasurable behaviors (such as checking the “likes” of a social post) and cravings can set in—the need to constantly look at the phone.

Nevertheless, this field is developing, and there are more studies underway, as well as more statistics from national surveys to reference.

What is the nature of your work around process addictions, both clinically and in your research and teaching?

I do a lot of work with children and process addiction in my clinical practice, and as a teacher of counselors, I help school and other counselors in training understand the signs of addiction, how to assess it and how to treat it.

In my research, I am interested in using large data sets to understand the scope of process addictions in young people in order to inform screening tools, treatments and counselor education.

What are some of the negative consequences of smartphone addiction that educators are dealing with?

There are a few. Overuse of smartphones can take away from the educational process because students’ focus is taken up by social media, texting and games. It can cause poor sleeping habits, with students catching up in the classroom or becoming increasingly absent from school. Sleep also can be disrupted by , especially about subjects that cause anxiety, and even the .

Then there are behavioral concerns. Overuse can affect young people’s social skills and interactions, with some finding difficulty making friends in real life or cultivating false friendships online (or worse, being solicited by predators posing as “friends”). We have even seen a change in how children see their futures. Anecdotally, I have heard students say they want to be “influencers” or YouTube stars when they are older.

Devices given to very young children can disrupt play and physical development. While the intentional educational use of web-based multimedia can help development in elementary-aged children, research indicates that screen media usage is negatively associated with fine motor skill development across time, with a particular impact on preschool-aged children.

Moreover, the age of first use is correlated to addiction; thus, the younger the child, the more likely they are to develop long-term struggles. Again, anecdotally, devices given to very young children can lead to some becoming more interested in watching another child play online rather than play—and thus physically, socially, and emotionally develop—themselves.

As a mental health professional, where do you stand on the question of smartphone bans in schools?

It’s a hard call. I think if you took out the unfortunate threat of school shootings in the United States —and therefore the understandable need for parents to stay in touch with their children—then I would say there should definitely be some restrictions on smartphone use.

But even so, one should balance the threat of an emergency in one school against how smartphone addiction is affecting the development of whole school districts. Then again, there are children’s and parent’s rights at stake, so it will be interesting to see how the legal cases play out.

I do believe there has to be some kind of intervention. An abstention-only approach probably won’t work, so the solution would have to involve harm reduction. There might be compromises and practical workarounds to be found—such as those that are used during exams, when devices are dropped in a basket at the front of the classroom—but it will be hard for a school district to find limits and make everyone happy.

What advice do you have for parents and educators concerned about signs of smartphone addiction in a young person?

I have a couple of guidelines to consider. In general, mental health professionals suggest restricting smartphone use to less than two hours at a time. Also, social media should not be put into the hands of children and young adolescents under the age of 13, advice that is in line with many age barriers put forward by social media companies.

Common warning signs of addiction include: negative consequences associated with the addictive behavior; increased intensity or time spent on the behavior and/or the amount of time spent limits the child’s ability to sleep, do homework, spend time with family, etc.; using the behavior as an escape from negative moods; unsuccessful attempts to control or reduce the behavior; and/or emotional dysregulation—that is, excessive anger, sadness, or anxiety—when the child cannot engage in the addictive behavior.

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser (left) presenting FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam with a CED Award. (Photo courtesy of CED Distinguished Leadership Awards)

The Committee for Economic Development (CED), the public policy center of The Conference Board, awarded Raj Subramaniam G’89, president and chief executive of FedEx, with a 2024 CED Distinguished Leadership Award for Business Stewardship and Corporate Citizenship. The ceremony took place on Oct. 9, in New York City.

The CED Distinguished Leadership Awards honor leaders who demonstrate a strong commitment to corporate citizenship, business stewardship and advancing public policy in the nation’s interests.

The 2024 awards pay special tribute to business leaders and their companies who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in challenging times. These include advancing equal opportunity during a time of national economic uncertainty, building a more civil and just society, and upholding a rules-based international order.

“The US continues to face economic and geopolitical uncertainty. This year’s distinguished honorees have demonstrated steadfast, innovative leadership amid these transformational times, working tirelessly to advance policies and practices that benefit our nation’s well-being,” says Lori Esposito Murray, former president of CED. “They embody the best of business stewardship and corporate responsibility, and truly epitomize CED’s vision of integrity in business leadership. By recognizing these exemplary leaders and companies, CED aims to inspire other leaders across the public and private sectors to follow in their footsteps.”

“Raj is a visionary leader on an international scale,” says J. Cole Smith, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “He has been at the forefront of transformational change and next-generation problem solving. It is wonderful to see him recognized with such a prestigious award.”

Subramaniam is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of FedEx Corporation. Over the last 50 years, FedEx has built a well-connected network linking 220 countries and territories around the world. FedEx was also responsible for delivering the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.

With more than 30 years of industry experience at FedEx, one of the world’s largest transportation companies, Subramaniam’s forward-thinking, innovative ways have helped revolutionize the transportation and logistics industry.

Subramaniam earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from ���ϲ����� in 1989.

The other recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Leadership Awards for Business Stewardship and Corporate Citizenship included:

• Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman, Palo Alto Networks
• Jenny Johnson, president and CEO, Franklin Templeton
• Robert��F. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO, Vista Equity Partners
• Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture
• Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO, Chobani, and founder, Tent Partnership for Refugees

The Honorable Langston C. McKinney

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 4:30 p.m., political, legal and civic leaders from across the state will gather at the Honorable James C. Tormey, III Criminal Courts Building at 505 South State Street, ���ϲ�����, for the dedication of The Hon. Langston C. McKinney Courtroom. The Hon. Langston C. McKinney L’71 served in many critical public interest leadership positions and applied his legal acumen across many practice areas and roles. He was appointed the first Black ���ϲ����� City Court Judge in 1986 and served with honor, distinction and compassion until his retirement in 2010.

Judge McKinney was born in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 27, 1944. He graduated from Howard University in 1965 with a degree in chemistry and was recruited by Carrier Corporation to come to ���ϲ����� to work as a chemist. There, he was the first Black scientist in their research and development division.

Judge McKinney served two years in the U.S. Army and then returned to ���ϲ����� in 1968 to attend ���ϲ����� College of Law. While in law school, he co-founded the ���ϲ����� chapter of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council and would spend a summer working in the South on civil rights legal work, fueling his passion for justice. Also, while in law school, he started working for Onondaga Neighborhood Legal Services (ONLS). It was there that he came to understand the plight of people trapped in poverty and social and economic injustice. This experience sharpened the lens through which he saw the need for justice, equality and the rule of law.

Upon graduating from ���ϲ����� Law, Judge McKinney began his legal career at ONLS as a staff attorney. Among the many causes he championed was the issue of tenants’ rights. He would later be honored by having a housing complex named after him–McKinney Manor. Judge McKinney later joined the legal staff at Hiscock Legal Aid Society, where his reputation as a criminal defense attorney began to grow. Eventually, Judge McKinney joined with two other ���ϲ����� lawyers to form the law firm of Maye, McKinney & Melchor, the first Black law firm in ���ϲ�����.

In 1986, Judge McKinney was appointed by Mayor Tom Young to be the first Black American ���ϲ����� City Court Judge. He was then elected in 1987 and re-elected in 1997 and 2007. One of Judge McKinney’s proudest accomplishments was partnering with the Center for Community Alternatives to establish the ���ϲ����� Community Treatment Court.

Although Judge McKinney retired in 2010, he remained active in the pursuit of justice. He was instrumental in founding the first African American Bar Association in Onondaga County, The William Herbert Johnson Bar Association, named after a fellow African American legal trailblazer.

“Judge McKinney had faithfully and respectfully served ���ϲ����� as a jurist, community leader and mentor to many in the legal profession and other disciplines,” says Professor Paula Johnson, who served on the committee securing the courtroom dedication.

The ceremony will be ��(passcode 1986). A reception will follow at the CNY Philanthropy Center Ballroom.

The WAC was established in 1974 to serve as a group of accomplished alumni and other valued partners as instrumental resources for the Whitman School. Members are appointed by Whitman leadership to help provide expertise and support to Whitman’s strategic direction, priorities and objectives and act as ambassadors and advocates for the school and its students. Members provide mentoring and knowledge, serving on committees that address experiential learning, membership, careers and internships, stewardship and/or strategic initiatives, as well as provide philanthropy. Their collective expertise ensures that the next generation of Whitman graduates have the necessary skills and talents to excel in a competitive business arena, while also helping to raise the profile of the Whitman School.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dan, Sean and Laurie to the Whitman Advisory Council,” says WAC Chair Tracy Barash ’89. “Their collective experience adds valuable perspective to our Council in supporting Whitman’s efforts to prepare its students for an ever-evolving business environment.”

“These new members to Whitman’s Advisory Council offer unique new insights and industry connections that help us move towards achieving our goals. I look forward to working with and learning from them. We are appreciative of their ongoing commitment to Whitman and its students,” says Alex McKelvie, Interim Dean of the Whitman School.

Daniel Arty ’81

Daniel Arty

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Arty has long maintained a connection with both ���ϲ����� and the Whitman School. He is currently managing partner at Arty Cohn Feuer LLC, an accounting firm in Miami. Arty is known for sharing his love of the Orange by encouraging prospective college students in South Florida to consider the Whitman School. He has been key in organizing alumni events taking place near Miami and occasionally travels back to campus to speak to students about his accounting career. He also encourages students to become socially conscious. Arty is a firm believer in giving back, and aside from sharing his time and knowledge, he has generously supported the Accounting Excellence Fund, which assists underserved students interested in sitting for the CPA exam. However, much of his support has been done anonymously. Arty has been a member of the Whitman Accounting Advisory Board since 2002. He and his wife, Pascale, have four daughters, including Katherine Arty ’06 and Olivia Arty ’16. In addition to his commitments to the Whitman School, Arty has been a member of the executive board of the Parkinson’s Foundation for over 25 years, serving in a number of executive positions.

Sean Carey ’89

Sean Carey

After graduating from the University with a dual bachelor’s degree in telecommunications management and finance from the Whitman School and the , Carey built a 30-year career as a media and entertainment executive with experience in corporate development, strategic planning, film finance, digital entertainment and content acquisition. Currently based in Los Angeles, Carey serves on advisory boards to companies in the media and entertainment space including Roundtable Entertainment, an independent television and film production company; and Auddy Limited, a firm that publishes and markets podcasts, which he also co-founded. Throughout his career, Carey has worked as a chief content officer and advisor at Iflix Group; served as vice president of global television for Netflix; and was a senior vice president for strategic content initiatives at Sony Corporation of America. Prior to that, he spent 16 years as an executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he led a $5 billion acquisition of MGM and the $2 billion sale of Spanish language network Telemundo to NBC, among other highly successful deals. Throughout his career, Carey has been a generous supporter of the Whitman School, both financially and by sharing his extensive business experience. Carey has a daughter, Josephine Carey ’22.

Laurie Lovett (Weissberger) ’89

Laurie Lovett

Lovett graduated from Whitman with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management and also earned a master’s degree in organizational development from Stevens Institute of Technology. With more than 25 years of professional experience, Lovett brings vast knowledge to the WAC through leadership roles worldwide, particularly in the human capital space. She is known for developing talent strategies to build “employer of choice programs,” while also advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion. Lovett is recognized for leading game-changing cultural transformations and building, engaging and retaining best-in-class teams. Most recently, she served as Nielsen’s Global Chief People Officer. Before Nielsen, she was the Global CHRO at Verisk Analytics and spent 20 years with Accenture in roles with increasing responsibility. Laurie’s board experience includes being an independent director of West Monroe/MSD and BDT (chair of the compensation and talent committee), executive director for governance at the Nielsen Foundation and board director at Girl Stats, Verisk’s foundation. She serves as an international advisory council member to Ankh Impact Ventures. Lovett is also a member and mentor at highly selective professional organizations: Chief, 50/50 Women on Boards and Extraordinary Women on Boards. She has an enduring connection to ���ϲ�����, as her mother, the late Barbara Kling (Weissberger) ’66 also attended the University.

Aaron Sorkin

Sorkin, a graduate of the Department of Drama, was among 19 recipients that comprised the 2022 and 2023 cohorts of the National Humanities Medal, which honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history or literature or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources. The manages the nominations process for the medal on behalf of the White House.

“The National Humanities Medal recipients have enriched our world through writing that moves and inspires us; scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the past; and through their dedication to educating, informing and giving voice to communities and histories often overlooked,” says NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo).

Sorkin’s early career began as a playwright. His stage play, “A Few Good Men,” caught the attention of a Hollywood producer, who bought the film rights before the play even premiered. Castle Rock Entertainment then hired Sorkin to adapt to film “A Few Good Men,” which went on to become a box office and critical success in 1992.

Sorkin’s 2010 feature film screenplay, “The Social Network,” earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the film also garnered two additional Oscars and four Golden Globe Awards, including best picture and best screenplay. His other films include “Molly’s Game” (directorial debut), “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Golden Globe Award), “Moneyball,” “Steve Jobs” (Golden Globe Award), “The American President” and “Malice.”

In 1998, Sorkin’s television career began when he created the comedy series “Sports Night” for the ABC network. His next TV series, the political drama “The West Wing,” debuted on the NBC network and would go on to win more than 20 Emmys, a Golden Globe for Best Television Drama Series, two consecutive Peabody Awards for Broadcast and Cable Excellence, and two Humanitas Prizes and Television Critics Awards. His other television series include “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (NBC) and “The Newsroom” (HBO).

Aaron Sorkin (back row, third from left), Drama Department Chair Ralph Zito (back row, fourth from left) and 2024 Sorkin Week students

After more than a decade away from the theater, Sorkin returned to adapt for the stage his screenplay “The Farnsworth Invention” (2007). His stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” debuted on Broadway in 2018 and received nine Tony Award nominations, winning one. He adapted the classic musical “Camelot” in 2023; the Broadway production received five Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical.

In March 2006 Sorkin funded and launched the Sorkin in LA Learning Practicum—also known as “Sorkin Week”—which is a weeklong immersion experience for VPA drama students to meet with professionals working in all facets of the entertainment industry, including actors, writers, talent agents, directors and producers.

Sorkin is a member of the VPA Council and has received the University’s George Arents Pioneer Medal, the highest alumni honor awarded by the University. He delivered the University’s Commencement address in 2012 and received an honorary degree.

Morgan Foss

Growing up on a cattle farm in Alden, New York, a rural community 30 minutes east of Buffalo, gave Morgan Foss G’20 an understanding of agriculture, food production and life on a farm.

The master’s degree in��public relations Foss graduated with from the gave her a strong foundation of communication, writing, relationship-building and strategic thinking.

Today, she puts it all together as program manager for the Buffalo Bills Foundation, the nonprofit arm of her hometown football franchise. The foundation supports a wide breadth of initiatives dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Western New York region, but its primary focus is addressing child hunger, food access and supporting healthy eating.

“Buffalo is the sixth most segregated metropolitan region in the country and 1 in 5 children—1 in 8 people overall—are food insecure,” Foss says, illuminating the importance of her work with the foundation. “There are many food deserts within the city and in surrounding communities, despite there being many agricultural areas, like where I grew up.”

The supports several nonprofit organizations and programs that uplift the food system and provide healthy foods to underserved families. Foss is one of three employees who liaise with the foundation’s board of directors to respond to funding requests and direct resources to the many hunger-fighting organizations doing the work.

“The Bills organization has such a large platform and influence in the Western New York region. So in this position, I can connect the community’s needs with resources and bring awareness to specific causes.”

A Pandemic-Inspired Pivot

While Foss was always drawn to nonprofit and community-based work, she went to Newhouse intent on entering entertainment public relations after completing an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama.

In the spring of 2020, she was planning to visit Los Angeles for the entertainment immersion experience and was pursuing an internship in Nashville with Sony Music Entertainment, and then … we all know what happened next.

Foss (left) and Buffalo Bills Foundation president Thomasina Stenhouse, Ph.D., visit the Providence Farm Collective, an Orchard Park-based organization that cultivates farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems.

“All of a sudden I was finishing up my master’s degree, teaching undergraduate courses online and doing a virtual internship all from my childhood bedroom while simultaneously working on my family farm,” Foss says.

Not only were her personal plans put on hold, but the entire PR and entertainment industry was a question mark as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. With so much uncertainty, Foss began looking for opportunities closer to home, ultimately leading to her dream career with the Bills.

“It was a crazy time and while many businesses closed, my family farm and the agriculture industry trudged forward to ensure food was produced and stocked on shelves,” says Foss. “The pandemic certainly changed the trajectory of my career, but I’m grateful for it.” She emphasizes that her experience in 2020 built life skills that have wildly benefited her career—including adaptability, organization, being innovative with her time and space and the ability to build relationships through a screen.

Giving Back and Living the Dream

Foss was named community relations coordinator with the Bills in 2022. Now in her third season with the organization, she has been promoted to Bills Foundation program manager, overseeing the distribution of foundation grants to nonprofits across the community.

Foss has also worked on initiatives promoting cancer awareness, military appreciation and social justice (in partnership with the National Football League’s Crucial Catch, Salute to Service and Inspire Change initiatives), as well as CPR education and AED awareness, youth sports and physical fitness and numerous other causes championed by players.

The Bills recently wrapped up their annual Huddle of Hunger Initiative, which collected over 31,000 pounds of food and raised more than $150,000 to support 20 local charities, including FeedMore WNY and its 400 hunger-relief agencies serving the four counties surrounding Highmark Stadium. “For this year’s food drive, we had 16 rookie players and six veteran players participate and a massive turnout,” Foss says. “The Buffalo Bills players are amazing and very dedicated to the community where they play.”

Foss with her partner, Tre, and son, Tino, at Bills training camp this summer

Besides the technical and interpersonal skills she developed at Newhouse, Foss says one of the best takeaways has been the group of friends and fellow alumni she connected with during the master’s program.

“I have a group chat with my best friends from the program,” Foss says. “Going through this experience together of graduating during the pandemic was unique, and we know we can count on each other to discuss our careers—areas we might want to grow in and navigating challenges or transitions. I love having peers who are on the same wavelength and seeing my friends growing and doing amazing work in their industries and their fields.”

Earlier this year, Foss had her first baby, a son named Valentino—Tino for short—and returned to her role part-time for the 2024 season. She is thrilled to be back in the business of connecting the foundation’s resources and the Bills players with the people and organizations in her community doing incredible work.

“Just so far this season [in addition to Huddle for Hunger], we’ve brought players to Dave and Buster’s to hang out with families affected by cancer, we’ve made sandwiches and handed out food with players at St. Luke’s Missionary Church, we’re getting ready for Veterans and Native Heritage Month celebrations in November. We do a lot with different youth organizations and that’s probably my favorite part of the job—just seeing kids light up after meeting their idol,” Foss says.

To learn more about the work of Foss and the Buffalo Bills Foundation, visit .

The honorees make up an impressive group of the —from baby monitors and kitchen scrubbers to weekend getaways and candle companies, and everything in between.

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the will recognize the 2024 honorees, culminating with a live reveal of the top 10 fastest-growing Orange businesses.

“We are excited to be hosting this event again this year to welcome our distinguished alumni back to campus to honor their remarkable accomplishments,” says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “Our graduates possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and it’s essential to recognize the significant impact they are making globally through their businesses.”

The evening’s festivities will also include a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E’s hit shows “Cake Dynasty” and “Legends of the Fork.” Valastro will participate in a fireside chat during the awards ceremony, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.

for the event.

Winners of the 2023 ※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

※�������50 Entrepreneurship Summit

Honorees of the ※�������50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards will headline the ※�������50 Summit the following day on Friday, Nov. 15, at the . The summit is open to student innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives across campus, as well as anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset for personal and professional success.

Students will meet and network with alumni at the ※�������50 Summit. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

This event promises to be the biggest innovation and entrepreneurship summit of the year and is a chance to meet and network with top thinkers on engaging, practical and forward-thinking opportunities that will inspire creative thinking and provide real-world takeaways.

Topics will include building a startup from scratch, bootstrapping and developing a growth mindset, building a personal brand, team building, leadership, resilience and well-being, the creator economy, innovation in the digital age, and embracing change to drive personal growth and success. Last year, hundreds of students attended and came away with ideas and connections, as well as mentors and investors.

for the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting in the Flaum Grand Hall and then moving to Whitman classrooms for 10 panel discussions with ※�������50 honorees. Conversations will be moderated by student innovators who will serve as “firestarters” for discussions with ample opportunity for audience participation.

“These events offer a distinctive learning experience for our students,” says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School. “The ※�������50 Awards ceremony and Summit allow students a unique opportunity to engage with alumni who began their entrepreneurial journey at ���ϲ�����, bridging the gap between our graduates and the entrepreneurial dreams of our current students.”

The summit will also include lunch in Flaum Grand Hall, followed by a spirited “Five for Five” student pitch competition in Lender Auditorium, where the top five campus innovation teams will participate in a spirited “Shark Tank”-style format for a “winner take all” $5,000 grand prize selected by※�������50 honorees.

For more information about the event, visit the .

Alumni panel discussions at the ※�������50 Summit (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

The University welcomes alumni back to campus at the tailgate during Orange Central 2023 (Photo by Ross Knight)

Get ready for an unforgettable weekend as ���ϲ����� gears up for Orange Central Homecoming 2024. This year’s celebration, set for Nov. 1-3, will be a vibrant and family-friendly weekend, bringing the campus community together in a spirit of camaraderie and Orange pride.

While there is a , be sure not to miss these signature programs from the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving:

Friday, Nov. 1: Kick off the weekend with Forever Orange Friday from 6-9 p.m. on the Shaw Quad. Enjoy delicious cookout food, lawn games, a photo booth and time with Otto the Orange while mingling with student organizations participating in our Student Organization Challenge.

Saturday, Nov. 2: Start your day with our Homecoming Alumni Breakfast from 9-10:30 a.m. inside Schine’s Goldstein Auditorium. Connect with alumni, students, faculty and staff from various schools and colleges—all in one place. Pick up your exclusive game day clear tote, then head to the Quad for our tailgate.

Sunday, Nov. 3: Wrap up the weekend with our *NEW* SU Arts Fair and Brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Shaffer Art Building lobby. Stop by as your schedule allows to enjoy hands-on art activities, an Instagram photo station, balloon artist, drumming performances and guided tours of the ���ϲ����� Art Museum—plus a delicious brunch.

Orange Central Homecoming 2024 is more than just a weekend of events; it’s a celebration of the ���ϲ����� community and our incredible spirit. Whether you’re a graduate, a current student, or a member of ���ϲ�����’s faculty or staff, we hope you’ll join us for a weekend filled with fun, food and festivities. Sign-up is .

A donor family’s $1 million pledge to Hendricks Chapel and a matching challenge has inspired others to give.

When an anonymous donor family pledged $1 million to Hendricks Chapel and to inspire other donors to match it, no one could foresee the extraordinary outpouring of support for what is widely known as the spiritual heart of ���ϲ�����. The donor family promised an additional $1 million if the challenge could be met. Since last March, more than 2,500 donors stepped up to meet—and exceed—the challenge, raising $1,757,496.

That brings the total funds raised as part of this campaign to more than $3.7 million, significantly amplifying the impact of the initial pledge. “Hendricks Chapel is such an important part of the ���ϲ����� experience for not only our students and alumni, but for faculty, staff, parents and friends,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “This outpouring of support is the direct result of the good work Hendricks Chapel does every day to foster belonging, friendship and acceptance within our campus community. It is truly in the spirit of Hendricks Chapel that so many who benefited from its programs made gifts to support a strong interfaith community for the next generation of students.”

“For Hendricks Chapel to be on the receiving end of such transformative generosity is a remarkable blessing,” says Brian Konkol, vice president and dean of Hendricks Chapel. “The successful campaign is already making a positive difference. I am grateful for student leaders in the Interfraternity Council, campus partners in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs, and of course, the remarkable supporters from around the world who love ���ϲ�����.”

Since its dedication in 1930, Hendricks Chapel has enriched student life and learning, connected people within and across faith communities, supported those in need both on and off campus and served as a sacred setting for thousands of programs and services.

Inspired to Advance Goodness

The anonymous donor family includes University alumni and even a couple who were married at Hendricks Chapel. Their unrestricted gift was intended to inspire others who share in the chapel’s mission to build community in a spiritual and religious setting. Says one member of the donor family: “The focused effort required to learn a field of endeavor during your college years needs to be balanced with a constant reminder that each field’s ultimate purpose is to advance goodness in the world.”

The $3.7 million raised will be utilized to strengthen core programs and services through the following:

• Increasing student involvement in religious and spiritual life through programs and services that prioritize outreach and communication throughout the campus community;
• Leadership development programs for students and chaplains, through such programs as the Interfaith Leadership Summit and Parliament of the World’s Religions;
• Interfaith dialogue and cooperation, through such programs as the Student Assembly of Interfaith Leaders, Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship and Interfaith Days of Service and Learning;
• Supporting students in need through the Student Opportunity Fund, Student Veteran Support Fund and Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry; and
• Expanding the impact of sacred music and the arts by supporting the Hendricks Chapel Choir, Hendricks Chapel Organ Scholars Program and the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble.

Find out more about Hendricks Chapel’s events and programming at .

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.

About Hendricks Chapel

Hendricks Chapel, the spiritual heart of ���ϲ�����, is the student-centered global home for religious, spiritual, moral and ethical life. Established in 1930 as a home for all faiths and place for all people, the chapel hosts 15 chaplains, more than 25 student-led religious and spiritual groups, and sponsors more than 1,900 in-person and online programs for more than 900,000 annual participants. Hendricks Chapel employs student workers, supports musical ensembles, offers support through the Student Opportunity Fund and Food Pantry, and partners throughout the campus community to advance academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. As a central contributor to holistic life and learning at ���ϲ�����, Hendricks Chapel helps to prepare engaged citizens, scholars and leaders for participation in a changing global society.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����

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

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

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

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

Preserving art

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creative placemaking

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perfect balance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story by Ashley Kang ’04, G’11

Phloat co-founders Nathan Thor Brekke ’26 (left) and Malak Aljerari ’27 (right) with LaunchPad program manager J Wess (middle)

���ϲ����� Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad) hosted its annual ’Cuse Tank entrepreneurial competition on Friday, Sept. 27, during Family Weekend in Bird Library. More than 35 student entrepreneur teams from various schools and colleges across campus participated in a “Shark-Tank” style business pitch to win $20,000 in cash prizes. The panel of judges consisted of University parents and affiliated family members. The judges selected two first-place teams, which each won $10,000 and two honorable mention runners-up:

• Iconnic.Cloud, founded by Waqar Hussain, G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), won first place for the second year in a row. Iconnic.Cloud is a fully managed cloud hosting platform, engineered with proprietary software, that crafts tailored hosting solutions.
  

  Iconnic.Cloud founder by Waqar Hussain G’25 (left) with LaunchPad program manager J Wess

• Phloat, founded by College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) students who participated in the 2024 Invent@SU program, Elijah Alexander ’27, Joshua John Varkey ’26, Malak Aljerari ’27 and Nathan Thor Brekke ’26, also tied for first place. Phloat is a phone case that has a super compact, deployable flotation feature that triggers in the event of a phone falling and sinking into deep water.
• Gym-In, another startup from Invent@SU and founded by ECS students Alexander Hamza ’26, Antonio Goncalves ’27, Jack Friedman ’27 and Armani Isonguyo ’25 tied for runner-up. Their invention provides gym users with an app to determine how full a gym is and what machines are being used in live time.
• Papa Box, co-founded by Aleks Djordjevic G’25 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs) and Amos Kiplimo Bungei G’25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) was also tied for runner-up. The company aims to provide and scale a battery-charging infrastructure through its interoperable PAPA Boxes swapping stations in transportation hot zones in Kenya.

This year’s group of “family” judges included:

• Todd Arky, executive vice president, Sharebite and co-founder/CEO of TipOff Sports
• Anthony Campagiorni ’91, vice president, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Company
• Melinda Dermody, associate dean of academic success, ���ϲ����� Libraries
• Melissa Gwilt ’15, G’22, director of budget and administration, ���ϲ����� Libraries
• Corey Lieblein ’93 , CEO of CP8 Capital
• Ajay Nagpal, president and COO Millenium
• Alice Villafana, retired
• Tonya Villafana, global franchise head, research and development, for Astra-Zeneca
• Mark Wassersug, former COO Intercontinental Exchange

The Maxwell School Centennial Celebration will be held in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18. The event will begin with a hors d’oeuvres reception, followed by the presentation of Centennial Scholar Awards to students, Dean’s Centennial Citations of Excellence to faculty and staff, and Changemaker Awards to four alumni.

“As we gather on campus to celebrate a century of service and shared commitment to making the world a better place, it’s my privilege to recognize these stand-out individuals,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Whether through their government, nonprofit or business leadership, or their scholarship, teaching and administrative support, each embodies the spirit of 100 years of Maxwell dedication to engaged citizenship.”

Students to be recognized with scholar awards are:

• Adam Baltaxe ’25, a senior majoring in international relations and Spanish language, literature and culture;
• Jorge Morales ’26, a junior majoring in history and anthropology;
• Anna Rupert ’26, a junior majoring in economics;
• Nathan Torabi ’26, a junior majoring in political science; citizenship and civic engagement; and law, society and policy;
• Mariana Zepeda ’26, a junior majoring in policy studies and environment, sustainability and policy;
• Ferdinand Eimler, who is pursuing a master’s degree in international relations as part of the Atlantis Dual Degree Master’s Program;
• Benjamin Katz, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in political science;
• Julia Liebell-McLean, who is pursuing a dual master of public administration and international relations degree; and
• Kaythari Maw, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in economics.

The following staff will receive Dean’s Citations:

• Sarah McLaughlin ’04 (Arts & Sciences), assistant director of advancement operations;
• Dan Nelson ’04, director of accelerated learning and global engagement;
• Amy Schmidt ’14, assistant director of the Citizenship and Civic Engagement Undergraduate Program; and
• Deborah Toole ’12, administrative specialist for the Geography and the Environment Department. Faculty recipients are:
• Devashish Mitra, professor and chair of the Economics Department and Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs;
• Jennifer Karaz Montez, University Professor and Gerald B. Cramer Faculty Scholar in Aging Studies;
• Chie Sakakibara, associate professor of geography and the environment; and
• Baobao Zhang, assistant professor of political science.

The four alumni Centennial Changemaker Awards will go to:

• John Mandyck ’89, ’92, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Urban Green Council; City of ���ϲ����� Deputy Mayor
• Sharon Owens ’85;
• H. Lewis “Lew” Rapaport ’59, founder and CEO of the firm Component Assembly Systems; and
• Kathryn Ruscitto ’92, former president and CEO of St. Josephs Health.

The Centennial Celebration caps a year of festivities and events celebrating the school’s founding by ���ϲ����� alumnus, trustee and entrepreneur George H. Maxwell. Then called the School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, it opened in Slocum Hall on Oct. 3, 1924, and offered an undergraduate citizenship course, a weekly seminar in political science and a one-year graduate program in public administration—the first of its kind in the nation.

In the 100 years since its founding, Maxwell has greatly expanded its footprint: it boasts over 38,000 alumni around the world and is home to more than 3,000 students, 200 faculty and nearly 100 staff who learn and work in 12 departments and 15 research centers and institutes. It offers a range of highly regarded undergraduate, graduate and midcareer degrees and professional programs across the social sciences and public and international affairs—including the nation’s top-ranked public affairs graduate program, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report.

Maxwell has marked its milestone with an array of festivities and initiatives. Several accomplished alumni were honored in May 2024 during a celebration at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Throughout the year, the school has invited alumni to reconnect and share what motivates their work on an created to celebrate the centennial and show Maxwell’s global impact. Those who participate in the map are asked to share what they “ever strive” for—a nod to the opening of the Oath of the Athenian City-State that is inscribed on the wall in the school’s first-floor foyer; it calls for individuals to “transmit this city not only not less but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.”

The ever strive theme resonates in another centennial endeavor—a professionally edited that tells the story of the school’s founding with archival photos and videos and narration by alumnus Ronald Taylor ’15.

In addition to the Oct. 18 Centennial Celebration, other upcoming events include:

• An Otey Scruggs Memorial Lecture Featuring historian Maeve E. Kane from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, in room 220, Eggers Hall. Kane will share how Haudenosaunee women used clothing to define and protect their nations’ sovereignty.
• Birthday cake with Otto and the dean from 2 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Eggers Hall Commons.
• State of Democracy Lecture: Election 2024 from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, in room 220, Eggers Hall.
• Talk by Arthur C. Brooks: “How to Get Happier in an Unhappy World,” 5 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the National Veterans Resource Center, K.G. Tan Auditorium. Brooks is a Harvard professor, New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness.
• Phanstiel Lecture: “The People Who Built the Pyramids—How We Know,” 5 to 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, National Veterans Resource Center, K.G. Tan Auditorium. Mark Lehner, director and president of Ancient Egypt Research, will lead the discussion.

For more information, visit the .

President of Domestic Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures Group Jeffrey Goldstein ’77 (right) with actor Margot Robbie and Warner Bros. President of International Distribution Andrew Cripps. Taken at CinemaCon 2023, the pink suits helped introduce a Las Vegas crowd to Barbie ahead of its blockbuster release. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images)

If you were told that a (SOE) alumnus began his post-graduate career as a summer intern at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles, got a permanent job with the media giant because he just kept showing up for work, was then promoted and promoted until he became chief of the company’s domestic movie roll-out strategy—and was one of the executives who green-lighted mega-hit Barbie—would you believe it?!

Meet Jeffrey Goldstein ’77, President of Domestic Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

“I’m an OG at Warner Bros.!” says Goldstein, referencing his long career. “I never planned out what I wanted to do. When I graduated college, I thought I would go into teaching special education. I just fell into Warner Bros.”

“The Roots of it All Started in ���ϲ�����”

Goldstein’s fascinating career path began right after he graduated with his special education degree. He wanted to take a year off before considering his next move. “I had an uncle who was in the entertainment business,” he says. “He said, if you are interested, I can get you a summer job at Warner Bros.”

Here’s where the story takes a slightly comical turn.

To explain, Goldstein draws an analogy with the George Costanza character from the TV sitcom “Seinfeld.” In one episode, George dramatically quits a job, only to regret his decision immediately. So he simply returns to work the next day as if nothing had happened, hoping no one will notice.

“I became the guy who wouldn’t leave, just like George Costanza,” says Goldstein with a laugh. “When my internship ended, I had nowhere to go, so I just went back on Monday morning.”

Eventually, his superiors caught on. But instead of showing him the door, they suggested he apply for a sales job in Jacksonville, Florida.

Goldstein admits this was the first time he moved somewhere with no support structure. He had followed his sister—Roberta Goldstein Manning ’76, a nursing student (she was his best friend then), to ���ϲ�����, and he had family in California during his internship. But there was no one in north Florida: “I got homesick. I was miserable. My boss even told me to take three weeks leave to visit my ‘mama’ during the holidays.”

Things got better. “From there, I had two dozen jobs all over the place. But the roots of it all started in ���ϲ�����.”

“I had a Bent for Business”

Today Goldstein has full responsibility for domestic distribution of all Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and DC Studios movies. He and his team oversee release dates and release patterns, business strategy, sales and administration, specialty formats and exhibitor relations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Since 2016, when Goldstein began in his current position, Warner Bros. Pictures has earned more than $10 billion at the domestic box office, with 49 films opening at the top of the box office and 36 titles crossing $100 million domestically. The hits, as they say, just keep on coming: “Aquaman,” “The Batman,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Dune,” “Dunkirk,” “Elvis,” “It,” “Joker,” and “Wonder Woman.”

And then there is “Barbie.” The summer blockbuster of 2023 was certainly “in the pink,” garnering numerous studio and industry records. It earned $1 billion in just 17 days of release; it recorded daily, weekly and weekend box office highs; and it was the studio’s fastest film to reach�� $400 million domestically.

So what connects ���ϲ�����, Hollywood and a successful movie executive with an eagle eye for a movie hit?

“I got my entrepreneurial spirit by working jobs in the dining hall, as a residence advisor and in the business affairs office,” says Goldstein. “While at ���ϲ�����, I realized I had a bent for business, as well as the ability to teach others, mentor others, be curious—and still make money!”

“That’s the Teacher Piece of it”

“���ϲ����� has been very good to me,” Goldstein says. “My years there formed me into the professional and person I am. It was the right-sized school for me. You could be anonymous if you wanted to, or you could make connections that last a lifetime.”

He cites two legendary SOE professors who were an early influence. “Both Burton Blatt and Douglas Biklen were unbelievable. I learned so much from them about life and relating to others,” says Goldstein.

In fact, over the course of this conversation, Goldstein recites a litany of skills his education degree bestowed: teaching, mentoring, listening, public speaking and managing, to name a few: “The thing I’m known for here is listening to colleagues and teams and elevating them. I’m able to manage up, down and across—and that’s the teacher piece of it.”

When asked whether his special education training under two legends in the field of inclusion have played a role in his line of work, Goldstein observes that “diversity and inclusion are crucial for commerce.”

In the movie industry, he explains, you must be as inclusive as you can in order to serve a very broad audience (what Warner Bros. calls its “commitment to serving all audiences at the cineplex.”)

“To be successful, you need to seek out a broad audience, cater to them and address them,” Goldstein says. “You need to look at the world as diverse and positive as it is and include everyone you can.

“Find the Things That Make You Smile”

Goldstein has this advice for graduates looking to leverage the so-called “soft skills” of an education degree into careers outside of teaching: “Keep your mind open and look for things you enjoy doing. Find the things that make you smile and that creatively inspire you. Be open and have curiosity to find out what you don’t know.”

If you remain open to other paths, Goldstein encourages, you might end up doing something you never considered: “I always knew I liked movies and storytelling. I just didn’t know I’d be exceptionally good at telling what will work.”

It is clear as he speaks that another aspect of the “teacher piece” for Goldstein is the sheer enthusiasm he brings to his role. That joy and energy exude even on a Zoom call across a continent on a Friday afternoon. There’s no doubt he would have made an inspirational teacher.

The wider Warner Bros. Pictures team gets to experience this motivating force at CinemaCon, the annual Las Vegas movie industry trade show, held in spring ahead of blockbuster season: “Give me a microphone, and I can do one and a half hours,” Goldstein says, adding he often ties this spotlight appearance into a movie marketing campaign.

In April 2023 he appeared on the stage in a pink suit for the roll-out of “Barbie.” “As Barbie says, everybody looks better in pink!” Goldstein told the audience. He caught the attention of People and Deadline magazines who covered the event and caught the early buzz—foreshadowing that movie’s now-legendary marketing campaign.

“That’s one reason I’m the OG here. I love my job and that enthusiasm really resonates,” says Goldstein, smiling broadly.

Beth and Steve Ballentine

When Steven “Steve” W. Ballentine ’83 recalls his years playing club volleyball at ���ϲ�����, he remembers the fun, comradery and deeply satisfying sense of belonging it created for him. He also remembers the challenges: “Club sports didn’t receive University funding back then. I remember each of us on the team had to chip in $5 so we could travel to play at the University of Rochester. We brought our sleeping bags to my parents’ home and slept there when we travelled to Philadelphia.”

Those memories helped lay the foundation for the most recent gift from Steve and his wife, Beth (Shuman) Ballentine ’83, both of whom love sports and their alma mater. The nearly $2 million gift is part of the and will be used to create a dedicated field with lights for club sports and an endowed fund to support club sports programs and participants who might need help with fees, equipment and travel expenses.�� In recognition of this transformational gift, ���ϲ�����’s Club Sports Program has been named the Ballentine Club Sports Program.

Steve, an investment advisor by profession, and Beth, a published writer and essayist, describe sports as “very important to us as a family,” with both of them playing on sports teams throughout adulthood. Beth played on a women’s ice hockey team for nearly 20 years. Steve is a competitive tennis player. “We’ve made lifelong friends through sports,” says Beth. “For me, it’s about physical health, connections with people and sisterhood.”

The couple has also maintained strong connections to their alma mater through service and philanthropy. They provided lead gifts for the establishment of the Ballentine Investment Institute at the Whitman School of Management and have supported other initiatives in the and Athletics. Beth majored in advertising at the . Steve received a degree in business administration with dual majors in finance and accounting from the Whitman School, where he is a member of the Advisory Council. He has been a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 1998, currently serving on the Executive, Investment and Endowment and Athletics Committees.

“Steve and Beth’s support will create an even more outstanding experience for the hundreds of students every year who find a place of belonging at ���ϲ����� through club sports,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Their generosity will help nurture student success beyond the classroom. It will also encourage more students to integrate fitness, teamwork, and leadership into their Orange experience. I am grateful to the Ballentines for a gift that will improve students’ wellbeing and enhance the student experience.”

As chair of the Board of Trustee’s Athletics Committee, Steve is especially appreciative of the impact athletics has on the student experience. “Growing up, I played everything until I wasn’t good enough to play it at the varsity/JV level, then moved on to another sport—from baseball and basketball to volleyball and bowling. There are so many young people like me who weren’t sports superstars, who played sports in high school and who really miss that part of their lives when they get to college. Finances can stand in their way of participating in club sports.�� Beth and I saw the need to address that.”

There are currently 45 at the University, with more than 1,500 students participating. Most teams are ��organized by student leaders and supported by club sports staff in the Student Experience Division. The Ballentines met with student leaders of the club sport teams to better understand how their financial support could have the greatest impact.�� “It was an incredibly eye opening and impressive experience,” says Steve. “They are entrepreneurial leaders, raising funds to book transportation for the teams, sharing ideas, learning from each other.” Beth was impressed by their dedication to helping others and “essentially doing a part-time job for which they don’t get paid, while managing a full course load.”

The Ballentine Club Sports Program Endowed Fund, established through this ��gift, will help ensure teams have the resources to enhance participation in post-season competition and playoffs and team leaders have the tools to manage their programs more effectively. “We’re big on teaching someone to fish rather than just handing them the fish,” says Steve. That idea was also foundational to the previous creation of , which provided students with the kinds of tools, training and resources to prepare them for a career in finance. Steve’s own career in the financial industry began as an equity analyst and portfolio manager for Prudential Life Insurance Co. of America. In 1989, he founded his own investment management firm, Ballentine Capital Management Inc.

The Ballentine Field for Club Sports will be located on South Campus on grounds that are across from the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion. “There will be irrigation and lights, so players can practice or compete after classes, when the sun goes down,” says Steve.

The Ballentines look forward to seeing the growth of club sports that present “a huge opportunity for students from all walks of life to come together” and excel beyond the classroom.

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.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����

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

Jeff Wilkinson

Across the U.S. Department of Defense, there are approximately 650 commissioned flag officers, known as generals or admirals. Achieving this rank is a testament to a service member’s dedication, knowledge, leadership and ability to effect change.

For retired U.S. Air Force (USAF) Brigadier General Jeff Wilkinson ’89 the path to becoming a flag officer, and the first ever combat rescue officer to be promoted to the rank of general across the USAF, began at ���ϲ����� as an Air Force ROTC cadet.

Wilkinson, who served primarily in Air Force Special Tactics, didn’t initially see himself rising through the ranks. However, a call to service has guided him throughout his career.

“Growing up, I was interested in the outdoors, adventures as a Boy Scout, military air shows, museums and that sort of thing. I got serious in high school while figuring out how to pay for school and what I wanted to do,” says Wilkinson, a Buffalo, New York, native who was drawn to ���ϲ����� through his passion for music and playing the saxophone.

“I started pursuing scholarships. I applied for and received an Air Force scholarship and decided I wanted to be an officer and lead. It was a pathway that allowed me to attend ���ϲ����� and be part of its excellent programs,” Wilkinson says.

Music played a significant role in attracting Wilkinson to ���ϲ�����, but his undergraduate studies in mathematics and military science delivered opportunities that laid the foundation for his career. Following the loss of his Zeta Psi fraternity brother, Alex Lowenstein, along with 34 fellow students during the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, Wilkinson decided he wanted to make a difference fighting international terrorism.

One of his ROTC instructors suggested he consider the Air Force’s special operations career field. Unlike many military occupations available to him upon graduation, Special Tactics required an application and passing qualifications.

Wilkinson represents his alma mater at a sporting event.

“There are a limited number of officers in the field, so you have to apply for it, and it’s really hard to make it through the training pipeline,” Wilkinson says. “The washout rate is high. My class started with about 68 people, and six of us graduated. It’s a hard path, but it’s where I was meant to be.”

The Air Force’s Special Tactics community is primarily composed of two roles: Combat Control Team (CCT) and Pararescue (PJ). Combat controllers provide global reach opening remote austere air hubs in hostile territory along with strike capabilities delivering airpower on enemy positions, while pararescuemen offer critical medical care while embedded with other units or by entering contested areas to rescue downed aircrew or wounded service members.

Over 32 years in the Air Force, Wilkinson served on active duty, in the reserve and in the Kentucky Air National Guard as a Special Tactics officer. His service took him across the nation and around the world, supporting operations like Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.

As he rose from second lieutenant to brigadier general, Wilkinson credits his success to the fundamentals he learned as an ROTC cadet. In the spring of 2024, he returned to ���ϲ����� to share his career insights with ROTC cadets of Detachment 535 before their graduation. As the guest speaker, he shared three key takeaways:

1. Trust in your training.

Wilkinson shared the story of U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bart Decker, his combat control instructor who later deployed to Afghanistan as part of the initial response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Special Forces detachments initially deployed required immense flexibility, even adjusting to traveling on horseback through rugged terrain—a skill long forgotten in military tactics since the early 1940s.

“The foundations and processes started here in ROTC prepare you to lead in unimaginable scenarios. With a positive attitude, disciplined study and agility of thought, you will succeed. Agile thinking is encouraged in the Air Force and needed for tomorrow’s wars,” Wilkinson says.

2. Seek advice from your subordinates and be thoughtful in your decisions.

Wilkinson urged the graduating cadets to listen to the noncommissioned officers (NCOs), who often train new officers in their field’s technical expertise. He recalled advice from a senior officer that Wilkinson still considers among the best he’s received.��“He told me that my new rank and certifications gave me the authority to make decisions that, if wrong, could result in the injury or death of my Airmen or, at a minimum, violations that could land me in jail. So, I better be thoughtful in my decisions and listen to my NCOs. Seek their experience and perspective when making decisions,” Wilkinson says.

3. Don’t wait to make a difference.

Wilkinson, now a senior aerospace science instructor for a high school Junior ROTC detachment in Summerville, South Carolina, has extensive experience mentoring future leaders. He urged young leaders to address issues and find solutions when the moment arises.

He recounted his time leading pararescuemen on a humanitarian response deployment to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. His team of highly trained specialists took four to five hours to search a site, while a nearby FEMA team with rescue dogs cleared an area in 45 minutes.

“With persistence, our team established the first rescue dog combat capability in the entire Department of Defense, assigned to the Kentucky Air National Guard. The capability came into existence thanks to the earnest efforts of a dedicated staff sergeant and his flight commander, and now it’s available to the broader Air Force,” Wilkinson says.

���ϲ�����’s list of military-connected alumni who reach the prestigious flag officer ranks continues to grow, showcasing the dedication to service that the university instills in its ROTC cadets. As Wilkinson says, however, it’s not the rank that matters in the end, it’s the willingness to step forward and serve.

“You stand at the forefront of our citizens, willing to be part of something greater than yourself,” says Wilkinson. “The American way of life, and American freedoms, are valuable. There’s always greater opportunities for people who produce results.”

For more information on the University’s commitment to preparing tomorrow’s military leaders, visit the to learn about the opportunities available through ROTC.

David Van Slyke (left) and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

David M. Van Slyke, dean of the , met with alumni, partners and dignitaries, including India’s minister of education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, during a recent visit that celebrated the school’s and its 70-plus-year partnership with the country.

Dean Van Slyke was in India along with Maxwell’s Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson to celebrate the centennial and highlight the global impact of the school’s students, faculty and alumni. The ��began more than��. That history started soon after India’s independence, grew stronger in the second half of the last century, and has recently focused on Maxwell’s educational expertise in public administration and international affairs. Over the decades, Maxwell has hosted thousands of Indian students, citizens and civil servants.

The meeting with Minister of Education Pradhan was made possible by the long relationship between Maxwell and India, and it represented the hope for even more collaboration and partnership with the world’s largest democracy and most populous country.

“Meeting with Minister of Education Pradhan was truly an honor, and it put an exclamation point on what was a wonderfully productive visit where we spent time with our global partners and accomplished alumni,” says Van Slyke. “I look forward to our continued partnership with India and its people.”

Van Slyke also met with Surendra Nath Tripathi, the director general of the Indian Institute for Public Administration (IIPA), founded upon the recommendation of and in consultation with former Maxwell dean Paul Appleby.�� Van Slyke spoke with faculty, civil servants and military personnel at IIPA, among other institutions, on how governments manage complex partnerships with industry.

Maxwell’s longstanding position to invest in the development and raise awareness of good governance initiatives around the globe is a hallmark of the school and was facilitated through meetings with Dr. R Balasubramaniam at the Government of India’s Capacity Building Commission.

Dean Van Slyke also served as the keynote speaker at the International Conference on Public Policy and Management hosted by the Centre for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. The interdisciplinary conference drew scholars representing diverse perspectives on public policy issues and provided a forum for showcasing the latest developments in policy research and practice.

The visit to India culminated with a centennial gathering at the Delhi Gymkhana Club. There, Van Slyke and Nelson joined over 80 Maxwell alumni, partners and dignitaries to celebrate the global impact of Maxwell and the school’s special relationship with India.

A large group of Maxwell alumni, partners and dignitaries celebrate the school’s centennial with Dean Van Slyke.

Nancy and Hank visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

A chance encounter on a snowy ���ϲ����� day sparked a love story that would span decades, bridging faith traditions and leaving a lasting impact on ���ϲ�����. Henry “Hank” Markiewicz ’71, a graduate of the Whitman School of Management, and Nancy G. Markiewicz ’73, a graduate of Falk College, share their journey from students to alumni to benefactors as proof of the enduring bonds formed at ���ϲ�����. Their recent gift to ���ϲ����� Hillel not only honors their family’s legacy but also reinforces the University’s commitment to inclusivity and interfaith understanding.

Hank and Nancy, who currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona, have long supported the efforts of the University through athletic, academic and alumni interests. In 1982, Hank co-founded the Phoenix-based ���ϲ����� Alumni Club with a fellow alumnus, Gary Mather. Recently, Hank and Nancy donated to ���ϲ����� Hillel through Hendricks Chapel in honor of Dr. Alfred Englander, Dr. Erna Englander and Bernard Englander L’73.

When Hank Met Nancy

It was one of those famously snowy ���ϲ����� winters that brought Hank and Nancy together. Nancy and her friend, also named Nancy, attempted to walk Crouse Drive toward downtown in the hopes of Christmas shopping when two young men drove up in a car and thankfully offered them a ride.

Hank later saw Nancy in the Sadler dining hall, and after chatting with her, he decided to ask her out on a date. However, there were four students named Nancy on her residence hall floor at the time, and Hank didn’t know her last name. It was a little risky, but he took a guess. “I met him, then he called me and asked for a date, and he luckily got the right Nancy,” said Nancy, more than 50 years later. “At least I hope he found the right Nancy!”

An Interfaith Marriage at Hendricks Chapel

When they decided to tie the knot, Nancy and Hank chose to be married at Hendricks Chapel in the heart of the ���ϲ����� campus, which opened its doors in 1930 as a multifaith chapel. However, they faced a unique challenge in finding a rabbi and priest to perform the wedding together. Catholic priests and rabbis in the 1970s were too often unwilling to marry people of different faith traditions.

Their first step was to speak with Father Joseph Valky, an assistant to Monsignor Charles Borgognoni from the University’s Catholic Center. Valky interviewed the couple about their relationship and faith. Then, Hank and Nancy met with Rabbi Julius Rosenthal of Hartsdale, New York. Once the priest and the rabbi agreed to co-officiate, the rabbi offered a plan for a combined interfaith ceremony.

It was raining when the families came together at Hendricks Chapel for the ceremony. Rabbi Rosenthal and Father Valky, speaking in both Latin and Hebrew, led the ceremony as planned. The couple received a start time for the wedding but not an end time. With two religious officials at the wedding, it went significantly longer than most single-faith weddings.

When the ceremony concluded, and they finally opened the Chapel’s doors as Mr. and Mrs. Markiewicz, they were surprised to see hundreds of people standing on the steps in the rain. Those gathered were waiting to hear a lecture from Buckminster Fuller, the renowned American architect, who was scheduled to speak that day in Hendricks Chapel. The crowd applauded the young couple before heading inside to hear from Fuller.

The families made their way over to Drumlins Country Club for the reception along with aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and friends. The local band was tasked with playing a polka by Hank’s Uncle Sam, who came from Israel for the wedding. Uncle Sam taught Nancy to dance to the polka, and the party was deemed a success.

A Donation to ���ϲ����� Hillel

Hank and Nancy have visited campus often over the years for football games and during family visits. When they decided to donate to the Unversity, they spoke with Pam Mulligan ’89, executive director of alumni engagement for the northeast. Mulligan introduced the couple to Jillian Juni, executive director of ���ϲ����� Hillel. “I really wanted to do this to recognize my aunt and uncle, who were Holocaust survivors, as were my parents,” says Hank. “My aunt and uncle had been in ���ϲ����� from the sixties. They were active in the community and at their synagogue, which is currently the home of the Skyler Hotel.”

New Torah scroll covers

After speaking with Juni, Hank and Nancy chose to fund the purchase of 100 High Holiday prayer books for Hillel, along with the design and fabrication of new Torah scroll covers. “Torah scrolls are made of parchment, and Jewish communities have protected these sacred scrolls for centuries with beautiful covers,” says Juni. “���ϲ����� Hillel’s new Torah covers were designed to connect the Jewish concept that the Torah is a ‘tree of life’ that nurtures and sustains us, with the orange, a symbol at ���ϲ����� that represents community and belonging.”

“We are so thankful to Hank and Nancy for their generous gift in memory of loved ones, which enables us to weave religious tradition, gratitude, and remembrance together through these covers,” says Juni. Each book and cover has a label honoring the memory of Hank’s aunt, uncle and cousin.

After several years away, Hank and Nancy will be visiting campus for the upcoming festivities and plan to visit Hendricks Chapel, ���ϲ����� Hillel and the Catholic Center.

For more information about ���ϲ����� Hillel or weddings at Hendricks Chapel, .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alice Hirsh ’70

Alice Hirsh

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

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

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

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

Ryan Kehr ’18

Ryan Kehr

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

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

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

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

Julia Kehr ’26

Julia Kehr

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

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

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

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

“I am by no means an expert on the topic of joy, but I do recognize that our personal and professional lives are intimately intertwined, and I do wonder about how to be joyful even in the midst of challenging circumstances,” says Hendricks Chapel , who leads the online session. “I suppose one of the reasons the workshop has become popular is that each participant is welcomed as an authority of their experience, together we discover how to perceive those experiences in different ways, and together we discern how professional achievement and personal joy can best grow together.”

When talking about how to find joy in professional life, Konkol begins with the image of an old-school thermostat.

Konkol uses a thermostat metaphor to teach about joy.

“I think it’s a powerful image and recognizes that each and every one of us—as leaders, as professionals—are thermostats,” he says. “A thermometer only takes the temperature, but a thermostat is about changing the conditions that offer an environment by which you and others can thrive. It’s about putting your hand on the dial and changing the temperature, to create the conditions that move a couple of degrees towards joy.”

Konkol offers one-hour virtual workshops for members of the campus community—from faculty and staff to alumni—on how to find joy in the work they do each day. He will offer the workshop again on from noon to 1 p.m. (in partnership with the Office of Human Resources) and in January (in partnership with the Office of Alumni Engagement).

Through the teachings of various leaders, such as the Dalai Lama and the late Desmond Tutu’s collaboration on “The Book of Joy,” Konkol shows the difference between happiness and joy, and how joy can be embraced and shared even during the storms of personal and professional life. When speaking to the specifics of a workplace environment, Konkol says, “Happiness is often temporary and based on something happening to you, while joy is about sustained purpose and meaning, including the meaning we can find during difficulties. I suppose happiness is a moment and joy is more of a movement.”

During his most recent workshop, Konkol offered participants five steps for finding professional joy:

1. Stop hoping for a better past. “So many of us, including me, have watched the ‘Back to the Future’ movies and ever since have been praying for the time machine to show up, take us back in time and undo that really stupid thing we did! Because, wow, we wish we could do that over. I have yet to receive that time machine and I have found that hoping for a better past has generally been a waste of time. We can learn from our past, but we can’t change it. We can receive insights from our past while not being trapped by our past.”

2. Choose to be kind, anyway. “I think the most important part is ‘comma, anyway.’ We cannot control how others act, but we can control how we respond, and if we are only kind to those who are kind to us, then we are thermometers and not thermostats. I have come to believe that kindness, while often seen as weakness, actually requires a great deal of strength, and I think that one of the ways that we experience joy in our lives is through the choice to be kind.”

Brian Konkol

Konkol tells the story of Steve Wilkinson, the legendary tennis coach at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. Wilkinson built a whole philosophy around tennis and developed a camp called Tennis and Life. “He wraps all these messages around the game, and one of them is ‘you can’t control what people serve to you, but you can control what you return,'” Konkol says. He also references the given by , professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, at ���ϲ�����’s 2013 Commencement, which attracted global attention. “Never underestimate the strength of kindness,” Konkol says.

3. Replace “but” with “and.” Here, Konkol envisions an old-school gumball machine. “I think about the colors of the different gumballs representing all the different things that we experience on a given day. Things that are happy, things that are sad, things that are wonderful, things that are terrible. People that are kind, that are cruel, communities that are divided, communities that are united. Every one of those colors on those gumballs represent life,” he says.

When he counsels people who are struggling, Konkol offers this advice: “There’s no ‘but,’ it’s ‘and.’�� We can experience a whole menu of emotions all at once. We can have joy when we stop apologizing for whatever it is that we’re feeling, and instead learn how to best embrace what we are feeling and explore how to use all we are feeling to create and sustain something good for us and for others,” he says.

“If you stand on the main stage of Hendricks Chapel and look toward the front door, you see text on the rim of the chapel’s ceiling. If you look immediately to your right, there is an ampersand, the symbol for ‘and.’ And if you look immediately to your left, there is also an ampersand. When you stand at the center of the stage looking outward, you literally physically stand in between the ‘ands,’” he says. “Paradox is quite remarkable. Instead of either/or, we can embrace both/and. Division and unity, happiness and sadness, joy and despair. We can exist with the fullness of our humanity,” he says.

4. Be a role model, not a role mirror. “How do we model the type of world we want to live in and not mirror the world that we do live in? Model, not mirror. Thermostat, not thermometer. I think it’s important for us to consider our habits and ask ourselves, how are they working for us? How are we impacting others? Part of the way we experience joy professionally is modeling, not mirroring, how to exist in community. I’m convinced in our professional lives when we’re role models and not role mirrors, when we’re thermostats and not thermometers, it creates positive change, not just for a moment but for a movement,” Konkol says.

5. Call people in instead of calling people out. “Instead of pointing a finger at someone, why not use those fingers to wave people in? One of the ways I think we experience joy is by welcoming people into the conversation, especially those with whom we disagree. Oftentimes we think about people we disagree with, kind of like we think about trash, and we just want to throw them out. What I appreciate about that metaphor is, you never actually throw anything out, we only throw it out of sight. It’s never actually gone. It’s the same with people. They’re there, so why not call people into a conversation, into a relationship? Empathy is important here. Where we can engage with curiosity rather than judgment, where we can listen to understand instead of respond,” Konkol says.

“I find that these five steps are in many ways like turning a dial of joy in our professional lives,” Konkol says. “So many people are dealing with so much in their lives. I am convinced that seeking joy is one of the ways we can actually make the world a far better place, especially for those who are struggling.”

At the conclusion of his presentation, Konkol suggests not writing out a “to-do” list, but a “to-be” list. “Write out five things that say ‘who must I be today?’ Perhaps I can say I’m going to be energetic, I’m going to be kind, I’m going to be strong, I’m going to be strategic,” he says. “A ‘to-be’ list allows us to live with a sense of intention and provides us with the opportunity to see that joy is not about waiting for the rain to stop, but it’s about learning to dance in the rain. It is saying ‘here’s who I’m called to be today.’ Regardless of what the temperature is, it’s saying ‘This is how I choose to show up in the world. This is who I choose to be.'”

“I’m convinced that each and every person, in their own way can turn that dial. You can be a thermostat and not a thermometer, and bring some joy to your life, bring some joy to your world,” Konkol says. “So that all those around you can change the dials of their professional lives and turn them just a couple degrees towards joy.”

���ϲ�����’s Office of Multicultural Advancement will recognize seven accomplished alumni during (CBT), which will be held Sept. 12-15.

CBT is a triennial reunion that welcomes Black and Latino alumni back to campus to celebrate their accomplishments, meet current students and remain connected with the University. 2024 represents the 14th CBT reunion held on campus. In 2021, the University’s reunion raised $1.29 million for the Our Time Has Come scholarship.

This year, Abdul K. Abdullah ’10, Ada Agrait ’94, Tara Favors ’95, JaNeika James G’05, Jason Olivo ’95 and Savalle Sims ’92 will be honored with Alumni Awards. Sade Muhammad ’12 will be honored with the Young Alumni Award.

The award recipients will be celebrated by Chancellor Kent Syverud at the “Shades of Orange Sneaker Ball” fundraising gala on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 6:30-11 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome. The awards recognize the significant civic or career achievements by the selected. Since 1983, the ceremony has been a signature event presented at the CBT reunion.

“I am so pleased to celebrate these outstanding alumni at the 2024 Coming Back Together reunion,” says Chancellor Syverud. “Each of these awardees, through their careers and their commitment to ���ϲ�����, inspires the next generation of leaders. They give generously by mentoring current students and young alumni, creating new learning experiences, and encouraging their friends and fellow alumni to get involved. I am proud to honor the Orange leaders for all they do for their alma mater.”

“I am thrilled to join our Orange community in celebration of this year’s honorees,” says Rachel Vassel, associate vice president in the Office of Multicultural Advancement. “These individuals have achieved phenomenal success while also finding time to give back to current students and stay connected with the University and their fellow alumni.�� We are proud that they’re an active part of the ���ϲ����� family.”

Read more about the recipients below.

Abdul K. Abdullah ’10

Abdullah is the founder and chief executive officer of AfroFuture Fest (formerly known as Afrochella). Founded in 2017 and held in Accra, Ghana, AfroFuture is a festival designed to highlight and promote talent from and within Africa.

AfroFuture became the anchor event of Ghana’s Year of Return tourism campaign in 2019, which encouraged people of African descent to return to their ancestral homeland. Since its inception, AfroFuture Fest has brought over 65,000 global travelers to Ghana, generating over $4 billion in tourism revenue and economic support and 6,000 local jobs. Abdullah was named Goodwill Ambassador of Tourism to Ghana, named an African Voices Changemaker by CNN and recognized as a Top 100 Under 40 Most Influential People of African Descent by MIPAD.

In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Abdullah is a global trial manager for Bristol Myers Squibb, a position he’s held since 2022.��Previously he was a global clinical trials manager for Syneos Health Clinical Solutions (2019-22) and held a variety of roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center culminating in the position of clinical research project manager.

Abdullah’s childhood and early education were spent in both Ghana and the United States.��At ���ϲ�����, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences. During his time as a student, he was involved in CSTEP and the PanHellenic Council as a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. He was also involved with the NAACP, the African Student Union and the Student African American Society. He graduated from Hunter College in 2013 with a master’s of public health degree.

Abdullah supports the University as an Our Time Has Come (OTHC) donor and by mentoring recent graduates and helping them with job opportunities and career advancement.

Ada Agrait ’94

Since 2022, Agrait has been the executive vice president and global head of corporate marketing for SAP, a business software management company. She is also a board member of Dress for Success Seattle and has served as the board president since January 2023. Prior to this, Agrait worked for Microsoft, starting as a director of MSN marketing in 2005 and advancing to the position of vice president of commercial marketing in 2021. She has also worked as an associate director for Ernst & Young, a director for the Association of National Advertisers, and a senior account executive for Dobbin/Bolgla Associates.

Agrait was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1994. During her time at the University, she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta and studied abroad in London and Florence. She graduated from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business with an MBA in 2003.

Agrait is actively involved with the University. She is a supporter of the OTHC Scholarship Program, mentoring scholarship recipients, serving as a guest speaker for OTHC Leadership sessions and serving as a professional resource to the OTHC cohort.

During the Forever Orange Campaign, Agrait hosted local alumni during a Salon Event at her home in Seattle, and she has remained connected with Newhouse through activities, such as participation in Dean’s Roundtable. Additionally, Agrait has engaged consistently with University representatives in support of strategic priorities on the West Coast.

Tara Favors ’95

Since 2021, Favors has served as the chief human resources officer for Mutual of America Financial Group.��In this position, she is responsible for all aspects of human resources strategy for the company’s 1,100 employees. From 2019 to 2021 she served as the vice president of human resources business partners for American Express. Her career in corporate human resources also includes positions with Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Revlon and Deutsche Bank. Favors serves on the board of NJLEEP, a four-year college program serving underserved students in the greater Newark area. She also serves on the University’s Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council.

Favors earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1995. During her time as a student, she participated in the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs and the Caribbean Students Association. She graduated from the New School in 1997 with a master’s degree in human resources.

Favors is a loyal ���ϲ����� alumna who continues to serve her alma mater. She was the lead donor of the OTHC Kevin Richardson Endowed Scholarship, leading fundraising ��amongst her ���ϲ����� classmates to ensure that the fund was endowed. She supports the OTHC Scholarship and the OTHC Midwin Charles Endowed Scholarship, named for Midwin Charles, an alumna in law and media who died suddenly in 2021. Favors has also named the Brown Favors Quiet Lounge at the Barner McDuffie House. During the Forever Orange Campaign, Tara was a featured speaker during the Forever Orange Campaign Event in New York City where she shared her motivations for giving back. She currently serves as a CBT 2024 co-chair, and has been actively involved in planning and promoting the reunion among her numerous Orange connections.

JaNeika James G’05

James is an executive producer on Peacock’s “Bel-Air.” James and her identical twin sister and producing partner, JaSheika James, frequently work together in television.�� They have served as co-executive producers for Netflix’s “True Story” and HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl.” They rose from positions as staff writers to supervising producers on the Fox’s hit series “Empire” and have published an autobiographical book, “Living Double.”

James worked in scripted development at VH1 and for the producing team of Jennifer Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan (“Seinfeld,” “Scrubs,” “What’s Your Number?”) at ABC. She began her career working for Yvette Lee Bowser on the UPN show “Half & Half.”

She earned a master’s degree in television, radio and film from the Newhouse School in 2005. She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor of science and majored in telecommunications.

James is a supporter of the OTHC Scholarship Program and is a member of the Office of Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council. She has participated in several alumni panels, including events at SU in Los Angeles and during the Coming Back Together reunion. In 2022 she attended Forever Orange Salon Event at the home of Roland Williams in Los Angeles. She and JaSheikia hosted donors for a tour and a cast meet and greet on the set of Empire in Chicago. Most recently, James spoke with student-athletes during a visit to Los Angeles.

Jason Olivo ’95

Olivo is a senior vice president for investments at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A, a position that he has held since 2003. From 2000 to 2003 he was a vice president and director for Prudential Securities. Previously, he served as senior vice president at Kaufmann Brothers L.P., where he worked on initial public offerings and private placements in the technology industry. Olivo also holds a professional license as an insurance agent in many states. Olivo was involved in the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge in 2009, 2010 and 2013. He has been a National Achiever from 2004 to present and a member of the President’s Club from 2010 to present. He is also a JPMorgan ���ϲ����� internship mentor from 2015 to present and participated in the Our Time Has Come Virtual Immersion with his colleagues at JPMorgan.

Olivo earned a bachelor’s degree in information management and technology from the School of Information Studies. During his time at ���ϲ�����, he was a member of the Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity, studied abroad in London, and was involved with Black and Latino IST Support (BLISTS). Olivo was one of the lead donors of the first Latino Fraternity Endowment Fund at ���ϲ����� through the Our Time Has Come program–the La Unidad Latina Endowment Fund. He volunteered at ���ϲ����� Stage, worked in Schine Student Center Security and was a member of Inroads. Olivo also interned at Carrier Corporation, where he managed infrastructure projects both locally and abroad.

Olivo is the proud father of three boys and enjoys coaching his sons’ baseball and AAU basketball teams.

Savalle Sims ’92

Sims serves as executive vice president and general counsel for Warner Bros. Discovery, overseeing the company’s global legal teams and managing legal issues across 20 worldwide offices.��She played a key role in AT&T’s sale of WarnerMedia and the subsequent creation of the new company, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Sims worked for Discovery Inc. as an executive vice president and general counsel, where she managed Discovery’s Litigation and Trademark legal teams, handling legal efforts around Discovery’s intellectual property. She was named to the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications’ (NAMIC) Luminary Class, has been recognized on Cablefax’s Diversity List each year since 2013 and was featured in the Black General Counsel Project as part of Bloomberg Law.

Sims earned a bachelor’s degree in transportation and distribution management from the Whitman School of Management in 1992. She earned a juris doctorate from Notre Dame in 1995.

A loyal and generous supporter of ���ϲ�����, Sims is a supporter of OTHC, ���ϲ����� Black Law Alumni Collective, William H Johnson Endowed Scholarship, Inclusive U and Athletics (Women’s Basketball, Lally Complex Fund, and the Football Head Coach’s Fund).�� Recently, she was a speaker at the Orange Central Multicultural Breakfast, attended the Forever Orange Salon Event in Bronxville, New York (hosted by SUMA Council Member Sammy Cueva), and returned to campus to accept an award at the Black Excellence Gala hosted by the Black Student Union. She hosted a half-day immersion at Warner Bros. Discovery for the OTHC scholars in April.

Sims is married to former ���ϲ����� football player Turnell Sims Jr. ’90 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and her sister, Marie Davis ’03, is an alumna of the School of Social Work in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Sade Muhammad ’12

Muhammad is the chief marketing and impact officer of Time, where she oversees Time’s newest and emerging go-to-market sales products, including events and paid social, as well as content platforms, such as The Closers and Time Impact House.

She has over a decade of experience in marketing, digital transformation, ad products and organizational change via diversity, equity and inclusion. She founded the Representation and Inclusion Practice at Forbes, a revenue-generating ad business centered on equity as a path to marketing innovation and cultural change. Her work has been celebrated in Digiday, Adweek, PRSANY and more. Prior to Forbes, Muhammad helped bring digital products to life at NBCUniversal.

Muhammad serves on the University’s Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She contributes to the OTHC Delta Sigma Theta Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Over the four-day CBT weekend, workshops, receptions, social events and cultural activities will be offered to attendees. Highlights include the CBT Celebrity Classic basketball game, a comedy show featuring comedian Roy Wood Jr., the fundraising gala and awards ceremony and a Sunday worship service featuring the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble and Grammy-winning gospel artist Erica Campbell.

For a full list of CBT events and registration information, visit��.

“My foundation was built at ���ϲ�����,” McCrudden says from the Team USA High Performance Center (HPC), set up exclusively for Team USA to provide American athletes with a place to eat, train, relax and get a reprieve from the stress and chaos of the games.

“They can do some recovery—whatever that looks like for them—and then we also have a lot of outdoor space, so people are in hammocks or on chairs and there are games. It’s like camp,” McCrudden says.

Falk College alumna Maggie McCrudden worked at her first Olympic Games as a dietitian for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, helping athletes eat right to be able to perform at the highest level.

The HPC is about 20 minutes from the Olympic Village, featuring training facilities, meal options, sports medicine, private meeting spaces, recovery space, video review areas and dorm accommodations. The complex includes pools, indoor and outdoor track and field equipment, strength and conditioning facilities, volleyball and basketball courts, fencing strips and archery targets. McCrudden says the goal of the HPC was to provide a “home away from home” for the athletes.

McCrudden has worked for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for three years, but this was her first time working at an Olympic Games. She and a food service team from Colorado Springs, Colorado, prepared and packed pallets of USA-branded food tailored to athletes’ preferences that were shipped to Paris before the Olympics.

She says her education at Falk College and her experience as a collegiate athlete on the put her on the path to success.

“Being a part of a major sports school and an athlete has helped me so much in my current role because I feel like I understand what the athletes are going through,” McCrudden says. “I understand the ‘go, go, go’ mentality and sometimes just needing a little help.”

McCrudden ran into other members of the Orange family at the Olympics, including fellow Falk College alumnus and ’17 and her former rowing teammate, Hattie Taylor ’17, who she watched for Great Britain.

“I always say wear red, white, and blue but bleed Orange!” McCrudden says.

McCrudden will return to the U.S. after transitioning responsibilities to a colleague for the Paralympic Games, which run Aug. 28 through Sept. 28.

Story by Cathleen O’Hare

Noah Eagle is handling play-by-play duties for NBC’s coverage of Team USA men’s and women’s basketball at the Summer Olympics.

The Super Bowl. French Open tennis. Primetime college football and basketball games between nationally ranked opponents. The radio play-by-play voice of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.

In the ever-competitive field of sports broadcasting, what Noah Eagle ’19 has accomplished in his six-year professional career is quite impressive. In May, Eagle’s hard work was recognized by his peers, as he won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On Air after his debut season calling “Big Ten Saturday Night,” the weekly primetime Big Ten football game broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Noah Eagle (center) won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On Air after his debut season calling “Big Ten Saturday Night,” the weekly primetime Big Ten football game broadcast on NBC and Peacock. He’s pictured with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen (left) and color commentator Todd Blackledge.

Eagle’s ascension has been meteoric—the Clippers hired him right after he graduated with a broadcast and digital journalism degree from the —and he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. His next assignment takes him to Paris, France, as the play-by-play broadcaster for Team USA men’s and women’s basketball at the Summer Olympics.

For someone who grew up a “massive” fan of the NBA, broadcasting Team USA games at the Olympics is a “special honor,” says Eagle. Especially since he will call games involving NBA players he has long admired—like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry—and will be on the mic as the U.S. women’s team pursues their unprecedented eighth consecutive gold medal.

“Basketball has been a passion of mine for a long time, and when I look at this specific assignment, it’s a dream come true. Watching Team USA at the Olympics helped grow my love for the sport, especially the ‘Redeem Team’ in 2008 that brought back the gold medal for the U.S. I remember parking myself on the couch during those Olympics and watching LeBron James play with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd and Carmelo Anthony, ���ϲ����� basketball royalty. Those were legends of the game. Now, I’m calling Team USA games with LeBron, K.D. and Steph, who are legends of the game. There’s something special about calling basketball games while representing your country,” Eagle says.

The father-son sportscasting duo of Ian Eagle ’90 (left) and Noah Eagle ’19

Sportscasting and a love for ���ϲ����� runs in the family. Noah’s father, Ian ’90, has handled play-by-play for CBS Sports’ NFL games since 1998 and concluded his first year as the network’s lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. His mother, Alisa (Terry) Eagle ’90, earned a retailing degree from what is now the , and his sister, Erin ’21, earned an advertising degree from Newhouse.

“When I’m calling games, I’ve always got an orange wristband on my right wrist that shows my Orange connection,” Eagle says. “There’s always so much love to the ’Cuse. As my mom always says, ���ϲ����� is our happy place.”

Before the Olympics began, Eagle sat down with SU News to discuss his “surreal” career journey, how he’s preparing to call Team USA’s basketball games and the lessons he learned from his debut performance at the Olympics in 2021.

At the age of 27, you’ve already worked the Super Bowl, served as the radio voice of the Los Angeles Clippers, called French Open tennis action and broadcast countless college football and basketball games. How would you describe your ascension in sportscasting?

Noah Eagle

It’s quite surreal. I never anticipated my career going this way, but that’s what I love about this field. You never know the path you’re going to take. Everybody’s sportscasting path is different based on timing and circumstances. I was fortunate to not only have something open up [the Clippers radio play-by-play job] but to have people who believed in me and put my name out there for that job. Olivia Stomski [director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center and professor of broadcast and digital journalism and television, radio and film] is at the top of that list, and I had so many great mentors around campus who played a massive role in my career.

I’ve gotten lucky that I’ve gotten chances to do some big things, and my viewpoint has always been if you get the chance to do the big thing, you better step up and knock it out of the park. I’ve loved every second and hope this journey continues for a long time.

How have you been preparing for the Games?

Learning about every team and putting my broadcast boards together [with key facts and figures for each team]. Before that, I read a book on the original Dream Team because I wanted to make sure I knew my history of why there weren’t professionals allowed on the United States’ teams before 1992, why they changed that rule and how that decision has impacted the Olympics. Now, it’s preparing for the men’s and women’s competitions, making sure I’m knowledgeable about the teams and players.

It’s an honor to call basketball games at the Olympics, but my preparation is no different than if I was preparing to call a high school, college or NBA game. You put the team together on your broadcast board and make sure you have all the information you think you might need. Preparing gets easier with each game because you’ve got a much better sense of the teams based on the flow of how these games go.

What lessons did you learn from your first Olympic assignment in 2021 calling 3-on-3 basketball from NBC’s headquarters?

Because of being prepared for any outcome, you’d better be ready to deliver a memorable call for the big moments that matter the most, the moments that are guaranteed to live on the longest in the gold medal games. It can’t just be the standard, run-of-the-mill call. I don’t necessarily spend the night before thinking about what I’m going to say, but before our broadcast starts, I have a general idea of the direction I’m going to go. If you’re trying to think of it in the moment, that’s when things can go awry.