A former faculty member who is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness will return to ���ϲ����� later this month to outline a pathway by which individuals, communities and the governance of our nation can improve by learning how to live happier lives and committing to the greater well-being of others.

Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard University professor and co-author of the New York Times bestseller ‘Build the Life You Want’ with Oprah Winfrey, will deliver remarks during an on-campus event on Oct. 30.

Arthur C. Brooks, a professor at Harvard University and best-selling author, will present “How to Get Happier in an Unhappy World” on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at The Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building.��The event is free and open to the University community and the general public. Advanced .

Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School and professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He writes the popular weekly “How to Build a Life” column for The Atlantic, and he is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,” co-authored with Oprah Winfrey.

No stranger to ���ϲ�����, Brooks taught courses at Maxwell in policy analysis, microeconomics, public and nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship from 2001 to 2009, and he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy starting in 2007. His work in the classroom earned him the school’s Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for outstanding teaching, research, and service and the Birkhead-Burkhead Teaching Excellence Award.

“We are delighted to host our friend and former colleague Arthur Brooks for what is sure to be an insightful talk about an important subject for each of us,” says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. “There are so many ways that we measure success in our society, yet one of the most elusive and hardest to obtain is this notion of happiness. I look forward to hearing Arthur’s thoughts on this, and how to strengthen our lives and the resilience and opportunities of our communities. The effectiveness of our democracy depends on healthy and happy individuals that can work together for the common good. I encourage everyone who can to attend.”

Brooks left Maxwell in 2009 to become the eleventh president of the American Enterprise Institute, a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. He joined the faculty of Harvard in July of 2019.

Prior to joining academia, Brooks spent 12 years as a professional musician, holding positions with the Barcelona Symphony and other ensembles. He earned a master of arts degree in economics from Florida Atlantic University in 1994 and a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in public policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School of Policy Studies in 1998.

Brooks’ talk is sponsored by the D’Aniello Family Foundation, the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy and the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership.

Debra Adams Simmons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Simmons’ Career

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bergen Nkenge ’95

is pleased to announce that Nkenge A. Bergan ’95, Board of Visitors member and an expert in educational leadership and school climate training, will address graduates at its 2023 Convocation ceremony on Saturday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. in the Schine Student Center Goldstein Auditorium.

Named to the School of Education in August 2021, Bergan became associate vice president for student development services of Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College in September 2021. She was previously director of student services at Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS), where she served 13,000 students and their families for more than 10 years.

At KPS, a team of behavior specialists, culture/climate coaches and campus safety professionals, and was awarded a $1 million grant to establish a Social Emotional Learning Professional Development Center. She created KPS’s “Culturally Responsive Education” professional development program, was a member of the Equity Task Force, and as an Adverse Childhood Experiences master trainer, she helped plan a community trauma summit to seek “to eliminate policies, practices and procedures that may be creating more trauma” in students KPS serves and the greater Kalamazoo community.

“As an educational leader and trainer, Nkenge challenges and empowers stakeholders to seek intentional solutions and interventions to strengthen their learning communities. As an advocate for student success, she ensures that every student has equitable access to tools, supports and opportunities to learn,” says Kelly Chandler-Olcott, Dean of the School of Education. “The passion she brings to these dual strengths, as well as her journey from special education teacher to higher education administrator, will inspire our graduates to challenge themselves as they begin their careers.”

Bergan graduated from the School of Education in 1995 with a . She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Western Michigan University and a certificate in education from Grand Valley State University in Michigan.

Before her KPS leadership position, Bergan taught special education at Douglass Byrd Senior High School in Fayetteville, NC, where she also coached freshman girls’ basketball and volleyball. From 1999 to 2011, she served as building principal in elementary and middle schools advocating for students in urban and suburban communities. In 2010, Bergan was awarded the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association Region 4 Principal of the Year.

The discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. The fireside chat-style conversation will be moderated by Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter. Tickets are required for the event; visit to claim your free ticket.

The event is co-hosted by the Office of Academic Affairs with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Experience, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

“The best conversations, the ones from which we learn the most, are often difficult, sometimes provocative, but always open and fair, presenting a range of views,” says Provost Ritter. “We look forward to hearing from Professors Dyson and McWhorter as they debate and discuss free speech issues and the health and future of our democracy.”

Michael Eric Dyson

A prominent professor, preacher and author, Dyson is the Distinguished University Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and Distinguished University Professor of Ethics and Society at the Divinity School at Vanderbilt. He has previously taught at Brown University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University, DePaul University, the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University. Known as one of America’s premier public intellectuals, he has authored��more than 20 books, including seven New York Times��best sellers. He also has been a well-known media commentator for 30-plus years on major radio and television shows and currently is also a political analyst for MSNBC. Dyson has won two NAACP Image Awards and an American Book Award, and last year was awarded the Langston Hughes Medal.

John McWhorter

McWhorter teaches courses in linguistics, Western civilization and music history at Columbia University, specializing in language change and language contact. He has written extensively on issues related to linguistics and race for Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic and The Atlantic, and has discussed those topics as a guest on CNN. His books include “The Power of Babel,” “Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue,” “The Language Hoax,” “Words on the Move,” “Talking Back” and “Talking Black.” Two others, “Nine Nasty Words” and “Woke Racism,” were New York Times best sellers. He also hosts the Lexicon Valley language podcast, has authored six audiovisual sets on language for The Great Courses company, and writes a twice-weekly newsletter for The New York Times.

“The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to co-host this important conversation for today’s free-speech environment,” says Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion. “We welcome professors Dyson and McWhorter to campus for open discussion on issues that matter to our SU community and are essential to moving society forward in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.”

“Universities play a critical role in providing students exposure to a wide range of viewpoints and ideas in an environment that is respectful, is focused on intellectual growth and is welcoming,” says Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer. “This lecture is just such an opportunity, featuring two prominent voices in the civic arena who model constructive engagement in a world that is increasingly fractured.”

“The breakdown of public discourse and open dialogue is one of the major ailments of our society today,” says Mark J. Lodato, dean of the Newhouse School. “Creating a place where free speech and the open marketplace of ideas are protected and valued is the obligation of higher education. This lecture is an example of how we do that, and how we can provide our students with the important opportunity to approach sometimes difficult topics with a willingness to learn and understand people whose viewpoints may be different from their own.”

“Co-hosting this lecture underscores the University’s belief that people can openly express opposing views as part of their active citizenship and public engagement,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “Learning to express frank opinions around provocative topics in civil and respectful ways is a valuable lesson for everyone, and it’s part of being responsibly engaged in today’s society. This lecture should offer useful insights into that awareness and process.”

To register for a ticket, visit . Your ticket will be loaded into your MyCuse account; once loaded, download the ticket on your phone and add it to your mobile wallet. If you do not have a MyCuse account, please select “sign up” and follow the prompts to create an account. If you have a MyCuse account, but forgot your password, please select “forgot password” and a new password link will be sent to you. If you are having trouble managing your mobile ticket, please visit the step-by-step for further assistance.

All tickets are mobile tickets and must be downloaded/added to your mobile wallet prior to the event. Please note: no screenshots of tickets will be accepted. Tickets are nontransferable or nonsalable; anyone who would like to attend is required to claim a ticket.

The Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for the event. Those attending will only be allowed to bring in either a clear bag that does not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” or a one-gallon clear plastic storage bag. In addition, small clutch bags for personal items, approximately 4.5” x 6.5, and diaper bags (with child) are allowed. Backpacks are not allowed.

WellsLink is a nationally recognized leadership program for first-year students of color. The WellsLink Transitions Ceremony celebrates students who have successfully transitioned to their second year at ���ϲ����� after participating in WellsLink during their first year. Through this program, students develop multifaceted skills and connect with mentors to help them flourish at ���ϲ����� and beyond.

“The WellsLink Leadership Program provides students with a strong foundation to excel as leaders not only on campus in their first year, but in the years to follow. Our scholars have and continue to make a positive impact in their communities and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the Transitions Ceremony,” says Huey Hsiao, associate director of Multicultural Affairs and the Kessler Scholars Program. “It is an honor to be part of their journey and support their growth, sense of belonging and success while in the program and as a ‘home away from home’ in Multicultural Affairs throughout their years at ���ϲ�����.”

Marcus Bullock

Focusing on the themes of perseverance and innovation, this year’s is CEO and Founder of Flikshop, Inc. and justice reform advocate Marcus Bullock. At age 15, Bullock was sentenced to eight years in an adult maximum security prison for stealing a car. Now released and determined to make a difference, Bullock created a simple app called Flikshop that allows family members to connect with prisoners who are otherwise isolated. Now more than 140,000 prisoners use this app to connect with loved ones and get in touch with nonprofits.

Bullock also founded the Flikshop School of Business to mentor and introduce every student to a curriculum to help build confidence, learn strategy and communication skills and how to plan for a life of entrepreneurship. Among his accolades, Bullock won the inaugural social justice innovation award from Morgan Stanley + Centri Tech Foundation, was named one of John Legend’s Unlocked Futures business accelerators, and is a member of the Justice Policy Board of Directors.

In addition to the keynote from Bullock, the ceremony will include remarks from additional speakers, musical performances and presentation of stoles and awards. This year’s ceremony will honor the following students who are part of the WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2025:

• Shalom Acheampong (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Jessica Aimunmondion (School of Information Studies)
• Rebecca Akinwale (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Adriana Albizu-Russe (College of Arts and Sciences/ Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Sebastian Andrade (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Chelsey Antwi (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Ariana Arias (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Isabel Cardoso (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Monday Carter (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Isabella Chavez Miranda (College of Arts and Sciences/Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Annie Chen (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Jessica Chen (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Leny Chiong (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Minetsa Cotto Ortiz (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Nicolas Cueba (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Yassin Elsharafi (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Jordan Ferguson (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Shayla Fisher (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Mark Fortes (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Joshua Garvin (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Jennifer Gonzalez (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Summer Green (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Rachael Ha (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Ajmir Hassan (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Nahid Kalam (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Bryce Kemp (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Jordan Leuenberger (School of Information Studies)
• Jessica Li (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Kyra Lin (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Rachel Lin (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Danny Liu (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Alexa Llucemo (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Michael Lupton Jr (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Andrea Magdaleno (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Emily Mazariegos (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Angel Medina (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Ivonne Millan (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Myles Miller (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Alan Miranda (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Sophia Moore (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Briana Negley (Martin J. Whitman School of Management )
• Kaylah Newbold (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs/Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Kevin Nguyen (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Miguel Nieves (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Seth Obeng (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Allison Oey (Martin J. Whitman School of Management/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Excellence Ojo (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Praise Omoregie (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Ivonne Ortega (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Joshua Ortega (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Roselyn Ortiz (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Timothy Paek (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Tulsiben Patel (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Natalia Pedraza (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Amber Perry (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Kennedy Peterson (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Christopher Prestia (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Xiaoyang Qu (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Jasmine Rodriguez (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Farmchan Saechao (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Melanie Salas (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Torryn Sales (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Aaron Shinn (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Jessica Singh (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Daqwuan Smith (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Ryan Sylvester (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Jenny Tang (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Ryan Tsuneishi (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Grace Tu-Sekine (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Nana Twum-Barima (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• Samantha Valeiron (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Jose Venegas (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Ansh Verma (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Emmanuel Wahpo (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Emma Wareing (School of Education)
• Jadyn Washington (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)

About the WellsLink Leadership Program

The WellsLink Leadership Program is a nationally recognized academic and leadership excellence program for first-year students of color. Through structured academic, social and cultural enrichment activities, WellsLink Scholars develop the leadership capital necessary for exceptional success at ���ϲ����� and beyond. The program name was chosen to honor Barry L. Wells, founding director of ���ϲ�����’s first Office of Minority Affairs in 1976 and retired senior vice president and dean of student affairs.

The WellsLink Leadership Program is sponsored by Multicultural Affairs in the Division of the Student Experience, and was designed by Director James K. Duah-Agyeman and former Associate Director Paul M. Buckley. Since the program’s inception in 2003, WellsLink Scholars have demonstrated outstanding leadership at the University with representation at the executive levels of many student organizations, task forces, committees and networks of service. They are high academic performers and balanced community citizens.

Story by Tessa Hodinger G’23, graduate assistant in Student Experience Communications

Dave Bing

The moderated discussion will be held in the Maxwell School Auditorium. Free and open to the public, it will be followed by a reception where attendees will have an opportunity to meet Bing.

Bing grew up in inner-city Washington, D.C., and was recruited to ���ϲ����� by football legends Ernie Davis ’62 and John Mackey ’63. He and classmate Sam Penceal ’66 were the only Black players on the team and among only 100 or so Black students on campus. He became lifelong friends with roommate and teammate Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, now head coach of the men’s basketball team. With the fifth highest scoring average in the nation, he earned a spot on the All-American team.

In 1966, Bing was drafted second overall by the Detroit Pistons, and later played for the Washington Bullets and Boston Celtics. One of the most celebrated players of his era, the NBA named him to its Hall of Fame and in 1996 designated him one of its 50 greatest players of all time. In 2021, he was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

After retiring from basketball, Bing joined a Detroit steel company in a two-year training program. As he learned the business, he increasingly felt confident he could start his own business processing steel for Michigan’s auto manufacturers. Bing Steel earned him the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year award in 1984. He grew the business from four employees to more than 1,400, with $300 million in annual sales.

Bing sold the company in 2007 and was enlisted to run for mayor. He took office in May 2009 as the city faced debt, a shrinking population, high unemployment and failing infrastructure.

Dave Bing

After leading the city through the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history, Bing turned from politics to philanthropy, founding the , a nonprofit focused on mentoring Black boys in Detroit. Since its inception in 2014, the program and its mentorship program called BINGO has served six graduating classes and has a 100-percent high school graduation rate; 80 percent of the students are in college.

Bing’s talk is part of the Renewing Democratic Community Speaker Series that celebrates the creation of the Hicker Family Professorship with a generous gift from Bing’s former Orange teammate George Hicker ’68 and his wife, Kathy. Chris Faricy, associate professor of political science and the inaugural Hicker Family Professor in Renewing Democratic Community, will moderate the 90-minute discussion.

“Dave Bing is a Maxwell School alum who embodies the principles of democratic citizenship,” says Faricy. “I look forward to discussing his views on civil rights and basketball, his call to duty as the mayor of Detroit and his philanthropic work producing the next generation of leaders,” says Faricy. “His life is a lesson in how hard work, persistence and dedication to community can overcome setbacks and led to unprecedented success.”

Copies of Bing’s book will be available for purchase at the event.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by Wednesday, Feb. 15. Parking is available at Irving Garage. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available at the event. For additional accommodations, please email Bethany Walawender at bdwalawe@syr.edu.

For the latest updates, including any health updates for visiting campus, visit the Maxwell School’s .

The is pleased to bring leadership expert, global speaker and author Erica Dhawan to the University for a talk on body language in the digital era.

All ��faculty, staff and students are invited to Dhawan’s talk on Friday, Feb. 10, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3. Registration is required. To attend, by Feb. 6:

Leadership expert, global speaker and author Erica Dhawan will address the campus community about body language in the digital era during a Feb. 10 Women in Leadership Digital Communication event.

Dhawan combines cutting-edge research with engaging storytelling to decode the new signals and cues that have replaced traditional body language across genders, generations and cultures. She investigates a wide array of exchanges from large conferences and video meetings to daily emails, texts, IMs and conference calls and offers insights and solutions to increase clarity and build trust.

Audience members will learn new rules and nuances of digital body language, the new requirement to innovate faster and further together.

From Dhawan’s presentation, participants will:

• better understand their collaboration style and what digital body language signals they are broadcasting (even unintended ones);
• create cultures of maniacal clarity in email, phone, IM, text, video mediums and even live meetings in the new normal; and
• develop a collaboration strategy to produce the highest-performing teams and relationships.

Dhawan is an internationally recognized leading authority, speaker and advisor on 21st-century teamwork, collaboration and innovation. Named as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, she is the author of two bestselling books, “Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence” and “Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance.”

As we continue to experience an increasingly digital world where work practices are changing at a blistering pace, Dhawan shares innovative strategies to unlock the collective power of teams, build a culture of trust across any distance and create authentic engagement to ensure competitiveness. Rated No. 1 on the Top Women Keynote Speakers list, Erica frequently appears in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and The Wall Street Journal. Dhawan speaks on global stages ranging from the World Economic Forum at Davos, to the U.S. Army, to companies such as Coca-Cola, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, Walmart and Cisco. She holds degrees from Harvard University, MIT Sloan and The Wharton School.

To learn more about Women in Leadership or get involved in upcoming programs, visit the��. Programs are open to all community members, regardless of gender identity or expression.

As the University prepares to honor the message, mission and legacy of Dr. King during the 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 22, in the JMA Wireless Dome—the largest of its kind on any college campus—the celebration’s featured speaker, Reverend Phil Turner of Bethany Baptist Church in ���ϲ�����, has spent countless hours researching Dr. King’s visits to ���ϲ�����.

This year’s theme is “Civil Rights and the City of ���ϲ�����,” and in devising his remarks, Turner has turned to the past, relying on the lessons and morals preached by King to ���ϲ�����’s students and faculty during trips to ���ϲ����� in the summers of 1961 and 1965 for inspiration.

“When Dr. King spoke, his words were so piercing because they came from truth, his inner light and compassion,” says Rev. Turner. “I want to communicate to the audience that there’s still hope for that unified American society that Dr. King spoke of. In America, our fixation on race, on power and on money causes us to miss the fact that what has always made America great, that which made our country what it is in the world, is its diverse population. That’s what caused America to stand out.”

Reverend Phil Turner, featured speaker at the 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 22 (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

It’s a welcome task for Turner, who while remaining humble is proud to boast several similarities to Dr. King. Both men played instrumental roles in their church and in their communities. Both men share a birthday (April 15). Both men were passionate about lifting up their fellow Americans. And Turner was born in the same city (Memphis, Tennessee) where Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Dr. King first spoke on campus during a Summer Sessions Banquet lecture titled “Facing the Challenge of a New World,” in July of 1961 at Sadler Hall. Dr. King delved into the ideals America was built upon, and how the country was not doing its part to live up to the lofty standard it claimed to hold itself to.

There are tremendous similarities between this speech and Dr. King’s iconic “I have a Dream” speech, delivered in Washington, D.C., in 1963, including King telling the ���ϲ����� audience “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice,” before introducing a central theme that would gain worldwide notoriety two years later, dreaming of a day when the vast potential of the American dream could be fulfilled for all its citizens:

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

“This will be the day when all of God’s children, black and white … (Christians), Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics …. will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty: We are free at last,” Dr. King told the audience.

Four summers later, Dr. King returned to campus for a second Summer Sessions Banquet lecture, “The Time is Always Right to Do Right,” inside the old dining hall inside Sims Hall.

Dr. King explored the destructive impact of segregation in northern cities such as ���ϲ�����, lamenting how future generations of Black children would suffer as a result of the harmful ramifications of these policies, combined with the “utterly low quality of education” in the country. [].

These speeches play a vital role in the history of the City of ���ϲ����� and serve as a stark reminder of how long the University has embraced the ideals preached by Dr. King, and how far the country still has to go to achieve King’s ultimate vision, according to Turner.

A Friend of the Underdog

Growing up in the Jim Crow south, Turner considered himself a “friend of the underdog,” oftentimes sticking up for children who were picked on by schoolyard bullies.

“I’ve always been in my natural element when I was striving for justice and equality, even as a child. I’ve always been disturbed when I see someone else getting treated unfairly. That’s an area of passion for me, the concern for equality and for human life, regardless of who the person is. As we see the divides that plague our country, I am inspired by the great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. That is the answer to our dividedness, but to be the agent of change requires courage,” Turner says.

Turner vividly remembers an intense sense of patriotism when he and his classmates would sing songs like “America (My Country, ’Tis of Thee),” “God Bless America” and the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

That love for country dissipated after Turner witnessed acts of overt racism against Black people in Memphis, and further deepened when his family moved to Buffalo, New York, where the racist behavior transitioned from overt to covert hatred and discrimination. He became disillusioned over the realization that the principles this country was founded upon varied greatly based on one’s skin color.

While Turner admits coming to terms with that hypocrisy was difficult, it also sparked a lifelong passion: He dedicated himself to a life of service as a religious leader.

“What has given me a sense of purpose in my ministry is, instead of having my ability to love be depleted in the face of all this contention, anger and hatred in the world, my ministry has increased my ability to love and respect my fellow Americans above the hatred that exists,” Turner says.

Motivating People to Become Agents of Change

Since being elected as the 12th pastor of Bethany Baptist Church on Feb. 19, 2007, Turner has fought to expand his congregation’s impact through membership growth, facility renovations, increased access to transportation services and improved engagement with civic organizations and community organizers.

Turner led the development of a radio ministry, tutoring program and an annual festival that highlights African American heritage. Bethany Baptist Church also partners with the ���ϲ����� City School District, sponsors clothing giveaways, and hosts numerous local and regional events.

Relying on Dr. King’s previous appearances on campus, Turner plans to deliver a message worthy of Dr. King’s vision, using his platform to motivate and inspire the MLK Celebration crowd.

“Hopefully, people will leave this celebration equipped with something that will help them become an agent of change in their communities, to move this world toward a place we want to live in, setting up our children and our descendants for a better world, the one Dr. King dreamed of.”

Tickets for the annual MLK Celebration dinner and program��.

This year’s theme is “Civil Rights and the City of ���ϲ�����.” Tickets for the dinner and program .

Reverend Phil Turner (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

This annual event is the largest of its kind on any college campus. The program seeks to honor the message and mission of Dr. King and is a direct expression of ���ϲ�����’s commitment to advancing academic excellence at a university welcoming to all.

“As we prepare for our first in-person MLK Celebration since 2020, our planning team is committed to highlighting the people and possibilities of our local community,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “I am honored to welcome Pastor Phil Turner as our featured speaker, as he embodies the spirit and soul of ���ϲ�����. Through his proven leadership and hopeful vision, Pastor Turner is the right person to bring us all together.”

Turner was elected as the 12th pastor of Bethany Baptist Church on Feb. 19, 2007. Following his formal installation in April of 2007, he helped expand congregational impact through membership growth, facility renovations, increased access to transportation services, and improved engagement with civic organizations and community organizers. Turner��led the development of a radio ministry, tutoring program and an annual festival that highlights African American heritage. Bethany Baptist Church also partners with the ���ϲ����� City School District, sponsors clothing giveaways, and hosts numerous local and regional events.

In addition to earning music recording contracts with Warner Bros. and 4th and Broadway, Turner��holds a bachelor of science in history and political science from Columbia College, a master of theological studies from��Northeastern Seminary and a certificate in church management from Villanova University.

“When Dr. King spoke, his words were so piercing because they came from truth, his inner light and compassion,” says Rev. Turner. “We must accept the challenge to make everyone’s lives better. Leaders need to have a healthy appetite for change. They can’t be afraid.”

Our 2023 program marks the 38th year for the MLK Celebration, which will include an address from Turner, student and community group performances, a presentation of this year’s , and recognition of the 2022 and 2021 Unsung Hero Awardees previously honored through online celebrations.

New this year is an art gallery featuring works from local Black artists, ��opening at 4:15 p.m. The traditional dinner—pulled BBQ pork, collard greens, sweet potato pie and more—will open at 5 p.m. Halal/Kosher, gluten-free and vegetarian options will be available. Dinner will be held near the JMA Dome’s west end zone, entry at Gate A. The main program with Rev. Turner and performers will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the east side. For program-only attendees, doors open at 6 p.m.

Ticket purchase options are as follows:

• ���ϲ����� staff, faculty, and the general public (dinner and program): $30
• Students (dinner and program): $15
• Main program only: FREE

Registration is required for all ticket purchase options.

All dinner tickets will be assigned a table number at the time of purchase, which will be included in the mobile tickets. Guests interested in sitting with friends are recommended to purchase tickets together to ensure the same table assignment.

Guests may order up to 10 dinner and program tickets online. To purchase one full table (10 seats), select 10 total tickets and proceed to checkout. To purchase more than one table or more than 10 individual tickets, or if experiencing difficulties, please call the JMA Dome Box Office at 1.888.DOME.TIX (315.443.2121), option four.

All dinner guests will be seated in the 100 level of the stands for the program following dinner. All guests attending the program only will be seated in the 200 level. Seating is general admission in those areas for the program.

Buy tickets online at��, in person at the Dome Box Office inside Gate B at 900 Irving Ave. (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by phone (888.DOME.TIX or 315.443.2121, option four). Tickets will be mobile this year and uploaded directly to your MyCuse account to manage upon purchase. View the for more information.

Free parking is available in the Irving Avenue Garage and in lots west of the JMA Dome. Visit the University’s ��for maps and directions. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available for the event. Accessible seating is provided on the concourse level of the JMA Dome.

For more information about the MLK Celebration or to request accommodations, contact Hendricks Chapel at��chapel@syr.edu��or 315.443.2901. Learn more about this and other Hendricks Chapel events by visiting .

Nikole Hannah-Jones, right, Pulitzer Prize winner and staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, spoke on campus during a conversation about her work Friday, Oct. 28. Jessica Lynn Elliott, left, a fourth-year Ph.D. history student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, was the moderator for the discussion. (Photos by Reed Granger ’26)

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize winner and staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, spoke in-depth about her personal experiences and writings centered on racial injustice, an examination of the modern legacy of enslavement and school resegregation during a Universitywide event Friday, Oct. 28. The event, co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and other campus units and schools and colleges, took place at the ���ϲ����� Art Museum.

Hannah-Jones is the author of the 1619 Project, a series of academic essays that was published in The New York Times Magazine to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. Considered by many to be a cultural icon, Hannah-Jones has dedicated her career to covering civil rights and racial injustice.

During the University event, Hannah-Jones highlighted the central argument of her project, which is the significant role enslavement played in the building of our nation, as well as shining light on accurate historical facts around slavery that she says are rarely taught in America’s education system. “You can’t teach what you don’t know yourself,” she said.

Hannah-Jones said that the first step in making people aware of the authentic history of the United States is to better train teachers to teach basic history concepts. “Stop treating histories as segregated histories,” Hannah-Jones said. “You can’t treat the history of Black people as segregated from the history of America.”

The conversation continued with Hannah-Jones highlighting the fact that the reason the North seemed more desegregated than the South was because their population consisted of significantly fewer Black people before the Great Migration occurred. She pointed to the state policies aimed at suppressing Black populations, even in Northern states where slavery had been abolished or was not a common practice.

“Progressivism is almost everything but race,” Hannah-Jones said. “Slavery shapes everything in America, whether you know it or not.”

When asked a question about preparing to publish such a “controversial” project, Hannah-Jones said that the 1619 Project is not at all controversial, but rather argues from an explicit perspective. This perspective is that Black people are our nation’s real founding fathers and slavery not only had a significant impact on the U.S. Revolution, but our society as a whole, she said.

“Almost nothing is more fundamental to understanding society than slavery,” Hannah-Jones said.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, right, Pulitzer Prize winner and staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, spoke on campus during a conversation about her work Friday, Oct. 28.

Hannah-Jones said she has not worked to be a professor her whole life, but rather a journalist who exposes what goes on and allows the people of democracy to decide what to do with it. She believes that there is no educator like the press, which has been the basis for all of her work, including the 1619 Project.

Hannah-Jones’ advice for those who want to make change is to pick a single institution that they align with the most and defend it.

Jessica Lynn Elliott, a fourth-year Ph.D. history student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, was the moderator for the discussion.

Along with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the event’s co-sponsors included the Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Student Living, ���ϲ����� Libraries, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, College of Law, School of Education, School of Architecture and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

Story by Julia Mazzer ’24, a student majoring in public relations in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and an intern with the Division of Communications

After introductory remarks from current and former leadership of the Lender Center for Social Justice and a video welcome message from Marvin ’63 and Helaine ’65 Lender, who founded the center and continue to fund its work, a panel discussion commenced.

Sitting on that panel were Jaz Brisack, an organizer with Starbucks Workers United; Chris Smalls, president and founder of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU); and Johnnie Kallas, a former labor organizer and current Ph.D. candidate in Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) and director of the . Jenny Breen, associate professor in the College of Law, moderated the discussion.

From left: Katie Mott, Ph.D. candidate in sociology; Professor Gretchen Purser; Jaz Brisack; Chris Smalls and Johnnie Kallas (Photo by Angela Ryan)

A Pivotal Moment for Labor: Recent Starbucks, Amazon Victories

Brisack, who led the campaign that resulted in the first unionized Starbucks store in the country, told the audience of her journey as an organizer and the momentum Starbucks Workers United has built since Buffalo’s Elmwood Avenue store voted for a union in December 2021. Since then, workers at more than 240 corporate-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize.

“There’s no such thing as an unorganized workplace—there’s only workplaces that haven’t been organized yet,” Brisack said. She spoke about the importance of community-based action and the need to “make it socially unacceptable to be a union-buster.”

She also hypothesized that one of the factors that has benefited the success of Starbucks employees who have chosen to organize is that the company does not live up to the corporate values they espouse.

“Starbucks [employees] are 70% women and overwhelmingly LGTBQ. … There is a kind of culture at Starbucks that they create and say that they believe in, which is, ‘We’re a safe space for queer people,’ ‘We’re in support of Black Lives Matter,’ ‘We believe in the planet and the environment,’ and people came to work at Starbucks because they believed in those things,” Brisack said.

Partners (Starbucks’ term for its employees) are then disappointed to find out that the company’s actions behind closed doors don’t match the values it claims to hold. “But they are motivated to try to make it that, instead of just leaving—which I think is really conducive to organizing,” Brisack said.

Former five-year Amazon employee Smalls described the poor working conditions that led to his new job as labor union leader, saying, “What goes on behind the scenes is pretty much intolerable. It’s really inhumane. Work is work. 10 to 12 hours. For example, in Staten Island, they commute two and a half hours each way. They’re on their feet. I used to tell my new hires, ‘if you have a gym membership, you might want to cancel it.’

“Amazon warehouses are the size of nearly 14 NFL football fields, over a million square feet long. You don’t have time to go to the restroom because every restroom is about 10 minutes away. You’re tracked from the moment you clock in until the time you clock out. You have to have a rate, an hourly rate in my department alone was 400 items an hour—meaning by the end of the day you’re touching over 4,000 packages. If you don’t make that rate, you are replaced. They will fire you.”

In addition to sharing his experience as an Amazon warehouse employee, Smalls discussed his journey since he was fired in March 2020 after organizing a walkout to protest lack of proper safety protocols early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

He went on to found his first activist organization, the Congress of Essential Workers, and then the ALU in April of 2021. A year later, in April 2022, Amazon employees at its Staten Island warehouse became the first unionized Amazon employees in the country.

“We still have a long way to go. This is very much still the beginning,” Smalls said in regard to the ALU victory earlier this year. “It’s going to take a lot more than unionizing and winning campaigns. We’re going to need political support, we’re going to need community support, we’re going to need the support of consumers.”

Smalls said the key to ALU’s victory in Staten Island was building up relationships with workers and connecting with one another on a human-to-human level. “We weren’t going to defeat Amazon by money. It’s a trillion-dollar company. So the only thing we had was love and respect for one another and care for one another,” he said. “[Our victory] showed and proved that no amount of money in the world can stop the power of people when they come together.”

Labor Action Tracker Director Offers Historical Context, Data

The third panelist, Kallas, who worked as a labor organizer prior to undertaking his current work at Cornell, brought an academic lens to the conversation and provided an overview of the history behind the decline of the labor movement in the U.S. since the 1980s.

He also brought the data, sharing statistics from the ILR Labor Action Tracker, which aims to document the full scope of strikes, work stoppages and labor protests across the country while amplifying the voices of striking workers. Kallas said his comprehensive database of strike activity shows a more detailed view than labor data tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

He juxtaposed the current labor movement against earlier points in history, saying, “We’re not in the same situation we were in in the 1970s. It’s much harder to organize, it’s much harder to go out on strike. Workers face considerably more obstacles to engaging and organizing activities and strikes. … But we are very much in a transformative moment for the labor movement.”

Protecting Commerce or Protecting Workers?

The evening culminated with a book talk with keynote speaker Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs With Justice and co-author of the recently released “The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century,” with Sarita Gupta. Smiley (and all three panelists) noted the flaws in current U.S. labor law; the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which is rife with exclusions and loopholes; and how its oversight agency, the National Labor Relations Board, is understaffed and underfunded.

Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs With Justice and co-author of “The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century” (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Early in her presentation, Smiley showed a slide with the preamble to the NLRA, positioning it as “an act to diminish the causes of labor disputes burdening or obstructing interstate and foreign commerce, to create a National Labor Relations Board, and for other purposes.”

“The goal is protecting commerce, to keep commerce moving. Labor peace. Does that sound like workers’ rights to you?” she asked the crowd.

Smiley centers the labor movement in the fight for racial justice and gender equality, which she says is a winning strategy over centering the movement on political party lines or a red-state/blue-state dichotomy. Her belief is that workers’ rights are much more firmly rooted in the Reconstruction (13th, 14th and 15th) amendments than in the NLRA.

“If we think about labor law from this context, we can understand a lot better that it’s actually something that should be foundational to democracy. And that we need to reshape it in a way that is actually about democracy—not just keeping commerce going,” Smiley said.

Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and co-director of the Lender Center, who organized this year’s Lender Center Conversation, said that nearly 300 people registered for the event, a clear indication of the surging interest in dialogue and action around labor and workers’ rights, with unions currently at their highest approval rating in over 50 years.

During the event’s intermission, local groups tabled in Dineen Hall and participants were encouraged to create signs in solidarity with the labor movement. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

As an academic, Purser’s research focuses on work and labor disparities, urban poverty, law and punishment, housing and homelessness and community-based action. She also chairs the board of the Workers’ Center of Central New York, grounding her in the day-to-day work to further labor rights and economic justice.

Purser kicked off the event with a labor acknowledgment, stating, “We must acknowledge that all wealth is created by labor. Our country’s economic growth and development was made possible by the forced labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants, as well as the exploited labor of immigrants. Our institutions rely upon and are organized around the unrecognized and unpaid labor of caregivers. We must acknowledge that we are indebted to the labor and sacrifice of all those who came before us and who, across time and space, in however horrific of circumstances, have organized to improve conditions for workers and secure dignity at work.”

To learn more about upcoming events at the Lender Center for Social Justice, . Members of the University community can also email lendercenter@syr.edu to join the center’s email list.

Nikole Hannah-Jones (Credit: James Estrin/The New York Times)

Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and staff writer for The New York Times Magazine will share her experiences and writings in an upcoming campuswide conversation on Friday, Oct. 28, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The event, which is co-sponsored by the , will take place at the ���ϲ����� Art Museum.

More information and registration information can be found on the . The event can also be accessed via .

Hannah-Jones will highlight the importance of reframing American history within the context of enslavement and the true contributions of Black Americans. The New York Times’s 1619 Project commemorates the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in what would become the United States by examining slavery’s modern legacy and reframing the way we understand this history and the contributions of black Americans to the nation, according to Hannah-Jones’ website.

Jessica Lynn Elliott, a fourth-year Ph.D. history student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will be the moderator for the discussion.

“We are all active participants in the story being written, but in the story of the U.S., we must revisit the opening chapter and amplify the voices and celebrate the contributions of Black people, whom without, our current chapter does not exist,” says Elliott, who is also a curatorial assistant for the Special Collections Research Center at ���ϲ����� Libraries,

Kal Alston, professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Education and a member of the Academic Leadership for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (ALDEIA), encourages campus community members to attend, regardless if they have read the 1619 Project or not.

“This conversation will help us all better understand American history and how far back some of these ideas related to Black Americans and our collective history goes,” Alston says. “It can seem that the issues of race and our collective history are coming out of nowhere, but in fact, they’re coming out of a shared set of experiences and orientations, and Nikole Hannah-Jones’s unique perspective and experience will help us better understand that.”

Suzette M. Meléndez, teaching professor and associate dean for equity and inclusion academic affairs in the College of Law, also invites the campus community to join in this event that will add to the continuing conversation surrounding our nation’s shared history.

“Professor Hannah-Jones’ visit is of great significance to the national conversation about the 1619 Project, the contributions of Black and brown people to America’s development and to our collective history as a nation,” says Meléndez, who is also a member of the ALDEIA. “It is a timely response to the apparent confusion regarding what Critical Race Theory actually is and how it can tell a more comprehensive account of our history in ways that can guide us in moving forward more productively as a nation.”

Along with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the event’s co-sponsors include the Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Student Living, ���ϲ����� Libraries, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, College of Law, School of Education, School of Architecture and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided

The event, “,” is hosted by and will be led by the center’s co-director , associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Clockwise from top left: Jaz Brisack, Chris Smalls, Erica Smiley, Johnnie Kallas

The dialogue begins at 4 p.m. with a panel discussion in Dineen’s Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom featuring some of the most well-known names in the revitalized labor movement, including Amazon Labor Union President Chris Smalls, Starbucks Workers United Organizer Jaz Brisack, and Johnnie Kallas, director of the Labor Action Tracker at Cornell University’s .

Following the panel, a reception with refreshments and tabling by local organizations will be held in Dineen’s atrium. At 6:45 p.m., a keynote speech will be delivered by Erica Smiley, executive director of and co-author, with Sarita Gupta, of “The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century.” Smiley is a long-time organizer and movement leader who has been spearheading strategic organizing and policy interventions for nearly 15 years.

Lender Center Co-Director and Associate Professor of Sociology Gretchen Purser

“We’re at a critical juncture in history and in the midst of a striking revival of worker power,” says Purser, whose areas of expertise include the sociology of work and labor, urban poverty, law and punishment, and housing and homelessness. “What is fueling the surge of interest in unions? What challenges are workers facing as they endeavor to organize the workplace? What are the opportunities within, and limitations of, our existing labor law?”

She says this year’s Lender Center Conversation will seek to answer those questions and more, exploring the present and future of the labor movement as well as the centrality of collective bargaining for a functioning democracy.

“As a faculty member whose research and teaching centers around work and labor, I am thrilled to see an event like this take place on campus,” Purser says. “I am especially excited for the opportunity it presents to bring together diverse constituencies from the campus and the broader ���ϲ����� community.”

About the Lender Center for Social Justice

Marvin Lender ’63 and his wife, Helaine Gold Lender ’65, created the interdisciplinary Lender Center for Social Justice to fulfill their enduring mission to develop ethical and courageous citizens who are committed to practices of social justice. The center aspires to foster proactive, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to issues related to social justice, equity and inclusion. It is co-led by James Haywood Rolling Jr., dual professor of art education and teaching and leadership in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the School of Education, and Purser.

In an area known as Statuary Hall, she found members of the National Guard intermingled with officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local SWAT team members. She said they leaned against statues representing every state, “exhausted because they had spent the day engaged in hand-to-hand combat with our fellow citizens and because they had spent the day defending our Capitol building and our democratic process of counting electoral votes.”

“I walked around Statuary Hall, and I thanked them for what they had done,” recalled Cheney, “but there were not words to express the emotion of the fact that they had to engage in that battle.”

Cheney described the scene to hundreds of students, alumni and other members of the University community during an Oct. 3 event titled “Courage in Defense of Democracy.” Held in the University’s Goldstein Auditorium, it was hosted by and had Cheney sharing the stage with for an interview-style conversation. Ritter is a leading expert in the history of women’s constitutional rights and contemporary issues concerning democracy and citizenship in American politics.

���ϲ����� Provost Gretchen Ritter (left) interviews Congresswoman Liz Cheney during an Oct. 3 program, titled “Courage in Defense of Democracy.”

In his introductory remarks, pointed out that the school is the only academic institution in the country with “citizenship” in its title and mission.

“Our reverence for others, intellectual humility, modeling dignity and embracing diversity makes us a school that cares deeply about ideas, evidence and working across all levels of government and all sectors of our economy to make a positive difference for the public good,” said Van Slyke, who is also the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy. “As such, we are committed to fostering civil dialogue and meaningful exchanges in an increasingly polarized society.”

, took the stage after the dean and spoke of the iconic statue of Abraham Lincoln that serves as a “sentinel” in the Maxwell School courtyard.

“During our nation’s nearly 250 years engaged in this great experiment of democracy, Lincoln presided during an extraordinary threat to the continuation of our unique form of citizenship governance,” he said before sharing a quote from the president in 1861, before the start of the Civil War.

“It is within that context that this is a particularly unique occasion for us to welcome a remarkable public servant who has literally lived up to the oath of office to preserve these principles and recited by all who have the opportunity to serve the citizens of the United States, to protect and defend the Constitution,” O’Keefe told the audience.

U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney is shown with, from left to right, Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke, University Professor and Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair Sean O’Keefe, ���ϲ����� Provost Gretchen Ritter and Mike Haynie, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and innovation.

Cheney, who is the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, is serving as vice chairwoman of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. She recently lost her bid for re-election in the Wyoming primary to a Republican candidate backed by former President Trump.

Ritter asked Cheney if “we should be surprised” that she was stripped of her leadership position after taking the unpopular stand in the GOP of supporting Trump’s impeachment and serving on the select committee.

“Many people thought you were a likely next speaker of the House and then it all changed,” said Ritter.

Cheney said she continues to find it inexplicable that so many in the GOP continue to defend the former president.

“What is so important is for people to understand and recognize that there’s a real cost to the Republic of defending behavior that’s simply constitutionally indefensible,” Cheney said. “And the cost of it is a constant chipping away at the foundations of the country.”

In a moment of levity, Ritter asked Cheney—a self-proclaimed “lifelong Republican”—how painful it is to now have liberal Democrats in her fan club. “I’m not choosy these days,” said the congresswoman, eliciting laughter from the audience.

The conversation later turned to a salient topic, given the venue: the role universities play in encouraging civil discourse and a commitment to citizenship.

“One of the things we don’t do very well in this country anymore is teach American history and teach the duties of citizenship, and I say that as the mother of five—someone who’s watched my kids in different schools go through social studies classes and learn about America’s role in the world,” said Cheney, adding, that’s “one of the reasons why places like the Maxwell School are so important.”

In another light moment, Ritter quipped, “You’ve just made the Maxwell dean very happy.”

Ritter and Cheney discussed the role of social media and mainstream media in polarization. Cheney issued a condemnation of Fox News, specifically for reports she said seem to defend Russia in its siege against Ukraine. And she criticized social media outlets for using algorithms to drive subscribers to radicalized content.

“I think all of us have to step back,” Cheney said, admitting her own past partisanship. “We saw on Jan. 6 that words matter. We have to recognize that in the world in which we’re living today, political violence increasingly is becoming part of our politics, and it cannot be that way.”

Cheney cited a recent incident in which Trump said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has a “DEATH WISH” and made racist comments about his wife.

“When you see former President Trump just in the last 24 hours suggesting in a pretty thinly veiled way, using words that could well cause violence against the Republican leader of the Senate, saying he has a death wish, launching an absolutely despicable racist attack against Secretary Chao, Senator McConnell’s wife, and then you watch the fact that nobody in my party will say that’s unacceptable,” Cheney said, adding, “Everybody ought to be asked whether or not that’s acceptable, and everybody ought to be able to say, ‘no, that’s not acceptable.’”

Other topics covered during the roughly 90-minute conversation included climate change and same-sex marriage. Ritter asked Cheney about her changed stance on the latter. Her opposition a decade ago caused a public rift in her own family—her sister, Mary, is gay and married with children.

“Obviously, this is an issue that touches my own family,” Cheney said. “I believe that freedom means freedom for everybody. I believe that we have to protect the rights for people to marry who they love. I said I was wrong on this issue. It’s a painful issue to talk about because I love my family. …I love my sister, and I love her family very much.”

As the event wrapped up, Cheney brought up another member of her family: She shared that one of her sons is taking a forensics class in which he has been tasked with memorizing a speech. His pick: Democrat Al Gore’s 2000 presidential election concession speech, given after the Supreme Court ruled against his protest, effectively making George W. Bush the nation’s 43^rd president.

Gore spoke of how Sen. Stephen Douglas conceded to Lincoln upon his defeat, telling him, “Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism.” Of his own situation, Gore said, “Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court’s decision, I accept it.”

“I’m sure it was a very painful speech for him to give,” said Cheney.

The anecdote echoed Cheney’s earlier description of her walk through the Capitol on the evening of Jan. 6. In addition to taking note of the exhausted police officers, she paused to survey a familiar painting in the Rotunda that depicts when first president George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The action was a significant moment in establishing a longstanding tradition of the peaceful transition of power, honored by every president except for one.

“I think that the vast majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle believe in those honored institutions of our democracy,” said Cheney, to much applause. “We will get through this period, and we will elect people who are going to protect us.”

Liz Cheney

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs welcomes Congresswoman Liz Cheney to campus on Monday, Oct. 3, for a conversation with ���ϲ����� faculty, staff and students. As Wyoming’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Cheney sits on the House Armed Services Committee and serves as the vice chair for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.

This is a ticketed event for the ���ϲ����� community: faculty, staff and students. To register for this event, fill out the .

Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) will be provided. Contact Bethany Walawender, bdwalawe@syr.edu or 315.443.3461, in the Maxwell dean’s office for more information or additional accommodations. A link to the livestream will be available closer to the event on the .

Press must register in advance to attend in person. Please contact Ellen Mbuqe at ejmbuqe@syr.edu��to register for a press pass.

Congresswoman Cheney was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 as Wyoming’s lone representative, running on a platform of restoring America’s strength and power in the world, and pursuing conservative solutions to create jobs, cut taxes and regulation, and expand America’s energy, mining and agriculture industries.

Currently, Cheney sits on the House Armed Services Committee and serves as the vice chair for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. From 2019 to 2021, Cheney served as the chair of the House Republican Conference, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives.

Prior to her election to Congress, Cheney served at the State Department as a deputy assistant secretary of state and principal deputy assistant secretary of state for the Middle East. She also practiced law at White & Case and at the International Finance Corporation.

A specialist in national security and foreign policy, she was also a Fox News analyst, and is the co-author—along with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney—of “Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.” She is a member of the International Board of Advisors at the University of Wyoming. Liz and her husband Phil Perry have five children and live in Wilson, Wyoming.

Just a few days earlier, a 20-year-old gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and took the lives of 26 people, including 20 children.

Boeheim ’66, G’73 reflected on his sentiment in the shooting’s aftermath before a packed auditorium in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs on Friday, Sept. 9. He shared the stage with Chris Faricy, associate professor of political science and inaugural Hicker Family Professor in Renewing Democratic Community.

Chris Faricy (left) and Jim Boeheim ’66,G’73 shared the stage on Friday, Sept. 9, for a conversation-style event titled “Renewing Democratic Community: Basketball, Leadership and Citizenship.” (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Faricy told the audience of mostly students that Boeheim wrote about the shooting in his 2015 memoir, “Bleeding Orange.” He then asked the coach, “As someone who isn’t just a basketball coach but a leader in the University and a leader in the community, when do you decide to wade into politics and when do you decide to take a pass?”

“You know, you just do what your heart tells you to do,” said Boeheim. “I felt it that night, and I still feel that way. …We have more gun violence deaths than all the other countries in the world put together and that’s not changing until the politics change. I am realistic about that.”

The event, titled “Renewing Democratic Community: Basketball, Leadership and Citizenship” was the first to be offered in the Hicker Family Professor Speaker Series that celebrates the creation of the professorship with a generous gift from Boeheim’s former Orange teammate, George Hicker ’68, and his wife, Kathy. The Hickers hope to advance civil discourse and mutual understanding in today’s polarized political climate.

Boeheim credited George Hicker for his generosity and community service, a theme of his remarks during the conversation-style event. “We can talk about a lot of things today, and I hope we do, but for me, an important question is always, ‘What are you giving back? What are you doing for the other people in the world?’” said Boeheim to the audience. “I’ve been fortunate to have a platform and we’ve been able to give back a lot to our city and our community.”

What are you giving back? What are you doing for the other people in the world? I’ve been fortunate to have a platform and we’ve been able to give back a lot to our city and our community.”

—Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim

That proved a segue to Faricy’s first question: What responsibility do players have to provide service to the community? Boeheim said that though his athletes keep busy schedules between academic responsibilities, training and games, they are involved with the local Boys and Girls Club and support other organizations like Make-A-Wish and the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.

Faricy then asked the coach to share his thoughts on the Supreme Court ruling last year that allows NCAA athletes to make money from business ventures without losing their eligibility. The changes removed prohibitions that prevented athletes from selling the rights to their names, images and likenesses (NIL).

Faricy pointed out that after the ruling, his 5-year-old son was able to get an autograph during a special appearance by former standout player Cole Swider. Boeheim shared that his son, former player Buddy Boeheim, also benefitted from the ruling, earning income from a line of “Buddy Buckets” merchandise and appearances.

But, the coach said, the rulings have not been without problems. For instance, recruitment of student-athletes has become significantly more competitive. And international athletes are ineligible to take advantage of the NIL ruling because of visa work restrictions, thus creating inequities. “NIL was a great idea if it was organically done with Cole Swider giving autographs,” he said, adding, “There are no guardrails, and there’s nothing to change it. The Supreme Court came and voted that every player can get whatever it is. …It is what it is, and we adjust to it.”

Boeheim recalled how his friend, NBA legend LeBron James—an outspoken advocate for social justice—was criticized by a media commentator who suggested he “shut up and dribble.”

Faricy then asked him about the role of athletes in the social justice movement. The coach shared how he encourages his players to register to vote and visit the polls—“a small step,” he conceded. He said that when he arrived at the University his freshman year, roughly 32 of 9,000 students were Black and of them, about “30 of them were athletes.”

Faricy pointed to the diverse audience of mostly students. “When you look around this classroom, there’s much more diversity,” he said, noting that a frequent topic in his classes is the tension between the progress that has been made and how much work still needs to be done. He asked Boeheim what he heard from his players following the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, for instance.

The coach told him, “I don’t think there are many people who didn’t understand that this was a pivotal moment, and it shouldn’t have been because there were pivotal moments two years before that, and five years, and 10 years earlier.”

Left to right: men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, Associate Professor of Political Science Chris Faricy, Kathy Hicker, George Hicker ’68 and Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Leadership was another frequent topic during the talk—Boeheim shared how he was positively influenced by the example set by his fellow Orange athlete and roommate, Dave Bing ’66, who went on to become a National Basketball Association all-star and mayor of Detroit. “He had a tremendous effect on me,” he said. “He showed me how I should be, how I should treat people.”

Intertwined in Boeheim’s remarks were life lessons gleaned from decades on the court. He shared how he was a walk-on player, told by some that he would never succeed. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something,” he said. And then, a few minutes later, a message of perseverance: “Everything is fine when you’re winning—you find out who you are when you’re losing.”

After the hour-long conversation between Faricy and Boeheim, the audience was invited to ask questions. The first was posed by a sophomore policy studies major who wondered how students can be more engaged in the greater ���ϲ����� community.

The question clearly struck a chord with the coach and provided him an opportunity to again impart his message that giving back is an underpinning of citizenship—a lesson often echoed within Maxwell School classrooms. There are numerous opportunities to get involved, Boeheim told the audience, but one organization that could especially use the support is the Boys and Girls Club.

“They would welcome any help they could get,” he said. “You don’t realize it, but sometimes the only food those kids get that day is there.”

Nazak Nikakhtar L’02, G’02

���ϲ�����’s College of Law announced today as its 2022 opening convocation speaker.

Currently partner at Wiley Rein LLP, chair of the firm’s national security practice and co-chair of its foreign investment practice (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS), Nikakhtar specializes in international trade national security law, global competition policy and supply chain resilience. Nikakhtar is also a trade economist and former Georgetown University adjunct law professor.

From 2018-21, with unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Nikakhtar served as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s assistant secretary at the International Trade Administration (ITA). Nikakhtar also fulfilled the duties of the under secretary for industry and security at the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

In these roles, Nikakhtar shaped America’s international trade and national security policies in this new era of intensified economic competition, spearheaded the U.S. government’s first-ever analysis on strengthening supply chains, shaped U.S. investment policy and implemented groundbreaking national security legislations.

During her previous tenure at the Department of Commerce, and immediately upon graduating from ���ϲ�����, Nikakhtar worked at both ITA and BIS advising on the domestic industrial base. She has received numerous award medals from the U.S. government for her work on trade and national security.

Nikakhtar is also a prolific lecturer on trade and national security issues, and most recently, she appeared as the chief legal expert before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at a hearing on Threats to National Security: Countering the People’s Republic of China’s Economic and Technological Plan for Dominance.

Of her relentless drive to advance U.S. national security, Nikakhtar has said, “I am deeply patriotic to the country that gave me my home, my education and my freedom, and it is my duty to serve this great country through my legal career.“ About her plans to address the entering classes at ���ϲ����� Law this fall, she says, “I am deeply grateful to ���ϲ����� for giving me the foundational skills and education to succeed professionally, and I look forward to passing forward my knowledge and expertise to enable the new generation of Orange lawyers to succeed in rewarding careers.”

Nikakhtar has served as a distinguished guest lecturer in the College of Law’s externship program in Washington, D.C. Nikakhtar earned juris doctor and master of economics degrees from ���ϲ�����, where she served as editor-in-chief of the ���ϲ����� Journal of International Law and Commerce. The College of Law looks forward to welcoming Nikakhtar back to her alma mater this fall.

“We anticipate great words of wisdom and encouragement from Nazak,” says Dean Craig M. Boise, “and believe she has so much to offer the incoming class considering her breadth of experience on matters of law and national security.”

Opening convocation will be held during orientation week, Aug. 15-19, at the College of Law.

Lorrie Vogel

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

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

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

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

“Disability Pride Week celebrates disability as an identity and its rich culture,” states Eboni Britt, executive director of strategic communications and initiatives in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “The week includes events and activities that not only showcase disability pride but also emphasize the wealth of resources that are available to our students, faculty and staff with disabilities.”

The week begins on April 18 with the opening of the , which showcases disability culture and history. The Disability Pride Space provides visitors with the opportunity to share what disability pride means to them and learn about the disability community. The Disability Pride Space is located at Bird Library, Room 114, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“Disability pride celebrates people embracing their full identities, including disabilities, and can mean something different to everyone” says Disability Pride Week planning committee member Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri, administrative assistant in the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach.

One of the week’s signature events is . Girma is Harvard’s first Deafblind graduate whose conversation will take the audience through her work to advance disability justice as a Black disabled woman and a daughter of refugees. This event occurs on April 21, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Visit the full for all events scheduled and additional information.

Hosted by the����at the Burton Blatt Institute and��, offers ongoing events on disability literature, media and the arts, focusing on critical reflection, teaching and research in today’s world.

All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required for each event.

The four events are the following:

Disability Justice Lessons for Our Collective Survival: A Discussion About “Crip Kinship”—With Shayda Kafai

Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 3-4 p.m. ET via Zoom

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Shayda Kafai

will engage in a conversation about her new book, “Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid.” Sins Invalid is a performance project that centers a disability justice framework. “Crip Kinship” investigates the revolutionary survival teachings that disabled queer of color communities offer to all our bodyminds.

Kafai is an assistant professor of gender and sexuality studies in the ethnic and women’s studies department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. As a queer, disabled, Mad femme of color, she commits to practicing the many ways we can reclaim our bodyminds from systems of oppression. To support this work as an educator-scholar, Kafai applies disability justice and collective care practices in the spaces she cultivates.

Kafai’s writing and speaking presentations focus on intersectional body politics, particularly on how bodies are constructed and how they hold the capacity for rebellion. Kafai is also an artmaker and co-founder of CripFemmeCrafts with her wife, Amy.

Ecocrip Sensibilities: Mending, Care, and Love Affairs—With Naomi Ortiz

Thursday, April 7, 2022, 5-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom

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Naomi Ortiz. Photo credit: Jade Beall

Cultivating love affairs with ourselves, communities and places means loving within states of stress. The disability community has unique knowledge in working toward accessibility and care in times of perpetual uncertainty. Join us as we discuss how to draw from our lineages, cultures and ancestors to gently touch vulnerability and create our own definitions of sustainability.

Naomi Ortiz is a poet, writer, facilitator and visual artist whose intersectional work focuses on self-care for activists, disability justice, climate action and relationship with place. Ortiz is the author of “Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice” (Reclamation Press), a non-fiction book for diverse communities on dealing with the risks of burnout. They are a 2021-2022 Border Narrative Grant Awardee for their multidisciplinary project, “Complicating Conversations.”

Ortiz is a 2019 Zoeglossia Poetry Fellow whose poems have been nominated for Best of the Internet and listed on Entropy’s “Best of 2020-2021: Favorite Poems Published Online.” They emphasize interdependence, inclusion and spiritual growth in their poetry, writing and artwork, which can be found in numerous print and on-line publications, anthologies, and art shows. Ortiz is a disabled Mestiza living in the Arizona U.S./Mexico borderlands.

Enabling and “Cripping” the Back-to-the-Land Movement—With Clark A. Pomerleau

Monday, April 11, 2022, noon-1:30 p.m. ET via Zoom

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Clark A. Pomerleau

Clark A. Pomerleau uses his archival research into the famous homesteading advice and practice of Helen and Scott Nearing and oral histories of back-to-the-landers who were influenced by them from 1965 through the 1980s to consider how people have been successful and unsuccessful in accommodating homestead gardening to anxiety, depression, and changes in physicality and cognition.

Pomerleau is an associate professor and associate chairperson of the History Department at the University of North Texas. His scholarship analyzes social justice alternatives to mainstream U.S. society and includes the book, “Califia Women: Feminist Education against Sexism, Classism, and Racism” (U. Texas, 2013); chapters and articles on LGBTQ+ history, feminist praxis and trans-inclusion; and a biography in process about Helen Knothe Nearing’s spiritual and practical role in the back-to-the-land movement titled “A Consecrated Life in Her Times.”

Pomerleau also publishes poetry, including the chapbook “Better Living through Cats” (Finishing Line Press, 2021) that tackles depression and anxiety and the full-length book about growing into elder care, “Every Day, They Became Part of Him” (Finishing Line Press, 2023). His most recent awards are a 2021 Faculty Research Leave, the 2020 UNT President’s Council Service Award, and nomination for outstanding accessible online teaching.

The Ethics of Passing and Disability Disclosure in Higher Education—With Joseph A. Stramondo

Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 5-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom

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Joseph Stramondo

This talk will explore if or when one has an ethical duty to disclose their disability in a higher education setting. Joseph Stramondo will argue that faculty, especially permanent, tenured faculty, sometimes have a moral obligation to disclose their disability identity to create the social space for other disabled people with less institutional power to flourish within the academy. However, this obligation is limited, and its strength is directly proportional to the likelihood and degree of risk posed by disclosure, which tends to track an individual’s institutional power within the ivory tower.

Stramondo is an associate professor of philosophy and director of the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at San Diego State University. He holds graduate degrees in philosophy and public policy studies and his current research focuses on the intersection of biomedical ethics and philosophy of disability. He is concerned with how bioethics can be reframed by centering the lived experiences of disability as a crucial source of moral knowledge that should guide clinical practice, biomedical research and health policy. He has published scholarship on topics ranging from informed consent procedures to reproductive ethics to pandemic triage protocols to assistive neurotechnology. His work appears in such venues as The Hastings Center Report, Social Theory and Practice, the Kennedy Institute for Ethics Journal, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, Utilitas, The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics and more. He also serves as the co-president of the Society for Disability Studies.

The webinars will include American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, live captioning, image descriptions and an opportunity for registered Zoom webinar participants to engage with the featured presenter. The events will also be recorded and made publicly available . The post-production videos will include ASL interpretation and captions, accompanying transcripts, and a summary of online resources of interest.

Copies of selected texts will be available for purchase at the .

The Spring 2022 (Dis)courses series is sponsored by the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute and Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature, with thanks to the ���ϲ����� Libraries, and with additional support from the Center on Disability and Inclusion; the Central New York Humanities Corridor Health Humanities Working Group (Medicine, Disease, Disability, and Culture); the Consortium for Culture and Medicine; Cultural Foundations of Education; the departments of Biology, English, History, and Women’s and Gender Studies; Disability Cultural Center; disability studies; the Graduate School; Hendricks Chapel; Information Technology Services; the Intergroup Dialogue Program; La Casita Cultural Center; the LGBTQ Resource Center; LGBTQ Studies; the Renée Crown University Honors Program; the School of Education and the ���ϲ����� Humanities Center.

Questions can be directed to oipo@syr.edu.

Luke Cooper

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Domitrz

Student Living will host Mike Domitrz, founder of The Center for Respect, for a presentation on consent, bystander intervention and addressing sexual assault on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in Stolkin Auditorium, Physics Building.

In the program titled “Can I Kiss You?,” Domitrz will share with students specific how-to skills on asking for consent, treating every person with dignity and respect, supporting survivors of sexual assault and intervening when needed. The skills are ones that each person can immediately implement into their lives.

Domitrz, an author and speaker, has delivered this interactive presentation to hundreds of college campuses across the United States. His organization, The Center for Respect, creates educational resources and conducts trainings for educational institutions, military installations and organizations around consent and bystander intervention.

“Mike Domitrz’s presentation will engage students; offer real, practical skills on relationships and changing behaviors; and empower students for their well-being and the well-being of others,” says Quincy Bufkin, assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion in Student Living. “We encourage students to attend and take away the skills they need to help all of us continue to build a campus of caring and respect.”

To request accommodations, contact Bufkin at qdbufkin@syr.edu.

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

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

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

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

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

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 close the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together,��we’re��a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

Stephen Wilkes

Award-winning photographer will deliver the keynote address at the Newhouse School’s, to be held virtually Saturday, May 22, at 11 a.m. ET.

Since opening his studio in New York City in 1983, Wilkes (Instagram: ) has built an unprecedented body of work and a reputation as one of America’s most iconic photographers, widely recognized for his fine art, editorial and commercial work. He is an alumnus of the Newhouse School’s program.

Among his most notable works are a five-year photographic study of Ellis Island’s abandoned medical wards, his millennial portrait of the U.S., “America In Detail,” and his images capturing the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

Wilkes’ most defining project is “,” a series of epic cityscapes and landscapes portrayed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours, capturing fleeting moments of humanity as light passes in front of the camera lens. Wilkes then blends these images into a single photograph, which takes months to complete. In 2017, Wilkes was commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa to create a Day to Night photograph of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation.

Wilkes shoots advertising campaigns for numerous leading agencies and corporations, and his editorial work has appeared in and on the covers of top publications. His photographs are included in the collections of museums across the country, as well as multiple private collections.

For up-to-date information about the Newhouse Convocation Ceremony and ���ϲ����� Commencement, visit .

Frank H. Wu

A on “Confronting Anti-Asian Racism” will be held with Frank H. Wu, 11th president of Queens College, City University of New York, on Wednesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. ET. Wu, along with campus community members, will address the lived experiences of anti-Asian hate and bias, explore the historical context and examine actionable steps for social change.

The campus community is invited to attend. .

Prior to joining the City University of New York (CUNY) system, Wu served as chancellor and dean, and then William L. Prosser Distinguished Professor at University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. He was a member of the faculty at Howard University, one of the nation’s leading historically black college/university (HBCU), for a decade. In his leadership roles at Queens College and UC Hastings, as well as on the faculty at Howard, he was the first Asian American to serve in such a capacity. He was appointed by the federal Department of Education during the Obama administration to its National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity.

Wu, who is the author of “Yellow: Race in American Beyond Black and White,” was a trustee of Gallaudet University and of Deep Springs College. He received a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. with honors from the University of Michigan.

Wu recently served on the Independent Advisory Panel responsible for engaging with the campus community and providing advice to the Board of Trustees Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion in developing recommendations regarding programs, policies and initiatives designed to foster and strengthen diversity and inclusion at the University.

The event is co-sponsored by the Center for International Services, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and Office of Multicultural Affairs. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and live captioning will be provided. For questions or to request additional accommodations, please contact Huey Hsiao at huhsiao@syr.edu.

Juli Boeheim G’97

Juli Boeheim G’97 will deliver the convocation address to the 2021 graduates of the . The ceremony will be streamed virtually for graduates, families and friends over ���ϲ����� Commencement Weekend, May 22-23.

Boeheim earned a master’s degree in infants and young children with special needs from the School of Education in 1997. She is deeply involved in the ���ϲ����� community, serving on the Board of Visitors for the School of Education and the Upstate Hospital Foundation Board. Boeheim previously served on the boards of the ARC of Onondaga and the ���ϲ����� Community Health Center and has been active with the Rescue Mission and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I’m excited that Juli will be our convocation speaker this year,” says School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the wonderful work that Juli and Jim have done in supporting projects within the ���ϲ����� City School District with tablets and other resources, and the ���ϲ����� community through the Courts 4 Kids, the Boys and Girls Club, Baltimore Woods Nature Center, Camp Good Days and Special Times and so many more. Juli’s work in our community is a great example of educational leadership in the community.”

Boeheim has brought a background of “Southern hospitality” to Central New York. Born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Kentucky, she received her undergraduate degree in merchandising, apparel and textiles with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Kentucky. She was introduced to ���ϲ����� men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim in 1994 at a Kentucky Derby party. The two were married in 1997.

The Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, founded in 2009, strives to enrich the lives of kids in need within the Central New York community, as well as provide support for eliminating cancer through research and advocacy. The foundation has provided support to the School of Education’s Fit Families program, which encouraged physical activity for children with autism and visual impairments and their families.

Remarks will also be given by Dean Masingila; Erin Hernandez ’21, a graduate of the inclusive elementary and special education undergraduate program; and Joash Geteregechi G’21, a graduate of the mathematics education doctoral program. Visit for more information on the School of Education convocation.

John C. Williams

In an effort to hear more about Central New York’s economy and impact of the pandemic, President and CEO of the New York Federal Reserve Bank John C. Williams will be paying a virtual visit to ���ϲ����� on Wednesday, March 24. Williams will appear at a virtual fireside chat that’s open to students, faculty, staff, local business leaders and the general public.

for the event, which will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. More information is available on the .

“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York makes routine stops as they visit various ‘constituencies’ in their jurisdiction,” says Tom Barkley, professor of finance practice in the Whitman School of Management and a participant in one of the panel discussions organized as part of the event. “This is an opportunity to interact with a senior member of the country’s central bank. It allows President Williams to give information about the state of the economy in Central New York and gives local academic and business leaders a chance to ask questions about forthcoming changes.”

The last time the New York Fed visited ���ϲ����� was 2013, according to Barkley. “Nevertheless, it’s always a privilege and an honor to be selected to serve as hosts.”

Barkley adds when it comes to the actual discussion, it’s a two-way street. “The bank will share data and statistics about the economy in Central New York, and local business leaders and professors can express their concerns directly to the person who can do something about those concerns.”

The event is co-sponsored by ���ϲ����� and Onondaga Community College.

U.S. Sen. of New Jersey will deliver keynote remarks for the virtual ceremony honoring the winners of the 2021 Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting. The prerecorded ceremony will be available for viewing March 26 starting at 7 p.m. ET. To register, visit .The Toner Prizes, sponsored by the at ���ϲ�����, honor the life and work of late alumna Robin Toner ’76, the first woman to be national political correspondent for The New York Times. Prizes will be presented for local and national reporting. ’09, senior writer with CNN Investigates, will serve as master of ceremonies. Chancellor and Dean will also offer remarks.

Cory Booker

Booker has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013, taking an innovative and bipartisan approach to tackling some of the most difficult problems facing New Jersey and the U.S. He has emerged as a national leader in the Congressional push for common sense criminal justice reform, advocating for front-end sentencing reforms, pushing for the banning of juvenile solitary confinement in federal facilities and spearheading legislation to make the hiring process fairer for the formerly incarcerated.

Booker has also partnered with colleagues to create a number of economic proposals, from increased small business investment to apprenticeship programs, with the hope of fostering greater economic mobility and opportunity for individual Americans.

Booker serves on the U.S. Senate Committees on Foreign Relations; Judiciary; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

Booker was mayor of Newark, New Jersey from 2006-2013, and also sat on the Newark City Council.

Past keynote speakers for the Toner Prize Celebration include Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, former Ohio Governor John Kasich, President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, then-Vice President Joe Biden, late Rep. John Lewis of Georgia and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

Last year’s national prize went to a team of reporters from The Boston Globe. The local prize went to a team from WBEZ in Chicago. Other past awardees include Jason Zengerle of The New York Times Magazine and GQ, David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post, Alec MacGillis of ProPublica and Jane Mayer of The New Yorker, among others.

Toner graduated from ���ϲ����� with dual degrees in journalism and political science. She started her journalism career with The Charleston Daily Mail in West Virginia and reported for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution before arriving at The New York Times in 1985. She covered five presidential campaigns, scores of congressional and gubernatorial races and most of the country’s major political and policy issues.

Following Toner’s death in 2008, her family, friends and classmates created the at the Newhouse School to honor her life and work.

To register for the virtual event, visit . For more information, contact Audrey Burian at aaburian@syr.edu.

Hastings and Golden will join Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol for a virtual conversation on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. ET. They will discuss the mental health needs of college students as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The virtual event can be accessed with Facebook Live on�����ǰ���. Pre-registration is not required, and the conversation is free and available to all.

Hastings ’21 and Golden ’21 are the elected leaders of the Student Association’s 64th legislative session, which spans the 2020-21 academic year. Hastings, a secondary English education and English and textual studies dual major, is a longtime campus leader who recently earned the Unsung Hero Award at the University’s 35th Annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in January. Golden, who majors in policy studies, political science and religion, has served in SA for several semesters and in the University Senate, as well.

Mental Health Awareness Week is a nationwide initiative led by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This year, it will take place from Oct. 5-9, and Student Association has developed daily programming to inform students about dispelling stigmas, available resources and health habits. Learn more on the .

This will be the 16th installment of “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel,” a virtual series hosted by Hendricks Chapel that brings local and national thought leaders together in conversation to discuss critical matters facing society. Learn more at��.

For more information, email Hendricks Chapel at��chapel@syr.edu.

Ibram X. Kendi

, Ph.D., one of America’s foremost historians and leading anti-racist voices, will present a virtual “Community Conversation” about anti-racism and critical social issues that affect all of us on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Kendi is a National Book Award recipient and New York Times’ No. 1 best-selling author, and his 2019 book “” was described by The New York Times as “the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.”

The free event will feature a presentation by Kendi followed by a live-streamed, moderated conversation with questions from community members. The event is open to all and is required through the event host, Friends of the Central Library. The event is presented by ���ϲ�����’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Hendricks Chapel and The Lender Center for Social Justice.

Keith Alford, Ph.D., ���ϲ�����’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, says it’s appropriate that the University is presenting Kendi during the campus’ Multicultural Week.

“This week, as elevated by our Student Association, is designated to raising awareness about myriad cultural identities here on our campus and in society,” Alford says. “Multicultural week is also dedicated to active discourse about issues and challenges that impact us on a daily basis.

“Professor Kendi is one of our nation’s prolific thought leaders on anti-racism and the real work it requires,” Alford adds. “I believe his talk will raise our consciousness and spur us into constructive action regarding the racial realties of our times.”

Marcelle Haddix, Ph.D., Dean’s Professor in Reading and Language Arts in the School of Education and co-director of The Lender Center for Social Justice, is chair of the Author Selection Committee for Friends of Central Library and the main organizer of this seminal event.

“This conversation with Professor Kendi is happening at a critical time in our collective history,” Haddix says. “We are honored to create a space for members of the ���ϲ����� and ���ϲ����� community to come together to consider deeply how embodying anti-racism can cultivate a culture of equity, justice and inclusion.”

Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. A contributing writer for The Atlantic and a CBS News correspondent, Kendi is also the 2020-21 Frances B. Cashin Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for the Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Kendi’s highly anticipated next book, “Be Antiracist: A Guided Journal For Awareness, Reflection, and Action,” is available for pre-order and will be published Oct. 6.

In The New York Times’ review of “How To Be An Antiracist,” Jeffrey C. Stewart wrote that “Kendi is on a mission to push those of us who believe we are not racists to become something else: antiracists, who support ideas and policies affirming that ‘the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences—that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group.’ ”

TIME magazine recently named Kendi as one of the for providing concrete and actionable steps and recommendations that we all can take to wipe out the vestiges of racism and bigotry.

“A Community Conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi” is hosted by the Friends of the Central Library and presented by ���ϲ�����, with sponsorship from The Central New York Community Foundation, The Gifford Foundation and WCNY.

The Friends of the Central Library (FOCL) is a nonprofit group that supports the Central Library, which is the hub of the Onondaga County Public Library system and includes city branches and suburban libraries. By providing funds to the Library System through its Gifford Author Series, FOCL helps to ensure that everyone in our community has free access to libraries and literacy and access to the dialogues and conversations that are vital to changing systems that are inequitable.

Valderrama will take part in a virtual conversation via Zoom with David Barbier Jr. ’23, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and a television, radio and film major in the Newhouse School. Barbier is also a Posse Foundation Scholar and a participant in the Renée Crown University Honors Program. Audience members will be able to submit questions for consideration as part of the experience, time permitting.

All individuals wishing to virtually attend the lecture��. You will then be sent a confirmation email with your personal link to access the virtual interview.

���ϲ�����’s premier speaker series, the University Lectures brings to ���ϲ����� audience members and the larger public notable guest speakers of exceptional accomplishment who share their diverse global experiences and perspectives. The series was created through, and is supported by, the generosity of alumnus Robert B. Menschel ’51. Valderrama’s appearance is sponsored by the��. Media sponsor for the University Lectures is��.

Valderrama has amassed an extensive acting résumé in film and television that solidified him in Hollywood as a sought-after leading man. He is most recognized for his portrayal of the character Fez on Fox’s Emmy-nominated series “That ’70s Show” (1998-2006), a role that garnered him numerous Teen Choice Awards. In 2016, he joined the cast of the hit CBS drama “NCIS” (then in its 14th season) as NCIS Special Agent Nick Torres.

His other recent television credits include Fox’s “Minority Report,” Netflix’s “The Ranch,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s television series “From Dusk Till Dawn.” Valderrama also voiced the main character of Disney’s hugely popular animated children’s show “Handy Manny,” which introduced preschoolers to Spanish.

His film credits include the animated feature “Charming” (2018), for which he voiced Prince Charming, “The Adderall Diaries” (2015), “To Whom It May Concern” (2015), “Larry Crowne” (2011) and “From Prada to Nada” (2011).

Behind the camera, Valderrama created and produced the MTV series “YO MOMMA,” also serving as its host. His production company, WV Entertainment, has multiple television and film projects in development.

In his community, Valderrama serves on the board of Voto Latino and is the spokesperson for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Ready 2 Lead program, which works to educate and empower Latino youth. Valderrama also recently co-founded HARNESS, a group dedicated to connecting communities to inspire action and power change. In 2013, Valderrama was honored with an ALMA Award for Outstanding Social Activism.

Born in Miami, Valderrama moved to Venezuela with his family at age 3 and returned to the United States as a teen. He and his sisters were the first in their family to speak English, and his parents instilled in them the critical importance of education. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Valderrama now resides in Los Angeles.

The University Lectures series will continue virtually via Zoom this semester with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The New York Times’ acclaimed “The 1619 Project,” on Oct. 8 and celebrated designer, international tastemaker, television personality and ���ϲ����� alumnus Thom Filicia ’04 (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) on Oct. 27.

The Rev. Luke A. Powery

The Rev. Luke A. Powery, dean of Duke University Chapel, is the next guest for “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel.”

Powery will join Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol for a virtual conversation on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. ET. They will discuss bridging faith and learning.

The virtual event can be accessed with Facebook Live on�����ǰ���. Pre-registration is not required, and the conversation is free and available to all.

Powery is the first African American dean of Duke Chapel. He is also an associate professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School. His teaching and research interests are located at the intersection of preaching, worship, pneumatology and culture, particularly expressions of the African diaspora. He is the author of��“Spirit Speech: Lament and Celebration in Preaching,”��“Dem Dry Bones: Preaching, Death, and Hope,”��“Rise Up, Shepherd! Advent Reflections on the Spirituals” and “Were You There? Lenten Reflections on the Spirituals.” He has co-authored an introductory textbook on preaching,��“Ways of the Word: Learning to Preach for Your Time and Place.” He is also a general editor of the nine-volume lectionary commentary series for preaching and worship titled “Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship.”

Powery was ordained by the Progressive National Baptist Convention and has served in an ecumenical capacity in churches throughout Switzerland, Canada and the United States. He is a member of the Academy of Homiletics, for which he has served as secretary; the American Academy of Religion; and the Society for the Study of Black Religion. Powery served as a member of the executive lectionary team for The African American Lectionary and is the recipient of numerous scholastic fellowships and awards. In 2008, the African American Pulpit��named him one of twenty outstanding black ministers under the age of forty who are helping shape the future direction of the church. More recently, in 2014, he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College for his ethical and spiritual leadership in the academy, church and broader society.

Prior to his appointment at Duke, he served as the Perry and Georgia Engle Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. He received a bachelor of arts in music with a concentration in vocal performance from Stanford University, a master of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a doctoral degree in theology from Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto.

This will be the 13th installment of “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel,” a virtual series hosted by Hendricks Chapel that brings local and national thought leaders together in conversation to discuss critical matters facing society. Learn more at .

With questions, email Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu.

Adam Lehman

Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, is the next guest for “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel.”

Lehman will join Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol for a virtual conversation on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. ET. They will discuss civic engagement, meaning-making and approaches for Jewish student support.

The virtual event can be accessed with Facebook Live on�����ǰ���. Pre-registration is not required, and the conversation is free and available to all.

Lehman was named president and CEO of Hillel International in January 2020, after serving as Hillel International’s interim CEO and chief operating officer. He has been a critical player in the efforts to strengthen and reinvent Hillel during his tenure, supporting engagement with Jewish students at 550 colleges and universities across 18 countries.

Before joining Hillel International, Lehman had an extensive career in entrepreneurship and the technological industry. Lehman graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Dartmouth College and cum laude with a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He was also a Harry S. Truman Scholar.

This will be the 12th installment of “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel,” a virtual series hosted by Hendricks Chapel that brings local and national thought leaders together in conversation to discuss critical matters facing society. Learn more at .

Questions? Contact Hendricks Chapel at��chapel@syr.edu.

About Hillel International

Founded in 1923, Hillel has been enriching the lives of Jewish students for more than 90 years. Today, Hillel International is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel. Hillel is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 550 colleges and universities and inspires them to direct their own path. During their formative college years, students are challenged to explore, experience and create vibrant Jewish lives. For more information visit .

Jan Naylor Cope

The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, provost of the Washington National Cathedral, is the next guest on “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel.”

Cope will join Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol for a virtual conversation on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. ET. They will discuss “ministry at the intersections of sacred and civic life.”

The virtual event can be accessed with Facebook Live on�����ǰ���. Pre-registration is not required, and the conversation is free and available to all.

The Washington National Cathedral, which serves the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, is often regarded as a “spiritual home for the nation” and a trusted voice of moral leadership during moments of national significance. As provost, Cope advances the mission of the cathedral through preaching, teaching and stewardship to ensure its role as a “house of prayer for all.”

She is also an adjunct professor of preaching at Wesley Seminary, guest preacher and speaker around the world, and a contributing meditation writer for��The Bible Challenge.��Prior to ordained ministry, she served as deputy director of presidential personnel in the White House and as president of the J. Naylor Cope Company.

This will be the eleventh installment of “Matters that Matter: A Conversation Series from Hendricks Chapel,” a virtual series hosted by Hendricks Chapel, which brings local and national thought leaders together in conversation to discuss critical matters facing society. Learn more at��.

Questions? Contact Hendricks Chapel at��chapel@syr.edu.

Charles L. Howard

Rev. Howard will join Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol for a virtual conversation on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. ET. Howard and Konkol will discuss “finding peace in the storms of life.”

The virtual conversation with Walton will take place Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. ET. Walton and Konkol will consider “social justice and civil rights from a lens of love”.

Both conversations can be accessed on Facebook Live on�� or . The same Zoom webinar link will provide access to both conversations. Pre-registration is not required, and the conversations are open and available to all.

“Matters that Matter” is a virtual series hosted by Hendricks Chapel that brings local and national thought leaders together in conversation about critical matters facing society.��Learn more at��.

Jonathan Lee Walton

Howard is also university chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Howard served as a chaplain in hospice and in hospitals and as a street outreach worker to individuals experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. His writing has been featured in such publications as Black Arts Quarterly,��Black Theology: An International Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education and more. Howard has also taught in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Graduate School of Education at Penn, as well as at The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia.

Walton joined Wake Forest University in 2019, after serving as Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and the Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church of Harvard University. His latest book,��“A Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World”��(Westminster John Knox Press, 2018), explores the Bible from the perspective of the most vulnerable and violated characters toward developing a Christian social ethic of radical inclusion and human affirmation. Walton is also an outspoken advocate for social justice and civil rights.

Questions? Contact Hendricks Chapel at��chapel@syr.edu.

Melissa Harris-Perry

American writer, professor and television host Melissa Harris-Perry will discuss her reflections on equity, especially during this time of a global pandemic, during a on Friday, April 24, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, where she teaches courses on American politics and elections at the intersections of race, place and gender.

Sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Community Engagement, this virtual event will include an hour discussion and 30 minutes of Q&A. Any campus community member with an active @syr.edu account can participate. Those interested in participating are asked to .

Whether in the midst of a health crisis such as COVID-19 or not, equity eludes many in the global community and has become a focal point of social justice efforts. Perry will provide her perspective as to why equity is so critically important in all our endeavors.

“We all have been impacted in some form by the multiple effects of COVID-19. However, some of our campus populations are being impacted disproportionately,” says Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith Alford. “Focusing a lens on equity and taking appropriate actions must be foremost in our work every day, and especially during these unprecedented times. As we close out the semester, Professor Harris-Perry will help us contemplate where we are as a society and how we can improve.”

For nearly two decades, Harris-Perry has contributed to American public life through her distinct combination of scholarly analysis and ordinary wisdom applied to the analysis of race, gender, politics and power. At Wake Forest University she served as founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Center and founded the innovative bipartisan program, Wake the Vote. Along with her teaching, she currently serves as editor-at-large for ZORA, a Medium publication for women of color. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and many other print and digital venues.

She hosted the award-winning television show “Melissa Harris-Perry” from 2012-2016 on weekend mornings on MSNBC and, in 2016, won the Hillman Prize for broadcast journalism. She is the author of the award-winning “Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought” and “Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America.”

Joshua E. Reid ’21 is looking forward to Harris-Perry’s presentation.

“I truly believe that Dr. Harris-Perry’s voice and knowledge will deepen our University’s compassion,” says Reid, an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army and a student in the cybersecurity administration program. “She will open our students’ and faculty and staff member’s eyes to the value of equity in this very moment. Her experiences will help us develop a map to see the ‘game’ equally.”

The entire campus community is encouraged to attend the virtual event with Harris-Perry, says Craig Tucker, now director of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program and co-chair of the Council on Diversity and Inclusion.

“Those of us in of higher education and in general must concern ourselves with issues centered around equity. These conversations must happen and continue even in times when we find ourselves socially isolated and distracted by the uncertainty of pandemic global events,” says Tucker. “We have an obligation to keep equity in the forefront as we strive to advance the genuineness of humanity. This needs to start and continue with honest and healthy discussions. We must be leaders in this effort.”

Paula Possenti-Perez, director of the Office of Disability Services and co-chair of the Council on Diversity and Inclusion, agrees that this is a crucial time for the work of equity and inclusion.

“Amid the uncertainties of COVID-19 we must resist the idea that while we are all in this together, everyone does not experience this pandemic the same,” says Possenti-Perez. “Communities of color, the disabled, our elders and, of course, the essential workers on the front lines often risk more, endure more and, ultimately, lose more. Stay informed, join the conversation and continue doing the work.”

The session will include live captioning.

More information can be found on the .

Recognized in over 30 countries, promote the importance of raising awareness and supporting those impacted by sexual and relationship violence.

“The Take Back The Night pledge asks individuals to be prosocial bystanders and promise not to perpetrate any form of interpersonal violence,” says Lauren Crimmins ’20, co-chair of the 2020 Take Back the Night Planning Committee.�� “Additionally, these efforts start necessary conversations surrounding violence, how our current behaviors may perpetuate it and how together we can increase community safety.”

TBTN Virtual Speakers
Through a variety of videos and hosted forums, the virtual TBTN experience will follow the tradition of hosting speakers and encouraging campus support.

As a University Scholar studying international relations and global security studies and a member of the 2020 TBTN planning committee, Lara Hicks ’20 is this year’s student speaker. A survivor herself, Hicks has demonstrated commitment to raising awareness and prevention throughout her academic career. Highlights include participating in the Student Association Health and Wellness subcommittee, serving as vice president to Campus Cursive, composing and filming an original song for Human Trafficking Awareness Month, representing survivor interests regarding Title IX and campus safety within a Student Advisory Council and volunteering to support families experiencing domestic violence.

The 2020 keynote speaker is Deka Dancil ’14, who serves as the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience manager of bias response, in addition to serving as co-founder of RiseUp for Social Action, where she helps train organizations and groups in appropriate responses to incidents of bias or discrimination. Extending advocacy past campus, Dancil serves in such leadership roles as the president of Urban Jobs Task Force.

Be Involved

For more information about TBTN or to request accommodations, please contact Barnes Center at The Arch Health Promotion at healthpromotion@syr.edu or call 315.443. 8000.

• Donate: Proceeds from support resources for victims and survivors of sexual and relationship violence, as well as education and prevention programs. Donations may also be made directly to the .
• : Pre-registration is preferred and those who do will be pre-enrolled into Blackboard, receive important TBTN information and instructions.
• Explore Virtual Take Back The Night (Wednesday, April 15-Thursday, April 30): Using a NetID and password, ���ϲ����� community members may log in to and experience the virtual rally video series.
• #IWillTBTN: Share your virtual TBTN experience by using #IWillTBTN and ! Continuing the movement throughout the year, campus community members are encouraged to share how they will actively work toward a safer community.
• Stay Connected: Join the to receive email announcements highlighting campus resources and volunteer opportunities.

Resources

The is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for students seeking support, advocacy and discussion of reporting options for sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment by calling 315.443.8000. This is a free and confidential service.

Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Michelle Velez ’20

Update: The remainder of the March 9-13 public activities have been canceled in response to emerging .

The notion of restorative justice has a long legacy that traces back to Native and Afrocentric communities. The process involves offenders acknowledging what they have done wrong and accepting the obligation to right the wrong, as well as addressing the needs of those harmed and having all sides and the community be part of the solution.

Maisha T. Winn’s residency includes two campus visits, March 9-13 and April 6-10.

Maisha T. Winn, the Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities, uses these ideas to build relations of trust and pursue justice in interrelated systems of inequality. Winn’s work is shifting the mindset from a top-down system of authority to a democratized one where all stakeholders have equal voices.

According to Winn, many schools too often rely on punitive measures when handling disciplinary issues. Instead of zero tolerance policies where students are suspended or expelled, she says schools and communities must respond to students’ needs in relational ways, addressing the trauma that may be responsible for a student’s behavior when approaching discipline.

“Winn powerfully shows us how restorative justice approaches can transform how we think about education and the relationships between teachers and students,” says , associate professor and chair in the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition. “She calls it a ‘paradigm shift’ away from approaches that have proven unsuccessful.”

Berry, , assistant professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition, and , Dean’s Professor and chair, Reading and Language Arts in the School of Education, are hosting Winn’s two-part residency, with primary support from the .

Winn emphases the importance of teachers, staff, administrators and students building a sense of respect and mutual understanding. If all stakeholders are given space to take responsibility for their actions, there can be a culture for accountability. As she explains, all sides need to be open to the possibility of not always being right but, instead, making things right.

Nordquist says, “Winn’s guidance in the pursuit of mutual respect and accountability comes at a critical moment for SU, as we grapple with ways to effectively engage in restorative dialogue across campus communities for sustainable, justice-oriented institutional change.”

Winn identifies four pedagogical stances at the heart of restorative dialogue: history matters, race matters, justice matters, and language matters. If all parties honor these pillars, there can be an opportunity for mutual respect and accountability.

“Winn’s insightful work underscores how the humanities are central to combating injustice and to imagining a more just world,” says , professor of women’s and gender studies and director of both the ���ϲ����� Humanities Center and the CNY Humanities Corridor. “Winn contributes to scholarship on transforming our research and teaching methods to be more culturally relevant, inclusive and places where we work collectively to achieve equity and social justice for all.”

Winn is the Chancellor’s Leadership Professor and co-director of the Transformative Justice in Education Center (TJE) at UC Davis and her residency at ���ϲ����� will entail two campus visits, March 9-13 and April 6-10. include public talks, book circles, community workshops and more.

Week 1, March 9-13 schedule includes:

Welcome reception for Professor Winn from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Community Folk Art Center, 805 E. Genesee St., ���ϲ�����.

A public talk titled Agitating, Educating, Organizing: Historicizing Transformative Justice in Education from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Watson Theater.

: Decolonizing Research, Humanizing Methods, an required workshop is from 10 a.m. to noon, 304 Tolley Hall.

: Justice on Both Sides Book Circle is from noon to 1:45 p.m., Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library.

: Building Connections: Grad Student Talkback social hour from 9:30 to 11 a.m., 300 Tolley Hall.

Week 2, April 6-10 schedule includes:

: Teaching and Learning in an Age of Mass Incarceration, an interdisciplinary panel featuring Cati de los Ríos, UC Davis; Erika Bullock, UW Madison; and Rita Kohli, UC Riverside, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Gifford Auditorium, Huntington Beard Crouse.

: Restorative Justice Community Circles (break-out sessions with Lawrence “Torry” Winn, Vanessa Segundo and Adam Musser, Winn’s team members from the Transformative Justice Center), two morning sessions in 304 Tolley Hall and two afternoon sessions at Café Sankofa Cooperative, 2323 S. Salina St., ���ϲ�����. required.

: Research Roundtables: How Can a Transformative Justice Impulse Inform Our Research? Discussions led by Winn and TJE colleagues will be from 9 to 11 a.m., Kilian Room, 500 Hall of Languages.

: Restorative Justice Pedagogies Book Circle. This event will feature dialogue about how restorative justice can inform course design and classroom practice, noon to 1:45 p.m., Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library.

was established by the Watson family to support on-campus residencies of prominent humanities scholars, writers and artists.

Bobbi Brown

“I absolutely love the enthusiasm and energy that young entrepreneurs bring to the table. As a mentor, all I have given has earned something new and exciting in return,” says Brown, who began her career as a professional makeup artist who created lipsticks that evolved into a global beauty empire.

Her company was eventually acquired by The Estée Lauder Companies in 1995, and she served as the company’s Chief Creative Officer until leaving the company in 2016. She has written nine beauty and wellness books and launched Beauty Evolution LLC, a line of lifestyle-inspired wellness products. Her other ventures include justBOBBI.com, a platform for Bobbi to share many of her life inspirations, and The George, a 32-room design-inspired boutique hotel in Montclair, New Jersey, that she reopened with her husband.

Born in Chicago and a graduate of Emerson College, Brown has received numerous awards and recognition, was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiation, and was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Teitelbaum, a graduate of the Whitman School of Management, founded with the vision of delivering excellence in the design, development and manufacturing of displays, fixtures and retail environments.

Bruce Teitelbaum

“I am extremely honored to address the students and faculty at the LaunchPad, as I believe education is the key to all that is good for our future. I hope to inspire ideas, energize spirits and help the students of ���ϲ����� create lives that are brimming with success, innovation and compassion for themselves and others,” Teitelbaum says.

For 29 years, Teitelbaum has defined and upheld the brand standard and vision of RPG through an innovative, hands-on, systematic and client-oriented process. Under his leadership, RPG is now a global resource with offices in New York, New Jersey, Hong Kong and China.

This event is the first of a series of Falk College alumni panels, which bring alumni back to campus to discuss current industry trends of interest to Falk students and share valuable career experiences and insights.

“For students, this is an exceptional opportunity to learn more about careers that help improve the quality of life for communities across the country,” says David Sly, director of Falk College career services. “It is also a chance to get inspired about the many ways to make a difference and hear how alumni have forged nonlinear yet successful career paths in this area.”

The 2020 panel will include five Falk College alumni:

Samuel Boadu Jr. ’15

Samuel Boadu Jr. is the division administrator for pulmonary and critical care medicine and sleep medicine at Johns Hopkins University. His interests lie within the realms of community development, educational opportunity, cultural competency and sensitivity, as well as local and international healthcare. He graduated from ���ϲ����� with a dual bachelor of science degree in biology and public health and holds a dual master of public health and health policy and management and global health degree from Boston University.

Emily Danckers ’15

Emily Danckers graduated from ���ϲ����� in 2015 with a major in nutrition and a minor in exercise science. Since graduating in 2017 from Ohio State University with a master of science degree in sport nutrition, she has worked for two Chicago Cubs minor league teams as a sports nutritionist and with the University of Illinois as a team sports dietitian with the men’s and women’s basketball, softball, women’s soccer and women’s golf teams.

Payal Gupta-Beam G’91

Currently a vice president for Mental Health Systems, a California non-profit, ���ϲ����� social work alumna Payal Gupta-Beam has served children, adults and communities impacted by behavioral health disorders. Passionate about improving access to healthcare, Gupta-Beam works across disciplines with community partners. Her career has included working with local colleges and universities, food banks, law enforcement, hospitals, animal shelters, transportation, advocacy groups and all aspects of healthcare providers in an effort to improve the community she serves.

Suzanne Kelley G’92

After working as a family counselor and with homeless and runaway youth for several years, ���ϲ����� social work alumna Suzanne Kelley transitioned into a 20-year, successful career in public health and chronic disease prevention. Suzanne currently manages the Healthy Community Design Program for the Vermont Department of Health and manages Vermont’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), a USDA obesity prevention program for people who are eligible to receive SNAP benefits.

Ahmeed Turner G’08

As a former counselor, violence prevention educator, career transition specialist, and therapist, Ahmeed Turner has extensive experience in assessing needs and developing programming and response plans to meet those needs, along with his community outreach and background as an educator. Ahmeed currently serves as the ���ϲ����� chapter executive director of Say Yes to Education. He completed his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at ���ϲ����� and holds a master’s of non-profit administration from the University of Notre Dame.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available for the event. For more information or to request additional accommodations, please contact Falk Career Services at falkcareers@syr.edu or 315.443.3144.

For ���ϲ����� students, registration is appreciated, though not required, through . For faculty, staff and community attendees, please RSVP to falkcareers@syr.edu.

Jeffery Mangram

The University College Commencement Celebration for part-time students will take place on Thursday, May 7, at 6 p.m. at the new National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel & Gayle D’Aniello Building.

Jeffery Mangram will be the keynote speaker. Mangram is an associate professor in the School of Education specializing in social studies education and media literacy. He is also co-director of the media and education master’s degree program, offered jointly by the School of Education and the Newhouse School.

Additionally, Mangram has taught his Media and Democracy course in the ���ϲ����� Summer College Program for a decade. The Charles Hayden Foundation has donated $1.2 million over 10 years to support this work. He and his team recruited rising high school seniors of color from New York City Public Schools and brought them to campus to take classes for six weeks with the goal of preparing them for the rigors of academic and social life on a college campus.

In 2018, Mangram was appointed a Provost’s Faculty Fellow by Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele G. Wheatly. In this role, he engages the faculty around inclusive teaching, discussing such matters as equity, access and diversity.

Mangram holds a B.A. in policy studies/political science, an M.S. in social studies education and a Ph.D. in Teaching and Leadership, all from ���ϲ�����.

For more information on University College’s Commencement Celebration visit: .

“With the opportunity to bring awareness to important topics surrounding body image, body acceptance, eating disorders and disordered eating, NEDA Week provides the opportunity to open discussions surrounding health and wellness,” Maria Wood ’21 says.

NEDA Week kicks off with the “Come As You Are” Art Exhibition, available throughout the week within the Barnes Center at The Arch Recreation Lobby. The campus is invited to explore artwork that centers around themes of the week, wellness and acceptance. . Art submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. today to Barnes Center at The Arch Health Promotion.

Additionally, compliments will be shared throughout the week and on campus bathroom mirrors! Share your compliment connection on social media by using #SUNEDAWeek and tagging @bewellsu.

In collaboration with Sexual Health Awareness Month or Frisky February, NEDA Week will feature keynote speaker, Sonya Renee Taylor’s The Body is Not an Apology: From Body Empowerment to Global Justice on Monday, March 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Newhouse Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium. Taylor is the founder and radical executive officer of The Body is Not an Apology, a digital media and education company with content reaching half a million people each month. Taylor’s lecture will be focused on education and empowerment that helps to reduce stigmas and enlighten communities regarding body politics.

Highlights of the week include the following. For a complete list of activities, please visit the .

• Health Hubs: Monday, Feb. 24, 1-3:30 p.m. and Monday, March 2, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., check @BeWellSU for locations.
• Fearing the Black Body: A Discussion on the Origins of Fatphobia: Monday, Feb. 24, 7-8:30 p.m., 421 Hall of Languages, hosted by Students United for Body Acceptance (SUBA).
• SoulTalk: Body Acceptance: Thursday, Feb. 27, 7-8 p.m., Barnes Center at The Arch Meditation Room.

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact Gwyn Esty-Kendall, mental health promotion specialist in the Barnes Center at The Arch, at grestyke@syr.edu or by calling 315.443.7273.

Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Abigail J. Covington ’19, G ’20

Members of Dominique’s Dance Creations perform during the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Sunday evening in the Dome.

Members of the University and greater ���ϲ����� communities gathered in the Dome Sunday night for powerful performances and speakers at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Civil rights leader the Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was the featured speaker for the event, which is the largest of its kind on a college campus and seeks to honor the message and mission of Dr. King.

Highlights also included musical and dance performances by students and community members and presentations of the Unsung Hero Awards to five individuals who, in the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “beloved community,” have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Below are some of the special moments captured of the evening’s events.

The Black Celestial Choral Ensemble and ���ϲ�����’s 2020 MLK Community Choir perform a musical selection during the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Sunday in the Dome.

Civil rights leader the Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was the featured speaker at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Sunday in the Dome.

Keri Courtwright receives the Unsung Hero Award from Chancellor Kent Syverud at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Lemir Teron is recognized with an Unsung Hero Award by Chancellor Kent Syverud at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Justine Hastings ’21 receives the Unsung Hero Award at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Jack Ramza ’22 receives the Unsung Hero Award from Chancellor Kent Syverud at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Ada Abreu accepts the Unsung Hero Award on behalf of her husband, Pedro Abreu G’02, from Chancellor Kent Syverud at the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Members of the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble and ���ϲ�����’s 2020 MLK Community Choir perform during the 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Over 2,000 people gathered to honor the message and mission of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 35th annual MLK Celebration.

A group of attendees poses beneath a quilt depicting Dr. King and the message “and from this moment there can be no turning back” at the 35th annual Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

A sweet moment of togetherness at the 35th annual Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

ALOK

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center is hosting the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance commemoration on Monday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium (Newhouse 3) in partnership with the LGBT Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

This year’s keynote is (they/them), a gender non-conforming performance artist, writer, educator and entertainer whose eclectic sense of style, political comedy and poetic challenge to the gender binary have been internationally renowned. ALOK was the youngest recipient of the Live Works Performance Act Award, granted to ten performance artists across the world. In 2017, they published their inaugural poetry chapbook “Femme in Public.” They have been featured on HBO, MTV, The Guardian, National Geographic, The New York Times and more.

“Trans Day of Remembrance is a day where we memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia and raise awareness about the continued violence endured by the transgender community,” says Jorge Castillo, assistant director in the . “We’re excited to have ALOK at ���ϲ����� to give a performance that provokes thoughtful reflection on the lives and contributions of trans and non-binary folks in our community.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. For information and accommodation requests, email lgbt@syr.edu or call 315.443.3983.

Joanna Geraghty

The College of Law’s 2020 Commencement is ready to take to the skies on May 8 when the college welcomes Joanna Geraghty G’97, L’97 as Commencement speaker. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. in the Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center on the ���ϲ����� campus.

Geraghty is president and COO of JetBlue Airways, the sixth largest airline in the U.S. and a Fortune 500 company, with a fleet of more than 250 planes, a workforce of more than 20,000 employees and service to more than 100 destinations across the U.S. and internationally.

As president and COO, Geraghty oversees the airline’s day-to-day operations, including customer experience, flight operations, technical operations and commercial functions. A trailblazer in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Geraghty is the first female president at a large U.S. airline since the early 2000s. Her job has been described as one of the most challenging in the airline industry.

A joint degree student at ���ϲ�����, Geraghty earned a master’s in international relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a juris doctor degree. She joined JetBlue in 2005 as a litigation attorney, working her way up through the airline’s legal department to associate general counsel and then leading the company’s human resources team—what JetBlue calls the “Chief People Officer”—before becoming executive vice president of customer experience in 2014.

“Through her rise in a competitive industry, Joanna has never forgotten the value of a ���ϲ����� law degree, citing it as important training for the problem-solving and leadership required in her high-profile career,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “I know Joanna is thrilled to return to her alma mater to join us on May 8, and I look forward to welcoming her back to ���ϲ����� and to hearing—alongside members of the Class of 2020 and their parents and friends—a memorable and inspiring Commencement address.”

Jay Smooth

Acclaimed DJ and hip hop culture critic Jay Smooth will speak on Monday, April 22, at the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3, on fostering racial diversity and inclusion, student engagement and free speech versus hate speech. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will include a Q&A with the audience.

The Office of the Interim Chief Diversity Officer is partnering with Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and the Student African American Society to bring Smooth to campus.

As the former host of “The Underground Railroad,” New York City’s longest-running, hip-hop radio program, and the popular video blog “The Ill Doctrine,” Smooth has established himself as a unique and leading voice at the nexus of sociopolitical issues who brings a singular perspective on society and culture.

“Diversity comes in many forms. Being inclusive of racial diversity is another dimension of excellence. Difference should never mean devaluation,” says Interim Chief Diversity Officer Keith A. Alford. “I am excited because I believe Jay Smooth will further enlighten us toward greater understanding of each other. I am looking forward to Monday’s event.”

Students, faculty and staff are all invited to attend the event, which will add to the continuing conversation on diversity and inclusion on campus, says Alexander Tsemberis ’21, co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.

“This event is a beautiful example of what can be achieved when different student groups work together with the administration toward a common goal and shed light on an important topic,” says Tsemberis, a sophomore in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School. “This will be a very exciting night that we hope will lead to an insightful and productive conversation on how we can further improve our SU community.”

“Race matters for students, and it is important that we respect our differences. We can make our campus environment better when we appreciate each other,” says Abigail Covington ’19, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and a senior class marshal. “I am hopeful that Jay Smooth’s conversation will move us in the right direction.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided. For more information about the event, email interimCDO@syr.edu.

Smooth enlightens with poignant observations about music, race, politics and other important cultural and social issues, while promoting the importance of mutual respect. On “The Underground Railroad,” Smooth helped break artists, including the Wu Tang Clan, Naughty by Nature, Jean Grae and Natural Elements.

Through thoughtful examination, Smooth makes sensitive topics like race remarkably accessible, demonstrating the power in actively engaging in direct conversation about complex subjects. He credits his mixed race heritage for his “unique position to travel between different worlds” and to help facilitate healthy discussions about race and racism.

Smooth challenges audiences to set aside what they think they know about race, politics, hip-hop culture and other social issues with insightful commentary that expands perceptions. He has been featured by NPR, CNN and MSNBC.

Smooth’s videos on “Ill Doctrine,” including his video about how to start conversations surrounding issues of race, have become part of the curriculum in many schools and universities, and his TEDx talk, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Talking About Race,” has been among the most widely viewed on the TEDx website.

Brandon Steiner

Brandon Steiner ’81 will address Falk College’s Class of 2019 at the school’s Convocation ceremony on May 11. Steiner has continued his commitment to ���ϲ�����—and in particular, its students—through service to Falk College and its Sport Management Advisory Board, which he currently chairs.

“Every semester, Brandon is in our classrooms working with students and providing them first-hand guidance from his experiences. His genuine mentorship to students in Falk College, and across ���ϲ�����, illustrates the ongoing commitment of an alumnus who continues to make it his priority to give back to his University and its students,” says Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “Brandon has always found a way to stay connected—and committed—to our ���ϲ����� family. We are deeply privileged to work with him.”

He devotes his time to several charities, including Family Services of Westchester, which helps to provide quality social and mental health services to strengthen families, children and individuals. With Steiner’s help, Family Services of Westchester was able to open a home for teenage boys with no place to call home.

As founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing, the largest company of its kind in America, he works closely with corporations to align them with athletes to promote their products. An unprecedented partnership with the New York Yankees, announced in 2004, provided a way to offer fans authentic Yankees memorabilia and one-of-a-kind fantasy experiences at Yankee Stadium. Since then, Steiner Sports has developed similar partnerships with Notre Dame Football, ���ϲ����� Athletics and Madison Square Garden that bring fans closer to the games, as well as to the athletes themselves through various programs, including meet-and-greets, speaking appearances, signed memorabilia and countless other products and services.

Steiner is the author of three books, including his most recent publication released in 2018, “Living on Purpose: Stories about Faith, Fortune, and Fitness That Will Lead You to an Extraordinary Life.” He hosts both a popular podcast, “Unplugged,” and a live Q&A show broadcast on Facebook Live called “Project X.” A much sought-after speaker, he has delivered keynote addresses, TEDx talks, corporate training and motivational speeches to sports teams and businesses around the world.

He is featured on ESPN Radio 1050 on Sunday mornings, along with his co-hosting duties on “Yankees-Steiner: Memories of the Game” on the YES Network. Steiner is an expert commentator on all issues involving sports and often appears on national news networks.

More information about Falk College’s Convocation can be found at falk.syr.edu.

Mary C. Daly

Mary C. Daly G’94, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, will deliver the 2019 Commencement address at ���ϲ�����’s graduation ceremonies on Sunday, May 12, in the Dome. Daly will also be awarded an honorary degree at the Commencement exercises.

Daly took office as president and CEO on Oct. 1, 2018. She oversees the largest of the Federal Reserve’s 12 districts—by population and size of its economy. She also serves on the Federal Open Market Committee, which meets eight times a year in Washington, D.C., to discuss and decide on monetary policy in the United States. The committee’s work impacts the lives of every American and has global implications.

“Mary Daly is an outstanding leader in the field of economics and in public service,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Along with her tremendous professional background, Mary has an inspired academic journey. We are pleased to welcome her back to ���ϲ����� and to hear her message to the Class of 2019.”

A native of Ballwin, Missouri, Daly dropped out of high school and started working at the age of 15. Through the encouragement of a mentor, she completed a GED and applied to college. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a master’s degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. in economics at the Maxwell School. She also completed a National Institute of Aging postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University.

“���ϲ����� has always held a special place in my heart because it helped me grow as both a researcher and a person,” says Daly. “To be able to return as a Commencement speaker and share the lessons I’ve learned over the years with the Class of 2019 is a tremendous honor.”

A leading national expert on labor economics, Daly joined the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in 1996 as an economist. She rose through the ranks in various research leadership roles before being named executive vice president and director of economic research at the San Francisco Fed. In that role, she oversaw key research and supported the development of monetary policy by guiding and providing relevant economic analyses. Daly worked closely with then-President and CEO of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank Janet Yellen—who later became chair of the Federal Reserve System—on a comprehensive reform of the Federal Reserve System’s benefit programs, along with issues related to labor markets and monetary policy.

A strong advocate for diversity in leadership roles at the Federal Reserve and in economics, Daly is former chair of the bank’s Diversity Council and has focused on building the pipeline of women and minorities entering the economics profession. “Diversity is essential both as a value and a practice. It ensures that new ideas surface, guards against echo-chambered agreement, and allows all people to have a voice at the table,” Daly wrote in a December 2016 post on Medium, “Stop Leaving Talent on the Table: Achieving Diversity with No Excuses.”

At the bank, she helped increase the percentage of women in the bank’s research assistant program for college graduates through personal outreach to colleges and accepted applicants. In other areas of public service, Daly has served on the advisory boards of the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security Administration, the Office of Rehabilitation Research and Training, the Institute of Medicine and the Library of Congress. She is a research fellow at the IZA Institute in Bonn, Germany, and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis and Industrial Relations.

Daly lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her wife, Shelly.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York state, with a global footprint and nearly 150 years of history, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience, as well as innovative online learning environments. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths. At ���ϲ�����, we offer a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges and 18 online degree programs. We have more than 15,000 undergraduates and 7,500 graduate students, more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

The lecture features three dynamic scholars—Carol Henderson, Jared A. Ball and Dana A. Williams—who will deliver critical thought and inquiry about African American studies as a core discipline and field.

Each will address how Black Studies as a core discipline and field has shaped the trajectory for the inclusion of multicultural programs across campuses around the world and the importance of Black Studies in the current political and social climate. A Q&A will follow. Light refreshments will be served.

This year marks the 50^th��anniversary of the first institutionalized Ethnic Studies and Black Studies programs on university and college campuses.

For more information, contact Casarae Gibson at��clgib100@syr.edu.

Lewis will address “Chicago and the Black Arts Movement” from 5-7:15 p.m. today in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (114 Bird Library). The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Casarae Gibson, assistant professor of AAS in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), at clgib100@syr.edu or 315.443.4426.

“Professor Lewis will discuss the significance of the Black Arts Movement [BAM], which refers to a group of politically motivated black artists, writers, dramatists and musicians who flourished between 1965 and 1975,” says Herbert Ruffin, associate professor and chair of AAS.��“The movement was particularly strong in Chicago, where organizations such as Third World Press [the largest independent, black-owned press in the United States] helped establish a new ‘black aesthetic’ through culturally progressive and politically charged publications and activities.”

At Washington State, Lewis teaches contemporary American literature, as well as humanities courses steeped in popular culture.

He has written extensively about American literature; masculinity; African American studies; and popular culture, including music and sports. His books include “Conversations with Toni Cade Bambara” (University Press of Mississippi, 2017) and “Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in America” (Third World Press, 2010).

“He is interested in a range of topics, from diversity in positions of power and leadership to racial stereotypes sustained in contemporary culture,” says Gibson, adding that Lewis earned a Ph.D. in English from Saint Louis University.

She considers BAM one of the most important chapters in African American history. In addition to laying the foundation for modern-day spoken word and hip-hop, BAM inspired the black studies movement, leading to the formation of academic programs, departments, centers and institutes across the country.

John L. Johnson (Photo courtesy of Special Collections Research Center)

Peter H. Reynolds

The School of Education and the Jo-Linda and Dennis Keith Distinguished Speaker Series announce the 2019 speaker, acclaimed author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. He will visit ���ϲ����� for a two-day residency on Tuesday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 20. This is the second annual Keith Speaker Series residency.

Reynolds on Tuesday, March 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the Stolkin Auditorium, Physics Building. He will discuss several of his books, including “The Dot,” “Happy Dreamer” and “The Word Collector” and how they encourage readers of all ages to keep positive, keep dreaming and keep expressing themselves. Reynolds will also unveil his new book, “Say Something!,” which reminds readers that in a world where a few loud voices can drown out more nuanced, marginalized ones, it’s important to stand up for others.

On Wednesday, March 20, from 3-5 p.m., Reynolds will also , 447 S. Salina St. He will read from one of his books, followed by an interactive activity and a meet and greet with families. All are welcome and there is no cost to attend.

Both events will be followed by book signings, with a selection of Reynolds’ books available for purchase on-site from the ���ϲ����� bookstore.

Other planned activities during Reynolds’ residency include a visit to the ���ϲ����� Early Education and Child Care Center, the Bernice M. Wright Laboratory School and Van Duyn Elementary School, as well as a lunchtime chat with students from across ���ϲ�����. The Keith Speaker Series is also donating several sets of Reynolds’ books to Van Duyn Elementary.

Creativity champion Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator. Published in over 25 languages, his books inspire children and “grown up children” with his messages about authentic learning, creativity, bravery, empathy and courageous self-expression.

Reynolds also illustrated the best-selling “I am Yoga, I am Peace, I am Human,” and “The Water Princess,” with Susan Verde, as well as the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald. He lives in the Boston area where he founded The Blue Bunny, a family-owned and operated children’s book, toy and creativity store. With his twin brother Paul, he launched the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity, a not-for-profit organization that encourages creativity and innovation in teaching and learning.

The Jo-Linda and Dennis Keith Distinguished Speaker Series was established by Jo-Linda ’65 and Dennis Keith in 2017 to bring exceptional and award-winning authors and illustrators to share their expertise about the craft of writing children’s picture books on topics that matter.

“Peter has an amazing ability to write about developmentally appropriate concepts for children on topics which children can and should relate to,” says Jo-Linda Keith. “His wonderful illustrations make these words come alive which hopefully will initiate discussion in the classroom.”

She continues, “the School of Education and the ���ϲ����� community are very fortunate to have Peter Reynolds for the upcoming events. He is a very warm, creative and engaging presenter.”

For more information about the series, public events, directions, parking and accommodations, please contact the School of Education at suschoolofed@syr.edu or 315.443.4696.

Mary Spio

Mary Spio ’98 will deliver the convocation speeches at the and the on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

Spio is the founder and CEO of , a developer of premium social virtual and augmented reality experiences that simulate communal experiences, such as attending a live concert, being in a classroom or attending a sporting event. She is a graduate of the where she majored in electrical engineering.

Spio was born in ���ϲ�����, moved to Ghana at a young age and returned��the United States when she was 16 years old. Prior to attending ���ϲ�����, she enlisted in the Air Force as a wideband/satellite communications technician. After earning a bachelor’s degree, she pursued a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Georgia Tech.

Her transition from the Air Force to engineering was sparked by a colleague who noticed her technical abilities. “It was when I was in the Air Force that an engineer pulled me aside and told me I was really great at fixing electronics; and that I should look into becoming an engineer. I did, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done,” Spio told the Miami Herald in an interview.

After college, Spio began working at satellite communications firms, where she had the opportunity to design and launch satellites into deep space on a NASA project. Spio’s work with NASA led her to become the head of satellite communication systems for Boeing where her technology influenced major motion picture distributions through satellite technology.

Spio has been recognized with many accolades, such as NBC News 100 History Makers in the Making, Boeing’s Outstanding Achievement in Electrical Engineering Award, IEEE Design and Yueh-Ying Hu Memorial National Awards for Innovation, and the 2017 Arents Award from ���ϲ�����.

More information about all Commencement weekend ceremonies, including the Universitywide Commencement on Sunday, May 12, is available on the .

Reshma Saujani. Photo credit: Adrian Kinloch in NYC

College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise announced that Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, will be the speaker at the Commencement of the Class of 2019 on May 10, 2019, at 11 a.m. in the Dome.

“Reshma Saujani’s path from law graduate to public servant to education innovator is an inspiration for our graduates and students, for it shows what can be achieved when imagination, drive and a passion for giving back are combined with a rigorous legal education,” says Boise. “Through Girls Who Code, Reshma is transforming tens of thousands of lives a year. She is changing how technology is taught in our schools, helping to ensure broad, inclusive and equitable access to education and opportunity. I look forward to hearing Reshma’s unique perspective on the law, public service and education and her words of encouragement to our graduates as they begin their own careers.”

Saujani is the author of three books: 2019’s “Brave, Not Perfect”; The New York Times bestseller “Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World”; and “Women Who Don’t Wait in Line.” Her TED talk, “Teach Girls Bravery Not Perfection,” has had more than four million views and sparked a worldwide conversation about how girls are raised, taught and given the confidence to succeed.

Beginning her career as an attorney and activist, Saujani surged onto the political scene in 2010 as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. A former deputy public advocate for New York City, Saujani also ran a campaign for Public Advocate in 2013 on a platform of creating opportunity for all.

“I am looking forward to visiting ���ϲ����� in May and sharing with the Class of 2019 my thoughts on the intersections of law, service, education and leadership,” says Saujani. “My background in the law has served me at every turn of my professional life, and I believe it’s hugely important to counsel young lawyers at the launch of their careers, especially when there is so much at stake in our nation and our democracy.”

During her congressional campaign, Saujani visited local schools and observed firsthand the gender gap in computing classes. This experience led her to start the nonprofit Girls Who Code in 2012. Girls Who Code leads a movement to inspire, educate and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. At the end of 2018, the program had reached more than 90,000 girls across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Yale Law School, Saujani has earned broad recognition for her work on behalf of young women. She has been included among Fortune World’s Greatest Leaders, Forbes’ Most Powerful Women Changing the World, Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People and Fortune’s and Crain’s 40 Under 40. Wall Street Journal Magazine named her Innovator of the Year, and she is a winner of the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education.

Saujani serves on the Board of Overseers for the International Rescue Committee, which provides aid to refugees and persons impacted by humanitarian crises, and She Should Run, which seeks to increase the number of women in public service and leadership. In addition, she serves as an ex-officio trustee of the Museum of Modern Art.

Jaime Weisberg

To celebrate National Public Health Week, the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion will host a luncheon with guest speaker Jaime Weisberg of Northbound LLC on Monday, April 1, at noon. The event will take place at the Schine Student Center, 304ABC.

Weisberg will explore how the busy mindset is detrimental to our work, relationships and health; examine how we transmit the disease of busyness to those with whom we work and live; and discuss ways we can combat busyness and build resilience against stress.

Jaime “JJ” Weisberg is the founder of Northbound LLC, a coaching, consulting and training company rooted in the science of positive psychology. She holds a certification in applied positive psychology, and bachelor’s of science in human development from Cornell University. Jaime is also a certified positive psychology coach and certified resilience trainer. Ultimately, she considers herself a human potentialist, helping individuals and organizations tap into strengths and their unlimited potential for growth, well-being and success.

This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. R.S.V.P. by Monday, March 25, at .

To request accommodations, contact Mary Kate Lee at mlee77@syr.edu by March 25.

Authors Bob Pearson and Haroon Ullah will visit the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Nov. 7 to explore these questions and discuss their recent book, “.” The talk, to be held at 7 p.m. in the Miron Special Events Room, 303 Newhouse 1, is free and open to the public.

Pearson, a senior adviser for , is a frequent speaker and blogger on digital marketing. He has taught at ���ϲ����� and the University of Texas at Austin, and guest lectured at the State Department. His other books include, “Pre-Commerce: How Companies and Customers are Transforming Business Together” and “Storytizing: What’s Next After Advertising,” based on key findings from W2O’s work with innovative companies and individuals.

Ullah, chief strategy officer for the , was most recently with the U.S. Department of State, where he worked on digital innovation, public diplomacy and public/private partnerships as part of Secretary Rex Tillerson’s policy planning staff.

He has been an adviser to three secretaries of state, traveled with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke’s Afghanistan/Pakistan team and was director of the Community Engagement Office at the U.S. embassy in Pakistan, the first-ever public diplomacy effort to counter violent extremism office at any American embassy.
Ullah won a Peabody Award for his animated television series, “Burka Avenger.” In addition to “Countering Hate,” his books include “Vying for Allah’s Vote: Understanding Islamic Parties, Political Violence and Extremism in Pakistan,” “The Bargain from the Bazaar: A Family’s Day of Reckoning in Lahore” and “Digital World War: Islamists, Extremists and the Fight for Cyber Supremacy,” which focuses on new uses for technology, transmedia and digital content.

Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) services will be available. For more information about the event, or if you require additional accommodations, contact Betsy Feeley at 315.443.7401 or eafeeley@syr.edu.

Katy Meassick

The Falk College and its nutrition program announce the fourth annual Ann Litt Distinguished Lecture Series, featuring nutrition alumna Katy Meassick, R.D., on Nov. 15 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Falk Complex, Room 200. Her presentation, “Sports Nutrition and Application in Professional Football,” will provide an overview of sport nutrition practices and discuss the specifics around performance nutrition approaches for football. The event is free and open to the public.

The performance dietitian for the Cleveland Browns, overseeing the team’s nutritional needs since 2016, Meassick currently manages the menus in the players’ café and implements nutrition protocols for injured athletes and those athletes in need of weight guidance. She manages body composition while setting off-season weight goals for each athlete working with the players’ position and strength coaches.

“Katy’s dual credentials as an athletic trainer and sport nutrition specialist, along with her years of experience in both NCAA and professional sports, make this a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in performance nutrition, especially for football,” says associate professor Kay Stearns Bruening, Ph.D., RDN, FAND.

Prior to joining the Cleveland Browns, Meassick was the director of sports nutrition for Florida State University where she oversaw the nutrition needs for all student-athletes. She previously held positions at the University of Pennsylvania and at Arizona State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from University of South Florida, and a master’s degree in nutrition science from ���ϲ�����. She completed her dietetic internship at the University of Maryland.

A registered dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) dietetic practice group, Meassick is also a board certified specialist in sports dietetics, and a certified athletic trainer with the Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers. She is a member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association where she participates on the Conference Committee.

Now in its fourth year, the Litt Distinguished Speaker Series is named after Falk College nutrition alumna Ann Selkowitz Litt ’75, a nationally known nutritionist who helped children and adolescents with eating disorders and assisted developing athletes in reaching their full potential. The nutrition consultant to CosmoGirl magazine, Litt was the author of “The College Students’ Guide to Eating Well on Campus,” “Fuel for Young Athletes” and “The ADA Guide to Private Practice.” She was the nutritionist for the NFL’s Washington Redskins and served as spokesperson for several media campaigns during her career, including the “Got Milk” campaign. After her death, the Ann S. Litt Foundation, Inc., was created to support nutrition education.

For information about the Ann Litt Lecture and for accommodations requests, please contact Donna Sparkes at or 315.443.5573 by Nov. 8.