Charley Driscoll (far right) studies a sample of water taken from Limestone Creek in Fayetteville, New York, with research intern Marykate McHale (left) and Courtney Davis ’20. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Before came to 黑料不打烊 as a civil and environmental engineering professor, he had always been interested in ways to protect our environment and natural resources.

Growing up an avid camper and outdoors enthusiast, Driscoll set about studying the large-scale effects of pollutants on the natural environment, earning a civil engineering degree from the University of Maine and both a master鈥檚 degree and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Cornell University.

When he arrived on campus in 1979, Driscoll completed a dissertation examining the impact of acid rain on lakes in the Adirondacks, including the acidity effects on fish populations.

Later this summer, he will return to the Adirondacks to study how those lakes are recovering from acid rain and mercury pollution.

Charles Driscoll

鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting and a great opportunity to continue this research and work alongside partners like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell, the Ausable Freshwater Center, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to carry on this important work,鈥� says Driscoll, the University and Distinguished Professor of Environmental Systems Engineering in the .

Driscoll, one of the nation鈥檚 leading experts on pollution research, developed a series of predictive environmental models that explore how chemicals in soil, water and vegetation change when exposed to air pollutants. He has devised strategies to reverse the damaging effects of acid rain and mercury contamination in lakes, including leading efforts to successfully restore nearby Onondaga Lake鈥攐nce one of the most polluted lakes in the country鈥攁fter developing new methods for decreasing mercury pollution.

鈥淲e’ve seen improvements in air quality. We’ve seen recovery from acid rain and other air pollutants,鈥� Driscoll says. 鈥淗uman generated air pollution really impact the environment on a very large scale. However, ecosystems can be quite resilient. With effective air quality management they can come back from rather significant disturbances.鈥�

On this episode of the 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 颁辞苍惫别谤蝉补迟颈辞苍蝉鈥� podcast, Driscoll discusses the magnitude of his research, how he uses models to both understand the disturbances and lead restoration efforts and reflects on some of his successful remediations.

Check out聽 featuring Driscoll. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

How would you describe the magnitude of your research?

When I started on the acid rain problem in the 鈥�70s, the country was just becoming concerned about the effects of air pollution from a human health standpoint. There was relatively little analysis or discussion on those impacts on lakes, soil, vegetation and wildlife. This was a large-scale problem. We’re talking about air pollution from the Midwest impacting areas hundreds of miles downwind, and at the time a lot of people didn’t believe it was possible and were skeptical of the effects of air pollution.

That research led me to other problems like the issue with mercury deposition and climate change. The early work on acid rain really informed and guided my subsequent research.

How are models used to understand the effects of these disturbances and to lead remediation efforts?

We were interested in developing a model that we could use as a tool to validate our understanding of the phenomena of air pollution on ecosystems but also make projections on how the ecosystems might recover under different emission control strategies. I learned a lot from interactions with my biological colleagues and soil scientists.

We expanded and applied these models to the Adirondacks and national parks, particularly the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. About 10 years ago, we made projections for how the park might recover from decreases in acid rain. Now, they want us to go back and use our model to see how well those projections did because acid rain emissions decreased.

How successful have these remediation initiatives been?

Remediation is a real challenge for something like acid rain. We’ve done remediation in Onondaga Lake and that’s been wildly successful because it’s a relatively local problem. But acid rain affects high elevation areas. From Georgia up to Maine, those soils and waters have been heavily impacted.

We have done experiments where we’ve added base chemicals like limestone, commonly used in gardens to neutralize acidity, and then looked at the response of the system. We know from those experiments that if we restore bases like calcium and magnesium to the soil this can neutralize the acidity that is toxic to plants and fish and that we can recover the ecosystems. The trouble is the footprint of acid rain is massive, and it’s very difficult to do that on any meaningful scale.

We’ve learned we have to focus on emission reductions to recover these聽ecosystems, particularly the soil. Lakes recover relatively quickly, but the soil develops over tens of thousands of years and recover slowly.

Charles Driscoll (right) examines the quality of water in Limestone Creek in Fayetteville, New York. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

鈥淪tanding here in this Dome, this place, where I once played, sweat, dreamt, won and grew is very surreal for myself,鈥� Anthony said. 鈥淭his building was my launchpad for my life.鈥�

Carmelo Anthony encouraged the Class of 2025 to “take that Orange spirit into the world. Be bold. Be kind. Be relentless. Live with a purpose. Give back. Honor your roots. Chase your dreams,” during his Commencement address. (Photo by Amy Manley)

The Dome, where he played a standout season with the Orange men鈥檚 basketball program, leading to the national championship in 2003, propelled him into his successful career as a professional basketball player, entrepreneur, philanthropist and media personality.

鈥淭wenty-two years later, to return here, not in a jersey but on the stage speaking to you, the class of 2025, it feels like life has come all the way around,鈥� Anthony said.

On the same stage where Anthony starred as a 黑料不打烊 student-athlete, Anthony urged the Class of 2025 to follow in the footsteps of previous graduates and make their own mark on the world as thinkers, doers, leaders and changemakers.

Carmelo Anthony urged the graduates to make their own mark on the world as thinkers, doers, leaders and changemakers. (Photo by Amy Manley)

鈥淭ake that Orange spirit into the world. Be bold. Be kind. Be relentless. Live with a purpose. Give back. Honor your roots. Chase your dreams. And don’t be afraid to rewrite the script as you go,鈥� Anthony told the approximately 6,900 graduating students.

鈥淭his is your time,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is your launch pad.鈥�

Anthony is one of the University鈥檚 most prolific former student-athletes and one of the greatest scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association. A member of the NBA鈥檚 75th Anniversary Team, Anthony played 19 seasons in the NBA after his one season with the Orange. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star, won three Olympic gold medals with the U.S. men鈥檚 national basketball team, and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame鈥檚 Class of 2025 earlier this spring.

But despite his impressive resume, Anthony emphasized to the graduating class that he dealt with his fair share of hardships. When faced with adversity, Anthony overcame his obstacles, and he encouraged the Class of 2025 to pick themselves up when they fail, and to never give up in the pursuit of their passions.

鈥淵our path won鈥檛 be a straight line, and that鈥檚 okay,鈥� said Anthony, who in 2017 received the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Philanthropy in honor of his extraordinary contributions to the University and the community.

鈥淵ou can evolve again and again, as long as you keep chasing what sets your soul on fire,鈥� Anthony said. 鈥淏ut as you chase your dreams, don’t forget where you came from and don’t forget the people who helped get you there.鈥�

Later this fall, Anthony鈥檚 son, Kiyan Anthony, will follow in his father鈥檚 footsteps as a member of the Orange men鈥檚 basketball program.

The opportunity to watch Kiyan walk the same halls on campus, wear the same Orange and play basketball in the same Dome is 鈥渙ne of the proudest moments of my life,鈥� Anthony said. 鈥淏ut it’s not just about following in my footsteps, it’s about watching him create his own story.鈥�

When it came to their own stories, Anthony told the graduates that 鈥渢he seeds you plant today can grow far beyond what you imagined,鈥� while reminding the Class of 2025 to use their degrees to better their communities.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 the point of success if you鈥檙e not using it to lift others?鈥� Anthony said. 鈥淐arry the Orange with you because the Orange spirit is real. It鈥檚 grit. It鈥檚 passion. It鈥檚 pride. It鈥檚 knowing how to rise when things get hard. It鈥檚 loyalty and it鈥檚 heart.鈥�

Carmelo Anthony receives a warm welcome from the Class of 2025 before the University’s Commencement exercises Sunday morning inside the JMA Wireless Dome. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Chloe Britton Naime plans on studying neurodevelopmental and learning differences among individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder to better understand how the neurodivergent brain operates. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Chloe Britton Naime 鈥�25 is about to complete a challenging and rare dual major program in both mechanical engineering from the and neuroscience from the .

Even more impressive? Britton Naime will conclude the rigorous dual major in four years instead of the customary five years, which is 鈥渙ne of the biggest reasons I wanted to attend 黑料不打烊,鈥� says Britton Naime, who will begin their Ph.D. program in neuroscience at Florida State University in the fall.

Chloe Britton Naime

It鈥檚 the latest chapter in Britton Naime鈥檚 lifelong love affair with learning. Specifically, studying why their brain functions differently as a neurodivergent individual who struggled to read鈥擝ritton Naime was diagnosed as dyslexic at the age of 8. They have also finally been diagnosed with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥榳hy does my brain work differently than everyone else? Why is this task much more challenging for me?鈥欌€� says Britton Naime, who is graduating summa cum laude and is a member of the .

鈥淚鈥檓 interested in how we can improve our diagnostics, but I’m also interested in what treatments or interventions can be done,鈥� Britton Naime says. 鈥淔iguring out what can help support meeting this individual鈥檚 needs. Figuring out the possibilities and how we can continue to improve the outcomes for neurodivergent people.鈥�

Changing the Narrative

Britton Naime considers themselves honored to have a strong support system, including their mother, Katrina Britton, who encouraged self-advocacy at an early age. But knowing not everyone who is neurodivergent has these advocates has fueled Britton Naime鈥檚 career aspirations.

Chloe Britton Naime is an undergraduate research assistant in the Center for Autism Research and Electrophysiology (C.A.R.E.) Lab鈥攚hich studies how typically developing children, children with developmental disabilities and children with autism perceive, process and integrate sensory information.

As a peer coach in the physics department, Britton Naime engages with students with an accommodation from the Center for Disability Resources to ensure the student鈥檚 needs are being met. If a student needs accommodations but doesn鈥檛 have them, Britton Naime will make sure the student understands the resources available to them on campus.

鈥淲hen I have a place where I can advocate for someone, I take that opportunity. Thankfully, 黑料不打烊 provides a great infrastructure for supporting students with disabilities,鈥� Britton Naime says.

Britton Naime is also an undergraduate research assistant in the 鈥攚hich conducts behavioral and neurophysiological research to understand how typically developing children, children with developmental disabilities and children with autism perceive, process and integrate sensory information.

Through lab studies focused on measuring and recording the brain鈥檚 electrical activity, Britton Naime says the CARE Lab鈥檚 work represents progress in reducing the historically negative stigma around autistic individuals.

鈥淭he CARE Lab focuses on the strengths and capabilities of our autistic population and identifies the reasons why they鈥檙e succeeding at something. It鈥檚 really rewarding work,鈥� says Britton Naime, who also did a Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship at the University of British Columbia in the Baby Learning Lab with Lauren Emberson, Ph.D.

How 黑料不打烊 Laid the Foundation for What鈥檚 Next

The technical skills Britton Naime learned through the mechanical engineering program, including as a data processor, helped accentuate their work as a neuroscientist, specifically when it comes to processing and interpreting the neuroimaging data to comprehend how brain activity relates to our behavior, cognition and mental processes.

The foundational nature of the mechanical engineering program also allowed Britton Naime to seek out the aspects they wanted to learn more about as they honed and built up their skills as a researcher.

At Florida State, Britton Naime plans on studying neurodevelopmental and learning differences among individuals with ADHD to better understand how the neurodivergent brain operates.

By gaining a deeper understanding of how neurodivergent brains function鈥攑articularly through the use of neuroimaging technology鈥擝ritton Naime aims not only to improve quality of life through enhanced diagnosis and tailored interventions, but also to help unlock the full potential of individuals whose strengths may be overlooked in systems built for neurotypical learners. Their research challenges deficit-based narratives and seeks to reframe how success and capability are understood in academic and developmental contexts.

鈥淚 hope to be a professor and have my own lab where I can produce quality research related to this topic. But I also want to continue serving as a vocal advocate for my community,鈥� Britton Naime says. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� prepared me to go to grad school and to go into this industry, which is important because I didn鈥檛 know where I wanted to go. I had all these avenues available and received the support I needed to go down this path.鈥�

Senior researchers (pictured from left to right) Morgan Opp, Lucy Olcott, Jesse Buck and Isabella Chavez Miranda helped advance Professor Robert Doyle’s cutting-edge obesity and diabetes treatments.

When Jesse Buck 鈥�25, Isabella Chavez Miranda 鈥�25, Lucy Olcott 鈥�25 and Morgan Opp 鈥�25 started as student researchers in medicinal chemist Robert Doyle鈥檚 lab, they hoped to hone their research skills.

It quickly became evident this would be unlike any other lab experience. The collaborative environment in the Doyle Group cultivated confidence in their abilities and led to constructive conversations about how to achieve the goals of their projects.

As they were producing, purifying, synthesizing and redesigning the peptides that eventually helped lead to Doyle鈥檚 breakthrough weight loss and diabetes treatments, they discovered their meaningful interactions transformed them into a family, as well as putting them on a path to becoming scientists.

鈥淭hey are future stars, an incredible quartet that matches great intelligence with as hardworking of a student group I鈥檝e ever had the privilege to work with,鈥� says Doyle, the Jack and Laura H. Milton Professor and Dean鈥檚 聽in the .

The quartet will now take the lessons learned and apply them to their master鈥檚 and Ph.D. programs at prestigious graduate schools:

• Buck, a medicinal chemistry major (Arts and Sciences) will pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley;
• Chavez Miranda, a double major in medicinal chemistry (Arts and Sciences) and business management (), will pursue a master’s in health administration at the University of Southern California;
• Olcott, a chemistry major (Arts and Sciences), will pursue a Ph.D. in pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania; and
• Opp, a double major in medicinal chemistry and biology (Arts and Sciences), will pursue a Ph.D. at Yale University.

After spending hundreds of lab hours together, Buck, Chavez Miranda, Olcott and Opp sat down with SU News to reflect on a bond that will continue beyond graduation.

How did you become passionate about this research?

Lucy Olcott

Lucy Olcott: My interest in health science was sparked at 15 when my grandmother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Watching her struggle to adapt to a new lifestyle while managing new treatments opened my eyes to the importance of health care.

After I took Honors General Chemistry with Professor Robert Doyle, the path became clear. The Doyle lab has given me the opportunity to explore translational medicinal chemistry focused on unmet clinical needs of various metabolic diseases.

Morgan 翱辫辫:听I’ve always had a passion for research that’s translatable, where I can directly see the work I’m doing on a day-to-day basis and how that work has the potential for real-world impact on people who need it. I was in Dr. Doyle’s class freshman year. I knew I liked metabolism and technology, and he took a chance on me and allowed me to begin my research.

Isabella Chavez Miranda:聽I’ve always had a deep love and passion for chemistry. Both my parents are chemical engineers. Since I was young, I’ve watched them do research. It was a no-brainer that I wanted to be involved when I came to 黑料不打烊.

I was lucky to be in Dr. Doyle鈥檚 class my freshman year. He saw the potential in me and allowed me to grow in his lab for the past four years.

Jesse Buck

Jesse 叠耻肠办:听I came in as a chemistry major but transitioned to medicinal chemistry and joined this lab as a junior. Dr. Doyle took a chance on me, and I appreciate that because I learned so much about what it means to be in a lab. I love doing chemistry research with implications in biology that you can use to make an impact and create something helpful for patients.

What is your proudest moment/biggest lesson learned from the lab?

叠耻肠办:听Being accepted into our respective graduate programs. That is concrete evidence that our hard work has paid off. We have an opportunity to grow and become impactful scientists.

翱辫辫:听Going to the Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society meeting [in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] with Isa鈥攊t鈥檚 a big deal for undergraduates to present their research at a national conference like this.

翱濒肠辞迟迟:听Patience in research. It鈥檚 easy to get frustrated when experiments don鈥檛 go as planned. Being able to identify where things might have gone wrong and go back to the drawing board is just as important as producing and collecting novel data.

Isabella Chavez Miranda

Chavez Miranda:聽The first time I was able to synthesize a peptide that had the exact correct mass and was usable was an amazing feeling. That showed that I鈥檓 learning and growing as a scientist.

How will your graduate work advance your career ambitions?

Chavez Miranda:聽I鈥檝e loved making these potential drugs that could have a big impact on patients but if the people who need the drugs the most can鈥檛 get them, what real value do they bring? I want to bridge that gap between the patients and the drugs they need.

Morgan Opp

翱濒肠辞迟迟:听I鈥檓 interested in pursuing research in drug discovery and development for centrally mediated diseased states and hope to pursue a career in academia as a principal investigator, conducting high-impact research while mentoring the next generation of scientists.

叠耻肠办:听This is the perfect opportunity to discover what niche I want to work in. I鈥檓 hoping to find the perfect lab to mesh my love of chemistry and biology.

翱辫辫:听To continue exploring my passion for endocrinology and metabolism. I’m looking at labs that bridge both analytical chemistry, cell biology and medicinal chemistry. I’m leaning toward a future in biotechnology and want to remain on the cutting edge of research.

In case you missed it: Check out episode #175 of the 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 颁辞苍惫别谤蝉补迟颈辞苍蝉鈥� podcast, 鈥淪triving to Improve the Efficacy of Obesity, Diabetes Treatments.鈥� In the , medicinal chemist Robert Doyle discusses his breakthrough weight loss research, the important role students play in advancing his research, and how, through philanthropy, his work has come to life.

Three student lawyers with the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic meet with a local veteran.

Service members injured in active duty are entitled to receive disability benefits and associated medical care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). But navigating the process can be intimidating.

Beth Kubala

Thanks to the efforts of the (VLC) within the , hundreds of area veterans have received their benefits or successfully upgraded their military discharge through the pro bono, student-offered legal services since its founding in 2015.

鈥淥ur law students get a chance to get into the legal practice, taking everything they鈥檝e learned and put it into practice working on real cases with real clients with real challenges,鈥� says , executive director of the Office of Clinical Legal Education, director of the VLC, teaching professor in the College of Law and a U.S. Army veteran. 鈥淭his is a chance to make a tremendous difference, helping veterans get the VA medical care and the disability benefits they earned.鈥�

Collaborating With Community Service Partners

Veterans are referred to the VLC through organizations like the Onondaga County Veterans Service Agency, which provides a yearly grant to help facilitate the VLC鈥檚 efforts, and the 黑料不打烊 VA Medical Center. The community partner organizations will often refer veterans who have had their medical claims denied multiple times.

Knowing that new evidence is needed for the VA to consider reopening a claim, Kubala鈥檚 students study pages of military documents and health care records to learn everything they can about the tasks the client performed and the injuries or illnesses the veterans suffered while serving that contributed to their current health issues. Comprehensive medical exams are conducted to verify the disabilities being claimed.

Annie Mancilla

鈥淭here鈥檚 a great collaboration between our teams,鈥� says Annie Mancilla, director of the Onondaga County Veterans Service Agency and an Army veteran. 鈥淲e know how to handle new and initial claims, and Beth鈥檚 team comes in, handles those trickier claims and succeeds at getting intricate cases adjudicated quickly and fairly.鈥�

When she was training as a veteran service officer, Mancilla says veterans service agencies partnering with clinics like the VLC were rare. She hopes the collaborative work on display in 黑料不打烊 can inspire other partnerships across the country between university-led student law clinics and veterans service agencies.

鈥淲e have to work together to help our veterans,鈥� Mancilla says. 鈥淭his partnership is so beneficial and we鈥檙e at the beginning of something special that is going to continue to grow and have a tremendous impact on our veterans.鈥�

Helping Veterans at Risk for Homelessness

Two years ago, the VLC received a聽, a first-of-its-kind grant opportunity from the VA to fund legal services providers. The VLC is one of just four University-affiliated veterans legal clinics to receive grant money.

Once a week, VLC students go over cases at the Altamont House, a facility that provides transitional housing to veterans facing homelessness. Kubala says this grant has enhanced and solidified the VLC鈥檚 partnership with the 黑料不打烊 VA while showing how the clinic can help those veterans receive access to health care and their benefits.

鈥淲e鈥檙e able to make such a significant difference in the lives of so many homeless veterans in and around 黑料不打烊,鈥� Kubala says. 鈥淥ur students not only gain expertise while strengthening their legal skills, they gain confidence and a better ability to relate to others, and they understand how they can help others with their law degree.鈥�

Beth Kubala (center) meets with two student lawyers in the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic.

Using Law Degrees to Do Good

VLC student lawyer Sarah Simon-Patches 鈥�24 took on the case of a veteran who filed his own claim with the VA after suffering medical hardships stemming from his time in the military.

Sarah Simon-Patches

Oftentimes, veterans who file their claims on their own don鈥檛 fully understand the criteria and can be denied a portion of their benefits. With a rating of only 20% of his disability benefits, the veteran, a self-employed mechanic from Kansas City, Missouri, was unable to return home to his sons, lost his job and experienced homelessness.

After Simon-Patches combed through the evidence to understand why the veteran fell short of the VA鈥檚 criteria, she successfully helped him obtain his full share of benefits and he has been reunited with his family.

鈥淚t felt like a huge relief. Here was someone who was experiencing homelessness, unemployed and anxious about his future being separated from his family and came to us for help,鈥� says Simon-Patches, who has a brother and grandfather who served in the military.

鈥淭he average veteran, especially our homeless veterans, would not have access to these resources otherwise,鈥� Simon-Patches says. 鈥淥ur clinic is well-equipped to successfully navigate this system and handle the different needs of our veterans.鈥�

Fighting to Make a Difference

Before Seth Owens enrolled in the College of Law, he spent 13 years as a physical therapist, treating many veterans and active-duty service members. He started in the VLC in the spring of 2023 and realized he was meant to be there.

Seth Owens

鈥淵ou have to bring this mindset to every interaction with a client that I鈥檓 going to know everything I can about your case,鈥� says Owens, the LSV-H program manager and a Veterans鈥� Health and Disability Law Fellow with the VLC. 鈥淧rofessor Kubala鈥檚 reputation for having an amazing clinical experience and producing students who do such a high quality of work is well known in the veterans鈥� community.鈥�

Simon-Patches was so inspired by the impact her work was making, she applied to and was accepted into the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General鈥檚 Corps, a government law organization that defends the Army and its soldiers in all military legal matters.

鈥淭his work has meant so much to me and this program wouldn鈥檛 be what it is without the work that Professor Kubala does,鈥� Simon-Patches says. 鈥淲e make a difference in the lives of our veterans and we want veterans to know we鈥檙e here for them as a resource.鈥�

鈥淚t amazes me every day the work that comes out of the clinic,鈥� Kubala says. 鈥淚 like to think that I inspire the next generation of veteran advocates. There are ways to use a law degree for the greater good, and this is one of those ways.鈥�

Beth Kubala (center) leading a classroom discussion in the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

The number of school districts considering banning cell phones during the school day is on the rise nationwide.

At least eight states have banned smartphones in public school classrooms, while in New York, a proposed “bell-to-bell” is going to the State Legislature for a full vote. Additionally, 27 other states have proposed a ban on student smartphone usage, while other states are exploring a variety of ways to limit cell phone usage.

Proponents argue that students need to have their undivided attention focused on classroom lessons; parents feel strongly about being able to contact their child in an emergency.

Matthew Mulvaney

, associate professor and department chair of human development and family science in the , looks at the impact of cell phone use on children as a researcher and also has firsthand knowledge as the parent of a 14-year-old.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in this field and this research of looking at mobile technology and how it might impact kids, especially now with my daughter being immersed in the world of cell phones and social media,鈥� says Mulvaney, a parenting researcher whose focus is on how parents and families support optimal child development.

Sabrina Butler

, an assistant teaching professor in the counseling and human services department in the and a licensed mental health counselor, looks at process addictions (including cell phone usage) in children and adolescents and recognizing when behaviors become problematic.

Butler sees both sides of the debate and suggests ways to find the balance.

鈥淧arents have a legitimate concern about the safety of their child, and it would be difficult to enforce no cell phones in schools,鈥� says Butler, whose research focuses primarily on process addictions in children and adolescents. 鈥淧lus, a lot of kids use tablets or Chromebooks in the classroom. We can鈥檛 just take technology completely out of the classroom. How do we ensure they鈥檙e not distracted by social media or games while they鈥檙e supposed to be learning?鈥�

Mulvaney and Butler sat down with SU News to discuss cell phone bans and limits in schools and what steps can be taken to help children liberate themselves from their phones.

What are your thoughts on limiting the use of cell phones in school and the impact of cell phone use on adolescent development?

Sabrina Butler: Coming from a harm reduction lens, we want to put limits and boundaries on cell phone usage. And while there isn鈥檛 research that necessarily supports that cell phone usage is causing depression and anxiety, what we do know is that our cell phones are like other addictions out there. If you have individuals that are already experiencing anxiety, depression or self-esteem issues, being on your phone and on social media is going to exacerbate that.

Matthew Mulvaney: Kids functioned for a very long time in schools without cell phones. More people are starting to be concerned about cell phone use. Parents see the changes their kids are going through and they want them to not be so tied up with their phones.

There鈥檚 a psychologist, Jean Twenge, who published a book in 2017 that showed the impact of cell phone usage and social media on this generation. Around the age of 11, 12 or 13, children, particularly girls, experience this mental health cliff where their well-being drops off suddenly, and how much time they spend on their phones and on social media is closely correlated and negatively associated with their mental health.

How is being on your cell phone a process addiction?

Butler: Process addictions hack and utilize the same brain mechanisms as other addictions, like nicotine. With cell phones and social media, we鈥檙e pairing these positive emotions with external stimuli, which is the behavior. That鈥檚 where it can become problematic, wiring those two things [phones and social media] together that make me feel good or less stressed. It’s that feeling that we’re getting addicted to and we’re associating with that behavior.

How young is too young for a child to get a cell phone? To be active on social media?

Mulvaney: The later you can wait, the better. Kids will say not having one cuts them off from their social networks and that all their friends have phones, but there are few developmental benefits to having one early on. As for social media, researcher Jonathan Haidt studies the impact of social media on adolescent mental health, and he suggests 16 for starting off on social media.

What can we do to help alleviate the addictive impact of cell phones?

Mulvaney: I see a lot of parallels with cigarette smoking. Smoking was commonplace when I was growing up, but smoking cigarettes has basically gone away from the adolescent experience because of how bad it was for our kids. It took a collective understanding, a collective will to say, “we’re not going to have spaces for kids to smoke.鈥�

I think schools will adopt a phone-free policy from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and that will have a significant impact on changing the expectations of being on your phone all the time. If we come to this shared understanding that being on your phone all the time is really bad, we can make changes in the same way we did with smoking.

Butler: It goes back to limits and an age barrier. Some parents take away phones at night because they don鈥檛 want their child up all night on their phone. Others turn off the Wi-Fi after a certain point. Those parental control measures are really helpful because they lead into how we monitor usage among children.

We need to get back to engaging with each other, having family dinner without looking at our phones. Getting children active through activities and sports are great because they get kids out playing, interacting and connecting with their peers.

To request interviews, contact:

Chris Munoz
Media Relations Specialist
cjmunoz@syr.edu

Luiza Owuor

The program helps students like Owuor become involved with research efforts early on in their academic careers, and for Owuor, the experience, especially a presentation from and Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering , ignited her passion for biochemical engineering.

Once Owuor officially embarked on her journey in the , she wanted to contribute to the , which strives to improve treatments for individuals living with an injury or disease. Through experimental and computational approaches, lab researchers study and apply mechanobiology in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

鈥淚 remember being especially drawn to Dr. Henderson鈥檚 presentation, and his work really sparked my interest in this field,鈥� says Owuor, president of the Society of Women Engineers and a mentor with Catalyst Scholars, a new program for first-generation students.

鈥淏eing involved in his lab has been one of the most defining parts of my academic journey. I鈥檝e co-authored two published papers through BioInspired [which examines complex biological systems], and it鈥檚 been incredibly rewarding to see our research make a real contribution to the field,鈥� Owuor says. 鈥淚鈥檝e built a strong, family-like bond with my lab members and that sense of support and collaboration has made the experience truly special.鈥�

Owuor, a native of Kisumu, Kenya, was recently named as a 2025-26 黑料不打烊 Remembrance Scholar. She sat down with SU News to discuss her passion for biomedical engineering, her career goals, the important role of mentoring and how her time on campus has fueled her holistic development.

What sparked your interest in biomedical engineering and the STEM field?

I鈥檝e always wanted to be part of the health care space, but not necessarily on the front lines. Biomedical engineering drew me in because it offers a way to make a real impact from behind the scenes, whether that鈥檚 through designing medical devices, developing therapeutic technologies or conducting research that leads to breakthroughs.

Once I got involved in research at 黑料不打烊, I saw how engineering could be used to solve complex biological problems, and that solidified my passion for this field. I love that I get to blend innovation with purpose every day.

What are your career goals and ambitions?

To become a medical scientist and contribute to the development of innovative therapies that improve patient outcomes. I鈥檓 especially interested in translational research, taking discoveries from the lab and turning them into real solutions for people. Pursuing a Ph.D. is part of that path, and I hope to work at the intersection of research and innovation to help address some of the biggest challenges in health care.

What role has mentoring played in your development?

Mentorship has shaped so much of my growth. From research mentors in the to peer leaders in student organizations like the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), I鈥檝e been guided and supported by people who believed in my potential. Mentoring others鈥攚hether through Academic Excellence Workshops or Catalyst Scholar mentoring鈥攆eels like a full-circle moment. It鈥檚 my way of paying it forward.

How has your time at 黑料不打烊 helped fuel your development?

黑料不打烊 has been instrumental in my growth鈥攁cademically, professionally and personally. Through leadership roles like serving as president of the Society of Women Engineers and alumni relations chair for NSBE, I鈥檝e developed strong communication, organizational and interpersonal skills.

The (SOURCE) program has been a major support system, funding my research projects and giving me the platform to present my work. 黑料不打烊 has also connected me with the resources and guidance I needed to secure meaningful internships, including one for this upcoming summer. On top of that, my classes have equipped me with technical lab skills and data analysis that will directly apply to my field and my future career goals.

Students wearing garments from SOLACE Collective’s new line of clothing for neurodivergent individuals.

Carolyn Fernandes 鈥�25 remembers walking out of an interview for a design internship that she ended up not getting. She wondered if fidgeting with her nails鈥攁 common, repetitive expression of her nervous energy every day鈥攚as misconstrued as a sign of not paying attention and a reason for her not getting the position.

Carolyn Fernandes

Fernandes is part of the 20% of people worldwide who are neurodivergent and live with neurological differences like autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, bipolar disorder and social anxiety.

Stories like the one above motivated Fernandes and fellow students Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz 鈥�25, Aphrodite Gioulekas 鈥�25 and Aidan Turner 鈥�25 to create , which aims to provide everyone, especially neurodivergent individuals, with comfortable garments that alleviate anxiety, increase confidence and reduce distractions by providing opportunities for fidgeting discreetly or openly.

鈥淧eople like me need to fidget to cope and feel comfortable, so I started researching ways clothing could be made to help neurodiverse people like myself feel more comfortable,鈥� Fernandes says.

After an inspiring conversation with Linda Dickerson Hartsock鈥攖he retired founder and executive director of 鈥攁nd after taking an class focused on inclusive product design, Turner came up with the idea for SOLACE 鈥渢o meet the needs of a huge portion of the population that is currently underserved,鈥� says Turner.

Going All-In to Solve an Important Social Issue

Aidan Turner

In October, Turner set about assembling what he proudly refers to as his team of Avengers to turn concept into reality. As part of the group, Turner, a fifth-year architecture student in the , recruited Fernandes, who is studying industrial design in the (VPA) and Spanish and environmental geoscience in the ; d鈥橭elsnitz, who is studying finance and entrepreneurship in the ; Gioulekas, a fashion design major in VPA; Maria-Camila Molina 鈥�25, a fashion design major in VPA; Christine Ianniello 鈥�25, a biology major in Arts and Sciences; Bobby Anzaldua 鈥�25, an economics major in the ; Bella Tabak 鈥�25, a magazine, news and digital journalism in the ; and Francine聽Tongol 鈥�24, a communications design major in VPA.

Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz

After sharing their personal experiences with uncomfortable clothing with each other, Turner pitched creating the neurodivergent clothing line. The project鈥檚 potential impact immediately resonated with d鈥橭elsnitz. At Whitman, d鈥橭elsnitz does a lot of idea pitching but always struggles to control his fidgeting. After one of his first pitches before his peers, d鈥橭elsnitz nearly passed out because, unable to rely on his usual coping mechanisms like playing with his rings, he felt anxious and light-headed.

鈥淩ealizing this is something I would wear motivated me to go all-in on this project because this is not just a clothing brand; it鈥檚 solving an important social issue,鈥� says d’Oelsnitz, who has ADHD and bouts of anxiety.

Meeting the Unique Needs of Neurodiverse Individuals

The team set out to collect data on how SOLACE could better meet the needs of neurodiverse individuals, beginning with a wardrobe analysis and personal interviews to determine what types of clothing neurodivergent people liked or didn鈥檛 like鈥攊ncluding textures and how a garment feels.

Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz (right) discusses SOLACE Collective’s line of clothing with a student during one of 10 on-campus events where students could try on the clothes and provide feedback.

For the next step, Fernandes conducted a survey of 430 people ages 5 to 91 and discovered that 95% of respondents, including 97% of neurodiverse people, experienced discomfort from their clothing.

Incorporating the feedback and relying on sketches, Turner created a visual design brief that served as the blueprint for the first line of clothing, and Fernandes and others on the team used sewing machines to create prototypes from fabric samples collected from their closets and local thrift shops.

Currently there are four prototypes consisting of a matching sweatshirt or hoodie and sweatpants of assorted colors, fabrics and designs:

• Concealed fidgeting: A sweatsuit featuring textured cargo pockets with hidden interior fabrics for discreet sensory engagement
• Participatory fidgeting: A distressed, double-layered top and bottom set with tactile cutouts for visible fidgeting鈥攖urning a need into a confident form of self-expression
• Airy and light: A minimal-stitched, ultra-breathable sweat set built for those sensitive to seams and pressure, offering a loose and calming fit
• Clasp cuffs: A crewneck set with subtly exposed, adjustable elastic cuffs that let wearers control tightness for customized comfort

The clothes are tagless (product details and cleaning instructions are screen-printed on the outside), with many of the items providing its wearer a sense of grounded-ness thanks to the use of heavy fabric, while others rely on light and airy fabrics.

鈥淥ur product line serves to confirm to a lot of neurodivergent people that what they鈥檙e doing is okay and that they can be normal,鈥� says Fernandes, who serves as SOLACE鈥檚 industrial designer. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not just neurodivergent people that want this clothing. If everyone is wearing it, then no one is going to feel like they鈥檙e sticking out like a sore thumb while they fidget.鈥�

Aidan Turner (far right) talks with students during one of SOLACE Collective’s on-campus feedback events.

Transforming Vision into Reality

鈥淲e try to achieve a grounded feeling while providing warmth and the reassurance that you鈥檙e safe. We鈥檙e trying to find a sustainable way to produce items of clothing for everyone, no matter how your neurodiversity presents,鈥� says d’Oelsnitz, SOLACE鈥檚 project coordinator.

The group has received more than $32,000 in startup investment money through entrepreneurial competitions held on campus and through grants, including the聽2025 School of Information Studies鈥� Raymond von Dran Fund for Student Entrepreneurship iPrize competition. Earlier this semester, they held 10 events on campus for students to try on the clothes and provide feedback.

After running a marketing campaign, including the launch of a website and social media channels, they hope to start accepting pre-orders in late June, with items being distributed to customers by the end of the summer. Knowing how well-received their casual prototypes have been, Turner, Fernandes and d鈥橭elsnitz next want to expand into business casual clothing.

鈥淚 have a passion for designing fashion, for retail and for entrepreneurship, and I was introduced to the lack of solutions that exist for neurodivergent individuals,鈥� says Turner, SOLACE鈥檚 team coordinator. 鈥淭here are a lot of opportunities for us to give this overlooked community reassurance and warmth through our clothing, and I鈥檓 proud of what this wonderful team has accomplished so far.鈥�

Members of the campus community learn about the SOLACE Collective’s line of clothing for neurodivergent individuals.

Community engagement. Reciprocal learning. Service to others through volunteering.

Those were the principles behind the creation of the in 1994 under the direction of then-黑料不打烊 Chancellor Kenneth Shaw and his wife, Mary Ann, who also served as the associate of the Chancellor.

The Shaw Center represented Kenneth and Mary Ann鈥檚 promise to the University and Central New York community that student learning would hold the highest priority on campus, promoting volunteer service as a fundamental component of the student experience.

For 30 years, the Shaw Center has proudly served as the University鈥檚 hub for academic community engagement. By giving back to nonprofits and organizations around 黑料不打烊 through service learning and volunteering, the campus community engages in the high impact practice of experiential learning.

Claire Ceccoli

When senior Claire Ceccoli 鈥�25 learned that there were children who didn鈥檛 have a bed to sleep on at night, she chaired the annual bed-building project that benefits the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Through efforts she spearheaded the last two years, 132 beds have been built and donated to children in need.

鈥淲e want to help the community, and we鈥檙e also learning from them. It’s a two-way street, doing this work with that reciprocal learning mindset,鈥� says Claire Ceccoli 鈥�25, a Shaw Center leadership intern who is studying public relations in the and psychology in the .

Derek Wallace

Derek Wallace 鈥�00 was in the first group of tutors in the 黑料不打烊 City School District during the summer before his sophomore year. He eventually took over as Literacy Corps student manager, planting the managerial and entrepreneurial skills that inspired him to become CEO of Golden Fork Media and founder of the children鈥檚 book series and brand, 鈥淜alamata鈥檚 Kitchen,鈥� a multimedia property that uses the power of food to help children get excited to experience all that their world has to offer them.

鈥淚t’s hard to imagine what I would be doing or where I would be if I wasn鈥檛 given those opportunities to do well, do good and create change in the community under the mentorship of [Shaw Center Associate Vice President and Director] Pam Heintz,鈥� says Wallace, who earned dual degrees in policy studies from the and public relations from the Newhouse School.

On April 21, the and ahead of the event, Wallace and Ceccoli discuss how their involvement with the Shaw Center transformed them into leaders in their communities.

Check out聽 featuring Ceccoli and Wallace. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

What drew you to the Shaw Center?

Wallace: I wanted to do impactful things, and the Shaw Center felt like that鈥檚 exactly what we were trying to do. There was an innovative vision for how we would leverage the skillset of the students in a way that wasn’t just learning in a classroom. It was applied learning and skills applications outside of the classroom that not only benefited our careers as students but also built bridges to the community.

Ceccoli: What drew me to the Shaw Center was the people. Every intern and staff member is so passionate about the work they’re doing. My whole life, I’ve been interested in mission-driven work and nonprofit work. Having an office at the University that’s committed to these initiatives and getting students into the community, I don’t think I could have found a better or more natural fit.

What activities did you organize with the Shaw Center?

Claire Ceccoli (second from left) poses with two volunteers who helped build beds for Central New York children in need.

Ceccoli: As president of the 黑料不打烊 Volunteer Organization, we鈥檝e partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an incredible nonprofit organization, to build beds for children in the community. The 黑料不打烊 chapter has delivered 6,000 beds within our area. They always wanted to do a bed build on campus with our students, so I pitched this idea and the staff at the Shaw Center were so supportive. The leader I鈥檝e become today is largely a result of my experiences at the Shaw Center.

Wallace: As a Literacy Corps tutor, I worked in an inclusive kindergarten classroom, reading to children with autism and getting them excited about literacy. I wound up taking over as the student manager, which was one of the best leadership experiences I ever had. Along with my classmate, Chad Duhon, we launched Shooting for A鈥檚, an athletic and academic program that invited fifth and sixth graders to come to campus, meet some of their athlete heroes and learn civics lessons. We also launched a service and experiential learning program, Balancing the Books, in partnership with the Whitman School.

As a Shaw Center volunteer, Derek Wallace (third from left) helped launched Shooting for A鈥檚, an athletic and academic program that taught fifth and sixth graders civics lessons while introducing them to their athlete heroes.

How did the Shaw Center influence your career aspirations?

Derek Wallace relies on lessons learned as a Shaw Center volunteer to fuel his career as CEO of Golden Fork Media and founder of the children鈥檚 book series and brand, 鈥淜alamata鈥檚 Kitchen.鈥�

Wallace: My career started at the Shaw Center in children’s literacy, and now I’m the co-creator of a children’s book series. It鈥檚 a full circle moment for me. The passion I have for the work I do, what led me down this path were the values I learned and the lessons taught at the Shaw Center. Chancellor Shaw, Mary Ann Shaw, Pam Heintz and [Maxwell School] Professor Bill Coplin believed in my abilities to make a difference and they provided mentorship that put me on this path and I couldn鈥檛 be more grateful.

Ceccoli: I know this is the type of work I want to do for the rest of my life. This passion that I see in these community organizations and the change that is possible when people take their skills and step up for their community is something that I want to model for the rest of my life.

Ralf Schneider, associate professor of industrial and interaction design, works with a student in virtual reality as part of his Designing In Virtual Reality class.

On the fourth floor of Bird Library sits what Associate Professor of Industrial and Interaction Design hopes will be the interactive classroom of the future.

Walking by the , located in Room 458, this particular classroom has a rather unassuming look, with its mix of chairs, tables and white boards.

But what makes Schneider鈥檚 Designing In Virtual Reality class in the truly unique is how it blends technology with innovation and collaboration to create an interdisciplinary learning environment.

Utilizing Meta Quest 3 virtual reality (VR) headsets with Gravity Sketch, a software program that allows users to sketch and draw in virtual reality, students from the fashion, interior design, industrial design and interaction design fields come together to create three-dimensional (3D) models, helping designers and artists express and fine-tune their ideas in a virtual space while encouraging real-time collaboration.

Ralf Schneider

鈥淭his class connects the two-dimensional world with the three-dimensional world, allowing students to be creative in an immersive, collaborative, three-dimensional space. It鈥檚 an exciting way for students to learn and work with each other,鈥� Schneider says.

By incorporating VR sketching into the design process, Schneider says his students learn to revolutionize the way they conceptualize, iterate, collaborate on and communicate their projects and ideas, streamlining the design process while producing a more immersive and engaging experience for both the designers and their clients.

鈥淭his is definitely the classroom of the future. It鈥檚 a game-changer to be able to design and work collaboratively in design fields in the same virtual space without needing to physically be in the same location,鈥� says Sofia Hom 鈥�27, an industrial and interaction design major in the School of Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Students wear their untethered VR headsets while engaging with Gravity Sketch, connecting and transforming their workflow from two dimensions into three dimensions while also streamlining and improving on past design processes.

Sofia Hom

Previously, designers would sketch their ideas in side views, top views, front views, orthographic projections鈥攁 way of representing a 3D object using multiple 2D views鈥攁nd perspective views鈥攃reating a realistic representation of a 3D scene on a 2D surface鈥攁nd, ultimately, translating those projects into a 3D model before bringing their object to life.

But unlike in the physical design space, Gravity Sketch enables students to easily make mistakes, learn from those missteps and then go back, deconstruct their project and fix it thanks to the lessons learned along the way.

Along the way, Schneider says his students learn about spatial visualization, the ability to mentally manipulate and understand the spatial relationships between objects and spaces when looking at a 2D figure and imagining what it would look like in 3D.

This semester, Hom and her classmates familiarized themselves with the possibilities of the software by creating a VR rendition of their cellphone home screens. They then designed an everyday object like a toothbrush or a tea kettle, collaborated with their peers on developing an immersive public space like a carnival, and took an existing portfolio project and used Gravity Sketch to transform it into the VR landscape.

As part of the class, design students collaborated with their peers on developing an immersive public space like a carnival.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of freedom we鈥檙e given to explore and experiment with our designs. You鈥檙e able to not just draw something in a flat plane, but you can draw in three dimensions, and then you can hand over your drawing to someone else in the VR space,鈥� Hom says. 鈥淭his process allows everyone involved to look at the project and make real-time changes.鈥�

This is the first time Schneider鈥檚 class has been taught on campus. Schneider credits School of Design Director Emily Stokes-Rees, the DSS and the University鈥檚 Information Technology Services鈥攚hich provides the 22 VR headsets and ensures they are fully charged before class and cleans and charges them up afterwards鈥攆or making his class possible. He says the yearly elective will be taught again in the fall and encourages all interested students to enroll.

鈥淭his class is a predictor of what students will encounter once they graduate,鈥� Schneider says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very powerful skillset for students to present in their portfolio as a designer because it shows you鈥檙e curious about future technologies and the modern ways of collaborating creatively.鈥�

The cutting-edge weight loss and diabetes research developed by medicinal chemist has offered significant and consistent weight loss and glucose control to its recipients through peptide-based treatments.

Doyle and his fellow collaborators reported that two new peptide compounds颅颅鈥擥EP44 and KCEM1鈥攃onsiderably reduce body weight and normalize blood glucose levels without causing the typical negative side effects experienced by patients who take currently available GLP-1-based anti-obesity drugs.

Doyle, the Jack and Laura H. Milton Professor and Dean’s in the , focuses his research on pharmaceutical drug development for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. He says that while the first-generation of weight-loss drugs did lead to results, there was a problem: while weight loss occurred, it was almost a reaction to taking the GLP-1 peptide, and that weight loss came with a cost.

Due to side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, 70% of patients who started taking these drugs were not taking them one year later, and that 30% stopped taking the drugs within three months, generating a very low patient tolerability for the drugs, Doyle says.

Robert Doyle

The recent discoveries Doyle and his collaborators introduced at conferences of the American Chemical Society and The Obesity Society give hope for those battling obesity and type 2 diabetes. The methodology behind these peptide and similar weight-loss compounds could also hold the key to treating two other public health crises: cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., and opioid addiction.

鈥淎s medicinal chemists, we are focused on using peptides, or small proteins, to treat neuroendocrine disorders, primarily disorders that affect the brain,鈥� says Doyle, the Dean’s Professor of Chemistry and adjunct associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. 鈥淲e are looking at addiction, cravings, food intake, body weight reduction, glucose regulation, all those complex endocrine issues that are prevalent today.鈥�

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Doyle discusses his breakthrough weight loss research, the important role students play in advancing his research, and how, through philanthropy, his work has come to life.

Check out聽 featuring Doyle. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

How has this field evolved over the years?

A team of researchers at 黑料不打烊, led by medicinal chemist Robert Doyle, has co-developed a novel treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes without any of the harmful side effects.

The major change in the last 10 years is the creation of these GLP-1 drugs, exemplified by Ozempic and Zepbound. Until these drugs existed, there were no safe, viable weight loss alternatives. Diet and exercise have always been on the table, of course, but for people who needed or wanted a pharmaceutical intervention, there was nothing that could achieve anything greater than the 5% body mass index [BMI] loss that you’d be looking for to have any kind of clinical benefit.

With the creation of the first real breakthrough drug, Victoza, you were seeing that 5% BMI decline from a pharmaceutical perspective, and that was a huge success. That set the stage for these newer, more potent and more active weight-reducing drugs. But those initial drugs were often once- or twice-a-day injectables, and patients didn鈥檛 want to do that. In these last few years, we have upwards of 10% and greater body mass reduction coupled with once-a-week injectables. That has really broadened the appeal and created quite a phenomenon.

How did we proceed from the first generation of weight loss drugs to where we are now?

There was this discovery that this little hormone that you make in your stomach, if made long-acting and then injected, could trigger food intake reduction. We realized that and did pharmacological science to improve its half-life, make it hang around longer so it would maintain what was normally only a very short activity in a human. We drove that appetite off switch. The discovery of GLP-1鈥攁nd what GLP-1 could do鈥攈asn鈥檛 won a Nobel Prize yet, but it is going to. I wouldn’t be surprised this year if you see the Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of GLP-1 because it has revolutionized weight loss.

How has 黑料不打烊’s Center for Science and Technology enhanced your studies?

Robert Doyle works alongside student researchers. (Photo by Evan Jenkins)

Within my own lab, we have multiple large scale peptide synthesizers that allow us to produce gram quantities of these drugs. We have multiple purification setup systems so that we’re able to purify to 99%, and we have cell labs that can screen for the required receptor binding.

We also have artificial intelligence and a molecular operating environment, these computational chemical approaches to aid in design. We can start from a concept on a piece of paper, begin to design something computationally and then physically make it in the lab. If it makes the grade, we put something in place that outlines what we want the drug to be able to do, and if it meets those criteria, it goes out into preclinical animal models at the University of Pennsylvania in this case. We’ll look and see if what we’ve created here is manifesting the effect we want it to in that preclinical model. If not, we go back to the drawing board. But if it does, we call that a hit and we’ll begin the process of optimizing it for development.

How do our students assist with your research?

They’re the ones who are in there grinding out the production, the purification, the screening, the failures and the redesigning. They bring passion and intellect. They’re wonderful. They roll up their sleeves. They jump wholeheartedly into all the aspects of drug development. I have to be willing to trust them that they’ll do it right. They have that sense of confidence, inquisitiveness and can-do. Every day they surprise me with some wonderful question or clever idea.

Robert Doyle talks with lab member Emily Ashlaw G鈥�27, a Ph.D. candidate interested in peptide therapeutics.

At the intersection of curiosity and technology sits the , a thought-provoking environment where members of the University community can come together to work on creative artistic projects while sharing interests, ideas and technological knowledge.

Mike d’Amore

It鈥檚 a space with state-of-the-art equipment where creativity thrives and where ideas become reality, and since January, the first floor of the Marshall Square Mall has become the MakerSpace鈥檚 new home on campus.

鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely this misconception about MakerSpace that it is just 3D printing, but this place is so much more than that,鈥� says Mike d’Amore, a MakerSpace student supervisor and second-year graduate student in data science in the School of Information Studies. 鈥淚t’s a free-flowing, creative spot and there are always cool projects being made. One of my favorites was this cool, see-through, futuristic body of a guitar we made that played nicely on one of our amps.鈥�

From embroidering and laser engraving to soldering electronics and recording music using the space鈥檚 myriad instruments, the experienced, the occasional dabbler and the amateur can try their hand at the tools and equipment to bring their ideas to life.

鈥淚f you can visualize it, you can build it here at MakerSpace. There is no limit to what we can create,鈥� says John Mangicaro, MakerSpace鈥檚 technical lab manager and a 45-year member of the University community. 鈥淲e encourage students to come in, share their vision and we鈥檒l find a way to make it work. Within half an hour of being here, you can learn how do to everything we do.鈥�

Among the resources available at MakerSpace are the following:

• Several types of the latest 3D printers
• A 3D printing area
• Full color printers
• Embroidery and sewing equipment
• A laser engraving area
• Vinyl cutting and printing
• Dye sublimation and direct-to-garment machines that can produce stickers or T-shirts
• Soldering, electronics and other tools
• Creative software (Adobe Suite, Blender, Bambu Labs, Fusion 360, Inventor, Pro Tools, Simplify3D and Solidworks)
• A dedicated classroom area for faculty members
• A music studio, complete with an acoustic, bass and electric guitar, electronic drum set, keyboard, microphones and other musical instruments for live performances, and a recording room with ProTools Mixing Software to capture those performances.

John Mangicaro

MakerSpace is entirely student-driven, and the new location is an evolved version of the former space, says Mangicaro.

Matt Lustrino

Student workers like d鈥橝more, Matt Lustrino 鈥�25 and Zoe Power 鈥�28 make sure the facility runs smoothly. They strive to provide a seamless experience for the campus community, tracking every project, organizing and cleaning up the different creative spaces and following up with progress reports at the end of each shift.

鈥淚鈥檝e been a maker for some time as a hobby, doing soldering, 3D printing and music projects, so to find an environment on campus like MakerSpace that had all of those elements, it was the perfect fit for a job,鈥� says Lustrino, who is studying information management and technology in the iSchool with a concentration in cybersecurity.

鈥淢akerSpace is such a cool place. The potential for what we can create here is limitless. It鈥檚 also a great environment for meeting other creative people,鈥� says Power, who is studying geology in the .

MakerSpace has evolved into an essential campus resource, one that impacts students, faculty and staff members. Leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, MakerSpace tracked roughly 1,900 jobs per calendar year. Last year, that figure rose to 3,400 work orders. So far this year, MakerSpace has finished more than 550 projects and is on-pace for a record-setting year.

Zoe Power

The move to the new location has also helped with visibility and awareness. In just their first two weeks in the new space, Mangicaro says the number of projects being handled was up 60% compared to the same time frame last year.

鈥淚’m a terminal tinkerer. I love fixing and building things, I love people and I love working with the creative students here. This place is truly special,鈥� says Mangicaro, who built the first iteration of MakerSpace 12 years ago in the Kimmel Hall Computer Lab.

The campus community is invited to an , from 3 to 5 p.m. MakerSpace鈥檚 resources are available to members of the campus community with a valid SU I.D. The academic year hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Jack Wren (center) is pursuing a dual degree in finance and business analytics from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He’s also a member of the University鈥檚 club men鈥檚 ice hockey team and an entrepreneur who launched his own hat company, Happy Duck Co. (Photo by Maria Kaffes ’26)

The entrepreneurial seeds that Jack Wren 鈥�26 planted as a 5-year-old would eventually grow into a full-fledged career running his own small business producing hats.

Even at that young age, Wren possessed a savvy business acumen. He would purchase seed packets for growing assorted plants and flowers in bulk for 10 cents apiece and would sell them to his green thumb-inclined neighbors for $2 a pack.

It would come as no surprise to anyone who knew Wren growing up in Saratoga, New York, that, as he pursues a dual degree in finance and business analytics from the , he鈥檚 successfully launched his own hat company,

鈥淚鈥檝e always had entrepreneurial endeavors and aspirations. This summer, after two good externships with BNY Mellon and Fenimore Asset Management, I realized I wanted to launch a company based on something I鈥檓 passionate about,鈥� Wren says. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 definitely passionate about athletics and hats, so out of those passions I started Happy Duck, which is marketed as a brand for athletes.鈥�

The idea for the brand: 鈥淲hen I was little, I was rambunctious, and my mom used to tell me that I would quack a lot and she would call me a happy duck,鈥� Wren says. 鈥淚鈥檓 very close with my parents and I thought that would be a great name for the brand.鈥�

Jack Wren with his mom, Karin, who bestowed the happy duck nickname on Jack as a child

Wren, a lifelong hockey player and member of the , has built the company from the ground up, including setting up as a limited liability company (LLC), designing his website, creating a comprehensive social media strategy, hiring employees and taking out a personal loan to cover the startup costs.

The business venture has all been worth it for Wren, who is currently working with Rachel Duffy, director of the Office of Trademark Licensing, on an official licensing agreement between Happy Duck and the University.

Jack Wren (Photo by Maria Kaffes ’26)

鈥淚鈥檓 focusing on being an athletic brand and I鈥檝e brought on former 黑料不打烊 student-athletes to help run social media, set up photoshoots with our product models and streamline the process with the athletes we鈥檙e targeting,鈥� Wren says. 鈥淥ur goal is to get people to see themselves wearing our brand and our hats while they workout.鈥�

Wren sat down with SU News to reflect on his journey to 黑料不打烊, reminisce about his Orange hockey career and discuss his career ambitions once he graduates.

Involvement on campus: Member of the club , the and , an international business fraternity.

What made 黑料不打烊 the right school for you?

I knew the Whitman School was ranked as one of the best business schools in the country, and I knew I wanted to study business and finance. After I got in, I met the guys on the hockey team, came for my accepted students鈥� day tour and got to hang out with and skate with the team and meet the coach. They offered me a position, and after seeing everything in person and getting a feel for the campus, the academics and the club hockey team, I knew that 黑料不打烊 was home for me. I鈥檝e been eternally grateful to be here.

What has that experience been like, playing for the club hockey team?

People often hear club sports, and they have this misconception that a club sport isn鈥檛 that serious of an activity. But club hockey is intense.

We start skating in late August, begin practicing in September and have our first games in the middle of September, and if we qualify for nationals, we鈥檙e playing into the middle of March. It鈥檚 a grueling schedule. We have games every weekend. The competition level is extremely high.

But if I had everything to do all over again, coming off of playing junior hockey and transitioning to college life, I would 100% go this route and be a student-athlete at 黑料不打烊.

Favorite memory from the hockey team?

I’ve had a lot of great memories on and off the ice. My favorite memory would probably be when we went to go play Liberty University down in Lynchburg, Virginia [Jan. 19-20, 2024]. We played in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,000-plus people and our games were televised nationally on ESPN+. It was a really cool experience that I鈥檒l never forget.

What are your career ambitions?

One of my friends told me that the journey is the destination, and I’ve really embraced that mentality. A lot of people get concerned with where they鈥檙e going or where they need to be, but you need to have that ability to pivot and change course.

My whole reason for starting Happy Duck was to understand how to start and grow a company. My goal is to be a stock trader once I graduate, and I would like to eventually run my own finance company. But as of right now, my goal is to take this company as far as I can. We鈥檙e trying to make a name for ourselves in a niche market and then expand from there. But having that ability and vision to be able to pivot and change on a dime for whatever may come my way is important. I鈥檝e learned to embrace the unexpected.

More than 50% of students explore the world through a center, says Nicole Collins, director of strategic partnerships and outreach with 黑料不打烊 Abroad. With over , there鈥檚 a unique opportunity for every student.

Nicole Collins

While the spring has traditionally been when the majority of students study abroad, Collins says there鈥檚 been a in recent years. Among the reasons why Collins says students should consider studying abroad in the fall:

• More likely to get into the program and secure the housing type you want.
• More scholarships and grants available, including $2,000 per student grants for Central Europe and Santiago, Chile.
• Special fall-only programs and events, including Oktoberfest and Christmas markets.
• Experiment with locations that aren’t easy to visit later in life.
• Unique cultural opportunities for food lovers who study in Florence, Italy, including truffle hunting, chestnut harvests and festivals, olive oil harvesting and tasting, grape harvesting, and more.
• Easier for parents and family members to visit.

鈥淥ur students are realizing the amazing opportunities available in the fall,鈥� Collins says. 鈥淲e have great need-based and merit-based scholarship opportunities available for students in the fall, plus there鈥檚 less demand.鈥�

On this episode of the , Collins and Sophia Moore 鈥�25, who enjoyed a life-changing 黑料不打烊 Abroad experience in the Fall 2023 semester, discuss the many benefits of studying abroad in the fall. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available

Thinking of studying abroad in the fall? The is March 15.

The below Q&A spotlights how, through their semesters abroad, students Moore and Anna Meehan 鈥�26 underwent transformative experiences by immersing themselves in a new country.

Sophia Moore 鈥�25

Sophia Moore visited the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

Academic majors:聽Television, radio and film (); sociology ().

Semester Abroad: Fall 2023 at the in Santiago, Chile.

Why was Santiago the destination for you? I figured that I would have an opportunity at some point in my life to be able to travel to Europe, but to travel to South America, that was a rare opportunity. And I really wanted the chance to immerse myself in a culture that I was completely unfamiliar with in a country that I was completely unfamiliar with, with the safety net of doing it through 黑料不打烊 Abroad.

Sophia Moore

What role did your host family play to help you get acclimated? My host family encouraged me to go out and do everything that Santiago had to offer. Every day, my host mom would check in and offer up a couple of places to check out. She was always pushing me to get out of the house and go explore the city because it鈥檚 important to take advantage of every moment. I wouldn鈥檛 have had access to that kind of cultural ambassadorship to Chile if I wasn鈥檛 living with a host family.

How close did you become with your peers in the Santiago program? We lived something so life-changing together, experienced so much culture and were exposed to this lifestyle that’s so different from the U.S. In five months, we all became very close, and that’s something that just is a bond for life.

What did you learn about yourself from your time studying abroad? Studying abroad somewhere where the language spoken is not my first language was a real challenge. Every day, I would wake up and push myself to just do a little bit more, speak in Spanish a little longer, think a little harder and get myself a little more comfortable with the language and with the space. But as time went on, just coaxing myself into doing a little bit more showed me that I have a level of resilience that I wasn鈥檛 aware of before I went abroad.

Anna Meehan 鈥�26

Anna Meehan poses at Pi艂sudski Square (Plac Pi艂sudskiego) in Warsaw, Poland.

Academic majors:聽International relations (); Russian language, literature and culture, and music history and cultures ().

Semester Abroad: Fall 2023 through the program (based in Wroclaw, Poland). Meehan visited Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany.

Why was Central Europe and Poland the destination for you? My aunt studied abroad in Poland when she was about my age, and after hearing her stories, it just made sense that I study abroad here too. This program covered World War II history. The Holocaust and Judaic studies. The Soviet Union. My research is on the political culture in former Soviet countries, so this was a really good opportunity to go live in and get a great educational experience studying something relevant to my degrees.

Anna Meehan

How did you acclimate and adjust to life in your new home? I remember getting off the bus after flying into Wroclaw and feeling calm and comfortable. Part of that is because I spent so much time in my childhood and at 黑料不打烊 reading about and studying Poland, and I knew one day I would get there. When I did, it just felt right. I had a revelation while I was studying abroad and now my plan is to go back to Poland for the long-term after college.

How close did you become with your peers in the Central Europe program? If you go through the experiences of visiting those three concentration camps like we did, it’s inevitable that you will grow close to these people. Sure, at first we were all shy and getting to know each other, but within the first two weeks, I saw people who didn’t know each other at all before the program supporting each other and helping everyone go through and process these really difficult concepts and emotions from the difficult places we visited. We still keep in touch, and we all got back together for a reunion this fall that was really special.

How did your semester abroad complement your academic goals and aspirations? I wanted to dedicate my studies to understanding the politics and history of Eastern Europe so I could learn more about my field of international relations and Russian language, literature and culture. I thought going to Poland would be a good way to see Eastern Europe in a more modern sense. But when I got there, I saw so many non-governmental organizations who used culture as the basis for healing the tensions of the refugees from Ukraine who have crossed the borders, and how art and music can really play a central role in that process. This drove me to eventually declare my music history and cultures major.

I also ended up going to an entire week of cultural festivals in support of Belarusians who had to flee Belarus and relocated to Poland. I went to plays, gatherings and concerts and left feeling like I understand my mission from a different perspective. I still want to promote how art, music and culture promote healing, but now it鈥檚 on a much more personal level.

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

JaNeika James G鈥�05 and her twin sister, JaSheika, grew up watching television and 鈥渇ell in love with TV鈥� and the possibilities it could mean for them.

JaNeika James

Today, the two are accomplished TV writers and producers of several shows, including JaNeika鈥檚 role as supervising producer on FOX鈥檚 groundbreaking hit show, 鈥淓mpire,鈥� among others.

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

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

鈥淎llowed Us to Dream鈥�

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

Thankfully for the sisters, their grandparents in the U.S. mailed them VHS tapes of popular U.S. TV shows like 鈥淎 Different World,鈥� 鈥淭he Cosby Show,鈥� 鈥淐heers,鈥� 鈥淭he Golden Girls鈥� and 鈥淓mpty Nest.鈥�

Watching television became 鈥渁 source of comfort鈥� for the sisters, and JaNeika says it provided hours of entertainment and it 鈥渁llowed us to dream of what was possible for ourselves,鈥� says JaNeika, who earned a master鈥檚 degree in television, radio and film from the .

It was an unlikely way to start their lifelong love affair with television, but today, JaNeika and JaSheika are accomplished TV writers. JaNeika was supervising producer on FOX鈥檚 groundbreaking hit show, 鈥淓mpire,鈥� co-executive producer on Netflix鈥檚 limited series, 鈥淭rue Story鈥� and HBO Max鈥檚 reboot of 鈥淕ossip Girl,鈥� and an executive producer on Peacock鈥檚 hit show, 鈥淏el-Air.鈥�

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

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

James sat down with SU News to discuss 黑料不打烊鈥檚 impact on her life, her successful career, the importance of giving back to current students and her message for the WellsLink students during their Transitions Ceremony.

What impact has 黑料不打烊 has had on your life and your career?

The Newhouse School instills in those who decide to work in media an understanding of the importance of the media and how it shapes our world and culture. Knowing the responsibility we hold鈥攏ot just as storytellers in Hollywood, but also those who deliver information through journalistic integrity.

There is a huge responsibility that comes with putting content out into the world for all to see and hear. That responsibility was embedded in me at 黑料不打烊. It鈥檚 had an incredible impact on my career.

What show had the greatest influence on you?聽

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

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

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

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

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

How can your success inspire future generations?

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

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

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

What鈥檚 your message for WellsLink students during their transitions ceremony?

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

WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2027

This year鈥檚 ceremony will honor the following students:

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

Professor Charles Willie, left, with Martin Luther King Jr. during Dr. King鈥檚 visit to 黑料不打烊 in the summer of 1965.

Willie-LeBreton鈥檚 father, Charles V. Willie G鈥�57, H鈥�92, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first Black full professor, department chair and vice president, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were friends since their time as classmates at Morehouse College.

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

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

The comment proved to be prophetic. As the Willies escorted King back to the 黑料不打烊 airport, King asked Mary Sue if she was expecting. When Mary Sue said yes, King leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. 鈥淢y mother didn鈥檛 wash that cheek for a week!鈥� says Willie-LeBreton, who was 2 years old at the time.

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

The anecdote demonstrates how interconnected we all are, says Willie-LeBreton, who will reflect on King鈥檚 legacy during the Jan. 26 celebration in the JMA Wireless Dome. It also perfectly represents the theme of this year鈥檚 celebration, 鈥淟iving History.鈥�

鈥淚t’s hard to put into words how special this is. I was so moved to receive the invitation, and it did feel like a full circle moment, knowing that my dad had invited Dr. King to speak at 黑料不打烊 and now I鈥檓 speaking on campus as part of this special celebration of Dr. King,鈥� says Willie-LeBreton, a distinguished administrator, scholar and sociologist who studies social inequality and race and ethnicity. 鈥淭here are all these wonderful and lovely connections, and I am excited to honor Dr. King.鈥�

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

Sarah Willie-LeBreton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What fuels and motivates your work in higher education?

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淭his new best-in-class esports center is an important milestone in a project that is still underway to make us the best university for esports and gaming,鈥� said 黑料不打烊 Chancellor and President , during its opening celebration Friday. 鈥淣o other university of our stature is investing in esports like we are. This gives 黑料不打烊 a unique opportunity to level up while others aren鈥檛 even in the game.鈥�

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

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

Joey Gawrysiak

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

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

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

鈥淲e鈥檙e setting a new standard for what esports and gaming can be, and 黑料不打烊 is embracing the impact esports and gaming can have at an institution of higher education,鈥� Gawrysiak says. 鈥淭his space shows that we鈥檙e innovative and that we have an eye on the future of gaming and esports. We’re using esports and gaming as an educational opportunity, and this facility is a showcase of all things gaming for all members of our campus community.鈥�

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

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

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

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

Will Delgado

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

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

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

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

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

Members of the University community watch a competition featuring members of the 黑料不打烊 esports team. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)

With the arrival of the new year, many people view this as the ideal time to figure out the changes they’d like to make in themselves as part of a new year, new you mentality.

Instead of making huge, sweeping goals, , a professor of practice in the School of Social Work in the , says focus on a few small, implementable changes.

Tracey Marchese

Marchese, a licensed clinical social worker, is a big proponent of the benefits of small tweaks leading to sustainable change when it comes to successfully following through on resolutions.

鈥淚f you are looking to who you want to be, that鈥檚 great, but you need to consider who you are and where you are,鈥� says Marchese, whose research explores mind-body wellness. 鈥淩ealize that you鈥檙e a work in progress who is going to be a work in progress your entire life.鈥�

The challenge is not to compare ourselves to others and accept who we are right now. Marchese encourages people to figure out 鈥渨hat you would want to change about yourself and how can you begin that change?鈥�

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Marchese offers tips and best practices for sticking to those New Year’s Resolutions, provides tips to help achieve the change you want to see and examines how mental health and well-being impacts overall well-being.

Check out featuring Marchese. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

What pointers can you offer up to help people stick with their resolutions?

A lot of us enter the new year with high expectations, and oftentimes we’re setting ourselves up for failure. It’s really the small changes that are more attainable.

There’s an old saying that says three weeks is a habit. Many people have weight loss goals. Instead of saying 鈥業 need to lose this much weight by this time,鈥� what about my eating could I change? And it can鈥檛 be I need to restrict everything that I eat. Let me start with one thing I am going to change. Perhaps it鈥檚 what I have for breakfast. Let me focus on that for three weeks or a month, changing the types of food I鈥檓 eating and not necessarily the amount of food I鈥檓 eating. Maybe it鈥檚 snacking throughout the day. What snacks can I change up instead of just trying to diet?

Being able to set smaller, more attainable goals and then tweak the goal moving forward leads to more satisfaction, and a greater ability to feel proud of an accomplishment because you set a smaller goal instead of this long-term, unattainable goal.

What are some accountability recommendations to help people reach their goals?

Because everything is electronic, we can constantly be tracking our goals, and sometimes trackers can be extremely helpful. Other times, they can be harmful. If people are looking at their fitness tracker and thinking they鈥檙e a failure because they didn鈥檛 get in their 10,000 steps today, that鈥檚 not going to be helpful because all it will do is serve to defeat you. What are the things that can serve to motivate you versus defeat you?

Having a buddy, someone to work on your goals with, is great. It helps keep you accountable and it makes pursuing your goals more fun. Journaling can be super helpful if it鈥檚 done in the right context of tracking your progress.

But you need to cut yourself some slack because there are going to be days where you aren鈥檛 able to work on your goals because you weren鈥檛 feeling well. And that鈥檚 okay.

How you would define self-care, and what are the different kinds of self-care?

Self-care can show up in a lot of different ways. Do you feed yourself nutritious food? Do you have a regular sleep routine? Do you exercise your body if you鈥檙e able to do so? When we talk about holistic health, there are five parts that make us whole: our physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual parts of self. When there’s a disruption or a problem in one area, it’s going to permeate all of those other areas.

When it comes to the social piece, do you make time to call or spend time with the people that you care about? Do you do things in your life that give you meaning and purpose? Can you find a work-life balance? For a lot of folks, that鈥檚 hard, but not all of this has to be on you. In workplace settings, could we have shared care or communal care that’s going to help everyone’s wellbeing?

Yes, there are ways that we鈥檙e responsible for our self-care, but there are also ways our friends, the agencies and organizations that we work for and our communities can help with our self-care too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erica Kiduko

Kiduko was working on a thesis titled 鈥淩eckoning an Icon: Exploring Scholarship and Activism of [Kenyan professor] M末cere G末thae M农go,” where she explored the ongoing imbalance women in Tanzania face and why, despite the implementation of the National Plan of Action, many women were still experiencing physical violence.

The action plan focuses on protecting the rights of women and girls, preventing such violent acts from occurring in the future and providing relief to help violence victims recover, but Kiduko says many of the citizens are unaware of the plan and many of the laws in place to protect these girls and women aren鈥檛 strict enough.

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

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

鈥淭he initiative was trying to promote women鈥檚 empowerment by preventing gender-based violence while creating a safe environment for everyone to play their sport,鈥� Kiduko says.

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

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

鈥淚t can be really hard for these players to report these incidents. Soccer could be their entire life and they鈥檙e afraid of being taken off the team for reporting an attack,鈥� Kiduko says.

How will Kiduko apply the critical lessons learned through her internship and apply them to her work once she graduates from 黑料不打烊?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In that moment, Switzer followed Briggs鈥� advice to run like hell, driven to prove Semple and the other doubters wrong by finishing the race. She hasn鈥檛 stopped running with a purpose since.

Kathrine Switzer

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

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

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

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Switzer discusses making history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, why she鈥檚 never stopped advocating for the inclusion of women in sports and what it means to be a proud alumna whose running career was launched as a student on campus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What has running given you?

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

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

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

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

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

Kathrine Switzer speaks to students in Falk College Professor Lindsey Darvin鈥檚 Sport Management 鈥淩ace, Gender and Diversity in Sport Organizations鈥� class. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)

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

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

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

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

This year鈥檚 squad earned the 29th bowl appearance in program history, with the Orange sporting a 16-11-1 record all-time in bowl games. This will be 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first time playing in the Holiday Bowl.

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

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

A win in the Holiday Bowl would be 黑料不打烊鈥檚 10th this year and would represent the program’s third 10-win season since the 2000 campaign.

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

Felisha Legette-Jack

With a little less than two weeks remaining in this year鈥檚 campaign, there鈥檚 still time for University employees to make a gift of any size to support their fellow Central New Yorkers in need. The campaign kicked off on Oct. 18 and runs through Friday, Dec. 13.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� is a strong, blue-collar city. When we do things together, when we do things united, my hope is I am going to be living proof of what giving back to our community looks like,鈥� Legette-Jack says.

The United Way of Central New York has been聽providing residents with access to essential resources for 102 years, funding 73 different human service programs and projects at 34 nonprofit partners. Through the employee giving campaign, faculty and staff have supported the vast impact United Way has in our community while empowering its work for the last 52 years.

Michael Frasciello

鈥淭he United Way gives us that opportunity to make sure we are helping those who have the biggest needs. This is the community we live and work in, and so when we talk about an obligation and responsibility to the community, these are our neighbors, these people are us. This includes individuals within the University who benefit from these programs. The University鈥檚 commitment to the United Way, if it鈥檚 not seamless, it鈥檚 almost symbiotic,鈥� says , dean of the .

This year鈥檚 employee giving campaign runs through Friday, Dec. 13.

University employees are encouraged to consider making a voluntary pledge through MySlice. Options are available for either a one-time donation or a recurring donation through payroll deduction each pay period. University retirees are also invited to participate as many enjoy the longstanding tradition and generous spirit of this annual event. For those who prefer, a paper pledge card may be obtained by contacting campaign coordinator Jake Losowski at聽jjlosows@syr.edu聽or 315.443.4137.

Every dollar raised remains in Central New York to help the United Way address various community needs. Faculty and staff are encouraged to unite with their Orange colleagues to give hope to those with the greatest need in our community.

In case you need inspiration for why your gift matters,聽 featuring co-chairs of the University鈥檚 employee giving campaign, , the deputy athletics director and senior woman administrator, and , vice president of enrollment services, along with other University employees discussing the importance of contributing to the United Way.

Kirsten Elleby

鈥淭he United Way is literally changing lives through the work that they do in partnering with other organizations. You never know when your friend, your neighbor, your family member is going to benefit from some of the good that United Way does, so I think it鈥檚 really important for us to give back,鈥� Elleby says.

In addition to the co-chairs, the annual campaign is led by a collection of team leaders from colleges and departments across campus who collaborate to promote the campaign and encourage their colleagues to participate.

鈥淭he United Way is really the hub of the nonprofit community in Central New York. We have a lot to be fortunate for, so giving back is a way to acknowledge that and make a difference,鈥� says Cristina Hatem, director, strategic marketing and communications for 黑料不打烊 Libraries.

No gift is too small and every dollar helps change lives.

Kevin Du

It鈥檚 a mentality that has served Du, an electrical engineering and computer science professor in the , well as he has carved out a decorated career as a global cybersecurity expert. His labs have been used by more than 1,100 institutions and universities across the world, and it all started with the launch of the , which developed hands-on instructional laboratory exercises known as SEED labs for cybersecurity education.

But at the time of its creation in 2002, the experiences Du wanted to provide to his students around cybersecurity education didn鈥檛 exist in a practical fashion. He set out to create a virtual training tool that could help prepare cybersecurity experts on how to handle the pressing issues they would face in the future.

The initiative launched thanks to $1.3 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The SEED project鈥檚 objectives are to develop an instructional laboratory environment and accompanying laboratory exercises that help students comprehend the practical security principles, concepts and technologies associated with cybersecurity issues; apply those principles to designing and implementing security mechanisms that can counter cybersecurity attacks; analyze and test computer systems for potential security issues; and apply these security principles to resolving real-world cybersecurity problems.

鈥淚 designed the SEED project so students can actually walk through those attacks by themselves on their computer,鈥� says Du, who is a fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery. 鈥淣ot just talk about the attack, but now they can actually see the attack and think about what they would need to do to stop the attack.鈥�

Since its founding, the open-source (software that is made freely available to interested parties) SEED project, which operates by having the students access the lab work through virtual machines, has accomplished the following:

• Developed more than 40 labs exploring computer and information security topics like software security, network security, web security, operating system security and mobile app security, and
• through its SEED emulator, users can replicate the internet on a single computer, introducing students to hands-on cybersecurity research activities related to the internet, Border Gateway Protocols (the internet鈥檚 routing protocol), Domain Name System (the internet鈥檚 directory), and Blockchain, Botnet, the Dark-net and more.

鈥淲e are not teaching students to carry out these attacks, but if you don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening behind the attack, you won鈥檛 know what to do when you encounter an attack,鈥� Du says.

Kevin Du (second from right) has carved out a decorated career as a global cybersecurity expert. His labs have been used by more than 1,100 institutions and universities across the world. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

A Safe, Hands-On Environment for Resolving Cybersecurity Attacks

Before Du created these virtual labs, cyberattacks would be explored on paper, with professors describing how a theoretical cyberattack could be carried out. While it is important for students to understand the theoretical workings of cyberattacks, Du says this approach leaves out the equally important practical application, the actual stopping of a cyberattack as it is happening or once it has happened.

Professors would discuss cyberattacks in theory, but gaining hands-on, practical experience was very limited, for one very good reason, according to Du. Working through cyberattacks represents a security threat, one that can鈥檛 be tackled on a normal University-issued computer, because some of the cyberattacks being studied could bring down the entire internet if they were successfully carried out.

The solution, according to Du, was to build virtual machine technology that would allow 黑料不打烊 students鈥攁nd students in classrooms all across the country鈥攖o access and run the cybersecurity software on their own personal computers.

At the time, virtual machine technology was still relatively new on college campuses. Du fine-tuned the project鈥檚 goals and objectives, focusing on educating students about the dangers of the different kinds of attacks while emphasizing ways to keep these attacks from happening.

鈥淭here was a huge gap between the theory and the practice of a cybersecurity attack. We needed to fill that gap,鈥� Du says. 鈥淭he big achievement with the SEED lab is we brought the ideas that students were learning about in their research and we simplified those ideas and made this hands-on component that compliments the theoretical teachings.鈥�

Becoming a Global Leader in Cybersecurity

Since starting as a professor at the University in 2001, Du鈥檚 research papers have been cited 17,800 times, and he has won two ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security Test-of-Time Awards.

In 2015, Du, who was always interested in hands-on learning, began offering training workshops funded through a $1 million NSF grant for interested cybersecurity educators at colleges and universities across the country. Each summer, approximately 80 instructors converge on Link Hall for a weeklong intensive training workshop where they learn the ins and outs of Du鈥檚 open-source software. Since offering the sessions, Du estimates that more than 400 college professors were trained on the software and are now teaching their students many of the same cybersecurity awareness and prevention lessons Du teaches through his labs.

鈥淚鈥檝e found that many instructors share my teaching philosophy that they want to have hands-on practice with their classes, but they鈥檙e finding there weren鈥檛 many opportunities,鈥� Du says. 鈥淣ow, my SEED lab can fill that gap and it鈥檚 very easy for the instructors to use. Because I put a lot of thought into designing this SEED lab, it makes it easier for other professors to bring the teachings back to their campuses.鈥�

Du has also written a textbook based on the SEED labs, 鈥淐omputer and Internet Security: A Hands-on Approach,鈥� that is used by nearly 300 universities. Knowing the source material can be a bit dry when digested only in a textbook, Du built a recording studio in his basement and produces video lessons complete with hands-on demonstrations to accompany his lectures. The videos are posted online and available at a cost of $10 per class.

鈥淭he videos certainly help enhance the teachings through demonstrations of the attacks or the lessons we鈥檙e learning and have helped more people benefit from my SEED labs,鈥� says Du, who hopes to one day introduce artificial intelligence topics into his SEED labs鈥� educational environment.

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

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

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

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

Dwayne Murray

鈥淭he OVMA sets our veteran and military-connected students with an opportunity to go through the entire life cycle of being connected to 黑料不打烊, from being recruited to when they graduate with their degrees,鈥� Murray says. 鈥淲e provide student success opportunities, immersion trips, job readiness activities and an outstanding 100% job placement rate thanks to our career services office.鈥�

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

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

鈥淭o be at the intersection of where I’ve had some of the most formidable experiences of my life as a student, and then to combine that with the purpose, direction and motivation that comes from being in the Army, I had to take advantage of this opportunity,鈥� Murray says. 鈥淚t’s the only calling for me that was bigger than continuing to serve in the military because I could pay back my institution, I could pay back the students that walk these halls and I could share those lessons I鈥檝e learned and experiences I鈥檝e had with our campus community.鈥�

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Murray discusses the impact the OVMA has had on campus and around the world, explores what sets 黑料不打烊 apart as a best place for veterans and shares his love for working with veterans and military-connected students.

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

Global Impact as a Best Place for Veterans

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

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

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

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

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

Add it all up and Murray says it鈥檚 easy to see why Military Times consistently ranks 黑料不打烊 among the 鈥渂est place for veterans鈥� among private universities.

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

National Veterans and Military Families Month

While Murray has always seen 黑料不打烊 as part of his identity鈥攚hen he was 7 years old, his grandmother bought him a 黑料不打烊 sweatshirt from the Salvation Army that became a cherished possession鈥攖he University is also ingrained in his family.

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

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

鈥淎lison is a nurse by trade, and Hendricks Chapel is like a hospital in that she can diagnose folks and provide them with the type of support and assistance they need to grow, thrive and be successful,鈥� Dwayne says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing feeling knowing we share this strong connection with our alma mater.鈥�

Alison and Dwayne Murray.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orange Central attendees show off their school spirit in front of the Hall of Languages. (Photo courtesy of the 黑料不打烊 Facebook page)

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

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

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

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

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Jason Davis and Jenny Stromer-Galley offer up tips and tools you can use to help spot misinformation, share advice to help us be better-informed consumers of information and social media, and analyze the latest research on misinformation trends in the upcoming presidential election.

With the increase of misinformation and disinformation on the internet and social media, our brains struggle to process what we’re seeing and whether an image, a video clip or a story is real or not.

Faculty members and have studied the trends and created tools to help discern what鈥檚 real and what is synthetic when it comes to content posted online and on social media.

Stromer-Galley is an expert in political campaigns and misinformation and is a professor in the ; Davis is an expert on misinformation and disinformation detection. He is a research professor with the Office of Research and Creative Activity in the , and is also co-director of the .

鈥淒epending on where people are getting their information, the quality and credibility of that information could be quite low,鈥� Stromer-Galley says. 鈥淚t leaves the public more vulnerable to state actors who are trying to engage in disinformation campaigns or U.S.-based malignant actors who are trying to manipulate the public for their own ends.鈥�

鈥淥ur brains have not evolved as fast as the technology, and so we are still as vulnerable as we ever were to the same sorts of approaches at being deceived, intentionally or unintentionally,鈥� Davis says. 鈥淲ith this new digital landscape and digital speed and scale, we need digital tools to help us protect ourselves from ourselves sometimes, and sometimes from that malicious information ecosystem.鈥�

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Stromer-Galley and Davis offer up tips and tools you can use to help spot misinformation, share advice to help us be better-informed consumers of information and social media, and analyze the latest research on misinformation trends in the upcoming presidential election.

Check out featuring Davis and Stromer-Galley. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

Semantic Forensics Helping Detect What鈥檚 Real and What鈥檚 Fake

Davis is involved with the Semantic Forensics program, whose work is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Through his efforts with DARPA, Davis is helping to advance research into the detection of disinformation and misinformation in the media.

Jason Davis

Semantic forensics is the understanding of not just whether something is real or fake, Davis says, but also delves into the why. What was the intent? Who was the target?

In its fourth year of concentrating on this research area, Davis has been developing digital tools that identify synthetic, manipulated media. The program evaluates the detectors being used, striving to understand what they can and can鈥檛 do when it comes to identifying synthetic media, as well as how effective they are at spotting real or synthetic content.

鈥淲e can say with confidence that this detector works for detecting these kinds of fake, synthetic images at a 98% accuracy, and it is capable of doing this but not being able to do that. They鈥檙e not a panacea, but here’s what they can do, so we learn how to use these detection devices properly and use them appropriately,鈥� Davis says. 鈥淭hen there鈥檚 the development of the tools and the modeling of the threat landscape. How do we create controlled versions of what we know is going on out there in the wild so that we can study, train and better understand our capabilities.鈥�

Investigating Social Media Spending Trends and Messaging Behind Political Ads

Stromer-Galley, who leads the University鈥檚 聽team, has studied misinformation trends in this presidential race and other top 2024 contests.

Jenny Stromer-Galley

After the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer, the ElectionGraph team explored the money being spent by the candidates, political action committees, political parties and unknown actors that mentioned presidential candidates in advertisements on both Facebook and Instagram.

The aim was to 鈥渧isualize the firehose of information and misinformation coming at voters from groups with a jumble of motives, ties and trustworthiness ahead of the 2024 elections,鈥� Stromer-Galley says.

The findings showed that:

• negative social media advertising in the presidential race increased after the assassination attempt;
• nearly 3,500 Facebook pages from outside organizations spent $55 million over the past year in an effort to influence the public this election season; and
• there was a pattern of 鈥渃oordinated inauthentic behavior鈥� among some outside organizations, including a large network of Facebook pages running ads (costing an estimated $5 million) aimed at scamming the public under the guise of supporting a presidential candidate鈥檚 campaign that garnered roughly 234 million impressions.

鈥淭o our surprise, there was a large network of individuals and organizations that we didn鈥檛 know who was behind this that were running scam ads targeted to people who are activated and excited about the presidential election. They were capitalizing on their enthusiasm by turning over their credit cards and then they’re getting scammed,鈥� Stromer-Galley says. 鈥淲hile Facebook is trying to take down those pages, the scammers continue to stay a step ahead.鈥�

Tips to Ward Off Misinformation

When you find yourself aimlessly scrolling through social media without thinking about the validity of what you just saw, that act makes you fully engaged in the platform and susceptible to misinformation or disinformation.

Users are encouraged to embrace cognitive friction when scrolling, because, according to both Davis and Stromer-Galley, the social media apps are designed for you to absorb content at face value, without applying deeper thought to who was behind the post or what their intent might be. By increasing friction, you take the proactive step of slowing down and contemplating the legitimacy of a post.

Both Davis and Stromer-Galley say that the best defense to misinformation and disinformation campaigns is knowledge, urging people to get their news from a wide-range of diverse, traditional media outlets, and to not solely rely on social media as a reliable news source.

Knowing that students have questions about the voting process, and hoping to improve awareness and engagement around voting, the University鈥檚 聽has put together a [PDF] that outlines the specific deadlines and requirements for students.

Included in the 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Otto Vote鈥� guide is information about the following:

• how to register to vote and when your state鈥檚 voter registration deadline is
• whether you need to request an absentee ballot and the requirements you must meet to be eligible
• how to get your ballot sent to campus and information on changing your mailing address and whether you should list your campus mailing address
• postmark and absentee ballot return deadlines for every state and which states offer online ballot tracking
• how to cast your ballot on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, if you plan on voting in 黑料不打烊

Mar铆a Qui帽ones Rios

鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we acknowledge that voting is a right and we should all exercise that right,鈥� says Mar铆a Qui帽ones Rios 鈥�25, SA鈥檚 communications director who is studying public relations in the .

鈥淭his was about making sure our students have all the information they need to make sure they can vote in the upcoming elections, and that they know their vote will count,鈥� Rios says. 鈥淲e see a lot of young people be disillusioned with politics in the United States and it鈥檚 really important to let students know that they do have a voice and that their voice is their vote.鈥�

Additionally, SA has collaborated with the to ensure current students have the proper access to participate in the upcoming elections. NYPIRG has been conducting tabling in the Schine Student Center encouraging students to register to vote.

The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 黑料不打烊 and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.

Students in New York with additional questions about the voter registration process can visit the .

From an early age, Mark Radel 鈥�28 always demonstrated compassion for his peers. As a precocious 9-year-old, Mark would rush onto the basketball court (accompanied by the coaches) whenever someone got hurt to check in and offer a helping hand.

Luke Radel 鈥�26 says empathy is his brother鈥檚 superpower. 鈥淢ark is overflowing with empathy, and he has a great ability to know if somebody is having a bad day, and what he can do to help them through it,鈥� Luke says, with a proud smile鈥攁nd that trait will serve Mark well as he strives for a career in sports and exercise science as an athletic trainer.

Mark鈥檚 career ambition is being supported by , an initiative from the聽 that sets a high standard among inclusive higher education programs, making higher education more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individualized and inclusive coursework, student-centered planning, internships, and social and extracurricular activities.

鈥淚 want to help people. I鈥檓 loving learning about the body, and how what we eat helps make us strong, and when I graduate, I want to work with my football team, the Buffalo Bills, as a trainer,鈥� says Mark, a sports and exercise science major at the University who was born with Down syndrome.

When Luke (left) attended 黑料不打烊 and study both political science and broadcast and digital journalism, Mark decided to follow in his brother鈥檚 footsteps. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

An Unbreakable Bond

Mark鈥檚 benevolent spirit helped Luke during his darkest days. While visiting colleges with his family in Boston, Massachusetts, Luke, an aspiring broadcast journalist, was out to dinner when he discovered his voice had left him. Realizing there was a potential health problem, Luke checked into Massachusetts General Hospital for observation.

Within a few hours, the doctors gave Luke their diagnosis: Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. With his head spinning, Luke began undergoing chemotherapy sessions twice a month for six months, oftentimes for five or more hours per visit. What got him through those trying times?

鈥淢ark was by my side, and his compassion was so helpful. Plus, he gives the best hugs. Whenever I was having a bad day, those hugs were just amazing and turned my day around,鈥� says Luke, whose cancer is in remission. 鈥淢ark鈥檚 had his fair share of health struggles, and in that moment, I realized what Mark overcomes every day just to keep going, all the work he does to go to school and live his life. If he鈥檚 taking on that daunting situation every single day, I can take care of my chemotherapy.鈥�

When Luke decided to attend 黑料不打烊 and study both political science in the and broadcast and digital journalism in the , Mark decided to follow in his brother鈥檚 footsteps, applying to and being granted admission into InclusiveU鈥檚 highly competitive program.

Their unbreakable bond was further strengthened as roommates on campus. Luke helps Mark with his homework and with prepping his meals, and configured Mark鈥檚 Google Maps app on his phone with the relevant directions needed for Mark to traverse campus on a daily basis.

Luke and Mark Radel during their shared class in the Falk College. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

鈥淢ark is Mr. Independent on campus. He doesn鈥檛 want to rely on someone else to help him get across campus. He鈥檚 done an amazing job of navigating everything it takes to be a student,鈥� Luke says. 鈥淚鈥檓 really grateful to be at an institution like 黑料不打烊 that is always striving to ensure everybody has access to the opportunities they need to succeed and feel welcome in these spaces.鈥�

Life-Changing Opportunities

From the moment Mark came into his life, Luke has embraced advocating on behalf of his brother, fighting to ensure he was given access to every possible opportunity. It鈥檚 part of the Radel family鈥檚 genetic makeup. Their father, Patrick, was an attorney who helped people with mental and developmental disabilities be included in their elementary and high school鈥檚 educational programs, and their mother, Mary, created a support group, , that raises awareness and educates and connects parents of children born with Down syndrome to resources.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which, Luke says, is the perfect time for members of the University to learn how people with Down syndrome are valuable contributors to the University community.

鈥淧eople with Down syndrome are more alike than they are different from us. Mark needs to be in environments that will push him outside of his comfort zone and push the limits of what a person with Down syndrome can accomplish,鈥� Luke says. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be helping Mark by interacting with him, but you鈥檙e also helping yourself gain a better understanding of how people with Down syndrome see and interact with the world around them.

Inspired to become a broadcast journalist from his efforts advocating on Mark鈥檚 behalf, Luke has amassed an impressive portfolio as a broadcast journalist, recently covering both the Republican and Democratic national conventions and serving as a in Utica, New York.

Luke hopes to use his dual degrees to continue telling impactful stories that make a difference, including his brother鈥檚 inspirational journey to 黑料不打烊.

When Mark got his acceptance letter into InclusiveU I cried tears of joy. I was so excited for him, and I have loved being able to share in the 黑料不打烊 journey with Mark, Luke says.

鈥淚 always wanted to go to college, and being here with my brother has been amazing. This experience has changed my life,鈥� Mark says.

Sports as a Unifying Force

A lifelong fan of playing sports, Mark Radel enjoys participating in the Special Olympics Unified Sports club basketball team on campus. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The table tennis area in the lounge of Luke鈥檚 off-campus apartment complex is getting quite the workout on a Tuesday morning before they both have class in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Good-natured comments fly back and forth whenever a point is scored. Their friendly matches, typically a best two-out-of-three affair, offer insights into their dynamic.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to play sports and I like learning new things while I am playing,鈥� Mark says. 鈥淎nd I like to beat Luke. We always have fun when we play.鈥�

鈥淥h yeah, this is always fun whenever we play [table tennis]. Mark loves watching and playing sports because it鈥檚 exciting and fun for him, and it鈥檚 a great way to stay active and also be part of a team and a community. Mark just loves being around people,鈥� Luke adds.

Outside of their sibling showdowns in table tennis, Mark also participates in the Special Olympics Unified Sports club basketball team on campus, practicing every Sunday in the Women鈥檚 Building.

Surrounded by friends, Mark takes great pride in his basketball abilities. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to shoot, dribble the ball and then pass it to my teammates, but what I鈥檓 really good at is shooting and scoring,鈥� Mark says with a smile鈥攂ut more than his performance, he enjoys the camaraderie and friendships that form with his peers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the best. We cheer each other on, cheer for big shots and we all want everyone to play well and have fun,鈥� Mark says. 鈥淚 play better when my teammates are cheering me on, yelling 鈥楳ark, Mark, Mark!鈥� It makes me happy and motivates me.鈥�

Brothers Mark (left) and Luke Radel share an unbreakable bond, one that has only strengthened during their time at 黑料不打烊.

An avid fan of the 黑料不打烊 football team, Luke and Mark eagerly await each home game. Mark can often be found yelling and cheering on the team while wearing his No. 6 黑料不打烊 jersey, originally purchased to honor former starting quarterback Garrett Shrader 鈥�23, but this year, the jersey is a nod to current starting quarterback Kyle McCord 鈥�25.

From his seats in the 300 section inside the JMA Wireless Dome, fans flock to Mark鈥檚 infectious attitude, exchanging fist bumps and high-fives every time 黑料不打烊 comes up with a big play.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool and it makes me feel great to know I鈥檓 making new friends while we鈥檙e cheering on 黑料不打烊,鈥� Mark says.

鈥淢ark has such a big smile on his face when he鈥檚 interacting with our fans, and it makes me so happy to see his joy,鈥� Luke adds.

The employee giving campaign runs through Friday, Dec. 13. Celebrating 102 years of impact in the local community, the聽聽funds 73 different human service programs and projects at 34 nonprofit partners.

Kirsten Elleby

鈥淭he United Way makes a direct impact on people through supporting a variety of amazing initiatives and programs within our community. You will treasure the feeling when you know your dollar helped make a profound difference in someone鈥檚 life, perhaps even a family member or a friend in need,鈥� says , one of the co-chairs of the University鈥檚 employee giving campaign and the deputy athletics director and senior woman administrator.

University employees are encouraged to consider making a voluntary pledge through MySlice. Options are available for either a one-time donation or a recurring donation through payroll deduction each pay period. University retirees are also invited to participate as many enjoy the longstanding tradition and generous spirit of this annual event. For those who prefer, a paper pledge card may be obtained by contacting campaign coordinator Jake Losowski at聽jjlosows@syr.edu聽or 315.443.4137.

In case you need inspiration for why your gift matters,聽 featuring Elleby and her fellow University co-chair for the campaign, , vice president of enrollment services, along with other University employees discussing the importance of contributing to the United Way.

Ryan Williams

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� is crucial to the vitality of the broad 黑料不打烊 community. When we partner with the United Way of Central New York, we ensure that services and supports are made available to community members who need them,鈥� Williams says. 鈥淚 have personally seen how United Way agencies change lives and knowing that 黑料不打烊 faculty, students and staff contributed made it even more impactful.鈥�

Every dollar raised remains in Central New York to help the United Way address various community needs. Faculty and staff are encouraged to unite with their Orange colleagues to give hope to those with the greatest need in our community.

Through the 黑料不打烊 employee giving campaign, faculty and staff can give back to this initiative that supports and empowers the United Way to continue making a vast impact in our community.

鈥淚 challenge us to come together and make this year the best turnout ever for the 黑料不打烊 campaign鈥攖o not only reach our monetary goals, but more importantly the goals of making our community stronger, prouder and more united than ever before,鈥� Elleby says.

Many departments organize activities to raise additional funds to be donated to the campaign. Fundraising activities have included bake sales, raffles, contests and gift baskets. In the past, the Department of Public Safety held a step counting challenge, while 黑料不打烊 Libraries held a bake sale that was popular with staff and students with all proceeds benefiting the United Way. Employees are encouraged to get involved, even if they have not participated in the campaign in the past.

In addition to the co-chairs, the annual campaign is led by a collection of team leaders from colleges and departments across campus who collaborate to promote the campaign and encourage their colleagues to participate.

鈥淭his campaign touches so many different aspects of peoples鈥� lives. It鈥檚 not just to give money to a company for them to do this one goal. It鈥檚 how can we take these funds and find the most important or the most critical or the ideal place to help the community in the best way possible,鈥� says Kristin Jeter, access services librarian with 黑料不打烊 Libraries.

No gift is too small and every dollar helps change lives.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 miss one or two dollars a week coming out of your paycheck. And that little bit can help make a big difference. Community is everyone working together for a common goal,鈥� says Charlotte Stahrr, academic program administrator in the College of Professional Studies.

InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults and student Matthew Falanga discuss the life-changing opportunities InclusiveU affords its students, how InclusiveU has made a profound impact, how InclusiveU has become the standard-bearer for how colleges run an inclusive higher education program and how the benefits extend to the greater campus community.

The White House. Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The New York State Capitol building in Albany.

Matthew Falanga

These are just some of the places an enthusiastic delegation from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 InclusiveU program have traveled over the years, meeting with policymakers, politicians and higher education leaders to push for change to make higher education more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For more than a decade, InclusiveU, an initiative from the聽, has set the standard by which all other inclusive higher education programs are judged. Its model encompasses individualized and inclusive coursework, student-centered planning, internships, and social and extracurricular activities.

鈥淚 always wanted to go to college, and when I heard about 黑料不打烊 and its InclusiveU program, I knew that was where I wanted to go to achieve my dreams,鈥� says Matthew Falanga 鈥�26, who was born with Down syndrome and is majoring in communications at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淭he best part of coming to 黑料不打烊 is making new friends and being involved on campus. It makes me feel very happy.鈥�

Over the last 10 years, InclusiveU has experienced exponential growth and is now the largest program of its kind in the country. This year, 102 students are pursuing their academic dreams on campus, including 44 students who, like Falanga, live in residence halls.

Check out featuring Falanga and InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults G’20. A transcript [PDF] is also available.

Recruiting Advocates, Reducing Stigmas

Over the years, InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults G’20 has led countless trips to bring current InclusiveU students and recent graduates to meet with elected officials. These trips serve to recruit new advocates, increase support and awareness of the program, and reduce the stigmas that still exist surrounding students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The opportunities InclusiveU affords aren鈥檛 readily available for many students like Falanga. According to , only 2% of school-age students with intellectual disability are likely to attend college after high school, and of the 472 colleges and universities in New York state, only 24 have inclusive postsecondary education programs.

Brianna Shults

鈥淭here was this cliff that many students with developmental and intellectual disabilities would drop off once they graduated high school. Some would find work or a program that filled time in their day, while some would do volunteer activities. Some just stayed home. By being able to take that next step in their development alongside their peers, continuing their educations while gaining skills to launch their careers, InclusiveU has given students the opportunity to define who they are and what they want to be. They get to have the same experiences their peers were afforded,鈥� Shults says.

Now, thanks to a $200,000 grant from the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, the School of Education鈥檚 聽will provide technical assistance to schools and colleges in Western and Central New York to create and enhance inclusive college programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This is in addition to the technical assistance InclusiveU has already provided to colleges and universities in Arizona, Florida, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee when representatives from those institutions visited campus in 2023. InclusiveU students led campus tours while sharing how their higher education experiences had changed their lives.

鈥淭here are not enough inclusive programs like ours and our field is very collaborative. We want all students with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to go to college to have an opportunity that fits their needs,鈥� Shults says. 鈥淭he demand versus available opportunity and the capacity of these programs is something that needs support. We are thankful for the Golisano Foundation鈥檚 help to build out this program and provide the type of support and knowledge that other programs [at other institutions] are looking for.鈥�

Celebrating People With Disabilities

For many adolescent students with developmental disabilities, the pursuit of higher education is filled with roadblocks and can be a daunting task for both aspiring students and their families. But thanks to InclusiveU, students of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities are empowered to come to campus and experience college life in a fully inclusive setting, learning the necessary skills to thrive in the classroom and find a job after graduation.

These experiences prove to be life-changing for students like Falanga, who over the summer interned with , where he worked on a project promoting voting rights for people with disabilities, and also represented InclusiveU as an inclusive higher education advocate at a Disability Pride Event in the White House.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Falanga, who had a specific message for the government officials he met during his visit.

鈥淛ust because I was born with a disability, I want to celebrate my disability. I also want to help other people with disabilities feel better about themselves. Be proud of who you are. It is important for people with disabilities to learn about these programs [like InclusiveU] and know that they can go to college and start their new life,鈥� says Falanga, who hopes to use his degree to land a job where he can help create more legislation that opens doors for people with disabilities.

Representing InclusiveU at a Disability Pride Event in the White House over the summer were (from left to right): Karly Grifasi, assistant director of operations and communications, Jennifer Quinn, internship and employment coordinator, Matthew Falanga and Shafreya Wilkins.

Opening Doors for All

黑料不打烊 has a proud 154-year history of opening its doors to all students who are interested in receiving a college degree, regardless of their background or upbringing.

InclusiveU, which was founded in 2001 as a dual enrollment program with the 黑料不打烊 City School District, has provided the necessary skills for students to both thrive in the classroom and find a job after graduation. By incorporating InclusiveU students in classes with the general 黑料不打烊 student body, Shults says the entire campus community benefits.

鈥淚t helps make all 黑料不打烊 students better friends, better classmates, better coworkers and better community members,鈥� Shults says. 鈥淗aving this experience and interaction with InclusiveU students helps our whole campus think inclusively. It helps our administration think differently and more inclusively. We’re able to adjust the way students access their classes or how they interact with faculty to make sure those experiences are inclusive for all.鈥�

Equipped for Lifelong Success

The initiative鈥檚 work is evolving. InclusiveU students now participate in the University鈥檚 First Year Seminar course, and in May, InclusiveU is launching the first inclusive 黑料不打烊 Abroad experience to Italy, with a goal of expanding opportunities for its students to study abroad.

Once they earn 黑料不打烊 degrees, many InclusiveU students successfully find paid, competitive jobs, due in part to the strong relationships InclusiveU develops with its partners, both on campus and in the Central New York community. It鈥檚 also a result of the yearlong internships InclusiveU students participate in as part of their three years of academic education.

Matthew Falanga (left) and Shafreya Wilkins during a visit to Washington, D.C.

But there鈥檚 more work to be done when it comes to support and funding for InclusiveU, including thinking beyond the students鈥� time on campus.

鈥淲e want to ensure that students can lead the lives that they want to live afterwards, and that goes for employment, community involvement and living situations. We have advocated for ending subminimum wage and closing sheltered workshops. The Higher Education Opportunity Act hasn’t been reauthorized since 2008,鈥� Shults says. 鈥淭hese are all really important things to help individuals with disabilities lead productive and meaningful lives beyond higher education.鈥�

For now, Falanga is focusing on fine-tuning his public speaking skills, continuing to make new friends on campus and finding ways to get and stay involved with the University he loves so much.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� makes me feel very happy and proud. InclusiveU has helped me to make new friends, take great classes and explore my career choices. This has changed my life,鈥� Falanga says.

For many Orange students, joining a (RSO) is a terrific way to not only become more involved on campus, but also explore and expand your interests and discover your community by making new friends.

From celebrating your cultural heritage and cultivating your academic interests to furthering your career ambitions and pursuing your recreational passions, with more than 300 RSOs, club sports offerings and Greek life chapters on campus, there鈥檚 truly something for everyone.

Anne Lombard

鈥淚nvolvement on campus is important to student success. There is a significant body of research on college students that indicates that students who are involved and find their 鈥榟ome鈥� on campus are more likely to be successful and more likely to graduate,鈥� says , executive director of student engagement.

While the options are unlimited, the number of hours in a day a student has to commit to extracurricular activities is not. Becoming too involved with clubs and RSOs can lead to poor grades in the classroom, burnout and feeling overwhelmed by increasing responsibilities.

Especially for new students, who are just learning the time management skills needed to juggle their academic courseload with campus involvement, Lombard recommends exercising patience.

鈥淒on鈥檛 get over-involved, especially in your first semester. It鈥檚 important to get yourself on solid ground academically before getting involved in RSOs and activities. For many students, academic expectations are much greater than they were in high school. Involvement outside the classroom is important, but students鈥� academic pursuit is why they are here,鈥� says Lombard, who leads a team of staff members who work directly with the RSOs on campus.

Lombard sat down with SU News to offer advice on how students can avoid involvement burnout, questions to ask before becoming a member of a club or RSO and resources available to help with the decision-making process.

Is there a right time for new students to join a club/RSO?

Three students represent their student organization at a table on the Quad as part of the Student Involvement Fair for Recognized Student Organizations. (Photo by Tiancheng Tang ’26)

I generally encourage new students to join one RSO in their first semester so that they can get used to college-level coursework, living away from home (if applicable) and being more independent. One RSO is doable for most people. More than that might be too much in your first semester.

What are some questions students should ask themselves before signing up?

Students have an almost endless array of organizations from which to choose at 黑料不打烊 and can easily feel overwhelmed by the variety of choices or get over-extended. Any student considering involvement in RSOs should ask themselves what they hope to gain from the experience and how much time they can realistically dedicate to non-academic pursuits. Not every RSO needs to relate directly to their career goals or future path. There can be many reasons to join a group, including meeting new people and looking to connect with like-minded students.

What kind of research should students undertake before joining?

Students should be very honest about how much time they have to dedicate to involvement outside the classroom. Students can learn a lot about groups by attending events like the Student Involvement Fair, held at the beginning of each semester, and using , a web-based portal focused on connecting students to involvement opportunities on campus.

How will a student know if they have taken on too many responsibilities?

If a student starts cutting corners to complete things, stops enjoying their responsibilities or their responsibilities begin to feel like a burden, those could be signs that a student has taken on too much. They should listen to what their intuition is telling them. Most students probably recognize when they鈥檙e getting overextended.

What advice do you have for students who realize they might have taken on more than they can handle?

Don鈥檛 be afraid to ask for help! Students should know there are faculty and staff who care about them and their experience. There are many people and offices who want to help and who want students to be successful.

Be sure to visit for more information on the resources available, including a , how to , upcoming , questions on , staff members to and .

Students (from left) Janese Fayson ’26, Astrid Melendez ’25 and Adalys Sanchez ’26 share what their Latine heritage means to them, how they鈥檝e discovered a cultural home on campus and why they wanted to get involved in planning Latine Heritage Month celebrations on campus.

What does it mean to be a descendant of Latine/x/o/a and Hispanic heritage and trace your cultural roots to one of the more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, Central America, South America or the Caribbean?

It鈥檚 impossible to come up with a singular defining trait, characteristic or value that represents Latine culture, but beginning this week and running through Oct. 26, the University community is coming together to learn more about the rich cultural history of various identities within the Latine community during Latine Heritage Month (LHM).

Three current students鈥擜strid Melendez ’25, Adalys Sanchez ’26 and Janese Fayson ’26鈥攕hare what their Latine heritage means to them, how they鈥檝e discovered a cultural home on campus and why they wanted to get involved in planning LHM celebrations.

The theme of this year鈥檚 celebration is 鈥淔ronteras Sin Limites: Embracing our Borderless Cultures,鈥� exploring the experiences of Latine communities who live along and across borders, both physical and cultural, and highlighting the resilience and adaptability of the Latine community who navigate multiple identities and spaces.

Learn the stories of how these three student leaders celebrate their cultures, then check out the complete schedule of聽.

Astrid Melendez ’25

Academic major: Information management and technology ()

What is your cultural heritage? 鈥淢y entire family is from Lima, Peru.鈥�

Astrid Melendez

What role does your cultural heritage play in your life?聽鈥淚t plays a very important role. Growing up in Germany and moving to the United States when I was in elementary school, I knew that my cultural background made me different. My parents left Peru when they were in their 30s, and growing up, my parents were still learning English. Spanish was my first language and no matter where I lived, our Peruvian culture was always prevalent in my day-to-day life. Especially when it came to language, food and our customs. When I am at 黑料不打烊, I like to cook Peruvian meals and treats like Lomo Saltado and Alfajores. Back home, my family and I often go to Peruvian cultural events and restaurants.鈥�

How have you found a cultural home on campus? 鈥淛oining SALSA [the South American and Latine Student Association] is the place I have been able to find a cultural home at 黑料不打烊. Before SALSA, I had never met any other Peruvian my age that wasn鈥檛 related to me. It made me happy to not only get to meet other Peruvian college students, but also other students with South American heritage. SALSA and its members have turned into a family for me here.鈥�

How has SALSA helped? 鈥淪ALSA鈥檚 mission is to have a student organization focused on South American culture and we thrive creating events while educating and building a community for students belonging to or interested in South American cultures. I鈥檓 currently president, and this club is special and exciting! I鈥檝e learned more about other South American countries and cultures and it鈥檚 been amazing working with the proud and passionate executive board members.鈥�

Adalys Sanchez ’26

Academic major: Earth science with a minor in women and gender studies ()

What is your cultural heritage? 鈥淚 am a first-generation college student who was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and I also have family roots in the Dominican Republic.鈥�

Adalys Sanchez

What role does your cultural heritage play in your life?聽鈥淢y Puerto Rican heritage shapes my perspective on resilience and community, influencing my drive to succeed as a first-generation student. It deeply influences my passion for environmental justice, as I鈥檝e witnessed firsthand the effects of environmental inequality on marginalized communities. Part of why I wish to study environmental law is because I want to go back home and create sustainable policies that allow everyone to live in a safe and clean environment. My heritage is also important because it means that if I succeed in my career goals, I will be bringing a new and diverse perspective to the legal field.

鈥淲henever I鈥檓 home, I try to visit the different parts of the island to learn about our rich history. I also participate in local festivals such as Fiestas Patronales, where the streets come alive with music, dancing and traditional foods. And during the holidays, our culture really comes alive. At Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), we gather for large feasts of traditional food, including some of my favorite food like arroz con gandules (rice with peas), lechon (pork) and coquito (a coconut-flavored drink similar to eggnog). We also tell stories and do parrandas (similar to caroling).鈥�

How have you found a cultural home on campus? 鈥淭hrough the student organizations I belong to, like the Puerto Rican Student Association, which allows me to connect with other people who celebrate Puerto Rican culture, discussing current events on the island and getting to organize events where we participate in our traditions. It really makes me feel like I have a little piece of home here with me at 黑料不打烊. I鈥檓 also a member of the Rai虂ces Dance Troupe since I鈥檝e always loved dancing and I can enjoy my culture through music and movement.鈥�

Why did you want to get involved in organizing the LHM celebrations? 鈥淟atinx culture is deeply rooted in community, joy and resilience, which are often expressed through vibrant celebrations, music and gatherings. My main role was organizing the (Oct. 10), where students can have fun roller-skating while enjoying one of the most prominent music genres in current Latinx culture. I want everyone, especially first-year students, to embrace their roots and do so in ways that educate the community while having fun and empowering ourselves. I want to show how important claiming your heritage can be to finding your place on campus and in society.鈥�

Janese Fayson ’26

Academic majors: Marketing and finance ()

What is your cultural heritage? 鈥淚 am a first-generation college student from Miami, Florida. I am Black and Puerto Rican.鈥�

Janese Fayson

What role does your cultural heritage play in your life?聽鈥淢y heritage influences so many things, from my style to my way of expressing myself, it is so inherently engrained in me. Good music, great food and amazing company is my go-to way to celebrate. I love my heritage.鈥�

How have you found a cultural home on campus? 鈥淚 belong to so many different organizations [including the Caribbean Student Association, the Black Student Union, Student Living and Student Association], not only because I enjoy being involved, but because I love being able to meet new people, some of whom share similar identities with me, and others who do not. I feel so immersed in culture when I am with them.鈥�

How has the Caribbean Student Association helped? 鈥淚 joined my freshmen year at the Welcome F锚te and have been involved ever since, now holding the title of president. Our mission is to uplift, inspire and bring Caribbean people and the 黑料不打烊 community together. It has helped me find some of my favorite people and I learn something from them every day, whether about their culture, heritage or as individuals. Being president of such a vast organization is so fulling for so many different reasons and I have learned more about myself through it all.鈥�

Buzard and her longtime research partners鈥� (associate professor of economics at Tufts University) and (associate professor of economics at Brigham Young University)鈥攔eceived word this summer that they had been selected by the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute to conduct research as visiting scholars at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

They will spend two weeks furthering their studies on how women carry a disproportionate share of the mental load, but the exact dates for their residency were held up over child care concerns for Gee and Stoddard. The trio expects to convene at the Federal Reserve in the spring or early summer of 2025.

When it comes to these invisible tasks鈥攚hich can include scheduling medical appointments, arranging child care and carpools and planning for other child-related extracurricular activities鈥攖his is par for the course, according to the preliminary findings of their research proposal.

Kristy Buzard

鈥淭here have been several times when one of my co-authors has been presenting the paper and they have to pause because their child鈥檚 school is calling and they have to stop what they鈥檙e doing to take the call,鈥� says Buzard, a Melvin A. Eggers Economics Faculty Scholar and senior research associate for the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration.

鈥淥ur research strives to understand the disproportionate burden of the mental load that it seems women bear, but we鈥檙e also planning on going deeper to understand why that happens, and what the impacts are. Hopefully, this may help us better understand the wage gap between men and women.鈥�

To study the inequality in external demands placed on women, Buzard, Gee and Stoddard ran a large, randomized control trial where they sent emails from fictitious parents in heterosexual relationships to school principals asking them to contact one of the parents. Recording which parent the principal contacted and their reaction to different messages parents might send, Buzard says the group set out to quantify why principals would insist on calling the woman even if she says she鈥檚 busy, while respecting the man鈥檚 stance that he was unavailable.

The research revealed that mothers are 1.4 times more likely to be contacted by their child鈥檚 school than fathers and that parents had a relatively difficult time getting schools, doctors鈥� offices, day care facilities, places of worship and other organizations to respect their wishes when it comes to which parent should be contacted when issues arise.

鈥淭hese principals responded less strongly to the signals the moms were sending about being unavailable while largely not calling the men who say they鈥檙e unavailable,鈥� says Buzard. 鈥淭his asymmetry in how the principals behaved led us to ask about the mental load and why mothers end up taking on more of the responsibility when there are more external demands being asked of them?鈥�

Buzard sat down with SU News to discuss the goals of this research, how being a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will advance their efforts and why women have a larger parenting burden placed on them than men.

How will this residency help advance your research?

We鈥檙e hoping the Federal Reserve has data they can share that will shed light on our research. The Fed is not a monolith; there鈥檚 the Federal Reserve Board at the center as well as the twelve Reserve Banks and all their branches. There are research departments and community development departments. There are economists and people who are more policy and outreach focused who are also interested in these same issues. The more that we as academics, specifically economists, can do to be in touch with people on the policy front lines, the better our research is going to be. We need to be in touch with the policy landscape and I鈥檓 excited to connect with the Federal Reserve鈥檚 network.

How are you and your team incorporating the data you鈥檝e collected and interpreting what it says about why women have a larger burden placed on them than men?

One of the early pieces of data we’re working with is taking transcripts from the voicemails that were left for us from principals鈥攁bout 17,000 voicemails (out of the 80,000 principals we called)鈥攁nd doing a sentiment analysis to quantify how nice or mean or happy the principals were in the voicemail. That is, we鈥檙e studying what sentiment was embodied in the way these people are talking when they leave the message.

We鈥檙e in the very early stage, but what we expect is that if the email sends a signal that says the mother’s unavailable鈥攚hich goes against the social norm鈥攁nd if there is pressure on women to always be available as parents, we鈥檇 see more negative sentiment from principals when the mother said she was unavailable. If that response is going to be judged negatively, we would hope we could pick that up in these voicemails. If the father is not available, our guess is that鈥檚 not really an issue for the principal.

There are these subtle and not-so-subtle social cues that tell women that this [always being available for your child] is your job and you鈥檙e bad if you don鈥檛 do it. Where does this come from? Why do women do more of this work? If the mother lets something fall through the cracks, is she treated differently than if dad lets something fall through the cracks? These are some of the questions we want to explore.

Why have we seen a slowdown in the closing of the wage gap between men and women?

It closed over time and now it’s kind of stubbornly sitting there, but we鈥檙e a bit puzzled at this point as a profession in being able to explain exactly why we don’t seem to be able to [fully] close the wage gap. I’m not sure we can say it has stopped closing, but if you look from the 1980s on, there was a big closing of the gap as more women came into the workforce and we shifted to dual-earner families.

It seems like we鈥檝e hit some kind of limit and we鈥檙e not seeing the gap close at any appreciable rate and at this point, a big part of the gap can be explained by motherhood. There鈥檚 also a path dependency because child care is so expensive that unless you have two people who are both super-high earners, there is an economic incentive for one of them to step out of the labor force to take care of children when they’re young. Because historically women have made less than men, oftentimes the calculus says it鈥檚 better for the family if the mother is the one who steps out of the workforce. But none of this is in isolation鈥攖hese are norms that developed over time and we鈥檙e kind of just stuck now.

What are some of the other intended or unintended results of this research as it pertains to the wage gap between men and women?

If we really want to understand the gender wage gap, we need to think about the ways that the anticipation of this gap has people making career decisions from very early on. We conducted a survey asking a range of questions, thinking about the fact that you might have extra demands coming from parenthood and how that might affect your choice of a college major.

We see twice as many women as men saying they thought hard about this when they chose their college major. We see a lot more people saying they chose to stay at home for some portion of the time [since becoming a mother versus becoming a father]. We see people saying they chose more flexible arrangements, or they might take less money in exchange for more flexibility. The reason all of this is important, aside from people鈥檚 health and happiness, is that this can place women at a real disadvantage in terms of long-term outcomes in the labor market.

Head football coach Fran Brown uses the life lessons football teaches to transform his 黑料不打烊 student-athletes into men who are invested in their community and put the needs of the team above their own needs.

The Fran Brown era got off to a fantastic start when the 黑料不打烊 football team defeated Ohio University 38-22 Saturday afternoon before a raucous crowd of students, Central New York community members and alumni of the football program inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

Since his hiring as the program鈥檚 31st head coach on Nov. 28, 2023, Brown has been busy making his mark, bringing in a slew of talented student-athletes and coaches while focusing on once again turning the Orange into national championship contenders.

But this job is about more than football for Brown, who came to 黑料不打烊 as the nation鈥檚 top college football recruiter and a member of the 2022 College Football National Championship coaching staff with the University of Georgia. Brown uses the life lessons football teaches to transform his players into men who are invested in their community and put the needs of the team above their own needs.

Fran Brown

鈥淔ootball has changed everything. It’s helped me be where I’m at today because of teamwork, because it鈥檚 bigger than just yourself. When you鈥檙e able to give it everything you’ve got, and it鈥檚 for us, not for I, then it becomes about everybody,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淣ow that I’m in the position I’m in, I can take football and I can help people literally change lives. I can be a blessing to others and to the community.鈥�

Brown is a self-made man who came from humble beginnings in Camden, New Jersey, and football became an outlet for Brown. He excelled on the gridiron as Camden High School鈥檚 quarterback. After spending a year playing for Hudson Valley Community College, Brown was recruited to play for Western Carolina University by Matt Rhule, future head coach of the NFL鈥檚 Carolina Panthers. Brown thrived at cornerback, earning first-team All-Southern Conference honors and serving as team captain en route to earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in criminal justice.

Brown credits his coaches for helping him reach his full potential as a football player and, more importantly, as a man focused on making a difference in his community.

鈥淢y coaches were good, positive men that were teaching me the right things and wanted to see me be successful,鈥� says Brown. 鈥淭hat just poured into me and has been a big influence on my coaching career. You always take all the good that everyone gives you and you want to be able to give back, to help, to push young men to go be successful in life.鈥�

With excitement building around the Orange football team鈥攆aculty and staff are encouraged to purchase their tickets to Saturday鈥檚 鈥擝rown stopped by the 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 颁辞苍惫别谤蝉补迟颈辞苍蝉鈥� podcast to discuss how he鈥檚 making his mark on the program, why he鈥檚 all-in on 黑料不打烊 football and how his upbringing shaped and molded him into the leader he is today.

Check out featuring Brown. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

How can you describe the emotions of this past weekend?

Fran Brown talks with his student-athletes during Saturday’s season-opening win over Ohio University. (Photo courtesy of 黑料不打烊 Athletics)

It was cool. It was emotional, just because of my family and getting them to have the opportunity to see me become a head coach. It鈥檚 a milestone when it comes to the entire family, my wife, my children, my siblings, my aunts and uncles. I鈥檓 extremely happy for them, and more so I鈥檓 happy for all the buildup from this community and how, since day one, we鈥檝e gotten buy-in from the community. Everyone, the community, the staff, the faculty, the students, the alumni, everyone has been behind us. Everybody鈥檚 been open arms wanting to see us be successful. This win was for them. We deserved to start this out the right way.

How nervous were you before kickoff?

There were uncontrollable nerves! I was extremely nervous, but at the same time, when you prepare like we have, it’s a little bit of anxiety and that’s a part of the game. But I knew we were prepared. I didn’t lack the preparation, so it was just about football. I鈥檓 just thankful and happy that everybody [in the JMA Dome] got to enjoy their Saturday with a win.

What did you learn about yourself after your first game as a head coach?

Fran Brown takes in the action during his first game as head coach at 黑料不打烊. (Photo courtesy of 黑料不打烊 Athletics)

I鈥檝e got to control my composure on certain things. I was still in a practice mindset. My coaching staff did a great job and I learned that I was able to trust them and let them do what they need to do. Keep the players involved, even if they鈥檙e not on the field. Just getting everyone to focus on the game. Be where your feet are. It鈥檚 mental toughness. This is bigger than just a football game. Football teaches us about life and teaches us how to take care of all those little things.

With our core values, we are DART (Detailed, Accountable, Relentless, Tough). We need to be able to live DART at all times. Are you being detailed? Accountable? Relentless? When things are going the wrong way, are you displaying toughness?

What is the thought process behind DART?

I figured out what I can give these young men, outside of trying to get them closer to their faith, that they can take with them for the rest of their lives. No matter the situation, this DART tool is going to get them in and out of some of the toughest situations in their lives. Anyone that is going to lead a business, lead a family or be successful needs to be detailed, be accountable and be able to hold others accountable and be comfortable with others holding you accountable. You’re going to have to be relentless going after what it is you want to be in life. And you should be tough. If you鈥檙e DART in everything you do, you鈥檙e probably going to be very successful.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

New Student Association President German Nolivos ’26 (right) and Vice President Reed Granger ’26 strive to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.

Listen. Learn. Lead.

Those three simple verbs were repeatedly emphasized by German Nolivos 鈥�26 and Reed Granger 鈥�26 during the spring general elections.

German Nolivos

Hammering home an effective message to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 student body was especially important since Nolivos and Granger were running unopposed. With no competition, the duo was essentially guaranteed to assume leadership roles as president and vice president. But they did not intend to simply coast to victory.

Rather, they worked tirelessly to convey the important role SA plays as a bridge that listens to student concerns and works with the administration to resolve them.

鈥淲e wanted the students to understand that we cannot effectively work without their input. We want to leave our mark on student government by focusing on these recognized student organizations and multicultural organizations that have been looking for help from the student body and the SA. We can strengthen the relationship between our students and student government,鈥� says Nolivos, a Posse Leadership Scholar and first-generation college student studying political science in the and and public relations in the聽.

鈥淲e needed to convince students to engage with the Student Association, and we campaigned on those values of listening, learning and leading. Our goal is to advocate for new policies that are effective in resolving the issues our students face, and to let the student body know how truly important our advocacy is,鈥� adds Granger, who is studying photography in the Newhouse School and political science in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences.

Reed Granger

The message was well-received, as Nolivos and Granger were elected president and vice president, respectively, after garnering more than 90% of the votes. The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 黑料不打烊 and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.

Nolivos and Granger have held previous leadership roles on campus, and they are excited to hold these positions while striving to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.

The 鈥渓isten, learn, lead鈥� motto extends beyond a campaign slogan, influencing Nolivos and Granger鈥檚 main objectives as elected student leaders. For this upcoming academic year, their main goals include:

• listening to the voices of traditionally underrepresented student populations;
• learning from and engaging with the collective diversity on campus;
• leading by continuing to foster an inclusive, accessible and welcoming campus for all;
• improving campus safety, especially on South Campus;
• enhancing the quality of the food in the dining halls and continuing to provide students access to food through complimentary grocery trolley runs;
• helping the University reduce its carbon footprint while striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2032; and
• creating changes that will enhance the student experience for all.

Nolivos and Granger sat down with SU News to discuss their goals for the academic year, offer their advice to new students on campus and share how their time at 黑料不打烊 has fueled their growth as student leaders.

What will make this a successful academic year?

German Nolivos: My goal is always to empower the students who work under me, to make sure the Student Association鈥檚 100 members know that they鈥檙e appreciated, and that the work they鈥檙e doing has an impact on our campus. For this year to be successful, we want the campus community to know who we are and that the Student Association can be a valuable resource for our students.

Reed Granger: To spread the word of Student Association to more students than ever before and continuing the good relationship we have with our administration. Being able to improve on what previous student leaders have done while continuing to advocate for the student body.

What鈥檚 one thing you wish you knew before you started your 黑料不打烊 journey?

Granger: Time management. I don’t know if there’s an overall secret to time management, but I wish that before my first day, somebody told me about how to manage my time. Given my areas of study and my involvement on campus, everything I do, every meeting I have goes through my Google Calendar, even homework assignments. And I encourage new students to make sure you have some free time.

Nolivos: In the first couple of weeks on campus, it鈥檚 important that you build up your support system. You鈥檙e going to have opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Make sure you really take the time to find the people that you want to be there with you for this journey. This is the opportunity to become the person that you want to become. It鈥檚 a new chapter in your life. Give this 100% of your attention. One thing that helped me my first year was extracurriculars. Discovering your community will help you feel more connected to campus.

German Nolivos ’26 (left) and Reed Granger ’26 conveyed the important role the Student Association plays as a bridge that listens to student concerns and works with the administration to resolve them.

Are there any common mistakes for first-year students to avoid?

Nolivos: Think about the classes you鈥檙e taking, especially your required classes, and figure out which classes you should take first to set you up for future success. And from a social perspective, make sure that you鈥檙e treating this as the first page of the rest of your life. Be transparent with yourself on this journey. Be an open book with everything. You鈥檙e going to find people from different paths of life and different experiences than you. Make sure you鈥檙e always respectful of other people鈥檚 opinions and experiences and learn from them.

Granger: Don鈥檛 join too many clubs or take too many classes, you鈥檙e just overwhelming yourself while you’re still trying to learn what it means to be an undergraduate at 黑料不打烊. You can lose your sense of self while you’re trying to figure out who you are. Don鈥檛 put too much on your shoulders when you first get here.

How has 黑料不打烊 helped you become the person you are today?

Granger: I鈥檓 a fully changed person since my first year. This campus has given me elements of friendship that I never experienced in high school as I figure out what I seek in friendships. Who do I want to spend time with? Why do I want to spend time with them? The true value of friendship and what it can do for your life is something that I truly have learned in the past two years here. Also the importance of making connections, whether with your classmates or your professors. So many of these connections are either involved in your career path or are going to be involved. Learn to maintain those connections. That鈥檚 one way the 黑料不打烊 experience has changed me for the better.

Nolivos: I鈥檓 a political refugee. I arrived in this country six years ago. I always had trouble trusting myself and my abilities, and felt I was always going to be behind my peers. But 黑料不打烊 made me realize how much power I have and how far I can push myself to become the person I want to become. 黑料不打烊 has given me the tools to build that future for myself.

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

On an overcast Mother鈥檚 Day in 2018, a photo was taken outside of the Hall of Languages depicting a proud 黑料不打烊 graduate, Ryan Kehr 鈥�18, surrounded by happy family members.

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

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

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

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

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

Alice Hirsh 鈥�70

Alice Hirsh

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

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

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

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

Ryan Kehr 鈥�18

Ryan Kehr

What drew you to 黑料不打烊? 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 instilled in me that I had to attend 黑料不打烊, but 黑料不打烊 was my number one choice. Plus, anyone I ever talked to about 黑料不打烊 always mentioned how great their experiences were and how strong the alumni network was. I didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to study at first, so I applied to the iSchool and completely fell in love with the tight-knit community.鈥�

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

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

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

Julia Kehr 鈥�26

Julia Kehr

What drew you to 黑料不打烊? 鈥淲hen we were all on campus for Ryan鈥檚 graduation and I saw all of my family members together, that was really cool to see everyone who shared that Orange connection. I knew right then that I was meant to be at 黑料不打烊. I applied early decision my senior year of high school and didn鈥檛 visit any other colleges.鈥�

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

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

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

The annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day occurs Sept. 7 when 黑料不打烊 hosts Georgia Tech.

黑料不打烊 will once again celebrate its faculty and staff with for the Saturday, Sept. 7, game at the JMA Wireless Dome when the Orange take on Atlantic Coast Conference rival Georgia Tech. Kickoff is set for noon.

Faculty and staff and their guests are invited to the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle prior to the game to enjoy a performance by the Pride of the Orange Marching Band, an appearance from our mascot, Otto the Orange and food and beverage concessions.

The first 400 full-time, part-time or temporary faculty and staff with a faculty or staff 黑料不打烊 I.D. to visit the University鈥檚 pregame Faculty and Staff Appreciation tent on the Shaw Quad will receive a game day gift and a $5 concession coupon that can be redeemed in the JMA Wireless Dome. The pre-game tailgate begins at 9 a.m.

The week prior to the game, a drawing will be held to invite faculty and staff members to enjoy an enhanced game day experience. Those who have purchased tickets prior to Sept. 1 will be eligible for the drawing. Winners will be notified prior to game day.

Tickets

Discounted tickets are priced between $18.75 each (300-level seating), $34.88 each (predominantly 200-level seating) and $57.93 each (300-level seating near the 50-yard line) for University faculty and staff, their children and their guests (up to a limit of 10). Faculty and staff may . Tickets can be purchased until the day of the event.

Parking

University parking permits will be honored for free game day parking at the Skytop parking lot and the Comstock Avenue and University Avenue garages. For faculty and staff who do not already have University parking permits, a single one-time-use complimentary Skytop parking pass will be available for game day. These permits will be available for pickup on Thursday, Sept. 5, and Friday, Sept. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Office of Human Resources, 621 Skytop Road, Suite 1001, with proof of a Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day game ticket and a 黑料不打烊 I.D.

With questions about Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 or email hrservice@syr.edu. With questions about football tickets, email athsales@syr.edu.

As we celebrate 80 years of the Goon Squad welcoming new students to campus, Sue Weber and Jack Withee reminisce about their experiences moving into 黑料不打烊, discuss when they knew they wanted to join the Goon Squad and explore the group’s lasting impact and legacy.

When the Goon Squad first formed in 1944, its original purpose was to reinforce 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campuswide policy requiring all new students to wear beanie caps during their first semester on campus.

Sue Weber 鈥�68 fondly recalls wearing her beanie when she arrived in the fall of 1964, and her beanie and the straw Goon Squad hat she received when she joined as a sophomore are among her most precious 黑料不打烊 mementos.

While first-year students are no longer obligated to wear their class beanie鈥攚hich was the custom, along with doffing their caps as a sign of respect when in the presence of older students鈥攖he聽聽still plays a role as one of the most impactful traditions on campus.

Sue and Eric Weber

Celebrating 80 years of making a difference in the lives of first-year students, the Goon Squad鈥攆eaturing more than 550 student leaders鈥攚ill greet new students and lend a hand during move-in at residence halls as part of , the University鈥檚 new student orientation program.

鈥淚 went to a very small [high] school, and when you joined a group like the Goon Squad, it immediately gave you a bunch of great friends. I still have those friendships today,鈥� says Weber, who earned an illustration degree from the School of Art (now part of the ) and met her husband, Eric, on campus. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe the Goon Squad is turning 80 years old. Such great memories!鈥�

This year, the University is preparing to welcome more than 4,000 first-year students. International students arrive Friday, while domestic students move in Aug. 19-21 and embark on a week filled with programs that introduce new students and their loved ones to life on campus through academic and social events.

Jack Withee

鈥淲e make sure the move-in environment is the most welcoming and inclusive it can be. We鈥檙e the first face of the 黑料不打烊 community that these students are being introduced to,鈥� says Jack Withee 鈥�26, an inclusive elementary and special education major in the . 鈥淲hen the Goon Squad helps them move in, they haven鈥檛 met the students on their floor yet. We鈥檙e greeting them at the door as they come to campus, so it鈥檚 important from the get-go that we set the tone that this is your new home.鈥�

In this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Weber and Withee reminisce about their own experiences moving into 黑料不打烊, share when they knew they wanted to join the Goon Squad and discuss the lasting impact and legacy of the Goon Squad.

Check out featuring Weber and Withee. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

How did the Goon Squad help with your move-in?

Jack Withee: I was so excited to get to campus and start the journey to become the person I always wanted to be. But your first day is so nerve-wracking. Luckily, I had this woman, Erin, who moved me in. I remember as she was moving me in, she looked me in the eyes and told me that I was going to be okay. She truly made me believe it, and that made me realize I was ready to spread my wings and that I can do this. That鈥檚 something I鈥檝e carried with me throughout my time on campus, and that鈥檚 something I tell every single one of the students I help move in.

Sue Weber: My freshman year I lived in Washington Arms, which was used as a dining room for the Peace Corps at the time. During what was a chaotic time, I was so thankful for the Goon Squad. They took me aside and welcomed me to campus. I was on the fifth floor, so they helped me put all my stuff in the elevator and answered the questions my mom and dad had. The Goon Squad was just wonderful and very helpful, and we were so happy they were there to help.

When did you know you wanted to give back and join the Goon Squad?

Weber: I absolutely knew I wanted to give back and join the Goon Squad when it was my turn. I remember how overwhelmed I felt coming to campus from a small school and a small town into this huge university. I know how that made me feel and I always wanted the classes behind me to feel the same way that I felt because of the Goon Squad. I wanted them to feel welcomed and know that they made the right choice coming to 黑料不打烊.

Withee: Whenever I saw Erin [who helped me during move-in] on campus, I would realize how much I had grown since move-in, and to think she jump-started that growth by helping me get on my feet and start the year on a level playing field. She made me want to pay it forward and give back to the first-year students who came after me.

How would you describe the lasting impact and legacy of the Goon Squad here on campus?

Weber: It鈥檚 a testament to how important it is and how people feel about it. It leaves a lasting memory. It’s something that made you feel good then and something that makes me feel really good now. It’s just a wonderful thing to introduce people to a big campus that can be very overwhelming, and you don’t forget the help you received from the Goon Squad.

Withee: The presence the Goon Squad has on campus is so powerful. You only move into 黑料不打烊 once and no one forgets the people who move them in. That sticks with you, this spirit of the campus community being there to help each other out when you really need the help. It鈥檚 an honor to help first-year students. 黑料不打烊 has provided me with so many opportunities to be the person I’ve always wanted to become, and I鈥檓 so grateful.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

Jennifer Pluta has worked in career services at 黑料不打烊, including spending the last 10 years providing advice to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 veterans and military-connected community.

When enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on May 19, 1999, she had no grand plans for making a career out of her service to her country. Rather, feeling compelled to give back to her country, Pluta thought she would serve for a few years before embarking on the next chapter of her life.

Today, the military has become the focal point of Pluta鈥檚 career, connecting service members to their benefits and resources while providing both mentorship and guidance that enhances the professional development pursuits of soldiers.

Along with commemorating 25 years of military service, Pluta, a first sergeant in the Army Reserve, is celebrating another professional milestone. For nearly 20 years, Pluta has worked in career services at 黑料不打烊, including spending the last 10 years providing advice to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 veterans and military-connected community.

Jennifer Pluta

鈥淚’ve always had a desire to go into the service. I鈥檓 so honored to have had this experience and I can鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 now at 25 years of military service,鈥� says Pluta, director of Veteran Career Services in the , who also led the University鈥檚 Veterans Affinity Group for faculty and staff.

鈥淚 just never thought this was the plan when I first enlisted, but here I am. I love serving my country. I love helping and mentoring our soldiers on their journeys. Being a humble servant who gives back to our soldiers is the most honorable thing I can think of.鈥�

By encouraging student veterans to discover more about the potential employment opportunities available to them, Pluta鈥檚 passion for career services has led to an impressive 100% placement rate for connecting student veterans to new careers following graduation. She achieves this through customized career coaching, mentoring, networking and her strong connections with potential employers.

Pluta鈥檚 commitment to serving veterans led to her being named a scholar for the 2023 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program by the George W. Bush Institute. The initiative supports individuals who not only give back to our nation鈥檚 veterans and military families, but are motivated to broaden their skillsets, knowledge and influence to enhance their efforts to support the military-connected communities they serve.

Pluta, who earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from the in 2015, sat down with SU News to discuss her passion for service, the joy she gets from and the role she鈥檚 happy to play in making 黑料不打烊 one of the best places for veterans.

Where did your passion for this work come from?

I always had an interest in career services going back to high school, when I would read resume books and wanted to learn how to make someone鈥檚 resume standout. When I was in college [at Alfred University] I did an internship with the Alfred University Carer Development Center. When I was first deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, I wound up helping soldiers to access their GI Bill benefits, student loans and other educational assistance programs.

I didn鈥檛 know you could make a career doing this. But from the onset of my military career, I wanted to know how the military benefits worked, because, for so many, those benefits are the key reason they chose to enlist in the Army Reserve. I also knew, from conversations on the base [in Kuwait], that there were many soldiers in the military who weren鈥檛 aware of the many benefits and educational incentives available to them. I was eager to share my knowledge with as many soldiers as possible because access to education through the Army’s benefits could significantly enhance their career paths and help eliminate many financial barriers.

How satisfying has it been to connect veterans and soldiers to their benefits?

It鈥檚 always been so rewarding helping my fellow soldiers. I鈥檓 lucky that I can do something I鈥檓 passionate about while helping others achieve their goals. It鈥檚 my job to help soldiers realize that they have a tremendous skillset to offer to an employer. Too often, veterans have a limited viewpoint on the value of their skills and what opportunities might be available to them. But it鈥檚 such a rewarding feeling when they understand that employers are interested in their skills and what they bring to the workforce. That鈥檚 the reward, when they realize what鈥檚 possible.

Once I came to 黑料不打烊, shortly after my deployment in 2005, I started here as a temporary, part-time employee in the Center for Career Services. It was supposed to be on a limited basis, but it鈥檚 going to be 20 years for me with 黑料不打烊 next year. I鈥檓 passionate about empowering our veterans and military-connected students with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed with their professional goals. I鈥檝e had the best time and made some of the most amazing connections by helping the people I鈥檝e served with.

How does your role with career services impact the University鈥檚 reputation as one of the best places for veterans?

Because I served as an Army Reserve career counselor and am still active in the Army Reserve, I have an understanding of not only what our service members have been through, but how their military experiences and leadership can be leveraged and utilized to help achieve their career goals. I know what resources to use to help translate their military experience into career success. I help those soldiers who want to go back into the service, and I help our faculty and staff who need help navigating their careers in the Army Reserve. I can use my network and my experiences to help connect veterans to the necessary resources, and I鈥檓 really happy I鈥檝e been able to contribute.

On this episode of the “‘Cuse Conversations” podcast, El-Baz Abdallah and Budoor Alsaadi discuss their experiences as international Fulbright students participating in the pre-academic program, how they adjusted to life as students in the United States and how they plan on using their research to make a difference.

Each summer, the hosts a prestigious preparatory program that helps dozens of international Fulbright Scholars begin their journeys to graduate degrees and research opportunities.

It’s called the , and 黑料不打烊 has served as a proud host site for the last 10 years, celebrating the power of both an international education and a cultural exchange.

This year, 44 master鈥檚 and Ph.D. students聽from 20 countries around the world are spending four weeks on campus discovering American culture, learning about life as a graduate student in the U.S. and developing necessary research skills.

The program is operated on campus by the (ELI), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education.

Each morning, the ELI offers English courses and lessons, including how to write a research paper as a graduate student. In the afternoons, cultural presentations and workshops are offered by 黑料不打烊 faculty and staff.

These international scholars are connected to a facilitator, a graduate of the pre-academic program who offers advice, guidance and friendship while mentoring these aspiring researchers. On the weekends, participants can take advantage of social field trips to cultural destinations like Niagara Falls and Green Lakes State Park.

El-Baz Abdallah

Before departing for their graduate schools, the students give poster presentations on their research as a potential springboard to the research they will conduct for their capstone project.

鈥淭hrough my research, I want to see how we can use technology and data information to better people鈥檚 lives,鈥� says El-Baz Abdallah, a facilitator from the Comoro Islands who is entering his second year studying data analytics in the . 鈥淲hen I heard about the pre-academic program, I had been working for some time and hadn鈥檛 really thought about going back to school for my master鈥檚 degree, but the prestigiousness of the Fulbright program really stood out. There鈥檚 such a great impact, not just from the curriculum or the academics but the networking with your fellow scholars. This program was very rigorous, but it was really worth it.鈥�

Budoor Alsaadi

鈥淔rom how we should be writing up our research and our bibliographies to what it means to do research as a graduate student in the United States, I鈥檝e been really happy with all of the information I鈥檝e learned that helps us adapt to the educational system here,鈥� says Budoor Alsaadi, a native of Iraq who is pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in civil engineering with a focus in environmental engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Abdallah and Alsaadi discuss their beneficial experiences as international Fulbright students participating in the pre-academic program, how they acclimated to life as students in the United States and how they plan on using their research to make a difference.

Check out podcast featuring Abdallah and Alsaadi. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

How has this program helped with your academic transition to graduate school and your cultural adjustment?

El-Baz Abdallah: This program helped me tremendously. It was a big adjustment in terms of the food, the people, the culture and the language. Before I came here, I spoke English every day but had to think about what I wanted to say in French first and then express myself in English. But the College of Professional Studies made our transitions so easy. They set me up with a host family, which is a proud tradition here, and that host family became like a second family for me.

Academically, the program taught me how to directly interact with the professor if we have a question about a lecture or a topic. Back home, you would go to class and take notes, but here, we learned you can actually ask questions of your professor. We learned about office hours where you can go and discuss the topic if there鈥檚 something you didn鈥檛 understand. These are things I wouldn鈥檛 have known about being a master鈥檚 student in America were it not for the pre-academic program.

Budoor Alsaadi: There was a lot of new information to learn. There was so much harmony in the program because we鈥檙e all international students trying to figure things out while supporting each other. Everyone has been so kind, sweet and caring and willing to help each other out. We鈥檙e learning but we鈥檙e also having fun.

Another great thing is how many different cultures are in this program. There are students from more than 20 countries here, so we get to learn about their cultures, music, foods and languages. It鈥檚 great that Fulbright brings together these people from different backgrounds and experiences to learn from each other.

How do you plan on using your degree to make a difference in the world?

Alsaadi: I want to study water treatment and water pollution, which is a rising problem in my country and all over the world. It鈥檚 a problem that needs much more attention, because one day, we鈥檙e going to have very limited resources for water. Water technology is a broad field with a lot of opportunities, and I wanted to accelerate my knowledge on this topic at an early age so I can be well-equipped to make a difference in my career.

Most people in Iraq drink groundwater because the water in the rivers has high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), which is expensive to treat and turn into drinking water. I hope that, through my research, I can go back to Iraq and find new technologies and new chemicals that can help with treating TDS. I want to discover a solution that can improve the water quality in my country and help deal with this ongoing and increasing water shortage.

Abdallah: My studies combine data science and artificial intelligence (AI), how to actually build AI models to harness information or data. I鈥檝e been involved with two projects I鈥檓 passionate about. One was analyzing the energy consumption trends of New Yorkers to study how low-income people can improve their energy consumption through incentives from the government. Another project was working with my mother, who is a gynecologist back home on Comoros Island, to enhance maternal health care and address the big problem of women losing their baby without knowing it. For my capstone research project, I鈥檓 building an AI model to analyze the mother鈥檚 and the baby鈥檚 heart rates, analyzing the existing data and looking at gaps in the data to ensure that when this happens, we can act so mothers don鈥檛 have to move from their rural home to the capital city, or from one island to another, to get medical attention.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

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

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

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

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

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

For someone who grew up a 鈥渕assive鈥� fan of the NBA, broadcasting Team USA games at the Olympics is a 鈥渟pecial honor,鈥� says Eagle. Especially since he will call games involving NBA players he has long admired鈥攍ike LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry鈥攁nd will be on the mic as the U.S. women鈥檚 team pursues their unprecedented eighth consecutive gold medal.

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

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

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

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 calling games, I鈥檝e always got an orange wristband on my right wrist that shows my Orange connection,鈥� Eagle says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always so much love to the 鈥機use. As my mom always says, 黑料不打烊 is our happy place.鈥�

Before the Olympics began, Eagle sat down with SU News to discuss his 鈥渟urreal鈥� career journey, how he鈥檚 preparing to call Team USA鈥檚 basketball games and the lessons he learned from his debut performance at the Olympics in 2021.

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

Noah Eagle

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

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

How have you been preparing for the Games?

Learning about every team and putting my broadcast boards together [with key facts and figures for each team]. Before that, I read a book on the original Dream Team because I wanted to make sure I knew my history of why there weren鈥檛 professionals allowed on the United States鈥� teams before 1992, why they changed that rule and how that decision has impacted the Olympics. Now, it鈥檚 preparing for the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 competitions, making sure I鈥檓 knowledgeable about the teams and players.

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

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

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

Rower Kamile Kralikaite, a 2024 All-American, three-time All-ACC First Team selection and two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree, will represent Lithuania in the upcoming Summer Olympics.

Being a skilled rower earned an athletic scholarship to 黑料不打烊, where she helped the claim the first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship in school history.

Her proficiencies on the water also earned Kralikaite the opportunity of a lifetime representing Lithuania in the women鈥檚 pair competition at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

To qualify for the Olympics is a dream come true, especially being from such a small country. I still can鈥檛 believe I get to represent my country on this big stage. 鈥� Kamile Kralikaite ’24

But there was a time not that long ago, before Kralikaite came to the United States, when she wanted to abandon her rowing career. Recruited by a local coach when she was just 13 years old because she was tall and athletic, Kralikaite left her family and friends to begin a three-year training project focused on qualifying for the 2018 Youth Olympics.

While Kralikaite enjoyed the sport, her entire life revolved around rowing, and she experienced burnout from the arduous training sessions with no days off. Then came the decision that helped turn things around for Kralikaite: enrolling at 黑料不打烊 as an international relations major in the and .

Once on campus, Kralikaite discovered that she was so much more than a talented rower. She formed tight friendships with her fellow student-athletes and coaches and rediscovered her love of rowing. Kralikaite credits her coach, , with helping her heal and find a healthy balance between rowing and her personal life.

鈥淚 will forever be happy and grateful for my experiences at 黑料不打烊. I met so many cool people that supported me and helped me reach my goals,鈥� says Kralikaite, a 2024 All-American, three-time All-ACC First Team selection and two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree. 鈥淚t was incredible how much we were able to achieve. Winning the ACC championship for the first time in school history was amazing. Everyone was selfless and wanted the same goal and worked tirelessly to help our team achieve success. It was the best experience.鈥�

Kamile Kralikaite (right) and her partner, Ieva Adomaviciute, will vie for a gold medal in Paris in the women鈥檚 pair competition.

Kamile Kralikaite

Kralikaite, who hails from the tiny central Lithuanian city of Kaisiadorys (population: 8,334) will vie for a gold medal in Paris after she and her partner, Ieva Adomaviciute, in Belgrade, Serbia, last September. The top 11 boats qualified for the Olympics.

The begins on July 28, with the semifinals on July 31 and the final on Aug. 2.

鈥淥ur goal is to qualify for the A final, which would be huge. Right now, we鈥檙e producing some good speed from our boat, and we feel good. You wish for the gold, but as long we give it our absolute best against the world鈥檚 best, I know we鈥檒l do well,鈥� says Kralikaite, who along with Orange teammate Martyna Kazlauskaite, won the 2023 U23 World Championship in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Before she takes center stage with the world鈥檚 best rowers, Kralikaite sat down with SU News to discuss how she鈥檚 preparing for the Olympics, the thrill she feels representing Lithuania and how her time on campus fueled her holistic development.

How have you been preparing for the Games?

Kamile Kralikaite (back) and her partner, Ieva Adomaviciute, preparing for the Olympics.

The last couple of weeks has been about mental preparation, because you can鈥檛 gain too much speed at this point. I鈥檝e been going for runs, working on my breathing, doing exercises and training on the water. I train six to seven hours each day. My goal is to be as brave and confident as I can during my races.

My preparation started almost a year ago. I knew we鈥檇 be racing against women who had more experience than I did, so I started working on becoming as mentally strong as I could. I treated trainings as if we weren鈥檛 just going up against ACC or NCAA competition, but also the competition I鈥檇 see in the Summer Olympics. When it comes time to compete, I鈥檝e put myself in that situation a million times before mentally, so I know to just give it my best effort.

How can you describe the thrill of qualifying for the Olympics and representing Lithuania?

To qualify is huge, a dream come true, especially being from such a small country. Our whole Olympic rowing team is very young. Seven of our eight athletes are going to their first Games. It鈥檚 such a cool feeling and I still can鈥檛 believe I get to represent my country on this big stage. Lithuanians have been so supportive to those of us who qualified, and it鈥檚 great to know all that hard work paid off.

What鈥檚 your pre-race routine?

I started listening to this intense techno music and I just started feeling very brave. I鈥檇 walk around feeling like a winner and acting like a winner. If you walk into the room when you鈥檙e about to warm up and you鈥檙e already scared and fearful, you鈥檝e already lost. I also write down and say out loud to myself that I am enough, which sounds so simple, but it鈥檚 a very powerful message. Whether you鈥檙e lining up for a race at 黑料不打烊 or in Paris for the Olympics, we鈥檙e all equal. Once the race starts, it鈥檚 about whoever wants it more and whoever was better prepared. Maybe some of my competitors have been in the sport longer, but I plan on giving my absolute best.

I also always wear my 黑料不打烊 gear whenever I warmup. But in the Olympics, there鈥檚 rules that we have to wear the official uniform when we race, so I have to take off my 黑料不打烊 gear. But I know I will have Orange Nation cheering me on!

How have you embraced the power of positive thinking?

I like visualizing success. It鈥檚 very powerful because you put yourself in a place where you see yourself achieving. Rowing is a sport where you line up and give it everything you鈥檝e got for two kilometers. Your body is going to be in extreme pain for six to seven minutes. You have to be ready for it and not get scared when your competitors are around you, so visualization and practicing breathing exercises has helped me a lot.

How much did you grow during your time on campus?

Kamile Kralikaite (center) in action with her 黑料不打烊 teammates.

I fully grew into the person I am today because of 黑料不打烊. I started to love myself again, to love life and love people. I started to see how much better everything is when you work together versus when you鈥檙e trying to achieve everything by yourself. My coaches showed me how to be the best possible version of myself. I was surrounded by the best people and they made 黑料不打烊 such a special place.

Sydney Bergan ’23 will cover the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris as an audience editor for USA Today.

The internship that launched Sydney Bergan 鈥�23 on a path to covering the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, France, started off on an unexpected trajectory.

As a junior at 黑料不打烊, Bergan landed an internship through the prestigious Dow Jones News Fund with McClatchy, but instead of serving as a reporter鈥攚hich was her career ambition鈥擝ergan was assigned to the digital media program as an audience engagement intern.

Bergan spent 10 days enhancing her digital media literacy skills at Arizona State University, taking curated stories and repackaging them for different audiences. From there, Bergan worked as an intern for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer. Before long, The Sacramento Bee hired her as an audience editor while she was still enrolled in classes at 黑料不打烊. Now, she鈥檚 an audience editor for USA Today.

Being an audience editor was the perfect blend of content creation and newsworthiness. Bergan excelled by understanding how to create stories that resonate with audiences, and she enjoyed having conversations with people about what types of content they want to see.

Sydney Bergan

鈥淚 thought of myself as a reporter and I always knew I loved people and telling their stories,鈥� says Bergan, who earned a magazine, news and digital journalism degree from the .

鈥淏ut once I started, I just fell in love with the audience engagement work. I love the content creation and curation side of journalism. It allows me to be creative. I do a lot of content design for USA Today, coming up with stories that will reach our audiences wherever they鈥檙e looking for their content. I love looking at the analytics to see what stories, videos or graphics perform well and which ones don鈥檛. It鈥檚 all so fascinating.鈥�

Her next assignment will take her to Paris to create content around the Summer Olympics for USA Today. It鈥檚 a dream come true for Bergan.

鈥淚 love the Olympics. Always have. It鈥檚 crazy I鈥檒l be covering the Summer Olympics! It just feels so surreal,鈥� Bergan says. 鈥淚 worked hard to get here, and I know I鈥檝e got this, but there鈥檚 some imposter syndrome at play. This is a big deal. I鈥檓 working with journalists who have covered the Olympics many times before. I鈥檓 the new kid on the block and am just trying to learn as much as I can and soak it all in.鈥�

Before she arrives in Paris, Bergan sat down with SU News to discuss her content strategy for the Olympics, the must-have interview or piece of content she鈥檚 hoping to create and the valuable lessons she learned on campus.

What does the job of an audience editor entail?

In the simplest terms, my job is to get eyes on articles and content in unique and creative ways through platforms like our website and our social media. We鈥檙e the behind-the-scenes people who use our news judgment and understanding of the platforms to determine where content will perform the best.

A lot of people say they feel they have more than enough content to consume out there, but they have a hard time breaking it down and understanding it. We do a lot in the social media video space through explainer posts on our Instagram and Facebook pages that help break down complex issues into the five things you need to know.

What鈥檚 your Olympic content strategy?

You don’t know what the big story is until you get there. I鈥檒l be doing a lot of cultural content, showing the audience the sights and sounds of Paris during the Olympics. You have this iconic European city playing host to an iconic event. Part of my job is figuring out what people who aren鈥檛 there would want to see. What is it like to be in Paris while the Olympics are going on? What鈥檚 the food like? What鈥檚 the atmosphere? What are people talking about? What鈥檚 on the mind of the Olympians? Every day is going to be fun and exciting, and I鈥檓 ready to make videos and content that resonates with people.

What鈥檚 one must-have interview or piece of Olympic content you want to create?

If I could talk to [gymnast] Simone Biles or [swimmer] Katie Ledecky, sign me up! But they are obviously in high demand. I鈥檓 just really excited to see the venues and show our audience how integrated they are into the city. Beach volleyball is being played underneath the Eiffel Tower. Marathon runners are literally running through the city. Equestrian is happening at the Ch芒teau de Versailles. There鈥檚 so many different, fascinating utilizations of this space and I just want to do it all.

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from your time on campus?

News judgment. News judgment is very hard to come by, recognizing what deserves the spotlight. Those skills have been essential every day of my career and it all comes back to the years of training we had at 黑料不打烊 and in the Newhouse School. The class activities where you identify the lead of a particular situation. Working as an editor for The Daily Orange, I was coming up with stories all the time. All that practice became muscle memory and now it鈥檚 part of my toolkit. Had I not spent all that time learning what a lead should look like and what is the most important news story of the day, I wouldn鈥檛 have that strong news judgment I have today.

Students in Brad Horn’s Managing Global Brands of Sport: An International Public Relations Study class learned about global sport through the communication lens during a three-week immersion experience in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Historically, the Olympics have provided countless memorable athletic achievements鈥攖he Miracle on Ice men鈥檚 hockey team upsetting the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York; the Dream Team capturing gold at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain; gymnast Kerri Strug shrugging off an ankle injury to lead Team USA to its first-ever team gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, just to name a few.

And while there are sure to be impressive performances when the world鈥檚 best athletes converge in Paris, France, for the upcoming Summer Olympics, the Games are also an opportunity to showcase the global power of sport, which is the focal point of recently concluded Managing Global Brands of Sport: An International Public Relations Study class, held for three weeks in Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of an immersion experience for students.

Brad Horn

鈥淲e focus on how to bridge the gap between what Americans know about sports in our country compared to global sport through communications,鈥� says Horn, associate dean for strategic initiatives and professor of practice in public relations in the .

鈥淟ook ahead to what the U.S. is going to see in sport. We鈥檙e hosting the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics are being held in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics potentially will be hosted in Lake Placid. This is a decade where those working in U.S. sports will be working with and dealing with global sport entities like never before, and there鈥檚 a big knowledge gap. I want to do my part to help prepare students to better understand that landscape.鈥�

Horn鈥檚 professional background in communications and public relations includes working for more than 20 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) and with the Baseball Hall of Fame, serving as an ambassador at the World Series, the World Baseball Classic, the All-Star game and MLB International before heading up communication and education for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

鈥淭his idea of global sport has always been part of my DNA,鈥� says Horn, who sat down with SU News to discuss the objectives of his class, the important takeaways and how his students leave with a broadened understanding of the global power of sport.

Describe the goals and important takeaways of the class.

Students pose on the floor of the Union Cycliste Internationale’s headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland.

This is an immersion into global sport through the communication lens. We look at how organizations communicate through their sport or their sport鈥檚 governing body about cultural and geopolitical issues with stakeholders around the globe. The idea is to give students various perspectives from organizations like the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the International Testing Agency, anti-doping agencies, FIBA, the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the Union Cycliste Internationale and more. These were some of the bigger organizations we visited this year.

Our students also work a two-day Hosts and Federations Summit, where 300 delegates came to Lausanne to pitch their cities on major sporting events, to pitch their sport to match with a city or to pitch their rights to sell these sporting events. It gives students a chance to look at sport in an entirely different way than what we think about in the U.S., which is so focused on the four major sports [football, basketball, baseball and hockey] and on college sports. They get to study how global sport governance works and how communication is developed at a central office. It’s an immersion that gives them a front row seat into global sport communication.

How did you incorporate the upcoming Summer Olympics into your class?

We鈥檙e trying to understand the origins of sport in places like Greece, Switzerland, China and Australia. The origins are not in the four major sports in America, which are so young compared to the historical lens of the Olympiad. We look at the lessons we鈥檝e learned during the modern Olympics by bringing people together across cultures. We look at moments like the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, when Adolf Hitler used the Olympics as his propaganda and Jesse Owens, the great Black American track and field athlete, refused to interact with Hitler and his racist agenda while winning four gold medals.

We spend time trying to understand the idea of Olympism, a philosophy that emphasizes the wholeness of body, will and mind, combining sport with culture and education. We examine how the media prepares for the Games, the questions the press could be asking the host country and how people are representing their nations from a media standpoint.

We then look at how the Olympics create this idea that sport unites us during a time when the world is so polarized. As communicators, there are two questions we always want to answer in public relations: Who are we trying to reach and what are we trying to get them to do? In sport, we鈥檙e not just trying to get a box score out there and hope fans see it. We鈥檙e trying to think deeply about passion and fan engagement and how we can unlock this fandom.

Influenced primarily by an American viewpoint on sports, what are some of the reactions students have when they come over for this immersion experience?

These students realize that the U.S. is not the center of the sports world. We went to the Centre for Sport and Human Rights to help students understand that not everything that glitters is gold when it comes to sport. There are human rights atrocities and violations of athletes’ rights. There are violations of worker rights when stadiums are being built for competitions. Migrant workers died building stadiums for the World Cup in Qatar.

These issues are all becoming bigger with each passing day. I feel very passionate about this immersion experience because it truly gives students a sense that sport is a lot more than just the NBA Finals, the Super Bowl or seeing a great Aaron Judge home run. Globally, sports are tied into societies and into national pride, and communicating across those cultures is really challenging.

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

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

鈥淚 wanted to be a part of that process to welcome students into the college experience,鈥� Luckman says.

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

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

Jimmy Luckman

鈥淓very day I get to bring in the things that I鈥檓 passionate about, what I learned in the classroom, and figure out how we can continue to enhance the student experience and help students figure out their identities. That鈥檚 important because I didn鈥檛 really find out who I was and discover all the elements of my identity until graduate school. I鈥檓 still learning who I am,鈥� says Luckman, a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ issues who identifies as a queer man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How did you decide on your dissertation?

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

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

What鈥檚 the significance of the bow ties you frequently wear?

Jimmy Luckman poses with a First Year Seminar participant.

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

Benetta Dousuah (left), Jude Akpunku (center) and Zahra Johnson were named 2024 Tillman Scholars as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self.

Three talented and passionate 黑料不打烊 student veterans鈥�Benetta Dousuah G鈥�25, second-year law student Jude Akpunku and Zahra Johnson G鈥�25鈥攚ere recognized as 2024 Tillman Scholars by the .

The award unites and empowers remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self. Dousuah, Akpunku and Johnson were selected out of nearly 1,600 applicants.

are provided academic scholarships, leadership development opportunities and access to a supportive national network as they embark on career journeys in the fields of health care, public service, business, STEM, law, the humanities and education.

The fellowship program honors Pat Tillman, a starting safety for the National Football League鈥檚 Arizona Cardinals, who in 2002 put his football career on hold to serve his country with the U.S. Army鈥檚 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. Tillman鈥檚 family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation following Tillman鈥檚 death in April 2004.

黑料不打烊 was invited to become a Pat Tillman Foundation University Partner in 2017. To date, the University has seen .

Dousuah, Akpunko and Johnson sat down with SU News to discuss why they wanted to become Tillman Scholars, reflect on the prestigious honor and share how they will use the scholarship to make a difference in their communities.

Benetta Dousuah G鈥�25, U.S. Army

Academic major: Social work ()

Benetta Dousuah

What drew you to study at 黑料不打烊? 鈥淚 chose 黑料不打烊 because it’s known for being a veteran-friendly school. While transitioning out of the military, I visited and was impressed by how much they support student veterans. The National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building showed me how much the school cares about their veteran community.鈥�

Where did your interest and passion for your field of study come from? 鈥淢y aim is to challenge and transform the existing stigma surrounding mental health and well-being in the military. My goal is to become a social worker and serve as Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) representative at a behavioral health clinic on a military installation, particularly regarding sexual assault and harassment. This position will allow me to address significant issues related to mental health and advocate for policy changes within the SHARP program.鈥�

How does it feel to be recognized as a Tillman Scholar? 鈥淚t’s an honor to be surrounded by people dedicated to making a difference in our military. My passion is to change how investigations are done in the SHARP program. I am excited to bring this idea to other scholars and see what the future holds.鈥�

What motivated you to apply to be a Tillman Scholar, and why do you think you were selected? 鈥淧at’s story is incredible. It demonstrates selfless service and leadership, two of the Army’s core values. As a Tillman Scholar, I am honored to carry on Pat Tillman’s legacy. I’m inspired by these exceptional individuals who are making a difference. I was chosen as a Tillman Scholar because of my dedication to making a positive impact. Despite facing a traumatic experience, my goal is to reform the system that failed me, ensuring a safer military for future generations.鈥�

How do you plan to use this scholarship and this experience to make an impact in your community? 鈥淚 aim to use the education and experiences from 黑料不打烊 and the Tillman Scholar program to advocate for significant policy changes, specifically to reform the investigative process within the SHARP program.鈥�

Jude Akpunku, U.S. Naval Academy

Academic major: Online J.D. program, JDinteractive ()

Jude Akpunku

What drew you to study at 黑料不打烊? 鈥淭he University’s strong commitment to veterans and its renowned law program attracted me, aligning perfectly with my aspirations in law and public service.鈥�

Where did your interest and passion for your field of study come from? 鈥淢y interest in law developed from my experiences in the military and as a Defense Legislative Fellow [with U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey], where I saw firsthand the impact of policy and law on service members’ lives and national security.鈥�

How does it feel to be recognized as a Tillman Scholar? 鈥淚t is a profound honor. It validates my commitment to service and leadership and inspires me to continue advocating for justice and equity.鈥�

What motivated you to apply to be a Tillman Scholar, and why do you think you were selected? 鈥淚 was motivated by the program’s focus on leadership and service, which resonate deeply with my personal values and experiences. I believe I was selected due to my demonstrated commitment to these principles through my military and legislative roles.鈥�

How do you plan to use this scholarship and this experience to make an impact in your community? 鈥淚 will advance my legal education, focusing on public policy issues that affect veterans and underrepresented communities. I aim to leverage this opportunity to advocate for policies that provide greater support and resources to these groups.鈥�

Zahra Johnson G鈥�25, U.S. Army

Academic major: Biomedical forensic science ()

Zahra Johnson

What drew you to study at 黑料不打烊? 鈥淲hile stationed at Fort Drum, New York, I applied to an Army program called Green to Gold Active Duty, which allows active-duty soldiers to continue their education. I was looking for a school that offered graduate degrees in forensic science, and since 黑料不打烊 offered an M.S in different aspects of forensic science, such as medicolegal death investigation and biomedical forensic science, that was my top pick!鈥�

Where did your interest and passion for your field of study come from? 鈥淚n the wake of a tragedy in my family [the death of my uncle], I was prompted to study forensic science and specifically focus on death investigation. My mother never felt the closure she needed. I hope to help families find some closure by providing them as much knowledge and information as possible through scientific methods and proper and timely investigations.鈥�

How does it feel to be recognized as a Tillman Scholar? 鈥淧at Tillman was one-of-a-kind, someone who believed in impacting the world in a positive way. As a girl growing up in Afghanistan, I would have had little to no opportunities to seek education and follow my dreams and ambitions. The sacrifice of heroes such as Pat allowed me to go to high school, and to have freedom and opportunities that led me to where I am today. The honor is beyond words; I鈥檓 extremely proud.鈥�

What motivated you to apply to be a Tillman Scholar, and why do you think you were selected? 鈥淭he Tillman community shares the same values I believe in my core and was a great opportunity to become part of a community that will help me in my journey to become a better leader.鈥�

How do you plan to use this scholarship and this experience to make an impact in your community? 鈥淭his scholarship is not only going to help me grow intellectually but will also connect me to a supportive community that can help me improve my service. My goal is also to advocate for soldiers to pursue an education while serving, since education holds the key to a successful and healthy nation.鈥�

On this episode, Joey Gawrysiak discusses the evolution of the esports program on campus, the progress made in its first year, the expanded opportunities available to students and what鈥檚 planned for the future.

Beginning in the fall, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 will welcome admitted students to campus for classes.

This past academic year served as 鈥淵ear Zero鈥� for the esports degree program, which employs a holistic, experiential learning-based approach that will prepare students for career success in various industries, leveraging the largest collection of faculty and staff members of any esports program on a college campus.

It鈥檚 an all-encompassing venture, including both the academic degree program and the competitive teams that vie for national championships in their respective games.

Academically, students who embark on this first-of-its-kind esports communications and management program, offered jointly by the聽聽and the聽, will pursue one of three tracks:

• esports business and management, covering such topics as sport promotion, sport venue management and finance for emerging enterprises;
• esports communications, including coursework in virtual reality storytelling, esports and advertising, public relations principles and sports in the metaverse; or
• esports media and design, focused on 3D animation, game experience design and virtual production.

Competitively, 黑料不打烊 fielded its first varsity esports squad in January, with the Orange winning a national championship in the Counter-Strike game and experiencing plenty of success across other varsity and club sports teams.

Joey Gawrysiak, executive director of the esports degree program, was hired last August to bring his visionary research and skills to campus, helping 黑料不打烊 capitalize on the tremendous popularity of esports while continuing to offer students innovative career options in emerging fields.

Joey Gawrysiak

鈥淪tudents will get a world-class education from esports-specific faculty that are at the top of their field in researching and teaching esports, with industry connections that will help you find an experience, a capstone, an internship and a job. That鈥檚 part of your educational journey,鈥� says Gawrysiak, who developed one of the first esports degrees in the country at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. He notes that the best-in-class esports facilities currently underway on campus will create standout opportunities for students to engage with esports and gaming.

On this 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Gawrysiak discusses the evolution of the esports program on campus, the progress made in its first year, the expanded opportunities available to students and what鈥檚 planned for the future.

Check out featuring Gawrysiak.聽 A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

This year will be no different, as event organizers like Cora Thomas are once again excited to bring together residents of all backgrounds and ages to honor and embrace Black culture through educational workshops, live music performances and family-friendly events.

Cora Thomas (far left) and the City of 黑料不打烊’s Juneteenth board of directors are excited to honor and embrace Black culture during the city of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 34th annual Juneteenth Cultural Festival.

The city of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 34th annual takes place June 14-15 in Clinton Square downtown, beginning with the raising of the Juneteenth flag in front of 黑料不打烊 City Hall on Friday, June 14. One of the highlights is Saturday鈥檚 victory parade, which starts outside of the Dunbar Center at 11 a.m. and concludes in Clinton Square at noon.

鈥淚 am passionate about celebrating and preserving our history, and Juneteenth is a powerful symbol of freedom and unity,鈥� says Cora Thomas, office manager who serves on the 黑料不打烊 Juneteenth board of directors as chair of the ancestral celebration.

鈥淏eing part of this committee allows me to contribute to raising awareness and fostering a sense of community and pride. It鈥檚 an honor and there鈥檚 a wonderful sense of unity as we honor the past and continue to look towards a brighter future.鈥�

This year鈥檚 celebration is the third in 黑料不打烊 since Juneteenth (June 19) became an acknowledged New York state holiday in 2020.

All musical performances will occur in Clinton Square. The festivities conclude on the actual holiday, June 19, by honoring outstanding community members during the ancestral celebration in the city hall commons atrium. There will also be a Miss Juneteenth Pageant on June 13 at the Community Folk Art Center.

Thomas sat down with SU News to discuss the importance of Juneteenth, how the celebrations have grown over the years and why the victory parade is an 鈥渋ncredibly moving experience.鈥�

Student volunteers like alumnus, philanthropist and Life Trustee Daniel D鈥橝niello 鈥�68, H鈥�20, who was studying abroad in Florence at the time, earned the title 鈥淢ud Angels鈥� for getting their hands dirty and rescuing priceless works of art and historical artifacts after the great flood deluged the city鈥檚 churches, libraries and museums with mud.

During the University鈥檚 Commencement exercises inside the JMA Wireless Dome, Nardella encouraged the more than 6,700 graduating students to be like the 鈥淢ud Angels,鈥� by taking ownership, getting their hands dirty and becoming active and involved with their own communities.

鈥淭hose 鈥榤ud angels鈥� became part of our community, and our community became part of them, forever. This is the power of education, the power of embracing your journey,鈥� Nardella told the graduates, their families and friends. 鈥淲e were made to pursue virtue and knowledge. I ask you to take ownership, to never stop pursuing knowledge.鈥�

Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, Italy, challenged the Class of 2024 to tackle issues concerning the environment and climate change, the protection of human and civil rights and an increase in worldwide polarization during his Commencement speech. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

黑料不打烊 and Nardella鈥檚 city share a deep connection, as Florence is home to the , which opened in 1959 as the first American campus with a study abroad center in the city.

Grateful for the chance to address the Class of 2024鈥攃onsisting of graduates from all 50 states and 66 countries around the world鈥擭ardella challenged the graduates to tackle issues concerning the environment and climate change, the protection of human and civil rights and an increase in worldwide polarization.

While resolving these 鈥渃olossal challenges鈥� could seem daunting, Nardella reminded the graduates that their time on campus has equipped them with the necessary skills, including a 鈥渢hirst for knowledge that can challenge differences, overcome fears and fight prejudice.鈥�

鈥淎s you continue your journey through the world, set your sails towards the future and create your own map of the world. Facing the future can be scary. It might be hard. But if you use passion and curiosity as your compass, you will be able to advance confidently and successfully,鈥� Nardella said. 鈥淲e have the power to steer our history in a more positive direction, and I trust we will. Your moment is now.鈥�

Beyond the skills they acquired on campus, Nardella emphasized the importance of practicing gratitude, paying attention to the needs of others, engaging with your community and remaining determined to take action without a fear of failure as other essential leadership traits.

鈥淣ourishing your curiosity and knowledge as a defeat does not equate with failure if we take it as an opportunity to learn. Ignorance, on the other hand, is [a failure]. Be passionate and compassionate about what you do and who you are. And most importantly, don鈥檛 let anyone take that away from you,鈥� Nardella said.

Student Leaders Leondra Tyler ’24 and Omnia Shedid L’24 have made their mark and discovered their career ambitions through their time on campus. They plan on using their degrees to make a difference.

This weekend鈥檚 黑料不打烊 Commencement marks a time to reflect and celebrate the end of a long journey for students. Two decorated student leaders, Leondra Tyler鈥�24 and Omnia Shedid L鈥�24, share their stories and their paths to 黑料不打烊 on this edition of 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversations.鈥�

Leondra Tyler

A non-traditional student, Tyler will graduate cum laude with dual degrees in neuroscience and psychology from the and the through the Part-Time Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP).

Tyler has been recognized as a McNair Scholar, Our Time Has Come Scholar and Remembrance Scholar, and is a passionate leader with the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry. She is engaged in both social psychology and behavioral neuroscience research, including a (SOURCE) research fellowship, and she eventually plans on utilizing her degrees to impact her community as a doctor.

鈥淚 took advantage of all 黑料不打烊 has to offer, and I made a mark on this campus. I鈥檓 making it a better campus for the next round of students that are coming in. It’s been such an amazing journey. While it鈥檚 very sad to me that it鈥檚 almost over, I know 黑料不打烊 will always be my home,鈥� Tyler says.

Omnia Shedid

Shedid, the president of the College of Law鈥檚 Class of 2024, is a member of the Advocacy Honor Society鈥檚 Trial and Alternative Dispute Resolution divisions. She鈥檚 helped connect veterans with access to essential resources with the , and held two prestigious summer internships鈥攁s a law clerk at the Office of the Attorney General of Rhode Island, and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Shedid landed her 鈥渄ream job鈥� as an honors attorney with the government after graduation.

鈥淏eing at the College of Law taught me how to lead with understanding, which is such a beautiful way to tie up my entire experience because my law classes taught me how to understand not just the law, but other people’s perspective on the law. It’s important to understand where people are coming from and what they need as a lawyer, because you can’t really support people unless you actually know what it is that they need,鈥� says Shedid.

On this Commencement-centric 鈥溾赌机耻蝉别 Conversation,鈥� Tyler and Shedid discuss their surreal paths to Commencement and how their time on campus reinforced their drive to make a difference once they graduate.

Check out episode 163 of the聽 podcast featuring Tyler and Shedid. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

First-generation college students Melanie Salas (left), Jean Castilla (center) and Brianna Gillfillian discuss the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned and their plans for after graduation.

A trio of first-generation college students have demonstrated hard work and resiliency and shown how they ultimately set themselves on the path that will culminate Sunday morning inside the JMA Wireless Dome when they become the first members of their families to earn college degrees during 黑料不打烊’s .

• Melanie Salas 鈥�24 was inspired by a high school coach to challenge herself to realize that she could do anything she set her mind to.
• Jean Castilla 鈥�24 worked hard to strengthen his knowledge base and earn admission into a prestigious New York City high school that would prepare him for the rigors of college.
• Brianna Gillfillian 鈥�24 pushed the limits of her comfort zone to leave her home country of Jamaica to earn a college degree and rely on the kindness of strangers to pay her way to 黑料不打烊 through a GoFundMe account.

Surrounded by the nearly 6,700 fellow degree recipients, and in front of their families and friends, Salas, Castilla and Gillfillian will join the ranks of the more than 250,000 proud Orange alumni around the world, knowing that, hopefully, their stories will inspire other would-be college students to overcome their fears and blaze their own paths.

Leading up to convocation, these talented first-generation students sat down with SU News to discuss the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned and their plans for after graduation.

Melanie Salas 鈥�24

Melanie Salas

Path to 黑料不打烊: 鈥淲hen I was in elementary school, people always told me I wouldn鈥檛 be anything in life. It motivated me and forced me to grow into the person I am today. When I was in high school, my softball coach helped me discover that I could do anything in this world, and that really inspired me to go out and learn as much as I can. My parents [Juan Salas and Lorena Granados] did everything for me to get to 黑料不打烊 and now I am set to graduate early, and I鈥檓 just so thankful for the mentors on campus who helped me overcome the struggles I faced.鈥�

Academic major: Biology ()

Involvement on campus: Our Time Has Come Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, orientation leader, Research Experience for Undergraduates, research assistant with SUNY Upstate Medical University, Food Recovery Network (part of the Catholic Center)

Best piece of advice: 鈥淎lways put your foot in every single door, because you never know when the opportunity will come along that could change your life. Whenever I could, I represented myself, stood up and spoke out and from those moments, I grew into the person I wanted to be, who helped make change on campus. All those people who told me I would never be anything inspired me to bring about change to my community. You truly start on the path toward your dreams once you come to campus.鈥�

Plans after graduation: Will be enrolling in Baylor University鈥檚 cell, molecular, health and disease biology graduate program, with the goal of earning a Ph.D. and one day opening her own research lab focused on studying ways to improve the overall health and well-being of society. 鈥淚 want to help those who don鈥檛 have access to opportunities I鈥檝e had. I want to give back to those less fortunate and help make a difference in our community.鈥�

Jean Castilla 鈥�24

Jean Castilla

Path to 黑料不打烊: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a mission of mine to attend college since I was in middle school. When I was in the eighth grade, instead of playing with my friends or playing video games, I was studying for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, which is used to determine who gets into one of the top eight specialized high schools in New York City. I was admitted into the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, and was on a path to college from there. The decision to focus on my studies changed the trajectory of my life and my family鈥檚 life. My mom, Rosa, made a lot of sacrifices so I could pursue an education, and knowing what she sacrificed drove me and inspired me.鈥�

Academic major: Entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises ()

Involvement on campus: Our Time Has Come Scholar, Hendricks Chapel Scholarship, Whitman Internship Scholarship, Veteran Legacy Fund Scholarship, Lois and Martin J. Whitman Scholarship, Office of Veterans and Military Affairs Scholarship, Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Florence Scholarship, student liaison in the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs

Best piece of advice: 鈥淓specially for my fellow first-generation students, a big thing is to have faith that everything will work out. Having faith in yourself and believing in your abilities is something we all need to practice. If you can鈥檛 believe in yourself, it won鈥檛 happen. I know I鈥檝e gone through a lot of obstacles and adversity in my life, but every time I remind myself that I鈥檓 just being tested to see if I鈥檓 ready to move on to the next chapter in my life.鈥�

Plans after graduation: Castilla currently serves as a crew chief in the Air National Guard鈥檚 174th Attack Wing and has a job lined up in the military once he graduates. He鈥檚 also planning on continuing his career as an entrepreneur, 鈥渃reating an established business where I鈥檓 the CEO and I can help other people in my community. That’s my ideal situation. I want to be able to give back because I’ve been helped tremendously on my journey.鈥�

Brianna Gillfillian 鈥�24

Brianna Gillfillian

Path to 黑料不打烊: 鈥淢y high school curriculum in Jamaica emphasized math, English and information technology, so I had a lot of experience in those fields and it was something I was genuinely good at and enjoyed. My parents didn鈥檛 graduate from high school, so after I graduated, people asked me 鈥榳hy don鈥檛 you stay in Jamaica for college?鈥� I knew I had to come to America, but I didn鈥檛 have the money to pay for a flight to 黑料不打烊, so I personally launched a GoFundMe to get me to 黑料不打烊. Because nobody in my family went to college, I relied on my high school guidance counselors for advice, and in terms of my finances, I had to do everything on my own. I learned that I am resilient from this process. It would have been easy to just stay in Jamaica, get a scholarship and get my degree but I knew if I didn鈥檛 go away to college I would regret it. I had a vision for myself and would stop at nothing to make it happen.鈥�

Academic major: Computer science ()

Involvement on campus: Our Time Has Come Scholar, National Society of Black Engineers, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, Alpha Kappa Psi (business fraternity), Delta Sigma Theta (sorority), Kalabash Dance Troupe, Scholars on a Mission, Save our Child鈥檚 Heart Foundation

Best piece of advice: 鈥淚 feel being as outgoing as possible helped me connect with the University and discover my community. I love being involved in organizations, and I feel that through my involvement I was able to put myself out there and become the person and the leader I wanted to be.鈥�

Plans after graduation: Will be enrolling in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 engineering management program in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with the goal of one day working in product management or project management within the field of technology or engineering. 鈥淚鈥檓 a very creative person, and I鈥檓 always thinking in terms of the user experience and design when it comes to the different apps. I want to make sure that whatever product I鈥檓 helping to develop is suitable and maximizes the user experience.鈥�

Saraswati Dhakal

In that role, Dhakal coordinated the center鈥檚 renal transplant services, delivering care and treatment to patients while providing counseling and guidance to both the recipients and the family members of the donors.

Dhakal experienced the challenging hardships of working with patients with terminal illness, and she saw firsthand the psychological impact it can have on a family watching a loved one go through their health battle.

Those interactions reinforced to Dhakal the importance of holistic health care while setting her on a path to become a professional counselor and mental health advocate once she graduates.

鈥淲itnessing the impact of mental health challenges on individuals close to me sparked a desire to understand and support those struggling with such issues. Those experiences as a nurse and transplant coordinator further ignited my curiosity to learn more about mental health, which stems from a desire to better understand individuals’ experiences, motivations and resilience in the face of adversity,鈥� Dhakal says. 鈥淚 am continuously intrigued by the complexities of human behavior and the role of counseling in promoting well-being.鈥�

Saraswati Dhakal plans to utilize her master鈥檚 degree in clinical mental health counseling to create a safe, accessible environment for everyone seeking help.

During her time on campus, Dhakal was the graduate assistant at the Center for International Services, working with the staff to offer programming and services that support the well-being and overall success of the international student population while contributing to the center鈥檚 diversity and inclusion initiatives. She also was active with the , the counseling academic and professional honor society, serving as secretary during the 2023-24 academic year.

Dhakal will participate in the on Saturday, May 11, in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex.

Leading up to convocation, Dhakal sat down with SU News to discuss the challenges facing mental health care professionals and how she plans to utilize her degree to create a safe, accessible environment for everyone seeking help with their mental health.

Ellie Parkes (left), AJ Bekoe (center) and Sandy Lin say their experiences at 黑料不打烊 have helped prepare them for careers in historically male-dominated fields.

Women have traditionally found themselves outnumbered by their male counterparts when it comes to jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, as only 21% of engineering majors and 19% of computer and information science majors are women, according to the American Association of University Women.

Thankfully over the years, the field has become more inclusive and progress has been made to help more women earn STEM degrees and land a job working in STEM once they graduate.

Three current students鈥擩uanitta 鈥淎J鈥� Bekoe 鈥�24 (aerospace engineering), Sandy Lin 鈥�25 (computer science) and Ellie Parkes 鈥�26 (electrical engineering)鈥攈ave set their sights on leveling the playing field and helping more women enter these traditionally male-dominated industries.

They sat down with SU News to share their stories of how the is preparing them for career success, the most valuable lessons they鈥檝e learned during their time on campus and how they plan to utilize their degrees once they graduate.

With Commencement rapidly approaching, it鈥檚 only natural for members of the Class of 2024 to feel anxious if they don鈥檛 have a job lined up yet. But instead of feeling uncertain, , the University鈥檚 director of , assessment and student success, recommends students exercise patience and focus on identifying opportunities that resonate with their passions to help advance their job searches.

Career services offers a variety of resources available to help students at every step of their job search.

Adam Capozzi

鈥淭he important thing is there are resources here to help with your job search,鈥� Capozzi says. 鈥淥r maybe you don鈥檛 know if you want to go into the workforce. Maybe you want to continue your education, maybe you want to take on an internship or go into volunteer work, or maybe you even want to take a gap year. Figure out what you鈥檙e passionate about and a lot of that will be figured out within six months of graduating.鈥�

Career Services annually where soon-to-be graduates provide information on their plans after Commencement, including whether they had accepted a job, enrolled in graduate school, joined the military or took on a volunteer or service program. According to the most recent data available, for the Class of 2023, only 8% of respondents were still searching six months after graduating.

It鈥檚 easy for students to access job and internship-based resources on the , which features relevant content and information, including links to central and individual school/college Career Center websites, upcoming career services events, ways to build and enhance career skills, and more.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the following resources:

• , the University鈥檚 centralized career management tool that allows students the ability to schedule career advising appointments, apply for internships and professional employment, explore career fairs and professional development events, as well as connect with over 300,000 employers and continuing education institutions, including Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and alumni;
• , a resume review platform intended to help your resume standout;
• , where students learn about the job interview process while practicing their interviewing skills with school and college career advisors or the Career Services team; and
• , which connects students with free access to more than 16,000 online courses taught by industry experts.

When applying for jobs, one best practice for students is to tailor their resume and cover letter to match the specifications of each opening.

Among some of Capozzi鈥檚 favorite tips and pointers for students:

• No matter how many jobs you鈥檙e applying for, tailor your resume and cover letter to match the specifications of each opening. With more companies relying on artificial intelligence to filter through resumes, incorporating certain keywords from the job description can help candidates stand out from the crowd.
• Don鈥檛 burn bridges when networking, especially when it comes to cold outreach.
• Identify your interests and skills to figure out what really excites you in a job.
• Have faith in your talents and abilities, and never downplay your experiences.

Capozzi sat down with SU News to share how the University can help advance your career, explain the best practices when it comes to asking for a job reference or recommendation and discuss the impactful role immersion programs play in setting students up for professional success.

Attendees at a press conference learned about a new initiative from Google that would provide funding for free access to specific Google coursework. The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will receive $3.5 million. J. Michael Haynie, third from right, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF, spoke at the press conference in Washington, D.C.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 (IVMF) received a $3.5 million grant from Google to help train our nation鈥檚 transitioning service members, veterans and military-connected spouses on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence topics.

The funding, part of Google鈥檚 $75 million AI Opportunity Fund, will provide free access to Google鈥檚 AI Essentials Course and the Google cybersecurity certificate to ) participants. The IVMF is one of the fund鈥檚 first recipients.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to partner with Google on this new initiative, which will help make AI training universally accessible throughout the country. With this new Google AI Essentials Course, we are confident that we can arm veterans and military spouses with the training and skills necessary to begin to leverage the technology and put it to use in their career,鈥� said , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF, at a press conference today in Washington, D.C.

Over the next three years, the goal is to train transitioning service members, veterans and military-connected spouses on how to best leverage and incorporate AI into their daily lives.

鈥淎I offers significant opportunities to accelerate economic growth, particularly if people have access to the right resources and training,鈥� said James Manyika, senior vice president for research, technology and society at Google. 鈥淕oogle.org鈥檚 new AI Opportunity Fund and Google鈥檚 AI Essentials Course are important next steps in our commitment to ensure everyone, everywhere can access AI training. No single employer or policymaker will be able to modernize workforce programs on their own鈥攚e are committed to collaborating across industry, civil society and government to ensure the opportunities created by new technologies are available to everyone.鈥�

Haynie said the IVMF team provides training, education and technical assistance to more than 20,000 service members, veterans and military-connected family members annually. Recently, Haynie said one of the most asked about questions from the veteran community involved ways to learn more about AI and its everyday uses.

This grant from Google addresses both a specific need for veterans and a specific gap in training nationwide, as only half of workers have access to sufficient AI training opportunities, according to the .

J. Michael Haynie

鈥淲e鈥檝e found that military veterans are eager to embrace the technology in their professional life to increase productivity, whether while running their own small business or working for one of America鈥檚 employers. We were working to find the right answer for them, but with an increasingly crowded marketplace of resources and training it was difficult to identify the right opportunity鈥nter our friends at Google. This training will have a lasting impact on veterans and military spouses,鈥� Haynie said of , which has supported IVMF with its efforts of preparing transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses to bring their skills to civilian careers since 2013.

According to Google, its online AI Essentials course, taught by the tech giant鈥檚 industry experts, will train people to use generative AI effectively in their day-to-day work. Participants will receive practical, hands-on experience with AI鈥攊ncluding best practices and how to responsibly use AI鈥攁nd those who complete the course will earn a certificate from Google to share with their network and with potential employers. The course normally costs $49 per person, but thanks to this grant, IVMF participants can learn these skills at no cost.

The half-day camp is open to boys and girls ages 5 to 13 and will occur at the SU Soccer Stadium April 22-26 from 9 a.m. to noon daily. Players of all experience levels will learn from head coach Ian McIntyre, associate head coach Jukka Masalin, assistant head coach Carter Lincoln and current members of the team through instructions and guidance to the campers.

The 黑料不打烊 men’s soccer spring break camp runs April 22-26 on campus.

Featuring activities, skills, drills and games based on the fundamentals of soccer鈥攄ribbling, passing, shooting and learning to compete on the field鈥擫incoln says the camp’s goal is to teach those fundamentals through entertaining activities and exercises.

鈥淔un is the priority. We want to inspire young soccer players and instill a passion for the game. Through soccer, children can learn the importance of hard work, teamwork and dedication to becoming the best versions of themselves,鈥� Lincoln says. 鈥淲e also want to strengthen our relationship with the 黑料不打烊 community, which is the biggest supporter of our program. These camps strengthen those community ties and allow campers and their families a chance to get to know our staff and student-athletes better.鈥�

The camp costs $200 per child. For information or to register, visit or send an email to susoccercamps@gmail.com.

Annie Chen (left) and Bettina Talento are two of the passionate student leaders who helped plan 黑料不打烊’s annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrations.

April is a time for the 黑料不打烊 community to celebrate聽Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.

Celebrated nationally in May, the University hosts its annual AAPI Heritage Month in April so all campus members can join in honoring the histories, cultural diversity, identities and contributions of AAPI communities.

Annie Chen

This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淗armony in Heritage,鈥� celebrating the rich diversity found within AAPI communities while also highlighting the unity and shared experiences that bring these varied cultures together. Asian Americans trace their roots to over 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia, each with its own unique histories, languages beliefs and traditions. Pacific Islanders represent another ethnically diverse group with Indigenous peoples from Hawaii, Guam, Samoa and other Pacific islands and territories.

AAPI Planning Committee co-chairs Annie Chen 鈥�25 and Bettina Talento 鈥�25 say the month-long festivities are the perfect way to showcase their proud cultural heritage while emphasizing that the differing heritages serve to unite the AAPI community.

鈥淗armony in Heritage aims to pay homage to our heritage and the different traditions that have been passed down and subsequently shaped our cultures. It’s important to recognize and celebrate our heritage while also welcoming the present,鈥� says Chen, who is studying psychology in the and plans on pursuing a career promoting mental health and well-being once she graduates.

鈥淚t means finding our middle ground among the diverse cultures in Asia and the Pacific islands, where we all can thrive in harmony,鈥� adds Talento, a dual major in advertising in the and marketing management in the who hopes to work in a role combining her passions for design and marketing.

Bettina Talento

Chen, Talento and Chelsea Kang 鈥�24 served as AAPI Heritage Month co-chairs on the planning committee, and they worked alongside to聽cultivate an highlighting and honoring the cultural heritage, history and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The month opened with a celebration kickoff on March 31 and included speakers, exhibitions, performances and student organization events. Some of the remaining highlights include Friday night鈥檚 , (April 17), 聽(April 19), the (April 20), and (April 20).

Chen and Talento sat down with SU News to share why they were passionate about planning this year鈥檚 events, the important role their culture plays in their lives and how their time on campus has strengthened their ties to their heritage.

As the campus community celebrates Earth Month, Lydia Knox discusses the state of sustainability and explores how the University is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2032.

What does it mean for 黑料不打烊 to invent and demonstrate cutting-edge sustainability initiatives?

It means reducing the University’s environmental impact responsibly by identifying, promoting and implementing practices that will meet our current needs without compromising the needs of future generations. And it includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions through wisely managing energy efficiency projects.

Projects like the recently completed improvements to the mechanical systems at the Center for Science and Technology, a multi-year initiative that resulted in a 25% reduction in steam use in 2023 and an annual emissions reduction of over 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). Or the聽recent replacement of the Lally Athletics Complex arena lighting, an effort expected to reduce carbon emissions by 141 metric tons per year.

“Sustainability encompasses a lot, but I think in the most basic sense it’s trying to really have a positive impact on the community and on the environment, and to just make sure that the practices we’re putting forth each day are both benefiting us now at this current moment, but also will have a benefit to future generations of students, faculty and staff here at 黑料不打烊, and on a larger level, the whole 黑料不打烊 community. This is not one fix-all. It’s going to take a lot of people,” says Lydia Knox G’22, the sustainability project manager in the .

During April, the campus community is coming together to celebrate Earth Month. On this ‘Cuse Conversation, Knox discusses the state of sustainability at 黑料不打烊, the wide range of Earth Month efforts occurring on campus, how the University is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2032, how you can get involved with these initiatives and why she left her career as a television meteorologist to pursue her passion for sustainability and preserving the Earth.

Check out episode 162 of the podcast featuring Knox. A transcript [PDF]聽is also available.

Mary Spio (right) and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade have collaborated on virtual reality learning experiences on how to become a better basketball player.

None of it made sense.

Whenever Mary Spio 鈥�98 wore a virtual reality (VR) headset, she would feel nauseous and get sick. She wasn鈥檛 alone. Other women who tried on a VR headset told Spio they felt the same way.

Spio set out to determine the root cause of these issues, even after some of the largest virtual reality companies rejected her idea that there was an issue specifically for women. What she discovered would revolutionize the VR industry, making the technology accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

鈥淰R headsets involve the interpupillary distance [IPD] or the eye distance, and women and men have very different eye distances. The lower limit of everything that had been built at that time was at the upper limit for women, which meant when the average woman put on the VR headset, the eyeballs were being pulled apart and she suffered from audiovisual incoherence. They would get sick and couldn鈥檛 enjoy the experience as it was intended,鈥� says Spio, who earned an electrical engineering degree from the .

Working with an ophthalmologist and a scientist that built nothing but lenses, Spio started studying VR headsets. She quickly learned that the dynamic range of the lenses being used was way outside the range for women and children, which motivated Spio to build the first headset with the IPD adjustment and featured the correct lens range for users of all ages.

For users who didn鈥檛 grow up playing video games, Spio also created a patent-awarded, easy-to-use controller that eliminated another barrier to entry.

鈥淢en and women just see the world differently, and that carries over into VR. I filled this gap that no one was looking at. It was a gap they didn鈥檛 even know existed. In a way, I was able to build this technology and now we have more women using our platform,鈥� Spio says.

Mary Spio

Today, Spio is the founder and CEO of CEEK VR, a developer of premium social virtual and augmented reality experiences that simulate communal experiences, such as attending a live concert, learning in a classroom or cheering on your favorite team at a sporting event. She has even collaborated with Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade on virtual reality learning experiences about becoming a better basketball player.

The technology is being leveraged by industries ranging from health care to entertainment to offer participants hands-on training that mimics real-world scenarios and can be more impactful than traditional learning measures.

Her career accolades include being named an NBC News 100 History Makers in the Making, receiving Boeing鈥檚 Outstanding Achievement in Electrical Engineering Award, and earning an Arents Award in 2017, the highest award 黑料不打烊 bestows on its alumni.

Spio sat down with SU News to discuss her revolutionary career, why she鈥檚 driven to use the technology to help underrepresented members of society and the indelible impact 黑料不打烊 has had on her life.

On Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the SSIC would receive the federal funding, as part of $3 million package. The new funding demonstrates the significant role 黑料不打烊 will play in building and training the workforce of the future that will power Micron鈥檚 leading-edge memory megafab in Clay, New York, the largest facility of its kind in the United States.

The South Side Innovation Center will receive $1 million in federal funding to upgrade its facilities in support of its role to help grow the workforce and prepare small businesses as Micron鈥檚 $100 billion investment in the region.

鈥淭he funding will 鈥渟upercharge Central New York鈥檚 efforts to make sure Micron benefits every corner of the community,鈥� Schumer says. 鈥淔rom upgrading facilities on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 South Side Innovation Center to help training our workforce and increasing small businesses鈥� ability to access the semiconductor industry, this funding will help get Central New York ready for the transformation ahead.鈥�

The SSIC, an entrepreneurial project of the , seeks to increase the vitality of the local and area economy by recruiting, nurturing, and training emerging and mature businesses. The SSIC provides these businesses with incubation support, development, education, market access, and credit assistance, using highly skilled trained professional counselors.

鈥淭he South Side Innovation Center has been a hub of innovation in our community for nearly two decades. Its work has stimulated economic growth, propelled job creation and driven community revitalization,鈥� says . 鈥淲ith Central New York on the verge of a once-in-a-generation transformation, this support will allow the center to enhance its impact in cultivating a thriving and stable workforce in Central New York. I am grateful to our elected officials, especially Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, for their tenacious advocacy on behalf of our state, our region and our city.鈥�

鈥淲e are delighted to receive this support for the SSIC. This significant investment in modernizing the SSIC facility truly is a game-changer and will act as a cornerstone of our work to support even greater success for our community entrepreneurs and innovators. This investment is an investment in creating an even greater future for 黑料不打烊 and Central New York鈥� says Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School.

The funding will help SSIC upgrade its infrastructure to reflect current business needs and workplace expectations and update its technology to provide training in an inducive and innovative environment. The investment in the SSIC will 鈥渆xpand workforce training,鈥� and 鈥渟park new life and grow businesses in Central New York,鈥� says Gillibrand.

The funding will also help modernize SSIC鈥檚 facilities to both better serve the community and guarantee that the space is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act鈥檚 accessibility regulations.

Knowing the size and scope of Micron鈥檚 transformative investment in the region, and recognizing that has one of the highest poverty rates () in the U.S. and higher levels of unemployment (), Schumer and Gillibrand emphasized that the money will 鈥渉elp ensure that the economic development [created] will be equitable and inclusive.鈥�

According to a issued by the senators, the funds will also be used to support transformative capital investment to create jobs, develop a more qualified workforce, and generate tax revenues through sales of profitable new businesses, ultimately contributing to the overall health and stability of the Central New York economy.