Old laptops, cell phones, printers and tablets are among the acceptable items to donate during the free electronic upcycling event on Saturday, Sept. 20.

The University’s is partnering with CXtec, the United Way and Sunnking to offer a on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Community members are encouraged to clear out their clutter and drop off their old and unwanted technology and equipment from 8 a.m. to noon at the Skytop Parking Lot and Ballentine Field (across from the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion).

Every piece of old technology donated means both less waste in our local landfills and more financial support for those in need in Central New York.

Among the acceptable items to recycle:

• Cameras and camera equipment
• Cell phones
• Computers
• Fax machines
• Hard drives
• iPods
• iPads
• Keyboards
• Printers
• Scanners
• Servers
• Video equipment

Among the items not accepted:

• Cathode ray (tube) televisions
• Furniture
• Hazardous materials
• Kitchen appliances

Those interested in converting their outdated technology into an opportunity to enhance the vast impact the United Way has in our community can either secure their or can walk in and donate their acceptable items for recycling.

CXtec employees will be on site to evaluate donated items for potential upcycling, while all other items will be responsibly recycled. All proceeds from the resale or value recovery of these items will go to benefit the United Way.

This electronic upcycling event is one of the ways the Office of Community Engagement strives to achieve sustainable impact through student and community engagement that connects the City of ���ϲ����� and the Central New York community to the University’s skills and resources.

His father, John Sala, came to the University in the early 1960s for a facilities career that would span more than 30 years. As children, Pete and his brothers often tagged along with their father. Years later, Pete would join the staff himself, continuing the family’s legacy of hard work and dedication to ���ϲ����� for more than four decades.

This fall, the University recognized that legacy with the dedication of the Sala Family Plaza, located outside Miron Victory Court and the JMA Wireless Dome. Permanent markers in the space—a plaque, a plaza sign and astroturf with 50- and 44-yard lines—acknowledge the Sala family’s impact. The project was made possible through the support of Chancellor Kent Syverud, the Board of Trustees, University leaders and community partners.

The Sala Family Plaza was dedicated on Sept. 6. Pictured from left are Jake Sala, Laurie Sala, John Sala, Dr. Ruth Chen, Chancellor Kent Syverud, Pete Sala and Otto the Orange. (Photo by Amy Manley)

“When you think of service, hard work, and unwavering commitment to ���ϲ�����, few people embody those ideals as profoundly as Pete, John and the Sala family,” Chancellor Syverud said. “For more than seventy years, their extraordinary dedication and love for ���ϲ����� have shaped a campus that is more beautiful, more functional, and more welcoming for generations of Orange students, faculty, staff, alumni, and fans. The Sala Family Plaza will forever remind us of their enduring legacy.”

Taking on Archbold Stadium

A skilled groundskeeper, John learned the trade at Cornell University and, with his father, built the golf course at Pompey Hills Country Club in the 1950s. When ���ϲ����� needed help rehabbing the football field at Archbold Stadium, John got the call.

Facilities leaders were so impressed with his knowledge and work ethic, he was hired as a foreman on the University’s grounds crew. He rose to superintendent and director with Physical Plant (now Facilities Services), overseeing a dramatic campus transformation. New residence halls, academic buildings, Marshall Square Mall, Archbold Theatre and the Schine Student Center all came under his watch.

Most significantly, John was instrumental in the design and construction of the JMA Wireless Dome (formerly the Carrier Dome), located at the heart of campus. The Dome celebrates its 45th anniversary this month.

Establishing a Family Legacy

John brought his three sons—John, Pete and Larry—to campus on game days, parking them at the top of Archbold Stadium while he worked. They often ended up in the office of legendary football Coach Ben Schwartzwalder, who supplied them with sandwiches and drinks.

Trustee Cliff Ensley ’69, ’70, G’71, a former football player, recalls the quality of the field John helped restore. “It was the nicest, most beautiful field I ever played on, and probably the best in the country,” Ensley said.

Plans for the Dome were frequently spread across the Sala family’s living room table. John often responded to late-night calls, and in the winter, shoveled snow from the Dome’s inflatable roof. His late wife, Jennie, and their children strongly supported his work.

John retired in 1992, but the tradition continued through Pete. Pete’s wife, Laurie, and their son Jake ’21, G’23, now a Dome staff member, are part of the ���ϲ����� story. Four of John and Jennie’s five children attended SU, along with four of their grandsons.

Pete’s own career began with a call from his dad in 1981. Preparing for a Rolling Stones concert in the Dome, John asked Pete, home for Thanksgiving break, to round up some friends and help build the stage. Pete delivered 20 recruits, and soon after was offered a part-time job. He joined full time in June 1982.

The Sala Family Plaza, located outside the Miron Victory Court at the JMA Wireless Dome (Photo by Amy Manley)

The Torch Is Passed to a New Generation

Over 44 years at ���ϲ�����, Pete has become deeply involved in shaping the campus. He has overseen the construction of Ernie Davis Hall, the Einhorn Family Walk, the Barnes Center at The Arch, the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, the Clifford J. Ensley Athletic Center, and the Dome’s renovation to enhance the player and fan experience. Between 2000 and 2010, the University hosted four NCAA regional tournaments, the most of any venue in the country.

As managing director of the Dome, Pete has also overseen large-scale events that draw the community to campus, including concerts by Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Pink, and fan-favorite Monster Jam.

Chancellor Kent Syverud, John Sala and Pete Sala (Photo by Amy Manley)

University Trustee Christine Larsen ’84 spoke of the family’s impact, particularly Pete’s leadership on the rebuilt Dome and Miron Victory Court. “I’m proud to say the Sala Plaza will always serve as our front yard, welcoming everyone,” she said.

For Pete, much of the credit goes to his team. “Nobody on this campus has a better staff than me,” he said. “I thank you; I can’t do it without you.”

Michael Veley, former Rhonda S. Falk Professor of Sport Management in the David B. Falk College of Sport, credits Pete with expanding opportunities beyond athletics. In 2005, they created a hands-on experiential learning component that evolved into a graduate program in sport facility and event management.

“This has resulted in dozens of our graduates managing facilities like Soldier Field in Chicago, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and several major college venues,” Veley said.

“The evolution of sport management from a small department to the Falk College of Sport, the first of its kind in the nation, simply would not be possible today if not for Pete’s engagement and commitment to academic excellence over the last 20 years,” Veley said.

The project, conducted by student fellows Ohemaa Asibuo and Ayanna Hyatte under the direction of Santiago Center Director , is centered on the 1973–1990 Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, during which more than 3,000 people died or disappeared, 200,000 suffered exile and 27,000 were tortured.

Lender Global student fellow Ohemaa Asibuo studies the remembrance wall exhibit at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Paula Lopehandia)

While in Santiago, the student fellows will take the course Dictatorships, Human Rights and Historical��Memory in Chile and the Southern Cone, taught by Paredes.

They will also make hands-on enhancements to an exhibition at the (Museum of Memory and Human Rights) that memorializes during the Pinochet dictatorship and illustrates how commemorative education can help redress and prevent human rights abuses.��The fellows also plan to share their research findings with community audiences in Santiago.

Mauricio Paredes, at front, director of the Santiago Abroad program, teaches a group of students on the 30-year Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. (Photo by Paula Lopehandia)

Learning from Experts

Paredes is an expert on Chilean nationalism, internment camps, political memory and Latin American dictatorships—not just as a scholar but also as a former political prisoner of the Pinochet government.

He says the course will offer the fellows an unusual opportunity to discover the serious human rights violations that were committed by the Chilean dictatorship and others, and the ability to confront the issues of victims being forgotten and a veil of invisibility that has sometimes been created about state violence in Chile.

“Their work at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights research center will be with a team of experts in the field and with access to one of the largest databases in Chile for studying these topics. In addition, they will have the privilege to meet with and interview Chileans who are related to or are victims of political violence, which will undoubtedly contribute to the students’ immersion in this painful but necessary experience,” he says.

Program’s Academic Fit

Lender Global student fellow Ayanna Hyatte, left, looks at Museum library materials with archivist Rodolfo Ibarra. (Photo by Josefina Fuentes.)

Both Asibuo and Hyatte say the Lender Global program in Santiago fits well with their academic interests. Asibuo, a junior from Accra, Ghana, and Hyatte, a master’s student from Washington, D.C., are both international relations majors at the .

Asibuo previously studied in South America through the ���ϲ����� Abroad . Hyatte, as a former fellow in the Council for Opportunity in Education in The Hague, has experience in commemorative education and memorialization to address past injustices.

Lender Global is a collaboration between the and that aligns with the University’s vision of preparing students as citizens, scholars and leaders in a changing global society.

Spring Fellowship Open

The Santiago project will continue in Spring 2026 with a new cohort of study-abroad students building on the research of the Fall 2025 Lender Global fellows.

Students who are interested in the Lender Global fellowship and study at the Santiago Center can apply for the semester abroad in Chile . The ���ϲ����� Abroad application deadline for the Spring 2026 semester is Wednesday, Oct. 1.

After that date, all students accepted for the abroad semester in Chile will receive more information about applying for the Lender Global fellowship. In the spring semester, the fellowship offers a special opportunity for students having an engineering and/or technical background to support a public installation exhibition that will showcase the research project at a partner museum in Santiago.

On Sept. 13, the group recovered a Marine Corps flag that was standing in the wreckage, perched on the edge of a 4th floor office that had been split in half by the gaping hole left in the Pentagon. The flag had somehow survived the attack unscathed. The group returned the flag to the Marine Corps, where it would symbolically become a reminder of the events of that week.

What began as a quiet act of service became a symbol of resilience and commitment to country—and a story that continues to inspire more than two decades later.

Jared Hansbrough L’29 (far right in white) is pictured alongside the recovered Marine Corps flag.

The ,��professor of law, director of the����and professor of public administration in the��, also knows that flag. It once stood behind the desk of his mentor and close friend, Peter Murphy, his son’s godfather and longtime counsel to the commandant of the Marine Corps.

At 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, Murphy was standing in front of it when Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Though injured, he returned to work the next day, determined that the law was as present on Sept. 12 as it had been on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11. The flag was subsequently carried to Afghanistan and into space on the shuttle Endeavor before being returned to Murphy.

Today, it is displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, a lasting tribute to Murphy’s service (Murphy passed away in 2015), the service of Marines and most of all to the victims of 9/11.

“Peter, who was from New York, would have loved knowing that Jared had found his way to the law and to ���ϲ�����, or as he might have put it, that Jared had chosen to continue to support and defend the Constitution as a lawyer,” Baker says.

After more than two decades of military service followed by public service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Hansbrough is now pursuing his law degree through the online hybrid JDinteractive program, preparing for a career in private practice. Today, we honor Hansbrough’s story, and the courage, sacrifice and service of all who responded in the wake of that tragic day.

Laura Machia

College of Arts and Sciences Dean has announced the appointment of , associate dean for academic initiatives and curriculum and professor of psychology, as interim director of the . In this role, Machia will be responsible for program administration, student advising and support, faculty coordination and curriculum oversight.

“Laura’s commitment to academic excellence for all students is reflected by her willingness to act as interim director of Honors during a key time for this valuable program,” Mortazavi says. “In her full-time role as associate dean for academic initiatives and curriculum, she is instrumental in ensuring that our programs are high-functioning and strategically aligned with college and University priorities. Therefore, I know that the Honors Program will also be in incredibly capable hands.”

Machia’s leadership comes at a pivotal time for the Honors Program. This semester, a working group, convened last spring by Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer , will conduct a comprehensive review of the program. As a member of the working group, Machia will maintain the program’s academic excellence while collaborating with fellow members to develop recommendations for long-term enhancement.

The working group, composed of faculty or dean representatives from the schools and colleges that participate in the Honors Program, is charged with:

• Identifying ways to better link the Honors Program to the areas of distinctive excellence outlined in the , especially experiential inquiry.
• Reviewing the Honors Program curriculum.
• Determining how the Honors Program thesis requirement can better accommodate students in the professional schools and colleges.
• Proposing a governance structure for the Honors Program, including bylaws, a charter or charge, a mission statement and a governing and/or advisory body.
• Suggesting strategies to create more faculty engagement and involvement with the Honors Program.

Working group co-chairs are , associate provost for strategic initiatives, and , vice provost for faculty affairs. In addition to Machia, members are:

• , Edward Pettinella Professor of Finance, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• , dean, School of Education
• , assistant teaching professor, College of Professional Studies
• , associate professor, School of Architecture
• , associate professor and chair of political science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• , associate professor of music, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• , associate professor of advertising, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• , professor, School of Information Studies
• , associate professor of nutrition and food studies, Falk College of Sport
• , teaching professor and biomedical engineering undergraduate program director, College of Engineering and Computer Science

The working group will submit a final report to the provost by the end of the semester.

Beginning at 3:30 p.m. on those dates, faculty, staff and students who need to park on campus to attend or teach a class will be allowed to park in with their existing parking permits. All Quad and West Campus lots will be restricted beginning at 4 p.m. If you are working regular University business hours, your permit will be valid until you leave for the day.

normally available for students’ use after 4 p.m. will also be restricted on these dates. Students attempting to park in these lots will be redirected to University Avenue Garage, where their permit will be honored.

Parking and Transportation Services asks for support of these procedures so that they may provide academic access for the entire University community. If you have any questions or need to coordinate additional academic access, please contact Dee Bailey at debailey@syr.edu or by phone at 315.443.5319.

In addition to email, text and voice messages, the Orange Alert test message will also be sent via push notification to the��, to the main ���ϲ����� and DPS Facebook and Twitter accounts, and will display on the University’s homepage and video monitors located in common areas in several buildings around campus.

The Orange Alert message will be sent to all ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) students and to SUNY ESF faculty and staff who have signed up. Orange Alert will send a notice to all devices that are registered on the system.

“Testing the Orange Alert system ensures that our campus community can be reached quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency,” says William Karnadi, director of emergency management and business continuity planning. “We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to double-check their contact information in MySlice so they don’t miss these critical alerts.”

To review and/or modify your Orange Alert contact information, go to MySlice, log in using your NetID and password, select Student Home or Employee Home, depending on your primary affiliation with ���ϲ�����, select the Personal Profile tile, then “Orange Alert Contacts” from the navigation menu and review your information. If you need to add, update or delete contact information, select the “Add/Update/Delete Contact Details” link. If you are an ESF student, use the ESF emergency contact information page to update your information.

For additional information on the Orange Alert system, visit��.

Chris Meek stands at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in downtown Manhattan. (Photo courtesy of Adhiraj Chakrabarti, American Essence Magazine)

Chris Meek ’92, G’18 was on a work call at Goldman Sachs on Broadway Street in lower Manhattan on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when he and his colleagues heard a tremendous noise.

From media reports, Meek soon realized what they heard was the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 as it crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower at 8:46 a.m. A few minutes later, hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. Meek and his colleagues felt the tremors and heard the loud explosion.

Less than half a mile from Ground Zero, Meek and his teammates frantically made their way down the stairs from their 19th floor office building after the first plane crash and sought refuge at the American Stock Exchange across the street. That’s where they were when the North Tower collapsed.

In the immediate aftermath, Meek observed hundreds of first responders running toward the chaos of the World Trade Center—an image that still resonates 24 years after the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93 that killed 2,977 people, including 30 ���ϲ����� alumni.

Inspired by the bravery of those first responders, Meek dedicated his life to giving back to our soldiers and to preserving the memory of those who died that day. He launched the , a nonprofit that aims to educate, commemorate and inspire action by telling the stories of the survivors, first responders and the families of those lost.

“Seeing those first responders running toward trouble, running toward the World Trade Center because it’s their job and that’s what they needed to do is one of my most lasting memories from that day,” says Meek, author of the book, “Next Steps Forward: Beyond Remembering. The Power of Action.” “Because of those first responders, I knew I had to do something to give back.”

Meek stands outside Ladder Company 10, located across the street from the World Trade Center. It is the only fire station inside Ground Zero.

Driven to Action by Bravery of First Responders

Next year, in remembrance of the 25th commemoration of the terrorist attacks, Meek’s foundation plans to promote the events occurring around the country, and it wants to reframe how Americans think about the events of Sept. 11 to ensure the stories of those who lost their lives are preserved and passed along to future generations.

“We vowed to never forget, but there’s an entire generation of Americans who weren’t alive when Sept. 11 happened,” says Meek, executive producer of “The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11,” a documentary slated for release next September. “They don’t know what they’re not supposed to forget, so I’m trying to change that narrative from ‘Never Forget’ to ‘We Remember’ by sharing those stories and having people talk about what happened.”

The 25th anniversary of the attacks coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of America, and Meek says his foundation is working in conjunction with the White House to plan events honoring the victims. He says there are remembrances planned at all three sites: Ground Zero in New York City; the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed; and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.

Beyond raising awareness of these events, Meek says his foundation wants to make it required that high schools in all 50 states teach students about what happened on Sept. 11 (only 16 states currently require this as part of their curriculum); wants to fundraise to help the Pentagon build an education and resource center honoring those who died in the attacks; and wants to increase the Sept. 11th Victims Compensation Fund, which provides financial compensation for physical illnesses or deaths suffered by first responders and survivors.

Chris Meek visited Ground Zero in the spring, the first time he had returned since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo courtesy of Adhiraj Chakrabarti, American Essence Magazine)

The Power of the Athenian Oath

Meek learned early on the importance of giving back from his mother, Camille, a deaf education teacher who emphasized how one person can make a difference in the world. He recalls his mother saying, “we might not be able to change the world today, but we can change the world around us.”

That served as the impetus for Meek to launch Start Now, a nonprofit that helped individuals facing foreclosure work with banks to remain in their homes. Later, he formed , which began collecting and donating socks and essential care packages for soldiers serving overseas and morphed into providing technology and educational opportunities to veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life.

The wisdom imparted by his mother, along with the teachings of the Athenian Oath—“to leave things better than we find them”—guided Meek as he earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from the College of Arts and Sciences and the ,��and a master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School.

“Everything I have is because of ���ϲ�����, and everything I’ve done in my career has been motivated by the Athenian Oath,” says Meek, who served on the Maxwell Advisory Board for 10 years. “I’ve been blessed to have a series of small wins that turned into major victories, and it doesn’t take much to make changes to the world around me.”

Troops pose with the care packages from a shipment delivered by SoldierStrong, a nonprofit Meek started to donate socks and essential care items to soldiers serving overseas.

Such programs as the Literacy Corps, Balancing the Books, STEM Initiative, Nutrition Initiative and ���ϲ����� Volunteer Organization (SUVO) offer students opportunities to make a difference in the greater ���ϲ����� community.

Undergraduate students of all years and majors are invited to explore involvement opportunities. Representatives from the Shaw Center and other recognized student organizations will be at the today, Tuesday, Sept. 9; Wednesday, Sept. 10; and Thursday, Sept. 11, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.�� on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle to meet with interested students.

Volunteer opportunities include the following:

���ϲ����� Literacy Corps (SULC)

A signature program of the Shaw Center, places literacy tutors in elementary schools in the ���ϲ����� City School District, other area schools and in community organizations to provide K-12 students with one-on-one mentoring and academic support. The Literacy Corps is a paid position, and are currently being accepted through Friday, Sept. 12.

A University student works with a ���ϲ����� City School District student at a chalkboard as part of the Literacy Corps program.

SULC was one of the first programs that Elyas Layachi, a junior mathematics major in the College of Arts and Sciences and an inclusive adolescent education major in the School of Education, got involved with at ���ϲ����� as a first-year student.

“As a student in education, SULC has given me a glimpse into the profession of teaching, specifically in diverse learning environments with students from different backgrounds and speaking so many languages,” he says.

Layachi is now a leadership intern in the Shaw Center, hiring and onboarding tutors, processing program data and organizing such events as professional development trainings and tutor orientations.

“I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in working with the younger population, wants to be more involved in the greater ���ϲ����� community and enjoys having new experiences apply for this position,” he says.

Balancing the Books

is a financial literacy mentoring program offered through a collaboration of the Shaw Center, Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the ���ϲ����� City School District. Volunteer tutors commit a minimum of one year to working with a consistent cohort of middle school and high school students at Huntington Pre-K-8 School and Henninger High School. Tutors work with students on financial literacy, reading, writing, mathematics and other skills. This opportunity is available to Whitman undergraduates only.

STEM Initiative

volunteers facilitate hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities in classroom and after-school settings, engaging in small groups with student participants to help them improve their science, computing, reading and math skills. The initiative consists of two distinctive programs:

• STEM Explorers
  STEM Explorers is a mentoring program for middle school students in the ���ϲ����� area with support from focused on the engineering aspect of STEM.
• ���ϲ����� Information Technology Experience (SUITE)
  SUITE is a mentoring program for elementary school students in the ���ϲ����� area focused on the technology aspect of STEM.

Both programs seek to further STEM passion in K-12 students and encourage them to pursue those interests into high school and beyond. The STEM Initiative is open to all University undergraduates, regardless of year or major.

Nutrition Initiative

The is a collaboration with the David B. Falk College of Sport and consists of three programs: Books and Cooks, a literacy, culture and cooking collaboration with ���ϲ����� City School District elementary schools; Cooking on the Hillside, providing cooking lessons to participants in the Hillside Work Scholarship Program; and Food Busters, a program for high school students that explores the science behind food through hands-on activities and experiments.

���ϲ����� Volunteer Organization (SUVO)

is a recognized student organization that is open to any student. Housed in the Shaw Center, it organizes volunteer events and connects students with volunteer opportunities in the community through the .

“The SULC tutor position, as well as our other volunteer opportunities, offer SU students a unique, challenging and rewarding reciprocal learning experience,” says Carla Ramirez, assistant director of the Shaw Center. “In addition to assisting the community with various learning initiatives, tutors develop lifelong and professional skills.”

Students work on building beds for the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The project was done last spring through the ���ϲ����� volunteer organization. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

He is internationally known for his significant contributions to the field of Afrofuturism—an artistic and cultural movement that blends science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction and speculative fiction. Afrofuturist works feature Black characters and communities making technical and societal advancements and use futuristic themes and elements of Black history and culture to examine and critique the past, present and future. The term comes from cultural essayist Mark Dery’s 1993 interviews with Black scholars in “,” published in the South Atlantic Quarterly. The contemporary movies “Black Panther” and “Get Out” are Afrofuturist examples, Lavender says. “But there is no set definition. You know it when you see it.”

Isiah Lavender III

Lavender’s work challenges the view of Afrofuturism as a contemporary movement tied to modern technology and science fiction. He says it has existed for centuries in Black literature, as far back as the early 18th-century works of writer and abolitionist whose works contain science-fictional language in their exploration of Black alienation, estrangement and dislocation.

He uses an approach he calls “future past”—expressing the idea of a future event from a past viewpoint—to examine “science fictional Blackness,” a concept that explores how Black identity, culture and history intersect with speculative futures, alternate realities and imaginative technologies.

“Science fiction forecasts, if not anticipates, the potential consequences of such a happening and how we can prevent or survive it by thinking through the ramifications of such a future, derived from the past,” Lavender says. “Science fiction is always in dialogue with the present in which it is written. You can play out��these kinds of thought experiments with race, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, technology and so on.”

Lavender has authored several books and numerous articles. His books include the notable “” (2019), “” (co-edited, 2020) and “” (co-edited, 2023). His newest book, “,” is due out in June 2026. He also serves as an editor for , an academic journal covering speculative fiction.

While he finishes his new book, Lavender plans to teach a spring semester class on race in science fiction and is working with of the University of Liverpool on another book, “Survival Mode: Anticipating Social Problems through Science Fiction.”��He is also exploring the at the . Williams, a ���ϲ����� graduate, is a former journalist, author and teacher who wrote about his experiences as a Black man in America. Lavender also hopes to create a science fiction working group with the .

As University Professor, Lavender has a tenured appointment in the and is an affiliate faculty member in the .

Justy Carruthers ’25 was so impressed with the sport management program in the that she moved across the country from San Diego to enroll here.

But after just one day in her first sport management class, she was ready to fly back to the West Coast.

Carruthers met with her instructor, Associate Professor , following the class and told her, “I don’t think this is meant for me.” When Pauline asked why, Carruthers said, “Because all of the boys in the class are spitting out facts left and right and I have no idea what they’re talking about.”

But Pauline, who worked in collegiate athletics before joining ���ϲ�����, saw the same potential in Carruthers that ���ϲ����� football coach would see two years later. Pauline encouraged Carruthers to keep an open mind and understand that she didn’t need to know stats, she needed to display “grit and hustle.”

Hired at the start of her senior year in fall 2024, Justy Carruthers became the youngest director of on-campus recruiting at a school from one of college football’s four power conferences.

“She came up to me after every single class and really made her presence known and to work in football, you have to have that presence, right?” Pauline says. “You have to be passionate and motivated and not afraid to speak up. That’s what has set her apart all along.”

With the help of Pauline’s professional network, Carruthers spent two years as an intern with the American Hockey League’s ���ϲ����� Crunch, and the Crunch helped her land a summer internship with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. She was working as an intern for the ���ϲ����� football team when Brown was hired in November 2023, and 10 months later, Brown appointed Carruthers as the youngest director of on-campus recruiting at a Power 4 school–and she was just starting her senior year.

Thanks to a whirlwind recruiting class that Brown assembled and Carruthers helped procure, the 2024 Orange enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in program history with a 10-3 record and three wins over top-25 teams.

“She’s a major part of our program, and the success we had our first year, we wouldn’t have had it without her,” Brown says. “We wouldn’t be where we are in the recruiting rankings without Justy.”

‘From 0 to 100’

So, how did Carruthers get from being a student intern to this integral role? , who supervises Carruthers as ���ϲ�����’s senior athletic director for football operations, says Carruthers personifies Brown’s culture of D.A.R.T.: She is Detailed, Accountable, Relentless and Tough.

“It’s not the easiest world to work in, college athletics, and especially Power 4 football (made up of the most influential conferences),” says Kelly, who joined Brown’s staff in March 2024. “But she’s got a confidence about her that really stuck out to me. And she’s been an asset to us ever since I’ve been here.”

When Brown was hired, recruiting “went from 0 to 100,” Carruthers says, and she and another Falk College intern, Cami Pasqualoni ’24, put their recruiting ideas in a binder for Brown to consider and eventually implement.

“It was nuts,” Carruthers says, “but it taught me so much about myself because our coaches would call me at 1 or 2 in the morning and say, ‘I need a kid here by 8 a.m.,’ and I’d have to figure that one out.”

One of those recruits was quarterback Kyle McCord, who was transferring from Ohio State. Carruthers received a call from the player personnel department at around 2:30 a.m. saying that Kyle McCord’s father was on the phone and they needed to get McCord here as soon as possible.

During a practice in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, Carruthers (left) confers with Scouting Assistant Alex Kelly (center) and Director of Scouting Aaron Mannici.

Carruthers made all the arrangements for his visit, including a last-minute change after his initial flight was grounded. McCord eventually chose ���ϲ�����, and he set a ���ϲ����� record and led the NCAA with 4,779 passing yards.

‘Works Itself Out’

Following ���ϲ�����’s win over Georgia Tech last September, Brown offered Carruthers the full-time job as director of on-campus recruiting and then called her parents to make sure they were comfortable with their daughter working full-time while completing her degree. Carruthers didn’t accept the job at first because she was concerned about juggling work and academics, but in the end she decided—much like she did after her first class as a first-year student—to embrace the challenge.

“I flooded my schedule in my freshman and sophomore years and I’m so happy I did because my junior and senior years were a little bit lighter,” Carruthers says. “And with the teachers I had like (Associate Teaching Professor) , they gave me so much support and grace in the classroom.”

Carruthers’ day-to-day duties depend on the time of year as the on-campus recruiting calendar varies throughout the year. But recruits can attend games at any time, and Carruthers plans all aspects of their visits, from flights to rental cars to hotels and even monitoring traffic patterns to ensure they arrive to campus on time. Brown says Carruthers is the most organized person he knows, and he says a recruit’s visit “just always works itself out the right way.”

It’s remarkable to think that Carruthers, who as a first-year student wasn’t sure if she could cut it at ���ϲ�����, is now an integral part of what college football experts call one of the most efficient recruiting machines in the country. Football is a results-oriented business, and Brown clearly favors Carruthers’ results over her age.

“I think this has been something that’s not only shaped me but also shaped the program,” Carruthers says. “A lot of our coaches say they learn something new from me every day. They always say, ‘I want my daughter to be like you when she’s older because they joke that I don’t put up with anything.’”

I am writing to update you on the search process for ���ϲ�����’s next chancellor.

I am pleased to announce that trustees Shelly Fisher ’80 and Lisa Fontenelli ’86 will co-chair the search committee. Both currently serve on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. Trustee Fisher recently served as chair of the Student Experience Committee and Trustee Fontenelli previously served as chair of the Finance Committee. I am deeply grateful to them for taking on this important responsibility.

We are currently working through the shared governance structures to determine the full makeup of the search committee. We expect to name the committee’s membership by Sept. 19; shortly thereafter the search will begin.

As Chancellor Kent Syverud shared in his , community input is essential to this process. We will host a series of engagement sessions—both in person and virtually—to gather your suggestions, perspectives and guidance. We are finalizing the schedule and will share more information about these sessions next week.

Additionally, we are in the process of building the Chancellor Search website, which we expect to be live on Sept. 19. There, we will provide updates on all search-related matters, including:

• Biographical information about search committee members
• Details about upcoming engagement sessions
• A survey to share your views with us
• Guidance on contacting our search consultants, Spencer Stuart, with feedback, questions and nominations
• The position profile, which the committee will aim to complete in October after soliciting input from members of the community

Selecting our next chancellor is a critical and exciting moment for ���ϲ�����. Thank you in advance for your engagement and support throughout this process. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to University Secretary Mary Opperman at opperman@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

Jeff Scruggs
Chairman, Board of Trustees

The Campus Store, located in the Schine Student Center, will open when activities begin on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle and close shortly after kickoff on game days. The store offers two floors of merchandise, with items available in men, women, youth and unisex categories for fans of all ages.

Campus Store trailers will be available at multiple campus locations. The Quad trailer will offer game day items like foam fingers, beads, temporary tattoos and pom-poms, along with limited apparel options. The Steele Hall trailer will feature apparel and a selection of game day merchandise.

Inside the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange Shop will be available from gate opening until 15 minutes after the game ends, offering ���ϲ����� merchandise for all age groups.

The Miron Victory Court, located on the second-level concourse, stocks merchandise before and during the game. Concourse kiosks, located in sections 113, 128, 304, 321 and 334 inside the JMA Dome, also offer last-minute shopping options.

NSF also recognized four faculty members with prestigious.

Duncan Brown, vice president for research, says expanded NSF funding and the selection of four faculty for CAREER recognition is a testament to the strength, quality and innovativeness of research taking place across campus. “Such positive outcomes show how important it is that our researchers continue to apply for federal grants. Doing so helps assure that continuing projects can maintain their momentum without interruption and that new research ideas have the support they need to realize societal impact,” says Brown.

CAREER Awards

CAREER Awards are NSF’s highest recognition for early-career academic professionals. The awards are designed to help recipients build the foundation for a lifetime of leadership and integration of education and research. Receiving the awards this year are:

• , assistant professor of chemistry in the
• , assistant professor of electrical engineering in the
• , assistant professor of physics in the
• , Maxwell Dean Associate Professor of the Politics of AI��in the

Xiaoran Hu

Hu works on that are super sensitive to mechanical forces and that can show visible signs, like changing color, when they are deformed or damaged. This helps materials report damage on their own and makes it possible to study how subtle force moves through complex systems, such as synthetic plastics and biological materials. He also designs smart materials that adapt their behavior or properties in response to other triggers, such as ultrasound, light or chemicals.

Bryan Kim

Kim aims to bridge the information gap between software systems and hardware devices by embedding implicit hints between systems and devices. The research helps��improve data storage performance and data retrieval reliability while maintaining compatibility. It supports complex, large-scale computing needs of modern businesses and technologies such as artificial intelligence and big-data analytics.

Mansell builds and fine tunes , the tools that detect the tiny ripples in space caused by cosmic events such as black hole mergers. She also works with a special kind of light called “squeezed light” that helps make the detectors more precise.

Zhang uses quantitative methods to study how the interests of citizens and technical experts could shape the. She explores the politics of digital technologies regarding AI governance; the international political economy in the age of advanced automation and quantitative social science methods.

Georgia Mansell

Record Year for NSF Funding

The $19.7 million in awards is the highest amount since 2022, according to Chetna Chianese, senior director in the (ORD). She says the success highlights the faculty’s continued striving for research success regardless of a shifting federal funding landscape.

The NSF funding supports dozens of projects across five schools and colleges in multiple research areas, including:

• An for doctoral students in emergent intelligence biological and bio-inspired systems for the
• A cluster of three projects to support the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and Astrophysics
• One new and two renewed Research Experiences for Undergraduates projects
• A project to further explore new physics at the LHCb experiment at , the European center for nuclear research
• A training program for upskilling photonics technicians in advanced optics and quantum research-enabled technologies
• A project to explore the science of social-psychological processes and AI companionship

Baobao Zhang

Support for Proposals

The Office of Research offers broad support for faculty pursuing sponsored funding, including through , departmental research administrators and ORD. Faculty beginning to pursue external funding and resources to support their research and creative activities can start by working with , who bring deep knowledge of external funders and stakeholders to provide strategic consultations.��The Office of Research additionally supports faculty through the , which helps them plan, draft and complete their proposals. That program will resume in the spring semester ahead of the summer 2026 deadline.

ORD also provides guidance regarding the ongoing changes to federal funding, the changing federal funding landscape, updates on new executive orders and adjusted administrative policies and regulatory requirements. “We are keeping faculty updated via email and an internal SharePoint, but our team can also provide project-specific guidance to principal investigators who reach out to us,” Chianese says.

Faculty��interested in applying for NSF and other grants can contact the ORD staff at resdev@syr.edu.

The faculty members are:

• , William L. Safire Professor of Modern Letters in the
• , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, executive dean of the and Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship
• , Gerald B. Cramer Faculty Scholar in Aging Studies and director of the�� in the

Dympna Callaghan

Callaghan has published widely on the playwrights and poets of the English Renaissance. She has held distinguished fellowships on three continents, including the Folger, Huntington and Newberry Libraries, the Getty Research Centre and the Bogliasco Center for Arts and Humanities. She is a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, a core editorial team member of A/S/I/A (Asian Shakespeare Intercultural Archive), lead editor of the A/S/I/A gender collection and co-editor of the��Palgrave Shakespeare��book series. In 2012-13, she served as president of the Shakespeare Association of America. Currently, she is writing about the relationship between poetic fluency and freedom of speech and Shakespeare in the American Civil War.

J. Michael Haynie

Haynie, a senior member of the University’s leadership team for more than a decade, is a leading scholar of innovation, entrepreneurial decision-making and business strategy, and is responsible for a diverse portfolio of academic programs, innovation initiatives and administrative functions. In 2011, he founded the as the nation’s first interdisciplinary academic institute created to advance the policy, economic and wellness concerns of veterans and their families. Today, the institute’s national training programs serve 25,000 transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses annually. In 2021, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal for his leadership of the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also part of the statewide team that brought Micron Technology’s new, $100 billion production facility to ���ϲ�����.

Jennifer Karas Montez

Montez has extensive expertise in demography, political economy, population health and life course and aging topics. Her research examines the large and growing inequalities in adult mortality across education levels and geographic areas within the United States, including why those trends are particularly worrisome for women, for people without a college degree and for those living in states in the South and Midwest. She also studies whether and why experiences in childhood, such as poverty and abuse, have enduring consequences for health during later life.

She is co-director of the Policy, Place, and Population Health Lab in the Maxwell School, and is a faculty associate of the and a research affiliate at the and the .

Fewer than 20 individuals have been recognized as University Professors. Appointments are made by the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees.

At the heart of The ���ϲ����� Promise is a transformative matching program that empowers donors to enhance their impact and deepen their commitment to student success. Fueled by two generous unrestricted estate gifts, the University is offering a 1:2 match for contributions supporting scholarship endowments, in particular. Eligible gifts include contributions of $100,000 or more that establish new endowed scholarships, and $50,000 or more to enhance and sustain existing ones.

Meeting the Need

Today, 78% of ���ϲ����� students receive some form of financial aid, and in recent years, the University has reduced the average student debt burden by more than 10%. The University also takes pride in meeting the demonstrated financial need of every incoming student, but the type of aid provided—scholarships and grants compared to loans—is a major factor in its ability to attract the best students. This underscores the importance of growing and sustaining permanent funding sources in perpetuity.

“Endowed gifts provide ‘forever funding’ that grows over time and insulates both students and the University from external factors like world events and economic uncertainty,” says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “Institutions with more endowment funding per student are positioned for greater success and long-term security, and The ���ϲ����� Promise gives our donors an excellent opportunity to partner with us in building lasting support for future generations of students.”

Donors Embrace The ���ϲ����� Promise

The simplicity of the match program boosts its appeal. Donors can establish new endowed funds or strengthen existing ones.

Pictured with their family, ���ϲ����� Trustee Jeannine Lostritto ’90 and her husband, Glenn, were the first donors to The ���ϲ����� Promise initiative.

From the moment they learned of The ���ϲ����� Promise initiative, University Trustee Jeannine Lostritto ’90 and her husband, Glenn, wanted to lead by example. The first donors to support The ���ϲ����� Promise, they made an additional gift to their Lostritto Family Endowed Scholarship, which supports undergraduate students in the School of Architecture and was established a few years ago.

The Lostrittos, who also established a current-use fund that supports architecture students studying abroad, were particularly drawn to The ���ϲ����� Promise initiative for its ability to grow their endowed fund and provide a greater, lasting level of financial support to students.

“We started this scholarship because we believe in the power of education to change lives,” says Jeannine Lostritto. “The School of Architecture is so important to us because students arrive with a clear purpose, and over the course of the challenging five-year program, they grow not only as professionals but as a close community that feels more like family.”

Lostritto isn’t alone in recognizing the familial nature of the architecture community and how it motivates others. Bernard Armstrong III ’85 was a peer advisor to Christopher Baylow ’88, P’24 during their student years, and helped him through a challenging time. When Armstrong made a ���ϲ����� Promise gift expanding the School of Architecture 150 Global Study Endowed Scholarship, which he established a few years ago in honor of the school’s 150th anniversary, Baylow felt inspired to make his own gift in appreciation for their lasting friendship. Their combined gifts, with the match contribution, will provide $225,000 in additional funding for the already-endowed scholarship, which supports undergraduate students with preference to those studying abroad in Florence, Italy.

“It’s a critical skill for aspiring architects to understand the influence of purposeful design across various communities, cultures and historical periods. I’ve been fortunate to live in and travel to many parts of the world, and I’m thrilled to give ���ϲ����� students the opportunity to develop these global perspectives,” Armstrong says. “I’m also deeply grateful to my friend, Chris, for his support and shared belief in helping this next generation of talented architects.”

The ���ϲ����� Promise initiative is especially powerful for those who wish to make an enduring endowment-level gift but who might not have previously thought it possible. ��For Joe ’84 and Linda Bockskopf, The ���ϲ����� Promise match put their desire to create an endowed scholarship in reach, and they’re delighted to provide enduring support for SU students.

The daughter of Italian immigrants, whose own college experience was made possible by a full scholarship, Linda knows the life-changing impact of scholarship support. The Joseph T. Bockskopf ’84 and Linda D. Bockskopf Endowed Scholarship supports SUSTAIN Scholars in the College of Arts and Sciences. The SUSTAIN program enhances undergraduate STEM student learning, academic performance, retention to graduation, and STEM career or higher education placement.

“Linda and I wanted to give back and help SUSTAIN Scholars who might not have the financial resources to attend SU,” says Joe Bockskopf. “We wanted to endow a scholarship, but we were unsure about the timing of when to begin. We preferred to do something during our lifetime so we could see the benefit the scholarship would have for students. The ���ϲ����� Promise initiative presented an opportunity that was too good to let pass, and the matching funds will enhance what we’ve donated to provide even greater support.”

Like the Bockskopfs, Robert ’85 and Teresa Heitsenrether recognize the power of education and the need to create opportunity for bright students regardless of their financial circumstances. They established the Robert and Teresa Heitsenrether Endowed Scholarship Fund to support first-generation college students pursuing undergraduate degrees at any of ���ϲ�����’s schools and colleges.

“As a first-generation college student myself, I understand the transformative power of a ���ϲ����� education. While I have been making annual gifts to existing SU scholarship funds, I wanted to make a greater impact and help make an SU education more affordable for first-generation students,” says Robert Heitsenrether. “My wife and I were considering funding a scholarship over time, but when we became aware of The ���ϲ����� Promise initiative we decided to fully fund a scholarship up front to take advantage of the matching funds. We hope to continue growing the impact of our scholarship over time with additional contributions to the scholarship.”

Scholarships can support students pursuing advanced degrees too. Stephanie D. Jones L’03 established the Spirit of Sankofa – Stephanie D. Jones L’03 Endowed Law Scholarship for students in the College of Law, with preference for residential students who are in leadership positions of student associations in which she participated. Wanting to make an impact as soon as possible, Jones has fully funded the scholarship, and the College of Law expects to begin awarding the scholarship to a student in Spring 2026.

“Being in student leadership at the College of Law was an invaluable kickstart to my legal career and professional development,” Jones says. “While ‘sankofa’ has several meanings, to me it means moving forward while never forgetting the learnings of the past. It is my honor, knowing how much student leadership did for me, to support generations of SU law students in their leadership journeys through the Spirit of Sankofa scholarship.”

Reflecting on the outpouring of generosity from donors since the launch of the initiative, Barlok says it demonstrates the true connection of the Orange community. “Many of our donors were once students who received scholarship support themselves, or family members of SU students, and their own ���ϲ����� experiences inspired them to carry the tradition of giving forward. This is the exact kind of engagement and support that The ���ϲ����� Promise symbolizes, and we hope it compels others to join in this partnership.”

To learn more about The ���ϲ����� Promise scholarship fundraising initiative, contact Lynn Vanderhoek at 315.443.9236 or Lavander@syr.edu.

Otto poses with an incoming student who is part of an Orange legacy family during the annual Orange Alumni Family Reception. (Photo courtesy of the ���ϲ����� Alumni Association’s Facebook page)

How does it feel to follow in your older sibling’s footsteps at the same university? SU News wanted to know so we asked five pairs of siblings—each including one who already graduated and one who is just starting their Orange journey—to reflect on their Welcome Week experiences and share how they will be forever connected by ���ϲ�����.

Gabe ’29 and Shalom Acheampong ’25

Shalom Acheampong

When siblings Shalom ’25 and Gabe ’29 Acheampong both chose civil engineering in the as their field of study and Shaw Hall as their home, they started to create a powerful Orange legacy.

From their hometown of Manchester, Connecticut, both found their paths converging at ���ϲ����� in ways that would transform not just their academic futures, but their family bond.

For Shalom, she remembers her journey began with Welcome Week connections to upperclassmen who shared invaluable advice and resources, giving her the confidence to navigate college life.

Gabe Acheampong

She shared her own advice to her brother: “Your path is your own. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is figuring things out in their own way. Don’t be afraid to reach out for support or share your experiences.”

Her transformation from an introverted first-year student to a confident ���ϲ����� student didn’t go unnoticed back home. “Seeing how she came back with a different demeanor and more confidence showed me how impactful being part of the ���ϲ����� community can be,” Gabe says.

For Gabe, carrying on this Orange legacy represents profound honor and pride. “It means the world to me,” he says. “I’m very proud of what my sister did here. She laid out what I need to do to be a successful student.”

Elena ’23 and Peter Biglan ’29

Peter Biglan

From helping with move-in during Welcome Week and catching up over Family Weekend to celebrating at Commencement, Peter Biglan ’29 enjoyed making the trip from Zionsville, Indiana, to visit his sister, Elena ’23, at ���ϲ�����. As Peter contemplated what he wanted from his college experience, he quickly realized his search started and ended with ���ϲ�����.

“Watching my sister’s experience showed me how strong the academic and career support is, and that ���ϲ����� can help me reach my goals,” says Peter, a supply chain management major in the and Flint Hall resident.

Elena Biglan

Forming a strong bond with her Sadler Hall roommate provided Elena with a companion to explore campus and a lifelong friend. It also facilitated a smooth transition to college. That’s part of her advice to her brother as he begins his Orange journey.

“Adjusting can take some time as you navigate new academic and social landscapes. However, give it a few months, and you’ll find yourself feeling right at home,” says Elena, who earned a policy studies and citizenship and civic engagement degree from the .

Peter admits it’s special knowing he is continuing the Orange tradition his sister started. “���ϲ����� is more than just a university; it’s a community and a legacy that connects us both,” he says.

Miren ’20 and Rem Chenevert ’29

Rem Chenevert

The age gap between Miren ’20 and Rem Chenevert ’29 is 10 years. While the two were close growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Rem felt like their hobbies and experiences rarely overlapped.

Not anymore. With Rem pursuing a public relations degree in the , now “we have something we both can relate to. We share ���ϲ�����. Even though our experiences will be different, I’m happy to have her as another ���ϲ����� mentor,” says Rem, a Sadler Hall resident.

The camaraderie found in her Living Learning Community in Lawrinson Hall helped open doors and made Miren feel welcomed from the minute she stepped onto her floor.

Miren Chenevert

“Everyone had their doors propped open, going from room to room to meet each other and see if anyone needed help getting set up. I am still close friends with a few of my floormates,” Miren says.

When it comes to her own advice to her brother, it’s important to “enjoy and cherish every moment shared with friends in the dining hall, every Juice Jam, every freezing walk and every football and basketball game,” says Miren, who graduated with a psychology and forensic science degrees from the .

Ashley ’25 and Chloe Kim ’29

Chloe Kim

Chloe Kim ’29 always looked up to her older sister, Ashley ’25, as they were growing up in Cresskill, New Jersey. After watching her sister grow as a student and a leader through hands-on learning opportunities, including a valuable immersion trip to Los Angeles, Chloe followed in Ashley’s footsteps to ���ϲ�����.

“���ϲ����� supports its students and pushes them to achieve their academic and personal goals, and I wanted to be part of a community where I can challenge myself, make meaningful connections and flourish,” says Chloe, a resident of Lawrinson Hall.

Those meaningful connections began for Ashley when she attended Citrus in the City as part of Welcome Week with fellow first-year students living in DellPlain Hall.

Ashley Kim

“Welcome Week created the foundation of friendships and connections that shaped my entire ���ϲ����� experience,” says Ashley, who graduated with a nutrition degree from the Falk College.

Ashley’s advice to Chloe is to “get involved as much as you can, as early as you can,” she says. “There are so many clubs, organizations and opportunities to help you find your community.”

“I feel honored and excited to not only continue but also share this Orange legacy,” Chloe says. “I can’t wait to create my own experiences while following in her footsteps.”

Luke ’25 and Sophia Lybarger ’29

Luke Lybarger

After moving into his room in Flint Hall, Luke Lybarger ’25 embraced the chance to make new friends and enjoyed connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.

It was one of the many perks of Welcome Week, where “residence life felt like a melting pot I had never experienced before, giving me plenty of opportunities to start building friendships right away,” says Luke, who earned an information management and technology degree from the .

Those friendships and lifelong connections were evident to Sophia Lybarger ’29 whenever she traveled to ���ϲ����� from their hometown of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

Sophia Lybarger

“Every time I visited, I fell even more in love with the University’s beauty and its lively, welcoming atmosphere. Luke played a large role in my decision to attend ���ϲ�����, and I am extremely grateful for his advice and support,” says Sophia, who is enrolled in the Whitman School.

Like her brother, Sophia will reside in Flint Hall during her first year. Sharing the ���ϲ����� experience makes Sophia feel “even more connected to my brother and excited to follow in his footsteps,” and makes Luke proud that his sister “chose the perfect place to grow and call home. ���ϲ����� shaped me into who I am today, so it means a lot to know she’s part of that same community,” he says.

Students with Otto’s Army cheer on the ���ϲ����� football team in the JMA Wireless Dome.

Whenever a ���ϲ����� team plays inside the JMA Wireless Dome, they feed off the energy provided by Otto’s Army, the passionate group of students who transform the JMA Dome into the Loud House.

Otto’s Army is one of the nearly 310 (RSOs) and on campus. For students looking to get involved, whatever hobbies or extracurricular pursuits pique your curiosity, chances are good there’s a student organization that aligns with your interests.

One of the best resources for students looking to connect with recognized student organizations is the upcoming , held Sept. 9-11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle. Meet with club leaders to learn more about each organization and explore campus resources.

Student representatives from University Union showcase their organization during the Fall Involvement Fair on the Quad. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Take a Spin. Combat Hunger. Spread Kindness Through Letter Writing.

• Do you have the need for speed? Members of spend their days designing, building and testing off-road vehicles in a competition against students from other universities around the world.
• Interested in doing your part to combat hunger in ���ϲ�����? The at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and ���ϲ����� is always searching for students to collect unserved dining hall food and deliver it to people in need.
• Feeling stressed by the start of the academic year? Students with spread love and kindness by distributing bundles of supportive handwritten letters during select times each semester, including finals.

�Ѵǰ���…

Or check out these organizations: There’s a club for students interested in learning more about beekeeping (the ), perfumes and colognes (the ), remote controlled cars, drones and planes (the ), training and raising service dogs () and even a club dedicated to the hit CBS reality show, “Survivor” ().

If Greek life is for you, the University is also home to more than 60 fraternities and sororities that offer members community, scholarship, leadership and service.

Can’t find an organization that suits your interests? It’s easy to . Look for like-minded people around campus and form a new way for students to get involved.

Students gather information about the different clubs and organizations on campus, like OrangeSeeds, during the Fall Involvement Fair on the Quad. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

IconicCloud wins $10,000 at 2024 ‘Cuse Tank competition.

To participate in any of the LaunchPad competitions, the first step is to ‘’ by signing up to receive our emails about upcoming opportunities. Joining the LaunchPad is free, easy and open to all members of the University community.

Below is more information about the scheduled competitions during the Fall 2025 Semester (all competitions held in Bird Library, unless otherwise noted):

• Ideas Fest on Friday, Sept. 12, 12:30-3:30 p.m.: Pitch your idea in 90 seconds for a chance to win $500! Ideas Fest is your chance to pitch your business, project or idea in just 90 seconds. No executive summary or pitch deck is required—just bring your idea and your passion. .
• ’Cuse Tank on Friday, Sept. 26, 2-5 p.m.: This Shark-Tank style business pitch is open to all student entrepreneurial teams, with judges comprised of University members and LaunchPad affiliates. Teams deliver a four-minute pitch idea for a chance to win more than $10,000 in prizes.
• Orange Central Student Startup Showcase on Friday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Students are invited to showcase their ventures and products with our ���ϲ����� alumni. Alumni are given fake ‘Cuse Cash to “invest” in student start-ups. The top three student entrepreneurs receiving the most ‘Cuse Cash investments will receive cash prizes.
• Halloween Freelance Small Business Competition on Friday, Oct. 31, noon-3 p.m.:��Student entrepreneurs building a creative career, side hustle, providing consulting services or creating a product or service are invited to compete in the Halloween Freelance Small Business competition. Open to all undergraduate and graduate students, participants present their business, previous work and the unique value they bring to their product or service market for a chance to win cash and non-cash prizes.��
• Impact Prize on Wednesday, Nov. 19, noon-3 p.m.:��Open to ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduate and graduate students who are taking entrepreneurship courses at ���ϲ����� working on ventures with a social impact (such as energy, environment, employment, education and training, health and mental health, community and social networks, social inclusion, poverty and literacy, youth empowerment, food, sustainability, access, etc.) and ventures that support important public policy goals. Competitors will present a brief (four to five minutes) presentation followed by a Q&A from judges for a chance to win up to $15,000 in prizes.

LaunchPad staff and mentors are available to support student entrepreneurs, founders, innovators and creatives interested in participating in LaunchPad competitions. There are a number of scheduled workshops available in the LaunchPad around presentation skills, pitch preparation, business development ideas and other skill-building opportunities. For more information on competitions or how you can get involved with the LaunchPad, contact launchpad@syr.edu.

As a new academic year begins, I’ve been thinking a lot about what lies ahead—not just for our University, but for me personally and professionally. After much reflection, I’ve decided that I will step down as chancellor and president of ���ϲ����� in June 2026.

Serving this University has been the greatest privilege of my career. For a native New Yorker who grew up just west of here in Irondequoit, the opportunity to lead ���ϲ����� has been both humbling and profoundly meaningful, and in many ways like coming home.

For more than 12 years I have witnessed the people who make up this great university perform miracles every day. You have launched innovative academic programs, hired hundreds of new faculty, and advanced research addressing the world’s biggest challenges. ���ϲ����� is now known as a national leader in supporting veterans and military-connected families. From the National Veterans Resource Center and the Barnes Center at The Arch, to the reimagined JMA Wireless Dome and a revitalized Schine Student Center, you have transformed our campus into a more dynamic and vibrant living and learning environment. Applications and enrollment have reached record levels. And together, we have confronted one of the most disruptive decades in the history of higher education, including navigating a once-in-a-century global pandemic that required more of our people than ever before. I marvel at the extraordinary talent of our Orange community. And you’ve done all this while putting the University in strong financial shape, with truly balanced budgets and record fundraising.

These accomplishments belong to all of us. I am especially grateful to my leadership team, our faculty and staff, our students, and our deeply committed alumni. Your passion and dedication power ���ϲ����� every day. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Board of Trustees for the faith they placed in me back in 2013 and for their trust and partnership over the years. And to my wife, Dr. Ruth Chen, thank you for your steadfast commitment to this community, and for your many contributions—not only as my partner, but as a teacher, mentor, and advocate.

As we look to the future, I have one important request. Over the next year, the Board of Trustees will be selecting my successor. I encourage each of you to engage fully and thoughtfully with the Board of Trustees as they lead this important search. Your voices, perspectives, and aspirations for the future are vital to selecting a leader who will build upon our shared accomplishments and guide ���ϲ����� forward.

There is still more to do, and I’m energized for this final year. We will continue advancing, building, and achieving, together as One University. Although our time in leadership will end next June, Ruth and I will always be part of this extraordinary Orange community. We will remain Forever Orange.

With gratitude,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Zest, A Protein-Forward Dining Station, Debuts at Ernie Davis Dining Center

With a menu developed by corporate executive chef Rick Leonardo and assistant director of nutrition management Ashley Leone, Zest will offer meals rich in high-quality proteins, wholesome grains and fresh vegetables, carefully curated to provide sustained energy throughout the day. The station was rolled out on Aug. 25 and will expand throughout the semester to offer a broader range of options.

Leone is quick to emphasize that while animal proteins will be available at station, Zest is really about plant-forward proteins.

Guided by the philosophy “Fuel Well, Feel Well,” Zest will offer a rotating menu of healthy, flavorful dishes designed to nourish students in both body and mind. Every dish is made without gluten-containing ingredients. All gluten-free food is prepared using dedicated equipment and utensils, and the potential for cross-contact is minimized as much as possible.

“I hear from students all the time—they’re looking for fresh, healthy ingredients, and they are increasingly paying attention to the amount of protein in their food,” says Leone. “Zest is our response to changing food trends and student feedback, and we hope students enjoy the new recipes available at the station.”

Upgrades and Changes at Campus Cafes and Goldstein Food Hall

Several campus cafes have significantly upgraded their menu offerings. Slocum Café, located on the ground floor of Slocum Hall, now offers a full line of Boar’s Head products, including sandwiches, flatbreads and breakfast options. Otto’s Juice Box—with locations at Goldstein Food Hall, the Life Sciences Café and at the Barnes Center at The Arch—has introduced three new smoothies, again focused on offering fresh, healthy ingredients for students looking to refuel quickly between classes.

Neporent Café in Dineen Hall is now offering a full We Proudly Serve Starbucks menu, joining The Canteen in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building and the Goldstein Café and Bakery in the Goldstein Food Hall on South Campus. In addition to everyday favorites, the café will now offer a full line of seasonal beverages, Starbucks Refreshers, Frappuccinos and Nitro Cold Brew.

Visitors to Goldstein Food Hall will notice a change to their dinner options. The space where the old Tomato Wheel was located has become the campus’s second Tavola 44 location, following the successful launch of the concept in the Schine Student Center last fall. The hand-crafted pizzas are all 9.5-inch personal pies, which can be loaded with toppings of your choice.

Brooklyn Pickle on the Run has opened on Marshall Street.

’CUSE Cash Expands to Brooklyn Pickle on the Run

The to accept ’CUSE Cash is the much-beloved local sandwich shop, Brooklyn Pickle on the Run, which opened on Marshall Street in late August. It’s the restaurant’s fourth location in the ���ϲ����� area.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to stop in, use their ’CUSE Cash, and enjoy the shop’s legendary overstuffed sandwiches, soups, salads and—of course—their pickles.

Establishing a ’CUSE Cash account is an easy and convenient way to pay at almost every point of sale on campus (and some off-campus locations). A ’CUSE Cash account can be established by any member of the University community, including faculty and staff. The funds are loaded via the or and are used via the ���ϲ����� I.D. card.

Visit the page on the Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services website for the most up-to-date list of locations that accept ’CUSE Cash.

Coca-Cola Products Now Available Across Campus

The biggest, boldest change on campus this summer? Probably the bright red trucks delivering Coca-Cola to every dining facility. As the University announced earlier this month, The Coca-Cola Company is now the official non-alcoholic beverage partner of the University and ���ϲ����� Athletics.

Coca-Cola products are now available at every Campus Dining location, including dining centers, retail cafes, convenience stores, Bistro 1926 at Drumlins Country Club and concessions stands at the JMA Wireless Dome. Members of the campus community should keep their eyes out for tastings, sales and giveaways sponsored by Coke throughout the year, as the partnership takes root across campus.

Unlike surveillance systems that track individuals’ movements, LPRs scan license plates and cross-reference them with law enforcement databases containing information about stolen vehicles and those tied to ongoing investigations.

“License plate reader technology gives our team another valuable tool to respond quickly and effectively when crimes occur,” says Michael Bunker, associate vice president and DPS chief. “It allows us the ability to identify threats in real time and share that information with our local law enforcement partners. This collaboration strengthens our ability to keep the campus community safe.”

The pilot program is the latest in a series of safety initiatives at the University. Current measures include campus patrols, an extensive network of security cameras, safety apps for students and employees and close partnerships with local police and emergency agencies.

Bunker adds, “The combination of these tools underscores our ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure and respectful campus environment where all community members can feel safe, supported and respected.”

• Sept. 10, 5:30-7 p.m., 114 Bird Library: Getting Started with Research. Dinner funded by the Graduate School. .
• Sept. 11, 5-6:30 p.m., 114 Bird Library and Online: Saving, Organizing and Citing Your Sources and Collaborating with Zotero. Dinner funded by the Graduate School. .
• Sept. 23, 2-3 p.m., Online: Using the Libraries as an Online or Distance Student. .
• Sept. 25, 5:30-7 p.m., Online: Getting Started with Research. .
• Sept. 26, 1-2 p.m., Online: A Student’s Guide to Using Microsoft Copilot for Coursework and Research. .
• Oct. 8, 5-7 p.m., 004 Bird Library: Behind the Scenes: How Wikipedia Works and How You Can Make it Better. Dinner funded by the Graduate School. .
• Oct. 15, 5:30-7 p.m., 004 Bird Library: Citation Workshop: Not Just Citing Articles and Books. Dinner funded by the Graduate School. .
• Oct. 20, 5-6:30 p.m., 114 Bird Library: Maximizing Your Research Impact. Refreshments funded by the Graduate School. Registration TBD.
• Oct. 21, 4-5:30 p.m., Online: Tertiary Tide: Dive into Specialized Reference Sources at an R1 Research Institution. .
• Oct. 22, 11 a.m.-noon, 046 Bird Library: Tertiary Tide: Dive into Specialized Reference Sources at an R1 Research Institution. .
• Oct. 28, 5-7 p.m., 004 Bird Library: Dissertation and Thesis Writing. Refreshments funded by the Graduate School. Registration TBD.
• Wed. Oct. 29, 4-5 p.m., Online: Trending Topics in Evidence Synthesis Research. Registration TBD.
• Mon. Nov. 3, 5-6 p.m., Online: Demystifying AI: What’s Really Inside the Black Box? .
• Nov. 12, 5:30-7 p.m., 004 Bird Library: U.S. Code of Regulations (CFR) Made Simple: A Practical Guide for Any Major. Dinner funded by the Graduate School. .
• Nov. 13, 2:30-4 p.m., 046 Bird Library: Introduction to ProQuest Text and Data Mining Studio Visualization Dashboard. .

“Several of these workshops are especially relevant for new graduate students, providing practical skills, research strategies and exposure to SU Libraries vast collection of titles, resources and tools,” says Giovanna Colosi, librarian for the School of Education and subject instruction lead. “Each workshop highlights a different topic and provides actionable tips you can immediately apply to your studies. Whether you attend one or all, you’ll walk away with strategies to make your academic journey more effective and manageable.”

The three-day institute offered information, resources and methods faculty can use to analyze course content and make revisions to keep pace with changing times, says , CTLE director and professor in the .

Participants learned key elements of assessing and redesigning their courses to maximize effective outcomes and student engagement. (Photo by Martin Walls)

Attendees explored pedagogies and research-based strategies that foster student engagement, including course design and teaching approaches that support student-centered, inclusive classrooms, build community and promote psychological safety.

They examined ways to better align assignments with learning goals and increase student accountability. Discussions emphasized that improvements to student learning and well-being should also benefit faculty teaching and wellness.

The Office of Academic Affairs co-sponsors CRI, and participants who successfully complete the 2025 institute will receive a $1,500 honorarium. Interest in CRI was high, with nearly three times more faculty applicants than available slots, Neuhaus says.

Jessamyn Neuhaus

Small Changes, Big Difference

“The attendees recognized that the key to effective teaching is always being able to keep learning about how to help students learn more effectively. Students change, we change, the world changes,” Neuhaus says. “These faculty are seeing how to apply some tweaks, add a little language here, some structure there. It’s not a radical shift or something totally new. Small changes can make a really big difference, especially when the focus is student engagement.”

Time for exchanging information and sharing experiences was built into CRI, a factor Neuhaus believes is critical since “often, the most important pedagogical learning may happen not just through formal content delivery but also from conversations with other people about teaching.”

Program days included time for discussion among participants, considered an essential element in the process of course assessment, reflection and redesign. (Photo by Martin Walls)

Student Feedback a Wake-Up Call

Jean-Daniel Medjo

CRI participant , assistant teaching professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, attended to change his teaching methods for the course Electrical Engineering Fundamentals.

The first time he taught the course, “it didn’t go very well,” he says. “Student feedback was a wake-up call for me. They complained the course was exam heavy. In hindsight, basing 96% of the grade on high-stakes exams wasn’t necessarily as fair as I thought it to be. I wanted to see how I could better assess students during the semester so they could earn a portion of the final grade throughout the term in a lower-stakes structure. I now also want to have a more learner-centered and learning-outcomes driven course.”

Janine Nieroda

, associate teaching professor of literacy education in the School of Education, found the CRI experience refreshing.

“I want to stay current and innovate with our students, so I am constantly seeking to diversify my skill set and challenge what I know, what I think I know and the ways I do it. The institute was amazing; there was such positive impact from experiencing Jessamyn’s expertise and working collaboratively with associates I don’t normally see or interact with.”

Welcoming, Accessible

, associate professor of human development and family science in the College of Arts and Sciences, wanted to assure that her course is fully welcoming and accessible to students from varied geographical and learning backgrounds.

Kamala Ramadoss

“I came from a very traditional teaching experience,” Ramadoss says. “I don’t want students fearing me or the learning process and I want us all to enjoy it.” She says CRI helped her discover new techniques that she is excited to try, “such as providing handouts or case studies and small-group topic chats, rather than giving a lecture.”

CRI will be held annually in May. Information is , including details about , and components. Applications for the May 2026 CRI will be available online beginning on March 1, 2026.

are available for guidance year-round and offer a range of services and teaching support. In addition to offering events, learning communities, reading groups and workshops, staff meet one-on-one with small groups and departments and programs for customized . Instructors, faculty, staff and students may also to receive the CTLE email newsletter.

The collection includes typefounders’ and printers’ specimen books, some of which date back to the 18th century. In addition to being informative and educational, many items include beautiful examples of letterpress printing with lithographs, woodcuts and other forms of illustration. The collection complements and enhances SCRC’s existing collection strengths in ���Ի���.

“We are grateful to George W. Hamilton for his generous gift,” says Nicolette A. Dobrowolski, Director of the SCRC. “This collection, assembled over many years, reflects George’s deep passion for the history of printing and typography. We appreciate his decision to entrust this remarkable resource to his alma mater, recognizing the vital role that SCRC collections play both on our campus and in the broader research community.”

Hamilton, who resides in Austria, Vienna, has been a long-time supporter of the Libraries. He was an early funder of��, the 90-second radio show highlighting audio collections within SCRC, including the . He also provided early sponsorship to support publication of the New York state series by the ���ϲ����� Press.

The acquisition of the George W. Hamilton Book Collection was made possible by the efforts of Dean David Seaman, Assistant Dean for Advancement Ron Thiele, SCRC Director Nicolette A. Dobrowolski, Assistant Director Lindy Smith, Curator of Early to pre-20th Century Irina Savinetskaya, Lead Curator and Curator of Plastics and Historical Artifacts Courtney Hicks, and graduate students Iman Jamison, Philomena Kern and Mary Visco.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to campus for the 2025-26 academic year. I enjoyed meeting many of you and your families during our Welcome Week activities. As dean of students, I want you to know we are here to support you in achieving your goals and celebrating your successes. My colleagues in Student Experience and I all have different specialties and areas of expertise, but we all share one common goal—to provide support to you as you move through your time at ���ϲ�����. We help you understand expectations, provide guidance and support when there is a concern, and empower you to develop critical life skills, like independence, accountability, self-advocacy and resiliency.

I want to share with you an overview of resources, services and support available to you. They are designed to promote a respectful, safe, supportive and welcoming environment for all.

Barnes Center at The Arch

Did you know well-being is one of the strongest predictors of academic success? That’s why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with the . As the hub for student wellness, the Barnes Center features programs, services and offerings that promote holistic health and well-being in one accessible, centralized space on campus. The health and wellness team is committed to providing high-quality, student-centered care. This holistic wellness approach encompasses mind, body, spirit and community and includes things such as physical and mental health care, recreation and fitness, pet therapy, mindfulness offerings, crisis response and so much more. Please visit the to explore the full slate of activities, resources and services. The Barnes Center at The Arch is located at 150 Sims Drive, between the JMA Wireless Dome and Carnegie Library. Contact the health and wellness team by calling 315.443.8000 or emailing BarnesCenter@syr.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The outlines the standards we expect all students to uphold. Please familiarize yourself with the code. Details outlining the investigation, formal conduct, resolution by agreement, and appeal processes and sanctions may be found in the . If you have a concern about an alleged violation of the code, you can reach at 315.443.3728, via email at studentconduct@syr.edu or using the . Their team is located at 804 University Ave., Suite 106.

Student Title IX Case Management

Students who have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, sexual assault or intimate partner violence have . One of the options includes the team, which supports students through the reporting and investigation process when the alleged perpetrator of misconduct is a student. Students can reach Student Title IX Case Management at titleix@syr.edu or 315.443.0211. Their team is located at 242 Marley Education Building. If you believe a staff or faculty member has violated the University’s policy on sexual harassment, sexual assault or intimate partner violence, you may contact at equalopp@syr.edu or 315.443.4018.

Student Outreach and Support

Case managers in are available to assist students involved in University processes, including the conduct process and Title IX process, by providing supportive measures, explanations and follow-up services. They also support students navigating a personal difficulty or challenge through a variety of interventions, referrals and advocacy. Students can reach Student Outreach and Support at 315.443.4357 (HELP) or studentsupport@syr.edu. Their team is located at 111 Waverly Ave., Suite 220.

STOP Bias Initiative

The University has a robust reporting system designed to empower individuals to alert appropriate officials to incidents that may be motivated by bias. The outlines resources to report and receive support for such incidents. Review the webpage for the definition of bias, reporting processes, how the University responds to reports, aggregate data by semester, educational opportunities and support resources. You may also elect to report a bias-motivated incident directly to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) via the options on the .

Department of Public Safety

In addition to the resources outlined above, we also encourage you to review the message from Chief Michael Bunker outlining important safety and reporting resources offered through DPS. DPS team members are focused on maintaining a safe and secure place to live, learn and work. Visit to learn more.

At ���ϲ�����, the safety and well-being of our campus community is paramount. Recent events, including swatting calls within universities, have grown, underscoring the urgent need for vigilance and clear communication around public safety protocols.

Swatting deliberately false reports of emergencies intended to provoke a heavy law enforcement response is not only disruptive, but dangerous. These hoaxes can cause panic, divert critical resources, and traumatize students, faculty and staff. Thankfully, these recent threats were quickly identified as a hoax, and no one was harmed.

We urge all members of the ���ϲ����� community to:

• Stay alert and subscribe to campus safety notifications, such as .
• Understand emergency procedures, including lockdown and evacuation protocols.
• Report any suspicious behavior to the Department of Public Safety immediately.

Crosswalks

We kindly remind everyone to exercise caution and attentiveness when using crosswalks on and around campus.

Please observe the following guidelines:

• Adhere to pedestrian signals: Only cross when the walk signal is clearly displayed.
• Remain alert: Always look both ways and be aware of your surroundings before stepping into the crosswalk.
• Avoid distractions: Refrain from using mobile phones, headphones or other electronic devices while crossing the street.

Crosswalks are designated for your protection, but they require your active participation to ensure safety. By staying focused and following these simple practices, you help create a safer environment for yourself and others.

Stay Connected Digitally

There is a wealth of online resources that can help you make the most of your time at ���ϲ�����. Download the for convenient access to campus systems and information, frequently visit SU News to stay up-to-date on what’s happening across the University and on your favorite social media platforms.

The first weeks of a new academic year can be challenging. Please know that your fellow students, our staff and our faculty want you to be successful and are available to provide any assistance you may need. If you have any questions, concerns or need support, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the resources listed above. If you’re unsure where to start with a question or concern, you are always encouraged to connect with me by visiting the , calling 315.443.3514 or emailing dos@syr.edu.

Wishing you a great semester,

Dean Dixon

The program, , supports ���ϲ����� youth as they develop research projects, build math and data literacy skills and investigate issues they care about in their neighborhoods. Data Warriors is an example of the positive impact of University-community partnerships as University faculty and students collaborate with (SCSD) math teachers and high school students to investigate, inform and inspire action on local social issues through math and mapping.

Members of the Applications of Statistics Class saw the variety of resources available in the Map Room of Bird Library. Their field trip there was part of their Data Warriors study. (Photo by Martin Walls)

As part of the project, students have had the opportunity to visit campus and community mapping and learning facilities, hear from guest speakers and public officials, participate in data day activities and lead a community “Try-Math”alon, a school event where Data Warriors faculty and students led elementary- and middle-school students in hands-on and physically-oriented activities and friendly competitions.

The students also held poster presentations on their work, including data analyses showing areas where lead poisoning is prevalent; current immigration policies and their historic parallels; and charts depicting code violations, unfit housing, car thefts, income disparities and minority populations in ���ϲ����� City Schools.

Nicole Fonger

Fonger collaboratively leads the program with SCSD math teacher Ken Keech. University graduate and undergraduate students across disciplines lead lessons and provide mentoring for high school youth as they investigate local social issues through maps, math and community action undertakings.

The program began in 2022 with one group at Nottingham High School that now includes 21 data warrior youth researchers. A second group of eight students began at Henninger High School this year. Participating teachers from Nottingham in addition to Keech are Destiny Pearson and Saul Kleinberg, and at Henninger, Xavier Trapps coordinates.

Student Fellow Info, Application

Undergraduate and graduate student are now being recruited to work with Fonger for the next two years of the project. An information session for students interested in applying for the fellowship will be held Friday, Sept. 26 at 1:00 p.m. in 207 Bowne Hall.

can be completed online; the deadline is Friday, Oct. 3, at 5 p.m. More details about the Data Warriors program and its 2024-25 annual report are available .

We spoke with Fonger about the roots of the program and what the group is achieving together.

What has prompted your undertaking of community-engaged scholarship?

I’ve really been influenced at ���ϲ����� by the and the effort to bring together folks who are making a difference in local communities. Living in ���ϲ�����, working in ���ϲ�����, partnering with teachers in ���ϲ����� and forming that community connection is really important to me. It’s important to contribute to ���ϲ����� being a thriving place for everyone.

How did your work in mathematics education take a turn toward social justice issues?

My focus on social justice mathematics came about after partnering with Ken Keech at Nottingham High School. His lessons incorporated subject matter pertinent to students, [like] the history of I-81 and how historic redlining shapes ���ϲ�����’s population. I started to see how math could be applied to examining local issues. I wanted to see how my work as a math educator could bring about more meaning and create more partnerships with forward-thinking, innovative teachers.

It’s really important to center mathematics and data literacy when we’re talking about social justice in action. Sometimes the discipline of mathematics can be excluded from conversations about justice, but I think it should be centered.

Students from the Applications of Statistics project worked on posters to submit to the American Statistical Association Poster Contest. They were hosted by Jonnell Robinson, associate professor of geography and the environment, in the Community Geography lab facilities in Lyman Hall. (Photo by Lauren Ashby)

What are your plans for this project?

The group will focus on three things: 1) training for researchers to learn to be community-engaged scholars and acknowledging the importance of place-based connections, including framing ���ϲ����� as a rich asset; 2) creating curricular supports for community-engaged math education research and programming, which will provide more support to teachers, mentors and researchers, ultimately impacting rich educational experiences for young people; and 3) community-engaged action in working to connect with and inform local leaders and government officials about our public-facing work and findings.

What do you mean when you say math learning should be meaningful?

It’s integrating data into math teaching and adding the ability to use data and math to address community concerns and issues closely connected to the people, places and issues that matter to them. That community-focused, community-engaged approach lets us look for opportunities that are going to support students, meet them where they are and help them grow into the people they will become.

My sense is this generation of students are very much critically aware, not just from their��own experiences in their neighborhoods. I think they can see connections to social��justice perhaps more than older generations. And I think it’s important that systemic��injustices are connected to the tapestry of the community.

What do you want people to know about today’s youth?

I want them to know about the richness of the potential of young people to be cultivated as critical, thoughtful, literate, bright leaders of our community.��And that data literacy is just not going away. It is so hugely important.

“The Center for Student Excellence entails a transformative approach that brings these vital support programs together under one unified structure to create something more powerful than the sum of its parts,” says Julie Hasenwinkel, associate provost for academic programs. “The center’s three-pillar approach recognizes that true student success requires academic excellence, personal growth and meaningful real-world engagement. We’re not just reorganizing existing resources—we’re amplifying their impact and creating new pathways for students to thrive, persist and graduate with the skills and experiences they need to be leaders and engaged citizens.”

Tommy Powell, assistant provost for academic programs, will oversee the center, which is administered by the Office of Academic Affairs. Powell, who previously served as assistant provost for student-athlete academic development, now reports to Hasenwinkel.

The center offers a network of resources that guide students from their first semester through graduation and beyond, according to Powell. It’s built on three pillars: Academic Success; Student Development; and Experiential Learning and Community Engagement.

“This structure reflects the idea that student success is multidimensional. It brings clarity to our purpose, facilitates collaboration and ensures each program contributes intentionally to academic excellence, personal development and meaningful engagement both inside and outside the classroom,” Powell says.

Academic Success

The programs that make up the Academic Success pillar enable students to persist and perform at the highest level. “Students arrive at ���ϲ����� ready to learn,” Powell says. “These programs open doors to opportunity and ensure our students have the tools, support and guidance needed to excel.”

This pillar includes:

• (Shannon Hitchcock Schantz, director)
• (George Athanas, associate director)
• (Kal Srinivas, director)
• Student-Athlete Success and Engagement (Katie Scanlon, director)

Student Development

The Student Development pillar focuses on programs that support personal growth, self-reflection and building a sense of identity. “These programs encourage students to take risks, explore ideas and shape a vision for their future,” Powell says.

This pillar includes:

• (Dan Cutler, director)
• Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and Student Support Services (Craig Tucker, director)
• Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) (Leonese Nelson, director)
• McNair Scholars Program (Christabel Sheldon, director)

Experiential Learning and Community Engagement

Under the direction of Jolynn Parker, the newly appointed director of experiential learning and engagement, the Experiential Learning and Community Engagement pillar comprises initiatives and programs that support immersive learning opportunities for students, giving them direct experience with communities, research and service.

“Students will have even greater opportunities to apply what they learn in real-world settings, and these experiences will prepare them to make an impact and see the value of contributing to the public good,” Powell says.

This pillar includes:

• (Jolynn Parker, director)
• (Jolynn Parker, director)
• (Kate Hanson, director)
• Program Initiatives (Tamara Hamilton, director)
• (Maria Lopez, assistant director of scholarship programs)

Program staff will remain in their current offices until a permanent location for the center has been determined.

Elizabeth (Liz) DuRoss Liddy

Liddy G’77, G’88 was a native of Utica, New York. The starting point of her career can be traced to 1975, she told the iSchool’s Connections Magazine in 2015. When her oldest child started kindergarten, she volunteered to sort books in his school library. Realizing how much she thrived in that environment, she enrolled in ���ϲ�����’s master’s degree program in library science the next day.

She earned a master’s degree and became the faculty librarian at Onondaga Community College, but her educational journey was not yet complete. In 1982, she was accepted as the iSchool’s first part-time Ph.D. student. When approaching each challenge, from the master’s program to University leadership, her mantra was always “why not” instead of “I can’t.”

Liddy earned a Ph.D. from the iSchool in 1988 and was teaching and working on a National Science Foundation grant even before completing her dissertation. Her research in natural language processing generated a vast amount of scholarship in information extraction search, data mining, question-answering and cross-language retrieval and summarization.

She established a startup company, TextWise, and then went on to found the Center for Natural Language Processing. Liddy authored more than 110 research articles and led over 70 research projects. Her eight technology patents have been applied to a wide range of sectors throughout society, including security, crisis management, business, travel, health care and public utilities.

Liddy was appointed dean of the iSchool in 2008. During her tenure, undergraduate enrollment grew by 71%, graduate enrollment rose by 66% and she raised over $26 million in research funding. She established New York’s first graduate certificate in data science and introduced a data analytics minor. She led initiatives that provided unique entrepreneurial experiences for students and bolstered the school’s national profile and international reach.

From 2012 to 2014, she chaired the iSchools Organization, a consortium with three initial member information schools, including ���ϲ�����.��The organization now includes nearly 100 information schools around the world. Liddy was a strong proponent of increasing female student engagement in IT.

In 2015, Chancellor Kent Syverud appointed Liddy as interim vice chancellor and provost. In that role, she led the development of the University’s first Academic Strategic Plan, a pivotal framework charting the University’s future course.

“Liz Liddy was a remarkable leader whose influence touched many parts of the University,” says Chancellor Syverud. “I will always remember her cheerful outlook, her entrepreneurial spirit, her openness to new ideas and her unwavering faith in people.”

Liddy returned to the iSchool deanship in 2016.

“Liz meant a lot to me personally. When I was finishing my Ph.D., she encouraged me to apply for a faculty role here, and she always made time when I had questions or ideas. She pushed me to try things like the iSchool poster day, which is still part of who we are,” says iSchool Interim Dean Jeff Hemsley. “The way she supported students and colleagues has become a model for me, and I think of her often in my own role now. I’ll miss her warmth and spirit.”

Barbara Kwasnik, professor emerita and a friend and colleague of Liddy’s, says that Liddy was a natural educator. “While it’s true she served in many leadership roles, my deepest appreciation was for her skills as an educator. Her classes were challenging, but almost always ranked the highest in student evaluations,” she says. “Her Ph.D. advisees form an honor roll of national awards, professional success and impactful contributions. She herself won ‘the trifecta’ of awards for her proposal and dissertation, so she knew what it took to pay attention to all the details that make for the highest quality work. I know it was not just a random thing because I observed the levels of preparation she put into every presentation, making it seem easy.”

Liddy was a mentor, dean and friend to Jeff Rubin, the University’s senior vice president for digital transformation and chief digital officer and a longtime iSchool faculty member. “She inspired generations of students and educators around the globe. She was a true pioneer in natural language processing and an extraordinary advocate for our library science program,” he says. “She leaves behind a remarkable legacy.”

Liddy is survived by her children, John (Jen) Liddy, Suzanne (Mike) Terry and Jennifer Liddy (Tony Sereno); four grandsons, Cormac Terry, Nolan Terry, Owen Gette and Jack Liddy; and three brothers, Jim (Cynthia) DuRoss, Gil DuRoss (Maria Sabatini) and Frank (Liz) DuRoss. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Margaret DuRoss, and her sister, Margaret (Peggy) Ashton.

A visitation will be held at 10 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, at St. Ann Catholic Church, 3535 Park Road, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28209. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn East Cemetery, Matthews, North Carolina.

Memorial donations may be made to the in the iSchool.

A will be held in Hendricks Chapel on Monday, Sept. 29, at 4 p.m. To share remembrances of Liddy, visit the .

Mobile Apps

• ��is the official ���ϲ����� daily companion app. Whether you’re navigating your class schedule, catching up on campus news, finding dining options or checking real-time bus arrivals, OrangeNow has you covered.
• , from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), allows users to stay connected and receive important campus notifications, communicate with campus safety and gain access to tools that can help keep you safe on campus.
• �ճ���� is your digital ���ϲ����� I.D. card! Use it to update your I.D. card photo, add ’CUSE Cash and pay at Campus Dining locations.
• The facilitates connection between students and recognized student organizations.

Social Media

Campus News, Events and Fun

���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� Official

Student Experience

���ϲ����� Athletics

Otto the Orange

���ϲ����� Alumni

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Universitywide Information and Services

Campus Dining

DPS

Hendricks Chapel

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Military-Connected and Veteran Services

Parking and Transportation Services

���ϲ����� Abroad

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Websites

• ��(Student Employment)
• (activities, events, Greek Life)
• ���ϲ�����

There are many additional social media accounts you can connect with, including ones for every school/college and many of our academic programs and initiatives across campus. Visit the University’s����for a comprehensive list.

Their commitment reflects a shared belief that first impressions matter and ���ϲ����� makes a stunning one.

Dean David M. Van Slyke says the office and new programming aligns with the school’s academic strategic plan by providing access to the unique CCE courses and community engagement opportunities to a wider pool of students.

“This office will help us achieve our goal to increase applied learning and impact,” Van Slyke says. “It will also address the increased desire of students from across Maxwell for more civic and community-based opportunities. Most importantly, it will embody the Athenian Oath that is core to Maxwell’s ethos: to ever strive to leave our community ‘greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.’”

To make the new office with expanded access possible, the current Citizenship and Civic Engagement undergraduate major will be retired over time. Students who are already enrolled in the major as part of their dual degree will receive full support in completing the program. Students on track to graduate in 2027 and 2028 who’ve not yet declared CCE as a major will also still have an opportunity to do so. However, students starting at the University in the fall of 2025 and thereafter will no longer be able to declare a CCE major. Instead, they will be able to engage with the CCE office and declare a minor.

Amy Schmidt G’14 will lead the new CCE office

“Moving forward, all interested students will be able to pursue a CCE minor,” says Amy Schmidt G’14 (M.P.A.), who will lead the new CCE office. “As a major, CCE had been limited to 30 students per cohort year. Creating a minor and the office will open up our unique offerings to a much larger pool of students across the University.”

Located in Eggers Hall, the CCE office will provide increased visibility for engagement opportunities, events, scholarships and fellowships for students interested in civic engagement, as well as provide a home base for the Maxwell Living Learning Community. As director, Schmidt will strive to maintain and foster partnerships across Central New York.

“It’s vital that our students have opportunities to experience hands-on learning while also doing things that help the community,” says Schmidt, who also previously served as the assistant director and program coordinator of the CCE degree program. Originally from ���ϲ�����, she spent several years in the region’s nonprofit sector, both professionally and as a volunteer.

“With this office, we will be able to build on our community relationships and create even more engagement opportunities,” she adds. “The new structure will take all the benefits of community engagement education and open it up to the entire school. We are very excited for what this will mean for our students, our partners and our community.”

Michael M. “Mike” Bill

The student-athletes who pass through the entry of the football locker room in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex will be carrying on the legacy of one of ���ϲ�����’s most ardent supporters: Michael M. “Mike” Bill ’58. As they come to know the story of the man after whom the locker room was named, they will appreciate how hard work and dedication to excellence on and off the field can lay the foundation for a lifetime of success.

Bill, who passed away on Aug. 11, 2025, at the age of 89, always credited the University for shaping his life’s achievements and positioning him to be able to give back to the alma mater he adored. “���ϲ����� really took care of me,” Bill said in a 2022 interview explaining the reasoning behind a $2 million dollar gift that he and his wife, Sharon, pledged to the Lally complex. “They gave me a scholarship and an education. They gave me the foundation for my success in business. ���ϲ����� is really part of my persona.”

Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1958. Though the Orange linebacker and center (who played in the Cotton Bowl with the team in 1957) was offered an opportunity to join the Green Bay Packers, Bill pursued a career off the field. He built one of the nation’s top privately held insurance brokerage firms, MJ Insurance Inc., specializing in construction, energy, transportation, employee benefits and bonding.

He joined the Board of Trustees in 2001, serving as a voting trustee for more than a decade and chairing the Audit Committee from 2003 to 2006 and engaged with the Facilities and Athletic committees. Bill is credited with guiding the University to adopt a self-insurance model to enable more accurate and timely financial forecasting. As a life trustee, he participated on the board’s Facilities and Audit and Risk committees.

Part of his legacy is the unwavering support he provided to the athletics program, including the Sharon C. Bill and Michael M. Bill Endowed Football Scholarship Fund and the Head Football Coach Fund, among many other initiatives. Bill saw his philanthropy as a long-term investment in student-athletes and in the athletics program. He believed that the best facilities could attract the most talented student-athletes and that winning programs, especially football, attracted more donors.

“Mike was inspirational as a board member, an engaged alumnus and a major donor,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He built strong relationships with colleagues and throughout campus. He genuinely cared about people and about our students’ aspirations and futures.”

Director of Athletics John Wildhack expressed both gratitude and praise for Bill’s vision and devotion. “Mike loved to tell stories about his playing days at ���ϲ�����, in particular practicing with and blocking for Jim Brown,” Wildhack says. “He often talked about the importance of intellectual and physical development of our student-athletes. He invested in them. There are countless athletes who are grateful for that.” Bill received a LetterWinner of Distinction Award in 2003 for football.

Bill’s own career success included building upon MJ Insurance, founding several subsidiary businesses. Omnibus Financial Corp. allowed customers to finance insurance premiums.��Benefit Design and Administrators Inc. helped customers create self-insured health care plans. Omnibus Insurance Ltd. provided insurance products for the mining industry. As a board member of Assurex Global he helped more than 100 other large, independent, privately owned insurance agencies in the United States and around the globe, enabling them to compete with large national companies.

Bill is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Sharon; their children, Terri, Michael, Daniel and Betsy, as well as six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

SU News posed this question to first-year and transfer students as they moved into residence halls during Welcome Week. From the fun to the essentials, find out what some of our new students couldn’t leave behind as they begin their new paths at ���ϲ�����.

As a new academic year begins, I’ve been thinking a lot about what lies ahead—not just for our University, but for me personally and professionally. After much reflection, I’ve decided that I will step down as chancellor and president of ���ϲ����� in June 2026.

Serving this University has been the greatest privilege of my career. For a native New Yorker who grew up just west of here in Irondequoit, the opportunity to lead ���ϲ����� has been both humbling and profoundly meaningful, and in many ways like coming home.

For more than 12 years I have witnessed the people who make up this great university perform miracles every day. You have launched innovative academic programs, hired hundreds of new faculty, and advanced research addressing the world’s biggest challenges. ���ϲ����� is now known as a national leader in supporting veterans and military-connected families. From the National Veterans Resource Center and the Barnes Center at The Arch, to the reimagined JMA Wireless Dome and a revitalized Schine Student Center, you have transformed our campus into a more dynamic and vibrant living and learning environment. Applications and enrollment have reached record levels. And together, we have confronted one of the most disruptive decades in the history of higher education, including navigating a once-in-a-century global pandemic that required more of our people than ever before. I marvel at the extraordinary talent of our Orange community. And you’ve done all this while putting the University in strong financial shape, with truly balanced budgets and record fundraising.

These accomplishments belong to all of us. I am especially grateful to my leadership team, our faculty and staff, our students, and our deeply committed alumni. Your passion and dedication power ���ϲ����� every day. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Board of Trustees for the faith they placed in me back in 2013 and for their trust and partnership over the years. And to my wife, Dr. Ruth Chen, thank you for your steadfast commitment to this community, and for your many contributions—not only as my partner, but as a teacher, mentor, and advocate.

As we look to the future, I have one important request. Over the next year, the Board of Trustees will be selecting my successor. I encourage each of you to engage fully and thoughtfully with the Board of Trustees as they lead this important search. Your voices, perspectives, and aspirations for the future are vital to selecting a leader who will build upon our shared accomplishments and guide ���ϲ����� forward.

There is still more to do, and I’m energized for this final year. We will continue advancing, building, and achieving, together as One University. Although our time in leadership will end next June, Ruth and I will always be part of this extraordinary Orange community. We will remain Forever Orange.

With gratitude,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

“Be present in the small moments. They matter. They’re your noodles. Small, simple, seemingly ordinary. But when you’re fully present they become the most powerful parts of your journey,” said Andrea-Rose Oates ’26, the convocation’s student speaker. “These four years, they won’t be perfect and they won’t be the best or the worst years of your life, but they will be some of the most special and transformative ones because they will be yours.”

As part of this annual University tradition, leadership and faculty processed into the JMA Dome in full regalia, and families and friends were among those assembled in support of the new students.

The incoming class includes students from 49 states, including Washington, D.C., Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico; 19 Indigenous nations and 60 countries.

University leaders and student speakers offered words of wisdom and posed thoughtful questions and challenges to the new students embarking on this journey.

Your Moment Is Now

Student speaker Andrea-Rose Oates ’26 told new students to be there for the small moments.(Photos by Amy Manley)

Oates, a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and policy studies major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences, told the new students she remembered being in their shoes three years ago.

“I remember what it felt like sitting exactly where you are surrounded by so many strangers, wondering what this new chapter would hold,” Oates said. “College is this wild mix of excitement, new beginnings and possibility. And while that can feel overwhelming at times, it’s also where the magic truly begins.”

Oates shared that in those initial first days, she wanted to be everywhere, try everything and meet everyone. She dove right into her college experience through her academics and extracurricular and social groups, including Hill Communications, Citrus TV, the Black Student Union and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

“Somewhere in the midst of emails, meetings and projects, I had to learn an essential truth. You can be involved without being overwhelmed and you can make your mark without burning yourself out,” Oates said. “The balance comes from being present and every meeting, every hangout, every walk across the Quad, be there because these small moments are the ones you’ll carry forever.”

��‘Come as You Are’

In his remarks, Chancellor Kent Syverud first addressed the families of incoming students. “We know the treasure that you have entrusted to us and all of us here take this responsibility very

Chancellor Kent Syverud dispenses words of wisdom at New Student Convocation.

seriously,” he said.

He then spoke to the incoming students with two requests.

“Please come as you are to ���ϲ�����. If you haven’t figured it out yet, you will pretty soon. There is no one way of thinking, there is no one way of dressing. There is no one person who is the normal at ���ϲ�����. People here are unique and amazing and dazzlingly different. So given that there’s no normal here, why not try just being yourself,” he said.

Chancellor Syverud also asked the students to become more during their time at ���ϲ�����. “You have a chance that has been denied to so many people in this world, a chance to be part of a great university. So take it,” he said. “Please become more here in your own unique, your own defining way.”

Take Full Advantage of the Next Four Years

University, school and college marshals walk into the JMA Dome with banners.

Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves shared the podium with a stuffed Otto the Orange, whom he described as a nutritious fruit that prevents scurvy, prompting laughter from the audience.

Groves said that more than 47,000 students applied to become a part of this year’s incoming class. “That should tell you that you should have great confidence in the fact that you earned your place here,” he said.

He reminded students that the undergraduate years are fleeting. “Take full advantage of this gift you have been given to be here for the next few years,” he said. “Think about the kind of community you want to build and be part of at this institution and then act in ways that promote that.”

��‘Countless Ways to Realize Your Potential’

Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, spoke of the range of possibilities open for students as they begin their college journeys.

“Today, you become part of a community of scholars, researchers, artists, innovators and leaders. You gain access to classrooms, libraries, studios, lab spaces and living learning environments right here in ���ϲ�����, across the country and around the world,” she said.

Agnew encouraged students to immerse themselves in scholarly research and creative inquiry and to take advantage of experiential learning opportunities, including in other U.S. cities and abroad. “You can imagine something new and pursue it, and you can make your own unique contributions to our collective body of knowledge,” she said. “Your education doesn’t stop at the doors of the classroom or the borders of this campus.”

To conclude the convocation, the new students recited the charge, which dates back to 1871, and sang the alma mater, following Orange tradition by swaying as the lyrics were sung. The next time those assembled will come together in the JMA Dome will be for Commencement in May 2029.

The assistive technology room, Room 123 in Bird Library, houses such equipment as screen readers and DaVinci Pro HD/OCR. The purpose of the focus groups is to collect information about how the room is currently being used and possibilities for future use to best meet the needs of Libraries users, increase awareness and usage of the space and optimize the user experience.

Students interested in participating in the focus groups should .

��Dean Jeremy Jordan looks at the academics of sport through four lenses: business, human performance, technology and community well-being. Innovation and novel ideas drive all those areas in this first-of-its-kind college to focus on sport-connected disciplines.

With the official launch of the newly reimagined Falk College of Sport, ���ϲ����� became the first leading research institution in the country to offer a rigorous standalone college aimed at preparing students to drive innovation in and provide leadership for sport-related fields and industries.

“This was a great opportunity to focus on the business and science of sport moving forward, providing opportunities for students to create thought leadership and new knowledge through our work and research,” says . “Year over year, sport continues to grow. Most recently, the growth of women’s sport has been significant and impactful, and it’s exciting for Falk College because that’s another opportunity for us to work with new and emerging leagues as they grow.”

Jordan stopped by the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast to discuss the changes in Falk College, how the college’s four areas of academic excellence will strengthen its reputation as a global leader and how a multifaceted approach will elevate sport across campus.

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

What facilitated the launch of the new Falk College of Sport?

We’ve really been able to broaden what we do in sports—beyond sport management and sport analytics. With our programs in exercise science, nutrition and esports, we have this broad-based approach to how we prepare our students to enter the sport industry, and we also offer great research opportunities.

We have amazing students who are already doing incredible things and will work in impactful leadership roles within the industry, and we have talented faculty and staff. I’m excited about what we’re going to be able to do as we move forward with the growth of the new structure of the college.

We have University leadership, specifically my dean colleagues across campus and in athletics, who are open to collaborations that really elevate what we’re able to do in Falk, creating innovative opportunities for students.

Dean Jeremy Jordan (right) chats with a student during a Welcome Week activity at Falk College. (Photo by Matt Michael)

What are the four areas of academic excellence and how will those strengthen our reputation as a leader in higher education?

The four buckets are connected in many ways. The first is the business of sport. We want to continue to drive advancement around what we do in sport from a business perspective, whether it be revenue generation, the changes in college athletics, the fan experience or how we utilize data for decision-making.

The second area is human performance across the lifespan—this idea of how exercise science, human performance and nutrition elevate performance. We focus on understanding how the body works and how we can achieve optimal performance.

The third is sport technology and innovation, how we’re going to utilize technology to continue to be innovative.

The fourth is community sport and wellness, or sport for good, using sport to improve people’s lives and as a tool to engage and promote change in our communities.

How will this multifaceted approach elevate sport across the campus?

We have this focused excellence in the research we do, the education we provide and the innovation we implement. We want to prepare our students for what they need to know and understand for the next 10 years so they can be leaders in emerging technology, analytics, fan experiences and research on health and human performance. We want to have an ecosystem where we have a powerful network of industry partners, alumni and others that can help us grow in these spaces.

If you think about the academic strategic plan at the University, one aspect we connect most directly with is the concept of human thriving. That’s our opportunity to help people in society thrive, because sport provides opportunities for leisure and enjoyment beyond the business and science aspects of sport.

Dean Jeremy Jordan (center) meets with students during an event at Falk College. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

• The now resides in the School of Education.
• Marriage and family therapy joined human development and family science and the united department is now in the .
• The University’s have joined the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Concurrently, the was reimagined as the nation’s first standalone college of sport on a Research 1 campus.

These changes align with the University’s goal of creating academic synergies among, and supporting the continued growth and impact of, human dynamics programs. They also reflect the University’s ongoing commitment to human thriving, one of the areas of strategic excellence outlined in “Leading With Distinction,” the University’s .

The moves were announced in fall 2024 following strategic evaluation by the Human Dynamics Task Force, which was informed by input from students, faculty, staff and community partners. The task force’s goal was to ensure that each human dynamics program is positioned for long-term success, deeper collaboration and greater impact as they transition out of the Falk College and into new schools/colleges for the 2025-26 academic year.

Human Development and Family Science (HDFS)/Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)

New home: College of Arts and Sciences (both disciplines housed in the Department of Human Development and Family Science)

Degrees offered: B.S., HDFS; M.A., MFT (in-person/online); Ph.D., HDFS; Ph.D., MFT; minors in human development and family science, child and family policy, mindfulness and contemplative studies and gerontology

Why it fits: These disciplines align with the College of Arts and Sciences’ (A&S) commitment to solving global challenges around health and well-being and will provide new avenues for collaboration and creativity. Cross-program partnerships will expand student learning opportunities in health-adjacent fields, drive research innovation and significantly enhance A&S’s collective impact on individual and community well-being. HDFS and MFT are natural additions to such existing A&S departments as psychology, communication sciences and disorders, health humanities, LBGTQ studies, neuroscience and women’s and gender studies.

Bringing these programs into A&S strengthens our commitment to interdisciplinary research and teaching that supports individuals and families across the lifespan. We are excited to welcome faculty and students whose work aligns so closely with our mission.

— College of Arts and Sciences Dean Behzad Mortazavi

Public Health

New home: Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Degrees offered: B.S., public health; B.S., public health and management (in partnership with the Whitman School of Management); MPH.; MPH/MBA dual program (in partnership with the Whitman School)

Why it fits: Public health’s move to the Maxwell School fits with the school’s academic strategic plan, which includes a focus on addressing health and health disparities. Public health and public policy are highly interrelated, and Maxwell is uniquely positioned to provide evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing public health leaders and practitioners. Opportunities for growth and collaboration will be enhanced across existing external partnerships (such as the public health department’s work with the New York State Department of Health) and within key Maxwell research centers and institutes, such as the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health, Aging Studies Institute and the Policy, Place, and Population Health Lab.

This is a natural fit for the public health department and for the Maxwell School. Adding these experts in global and environmental health, infectious disease and other top public health issues to our community of world-class scholars on population health, aging and health policy, as well as our health scholars across the social sciences, will further enhance our vital voice in the study of health and in the development of health policy.

— Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke

Social Work

New home: School of Education

Degrees offered: B.S.W.; M.S.W. (in-person/online); J.D./M.S.W. (in partnership with the College of Law); social justice minor

Why it fits: The core values of social work—service, social justice, dignity and the worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence—align closely with the School of Education’s mission of mentoring and nurturing the next generations of educators, scholars and leaders who will have meaningful and sustained impact in their communities. The addition of social work to the school brings new possibilities for interdisciplinary research and curriculum development, with social work faculty bringing to the table deep community partnerships, a strong research profile and an enthusiasm for working collaboratively.

I look forward to the new opportunities presented by closer collaboration with programs that share our historical commitments to inclusive pedagogy and practice, as well as to reciprocally valuable partnerships in Central New York. We will benefit from our new colleagues’ expertise in online teaching and their dedication to veterans and military-connected families.

— School of Education Dean Kelly Chandler-Olcott

From moving in to their residence halls to swaying to the alma mater for the first time during New Student Convocation to having an Orange Blast on the Quad and heading downtown for Citrus in the City, we’ve rounded up some of the best photos from events held across the campus. Take a peek—there might be someone you know!

You know you’ve arrived in ’Cuse when you’re finally snapping a selfie on the Einhorn Family Walk. (Photo by Amy Manley)

A welcoming reception was held for parents, families and supporters of incoming Slices. (Photo by Amy Manley)

New Student Convocation (Photo by Amy Manley)

Orange Blast (Photo by Amy Manley)

The rain couldn’t put a damper on the Orange spirit during move-in week. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Faculty members, University leadership and presenters process at New Student Convocation (Photo by Amy Manley)

Students pose for a selfie on the field inside the JMA Wireless Dome during Dome Sweet Dome. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Chancellor Kent Syverud dispenses words of wisdom at New Student Convocation. (Photo by Amy Manley)

The Dean’s Welcome event held at the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) would not have been complete without an appearance by the ���ϲ����� Marching Band! (Photo courtesy of VPA on Facebook)

The Libraries educated new students and families about their spaces and resources during Welcome Week. (Photo courtesy of ���ϲ����� Libraries on Facebook)

This family is locked in for the semester ahead with their ���ϲ����� gear. (Photo courtesy of ���ϲ����� on Instagram)

Women’s basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack ’89 (left) and men’s basketball head coach Adrian Autry ’94 help to hype up the crowd at Dome Sweet Dome. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Orange packages of tissues were on offer to relieve any tears at the Family Welcome Reception. (Photo by Amy Manley)

The Slice Is Right (Photo by Amy Manley)

Andrea-Rose Oates ’26 shares some helpful advice for incoming students at New Student Convocation. (Photo by Amy Manley)

New students are welcomed to downtown ���ϲ����� for Citrus in the City. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Some of our favorite friends to be welcomed to campus by Chancellor Syverud are those of the four-legged variety. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Orange Blast (Photo by Amy Manley)

Getting ready to compete at the Slice Is Right (Photo by Amy Manley)

All smiles at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) open house for incoming students (Photo courtesy of the iSchool on Facebook)

New Student Convocation (Photo by Amy Manley)

Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers helped to ensure a safe move-in experience. (Photo courtesy of DPS on Facebook)

Dean J. Cole Smith chats with students at a College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Welcome Week event. (Photo courtesy of ECS on Facebook)

A heartfelt good-bye at ���ϲ����� Hillel Fresh Fest (Photo by Amy Manley)

Getting acquainted with ���ϲ�����’s beautiful campus goes hand-in-hand with Welcome Week. (Photo courtesy of ���ϲ����� on X)

Citrus in the City (Photo by Amy Manley)

The learning has already begun for the year at the Falk College of Sport open house. (Photo courtesy of the Falk College on LinkedIn)

New Student Convocation (Photo by Amy Manley)

Chancellor Syverud chats with students at Citrus in the City. (Photo by Amy Manley)

���ϲ����� Hillel FreshFest (Photo by Amy Manley)

Getting together at the College of Arts and Sciences | Maxwell School event on the Quad (Photo courtesy of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs on Facebook)

Dean Michael Frasciello (right) hosted a Welcome Back BBQ for students in the College of Professional Studies. (Photo courtesy of the College of Professional Studies on Facebook)

Otto poses with friends at the ���ϲ����� Art Museum’s open house during Welcome Week! (Photo courtesy of the Art Museum on Facebook)

Hendricks Chapel staff and members of the Goon Squad help at move in. (Photo courtesy of Hendricks Chapel on Facebook)

Ashley Bigham & Erik Herrmann ()

Erik Herrmann (left) and Ashley Bigham

Bigham and Herrmann will teach the visiting critic studio, “First, Color,” which positions color not as an afterthought to material and form in architecture, but as a primary agent of spatial inquiry and design engagement with its own terms. The studio will ask students to consider color as a fundamental, complex, and dynamic component of architectural thinking, something that can be analyzed methodically yet also depends on unpredictable conditions.

Over the past two decades, the field of architecture has undergone a pronounced chromatic shift, facilitated by advancements in digital media production. These tools have expanded the discipline’s capacity to interrogate the expressive, perceptual and representational dimensions of color.

Particular interests of this studio include color’s ability to circumvent disciplinary boundaries, its capacity to undermine conventional design approaches and its potential to defy architectural legibility. Students will immerse themselves in a broad spectrum of disciplines—including art, fashion, illustration, design, architecture and film—where color operates as a critical and expressive force. Their site of inquiry will be the former sludge beds of the Solvay Process Plant on the banks of the Onondaga Lake, where they will propose new interpretive centers that connect ���ϲ�����’s post-industrial legacy with the material production of color.

Bigham and Herrmann will give a�� on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 5:30 p.m., in the atrium of Slocum Hall.

Pablo Sequero

Pablo Sequero (salazarsequeromedina)

��will teach the visiting critic studio, “Seaside Adaptations: Between Publics, Leisure and Infrastructure,” which explores how existing coastal and leisure infrastructure in Miami can be reimagined in the context of the global climate crisis. Through speculative proposals and research, students will envision alternative futures and propose a transformation of the Miami Aquarium as a scalable territorial model for Biscayne Bay—grafting ideas of climate adaptation and publicness while using the culture of public bathing as a vessel.

The studio is part of a multi-year campaign led by the School of Architecture in collaboration with the University of Miami School of Architecture. Together, the schools aim to foster public engagement with the urgent issue of coastal resilience, encouraging nuanced interpretations through student proposals, presentations, discussions and debates.

Ali Chen

With a focus on flooding and sea-level rise, the studio addresses the growing need to confront the impacts of extreme weather events in coastal areas. Co-taught by Sequero and Lily Wong (University of Miami), this cross-institutional studio effort will culminate in a public exhibition in Miami running from November to December, timed to coincide with the World Architecture Festival and Art Basel Miami Beach.

Ali Chen (Ali Conchita Chen)

will teach the visiting critic studio, “Common Grounds” where students will investigate architecture’s potential as a vessel for spatial storytelling through the lens of coffee, one of the world’s most saturated markets. The studio will challenge students to reimagine the design and branding of a coffee shop within the University’s Florence campus, developing both an architectural proposal for the existing space and a new visual identity. This work will include naming, packaging, merchandising and a storytelling strategy that extends the built environment into a completed branded system.

Students will consider the evolution of retail spaces, the influence of an increasingly digital world and the rise of the experience economy. Coffee shops, as liminal typologies, allow users to engage in analog rituals while working digitally, operating as semi-social sanctuaries. Within this framework, students will examine coffee not only as a product, but also as something that can be represented historically, culturally, botanically, sensorily and emotionally.

Through research and design, students will craft narratives that inform both the architecture and design operation of a commercial space—one that prioritizes experience and cultivates presence. By combining spatial design with strategies of identity-building and storytelling, the studio asks students to explore how architecture can shape memory, meaning and shared cultural engagement.

Chen will give a�� on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m., in the atrium of Slocum Hall.

Hernán Díaz Alonso

Hernán Díaz Alonso (HDA-X) with Stephen Zimmerer (���ϲ����� Architecture)

and will teach the visiting critic studio, “The Box/Casa House: A Mutant Archetype,” that invites students on a transformative journey to reimagine domestic architecture by mutating one of its most iconic forms: the “Box House” or “Casa Box.” Long associated with modernist ideals, from the purity of Le Corbusier’s “Villa Savoye” to the pragmatism of Mies van der Rohe’s “Farnsworth House,” the box has symbolized a modernist ideal—rational, orthogonal, reductive. But the box is not neutral; it carries assumptions about privacy, labor, gender and lifestyle. In an era of hybrid, unstable domesticity, it becomes not a solution, but a provocation.

Stephen Zimmerer

Students will explore the mutation of the box across two phases: in the first half of the semester, one part of the house is designed; in the second, it is revised, ruptured or reimagined in response to new ideas, technologies and programmatic twists. This two-part structure emphasizes process and transformation—embracing contradiction, friction and complexity.

Through digital craftsmanship and critical experimentation, students will use the box as a starting point for architectural innovation, reworking this archetype to produce deeply synthetic designs that are unresolved, complex and alive. By the end of the semester, students will present a redefined Box/Casa House—one that challenges boundaries, embraces playfulness and demonstrates how architectural thinking can expand beyond orthodoxy to propose new modes of inhabiting the domestic realm.

Díaz Alonso will give a�� on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 5:30 p.m., in the atrium of Slocum Hall.

Fei Wang

Fei Wang (���ϲ����� Architecture), Nan Wang (URSIDE Design) and Yiming Wang (Wang Yiming Studio)

, along with�������Ի���, will teach the visiting critic studio, “Metamorphosis of the Phoenix: The Confluence of Art, Architecture and Landscape,” which will explore how architecture, art and environment converge in response to contemporary ecological challenges. Set against Arizona’s dramatic desert—where Wright’s Taliesin West dialogues with Turrell’s Roden Crater and Soleri’s Arcosanti rises from the dust—students will investigate how creative practice can respond to environmental crises through three lenses:

Nan Wang

“Material Intelligence” channels the desert’s elemental language, from Antelope Canyon’s stratified geology to Goldsworthy’s ephemeral leaf-works, developing vocabularies that honor erosion and the slow craft of weathering. “Spatial Poetics” draws on Turrell’s celestial observatories and the Harrisons’ ecological installations to create environments that heighten our perception of geological time. “Social Ecologies” follows Arcosanti’s experimental urbanism and Ukeles’ maintenance art to prototype spaces informed by Indigenous knowledge and community practice.

Yiming Wang

Operating as a field laboratory, the studio includes site investigations at Taliesin West, Arcosanti, and surrounding earthworks. Students will craft interventions responding to desert extremes—scorching sun, rare water and ancient stone—while engaging global precedents from Christo’s ephemeral works to Japan’s Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.

Like the phoenix rising from ashes, the studio embraces fire and erosion to prototype architectures of renewal. This is design as alchemy: transforming discipline into action, and space into place. The desert awaits.

Nan Wang and Yiming Wang will give a�� on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 5:30 p.m., in the atrium of Slocum Hall.

After working for a few years as an attorney focused mostly on environmental cases, Jody Barringer set her sights on a career pivot in hopes of influencing the law from within the public sector.

Knowing that a master of public administration (M.P.A.) would help in the transition, she turned to the Maxwell School. The nation’s top-ranked program had come highly recommended by friends who’d made similar changes, and it seemed a natural choice considering her roots: Barringer had already received two degrees from ���ϲ����� and represents her family’s third generation of proud Orange alumni.

Mary Jane Massie and William Pelton with their niece, Jody Barringer

Barringer earned the M.P.A. in 2008 and launched a second career that quickly brought high-ranking roles in the federal government. She advised four presidents—Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden—and played an instrumental role in the multi-agency response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

Through it all, Barringer found support from her proud uncle and aunt, William Pelton ’63, G’66 and Mary Jane Massie. “Uncle Bill,” as she calls him—among the family’s second-generation of ���ϲ����� alumni—worked on groundbreaking technologies including GPS and laptop computers as a partner at the New York City patent law firm Cooper & Dunham before his retirement. He and Mary Jane encouraged their niece to follow her passion and provided financial support to supplement scholarships, grants and loans when she was an undergraduate.

To honor their niece and their family’s ���ϲ����� legacy, Pelton and Massie recently have created the Barringer Pelton Public Service Graduate Scholarship at the Maxwell School. Their generous gift will provide financial support to graduate students interested in careers in local, state and federal government.

“I would not have gone to ���ϲ����� without that little bit of money they chipped in to add to the financial aid package I was provided,” says Barringer. “Being able to give back to someone like me who might just be a little bit short or who needs an extra hand is so important because you never know what they can accomplish in the future. I am always so grateful to Bill and Mary Jane for supporting me in everything that I do.”

The scholarship is the latest philanthropic gift by Pelton to support students. His generosity has extended to the College of Law, where he received his degree in 1966, and to the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), where he received a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1963.

Jody Barringer and Warren Bonds are pictured at their fall 2024 wedding, surrounded by Barringer’s Maxwell M.P.A. program classmates

Pelton’s gift to A&S in 2019 comes with still another ���ϲ����� connection, as it honors the school’s longtime dean, Eric Faigle. His wife, Lucy (Pelton) Faigle 1924, was a distant cousin of Pelton’s paternal grandmother.

Faigle was in his ninth year as dean of the then-College of Liberal Arts when Pelton began his undergraduate studies. Faigle called him to his office one day and shared that he had been a mentor to Pelton’s father, Russell ’35.

Pelton’s sisters Marjorie Pelton and Marilyn Barringer ’69 also were ���ϲ����� students. “As he did for me, Dean Faigle closely followed their academic careers through to graduation,” says Pelton. “He was always very generous with his time toward each of us. And believe me, we were grateful.”

Pelton says the experiences of his niece, including the close friendships she found in the year-long M.P.A. program, inspired the latest gift. “She excelled in Maxwell and after she graduated, we met some of her classmates at her wedding, so I decided we should create a scholarship at Maxwell to recognize Jody,” he says.

Barringer knew she wanted to be a lawyer since she was about 13 years old, and says, “I had an amazing inspiration in my uncle.” After earning a bachelor’s degree from A&S in 1995 she attended the College of Law, where she earned numerous honors including Law Review editor and Phi Eta Sigma and Order of the Coif memberships. After receiving a juris doctor in 1998, she went to work for the Ford Marrin law firm in New York City, primarily handling environmental insurance cases. She was especially passionate about contamination suits that resulted in mitigation, cleanup and sometimes, reparations.

“Over time, I realized it would be a really interesting transition instead of working on the tail end of “who’s going to pay to clean it up?” to be on the side of making or influencing the policies to get people to be better actors in the environment to begin with,” she says.

Enter the Maxwell School. Barringer said her legal background was complemented by the skills and perspective she gained in the M.P.A. program. Training in budgeting, management and collaboration proved especially beneficial, she says, crediting professors like Peter Wilcoxen and David M. Van Slyke.

“Jody was an outstanding student who brought a passion for understanding and developing government-business relationships that could be mutually beneficial in which the public good can be realized,” says Van Slyke, dean and Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy. “I’m grateful for public servants like her that take initiative to break down barriers and open pathways for dialogue and cooperation.”

After Maxwell, Barringer worked for the U.S. Department of Energy briefly before joining the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).��Deepwater Horizon exploded in April 2010, four months after Barringer arrived at OMB. The catastrophe claimed 11 lives, injured 17 and poured 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. “That was a very defining moment in my career,” she says. “My background in environmental litigation was crucial to handling that issue. Multiple agencies were involved in that response, and it went on for months.”

In her 14 years with OMB, Barringer led program management and resource allocation for hazardous waste cleanup and emergency response programs, advised on the development and implementation of environmental regulations and legislation, and mediated interagency disputes. In 2022, she moved to the Environmental Protection Agency as a senior executive in the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.

Health issues brought an early retirement in 2024. But she finds joy looking back on her many accomplishments, her family’s impactful legacy and in knowing that her family’s gift will help support future generations of aspiring public servants.

Between the boxes and goodbyes, we caught up with families to hear the heartfelt wisdom they’re passing along.

Chaz Barracks’ installation at the Phillips Free Library in Homer

His concept was simple but intentional: ride a bike through town, record conversations and everyday reflections, and capture what Barracks calls the “speculative spectacular” of everyday life, building on his and his scholarly lens.

Barracks is no stranger to turning the ordinary into something extraordinary. His award winning 2020 short film “,” a visual meditation on Black life and joy in Richmond, Virginia, blended oral histories, dance and self-representation to create a moving portrait of community. His work was born during the isolation of the pandemic and exemplified his commitment to unique storytelling.

With a Ph.D. in media, art and text from Virginia Commonwealth University, Barracks has developed a scholarly body of work at the intersection of Black queer studies, performance and digital storytelling. His projects blend podcast interviews, photography, film and public installations to explore identity, memory and community.

Barracks’ mic on a bike

As a postdoctoral fellow at ���ϲ�����, he continued to merge his art and his research. “I see media-making as inquiry and intervention,” he says. “It’s artistic and intellectual practice rooted in lived experience.”

Barracks says he is drawn to places that allow him to slow down and connect. Homer, at the gateway to the Finger Lakes, offered the perfect pace with its vibrant downtown business district, quaint Village Green and large, well-preserved federal historic district, surrounded by farmland, lakes and rolling hills. And the Center for the Arts was the perfect collaborator. Housed in a restored 1892 Romanesque church, the nonprofit visual and performing arts hub presents more than 150 events annually, attracting 25,000 people. “It’s focused on community building, and I appreciate that kind of grassroots arts activism,” Barracks says.

Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, strategic initiatives advisor at ���ϲ����� Libraries and a founder of the center, helped shape his residency after discussing his scholarship at Bird Library’s Mower Faculty Commons. Barracks’ vision resonated with her as both former founding executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad and the Connective Corridor. “He brings artistry and scholarly depth that shifts how we think about place, storytelling and the role of art in connecting community,” she says.

Barracks at the Center for the Arts in Homer, New York

The residency followed principles of creative placemaking, using arts and culture to connect residents, foster belonging and spark dialogue around identity, history and shared values. Barracks’ work drew on the “slow movement” coupled with bike culture, both of which engage people with their surroundings at a human scale.

“Biking is joy for me,” Barracks says. “It is how I decompress, think and connect with nature. In Homer, it became a way to share knowledge, culture and history with the community.” Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the town offers deep resonance for conversations about Black freedom, movement and mobility.

Barracks’ residency also included DJ sets at the Homer Farmers’ Market and other community art spaces and studios, where he mixed poetry and narrative exploring Black joy through sound. It culminated in a multimedia exhibition at the Phillips Free Library, featuring “Everyday Black Matter” alongside reflections of “Mic on a Bike” audio and visual material from his Homer residency. He incorporated curated books on Black and queer history and staged the library’s first-ever “after dark” event, transforming it into an experimental art gallery with music and ethereal stage lighting for a one-night pop-up.

Barracks’ approach is informed by Imagining America, a national consortium promoting democratic civic engagement through the arts and humanities that was housed at the University from 2007 to 2017. A longtime participant and recipient of its Stories of Change public scholarship award, he will share his work at its 2025 annual gathering this fall in New Mexico.

Barracks is now editing “Mic on a Bike” with a team of SU student filmmakers, building a growing digital archive that began with “Everyday Black Matter.” He sees media as both artifact and act, capturing presence, asserting worth and reflecting cultural memory. He envisions taking “Mic on a Bike” to other towns across the country and around the world.

“Biking itself is a mobile meditation,” he says. “It reinforces my belief in the image as profound proof of life. This is not just about recording others. It is about showing up fully as myself: Black, queer, neurodivergent, joyful, imperfect.”

Whether you are a seasoned fairgoer or plan to go for the first time, we have put together a guide that covers everything you need to know.

General Information

The New York State Fair opens Wednesday, Aug. 20, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. It is open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except for Labor Day, when it closes at 9 p.m.

Student Experience will sponsor a trip to the fair on Saturday, Aug. 30. Tickets, which are $3, will be available in the on Monday, Aug. 25.

Building Hours

The Brown Swiss competition at the 2024 New York State Fair (Photo by Michael J. Okoniewski/NYS Fair)

Buildings will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with following exceptions: the Daniel Parrish Witter Agriculture Museum will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the Wegmans Art and Home Center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the Eatery Building will be open until 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and the Dairy Products Building will be open until 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (the Milk Bar closes at 9 p.m.).

Tickets and Parking

Admission to the fair is $8.32 (including fees), and free for those who are 65 years old and older or children 12 years old and younger.

There are three ways to purchase tickets:

• Online:
• Over the phone: By calling Etix toll-free at 1.800.514.3849 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday
• At the gate: Kiosks positioned at all gates will be used for electronic ticket purchases. Large signs featuring QR codes will direct fairgoers to Etix to purchase tickets.

Note: Ticketing is completely cashless. Machines that can convert cash into a usable card will be positioned at the fair’s main gate. Self-service kiosks will be available at all gates to purchase admission tickets.

Special fair days include the following:

• Wacky Wednesdays (Wednesdays, Aug. 20 and 27): One day, ride-all day wristbands
  

  Fairgoers take in the thrill rides along the Midway section at the 2024 fair. (Photo by Michael J. Okoniewski/NYS Fair)

  for $30.

• Student Youth Day (Thursday, Aug. 21): Youth and students aged 18 years old and younger will receive free admission. In some cases, they may be asked for photo identification to verify their birthday.
• Pride Day (Friday, Aug. 22): A flag-raising ceremony and parade will be held.
• Family Fishing Day (Fridays, Aug. 22 and 29): Noon to 5 p.m. at the pond in the Experience Area, near Suburban Park. No fishing license is required, and loaner rods are available. All ages and abilities are welcome.
• New Americans Day (Friday, Aug. 22): A citizenship ceremony for 100 new Americans will be held at 11 a.m. at the Art and Home Center.
• Law Enforcement Day (Monday, Aug. 25): Active and retired members of police and/or corrections departments will receive free admission with a badge or picture ID from the department from which they are or were employed. The day includes a ceremony for fallen officers and a parade.
• Fire, Rescue and EMS Day (Tuesday, Aug. 26): Active and retired members of fire, emergency services and EMS agencies will receive free admission with photo identification from that department or organization. A ceremony and parade will be held.
• Women’s Day (Wednesday, Aug. 27): The day will include a health and wellness mini-fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chevy Court Pavilion.
• Sensory Friendly Day (Wednesday, Aug. 27): guests can enjoy a sensory-friendly experience with limited lights and sounds from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Armed Forces Day (Thursday, Aug. 28): All members of the military—active duty and veteran—will receive free admission with proper military identification (Military ID card, form DD-214 or New York State driver license, learner permit or non-driver ID card with a veteran designation).
  

  Cece Young and Darice Sampson of the Seneca Nation perform the Hoop Dance in the Indian Village (Photo by Michael J. Okoniewski/NYS Fair)

• Native Americans Day (Friday, Aug. 29): All people who identify as Native American will receive free admission. The Indian Village will feature cultural performances and crafts.
• Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1): A parade led by members of organized labor will be held.

Parking tickets may be purchased for $12.41* (including fees) in several ways, including the following:

• Online:
• Over the phone: By calling Etix toll-free at 1.800.514.3849 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday
• At the lot: Drivers can pay for parking by credit card in each lot.
• Note: EZPass Plus is no longer an option for parking.

For directions and a parking map, visit this .

Transportation

The butter sculpture at the 2024 New York State Fair (Photo by Michael J. Okoniewski/NYS Fair)

There are , with the downtown Centro hub and Destiny USA being the closest to campus. Those buses will run directly to the fair from 8:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Return service will run from 9 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. (9:15 p.m. on Labor Day). The fee to ride the shuttle one way is $1 for adults and $.50 for senior citizens, children 6 to 9 years old and those living with disabilities. Children under 6 are free.

Visit the University’s for information on Centro buses that stop at the Centro hub and Destiny USA.

Midway Hours

The Midway will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, except on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1, when it closes at 9 p.m. For details about ride tickets, visit the .

Food

Fairgoers enjoy treats from the baked potato booth at the 2024 fair (Photo by Michael J. Okoniewski/NYS Fair)

One of the biggest attractions at the fair is the food! From sausage sandwiches to barbecue, apples to deep fried treats, there is something to please every appetite. Two perennial fair favorites—the 25-cent cup of milk, located in the Dairy Products Building, and the $1 baked potato, located in the Horticulture Building—will ��be back.

Select vendors will offer discounted samples as part of “Tasty Tuesday” on Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Samples will be available for $3 to $5 each. To plan out your meals, and search the Fair Finder section.

Live Entertainment and Attractions

Included with your admission is access to many different forms of live entertainment and attractions. The Latino Village, Pan-African Village, Indian Village and Asian Village are brimming with cultural offerings. You can plan your trip in advance with the .

The Dropkick Murphys performs at the Suburban Park Stage at the 2024 fair (Photo by Warren Linhart/NYS Fair)

2025 campus peace officer recruits at graduation (Front row, from left: Misty Stephens, Mariyah Byrd and Jesus Gorra; back row, from left: Megan Healey, Brennan Kreis and Matthew Calley)

On Aug. 14, the (DPS) welcomed families, friends and colleagues of the 9th Peace Officer Academy recruits to a graduation event. The ceremony, held at Drumlins Country Club, was the perfect culmination of their accomplishments over the last few months.

“Our graduates have shown great discipline and dedication throughout their 22 weeks of training,” says Michael Bunker, associate vice president and chief of DPS. “They now join a department committed to service, professionalism and care for the ���ϲ����� community.”

The graduates joining the ���ϲ����� DPS are:

• Mariyah Byrd
• Matthew Calley
• Jesus Gorra
• Brennan Kreis
• Misty Stephens

The graduate joining Onondaga Community College DPS is:

• Megan Healey

“We are incredibly proud of this graduating class,” says Sgt. Adam Wheeler, academy director. “Over the past 22 weeks, these recruits have demonstrated commitment, discipline and resilience. They are now well-prepared to start field training and learn how to serve our community with professionalism, integrity and compassion from our seasoned officers.”

During the ceremony, in addition to the badge pinning and certificates being distributed, special honors were given to a couple of graduates. Jesus Gorra, Mariyah Byrd, Matthew Calley and Megan Healey received performance-based awards, while Mariyah Byrd was also honored as the valedictorian of the class.

The newest DPS graduates will now begin their time as field training officers, working side by side with veteran DPS officers as they complete the required 480 hours of training before becoming fully qualified officers and officially completing the training program.

DPS provides around-the-clock protection to the ���ϲ����� campus. Through various patrol and crime prevention efforts, the department partners with students, faculty and staff to identify, recognize and eliminate crime hazards and risks within the campus community.

New students gather in the JMA Wireless Dome for New Student Convocation in 2024. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Welcome new students! As you settle into your new home, celebrate —packed with tradition, making connections and pure energy—and explore all that ���ϲ����� has to offer.

From being greeted by Goon Squad members during move-in to small‑group gatherings, rousing events in the JMA Wireless Dome and a foray into downtown ���ϲ�����, Welcome Week ushers in the start of your ���ϲ����� experience.

Download OrangeNow Mobile App

First off, find all the Welcome Week information at your fingertips by downloading the .

The app, available on the�������Ի���, provides convenient access to your class schedule; campus maps; transit, wellness, dining and Wi-Fi information; event schedules; University news and much more.

Don’t Miss One Moment

Capturing Welcome Week memories (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Make your schedule and join in the fun. From the required and informative to the uplifting and community-building, Welcome Week events help you navigate campus, learn about University resources and engage with your new community.

Explore the , the , and your —each includes required and optional events tailored to your experience.

For starters, check out these events:

Tuesday, Aug. 19

• (6-8 p.m., Shaw Quad)

Wednesday, Aug. 20

• (4-6 p.m., Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center)
• (6:15-7:45 p.m., check with your resident advisor for location)
• (8:15-9:45 p.m., JMA Wireless Dome)

Thursday, Aug. 21

• (10-11 a.m., JMA Wireless Dome)
• (11-12:30 p.m., JMA Wireless Dome)
• ��(noon-5 p.m., Einhorn Family Walk)
• (6:30-8:30 p.m., Shaw Quad)
• (9-10 p.m. Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center)

Friday, Aug. 22

• (6:30-9 p.m., Schine Student Center)

Saturday, Aug. 23

���ϲ����� Marching Band performs during Citrus in the City in 2024.

• (5-8 p.m., meet at College Place Bus Stop to travel to downtown ���ϲ�����)
• (8:30-9:30 p.m., JMA Wireless Dome)

Sync up your own personal Welcome Week schedule with these steps:

• Set Up Your Calendar: Add your SU Mail or Google Calendar to your mobile device—preferably SU Mail, as it’s used by faculty and staff to connect and schedule meetings with you.
• Add Required Events: Go to your specific school or college’s Welcome Week schedule and add all “Required Events” to your calendar by checking each event’s description.
• Explore and Customize: Browse the full Welcome Week Schedule to discover additional events and personalize your experience.

Outside of scheduled events, campus offices will be available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday (Aug. 18–22), with —including Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services; Barnes Center; libraries; Registrar; Financial Aid and Information Technology Services—through Aug. 23-24.

Looking for more information about Welcome Week, how to get involved and resources on campus? Try these links:

From cheering at baseball games and visiting with friends old and new to lounging poolside and working on their golf swing, Otto brought the Orange spirit to every corner of Central New York this summer.

Take a look at how our favorite mascot spent their sunny season! And when you see Otto on campus, make sure you tell them how you spent YOUR summer.

Video edited and produced by Amy Manley, senior multimedia producer

Charlotte Ebel ’25, who received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the and in women’s and gender studies and German from the , has been awarded a fellowship worth $8,500 by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She is one of 48 recipients nationwide to receive a PKP fellowship.

Ayla Ray, a junior majoring in biology in Arts and Sciences and in environment, sustainability and policy in the , was awarded a Phi Kappa Phi Pioneer Award, which recognizes outstanding undergraduates for their research and leadership.

Phi Kappa Phi has a long history at ���ϲ�����. A chapter was established on campus in 1916, the 16th chapter in the nation at the time.��In 2014, reorganizations left the ���ϲ����� chapter without a leader. The chapter was relaunched in the spring of 2024 by the (CFSA). Adam Crowley, scholarship advisor with CFSA, serves as chapter president.

More than 150 members were inducted into Phi Kappa Phi this spring, bringing the total to more than 350 new members in the first two years of the restarted chapter.

Charlotte Ebel

Charlotte Ebel

At ���ϲ�����, Ebel was a member of the , a University Scholar, Remembrance Scholar, Newhouse Scholar and Newhouse Marshal. She was also a research assistant in Professor Nick Bowman’s Extended Reality lab and a member of Newhouse’s student-run public relations firm, Hill Communications. She was inducted into the ���ϲ����� PKP chapter in 2024.

Ebel was also a member of the University’s Division I rowing team. As such, she trained 20 hours a week and helped the team win the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship in 2024. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years and served as vice president in 2024-25.

As a Phi Kappa Phi fellow, she will pursue a master’s degree in politics and international studies at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom beginning in September. She also plans to try out for the Cambridge University Boat Club in hopes of winning a seat in one of their crews in the historic Boat Race between Cambridge and Oxford. The race, held on the Thames River, is a major sporting event in the U.K.

At Cambridge, Ebel plans to study sportswashing—the practice of using sports to improve the reputation of a country, organization or individual—within the context of women’s sports. She plans to explore why some countries with extensive recorded histories of women’s rights abuses participate in global women’s sporting events, which are typically associated with progressive ideology and women’s liberation.

“In many cases, these countries are also trying to normalize their extremist governments and establish diplomatic relations,” Ebel says. “I hope to illuminate these connections between global politics, women’s rights and women’s sport through my research, connections that have become more prominent in recent years with the heightened popularity and visibility of women in sport.”

As for the future, Ebel has several avenues she is interested in pursuing, from working for an international sporting organization to the Peace Corps to law school. “I’m hoping that my year at Cambridge will help clarify my passions into a career that best utilizes them,” she says.

Ayla Ray

Ayla Ray

Ray, who has a minor in Earth sciences, is a member of the Renée Crown University Honors program and the recipient of the 1870 Scholarship. She was inducted into the ���ϲ����� PKP chapter this past spring. In her first semester, she joined the fungal ecology lab of Christopher Fernandez, assistant professor of biology. In the lab, she has designed, received SOURCE () funding for and is actively running an experiment investigating the effects of warming and drought on the productivity and stability of plants and mycorrhizal fungi.

Fungal ecology is a field Ray is deeply passionate about. “I am able to investigate below ground organisms that provide a strong foundation to their ecosystems and host plants,” she says. “The ecological perspective my lab pursues allows me to connect my research with a strong variety of fields. Understanding how our forests are responding to climate change conditions on a microbial level is crucial as we work to support ecosystem resilience and pursue effective restoration efforts.”

Ray is a recipient of the H. Richard Levy Biology Research Award. As a researcher for Fernandez this summer, she has investigated the impacts of pH, soil organic matter and inoculum source on plant productivity and leaf litter decomposition.

A member of the Outing Club, Ray enjoys hiking, backpacking, caving and rock climbing. She is a volunteer for the South Campus Food Pantry and will be a peer mentor for SOURCE this year.

Following graduation, Ray plans to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology and continue research investigating the below ground impacts of climate change��as they relate to host plant and forest productivity

“Receiving the PKP Pioneer Award is an honor, I am proud to be recognized by such a prestigious organization, which prides itself on its value of knowledge,” Ray says. “Beyond this recognition, this award provides meaningful support of my undergraduate research journey, allowing me to focus more fully on my academic and research goals.”

It’s time to cheer on the Orange and celebrate the incredible faculty and staff who make ���ϲ����� thrive! Join us for Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day at the JMA Wireless Dome as the Orange football team takes on the University of Connecticut at noon on Saturday, Sept. 6, for the home opener.

Here’s what’s happening and how faculty and staff can participate:

Discounted Tickets

Faculty, staff and their guests (up to 13 total) can purchase tickets at special rates:

• Level G: $21.51
• Level F: $26.82
• Level D: $42.72

Tickets are through Friday, Sept. 5, at 11:59 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 6, is also Military Appreciation Day, celebrating the service, contributions, sacrifice and impact of our military veterans and active-duty service members. Faculty and staff who are also an active military member or veteran may purchase a discounted instead; but please note that discounts may not be combined.

Pre-Game Fun on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle

Beginning at 9 a.m., stop by before kickoff to enjoy live music from the Pride of the Orange Marching Band, visit with Otto the Orange and grab a bite from food and beverage concessions.

Game Day Gifts and Concession Coupons

The first 400 faculty and staff (full-time, part-time or temporary) who visit the Faculty and Staff Appreciation tent on the Quad with their ���ϲ����� I.D. will receive a game day gift and a $5 concession coupon for use inside the Dome.

Win an Upgraded Game Day Experience

Purchase your tickets by Monday, Sept. 1, to be entered in a drawing for seat upgrades, participation in the on-field fan tunnel or enhanced concession vouchers. Winners will be notified before game day.

Season Ticket Discount

Faculty and staff can also receive 20% off up to four football season tickets. To learn more or request a call from a sales representative, fill out the .

Parking Details

University parking permits will be honored for free game day parking at the Skytop lot. If you don’t have a permit, you can pick up a complimentary one-time-use Skytop pass between Aug. 25 and Sept. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Office of Human Resources (621 Skytop Road, Suite 1001). Bring your ���ϲ����� I.D. and proof of game ticket.

Questions?

• HR Shared Services: 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu
• JMA Wireless Dome Box Office: 315.443.2121 or athsales@syr.edu

Let’s make this a game day to remember—see you at the Dome!

Upsilon Alpha Alumnae of ���ϲ�����, NY Inc. is donating its former chapter house, located at 300 Waverly Ave., to ���ϲ�����. (Photos by Amy Manley)

What was once the beloved campus home for Upsilon Alpha sisters will soon become a welcoming meeting and gathering place for Greek letter social and professional organizations that do not have a dedicated campus building. Upsilon Alpha Alumnae of ���ϲ�����, NY Inc. (UAA) is donating its former chapter house, located at 300 Waverly Ave. and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to ���ϲ�����.

The generous gift brings to life the commitment by the organization to be “a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness.” Words that were part of the noble pledge memorized by each UA sister—and has bonded them and grounded them in their own endeavors.

UAA Board President Laurie Bean-Taishoff ’84, who graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism and worked in the industry for several years, says being a member of Upsilon Alpha energized her volunteerism and philanthropy.

Importance of Volunteerism

Taishoff has vivid memories of participating in two, three-day Muscular Dystrophy Dance Marathon national fundraisers in Manley Field House (now the John A. Lally Athletics Complex) and takes pride in the fact that ���ϲ����� raised the most money of any university in the country during her time there. It’s one of the hallmarks of the Greek system, teaching the importance of volunteerism and giving, which sparked the gift of the chapter house. “We wanted to leave a lasting legacy by donating a cherished place that forged lifelong friendships and inspired so many of us to give back,” says Taishoff.

The monumental gift will have a profound impact on current and future Greek Life sororities and fraternities at the University.

“We are very grateful for this exceptional gift from the alumnae of Upsilon Alpha,” says Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer. “Their desire to have this strategically located house primarily utilized by the Student Experience Division, with a focus on supporting, preserving and enhancing Greek Life at ���ϲ�����, will have a very positive impact for our current and future students.��We have many fraternities and sororities across our six councils who have no house of their own in which to hold meetings or alumni/alumnae receptions, as well as some chapters that closed years ago but whose alumni/alumnae still enjoy coming together for reunions.��This gift will enable us to offer these groups something crucial that has been missing.”

A Place to Call Home on Campus

The sisters of Upsilon Alpha know all too well the importance of having a place to call home on campus. The house served as the home of the Upsilon Alpha Chapter of Chi Omega for more than 70 years, from 1919 until the early 1990s. It was originally built in 1910 as a private residence and underwent some significant remodeling in 1941, but retains original features like the grand curving staircase, parquet wood floors, fireplace and sitting rooms.

The house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, served as the home of the Upsilon Alpha Chapter of Chi Omega for more than 70 years, from 1919 until the early 1990s.

The three-story, 9,000-square-foot building is the last remaining privately owned historic residence on what is the southernmost block of Walnut Park. When the Upsilon Alpha Chapter of Chi Omega disbanded in 1992, the sisterhood began exploring options for the house. UAA has been proud to maintain the chapter house since then and has leased the home during the years to others but were most happy to lease the home to another sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma.��They were able to create their own memories there until they moved to their new home in 2024.

“We wanted to take all those experiences and memories that formed our legacy and give it back to the University and future students and alumni,” says Taishoff. Currently, there are 1,282 women listed as Upsilon Alpha alumnae.

“Very active alumnae have worked hard to keep the house relevant to our traditions,” says Upsilon Alpha alumna Laura Hand Wright ’71, an award-winning journalist and television news anchor who had a groundbreaking career in the ���ϲ����� broadcast industry. “The proposed repurposing of the house is welcome news. While an active chapter, sorority members were recognized for academic excellence and leadership in campus and community organizations. Many sisters have continued in distinguished careers that include community service. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and will be repurposed as a meeting place for Greek organizations to�� develop lifelong commitment to community service.”

With such an esteemed history, it was important to the UAA membership to ensure preservation of its legacy in covenants to the gift. The property itself will be preserved and utilized primarily to enhance the student experience. The Upsilon Alpha Chapter Room, formerly known as the music room, will be available for Upsilon Alpha alumnae member use. It will be used as a gathering place where the words of the pledge will continue to come to life: “to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note.”

Do restaurant patrons make healthier choices when calories are listed on menus?

Are GLP-1 weight-loss medications likely to reduce healthcare expenses?

These are but a few of the timely questions related to health policy and economics that have captured John Cawley’s scholarly interest in recent years. He’s studied these topics and published his findings in high-impact peer-reviewed academic and policy journals to inform decision-makers and fellow researchers.

John Cawley

Cawley uses sophisticated methods to address complex questions and provide straightforward recommendations. The short answers to the above questions are as follows: Yes, taxes on sugary drinks reduce purchases but have ambiguous effects on consumption, and people do tend to order fewer calories when that information is listed on menus. And, while the study of GLP-1 drugs is very much ongoing, the weight loss associated with them is likely to reduce healthcare expenses for individuals with extreme obesity, but not necessarily enough to cover their current high prices.

Cawley is a leading health economist, and he joins the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs this fall as the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Policy and professor of economics and public administration and international affairs. He will also serve as a senior research associate in the Maxwell-based Center for Policy Research (CPR).

“We are thrilled to welcome such a world-class scholar to our ranks,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Across disciplines and in our research centers and institutes, students and faculty will benefit from his expertise in the critical area of health economics, his research endeavors and his well-established connection with policymakers.”

Van Slyke points out that Cawley’s addition comes at an important time, as the public health department transitions to Maxwell from the University’s Falk College of Sport. The restructuring brings to Maxwell hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students and 14 faculty members whose research interests intersect with Cawley’s endeavors.

Likewise, opportunities for collaboration abound with several Maxwell-based research centers and institutes such as CPR and the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health.

These opportunities were a draw for Cawley, who has a keen interest in the economics of risky health behaviors and says he’s eager for the “cross pollination of ideas.”

“Being around people from other disciplines is a big plus because you learn about different ways of thinking about the same issues,” he says, adding, “You don’t get stuck in an echo chamber.”

He says he’s honored to hold the Moynihan title, founded in 2007 to honor its namesake, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who served as a U.S. senator, assistant secretary of labor under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, assistant to President Nixon for domestic policy, and ambassador to the United Nations and India. He served on the Maxwell faculty from 1959-61 and returned to teach for a few years before his death in 2003.

“Daniel Patrick Moynihan personified what we would want from academics,” says Cawley. “He was a very serious researcher, a prolific author, he engaged with policy and he served as an advisor to presidents. He could speak to anybody, and I think that’s sort of the gold standard of what we hope for in people in those positions. I’m really excited to join Maxwell—it has amazing faculty in all departments. It’s exciting from a research perspective.”

Cawley joins ���ϲ����� from Cornell University, where he began as an assistant professor in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management in 2001. Since 2021, he served as a professor in its Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and directed the Cornell in Washington program.

Cawley’s other roles at Cornell included serving as co-director of the Institute on Health Economics, Health Behaviors and Disparities from 2011–22 and professor in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management and Department of Economics. He received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

He has served as an honorary professor of economics at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at the University of Galway in Ireland since 2014. In 2016 he was named a Fulbright Specialist in Economics to Ireland through the Fulbright Scholar Program. His numerous accolades include the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the Kappa Omicron Nu/Human Ecology Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Advising and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Investigator Award in Health Policy Research.

Cawley’s research findings have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including American Economic Review, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Economic Perspectives, JAMA, Lancet and the American Journal of Public Health. He has been featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times, PBS and The Washington Post.

Cawley is the president-elect of the American Society of Health Economists and will serve as president from 2026-27. Since 2022 he has served on the board of directors of the International Health Economics Association. He is a former editor of the Journal of Health Economics and served on an Institute of Medicine panel on obesity in youth.

He begins at Maxwell on Monday. He will teach a spring 2026 undergraduate course titled “The Economics and Regulation of Risky Health Behaviors,” which will cover policies such as the minimum legal drinking age, recreational and medicinal marijuana, soda taxes and euthanasia laws.

Cawley is excited for the role, and to be part of the Orange community that he’s familiar with given his many ���ϲ����� connections, including a sister who earned a master of public administration at Maxwell, a niece who is currently an undergraduate and a nephew who is on staff.

“I’m honored to join Maxwell, which is home to the oldest and highest-ranked public affairs program,” says Cawley. “It has an incredible history of distinguished faculty and accomplished alumni, and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with the students and faculty. Also, I’ve gotten my basketball tickets and a picture with Otto, so the semester is already off to a great start.”

Chief Spencer Lyons

Diane Schenandoah ’11, Honwadiyenawa’sek (“One who helps them”), will host a on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle on Monday, Aug. 25, from 4 to 5 p.m.

The Haudenosaunee Welcome Gathering is an event held on campus to welcome all incoming and returning students, faculty and staff for the 2025-26 academic year, and for all to show respect for the Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands ���ϲ����� now stands. Schenandoah is a citizen of the Oneida Nation and a Wolf Clan Faithkeeper, as well as . The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is comprised of Six Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora.

This year’s speaker is Chief Spencer Ohsgoñ:da’ Lyons, a traditional Hodinoñhsyoñ:nih (Haudenosaunee) born to the Onondaga Hawk clan and raised in the central fire of the confederacy. In 2019, he was chosen by his clan to serve as Hoyane (chief). Chief Lyons also serves on the Onondaga Nation Council and he is currently working with the Hodinoñhsyoñ:nih Environmental Task Force. He also consults with the Hodinoñhsyoñ:nih External Relations Committee on behalf of the Onondaga Nation Council.

Born and raised within the traditional and cultural life ways of the Hodinoñhsyo:nih, he continues to apply and enact those teachings in his everyday life by gardening, hunting, fishing and gathering with both modern and traditional methods. Lyons also promotes and supports those teachings within his community as well as with those who would be allies to the Great Law of Peace and the Hodinoñhsyoñ:nih Confederacy, always with the next seven generations in mind.

“This land is sacred. We welcome visitors to be part of this sacred place. Part of our teaching is that no one can own the land, so it’s important to remember that ���ϲ����� is part of a much bigger picture,” says Schenandoah. “It’s important to acknowledge and recognize that there are Indigenous peoples still here and we are standing in the capital of the Haudenosaunee territory.”

At the gathering, speakers and dancers will welcome a new academic year. Hot scones and strawberry drink will be offered. The hot scones are derived from traditional breads and the strawberry drink consists of strawberries, maple syrup and water. “This is significant because strawberries are the leaders of the plants and maples are the leaders of the trees. In this way we honor them,” says Schenandoah.

Schenandoah encourages students, faculty and staff to participate in the Haudenosaunee Welcome Gathering. “We are sharing our culture because the Earth is calling to us to pay attention, we require collective healing, and most importantly, we are inviting our community to live in gratitude,” she says.

For more information on this and other Hendricks Chapel programs and services visit .

• Bird Library:
  • Lower level to 2nd floor: Open 24 hours Monday–Thursday; Friday closes at 10 p.m.; Saturday open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday reopens at 10 a.m.
  • Floors 3 to 5: Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight; Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to midnight
  • 6th Floor, including the Special Collections Research Center, Monday–Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Wednesdays to 7 p.m.
  • As a reminder, users must have a valid SU or SUNY-ESF ID to enter the building after 7 p.m.
• Carnegie Library: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
• King + King Architecture Library: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• College of Law Library: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Saturdays and Sundays

The Libraries is participating in several Welcome Week activities as students return to campus, including:

• Family Lounge outside of Bird Library (Einhorn Walk side) and Carnegie Library (Shaw Quadrangle entrance) on��Wednesday, Aug. 20, and Thursday, Aug. 21, from noon to 4 p.m. each day. Students and their families and supporters are invited to take a break from moving into the residence halls to learn about the Libraries. Snacks and beverages will be provided, as well as Libraries information. Library tours will be available by request.
• Pre-Welcome Resource Fair in Bird Library on Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Book Club Meetups in Bird Library on Friday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m.–noon and 2 to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. to noon
• Welcome Fest in Bird Library’s 1st floor on Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All students are invited to attend this open house-style event with tables highlighting the many offerings of the Libraries, several partners and other campus departments. Students can stop by to participate in raffles, snacks and a “passport” activity encouraging participants to visit all tables.

The members for academic year 2025-26 are:

• , professor of accounting, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• , professor of practice in finance, Whitman School
• , professor of public administration and international affairs, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• , associate professor of women’s and gender studies, College of Arts and Sciences (A&S)
• , professor of music, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• , professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS)
• , associate teaching professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition, A&S
• , associate teaching professor of public relations, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• , professor of civil and environmental engineering, ECS
• , Dean’s Professor, School of Education
• , associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, ECS and School of Architecture
• , teaching professor, College of Law
• , professor of Earth and environmental sciences, A&S
• , professor of anthropology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• , Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, ECS
• , associate teaching professor, College of Professional Studies

Members are jointly selected by Winders and the chair of the University Senate from a pool of nominees brought forward by deans and the senate agenda committee.

For more information about the salary appeals process, visit the or contact the Office of Faculty Affairs at facultyaffairs@syr.edu.

Vending Services: New Products, Enhanced Customer Service

Servomation has been hard at work installing new machines around campus, a process that will continue through the end of August. Most machines will continue to offer snacks, candy and Coca-Cola beverage products, a result of the University’s new partnership with The Coca-Cola Company. Customers will also notice a broader range of snack products, a result of real-time sales data utilized by Servomation to monitor the needs and likes of the campus community.

Select locations will receive machines that offer fresh food at a variety of price points, providing partial and full meal options in locations without convenient access to other campus dining options.

Servomation has also committed to more responsive customer service for the University community. Concerns about products, machine malfunctions or refunds should be directed to Servomation at 315.875.5265 or service@servomation.com. All machines have this contact information prominently displayed on their front panel.

Office Refreshment Program: Coffee, Water and More

As of Aug. 14, 2025, the transition of the former Office Coffee Service program to Servomation has also been completed. The name of the program has been updated, to reflect the broader range of product offerings—beyond coffee and associated brewing equipment, Servomation will provide snacks, compostable utensils and paper products, and a selection of Coca-Cola brand soft drinks and beverages. More products will be added in the coming weeks as Servomation continues to meet the needs of the University community.

Customers will utilize a new website, , to place their orders, using their ���ϲ����� NetID and password to log in, and their University procurement card to pay. Customers who have made past purchases through the University’s Office Coffee Service will receive step-by-step order instructions and more details in a follow-up email.

All customers should keep their existing coffee and water equipment. If it is in need of repair, contact Servomation at service@servomation.com��or 315.875.5265.

Once the equipment is ready for replacement, Servomation offers several new equipment options.

All questions about Office Refreshment delivery and orders can be directed to orders@servomation.com or 315.875.5265.

Julie Niederhoff

The has appointed Associate Professor Julie Niederhoff as chair of the marketing department, effective Aug. 4. Niederhoff has been with the Whitman School since 2007, and also serves as co-director of the H.H. Franklin Center for Supply Chain and the Harry Salzberg Memorial Program. The Department of Marketing is composed of marketing, retail and supply chain management programs, providing students with an end-to-end perspective on business processes.

“Professor Niederhoff is a respected researcher and educator whose contributions have long enriched students’ experience at the Whitman School,” says Interim Whitman Dean Alex McKelvie. “Her commitment to student success and the advancement of the Whitman School of Management, both in and outside of the classroom, as well as her collegial and positive leadership qualities, will serve as a great asset to the marketing department and its faculty members. We congratulate Professor Niederhoff on her new position.”

With a master’s degree and Ph.D. in operations management from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University, Niederhoff teaches core courses in supply chain for Whitman undergraduate students, as well as undergraduate and graduate level electives for students pursuing supply chain management, logistics and management science.

Her research interests focus on the role of individual level human bias in making decisions in the supply chain and how this impacts the system’s performance in both for-profit and humanitarian supply chains. She uses methodology from experimental economics, behavioral game theory and psychology to measure personal preferences and group dynamics. And she examines how those factors influence individual and team performance in manufacturing, inventory control and contracting to better understand the human impact of supply chain decision making.

Niederhoff’s work has been published in top research journals such as Management Science, European Journal of Operations Research and Production and Operations Management and featured by The New York Times, Science Daily, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, CNN,��NPR and Scientific America.

She has also served in many professional capacities within her field, including an editorial review board member of the Journal of Operations Management, an editorial team member of the Journal of Agribusiness on Developing and Emerging Economies, a guest associate editor of Decision Sciences and an ad hoc reviewer of the International Journal of Production Economics, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, IEEE Transactions and the European Journal of Operations Research.

“I am both honored and excited to have been chosen to lead the marketing department at the Whitman School. ��I look forward to working with my colleagues from marketing, supply chain and retail to foster a department that continues to serve our faculty and all of our students in ways that will enable everyone to excel,” Niederhoff says. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to use my research and experience to add to the long history of this department and continue to drive the Whitman School forward.”

Niederhoff succeeds S.P. Raj, who served as marketing department chair for many years and will return to the faculty full-time. “I would like to thank S.P. Raj for his many years of service to the department. I am appreciative of his continued willingness to serve in a leadership role with the Master of Science in Marketing program, Snyder Innovation Management Center and as a mentor,” says McKelvie.