Alumna Dara Drake 鈥�23 has been named as a 2025 Knight-Hennessy Scholar, the first from 黑料不打烊.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate scholarship program at Stanford University. Each Knight-Hennessy scholar receives up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford while engaging in experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world.

鈥淥ur world has never been in greater need of leaders to address a wide range of challenges,鈥� says John L. Hennessy, Stanford University president emeritus and the Shriram Family Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars. 鈥淥ur scholars are ready to think boldly, act wisely and humbly, and lead with purpose, helping build a better future for all of us.鈥�

Drake, from Highland Park, Illinois, earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in policy studies from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences in 2023. At Stanford, she will enroll in a dual master鈥檚 degree program in policy, organization and leadership studies in the Graduate School of Education and public policy in the School of Humanities and Sciences.

She is passionate about addressing inequities that lie at the intersection of education, technology and government. She co-founded Skills Win!, which brings 鈥渟kills coaches鈥� to schools and nonprofits across New York state. Her research on student voice and empowerment has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented to global audiences, including twice at the United Nations.

Drake joined KPMG after graduating from 黑料不打烊 and works as an education strategy consultant and national education operations lead. In that role, she is engaged to address complex challenges and answer difficult questions that schools struggle to resolve. 鈥淚 love being in schools and talking to teachers and students, deans and principals,鈥� she says.

As the national operations lead, Drake sets the processes and policies for the KPMG education team. She oversees research and thought leadership on issues from trends in education to the role of AI in education. Her team includes almost 700 people who serve 300 clients around the country.

At Stanford, Drake is seeking more formal training in leadership and to build her problem-solving skills through different perspectives. She worked with the University鈥檚 Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) to prepare her application and for her interviews. 鈥淒ara鈥檚 clear goals and incredible record of leadership make her a wonderful fit for the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship,鈥� says Jolynn Parker, director of CFSA. 鈥淚t was a joy to work with her on this application, and we can鈥檛 wait to see what she鈥檒l do with this opportunity.鈥�

鈥淚t is an honor to be the first 黑料不打烊 student to receive this scholarship. I hope that I am the first of many more,鈥� Drake says.

Her first year at Stanford, in policy organization and leadership studies, will help her build leadership skills. Most of the year will be spent in a field study in a school. Her second year, in public policy, will help her build her quantitative skills.

鈥�The first year I’ll be thinking about creating, navigating and scaling effective changes in schools,” she says. 鈥淚n the second year, I can think about the feasibility of that change and evaluate whether policies are working in the schools or, if they’re not, what about them needs to change.鈥�

Drake says she is also looking forward to engaging with the Knight-Hennessy Scholar community. 鈥淚 will have access to this really amazing group of people. They’re all super passionate about a specific problem,鈥� she says.

Drake says that, in the field of education, problems are often very interconnected. 鈥淪chools are a place where almost all of the problems that we deal with as a society come together. If you don’t address them as a package deal, students are left behind,鈥� she says. 鈥淚’m really excited to have this community and to get to learn how to better pitch my ideas.鈥�

鈥淚’ve talked to some of the scholars who have gone on and graduated, and they all cite this program as a launch pad,鈥� she says. 鈥淢any of them say they changed over the course of their program because of the people they were introduced to, the way their thoughts were challenged and the resources and support that they accessed.鈥�

At 黑料不打烊, Drake was a University Scholar, a Maxwell | Arts and Sciences Scholar, and a Remembrance Scholar. She worked on solving problems both on campus and in the community.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� was so instrumental and gave me all the experiences that I needed to match what I was learning in the classroom,鈥� Drake says. 鈥淚 was really lucky to have several professors and 黑料不打烊 staff that were on my team.鈥�

Mentors such as Bill Coplin, professor of public policy in the Maxwell School, talked Drake through problems that she wanted to solve. 鈥淭here were all kinds of experiences that I had as an undergraduate that enabled me to be successful in my job and prepared me to join a community like Knight-Hennessy,鈥� she says.

In the first few weeks of her freshman year, a professor gave Drake advice she says she still holds in her heart. She told her, 鈥淲ithin measure, say yes to everything, even the things no one else wants to do.鈥�

Drake鈥檚 long-term goal is to be a leader in education through a position at a government agency. And she will still follow that advice.

Three graduates gather together for a final (for now) sway at Commencement 2025. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Congratulations graduates! The accomplishments of the Class of 2025 were celebrated by students, faculty, staff and families as the University held its annual Commencement ceremony in the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday, May 11. The photos below capture some of the pomp and circumstance of this special day.

For more Commencement coverage, check out the keynote address by 10-Time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, Chancellor Kent Syverud鈥檚 remarks and student speaker and University Scholar Jonathan Collard de Beaufort 鈥�25 addressing his fellow classmates.

Keynote speaker Carmelo Anthony addresses the Class of 2025 from the podium. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Chancellor Kent Syverud offers remarks to the crowd of graduates and their loved ones. (Photo by Coco Boardman)

University Scholar Jonathan Collard de Beaufort 鈥�25 was selected as the student speaker on behalf of the Class of 2025. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Amy Manley)

College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Robert 鈥淏ob鈥� Mankoff 鈥�66 (right) was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree by Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Ali Meders-Knight (right), executive director of California Open Lands and Mechoopda tribal member, was awarded an honorary doctor of human letters degree by Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Amy Manley)

School of Education alumna Judith Greenberg Seinfeld 鈥�56 (right) received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Amy Manley)

You did it, Class of 2025! (Photo by Amy Manley)

Graduate School Marshal Qingyang Liu waves to the crowd as she processes. (Photo by Amy Manley)

Carmelo Anthony (Photo by Amy Manley)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Bea Gonz谩lez G鈥�04, former vice president for community engagement, special assistant to the chancellor and dean of University College, served as mace bearer. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

A student celebrates with loved ones on the Shaw Quad after the ceremony. (Photo by Amy Manley)

From left: Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor and provost; Jonathan Collard de Beaufort 鈥�25, student speaker; Jeffrey M. Scruggs, chair of the Board of Trustees; Commencement speaker Carmelo Anthony; and Chancellor Syverud. (Photo by Coco Boardman)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Amy Manley)

The obligatory cap toss (Photo by Amy Manley)

When Commencement falls on Mother’s Day, mom deserves a shout-out too! (Photo by Amy Manley)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Would it even be Commencement without Otto the Orange? (Photo by Amy Manley)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Amy Manley)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Commencement 2025 (Photo by Amy Manley)

Jeremy Jordan, dean of the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, takes a selfie with Otto and graduating students during the college’s Convocation event. (Photo courtesy of the )

Maxwell grads pose with Dean David M. Van Slyke (far left) during the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Convocation. (Photo courtesy of the )

Celebrating on the Quad after the College of Professional Studies Convocation on May 8. (Photo courtesy of the )

Sawyer Duserick 鈥�25 is pumped to graduate magna cum laude from the Falk College. (Photo courtesy of Lea and Shannon Duserick)

Spotted at the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Convocation: “It’s Just Rocket Science.” (Photo courtesy of )

An Orange diploma is a beautiful sight. (Photo courtesy of )

All smiles at the College of Law Commencement on May 9. (Photos courtesy of the )

From left: Newhouse Class Marshal Charlotte Ebel 鈥�25, national anthem singer Lauren Juzang 鈥�25, Newhouse Convocation keynote speaker Jim Weiss 鈥�87, undergraduate speaker Naimah Rahman 鈥�25 and Newhouse Class Marshal Ryan Myers 鈥�25. (Photo by Genaro C. Armas)

Singers onstage at the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Convocation (Photo courtesy of )

Graduates from the School of Information Studies pose outside of Hinds Hall. (Photo courtesy of the )

Bauer, the Whitman School of Management’s pet therapy dog, donned a special cap and bowtie to help celebrate the occasion. (Photo courtesy of the )

鈥淲e are so pleased to welcome these new members to the board and grateful for their commitment to strengthening their alma mater and enhancing the student experience,鈥� says Board Chair Jeff Scruggs. 鈥淭heir personal and professional experiences and vision will be critical to the work we do to ensure the University achieves its ambitious goals.鈥�

Chancellor Kent Syverud says he is looking forward to working with the new trustees and eliciting their diverse viewpoints. 鈥淎ll of these individuals are outstanding in their fields, and they understand the persistence and passion required to bring about positive change in an organization,鈥� says Chancellor Syverud. 鈥淭hey are role models and mentors and each, in their own way, has established a legacy of excellence and service. We will no doubt benefit from their insights.鈥�

Alonna Berry 鈥�11

Alonna Berry

Given her family history and undergraduate experiences at 黑料不打烊, Berry was destined for a career in leadership, education and service. Today, she is executive director of the , a statewide force for justice reform and community empowerment through programming and advocacy. Throughout her career, whether in politics and policy, or teaching and consulting, she has focused on using the power of education to create positive social change.

Berry a long line of educational leaders in Delaware, including a great-aunt who was the first black female superintendent in the state.

At 黑料不打烊, where she was a 2011 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in writing and rhetoric, she was offered an opportunity to help run a GED program for inmates. Since then, her life and work have reflected a commitment to education, policy reform and transformative leadership.

After teaching English and math in public schools, Berry gained experience in public policy working in the Delaware Department of Education and was the public face of Teach for America Delaware as manager of alumni and teacher impact. Berry served as the director of Community and Family Services and senior policy advisor for Health, Equity, and Education for the Office of Governor John Carney in Delaware and was the state鈥檚 first trauma-informed care coordinator. She also served as a senior director at Social Contract, which helps organizations achieve social impact goals.

Berry founded the Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence, a public charter high school dedicated to service learning, matching the needs of students with the needs of community.

Her passion for service and community was evident as an undergraduate. She was a Remembrance Scholar and active in the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble, often performing at alumni events. An engaged member of the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Association, she served as chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and recently became association president.

She has held leadership roles on several boards, including The Delaware Center for Justice, The Milton Historical Society, Next Generation South, The Delaware Historical Society and Delaware Guidance Services and is active in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Berry is a doctoral candidate in organizational learning and innovation at Wilmington University, holds a post-graduate certificate in virtual online teaching and learning from the University of Pennsylvania, and a graduate degree in management and organizational leadership from Wilmington University.

She lives in Milton, Delaware, with her husband, Benjamin Spears, and son, Malkemus.

Jonathan Resnick 鈥�89

Jonathan Resnick

As president of Jack Resnick & Sons, Resnick understands what it means to uphold and advance a legacy. For nearly a century, the company has been a major force in the dynamic Manhattan real estate market. Joining the company in 1996 and becoming its president in 2007, Resnick oversees the firm鈥檚 portfolio of more than five million square feet of commercial, office and retail space, and approximately 900 high-rise luxury rental apartments.

Resnick learned the business from his father, Burton, who learned it from his father and company founder, Jack, who learned from , Israel, who owned brownstones in Harlem.

The Resnick family firm is highly respected in the industry, from ground-up development, construction, leasing and management, earning awards for sustainability and energy efficiency, and credited with revitalizing urban landscapes.

Resnick helped to honor the legacy of a former 黑料不打烊 fundraising executive by establishing a scholarship in 2021 in memory of Tom Walsh. Walsh had spent much of his career raising funds to position the University for growth. The creative writing scholarship strengthened the study of arts and literature in the creative writing undergraduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences. Resnick has actively supported other 黑料不打烊 fundraising efforts as well, including Hillel and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and was heavily involved in construction of the Fisher Center in New York City.

Resnick serves as chair of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations in New York City, and sits on the Executive Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York. He is a director of the New York Building Congress, and a former chairman of the Greater New York Construction User Council. He is a board member of the Borough of Manhattan Community College Foundation, RiverSpring Health Plans (the managed care arm of RiverSpring Living) and the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Resnick graduated from 黑料不打烊 in 1989 with a B.S. in producing for electronic media from the Newhouse School.

He lives in Harrison, New York, with his wife, Joelle, and two children.

Frank Ryan IV 鈥�90, L鈥�94

undergraduate student-athlete who earned a four year varsity letter to magna cum laude Order of the Coif graduate from the College of Law, Ryan says 黑料不打烊 . Today, Ryan is global co-chair, global co-CEO and Americas chair at DLA Piper, a global law firm with more than $4 billion in revenues and offices in more than 40 countries.

Known as a go-to strategist for some of the world鈥檚 most sophisticated media and sports companies, including Disney, ABC, the Pac-12 and ESPN, Ryan helped lead the firm through a period of unprecedented growth. He is also founding chair of the firm鈥檚 scholarship programs established to assist student athletes and veterans wishing to pursue a legal career.

Ryan joined the firm in 2010 as a partner, U.S. co-chair of the intellectual property and technology practice, and deputy chair of the media, sport and entertainment sector. He was instrumental in strengthening the firm鈥檚 growth in technology, life sciences and health care sectors and launching artificial intelligence, health care policy consulting and space exploration practices. Before DLA Piper, he spent nearly 16 years at Nixon Peabody LLP where he was partner and chair of the firm鈥檚 litigation practice.

He is a member of the Legal Service Corporation’s Leaders Council, the nation鈥檚 largest funder of civil legal aid programs for low-income people, and on the Board of Directors for Beat the Streets NYC. He is also a member of The Wall Street Journal CEO Council and Thomson Reuters’ Global Strategy Board.

Ryan graduated with a B.S. in finance from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1990, though he often calls wrestling his major undergraduate pursuit and was a three-time team captain of the 黑料不打烊 Wrestling Team.

Ryan has served on the College of Law鈥檚 Board of Advisors since 2004.听He is a former member of the College Law Board of Visitors (1998-2003), the College of Law Associates Council (1998-2016), and in 2017, was awarded 黑料不打烊鈥檚 College of Law Distinguished Service Award.

He and his wife, Melissa M. Dunne-Ryan 鈥�90, L鈥�94, have three adult children, Zach, Sean and Will 鈥�26 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs/College of Arts and Sciences).

Chancellor Kent Syverud (left) receives the Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award from Scout Executive/CEO of Scouting America, Longhouse Council Edwin Theetge at the 57th Annual ScoutPower event on May 7.

Chancellor Syverud, a native of Irondequoit, New York, has long been involved in the mission of scouting, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and previously serving on the board of the Longhouse Council. Chancellor Syverud and his wife, Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, have three grown sons, Steven, Brian and David, all of whom participated in scouting.

“I am honored to be named the Distinguished Citizen of the Year by Scouting America,鈥� says Chancellor Syverud. 鈥淪couting has been a meaningful part of my life for as long as I can remember鈥攆irst as a scout and now as a member of the Longhouse Council. I鈥檓 grateful for the friendships, bonds and connections I鈥檝e made, and I appreciate everyone who supports Scouting America and encourages young people to participate in scouting programs.鈥�

This year鈥檚 ScoutPower event featured another Orange connection: NBC sports commentator Mike Tirico 鈥�88 delivered the keynote. Tirico, an alumnus of the University鈥檚 Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences and well-known sports commentator, delivered an engaging and inspiring address. Tirico’s career includes notable coverage of 鈥淪unday Night Football,鈥� the Olympics and other high-profile sports broadcasts.

Mike Tirico delivers the evening’s keynote speech.

黑料不打烊 was the presenting sponsor of the event, along with JMA Wireless. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry President Joanie Mahoney 鈥�87, L鈥�90, who herself has a notable history with scouting and was named Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Longhouse Council in 2023, served as this year鈥檚 event chair.

Graduates get ready to celebrate! (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

It鈥檚 time to celebrate, 黑料不打烊 Class of 2025! Bring your family and friends and join in all the excitement and pomp and circumstance during .

The University鈥檚 Commencement exercises will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome Sunday, May 11, beginning with the degree candidates鈥� procession at 9:30 a.m.

Carmelo Anthony, the 10-Time NBA All-Star who guided the men’s basketball team to the 2003 NCAA Championship, will deliver the Commencement address.

School and college convocations and Commencement will also be livestreamed. Visit the May 8-11 to view the ceremonies online.

At Sunday鈥檚 Commencement, around 6,900 students are expected to graduate.

黑料不打烊 Chancellor and President Kent Syverud will address the graduates and confer degrees. Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew will give the welcome.

The University will recognize three honorary degree recipients:

• Robert 鈥淏ob鈥� Mankoff 鈥�66, influential cartoonist with a decades-long career as cartoon contributor and editor at The New Yorker;
• Ali Meders-Knight, executive director of California Open Lands and Mechoopda tribal member; and
• Judith Greenberg Seinfeld 鈥�56, 黑料不打烊 life trustee and president of Heritage Management Co.

Bea Gonz谩lez G鈥�04, former vice president for community engagement, special assistant to the chancellor and dean of University College, will serve as mace bearer.

Tadodaho Sidney Hill, of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, will give the ceremonial opening. The Rev. Dr. Brian E. Konkol, vice president and dean of Hendricks Chapel, will give the invocation. Peter A. Gianesini Jr. 鈥�94, president of the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Association, will welcome the newest alumni.

Student Marshals and Scholars

Representing the Class of 2025, Mark Nzasi and Yifan 鈥淚van鈥� Shen are the senior class marshals and will lead graduates during the ceremony.

The University鈥檚 Commencement exercises will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome Sunday, May 11. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Along with the all-University marshals, 23 student marshals represent the 13 schools and colleges at the University. The marshals will lead the degree candidates of their respective schools or colleges.

Twelve seniors have been designated as 黑料不打烊 Scholars. This is the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. University Scholar Jonathan Collard de Beaufort, College of Arts and Sciences, was selected as the student speaker on behalf of the Class of 2025.

Retiring faculty members who have been recommended to receive the title of emeritus by the University Senate to the 黑料不打烊 Board of Trustees will be recognized by Jamie L. Winders, vice provost for faculty affairs.

The University Marshal is Kira Reed, associate professor of management, Whitman School of Management. Associate University Marshal is Tula Goenka G鈥�86, professor and graduate program director, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Also during the ceremonies, Army and Air Force ROTC cadets will present the colors.

The 黑料不打烊 Wind Ensemble will perform under the direction of conductor Timothy W. Diem.

The national anthem will be sung by Olivia Scanzera 鈥�25, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and Enzo Cupani 鈥�25, College of Visual and Performing Arts, will sing the alma mater.

Security and Other Important Information

To ensure a safe and enjoyable event, all guests and degree candidates will go through , including metal detection, prior to entering all Convocation and Commencement venues. The University鈥痟as a , which will be in effect for Commencement weekend. Bags larger than 10鈥� x 10鈥� will not be allowed into Convocations or Commencement.

Get the OrangeNow App for the Commencement Experience

Download the and choose the 鈥淐ommencement Experience鈥� for easy access to Commencement weekend details and to receive push notifications related to the weekend鈥檚 events.

(Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Update Your Email Address

Congratulations, Class of 2025! You鈥檙e Forever Orange, and the wants to stay in touch with you. It鈥檚 especially important to so we can reach you!

Ask Orange Alumni

黑料不打烊 alumni are standing by to help as you take the next step. Make career connections without any app, sign-up or login information to remember. Just !

Class of 2025 Giving Campaign

听产别蹿辞谤别听Thursday, May 8, to receive special orange, white and silver cords to wear at Commencement!

Fill up the Wishing Well!

Are you a soon-to-be grad or a friend or family member of someone graduating? Mark the milestone with a gift in honor of the Class of 2025 and to have it featured on our Wishing Well website!

Instagram Stickers

There will be new Instagram Stickers available for the 2025 Commencement Weekend, which can be found by searching SUGrad25 on Instagram starting Thursday, May 8.

More information about Commencement 2025 can be found at .

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

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

Beth Kubala

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

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

Collaborating With Community Service Partners

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

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

Annie Mancilla

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

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

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

Helping Veterans at Risk for Homelessness

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

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

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

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

Using Law Degrees to Do Good

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

Sarah Simon-Patches

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

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

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

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

Fighting to Make a Difference

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

Seth Owens

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

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淚t was just such a human moment in such a tragic, apocalyptic scenario that it just really struck me that this is something people are going to have to deal with for years, and it’s real people just trying to get through it,鈥� says Aga, who has worked as a field representative in Chu鈥檚 Pasadena office for three years.

On the first day of the Eaton fire, Jan. 7, Aga fielded calls from residents who had evacuated, who had lost their homes, and who couldn鈥檛 find family members. Some had lost loved ones in the flames. Chu’s district, which covers most of northeastern Los Angeles county and serves nearly 750,000 residents, was heavily impacted by the Eaton Fire; it destroyed nearly 9,500 structures, scorched over 14,000 acres and claimed 17 lives before it was fully contained.

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

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

鈥淚t’s our job and our responsibility to make government work for people,鈥� Aga says, adding that he strives to 鈥渕ake government work for somebody just a little bit better and be a little bit more accessible.鈥�

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

鈥淗elping people in a crisis, and exercising initiative and going the extra mile even when his own safety and property are being threatened, sounds so much like Zayn,鈥� says , professor of political science. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the complete Maxwell package鈥攅mpathy, dedication to service and determination to improve government. I鈥檓 very proud of him.鈥�

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

鈥淎t its core, this was all just people doing their best and trying to be there for one another,鈥� says Aga of his experience.

Story by Mikayla Melo

Patrick Ahearn (Photo by Randi Baird Photography)

Ahearn serves on the School of Architecture Advisory Board, is a 黑料不打烊 trustee and is a member of the 黑料不打烊 Boston Regional Council.

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

From an early age, Ahearn knew he wanted to be a designer, but his first passion wasn鈥檛 architecture鈥攊t was cars. Through his fascination with automobiles, Ahearn鈥檚 initial appreciation for the power of good design and the importance of scale, proportion and light was born. And while this interest in car design sparked Ahearn鈥檚 earliest aesthetic awareness, growing up in Levittown, New York鈥攖he nation鈥檚 first planned suburb鈥攈elped him understand how good architecture and urban design could improve people鈥檚 lives and foster a true sense of community.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He has taught at the Boston Architectural College, the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, the Rhode Island School of Design, and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 own School of Architecture.

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

Charles W. Beach

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

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

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

鈥淭hrough his service and philanthropy, Charlie demonstrated his enduring support of higher education and 黑料不打烊,鈥� says Chancellor Kent Syverud. 鈥淗e built a company grounded in innovation and service, demonstrating the value of relationships, integrity, and ingenuity.鈥�

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

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

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

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

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

Carey Smith

鈥淓ngineering gives you a background,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淭he ability to ask questions. You have the technical background to ask the right questions.鈥�

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

鈥淚t was a very good program and allowed me to move forward with my education while still working at IBM,鈥� says Smith. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� is such a well-regarded university and the faculty were outstanding.鈥�

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

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

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

鈥淚 have tried to look at our customer鈥檚 emerging challenges and define solutions to meet their needs,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淣ot things that have been done before. We鈥檙e about starting with a clean piece of paper.鈥�

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

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

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

鈥淚 wanted to create a person first culture,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淥ur leadership supports employees.鈥�

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

鈥淵ou have to have strong technical acumen along with strong business acumen,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the way I operate鈥搘ith a focus on delivering results.鈥�

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

鈥淚鈥檓 always proud to be a 黑料不打烊 alum. It is a wonderful university.鈥�

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

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

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

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

鈥淭hat moment marked the beginning of a transformative journey,鈥� Jain said.

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

鈥淥ver the years, I鈥檝e had the incredible opportunity to serve in the halls of the State Department, our embassies overseas and at the White House,鈥� Jain said. 鈥淲alking through these corridors of power, I often reflect on the journey from the liquor store in Sacramento to where I stand today. I arrived at Maxwell filled with uncertainty and hope; I departed empowered and prepared to contribute.鈥�

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 黑料不打烊 community is invited to one of the most inspiring and unforgettable nights of the year鈥攖he . On Friday, April 4, 2025, we鈥檒l gather to honor outstanding alumni who embody the Orange spirit through their remarkable achievements, leadership and service.

The evening will be a beautiful tribute to the power of the 黑料不打烊 experience. From heartfelt videos to moments of pure Orange pride, the Alumni Awards Celebration is a can鈥檛-miss event that brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to recognize and applaud excellence.

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

Awardees are chosen by the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The George Arents Award is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 highest alumni honor and recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields.听This year鈥檚 honorees are听Paul Greenberg 鈥�65, P鈥�03;听Melanie Littlejohn G鈥�97; and听Judith 鈥淛udy鈥� C. Mower 鈥�66, G鈥�73, G鈥�80, Ph.D.鈥�84.

Chelsea Ransom-Cooper 鈥�15听will receive the Generation Orange Award, which recognizes graduates from the past decade for career success, community engagement and overall commitment to 黑料不打烊.

Jack Kreischer 鈥�65听will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for his loyalty and service to 黑料不打烊 over the past 50 years.

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

Kimberly Wolf Price L鈥�03听will be awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award for her commitment to 黑料不打烊 as a volunteer.

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

Don鈥檛 miss this extraordinary opportunity to celebrate our incredible alumni and connect with the broader 黑料不打烊 community. The awards celebration is complimentary, but space is limited鈥�!

Kim and Mike Venutolo

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

鈥淚n the many hours we spent together, we learned so much about their lives and hopes and dreams,鈥� says Kim. 鈥淭hese students come from all walks of life and many of them don鈥檛 have the funding they need to help them get where they want to go.鈥� The desire to directly help students 鈥済et where they want to go鈥� is the motivation behind their recent gifts to the Forever Orange Campaign for 黑料不打烊 and what has become a nearly $2 million legacy in philanthropy that can only be described as 鈥渙utside the box鈥� thinking by a dedicated alumnus who describes himself as 鈥渁typical.鈥�

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

His parents insisted that he go to college, but he says he didn鈥檛 do very well鈥攗ntil he met a counselor who helped him identify a field where he could excel (civil engineering) and a few professors who spent the time to support his success.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both Venutolos have been judges for , which encourages the kind of innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that guided Michael in his career development. 鈥淢ichael has told me that he credits 黑料不打烊 with his ability to succeed,鈥� says Kim, who went to work after high school in order to help her family financially. Now married nearly 20 years, Michael credits Kim with being 鈥渁 champion for the underdog鈥� and identifying opportunities for philanthropy that directly help students. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be huge dollars,鈥� says Kim. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just got to be from your heart. I love the University that has adopted me. I鈥檝e become Orange.鈥�

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

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

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

Richard Alexander

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

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

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

Core Values

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

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

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

Public Service Ethos

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

鈥淒o not forget those who are in need, and put your law degree to work to help the community at large,鈥� Alexander counseled law students during his lecture.

Kevin Toomey L鈥�12 says Alexander and the firm have 鈥渄one a great job in recruiting top talent from the law school鈥� and describes the firm鈥檚 commitment to both excellence and public service as a 鈥渦nique combination.鈥� A 黑料不打烊 native, Toomey first met Alexander while Toomey was in law school working at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and rising star at Arnold & Porter and head of the firm鈥檚 financial services practice group.

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

黑料不打烊’s ‘Secret Sauce’

Both Toomey and Alexander believe that 黑料不打烊 law school graduates are well-prepared to compete in an increasingly competitive industry. Both agree there鈥檚 something intangible about 黑料不打烊 that strengthens its students. 鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 walking up the hill to the law school through the snow every day,鈥� says Toomey with a chuckle. 鈥淵ou feel some kind of obligation and responsibility to prove yourself.鈥�

Alexander calls it 黑料不打烊鈥檚 鈥渟ecret sauce,鈥� a kind of grittiness. 鈥淲e also have a strong moral compass at the University,鈥� says Alexander, who was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2016 and currently serves as its vice chair. He will become chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in May.

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

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

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

Andreas Acrivos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cultivating Talent

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

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

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

Building Future Engineers

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

鈥淚鈥檓 a big believer that an engineering education should not be like going to a trade school. It鈥檚 about developing the aptitude and ability to learn,鈥� says Chawner, who describes himself as a continuous learner. 鈥淎n engineering education allows one to be very impactful and I want to enable students and professors to enjoy that. The investment Micron has made in the 黑料不打烊 region amplifies that impact and essentially multiplies the effect of the gift.鈥�

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

Those were the years in the first phase of life, says Chawner鈥攖he learning phase, which is followed by the earning phase, and finally, the returning phase. Learn, earn, return. 鈥淚鈥檓 in the return phase where I give back what I鈥檝e learned and earned,鈥� he says.

Five extraordinary Maxwell School alumni will be recognized, and the school鈥檚 commitment to engaged citizenship will be celebrated, at a March 27 event at 黑料不打烊鈥檚 new home in Washington, D.C.

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

The annual Awards of Excellence, to be held on Thursday, March 27, will also serve as an opportunity to reunite, celebrate the school鈥檚 enduring commitment to engaged citizenship and visit 黑料不打烊鈥檚 newest DC home.

It will be held at 黑料不打烊鈥檚 recently opened center in the heart of Dupont Circle. It houses the and serves as a home base for study away programs offered by the Maxwell School, the and the .

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

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

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

Margaret Abraham

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

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

Tom Bozzuto

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

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

Sahil Jain

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

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

Ana Maria Menezes

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

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

Tiesha Peal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Everyone can benefit from a mentor, but those students who are in a teacher program and maybe realize they don鈥檛 want to only work in the classroom鈥攁nd specifically our students鈥攃an learn about other real-world experiences,” says Gill, who will be the program鈥檚 point of contact and pair alumni with undergraduates. “A lot of students don鈥檛 realize the opportunities available for an education degree graduate, and our alumni have such a wide variety of backgrounds.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Madison Zeltzer 鈥�25 contributed to this story.

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

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

JaNeika James

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

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

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

鈥淎llowed Us to Dream鈥�

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What show had the greatest influence on you?听

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

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

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

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

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

How can your success inspire future generations?

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

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

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

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

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

WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2027

This year鈥檚 ceremony will honor the following students:

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

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

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

The George Arents Award is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 highest alumni honor and recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields.听This year鈥檚 honorees are Paul Greenberg 鈥�65, P鈥�03; Melanie Littlejohn G鈥�97; and Judith 鈥淛udy鈥� C. Mower 鈥�66, G鈥�73, G鈥�80, Ph.D.鈥�84.

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

Jack Kreischer 鈥�65 will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for his loyalty and service to 黑料不打烊 over the past 50 years.

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

Kimberly Wolf Price L鈥�03 will be awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award for her commitment to 黑料不打烊 as a volunteer.

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

and plan to join us in April for the celebration.

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

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

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

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

Yang鈥檚 and Woods鈥� careers illustrate how an SSE degree can provide in-demand skills and practical experiences鈥攏ot to mention a spirit of exploration. Both alums are happy to pass along a few of the lessons learned from their journeys.

Lesson 1: It鈥檚 OK if classroom teaching isn鈥檛 for you鈥擲SE lets you explore service careers beyond the classroom.

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

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

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

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

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

Although Woods eventually realized classroom teaching wasn鈥檛 for her, she wanted to stay in the education field, especially when she learned about careers in higher education. SSE鈥檚 flexibility also was attractive. 鈥淚 could create my own path based on my interests,” she says.

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

Lesson 2: When starting your career, networking works!

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

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

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

Lesson 3: Diversify your experiences鈥攜ou never know what will come in useful.

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

After graduating, she continued on her path to a higher education career, earning a master鈥檚 degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. Like Yang, Woods then returned to an earlier experience鈥攁t CSTEP (鈥淚 really enjoyed working with the students鈥�)鈥攂ut the Florida native confesses that 黑料不打烊鈥檚 notorious winters discouraged her from settling.

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

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

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

For the full story, visit the .

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

Weijia Jiang

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

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

Scott MacFarlane

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

Ali Bauman

鈥淲e are thrilled to work with Newhouse鈥檚 talented students and faculty, leveraging this relationship to foster meaningful discussions and prepare future journalists to navigate the complexities of reporting locally, nationally and globally,鈥� says Laurie Orlando, SVP of Talent Strategy and Development, CBS News and Stations.

The collaboration highlights Newhouse鈥檚 enduring commitment to excellence in journalism education as the school听, says Newhouse Dean .

鈥淭his is a tremendous opportunity for Newhouse students to learn from some of the best reporters, editors and producers in the country, starting with our timely and intensive discussions about maintaining journalistic integrity while combatting disinformation,鈥� Lodato says.听鈥淥n behalf of 黑料不打烊, let me express our deep gratitude to the CBS News and Stations team for sharing their time and insights about these critical topics.鈥�

Rhona Tarrant

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

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

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

Ray Toenniessen

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

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

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

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� and the D鈥橝niello IVMF are proud of Ray Toenniessen鈥檚 selection as a 2025 Presidential Leadership Scholar,” says , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF.听鈥淭hroughout his career, Ray has consistently advanced the interests of veterans and military families. We look forward to Ray鈥檚 continued leadership and significant contributions that only will be enhanced by his PLS experience.鈥�

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

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

The 2025 program will begin on Jan. 29.

A 黑料不打烊 senior and an alumna were recently chosen for prestigious graduate fellowships that prepare students for careers in the Foreign Service.

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

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

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

Linda Baguma

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

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

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

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

Alexandria听Johnson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

Tarky J. Lombardi Jr.

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

Lombardi earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1951 and a J.D. from the College of Law in 1954.听He was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from 黑料不打烊 in 1987.

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

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

Lombardi was an avid 黑料不打烊 Athletics supporter and longtime season ticket holder. His support started with the Orange Pack, the athletics fundraising arm founded in 1974, which became the Orange Club in 2006, and is now known as the 鈥機use Athletics Fund. He helped secure $15 million in state grants for the Dome鈥檚 construction.

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

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

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

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

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

Carrying on his legacy, Lombardi鈥檚 family encourages memorial contributions to the 黑料不打烊 Athletics Opportunity Fund in recognition of his commitment and passion for 黑料不打烊 Athletics and his enduring love for supporting student-athletes, coaches and his alma mater.

Audra Weiss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淎udra鈥檚 intellect and brilliance shined in the backdrop of Jim鈥檚 entrepreneurial quest to build a leading global communications firm,鈥� the family said.鈥� 鈥淎s an advisor and confidant, Audra made her mark on the business that would become Real Chemistry.鈥疶o her, success was a vehicle to do good鈥攇iving back through the 鈥榃eiss Family Office.鈥欌€�

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

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

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

A gift from William T. 鈥淭ed鈥� Frantz 鈥�80, P鈥�13 will establish a new endowed chair in engineering and computer science. (Photo by Joey Heslin)

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

鈥淭he timing is ideal, coming on the heels of Micron Technology鈥檚 听$100 billion commitment to the region,鈥� says Frantz. He says the partnership opportunities between the technology company and the University are a boon for students, faculty and the wider community. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great time to invest in the University, the expansion of the engineering program and in the region. These things tend to build on each other.鈥�

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

New Ideas

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

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

Frantz, who has his own pilot鈥檚 license, has combined his passion for flight with his desire to fuel innovation through investment in a significant gift he made to 黑料不打烊 students and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2008. Frantz funded the purchase and upkeep of an advanced flight simulator that would allow students to get hands-on experience with flight vehicles that they designed and to experiment 鈥渨ith the 鈥榚dge of the envelope鈥� without endangering any persons or property.鈥�

Edge of Innovation

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

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

鈥淚鈥檝e been studying the history of 黑料不打烊,鈥� says Frantz. 鈥淎t one point, it was the center of commerce with proximity to the Erie Canal that allowed steel and manufacturing to thrive. But the city did not adjust to change, and new growth industries did not take root and adapt. Now, with Micron鈥檚 investment, the city has new opportunities, and 黑料不打烊 is perfectly situated to take advantage of those opportunities.鈥�

About 黑料不打烊

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

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊

Orange isn鈥檛 just our color. It鈥檚 our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊 is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit听听to learn more.

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

For 10 seasons, 黑料不打烊 football coach Richard 鈥淒ick鈥� MacPherson (Coach Mac) led his team on the gridiron鈥損ropelling 黑料不打烊 Football back to the national powerhouse it once was. But it was the legendary football coach鈥檚 commitment to faith, family and the Orange that left an indelible mark on the 黑料不打烊 community and the City of 黑料不打烊. Although Coach Mac passed away in 2017, his legacy lives on at 黑料不打烊 and in the former student-athletes and students whose lives he touched.

Last month, members of the 黑料不打烊 community, Coach Mac鈥檚 family and loved ones, former student-athletes and alumni gathered to celebrate the dedication of the at Hendricks Chapel. The devout Catholic and dedicated family man was born in 1930 amid the Great Depression, the eleventh of 12 children. Like so many families during that time, putting food on the table wasn鈥檛 easy. That鈥檚 an experience Coach Mac never forgot. And that鈥檚 why it is only fitting that nearly a century later, the food pantry at Hendricks Chapel, at his beloved 黑料不打烊, now bears his name.

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

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

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

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

鈥淲e decided the food pantry would be the right place, the perfect place to honor Coach Mac and his life of compassionate care and service to others,鈥� McDonough said. 鈥淚n the place where faith is nourished and where people of many beliefs come to grow deeper in their faith.鈥�

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

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

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

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

Chancellor Syverud recalled the first time he met Coach Mac, sharing breakfast together at the Chancellor鈥檚 House shortly after his arrival in 黑料不打烊 in 2014.

鈥淗e did most of the talking, and he talked about three subjects: football, family and 黑料不打烊,鈥� Chancellor Syverud recalled. 鈥淗is greatest joy would be seeing the great human beings that each member of his family continues to be. What we’re doing right here is we’re honoring a good man.鈥�

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

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

Alison Murray, the chapel鈥檚 assistant dean for student assistance, is reminded daily of the importance of the food pantry. 鈥淲henever someone supports the work of the pantry, they are directly supporting our students,鈥� she said.

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淣ot only will participants learn firsthand about food, wine, art and culture, but they鈥檒l also see some of the business concepts behind them as they meet award-winning chefs and restaurateurs, vineyard owners, government officials and alumni in related fields,” Penfield says. “To round out the trip, travelers will get a firsthand look at the historical significance of one of the world鈥檚 most iconic cities.鈥�

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

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

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

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

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

*Itinerary subject to change

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

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

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

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

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

Robert E. Dineen Jr.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kathrine Switzer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What has running given you?

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

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

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

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

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ray Toenniessen

鈥淩ay has been with the IVMF since its inception. For more than a decade, he鈥檚 played a central role in almost every facet of the IVMF鈥檚 strategy, programming and growth,鈥� Haynie says. 鈥淭here is no one more committed to our mission or more qualified to drive future growth and innovation than Ray Toenniessen.鈥�

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

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

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

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

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

2024 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award winners (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

For the second year in a row, the University honored Orange ingenuity with two days of celebration, networking and a friendly pitch competition as part of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards.

Last Thursday, the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards ceremony recognized the 2024 honorees, culminating with a live reveal of the top 10 fastest-growing Orange businesses. The evening also included a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E鈥檚 hit shows 鈥淐ake Dynasty鈥� and 鈥淟egends of the Fork,鈥� who participated in a fireside chat, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.

The next day, honorees of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards headlined the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit. The summit allowed students to meet and network with top thinkers on engaging, practical and forward-thinking opportunities. The summit also included a 鈥淪ix for Six鈥� student pitch competition, where the top six campus innovation teams participated in a spirited 鈥淪hark Tank鈥�-style format for a 鈥渨inner take all鈥� $6,000 grand prize selected by 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees.

Check out how the two days went:

鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards (Nov. 14)听

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

鈥机鲍厂贰50 Entrepreneurship Summit (Nov. 15)

The 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit included conversations and networking with the 50 fastest-growing alumni businesses. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

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

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

Haynie addressed the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit attendees. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees participated in various panel discussions. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students engaged with 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit brought out great conversations and collaboration. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students participated in a spirited 鈥淪ix for Six鈥� student pitch competition. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Nicolas Courbage 鈥�26 (center), student in the Whitman School and founder of PapeX, won the 鈥淪ix for Six鈥� student pitch competition. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Douglas Present

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Robert 鈥�86 and Kathryn Taishoff

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

鈥淚鈥檝e seen the confidence that these young men and women with intellectual disabilities develop when given educational opportunities, and it鈥檚 mind-blowing,鈥� says Taishoff. 鈥淚f we give them the chance to pursue their interests and prepare them for careers, just like we do with every student at 黑料不打烊, they will thrive, excel, succeed and surprise us.鈥�

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

Taishoff鈥檚 daughter, Jackie, was born with Down syndrome in 2001, and he experienced firsthand the promise and the heartbreak felt by the families of young people often marginalized by society. 鈥淛ackie is very social and friendly, and frequently surprises us with what she鈥檚 capable of doing,鈥� says Taishoff. He鈥檇 love to see her attend InclusiveU but as a resident of Maryland, her benefits associated with her disability won鈥檛 cross state lines. The portability of benefits is one of those systemic policy issues that CDI鈥檚 staff is working to change, helping students overcome barriers to pursue an education and career.

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

Strengthening Programming

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

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

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

鈥淚 am continuously inspired by Rob Taishoff鈥檚 generosity and, now, his strategic challenge to others to help advance 黑料不打烊鈥檚 leadership in the disability community,鈥� says Chancellor Kent Syverud. 鈥淩ob persists in challenging all of us to think of innovative and creative solutions and to collaborate across units and colleges to ensure equitable opportunities for all our students and to be a standard-bearer for academic institutions nationwide.鈥�

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

Going Beyond

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

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

Taishoff says his own military experience also reinforced the family鈥檚 commitment to opening the doors of opportunity. He spent more than two decades in active duty in the Navy and managed Navy and Marine Corps attorneys and civilians representing service members. 鈥淣o matter what background or walk of life someone was from, whether enlisted or an officer, we were all pulling for the same goals, trying to fulfill a mission,鈥� Taishoff says. 鈥淚 saw people who were given opportunities in the military that they would not have had otherwise, and I saw them thrive and excel.鈥�

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

鈥淚t鈥檚 time to build on history once again,鈥� says Taishoff. 鈥淚 hope others will join me in creating new futures for countless young people who deserve a chance to contribute in ways that will amaze us.鈥�

About 黑料不打烊

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

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊

Orange isn鈥檛 just our color. It鈥檚 our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊 is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit听听to learn more.

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

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

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

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

Dwayne Murray

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

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

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

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

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

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

Global Impact as a Best Place for Veterans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

National Veterans and Military Families Month

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

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

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

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

Alison and Dwayne Murray.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It鈥檚 a thorny issue, raising questions of students鈥� and parents鈥� rights, school safety, academic performance鈥攁nd mental health.

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

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

One of Butler鈥檚 research and clinical interests is process addictions in children and adolescents, a topic closely related to the smartphone question. Given the groundswell of concern 鈥攏ot to mention high-profile lawsuits for and 鈥攁bout young people鈥檚 online habits, the School of Education asked Butler about the connection between process addictions, phones, apps, and mental health鈥攁nd what, if anything, schools can do.

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

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

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

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

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

Sabrina Butler

How is a 鈥減rocess addiction鈥� related to other kinds of addiction?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subramaniam earned a master鈥檚 degree in chemical engineering from 黑料不打烊 in 1989.

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

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

The Honorable Langston C. McKinney

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

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淛udge McKinney had faithfully and respectfully served 黑料不打烊 as a jurist, community leader and mentor to many in the legal profession and other disciplines,鈥� says Professor Paula Johnson, who served on the committee securing the courtroom dedication.

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

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

鈥淲e are thrilled to welcome Dan, Sean and Laurie to the Whitman Advisory Council,鈥� says WAC Chair Tracy Barash ’89. 鈥淭heir collective experience adds valuable perspective to our Council in supporting Whitman鈥檚 efforts to prepare its students for an ever-evolving business environment.鈥�

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

Daniel Arty 鈥�81

Daniel Arty

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

Sean Carey 鈥�89

Sean Carey

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

Laurie Lovett (Weissberger) 鈥�89

Laurie Lovett

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

Aaron Sorkin

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

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

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

Sorkin鈥檚 2010 feature film screenplay, 鈥淭he Social Network,鈥� earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the film also garnered two additional Oscars and four Golden Globe Awards, including best picture and best screenplay. His other films include 鈥淢olly鈥檚 Game鈥� (directorial debut), 鈥淭he Trial of the Chicago 7鈥� (Golden Globe Award), 鈥淢oneyball,鈥� 鈥淪teve Jobs鈥� (Golden Globe Award), 鈥淭he American President鈥� and 鈥淢alice.鈥�

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

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

After more than a decade away from the theater, Sorkin returned to adapt for the stage his screenplay 鈥淭he Farnsworth Invention鈥� (2007). His stage adaptation of Harper Lee鈥檚 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥� debuted on Broadway in 2018 and received nine Tony Award nominations, winning one. He adapted the classic musical 鈥淐amelot鈥� in 2023; the Broadway production received five Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical.

In March 2006 Sorkin funded and launched the Sorkin in LA Learning Practicum鈥攁lso known as 鈥淪orkin Week鈥濃€攚hich is a weeklong immersion experience for VPA drama students to meet with professionals working in all facets of the entertainment industry, including actors, writers, talent agents, directors and producers.

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

Morgan Foss

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

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

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

鈥淏uffalo is the sixth most segregated metropolitan region in the country and 1 in 5 children鈥�1 in 8 people overall鈥攁re food insecure,鈥� Foss says, illuminating the importance of her work with the foundation. 鈥淭here are many food deserts within the city and in surrounding communities, despite there being many agricultural areas, like where I grew up.鈥�

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

鈥淭he Bills organization has such a large platform and influence in the Western New York region. So in this position, I can connect the community鈥檚 needs with resources and bring awareness to specific causes.鈥�

A Pandemic-Inspired Pivot

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

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

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

鈥淎ll of a sudden I was finishing up my master鈥檚 degree, teaching undergraduate courses online and doing a virtual internship all from my childhood bedroom while simultaneously working on my family farm,鈥� Foss says.

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

鈥淚t was a crazy time and while many businesses closed, my family farm and the agriculture industry trudged forward to ensure food was produced and stocked on shelves,鈥� says Foss. 鈥淭he pandemic certainly changed the trajectory of my career, but I鈥檓 grateful for it.鈥� She emphasizes that her experience in 2020 built life skills that have wildly benefited her career鈥攊ncluding adaptability, organization, being innovative with her time and space and the ability to build relationships through a screen.

Giving Back and Living the Dream

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淛ust so far this season [in addition to Huddle for Hunger], we鈥檝e brought players to Dave and Buster鈥檚 to hang out with families affected by cancer, we鈥檝e made sandwiches and handed out food with players at St. Luke鈥檚 Missionary Church, we鈥檙e getting ready for Veterans and Native Heritage Month celebrations in November. We do a lot with different youth organizations and that鈥檚 probably my favorite part of the job鈥攋ust seeing kids light up after meeting their idol,鈥� Foss says.

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

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

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

鈥淲e are excited to be hosting this event again this year to welcome our distinguished alumni back to campus to honor their remarkable accomplishments,鈥� says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. 鈥淥ur graduates possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and it鈥檚 essential to recognize the significant impact they are making globally through their businesses.鈥�

The evening鈥檚 festivities will also include a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E鈥檚 hit shows 鈥淐ake Dynasty鈥� and 鈥淟egends of the Fork.鈥� Valastro will participate in a fireside chat during the awards ceremony, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.

for the event.

Winners of the 2023 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

鈥机鲍厂贰50 Entrepreneurship Summit

Honorees of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards will headline the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit the following day on Friday, Nov. 15, at the . The summit is open to student innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives across campus, as well as anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset for personal and professional success.

Students will meet and network with alumni at the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

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

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

for the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting in the Flaum Grand Hall and then moving to Whitman classrooms for 10 panel discussions with 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees. Conversations will be moderated by student innovators who will serve as 鈥渇irestarters鈥� for discussions with ample opportunity for audience participation.

鈥淭hese events offer a distinctive learning experience for our students,鈥� says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School. 鈥淭he 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Awards ceremony and Summit allow students a unique opportunity to engage with alumni who began their entrepreneurial journey at 黑料不打烊, bridging the gap between our graduates and the entrepreneurial dreams of our current students.鈥�

The summit will also include lunch in Flaum Grand Hall, followed by a spirited 鈥淔ive for Five鈥� student pitch competition in Lender Auditorium, where the top five campus innovation teams will participate in a spirited 鈥淪hark Tank鈥�-style format for a 鈥渨inner take all鈥� $5,000 grand prize selected by鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees.

For more information about the event, visit the .

Alumni panel discussions at the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inspired to Advance Goodness

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

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

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

Find out more about Hendricks Chapel鈥檚 events and programming at .

About 黑料不打烊

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

About Hendricks Chapel

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

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊

Orange isn鈥檛 just our color. It鈥檚 our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊 is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

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

But its depiction of one organ鈥攖he skin鈥攚as not as encompassing as it could be.

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

Preserving art

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creative placemaking

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

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

This led the MOST to Rolling because his consultancy utilizes the concept of 鈥�,鈥� a way of transforming a lived environment so it is accessible, inviting, and representative of the community. 鈥淭hat life sciences exhibition was over 10 years old, and it’s striking that there were no persons of color represented,鈥� Rolling says. 鈥淥ut of all those body parts鈥攏one.鈥�

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

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

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

Perfect balance

Meyer-Berthel and staff settled on the MOST鈥檚 giant ear display to receive the upgrade. 鈥淒ifferent ethnicities have different shape ears, certainly, but this anatomy is a little more streamlined across the globe, so an adjustment with paint can change the representation,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he ear was the clearest choice, because changing the shape of something might actually mean completely rebuilding the object, and that part wasn鈥檛 quite in my wheelhouse.鈥�

But the skill Meyer-Berthel does excel at is combining colors to match skin tone. 鈥淣o matter the ethnicity, every skin tone includes blue, red and yellow,鈥� she explains. 鈥淵ou can often tell by looking at a person’s wrist what their undertones are 鈥� Finding the perfect blend and balance is the joy.鈥�

Because 28% of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 population is African American, the MOST wanted to change the ear to a brown skin tone, but the answer wasn鈥檛 as simple as mixing up a batch of paint and applying it.

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

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

鈥淲hile house paint is wonderful for painting a house, it鈥檚 not going to be good for a museum because it has too many fillers in it, like chalk,鈥� Meyer-Berthel explains. 鈥淔or a museum model, a piece that needs to be so brilliantly colored, you don’t want much in it besides pigment and resin.鈥�

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

鈥淲e are so thrilled with the work she has done,鈥� says Stewart. 鈥淗er thoughtful consideration and expertise helped us to identify the right paint colors, finishes and techniques to give our older anatomical model a new life.鈥�

Story by Ashley Kang 鈥�04, G鈥�11

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

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

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

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

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

This year鈥檚 group of “family” judges included:

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

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

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

Students to be recognized with scholar awards are:

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

The following staff will receive Dean鈥檚 Citations:

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

The four alumni Centennial Changemaker Awards will go to:

• John Mandyck 鈥�89, 鈥�92, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Urban Green Council; City of 黑料不打烊 Deputy Mayor
• Sharon Owens 鈥�85;
• H. Lewis 鈥淟ew鈥� Rapaport 鈥�59, founder and CEO of the firm Component Assembly Systems; and
• Kathryn Ruscitto 鈥�92, former president and CEO of St. Josephs Health.

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

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

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

The ever strive theme resonates in another centennial endeavor鈥攁 professionally edited that tells the story of the school鈥檚 founding with archival photos and videos and narration by alumnus Ronald Taylor 鈥�15.

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

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

For more information, visit the .

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

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

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

鈥淚鈥檓 an OG at Warner Bros.!鈥� says Goldstein, referencing his long career. 鈥淚 never planned out what I wanted to do. When I graduated college, I thought I would go into teaching special education. I just fell into Warner Bros.鈥�

“The Roots of it All Started in 黑料不打烊”

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

Here鈥檚 where the story takes a slightly comical turn.

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

鈥淚 became the guy who wouldn鈥檛 leave, just like George Costanza,鈥� says Goldstein with a laugh. 鈥淲hen my internship ended, I had nowhere to go, so I just went back on Monday morning.鈥�

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

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

Things got better. 鈥淔rom there, I had two dozen jobs all over the place. But the roots of it all started in 黑料不打烊.鈥�

鈥淚 had a Bent for Business鈥�

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

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

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

So what connects 黑料不打烊, Hollywood and a successful movie executive with an eagle eye for a movie hit?

鈥淚 got my entrepreneurial spirit by working jobs in the dining hall, as a residence advisor and in the business affairs office,鈥� says Goldstein. 鈥淲hile at 黑料不打烊, I realized I had a bent for business, as well as the ability to teach others, mentor others, be curious鈥攁nd still make money!鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the Teacher Piece of it鈥�

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� has been very good to me,鈥� Goldstein says. 鈥淢y years there formed me into the professional and person I am. It was the right-sized school for me. You could be anonymous if you wanted to, or you could make connections that last a lifetime.鈥�

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

In fact, over the course of this conversation, Goldstein recites a litany of skills his education degree bestowed: teaching, mentoring, listening, public speaking and managing, to name a few: 鈥淭he thing I鈥檓 known for here is listening to colleagues and teams and elevating them. I鈥檓 able to manage up, down and across鈥攁nd that鈥檚 the teacher piece of it.鈥�

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

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

鈥淭o be successful, you need to seek out a broad audience, cater to them and address them,鈥� Goldstein says. 鈥淵ou need to look at the world as diverse and positive as it is and include everyone you can.

鈥淔ind the Things That Make You Smile鈥�

Goldstein has this advice for graduates looking to leverage the so-called 鈥渟oft skills鈥� of an education degree into careers outside of teaching: 鈥淜eep your mind open and look for things you enjoy doing. Find the things that make you smile and that creatively inspire you. Be open and have curiosity to find out what you don鈥檛 know.鈥�

If you remain open to other paths, Goldstein encourages, you might end up doing something you never considered: 鈥淚 always knew I liked movies and storytelling. I just didn鈥檛 know I鈥檇 be exceptionally good at telling what will work.鈥�

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

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

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

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one reason I鈥檓 the OG here. I love my job and that enthusiasm really resonates,鈥� says Goldstein, smiling broadly.

Beth and Steve Ballentine

When Steven 鈥淪teve鈥� W. Ballentine 鈥�83 recalls his years playing club volleyball at 黑料不打烊, he remembers the fun, comradery and deeply satisfying sense of belonging it created for him. He also remembers the challenges: 鈥淐lub sports didn鈥檛 receive University funding back then. I remember each of us on the team had to chip in $5 so we could travel to play at the University of Rochester. We brought our sleeping bags to my parents鈥� home and slept there when we travelled to Philadelphia.鈥�

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

Steve, an investment advisor by profession, and Beth, a published writer and essayist, describe sports as 鈥渧ery important to us as a family,鈥� with both of them playing on sports teams throughout adulthood. Beth played on a women鈥檚 ice hockey team for nearly 20 years. Steve is a competitive tennis player. 鈥淲e鈥檝e made lifelong friends through sports,鈥� says Beth. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 about physical health, connections with people and sisterhood.鈥�

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

鈥淪teve and Beth鈥檚 support will create an even more outstanding experience for the hundreds of students every year who find a place of belonging at 黑料不打烊 through club sports,鈥� says Chancellor Kent Syverud. 鈥淭heir generosity will help nurture student success beyond the classroom. It will also encourage more students to integrate fitness, teamwork, and leadership into their Orange experience. I am grateful to the Ballentines for a gift that will improve students鈥� wellbeing and enhance the student experience.鈥�

As chair of the Board of Trustee鈥檚 Athletics Committee, Steve is especially appreciative of the impact athletics has on the student experience. 鈥淕rowing up, I played everything until I wasn鈥檛 good enough to play it at the varsity/JV level, then moved on to another sport鈥攆rom baseball and basketball to volleyball and bowling. There are so many young people like me who weren鈥檛 sports superstars, who played sports in high school and who really miss that part of their lives when they get to college. Finances can stand in their way of participating in club sports.听 Beth and I saw the need to address that.鈥�

There are currently 45 at the University, with more than 1,500 students participating. Most teams are 听organized by student leaders and supported by club sports staff in the Student Experience Division. The Ballentines met with student leaders of the club sport teams to better understand how their financial support could have the greatest impact.听 鈥淚t was an incredibly eye opening and impressive experience,鈥� says Steve. 鈥淭hey are entrepreneurial leaders, raising funds to book transportation for the teams, sharing ideas, learning from each other.鈥� Beth was impressed by their dedication to helping others and 鈥渆ssentially doing a part-time job for which they don鈥檛 get paid, while managing a full course load.鈥�

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

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

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

About 黑料不打烊

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

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊

Orange isn鈥檛 just our color. It鈥檚 our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊 is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit听听to learn more.

Jeff Wilkinson

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

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

Wilkinson, who served primarily in Air Force Special Tactics, didn鈥檛 initially see himself rising through the ranks. However, a call to service has guided him throughout his career.

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

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

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

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

Wilkinson represents his alma mater at a sporting event.

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

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

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

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

1. Trust in your training.

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

鈥淭he foundations and processes started here in ROTC prepare you to lead in unimaginable scenarios. With a positive attitude, disciplined study and agility of thought, you will succeed. Agile thinking is encouraged in the Air Force and needed for tomorrow鈥檚 wars,鈥� Wilkinson says.

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

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

3. Don鈥檛 wait to make a difference.

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

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

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

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

鈥淵ou stand at the forefront of our citizens, willing to be part of something greater than yourself,鈥� says Wilkinson. 鈥淭he American way of life, and American freedoms, are valuable. There鈥檚 always greater opportunities for people who produce results.鈥�

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

David Van Slyke (left) and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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