The University’s top teaching assistants were recognized by the Graduate School with the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.

The important work and contributions of teaching assistants were recognized yesterday at a ceremony hosted by the .

The Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award is given to teaching assistants who have demonstrated excellence in the role through activities such as classroom teaching, laboratory or studio instruction, leading recitation or discussion sections or assisting senior faculty members with high-enrollment courses.

“Teaching assistants are vital to the undergraduate experience,” says Graduate School Dean Peter Vanable. “They bring energy and important insights to their academic disciplines and are dedicated to the students with whom they work. I thank this year’s award winners for their contributions to the University’s academic mission.”

The 2025 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awardees, representing the top 3.5% of the TA workforce, are:

• Agathe Baggieri, languages, literatures and linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Karisa Bridgelal, writing studies, rhetoric and composition, College of Arts and Sciences
• Caroline Capuano, physics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Yu-Wei Chang, psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Jing Cheng, mechanical and aerospace engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Gargi De, civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Ayşenur Değer, political science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Julie Harnett, teaching and curriculum, School of Education
• Tori-Ann Haywood, sociology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Elise Hegarty, languages, literatures and linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Elana Israel, mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Benjamin Kaufman, mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Harneet Kaur, social science, College of Arts and Sciences
• Pyeonghwa Kim, information science and technology, School of Information Studies
• Hannah Kimbrell, mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education, School of Information Studies
• Connor Knowlan, communication and rhetorical studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Megan Koch, earth and environmental sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
• Elise Krespan, biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Gabriella Larson, psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Adarsh Raghuram, geography and the environment, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Abhishek Samlodia, physics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Hector I. Sanchez, history, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Victor Sholl, philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
• Nathalie Uwamahoro, electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Josiah van Egdom, political science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Ying Xu, human development and family science, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Awardees are nominated by their departments and must present a teaching portfolio as part of the review process.

Recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award were honored by the Graduate School at a campus ceremony April 24. Pictured from left are Joon Young Kim, Scott Landes, Natalie Russo, Eman Tadros, Catherine García, Angela Oliverio and Qiu Wang.

Ten ���ϲ����� faculty members were honored with the Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award at a campus ceremony April 24. The award, given annually by the , honors professors who have had a significant impact on graduate education through teaching, service and research or creative activities.

This year’s awardees, chosen by an interdisciplinary committee of graduate students, are the following:

• , associate professor of communications, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• , assistant professor of human development and family science, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• , assistant professor of exercise science, Falk College
• , associate professor of sociology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• , professor of mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
• , assistant professor of biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• , associate professor and associate chair of psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
• , mechanical and aerospace engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• , assistant professor of marriage and family therapy, Falk College
• , professor of higher education, School of Education

“We know that talented faculty members are the cornerstone of a quality graduate education,” says Peter Vanable, dean of the Graduate School. “This awards program gives us an opportunity to hear directly from our students, as well as from faculty, staff and alumni, about which professors have had a significant positive influence on their studies. We are delighted to recognize these ten individuals for their dedication and contributions to the University.”

This year’s recipients are:

• Jeffrey Adams, English,
• Akshay, computer and information science and engineering,
• Erika Arias, political science,
• Seok Wun (Shiila) Au Yong, cultural foundations of education,
• Bruce Baigrie, geography, Maxwell School
• Erin Bisesti, sociology, Maxwell School
• Eric Cochran, mathematics, Arts and Sciences
• Xiaoyu Fu, human development and family science,
• Jessica Fundalinski, teaching and curriculum, School of Education
• Michael Kelly, geography, Maxwell School
• Shanel Khaliq, sociology, Maxwell School
• Hyojeong Kim, public administration, Maxwell School
• Minseok Kim, philosophy, Arts and Sciences
• Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education, School of Education
• Elise Krespan, biology, Arts and Sciences
• Akit Kumar, information science and technology,
• Sanggu Lee, philosophy, Arts and Sciences
• Jinfen Li, information science and technology, Information Studies
• Tyler Logie, earth and environmental sciences, Arts and Sciences
• Abigail Long, composition and cultural rhetoric, Arts and Sciences
• Desiree Martin, mathematics, Arts and Sciences
• Fasika Melese, instructional design, development and evaluation, School of Education
• Arda Ozyenginer, English, Arts and Sciences
• Henry Potts-Rubin, mathematics, Arts and Sciences
• Samuel Santiago, English, Arts and Sciences
• Dustin Satterfield, sociology, Maxwell School
• Mahder Serekberhan, political science, Maxwell School
• Paige Spencer, religion, Arts and Sciences
• Elina (Ruiqi) Sun, social psychology, Arts and Sciences
• Benjamin Valen, social psychology, Arts and Sciences
• Jenna Walmer, social psychology, Arts and Sciences

The 2025 Winston Fisher cohort at AlphaSights, an information services company, in midtown Manhattan.

With so many career possibilities open to them, how can students explore which fits their interests? The ��offers a variety of programming to facilitate career exploration and readiness, such as��.

Over spring break, a group of 17 A&S | Maxwell undergraduates had the chance to experience one of those immersion trips: the annual Winston Fisher Seminar in New York City, which allows undergraduate students from all majors across the and the to explore how their liberal arts education can be leveraged into a wide variety of careers in the business world.

Founded in 2006 by Fisher Brothers partner, AREA15 CEO, Dean’s Advisory Board member and Trustee Winston Fisher ’96, the weeklong Winston Fisher Seminar allows��students to spend time developing and presenting business plans, touring different employers and gaining critical networking experience with recruiters and alumni.

During this year’s immersion, participants visited several high-profile organizations, including Penguin Random House, Major League Baseball, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Morgan Stanley, iHeartMedia and more.

“Connecting with the students throughout the week, hearing their business plans and learning about their aspirations is truly one of the highlights of my year,” Fisher says. “As a firm believer in the power of a liberal arts education, I’m excited to see where their journeys take them and the impact they’ll have on the world.”

“There’s no substitute for the first-hand knowledge and experience Winston’s seminar provides. In addition to gaining insight into the professional world and entrepreneurship, students build lasting relationships with peers and accomplished members of our alumni community,” says , director of employer and alumni engagement.

Check out these other photos from the 2025 Winston Fisher Seminar:

Students kick off the 2025 Winston Fisher Seminar with benefactor Winston Fisher ’96 at Fisher Brothers.

Students hear from an alumni panel led by policy studies alumna Kate Abogado ’20 at Deloitte.

Psychology and forensic science major Seth Cohen ’25 speaks with Charlamagne tha God on the set of The Breakfast Club.

The bottom portion of the sculpins’ pectoral fin helps them grip onto surfaces and even walk. (Photo by Emily Kane)

On a wave-battered rock in the Northern Pacific Ocean, a fish called the sculpin grips the surface firmly to maintain stability in its harsh environment. Unlike sea urchins, which use their glue-secreting tube feet to adhere to their surroundings, sculpins manage to grip without a specialized adhesive organ like tube feet or the suction cups of octopuses.

So, why is this significant and why are scientists so keen to understand it? Marine organisms thriving in high-energy environments serve as excellent natural models for designing more efficient and effective human-engineered devices, such as robots, grippers and adhesives. Improved adhesives could have wide-ranging impacts, from enhancing medical devices to creating tires with better road grip.

New research has uncovered a surprising microscopic feature on the fins of sculpins, potentially aiding their ability to grip their surroundings. (Photo by Emily Kane)

A team of researchers from ���ϲ����� and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who specialize in functional morphology—how the shape and structure of an organism helps it function—recently uncovered a new and surprising traction trait in sculpins. They found microscopic features on their fins, potentially allowing them to adhere strongly to surfaces underwater to fight currents and waves. Their results were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

“In order to prevent being swept away, these sculpins need another way to keep themselves in position,” says Emily Kane, professor of biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who co-authored the study with Austin Garner, a biology professor in the at ���ϲ�����. “One feature that sets this group apart is the modification of their pectoral fins such that the bottom portion has reduced webbing that allows the fin rays to poke out further than the fin. They can use these for holding onto rocks or other substrates, but some species have further modifications that allow for walking and sensory functions.”

Previous research has shown that sculpins use hydrodynamic mechanisms—like having a small, streamlined body and using their fins to create negative lift—to maintain balance and grip. Additionally, physical mechanisms, such as gripping the substrate with flexible fin rays on the bottom part of the fin (similar to having fingers), have been described. This study documents a new surface texture, suggesting that these bottom fin rays might also create friction or adhesion at a microscopic level, enhancing their grip even further.

Kane and her team first discovered these features during fieldwork in summer 2022 in Friday Harbor, Washington. While observing fins at a microscopic level using a scanning electron microscope, she immediately recognized the similarity between the sculpins’ features and the fine hairs on gecko feet. She then reached out to Garner, who is an expert in animal adhesion and attachment.

“My lab is interested in how animals interface with surfaces in their environment during both stationary and locomotory behaviors, particularly in those organisms that take advantage of adhesive or frictional interactions using specialized attachment organs,” says Garner, who is also a member of the at ���ϲ�����, where researchers collaborate to develop and design smart materials to address global challenges. “Using a very similar framework to studies I have conducted in lizards and sea urchins, we worked together to design and execute this study.”

The team focused on traits such as density, area and length to outline the texture of the skin on the fin rays.

“We compared these measures to values in other animals with similar features that are known to produce a friction gripping force, like having sandpaper on the fins,” says Kane. “There are some similarities in sculpins that make us think they could be doing something similar.”

Garner notes that their work is the first description of these microstructures on the fin rays of sculpins. “We not only described the form and configuration of these structures in this work but also generated testable hypotheses that serve as strong intellectual foundations for us to continue probing in our future work on this topic,” he says.

So, what will this forthcoming research involve, and could studying these structures lead to the development of new bio-inspired adhesives for societal use?

Garner suggests that the form and function of sculpin fins could be effectively integrated into bio-inspired robots or grippers for underwater navigation and exploration. As the research progresses, their team anticipates that understanding the microstructures on sculpin fins will offer new possibilities for designing synthetic attachment devices that can attach securely yet detach easily, even underwater.

Who knows, maybe one day an underwater robot with sculpin-inspired grippers will be exploring the ocean depths and making waves in the world of bio-inspired technology.

Maloney joined ���ϲ����� in 2024. His research focuses on the connections between quantum information theory, field theory, statistical mechanics and quantum gravity.

Chancellor Kent Syverud, Dr. Ruth Chen, Alexander Maloney, Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Lois Agnew and A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi pose for a group photo following Maloney’s installation as Kathy and Stan Walters Endowed Professor of Quantum Science.

The Walters Endowed Professorship was established through a $2.5 million gift from ���ϲ����� Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus and her husband, Stan ’72, as part of the Faculty Excellence Program supporting the recruitment and retention of high-caliber faculty.

Speakers at the installation ceremony included Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer , A&S Dean and Chancellor . Maloney also spoke after receiving his medallion.

“This endowed professorship represents a bold investment in the future of discovery, and the College of Arts and Sciences is proud to be home to both this research and Professor Maloney,” Mortazavi said. “Through his groundbreaking work, he is helping to unlock some of the most profound mysteries of nature—work that not only deepens our understanding of the cosmos but also holds transformative potential for fields as diverse as computing, cryptography and medicine.”

Maloney’s distinguished career includes serving as James McGill Professor of Physics and Sir William Macdonald Chair in Physics at McGill University, where he received the John David Jackson Award for teaching excellence. His previous positions include membership at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and research associate at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. A 2013 Simons Fellow in Theoretical Physics, Maloney earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University and both his M.S. in mathematics and B.S. in physics from Stanford University.

At ���ϲ�����, Maloney will grow teaching and research in quantum science while providing students with opportunities to advance understanding of nature and design next-generation quantum technologies.

Glenn Wright congratulates Three Minute Thesis competition winner Jayda Felder.

, a doctoral student in social psychology at the ,��won the competition with her presentation, “.” She received 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 and a one-year membership in the , the professional organization of her choice.

“The cliché is that academic research is both impenetrable and pointless,” says Glenn Wright, executive director of professional and career development at the Graduate School. “The 3MT really challenges graduate students to tackle that perception head-on, explaining quickly and clearly what their research is and why it makes a difference. That’s a great skill when engaging the public, and highly useful in academia, too.”

The other 3MT contestants were:

• Nimisha Krishnan (Ph.D., physics, ): “How Cells Move Cargo: Learning from Nature’s Tiny Transport System”
• Bramsh Khan (Ph.D., social science, Maxwell School): “Politics of Gendered Infrastructure Violence in Balochistan, Pakistan”
• Mary Theresa Pagan (Ph.D., sociology, Maxwell School): “Older Recent Widows and Physical Activity: A Qualitative Investigation of the Roles of Care Work and Social Support”
• Sarah Nahar (Ph.D., religion, Arts and Sciences): “Closing the Poop Loop: An Everyday Way to Heal the Planet”
• Ratnakshi Mandal (Ph.D., chemical engineering, ): “Decoding Alzheimer’s: Putting Together the Puzzle of Memory Loss”
• Abigail Helen Long (Ph.D., composition and cultural rhetoric, Arts and Sciences) “‘Stuck’ Together: Identifying Writing Teachers’ Access Needs”
• Nghia Le Ba Thai (Ph.D., bioengineering, Engineering and Computer Science): “PorousX: A Novel Artificial Matrix for Treating Chronic Wounds”
• Paul Sagoe (Ph.D., biomedical engineering, Engineering and Computer Science): “Small but Mighty: Therapeutic Nanoparticles, the Tiny Heroes Fighting Arthritis”
• Qingyang Liu (Ph.D., human development and family science, ): “When and Where to Invest: Early Material Hardship and Children’s Self-Regulation.”

Three-Minute Thesis participants share details about their research and creative work in a compelling way—within a three-minute time limit.

Wright moderated the event. Judges were Matthew Carr, chief financial officer at Manlius Pebble Hill School; Davoud Mozhdehi, associate professor of chemistry at the College of Arts and Sciences; and Sylvia Sierra, associate professor of communication and rhetorical studies in the .

was first developed at the University of Queensland in Australia and is now held at colleges and universities around the world.

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

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

Carolyn Fernandes

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

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

“People like me need to fidget to cope and feel comfortable, so I started researching ways clothing could be made to help neurodiverse people like myself feel more comfortable,” Fernandes says.

After an inspiring conversation with Linda Dickerson Hartsock—the retired founder and executive director of —and after taking an class focused on inclusive product design, Turner came up with the idea for SOLACE “to meet the needs of a huge portion of the population that is currently underserved,” says Turner.

Going All-In to Solve an Important Social Issue

Aidan Turner

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

Lucas d’Oelsnitz

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

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

Meeting the Unique Needs of Neurodiverse Individuals

The team set out to collect data on how SOLACE could better meet the needs of neurodiverse individuals, beginning with a wardrobe analysis and personal interviews to determine what types of clothing neurodivergent people liked or didn’t like—including textures and how a garment feels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Our product line serves to confirm to a lot of neurodivergent people that what they’re doing is okay and that they can be normal,” says Fernandes, who serves as SOLACE’s industrial designer. “And it’s not just neurodivergent people that want this clothing. If everyone is wearing it, then no one is going to feel like they’re sticking out like a sore thumb while they fidget.”

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

Transforming Vision into Reality

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

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

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

“I have a passion for designing fashion, for retail and for entrepreneurship, and I was introduced to the lack of solutions that exist for neurodivergent individuals,” says Turner, SOLACE’s team coordinator. “There are a lot of opportunities for us to give this overlooked community reassurance and warmth through our clothing, and I’m proud of what this wonderful team has accomplished so far.”

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

Gisela von Dran, widow of Raymond von Dran, served as a judge and handed out RvD iPrize awards.

Winners of the 2025 School of Information Studies’ (iSchool) Raymond von Dran (RvD) Fund for Student Entrepreneurship iPrize competition and the Hunter Brooks Watson (HBW) Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award were announced on April 10 at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library. The award competition highlights the University’s entrepreneurial focus. Each team received a $2,000 award.

Raymond von Dran, who served as dean of the School of Information Studies from 1995 until his passing in 2007, was a longtime academic, entrepreneur and staunch supporter of student innovation.

The 2025 RvD iPrize winners are the following:

• SipSafe, founded by Lindy Elizabeth Truitt ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Anjaneya Sanjay Padwal G’25 (School of Information Studies)
• Diabetech, founded by Tosin Alabi G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• InstaHelp, founded by Mirco Sascha Kunz G’26 (Whitman School)
• Game, founded by Carena Gianna Colo G’25 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• SOLACE, founded by Carolyn Fernandes G’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Pari Beauty, founded by Aarna Taparia ’27 (School of Architecture)
• WW Productions, founded by James Oliver Welch G’28 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Reid Willar G’27 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Palmarati, founded by Tommy Brown G’28 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and School of Information Studies) and Oscar Rune Goranson G’28 (Whitman School)
• RYZYN, founded by Celes Buffard ’27 (School of Information Studies)
• BetaKola, founded by Alie Savane ’25 (College of Arts and Sciences)

The Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award began in 2018 through the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund and is awarded to students who best exemplify “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship.” Prizes honor the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, a ���ϲ����� student who died tragically in a distracted driving accident. The 2025 HBW Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award Winners are the following:

• Carolina Aguayo-Pla ’27 (Whitman School and School of Information Studies)
• Waqar Hussain ’25 (Whitman School)
• Isabella Carter G’26 (Newhouse School) and Ava Lubkemann G’26 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Ziekariba Nonr Diallo G’28 (School of Information Studies)
• Jase M Malloy ’25 (School of Information Studies)

Thirty-five students have been chosen as the 2025-26 ���ϲ����� Remembrance Scholars.

The scholarships, now in their 36th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through ���ϲ����� who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

Significant support for the Remembrance Scholarships has been provided by Jean Thompson ’66 and ���ϲ����� Life Trustee Richard L. Thompson G’67 in memory of Jean Taylor Phelan Terry ’43 and John F. Phelan, Jean Thompson’s parents; by Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus Steven Barnes ’82 and Deborah Barnes; by The ���ϲ����� Association of Zeta Psi in memory of Alexander Lowenstein; and by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation.

Selection Process

Remembrance Scholars are chosen in their junior year through a competitive selection process. Applicants submitted an essay and a reflective response in multimedia, artistic, musical or written format as part of a comprehensive application. The application evaluation committee is composed of University faculty and staff and current Remembrance Scholars. The $5,000 scholarships are awarded on the basis of community impact, leadership, creativity and thoughtful academic inquiry.

“Remembrance Scholars, through their academic achievements, leadership and contributions to the campus and local communities, exemplify what a ���ϲ����� education has to offer and represent the promise of the students for whom these scholarships are named,” says Lois Agnew, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “We are proud to recognize their accomplishments.”

The Remembrance Scholars plan the Remembrance activities held at the University each year, and the cohort will be recognized during a convocation in the fall.

The 2025-26 Remembrance Scholars, their hometowns, majors and schools and colleges are the following:

• Ellie Allen of Newton, Massachusetts, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Jacqueline Arbogast of Warwick, New York, a television, radio and film major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications;
• Rohan Bangalore of Sterling, Virginia, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School;
• Caiyan Bass of Aurora, Colorado, a communication sciences and disorders major in A&S;
• Michael Capous of Wantagh, New York, a nutrition science major (pre-med track) in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics;
• Belinda Chan of Brooklyn, New York, a social work major in the Falk College;
• Tommy DaSilva of Newark, Delaware, a public health major in the Falk College; a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S, and a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School;
• Nick Dekaney of ���ϲ�����, New York, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School;
• Ava Downey of Newport Beach, California, a linguistics major in A&S, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Leah Farrell of New Milford, Connecticut, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School and policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Abbey Fitzpatrick of Pacific Grove, California, a history and political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S;
• Olivia Fried of Clinton Corners, New York, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and magazine, news and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School;
• Tanishka Gajula of Chicago, Illinois, a biology major (pre-med track) in A&S;
• Olutoyin Green, of Long Island, New York, a health humanities and political philosophy major in A&S, a law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Alani Henderson of ���ϲ�����, New York, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a law, society and policy major the Maxwell School;
• Nico Horning of El Dorado Hills, California, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School;
• Wafiq Khondkar of New Hyde Park, New York, a biotechnology and philosophy major in A&S and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Edward Lu of Robbinsville, New Jersey, a music composition major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA);
• Joy Mao, of Cary, North Carolina, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a television, radio and film major in the Newhouse School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Valeria Martinez-Gutierrez of Laredo, Texas, a geography and sociology major in the Maxwell School and A&S; an environment, sustainability and policy major in the Maxwell School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• German Nolivos of Miami, Florida, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a public relations major in the Newhouse School;
• Luiza Owour of Kisumu, Kenya, a biomedical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS);
• Marc Pantano of Newington, Connecticut, a marketing and supply chain management major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management;
• Annaliese Pillitteri of Babylon, New York, a film major in VPA;
• Savion Pollard of Queens, New York, an electrical engineering major in ECS and a U.S. Navy veteran;
• Zachary Setzkorn of Overland Park, Kansas, a geography and history major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a social studies education major in the Maxwell School and School of Education, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Ethan Shavelson of Parkland, Florida, an acting major in VPA;
• Taylor Stubitsch of Arlington Heights, Illinois, a biochemistry and forensic science major in A&S and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Candace Tabb of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, a civil engineering major in ECS;
• Nathan Torabi, of Visalia, California, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S; a citizenship and civic engagement and law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Jacquelyn Trotman of Edison, New Jersey, a retail management major in the Whitman School, an advertising major (creative track) in the Newhouse School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Anya Von Wolff of San Francisco, California, a fashion design major in VPA;
• Logan Wagner of Great Falls, Virginia, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S, an environmental sustainability and policy major in the Maxwell School and a history of music and cultures major in A&S;
• Gillian Weltman of Rochester, New York, a communications sciences and disorders and neuroscience major in A&S; and
• Ethan Yankey of Roseau, Dominica, a design studies major in VPA.

Oren and Ruth nest in the southern archway on the east side of Lyman Hall. (Photos courtesy of Anne Marie Higgins ’76, G’90)

���ϲ����� is the proud home to multiple generations of red-tailed hawks who continue a remarkable lineage of these majestic birds on campus.

Three hawk families—all descendants of the original mated pair SU-Sue and Otto—have established separate but adjacent territories around the ���ϲ����� campus. Together, the families continue the legacy of their predecessors, who raised 28 chicks from 2012 through 2022. As the raptors have garnered a devoted following in the local community and beyond, with bird enthusiasts, students, faculty and alumni eagerly tracking their nesting activities and and social media updates, their resilience offers the ���ϲ����� campus a powerful demonstration of nature’s adaptation in an urban environment.

Following the tragic loss of the beloved pair SU-Sue and Otto to avian influenza in January 2023, their descendants have returned to carry on their family lines. This year, curious viewers may observe two of the three couples through newly installed cameras. Since 2017, several SU hawk nest cameras have been ’76, G’90 in loving memory of her husband, the Honorable Thomas W. Higgins Jr. The couple were passionate bird watchers who particularly admired red-tailed hawks.

Oren, a 2020 offspring of SU-Sue and Otto, returned to campus in March 2023 with his mate Ruth. The pair initially built a nest in a ginkgo tree and successfully raised two chicks in 2024 after the third chick died in the nest of an unknown cause. The pair relocated this year to one of SU-Sue and Otto’s former nesting sites on the southern archway on the east side of Lyman Hall.

Oren is named in honor of Oren Lyons, an All-American lacrosse player and one of the first Native Americans to attend ���ϲ�����. Ruth is named after ���ϲ����� alumna Ruth Johnson Colvin, founder of Literacy Volunteers of America and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.

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Another pair, Cliff and Ensley, have established themselves on campus light towers. Ensley, a 2016 progeny of SU-Sue and Otto, has been with Cliff since 2021 after losing her first mate. The couple initially nested in a tree near campus, raising two chicks in 2022 and three in 2023. After their nest fell when a branch broke, they relocated to a light tower on campus in 2024 where they successfully raised three more chicks.

This year, the mates have built a new nest on a different light tower. Ensley completed her clutch for the season with eggs laid on March 30 and April 2.

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Sarah and Jesse

Sarah, who hatched in 2020 and is Oren’s sibling, was spotted at her parents’ favorite perches shortly after their passing in January 2023. By February, she had attracted a mate named Jesse. Though they built a nest in a tree on the east side of campus that year, they did not produce any chicks. In 2024, the hawks moved to a tree off-campus and raised two chicks. They returned to the same nest this year and both are incubating. Time will tell how many chicks they’ll have in 2025.

Sarah is named in honor of Dr. Sarah Loguen, the first African American physician to graduate from the University’s College of Medicine in 1876. Jesse’s name honors Dr. Jesse Truesdell Peck, a ���ϲ����� founder in 1870 and the first chair of the Board of Trustees.

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

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

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

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

Claire Ceccoli

When senior Claire Ceccoli ’25 learned that there were children who didn’t have a bed to sleep on at night, she chaired the annual bed-building project that benefits the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Through efforts she spearheaded the last two years, 132 beds have been built and donated to children in need.

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

Derek Wallace

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

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

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

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

What drew you to the Shaw Center?

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

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

What activities did you organize with the Shaw Center?

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

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

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

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

How did the Shaw Center influence your career aspirations?

Derek Wallace relies on lessons learned as a Shaw Center volunteer to fuel his career as CEO of Golden Fork Media and founder of the children’s book series and brand, “Kalamata’s Kitchen.”

Wallace: My career started at the Shaw Center in children’s literacy, and now I’m the co-creator of a children’s book series. It’s a full circle moment for me. The passion I have for the work I do, what led me down this path were the values I learned and the lessons taught at the Shaw Center. Chancellor Shaw, Mary Ann Shaw, Pam Heintz and [Maxwell School] Professor Bill Coplin believed in my abilities to make a difference and they provided mentorship that put me on this path and I couldn’t be more grateful.

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

Students have myriad opportunities to study the history of Chinese art in the course History of Art 300: Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art��taught by , a postdoctoral researcher in the��.

Yifan Li (standing), a postdoctoral researcher of art and music histories, speaks with students in his class, Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art. The group visited the ���ϲ����� Art Museum to view a selection of China-related artworks.

Li’s courses on Chinese art and visual culture emphasize the artworks’ distinctive and intricate nature, influenced by exchanges, relationships and activities across national borders, as well as the innovative use of new image-making technologies.

A popular aspect of the class is the hands-on learning opportunities that allow students to examine objects from the��’s collections. During a visit in the spring semester, the class viewed a selection of woodcuts by the Chinese American artist Seong Moy (1921–2013). Woodcut is a printmaking technique where an image is carved into a block of wood, and the raised areas are inked and pressed onto paper to create a print.

One of the works examined by students was “Love on the Yangtse” (1951), a woodcut print by artist Seong Moy.

Tao Wen

Fluoride in drinking water has become a highly charged topic in recent weeks. In March, Utah became the first state to the addition of fluoride to the state’s public water systems, a move praised by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. However, some health groups are raising the alarm. The American Dental Association for water fluoridation, saying a ban on the practice would hurt people, cost money and eventually harm the economy.

is an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences.�� His research specialities include water sustainability and the connection between energy, agriculture, urbanization and water quality. Professor Wen answered four questions about the use of fluoride in public drinking water, discussing how his research group studies water quality.

His responses can be quoted directly and he is available for interview.

Q: What are some general facts people should know about the use of fluoride in public water?

A: “In general, you don’t want too much or too little fluoride in drinking water including the water provided through the public water system. Too little fluoride in drinking water can cause tooth cavity. Fluoride is added to many public water systems in the U.S. to help prevent tooth decay. This practice, known as community water fluoridation, has been endorsed by numerous health organizations for its dental health benefits. Too much fluoride in drinking water can contribute to dental and skeletal fluorosis. It is important to note that not all drinking water systems are fluoridated. Fluoride in water can come from different sources. Generally, it can occur naturally, particularly in certain geological setting and/or originate from human sources.”

Q:What is considered a “safe” amount of fluoride? What are signs or indicators that there is an unsafe amount in a water source?

A: “The U.S. Public Health Service recommends an optimal fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L to balance the benefits of cavity prevention with the risk of dental fluorosis—a cosmetic condition caused by excessive fluoride exposure during tooth development. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets an enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4.0 mg/L to protect against skeletal fluorosis, a bone disease that can result from prolonged exposure to high fluoride levels. In addition, the EPA has a secondary (non-enforceable) standard of 2.0 mg/L to reduce the risk of dental fluorosis in children. The only accurate way to determine fluoride levels in water is through laboratory testing. Individuals can have their private well water tested or consult their local public water supplier for current water quality reports. In some cases, signs of fluoride exposure may include cosmetic changes in teeth, such as white streaks or mottling. A recent study (McMahon et al., 2020) identified several key factors that influence fluoride concentrations in groundwater: pH, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, well depth, water temperature, Ca/Na ratio, mean annual precipitation, and aquifer lithology. Understanding these factors can help infer potential fluoride levels in groundwater, particularly in regions where direct testing is not readily available.”

Q: In your own research, what do you study or look for as it relates to fluoride in your water samples?

A: “My research group broadly studies water quality in groundwater and surface water across urban, rural, and natural settings. In one of our recent studies (Nesheim et al., 2024), we monitored surface water quality in an urban watershed in the City of ���ϲ����� to assess the impact of various human infrastructures—including cemeteries—on solute concentrations. Fluoride was among several ions we tracked. Among the 286 stream water samples collected from February 2022 to January 2023, we did not observe any fluoride concentrations exceeding the EPA’s secondary standard of 2 mg/L. Although our primary focus was on nitrate, we found no significant increase in fluoride concentration downstream the cemetery. This suggests that burial decay products, which could potentially contribute fluoride, were not a dominant source in our study area. Instead, the data suggest that fluoride concentrations varied with river flow and may be influenced by natural (geogenic) sources among other possible sources.”

Q: In your academic opinion, why do you think there continues to be this focus on fluoride in drinking water?

A: “Fluoride remains a topic of public interest and debate for several reasons. First and foremost, it is one of the few substances intentionally added to drinking water for health benefits, which raises important discussions about informed consent and public health policy. Second, concerns about fluoride’s safety—especially at elevated levels in natural groundwater—persist in both rural areas that rely on unregulated private wells and urban regions served by public water systems. Third, as new research continues to emerge regarding fluoride’s sources and potential health effects, there is an ongoing need to reassess guidelines and educate the public. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the decision to add fluoride to drinking water should be region-specific and science-based. As highlighted in a recent study (McMahon et al., 2020), fluoride concentrations in groundwater vary significantly across the U.S. The study also found that, on a national scale, most groundwater has fluoride concentrations below 0.7 mg/L. Therefore, in many parts of the country, the greater public health concern—if fluoridation is not implemented—may be an increased risk of tooth decay.”

References:

1. Nesheim, S., Yu, Z., Tuttle, S., Klein, J., Wen, T., 2024. Assessing impacts of cemeteries on water quality in an urban headwater watershed with mixed human-built infrastructure. Hydrological Processes 38, e15128. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15128
2. McMahon, P.B., Brown, C.J., Johnson, T.D., Belitz, K., Lindsey, B.D., 2020. Fluoride occurrence in United States groundwater. Science of The Total Environment 732, 139217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139217

To get in touch with Professor Wen or to get more information, please contact:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
University Communications
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu������

For a vast range of foods and other technologies, scientists have devised emulsifying agents which help stabilize mixtures. By incorporating small granular particles to certain foods, it can help prevent spoilage and extend shelf life, important for safeguarding our food supply. When added to chemical mixtures, emulsifying agents can reduce viscosity, making liquids such as petroleum easier to pump and transport through pipelines, potentially leading to energy savings.

Joseph Paulsen

Researchers are continually investigating new emulsifiers to improve the control of liquid-liquid mixtures. Recently, , a physics professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, collaborated with scientists from the and to make a surprising discovery.

They found that when magnetized particles are added to a simple oil-and-water “salad dressing,” the mixture consistently separates into patterns resembling the elegant curves of a Grecian urn immediately after being shaken. The team’s results, published in ,��uncover a novel method of using magnetic particles to control liquid-liquid mixtures.

The study, led by UMass Amherst, began when UMass graduate student Anthony Raykh was experimenting in the lab. He added magnetized nickel particles to a batch of “salad dressing” instead of spices, which are normally what allow the oil and water in dressing to remain mixed. He chose magnetized particles because fluids containing them can be engineered to exhibit unique and useful properties. After shaking his mixture, Raykh was astonished to see it consistently form a pristine urn shape. Regardless of how many times or how vigorously he shook the mixture, the urn shape always reappeared.

The spices in salad dressing enable water and oil, which typically don’t mix, to combine through emulsification. Researchers have now discovered that adding magnetized nanoparticles to an oil-water mixture produces a completely different effect.

To help explain this shocking phenomenon, the UMass team invited in Paulsen from ���ϲ�����, along with colleagues from Tufts, to conduct theoretical analysis and simulations. Paulsen, whose research focuses on soft condensed matter, explores the ways in which materials like liquids and soft solids bend, deform and mix—research which lent itself well to this study.

Typically, particles added to an oil-and-water mixture, such as spices, decrease the tension at the interface between the two liquids, allowing them to mix. But in a twist, the team found that particles that are magnetized strongly enough actually increase the interfacial tension, bending the boundary between oil and water into a graceful curve.

“We turned the nature of particle-decorated interfaces on its head,” says Paulsen. “Now, you can have an emulsion droplet that you can imagine controlling in a variety of ways with a magnetic field, but the droplet will nevertheless coalesce with other droplets — something that particle-coated droplets typically resist.”

Figure A graphically depicts individual nanoparticles of magnetized nickel that form a boundary between the water and oil. Figure B shows how the magnetized particles cause the oil and water to separate into a pattern resembling a Grecian urn immediately after being shaken. (Graphic courtesy of Anthony Raykh/UMass Amherst)

Their research on magnetic particles uncovered two surprising effects. First, the particles, being small magnets, form large networks with many holes due to magnetic interactions. These holes help droplets coated with the particles merge quickly into single oil and water portions. Second, the strong attraction between the magnetic particles increases the surface tension at the interface, further promoting droplet merging.

While there’s no application for this novel discovery yet, the team is excited to see how this never-before-seen state can influence the field of soft-matter physics.

“Liquid-liquid mixtures are ubiquitous in consumer products and industrial processes,” says Paulsen. “This discovery, which offers a new approach to managing these mixtures, could one day help produce better products with longer shelf lives or save energy in chemical transport and processing. I’m eager to see the future implications of this breakthrough.”

This research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Editor’s note: Portions of this article have been adapted from a .

Samuel Gorovitz

is a ���ϲ����� professor and a leading figure in the field of bioethics. He says that while this animal may be genetically connected to the dire wolf, no matter what the company does, the dire wolf will remain extinct.

“Only adult dire wolves can raise an authentic dire wolf, and there aren’t any of those. All talk of “de-extinction” is metaphorical and often misleading,” Gorovitz says. “That said, the company’s processes seem adequately respectful of ethical requirements. As their work proceeds, they are learning to refine the techniques and developing more sophisticated understandings of how such techniques of genetic manipulation succeed or fail. That’s a benefit independent of the particulars of the chosen species.”

As their work proceeds, they are learning to refine the techniques and developing more sophisticated understandings of how such techniques of genetic manipulation succeed or fail. That’s a benefit independent of the particulars of the chosen species.

Professor Gorovitz adds that there doesn’t seem to be significant ecological risk at this scale. “It’s unlikely that any of their work will lead to a “rewilding” that repopulates an ecosystem with significant numbers of newly devised creatures – the obstacles to that are numerous and clear. There’s not likely any ecological risk from what they are doing, however. Hybrid and chimerical creatures abound naturally, and if an occasional new one were to be added no substantial harm is probable,” Gorovitz says.

To request interviews or get more information:

Chris Munoz
Media Relations Specialist
cjmunoz@syr.edu

The Student Experience division is honored to announce the selection of Chidera Olalere ’26 and Silke Pion ’26 as the Class of 2026 Senior Class Marshals. As the all-University representatives for their class, in this role they will help to recommend the Commencement speaker, offer insights and suggestions to the student experience, participate in campus events and conclude their service by leading the student procession during the 2026 Commencement ceremony.

“Leading with heart, purpose and unmistakable Orange pride, Chidera and Silke have made a lasting impact on our ���ϲ����� community through their dedication to campus involvement, community service and academic excellence,” says Sheriah N. Dixon, associate vice president for the��, dean of students and chair of the selection committee. “As the Class of 2026 Senior Class Marshals, they embody the true spirit of ���ϲ�����—guiding us with vision, unity and distinction as we step boldly into the future.”

Chidera Olalere

Home is where you find community and belonging and for rising senior Chidera Olalere, her homes include Nigeria, North Yorkshire, England, and ���ϲ�����. Driven to immerse herself in learning experiences in and beyond the classroom, Olalere joined the Orange community as an international student and soon after, quickly began building a student experience unique to her passions, goals and academic pursuits.

“I have been introduced to opportunities that I would not have known existed otherwise and I have been given mentors in more spaces and fields than I could have imagined. The people at this University invest in you and as I have been thinking intently about how I want to close out my time at ���ϲ�����, I knew I wanted to pay all this forward,” says Olalere in reflection of what motivated her to apply for Senior Class Marshal. “I am also excited to represent all my different experiences at the University, my background and hopefully show other students the value of being open to the opportunities around them and pursuing the things they are passionate about.”

Within the Olalere is pursuing dual majors in biochemistry and forensic science, with a minor in economics. Highlighted scholarly accomplishments include being a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and a recipient of the Invest in Success and 1870 scholarships. Bridging what is learned in the classroom to future professional endeavors, Olalere has entered her second year as an undergraduate research intern within the Upstate Medical University Bourboulia Lab, working to identify potential new therapeutic agents for cancer therapy.

Driven by a passion for making a meaningful impact, Olalere is deeply involved in the campus community. She supports student success as a Stevenson Education Center tutor and cultivates community connections as a residence assistant. As a student leader she has consistently sought opportunities to support her peers. Additional highlights include serving as an Office of Academic Integrity student hearing panelist, a first-responder EMT on the ���ϲ����� Ambulance team, as a college ministry worship leader and a student ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences.

“To me, being Orange has looked like inviting people into your life and loving them well. Whether the interaction is one minute or semester long, being Orange is being enthusiastic and supportive, and using what you have learned to help those coming up after you,” says Olalere. “The legacy I have found at ���ϲ����� is one of joyful service and community and that is the same legacy I hope to leave behind.”

Silke Pion

As a California resident, contemplating leaving the West Coast for ���ϲ����� was at first a daunting decision for Pion, a junior in the and pursuing bachelor’s degrees in political science, finance and business analytics. Soon after starting her first semester, it became clear that not only did she make the right choice by pursuing ���ϲ����� but the opportunities for student success were limitless.

“I want my legacy to remain here at ���ϲ����� and remind students who may second guess themselves that they are worthy of every opportunity in front of them. Before ���ϲ�����, I would have never applied for opportunities such as being a Senior Class Marshal—out of pure fear of rejection,” says Pion. “My time here has demonstrated that rejection is not the end of the world and often leads to some other unexpected surprises.”

As a recipient of the Chancellor’s and Invest in Success scholarships, in addition to being a member of the dean’s list, Renée Crown University Honors Program and the International Business Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma, Pion quickly dove into the student experience, facing uncertainty head-on and working to earn success both inside and outside of the classroom.

Throughout her undergraduate career, Pion has immersed herself into a variety of student experiences focusing on professional development, leadership and community service. Within the campus community she has led Alpha Gamma Delta as the director of finance, served as a Martin J. Whitman School of Management Marshall House teaching assistant and Harrison House leader, as president and service chair for Challah for Hunger: A Project of MAZON, community service chair under ���ϲ����� Hillel and as a member of Beta Alpha Psi: Finance and Accounting Professional Fraternity.

When working to build a strong launchpad for the future, Pion prioritized finding personal success just as much as finding success for others within the communities she supports. Immersing herself in professional development within the greater global community, her experience includes being a junior analyst for The Orange Value Fund, LLC, policy analyst intern within the New York State Assembly Member Pamela Hunter’s district office, communications and community coordinator for the Kenya Immersion Experience and an active member of the Goodman IMPRESS Program and volunteer in the ���ϲ����� community.

“No opportunity or experience stands alone, instead, it’s the result of the hard work and commitment of others who came before. I want to continue the tradition of paying it forward and spread the message across campus.” Pion shares as she eagerly prepares for her final chapter as an undergraduate student and looks to how she can support future generations of students. “Although my time at ���ϲ����� is quickly coming to an end, a piece of my heart will always be here. I want my legacy to remain here at ���ϲ����� and remind the students who may second guess themselves that they are worthy of every opportunity in front of them.”

Isaac Arnold is exploring every side of the ���ϲ����� experience, engaging in cutting-edge plant biology research, developing entrepreneurial ventures and excelling on the ice rink in his free time.

With climate change and severe weather expected to intensify in the coming years, developing strategies for a resilient food supply is crucial.

This involves understanding and developing crops that can withstand pathogens that cause diseases, one of the key areas of����at the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Combining biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, economics, business and engineering, the biotechnology program is helping find practical solutions to solving the challenges facing our food supply, global health and the environment.

A&S students like Isaac Arnold ’26 are already finding numerous opportunities to address these important questions.

Making an Early Contribution

Arnold, originally from Halifax, a small city in Nova Scotia, Canada, had never heard of biotechnology before coming to ���ϲ�����. Initially declaring as a biochemistry major, Arnold was intrigued by the cutting-edge aspect of biotech and its broad, practical applications after learning about the field of biotechnology from his biology professor and now mentor,��.

Arnold (left) with Professor Ramesh Raina (third from right) and members of the lab group.

Since joining Professor Raina’s lab, Arnold recently co-authored a study in the journal��, which explored how a set of genes (GATA21 and GATA22) are involved in regulating pathogen defense response in a plant called Arabidopsis.

“Humans share much of their genome with plants, which is why a lot of research done in the plant biology sphere is also relevant medically,” says Arnold. “We study the effects of epigenetic modifications, which are essentially reversible changes to regulate gene expression. Our research focuses on disease resistance—specifically, identifying which genes in plants regulate resistance to disease, and understanding the trade-offs involved.”

In their recent publication, the team found that GATA21 and GATA22 proteins positively regulate defense against fungal pathogens while acting antagonistically against bacterial pathogens. By understanding the mechanisms regulating these processes, researchers can develop strategies for producing crop plants with enhanced resistance against pathogens.

A key contribution by Arnold to this study stems from his long-standing interest in computer coding. In addition to assisting with the scientific research and publication writing, he developed image analysis software used during the study.

“It was inspiring to work closely with such a smart and driven team. They taught me everything I needed to know, helping me understand exactly how to utilize my skill set,” he says. “I gained a lot of great mentors through this, made tons of connections and it was just an overall amazing experience.”

Raina, professor and executive director of the biotechnology program and co-author on the study, says that Arnold’s efforts have significantly enhanced the research output of his lab.

“In addition to making some very interesting scientific observations, Isaac’s coding enabled us to rapidly analyze large datasets,” says Raina. “His work not only contributed to our most recent publication but will also be instrumental in analyzing data for several upcoming manuscripts. Isaac is an incredibly intelligent, creative and resourceful student who consistently thinks outside the box.”

Finding Purpose at Pfizer

Beyond his research contributions at ���ϲ�����, Arnold has enhanced his career readiness through internship and entrepreneurial opportunities tailored for biotechnology students. In the summer of 2024, he applied for and secured a position at Pfizer’s New York City office, working in the medical affairs department within the emerging markets sector—regions where Pfizer aims to expand its market presence.

“Being from a small city like Halifax, it was a great experience spending my summer living in Manhattan,” he says.

One of the aspects of the biotechnology major that excited Arnold was the opportunity to make a tangible difference to world health. To that end, his favorite project at Pfizer involved working with the Accord team to deliver much-needed vaccines to people in developing countries at cost (meaning without profit to Pfizer).

Leveraging his computer science expertise, he developed a database that integrates epidemiological publications (having to do with how diseases spread) from major sites into Pfizer’s internal system. This database can sort information by country or disease based on prompts and provide relevant details about the side effects of certain diseases, including considerations for patients with conditions like hemophilia or immunocompromised states.

“For a lot of the countries where there’s not a lot of publications, it’ll give you information from countries with similar demographics. I used a language model to summarize all the main facts into slide decks on command, so if you want South Sudan publications, you type in South Sudan COVID-19 immunocompromised and it would list the most recent and relevant epidemiological data through this database,” says Arnold.

Building on the success of that project, he also created an intern slide deck for Pfizer to provide new interns with essential tools and resources during their onboarding process.

“Being able to create those connections at a major company is unreal,” says Arnold. “Once they see that you care about what you’re doing and that you work hard, people really start to respect you.”

Leveraging his connections at Pfizer, Arnold arranged for a company representative to attend the��biotechnology conference��at ���ϲ����� on April 5. At the conference, industry leaders networked with students and shared insights into the latest advancements in biotechnology, innovative therapies and industry trends.

Arnold (left) with Graciela Morales, vice president, Pfizer Vaccines Lead, Emerging Markets at Pfizer’s headquarters in Manhattan

Swimming With the Funding ‘Sharks’

Pushing the boundaries of science and technology to lead to better health outcomes is a hallmark of the biotechnology field. Arnold and a group of his friends at ���ϲ����� have created a platform for students to promote their biotechnology innovations on the world stage.

The group recently founded��, a startup incubator at the University aiming to bring together students from diverse fields to launch a new biotech startup each year and compete at the����in Paris, which is attended by over 200 venture capital firms.

“Every single year we’ll pick a different project and work with students through all aspects from initial development, brainstorming, idea creation, to the actual wet bench science, which is pretty cutting-edge,” says Arnold.

While he can’t talk specifics about the products currently in development, due to confidentiality, he says they have some interesting projects in the medical device and genetics spheres. The goal of this initiative is to create a marketable biotechnology product that could be sold or introduced to the market. This prototype would be showcased at the iGem competition, where biotechnology projects are presented, primarily serving as a platform for investors. If a venture capital firm sees potential in the prototype, they might purchase the idea and scale it up to a market level.

“This initiative could create jobs for students and potentially lead to the formation of a new company,” says Arnold. “It offers significant opportunities both for career advancement and gaining real-life work experience.”

A Busy Schedule Paves the Way for Medical School

Arnold’s schedule, filled with internships, 22-credit semesters, research, startups and some hockey during his free time, sets the stage for his next ambition: tackling the challenges of medical school. What drives him? Passion.

“I truly love the work,” he says. “I love helping people. I love developing cutting edge technology and working on things that are super interesting and have real-life implications that can make the world a better place.”

By getting used to a busy schedule now, he anticipates managing the demands of medical school while continuing biotechnology entrepreneurial ventures.

“This is my way of unwinding. It’s how I take my mind off school,” he says. “I’ll always be deeply involved in the biotech industry, no matter where I end up. I love the research and the opportunities it can create for people.”

Lindy Truitt and Anjaneya Padwal, founders of SipSafe+, at the Hult Prize National Qualifier in Boston, Massachusetts.

Lindy Truitt ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Anjaneya Padwal G’25 (School of Information Studies), founders of SipSafe+, won the campus qualifier and moved on to compete at the nationals in Boston. Although they did not move on to the final round, they received rave reviews from the judges for both their idea and pitch.

Besides Truitt and Padwal, the following students competed in the campus qualifier:

• Alie Savane ’25 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Beta Kola;
• Carolina Aguayo Plá ’28 (School of Information Studies and Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Frutecho;
• Anthony H. Smith Jr. G’25 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), Bryson Carter G’25 (Newhouse School), Asha Breedlove G’25 (Newhouse School) and Stacey Collier G’25 (Newhouse School), founders of HBeatzCU;
• Aidan Turner ’25 (School of Architecture), Lucas d’Oelsnitz ’26 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), Carolyn Fernandes ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Aphrodite Gioulekas ’25 (Visual and Performing Arts), founders of Solace.

��is a prestigious global business competition started by a partnership between the����and the��. The competition inspires student entrepreneurs to solve the world’s biggest challenges through innovative social enterprises with positive global impact.��Since its inception, over one million students from more than 120 countries have participated in their programs, working to create high-impact startups that address the annual challenge in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Finalists pitch their businesses to a panel of expert judges, and the winning team receives $1 million in funding to make their idea a reality.

This year’s Hult Prize Competition qualifier was (College of Engineering and Computer Science).

Charles W. Beach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tyna Meeks-Siptrott poses with a note for her students while teaching virtually.

Tyna Meeks-Siptrott, Ph.D., has dedicated 28 years to teaching, leaving an indelible mark on her students and colleagues at Indian River High School in Upstate New York. Her relationship with the University began with ���ϲ����� Project Advance (SUPA) and continued as an alumna through her ongoing involvement with the program. Throughout her career, Meeks-Siptrott has exemplified a profound commitment to education, innovation and student engagement.

Collaboration with SUPA

Meeks-Siptrott’s involvement with SUPA began early in her teaching career. “I remember my very first year as a newly hired teacher at Indian River and a little postcard was in my mailbox that said, ‘Have you considered teaching college courses?'” she says. She immediately contacted SUPA and trained to teach SU chemistry that summer. “I have been teaching SU chemistry for 27 years,” she says.

A few years later, Professor Jim Spencer, the faculty liaison for SU chemistry, asked if she would be interested in being a part of the pilot program for Forensic Science. Meeks-Siptrott eagerly took on her second SU chemistry course.

Early Research and Shift to Science Education

Meeks-Siptrott began her research journey with summer programs at SU, working on projects such as creating a coating to prevent rust on Humvees and designing a thin film to detect antibiotics in milk. Reflecting on her early experiences, she says, “There was always this piece of me that liked to play and liked to answer questions.”

Driven by her passion for chemistry, and with support from Spencer, Meeks-Siptrott decided to pursue a Ph.D. Initially focusing on chemistry, Meeks-Siptrott had a defining moment that changed her path. Spencer asked her to step in and deliver a lecture to his campus class.�� A student approached Meeks-Siptrott afterward saying she got so much out of the class that she wanted to take any class Meeks-Siptrott taught. At this point, Meeks-Siptrott realized her true calling was science education.�� With Spencer’s support, a unique approach merging education and scientific inquiry was approved and Meeks-Siptrott transitioned to a Ph.D. in science education, conducting innovative research directly in a science classroom.

“Tyna has a unique gift to quickly make a deep connection with her students,” Spencer says. “I believe this arises from her own lifelong pursuit of learning and understanding of science. She is a truly outstanding and dedicated researcher, inspirational teacher, thoughtful colleague and true friend.”

Innovative Approaches in Forensic Science Education

Meeks-Siptrott and Spencer developed active learning lessons (ALS) to engage students in large lecture halls, a novel approach for forensic science education. These lessons aimed to better engage students and improve their learning outcomes. “Together Jim and I wrote 15 of these active learning lessons that we hoped would better engage the students in a large lecture hall,” Meeks-Siptrott says.

The research found that active learning had varied impacts based on gender and ethnicity. “Asian males actually did worse in an active learning environment, and based on what we could glean from some of the additional research that I had done, it’s because they don’t trust anybody but the actual professor,” she says. In contrast, “An African American female was not only like more likely to get eight to nine points higher on every exam but would almost pull an alpha roll and would end up not just guiding her own learning but guiding everybody else’s learning that worked with her.”

Inventive Teaching and Impact on Students

Meeks-Siptrott’ teaching approach is characterized by creativity and a willingness to experiment. One of her more memorable initiatives included a forensic science project that provided students with a hands-on, interactive experience in collecting evidence. This approach not only engaged students but also fostered a deeper understanding of forensic science.

Her influence extends beyond the classroom, affecting the academic and career paths of many students. “Several students have gone into neuroscience, pre-med, and other scientific fields,” she says. A former student, Deanna Chavez, who is now working in media, contacted Meeks-Siptrott many years after graduating. She tells Meeks-Siptrott, “I remember my forensics class I took with you, and we need somebody who’s willing to talk about their perception of police and investigations and evidence.”

Meeks-Siptrott’ teaching philosophy centers on fostering a love for learning and creating a supportive, engaging environment for her students. She believes in being adaptable, open to new ideas, and the value of learning alongside her students. “If that means that you’re learning together, that’s okay because they love to see you in that scenario where you say, ‘Look, we’re going to do this together and it might not work out the first time, but that’s okay because we’re going to learn this together.'”

Advice for Future Educators

For those considering a career in teaching, Meeks-Siptrott offers sage advice: “No fear. You’re doing this because you love the students, and you want to bring them something new. So, no fear. It’s new. It’s going to be new to you, but it’s new to them too.” Her encouragement to embrace challenges and think creatively has undoubtedly shaped the careers of many educators.

A Joyful Farewell

As Meeks-Siptrott prepares for retirement, she looks back on her decades-long career with joy and a sense of accomplishment. “I always said that I would know when I was ready to leave. I want to depart with the same joy with which I began,” she says. Her tenure at Indian River High School and SUPA is distinguished by her passion, innovation, and steadfast dedication to her students. Her alumna connection to ���ϲ�����, of course, will continue forever.

A pilot study of a post-stroke population by researchers from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders revealed some potential benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on attention and fatigue. Study findings were published in .

Researchers worked with 10 stroke survivors (average age: 62.8) participating in two sessions spaced at least three days apart. They were all diagnosed with post-stroke aphasia, a language disorder that results from a stroke injury.

Each session began with an attention test as researchers recorded brain activity through electroencephalography and tracked pupil size. Participants received an attention-training exercise with either real tDCS or a placebo version. Afterward, they repeated the initial attention test.

Hannah Rembrandt

“If you can find a way to improve their attention, it can help other areas of their life,” says Hannah Rembrandt, first co-author and Ph.D. student in the , directed by��, associate professor and principal investigator of the study.

Understanding post-stroke attention is crucial because it is a foundation of executive functioning, which includes memory, language and planning.

The ���ϲ����� study, however, yielded mixed results. The participants who received real tDCS showed significantly larger pupil dilation, which could be expected to correlate with improved attention. Pupil dilation reveals the activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine pathway, a brain system involved in attention. Researchers wanted to learn if pupil dilation measurements could be a physiological marker for assessing its effectiveness.

Yet the actual treatment did not benefit patients in measurable attention tests.

“We hypothesize that attention did not improve because there were too few sessions of the treatment,” says Rembrandt. “Other research has suggested that it is more effective when you use it for multiple sessions.”

A Transcranial direct current stimulation device.

An intriguing finding is when participants received the real stimulation, they felt less fatigued after the attention test than when they received the placebo. The study suggests that tDCS might help reduce fatigue by affecting specific brain pathways. The participants rated their general level of fatigue on a scale of zero to 100 at the beginning and the end of the session.

“If you do a lot of mental activity, we’d expect fatigue to increase,” says Rembrandt. “That tDCS mediated an increase shows a lot of promise to help combat fatigue.”

Rembrandt says more studies are needed to determine whether the treatment could serve as a reliable tool for post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation.

“This is a step forward into understanding exactly how this treatment has been able to help people, and we are looking forward to continuing this work and learning more,” says Rembrandt.

Story by John H. Tibbetts

According to national surveys conducted by the , close to half of U.S. adults say politics are a significant stress point. Respondents listed problems such as lost sleep, shortened tempers and obsessive thoughts. What steps can people take to protect their health, maintain relationships with those they may disagree with and address their anxiety?

Afton Kapuscinski

, associate professor of psychology and director of the Psychological Services Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, says being present in the moment, regulating your body and focusing on your gratitude list can help combat negative emotions. Kapuscinski’s research relates to the treatment and prevention of mental health issues in adults.

Professor Kapuscinski has talked extensively about navigating family conflict and mental health as it relates to political discourse. She sat down with SU News to provide practical strategies to protect mental and physical health and build bridges with those we disagree with.

Professor Kapuscincki is available for interviews.

What are the differences between healthy political concern and anxiety that could negatively impact your health?

All emotions, including uncomfortable ones like anxiety, have the potential to serve adaptive functions. Fear helps us to stay alert for threats, avoid danger and mobilize to action. Anxiety also serves as a critical reminder of what is most meaningful to us. However, distress also has the potential to impede us from taking constructive action and fully participating in our lives, which may be a sign it has crossed the line into a mental health concern. However, it is important to emphasize that high levels of distress and disruption can be normative under very stressful conditions such as grief and trauma, which is important to remember in a political climate where certain groups may experience greater vulnerability. Not all strong reactions are pathological, and self-reflection can often help us identify when our response to stress has become problematic.

What are the best ways to set healthy boundaries with your news and social media consumption to avoid feeling overwhelmed or helpless by political information?

The constant barrage of political headlines we encounter on a daily basis leaves people of all political leanings feeling hopeless and powerless. If we accept that our influence as an individual person is indeed limited, and level with ourselves that the costs of “doomscrolling” outweigh the benefits, then choosing to narrow the focus��our energy may be an empowering option. Identifying a few issues to follow closely frees up time and energy to engage in political activism and advocacy in those areas, which in turn may buffer against feelings of helplessness. Alternatively, we might consider shrinking the time available for getting sucked into social media by purposefully filling our schedule with valued activities, such as sports, socialization and volunteer work.

How can people navigate difficult conversations about politics with friends and family?

If your aim in the conversation is solely to change another person’s viewpoint, then you may want to consider that most people’s beliefs only become more entrenched through argumentative exchanges.�� Therefore, some people find that avoiding political topics or agreeing not to discuss them leads to less conflict with their loved ones. That being said, I believe that having more conversations across the political divide also has the potential to strengthen individual relationships as well as our own capacity for complex thinking, empathy and self-reflection. ��Conversations work better when both parties are genuinely open to learning about what underlies the other’s beliefs and noticing points of overlap. Even if these conversations do not result in agreement, they may lead to other valuable outcomes like increased intimacy with a loved one. A compelling example of this type of dialogue was featured on a recent podcast episode of “This American Life” (Episode 854:��Ten Things I Don’t Want to Hate About You).

What are some healthy ways to process and cope with feelings of grief, anger, or hopelessness related to political events?

• Avoid fixating on uncertainty and concerns that you cannot change. Make a commitment to being more present in your life through meaningful engagement with people and activities that leave less time for rumination.
• Regulate your body. Emotions are often referred to as feelings because they are deeply connected to our physical state; we experience them in our bodies. When our heart is pounding and our muscles are tense, we’re more likely to perceive threats around us. By calming our bodies, we can help ease our minds. This can be achieved through activities like exercise, guided meditation, physical touch or any method you know helps your body relax.
• Use gratitude to balance negativity during stressful times. Make an effort to reflect on positive experiences, thank others, and lean in to aspects of your life that make you feel grateful. A parallel idea involves seeking news outlets that specifically publish good news or frequenting sections of media websites devoted to inspiring and uplifting stories.

You provided excellent recommendations��back in 2020 about managing your mental health around election season. Based on today’s political climate, is there anything you would change or add to those recommendations?

Addressing the polarization that contributes to the heated political climate and our own individual stress levels is complex, but we can each control how much we contribute to that dynamic in our relationships and communities. I am not suggesting we compromise our beliefs, but instead consider that, from a psychological perspective, polarized groups tend to characterize each other in stereotypes and view the opposing group as more threatening, which results in reduced willingness to have meaningful dialogue and lower expectation of finding any common ground. Research suggests that the more news and social media we consume (which has become highly polarized), the more likely we are to hold stereotyped views of others and to inaccurately estimate the percentage of people who hold both moderate and more extreme views on political issues. Thus, seeking out varied news sources and conversations across the political divide has the potential to reduce harmful bias and promote more productive dialogue.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

A warmer future could lead to less salty rivers by reducing the need for road salting. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

The chemistry of U.S. rivers is changing—and will change further in complex ways in different regions of the country. Scientists are exploring ways to predict future changes in watershed chemistry, which could improve managing them for climate change and community health.

University researchers are combining traditional geochemistry with artificial intelligence to predict how alkalinity—a measure of a solution’s ability to neutralize acids—and salts in rivers around the country could be affected by further climate warming and population growth, according to a study published in .

Tao Wen

The research team was led by��, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Wen also directs the���������Dz���dz���𳾾����ٰ�����And eN�������DzԳ���Գٲ�����D���ٲ���Sciences (HANDS) and��Noble Gases in��E�����ٳ���S����ٱ𳾲���Tracing (NEST) research laboratories.

An excess of salt can make water undrinkable, increase the cost of treating water and harm freshwater fish and wildlife.

Past research shows that as salt levels in U.S. rivers have gone up, these waters have also become more alkaline, which can damage water, wastewater treatment and aquatic life. Increased alkalinity is occurring because of rising temperatures and more rainfall. Human activities, such as more people living in certain areas, might also contribute to it.

Yet alkalinity is also beneficial. When river waters are more alkaline, they help draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and limit climate warming over time. However, before rivers can be harnessed for this purpose, researchers must first understand the basic chemistry at play.

Using machine learning models, the Wen team projected how salinity—measured through sodium levels—and alkalinity will change in 226 U.S. rivers between 2040 and 2100 under different climate and human population scenarios.

In northern states, rivers would become less salty because warmer winters mean less salt will be applied on icy roads. However, in the South and West, where people don’t use much road salt, river salinity will likely stay the same. But as these areas get hotter and drier, more salt from the soil might accumulate and wash into waterways.

The study also found that rising temperature can affect alkalinity. In watersheds rich in carbonate rocks, such as limestone, researchers found that alkalinity flux—the product of the natural breakdown of rock minerals—declines when temperatures surpass 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). This finding suggests that warming past a certain temperature level could suppress alkalinity in rivers.

Researchers from the College of Arts and Sciences are integrating traditional geochemistry with artificial intelligence to forecast the impact of climate warming and population growth on the alkalinity and salt levels in rivers nationwide.

However, in watersheds dominated by silicate rocks or organic carbon, higher temperatures accelerate silicate weathering and the decomposition of organic material, leading to increased alkalinity levels. More rainfall can also increase the amount of these chemicals in rivers, but only up to a certain point.

In the future, some watersheds with lower alkalinity could be manipulated to take up additional alkaline from watersheds, allowing rivers to sequester more carbon from the atmosphere.

For this and other multidisciplinary research, Wen received a 2025��. The award highlights excellent work by independent researchers in their early career that bring new insights into the field of geochemistry or to promote geochemical applications.

Visit the ��to read the full story.

Story by John H. Tibbetts

Plastic components are commonly used in infrastructure and transportation that we depend on—from water and sewer pipes to planes, trains and automobiles. But plastic materials experience stresses that degrade them over time. That’s why plastics in many critical applications are replaced on pre-set schedules, which is expensive but crucial for maintenance and public safety.

Xiaoran Hu

“When mechanical forces cause stress and deformation that go unnoticed in the plastic engineered parts of an airplane, for instance, it can cause significant consequences that we want to avoid,” says Xiaoran Hu, assistant professor of chemistry and member of the .

Supported by the University and the American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund, Hu and his team have created new molecules that someday could cut down on these risks and expenses. Mechanophores are molecules that respond to mechanical stress by changing characteristics such as their colors, and their incorporation into plastic components could enable visualization of mechanical stress. Hu’s team developed exceptionally sensitive mechanophore molecules—called “configurational mechanophores,”—that undergo mechanochemical isomerization reactions. The activated material can exhibit a color to indicate that a mechanical event has happened in a component. This visible signal would be useful in applications such as autonomous damage monitoring of materials.

“These new molecules could enable research into previously unobservable mechanical events in different materials, including synthetic plastics and biomaterials,” Hu says.

Ultrasensitive molecular force sensors facilitate structural health monitoring in plastic components and could enable scientists to investigate previously unobservable mechanical events in biological systems.

The ���ϲ����� team’s mechanophores are unique. According to a new study in the Journal of the ACS, their chemical transformation is triggered by minus mechanical forces as low as 131 piconewtons, which is below what is required to trigger any other mechanochemical reactions known up to date. For comparison, mechanochemical reactions involving carbon-carbon bond scission typically require nanonewton scale of forces (1 nanonewton = 1000 piconewton). Hu’s mechanophores, on the other hand, are more sensitive than the tiny forces relevant in many biological molecules, such as the unzipping of DNA strands (~300 pN), the unfolding of protein domains, and the breaking of antibody-antigen bonds (~150-300 pN). The new mechanophores could be effective tools in biology, allowing scientists to study stress changes at the nanoscale that were previously unobservable or difficult to measure. This could lead to a better understanding of how mechanical forces influence and regulate various processes in biology.

Additionally, unlike most traditional mechanophores, which are prone to damage by heat or light, the new molecules are stable upon thermal and light exposure, and therefore are well suited for applications in different complex environments.

Hu’s research on configurational mechanophores paves the way for the development of mechano-responsive materials with unprecedented mechanosensitivity. These materials could enable the study of previously unobservable nanoscale mechanical behaviors, playing a crucial role in advancing our understanding across scientific disciplines ranging from polymer physics, materials science, to mechanobiology.

“Our lab is developing the next-generation molecular force sensors with further enhanced mechanosensitivity and capable of exhibiting fluorescence signals or other functional responses,” Hu says. “We also aim to apply our mechanophores to different materials platforms such as mechanosensitive elastomers and paints to develop safer and smarter plastics that autonomously monitor and report mechanical damage. Additionally, we will explore the potential of these molecular force sensors to investigate cellular processes in the future.”

Story by John H. Tibbetts

Arts and Sciences alumna Phyllis Greenberger ’64 (right) with President Bill Clinton at the White House in the early 1990s. During the Clinton presidency, Greenberger was a key lobbyist for women’s health issues. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

When Phyllis E. Greenberger ’64 walked the campus of ���ϲ����� as a student, she could never have imagined that nearly three decades later, she would be in the Oval Office, advocating for women’s health with United States President Bill Clinton. After graduating from SU, her career led her from social work to federal lobbyist. Greenberger eventually became a leading voice for women’s health while serving as President and CEO of the����(���±��).

Greenberger credits her time on the SU Hill for her success on Capitol Hill. Armed with her liberal arts education, which honed her critical thinking, adaptability and cultural awareness, she developed a “never take no for an answer” attitude that would ultimately transform the landscape of women’s health research.

During her time leading SWHR, Greenberger continually fought for equal attention to women in healthcare. This was necessary because, before SWHR was founded in 1990, medical research predominantly focused on men, resulting in significant gaps in understanding how illnesses manifest in women as compared to men. Thanks to her passionate and steadfast advocacy, Greenberger and others with SWHR helped pass legislation that advanced patient-specific treatment with an emphasis on addressing sex differences, ensuring that both men and women benefit equally from scientific advancements.

Phyllis Greenberger (Photo by Geoff Livingston)

Shining the light on women’s health is a fight that Greenberger helped to start, but a fight she says is far from over. According to a recent report from the��, the cancer incidence rate for women younger than 50 has increased from 51% higher than men in 2002 to 82% higher in 2021. Additionally, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and autoimmune disorders including lupus, celiac disease, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis continue to occur more commonly in women than in men, as reported by��. Greenberger stresses the need for researchers and advocates to persist in integrating sex differences into medical and pharmaceutical studies, as this will lead to better health outcomes for all.

Phyllis Greenberger Career Snapshot:

• 1943-1960: Grew up in Brooklyn, NY
• 1964: Graduated from ���ϲ����� with a degree in liberal arts
• 1975: Received a master’s degree in social work from The Catholic University of America
• Mid-1970s: Interned with the American Psychiatric Association (APA), where her interest in women’s health advocacy was ignited
• 1980-1993: Worked at the APA as an Assistant Director of Government Relations and was Director of the Political Action Committee
• 1990: Served on the board for the Society for Women’s Health Research
• 1992: Leading voice for women’s health during Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign
• 1993: President Clinton addresses women’s health in his acceptance speech, for which Hillary Clinton acknowledges Phyllis Greenberger’s contributions
• 1993-2016: Served as President and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research
• 2016-present: Served as Senior Vice President of Science and Health Policy for HealthyWomen and is currently a consultant

We recently sat down with Greenberger to learn more about her ���ϲ����� experience, her role as a champion of women’s health and her views on the current state of women’s health.

Take us back to your time at ���ϲ�����. Why did you choose SU and what do you remember most fondly from your time as a student?

Being a native of Brooklyn, I fell in love with the Central New York region while taking summer courses at Cornell University as a high school student. Those experiences motivated me to apply to ���ϲ�����.

I really enjoyed my time at ���ϲ�����. I was in a sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, and I still have many friends that I keep in touch with. One of my most memorable experiences, though, was my time abroad in Florence. Having the opportunity to study abroad was very unusual at that time, and it was very transformative.

What did you enjoy about studying abroad?

Living with two separate Italian families was an incredibly enlightening experience and allowed me to become fluent in Italian. Immersing yourself in a new culture broadens your perspective and I highly recommend that students study abroad if they have the opportunity.

How would you describe the significance of a liberal arts education, study abroad programs and experiential learning opportunities?

Having an academically and experientially diverse education is critically important. It’s unfortunate that many universities are focusing too much on technology, with students attending college solely to secure a specific job upon graduation.

While employment is essential, we should also understand history, read literature and develop strong writing skills. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the world is changing rapidly. Students need to explore various classes and experiences to discover what truly interests and excites them.

Shifting to your career as a women’s health advocate, what inspired you to become involved in that field?

While interning with the American Psychiatric Association, I met several female psychiatrists who were concerned that women weren’t included in clinical trials, even though women suffered more from depression and anxiety than men.

That internship led to your job with the APA, where you served as��Assistant Director of Government Relations��and Director of the Political Action Committee. After that role, how did you transition to the Society for Women’s Health Research?

While with the APA, I met an OBGYN by the name of Florence Haseltine, who was founding the society. I suggested that in addition to having researchers and scientists on the board, the society also needed someone that knows Washington. With the APA I ran their Political Action Committee, so I knew many women members in Congress and my husband was in the media, so I knew the journalists, so they asked me to be on the volunteer board.

Greenberger with Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro at a political function in Washington, D.C. during the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

Can you explain your role in advancing women’s health advocacy at the presidential level?

Phyllis Greenberger (right) with Hillary Clinton at a women’s health research dinner in the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

In the early 1990s, while I was with the APA, I began working with the staff of (former second lady) Tipper Gore, who was interested in mental health issues. Later, a friend asked me to organize a group of women for an event during President Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, where Hillary Clinton was speaking. After the event, I suggested to Hillary, ‘If you’re going to be speaking to women across the country, you might want to talk about women’s health.’

When I arrived at my office the following day, Hillary had left a message asking me to join their campaign as an advocate for women’s health. During Bill’s acceptance speech the following January, he made a reference to women’s health. After the speech, Hillary came over to me and said, ‘that was because of you,’ so that was really nice. That was sort of where it all started.

How did your experience as a lobbyist with the Clinton campaign lead to your leadership role with the Society for Women’s Health Research?

After Bill Clinton talked about women’s health in his inauguration speech, I went back to the board of the society the next meeting, and I said, ‘Now that the President is talking about women’s health, I think we have to become a real organization, not just volunteer.’ They spent six months looking for a CEO. During that time, I thought I might want to work for the Clintons in the White House, but then I decided it would be more fun and interesting to help start an organization. I put my resume in, and I ended up being selected to head the society.

Phyllis Greenberger (left of center) with President Bill Clinton at the White House after Clinton signed an appropriations bill in support of women’s health. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)

Can you talk about some of the issues women faced from a healthcare standpoint when you started with the Society for Women’s Health Research?

In the early 1990s, medical devices such as pacemakers, joint replacements and stents were designed based on male anatomy, ignoring the differences between men’s and women’s bodies. Now we know medications and devices work differently for each gender. However, issues like undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions persist because some physicians lack familiarity with the different symptoms, so the fight for women’s health rights isn’t over yet.

How have you seen the scope of women’s health organizations change during your career?

When I started with the society, we were the only organization dedicated to women’s health. Now, there are several. I also played a role in convincing the American Heart Association to recognize that women have heart attacks, which they hadn’t considered before due to the lack of women in clinical trials. Similarly, the National Osteoporosis Foundation was initially focused on men. Thankfully, a lot has changed for the better.

Greenberger’s book,��, chronicles the fight to overcome bias and discrimination in women’s healthcare. It emphasizes the ways in which biological sex significantly impacts both health and the quality of healthcare received. Although conditions like heart and autoimmune diseases, migraines and others manifest differently in individuals with XX chromosomes, Greenberger argues that many patients do not receive the appropriate attention or care due to sex bias present in clinics, laboratories and clinical studies.

Your acclaimed book,��Sex Cells,��outlines the historical context of women’s health. What was the motivation to write it and bring this story to the public?

I think it’s important for people to understand the history of women’s health, not only because of the progress, but also because of the fact that we’re not there yet. The beginning of the book focuses on the history and the end is patient stories and quotes from researchers. The quotes from the researchers make it obvious that there’s still a lot of ignorance, a lot of denial and a lot of research that is not being taken into consideration. The patient stories bring attention to women who have been turned away because their symptoms are different, or they’re not taken seriously.

Can you provide an example?

Doctors often dismiss women’s complaints about pain. There are numerous stories of women experiencing indigestion, stomach pains, or chest pains, only to be ignored in hospitals and then later on discover that they were having a heart attack. The last part of the book is really a statement about how much ignorance and denial still exists.

How do you hope your book informs future healthcare professionals?

I hope medical students will read the book, especially those at universities where sex differences aren’t part of the curriculum. By doing so, they can advocate for their medical schools to include this important topic. The goal is to educate future doctors about sex differences and the various ways men and women differ. This knowledge will improve patient care, enhance treatment effectiveness and ensure that medical research is comprehensive and inclusive.

For her contributions to the field of women’s health, Greenberger has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions:

• Medical Herald’s 20 Most Influential Women in Medicine Today
• Perennial Hero Award from the Alliance for Aging Research
• Women in Government Relations Lifetime Achievement Award
• Washingtonian Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women
• Woman’s Day magazine “Red Dress Award”
• Woman’s Day magazine’s 50 Women Who Are Changing the World
• Trailblazer Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Throughout your career, you consistently challenged the status quo to advocate for others. What’s your secret to achieving success in this endeavor?

I’ve been asked so many times how I managed to do what I did. It really had to do with me having, as they say in Yiddish, “chutzpah.” I just never took no for an answer. When heads of major health organizations ignored what we were trying to do for women’s health advocacy, I just kept on going. Don’t take no for an answer. If you really feel strongly about something, then you need to really push it.

My advice to students: Hopefully you can find something that’s not just a job, but a vocation. Something that you really care about and that you can really pursue. If it’s something that you can do that is going to help individuals or help your community, that’s what’s important.

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

Doyle and his fellow collaborators reported that two new peptide compounds­­—GEP44 and KCEM1—considerably reduce body weight and normalize blood glucose levels without causing the typical negative side effects experienced by patients who take currently available GLP-1-based anti-obesity drugs.

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

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

Robert Doyle

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

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

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Doyle discusses his breakthrough weight loss research, the important role students play in advancing his research, and how, through philanthropy, his work has come to life.

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

How has this field evolved over the years?

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

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

With the creation of the first real breakthrough drug, Victoza, you were seeing that 5% BMI decline from a pharmaceutical perspective, and that was a huge success. That set the stage for these newer, more potent and more active weight-reducing drugs. But those initial drugs were often once- or twice-a-day injectables, and patients didn’t want to do that. In these last few years, we have upwards of 10% and greater body mass reduction coupled with once-a-week injectables. That has really broadened the appeal and created quite a phenomenon.

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

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

How has ���ϲ�����’s Center for Science and Technology enhanced your studies?

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

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

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

How do our students assist with your research?

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

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

Bob Mankoff

Bob Mankoff ’66, who melded academic interests in psychology and philosophy with comedy and satire to become one of the nation’s most influential cartoonists as cartoon editor of The New Yorker for 20 years, will deliver the alumni keynote address at the on Saturday, May 10, at 8:30 a.m.

His journey from a psychology student at ���ϲ����� to a prominent figure in American humor illustrates his lifelong dedication to exploring what makes people laugh and his remarkable ability to translate that understanding into a successful career spanning cartoons, editing, writing and education. The Queens native has remained committed to understanding and teaching the psychology of humor, leading workshops at institutions like Swarthmore College and Fordham University. More recently, his popular TED Talks have explored whether comedy is a distinctly human trait or if artificial intelligence might master the art of comedy—“”

Mankoff exemplifies how the breadth and depth of a liberal arts education helps students develop the professional flexibility that serves A&S | Maxwell School graduates throughout their lives. “I think it is hubristic to only focus on one area of study and not engage with all this past knowledge that humanity has acquired,” he said in 2024. “A liberal arts education illustrates the idea that now is as it was and as it will be.”

“We are honored to welcome Bob Mankoff ’66, who perfectly embodies A&S’ mission of creating agents of change,” says A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi. “His use of humor as a means of cultural commentary reflects the critical thinking, creativity and social awareness all students cultivate here. His work not only entertains but also challenges us to see the world from new perspectives—and maybe even change it for the better.”

About Mankoff

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Mankoff attended the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art before choosing ���ϲ�����. After graduating with a psychology degree in 1966, he briefly pursued doctoral studies before focusing on cartooning.

Success required persistence—Mankoff submitted approximately 2,000 cartoons to��The New Yorker��before his first publication. He eventually contributed nearly 1,000 cartoons to the magazine, including his famous “How About Never—Is Never Good For You?”

In 1997, he became��The New Yorker’s��cartoon editor, a position he held for 20 years, where he reviewed thousands of submissions weekly and mentored cartoonists. In 2005, he launched the “New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest,” later partnering with Microsoft and Google DeepMind to develop selection algorithms.

Mankoff’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to found the Cartoon Bank in 1992, which evolved into CartoonStock.com in 2018. This platform houses over 500,000 cartoons from an array of notable publications, supporting cartoonists while preserving the art form.

After��The New Yorker, Mankoff served as cartoon editor at��Esquire��and currently holds the same position at��Air Mail. He co-runs Botnik Studios, using big data analytics to enhance creative processes, and has authored several books, including his��New York Times��bestselling memoir “How About Never—Is Never Good For You?: My Life In Cartoons.”

Convocation will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome with a reception to follow in the Quad at 10:30 a.m.

Read a��.

Twelve seniors have been named as the 2025 ���ϲ����� Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

The ���ϲ����� Scholars Selection Committee, a Universitywide faculty committee, selected the scholars using criteria that included coursework and academic achievement, independent research and creative work, evidence of intellectual growth or innovation in their disciplinary field, a personal statement and faculty letters of recommendation.

“We are proud to recognize our University Scholars for their many accomplishments. Not only have they achieved academic success, they have also embraced opportunities—like research and community service—to enhance and expand their undergraduate experience and make the most of their time here. As they prepare to graduate, we are looking forward to celebrating their future accomplishments and success,” says Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew.

The 2025 ���ϲ����� Scholars are:

• Jonathan Collard de Beaufort, a biochemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Charlotte Ebel, a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, a women and gender studies and German language, literature and culture major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Abigail Greenfield, a history major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a political philosophy major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Yuming Jiang, a mathematics and physics major in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Sierra Kaplan, a political science major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a health humanities major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Emmy Njue, a finance and business analytics majors in the Whitman School of Management;
• Kerrin O’Grady, a biomedical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Morgan Opp, a chemistry and biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Timothy Paek, a computer science major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Skyla Ross-Graham a psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Yifan Shen, an architecture major in the School of Architecture, a music history and cultures major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; and
• Sophia Znamierowski, a biology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

Kellan D. L. Head

Kellan D. L. Head, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), was selected as the 2025 winner of the prestigious Mary Hatch Marshall Essay Award for his essay titled “Alienation and Cognitive Subjectivism About Well-Being.” A&S and the ���ϲ����� Library Associates will host a virtual award event and author reading on Tuesday, April 8, at 1 p.m. (EST). Anyone interested in attending can register by emailing libevent@syr.edu by April 4.

Head will receive a $1,000 prize. His essay focuses on well-being concerns and how well a person’s life is going for them. To have a basic grasp of how things like oppression, injustice, individual benefit and individual harm function, we need an accurate understanding of well-being. Cognitive subjectivism��holds that believing that ‘x’ is good for you establishes that ‘x’ is good for you. However, Head argues that cognitive subjectivism is false, because an agent can believe that some ‘x’��is good for them while simultaneously being alienated��by, averse to or estranged by ‘x.’ Subjectivist theories must not allow for alien objects to function as welfare goods for individuals; doing so would eliminate the attractiveness of subjectivist theories in the first place.����ead’s argument relies on two illustrative cases. He considers an objection and concludes by making a positive suggestion about an agent’s relation to their own welfare goods; a more nuanced and complex subjectivism is preferable to cognitive subjectivism. In short, having the belief by itself that something is good for us isn’t enough to make it good for us.

Head’s essay was chosen from those submitted by A&S graduate students currently enrolled in African American studies, English, art and music histories, languages, literatures and linguistics, philosophy, religion and writing studies, rhetoric, and composition.

Head plans to defend his Ph.D. in philosophy during the Spring 2026 semester. His areas of specialization are ethics, epistemology and social�� epistemology. He received his master’s degree in philosophy from Brandeis University and his bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and English: Creative Writing from the University of Rochester.

Professor Mary Hatch Marshall was a founding member of the Library Associates and holds a distinguished place in the college’s history. In 1952, she became the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of English Literature —the first woman appointed a full professor in the college— after having joined the faculty four years earlier. Library Associates established the annual Mary Hatch Marshall Award to honor and help perpetuate her scholarly standards and the generous spirit that characterized her inspirational teaching career, which lasted through her retirement in 1993. Members of Library Associates, Marshall’s friends and family, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and the Central New York Community Foundation all contributed to the endowment, established in 2004, that funds the award.

Library Associates are a group of dedicated SU Libraries supporters who help to raise funds and accessibility for the Libraries’ special collections, rare books, and manuscripts through opportunities like the Faculty Fellows program. Those wishing to join the Library Associates or make a gift to the Mary Hatch Marshall Award Endowment can contact Ron Thiele, assistant dean for advancement for the Libraries, at rlthiele@syr.edu or 315.560.9419.

Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact is located in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in downtown ���ϲ�����.

For half a century, (POC) has served the University and local communities as a hub for artistic and literary exploration. Two special programs will be held this year in celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary.

Poet Diana Marie Delgado will read from her work April 2 as a guest of POC’s Cruel April poetry series.

On Thursday, April 2, a reading by acclaimed Mexican American poet will kick off POC’s Cruel April poetry series, which is held annually in observance of National Poetry Month. The reading will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the , located in Shaffer Art Building on campus.

The event will also feature a pop-up show of five artist books commissioned in honor of POC’s 50th anniversary. The exclusive works—created by POC advisory board members (board president and associate professor of studio arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts), Pedro Roth, Matías Roth, Joseph Kugielsky and Maritza Bautista—are inspired by Delgado’s poems and by poetry selections from POC’s early literary publications, including Argentine author Julio Cortázar’s “Five Erotic Sonnets.”

The 2025 Cruel April series is dedicated to the memory of poet , associate professor emeritus of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died in December. Burkard was a longtime partner of and contributor to POC, and his poetry was published in the POC poetry collection “Corresponding Voices, Vol. 4.”

Guests at the Delgado reading will also be able to view the exhibit “,” curated by , assistant professor of Latinx literature and culture, who will also speak at the event.

POC’s second 50th anniversary event will be a major exhibition of Latin American art from the permanent collection. “50 Sin Cuenta” will open Friday, Sept. 19, at the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Warehouse Gallery in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 West Fayette Street, ���ϲ�����.

Artistic Evolution

Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact was founded by late scholar Pedro Cuperman. It began in 1975 as an independent editorial project at New York University, where Cuperman first taught when he migrated from Argentina in the late 1960s. He brought POC to ���ϲ����� in 1976, and it evolved to include the “Corresponding Voices” book series, poetry editions and, in 2005, an art gallery. Cuperman, who died in 2016, taught Latin American literature and semiotics in the Arts and Sciences’ Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics for more than 40 years.

“I’ve always felt that Point of Contact is sort of a rare, hidden gem—a fiercely creative space where voices correspond across borders, disciplines and cultures,” says ’82, executive director of the Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community. “I am incredibly fortunate to have spent 22 of those 50 years working closely with Pedro Cuperman and with so many amazing colleagues, artists, poets and scholars. Point of Contact has also served as a training ground for students, many who now hold top positions as arts administrators, curators and museum professionals across the country, extending the impact of our mission far beyond ���ϲ�����.”

For more information about POC and scheduled events, visit .

“Monumental Concerns 2”—a continuation of the first “Monumental Concerns” symposium held on campus in fall 2023—is scheduled for Friday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Museum of Modern Art’s Titus 1 Theatre, 111 West 53 Street, New York City. The event is free and open to the public. .

“As artists we are all profoundly engaged in our mutual practices, yet the water gathers us into a single pool,” Weems says. “I invite you to stand on the bridge as we consider contested sites of memory and monuments.”

The symposium seeks to evoke an examination of the politics of disagreement in order to collectively create a framework for moving towards a sense of belonging for all. Questions to be addressed include: How might we understand the stakes of the dialogue and debate around monuments and the sites they commemorate? How do we negotiate among multiple—and often conflicting—narratives and the way they show up in public space? Is disagreement crucial to transformation?

In addition to Weems, event participants include:

• , art historian and director of research programs, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
• , curator and director, Monument Lab
• , director of transformative art and monuments, City of Boston
• , civil rights lawyer and founder, 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy, Howard University
• , composer and pianist
• , assistant professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences, ���ϲ�����
• , founder and principal strategist, Equity Empowerment Consulting
• , artist and associate professor of art, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
• , professor of communication and rhetorical Studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and director, Lender Center for Social Justice, ���ϲ�����
• , founder and CEO, Beyond Conflict
• , composer and 2025 Adobe Creative Resident, MoMA
• , poet and playwright
• , historian and director, Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation
• , composer and trumpeter
• , lawyer and founder, Equal Justice Initiative
• , architect and Nancy and George Rupp Professor of Architecture Planning and Preservation, Columbia University
• , assistant professor of art, architecture and design, Lehigh University

The event will conclude with “Defiant Life,” a musical performance by Iyer and Smith, from 6 to 7 p.m.

“Monumental Concerns 2” is co-organized by ���ϲ����� and The Museum of Modern Art, and supported in part by the Mellon Foundation. For more information, contact Kate Schwartz at 315.443.8017 or kschwa03@syr.edu.

Installation view of “Joiri Minaya: Unseeing the Tropics at the Museum”

“We are thrilled to host Joiri Minaya’s work at the museum in conversation with the permanent collection,” says museum Director Emily Dittman. “Her work invites visitors to examine their notions of the ‘tropics’ as well as expand that to thinking more broadly. We hope that this critical examination will provide a platform for conversations at the museum as well as in the community.”

When thinking of the “tropics,” the Caribbeans islands often come to mind. Palm-fringed horizons, sweeping ocean views and pristine beaches have become a visual shorthand for “tropicality” and suggest landscapes that are idyllic, untouched paradises.

The idea of the “tropics” dates to the 15th century, when Spanish and Anglo-European explorers and writers, and later, in the 19th century, photographers represented these regions as virgin paradises or dangerous territories, inhabited by peoples perceived as “primitive.” This framework has reduced the “tropics” to a narrow set of images that have shaped colonial legacies and commercial interests. “Joiri Minaya: Unseeing the Tropics at the Museum” challenges this idea. It encourages reconsideration of the historical and contemporary misrepresentations that shape our perceptions of tropical regions. By juxtaposing Minaya’s work, including video, installation, and photography, with 20th-century artworks from the museum’s collection, the exhibition invites an “unseeing” of the tropics.

The interpretive text in the exhibition is bilingual, providing both English and Spanish text for visitors. Support for this exhibition is provided by Centro de Estudio Hispánicos; Latino-Latin American Studies; and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics in the College of Arts and Sciences; and the Program on Latin America and The Caribbean (PLACA) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

About the Artist

Joiri Minaya (born 1990) is a Dominican-United Statesian multidisciplinary artist whose recent works focus on destabilizing historic and contemporary representations of an imagined tropical identity. Minaya attended the Escuela Nacional de Artes Visuales in Santo Domingo (2009), Altos de Chavón School of Design (2011) and Parsons the New School for Design (2013). She has participated in residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Guttenberg Arts, Smack Mellon, the Bronx Museum’s AIM Program and the NYFA Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists, Red Bull House of Art, the Lower East Side Printshop, ISCP, Art Omi, Vermont Studio Center, New Wave, Silver Art Projects and Fountainhead.

She has received awards, fellowships and grants from New York State Council on the Arts/New York Foundation for the Arts, Jerome Hill, Artadia, the BRIC’s Colene Brown Art Prize, Socrates Sculpture Park, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Rema Hort Mann Foundation and the Nancy Graves Foundation, among other organizations. Minaya’s work is in the collections of the Santo Domingo Museo de Arte Moderno, the Centro León Jiménes, the Kemper Museum, El Museo del Barrio and several private collections.

Featured Events

On Opacity: Gallery Talk with Artist Joiri Minaya

March 18, 4:30 p.m., reception to follow

���ϲ����� Art Museum

Lines of Flight: Screening + Q&A with Miryam Charles and Joiri Minaya

March 20, 6:30 p.m.

Presented by Light Work

Watson Theater, 316 Waverly Ave.

Community Day

March 29, noon-4 p.m.

���ϲ����� Art Museum

Visit the museum’s website for more public programs surrounding the exhibition.

A team of researchers from ���ϲ����� and Michigan State University recently explored the personal characteristics that help people handle prolonged stressors, such as the pandemic. Led by , assistant professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, the group delved into optimism and pessimism and how those mindsets influence well-being.

The group utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large-scale panel study that gathers a nationally representative sample of Americans aged 50 and older (Sonnega et al., 2014). In 2016, participants responded to questions assessing their levels of optimism, such as “In uncertain times, I usually expect the best,” and pessimism, such as “I hardly ever expect things to go my way.” During the COVID-19 pandemic (between March and May 2020), respondents answered questions on health-related behaviors that either increased or reduced the risk of COVID transmission, including masking frequency, travel habits and the likelihood of staying home.

The team used this data to explore how people’s mindsets affected their psychological and physical well-being during challenging times. Among their findings, they found that greater optimism promotes resilience and well-being when faced with stressors like the pandemic, while lower pessimism is linked to safer health behaviors. Their findings appeared in the .

In the following Q&A, Oh shares some key insights from their research.

What was the motivation for this study?

Jeewon Oh

The pandemic introduced many changes, and we wanted to know more about personality traits that can help people cope with enduring and uncontrollable stressors like the pandemic. We examined optimism, because it motivates action. Since optimists view stressful situations positively, they are more likely to directly address the issue or try to adapt when things are uncontrollable.

What were the benefits for those who were more optimistic? How did optimism/pessimism correlate with well-being during the pandemic?

Both optimism and pessimism had independent associations with psychological well-being. So, people who are more optimistic and less pessimistic worried less, were less stressed and lonely and were more resilient. This was partly because these people engaged in more physical activity and perceived more social support and less strain from their relationships.

Interestingly, when it came to COVID/health-relevant behaviors, pessimism played a significant role, but optimism didn’t. In other words, individuals with a less pessimistic mindset (but not a more optimistic mindset), who have weaker negative expectations tended to engage in less risky behaviors, such as traveling, and more activities at home ranging from watching TV and gardening to meditating.

How does optimism or pessimism influence the way people approach challenges and setbacks?

In general, regular optimism/pessimism isn’t about thinking they wouldn’t get sick, or they will be more likely to get sick (compared to others), but about knowing the reality and still thinking that things will eventually work out. This positive mindset helps people to problem-solve and cope. After all, if you think things would never work out, why would you even try?

Is there a way to boost one’s optimism during times when they may be more anxious, like during the pandemic?

It can be easier to think about doing what optimists do rather than trying to think differently (or change your optimism). So, people with lower pessimism mentioned changing their behaviors to adapt to the situation, meeting with people on Zoom more frequently and exercising at home (vs. going to the gym and meeting up with people in person). It was these changes in behaviors like exercising more that partly helped people’s well-being.

What does this study reveal about health and psychological well-being in the post-pandemic world? What factors can we consider for maintaining and improving mental health?

There has been evidence before the pandemic that optimistic people fare well in many situations. Even though more research is needed to understand why, our study found that optimists fared better even during new difficulties. Therefore, developing optimism and learning how to flexibly cope can help maintain and improve mental health in diverse situations.

Read the team’s full study in the .

Azar Abdulkadi (Image courtesy of Azar Abdulkadir)

Not long ago, Azar Abdulkadir ’25 was a student at Nottingham High School, receiving help with her homework and English at ���ϲ�����’s Northside Learning Center. Now, several years later, the U.S. Navy veteran prioritizes giving back to the same community center that helped her get her start.

“I was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was around 15. That process and journey really shaped me,” says Abdulkadir, a student veteran studying biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “My family started with nothing. We didn’t know the language, and we didn’t know the people. So, coming here and rebuilding our lives—now being able to go to university and say I served this country—it just always blows my mind.”

A Path to Higher Education Through Service

When the cost of college became a barrier, Abdulkadir explored military service as a way to fund her education. After learning about the GI Bill and the educational opportunities available to service members, she saw the military as a path to securing her own piece of the American dream.

“When I started university, it was really hard because I couldn’t afford it,” Abdulkadir says. “I mentioned it to my father, but I wasn’t expecting much support. A lot of women in our culture didn’t even get the chance to go to school, let alone join the military, so I thought he’d be against it.”

To her surprise, her father was not only supportive but proactive. He spoke with recruiters from various branches, brought home flyers and brochures, and even set up an appointment for his daughter to meet with them. Abdulkadir sat down with Navy recruiters to discuss career options, professional development, and—most importantly to her—education benefits. By the end of the conversation, she had
made her decision: she would join the U.S. Navy.

She enlisted as a yeoman, an administrative specialist responsible for a range of clerical and personnel duties. She spent most of her enlistment stationed in Japan aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

“I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, and assigned to the carrier,” she recalls. “We would deploy for six months at sea, return for six months, then deploy again. It felt like we were gone most of the time.”

Finding a Home at ���ϲ�����

As she transitioned out of the military, Abdulkadir focused on returning to higher education. ���ϲ����� became her top choice, largely due to its commitment to veterans.

“There are teams of people here dedicated to helping veterans,” she says. “The transition can be tough—especially in my case, since I hadn’t been in school for seven years. I wanted to be at a place that understood my background.”

Beyond the University’s strong academic reputation and diverse community, Abdulkadir had a personal connection—her sister was also a ���ϲ����� graduate.

Now, she continues to give back to the community that once supported her. She teaches English and science at the Northside Learning Center, working with both children and adults.

“I want to be a positive influence,” she says. “When I was in high school, there weren’t many volunteers who looked like me.”

Leadership and Lessons from the Military

Abdulkadir noticed a similar dynamic in the military but found that, in the Navy, what mattered most was her work ethic.

“It was surprisingly easy for me to adapt and be welcomed by my crew because the military brings together people from all walks of life,” she says. “They didn’t care that I was a woman. They didn’t care about my skin color. They just cared that I showed up, did my job, and wore the right uniform. And I loved that.”

She credits two women with shaping the leader she became—her mother, who didn’t have the opportunity to complete high school but instilled a love for education in her children, and Chief Williams, a superior officer in the Navy who mentored her aboard the USS Ronald Reagan.

“I used to think senior leaders were untouchable, so as a new sailor, I was intimidated,” Abdulkadir says. “But she approached me first, checked in on me throughout the deployment, and made a huge impact on my confidence.”

That human-centered approach to leadership became the foundation of Abdulkadir’s own leadership style when she later mentored junior sailors.

“The military is male-dominated, and Chief Williams was the only female chief in my department at the time,” Abdulkadir recalls. “But she handled things like a boss. She showed me that being a leader doesn’t mean you get to treat people any kind of way—it means guiding them.”

Now, as she pursues her degree at ���ϲ����� while continuing to serve her community, Abdulkadir remains committed to the principles that have shaped her journey—education, leadership, and service.

Eight graduate students will be honored with the Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work at an annual hosted by the Graduate School on Wednesday, March 5. The event will also include brief presentations from the awardees about their research or creative work. The campus community is invited and encouraged to attend.

This year’s honorees, selected by members of the Graduate Faculty Council from a pool of nearly 60 applicants from across the University, are:

• Caroline Charles, English, : “Black Family Photography in ���ϲ�����: Assembling a Community Collection with Family Photo-Sharing”
• Bramsh Khan, social science, : “Gendered Politics of Infrastructure Violence in Balochistan, Pakistan”
• Natalie Petryk, bioengineering, : “Biodegradable and Bioactive Polyurethane Foams to Improve Traumatic Wound Healing”
• Frank Sicong Chen, computer and information science and engineering, Engineering and Computer Science: “Enhancing Security and Health Monitoring on Wearable Devices through Multi-Modal Continuous Monitoring”
• Lily Holloway, creative writing, Arts and Sciences: “Always I Am Wanting and Wanting: A Literary Reading”
• Benjamin Valen, social psychology, Arts and Sciences: “Health Disparities Among Transgender, Nonbinary and Cisgender Undergraduate Students”
• Jersey Cosantino, cultural foundations of education, : “Resisting Pathologizing Discourses: (Re)claiming Mad, Neurodivergent and Trans* Narration via a Mad Trans* Studies Oral History Method(ology)”
• Yasmine Tiana Goring, television, radio and film, : “222 Macon Street”

“The depth and breadth of our graduate students’ portfolios are truly impressive,” says , dean of the Graduate School. “We are proud to honor them, and look forward to hearing more about their work during their presentations at the awards ceremony.”

The awards recognize overall academic excellence and outstanding research and creative activities by master’s and doctoral students. Honorees receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 award.

Student who earned honorable mention were:

• Azadeh Ghanizadeh, composition and cultural rhetoric, Arts and Sciences
• Pardha Sourya Nayani, electrical and computer engineering, Engineering and Computer Science
• Tevvon Hines, film,
• Elina Ruiqi Sun, social psychology, Maxwell School
• Tosin Alabi, business administration,

The will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. in 312 Lyman Hall. A reception will follow. For more information, contact Holly Johnson at hjohns02@syr.edu.

Among the winning team awards:

• $1,500 to Olutosin Alabi G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech;
• $1,500 to Anthony H. Smith Jr. G’25 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), Bryson Carter G’25 (Newhouse School), Asha Breedlove G’25 (Newhouse School) and Stacey Collier G’25 (Newhouse School), founders of HBeatzCU;
• $1,000 to Sydney Moore G’25 (Whitman School), founder of Thrive Insights;
• $1,000 to Lindy Truitt ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Anjaneya Padwal G’25 (School of Information Studies), founders of Safe Sip;
• $500 to Tony Goncalves ’27 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Armani Isonguyo ’24 (Engineering and Computer Science), founders of GymIn;
• $500 to Jasmine Mayers ’26 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), founder of Pressed;
• $500 to Elizabeth Paulin ’24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Paulin Capital;
• $500 to Swathi Jacob G’25 (Whitman School); and
• $250 to Maven Kavan ’28 (Visual and Performing Arts).

A group photo of the 2025 Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition award winners

More than 50% of students explore the world through a center, says Nicole Collins, director of strategic partnerships and outreach with ���ϲ����� Abroad. With over , there’s a unique opportunity for every student.

Nicole Collins

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

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

“Our students are realizing the amazing opportunities available in the fall,” Collins says. “We have great need-based and merit-based scholarship opportunities available for students in the fall, plus there’s less demand.”

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

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

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

Sophia Moore ’25

Sophia Moore visited the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

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

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

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

Sophia Moore

What role did your host family play to help you get acclimated? My host family encouraged me to go out and do everything that Santiago had to offer. Every day, my host mom would check in and offer up a couple of places to check out. She was always pushing me to get out of the house and go explore the city because it’s important to take advantage of every moment. I wouldn’t have had access to that kind of cultural ambassadorship to Chile if I wasn’t living with a host family.

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

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

Anna Meehan ’26

Anna Meehan poses at Piłsudski Square (Plac Piłsudskiego) in Warsaw, Poland.

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

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

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

Anna Meehan

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

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

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

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

A College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) professor recently received the highest recognition for his exceptional contributions to communication sciences and disorders from the field’s leading professional organization.

, a professor in the����at ���ϲ�����, has been named an (ASHA) Fellow, one of the organization’s most prestigious honors. ASHA reserves this lifetime distinction for members who have demonstrated outstanding professional, clinical or scientific achievements that make significant impacts beyond their state and local communities.

As director of the ��at ���ϲ�����’s��, Preston leads research focused on developing and evaluating evidence-based assessments and treatments for speech sound disorders. A certified speech-language pathologist, his research specializes in treating persistent articulation difficulties and childhood apraxia of speech, while exploring the neurobiological foundations of speech sound disorders in children.

Jonathan Preston receives the ASHA Fellow honor.

Networking Locally

One important component of CareerReady is the advising office’s��, where A&S | Maxwell students visit companies to gain insight into a wide variety of industries and work cultures. The immersion program initially consisted of two yearly trips to New York City: The Winston Fisher Seminar, which started in 2007, and the Stocks and Finance Immersion, which started in 2015. Through these experiences, students discover how a liberal arts degree prepares them for success and forge valuable connections with industry leaders and ���ϲ����� alumni in the finance and business sectors.

Following the high level of engagement and interest in the New York City immersions, the advising office explored ways to involve more students and more industries. They began offering a series of local immersions, where students spend a day visiting various companies within a specific field based in Central New York. These immersions, which are planned by��, director of career advising for A&S | Maxwell, and��, director of employer-alumni relations for A&S | Maxwell, as well as many A&S | Maxwell advisors, offer students perspective on potential career paths and provide them with greater confidence in making decisions about their future because they can hear from actual practitioners about their path to achieving success.

Students listening to a presentation during the Stocks and Finance Immersion in Fall 2024.

In Fall 2024, A&S | Maxwell advising offered three programs in ���ϲ�����: Psychology Immersion (Oct. 18), Stocks & Finance Immersion (Nov. 8) and Pre-Law Immersion (Dec. 6). The reception from students has been resoundingly positive, as over 90% of students surveyed who took part in the local immersions said they gained valuable knowledge about career options through these experiences.

Helping Students Plan Their Future

Diana Bonilla-Prado, a first-generation college student majoring in political science in A&S | Maxwell and minoring in information management and technology in the iSchool, took part in the pre-law immersion and found it both motivating and empowering.

Diana Bonilla-Prado (left) and Sylla Diallo (right) in the lobby of One Lincoln Center in ���ϲ�����, where the law office of Bond, Schoeneck and King, one of the stops during the pre-law immersion, is located.

“This trip gave me insight on what I’d like to do, what my liberal arts degree can be used for, and has helped me plan for my future,” Bonilla-Prado says. “During one of our meetings, I met a woman of color who shared a similar ethnic background with me. Being able to make that connection was incredibly inspiring and resonated deeply with me.”

Sylla Diallo, a double major in African American studies in A&S and international relations in A&S | Maxwell, also attended the pre-law immersion. He said hearing from legal professionals and learning about their educational and career paths gave him a better understanding of the commitment and dedication it takes to be successful in that field.

“Visiting each law office, getting to know experienced leaders in the field and being a part of the environment that I’d like to work in was extremely valuable,” he says. “Through this immersion, I have affirmed that I would like to pursue delivering justice and fairness to members of my community.”

Connecting with Employers

These are exactly the results Aust and Wheeler were looking for when launching the initiative. Like the New York City-based immersion trips, the local immersions provide students with insight and access to employers and career opportunities. Local employers, in turn, benefit by connecting with talented SU students who may become future interns or employees. Alumni have also been eager to get involved, as it allows them to mentor current Orange students and stay connected with the University community and fellow alumni through networking events.

“Local immersions allow us to make this all happen in close proximity to the University,” says Wheeler. “It strengthens ���ϲ�����’s connection with the local community and helps students find opportunities, such as internships, near campus.”

Calling All Students

For students interested in participating in an upcoming immersion, here’s a list of the Spring 2025 offerings, both in ���ϲ����� and elsewhere:

• Winston Fisher Seminar in New York City (March 9 – 14) – Applications closed

To sign up, visit the Handshake links above.

A&S Professor Cristina Pardo Porto curated the art exhibition titled��Joiri Minaya: Unseeing the Tropics at the Museum, on display at the SU Art Museum through May 10.

Pardo Porto explains that the history of exploitation dates to the 15th and 16th centuries when Europeans began to colonize the Americas. Settlers illustrated the Caribbean as an exotic and fertile land ripe for extraction, reinforcing ideas of ownership and domination.

“These narratives justified the exploitation of the land and its people, laying the groundwork for the contemporary tourism industry,” says Pardo Porto. “Tourism, in turn, relies on similar fantasies, using idyllic images of beaches, palm trees and smiling locals to market the region as an escape for wealthy foreigners. These visual constructs mask the inequalities and labor exploitation that sustain the industry.”

According to Pardo Porto, the growth and expansion of large hotels and resorts has led to environmental degradation and the displacement of local communities who are forced to relocate within their own country.

“Natural resources are privatized for resorts, and local workers are often paid low wages while a privileged group of tourists reaps the benefits,” she says.

During the spring semester, Pardo Porto is presenting an art exhibition in collaboration with the����which invites visitors to critically examine historical and contemporary images of tropical regions. Its aim is to help viewers recognize how these representations impact the lives of those living within these communities.

The exhibition, titled��“”��is on view in the SU Art Museum’s Joe and Emily Lowe Galleries through May 10. The gallery features works by Minaya, a Dominican American artist whose works critique how stereotypical representations, rooted in colonial histories, continue to misrepresent her community and identity. Minaya’s works are exhibited alongside historical photographs and artwork from the SU Art Museum’s collections, reflecting on the impact of colonization, tourism and commercialization on the Caribbean. Each artwork features a wall text, available in both English and Spanish, authored by Pardo Porto, which explains the significance of each work.

Upon entering the gallery, visitors are invited to take a postcard created by Minaya. These postcards, like the one Pardo Porto is holding above, blend images from actual tourism promotions with layers of stereotypical tropical imagery superimposed on women’s bodies. This artistic approach encourages visitors to confront and challenge the tropes of tropicality that reduce women to mere objects of exotic fascination.

Illuminating Visual Culture of the Caribbean

The idea to bring Minaya’s award-winning work to campus stems from Pardo Porto’s longstanding interest in the history of Latin American photography and visual culture. She notes that visual culture encompasses all the images that surround us and shape our daily lives, from archival images, fine art and product advertisements to photos taken with phone cameras and beyond.

While conducting research for her dissertation on artistic photography in and of the Caribbean and Central American regions, she recognized an underrepresentation in the history of photography in Latin America. Since then, much of her scholarship has focused on bringing awareness to this topic.

Pardo Porto is now writing a book manuscript titled “Latent Photographies: A Diasporic Reframing of the History of Photography,” which will present a decolonial history of Latin American photography. She received a ���ϲ����� ��during the Spring 2024 semester to focus on writing her book and other related projects, including the exhibition of Minaya’s works.

What You Will See

Two works on display at the exhibition are from Minaya’s��Containers��(2020) series, where she uses her own body wrapped in fabric with tropical patterns, in stereotypical and unnatural poses. Pardo Porto notes that this embodies the imagery imposed on both women (the pose) and landscape (tropical print, flowers, etc.).

Container #3��(left) and��Container #7��(right) by Joiri Minaya; Pigment print; Courtesy of the artist and Praise Shadows Gallery.

“She draws attention to how tropicality is commercialized and consumed, inviting viewers to reflect on their complicity in perpetuating harmful representations,” says Pardo Porto. “Minaya not only highlights the absurdity of tropical imagery but also prompts viewers to confront and rethink the ingrained stereotypes they might unconsciously accept and reproduce.”

For the installation titled��#dominicanwomengooglesearch (2016),��Minaya conducted a Google Image search for the term “Dominican women.” Based on the results of that search, she digitally isolated individual body parts, enlarged and printed them on Sintra board, and then hand-cut them after covering the backs with tropical-patterned fabrics. This installation invites viewers to reflect on and challenge the recurring, sexualized poses associated with tropicalized identities.

Student Engagement

Students in Pardo Porto’s “Contemporary Latinx Art��(undergraduate) and��Theorizing Central American and Caribbean Diasporas Through Art”��(graduate) classes will take part in assignments tied to the exhibition. Students will write about Joiri Minaya’s work and engage with archival and collection materials from the University’s Art Museum and Special Collections Resource Center. She says this approach will help them explore the historical dialogue between past and present images.

“Many of our students aren’t aware of the resources available in our collections and on campus, and this exhibition offers a unique opportunity to learn directly from an artist whose work is on campus,” she says. “I always include these types of cross-campus collaborations, such as with the Special Collections Research Center.”

Pardo Porto hopes that visitors to the exhibition will develop a deeper understanding of how stereotypical images are created and embedded in visual culture. “My hope is that students, faculty, staff and the local community will gain the tools to see and acknowledge the pervasive tropes of tropicality and then actively ‘unsee’ them—dismantling these limiting frameworks and fostering new ways of seeing.”

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has welcomed five new professors for the Spring 2025 semester. According to A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi, this group of innovative researchers brings important expertise to ���ϲ�����’s largest and oldest college.

“I am delighted that these new faculty members are joining A&S, bringing their research specializations and teaching excellence to benefit our students and contribute to knowledge in service of the public good,” Mortazavi says. “Together with the rest of our faculty, they will help us further our collective mission of solving the grand challenges we face today.”

Meet the new A&S professors

Li-En Jao, associate professor, biology, affiliated with BioInspired Institute

Li-En Jao

Instructional philosophy: I approach teaching in a similar manner as I study the assembly of cellular structures in my research—which seeks to understand the genesis of certain diseases such as cancer—as a systematic process of building knowledge while emphasizing the interconnections that make biology fascinating. Making abstract concepts tangible through clear examples and hands-on experiences helps students grasp both the molecular details and their broader significance in human health.

• Ph.D., cell and developmental biology, Rutgers University
• Specializations: cell biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, microscopy, zebrafish genetics, mass spectrometry, CRISPR gene editing, macromolecular assembly, biomolecular condensates, intracellular transport, mRNA metabolism and neurological disorders
• Previous position: associate professor, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, UC Davis School of Medicine

Eun-Deok Kim, assistant professor, biology

Eun-Deok Kim

Instructional philosophy: I guide students to discover both the fine details and bigger picture of biology, just as I study how plant cells adapt and develop in changing environments, so that people can better understand how plants may adapt in the face of climate change.

I combine fundamental principles with hands-on experience using modern techniques, aiming to nurture students’ natural curiosity about how living things work and change. My goal is to guide them in connecting their knowledge to real-world challenges and crafting personalized pathways for their academic and professional growth.

• Ph.D., plant molecular biology, University of Texas at Austin
• Specializations: epigenetics, molecular genetics, plant biology, genomics, developmental biology and biochemistry
• Previous position: research scientist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Chih Hung Lo, assistant professor, biology and neuroscience

Chih Hung Lo

Instructional philosophy: To help prepare the next generation of researchers with the potential to address brain-related illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease, I foster interdisciplinary learning, empowering students to explore biology, engineering and medicine through theory and real-world applications. Through mentorship, I promote critical thinking and innovations, encourage independence and guide students in crafting personalized paths that merge foundational knowledge with practical problem-solving skills.

• Ph.D., biomedical engineering with minor in management of technology, University of Minnesota
• Specializations: neurobiology of aging, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, body-brain interaction, intrinsically disordered proteins, lysosome biology, receptor signaling, protein biophysics, biosensor engineering, nanobiotechnology and drug discovery
• Previous position: Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellow, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Key honor/award: ��in Biochemistry & Biophysics (2024)

Heather Meyer, assistant professor, biology, affiliated with BioInspired Institute

Heather Meyer

Instructional philosophy: Knowledge is not innate; it is acquired through personal experiences and by systematically testing the relationships between facts and theories. As an educator, my overarching goal is to provide students with the skills to observe and question the world around them and to research, evaluate and refine their own analyses. This way, students can better understand how their knowledge can be applied to help solving real-world challenges.

• Ph.D., genetics, genomics and development, Cornell University
• Specializations: plant biology, intrinsically disordered proteins, live cell-imaging, molecular genetics and biochemistry
• Previous position: senior scientist, Mozza

Caitlin Miller, professor of practice, Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute

Caitlin Miller

Instructional philosophy: My student-centered learning approach emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving, important traits for those entering the forensics field. I aim to create supportive classroom and laboratory environments that foster creativity, inquiry and collaborative learning, helping students build confidence and appreciation for the scientific content.

• Ph.D., chemistry, ���ϲ�����
• Specializations: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, aptamer-based technology and biosensing
• Previous position: chief science officer, AptaMatrix Inc.
• Key award/honor: Faculty Unsung Hero Award, Le Moyne College (2020)

This story was written by Sean Grogan

Kevin Adonis Browne

The program is designed to facilitate cross-institutional networking and collaboration among academic leaders while building leadership capacity at participating ACC institutions.

���ϲ����� members included in the 2025 cohort are:

• , associate professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition and chair of the Humanities Council,

  Brad Horn

• , professor of practice in public relations and associate dean for strategic initiatives,
• , teaching professor, executive director of clinical education and executive director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic,

  Elizabeth Kubala

• , assistant dean for undergraduate programs,
• , assistant provost for arts and community programming, Office of Strategic Initiatives,

  Lindsay Quilty

Miranda Staats Traudt

The program will kick off with a virtual event on Feb. 7, followed by three on-site sessions at Wake Forest University (March 26-28), the University of Miami (June 23-25) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Oct. 20-22).

The sessions will focus on leadership topics and trends in higher education while promoting leadership growth, awareness and effectiveness.

Participating faculty members from all member institutions have received foundational leadership training and served at least one year in a relevant leadership role.

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

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

The George Arents Award is ���ϲ�����’s highest alumni honor and recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields.��This year’s honorees are Paul Greenberg ’65, P’03; Melanie Littlejohn G’97; and Judith “Judy” C. Mower ’66, G’73, G’80, Ph.D.’84.

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

Jack Kreischer ’65 will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for his loyalty and service to ���ϲ����� over the past 50 years.

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

Kimberly Wolf Price L’03 will be awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award for her commitment to ���ϲ����� as a volunteer.

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

and plan to join us in April for the celebration.

Lamis Abdelaaty

The research team for the project titled “RefLex: Is International Refugee Law Effective?” includes principal investigator Cathryn Costello, a professor of global refugee and migration law at University College Dublin Sutherland School of Law, and fellow co-principal investigator Ashwini Vasanthakumar, an associate professor and Queen’s National Scholar in Legal and Political Philosophy at Queen’s University Law School in Canada. The research team will also include two post-doctoral researchers and two Ph.D. students.

The team will use statistical analysis, qualitative methods, case studies and conceptual analysis for their comparative study. They hope to create a new dataset—the Refugee Protection Index—to explore the effectiveness of international refugee law in terms of delivering protection for refugees, changing states’ behavior and motivating social, political or legal mobilizations by refugees themselves.

“Whether and how international refugee law can be effective are pressing questions for scholars of international refugee politics,” says Abdelaaty. “I am looking forward to collaborating with this stellar research team and to extending my previous work on refugee rights and policies through this project.”

The funding is a consolidator grant, which supports scientists and scholars with seven to 12 years of experience as they establish independent research teams. The European Research Council, a public body that funds scientific and technological research, awarded over $700 million to 328 researchers across Europe under the European Union’s Horizon Europe program.

“This project will answer important questions about what types of laws can protect some of the most vulnerable people—refugees,” says Shana Kushner Gadarian, associate dean for research and professor of political science. “During a time of significant change to the international community, Professor Abdelaaty is helping to illuminate where refugees are safe, integrated and adding to their new home countries.”

Previously, Abdelaaty has received support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation for her second book project, “Refugees in Crisis,” which analyzes the designation of situations as “refugee crises.” Her first book, “Discrimination and Delegation: Explaining State Responses to Refugees” (Oxford University Press, 2021), received the Distinguished Book Award from the International Studies Association’s Ethnicity, Nationalism and Migration Studies section and the Best Book Award from the American Political Science Association’s Migration and Citizenship section.

At the Maxwell School, Abdelaaty is a senior research associate at the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration and the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. She teaches courses on refugees in international politics, humanitarian action in world politics, international law and human rights.

Story by Michael Kelly

The����hosts the ���ϲ����� Symposium, which encompasses a variety of art exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, workshops, musical performances and more. These events, open to ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff, along with the local community, inspire critical thinking about current issues and encourage reflection on personal values and beliefs, highlighting how the humanities can be applied in various real-world contexts.

The yearlong Symposium����with a series of events centered around this year’s theme, ‘community,’ as selected by the��. Continuing this spring, events will demonstrate how the humanities are essential for helping to create environments in which everyone can thrive, resulting in more inclusive communities and healthier and more just societies. Programming will also spark thoughtful discussions through unexpected juxtapositions, such as how sports and theater are vital to community-building, and how youth storytelling can be brought to life through film, music and dance. Explore the full slate of Symposium events below.

Spring Symposium Events

Sunday, February 2

��–��The�� (TwMC) collaborative will present a screening of works by ���ϲ�����-area high school students at the Watson Hall Theater. Films were shot using readily available tools like smartphones, illustrating that anyone can create impactful movies, regardless of their resources.

Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8

Resettled refugee youth from the����will host two storytelling events. On Feb. 7, the fellows����through poetry set to music by Iraqi composer Ameen Mokdad, performed by Cuatro Puntos musicians and Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet dancers, choreographed by ECB artistic director Elisa Schroth. On Feb. 8, the poets, composer, choreographer, musicians and dancers will facilitate a��.

Narratio storytelling event (Photo by Edward Grattan)

Wednesday, February 26

��– In this event presented by ���ϲ����� Stage, former ���ϲ����� athletes Eric Devendorf (basketball) and Eric Jackson (football) will discuss the role of sports in building community and how it can result in unexpected friendships and lasting connections. The panel discussion, in conjunction with the play��,��will be moderated by��, an instructor of Spanish in A&S and former editor at ESPNDeportes.com and ESPN.com.

Thursday, March 6

��–��, associate professor of teacher education and school improvement at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, will explore pathways and possibilities for justice-oriented, community-based and youth-engaged teaching and learning in the context of today’s polarizing political climate.

Tuesday, March 18

Two related events will spotlight Gertrude Berg, the groundbreaking writer-actress who created the serial comedy-drama��The Rise of the Goldbergs��(1929), later known as��. ���ϲ����� Trustee Professor����“” viewing series will feature radio and television screenings of Berg’s work, co-curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Emily Nussbaum. Later that day, Nussbaum will use archival letters from the Special Collections Research Center’s Gertrude Berg Papers to��.

Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4

Patricia Spears Jones

New York State Poet Laureate����will host a reading of her works and a craft-focused discussion. On April 3, Spears Jones will����at the ���ϲ����� Downtown YMCA’s Shinder Theater. On April 4, she will����in conversation with students and fans of poetry in the campus community. Space for that talk is limited. To register, contact��Phil Memmer, executive director of the Arts and Education Branch of the YMCA of CNY, by March 28.

Saturday, April 5

��–��Film director Will Fraser will share excerpts from his two decades of work producing documentaries and films related to the pipe organ. He will also join a panel of organists to discuss the instrument’s future.

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Stephen Maisto (left) and Jennifer Ross

College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Associate Dean of Research (ADR) returns to his research program after serving as ADR since October 2023. The ADR’s responsibilities include advancing the College’s mission by collaborating with faculty to increase grant funding and research expenditures and ensuring that the College’s research activities align with the University’s and A&S’ Academic and Strategic Plans (ASPs).

“Professor Maisto served as associate dean of research at a critical time as I came up to speed as a new dean,” says Dean Behzad Mortazavi. “I’m very grateful for his counsel and expertise during that crucial period, and for helping to position us well as we look to operationalize A&S’ new academic strategic plan.”

Stephen Maisto

Since joining the ���ϲ����� faculty in 1994, Maisto has focused much of his research on assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders. His cutting-edge work also extends to HIV prevention and intervention. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications and secured over $50 million in research funding.

Maisto has held several leadership positions at the University, with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) centers and other professional organizations throughout his career, including serving as director of clinical training and interim department chair of the Department of Psychology. An accomplished professor, mentor and researcher during his nearly three decades at the University, Maisto received the Chancellor’s Citation Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018 and was awarded emeritus status in 2020.

Prior to joining the University faculty, Maisto taught at Vanderbilt University, Brown University Medical School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He received an M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed a postdoctoral specialization in clinical psychology in 1985 at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Maisto is also Board Certified in Clinical Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Jennifer Ross

, professor of physics, has assumed the role of Associate Dean for Creativity, Scholarship and Research effective Jan. 1. In this new capacity, Ross will oversee efforts to increase research productivity, applications for funding, prize and award nominations and research expenditures. She will also work to enhance communication among interdisciplinary and convergent groups of faculty, and to ensure that faculty feel more supported and connected to the research mission of their departments and the shared mission of the entire College.

Ross has been a faculty member in the Department of Physics since 2019, serving as chair from 2020 to 2024. An award-winning biophysicist, she researches how cells organize their insides without a manager. By harnessing the fundamental and autonomous physics principles of biological cells, her group is working toward designing and creating next-generation materials inspired and empowered by biology.

Grants from government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and several private foundations, have funded her research. Ross��has been honored with numerous awards and professional recognitions, including being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society, a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation, a recipient of the Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award from the Biophysical Society and a recipient of the National Science Foundation INSPIRE Award.

Through her advocacy for diversifying STEM, Ross has been part of the EUREKA! summer program, working with middle and high school girls to teach them about science, health and self-care. She also co-leads the (SUPER-Tech SHIP), which offers paid science internships at the University to students and recent graduates from the ���ϲ����� City School District.

Prior to joining ���ϲ�����’s faculty, Ross was a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 2007 to 2019. She received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

The 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Planning Committee is proud to announce the 2025 Unsung Hero Award winners: Andrea-Rose Oates ’26, James K. Duah-Agyeman G’99, Student Coalition on Race and Equity (SCORE), Laurence Segal and Jamie Jackson (posthumously).

The Unsung Hero Award is given to community members, students, faculty and staff who have made a positive impact on the lives of others but are not widely recognized for their contributions. The awards were created to honor Dr. King’s vision of creating positive change in a troubled world.

The award winners will be recognized at the 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 26, featuring keynote speaker Sarah Willie-LeBreton, president of Smith College. Tickets for the celebration are available��.

The Unsung Heroes are:

Andrea-Rose Oates ’26 (���ϲ����� student)

Oates, a public relations major in the and policy studies major in the and , has dedicated her life to community service, leadership and social justice. She is the president and founder of “Girlz Rize,” a nonprofit initiative focused on fighting for girls’ education opportunities.

Through her work last summer with NBCUniversal, Oates amplified underrepresented voices by highlighting community challenges and successes. Her summer internships with Comcast and Hilco Redevelopment Partners demonstrated her ability to translate corporate resources into meaningful community outreach.

Oates’ leadership roles at ���ϲ����� have included serving as president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Iota Upsilon chapter; co-secretary for the Black Student Union; events chair for the Women in Communications Club; a member of the Newhouse Student Representative Committee and an account associate for Hill Communications. She is dedicated to fostering inclusive, collaborative spaces that inspire academic and social growth and sustainable, generational change.

“Andrea-Rose doesn’t merely identify problems; she acts, empowering others to take part in solutions,” says nominator Diya Gupta. “Her actions reflect Dr. King’s enduring call to serve others and create a world where equity and justice prevail.”

James Duah-Agyeman G’99 (���ϲ����� Faculty/Staff)

Duah-Agyeman, former director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and special advisor to the Men of Color Initiative, has a 38-year record of achievement at ���ϲ�����—as a graduate student, teacher, academic counselor, administrator and leader.

“There are many who talk the talk of service, inclusion and integrity, but in the context of engagement with the world, Dr. D has walked the walk again and again,” says nominator Barry L. Wells. “In the process, he has set a powerful example for students, faculty, staff, and community members in how one person can make a significant difference in the development and expansion of a community that values service and inclusion.”

Duah-Agyeman most recently led Multicultural Affairs in developing programs to advance inclusion on the SU campus by creating best-in-class programs like the WellsLink Leadership Program; Dimensions, a peer mentoring program for women of color; and the Men of Color Initiative. He was instrumental in piloting and introducing the Conversations About Race and Ethnicity (C.A.R.E.) intergroup dialogue programs on campus. He also advocated for inclusion through his community work with Interfaith Works of Central New York and the Ghana Society of CNY.

Student Coalition on Race and Equity (SCORE) (Youth Community Organization)

��The Student Coalition on Race and Equity (SCORE) was launched in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd. SCORE harnesses the talent and leadership skills of high school students across Onondaga County to combat oppression and foster equity. It empowers youth, known as SCORE leaders, to educate adults on topics related to race and equity, sharing insights from their unique perspectives as young people.

After completing five weeks of training in equity-based topics and being equipped with the skills necessary to facilitate interactive workshops, SCORE Leaders take on the role of educators, leading workshop sessions for community stakeholders each August. SCORE has provided workshops on implicit bias and Black history to almost 3,000 community members.

“SCORE is a powerful program that not only centers and draws from the creativity and expertise of youth, but it also engages youth in meaningfully powerful professional experience,” says nominator Jenny Dombroske. “Our community is fortunate to have this access to the insights of youth and the opportunity to learn some of the hardest lessons from them, so that we may contribute to the future that they want for themselves.”

Laurence Segal (Community Member)

Segal quietly fights every single day for cancer patients, the homeless, the downtrodden and people the rest of society cast aside, says his brother and nominator, Andrew Segal.

Laurence has been known to stop his car and help stranded motorists, using his own AAA card to help them. Through his organization, , he has returned millions of bottles and cans for cancer patients and research and pulled millions of pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House of CNY. He hosts multiple every month that impact thousands of people, and he constantly strives to make the world a better place.

This summer, Segal cleaned up trash on city streets and passed out hot meals, cold drinks, sanitizers, masks and first aid kits to people experiencing homelessness. He has spent countless hours with cancer patients holding their hands while they go through chemotherapy, radiation and long hospital stays.

“He makes a difference constantly, but just chooses to keep it silent,” Andrew Segal says. “He is the gem of our family, and a gem in CNY.”

Jamie Jackson (Special Posthumous Recognition)

Jackson, a longtime employee with ���ϲ�����’s Parking and Transportation Services, was in a unique position to connect with almost every person on campus for over 20 years. He was assigned to the Quad lot outside Hendricks Chapel, where he offered assistance to campus visitors and befriended many members of the campus community. Jackson passed away unexpectedly in September 2024.

He was a graduate of Onondaga Community College and a U.S. Navy and U.S. Army veteran. In his obituary, he was remembered as a “wonderful son, beloved husband, fantastic father, a devoted veteran, terrific brother, great friend, kind uncle, good outdoorsman, strong record keeper and avid sports fan.”

Dara Harper, communications director at Hendricks Chapel, got to know Jackson well.

“In my opinion, Jamie’s role on campus was utterly unsung. He, a veteran, a dad, a confidante, a judge, a quiet and constant friend, touched every person on campus,” she says. “To tell you that he was the parking attendant limits his story to a singular piece of who he was. And for many of us, he is still just right outside.”

Jackson’s loss is felt every day on the University campus. “Jamie embodied the kindness, fortitude and patience that we all should strive for in this world,” says Harper. “He was a GOOD man, which is just the simplest way of saying that he was a hero.”

The liberal arts offerings through the (A&S) and the have always equipped students with the critical and creative thinking skills needed throughout their lifetimes.

Today, thanks to an important revision of the foundational (LAC), the two schools will offer a reimagined, robust and contemporary curriculum that will prepare students for adaptability and success in a constantly evolving world. The new LAC, slated to be implemented in the Fall 2025 semester, will apply only to those students matriculating beginning in the fall of 2025.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School will offer a reimagined, robust and contemporary curriculum that will prepare students for adaptability and success in a constantly evolving world.

Darwin Han-Lin Tsen

is an assistant teaching professor of Chinese at ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. His fields of study include modern and contemporary Chinese and Japanese literature and culture, critical theory and literary theory, film, Asian and Eastern European postsocialism, as well as Asian American literature.

Darwin answers five questions below. He is available for interview and his answers below can be quoted directly.

Q: Can you explain what encompasses Lunar New Year and what makes it so important?

A: Lunar New Year – or more accurately, the lunisolar new year – celebrates the coming of the first new moon according to a lunar calendar.��This is the most important time of gathering and celebration for Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tibetan communities in their countries of origin and all around the world. Not to mention, a time to feast!

Q: What is the significance of the Chinese zodiac sign? What should be known about the year of the snake?

A: The Chinese zodiacs developed in parallel to the Babylonian zodiacs, basing itself on the “twelve earthly branches”, with each branch corresponding to the astrological signs one can observe within a month. Those signs were then given a unity in the form of twelve animals. The snake signifies wisdom, elegance, and spirituality; translated into modern terms, it indicates intelligence and strategic prowess. And so hopefully in the year of the snake, humanity will find the smarts to solve our common problems.

Q: What are some of the lesser-known celebrations or traditions associated with this event?

A: There are probably countless lesser-known celebrations, since so many people in so many different regions celebrate Lunar New Year! I can only speak to some traditions of Taiwan, where I’m from. In Taipei, apparently, at the end-of-year company dinner before the New Year, if a whole boiled or roasted chicken’s head is staring at you, it means that you might lose your job soon. In Tainan, to the south of Taiwan, there’s this wild event called the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, where folks celebrate the night before Lantern Festival (the 15^th��of the Lunar Calendar’s first month) by setting off massive amounts of fireworks. It’s kind of like a mosh pit. ()

Q: For the first time,��. What are your thoughts around the broader observation of the holiday?

A: That’s very cool, and a “better late than ever” sign of recognition for the Asian American community of New York. Traditionally, Lunar New Years gives 3-7 days off, but hopefully our kids will be able to get some rest and recharge.

Q: For those less familiar with the holiday, what is the one takeaway you’d want them to know about Lunar New Year?

A: I hope everyone knows that it’s a holiday about peace, love, and finding time for oneself and the community. And to not hold back on the eating!

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

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A ���ϲ����� senior and an alumna were recently chosen for prestigious graduate fellowships that prepare students for careers in the Foreign Service.

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

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

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

Linda Baguma

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

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

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

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

Alexandria��Johnson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving as Universitywide faculty representatives, committee members advise the Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer and work to ensure consistent promotion and tenure processes and promote high academic standards. Members, who must be tenured full professors, serve two-year, staggered terms and are not eligible to serve consecutive terms.

Newly elected committee members are:

• , William Safire Professor of Modern Letters and University Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• , director, electrical engineering and computer science graduate program, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• , Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• , associate dean for academic affairs, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• , Albert & Betty Hill Endowed Professor, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• , Iris Magidson Endowed Professor of Design Leadership and director, School of Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts

Promotion and tenure cases that meet the criteria for review—for example, those that have substantial disagreement between layers of recommendation or a strong probability of a negative determination—are taken up by committee members. They offer an advisory vote to the provost but do not issue a formal report or consider appeals.

The committee is convened by Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Jamie Winders. Provost Lois Agnew is chair of the committee, and Vice President for Research Duncan Brown serves in an ex-officio capacity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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For millions around the world, degradation of their land due to factors like climate change, deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable farming practices have caused harm to both human health and the environment. Desertification, which is when fertile land turns into desert because of natural and human factors, can lead to food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and forced migration. In December 2024, the United Nations hosted a conference in Saudi Arabia, bringing together leading environmental experts and policymakers from around the globe to discuss strategies for combating desertification and safeguarding both the environment and human well-being.

Mariaelena Huambachano (second from left) speaking during one of the panel presentations at the UN Desertification Conference High-Level Interactive Dialogue

(Quechua, Peru), an Indigenous scholar and assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, gave three talks during the 11-day United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Huambachano is among the faculty in A&S’ . She teaches courses that include Food Fights and Treaty Rights, Indigenous Food Cosmologies and Reclaiming Indigenous Intellectual Sovereignty.

Huambachano’s talks came during the UNCCD’s . An internationally recognized scholar of Indigenous food sovereignty, Huambachano researches and advocates for Indigenous peoples’ rights to control their own food systems. In August 2024, she published “” (University of California Press), based on 10 years of fieldwork with the Quechua of Peru and Māori of New Zealand. The book explores their philosophies on well-being, food sovereignty, traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable food systems.

A&S Professor Mariaelena Huambachano (second from left) was a panelist at the UN Desertification Conference High-Level Interactive Dialogue along with (from left to right) Nichole Barger (University of Colorado), Michael Obersteiner (Oxford University) and Becky Chaplin-Kramer (World Wildlife Fund for Nature).

During the conference, she spoke on the importance of recognizing and integrating Indigenous knowledge into climate change policy development. She also highlighted how Indigenous values foster healthy land, safeguard biodiversity and enhance climate resilience.

“I provided examples drawn from my years of work on the value of integrating Indigenous science in improving sustainable food systems,” Huambachano says. “We have been informed that the policy recommendation we presented has been endorsed by the host country, Saudi Arabia. I am particularly happy to see that Indigenous science, innovation and practices are being recognized internationally.”

This is Huambachano’s fifth distinguished appointment to a United Nations High-Level Panel, showcasing her expertise and commitment to global issues. .

“” features the work of 2024-25 ���ϲ����� Art Museum Faculty Fellows , associate professor of communication and rhetorical studies in the , and , assistant teaching professor of management in the Martin J. . Another exhibit, “,” is curated by , assistant professor of Latinx literatures and cultures in the .

The works will be on display in the Joe and Emily Lowe Galleries at the Art Museum from Tuesday, Jan. 21, through Saturday, May 10.

The ���ϲ����� Art Museum Faculty Fellows program supports innovative curriculum development and experiential learning and aims to more fully integrate the museum’s collection into the University’s academic life, says , museum director.

Gestures Study

Gratch’s exhibition, “Performance, Gesture and Reflection,” mirrors her performance studies course CRS 314, which explores the social, cultural and political dimensions of performance in various forms, including theater, dance, rituals, everyday life and media. The display features 23 objects that examine the social, cultural and political dimensions of performance, including how human gestures shape identity, power, memory and social relations.

This screen print by Robert Rauschenberg is one of the central pieces in Lyndsay Gratch’s exhibition, “Performance, Gesture and Reflection.”

Gratch says the portrayals “show gestures as more than isolated movements in a single time and place. Gestures are dynamic, culturally loaded and ever-changing symbols which have a wide range of social, political and historical meanings based on when, where, how, by whom and why a gesture is made and also interpreted.”��Gratch says the course and the exhibition illustrate how performance “is not necessarily something that’s theatrical or fake or put on, but actions we do as part of everyday life.”

Culture as Economy

Wimer’s exhibition consists of a dozen different artistic works that express key ideas regarding the global economy from an African perspective. These include viewing culture as an economic component; how culture is represented by proverbs and sayings passed from generation to generation; and how climate change and health care infrastructure affect people very differently depending on whether they live in the global south versus the global north.

The exhibition was created to complement Whitman’s required core class for all sophomores, Managing in a Global Setting, to bring a different perspective on key course concepts such as infrastructure, human capital and globalization.

A custom pet portrait by a Kenyan artist involved in Elizabeth Wimer’s immersion course is an example of using artwork to create an economic revenue stream.

As an extension of that course, Wimer and students who have applied for and been accepted to Whitman’s Kenya Immersion Experience undertake a 10-day business immersion trip to Kenya. There, they can see firsthand how creative and artistic works provide paths to financial opportunity for people who live in limited economic situations, while also sometimes meeting the Kenyan artists.

“[They see that] artist creations are not solely artistic expression as a work of art but as works that help them sustain a living. Both have beauty, but the inspiration behind the beauty is very different,” she says.

Tropical Images

Pardo Porto’s exhibition is a collection of work by acclaimed New York City-based Dominican artist in conversation with selected works from the ���ϲ����� Art Museum collection. It examines the visual culture of tropicality through stereotypical depictions of landscapes like pristine beaches and sunny skies, as well as racist portrayals of women as exoticized figures, Pardo Porto says.

A work by Joiri Minaya represents the visual culture of tropicality through combined stereotypes of an exoticized woman who is wearing tropical-themed swimwear.

The exhibition consists of objects including postcards, tourist brochure images, fabric from Hawaiian shirts, posters and photographs, and video and sound performances ranging from the late 19^th century to the present. “This emphasizes part of my research into how the images surrounding us shape our perception, our thinking and our feelings about places like the Caribbean and how we relate to images in our daily lives,” Pardo Porto says.

The exhibit is being incorporated into two of Pardo Porto’s courses. An undergraduate course on contemporary Latinx art, conducted entirely in Spanish, uses the Spanish-language artwork labels and tags in the exhibit as part of class lessons. A graduate seminar focuses on theorizing race and diaspora and how an artist like Minaya, who was born in New York City but has Dominican heritage, examines how diasporic identities are constructed and how being separated from community can complicate identity. Pardo Porto says Minaya will visit campus to give a talk, work with students and share interpretations of her art with the community.

Two ���ϲ����� faculty experts weigh in on the historic natural disaster impacting California this week. Their comments below can be quoted directly. They are also available for interviews.

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Fires burning now cannot be dismissed as anomalous events

Jacob Bendix

is professor emeritus in the Geography and the Environment Department in ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School. His research areas include impacts of disturbance (principally fire and floods) on plant communities and media coverage of the environment. He has spoken extensively with journalists about the , and the .

Currently, he is available to answer questions via email.

Bendix says:

“The fires currently devastating multiple neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area serve to remind us of the impact of climate change. The fires are driven by the infamous downslope Santa Ana winds that become hotter and drier as they descend, creating particularly incendiary conditions. These winds are strongest in the winter, but historically by winter there was enough rain to soak fuels and limit wildfires. Thus, Santa Ana-driven fires were usually concentrated in the fall, when the winds had begun but fuels were still dry.

“This is where climate change comes in. It is already January, but Southern California remains dry, gripped by drought and high temperatures. Both drought and heat are known to be more likely in the context of human-caused climate change, so the fires burning now cannot be dismissed as anomalous events. We must recognize that such fires are likely to become more common in the future. The news stories each time will fade after a few days or weeks, but the impacts in terms of lost homes and workplaces will last far longer for local residents, and virtually everyone in the region is likely to face escalating insurance costs, or difficulty obtaining insurance at all.”

This is the ‘new reality’ for Southern California communities

Tripti Bhattacharya

is an associate professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. Her work focuses on understanding the sensitivity of regional rainfall to global climate change.

She is available for interviews by phone, web video conferencing or email.

Bhattacharya says:

“It’s really devastating to see what is unfolding.

“It is a combination of several factors: one is drought, as Southern California has seen very little precipitation this winter, resulting in extremely dry vegetation and soils. On top of that, recent days have seen gusts of dry wind, typically known as ‘Santa Ana’ winds. These gusts have the ability to cause fire to propagate quickly.

“We cannot attribute a single event to human-caused climate change per se, but we do know from peer-reviewed scientific literature that the length of the fire season is increasing. Moreover, state of the art models analyzed in peer reviewed studies have shown that climate change is responsible overall for higher temperatures and drier vegetation, amplifying forest fire activity.

“This is the new reality communities in places like Southern California are facing.”

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Doyle and his fellow researchers have since worked on refining the compounds, GEP44 and KCEM1, and have undertaken lab-animal testing, filed patents, spoken with investors and explored market placement. They believe these drugs, ultimately intended for use in humans, will offer significant advances in how obesity and diabetes are treated in the U.S. and around the world. The researchers have also discovered another highly promising weight-loss compound and new outgrowths that have potential to treat opioid addiction through similar neuroendocrine pathways.

Doyle is also a professor of pharmacology and medicine at . He is working with two primary collaborators on the compounds: , Albert J. Stunkard Professor in Psychiatry at the , and , an endocrinologist at .

Doyle, a medicinal chemist, teaches at ���ϲ����� and is also on the faculty at SUNY-Upstate Medical University.

Multiple Receptors

GEP44 consists of 44 amino acids that target receptors in the brain, pancreas and liver simultaneously, uncoupling the connection between food intake and nausea and vomiting. “It’s sort of a reboot of the body’s computer. It’s the sum of those receptors communicating with each other that is facilitating changes to metabolic behavior like what you’d see in a lean person or someone post bariatric surgery,” Doyle says.

GEP44 works very well and is a significant improvement over GLP1-based drugs; however, it requires daily injections—a regimen Doyle acknowledges would be challenging for many patients. That’s why the researchers are working to reformulate the compound as a long-acting version.

“Now, we’re looking at how proteins are changing, what neurons are firing and which genes are changing in response to our drug that aren’t changing in response to the current therapies,” Doyle explains. “We can definitely do a once-a-week injectable, control weight loss, control tolerability as measured by pica (a craving to eat things having no nutritional value). However, we want to create a formulation that has the best tolerability and the highest efficacy before we move into licensing. After all, it is not a trivial thing to take something you’ve optimized to work beautifully well, then go ahead and make it long acting.”

The second compound, KCEM1, was formulated to treat hypothalamic obesity in children, a genetic (as opposed to calorie intake-related) condition. Roth is testing the drug in lab animals and the team is working with the German researchers who discovered the causative gene.

Doyle and Hayes recently produced another “extraordinary compound” that Doyle says is “very exciting and really, really positive for the future.” DG260 targets different mechanisms in the body. In addition to producing weight loss with high drug tolerability and no adverse side effects, it has added health benefits: higher caloric burn and the ability to flush glucose from the blood without needing to increase insulin secretion.

An unexpected outgrowth of this effort has been the team’s discovery that GEP44 reduces cravings in opioid-addicted lab animals, extending the intervals between periods of drug-seeking behavior. This “pleasant surprise” may lead to new therapies to help reduce human cravings for drugs such as fentanyl, Doyle believes. , a neuropharmacologist and associate professor of psychiatry at��the , is collaborating with Doyle on this work.

On-Site Lab

All compounds are produced in a campus lab at ���ϲ�����’s Center for Science and Technology equipped as a sort of mini pharmaceutical design and manufacturing center. It houses three state-of-the-art, microwave-assisted peptide synthesizers and a fourth robotic system, which allows high throughput peptide synthesis of up to 1,200 peptides in the span of three to four days.

Manufacturing of the peptide compounds is done in the University’s state-of-the-art lab, located on campus in the Center for Science and Technology. The facilities allow rapid pivoting based on ongoing test findings.

“We can get data back, turn it around in days and turn that into a genuine lead in the space of a few weeks. Our setup also lets us manufacture and purify at large scales. That lets us pivot quickly, screen quickly and get back into an in vivo (testing on whole living organisms) setup again quickly. We’re able to operate at a real cutting-edge, rapid-pivoting capability,” Doyle says.

The sophisticated machinery was acquired in part through a $3 million grant awarded in 2019 by the (DoD) . The team’s work holds particular promise for military personnel and veterans, for whom obesity and weight-related diabetes rates have steadily increased, according to a from the . Those conditions cost the government $135 billion annually and have negative implications for U.S. military readiness, the report states.

“We couldn’t have gotten anywhere near where we are now without that initial DoD grant,” Doyle says. “It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to take this all the way through to patentability, have active engagement with investors, get licensed to an existing company and work this as far forward as we have with hopes of seeing its use in people.”

Doyle’s peptides investigation provides robust research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, such as Nick Najjar, left, a third-year graduate student and Lucy Olcott, a senior.

More recently, the researchers’ work has been awarded four additional National Institutes of Health grants totaling more than $6 million. The projects also provide important experiential laboratory learning for undergraduate and graduate students and cutting-edge research opportunities for postdoctoral associates.

Looking Ahead

When their work began eight years ago, the researchers aimed to make safety and tolerability a front-and-center focus, Doyle says. “We were adamant that nausea, vomiting and indigestion were more of an issue than had previously been put forward. Now, everyone knows that these side effects are a problem and that the existing drugs need to be replaced with ones that are better tolerated. So, the race is on to find new pathways to achieve what we’ve all gotten a taste for—these miraculous weight-loss drugs—and make them effective in the long term.”

Accordingly, Doyle sees a coming explosion in the development of “super safe, super effective weight-loss medicines.”

“The market’s only going to double and triple over the next 20 years. In the next five to 10 years, we may see six, seven, eight new drugs that are well tolerated without the current side effects and that are super long acting. Now, everyone’s racing toward that. We’re trying to drive that forward from ���ϲ����� and Central New York, and we’ve had a good start.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erica Kiduko

Kiduko was working on a thesis titled “Reckoning an Icon: Exploring Scholarship and Activism of [Kenyan professor] Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo,” where she explored the ongoing imbalance women in Tanzania face and why, despite the implementation of the National Plan of Action, many women were still experiencing physical violence.

The action plan focuses on protecting the rights of women and girls, preventing such violent acts from occurring in the future and providing relief to help violence victims recover, but Kiduko says many of the citizens are unaware of the plan and many of the laws in place to protect these girls and women aren’t strict enough.

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

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

“The initiative was trying to promote women’s empowerment by preventing gender-based violence while creating a safe environment for everyone to play their sport,” Kiduko says.

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

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

“It can be really hard for these players to report these incidents. Soccer could be their entire life and they’re afraid of being taken off the team for reporting an attack,” Kiduko says.

How will Kiduko apply the critical lessons learned through her internship and apply them to her work once she graduates from ���ϲ�����?

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

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

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

Ghael Fobes ’22, an alumnus of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, has been named a 2025 Marshall Scholar.

The Marshall Scholarship program was created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a living memorial to former U.S. Secretary of State Gen. George C. Marshall and American assistance provided following World War II. The scholarship allows up to three years of fully funded graduate study in any academic topic at any university in the United Kingdom. Fobes is one of 36 students selected from around the country and is ���ϲ�����’s seventh Marshall Scholar.

“Marshall Scholars continue to represent the very best of American society, dedicating their time and effort to address some of the great challenges of our time, from cyber security and artificial intelligence to advancing our knowledge of the universe,” says Dame Karen Pierce, British ambassador to the U.S. “The Marshall Scholarship remains an integral part of the U.K.-U.S. relationship, established through British gratitude to General Marshall at the end of WWII. We are delighted to welcome such a diverse and talented group of students to the U.K. next year as they continue their studies at some of the U.K.’s top academic institutions.”

Fobes plans to pursue two master’s degrees—in data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and in future governance—at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He began producing for NBC News as an intern in college and is currently an associate White House producer for NBC News in Washington, D.C. In his position, he has a firsthand perspective on the role that AI is playing in journalism today.

“I think the effects right now are pretty wide-ranging and pose some great opportunities and challenges,” Fobes says. “For example, we’ve been using artificial intelligence tools at NBC News to make transcription more efficient and effective. We also use them to help verify the provenance of social media content. As for challenges, I think anybody using social media has seen a flood in content created with generative AI. That presents significant obstacles to journalists’ ability to quickly determine the veracity��of content.”

Building upon his Marshall experience, Fobes hopes to return to NBC News ready to lead an innovation office embedded in the network’s newsgathering operation. “My goal is to develop ethical workflows that enhance our ability to gather and present news, focusing specifically on expanding efforts to combat digital misinformation,” he says.

As an undergraduate, Fobes majored in broadcast and digital journalism in the Newhouse School and minored in political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences. He was a ���ϲ����� Scholar and Commencement class speaker in 2022, and says he continues to carry his ���ϲ����� experience with him.

“My coursework and the faculty at Newhouse and Maxwell deepened my technical knowledge of broadcasting, sharpened my storytelling skills, and broadened my understanding of domestic and international politics,” he says.��“While a lot��of the learning behind my broadcast degree allowed me to hone my use of a camera, what was truly enriching was learning from Professor Les Rose about the subtleties��of interviewing and story development. It is not just about what catches someone’s eye, but is also about finding ways of introducing your audience to new people, places and perspectives.”

Fobes says his academic experience prepared him for working at NBC News. “It gives me a great foundation for approaching my Marshall Scholarship proposal for developing ethical newsgathering workflows with AI,” he says.

“I am especially grateful to ���ϲ����� for its focus on preparing students with professional development and networking opportunities, and for its satellite campuses in New York City and Washington, D.C,” he says. “Specifically, I’m thankful for Professor Cheryl Brody Franklin’s mentorship through the Newhouse NYC program and Professor Charlotte Grimes, who led the Robin Toner Program in Political Reporting, which I was a part of for four years. They opened the door that allowed me to intern at NBC News throughout my time at SU.”

Fobes��also worked for the Daily Orange. He led the newspaper’s audio department, expanding its footprint as the founder, editor and host of “The Daily Orange” podcast.��“I am grateful to the Daily Orange for giving me the creative space and resources to launch our weekly podcast. Leading the podcast taught me how to pitch and integrate new technologies into the operations of a storied newspaper,” he says.

Fobes worked with the University’s Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) on his Marshall application.

“Ghael’s extraordinary record of service and leadership in his field—and his preparation for and commitment to graduate study in artificial intelligence ethics—made him an outstanding candidate for the Marshall Scholarship,” says Jolynn Parker, director of the CFSA.��“We are thrilled this award will help him achieve his goals.”

Fobes is grateful to Parker and CFSA. “I would not have known about, pursued or completed the application, much less gotten the award, without Jolynn’s encouragement and guidance,” he says. “I am also grateful for the professors who took the time to conduct mock interviews with me.”

Students interested in applying for national scholarships that require University endorsement, such as the Marshall Scholarship, should complete an “intent to apply” form with Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising by the end of June 2025 and plan to work with��.