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

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

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

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

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

Learning from Experts

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

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

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

Program’s Academic Fit

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

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

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

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

Spring Fellowship Open

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

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

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

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

Isiah Lavender III

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

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

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

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

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

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

NSF also recognized four faculty members with prestigious.

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

CAREER Awards

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

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

Xiaoran Hu

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

Bryan Kim

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

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

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

Georgia Mansell

Record Year for NSF Funding

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

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

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

Baobao Zhang

Support for Proposals

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

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

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

The faculty members are:

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

Dympna Callaghan

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

J. Michael Haynie

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

Jennifer Karas Montez

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

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

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

A fan watches a ���ϲ����� vs. Notre Dame football game in the JMA Wireless Dome. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

An innovative initiative focusing on the power of sport fandom for character development has been awarded more than $800,000 in funding through a 2025 from the Educating Character Initiative, part of Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character, which is supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will fund Character Development through Sport Fan Engagement, a project developed by , professor and dean of the , and the , vice president and dean of , who are co-principal investigators.

Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew says the project leverages the University’s existing strengths in sport-related academic research and teaching while drawing on themes outlined in the academic strategic plan, particularly human thriving. “This project has the potential to engage individuals across our campus community—students, faculty and staff—and promote the respectful exchange of ideas around the concepts of fandom and character development,” she says.

This significant award recognizes ���ϲ�����’s commitment to fostering holistic student development and leveraging the unique environment of collegiate sport fandom for character education. The project aims to cultivate ethical reasoning, teamwork, empathy and a stronger sense of community among undergraduate students by engaging them in the social, emotional and cultural dimensions of sport fandom. Ultimately, the project has the potential to not only transform fandom at ���ϲ�����, but also to become a national model for ethical and inclusive fan engagement throughout sport.

“This project represents a truly collaborative effort across ���ϲ����� to push past the boundaries of knowledge by uniting spiritual inquiry and sport scholarship to explore how the passion of sport fandom can be a powerful catalyst for human flourishing,” Konkol says. “We believe that by focusing on the virtue of teamwork, we can help our students not only understand—but also actively practice—the values that build stronger communities.”

���ϲ�����, with its dynamic athletics program, is uniquely positioned to host this initiative. “Sport fandom, particularly in the vibrant atmosphere of NCAA Division I athletics, offers an unparalleled real-time context for character education,” Jordan says. “This grant allows us to harness that energy to teach fairness, loyalty, leadership, humility and sportsmanship in ways that deeply resonate with our students’ lived experiences. We are excited to contribute to a national conversation about the role of sport in character formation.”

The project will include a series of structured educational and experiential components, co-designed with student leaders, including peer-led workshops, team-based challenges, game-day campaigns and reflective discussions, all centered on the character virtue of teamwork. Its structure emphasizes inclusive participation across diverse student populations and encourages cross-campus collaboration among students, faculty and athletics staff.

“Cultivating individuals of character who embody teamwork benefits our university and our students but also strengthens our athletics program,” says John Wildhack, ���ϲ����� director of athletics. “This initiative will help us learn more about fan behavior and encourage students to develop lifelong connections to the traditions and teams that define the Orange Nation. Passionate and dedicated fans are essential for our teams to compete at the highest levels.”

The program will also include a multi-year research study, The Impact of Sport Fandom on Character Development Among College Students: A Multi-dimensional Analysis Using the Psychological Continuum Model, which is intended to address a critical gap in existing literature.

Beyond its well-recognized athletics program, ���ϲ����� has evolved its sport-focused educational offerings and is redefining the future of sport research, education and innovation. In July, the Falk College became the nation’s first standalone college of sport on a Research 1 campus. Singular in focus, global in reach and designed for the future, the Falk College aims to be the top academic and research institution in sport.

Hendricks Chapel, known as the spiritual heart of ���ϲ�����, serves as a global home for religious, spiritual, moral and ethical life. Established in 1930 as a home for all faiths and place for all people, the chapel sponsors over 2,000 programs for more than a million annual attendees to help prepare engaged citizens, scholars and leaders for participation in a changing global society.

Other participating units include the , the School of Education’s , the , and .

Baobao Zhang

The NSF CAREER Award is one of the most prestigious early‑career recognitions from the foundation, supporting faculty who integrate outstanding research and education. Zhang’s study will explore how generative AI is transforming American workplaces—examining its effects on worker productivity, job satisfaction and skill development.

Zhang joined the faculty in 2021. She serves as a senior research associate with the and the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Her research focuses on trust in digital technology and the governance of AI, studying public and elite opinions toward AI, and how institutions adapt to technological change.

She received earlier recognition for her contributions to AI governance, including the Public Voices Fellowship on Technology in the Public Interest (2023-24) and the Schmidt Futures AI2050 Early Career Fellowship (2022). Her work has been published in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature Human Behavior, and she co‑edited the volume, The Oxford Handbook of AI Governance.

“Professor Zhang’s work on the governance of artificial intelligence exemplifies the Maxwell School’s strength in addressing timely, real‑world issues,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “This NSF CAREER Award not only acknowledges her exceptional early‑career scholarship but also furthers our mission to equip future policymakers with tools to navigate an economy that is increasingly shaped by AI.”

Jani Onninen

, a professor in the��, is drawing on two fields of mathematics—geometric function theory and non-linear elasticity—to understand how and why materials fail under certain conditions.

“Imagine a blacksmith shaping hot metal,” Onninen says. “Each hammer strike creates a small deformation. Early on, each deformation is reversible. You can undo it and return to the original shape. But as the blacksmith continues hammering, the sequence of deformations approaches a limit where this reversibility breaks down. This signal tells us something critical. The blacksmith should stop—before the material reaches conditions conducive to forming a crack.”

Materials in the Real World

Traditional mathematical models use “Sobolev homeomorphisms” to describe a material when it deforms and collapses. These models assume two things. One, the material can return to its original shape (it’s “invertible”). Two, the deformation follows the path that uses the least energy. When these models show that a deformation can’t do these two things, it’s a warning signal that the material could fail.

In real life, however, materials don’t always behave according to these ideal mathematical models.

Materials tend to use the least amount of energy possible when they change shape. But sometimes the most efficient or “energy-saving” ways a material might deform don’t fit current math equations. So, researchers are trying to learn the most energy-efficient ways for a material to go from one shape to another.

Warning Signs Before Failure

At the heart of this research is the challenge of understanding and modeling more complex elastic deformations, as well as identifying warning signals in mathematics before materials reach their breaking point.

Onninen, in collaboration with former University postdoctoral researcher Ilmari Kangasniemi, has developed a new framework—the theory of quasiregular values—and achieved breakthroughs, including solving the Astala–Iwaniec–Martin uniqueness problem and providing fresh insights into Picard’s theorem, a foundational result in mathematics from the 1870s.

Onninen’s work is theoretical, studying what happens beyond the boundaries of current mathematical models. But basic research can lead to practical advances years or decades later. Eventually it could have applications in engineering, manufacturing and other fields to learn how much stress a material can handle. This could have implications for understanding wear and tear in infrastructure, like roads and bridges, clothing materials, such as cloth and plastics, and vehicle materials, like metals and plastics.

Building the Next Generation

The NSF grant will also support the training and mentorship of graduate students and early-career researchers, ensuring the continuation of this cutting-edge research.

“Some of the most exciting progress I’ve made has come from working closely with colleagues—sharing ideas, challenging each other and building something new together,” Onninen says, emphasizing the collaborative nature of mathematical discovery.

This latest grant marks Onninen’s seventh standard NSF award since joining the University.

“The mathematics department is thrilled that Professor Jani Onninen has received this prestigious NSF award, recognizing his groundbreaking work,” says��, professor and department chair. “His research continues to elevate the department’s profile and provides outstanding opportunities for our graduate students to participate in cutting-edge research, fostering their development as the next generation of scholars.”

Story by John H. Tibbetts

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

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

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

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

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

Jessamyn Neuhaus

Small Changes, Big Difference

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

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

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

Student Feedback a Wake-Up Call

Jean-Daniel Medjo

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

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

Janine Nieroda

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

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

Welcoming, Accessible

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

Kamala Ramadoss

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

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

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

Now ���ϲ����� scientists are diving deep to understand how these tiny, temporary droplets—known as condensates—work, which could lead to new ways of treating or preventing several brain disorders.

Carlos Castañeda

Aging is tough on protein management in our cells. “The mechanisms that we call protein quality control do not work as well anymore,” says , associate professor of biology and chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Castañeda has been awarded a five-year, $2 million National Institutes of Health R35 MIRA award to study the link between protein quality control and “biomolecular condensates.”

“Losing protein quality control is related to some neurodegenerative disorders,” says Castañeda. “We are trying to understand those mechanisms so we can see why cells are not able to take care of proteins as they did earlier in life.”

Storage Closets and Trash Dumps

Scientists are discovering that cells contain tiny droplets that function like liquid storage closets, gathering, fixing, recycling or removing dysfunctional proteins. But as we age or respond to stress, our cells can lose effectiveness in cleaning up and managing these proteins.

When repair and recycling systems are lacking, damaged proteins can accumulate, forming clumps that may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. The droplets themselves can harden into sticky protein clumps, leaving long-term trash dumps in the brain.

In recent years, scientists have learned that droplet compartments are not rigid, permanent parts of the cell. Instead, they are membrane-less gatherings of specialized proteins that cluster together under certain conditions. These droplets appear and disappear when needed, helping cells adapt. Droplets gather and disperse based on stress, temperature and cellular signals.

Image depicting how cells form temporary condensates under stress conditions. In magenta is a target protein of interest, UBQLN2, and in green is a stress granule (condensate) marker. The bottom row is a merge containing blue for the nucleus. (Photo courtesy of Anitha Rajendran)

The Castañeda team aims to learn more about what causes droplets to form, what droplets are made of and how droplets decide which proteins are problematic and need fixing, recycling or removing.

Forces at Work

The research team will use a dual approach. They will perform molecular experiments to learn about changes to protein structure and dynamics, and cell biology-based approaches to observe living processes.

In molecular work, they will construct artificial droplets outside of cells to watch how changes in protein combinations or stress signals change their behavior, such as their ability to recruit different proteins or mediate different downstream outcomes (protein degradation or not).

The team will also perform studies of living cells. The researchers want to know more about how droplets manage damaged proteins when cells are stressed. They will study cellular signals that form these droplets and how different protein combinations can affect droplet behavior.

“We make a droplet in a test tube to see how the organization of these components change with different conditions and take components apart so we can understand how they come together,” says Castañeda. “Think of it as understanding a car engine by both building and dismantling it.”

These basic scientific investigations could have transformative long-term impacts, such as identifying critical points where intervention might prevent or treat protein clumps. It could potentially illuminate similar mechanisms across different neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases such as cancer.

The University’s collaborative and supportive research ecosystem (e.g., the BioInspired Institute, the Bioimaging Center, high-field NMR at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) has been crucial to the development of this study, allowing scientists in different fields to share techniques and insights, access specialized equipment and develop more comprehensive research strategies, Castañeda notes.

“This field requires scientists from multiple fields—biology, chemistry, physics and engineering—working together,” says Castañeda. “This work would not have been possible without the many talented postdocs, graduate students, undergraduates and high school students that have gone through our lab. A special thanks to our lab manager and senior scientist Dr. Thuy Dao. I am deeply appreciative of our key collaborators at SU (e.g., Heidi Hehnly, Shahar Sukenik, Heather Meyer, Li-En Jao) and beyond (Dan Kraut at Villanova, Jeroen Roelofs at KUMC). Finally, I am very grateful to A&S and the VPR office for their support over the years.”

Story by John Tibbetts

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

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

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

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

Your Moment Is Now

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

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

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

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

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

��‘Come as You Are’

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

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

seriously,” he said.

He then spoke to the incoming students with two requests.

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

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

Take Full Advantage of the Next Four Years

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

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

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

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

��‘Countless Ways to Realize Your Potential’

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

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

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

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

Ashley Bigham & Erik Herrmann ()

Erik Herrmann (left) and Ashley Bigham

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

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

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

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

Pablo Sequero

Pablo Sequero (salazarsequeromedina)

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

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

Ali Chen

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

Ali Chen (Ali Conchita Chen)

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

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

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

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

Hernán Díaz Alonso

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

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

Stephen Zimmerer

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

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

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

Fei Wang

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

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

Nan Wang

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

Yiming Wang

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

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

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

The members for academic year 2025-26 are:

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

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

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

Julie Niederhoff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tina Nabatchi, Joseph A. Strasser Endowed Professor in Public Administration in the Maxwell School, submitted a request to The Reynolds Foundation to fund a project called “On the Front Lines of Democracy: (Re)Shaping the Ecosystem of Freedom and Philanthropy.”

With a new $1 million gift from The Reynolds Foundation, researchers at the hope to create a new global map, one that provides a clear pathway to strengthening democracy and freedom throughout the world.

“We hope to be able to map the global democracy movement, to create bridges between those individuals and organizations that can provide resources and support and those on the front lines doing the work of democracy,” says Tina Nabatchi, Joseph A. Strasser Endowed Professor in Public Administration and director of the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC). She submitted a request to The Reynolds Foundation to fund a project called “On the Front Lines of Democracy: (Re)Shaping the Ecosystem of Freedom and Philanthropy.”

“This project is based on a fundamental premise,” says Nabatchi. “If we want to shape and strengthen the ecosystem for democracy and freedom around the world, then we must bridge the critical gap between what actors on the frontlines of democracy are doing and how and why the philanthropic community is, and is not, supporting them.”

The foundation, which focuses its funding on medicine, education, and freedom and democracy, was impressed. “The Front Lines of Democracy project is a timely intervention in a global crisis. It comes at a pivotal moment in history, making it of particular interest to The Reynolds Foundation,” says Alvaro Salas-Castro G’18, president and CEO.

“With 72% of the global population now living under authoritarian rule, the erosion of democracy is no longer a distant concern, it is an urgent global emergency. Yet, the philanthropic response remains dramatically disproportionate,” Salas-Castro says. “By spotlighting this imbalance and exploring why democracy and freedom remain underfunded, the project fills a critical gap in both awareness and strategy and��offers a unique opportunity to respond at a moment when the need for bold, coordinated support for democratic resilience has never been greater.”

Nabatchi notes that only about 2% of U.S.-based philanthropic funding is directed toward supporting democracy and freedom efforts. A critical focus of the Front Lines project is to facilitate research into understanding how foundations, philanthropists and other funders perceive investments in democracy and freedom.

“Maybe they are interested in women’s rights or biodiversity. Can we articulate a case connecting those interests with democracy efforts?” says Nabatchi. “Can we help philanthropists figure out better ways to get their money to groups on the ground who are doing good work, even—or maybe especially—if they are working in countries that lack stable democratic institutions.”

Building a Network of Connectors and Connections

The project team will conduct extensive research to assess the supply side of the ecosystem (foundations, philanthropists, etc.) and examine the demand side of the ecosystem (democracy advocates and activists operating on the ground around the world), and then build an effective network of connectors and connections. The intention, of course, is to ensure that resources (funding, technical and operational support, etc.) are directed where they are needed most, and where they have the greatest chance of impacting lives in positive ways.

“This initiative embodies the kind of bold, systems-level thinking we urgently need,” says Maximilien Reynolds, director of projects at The Reynolds Foundation. “By highlighting the ecosystem and connecting those on the front lines with meaningful philanthropic resources, this project offers not only insight, but actionable pathways to strengthen freedom globally. We’re proud to support a vision that turns data into strategy, and strategy into real-world impact.”

“There are few things more important in the world or more fundamental to Maxwell’s mission than the preservation and promotion of democracy,” says Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke. “This gift from The Reynolds Foundation will enable our researchers, led by Tina Nabatchi, to expand the scope and impact of all those supporting, studying and investing in the foundations of democracy.”

“Interdisciplinary research is the hallmark of ���ϲ�����,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Bringing together the best minds in social sciences, public policy, public administration, international relations, sociology, geography, public affairs and more creates an ecosystem from which innovative ideas can translate into real-world change.”

Commitment to Democratic Values

The University’s interdisciplinary research and experience were important to The Reynolds Foundation and familiar to Salas-Castro, who completed his doctoral studies at ���ϲ�����.

“My own experience at Maxwell gave me a deep appreciation for the power of rigorous, interdisciplinary research to address complex global challenges. That approach is clearly evident in the Front Lines of Democracy project,” Salas-Castro says. “The combination of academic excellence, practical application and a strong commitment to democratic values mirrors the very ethos of the school. Knowing the strength of the faculty, the collaborative culture, and the resources at PARCC, I have complete confidence in the project’s ability to generate meaningful insights and lasting impact.”

Nabatchi believes the new gift strengthens the University’s position in the global study and strengthening of democracy. She notes the impressive and important work of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship (IDJC) in Washington, D.C., as an extension of the research taking place on campus and a bridge between PARCC and the Maxwell School’s advocacy efforts in the nation’s capital.

“I’d like to see similarly impactful work integrating research in democracy, advocacy, activism and philanthropy centralized on the University’s main campus through PARCC and the Maxwell School,” Nabatchi says. “Maxwell has a long history of success with projects that connect research and practice. We are great at research and teaching and we are insanely good at building networks. I’ve never seen the kind of alumni networks we’ve built at Maxwell and ���ϲ����� anywhere else! I’d like to see us bring together all those strengths to impact the lives of people around the world.”

The new research funding will help develop data-driven strategies to strengthen networks of advocates and funders by mapping key actors, resources and funding flows and prioritizing issues, geographies and communities in urgent need of support. Beyond more traditional academic research publications, the project team also will create comprehensive guides, webinars and training materials to educate funders and activists on the most impactful ways to assist and advance democracy movements.

“I envision a Grantmaker’s Guide to Democracy and Freedom,” says Nabatchi. “This would help those who are passionate about democracy and freedom direct their resources to individuals and groups on the ground who are doing good work, and help ensure that philanthropy is having a measurable impact on improving lives.

“In this polarized world, the work we are doing is not partisan. It is inherently political, but not partisan. It’s collaborative,” Nabatchi says. “It’s about making philanthropy more potent, and ultimately, strengthening democracy globally.”

‘What If I Try This?’: Helen Frankenthaler in the 20th-Century Print Ecosystem

In the Joe and Emily Lowe Galleries, “What If I Try This?” examines the printmaking career of celebrated abstract artist Helen Frankenthaler H’85 (1928-2011). Curated by Melissa Yuen, the exhibition grew from a 2023 gift of 11 prints and one set of process proofs from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation as part of the Frankenthaler Prints Initiative and explores how Frankenthaler, in collaboration with seven print studios, pushed the boundaries of printmaking.

Featuring loans from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation (New York), the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation (Portland, Oregon), the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester (Rochester, New York), Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, New Jersey) and Munson Museum of Art (Utica, N.Y.), the show considers the collaborative and technical nature of printmaking and emphasizes that prints are not simply ink on paper, but the outcome of experimentation and technological innovation.

“I am delighted to celebrate and share the Frankenthaler Foundation’s generous gift to ���ϲ����� with our audiences,” says curator Melissa Yuen. “At the same time, through the different partnerships the artist sustained throughout her five-decade-long printmaking career we are able to explore the vibrant printmaking ecosystem that continues to flourish today. The daring experiments Frankenthaler and her collaborators realized remind us that invention requires risk, and that the creative process is rarely linear.”

An opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 11, will feature a keynote talk by Alexander Nemerov, the Carl and Marilynn Thomas Provostial Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Stanford University. A part of yearlong series focusing on the theme of “Creativity,” presented by the , Nemerov’s talk will explore Frankenthaler’s ���ϲ����� connection by way of ���ϲ����� alum and famed 20th-century art critic Clement Greenberg ’30. The talk begins at 4:30 p.m. at 500 Hall of Languages with a reception to follow at the Art Museum in the Shaffer Art Building.

Helen Frankenthaler, the celebrated 20th-century abstract artist, pushed the boundaries of printmaking in collaboration with print workshops around the world, including Crown Point Press in San Francisco where she collaborated with Kathan Brown on this work, “Nepenthe. “

‘A Sense of Arrival’

“A Sense of Arrival” brings together scholarship and artistic practice in a multimedia installation by , professor of rhetoric and writing in the Department of Writing Studies in the . Browne’s exhibition combines photographs, sculpture and new writings that reflect a decades-long meditation on Caribbean blackness, being and rhetorical expression.

A public reading and conversation with Browne will be held later in the fall, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the artist-scholar’s evolving work.

This self-portrait of Kevin Adonis Browne, professor of rhetoric and writing in the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of a series on view this fall as part of a series taken in 2020.

‘Human/Environment: 4,000 Years of Art’

A new permanent collection exhibition in the Morton and Luise Kaish Gallery and Collection Galleries, “Human/Environment: 4,000 Years of Art” examines the relationship between people and their environments across time and space. The exhibition draws from the museum’s collection of nearly 45,000 works and includes works ranging from ancient to contemporary.

Organized around themes such as landscape, the home, places of gathering and the human figure, “Human/Environment” asks viewers to consider how physical, cultural and material environments shape artistic expression—and vice versa.

This exhibition will be on view for the next four academic years, and the museum hopes it will serve as an anchor for broader conversations about humanity and our place in the world.

On display as part of “Human/Environment: 4,000 Years of Art,” [Ishtar] is one of the oldest items in the Art Museum’s collection.

The Art Wall Project: ‘Why Does My Adobo Taste Different?’

2025-26 Art Wall artist Bhen Alan has constructed a monumental handwoven banig (like the one pictured here) from plant fibers, strips of plastic and deconstructed paintings he previously made of his family members.

Artist, dancer and educator Bhen Alan brings his lived experience as a Filipino immigrant in Canada and the United States to a large-scale, site-specific installation in the museum’s Art Wall Project. Alan has constructed a monumental banig, a traditional Filipino handwoven textile created from plant fibers, strips of plastic and paintings he previously made of his family members.

“I want [museum visitors] to understand the experience of immigrant people … especially with everything that is happening right now in this political climate,” artist Bhen Alan says. “This work really is a labor of love, and I hope that whoever spends time with the work or whoever sees the work, even in a brief moment, I hope they find love and care for one another and for themselves.”

Now in its fifth iteration, the Art Wall Project spotlights contemporary artists whose work inspires interdisciplinary conversations within the campus community. The project is generously supported by the Wege Foundation.

The ���ϲ����� Art Museum’s fall season presents a range of exhibitions grounded in its diverse collection that explores art and ecology, personal family narratives and pioneering printmaking. Together, they demonstrate art’s ability to spark conversation, bring together disciplines and help us better understand our world and each other.

Watch a Time-Lapse Installation of ‘Why Does My Adobo Taste Different?’

Video filmed, edited and produced by Amy Manley, senior multimedia producer

For more information on exhibitions, events and museum hours, visit .

During Rebecca Xu’s AI in Creative Practice course, students combine hands-on experiences with AI tools, thinking critically about the creative and ethical implications of using AI. This work was produced by student Adam Hazem.

Artists have always embraced new technologies to push the boundaries of their creations—balancing imagination and authenticity with innovation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no different, says , professor of computer art and animation in the Department of Film and Media Arts in the .

Rebecca Xu

Xu’s research explores how emerging technologies, particularly AI, can enhance the creative process for such art forms as artistic data visualization, visual music, digital performance and interactive installations.

Over the years, Xu has conducted experiments with generative programming and AI, and her animated work “Péripéties: Fragile Sovereignties”��has been featured in national and international exhibitions, including the upcoming .

While some in the creative fields are reluctant to embrace AI, Xu says the sooner artists learn to work with and adapt to AI, the sooner they will benefit.

“It’s another tool we can use with our creative practices. I’m exploring ways to integrate it into my own,” says Xu, who has taught undergraduate and graduate-level classes on using AI in the creative process.

“A lot of students fear AI, but I want to teach my students how to use AI to their advantage.”

Xu sat down with SU News to reflect on AI’s influence on the arts and share her advice for how students should incorporate AI into their artworks.

AI Is Having a Positive Impact

“Some people see AI replacing human creativity. Other people see AI enhancing creativity. I’m on the side that AI is having a positive impact.

“Being in the field of digital art, I’m always dealing with the impact of new technology. AI is not that different from other technological enhancements. Through innovation, AI can enhance human creativity. But it does raise questions about what constitutes human versus machine creativity, whether machines can have true creativity, and how we define creativity itself.”

An example of how Professor Rebecca Xu incorporates AI tools into creating art

Take the Camera, for Example

“When the camera first came along, it shook up the art world the same way AI is shaking up creativity right now. Before the camera, painting was the primary visual art form to capture reality. The camera changed everything. Many traditional painters, particularly those who focused on realistic paintings, thought cameras were taking over and meant their work had no meaning. But that wasn’t true.

“The invention of the camera helped artists create new ways to express themselves. When new technology or techniques come along, that’s when you start to see new art forms; that’s how we progress and move forward in the art world.

“Art is always about self-expression. Whether you use a camera, a paint brush, clay or computer software and AI, those are the media and different means for creating art. The content and how you communicate through your art is the most important thing.”

Generating Ideas and Inspiration Through AI

“Start in the preproduction phase to utilize the advantages of AI. With my animation classes, I have students develop a concept, a story, concept art and character designs, areas where AI can really help by offering inspiration and possible directions to explore. They can try out different visual styles and designs to see which ones best fit their idea.

“AI is also a very good training tool for the technical skills they need for the production phase. What is the difference between a long, medium and close-up shot? How do you put those elements together? AI offers useful tools, but you still need to produce your own original work instead of using something generated by AI.

“I would encourage people, particularly in the creative fields, to embrace AI as a collaboration tool. But not everybody needs to use AI. There’s a misconception that if you don’t use AI, you are outdated or less of an artist. That’s not true. Traditional art forms—paintings, ceramics and sculptures—retain their own values, and I think the current integration of AI makes us value traditional artwork even more because of the human touches and the lived human experiences that shaped the art form are irreplaceable. But AI can open up new ways to create, teach and experience art.”

Artwork created by Mohamed Keita, a student in Rebecca Xu’s AI in Creative Practice course

���ϲ����� professor J. Christopher Hamilton has worked for a number of media conglomerates, including Paramount Global, as a business executive and lawyer. He says the federal government’s role in this merger and the conditions attached to it could reshape American media in a number of ways.

In a corporate climate where politically sensitive programming can suddenly be deemed expendable, perception may matter as much as reality.

J. Christopher Hamilton

• “The timing raises uncomfortable questions. Just days before the deal closed, BET indefinitely suspended its Hip-Hop and Soul Train Awards, two of the most visible televised celebrations of Black culture. Official statements cited low ratings, but is it a coincidence that this decision came as the merged entity was navigating federal approval tied to DEI pullbacks? In a corporate climate where politically sensitive programming can suddenly be deemed expendable, perception may matter as much as reality.”

Prof. Hamilton says the decisions made by Paramount Skydance in its early days will set the tone for the merger.

• “Will we see a steady retreat from politically or culturally challenging material? Will “mainstream appeal” be the new euphemism for risk-averse, government-friendly content? Or will the company’s tech-driven growth strategy open new lanes for diverse, innovative storytelling despite the rollback of formal DEI policies?”

If this merger becomes the template for future government-blessed media deals, the cost may be far greater than the $8 billion on the balance sheet.

J. Christopher Hamilton

Prof. Hamilton adds there’s no question that the new combined company is stronger than either Paramount or Skydance could have been on their own.

• “But in this marriage, the real test won’t be whether it can outgun Disney or Netflix; it will be whether it can prove that political conditions don’t mean cultural compromise. Because if this merger becomes the template for future government-blessed media deals, the cost may be far greater than the $8 billion on the balance sheet.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Chris Munoz
Media Relations Specialist
cjmunoz@syr.edu

This year’s Museum Faculty Fellows are:

• , professor of practice in human development and family science, College of Arts and Sciences
• , visiting teaching professor, College of Law
• , associate professor of film and media arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• , professor of biomedical and chemical engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Colleen Cameron

“This cohort is especially robust, with representation from schools and colleges that have not participated in the fellowship before,” says Miranda Traudt, assistant provost for strategic initiatives and director of the arts. “These faculty members bring an interesting approach to using the art collection to enhance coursework, and demonstrate how the arts contribute to experiential learning opportunities for faculty and students.”

Colleen Cameron: Healthcare Communication

Cameron plans to integrate museum materials into the course HFS 400 Healthcare Communication: Research, Theory and Practice this fall. Her aim is to “create a course where students can view healthcare communication though a lens influenced by humanities and social science frameworks.” As part of the course, students will select an object that connects to death notification, and will present it at a session held at the museum at the end of the semester. They will also engage in two object-based art experiences followed by reflective essays.

Maria Cudowska

Maria Cudowska: Cultural Protection

Cudowska will use museum objects in the fall course LAW 882 National Security Research Center/Counterterrorism Center and/or the spring course LAW 897-M601 National Security Negotiations. “Object-based assignments and a visit to the museum’s collections [will] immerse students in the legal, policy and cultural dimensions of protecting art and heritage in conflict zones,” Cudowska says. “By treating cultural property as both a legal subject and a vessel of identity and diplomacy, students will develop the tools to evaluate and advocate for cultural protections within national security frameworks.”

Kelly Gallagher

Kelly Gallagher: Community Connections

Gallagher will use museum materials in the spring course FIL 500 Cameraless Filmmaking + Recycled Images. Students will learn numerous cameraless filmmaking techniques through hands-on teaching and practice. Following a visit to the museum, where staff will present 10 or more objects from the collection, students will choose a piece of art to serve as the inspiration for a short cameraless film. “My experience as a Faculty Fellow will enhance my teaching by encouraging me to return to a pillar of my pedagogy: connecting my students with our larger ���ϲ����� community,” Gallagher says.

Shikha Nangia: From Artifacts to Materials Design With AI

Shikha Nangia

This fall, Nangia will integrate museum artifacts into ECS 326 Engineering Materials, Properties and Processing to create an interdisciplinary learning experience. Students will study objects made of metals, ceramics, textiles and wood—linking core engineering principles to historical, cultural and artistic contexts. “By examining these materials, students gain hands-on insight into how properties influence design and function across time,” Nangia says. The course will also introduce AI tools to analyze artifacts and assist in designing a new material inspired by historical examples—bridging engineering, history and technology. “It’s a powerful opportunity to enrich learning by connecting course concepts to real-world materials and uncovering patterns through AI,” Nangia says.

Varied Perspectives

Kate Holohan, the museum’s curator of education and academic outreach, says, “Each fellow brings their own disciplinary perspectives to objects that the museum often presents in an art historical context. We’re excited to support innovative, interdisciplinary and experiential teaching and learning at the museum, and to see how the fellows’ engagement with art historical and museum-thinking bring new teaching frameworks to healthcare communication, national security law, filmmaking and engineering.”

The Faculty Fellows program is hosted by the museum with support from the Office of Strategic Initiatives and the Office of Research in Academic Affairs.

Mary Graham

As Major League Baseball prepares for a historic moment this weekend with Jen Pawol becoming the first woman to umpire a major league game, Falk College of Sport Professor Mary Graham calls it “overdue,” and emphasizes the broader implications for gender equity in professional athletics.

“This is a historic and admirable achievement to be the first woman to officiate a major league baseball game,” Graham says. “It will be particularly momentous when she serves as plate umpire on Sunday. Credit is also due to the women before Jen who aspired to be major league umpires, most notably Pam Postema in the late 1980s, who reached a glass ceiling at the AAA level.”

Graham notes that while Pawol is the first to reach the MLB level, women have long been officiating in lower tiers of professional baseball. She also highlights systemic challenges that have historically limited women’s advancement in male-dominated sports leagues.

“Minor league systems may serve as places for women’s careers to plateau because of sexism in evaluation and promotion processes,” Graham says. “No doubt Jen Pawol endured a good deal of slights and obstacles on her way to the major league.”

Still, Graham sees signs of progress. She points to the MLB Umpire Prospect Development Camp, launched in 2022 and open to all genders, as a hopeful step toward more inclusive opportunities.

“Sometimes gender equity progress is not linear; Jen Pawol may be opening the floodgates of opportunity for women in baseball with her historic assignment this weekend,” Graham says.

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with Mary Graham, please contact Keith Kobland at kkobland@syr.edu.

The former television anchor and reporter returned from a three-week Fulbright Specialist experience in Kosovo, where he trained journalists at the country’s public service broadcaster, Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), as part of the New Trends in Communication project.

Adornato, associate professor and chair of broadcast and digital journalism in the , went into the field with reporters, covering a variety of stories, and led sessions on social media and audience engagement.

“It was such a rewarding experience,” Adornato says. “I was welcomed with open arms and felt right at home at RTK.”

Below, he reflects on the experience and his continued collaboration with RTK.

Please tell us a little about RTK.

Ilire Zajmi, at left, director of training for RTK, and Anthony Adornato, center, watch the work going on in the RTK control room.

RTK was established after the Kosovo War (February 1998 to June 1999) and operates both radio and television platforms. As Kosovo’s national broadcaster, RTK plays a vital role in delivering news across the country. Its services are available through both terrestrial and satellite networks, reaching not only people in Kosovo but also members of the significant Kosovar diaspora who left the country after the war.

RTK provides programming in both Albanian and Serbian, reflecting the country’s linguistic diversity. While it is primarily funded through the state budget, this financial structure has raised ongoing concerns about editorial independence and long-term sustainability.

What kind of training did you give, and what are some of the trends and best practices that you shared with the journalists?

Anthony Adornato, at right, with RTK journalist Qëndresa Duraku Xharra

I worked closely with both the social media and website teams, as well as with journalists in the main newsroom. I had the chance to go into the field with journalists to cover a variety of stories, including a court case involving a politician and the environmental effects of a polluted river on a local neighborhood. These stories were featured in RTK’s national evening news.

In addition to fieldwork, I led hands-on sessions focused on mobile journalism, multimedia storytelling and social media strategy. The social media team quickly applied new Instagram approaches we developed together, aiming to offer followers more meaningful content and interaction. We also explored such current trends as solutions journalism and audience engagement tactics—approaches that help news organizations build trust and connect more deeply with their communities.

Kosovo is a young democracy. How critical is RTK’s work there?

RTK’s role is absolutely critical. Witnessing efforts to build democratic systems, particularly a free press, was incredibly impactful. As a public broadcaster, RTK is central to informing citizens, promoting transparency and contributing to a shared national identity in a post-conflict society.

It also plays an important role in countering disinformation from foreign actors. Russia—and to some extent Serbia—are known to push disinformation in Kosovo as part of broader regional strategies in the Balkans. These narratives often aim to undermine Kosovo’s independence and state institutions and promote anti-democratic sentiment.

What similarities/differences have you seen between media in Kosovo and the United States?

One of the most striking similarities is the shared passion for journalism. In both countries, journalists are deeply committed to truth-telling and serving the public interest. While Kosovo’s media sector operates with more limited resources and infrastructure, the core values of journalism—accuracy, accountability and integrity—are clearly present.

Anthony Adornato, center, is pictured with, from left, Gjergj Anton Filipaj (RTK), Nora Nimani Musa (program coordinator, American Councils for International Education, Kosovo), Ilire Zajmi (RTK) and Bekim Shehu (RTK).

RTK journalists work under challenging conditions, with outdated equipment, staffing shortages and low wages. Despite these hurdles, they remain dedicated to providing reliable information to the public. The challenges they face highlight the resilience and determination of those working in public media.

RTK faces significant challenges common to public media in transitional democracies, including threats to editorial independence, given that it is government funded, and lack of sustainable funding. Currently, RTK is navigating a severe financial crisis due to the failure of institutions to allocate the legally approved budget. The International and European Federations of Journalists, along with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, have urged authorities to ensure stable funding for RTK.

Will your collaboration with the RTK journalists continue into the future?

We ended my stay by discussing future visits and ongoing collaboration. I see this Fulbright Specialist experience as just the beginning of a long-term partnership. Now that I understand RTK’s internal operations and have developed strong relationships with many of the journalists, we’re brainstorming ways to continue knowledge-sharing and training well beyond this initial visit.

What would you say to fellow faculty who might be interested in pursuing a similar Fulbright experience?

A Fulbright—whether through the Specialist Program or the U.S. Scholar Program—is personally and professionally enriching in ways that exceeded my expectations. It offers a unique opportunity to share your expertise while also learning from colleagues abroad.

Fulbright experiences often lead to longer-term collaborations. For example, in 2021 I was a Fulbright Scholar in Italy. After teaching a mobile and social media journalism course to Italian master’s students in Milan, I’ve been invited back each year, and the course is now a regular part of the curriculum. If you are applying for a Fulbright Scholar, you’ll want to time that with a sabbatical because these are typically a minimum of a semester. The Fulbright Specialist program is shorter-term, so even those who are not eligible for a sabbatical could easily make this work.

Look at the required application materials. That will give you an idea of the time commitment. Also, chat with those who have taken part in the Fulbright program. There is a CNY Fulbright Chapter that could be of help too—the members have taken part in some type of Fulbright and include professors and practitioners.

A trio of honors for Yalian Pei (left), Beth Prieve (center) and Megan Leece.

Three researchers in the Department of have recently gained new funding or professional recognition.

, assistant professor, has received support from the University’s . This initiative advances science, policy or practice in public health communications or population health that could lead to external grant proposals. Pei is co-investigating the relationship among health communication discrimination, cognitive communication disorders and healthcare use among individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Findings could advance understanding of healthcare access barriers faced by individuals with TBI. This research could also provide evidence that modifying health communication affects health quality, and resulting interventions could help reduce access disparities and improve recovery outcomes for individuals with TBI.

Professor����has received the��, which recognizes an individual who has made extraordinary contributions through service to the��. Prieve studies basic physiological and behavioral processes of the auditory system to improve the diagnosis of hearing loss. Prieve founded the����at ���ϲ����� in 1990 and remains the director and lead researcher of the team. The lab focuses on identifying hearing loss in infants and children (birth to five years) with a particular emphasis on linking underlying auditory physiological processes to hearing impairment.

, research speech language pathologist, received the Distinguished Achievement Award through the����in recognition of her clinical, research and academic achievements. The award acknowledged her contributions in student training, clinical presentations, publications, clinical research design and execution of high-quality therapy in clinical trials. The award is open to members of the association who have distinguished themselves in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders and/or the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology.

Story by John H. Tibbetts

Two faculty volunteers with the (��ճ���)’s ��received a new internal award recognizing their achievements in maintaining academic integrity standards and policies across the University.

Academic Integrity Outstanding Service Awards were presented to , associate dean for academic affairs in the , and , assistant teaching professor of in the .

The recipients “go well above and beyond for our department,” says Kate Marzen, CTLE assistant director of academic expectations. “We could not fulfill our responsibilities and commitment to the ���ϲ����� community without the amazing volunteers involved in this program.”

Aileen Gallagher

Gallagher has been deeply involved with academic integrity, Marzen says. During the 2024-25 academic year, Gallagher served as academic integrity coordinator for the Newhouse School, spearheading campaigns to share procedural updates, creating a sense of faculty buy-in and modeling positive academic integrity collaborations. She previously supported the academic integrity office in every possible capacity, providing comprehensive case submission, faculty interview completion and faculty panelist service. “These are roles that require diligence, attention to detail and balance between student empathy and policy implementation, which Aileen has mastered,” Marzen says.

Laura Lisnyczyj

Lisnyczyj continually provides valuable feedback from a faculty perspective, which has helped the academic integrity team improve the academic integrity seminar, faculty reporting forms and policy violation and sanction classification rubric, Marzen says. “She is also an academic integrity champion in the classroom, helping students navigate situations and questions, modeling positive academic integrity behavior and teaching the importance of self-advocacy, following course/assignment expectations and asking questions if a student lacks clarity. Her unrelenting student-centeredness and focus makes her beyond deserving of this award,” Marzen says.

The academic integrity team implements and supports the University’s academic integrity policies and procedures. They work with faculty, instructors, students and staff to promote understanding of the University’s academic integrity policy and coordinate its administration, and they maintain records of all academic integrity cases. The team also creates online resources for classroom use, joins faculty in making academic integrity presentations and is available for consultation about academic integrity standards. The team consists of two full-time employees, several part-time student panelists, a spring practicum student and a pool of volunteers.

Patrick Penfield

is a professor of practice in supply chain management and director of executive education at the ���ϲ����� Whitman School. He provides insight about how everything from clothing to classroom items like pens and pencils may be impacted this year. His advice? Parents should begin shopping as soon as possible to get lower prices and better variety.

Penfield says:

“Increased prices and lack of product variety due to tariffs will impact back-to-school shoppers this fall. Many retailers have been trying to manage tariff price impacts by ordering less inventory from high tariff countries and trying to source domestically. Products such as apparel, sneakers, backpacks, pens and pencils will cost more and there will be less options for these items.

“Prices on back-to-school items could be 15-25% higher by Sept. 1.”

To request interviews or get more information, please contact:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

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

Kasey Laurent gives a lesson to students using a wind tunnel during the annual STEM Trekkers summer program. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

A friendly competition is brewing in the corner of a basement classroom in Link Hall during the annual , where students are participating in a time-honored ritual: seeing who can build a paper airplane that travels the farthest.

The children—in grades five through nine—take turns winding up and whipping their creations towards the double doors. Some models nosedive, while others glide effortlessly through the air. Two students manage to toss their airplanes 54 feet, drawing applause from their peers.

Their prize? A greater understanding of aerodynamics, including learning more about the why and how of flight. And plenty of smiles and laughter.

Kasey Laurent

“When the kids are so immersed in the science behind building paper airplanes and trying out different models, it might seem like chaos, but they’re learning and the whole process is quite gratifying,” says , assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the (ECS).

The three-day program is a collaboration between the nonprofit (TACNY) and ECS faculty and students. Children learn while having fun, which was the goal when Program Chair Sue Sobon came up with the STEM Trekkers program in 2021.

“I saw a need for our kids to be more hands-on with what they were learning. This program has strong ties to ���ϲ�����. Our students hear from professors and students in different fields. The kids learn that a STEM career is something they can pursue,” says Sobon, a science teacher at Pine Grove Middle School in the East ���ϲ����� Minoa Central School district.

Sparking Early Interest in STEM

Rodrick Kuate Defo

This year, 70 students from 11 districts participated in this free program. The topics covered included aerodynamics, plastics and polymers, nanotechnology, microplastics, microbiology and open-source data.

“Technology is so important in our daily lives, and I’m excited to introduce these students to areas that are growing in importance,” says , assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

Among the ECS faculty who volunteered were Laurent, Kuate Defo, , assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, , assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and Eric Finkelstein and Lihong Lao with the .

Yiyang Sun

“We try to spark their STEM interest when they’re young so they can think about what it would take to study STEM in the future,” Sun says. “The research we do provides the students with a high-level understanding of the topics we’re teaching.”

The experiences working and learning alongside current ���ϲ����� students—utilizing the same facilities where these undergraduates conduct their research—motivate the students to want to become the next generation of STEM enthusiasts, Sun says.

“I feel excited when I see the kids getting excited and feeling inspired by this research. When they ask more about college life, the future of aerodynamics and what it takes to succeed in this career, that’s the most rewarding part,” Sun says.

Learning Lessons Beyond the Classroom��

Students observe a demonstration on aerodynamics in a water tunnel in a classroom in Link Hall. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Besides sparking their interest in STEM, the program participants often find mentorship with their research instructors, forming a big brother/big sister type of relationship.

“By showing examples of students who have taken this path, the kids can realize that a STEM career is possible for them,” Kuate Defo says. “They can see themselves following this path. We want to spread the excitement by showing them cool examples of a particular scientific concept.”

The concepts extend beyond the lessons being taught, emphasizing the need for students to develop their critical thinking skills and begin to apply the lessons learned during the hands-on exercises to the science that is all around them.

“Since they know the science behind how to build paper airplanes, maybe they now can look at how birds can fly. These exercises present so many lessons for them to draw from,” Laurent says.

Sue Sobon

The opportunity to learn from professors across different industries in a collaborative environment that features lively lessons is incredibly helpful, as are the follow-up discussions that tie together that day’s lessons. The students leave each day feeling empowered to further their education, feeling like they are more connected to the subject material and feeling like a STEM career is an attainable goal.

“This is all about exposure. How will a child know if they’re good at something if they don’t get exposed to it?” Sobon says. “I want the kids to see everyone working together on these projects, and to know there’s always a space for them and a place for their interests.”

Sobon says the STEM Trekkers program connects with local businesses and agencies to demonstrate the different applications of STEM concepts in industry and in the community. This year’s community partners include Jason Scharf (deputy director) and Nicole Broadnax (program analyst) for the City of ���ϲ�����’s department of information services; Monica Caves, research scientist and outreach coordinator with the Upstate Freshwater Institute; and Lisa Piering, environmental educator and recycling specialist with the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency.

Two students try their hand at throwing a homemade paper airplane as far as they can during the recent STEM Trekkers summer program. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

From “yeet” to “social distancing,” new words and phrases constantly emerge and evolve in American English. But how do these neologisms—newly coined terms—gain acceptance and become part of mainstream dialect?

We interviewed , associate professor of linguistics in the , to better understand the fascinating process behind language evolution.

The Birth of New Words

Christopher Green

Most neologisms aren’t totally new creations, according to Green. “It is fairly rare for entirely new terms to emerge,” he says. Instead, most new words contain repurposed pieces of existing terms or represent nuanced changes where existing meanings expand or contract.

However, completely new terms do occasionally surface. Take “yeet,” most commonly meaning to throw something away. This recent addition to American slang emerged among younger social media users and spread rapidly through digital platforms, illustrating how modern technology accelerates language evolution.

“A term must have a community of use whereby some string of sounds and an associated meaning come to be accepted and used by that community and eventually more broadly,” Green says. “Social media and global news cycles now help spread new terms far more quickly than in times past.”

The Question of ‘Official’ Recognition

When does a word “officially” become part of the language? Green suggests this concept is more fluid than many realize. While some track when dictionaries add new words to their collections, and the American Dialect Society holds yearly meetings where linguists vote on a “word (or phrase) of the year,” these represent informal recognition rather than official status.

Patterns of Acceptance and Rejection

Many neologisms follow cyclical patterns, appearing, disappearing and sometimes reemerging based on changing circumstances. “Who knew what ‘social distancing’ was before 2020?” Green asks. The term rapidly gained widespread use during the pandemic, then largely fell out of everyday conversation—though it remains in our collective memory, ready to resurface if needed.

Generational language patterns also repeat over time. “Every generation has its term to express their liking of something,” Green says, citing examples like “rad, cool, fly, hip, neato, fire, lit and savage.” These terms often function as markers of in-group versus out-group identity, with people borrowing language from specific communities to signal desired membership.

Cultural Drivers of Language Change

Cultural shifts significantly influence neologism creation, though Green emphasizes that the process depends heavily on community adoption. He points to terms popularized in LGBTQ ballroom culture during the 1980s that have survived and expanded in use, often without users realizing their origins. Terms like “work,” “yes queen,” “serve” and “slay” exemplify how marginalized communities often drive mainstream language innovation.

Green says it can be humorous to observe contemporary reactions to Gen Alpha terminology. Adults sometimes express bewilderment at terms like “cap, sus, rizz, bet, ate, cheugy and low-key,” often forgetting their own generational slang. “Some adults of my generation and above act like we didn’t have our own terms that our parents and grandparents didn’t understand,” he says, recalling 1990s expressions like “booyah, jiggy and as if!”

The key difference today is the speed and scale of dissemination. While past generations relied on music and television to spread new language, social media now enables instant global communication, dramatically accelerating how neologisms travel through speech communities.

The Future of Language Evolution

As American English continues to evolve, understanding neologism patterns helps us appreciate language as a living, breathing entity shaped by community use, cultural identity and technological advancement. Whether a new word survives depends ultimately on whether communities find it useful enough to adopt and maintain over time—a process as unpredictable as human creativity itself.

Green is available for media interviews on this topic. Reporters may contact Keith Kobland, associate director of media relations, at kkobland@syr.edu��to request an interview or further information.

Chris Mihm

The award is given annually to a part-time instructor at the graduate or undergraduate level in public administration who engages public service professionals to foster excellence in the field. Presented this past May, it honors the late Arnold Steigman, who spent 40 years as a government official in 11 different agencies and taught public administration at the City University of New York, Long Island University and Empire State College. In operation since 1974, the organization is a New York State-based, nonprofit organization that promotes best practices for public administration professionals.

Mihm teaches courses on public administration, democracy and performance management. He frequently serves as a guest lecturer on topics related to globalized governance, risk management, performance assessment, public-private partnerships, performance budgeting and public sector management reform for the Maxwell School’s Executive Education training programs.

He has received the Executive Education Excellence in Teaching award and is widely recognized by students and colleagues for his ability to present information in a clear manner, for the inclusive classroom environment he creates, for diverse and robust dialogue and exchange, and for his efforts to create meaningful course assignments with feedback for learning and concept mastery.

“Indeed, it is this impact he has continued to have through his teaching of Maxwell students at an individual level that may be the most exemplary way his career continues to foster excellence in public service for the next generation of leaders,” wrote Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke in his nomination letter for the Arnold Steigman award. “Over the past seven years, he has taught over 400 students in our M.P.A. and executive M.P.A. programs, leading critical discussions that give students the space to grapple with fundamental questions about the role of the government, the tensions between bureaucracy and democracy, to whom are public administrators responsible, and how can we effectively manage public programs.”

Van Slyke says Mihm’s former students “continue to live out his impact on their understanding of the field in modern times through their own impressive careers.”

Mihm has published numerous chapters and reports on the business of government and preparing governments for future political and economic shocks. He served at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, for 37 years, 17 as the managing director for strategic issues. He is the deputy chair on the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, former chairperson of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for the United Nations and fellow and former chair of the board of directors at the National Academy of Public Administration. He was also a member and chairperson of the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee for the World Health Organization.

Jensen Zhang

The (ECS) is excited to announce that Professor Jianshun “Jensen” Zhang has been appointed interim department chair of mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE), as of July 1, 2025. Zhang serves as executive director of the (CoE) and is one of the premier experts worldwide on built environment systems.

Zhang received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991, worked as a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada for eight years and joined ���ϲ����� in 1999. He has over 35 years of research experience in built environmental systems and has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal papers and over 100 conference papers. His areas of expertise include combined heat, air, moisture and pollutant simulations in buildings, material emissions, air filtration/purification, ventilation, indoor air quality and intelligent control of building environmental systems.

Zhang has developed advanced experimental methods, tools and equipment, as well as computer simulation models and environmental control technologies. Over his last 25 years with the University, he has established and sustained an active research program in building energy and environmental systems with over $20 million in sponsored research.

He also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of building energy and environmental systems and fundamental heat and mass transfer. He has advised and co-advised over 20 Ph.D. students, over 20 M.S. students and eight postdoctoral fellows.

Zhang is a member of the International Academy of Indoor Air Science (ISIAQ fellow) and a fellow of the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. He is also currently the vice president of the Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation Association. He served as president and chairman of the board of the International Association of Building Physics from 2018-21. He is also editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Ventilation and associate editor of Science and Technology for the Built Environment.

“Professor Zhang is one of the best respected researchers, educators and leaders in his field. I am especially grateful for his willingness to serve as interim department chair because he has been so intentional about mentorship and support of other faculty,” says ECS Dean J. Cole Smith. “Although we will miss Dr. Young Moon’s steady leadership of MAE, I am excited to see the innovative actions Professor Zhang will take to move MAE forward.”

“I am truly honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve the department, college, university and the profession in this new role. I sincerely thank the faculty, staff and ECS leadership for their trust and support, and thank Professor Young Moon for leading and serving MAE over the last decade. MAE has highly talented and very student-caring faculty and staff running excellent undergraduate and graduate programs. I am looking forward to working with them more closely to advance MAE to the next level,” says Zhang.

Bing Dong

Dong’s workshop proposal, “UrbanAI: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Smart Cities,” will focus on AI tools and technologies that can optimize urban areas. From transportation infrastructure and traffic management to power systems and building HVAC, integrated machine learning solutions can make cities more efficient and reduce carbon emissions. The workshop will convene experts from diverse backgrounds to address the multifaceted challenges of urban sustainability.

A collaborative effort, Dong is organizing the workshop in partnership with colleagues from Harvard, Columbia, the University of Washington and Mila, a Canadian research institute founded by Yoshua Bengio. Professor Bengio is the recipient of the A. M. Turing Award, known as the “Nobel Prize of Computing.”

Zixin Jiang, a Ph.D. candidate in Dong’s lab, will also participate in the conference as a speaker on an expert panel on AI applications for urban environments.

“It is a great honor to collaborate with leading computer scientists worldwide to tackle future smart city challenges,” says Dong. “This is the first workshop at NeurIPS focused on this important topic. We live in a world full of AI applications, and it’s crucial to understand where they may take us, especially regarding energy and environmental issues.”

Dong is the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the and the Associate Director of Grid-Interactive Buildings at the��. He leads the��, an interdisciplinary research group working on advanced building controls, building energy system modeling, and indoor environmental quality.

NeurIPS is highly competitive, with a workshop proposal acceptance rate just under 20%. The 2025 conference will take place Dec. 2-7 in San Diego, California.

Corri Zoli

’91, G’93, G’04 was recently named a research associate of the . She applies social science, law and public policy perspectives to problems of warfare, governance in modern human conflicts and the role of international humanitarian law in managing conflict dynamics.

Zoli’s Lender Center project looks at how veterans navigate post-service life, how marginalized communities are impacted by conflict and how public policies can be made more fair, inclusive and humane. “National security is often framed in abstract or geopolitical terms, but it’s essentially about people and whose lives are protected, whose voices are heard and whose rights are upheld. I try to humanize conflict and security,” she says.

We spoke with Zoli about the impact her research has for veterans and in matters of national security and public safety.

How does being at ���ϲ����� support and enhance your work?

���ϲ����� has longstanding commitments to public affairs, community engagement and military veterans, and a unique history that started with throwing open the doors to returning GIs following World War II. This private university has since become one of the most welcoming places in the country for veterans. Tolley was visionary—I think he knew veterans would transform the campus by sharing their knowledge and experiences, and they did. We say we have it in our DNA to support veterans, and it’s true. The and have put that into practice.

But the commitment is deeper. Lots of universities work on retraining veterans or on public affairs, but here, we ask fundamental questions about public service. We’re willing to go the extra mile to support the communities that are part of that research. We ask what can we all do together and how can we advance knowledge through community partnerships. We put effort and resources into what from veterans’ service and skills.

Similarly, the Lender Center recognizes that the university is best when it is grounded in its communities and its work is a two-way street. We’re not just gathering data, we’re welcoming community members as stakeholders and contributing partners. It’s wonderful to join so many Lender colleagues and students from across the University who share a passion for community, partnerships and the real-world impacts of our research.

Much of the research supported by the Lender Center is focused on the wealth gap in America. How does your work on veterans connect to that?

We are finding that military service is a unique way to mitigate the and many socioeconomic gaps. Thirty years of economic data on veterans and service members shows that other things being equal, veterans have a wage premium, so military service can be a way to increase your socioeconomic advantage in the U.S. It means that anyone who is underserved and/or economically disadvantaged without other opportunities may want to consider a military career or national public service.

Zoli has taught seminars in the Warrior Scholars Veterans Project, a program at the University that empowers enlisted veterans and service members to excel in higher education.

What is a key takeaway from your study of veterans’ post-service experiences adapting to non-military life?

While the U.S. public veterans, we don’t really know them or their stories. We thank them for their service, but it’s otherwise superficial; it’s not like World War II, where everyone knew a veteran. We’re asking, “How do we as a country put effort and resources into getting to know the veterans in our midst, then tap their knowledge and feedback?”

How can veterans inform our approach to conflicts, security and safety?

Veterans have on-the-ground knowledge about how to address conflict and its root causes. They can provide strategic advice, but we don’t use them enough as resources for applied practical expertise. Post-9/11 vets can offer important feedback on issues of national and global security and military challenges, and on topics such as infrastructure development, given the many roads and buildings the U.S. built in Afghanistan and elsewhere. We would do well to get their input on government policies, public safety, modernizing and innovating our technologies, infrastructure development and building higher educational programs more inclusive of veterans.

What are some core findings from your research on national security?

Conflicts are much more complicated now than in the past, and many involve unconventional warfare—new cyber weapons and drones, violent or political extremism and the creation and support of terrorist organizations below the state level by actors who are not responsive to their governments.

We lack policy tools to really fight these conflicts well. Our inability to manage the explosion of non-state conflict actors, for instance, creates enormous civilian harm and pockets of instability or ungoverned zones in many regions of the world. We can’t control international spaces, but we can offer support and best practices and make sure our own national laws and policies are consistent with and follow civil liberties norms and our constitution.

What does your research reveal about issues of public safety?

We need to do a bit more than we’re doing in terms of domestic safety and involve communities more in their own safety and security. We need to beef up infrastructure that protects public safety, including keeping roads and bridges and other infrastructure in good shape. We should be educating students at the K-12 levels in how they can play a role in public service and public safety and to consider public safety careers. We should make civic engagement and understanding, including our constitutional traditions and standards, well known to everybody.

Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and professor of international relations in the , is the recipient of the 2025 Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching.

The prize is awarded annually to a faculty member from Maxwell and the who exemplifies the qualities of the late William Wasserstrom, a noted professor of English at ���ϲ����� who died in 1985. Wasserstrom was a scholar known for his broad interests and profound impact on learning, with a particular teaching interest in the graduate seminar.

Conferred each May at the graduate school doctoral hooding ceremony, the award honors a faculty member for outstanding success as a graduate seminar leader, research and dissertation director, advisor and role model for graduate students.

“For the past eight years, Robert has served as the graduate director in the anthropology department, mentoring students through a tumultuous period that included COVID, and strengthening the department’s assessment, time to degree and effective use of department funds to allow students to balance coursework, exams, writing and field research,” Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke said when he presented the award at the ceremony. “His spreadsheet of students and their status in the program is truly impressive and a great model for other departments.”

Robert A. Rubinstein

Rubinstein joined Maxwell in 1994 as an associate professor of anthropology. He directed the Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts (now the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration) from 1994 to 2005, was named a professor of law by courtesy appointment in the College of Law in 2013, and was named Distinguished Professor of Anthropology in 2016.

Van Slyke pointed out that Rubinstein has served as the principal advisor to 13 Ph.D. students, five of whom have won the outstanding dissertation award. In addition, he has served on 17 dissertation committees and teaches graduate classes including Negotiation: Theory and Practice, Multilateral Peacekeeping, Anthropological Theory, Anthropology and Public Policy, and Culture in World Affairs.

Story by Mikayla Melo

Selected in recognition of their exceptional teaching, scholarly achievements and service to the institution, each scholar will hold the title for a three-year term that began July 1, 2025, and receive financial support to advance their teaching and research efforts.

The O’Hanley Endowed Fund for Faculty Excellence was established through a generous gift from Ron O’Hanley ’80, chairman and CEO of State Street Global Advisors and a Maxwell School alumnus with a B.A. in political science. Past chair of the Maxwell Advisory Board and a University trustee, O’Hanley created the fund to honor and support outstanding academic and research excellence at Maxwell.

“We are grateful to Mr. O’Hanley for establishing this fund to support faculty excellence,” says Carol Faulkner, senior associate dean for academic affairs and professor of history. “These four deserving faculty members represent a range of disciplines and share in their dedication to scholarship, teaching and mentorship. We’re pleased to be able to support their work.”

Brian Brege

, associate professor of history, is a senior research associate for the . He specializes in early modern Europe’s relationships with the wider world with a focus on the role of small powers and enterprising individuals in the First Global Age. His first book, “Tuscany in the Age of Empire” (Harvard University Press, 2021), won the American Association for Italian Studies book prize in the category of History, Society and Politics.

A Harvard I Tatti Fellow from 2019-20, he will spend the coming academic year at the Newberry Library and then in Venice as a Delmas Foundation research fellow working on his monograph “Staying Rich: Florentine Patricians, Intergenerational Wealth, and Global Trade.” He is co-editor of a forthcoming volume in the I Tatti Research Series, “Trading at the Edge of Empires: Francesco Carletti’s World, c. 1600,” and is a co-organizer of the exhibition “Global Florence,” set to open at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence in 2026. He received a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2014.

Sarah Hamersma

, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, researches anti-poverty programs and public health, paying particular attention to young adults and new mothers and their children. Hamersma has recently studied food assistance and college students with funding from the William T. Grant Foundation and is currently completing a study on how pre-conception access to food assistance affects maternal and infant birth outcomes with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

She is a senior research associate in the , a faculty affiliate of the and a research affiliate of the and the . Hamersma received a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004.

Yüksel Sezgin

, associate professor of political science and director of ���ϲ�����’s pre-law program in Europe, specializes in comparative religious family laws and human and women’s rights across the Middle East, South Asia and West Africa. He is a senior research associate in the and a research affiliate with the . His honors include the American Political Science Association’s Aaron Wildavsky Award for Best Dissertation in Religion and Politics (2008) and the Middle East Studies Association’s Malcolm H. Kerr Best Dissertation Award in Social Sciences (2008).

His book, “Human Rights under State‑Enforced Religious Family Laws in Israel, Egypt, and India” (Cambridge University Press, 2013), won the American Sociological Association’s Gordon Hirabayashi Human Rights Book Prize in 2014. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies to support his forthcoming book, “The Power of Narrative in Judicial Decision‑Making,” which examines the normative frames that non‑Muslim courts in Israel, India, Greece and Ghana employ to interpret Muslim family laws. Sezgin earned a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2007.

Ying Shi

, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, examines racial inequality and education policy. Her research has been published in numerous journals including the Journal of Public Economics, the Journal of Human Resources��and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and her work has been supported by the William T. Grant Foundation as well as other organizations. She was principal investigator on a Grant Foundation-funded project from 2021-23 titled Long-Term Consequences of the Voting Rights Act for Black-White Disparities in Children’s Later-Life Outcomes.

Last year, Shi was named a William T. Grant Scholar and received a $350,000 award to explore Asian American students’ exposure to victimization and hate crimes in school. Shi is a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research and a research affiliate in the . Shi received a Ph.D. from Duke University in 2017.

Story by Mikayla Melo

, assistant professor of sociology in the , has been named the Yang Ni and Xiaoqing Li Scholar in U.S.-China/Asia Relations for the 2025-26 academic year.

Haowei Wang

Wang’s one-year appointment began on July 1. She is the fifth Maxwell faculty member to be named a recipient of the Yang Ni and Xiaoqing Li Endowment Fund for U.S.-China/Asia Relations. Ni L’95 and Li G’96 established the fund in 2021 to encourage greater connections between Maxwell faculty and scholars in China and Asia. The funding may be utilized for travel, research and teaching in China.

Wang’s research focuses on understanding the social determinants of healthy aging in a global context. In particular, she investigates the transformation of family networks, how multiple dimensions of family relationships impact well-being and caregiving in later life, and how demographic shifts and social policies shape physical and mental health across the life course.

Students and staff sit outside of the Parthenon together while on a walking tour of Rome landmarks.

The University’s first inclusive study abroad trip has redefined what inclusive higher education looks like, blending immersive cultural experiences with academic exploration of inclusive education across borders. This two-week program brought together students with and without intellectual disability, reflecting a commitment to making global education more inclusive and accessible to everyone.

The course, led by the (SOE) in partnership with and the , brought 14 students on a journey through some of Italy’s most iconic cities.

Faculty members and co-taught the class, made up of seven current and former students, and seven matriculated students from SOE. From the bustling piazzas of Rome to the quiet charm of Padua, students explored how Italy’s long-standing commitment to inclusive education plays out in classrooms, universities and community spaces.

The Florence Center and the (CDI) partnered to support the experience. Students lived inclusively with roommates throughout the two-week program—sharing spaces, dining, attending class, travelling and experiencing the cities together.

Students visit ���ϲ����� Abroad’s Florence Center.

Impactful and Enriching

Ashby, a professor of inclusive education and CDI director, has collaborated with several SOE faculty for previous iterations of this study abroad class. She notes the importance of fully including students with intellectual disability in this particular experience.

“For years, we have been bringing ���ϲ����� students to Italy to explore inclusive education in a context where nearly all students with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms alongside typical peers. But what made this trip different was the intentional focus on living inclusion while we studied it,” says Ashby. “Every facet of the trip was an opportunity for learning and exploration, and we are excited by the possibilities of expanding to new countries and longer-term abroad opportunities.”

The course included lectures, school visits, community-based research projects and museum tours, giving students daily opportunities to apply their knowledge. Guided Italian lessons offered both a linguistic and cultural gateway, with ample chances to practice in real-world settings.

One of the program’s highlights was visiting elementary and secondary schools in Florence and Rome, allowing students to experience Italy’s inclusive education framework. The group also visited universities in Rome and Padua, including a session with Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09, a supporter of ���ϲ����� and inclusive innovation through the initiative.

“It was truly impactful and enriching to observe the full integration of students with disabilities in mainstream education,” says SOE student Elyas Layachi ’27. “It was also eye-opening to be critical of the shortcomings of Italy’s education system, while also comparing it to that of the United States and our own educational experiences. I hope that the United States’ education system can take a step in a similar direction of full inclusion for all students, regardless of their disability status.”

Students sit outside of the Borghese Gardens for their final class reflection.

True Inclusion

Italy is internationally recognized for its progressive approach to inclusive education. With nearly 97% literacy and policies that mandate the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms (, 2010, 2007), the country serves as a case study. At the same time, shifting demographics and rising accountability pressures make this a pivotal moment to critically reflect on both the successes achieved and the work ahead in advancing inclusion in Italian schools.

���ϲ����� students had the opportunity to see these systems in practice and engage in comparative discussions about how inclusion is approached in the U.S. and Italy, as well as how current political and cultural climates have affected the implementation of the law. Ph.D. students from the School of Education are using the findings from this course to research the effectiveness of inclusion within hands-on cultural immersion.

Myers, Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education and executive director of the , collaborated with Ashby to organize an itinerary that would get to the heart of immersive learning.

“I really appreciated teaching and studying about disability and inclusion with our students,” says Myers. “Everyone in this course brought their own perspective and experience, and that really added to what we were learning through the readings, classes and school visits. Another highlight for me was seeing how everyone in the group supported one another—this was true inclusion during class and in the world.”

After a group dinner, students and staff take a photo to celebrate their last day in Italy.

Positive Experience

The trip led to authentic friendships and meaningful experiences for all. InclusiveU first-year student Jack Pasquale ’28 says, “Since I am autistic, inclusion means a lot to me on a personal level. I am always trying to get involved and learn more. This was an incredible opportunity to meet and work with new people, to build on my independence and social skills, to see some of the world’s most important art works and churches, and to eat some of the world’s best food!”

“Being able to study abroad is a positive experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” adds Pasquale.

This course not only succeeded in giving students a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Italian life and inclusive education, it also opens the door for other universities looking to expand their offerings.

It demonstrated that, with thoughtful planning and the right partnerships, studying abroad can and should be for everyone. Layachi agrees: “I made a lot of new friends and learned how to navigate foreign cities. Inclusion, when done right, benefits everyone involved.”

Karly Grifasi also contributed to this story.

Ben Nichols, founder of the firm Padel 22, plays Padel. (Photo courtesy of Padel 22)

Why all the racket about Padel? Students and faculty in the collaborated with a global communications consulting firm to release a report about the emerging sport’s rapid rise in popularity.

The report, “Celebrities, Community, Content, and Competition: Padel’s Meteoric Rise in U.S. Popularity,” identifies key reasons behind the explosive growth of Padel, a racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash.

Factors include more ways to stream Padel tournaments, an increase in community-focused clubs and the influence of celebrity enthusiasts like actress Eva Longoria and Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter.

“Padel in the U.S. won’t be just a sport—it will be a cultural phenomenon,” says Ben Nichols, founder of the firm, . “We’re seeing the same kind of momentum that once launched pickleball, but this time with a broader lifestyle appeal.”

Baneet Bains G’25 led the Newhouse students that produced the report through the Padel 22 partnership. They were supervised by , professor of practice of public relations and associate dean for strategic initiatives in the Newhouse School.

“As a former PR student myself, a big part of my mission is to support students in finding their way into the sport industry at a time when Padel is growing rapidly across the country,” says Nichols.

“To have been able to partner with one of the very best public relations programs in the United States has been an honor,” he says. “I’m thrilled Newhouse has been able to blaze the trail in the college sector by producing this industry-first report.”

What Is Padel and Why Is It Booming?

Padel is typically played in pairs, as doubles, on an enclosed court that is about one-third the size of a tennis court. In Padel, balls can be played off the walls.

There is some social media-fueled debate about how to pronounce the word. Nichols said the correct pronunciation is “PA-dell” (like “paddle”), though some players in the United States call it “pah-DEL.”

Either way, it’s considered the world’s fastest-growing sport, the report said. In the United States, Padel has gained traction through celebrity endorsements, increased exposure through digital content and investment in elite clubs and tournaments.

According to the Padel report released Wednesday, U.S. court construction skyrocketed from fewer than 30 in 2020 to more than 600 in 2024, with projections of 30,000 by 2030.

“Media growth and engagement serves as one of the key drivers of the success of emerging sports across the U.S.,” says , director of the . “The report shows that a combination of celebrity influence, community activation and content creation are all key drivers in Padel’s emergence.”

Hands-on Learning at the Newhouse School

For the Newhouse team, the collaboration offered students a valuable opportunity to work on a high-profile project about an emerging sports trend, the first research of its kind about Padel in the United States.

“Providing students with hands-on learning opportunities in global sport communications is central to the Newhouse approach of integrating classroom knowledge with real-world impact,” Horn says. “This academic-industry intersection defines the value of a Newhouse educational experience, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, thanks to our industry partners and their desire to help our students succeed.”

Bains, who graduated in May, led a team that ranged from first-year to graduate students.

“This project was the ultimate hands-on experience of what we’ve been learning in the classroom,” she says, “working together in a setting that mimicked a professional environment.”

.

Suzette Meléndez

Professor , director of the , was honored with a 2025 Onondaga County NAACP Freedom Fund Award at their 45th Annual Freedom Fund Award Dinner.

Meléndez received the Maye, McKinney & Melchor Freedom & Justice Award.

“It is an honor to receive the Maye, McKinney & Melchor Freedom & Justice Award. I feel connected to Hurclee Maye, Judge Langston McKinney and Henry Melchor in their dedication to making legal services accessible to all people in the CNY community, and through the clinics I have led, hope to have built on their legacy,” Meléndez says.

“It’s also very special that Maye and Judge McKinney are College of Law alums. I am especially grateful for the mentorship of the late Judge McKinney who guided and supported me in my work at the law school.”

This fundamental question around the matter-antimatter asymmetry drives the years long work recently honored with the����and represents humanity’s quest to understand the most fundamental laws of nature and the basic concept of existence.

University physicists—representing the as part of the international —received this prestigious recognition for their contributions toward understanding the confounding asymmetry between matter and antimatter. Distinguished professor��, professor��, research assistant professor��, associate professor��, assistant professor����and professor����are among those exploring why our universe is composed almost entirely of matter.

Physicists representing the College of Arts and Sciences and as part of the international LHCb Collaboration—received the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their contributions toward understanding the confounding asymmetry between matter and antimatter.

The $3 million prize awarded by the����acknowledges the groundbreaking work in measuring Higgs boson properties, discovering new strongly interacting particles and investigating rare processes at the root of this cosmic imbalance. The Higgs boson is a particle discovered in 2012 that proves the existence of the Higgs field, which acts like cosmic molasses giving mass to fundamental particles as they move through it. This particle completes the Standard Model of elementary particles and their interactions, which is a powerful theory that explains a vast body of data accumulated over the last few decades of particle physics.

The prize recognizes the four detectors operating at the Large Hadron Collider, Alice, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb, and was split equally amongst the four collaborations. The LHCb experiment’s sophisticated 5600-tonne detector, located 100 meters underground near Geneva, Switzerland, captures data from particles created when protons collide at nearly light speed and focuses on the exploration of phenomena that may explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe.

Vincenzo Vagnoni, spokesperson for the 1500-scientist collaboration, accepted the prize on the LHCb team’s behalf, together with the spokespersons of the three other experiments. The moment marked a rare departure from the usual laboratory setting, as the spokespersons traded their typical scientific attire for formal evening wear at the ceremony, bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to the recognition of groundbreaking physics research. The $500,000 award is being donated to support doctoral students conducting research at CERN.

Eleanor Holdridge

The (VPA) has appointed Eleanor Holdridge as the new chair of the effective July 1.

Holdridge comes to ���ϲ����� from the Catholic University of America, where she served as professor and chair of the Department of Drama at the Rome School of Music, Drama and Art. She succeeds Ralph Zito, who served as drama department chair for the past 15 years and will return to the faculty part-time.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the drama department at ���ϲ�����,” says Holdridge. “The excitement and energy of the students, the rigor and collegiality of the faculty and the opportunities for collaboration among all of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the community as a whole seem to be what America needs right now: a chance to nurture the burgeoning artists of tomorrow and to change the world.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Professor Holdridge to the college,” says Michael S. Tick, dean of VPA. “The Department of Drama has a distinguished tradition of preparing students for successful careers in theater, film and television. Professor Holdridge’s leadership will not only enhance that legacy but also deepen our dynamic and enduring partnership with . I look forward to working with her on the college’s leadership team.”

In addition to her work as an educator and administrator, Holdridge has directed plays for over 30 years. Off-Broadway productions include world premieres of��“Selma ’65”��(LaMaMa),��“Steve & Idi”��(Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre) and��“Cycling Past the Matterhorn”��(Clurman Theatre). Regional world premieres include Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me A Soprano,” David Grimm’s adaptation of��“Cyrano de Bergerac” and Lauren Gunderson’s��“The Revolutionists”��(Cincinnati Playhouse). She has directed 24 of Shakespeare’s plays, some of them multiple times.

Recently Holdridge directed Ken Ludwig’s��“Baskerville” at the Alley Theatre in Houston. Her upcoming directing projects include a workshop of Ludwig’s “Napoleon at Pemberly” at the Alley Theatre and “The Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” at the Olney Theatre in summer 2026. She holds an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama.

“I look forward to shaping the curricula to meet the strategic plan of the college, to investigate and forge an exciting new chapter in the Tepper Semester and all of the away and abroad programs, and to help the department gain even more national significance than it currently enjoys,” says Holdridge. “But really, most of all, I look forward to collaborating with the incredible ���ϲ����� students and faculty and seeing what brave new future they will bring about.”

Carol Faulkner, Maxwell School history professor, shares her insights on the historical themes of the Declaration of Independence.

In June 1776, from a rented room in Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson penned the first draft of the document that would forge a nation. The stakes were high, amidst the ongoing war with the British, to find the right words to argue the absolute necessity to break from the Crown.

Now, nearly 250 years after its adoption by the Second Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence remains a stirring treatise that set forth individual rights and rebuked a tyrant king. It still stands as an inspirational—and aspirational—document for the United States and for people around the world.

In anticipation of America’s Semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026, how has the Declaration of Independence stood the test of time?

Carol Faulkner

In this Q&A with SU News, , senior associate dean and history professor in the , shares her insights on the historical themes of the document, our evolving understanding of that period of U.S. history and what she is looking forward to in this anniversary year of commemorations.

For any media who wish to schedule an interview with Faulkner, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Q: In this year leading up to the Semiquincentennial, what do you think are the most significant historical themes we should reflect on?

A: As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, I believe both scholars and the public will be focused on the high ideals of the founding—liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, democracy, a perfect union—and the nation’s struggle to live up to them.

The most glaring example of this gap between ideals and reality, of course, was slavery, which took the Civil War, and approximately 750,000 deaths, to abolish. American women did not gain full political equality until the 19th Amendment (1920) and the Voting Rights Act (1965). Native Americans gained citizenship in 1924, but they continue to fight to overcome a history of U.S. violence and displacement.

Q: Does the Declaration of Independence and its aspirations still hold up to the test of time?��Would Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress have been thinking about its longevity?

A: Certainly, the opening of the Declaration of Independence remains inspiring. The rest of the Declaration of Independence lays out their (long!) list of grievances against King George III and Great Britain, and some of these can be quite unclear or puzzling to current readers. It certainly reflected that specific moment in time as Jefferson sought to justify independence.

The Declaration’s impact can be seen in the , which set out the goals of women’s rights activists for political, civil and legal equality. And abolitionist Frederick Douglass also took inspiration from the Declaration for his famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” I think these Americans took it beyond what might have been imagined by the founders.

Q: How has our national understanding of the American Revolution evolved over time, and what new perspectives/research are historians bringing to light?

A: Historians now view the American Revolution as part of a broader age of revolutions (for example, the Haitian and French revolutions) with its impact reverberating throughout the western hemisphere and Atlantic world. University historian ’s prizewinning book “,” which examines British and French imperial goals in the Caribbean, is one example of this new scholarship.

In addition, historians have also focused more on the impact of the American Revolution on Native American Indians. Alumnus Michael Oberg G’94, a professor of history at SUNY Geneseo, for example, has written an important book on the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua between the Haudenosaunee and the U.S. called “.”

Q: What are some lesser-known or overlooked events or figures from the founding period that deserve more attention during the Semiquincentennial?

A: There are so many interesting people from this period! Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman was an enslaved woman who sued for her freedom and helped end slavery in Massachusetts in 1783. And, while most Americans know who Betsy Ross is, her life as a Quaker and skilled seamstress is fascinating beyond the fact that she sewed the flag.

Closer to central New York, Joseph Brant and his sister Molly, leading members of the Mohawk nation, were allied with the British. The Marquis de Lafayette, after whom so much is named in this area, was an important ally and military leader for the American Revolutionaries and became an influential figure in the broader age of revolutions into the 19th century.

Q: As a historian, what are you looking forward to as we revisit the founding of the United States and celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary?

A: I was 7 years old in 1976, so I don’t have many memories of the bicentennial, but I will be interested to see what celebrations occur, and how these celebrations might be contested.

While anyone would be hard pressed to say the U.S. has achieved true equality, freedom or democracy, the country has made significant, if incomplete, efforts. I’d like to see events and festivities that reckon with this complicated history.

I’m also looking forward to a class that Maxwell colleagues and I will be teaching in spring 2026 on the “USA @ 250,” which will focus on key issues in U.S. history, society and politics from the Revolution to the present.

University Professor Sean O’Keefe (fourth from the right) poses with his family (and Otto) during a retirement celebration at the Maxwell School. (Photo by Amy Manley)

For most of his time as a public servant, Sean O’Keefe G’78 adhered to a few guiding principles: Step up when someone calls upon you to serve. Be open to anything. Challenge yourself.

Those values helped O’Keefe navigate a career as a public administrator, national security expert, financial manager and aerospace industry executive, including leadership positions in the U.S. government, higher education and industry.

Fifty years ago, O’Keefe applied those principles for the first time, with life-changing ramifications.

Sean O’Keefe

As a political science student at Loyola University of New Orleans, O’Keefe was drawn to public service through the example set by his parents. But instead of politics, O’Keefe wanted to devise, implement and administer public policies that impacted citizens. Stan Makielski, a political science professor, encouraged O’Keefe to apply to the public administration program in the .

“I had never heard of the Maxwell School, but Professor Makielski told me Maxwell is the place that founded the new public administration movement, a modern interpretation, understanding and parameters of what public management and public leadership is all about, and that’s where you need to be,” O’Keefe says. “It was a leap of faith, but it turned out to be a wise choice.”

Upon his retirement from the University, O’Keefe shares why public service matters and reflects on the lessons learned from a decades-long association with the University and the Maxwell School, from graduate student through numerous faculty roles and affiliations—including the highest faculty rank conferred, University Professor.

Fundamentals of Leadership

O’Keefe says his time as a Maxwell graduate student taught him the importance of employing a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, examining the wide range of possible outcomes and identifying what success looks like.

“It was a remarkable experience. Every choice I made, every public service challenge I encountered, the fundamentals were introduced to me at ���ϲ����� and the Maxwell School,” says O’Keefe, the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

O’Keefe is shown on Feb. 8, 2003, thanking the community of Lufkin, Texas, for its support and honoring Columbia’s fallen crewmembers. He was NASA’s administrator at the time of the Columbia accident. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

While O’Keefe always leaned on his Maxwell education, he drew strength from the lessons learned during the most difficult times. Challenges like investigating and correcting what caused the Columbia shuttle to break apart while returning from a space research mission, killing seven astronauts in 2003 when O’Keefe was the head of NASA.

Or navigating the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated Louisiana while O’Keefe was the Chancellor of Louisiana State University, a campus which became the first stop for thousands of displaced residents who fled New Orleans.

Or leading organizational culture change in the aftermath of the “Tailhook” incident during his service as Navy secretary. Or addressing resource and management challenges at the Pentagon and later at the White House as the Cold War ended and after the tragedies of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Through it all, O’Keefe embodied a thoughtful leader who always kept an open mind.

“I learned the best thing you can do in a leadership capacity is to gather folks with different skills in the same room talking together and coming up with a mutually agreeable solution,” says O’Keefe, a 2023 inductee into Government Executive magazine’s Government Hall of Fame.

“I don’t know everything about a particular discipline, but I have confidence that if you can motivate a diverse collection of people to attack a problem that’s larger than their singular disciplinary focus areas, you have a higher probability of achieving a successful solution.”

Impact of a Presidential Management Fellowship

O’Keefe’s service includes four presidential appointments in two administrations: as U.S. secretary of the Navy, administrator of NASA, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and comptroller and chief financial officer of the Department of Defense.

O’Keefe shares stories from his career in public service. (Photo by Amy Manley)

The program that launched O’Keefe’s career came about by chance. Standing in front of a poster in Maxwell Hall promoting the inaugural Presidential Management Fellow program to recruit promising scholars dedicated to federal public service, Anne Stewart, Maxwell’s then-director of career and alumni services, told O’Keefe to apply.

O’Keefe scoffed, saying “I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell,” to which Stewart replied, “you’re right. If you don’t apply, you have no chance of getting in.” He applied, and to his surprise, he was selected as one of the 250 recipients in 1978.

“That program accelerated my professional development. In two years, I spent time in an agency within the Department of the Navy and worked in the Pentagon dealing with the Secretary of Defense’s financial management staff. I understood the workings of the Office of Management and Budget, and for the last six months I was placed with Senator J. Bennett Johnston from Louisiana, who exposed me to Capitol Hill and the processes behind how appropriations bills are passed,” O’Keefe says.

“Later, I was recruited to join the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee and worked for the chair of the defense subcommittee, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska—an extraordinary, selfless public servant who became a mentor, counselor and friend who guided me through many chapters of my career.”

Training the Next Generation of Public Servants

O’Keefe taught graduate courses in the Public Administration and International Affairs Department. Beloved by his students, his courses included public management, public finance and budgeting, national security policy, technology management, leadership and participation in executive education programs.

O’Keefe stressed understanding the principle of the issue, identifying each stakeholder’s primary goals and objectives, figuring out the challenges and obstacles to achieving the goal and understanding the tools available to solve the issue.

In the end, O’Keefe urged students to always search for different solutions, realizing public servants will never make everyone happy.

“The Maxwell School taught me everything I know about management and leadership. I always felt an obligation to teach those lessons to my students,” O’Keefe says. “It has been an honor and a privilege to teach here.”

During O’Keefe’s (second from left) retirement celebration, he was joined by current Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke (left), University Professor and Dean Emeritus John Palmer (second from right) and former Maxwell Dean James Steinberg (right). (Photo by Amy Manley)

The Boghosian Fellowship at the School of Architecture—established in early 2015 in memory of Harry der Boghosian ’54 by his sister Paula der Boghosian ’64—is a one-of-a-kind program designed to give emerging independent creatives the opportunity to spend a year developing a body of design research based on an area of interest while teaching at the School of Architecture.

Fellows play a significant role at the school by enhancing student instruction and faculty discourse while supporting both research and the development of research-related curriculum valuable to architectural education and the discipline.

Tiffany Xu

During the 2025-26 school year, Xu will teach an architecture studio and two professional electives focused on researching North American contemporary construction culture—emphasizing architecture as a layered system consisting of a skeletal frame and built-up finishes, materials based on standardized dimensions and a product-like treatment of components. Students will explore conventional framing as an area of opportunity for codification and experimentation and study how medium specific tendencies and internal conflicts might yield new approaches to design.

“The composite character of today’s construction departs from traditional architecture’s valorization of permanence and mass, and the modernists’ penchant for transparency and truth,” says Xu. “Instead, this system finds its integrity in fulfilling a localized set of objectives and rules, anchored by pragmatism, vernacular references and supply chain constraints.”

Xu’s year-long investigation will foreground material and tectonic expression, with particular attention to patterns and transitions, positioning contemporary architecture as a new medium with a flexible set of values and objectives grounded in everyday practices.

Like the nine previous Boghosian Fellows, Xu will work closely not only with faculty and students at the School of Architecture but will also explore interdisciplinary collaborations within the University and its various centers and colleges, while also continuing her research into Central New York’s relationships with modernity and material.

Prior to joining ���ϲ����� Architecture, Xu was the 2024-25 Peter Reyner Banham Fellow at the University of New York at Buffalo, where her work explored conventions of light timber framing, culminating in the spring installation, “.” Xu has taught architectural representation at Northeastern University and was a practicing architect at the offices of Spiegel Aihara Workshop, David Jaehning Architect, and Jim Jennings Architecture. Her designs and writing have been published in , San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CITE Journal and Architectural Record. She has held editorial positions at the and .

Xu received a Master of Architecture from Rice University where she was the recipient of the William D. Darden Thesis award, and a Bachelor of Science from University of California, Berkeley. She is a registered architect in the state of California.

“From this fellowship I hope to further develop my skills in pedagogy, whether at the fundamental and core curriculum level or a more experimental seminar setting, while maintaining a close relationship to building,” says Xu. “My intent is to contribute to a current discourse that strives to merge the gap between design thinking and construction and questions the polarity between everyday pragmatism and abstract study.”

The Boghosian Fellowship has helped the School of Architecture attract the best and the brightest emerging professors. Previous fellows include Maya Alam (2016-17), Linda Zhang (2017-18), James Leng (2018-19), Benjamin Vanmuysen (2019-20), Liang Wang (2020-21), Leen Katrib (2021-22), Lily Chishan Wong (2022-23), Christina Chi Zhang (2023-24) and Erin Cuevas (2024–25).

To learn more about the Harry der Boghosian Fellowship, visit the .

Professor Johan Wiklund meets with a student at the Whitman School. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

The Distinguished Professor Johan Wiklund was recently listed as one of the most prolific business and economic research scholars globally, according to “What We Know About the Science of Science in Business and Economics? Insights From the Top 50 Journals, 2008-2022,” published in . Wiklund was ranked No. 32 with a total of 42 papers published on a select list based on the����Top 50 (FT50) academic and practitioner journals.

“Being named to this list is always nice, and publishing in top journals is something we all endeavor,” says Wiklund. “It’s extremely difficult, and it does indicate that I’m succeeding in something that most academics strive for—publishing our research. I’m very proud to represent the Whitman School and also be recognized on a list that includes many friends and colleagues furthering interesting research in the various areas of business around the world.”

Wiklund, the AI Berg Chair, joined the Whitman School’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises in 2008. His research interests focus on entrepreneurship, neurodiversity and mental well-being. He is considered a leading authority in his field with over 100 articles published in leading journals and more than 60,000 citations to his research, as well as a number of international awards and honors. This spring, he was named a Distinguished Professor at ���ϲ�����.

“This is not the first time Professor Wiklund has been recognized among the most prolific business scholars, but this time his ranking has risen, reaffirming his research productivity and its quality for the second time over a long period,” says Michel Benaroch, Whitman’s associate dean for research and Ph.D. programs. “ The Whitman School is proud to have Johan among its ranks, and I trust we will hear more about his research leadership and accomplishments in the future.”

Mark Brockway

, assistant teaching professor of political science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Focusing on course redesign, Brockway will provide faculty with resources and support to help them foster in-class student engagement. Brockway plans to develop a database of materials for workshops that engage individuals and groups in active learning related to course concepts. The database will provide instructors with adaptable instructional templates that can help minimize the cost of course redesign and facilitate impactful teaching approaches. Resources will be posted on the CTLE website.

Zach Huitink

, associate teaching professor of public administration and international affairs, Maxwell School

Huitink will focus on online teaching and pedagogy with activities including the development of online teaching and onboarding programs for faculty; the establishment of an online teaching affinity group for community building and knowledge transfer; and the creation of an online teaching resource library. Huitink’s work will support faculty in transitioning to, and advancing in, online teaching.

Douglas Yung

, associate teaching professor of biomedical and chemical engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Yung will work with CTLE staff and faculty across campus to develop instructional guidance and resources. These include workshops and modules to help faculty incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into instruction and assessment with a focus on ethics, inclusion and accessibility; online and hybrid teaching strategies that foster the development of community and connection; strategies for continuous improvement in course design; and interdisciplinary co-teaching modules. Yung plans to lead interactive programming, develop resource libraries and organize peer learning circles.

“I am thrilled to welcome the inaugural cohort of Meredith Professor Faculty Fellows,” says , associate provost for academic programs. “Their innovative and impactful projects will undoubtedly enrich our teaching and learning community, elevating the educational experiences we offer. These initiatives—spanning course redesign, online pedagogy and the integration of AI in teaching—are critical areas for faculty support and development, and I look forward to seeing the transformative effects of their work on our faculty and students.”

Katie McDonald

, professor of public health and senior associate dean for research and administration in the , will join ���ϲ�����’s in a new role as associate vice president for research, effective July 1. The announcement was made today by Vice President for Research .

In this new role, McDonald will focus on supporting faculty research, improving faculty mentoring, growing extramural research and identifying strategic opportunities for research growth in areas aligned with the University’s mission and vision.

“Katie has the right combination of research and leadership experience to make a real impact in the Office of Research,” Brown says. “I look forward to working with her to help create and sustain an environment that promotes scholarship and, in partnership with the faculty, to expand and strengthen the research and creative enterprise at ���ϲ�����.”

McDonald is a widely-published researcher who uses socioecological theory and community-engaged research to understand and promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Her current research focuses on ethical, legal and social implications in research with adults with developmental disabilities, and using community-engaged research to study and address disparities experienced by people with disabilities.

“I am delighted to begin a new role at ���ϲ�����,” McDonald says. “I am grateful for the nurturing environment ���ϲ����� has provided for my own research, and for the opportunities I have to pay forward that support. The generation of new knowledge that has the potential to positively impact society is a cornerstone function of ���ϲ�����, and I look forward to working in partnership on this shared endeavor.”

McDonald joined the ���ϲ����� faculty as an assistant professor in 2011 and previously served as department chair. She is a faculty fellow at the , the , the and in , and a research affiliate at the . She is also a fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and a member of the editorial board for Autism in Adulthood.

McDonald has served as chair of ���ϲ�����’s Institutional Review Board since 2016. , professor of sociology in the , will assume the role July 1.

Stop by , , , the or the to explore. are available online.

If you work remote you can still use the Libraries’ resources by . Visit us online at for more information.

So how can staff take advantage of this benefit? Below are a few ideas:

• Borrow materials or resources— any materials or resources from our collection. This includes , , , , , , and more! Looking to borrow something not available from our collections? You can
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Pankaj K. Jha in the Quantum Technology Laboratory (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Detecting single photons—the smallest unit of light—is crucial for advanced quantum technologies such as optical quantum computing, communication and ultra-sensitive imaging. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are the most efficient means of detecting single photons and these detectors can count many photons rapidly, have few false counts, and provide precise timing. However, most of these detectors operate only at very low temperatures.

Pankaj K. Jha, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the , has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to develop single-photon detectors using iron-based superconductors that can operate at higher temperatures. The single-photon detectors he is developing will make these devices smaller, easier to access and more scalable.

“The generation, manipulation and detection of single photons lies at the heart of optical quantum technologies. Losing a photon means a loss of information, whether that information is encoded in a photonic qubit or represents an image of a distant satellite,” Jha says.

These high-temperature SNSPDs will also advance the field of quantum technology, enabling photon-starved deep-space imaging, on-chip quantum photonics and optical quantum computing, as well as applications in biomedical research. The development of these single-photon detectors supports the goals of the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, both of which aim to promote the advancement of quantum technologies.

The project will also focus on enhancing science education and training for the future workforce, offering hands-on research opportunities in quantum technology to students from K-12 through undergraduate levels.

Several key moments in Earth’s history help us humans answer the question, “How did we get here?” These moments also shed light on the question, “Where are we going?,” offering scientists deeper insight into how organisms adapt to physical and chemical changes in their environment. Among them is an extended evolutionary occurrence over 2 billion years ago, known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). This marked the first time that oxygen produced by photosynthesis—essential for the survival of humans and many other life forms—began to accumulate in significant amounts in the atmosphere.

If you traveled back in time to before the GOE (more than 2.4 billion years ago), you would encounter a largely anoxic (oxygen-free) environment. The organisms that thrived then were anaerobic, meaning they didn’t require oxygen and relied on processes like fermentation to generate energy. Some of these organisms still exist today in extreme environments such as acidic hot springs and hydrothermal vents.

The GOE triggered one of the most profound chemical transformations in Earth’s surface history. It marked the transition from a planet effectively devoid of atmospheric oxygen—and inhospitable to complex life—to one with an oxygenated atmosphere that supports the biosphere we know today.

Sedimentary rocks from South Africa, which the team sampled for this study. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Uveges)

Scientists have long been interested in pinpointing the timing and causes of major shifts in atmospheric oxygen because they are fundamental to understanding how complex life, including humans, came to be. While our understanding of this critical period is still taking shape, a team of researchers from ���ϲ����� and Massachusetts Institute of Technology is digging deep—literally—into ancient rock cores from beneath South Africa to unearth clues about the timing of the GOE. Their work provides new insight into the pace of biological evolution in response to rising oxygen levels—and the long, complex journey toward the emergence of eukaryotes (organisms whose cells contain a nucleus enclosed within a membrane).

The study, published in the journal, , was led by�� ’18, Ph.D., who completed the project as a postdoctoral associate at MIT and collaborated with ���ϲ����� Earth Sciences Professor ��on the chemical analyses.

Answers Embedded in Rock

To step back in time, the research team analyzed sedimentary rock cores collected from several sites across South Africa. These locations were carefully selected because their rocks, dating back 2.2 to 2.5 billion years, fall within the ideal age range for preserving evidence of the GOE. By analyzing stable isotopic ratios embedded in these rocks, the team uncovered evidence of oceanic processes that required the presence of nitrate—an indicator of more oxygen-rich conditions.

To analyze the ancient sediment, Uveges worked with Junium, an associate professor of Earth and environmental sciences at ���ϲ�����. Junium specializes in studying how past environments evolved to better understand future global change. His state-of-the-art instruments were essential for obtaining accurate readings of trace nitrogen levels.

“The rocks that we analyzed for this study had very low nitrogen concentrations in them, too low to measure with the traditional instrumentation used for this work,” says Uveges. “Chris has built one of only a handful of instruments in the world that can measure nitrogen isotope ratios in samples with 100 to 1,000 times less nitrogen in them than the typical minimum.”

An essential component of the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer is called the cryotrapping/capillary-focusing module. This equipment, which played a critical role in enabling the nitrogen isotope analyses presented in the paper, is housed in Junium’s lab at ���ϲ�����. (Photo by Christopher Junium)

In Junium’s lab, the team analyzed nitrogen isotope ratios from South African rock samples using an instrument called an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS). The samples were first crushed into powder, chemically treated to extract specific components, then converted into gas. This gas was ionized (turned into charged particles) and accelerated through a magnetic field, which separated the isotopes based on their mass. The IRMS then measured the ratio of ¹⁵N to ¹⁴N, which can reveal how nitrogen was processed in the past.

Robert Thompson

Newhouse School and University Professor Bob Thompson was for his long-running lecture series that uses classic television to bridge generational divides and spark important conversation. The segment, produced by NBC’s Brian Cheung ’15—a University alumnus and University Scholar—highlights Thompson’s “Tuesdays with Bleier.”

For 18 years, this weekly gathering has brought together students, faculty and staff to watch and discuss unedited television broadcasts from decades past—from “Howdy Doody,” “The Flying Nun” and “The Brady Bunch,” to early YouTube clips. The weekly luncheon discussion explores how television has shaped and reflected American culture, while fostering intergenerational dialogue through shared media experiences.

NBC’s coverage emphasized the emotional and educational impact of the class. One student shared how a clip from “Howdy Doody” helped him connect with his grandmother, who was in the late stages of dementia. Another noted how the class gave her new ways to relate to her parents through pop culture references, while another brought his mom and dad to one of Thompson’s discussions.

Thompson told NBC, “If you want to understand the country we live in, you have to understand its presidencies, the wars its fought, its political parties. But you also have to understand its lawn ornaments, its love songs, and its sitcoms.”

Tuesday’s at Bleier take place in Thompson’s office in Newhouse 3, every Tuesday at noon, and are open to all.

The inaugural SEICon event in 2024 featured this large contingent from the Falk College and ���ϲ�����. Representatives will once again play prominent roles during SEICon II July 8-10 in Las Vegas.

The second annual Sports, Entertainment and Innovation Conference (SEICon)—named by Zoomph as one of the —will be held from July 8-10 at MGM’s iconic Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

SEICon is a partnership between and the , in collaboration with the Las Vegas-based guest experience agency , and it serves as a platform for professionals to discuss strategies and innovations shaping the future of the sports and entertainment industries.

SEICon II will bring together industry leaders from the public and private sectors and academia and feature fully catered lunchtime keynotes, insightful panel discussions and curated networking opportunities focused on emerging trends, digital transformation, and the future of fan engagement, media rights, sponsorships and entertainment technology.

All-inclusive registration for SEICon II is now open. Visit the to register and to find more information about SEICon II and satellite 2025-26 SEICon events in Houston, London and Atlanta. ���ϲ����� alumni will receive $200 off the cost of registration by using the code SU ALUMNI.

“This is your chance to connect with industry leaders, share insights and explore the latest innovations in sports and entertainment,” says alumnus and Circle CEO Shawn Garrity ’86. “We’re thrilled to build upon last year’s momentum, bringing together thought leaders for another unforgettable experience. Expect compelling content, intimate connections and top-notch hospitality that only Vegas can offer.”

Building on the success of its inaugural year, SEICon is moving to the legendary Bellagio Hotel, which is known for its fountains and world-class amenities. This year’s event will focus on key emerging areas within the industry, including women in sports and entertainment, motorsports and golf.

“We are incredibly proud and excited to host SEICon II at the prestigious Bellagio,” says Jay Vickers, COO of UNLV Sports Innovation Institute. “Returning to Las Vegas and partnering with such an esteemed venue, alongside the invaluable support of our partners, underscores SEICon’s growing influence and our commitment to providing an unparalleled experience for our invited guests.”

Vickers, Garrity, and Falk College of Sport Dean Jeremy Jordan appeared on the in late May to discuss the partnership between Falk College, UNLV Sports Innovation Institute, and Circle, and the present and future of SEICon.

SEICon will include nearly 30 panel conversations and two keynote speaker events. One keynote is with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, who in June will become president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The second keynote features two ���ϲ����� alumni, veteran news and media executive Chris Licht ’93 and New York Post CEO Sean Giancola ’90, along with a representative from Gannett/USA Today, the presenting sponsor of SEICon II.

Several faculty members will lead panels, including David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management (The World Cup and the Rise of MLS: A New Era for Soccer); Assistant Teaching Professor of Sport Management (Women in Racing); Sport Analytics Undergraduate Director and Professor (Get with the Program: Entreprenuership); and Professor of Sports Law (Post House–The Future of College Athletics).

Growing Partnership

The connections between the Falk College and UNLV Sports Innovation Institute continue to grow beyond the annual SEICon event.

SEICon’s Business of Sport conference for the Australian National Rugby League featured Falk College faculty members Rodney Paul (middle row, left), Rick Burton (middle row, right) and Alexia Lopes (first row, second from right).

This past March, the National Rugby League (NRL) from Australia with men’s and women’s games at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In advance of those games, SEICon hosted a ��conference for the NRL at the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute that included the signing of a partnership between SEICon and the . Burton, Lopes and Paul attended the conference, and Paul served as the moderator for a discussion on The Tech Playbook: Innovations for Shaping the Future of Sports.

“We are excited about the growing collaborations with UNLV Sports Innovation Institute and Circle for SEICon and the opportunities for our faculty to share their work and research from the programs in the new College of Sport: sport management, sport analytics, esports, exercise science, and nutrition,” says Paul. “We are most excited, however, to show off our greatest asset, our students, and provide them with an unparalleled experience in one of the most dynamic sports and entertainment markets in the world.”

Analysts predict the global sports market to reach $2 trillion, which is 2% of the $100 trillion world economy, bolstered by an influx of money from new sources, emerging technologies and growing demand. Already the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas has become an emerging sports destination and is perfectly positioned to host an annual conference focused on the intersection of sports, entertainment and innovation.

The inaugural SEICon in 2024 included 775 attendees and 183 speakers ranging from presidents and founders to venture capitalists and government officials. Visit the to learn more about the inaugural 2024 event and what’s planned for 2025 and beyond.

David B. Falk College of Sport

On July 1, 2025, ���ϲ����� will make history by launching the David B. Falk College of Sport—the first college on a high-research activity (R1) campus dedicated exclusively to sport-related disciplines. Named after visionary benefactor and legendary sports agent David B. Falk, this new college stands at the intersection of academic excellence and industry innovation. The college will unite our distinguished programs in sport management, sport analytics, exercise science, nutrition and esports (offered jointly with the prestigious Newhouse School of Public Communications) under one dynamic academic umbrella.

Bing Dong

The College of Engineering and Computer Science has named as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This endowed professorship is made possible by a 1998 gift from the late Fritz Traugott H’98 and his wife, Frances.

A prolific researcher with a strong track record of securing external funding, Professor Dong is the associate director of Grid-Interactive Buildings at the , oversees the , and teaches courses on HVAC system design, machine learning for mechanical engineering, and control systems.

Dong holds a dozen patents and has published more than 130 peer-reviewed papers with approximately 11,500 citations. Since joining the University in 2019, he has served as the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on over 20 projects, totaling more than $15 million in funding.

Dong’s research sits at the intersection of building performance, human behavior and urban infrastructure. Using physics-informed machine learning, optimization and AI-enabled controls, Dong is looking to improve energy efficiency while ensuring the productivity and comfort of building occupants.

Since earning a Ph.D. in building performance and diagnostics from Carnegie Mellon University, Dong has been a leader in the field of building science. He received a 2023 World Fellowship from the International Building Performance Simulation Association��(IBPSA), ���ϲ�����’s first such fellow and one of only two U.S. members in the biennial cohort.

Dong also received a 2023 Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), in which he was the only New York state honoree. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award and several best paper awards from international journals.

“Bing’s innovative research and commitment to improving energy systems is exactly what Fritz and Frances Traugott had intended when they established the endowed professorship,” says Engineering and Computer Science Dean J. Cole Smith. “Their vision and commitment to this important work is supporting breakthroughs from Bing and his research team.”

“Bing has been integral to our work at the ���ϲ����� Center of Excellence,” says Professor Jianshun “Jensen” Zhang, CoE’s executive director. “In collaboration with our academic and industry partners, he is advancing research across multi-scales of the built environment and developing cutting edge technologies for improving energy efficiency, environmental quality and human health.”

Fritz Traugott came to ���ϲ����� through a Marshall Plan work-study initiative for young engineers. He retired in 1990 after a long career with Robson & Woese Inc., a ���ϲ�����-based consulting engineering firm. In establishing the Traugott Professorship, Fritz and Frances Traugott specifically wished to support energy systems engineering research in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, making Dong’s work an ideal match.

“It is truly a great honor to be the Traugott endowed professor,” says Dong. “I will continue Mr. Traugott’s vision of conducting research and education in energy system engineering.”

Jenny Ross

The����in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has made some big changes lately.

The department just added an astronomy major approved by New York State and recently overhauled the undergraduate curriculum to replace traditional labs with innovative “Experiencing Physics” labs—inquiry-based Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) targeted at improving both teaching outcomes and student retention in the physics major.

Current A&S Associate Dean for Creativity, Scholarship and Research ��served as department chair when these initiatives were started.

For these notable initiatives, as well as her groundbreaking explorations in biophysics and active matter, Ross was awarded the prestigious����from��. The STAR () Award recognizes outstanding achievements in both research and education.

A��, Ross’s research explores how cells organize themselves using fundamental physics principles, with the goal of designing next-generation materials inspired by biology.

The award includes a $5,000 prize and will be presented at the 2025 Cottrell Scholar Conference in Tucson, Arizona, this July. As a recipient, Ross will provide mentoring to early career Cottrell Scholar colleagues throughout the coming year.

Margaret Susan Thompson

As the Roman Catholic Church begins a new chapter under Pope Leo XIV, historians and scholars are helping the public interpret the significance of this moment. Among them is , professor of history in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and an expert on the Catholic Church. Thompson has been widely quoted in national media for her expertise on Catholicism and the papacy.

Thompson has provided context on both the legacy of Pope Francis and the early signals from his successor, Pope Leo XIV. In , she reflected on Francis’ distinctive communication style, noting his ability to make doctrine feel personal and relatable:

“He made his commentary accessible,” she said. “It’s visual as well as tactile.”

She also pointed to the potential long-term significance of one of Francis’ final writings (a foreword to a youth catechism book) suggesting it may be reviewed by the Vatican’s canonization committee:

“It’s also a document that could be considered, among all of his writings, by the committee who will decide if Francis will be canonized.”

In , Thompson commented on Pope Leo XIV’s decision to delete his personal social media accounts and shift to official Vatican platforms:

“Social media can be a minefield for divisive commentary,” she said. “I imagine he’ll use it sparingly, perhaps for simple, pastoral messages.”

She also offered insight into the symbolic significance of the new pope’s chosen name:

“Leo is a powerful choice,” she said. “Leo XIII is considered the father of Catholic social teaching. This signals a potential emphasis on justice, labor, and the church’s role in the modern world.”

Thompson’s commentary has helped illuminate how both popes have navigated the balance between tradition and modernity, and how their choices may shape the church’s direction in the years ahead.

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

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

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

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

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

Charles Driscoll

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

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

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

On this episode of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast, Driscoll discusses the magnitude of his research, how he uses models to both understand the disturbances and lead restoration efforts and reflects on some of his successful remediations.

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

How would you describe the magnitude of your research?

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

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

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

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

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

How successful have these remediation initiatives been?

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

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

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

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

The newly named Distinguished Professors are , David M. Levy Professor of Law in the ; , Al Berg Chair and professor of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises in the , and , professor of sociology in the .

“Through their research and scholarship, these professors are a key part of the vibrant academic community here on campus, and this honor is well-deserved,” says Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew. “Just as important, they are making real and important contributions to society, with work that has the potential to change people’s lives.”

Candidates are nominated by their deans and reviewed by the vice provost/faculty affairs, who seeks input from external referees and a committee of Distinguished or University Professors. Formal nomination packets are then reviewed by the vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer and the vice president for research before being forwarded to the Board of Trustees.

Nina Kohn

Nina Kohn

Kohn is an internationally recognized leader in elder law, known for prolific, impactful work in the areas of guardianship, long-term care, advance planning, decision-making in the face of incapacity and elder abuse. She is the author of “Elder Law: Practice, Policy & Problems,” the leading text in her field, and has helped shape elder law-related legislation through her involvement with the .

Kohn’s work centers on the civil rights of older adults, and she has a strong scholarly presence in health law. She is a member of the American Law Institute.

Kohn joined the ���ϲ����� faculty in 2005 and has served in multiple leadership roles, including associate dean for research, associate dean for online education and faculty director of online education.

Johan Wiklund

Johan Wiklund

Wiklund is an internationally recognized leader in the study of entrepreneurship, having transformed the field through attention to neurodiversity and well-being, among other topics. He is widely praised for his ability to anticipate emerging trends and his willingness to take risks in his work as a journal editor.

In 2022, Wiklund was recognized as the third most-published entrepreneurship scholar in the world and as being among the top 2% most impactful researchers globally. His scholarship has won multiple awards, particularly from the Academy of Management, and he has also been honored for mentoring both graduate students and early-career scholars.

Wiklund joined the ���ϲ����� faculty in 2008 and has held several honorific titles at universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Australia and Sweden. He has also served in multiple leadership roles, including as editor-in-chief of the flagship journal Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and as associate editor or board member at a number of academic journals.

Janet Wilmoth

Janet Wilmoth

Wilmoth is director of the ��and a leading scholar on the relationship between veteran status and aging. She is best known for her work on living arrangements in later life and the well-being of veterans, especially the unique impacts of military service on health. Wilmoth’s scholarship laid the foundation for approaching veteran status as the “hidden variable” in aging research.

Wilmoth is widely published in the top journals in her field and has secured significant external funding. She has held national-level leadership positions in the American Sociological Association and the Gerontological Society of America.

Wilmoth joined the ���ϲ����� faculty in 2002 and has served in several leadership positions on campus, including director of the Gerontology Center and chair of the Department of Sociology.

Rick Burton

With the 30th anniversary of Major League Soccer (MLS) fast approaching, it’s obvious MLS has come a long way from its modest beginning in 1996. Once considered an underdog in the American sports landscape, the league has grown into a global player. MLS now draws international stars, record-breaking crowds and major media deals.

It’s also become home to a number of former ���ϲ����� student athletes, with Kamal Miller, Deandre Kerr, Alex Bono and Miles Robinson all suiting up for MLS teams. But behind the headlines and highlight reels is a deeper story.

“There’s a long history of failed soccer leagues in North America,” says Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics Professor Rick Burton, who has spent years studying the evolution of MLS. “Many investors, owners and even players lost a lot of money before MLS finally found its footing. That context is important—it shows just how remarkable the league’s success really is.”

This success has taken 30 years to grow. The league started in 1996, with professional soccer returning to the states for the first since 1984, when the North American Soccer League ceased operations.

“What amazed us was just how much MLS had evolved,” Burton says. “When the Apple deal was announced and Inter Miami signed Lionel Messi, the numbers—attendance, rising team values, internationality of players—really stood out.”

Burton, along with Norm O’Reilly, a professor at the University of New England, have studied the rise of soccer’s popularity in the United States, specifically MLS, one of the most diverse leagues on the planet, O’Reilly says. “It’s been that way for years, and that diversity is a huge part of its appeal both domestically and internationally,” he says.

That success is the focus of a new book, “The Rise of Major League Soccer,” co-authored by Burton and O’Reilly and released this week. It offers a comprehensive and research-driven look at how MLS has grown into one of the world’s most dynamic sports leagues, drawing on a wide range of sources, including exclusive demographic data provided by MLS itself.

Both Burton and O’Reilly have also explored how the league has strategically positioned itself for long-term success. Soccer-specific stadiums, a global media partnership with Apple and the arrival of global icons like David Beckham and Lionel Messi have all played a role in reshaping how MLS is perceived.

With the U.S. set to host the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the timing for MLS couldn’t be better. “MLS is no longer just a league with potential,” says Burton. “It’s a case study in how vision, strategy and persistence can build something truly global.”

“There are key takeaways, learnings and best practices that sport business professionals can apply in their own work,” says Burton. “We wanted this to be both a compelling story and a useful resource.”

Through a research project funded by the (SOURCE), School of Education (SOE) seniors Denaysha Macklin ’25 and Emma Wareing ’25 are continuing research to investigate barriers women of color face in advancing from K-12 teachers to school leaders.

The project—called “Pipeline to Educational Leadership Positions for Women of Color,” now in its fifth year—utilizes qualitative interviews with minority women who serve or have served as district-level administrators, examining the adversities they have overcome in obtaining their positions.

Timely Research

Both Macklin and Wareing earned a SOURCE fellowship after Professor encouraged them to apply. The pair started their research over the summer of 2024 with guidance from Theoharis, who has been a SOURCE advisor since the project began.

SOURCE offers a range of programs to foster and support undergraduate participation in faculty-guided scholarly research. Since summer 2021, 12 SOE faculty have mentored undergraduates through SOURCE grants and programs. Director Kate Hanson says student participants build research skills, learn to design and revise projects, present their work and produce timely contributions to their discipline.

“They are able to connect their knowledge from their own education to innovative and cutting-edge research,” Hanson says, noting that SOE students can use their new understanding of the broader landscape in both their future classrooms and educational leadership roles.

Macklin and Wareing began their portion of the project by reviewing previous years’ transcripts before connecting with educational leaders to request and conduct interviews over the spring 2025 semester. “Using qualitative methods allows us to fill the gap of literature that highlights these shifts to leadership roles,” Theoharis says.

Each year, students have sought to speak with at least two women, conducting two-part interviews to inquire about career experiences, paths and transitions to administration, as well as any racial and gender barriers they faced. As the project continues, with future undergraduate researchers adding more first-person accounts, Theoharis says at some point all the interviews will be combined and published.

Inspirational Women

Professor George Theoharis discusses the SOURCE-funded research project “Pipeline to Educational Leadership Positions for Women of Color” with Emma Wareing ’25 (seated left) and Denaysha Macklin ’25.

Wareing and Macklin will join Theoharis to present their findings at the American Education Research Association (AERA) conference, April 23-27 in Denver, Colorado.

“AERA is the biggest, most prestigious education research conference,” Theoharis says. “Since Emma and Denaysha are focused on school leaders, they will present in the division on administration and leadership, sharing the project with researchers, faculty and doctoral students.”

At past conferences, student research has been well received. “It’s typically not a space for undergraduates, so when attendees hear from them, they’ve been very impressed,” Theoharis says. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised several times how gender and racially affirming the space has been for our students.”

Theoharis notes that the presentations overwhelmingly attract women of color whose own experiences resonate with students’ findings, which, Theoharis says, helps the young researchers see a potential future in such spaces, affirming that they belong.

“I don’t remember having a Black woman as a teacher, let alone [in] leadership,” Macklin says, “Getting to talk to people who were in these positions and still are, it makes me able to see myself there, whereas before I couldn’t really see myself doing anything more than being a teacher.”

A goal of the project is to document the stories and experiences of women of color because, Theoharis says, too often teachers don’t reflect the diversity represented in the student body. Within school administration, he adds, there is an even more disproportionate lack of minority women.

“Part of the research is to understand their experiences,” says Theoharis, who notes students use a critical race theory framework and incorporate the idea of counter narratives, listening to the voices of marginalized processionals. Those interviewed are specifically asked about barriers they’ve faced around sexism and racism.

A surprising theme Macklin discovered in her interviews is resilience: “They are such inspirational women and have so many lessons to share. Hearing their stories and hearing how positive they still are is motivating,” Macklin says.

Intergenerational Sharing

Wareing, who is Asian, says the project also has helped her imagine herself in such roles: “I can finally see myself there—in actuality, not just in theory,” says Wareing, who, like Macklin, had little exposure to non-white teachers or administrators.

For her interviews, Wareing chose to focus on Asian women, who reported that their experiences with forms of oppression were often less explicit than what past interviewees shared. “But racism did play a factor and impacted how they carried themselves in these positions because of Asian stereotypes and expectations placed onto them,” says Wareing, whose subjects spoke about being immigrants and growing up and being educated with different cultural norms and how each impacted their leadership styles.

The students’ personal and professional realizations are a key benefit of the SOURCE fellowship, according to Theoharis. “It connects them with people in the field and helps sets their sights on potential leadership roles. The intergenerational sharing is a really nice part of this.”

In addition to introducing undergraduates to research, SOURCE pays an hourly rate for the work and funds conference travel. “It raises the profile of our students and the school,” Theoharis says. “Because our students consistently get these grants, it says the School of Education has undergraduates who are engaging in serious research. … Our School can do research at the highest level.”

The project’s original premise developed from a proposal made to Theoharis by Jenny Gines ’21, now an eighth-grade teacher. Previous student researchers included SOE alumnae Ashanti Hunter ’22, Michelle Ho ’22, Savannah Stocker ’23, Emily Peterson ’23, Amanda Feliz ’24 and Kamille Montgomery ’24.

Theoharis says SOURCE applications were submitted this winter by juniors Vera Wang ’26 and Eliani Jimenez Merino ’26, who will start their part of the research endeavor this summer.

Thinking of the time when all the “Pipeline to Educational Leadership” interviews are curated into a publication, Macklin says she hopes such a collection can widely inform about barriers to professional growth and help remove them: “I feel the project’s goal is to identify the problems. Then we can expose those problems and attack them before they become a problem for the next generation,” Macklin says.

Story by Ashley Kang ’04, G’11

V-E Day celebration photo: Soldiers hold up the Stars and Stripes newspaper in celebration of the end of WWII in Europe May 8, 1945. (Photo by Spc. Tyrell Boyd)

This week marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, when Nazi Germany formally surrendered to Allied forces on May 8, 1945, bringing an end to World War II in Europe. While it signaled the collapse of Hitler’s regime and a hard-won victory across the European continent, it did not mark the end of the war globally—fighting in the Pacific would continue for several more months.

Still, V-E Day was a moment of profound relief, reflection and celebration, and it laid the foundation for the post-war world order.

To better understand the meaning and legacy of V-E Day, Professor , the Dr. Walter Montgomery and Marian Gruber Professor of History in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, offers his insight on what the day represented then, why it still matters today and how its impact continues to shape modern global affairs.

For any media who wish to schedule an interview with Allport, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.