The granite pavers crisscrossing the Newhouse Family Plaza have anchored one of the University’s most recognizable gathering spaces for decades, connecting three buildings built across three different eras. This summer, major work is being done on the plaza.

Beneath the pavers sits a drainage system that has shifted, tilted and needed repairs over the years. This summer marks the start of a comprehensive renovation that will replace the membrane, drains and pavers across all three sections of the plaza, work that campus planners say should keep the space watertight and stable for years to come.

To understand what goes into balancing infrastructure needs with the character of a beloved campus space, Syracuse University Today spoke with Brenda Law ’90, a campus architect and alumna who has worked in facilities planning for about 30 years. Law, associate director of design in walked through the technical work behind the project and the choices made to preserve what makes the plaza feel like .

A Roof in Disguise

The Newhouse complex was built in three phases, with , Newhouse 2 joining in 1974 and Newhouse 3 completing the school in 2007.

According to Law, the Newhouse plaza is largely original to the school’s older buildings. In addition to being a gathering place on campus, the plaza serves as a roof to occupied space below.

The original drainage system, built with Newhouse 1, allowed water to filter through porous concrete to drains beneath, while later construction added a different system for Newhouse 2 and 3.

“This project is really a comprehensive replacement of all three sections and there will be a new roof membrane below, so the roof drains below will be replaced and the new pavers will be installed on a pedestal support system,” Law says. “It will ensure that the whole thing is watertight and it should last many, many years. And on top, the pavers will be set level and true.”

Work on the project will extend into the fall semester.

What Visitors Will Notice

Visitors will also notice changes on the surface after the project is complete. A new snow-melt system installed beneath the plaza’s major pathways will keep them clear during winter months.

The new pavers themselves will look a little different, too.

They will be slightly darker than the old pavers, but they will still be in the warm tones—gray, beige, pinkish—that echo the Newhouse buildings. Law says her team reviewed dozens of paver options before settling on one with enough color variation to avoid looking too uniform against the older precast concrete facades.

“That’s really our job here at Campus Planning,” Law says. “We really want to preserve our iconic spaces, which doesn’t mean you can’t introduce something new, but we’re sensitive and want to be respectful of historic elements and the historic buildings on campus. The new pavers have a little bit of a rustic tone that relates to the existing buildings.”

The footprint of the plaza itself isn’t changing, but new furnishings will be added for the first time beyond the original seat wall. Newhouse uses the plaza for events, including ones that require tents, so the new gathering areas had to be designed to give people a place to hang out without compromising event space functionality.

“We are eager to see these long-overdue renovations come to fruition to create a reimagined Newhouse Family Plaza,” Dean says. “These changes will create a more dynamic and modern-looking gathering hub while preserving the aesthetics that generations of alumni fondly remember.”

Preserving an Iconic Space

Part of the challenge of projects like the Newhouse plaza redesign is preserving a space with deep institutional memory while still allowing for change.

Law says the goal is that the plaza feels warm and human-scaled.

“Trying to advance things and embrace modernity, but still being respectful to the existing structures is the line we walk, trying to mesh those things,” she says. “Architectural design often contrasts or matches, so it’s finding the right direction and balance.”

That balance is part of Syracuse’s architectural history, visible across campus in how the University has made room for stylistic variety.

“The Hall of Languages is built out of Onondaga limestone, and it was placed at the head of University Ave as the first building on the hill,” Law says. “Crouse College was the second, and it’s vastly different. The University founders decided then to build in the style of the day. And that’s why you see so much architectural variety on campus. I think it’s our green space and our plazas that hold things together, so we’re trying to honor that. To embrace the new technology, to give this place a clean, safe, beautiful plaza, but also be respectful of the old buildings.”

Housing in cities across North America has become increasingly unaffordable. Most people blame land scarcity, rising construction costs or speculative investors.

But in a study , Austin Zwick, for the policy studies program in the and the , points to a less visible culprit: planning processes municipalities are using.

Zwick’s research, published in March, examines how de facto discretionary approval systems—which require developers to meet all code requirements but also see approval depending on back-and-forth negotiations with regulatory bodies and case-by-case judgments from planners, elected officials and sometimes organized public organizations—drive up housing costs and suppress supply.

In contrast, a “by-right” system allows developers to get approval, with no additional steps to follow, as long as they meet or “check every box” on the municipality’s list of requirements or standards.

“In theory, discretion is meant to allow flexibility and responsiveness,” Zwick says.

Negotiation with developers is intended to promote ��better outcomes by requiring them to build public amenities and social housing units they wouldn’t otherwise build. In practice, though, builders with the time, money and political access can endure prolonged negotiations, and then they will pass those endured costs onto the buyers, whereas small-time builders can’t. The end result is that only large-scale luxury development gets built, not regular housing for regular people, he says.

Zwick offers a case study in his research of a stalled development in Vancouver, British Columbia, in which lengthy negotiations, public hearings and political approvals added hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit to a condo building before construction ever began. He suggests that tackling the housing crisis isn’t just about federal funding or sweeping new policy, but for local governments to streamline their own processes.

Below, Zwick, tells Syracuse University Today what’s broken in planning processes, why it matters for the housing crisis and what cities can do about it.

Publishing magnate Donald Newhouse H’16, whose family’s philanthropy changed the face of Syracuse University and set the course for generations of communications students, died May 26. He was 96.

“Donald Newhouse was one of the most consequential figures in American media and one of the greatest benefactors this University has ever known,” says Chancellor . “His generosity, leadership and vision have given generations of Syracuse University students the education, preparation and opportunity to pursue meaningful careers in journalism and communications. He built a media empire that pushed the industry forward, embracing the demands of modern storytelling while never wavering in his belief that local journalism is essential to informed and engaged communities. We are deeply grateful for everything he gave to Syracuse University, and our hearts are with the Newhouse family.”

“Donald Newhouse deeply understood Syracuse University—not just its history and mission, but its character,” says Chancellor Emeritus Kent Syverud, who worked closely with Newhouse during his tenure as chancellor. “Over the many years I knew him, I came to appreciate his abiding commitment to the idea that journalism done well is one of the highest forms of public service. Losing him is a profound loss for this university, and personally, for me. I am grateful for every conversation we had and for his great love and care for Syracuse University. My deepest sympathies go to Steven, Katherine, Michael and the entire Newhouse family.”

“Donald Newhouse set a standard for what it means to be a true champion of this university,” says Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jeffrey Scruggs. “As an honorary trustee, he inspired our board not just through his extraordinary philanthropy but through his genuine, tireless advocacy for Syracuse University—the kind that came from someone who believed in this institution with his whole heart and showed up for it in every way. My thoughts are with the entire Newhouse family, especially Trustee Michael Newhouse, as he and his family grieve an extraordinary man.”

Dedicated to Communications Education

The is named for Newhouse’s father, Samuel I. Newhouse, who was born to immigrant parents in a New York City tenement in 1895 and by the time of his death in 1979 had built the publishing empire .

His $15 million gift to the University in 1960 supported the construction of the first two buildings of the Newhouse complex: Newhouse 1, , and Newhouse 2, . In recognition of his philanthropy, the school was named for Samuel Newhouse in 1971.

Donald Newhouse and his brother, Samuel I. “Si” Newhouse Jr., took over Advance Publications following their father’s death. They continued his legacy as shrewd and successful publishers, and as dedicated supporters of communications education at Syracuse.

“Donald Newhouse’s impact on American media, and the school that bears his family’s name, is difficult to put into words,” says Newhouse Dean . “He believed deeply in the core values of journalism, and in the importance of diverse voices in the newsroom as a way of strengthening coverage of the communities we serve. His generosity made it possible for Syracuse University to become home to the country’s top communications programs and train generations of journalists.”

Moving Into the Future

With continued philanthropy in the years following the naming of the school, the Newhouse family—through the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation led by Donald Newhouse—became the University’s largest benefactor. A $15 million gift in 2003 supported the construction of Newhouse 3, .

An $18 million renovation of Newhouse 2, supported in part by the Newhouse Foundation, produced the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center—featuring Dick Clark Studios, the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation and the Diane and Bob Miron Digital News Center—which was dedicated by Oprah Winfrey in 2014. In 2020, a marked the largest-ever gift in University history.

Donald Newhouse visited the school to announce the gift in January of that year. In a full-circle moment, he posed in the Newhouse 1 lobby, just as he had done alongside his father and the rest of his family on the day of the Newhouse 1 dedication. “The Newhouse School resulted from my father’s dream to establish the finest journalism school in the world,” he said. “In this era in which public communications is undergoing continual and radical change, my family and I expect to continue our long-term commitment to ensure that the school my dad helped found almost 60 years ago remains the leading communications school in the world for another generation.”

Lifelong Connection

Donald Newhouse’s vision for the school embraced technology and innovation while honoring the core values of journalism that remained key to its foundation. In this new era, the Newhouse family’s generosity was indeed a cornerstone of the school’s strength. “Without this Newhouse money, the school would not be what it is today,” says Newhouse Dean Emeritus . The foundation’s gift in support of Newhouse 3, he says, “catapulted the school to the very top of communications education.”

Newhouse funds also supported technological advancements, endowed professorships, student scholarships and other areas of need. The Newhouse Dean’s Leadership Fund, established in 2007 with a $10 million matching challenge, provides discretionary funds allowing the dean to leverage opportunities to enhance the educational mission of the school. The , which began in 1994 as a partnership with the Advance-owned Syracuse Post-Standard, was undergirded by Donald Newhouse’s commitment to diversifying news reporting. “Donald recognized that the quality of journalism would only be as good as the people in the newsrooms who produced it,” Rubin says.

The family’s philanthropy touched other areas of the University as well, including , and the , where a gift from the foundation helped establish the Chancellor Kent Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen Endowed Chair in Applied Artificial Intelligence. Newhouse also gave to the fund for the Marley Building, which is named for the parents of his late wife, . And he and was awarded an honorary degree in 2016.

Throughout his life, Donald Newhouse remained connected to the University, offering his quiet guidance and steadfast support—a presence that was appreciated by numerous deans, Rubin included.

“Despite his wealth and success, he was an idealist, a man devoted to the greater good, a man of warmth and empathy,” Rubin says. “Look around. How many such industry titans does one see who are like him?”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how governments operate, how universities teach and how public institutions make decisions.

That was the central message of a recent fireside chat hosted by the . Dean moderated the conversation which brought together two leaders working at the forefront of AI adoption: , commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), and , Syracuse University’s senior vice president for digital transformation and chief digital officer.

“The question before us is not whether AI will transform public life,” Van Slyke said. “It’s whether our institutions are ready to lead that transformation thoughtfully, equitably and effectively.”

Personalizing Learning and Expanding Access

Rubin opened the March 26 event with a claim about the stakes for higher education: AI, he said, has the potential to transform how universities teach in ways not seen in 200 years. “The idea of a professor standing in front of a room, lecturing—and students taking notes and then being assessed through projects, papers and exams—that model has not shifted,” he said. “What AI allows you to do is personalize learning.”

Personalization at scale has long been a challenge because no instructor can simultaneously tailor a course to every student’s pace and needs, he said. AI changes that equation.

Rubin shared how Syracuse has deployed more than 30,000 AI licenses across campus to drive equitable access and data security. Some students had already purchased AI tools on their own, while others could not afford them, he pointed out. Faculty and staff also needed a secure environment for uploading sensitive documents without routing data through commercial platforms.

Rubin also highlighted a less-discussed dimension of the University’s AI work: a private wireless network, built in partnership with JMA Wireless, that supports thermal sensors in academic buildings across campus. The sensors detect occupancy without capturing identifying information, allowing the University to optimize janitorial services, plan building capacity and, eventually, adjust heating and cooling based on actual use patterns.

A Measured Approach to Government AI

Moy noted that the state’s deliberate pace of technology adoption is a necessary safeguard rather than a liability. “I would contend that it’s important that government is risk-averse,” she said. “The information that we hold is really important—Medicaid data, health data, testing information. The importance of that stewardship becomes paramount.”

Her office oversees roughly 30 million square feet of state real estate, manages 1,500 procurement contracts valued at $44 billion and administers a design and construction portfolio of approximately $5.7 billion. Moy described the agency’s AI strategy as a measured approach. It involves first identifying low-risk, high-value applications, then building the data infrastructure to support them, and ensuring legal and operational frameworks are in place before scaling.

Moy said one of OGS’s most tangible AI investments is in procurement search. Agencies and municipalities navigating the state’s contract catalog often struggle to find what they need, undermining the efficiency those contracts are designed to provide. Moy said AI-assisted search is a logical starting point: low risk, no job displacement and an immediate opportunity to test what the technology can do.

The agency is also piloting AI-powered document summarization tools for bid documents and contract histories which are reported to save up to three hours per day.

Moy noted that backlogs present another opportunity, as they are a universal challenge across the public sector. She explained that while AI could help alleviate some of those challenges, agencies must be cautious; they cannot hand out productivity tools to every worker without first creating the right frameworks.

Jobs, Regulation and What Comes Next

Both speakers addressed audience concerns about AI’s impact on jobs—a topic that has gained urgency in New York following Governor Kathy Hochul’s , which is tasked with studying AI’s effects on the labor market.

Rubin cited research suggesting that less than 1% of the 1.2 million layoffs recorded in 2025 were directly attributable to AI, arguing that economic factors and structural business decisions are doing more to reshape the workforce than the technology itself. He expressed confidence that AI will ultimately create more jobs than it displaces, though he acknowledged that every job will change.

“If you don’t know how to incorporate AI into your domain and discipline, you will be at a disadvantage,” he said. “Students need to have the tools and the classes.”

Moy recalled the dot-com era and the transformation of publishing that upended models at institutions like the Brooklyn Public Library, where she once served as chief strategy officer. The fear and exuberance that accompanied those transitions, she said, mirrors what society is experiencing today.

“We want to make sure that we’re thinking about it ethically, that we’re balancing it according to public need,” she said. “And we’re having active conversations about those trade-offs.”

Both panelists returned repeatedly to the theme of transparency in AI systems, government data and institutional communications.

Rubin pointed to Anthropic’s practice of publishing system prompts as a model for responsible AI deployment and noted that Syracuse recently launched an AI-powered course search tool, called , that similarly makes its operating parameters visible. He also raised the challenge of AI-generated media and the difficulty of distinguishing real content from fabricated content online.

An Open and Ongoing Dialogue

The conversation drew questions from the audience.

A first-year Maxwell student and member of the University’s United AI club asked what precedent a recent court ruling holding social media platforms liable for algorithmic harm to minors sets for the future of AI regulation and whether platforms like ChatGPT should face similar oversight.

Rubin was direct: “We made the mistake with social media. These companies should have an obligation to have guardrails.”

Moy pointed to Hochul’s recent policy proposals targeting addictive technology, including requirements for more restrictive default settings on children’s accounts. She acknowledged that government is often a step behind rapid technological change, but argued that intervention becomes necessary when innovation results in public harm.

A second student raised concerns about AI’s potential to enable fraud, including falsified documents and biased algorithms.

“These are very real questions,” she said, emphasizing that OGS is working to understand its uses and risks. She argued that the answer isn’t avoiding AI but understanding it well enough to spot its misuse. “If we don’t understand it, we will fall behind.”

Rubin agreed, framing the detection challenge as both technological and philosophical: As AI becomes embedded in everything from autocomplete to document editing, defining what counts as “AI-generated” becomes increasingly difficult. “My gut is almost every piece of content out there will have some AI piece to it, assisting us,” he said. “So, it’s a technology challenge and a societal challenge.”

Van Slyke closed by noting that Maxwell’s role in preparing students for public service has always meant equipping them not just with technical knowledge, but with the ability to navigate the policy, governance and ethical dimensions that accompany it.

“The question is not what will AI do to our institutions,” he said. “It’s what will we choose to do with it.”

In continuation of the University’s commitment to providing comprehensive benefits and in appreciation of the contributions of faculty and staff, the University will operate under its holiday schedule and Orange Appreciation Days format for the winter break period from 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.

In addition to the regular University holidays of Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 and bonus days Dec. 26 and 31, the following days have been designated as paid Orange Appreciation Days: Dec. 29 and 30 and Jan. 2.

Units providing essential services that will remain fully operational during the Winter Break include the Department of Public Safety and Facilities Services.

Services During Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break

Admissions and Enrollment Processing

The office will be closed for the holidays and Orange Appreciation Days and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Advancement and External Affairs

Advancement Services staff will maintain business hours at the 640 Skytop Office Building Dec. 29, 30 and 31, 2025, to receive and process fundraising gifts.

Building Occupancy

During the Holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period:

Request for Building Access (locking):
If you require your building to be open over the holidays/Orange Appreciation Days period, please submit a request to your building coordinator, noting the specific dates and times. Requests should be made by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. (Note that faculty and staff will be able to access the buildings you work in, as usual, by using their SU I.D. cards, even when the buildings are locked.)

Building temperatures will be lowered to 60 degrees unless prior arrangements have been made.

Deans, directors and department heads may submit a detailed request for adjustments to temperature and lighting during the holidays/Orange Appreciation Days period. Please review the University’s temperature guidelines. We ask that requests be made using the Maximo Maintenance system by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. Requests will be reviewed and approved by either the vice president and chief facilities officer or the provost.

Important: Buildings Not Included in the Reduced Occupancy Schedule

The following buildings will be excluded from the temperature setback and will remain on normal access, temperature and lighting settings:

• 640 Skytop Road
• Heroy Geology Laboratory
• Bowne Hall Fourth Floor
• Lyman Hall Fourth Floor
• Sims Hall, Department of Public Safety
• Center for Science and Technology
• Bird Library
• Life Sciences Complex
• Link Hall
• Physics Building
• Ensley Athletic Center
• South Campus Library Facility
• Lally Complex
• Carmelo Anthony Center
• Tennity Ice Rink
• Crouse Hinds Hall

Questions on building occupancy can be directed to the Department of Energy Systems and Sustainability Management, 315.443.1535 or��energy@syr.edu.

Bursar’s Office

The Bursar’s Office will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 25, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026,��and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at 9 a.m. Student account payments can be made through MySlice under the billing/payments tile. Questions may be directed to the Bursar’s Office online form. The Bursar’s Office will monitor incoming questions sent through this form and will respond as quickly as possible during this time.

Campus Bus Shuttle

The campus shuttle service will operate on a reduced schedule until the conclusion of Winter Break. For schedule updates, visit . Please note that there will be no regular campus shuttle service from Dec. 25 through Jan. 3, 2026. During this period, transportation will operate under the 24-hour Safety Escort Service, and all ride requests must be submitted through the Orange Safe app. For urgent matters, on-call staff can be reached through the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Campus Dining

Hours of operation for campus cafes and other dining facilities can be found on the����or on the OrangeNow app.

Campus Planning, Design and Construction

Campus Planning, Design and Construction (CPDC) will close on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, at 5 p.m. and reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. If you have project-specific questions, please reach out to the assigned project manager. For general information, email cpdc@syr.edu.

Campus Store

The Campus Store will be closed Saturday, Dec. 20, through Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. During this time, the online store will be available for customer orders. Orders received on or after Friday, Dec. 20, will be processed beginning Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. Staff will be available beginning Friday, Jan. 2, at 8:30 a.m. Please contact��sm8551@bncollege.com��with questions or for assistance.

Cash Operations (Bowne Hall)

The offices at Bowne Hall will be closed. For questions, email cashops@syr.edu. Email will be monitored daily.

Counseling

Counseling will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 25, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, as well as Monday, Jan. 19. However, in the event of a mental health emergency, or if there is a need to contact a member of the Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team, 24-hour services remain available. These services can be accessed by calling 315.443.8000.

Custodial Services��

Custodial Services will be provided, on a reduced basis, in academic and administrative buildings. All residence halls close on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2025, and no custodial services will be provided. If assistance is needed, call 315.443.1234.

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Materials Distribution and Mail Services delivery and pick up will be provided to departments requesting service. Arrangements for service can be requested by contacting Materials Distribution at e-materials@syr.edu or mailsrvc@syr.edu.

Deliveries (UPS and FedEx)

Materials Distribution will be delivering UPS and Fed Ex deliveries during the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with the exception of Thursday, Dec. 25, and Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. If your department has a specific request pertaining to deliveries over Orange Days, please email e-materials@syr.edu.

Disability Benefits and Workers’ Compensation Benefit Payments

Disability benefits checks will be on regular payroll schedule. For those who don’t use the direct deposit option, checks will be mailed to the employee’s home address by the payroll department during the week of Dec. 23. For assistance with workers’ compensation checks, please contact our third-party administrator, PMA, at 1.888.476.2669. For assistance during Orange Appreciation Days, contact Sheera Buckley at slbuck01@syr.edu��or 315.416.9066.

Drumlins

The Tennis Club will operate as follows:

• Tuesday, Dec. 23: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 24: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 25: closed
• Friday, Dec. 26: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 27: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 28: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 29: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 30: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 31: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Friday, Jan. 2: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 3: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 4: USTA Gold Tri-Level Regionals; no public access to courts on this day

Normal hours of operation will resume on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Call 315.446.2323 for court times and reservations

Bistro 1926 will be closed Dec. 24 to Jan. 1, 2026, reopening Friday, Jan. 2.

The banquets office, Pro Shop and management office will be closed Dec. 24 to Jan. 4, reopening Monday, Jan. 5.

Energy Systems and Sustainability Management��

The Energy Management Operations Center is staffed 24/7. For building systems scheduling questions or concerns, call 315.443.1535. For building access issues, contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Enrollment Management

The office will be closed during the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

Environmental Health and Safety Services

Environmental Health and Safety Services will have on-call staff available to assist in the event of a hazardous materials spill or emergency during the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period. Environmental Health’s on-call staff can be contacted through the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services

The office will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 25, and Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, and bonus days on Dec. 26 and Dec. 31. On Dec. 29, Dec. 30, and Jan. 2, this year’s designated Orange Appreciation Days, the office will be available to employees by email at��equalopp@syr.edu.��Email will be checked once a day on Orange Appreciation Days and emergencies will be addressed within 24 hours. The office will return to normal business hours on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs

The office will be closed for the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Fire and Life Safety Services

Fire and Life Safety Services will be staffed on Orange Appreciation Days from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If assistance is needed, call 315.443.5474 or the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. On Thursday, Dec. 25, and Thursday, Jan. 1, 2025, contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Health Care at the Barnes Center at The Arch

Health Care at the Barnes Center will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 25, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026; 24-hour on-call service is available at 315.443.8000.

Hendricks Chapel

The Coach Mac Food Pantry will be available upon request (chapel@syr.edu) for those in need, and will fully reopen on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.��For additional information please visit the chapel����or call 315.443.2901.

Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Service Centers

The offices at 111 Waverly Ave. and 210 Goldstein Student Center will be closed beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24. Both location centers will resume regular business hours on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Human Resources

The office will be closed for the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period, However, employees can reach HR Shared Services by emailing��hrservice@syr.edu��or leaving a message at 315.443.4042. Emails and voice messages will be checked daily on Orange Appreciation Days, and urgent requests will be addressed promptly. All other matters will be addressed when the University returns to regular business hours, 8:30 to 5 p.m., on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.

ITS Support

ITS support staff is available by calling 315.443.2677, by emailing help@syr.edu or by chatting with the support staff on ���ǰ�����during regular business hours through Friday, Dec. 19, and at the following dates and times:

• Dec. 20 to 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Dec. 26 to 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For ITS support during days and times outside those listed above, email��help@syr.edu��or call 315.443.2677. If you choose to call, follow the automated prompts and leave a message for the on-call ITS staff. On-call support is available outside the hours listed above and on the following dates: Dec. 25 and 31 and Jan. 1, 2026.

The ITS Help Desk will��resume regular business��hours on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.

ITS��Service Center In-Person Support Hours����������������������

The ITS Service Center in the first-floor lobby of the Women’s Building will be closed starting Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, and will reopen on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Users needing assistance can call 315.443.2677 or��help@syr.edu��before we reopen.

Updates and hours of operation will be available on the��.

Libraries

All libraries will be closed beginning Wednesday, Dec. 24, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, with the following exception of the following: Bird Library, floors LL-5, will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29, Tuesday, Dec. 30 and Friday, Jan 2. Special Collections, located on the sixth floor of Bird Library, will not be open on these days. All library hours can be found on the .

Maintenance Requests

Maintenance requests for academic and administrative buildings, residence halls, dining facilities or South Campus apartments may be requested by contacting Facilities Services immediately at 315.443.1234.

Materials Distribution

Materials Distribution deliveries and pick up will be provided to departments requesting service. Arrangements for service can be requested by contacting Materials Distribution at 315.443.1940 or using a list of forms provided on their website. Service requests should be emailed to e-materials@syr.edu.

Media Inquiries/University Communications

The University’s media relations team’s email, , is monitored regularly over Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break. Urgent media inquiries should be directed to Sarah Scalese, vice president for University communications, at sescales@syr.edu.

Paycheck Distribution��

All paper paychecks are delivered to the employee’s home department on payday. As a reminder, anyone with a NetID and password is able to set up direct deposit through MySlice.

Weekly and Semi-Monthly Pay During Winter Break

Pay for the work week ending Wednesday, Dec. 24, will be paid on Wednesday, Dec. 31. This is the last paycheck of the calendar year 2025 Form W-2 reporting period.

The semi-monthly pay period ending Wednesday, Dec. 31, will be paid on Wednesday, Dec. 31. This is the last paycheck of the calendar year 2025 Form W-2 reporting period.

Employees who have not signed up for direct deposit, and will therefore receive a paper paycheck, should ensure their permanent address is accurate by going to MySlice and clicking on the personal profile tile on the employee home page. Weekly paper paychecks dated Wednesday, Dec. 31, and semi paper paychecks dated Wednesday, Dec. 31, will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service to the employee’s permanent address on file.

Direct deposit for the weekly payroll will be available in individuals’ accounts on Wednesday, Dec 31. Direct deposit for the semi-monthly payroll will be available to individuals’ accounts on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Payments by direct deposit can be viewed anytime on MySlice by clicking on the payroll tile on the employee home page.

Weekly Pay Immediately After Winter Break

Pay for the work week ending Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, will be paid on Wednesday Jan. 7.

Payroll Deadlines

Weekly Payroll Deadlines Immediately Prior to Winter Break

• The week ending Wednesday, Dec. 17, paid on Wednesday, Dec. 24:
• Time approval is due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18.
• Online RAP approval is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Semi Payroll Deadlines for Winter Break

• Semi Online RAPs for the pay period ending Wednesday, Dec. 31, are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22.

Weekly Payroll Deadlines During Winter Break

The week ending Wednesday, Dec. 24, paid on Wednesday, Dec. 31:

• Time approval is due by 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.
• Online RAP approval is due by 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.
• Employees will be paid (or not paid) based upon the time that has or has not been approved in the system. Any adjustments or corrections will have to be submitted for payment in the following pay period. There will be no special checks processed.

Payroll Frequently Asked Questions

If I do not have direct deposit, how will I get my paychecks on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Wednesday Dec. 31?

Paychecks will be mailed to your permanent address. You can verify your permanent address is accurate by going to MySlice and clicking on the personal profile tile on the employee home page.

Where can I sign up for direct deposit?

Log onto MySlice and click on the payroll tile on the employee home page.

Why might I not receive a paycheck at my home by Wednesday, Dec. 31?

Several reasons could result in you not receiving your paper paycheck on or before Wednesday, Dec. 31. Your permanent address in MySlice has to be correct. For example, if you have moved and did not change your address, the paper paycheck will be delivered to the address per MySlice and either forwarded to your new address (if you have filed a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service) or it will be returned to Payroll. Either case will result in potentially significant delays in your receipt of your paper paycheck.

What happens if my permanent address is incorrect in MySlice?

Since paper paychecks will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, Syracuse University cannot control, track or locate your paycheck once mailed. If you have filed a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service to forward your mail, delivery of your paycheck will be delayed. If no such form has been filed, the paper paycheck will be returned to Payroll. Either case will result in potentially significant delays in your receipt of your paper paycheck.

How do I change my permanent address?

Log in to MySlice and click on the personal profile tile on the employee home page.

If I receive my weekly paper paycheck before Wednesday Dec. 31, or my semi-monthly paper paycheck before Wednesday, Dec. 31, can I cash/deposit it?

No. Paychecks dated Wednesday, Dec. 31, are not valid prior to that date.

What happens if I don’t receive my paper paycheck?

If you have not received your paycheck by Friday, Dec. 26, you can call Payroll at 315.443.4042, option 2, and leave a message with the following information:

• Indicate that you did not receive your paycheck.
• Give your name and SU I.D. number.
• Give the name of the University department that you were expecting pay from.
• Provide a telephone number where you can be reached.

Messages will be reviewed at various times during the day and calls will be returned as soon as possible.

No special checks will be issued during Winter Break.

Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety will remain open 24/7 during the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period. For emergencies or assistance, call 315.443.2224, connect with us via the Orange Safe app, or text or email 711@syr.edu.

Procurement and Supplier Payment Updates

Procurement��(formerly Purchasing)

With Orange Appreciation Days approaching, the Procurement Department wishes to make you aware that any eProcurement requisition received��after Monday, Dec. 8,��may not be sent out until after Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. If your purchase requires an RFQ (Request for Quote) to be completed, the requisition should be received by��Monday, Dec. 8,��to ensure processing it will be completed prior to Winter Break.

All JPMC credit card transactions, for activity through Nov. 30, should be submitted in the My Slice Travel and Expense Center on or��before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

Other Procurement and Sourcing considerations to take into account as we approach the break:

• Should your purchase request require additional approvals such as those for sponsored or restricted funds, please build in additional time to your planning process.
• If your purchase request is over $50,000, please allow additional time, as the Office of Budget and Planning must review and approve those orders before they are released. Contact��procurement@syr.edu with any questions.

Supplier Payment (formerly Disbursements)

Supplier Payment will not be processing payments after Tuesday, Dec. 23. The last payment run will be on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 23, for distribution and handling on Wednesday, Dec. 24. After Tuesday,��normal processing will resume on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.

To ensure timeliness of payments your department may have, please make appropriate arrangements to have requests received in the Supplier Payment email��disburse@syr.edu, in the��Automated Payment Request module or in the��MySlice Travel and Expense Center��on or before 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8,��for the following:

• Supplier invoices on a PO
• Requisitions with invoices attached off PO
• Consultant forms
• Stipend payments
• Wire transfers: foreign and domestic
• Out-of-pocket travel submissions for employee or non-employee guests
• Travel advances for travel scheduled during the end of December 2025
• Clearing any outstanding travel advances for travel that occurred prior to December 2025

Other considerations: Should your time sensitive payment requests require additional approvals such as Sponsored or Restricted Fund approvals, please allow additional time to your planning process.

All��JPMC credit card transactions, for activity through Nov. 30 should be submitted in the MySlice Travel and Expense Center��on or before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

• If you have any questions on supplier payments, please contact��disburse@syr.edu.
• If you have any questions on��travel and expense reimbursements and credit card deadlines, please contact��travelandexpense@syr.edu.

Recreation and Fitness

The recreation and fitness areas at the Barnes Center at The Arch, Ernie Davis Hall and the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion are closed from Thursday, Dec. 25, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. For updates on operating status, visit the��.

Registrar’s Office

The office will be closed for holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period. If you need to reach our office during the closure, please email��registrar@syr.edu.

Research Integrity and Protections

Facilities Services will have staff on campus throughout Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break to monitor and maintain building systems for research spaces. For emergencies or assistance, please call the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Residential Living

Residential Living’s main offices will be closed Thursday, Dec. 25, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. On-call staff will be available in the event of emergencies. If issues arise during this time, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224 for assistance.

Snow Clearing

Normal snow clearing activities will take place. If assistance is needed, call 315.443.1234.

Sponsored Programs

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will have limited staff checking email during the Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break period. OSP can be contacted at ospoff@syr.edu��or Stuart Taub can be contacted directly at��staub@syr.edu.

Submission of applications with deadlines during the Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break period should be coordinated with OSP staff in advance of the break to ensure timely review and authorization.

Student Box Office

The Student Box Office is now virtual. Please email any questions to��boxoffice@syr.edu.

Student Engagement

The Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center and the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Student Center will be open during the following times:

• Dec. 10 to 12: Schine: 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Goldstein: 7:30 a.m. to midnight
• Dec. 13 and 14: Schine: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., Goldstein: 9 a.m. to midnight
• Dec. 15: Schine: 7:30 a.m. to midnight, Goldstein: 7:30 a.m. to midnight
• Dec. 16: Schine: 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Goldstein: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 17 and 18: Schine: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Goldstein: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Dec. 19: Schine and Goldstein: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Dec. 20: Schine: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Goldstein: closed
• Dec. 21: Schine: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Goldstein: closed
• Dec. 22 and 23: Schine and Goldstein: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Dec. 24: Schine and Goldstein: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Dec. 25 to Jan. 4, 2026: Schine and Goldstein: closed
• Jan. 5 to 8: Schine and Goldstein: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Jan. 9: Schine: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Goldstein: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Jan. 10: Schine: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Goldstein: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Jan. 11: Schine and Goldstein: 9 a.m. to midnight

Student Experience

Career Services, Greek Life, Health Promotion (Barnes Center), Student Employment and the Office of Community Standards will all be closed from Thursday, Dec. 25, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. If issues arise during this time, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224 for assistance. New Student Programs will be closed Monday, Dec. 22, through Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. To support the arrival of our new and returning first-year and transfer students, staff members will respond to voicemails and emails during this time.

Student Outreach and Support

The office will be closed for the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period; however, the Division of the Student Experience staff is on call during this time in the event of a student emergency; please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224 for assistance. For 24/7 health and wellness support, contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000

Student Title IX Case Management

The office will be closed for holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period; however, on-call staff will be available to respond if issues arise. To file a report, email��titleix@syr.edu.��In the event of a student emergency, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. For 24/7 health and wellness support, contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000.

��Syracuse Abroad

Syracuse Abroad will be closed 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.��The general voicemail (800.235.3472 or 315.443.3471) and email (suabroad@syr.edu) will be checked daily. In case of an emergency, please call the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. For more information, visit the .

Technology Transfer

Staff will be checking email during the holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period and will respond to urgent matters as needed. Invention disclosures with imminent publication (conference presentation/poster session, grant application, paper submission) deadlines prior to Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, should be coordinated with the Office of Technology Transfer staff well in advance of Friday, Dec. 19, to ensure timely review and filing for protection.

Treasurer’s Office

The Treasurer’s Office at 621 Skytop Rd. will be closed starting Thursday, Dec. 25, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Only critical functions will continue to be performed during this time, including secure gift processing, bank transfers and electronic payments. For any requests for the Treasurer’s Office of an urgent nature, please e-mail treasoff@syr.edu��with the subject heading URGENT or call Scott Kemp at 315.443.6204.

University Credit Card

Please contact J.P. Morgan directly at 1.800.316.6056 for any issues related to lost or stolen cards, fraud charges or declined transactions. Please be aware that the digits 6 through 9 of your SU I.D. number is the pin number on file. University staff will also be available to handle credit issues relating to University procurement or credit cards by email to��JPMCSUCC@syr.edu��or by calling 315.443.1957.

Additional information regarding Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break services and resources may be found at:

As the founder of the highly successful construction services firm Component Assembly Systems (CAS), Lew Rapaport’s life’s work can be seen throughout some of the country’s most iconic structures: Yankee Stadium, Carnegie Hall and the Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center, to name just a few.

But the most important legacy we have, he says, is the way that we treat others.

“Nobody blooms alone,” says Rapaport ’59 of his achievements as the chairman and CEO of CAS.

“If you get there,” he adds, “you didn’t do it on your own—there were a lot of people behind you.”

Rapaport, who received a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the ��in 1959, credits a “huge amount of folks” with helping him to get where he is today, including the professionals at CAS and his wife, Susan, a 1959 graduate of the who had her own successful career.

He also credits the lessons he learned as an undergraduate at Maxwell. To help others just starting out and to show their gratitude to Maxwell and celebrate its recent 100th anniversary, Lew and Susan Rapaport have the Maxwell Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship fund.

“This generous gift by Lew and Susan demonstrates their enduring commitment to supporting Maxwell and Syracuse University in a most meaningful way—by reducing the financial burden on undergraduates, enabling them to focus on their academics and related learning opportunities,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “We are grateful to the Rapaports for their longstanding friendship and generosity to Maxwell, not only because of the benefit to our students, but also because their gift may inspire generosity among others.”

The $100,000 gift marks the Rapaports’ second endowed scholarship at Maxwell; in 2018 they the Susan and H. Lewis Rapaport Endowed Scholarship to benefit undergraduate students studying history or political science.

Modest Beginnings

Growing up in Queens, Lew Rapaport’s work ethic and business sense were shaped by his grandfather, a plumber and business owner on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and his father, an architect who owned his own firm. However, the younger Rapaport’s main interests were not construction; they were American history and military history.

“I read just about every book my high school library and the local library had on the Civil War,” he says.

Rapaport came to the University in 1955 as a young ROTC candidate during the Korean War. ��He began taking classes in history and economics, eventually declaring a major in American Studies.

“The professors I had, some of them were world famous,” he says. “Stuart Gerry Brown was one of the foremost experts in the United States on Ralph Waldo Emerson.”

He credits the school with helping to broaden his perspective, see the world from multiple viewpoints and to understand how democracy works.

Another Maxwell professor, Władysław Kulski, served in the Polish foreign ministry before World War II and helped to negotiate the Anglo-Polish military alliance.

“He used to read to us every day from ‘Pravda,’ telling us what they were saying from the Russian point of view and then read from ‘The New York Times’—and there were two different stories,”�� Rapaport says. “I realized right away … you needed world information and you needed information from people who were there and lived it, like Dr. Kulski.”

He also learned how to disagree respectfully while staying true to his values—an especially important lesson for today’s undergraduates, he says.

Rapaport recalls an incident on campus in which an anti-war protest group tried to disrupt ROTC marching drills.

“I said to myself when it was all over, and I would say this today to young people: Stand up for what you think is right. You may not agree with my side, and I may not agree with your side,” he says. “But you must try to negotiate.”

Meanwhile, Rapaport’s fiancé, Susan, transferred to the University from Skidmore College and earned a business degree from Whitman.

Helping Hands

By the time Lew and Susan graduated from the University in 1959, the Korean War had ended. The two married before Lew went into the Army and graduated from the U.S. Army Artillery and Missile School at Fort Sill, later serving as a training officer at Fort Dix. After completing his service, he took a job as a construction supervisor for the Webb & Knapp Co. in New York City, which built the Lincoln Towers.

Soon, in 1964, he and a co-worker started a small business of their own, called Score Carpentry—the precursor to CAS. Their first project was the Gas Pavilion Building at the New York World’s Fair. Over the next six decades, Rapaport grew the company nationally with eight locations in major cities throughout the U.S.

A longtime Maxwell School Advisory Board member, Rapaport is a Life Trustee of the USS Constitution Museum in Boston and a member of the Patriots Circle of the World War II Museum in New Orleans. In 2024, the Maxwell School awarded Rapaport the Centennial Changemaker Award in Economic Development.

Key to his success, Rapaport says, has been his enduring credo.

“Never give up,” he says, adding, “and always do unto others as you would have done unto you.”

Forced labor in global supply chains may decline in coming years as Generation Z—today’s teens and young adults—gain financial influence. Unlike previous generations, they are more willing to pay a premium for products manufactured ethically.

These and other findings are the result of a two-year study by the University’s (DSL) on behalf of Thomson Reuters, a global content and technology company based in Canada.

In addition to revealing data that helps inform industry leaders, policymakers and the public, the collaboration provided valuable research and experiential learning opportunities to numerous University students engaged with the DSL.

It also laid the groundwork for a strategic collaboration that DSL Director Jay Golden says will complement the lab’s endeavors while giving students opportunities to interact with industry thought leaders and examine critical sustainability issues under the mentorship of Thomson Reuters experts.

“Given the impactful and positive experiences our students have had with the forced labor in global supply chain collaboration, we are thrilled to deepen our relationship with Thomson Reuters,” says Golden. “It provides student and faculty researchers within the Dynamic Sustainability Lab greater opportunity to tackle important real-world challenges in companies and governments around the world and come up with innovative, next-generation solutions, models and tools.”

Golden founded the Maxwell-based DSL in 2021 after he joined the school as the inaugural Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance. He describes the lab as a cross-disciplinary, nonpartisan think tank that examines the “opportunities, risks and unintended consequences” that arise from the adoption of new technologies, new strategies and growing dependence on foreign-sourced resources and supply chains used in energy, climate and sustainability transitions.

Students engaged with the DSL represent a wide range of programs including many Maxwell majors. They share their data findings in government reports and technical bulletins and at sustainability symposiums the DSL hosts annually in major cities like Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.

A Student and National Thought Leader

The DSL’s connection with Thomson Reuters began with Maxwell graduate student Heather Panton G’26 when she enrolled in the executive master’s in international relations program in Washington, D.C. Today she is senior advisor for human rights crimes and social impact at Thomson Reuters.

In 2023, Panton was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship to advance her study of forced labor—a form of human trafficking—in global supply chains. She traveled to Malaysia and Thailand to study best practices and drive public awareness to educate consumers about making ethical purchasing decisions. She received academic guidance from Golden and shared with him a growing interest in the potential impact of up-and-coming consumers.

“When I was abroad, so many people asked about demand from the next generation,” Panton says. “Historically, American baby boomers often prioritized price, without fully considering how cost-cutting would ripple through suppliers and vendors across the supply chain. That has put pressure on companies to reduce costs in ways that sometimes affect workers’ wages and living conditions abroad. We believe Gen Z will play a critical role in shifting that dynamic by asking tougher questions, such as, ‘Was this product made with slave labor?’”

Golden was excited for the opportunity to work with Panton. Her resume included roles with the McCain Institute, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House. Among them: special advisor for human trafficking and the inaugural human trafficking czar during the first Trump administration.

“She was not only our student but also a thought leader in the country,” says Golden. “I’ve learned a lot—probably more than she’s learned from me.”

Golden brought Panton’s Eisenhower Fellowship research to the DSL, where students spent the next two years expanding her work, studying generational purchasing trends, gathering data and refining her findings.

“They’re such smart students—they’re right on the mark,” she says. “We’ve worked to expand the scope of what they’re thinking about. We want them to be focused and driven, thinking about exposing things that I don’t know that many people are talking about in the mainstream. We want them to be able to present in a way that’s not only academically rigorous but also digestible—something that industry or government can consume right away.”

Presenting Research to Global Industry Leaders

The students produced a by the DSL, and a has been posted on Thomson Reuters’ website. Both share that by 2030, Generation Z will represent 17% of retail spending in the U.S., and 81% of consumers in the age group have changed their purchasing decisions based on brand actions or reputation, with 53% participating in economic boycotts.

While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in policy studies, 2024 Maxwell alumnus Ka’ai I worked as a student researcher with the DSL. He gathered information about forced labor laws across the globe, collected related policies for multi-national corporations and assisted with surveys.

“We basically did a level-set in terms of ‘How do we understand where we are at now, where are we at in terms of forced labor, and how that is affecting the market?’” says I.

The experience was empowering and prepared him for his current work with Deloitte Consulting.

“As a young professional, I’m working on many of the same things I did with the Dynamic Sustainability Lab—data analysis, survey development, stakeholder engagement,” I says. “As I navigate the professional workspace, I feel much more confident and capable going in to a pretty competitive workforce.”

Another outcome of the DSL forced labor collaboration with Thomson Reuters: two events in the 2024-25 academic year at which data findings were presented and expanded upon by subject area experts. The symposia in Washington, D.C., and in Portland, Oregon, drew representatives from footwear and apparel companies as well as government officials.

“Our students helped push the notion, ‘We are your growing customer segment,’” says Golden. ��“The leadership from these companies that were in attendance really acknowledged that and were receptive. The work that started with Heather has expanded to where we have the attention of the global footwear and apparel industry. It’s a rare occasion that the type of research finds its way into the mainstream in consumer decisions and draws the attention of international governments and especially the top leadership of global companies.”

Panton says the collaboration with DSL is mutually beneficial.

“The academic rigor is unbeatable,” she says of the research and resulting data. “It’s a great combination of practitioner-meets-academic—we’re taking substantive work and making it very easy for anyone in a C-suite to look at it.”

The School of Architecture has announced that architect Tiffany Xu is the Harry der Boghosian Fellow for 2025–26. Xu will s쳮d current fellow, Erin Cuevas, and become the tenth fellow at the school.

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.

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 Syracuse 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 .

In disability advocacy circles, the has gained a national reputation as one of the most progressive cities in the U.S. for incorporating the ideas and feedback of users with disabilities when creating new handicapped-accessible spaces, according to two prominent disability advocates.

, Baylor University professor of physical therapy and founder of mobility design studio , and , founder of the and a fellow, point to the work on and the adaptive design circles here as a model for other communities to follow.

The Creekwalk is a 4.8-mile paved pathway that runs from the Southside neighborhood to . When city planners and engineers decided to make accessibility a major focus of the Creekwalk, they tapped into local individuals with a range of backgrounds—medical and social model disability advocates, inclusive design experts, students at and local individuals with disabilities. , a city facilities engineer, and , City of Syracuse deputy commissioner of planning and sustainability, first invited local resident to provide a first-person perspective on the plans. McGough, a quadriplegic as the result of an accident��at age 21, is the program coordinator at ARISE Inc., a local independent living center.

The project soon drew in others McGough knew: faculty members , professor of industrial and interaction design, and , professor and coordinator of the , who are both ARISE volunteers.

Also joining the group were Upstate Medical University developmental pediatrician and staff members from the , an inclusive preschool in Syracuse. Galloway and Truesdell were aware of the initiative through their involvement with the adaptive design community here.

Carr involved School of Design master’s students because he recognized how the project presented an exceptional opportunity to learn inclusive design via a “living laboratory” at a site adjacent to their class space. He also knew the project supported key University goals for students: experiential learning; community-engaged scholarship; enhanced awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility; and a commitment to human thriving.

The city’s project leaders welcomed student involvement, Houck says. “These projects are something we’ve collaborated on with Don Carr and with other organizations in the community. Our projects are better for it, and it’s wonderful we can have that resource. Carr is raising the profile of the work that’s being done and it’s great that he’s involving his students in these efforts.”

Kerney agrees. “Whether it’s the first fully inclusive and accessible playground, our sidewalks, our recreational amenities, boat launches or trails that are available to all users, increasing access is an important part of serving the entire community. It’s something Mayor Walsh and the whole administration has prioritized,” he says. “The city has a responsibility to serve everybody, and these types of improvements do just that.”

The User View

The student designers began determining how to create a practical experience at the Inner Harbor site based on the disability community maxim, “Nothing about us without us is for us.” Their first step: borrowing a wheelchair to look at the pathway from a disabled user’s perspective.

They digitally mapped the entire Creekwalk path, then started ideating. One student created a video game to familiarize users with the trail virtually before they visit. Another made an app that offers information about all pathway features. A third designed an accessible interactive information kiosk housing electrical ports to recharge electric wheelchairs. Others created an animation of the trail that featured a series of accessible kiosks, each equipped with a joystick controller for those with limited dexterity.

Amaan Khan ’23, a student who worked on that project and who is now a product and branding designer, said the class with Carr was “an absolute pleasure. It taught us that even though societal paradigms are shifting toward inclusivity, we must unlearn many of our ways to better connect people with disabilities to the facilities that already exist. Doing that can unite people and guide them forward as a collaborative community.”

McGough says he welcomed the chance to offer ideas based on his lived experience. “I was excited that they listened to my feedback and wanted to follow up on it, and that they were open to suggestions about accessibility in the community spaces,” he says.

McGough was able to try the kayak launch last fall. It’s built so someone can comfortably transfer into and out of a boat via a bench, pull bars, hoists and a gradual rolling launch system. “I was so excited about this project. Getting out in the boat is such a great experience, getting some sun, being around water and nature, having some exercise and recreation,” McGough says. “It’s really freeing because once the boat is in motion, it’s all me making it happen. It’s a really nice thing to have when a lot of the time you require assistance from other people and aren’t able to feel so independent.”

Three Phases

The project has three access points—the kayak launch at the Inner Harbor and a wheelchair-accessible waterside access ramp at Kirk Park have been built. An access/launch point at Dorwin Avenue is planned as part of the third phase of the Creekwalk trail that is now under design.

A $70,000 grant from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration program supported the Inner Harbor site, and $380,000 from the Honeywell remediation settlement, for improvements connected to Onondaga Lake, was used for the more extensive construction at Kirk Park. The city continues to apply for grants for ongoing accessibility projects.

A Model Partnership

Working together came naturally to this group, so it’s unlikely they were aware of the “ripple effect” of their cooperation. Fathers believes the city’s openness to including disabled users from the start, the involvement of interested supporters and the inclusion of University faculty and students in the project helped the group gel. “The way the group came together was kind of an organic thing—because disabled people, designers and clinicians began working together in a matter of hours,” he says.

Fathers tells how Truesdell, who was involved in Syracuse’s adaptive design collaboration, referenced that coalescing as “the Syracuse effect”—something she said she had not seen previously in her experience, he says. “She means that in Syracuse, it’s very easy to connect to people with disabilities, their advocates, their families and designers in a way that she hasn’t seen in any other place. It’s all about the people here. She said it was a very powerful thing to observe,” Fathers says.

Galloway says the collective advocacy spirit here “is particularly rare. It’s a model the world needs to come here to look at to see what Syracuse does and how they continue it,” he says. “Where Syracuse jumps into the ‘I’ve never heard of this before’ category is that here, the people with the lived experience are the ones with the power. To step back and let the disability community lead and to have city planners listen and take direction from the folks having lived experience, that’s very unique. So many people in Syracuse break the mold—you’ve got a really radical set of individuals who, from the beginning of the idea, listened and believed and took action from the disability community.”

Hands-On Rewards

The hands-on learning students experienced was important to their training as designers, Carr says. “In teaching design, this is a great way to get students to co-design with individuals in our community to address real needs. Together, we’re able to build, test and modify these ideas on the fly. It’s very rewarding to work alongside someone and then see their immediate reaction vs. purchasing a product that, in the end, might not address their actual need.”

From an inclusive design standpoint having projects where faculty can jump in helps Syracuse be a leader in the accessibility space, and having an adaptive design focus is a major attractor for the University’s graduate design program, Carr says. “That’s because there are opportunities for students to do grant-based work as part of their studies and then apply ideas throughout their careers.”

In continuation of Syracuse University’s commitment to providing comprehensive benefits and in appreciation of the contributions of faculty and staff, the University will be operating under its holiday schedule and Orange Appreciation Days format for the winter break period from 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.�� Normal business hours will resume on��Thursday, Jan. 2.

In addition to the regular University holidays of Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 and bonus days Dec. 24 and 31, the following days have been designated as paid Orange Appreciation Days: Dec. 23, 26, 27 and 30.

Units providing essential services that will remain fully operational during the Winter Break include the Department of Public Safety and Facilities Services.

Services During Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break

Admissions and Enrollment Processing
The office will be closed for Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break and will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Advancement and External Affairs

Advancement Services staff will maintain business hours at the 640 Skytop Office Building Dec. 26, 27, 30 and 31, 2024 to receive and process fundraising gifts.

Building Occupancy

The University will be operating under its Orange Appreciation Days format for the winter break period from 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Normal business hours will resume on��Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025

During the Holiday/Orange Appreciation Days period:

Request for Building Access (locking):
If you require your building to be open over the Winter Break/Orange Appreciation Days period, please submit a request to your��building coordinator, noting the specific dates and times. Requests should be made by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Note that faculty and staff will be able to access the buildings you work in, as usual, by using their SU I.D. cards, even when the buildings are locked.)

Building temperatures will be lowered to 60 degrees unless prior arrangements have been made.

Request for Adjustments to Temperature and Lighting:
Deans, directors and department heads may submit a detailed request for adjustments to temperature and lighting during the Winter Break/Orange Appreciation Days period. Please review the University’s temperature guidelines. We ask that requests be made using the Maximo Maintenance system by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12. Requests will be reviewed and approved by either the vice president and chief facilities officer or the provost.

Important: Buildings Not Included in Winter Break Reduced Occupancy Schedule
The following buildings will be excluded from the temperature setback, and will remain on normal access, temperature and lighting settings:

640 Skytop Road
Heroy Geology Laboratory
Bowne Hall – Fourth Floor
Lyman Hall – Fourth Floor
Sims Hall – Department of Public Safety
Center for Science and Technology
Bird Library – Operating hours are listed on the library website
Life Sciences Complex
Link Hall
Physics Building
Ensley Athletic Center
South Campus Library Facility
Lally Complex
Carmelo Anthony Center
Tennity Ice Rink
Crouse Hinds Hall

Questions on building occupancy can be directed to the Department of Energy Systems and Sustainability Management, 315.443.1535 or��energy@syr.edu.

Bursar’s Office

In continuation of Syracuse University’s commitment to providing comprehensive benefits and in appreciation of the contributions of faculty and staff, the Bursar’s Office will be closed from Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, and will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 9 a.m. Student account payments can be made through MySlice under the billing/payments tile. Questions may be directed to the����form. The Bursar’s Office will monitor incoming questions sent through this form and will respond��as quickly as possible during this time.

Campus Bus Shuttle
The campus shuttle service will operate on a reduced schedule until the conclusion of Winter Break. For schedule updates, visit��parking.syr.edu. If a matter is urgent, on-call staff can be contacted through the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Campus Dining
Hours of operation for campus cafes and other dining facilities can be found on the��.

Campus Planning, Design and Construction

The office at 1320 Jamesville Ave. will be closed from 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Normal business hours will resume on Thursday, Jan. 2. If you have project-specific questions, please reach out to the assigned project manager. For general information, email��cpdc@syr.edu.

Campus Store

The Campus Store will be closed Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. During this time, the online store will be available for customer orders. Orders received on or after Friday, Dec. 20, will be processed beginning Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Staff will be available beginning Thursday, Jan. 2, at 8:30 a.m. Please contact��campusstore@syr.edu��with questions or for assistance.

Cash Operations (Bowne Hall)
The offices at Bowne Hall will be closed. For questions, email��cashops@syr.edu. Email will be monitored daily.

Counseling

Counseling will be closed from Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, as well as Monday, Jan. 20. However, in the event of a mental health emergency, or if there is a need to contact a member of the Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team, 24-hour services remain available. These services can be accessed by calling 315.443.8000.

Custodial Services��

Services will be provided, on a reduced basis, in academic and administrative buildings. All residence halls close on Wednesday, Dec. 18, and no custodial services will be provided. If assistance is needed, call 315.443.1234.

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Delivery and pick up will be provided to departments requesting service. Arrangements for service can be requested by contacting Materials Distribution at��e-materials@syr.edu.

Deliveries (UPS and FedEx)

Materials Distribution will be operating/delivering Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., from Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, with the exceptions of Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. If your department has a specific request pertaining to deliveries over Winter Break, please email��e-materials@syr.edu.

Disability Benefits and Workers’ Compensation Benefit Payments
Disability benefits checks will be on regular payroll schedule. For those who don’t use the direct deposit option, checks will be mailed to the employee’s home address by the payroll department during the week of Dec. 23. For assistance with workers’ compensation checks, please contact our third-party administrator, PMA, at 1.888.476.2669. For assistance during Orange Appreciation Days, contact Sheera Buckley at��slbuck01@syr.edu��or 315.416.9066.

Disbursements

Disbursements will not be processing payments after Thursday, Dec. 19. The last payment run will be the night of Thursday, Dec. 19, for distribution and handling on Friday, Dec. 20. After Thursday, normal processing will resume on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

To ensure timeliness of payments your department may have, please make appropriate arrangements to have requests received in the disbursements processing email��disburse@syr.edu��or in the��automated payment request module��or in the��MySlice Travel and Expense Center��on or before��2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9,��for the following:

• Vendor invoices on a purchase order (PO)
• Requisitions with invoices attached off PO
• Consultant forms
• Wire transfers: foreign and domestic
• Out-of-pocket travel submissions for employee or non-employee guests
• Travel advances for travel scheduled during the end of December 2024
• Clearing any outstanding travel advances for travel that occurred prior to December 2024

*Other considerations—Should your time sensitive payment requests require additional approvals such as sponsored or restricted fund approvals, please allow additional time to your planning process.

All JPMC credit card transactions, for activity through Nov. 30, 2024, should be submitted in the��MySlice Travel and Expense Center��on or before��5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20.

Drumlins

The Tennis Club will operate as follows:

Dec. 22, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Dec. 23, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 24, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dec. 25, closed

Dec. 26, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 27, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Dec. 28, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Dec. 29, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Dec. 30, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 31, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Jan. 1, 2025, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Normal hours of operation will resume on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Call 315.446.2323 for court times and reservations

Bistro 1926 will operate as follows:

Dec. 23, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 24, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dec. 25, closed

Dec. 26, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 27, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Dec. 28, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Dec. 29, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Dec. 30, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 31, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Jan. 1, 2025, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Banquet Sales Office will be closed starting Monday, Dec. 23, and will reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

The Golf Shop will be closed beginning Monday, Dec. 23, and reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

The Business Management Office will be closed beginning Monday, Dec. 23, and reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

Energy Systems and Sustainability Management��

The Energy Management Operations Center is staffed 24/7. For building systems scheduling questions or concerns, call 315.443.1535. For building access issues, contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Enrollment Management
The office will be closed during Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break and will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Environmental Health and Safety Services

Environmental Health and Safety Services will have on-call staff available to assist in the event of a hazardous materials spill or emergency during Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break. Environmental Health’s on-call staff can be contacted through the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services

The office will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, and bonus days on Dec. 26 and Dec. 29. On Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, this year’s designated Orange Appreciation Days, the office will be available to employees by email at��equalopp@syr.edu.��Email will be checked once a day on Orange Appreciation Days and emergencies will be addressed within 24 hours. The office will return to normal business hours on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs
The office will be closed for Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break, and will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Fire and Life Safety Services

Fire and Life Safety Services will be staffed on Orange Appreciation Days from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If assistance is needed, call 315.443.5474 or the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. On Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Health Care at the Barnes Center at The Arch

Health Care at the Barnes Center will be closed from Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025, as well as Monday, Jan. 20; 24-hour on-call service is available at 315.443.8000.

Hendricks Chapel

The chapel will host the annual Pam Am 103 Memorial Service on Dec. 21 at 2:03 p.m., and will then be closed through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. The chapel’s food pantry will be available upon request (chapel@syr.edu) for those in need, and will fully reopen on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. For additional information please visit the chapel����or call 315.443.2901.

Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Service Centers
The offices at 111 Waverly Avenue and 210 Goldstein Student Center will be closed beginning 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 20. Both location centers will resume regular business hours on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Human Resources

The office will be closed for Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break. However, employees can reach HR Shared Services by calling and leaving a message at 315.443.4042 or by email at��hrservice@syr.edu. The voice and email service will be checked twice daily on Orange Appreciation Days, and emergencies will be addressed promptly. All other matters will be addressed when the University returns to regular business hours, 8:30 to 5 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

ITS Support
ITS support staff is available by calling 315.443.2677, by emailing��help@syr.edu��or by chatting with us on�����ǰ�����during regular business hours through Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, and at the following dates and times:

• Dec. 20 to 23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Dec. 26 to 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For ITS support during days and times outside those listed above, email��help@syr.edu��or call 315.443.2677. If you choose to call, follow the automated prompts and leave a message for the on-call ITS staff. On-call support is available outside the hours listed above and on the following dates: Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1, 2025.

The ITS Help Desk will��resume regular business��hours on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2025.

ITS��Service Center In-Person Support Hours����������������������

The ITS Service Center in Room 1-227 of the Center for Science and Technology will be closed starting Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, and will be moving locations during the break. The new location will be in the lobby of the Women’s Building, and will tentatively reopen on Jan. 10, 2025. Users needing assistance can call 315.443.2677 or��help@syr.edu��before we reopen.

Updates and Hours of operation will be available on the��.

Libraries

All libraries will be closed beginning Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, with the following exception: Bird Library will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22 and from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26, Friday Dec. 27 and Monday Dec. 30. Special Collections, located on the sixth floor of Bird Library, will not be open on these days. All Library hours can be found on the��.

Mail Services

Delivery and pick up will be provided to departments requesting service. Arrangements for service can be requested by contacting Mail Services at 315.443.2803 or emailing��mailsrvc@syr.edu. A����is available.

Maintenance Requests

Maintenance requests for academic and administrative buildings, residence halls, dining facilities or South Campus apartments may be requested by contacting Facilities Services immediately at 315.443.1234.

Materials Distribution

Deliveries and pick up will be provided to departments requesting service. Arrangements for service can be requested by contacting Materials Distribution at 315.443.1940 or��. Service requests should be e-mailed to��e-materials@syr.edu.

Media Inquiries/University Communications
The University’s media relations team’s email,��, is monitored regularly over Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break. Urgent media inquiries should be directed to Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for University communications, at��sescales@syr.edu.

Paycheck Distribution��

Weekly Pay Immediately Prior to Winter Break
Weekly pay for the work week ending Wednesday, Dec. 11, will be paid on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Paper paychecks will be delivered to the employee’s department; direct deposit will be available to individuals’ accounts. Employees who have not signed up for direct deposit and will therefore receive a paper paycheck should inquire with their department for check delivery.

All paper paychecks are delivered to the employee’s home department on payday. As a reminder, anyone with a NetID and password is able to set up direct deposit through MySlice.

Weekly and Semi-Monthly Pay During Winter Break
Pay for the work week ending Wednesday, Dec. 18, will be paid on Tuesday, Dec. 24. Pay for the work week ending Wednesday, Dec. 25, will be paid on Tuesday, Dec. 31. This is the last paycheck of the calendar year 2024 Form W-2 reporting period.

The semi-monthly pay period ending Tuesday, Dec. 31, will be paid on Tuesday, Dec. 31. This is the last paycheck of the calendar year 2024 Form W-2 reporting period.

Employees who have not signed up for direct deposit, and will therefore receive a paper paycheck, should ensure their permanent address is accurate by going to MySlice and clicking on the personal profile tile on the employee home page. Weekly paper paychecks dated Tuesday,��Dec. 24, and Tuesday,��Dec. 31,��and semi paper paychecks dated Tuesday,��Dec. 31,��will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service to the employee’s permanent address on file.

Direct deposit for the weekly payroll will be available in individuals’ accounts on Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Tuesday, Dec 31. Direct deposit for the semi-monthly payroll will be available to individuals’ accounts on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Payments by direct deposit can be viewed anytime on MySlice by clicking on the payroll tile on the employee home page.

Weekly Pay Immediately After Winter Break
Pay for the work week ending Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, will be paid on Wednesday Jan. 8.

Payroll Deadlines

Weekly Payroll Deadlines Immediately Prior to Winter Break
The week ending Wednesday, Dec. 11, paid on Wednesday, Dec. 18:

• Time approval is due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12.
• Online RAP approval is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12.

The week ending Wednesday, Dec. 18 , paid on Tuesday, Dec. 24:

• Time approval is due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19.
• Online RAP approval is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Semi Payroll Deadlines Immediately Prior to Winter Break
Semi online RAPs for the pay period ending Tuesday, Dec. 31, are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Weekly Payroll Deadlines During Winter Break

The week ending Wednesday, Dec. 25, paid on Tuesday, Dec. 31:

• Time approval is due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26.
• Online RAP approval is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26.
• Employees will be paid (or not paid) based upon the time that has or has not been approved in the system. Any adjustments or corrections will have to be submitted for payment in the following pay period. There will be no special checks processed.

Payroll Frequently Asked Questions

If I do not have direct deposit, how will I get my paychecks on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday Dec. 31?
Paychecks will be mailed to your permanent address. You can verify your permanent address is accurate by going to MySlice and clicking on the personal profile tile on the employee home page.

Where can I sign up for direct deposit?
Log onto MySlice and click on the payroll tile on the employee home page.

Why might I not receive a paycheck at my home by Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Tuesday Dec. 31?
Several reasons could result in you not receiving your paper paycheck on or before Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Tuesday Dec. 31. Your permanent address in MySlice has to be correct. For example, if you have moved and did not change your address, the paper paycheck will be delivered to the address per MySlice and either forwarded to your new address (if you have filed a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service) or it will be returned to Payroll. Either case will result in potentially significant delays in your receipt of your paper paycheck.

What happens if my permanent address is incorrect in MySlice?
Since paper paychecks will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, Syracuse University cannot control, track or locate your paycheck once mailed. If you have filed a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service to forward your mail, delivery of your paycheck will be delayed. If no such form has been filed, the paper paycheck will be returned to Payroll. Either case will result in potentially significant delays in your receipt of your paper paycheck.

How do I change my permanent address?
Log in to MySlice and click on the personal profile tile on the employee home page.

If I receive my weekly paper paycheck before Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Tuesday Dec. 31, or my semi-monthly paper paycheck before Tuesday, Dec. 31, can I cash/deposit it?
No. Paychecks dated Tuesday, Dec. 24, or Tuesday, Dec. 31, are not valid prior to that date.

What happens if I don’t receive my paper paycheck?
If you have not received your paycheck by Thursday, Dec. 26, you can call Payroll at 315.443.4042, option 2, and leave a message with the following information:

• Indicate that you did not receive your paycheck.
• Give your name and SU I.D. number.
• Give the name of the University department that you were expecting pay from.
• Provide a telephone number where you can be reached.
• Messages will be reviewed at various times during the day and calls will be returned as soon as possible.

No special checks will be issued during Winter Break.

Public Safety
The Department of Public Safety will remain open 24/7 during the Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break. For emergencies or assistance, call 315.443.2224, connect with us via the Orange Safe app, or text or email��711@syr.edu.

Purchasing
With Orange Appreciation Days approaching, the Purchasing Department wishes to make you aware that any eProcurement requisition received after Friday, December 13, may not be sent out until after Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. If your purchase requires a bid to be completed, the requisition should be received by Friday, Dec. 6, to ensure processing.

All JPMC credit card transactions, for activity through Nov. 30, should be submitted in the MySlice Travel and Expense Center on or before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20.

Other purchasing considerations to take into account as we approach the break:

Should your purchase request require additional approvals such as those for sponsored or restricted funds, please build in additional time to your planning process. If your purchase is over $50,000, please allow additional time, as the Office of Budget and Planning must review and approve those orders before they are released. Contact Vincent Patriarco at 315.443.7427 or��vmpatria@syr.edu��with any questions.

Recreation and Fitness

The recreation and fitness areas at the Barnes Center at The Arch, Ernie Davis Hall and the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion are closed from Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. For updates on operating status, visit the��.

Registrar’s Office

The office will be closed for Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break. If you need to reach our office during the closure, please email��registrar@syr.edu.

Research Integrity and Protections

Facilities Services will have staff on campus throughout Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break to monitor and maintain building systems for research spaces.��For emergencies or assistance, please call the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224.

Snow Clearing

Normal snow clearing activities will take place. If assistance is needed, call 315.443.1234.

Sponsored Programs
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will have limited staff checking email during the Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break period. OSP can be contacted at��ospoff@syr.edu��or Stuart Taub can be contacted directly at��staub@syr.edu.

Submission of applications with deadlines during the Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break period should be coordinated with OSP staff in advance of the break to ensure timely review and authorization.

Student Box Office

The Student Box Office is now virtual. Please email any questions to��boxoffice@syr.edu.

Student Engagement

The Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center and the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Student Center will be open during the following times:

• Dec. 18 to 20: Schine 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Goldstein 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2025: Closed
• Jan. 2 to 3: Schine 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Goldstein 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Jan. 4 to 5: Closed
• Jan. 6 to 9: Schine 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Goldstein 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Jan. 10: Schine 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Goldstein 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Jan. 11: Schine 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Goldstein 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Jan. 12: Schine 8 a.m. to midnight, Goldstein 9 a.m. to midnight

Student Experience

Career Services, Fraternity and Sorority Affairs,��Health Promotion (Barnes Center), Student Employment and the Office of Community Standards will all be closed from Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. If issues arise during this time, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224 for assistance. New Student Programs will be closed Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. To support the arrival of our new and returning first-year and transfer students, staff members will respond to voicemails and emails during this time.

Student Living

Student Living’s main offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. On-call staff will be available in the event of emergencies. If issues arise during this time, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224 for assistance.

Student Outreach and Support

The office will be closed for Orange Appreciations Days/Winter Break; however, the Division of the Student Experience staff is on call during this time in the event of a student emergency; please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224 for assistance. For 24/7 health and wellness support, contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000

Student Title IX Case Management

The office will be closed for Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break, however, on-call staff will be available to respond if issues arise. To file a report, email��titleix@syr.edu.��In the event of a student emergency, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. For 24/7 health and wellness support, contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000.

Syracuse Abroad

The Syracuse Abroad main campus office will be closed from 2��p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, reopening at 8:30 a.m., on Thursday, Jan. 2.The general voicemail (800.235.3472 or 315.443.3471) and email (suabroad@syr.edu) will be checked regularly. In case of a true emergency, please call the Department of Public Safety: 315.443.2224.��For more information, visit the��.

Technology Transfer
Staff will be checking email during the Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break period and will respond to urgent matters as needed. Invention disclosures with imminent publication (conference presentation/poster session, grant application, paper submission) deadlines prior to Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, should be coordinated with the Office of Technology Transfer staff well in advance of Friday, Dec. 20, to ensure timely review and filing for protection.

Treasurer’s Office
The Treasurer’s Office at 621 Skytop Rd. will be closed starting Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025. Only critical functions will continue to be performed during this time, including secure gift processing, bank transfers and electronic payments. For any requests for the Treasurer’s Office of an urgent nature, please e-mail��treasoff@syr.edu��with the subject heading URGENT or call Scott Kemp at 315.443.6204.

University Credit Cards
Please contact J.P. Morgan directly at 1.800.316.6056 for any issues related to lost or stolen cards, fraud charges or declined transactions. Please be aware that the digits 6 through 9 of your SU I.D. number is the pin number on file. University staff will also be available to handle credit issues relating to University procurement or credit cards by email to��JPMCSUCC@syr.edu��or by calling 315.443.1957 or 315.443.2281.

Additional information regarding Orange Appreciation Days/Winter Break services and resources may be found at:

Questions on building occupancy can be directed to the Department of Energy Systems and Sustainability Management at 315.443.1535 or��energy@syr.edu.

Syracuse University Libraries has selected four students as the 2024-25 Orange Innovation Scholars. This prestigious recognition highlights their dedication to innovation and entrepreneurship. These four students exemplify the spirit of innovation and leadership that the Orange Innovation Scholars program seeks to promote. The four Orange Innovation Scholars are:

• Ava Lubkemann ’27 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) is studying environmental engineering with a passion for sustainable construction, design and entrepreneurship. She founded “Sustainable Concepts,” a business that sells upcycled clothing to support environmentally conscious organizations. Additionally, Lubkemann volunteers with STEM Explorer, helping local middle-school students engage in hands-on STEM learning. At Syracuse, she has been a researcher at the Dynamic Sustainability Lab, focusing on carbon capture sequestration. Lubkemann is a recent graduate of the summer accelerator program.
• Jair Espinoza ’25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) is actively involved in several student organizations, including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Mexican Student Association, Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity and the Syracuse Men’s Gymnastic Club. Espinoza brings a wealth of experience in organizing large-scale events, securing funding and promoting cultural understanding. As a software developer, his experiences have provided him with valuable insight in full stack development, artificial intelligence and mobile app development. He is a recent graduate of the summer accelerator program.
• Aidan Turner ’25 (School of Architecture), a fifth-year architecture student, is also completing a minor in real estate from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He is a licensed real estate salesperson in Massachusetts. Turner has been recognized as Syracuse University Student Entrepreneur of the Year in both 2022 and 2024. He is the CEO and founder of Grater Things Threads, a premium garment design and supply company dedicated to crafting bespoke, sustainable garments with meaningful designs.
• Thomas O’Brien ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) is an entrepreneur who combines the art of filmmaking with business and marketing. With experience in audience development for music artists and actors combined, O’Brien looks to revolutionize how narrative filmmaking is produced, shared and consumed in the new digital age. His work across all practices has generated millions of views on several social media platforms. He is an Invest in Success Scholar, a member of the ‘CUSE50 steering committee (where he was emcee for last fall’s gala) and a speaker at the ‘CUSE50 student summit.

Orange Innovation Scholars support commercialization programs offered through Syracuse University Libraries, including the and the , along with Universitywide entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives such as . They will engage University faculty, post doctorates and Ph.D. students, graduate and undergraduate students engaged in research, technology commercialization, venture development, innovation and entrepreneurship. Orange Innovation Scholars will also engage with SU alumni who are founders and leaders at top innovation companies. Orange Innovation Scholars work across all disciplines and academic units to build a pipeline of innovation and tell success stories.

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) is committed to offering students and faculty state-of-the-art learning and laboratory spaces. ��include new and improved labs in the Center for Science and Technology, remodeled rooms in Huntington Beard Crouse and a refreshed chemistry department.

Adding to that list is a new home for A&S’ Department of Psychology, which transitioned from its previous residence in Huntington Hall to the Marley Education Center. The renovated space provides a centralized location for faculty and students in psychology to teach, learn and conduct research in a collaborative environment, instead of going to separate locations across campus.

Phase I of the project was completed in March and included over 30 new faculty and staff offices along with graduate student offices that can accommodate over 50 people. This phase also encompassed the completion of a new space for the��, where advanced doctoral students, along with faculty supervisors, assess and treat clients.

Phase II will include new research facilities and will be completed by December 2024. Once completed, the department will occupy around 25,000 square feet on floors three and four, with other portions of the building to be occupied by the E-sports curriculum, classrooms for the Office of the Registrar and Retention and Student Success.

See Inside the New Space

Step inside the Marley Education Center to see the new psychology spaces, which are now bustling with students, faculty and counseling center clients.

The Marley Education Center is located at the corner of Waverly and Irving Ave., next to Crouse-Hinds Hall. It originally opened in 1991 and was previously home to Crouse Hospital’s nursing school before the University purchased the building in 2022. It is named after the late Harry and Lillian Marley, who donated money to fund its construction. Harry was a prominent lawyer and businessman in Syracuse and their daughter, the late , was the wife of Donald Newhouse, the owner of Advance Publications. Donald’s father, Samuel Irving Newhouse, funded the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Syracuse University has announced the election of six new members to its Board of Trustees. All innovators in their fields, the new members bring diverse backgrounds and experiences as entrepreneurs, investors, executives and visionaries. The new members are Nomi Bergman, Brian D. Grossman, Stephen H. Hagerty ’91, G’93, Allegra F. Ivey G’99, Jeannine L. Lostritto ’90 and Kirthiga U. Reddy G’95,

“We are excited to welcome these new trustees, all of whom have a connection to the Orange community either though their personal experiences or through their families,” says Board Chair Jeff Scruggs. “They have each demonstrated extraordinary vision and expertise in their different fields of interest, and we look forward to their insights and service to our students and the continued growth of the University.”

“Our trustees express their dedication in so many different ways,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “They share their wisdom, their experiences and their generosity of time, talent and treasure in ensuring that we deliver on the promises we make to our students to prepare them for success. The newest trustees are joining a board that works collaboratively and effectively to strengthen our university.”

Nomi Bergman

Bergman is a senior executive at Advance and president of Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership, a subsidiary of Advance. Throughout her career, she has been an executive, investor and advisor in the communications and emerging technology space with a focus on transforming the customer experience.

Bergman also recently served as interim CEO of 1010data, a technology platform provider of decision science, data management and data analytics that was owned by the Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership and acquired by SymphonyAI. Previously, Bergman was president of Bright House Networks and helped lead the company to become the sixth-largest cable operator in the nation. She and her team provided corporate guidance, execution and oversight of technology, product and strategic partnerships across the company’s video, broadband, voice and wireless platforms.

Bergman currently serves on the board of directors for Advance’s growth investment HawkEye360. In addition, she is on the boards of Visteon and Black & Veatch, and was honored to serve as a Comcast board member. She is involved with several industry and nonprofit organizations; as a member of the FCC Technological Advisory Council, The Marconi Society, Adaptive Spirit and Bridging Voice.

She received the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership in 2008. In 2011, she was recognized with Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) highest honor, Woman of the Year.

Bergman earned a B.A. in economics and statistics from the University of Rochester in 1985. Growing up in Syracuse, her association with Syracuse University runs deep. Her father, Bob Miron ’59, is a Martin J. Whitman School of Management alumnus and a life trustee. Her husband, Neal, is a 1981 graduate of the Whitman School. Bergman herself has served on the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Dean’s Leadership Council and taught part-time as an adjunct professor. She is working to complete her own Syracuse degree, as she is enrolled in the Whitman School’s online MBA program.

Bergman lives in Fayetteville, New York, with her husband. They have three adult children, Becca (Hayworth), Dori and Allison.

Brian D. Grossman

Grossman is managing partner and chief investment officer for San Francisco-based PFM Health Sciences, a $1.6 billion health care focused investment advisor. The firm is one of the longest tenured public market life science investment funds, which focuses broadly across health sciences from small biotech firms to large global pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics companies.��The firm also has a long history of investing in hospitals, health insurance and other businesses involved in providing medical services.

Grossman was a founding member of Partner Fund Management (PFM), which started operations in the fall of 2004. Prior to PFM, Grossman spent time as an investment analyst at Andor Capital (2001-2004) and Pequot Capital (2001) where he focused primarily on the biotech industry. He started his career in 1996 at J.P. Morgan Investment in the summer of 1996.

A graduate of economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Grossman grew up in Syracuse and has strong familial ties to Syracuse University. His grandfather Lionel O. Grossman L’1916; his father, Murray Grossman ’43, G’45 (College of Medicine); and his uncle Richard D. Grossman ’51, L’55 all attended the University as undergraduates, with his grandfather, uncle and sister Sarah going on to graduate from the College of Law. His father, Murray, provided medical services for many years to the athletics department, for which he was later recognized in 2016 with a Letterwinner of Distinction Award.

Grossman now lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife, Elizabeth, and three children: Brady, Zoe and Sylvie. He currently serves as co-chair of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health Executive Council, which evaluates business strategies, operations and financial performance for UCSF Health. The Grossmans are active philanthropically in their community, supporting the S.F. Ballet, Planned Parenthood, The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Tipping Point and their children’s schools.

Stephen H. Hagerty ’91, G’93

Hagerty is a management consultant, entrepreneur and civic leader. He is the founder and president of Hagerty Consulting, one of the nation’s leading emergency management consulting firms that help governments, schools, hospitals, businesses and other large organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Between 2017 and 2021, he served as the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, successfully leading the city through a global pandemic and social unrest. As a result of his leadership, Evanston had one of the lowest infection and fatality rates in the state and one of the highest vaccination rates.��Soon after leaving office, Evanston was named an All-American City in 2021 by the National Civic League.

Hagerty has successfully helped manage the recovery efforts from major U.S. disasters, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires. Before starting his firm in 2001, Hagerty worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for eight years building a disaster recovery practice.

Hagerty earned a B.S. degree from the College for Human Development (now the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics) in consumer studies and went on to earn an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He has served on the Maxwell Advisory Board since 2014.

Together with his wife, Lisa Altenbernd G’93, they established the ��in 2022, the Stephen Hagerty and Lisa Altenbernd Faculty Fellow Fund in 2018 and the William D. Duncombe Faculty Research Endowment in 2014. Hagerty and Altenbernd reside in Evanston, Illinois, with their two children, Caroline, a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, and Garrett, a sophomore at Evanston Township High School.

Allegra F. Ivey G’99

Ivey is a managing director at BofA Securities Inc. She has served as a public finance investment banker in the municipal banking and markets division for 15 years, primarily covering large cities, such as New York, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans.

During her 25-year career, Ivey worked for PaineWebber Inc. (which became UBS Financial Services), J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She has helped state and local governments nationwide finance over $40 billion in infrastructure projects, including airports, toll roads and water and sewer facilities, among others.

Ivey earned a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School, where she has served on the advisory board since 2017. She inspired other Maxwell graduates when she delivered the keynote speech at the 2018 convocation.

Ivey came to Syracuse University after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1997. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Matthew Brennan, and their four children, Tiernan (TJ), Ellison (Ellie), Kellan and Braden.

Jeannine L. Lostritto ’90

Lostritto parlayed her interest in architecture into her professional, personal and volunteer experiences, most recently in her engagement with the board of trustees of Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York, an independent Quaker college-preparatory private school serving early childhood through 12th grade.

A former Friends Academy parent, Lostritto serves as a member of its board of trustees and on its Governance Committee, and helps oversee new building construction, maintenance of the campus and existing buildings as clerk of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

With an undergraduate degree from the School of Architecture, she first took a job as an architectural consultant at Avis Rent-a-Car and on commercial architecture projects. From 1995 to 1998, Lostritto was employed in the civil engineering division at Sear-Brown—an architecture, engineering, planning and construction services firm—where she worked on large highway and expressway projects, such as the renovation of the Queens Midtown Tunnel, as well as drainage and landscape architecture projects.

She is currently a board member of her family’s real estate company, Steel Equities and is a member of the Board of Regents at NYU-Winthrop Hospital. Additionally, she and her husband, Glenn, actively support Syracuse University through contributions to such initiatives as the Barnes Center at The Arch and the General Supported Scholarship Fund. She is also a member of the School of Architecture Advisory Board.

Lostritto lives in Old Brookville New York, with her husband. They have three children, Domenica “Sunny” L’23, Glenn Jr. and Joseph.

Kirthiga U. Reddy G’95

Reddy is an��entrepreneur and��investor who has been at the helm of technology-driven transformations in innovative companies. She is CEO and co-founder of Virtualness, a mobile-first platform to help creators and brands navigate the complex world of Web3, and use��the power of generative AI and blockchain. She is a��founding investment partner of f7 Ventures,��whose mission is��“Bold Women Investing in Bold Ventures.” She is co-founder of Liftery, a��social impact��initiative focused on working mothers.

Previously, she was the first female investment partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers focused on frontier, enterprise and health tech investments. She was managing director for Facebook India and South Asia and then became managing global partner��and emerging markets lead for global accounts in markets, including Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Middle East.��She has also held engineering and product executive��roles at��of Phoenix Technologies, Motorola and��Silicon Graphics��Inc.

Reddy earned a master’s degree in computer engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and later earned an MBA from Stanford University. She served on the ECS Dean’s Leadership Council for several years and has established the Kirthiga Reddy Graduate Scholarship in ECS.

Reddy lives in Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband, Dev G’94, who also attended the College of Engineering and Computer Science. They have two adult children, Ashna and Ariya.

The following article was written by , a member of the Board of the Ukrainian Library Association and a visiting assistant teaching professor at the in the .

Ukraine is suffering. Our communities are being ruined. Our souls are devastated. But we are alive. On February 24, 2022, the Ukrainians suffered a powerful blow from Russia. Nowadays, the Ukrainian people are facing destruction and heavy losses. Our communities and people’s lives are being destroyed, and we need support and protection more than ever. Libraries, created thousands of years ago to support the vitality of communities, nowadays help Ukrainians to survive in war conditions and provide physical, informational, psychological, and spiritual protection.

Here are the many ways libraries support the community:

• Libraries are bomb shelters. From the first days of the war, many libraries provided physical protection. For example, Central City Library for Children in Mykolaiv is a 24/7 bomb shelter that can accommodate up to 180 people at a time.
• Libraries are volunteer centers. Many have become hubs of volunteer activity. Librarians, library patrons and community members are cooking dinners for those who fought and are being treated at local hospitals. Together with volunteer organizations, librarians and community residents collect and make clothes and products for refugees and for the front. In this way, a community of practice is being built – providing a sense of unity, social integration and security for new members of the community who left their homes to escape the war. Along with weaving camouflage nets, people are creating social nets in library spaces.
• Libraries are territories of goodness. Since 2014, when the first forced migrants from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea appeared, libraries have taken a proactive position. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine adopted an Order to launch the project, “Libraries as Community Support Centers in the Conditions of a War Threat: Working with Internally Displaced People.” According to the Order, libraries participate in helping those in need by actively participating in information, legal and educational work.
• Libraries help displaced people. Cooperating with state authorities, charity foundations, state structures, employment centers, psychological, social and legal services, libraries help displaced people find temporary housing and work, get information about their rights and ways to use them, renew social ties, get access to the Internet and computer equipment to continue studying, attend language courses, improve and acquire IT skills, and more.
• Libraries are hubs of digital education. About 6,000 libraries joined the national digital literacy campaign in Ukraine. Through the signing of the Memorandum on Cooperation between the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Library Association, many libraries have become digital education hubs.
• Libraries are media literacy training centers. An important direction of libraries is to increase the level of media literacy and the formation of critical thinking of the population, which is essential during this era of the information war. Many libraries organize lectures, trainings and webinars, and participate in media literacy weeks. Libraries joined the nationwide media literacy project from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. One of the latest initiatives supported by the Ukrainian Library Association is the recording of a series of conversations with famous Ukrainians about information hygiene and its role in everyday life through the lens of cultural, historical and personal experience.
• Libraries are sites of remembering. It is where the memories of the past are housed. Ukrainian Institute of National Memory noted that this war has brought up issues related to cultural characteristics, spiritual values and ideals, which determine the uniqueness of a community and its identity. The library is a memory institution that collects and preserves documented historical and cultural heritage. As such, libraries are integral to the politics of memory, helping people protect their values and identity.

Ideally, libraries’ memorial, socio-political, cultural, educational and other activities must be directed to the formation and establishment of national memory, contribute to the state’s information security and help its integration into the world humanitarian space.

Ukrainian culture is under the gun. Many libraries’ funds were lost, and buildings were damaged. 700 public and university libraries are damaged or destroyed and more than 4,000 are under occupation. An important achievement of the Ukrainian Library Association was the establishment of interaction with partners for reconstruction and the preservation of library and information resources, assistance to libraries to maintain service, and organization of efforts to restore damaged library buildings and lost library collections. At the same time, the American Library Association, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Library Association, launched the Fund for the Support of Ukrainian Libraries.

I am proud to say that among all the changes, what remains unchangeable is the dedication of librarians to their readers and the library work, the belief in victory and the capacity of the library community.

Visit the Syracuse Libraries website to .