The Nutrition Initiative consists of three programs: Books and Cooks, a literacy, culture, and cooking collaboration with Syracuse City School District elementary schools; Food Busters, a program for Syracuse high school students that explores the science behind food through hands-on activities and experiments; and Cooking on the Hillside, where Hillside employees in the  program provide cooking lessons to Syracuse high school students.

Shaw Center Assistant Director  oversees a team of seven Nutrition Initiative leadership interns who create the curriculums, purchase and prepare food, and arrange travel for Nutrition student volunteers who participate in the program.

The current faculty advisors from the Department of Nutrition—Associate Teaching Professor  (Books and Cooks), Associate Professor  (Food Busters), and Associate Teaching Professor  (Cooking on the Hillside)—suggest and review lesson plans for the interns.

The leadership interns for the fall 2025 semester included Nutrition Initiative coordinator Zoya Ansari ’26 (nutrition science major), Trinity Delgado ’27 (exercise science major in the Falk College), Sophie Denham ’27 (neuroscience and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences), Lily Judelsohn ’28 (nutrition major), Natalie Kloman ’27 (nutrition major), Mae Neuman ’27 (nutrition major) and Tracey Rodriguez ’27 (nutrition science major).

For the leadership interns, the common threads for joining the Nutrition Initiative are their fascination with nutrition, and their interest in giving back to the Syracuse community.

“Nutrition is important, especially for young children and teenagers to keep their bodies going and to maintain their health to prevent other problems,” Ansari says. “So going into these classrooms and teaching children nutrition is very important, and we’re doing it in a fun way that makes them excited about making food and trying it.”

Story by Matt Michael and Cathleen O’Hare

At the heart of academia, humanities faculty conduct vital work, exploring the depths of human experience, history and culture. The (NEH), an independent federal agency established in 1965, stands as a key supporter of these efforts. In April alone, the NEH  announced $26.2 million in grants for .

As a leading funder of humanities programs, including several recent grants to faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the NEH plays a pivotal role in bolstering the work of humanities scholars, educators and students. Through grants to cultural institutions, scholars and educational initiatives, NEH promotes research, preserves cultural heritage and fosters lifelong learning.

NEH Makes an Inaugural Visit to CNY Humanities Corridor

The arrival of , senior program officer in the division of research for the NEH, marked a milestone for humanities scholars across Central New York. Sponsored by the , the March 1 event at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center saw 137 registrants, demonstrating a need and eagerness to hear Kinkela’s insight and guidance on crafting competitive applications for agency funding. Her presentation provided attendees with invaluable knowledge about the NEH evaluation process.

, associate provost for strategic initiatives, gave welcome remarks and noted the significance of the event, stating, “This was such an important opportunity for all in the humanities and beyond. We will continue to elevate the importance of the work being done across our corridor community.”

As part of the visit, Kinkela engaged in one-on-one afternoon consultations for individuals with existing projects under development.

“Having the opportunity to engage with Claudia Kinkela one-on-one was incredibly valuable,” says , associate professor of English. “Her personalized feedback has not only helped me refine our NEH proposal but also provided me with a deeper understanding of the overall landscape of public funding for the humanities.”

Hailing from 22 regional institutions, the gathering included registrants not only from institutions of higher education, but also representatives from local nonprofit organizations including the , the and . All 11 corridor institutions were in attendance, signaling a unified interest and commitment to advancing the humanities together. Academic institutions within the corridor include Syracuse University, Cornell University, the University of Rochester, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University, Union College, Le Moyne College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The provided additional support for the event.

Instrumental in securing this important senior NEH officer site visit was , associate director for research development in the humanities at Syracuse University. Together with her corridor colleagues, including Aimee Germain, program manager for the CNY Humanities Corridor and Vivian May, professor and director of the Syracuse University Humanities Center, Workman led the development of the event’s robust programming and brought the event to fruition.

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.