When graduated from the University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management from the , legalized sports gambling in the United States was limited to two states: Nevada and New Jersey.

But since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that prevents the federal government from dictating how states manage sports betting, the industry has undergone a rapid and extraordinary expansion. Some form of sports gambling is now legal in 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and the betting market in 2025 is estimated to reach nearly $20 billion in the U.S. and $111 billion globally, according to .

After starting his career in sports sponsorships and then working outside of sports, Weiss put his entrepreneurial spirit and skills to work by creating a company that is now shaping the future of the booming sports gambling industry. Weiss is CEO and founder of (the M.V.P is for Make Vegas Pay), a Fort Lauderdale-based business that provides expert advice and education services for sports bettors.

“A lot of people love sports, and they love betting on games, but they work day jobs and they don’t really have the time to do the research,” Weiss says. “So the idea was for us to be that guiding hand for them.”

As M.V.P continues to grow, Weiss has reconnected with his Syracuse roots. He joined , a network of donors who share a common goal of supporting the University’s highest priorities. Following conversations with Falk College Director of Development , Weiss joined the , a group of the college’s most committed and influential young alumni.

Weiss is also helping to cultivate the next generation of sports betting experts. He’s in his second year of hosting Falk College students who are handling a variety of roles.

Sport analytics major Jared Weber ’26 is interested in a career in sports gambling and says he’s gaining a wealth of industry knowledge.

“My experience at M.V.P has helped me build a deep understanding of how to identify and create advantages over sportsbooks��and thereby make myself a valuable candidate for jobs in the future,” Weber says. “I’m incredibly grateful to Simon for giving me the platform to learn so much about the betting space and helping other students learn along the way.”

Sport management major Lindsay Dorman ’27 also wants to work in what has been a male-dominated sports gambling industry. She says Weiss has given her jobs and introduced her to people that have increased her confidence and made her more motivated to work in the field.

“He’s taught me so much about the industry while giving me the freedom to take initiative and grow creatively,” Dorman says. “I’m really grateful for his mentorship and this experience is making me even more motivated to make an impact in this space.”

was an Iraqi Kurdish refugee and respected imam living in Albany, New York, when as part of a controversial FBI sting operation in 2004. Though critics argued that the government failed to provide evidence of Aref’s guilt, he was before to Iraq.

What role did media coverage play in Aref’s story? That was the focus of a research project sponsored by the and conducted by and five Lender Student Fellows.

Their findings, which will be presented at a symposium, “: The American War On Terror,” on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, showed how local and regional news coverage shaped public understanding in ways that supported prosecution narratives and made conviction more likely.

The findings are also being showcased as an exhibition on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 at . That event is sponsored by the Lender Center with support from the New York Humanities Center, Coalition for Civil Freedoms, Muslim Counterpublics Lab and Syracuse Peace Council.

The research team’s comprehensive examination of news coverage around the case found the following themes and patterns.

Over-Reliance on Official Law Enforcement Sources

• Reporting contained official government narratives and cited law enforcement and government officials more frequently than any other source, an imbalance that presented readers with primarily one perspective on the case.
• Coverage failed to question the legitimacy of the sting operation via independent experts.
• Alleged connections to terrorist organizations in news reports were based on weak or unverified evidence.

• Most media misreported, and then failed to correct, a claim by federal government translators that Aref’s name was found with a Kurdish word meaning “commander” in front of it; the word actually means “brother.”

Uncritical Framing of Sting Operations as a National Security Necessity

• 60% of articles portrayed terrorism stings as essential to national security and helped normalize controversial law enforcement practices.
• Coverage celebrated the sting as a counterterrorism success before the trial had concluded.
• Articles linked the arrest to heightened terror alerts, even when officials said cases were unrelated.

Direct Impact on Public Perception

• An emphasis on potential terrorist connections influenced how the public viewed Aref’s credibility.
• News coverage emphasized Aref’s identity as a Muslim more than any other identity he held.
• Most reporting was incomplete and did not include the voices of his family, community or even his lawyer.

Gauging Fair Reporting

Husain, an assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the Newhouse School, examines and reports on the ongoing “war on terror,” including the impacts of its news coverage. She believes that newsrooms have the potential to use their resources to assure more accuracy in reporting, and that the public has the ability to assess the reliability of news coverage they see.

“One of the big solutions is to give journalists enough time to properly report a story using objective and investigative methods,” she says. “It’s Journalism 101, but reporters speaking to many and varied sources about a situation is an important step in getting as close to the truth as you can.”

News outlets can also guard against poorly reported stories and assure better accountability to their audiences “by making sure their reporting is driven not by those in power, but by the people who are most affected by the decisions of those in power,” she says.

Journalists can also audit their own systems to make sure their reporting is not harming communities, she says. “When newsroom leadership fails to do this, it falls upon individual journalists to take responsibility. Reporters have always been able to push editors and higher-ups to change coverage or to pursue certain stories.” Husain also cites the resource ��and its as a tool for news consumers.

The student fellows for the project are:

• Mohammad Ebad Athar (College of Arts and Sciences/history); and Azadeh Ghanizadeh (College of Visual and Performing Arts/writing studies, rhetoric, and composition); both current doctoral candidates
• Olivia Boyer ’26 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications/magazine, news and digital journalism)
• Mary Hanrahan ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Tia Poquette ’25 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)

As a “serial entrepreneur” and interactive marketer, has applied his across varied careers. More recently, he has worked with global audiences in a dozen countries, sharing his knowledge of the creator economy.

A 1980 graduate of the , Branagan returned to the school in 2011 to found the and teach media innovation courses.

The center runs the , a where students test digital content and media ideas and connect with faculty and media mentors and entrepreneurs. Branagan has also launched student startup competitions, entrepreneurship programs, the interactive series “” and ��, a seed fund for tech hub startups. He coaches numerous startups and venture funds.

Branagan’s global journey began with a 2021 grant to help universities in Estonia create media entrepreneurship programs. Affiliated with Tallinn University’s Baltic Film and Media School, he spent two months in 2022 conducting workshops, making presentations and immersing himself in the country’s startup scene.

He returned to Estonia to keynote the 2023 -Net Summit on Media Entrepreneurship. The organization is comprised of European university professionals focused on improving research into and teaching entrepreneurship teaching for the screen media industry.

More speaking requests followed. He has since spoken to journalism students in Belgium, government officials and business leaders from across the African continent in Ethiopia, sports leaders in Ireland, media researchers in Lithuania, corporate communicators in Germany, musicians in Slovakia and policy makers in the United Kingdom.

He has also participated virtually at universities and conferences in India, Nepal and South Africa, and is teaching creative entrepreneurship in a virtual format to 500,000 high schoolers across India, Indonesia and the Middle East. Recently, he traveled to the U.K. to brief members of Parliament on the creator economy and existing technologies as they considered a bill proposing to ban cell phones in schools. In December he (along with Newhouse Professor and other education technology and government leaders) will address hundreds of top students at the at in Coimbatore, India.

We asked Branagan about those experiences, his reaction to questions he receives from media innovators worldwide and how his global work impacts his teaching.

The University will take center stage on the nationally syndicated program “The Academic Minute” during the week of Oct. 27-31, marking the first time the program has dedicated an entire week to showcasing Syracuse University research.

Five Syracuse scholars will share their groundbreaking work with audiences across more than 70 NPR-affiliated stations throughout North America and with international listeners worldwide. Each day of “Syracuse Week” highlights the breadth and real-world impact of the University’s scholarship:

Monday, Oct. 27: Leonard Lopoo, associate dean, chair and professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, explores how government policies—from “baby bonuses” to family leave and child care subsidies—shape fertility rates and family formation decisions.

Tuesday, Oct. 28: Claire Rubbelke, former College of Arts and Sciences postdoctoral researcher, examines what ancient climate patterns reveal about modern droughts and future water security challenges. (Related story)

Wednesday, Oct. 29: Rachael Goodwin, assistant professor in the Whitman School of Management, investigates unhealthy perfectionism in professional ballet and its parallels to high-pressure workplace cultures across industries. ()

Thursday, Oct. 30: Kristy Buzard, associate professor in the Maxwell School, analyzes today’s trade wars and tariff policies through the historical lens of early 1900s trade liberalization—revealing patterns that echo across a century.

Friday, Oct. 31: David Fastovich, former College of Arts and Sciences postdoctoral researcher, reveals the urgent story of forests failing to migrate fast enough to keep pace with Earth’s rapidly warming climate. ()

The Academic Minute is a daily two-and-a-half-minute showcase featuring researchers from leading institutions worldwide. This weeklong spotlight positions Syracuse faculty as authoritative voices on the environmental, economic and social challenges shaping our world.

Listen to each researcher’s full segment at .

The ‘ recently appointed Cramer Family Foundation Professor of Practice in Community Impact brings a rare combination of community-based civic engagement and expertise in cultivating changemakers across a range of fields.

joined the Maxwell School in August as part of the newly formed Civic and Community Engagement office. She is teaching undergraduates from a range of University degree programs with a focus on experiential learning, leadership development and problem-solving.

This semester, Arnold is teaching a capstone course in which students are tasked with turning their social science research into an action plan in partnership with a local government or community organization. One project focuses on using social media strategies to help nonprofits expand engagement and impact. Another aims to help families facing hardship to keep their pets while relieving pressure on local shelters.

Arnold plans to develop additional courses focusing on public narrative and civic leadership as well as applied social innovation and partnership building.

“These classes provide students with the analytical tools and practical skills needed to identify social problems, develop evidence-based responses and lead effective community engagement efforts through hands-on research and real-world partnerships,” she says. “By connecting rigorous analysis with practical implementation, students develop the civic leadership skills essential for creating lasting change and strengthening democratic institutions.”

The Cramer Family Professor of Practice in Community Impact was established through a generous gift by the Gerald and Daphna Cramer Foundation to provide support to students across a range of community engagement efforts that develop capabilities and skills in entrepreneurship, civic engagement, philanthropy, systems change, social innovation and impact.

The late Gerald B. Cramer earned a degree in accounting from the in 1952 and went on to become one of the Maxwell School’s most generous and dedicated supporters. He and his wife, Daphna, funded professorships and graduate assistantships and supported the creation of the Global Affairs Institute at Maxwell (now the ) as well as the University’s Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (now the ).

Arnold says her work across fields and sectors has given her a unique lens and ability to connect with and mentor students with wide-ranging interests.

Most recently, she served as director of leadership engagement and impact at the Truman National Security Project, where she developed training programs and oversaw national policy and impact networks. At Google, she led national Ph.D. outreach strategies and helped launch diversity initiatives that continue to shape the company’s talent pipeline.

Her approach at Maxwell also draws on two decades of experience at top academic institutions. At Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, she redesigned the technology career curriculum, advised MBA students and grew the school’s High Tech Club into its largest professional organization.

At MIT’s School of Engineering, she managed the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, helping engineering students integrate professional skills with technical expertise. And, at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, she coordinated interdisciplinary fellowship programs that immersed graduate students in dialogue with influential leaders.

Across roles, Arnold says she has focused on three core principles: applied learning that connects classroom theory with real-world practice, cross-sector relationship-building and leadership development that empowers diverse voices. “Whether I was working with engineering students at Google, MBA candidates at Cornell or community members, the approach has been the same—give people the tools, connections and confidence to create change,” she says.

A turning point in Pete Buttigieg’s public service career came with unrelenting rainfall while he was mayor of South Bend, Indiana. The city of roughly 100,000 experienced flooding that washed out roadways, damaged properties and endangered lives.

Buttigieg activated the city’s emergency operations center and hit the streets to assess the damage. At the urging of a councilmember, he knocked on the door of a woman who needed assistance.

Inside, he saw her family’s possessions floating in the flood water.

“And that was the moment that my mental image of climate change stopped being polar bears and ice shelves,” he said. “I think of political rhetoric around climate change. Not that I don’t care about what happens in the Arctic, but this was happening on the west side of South Bend, Indiana.”

Capacity Crowd at Syracuse

Buttigieg reflected on the flood’s aftermath during a conversation-style event in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building on Friday, Oct. 3. Part of the Pontarelli Speaker Series—named for its sponsors, alumnus and University Trustee Kenneth A. Pontarelli ’92 and his wife, Tracey—the talk was co-hosted by the and the .

Buttigieg shared the stage with , Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance and director of the Syracuse University . Their conversation encompassed environmental issues, leadership, American democracy and more.

In his opening remarks, Maxwell Dean said he was heartened to see so many students in the audience—all tickets for the event were claimed less than 20 minutes after it was announced. “These individuals are passionate about the issues we’re going to discuss today, and they are our future leaders,” said Van Slyke.

Before welcoming Buttigieg to the stage, Whitman’s interim dean, , shared some of his accomplishments. Buttigieg became mayor of South Bend in 2012 at age 29. He was elected for two terms and departed for a 2014 deployment to Afghanistan as a Naval reservist. In 2020, he sought the Democratic nomination for president, winning the Iowa caucuses. As U.S. secretary of transportation from 2021-25, Buttigieg implemented the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which funded over 70,000 projects.

The Syracuse event occurred three days into a shutdown of the U.S. government. Golden’s first question presented an opportunity for a general assessment: “Where are we today as a nation?”

Facing Unprecedented Challenges

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that not since the Civil War has our country faced this level of challenges—certainly not since World War II,” replied Buttigieg. “And so much of it is actually happening not because of an external threat.”

Social media, with its misinformation and algorithms, has distorted perspectives and relationships, he said. At the same time, Buttigieg said, the U.S. is witnessing an unprecedented level of government assertion of control over not only its own branches but also entities that have long remained independent such as academia and even late-night television.

“That makes this an extremely challenging time, but also a particularly important time for universities, because universities exist for the purpose of finding the truth, for the purpose of fostering dialogue and healthy difference and for charting where we are supposed to go next in ways that maybe won’t fully resemble the status quo that we inherited,” said Buttigieg, who later said universities need to fiercely guard their independence.

Several of Golden’s questions focused on the environment. For instance, he wondered what the current administration is trying to accomplish by repealing and diminishing protections. Buttigieg shared his view that much of the transitions have served to benefit certain friends and allies.

“Part of the tragedy of this is there is a healthy conservative critique to be made of environmental policies that are either self-defeating or unreasonable,” added Buttigieg. “And I say that as a strong believer in environmental protection.”

Several students posed questions, some related to climate change and the recent downsizing and dismantling federal departments like USAID.

Donough Lawlor, who is pursuing a master of science in sustainable organizations and policy, asked Buttigieg to comment on the impact of doing away with USAID and the worldview of U.S. leadership.

While he expressed deep concern, Buttigieg pointed out that many entities were formed in the 1940s and 50s “based on the way the world was.”

“Sooner or later, it’s going to be somebody’s job to figure out what to put in there next,” he said. “And that’s actually a huge opportunity to set up development aid in a way that is more responsive to the needs of the people it’s supposed to serve.”

He added, “my main impulse is not despondency, even though it can be depressing to watch, but actually propulsion.”

Looking Forward, Not Back

In South Bend, he said, prior generations often reflected about the economic boomtime prior to the 1963 closure of a main employer, the Studebaker auto plant. His community had a breakthrough in part, he said, because his generation was the first that didn’t experience its automaking heyday. As mayor, he said, all he could consider is “what do we do next?”

A parting message seemed directed toward students.

“If you’re considering participating in civic processes, which I hope you will, don’t underestimate the moral authority that you carry as a young person saying, ‘This decision you’re about to make affects me,’” he said. “The longer you are planning to be here, the more you have at stake, and I think, the more you have to say.”

Don’t expect Cheryl Meany ’02, G’06 to take much of a step back when she is honored at two upcoming West Genesee High School volleyball meets during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She will be on the sidelines as usual, serving as assistant coach of the Wildcats girls’ varsity team just as she was throughout her recent aggressive treatment for breast cancer.

Her tireless work as a mother, teacher and coach provided not only diversion and wellness during her fight, but inspiration for her students, colleagues, friends and community.

She will be honored at West Genesee’s Pink Ribbon Classic, which takes place at the high school on Saturday, Oct. 11. The tournament—featuring seven other teams—is fundraising for , a Syracuse-based nonprofit that provides wellness, mentoring, transportation and other supports for cancer patients.

West Genesee’s annual Dig Pink game follows on Oct. 14 against their Syracuse-area rival, Westhill High School. Both teams will hit the court wearing pink for breast cancer awareness and fundraising proceeds will again go to Cancer Connects.

Triple Responsibilities

Meany, an English teacher at Baldwinsville High School, was diagnosed with cancer in November 2024, a personal blow just before Thanksgiving. What followed was—to use a volleyball term—a multiple offense combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, from late 2024 through July 2025.

“It’s been crazy,” Meany says.

Although she is still wearing her signature head wrap, as of her most recent scan, she is cancer free. Her hair is returning, and she has embarked on a new regimen of preventative medicine.

To say that Meany kept active throughout this tumult is an understatement. Apart from a few days to rest after each chemotherapy treatment, she took no significant time off from her triple responsibilities and continued to serve others, even “digging” herself out of a few more challenges along the way.

For instance, as a mother to three girls—a West Genesee sophomore and twin fifth graders—she�� had to adjust her family’s schedule to accommodate her husband’s work. A , Jason Meany develops training materials for Scuba Divers International, a job that often takes him on the road.

Then, as the Wildcats assistant volleyball coach, she has helped manage the team’s step up to class AAA competition. The trainers must be doing something right because this promotion only seems to have propelled the blue-and-yellow forward. As of this writing, the team has a perfect 10-0 record and recently swept local AAA powerhouse Baldwinsville, Meany’s alma mater.

Even her current teaching assignment—Government, Economics and Literature—is not for the faint of heart. Introducing high schoolers to concepts of society and democracy through texts such as “1984” and “Lord of the Flies” is no mean feat during a contentious political moment.

Finding Balance

Meany says teaching high school seniors during her treatment was a “special situation” because they understood her diagnosis.

“I told the class when my chemotherapy started, and I said that if I’m here, I’m well enough to be here, so we can be normal and have our normal relationships,” she says.

“I was either going to be at home thinking about my diagnosis or out living my life,”�� Meany adds.

She even found the strength for a school trip with 17 students to Portugal between her third and fourth chemotherapy sessions.

Staying active, she says, was a choice.

“Everyone was onboard with it,” Meany says. “I needed to stay busy. There were side effects, but I could manage them if I didn’t think about them.”

Meany says her students took care to recognize when she was having an off day. And when her body said to rest, she listened, even if that meant occasionally missing her eldest daughter’s evening wrestling matches.

A double alumna, Meany has kept in close touch with her literacy teacher and mentor, Dean . During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair mentored student teachers, and she assisted with the research phase for Chandler-Olcott’s next book—a collaboration with Sarah Fleming G’16—on equitable assessment.

“Cheryl was an exceptional undergraduate who turned into one of SOE’s staunchest collaborators once she had her own classroom,” Chandler-Olcott says. “She’s mentored many teacher candidates who became strong practitioners in their own right, and she has modeled for all of them what it means to be a collegial professional committed to continuous learning. I’m so grateful for her continued commitment to all things Orange.”

So, in her 25th year of teaching and having bested breast cancer, what special advice does Meany have for young teachers embarking not only on their professional but life journeys?

“You are going to have challenges,” Meany says. “We teachers tend to put our students, families and others above ourselves, but my cancer diagnosis made me take a step back from giving of myself, to taking care of myself more. I needed that balance, and now I have found it.”

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 new Phanstiel Chair in Leadership brings expertise from top roles in the military, government and private sectors. He also brings enthusiasm for technology that’s rapidly transforming the workforce.

served as a U.S. Army colonel, chief talent management officer for the U.S. Department of Defense and senior director and head of military and veteran affairs for Walmart. His background also includes entrepreneurial roles and service on national and regional boards.

Parmeter’s role is situated in the public administration and international affairs department, where he is also a professor of practice. “He has a wealth of experience and has been incredibly innovative with technology use in his leadership roles in the private and public sectors,” says , chair and associate dean of the department. “And, he is highly engaging. I really think our students are going to enjoy his classes and learn how he takes ideas and puts them into practice.”

Parmeter will teach undergraduate and graduate students and engage with national and international security policy courses and participants in Maxwell’s executive education program. He has joined executive education courses in recent years as a guest speaker on the invitation of Director Steven Lux.

Parmeter is interested in the study and application of emerging technology, most especially artificial intelligence (AI). At the Defense Department, he used AI to streamline work, simplify processes and provide insight.

“It gave me a clear view of both the potential and the pitfalls,” he says. “AI can reduce barriers and speed up decision-making, but it also raises real governance, ethics and implementation questions. My experiences convinced me that understanding AI isn’t optional for public leaders, it’s essential.”

Since joining Maxwell in August, Parmeter has been developing a course called AI, Innovation and Public Institutions that he says will challenge students to think about how AI and other emerging technologies can strengthen public institutions. The course will be offered in the winter session to students across the University.

“I want them to leave with both a healthy skepticism and a sense of possibility and, ultimately be able to ask the right questions, connect policy and technology, and design solutions that actually work,” says Parmeter.

Additionally—as a senior research associate in the —Parmeter will help conceive panel discussions and guest speakers to expose students to a range of perspectives on timely issues. “The Campbell Public Affairs Institute is thrilled to welcome Brynt to our organization,” says Director . “His background will be invaluable in developing our expertise in AI and governance, while also helping our members reach audiences in important communities beyond the academy.”

Parmeter will also serve as a liaison to the Volcker Alliance on the that seeks to expand and create career pathways and public service roles for military veterans. Dean is chair of the deans summit, a collaborative network behind the effort.

“We’re delighted to welcome Brynt to Maxwell and excited for the many ways his expertise complements scholarship by faculty and students in our centers and institutes and in externally funded studies,” says Van Slyke. “His strategic insight, public service record and entrepreneurial spirit will greatly benefit our students and the wider University community.”

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Ken Pontarelli ’92 credits the University for changing his life, opening up opportunities to pursue his passions and achieve professional success that allows him to focus on the public good. In return, he and his wife, Tracey, are paying it forward by supporting Syracuse students pursuing meaningful careers in the vital field of sustainability. Their recent gift endows the Pontarelli Professorship in the . It builds on their years of support that have helped position the University as a thought leader in sustainability. As part of the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, the University has committed additional funds to support teaching and research activities in environmental sustainability, finance and public policy.

“Our goal is to build a sustainability program that ties together distinctive strengths from across the University, allowing business, policy and environmental science to work together to solve problems and tackle global challenges,” says Pontarelli. They are well on their way, thanks to previous support from the Pontarellis that a five-year funded professorship in 2019 and a scholarship fund in the , and helped create a unique master of science joint degree from the Maxwell and Whitman schools in sustainable organizations and policy, and the .

“When I (in 2022), Syracuse University was ranked No. 11 nationally for environmental policy and management by U.S. News & World Report,” says Jay Golden, Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance. “Each year our rankings have increased, and the most recent 2024 rankings have us tied with Harvard for No. 6. Certainly, our goal is to continue to rise in the rankings through the recognition of our peers of all the great programs we have going on at Maxwell and the other colleges at Syracuse.”

Growing Interest in Sustainability

Pontarelli graduated from the University with a bachelor of science in finance from the Whitman School and in economics from the Maxwell School. He immediately began what became a long career at Goldman Sachs, initially focusing on energy markets. “We made one of the first large-scale investments into renewable power back when few such investments were being made,” says Pontarelli. “As I gained more understanding of the field, I realized how critical private capital is, together with government policy, in addressing environmental issues. The business case for investing in sustainability is incredibly strong.”

In an interview with Private Equity International (November 2023), Pontarelli pointed out that sustainability was just a niche market with $20 billion of assets under management just 10 years ago and ballooned over the decade to more than $270 billion of assets under management.

At Goldman Sachs, where Pontarelli is partner and managing director, he leads the firm’s private equity impact investing efforts within the Asset Management Division. He was appointed to the University’s Board of Trustees in 2021, serves on the Whitman Advisory Council and, last year, was awarded the for Sustainability by Maxwell. His investments in academic and experiential programs are designed to ensure that environmental policy research is well-grounded in an understanding of markets and financial mechanisms.

“This is a pivotal time,” says Pontarelli. “There are so many things that could be done if we don’t get caught up in political issues. Everyone would agree that these are common sense business things to do.” He cites the example of one recent investment in a company that provides control panels to big data centers to manage power generation usage. The product can reduce usage by 10% for the average data center. “I’m focused on pragmatic solutions.”

That’s why Pontarelli is so impressed with the work being done by students in the which, according to Golden, is “a nonpartisan think tank and research lab focused on examining sustainability imperatives at the nexus of industry and government.” The lab launched in 2021 with just six students.

“From that early start we have maintained every semester 40 to 50 paid undergraduate and graduate sustainability research fellows spanning almost every college across the University,” Golden says. “In fact, we have more students interested than we can currently financially support or mentor with our current staffing levels. Not a week goes by that I don’t receive numerous emails from students interested in joining the lab.”

Inspiring More Philanthropic Support

It’s easy to see why students are so interested. They are doing what Pontarelli calls “eye-popping work” in partnership with industry or government, and he hopes to inspire more philanthropic support so that more students can participate. Golden cites a few examples:

• Students from the Maxwell School, Whitman School and are doing research in energy systems, biotechnologies and carbon capture technologies for various industrial sectors. This includes providing technical, finance and policy insights to develop recommendations for government agencies, policymakers and business leaders that would benefit the U.S. economy and the environment.
• Students are working with Thomson Reuters as well as the global footwear and apparel industries researching innovative best management practices and policies that can eliminate the utilization of forced labor in the global supply chain.
• A team led by Golden and School of Architecture Assistant Professor Nina Wilson is working with architects, engineers, design/build firms, insurance, government and finance on developing innovative strategies, policies and professional practices for resiliency in the built environment.��They are holding workshops throughout New York state.
• Students have developed an energy dashboard to quantify and visualize energy consumption on campus, by buildings and by energy source, that is continuously updated while also modeling economic impacts and opportunities for the University to manage energy consumption and other environmental impacts. This also involves working with Campus Dining to quantify food wastes across the campus and modeling the economic and greenhouse gas opportunities by implementing new strategies.

Preparing Future Leaders for the Public Good

The new joint master’s degree from Maxwell and Whitman, supported by the Pontarellis and directed by Golden, offers an intensive professional sustainability consulting course each spring through the lab, in which students work in project teams to provide high-level research and consulting to public and private organizations, including Fortune 500 global companies and smaller start-ups domestically and globally.

“I am grateful to Ken and Tracey for continuing to promote the values of high-quality teaching, experiential learning, evidence-based research, engaged citizenship and public service impact, which we hold dear at the Maxwell School,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “This professorship, endowed in their name, will make certain their commitment to climate, energy and environmental sustainability and working across levels of government and sectors of the economy continues to be a hallmark of the instruction and scholarship the Maxwell School pursues in preparing future leaders that seek to promote the public good.”

Golden says that “we have an incredible job placement rate for students even before they graduate” with organizations as diverse as Morgan Stanley, KPMG, the State of New York and the Department of Defense. “They stand out in the job market because they have learned to take theory from the classroom and apply it in the real world, with plenty of opportunities to do the work thanks to Ken and Tracey Pontarelli,” Golden says.

“We want students to get excited about careers in the sustainability field,” Pontarelli says. “It’s purposeful, meaningful work as they become problem-solvers who can change the world.”

Maxwell School alumna Denise Kalette ’68 got her first byline at age 12, under a poem titled “The Poor Taxpayer” that she submitted to her local newspaper. In a few paragraphs of playful prose, she drew attention to an issue that seemed far beyond her years—the financial plight of many working-class Americans.

Two years later, in 1960, Kalette sent a letter to the White House that elicited a response from Vice President Richard Nixon. “I am glad to know you are taking an active interest in our government and its elected officials,” Nixon wrote, “and I trust that you will continue this excellent foundation for good citizenship.”

Given Kalette’s love of writing and unwavering support for the underdog, it was no surprise to her loved ones that she would go on to become a highly accomplished journalist. Over more than four decades she covered a wide range of topics, from the Olympics in Seoul to corruption in a county jail. She especially loved writing profiles of American heroes such as Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and ordinary citizens facing extraordinary circumstances.

“What she was able to do was a result of her own drive, her persistence,” says her brother, Edward L. Chapman. “She had this innate sense of right and wrong about things and always had this place in her head and heart for everyday people.”

Kalette passed away in 2021. To honor her legacy and support students who are involved with the Syracuse University (IDJC), Chapman and sister Dorothy Blackmon gifted $50,000 to establish the Denise F. Kalette ’68 Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship Memorial Fund. Maxwell students who are involved with research and engaged in programming at the Washington, D.C.-based institute can apply for a one-time award ranging from $1,200 to $5,000.

“Denise’s career in journalism was inspired by her interest in helping people connect with one another in hopes of building mutual understanding,” says Chapman. “She knew the media’s important role in a well-informed public to help support a healthy democracy. We know that if she were here today, she would wholeheartedly support the IDJC, and especially the students who are engaged with it.”

Blackmon adds, “Denise enjoyed her time at Maxwell and found it extremely beneficial for her path in life, and we hope it will provide the same value to other students.”

Launched in 2022, the IDJC is a joint initiative of the Maxwell School and . It promotes nonpartisan, evidence-based research and dialogue in the public interest and strives to create new knowledge, foster a more informed and engaged citizenry and equip students for success.

“I am incredibly grateful to have received the award. It gave me the financial support I needed to fully take advantage of my unpaid internship without worrying about additional expenses,” says Rebecca Akinwale ’25, one of the first three award recipients.

Akinwale, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, participated in events and programming at the IDJC while interning in the U.S. Capitol during her senior year. The experiences furthered her interest in a career that combines public policy and diplomacy with media literacy.

“Throughout my time at Syracuse, I’ve explored how media and civic engagement can help build public trust in institutions,” says Akinwale. “Misinformation is one of the biggest challenges in today’s digital age—it can have serious consequences for underserved communities.”

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

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

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

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

Phyllis Greenberger Career Snapshot:

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

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

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

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

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

What did you enjoy about studying abroad?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can you provide an example?

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

How do you hope your book informs future healthcare professionals?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s the role of the U.S. Department of Education? If the department were to be dismantled—as proposed by the Trump administration—how would students, families and universities be affected?

Those are a few of the questions examined by a multidisciplinary panel of Maxwell School faculty experts during a recent “What’s at Stake” panel discussion hosted by the Center for Policy Research (CPR).

More than 250 people joined the virtual event held four days before the swearing in of Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. The same day, she sent her staff an email titled “Our Department’s Final Mission” fueling speculation that an executive order to abolish the Department of Education would soon follow. On March 11, the department announced it would cut its workforce nearly in half, to about 2,183 workers.

Robert Bifulco, professor of public administration and international affairs, moderated the conversation with colleagues Elizabeth Martin, assistant professor of sociology; Michah Rothbart, associate professor of public administration and international affairs; and Sean Drake, assistant professor of sociology. All four panelists are senior research associates at CPR.

To open the session, Bifulco provided some factual context about the Department of Education. In its 2024 fiscal year budget, he pointed out, the department administered programs totaling $268 billion—about 4 percent of the federal budget, a far smaller piece than agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Defense. About 60 percent of the Department of Education budget is spent on Pell grants and federal student loan programs; 17 percent on Title I grants to high poverty schools; and 14 percent to support the education of students with disabilities. “Each of these programs, which together account for over 90 percent of the department’s budget, was established prior to 1979, when the department itself was established,” said Bifulco, who serves as director of CPR’s Program on Educational Equity and Policy.

“President Trump claims the department has been overtaken by radicals, zealots and Marxists, that it promotes liberal ideologies in schools, and that it wastes taxpayers’ money,” Bifulco said. “But when you look at the overwhelming bulk of what the department focuses on and what its budget allocations go for, it’s not clear what most people would want to see cut.”

Martin, whose own research focuses on economic insecurity, credit and debt burdens and financial shocks, spoke to the broad impact of the Department of Education’s programs for students pursuing higher education.

“This is everything from Pell grants that help lower income students, to work study to student loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized,” she said. “So dismantling the Department of Education, moving the federal aid functions either to states or to the Department of Treasury, which is one proposal I’ve seen, would affect a lot of people. Something like 20 percent of all U.S. households have student loan debt; 30 to 40 percent of students who are currently enrolled are taking on loans every semester.”

One potential consequence of shifting student aid programs out of the federal government, she added, would be to increase gaps between states in higher education opportunities, particularly at public institutions.

“We see huge inequalities in appropriations per student, credit hour and tuition costs and merit- and need-based scholarships,” Martin said. “If federal aid or student loans are moved down to the state level, I imagine that we would see even more widening inequality between states.”

Shifting educational loans away from the federal government may also result in greater reliance on private loans—and the loss of key protections, pointed out Rothbart, who studies public finance and financial management particularly in education.

“Federal student loans provide protections against inability to pay in some circumstances,” Rothbart said. “I could imagine a world where there would be a large increase in the use of private borrowing to pay for higher education, and then students would not have those protections as they move out in their careers.”

In the area of public school funding, Rothbart noted that cutting the Department of Education’s programs, or shifting them outside the federal government, could have unintended consequences on the department’s influence over policy.

“The federal government only provides a small portion of public school funding, but it leverages that to nudge educational priorities,” Rothbart said. “That approach has been in place for years, even predating the formation of the Department of Education. I think it’s important to note that the use of this funding to shape policies can be effective. It actually presents a catch-22 for conservative administrations like the one that’s currently in the office of the presidency, because if the federal government makes cuts to these programs, they could lose some of that leverage to incentivize their other priorities.”

Bifulco said the elimination of Department of Education programs that account for more than 90 percent of its spending would require congressional action. “I think that’s very unlikely,” he said. More likely, he said, is a shift of functions to other federal departments, for instance, moving the Office of Civil Rights out of the Department of Education into the Department of Justice. “That could have big effects on how civil rights are enforced, and what data is collected on civil rights,” he said.

Rothbart said the reshuffling of programs under federal departments “is actually a pretty fruitful discussion.” He pointed out several programs that fall under the purview of education yet are not overseen by the Department of Education. For instance, Head Start is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, national school meals programs are run by the Department of Agriculture, and the GI Bill is overseen by the Department of Veterans Administration. “You could imagine moving programs from other agencies into the Department of Education if it were a different administration,” he said, later adding, “There hasn’t been a major reshuffling of the federal government across agencies in a long, long time.”

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Story by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers