Mykala Walker’s message for the Orange community about is one she says is often repeated by head coach Felisha Legette-Jack: See it through.

Walker, who was of Syracuse women’s basketball in October, has in collegiate basketball, from playing at Wake Forest University to coaching at Arizona State, University of Delaware and Georgetown University.

Now, she’s excited to be back in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), joining the Orange and being on the frontline at a time of pivotal growth in women’s basketball.

“I love what we’re able to do for players these days,” she says. “We’re putting them on a platform to help them be truly successful long after they take off their Syracuse jersey for the last time. You’re always going to be an Orange when you leave here, but it’s an exciting time to elevate and help these kids launch into their futures.”

And in the meantime, she says the Orange community has a part to play as the team, which has won 10 of its first 11 games, continues its season.

“We need you to come here, sit with us,” she says. “See it through, and know we’re going to fight. We fight here at Syracuse.”

Below, Walker shares more about her vision for continuing to build the program.

Jill Nelsen L’27 playing soccer and loving sports. She was recruited to California State-East Bay with a four-year athletic scholarship to play women’s varsity soccer, while also earning a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. When she later decided to pursue law school, she hoped to stay connected to the world of sports and entertainment—but she never imagined that would open doors to opportunities like Miami Swim Week and New York Fashion Week.

During her first year year, Nelsen joined the Entertainment & Sports Law Society, often attending networking events with alumni thriving in this space. At one such event, she met Riley Christian L’16, now an entertainment and sports attorney with , a firm he founded in 2022.

Nelsen and Christian had a lot in common; she had been a collegiate soccer player and he a collegiate baseball player. At the time, Christian was rebranding his boutique law firm in New York City to focus more on the areas of sports and entertainment that dealt with navigating the NCAA’s new Name Image and Likeness (NIL) rules for college athletes and handling legal issues related to artificial intelligence in the entertainment and music business.

Nelsen later reached out to Christian, asking if he might need an intern, and he agreed to bring her onboard.

At first, she helped navigate the logo development for the firm’s rebranding, later moving on to legal research for defamation cases, statute of limitations issues, trademark infringements and intellectual property, while learning as much as she could about the ever-evolving NIL rules.

Piecing Together Sports, Fashion and the Law

While her whole internship experience was exciting, Nelsen says two highlights were attending Miami Swim Week and New York Fashion Week.

“Riley knew these big events would be good networking experiences for me, and he also knew I liked to talk to people and that would be a good way to spread the word about the rebranding of Artifex Athleta,” she says.

The annual Miami Swim Week is the world’s largest swimwear and resort wear event that includes runway fashion shows, trade shows and pop-up shops, as well as the chance to meet and network with all kinds of people connected to this area of fashion— from designers and buyers to athletes, agents and the media.

“Yes, it was focused on swimwear, but there are so many aspects of the law attached to the fashion space, including trademarks, sponsorships, negotiating and closing NIL and more,” Nelsen says. “It was a fascinating experience to see it in action.”

She also attended New York Fashion Week, one of the “big four” fashion events in the world, showcasing what’s going to be “in” for the upcoming season. The biannual event includes exclusive runway shows by world-class designers that are attended by celebrities, influencers, fashion buyers and the media.

This, too, gave Nelsen an opportunity to network with a host of agents, attorneys and other business leaders in the fashion space.

“The experience of not only attending these fabulous events but also having the chance to work with Riley helped me begin to make a name for myself as more than just an athlete,” she says. “The younger version of me would be emotional to see all the things I’ve accomplished both in my course work, as well as internship opportunities. My takeaway from this entire experience is that I can do it, and there are people who truly believe in me and see my potential.”

Uplifting Women Is the Ultimate Win

After completing her education at the College of Law, Nelsen’s dream is to one day work as general counsel for a NBA or NFL team and negotiate from the team’s side with players and their agents. But her ultimate goal is to one day be a general manager or even owner of a WNBA team.

“Sports, and now working in sports—has always been the dream,” she says.

Her older sister has been a role model, she says, “moving mountains” as director of services and retention for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.

“I’ve also learned a lot about creating space for people like me, particularly as a first-generation Latina woman,” Nelsen says. “I’ve been told I’m too much, too blunt, too Californian, but I’ve also been told ‘don’t dim your light to fit into a box that’s been predefined for you.’ I am proud to be a Syracuse law student with the opportunity to contribute to uplifting women in the sports and entertainment business and also within the legal field. That is a real win for me.”

The University the recipients of the Fall 2025 Orange Innovation Fund, a competitive grant program that fuels early-stage ideas developed by student entrepreneurs. The fund supports innovative projects across campus that demonstrate strong potential to commercialize research.

The fund, administered through the University Libraries, is designed to help student founders move their ventures from concept to prototype on the path to commercialization. The grants range up to $5,000 and enable recipients to build MVPs (minimum viable products), test ideas with real users and validate market potential. Since its inception, the fund has helped dozens of student teams advance toward competitive accelerators, patent filings and commercial launches.

Winners were selected by reviewers from across the campus innovation ecosystem, along with alumni who are successful founders and industry experts.

The Fall 2025 recipients are the following:

• Gabi Josefson ’28 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications) and Mitchell Breakstone ’28 (Whitman School ) received funding for EXCHKR, a platform that simplifies how clubs, sports teams and Greek organizations manage payments and track budgets. EXCHKR’s team will use this grant to develop the platform’s full MVP, integrating Stripe and Plaid for secure payments and real-time dashboards.
• Jack Venerus ’27 (School of Information Studies) received support for WingStat, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that makes aircraft sales data more accessible for brokers. The Orange Innovation Fund will help WingStat build its MVP and launch a beta test with aircraft brokers nationwide.
• Trey Augliano ’27 (Whitman School) was selected for Utopia Beauty, a retail startup exclusively curating science-backed beauty products. Funding will support the creation of a proprietary tool that grades beauty products using the company’s Lab Protocol, integrating AI and customer testing to refine results before launch.
• Haley Greene ’26 (Newhouse School) received support for Miirror, a nonprofit digital platform addressing the urgent gap in accessible support for the 30 million Americans who struggle with eating disorders. Greene’s grant will fund backend development, accessibility certification and an 8- to 12-week campus pilot to assess user engagement and mental health outcomes.
• Ronan Hussar ’26 (Whitman School) was awarded funding for MacroFlow, which allows users to automate Excel tasks using simple language instead of code. The grant will support secure software development and beta testing with 25 early users.
• Jacob Kaplan ’28 (School of Information Studies) was awarded funding for The OtherGlasses, the world’s first adaptive eyewear that automatically adjusts to users’ changing vision throughout the day. Grant funds will help build a functional prototype using liquid crystal lenses and develop a companion app for real-time adjustment testing.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support of Syracuse’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and excited to receive this grant as we prepare to launch EXCHKR,” Josefson says. “This funding will help us accelerate development and bring a much-needed financial management solution to student organizations nationwide.”

“Being selected for this award could not have come at a better time,” says Hussar. “The grant will take MacroFlow from an MVP to a market-ready product at a point where every dollar truly matters. Being selected also means that judges believe in my idea. That support motivates me to keep building.”

“Winning the Orange Innovation Fund award is incredibly meaningful,” says Venerus. “It gives us the momentum to finish our MVP and get WingStat market-ready, and it’s validating to know others see the impact and potential in what we’re building.”

“I’m very grateful to receive this award,” says Augliano. “I want to thank Orange Innovation team for recognizing the value that Utopia brings to the beauty industry. With this award, I will be able to build out the infrastructure for our product grading tool.”

“Being selected for the Orange Innovation Award tells me that people believe not only in Miirror, but in the future we’re trying to build, one where access to help is a right, not a luxury,” says Greene. “This grant, and every bit of support, moves us closer to turning something painful into something that gives others access to care and helps them feel less alone, which is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“These students represent the creativity, technical skill and drive that define Syracuse’s innovation community,” says David Seaman, dean of University Libraries. “The Orange Innovation Fund helps student founders take the important steps to move from idea to reality and achieve important milestones along their product development roadmap.”

The Orange Innovation Fund was supported through a leadership gift from University trustee Raj-Ann Gill. Through programs like the Orange Innovation Fund, the University continues to strengthen its reputation as a leading national hub for student innovation, supporting entrepreneurs who blend creativity, technology and purpose to make real-world impact.

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.

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.”

Filmmaker and cinematographer , a graduate of the ’ (VPA) , has been nominated for a prestigious student award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).

Edelson is one of six nominees for the George Spiro Dibie ASC Award—Undergraduate Category—one of the society’s , which champions rising talent at the formative stages of filmmakers’ careers. She was nominated for the narrative short student film “,” on which she served as director of photography. The ASC will announce the winner on Oct. 12.

“My experience working on this film forever changed me as a cinematographer, thanks to my collaboration with the writer and director of ‘The Wren in the Wood,’ [fellow Class of 2025 film major] Emma Baker,” says Edelson. “An important inspiration for the film came from Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ I studied the visual style of that film and noted techniques that suited the story Emma and I hoped to tell. I was struck by how it felt as if the camera knew more than the characters it was following. We wanted to incorporate this feeling to hint at the presence of something supernatural. By using soft, fluid camera movement, we gently guided the audience into the world of the film.”

As a film major in VPA’s Department of Film and Media Arts, Edelson was introduced to the art of cinematography and developed a strong technical and aesthetic foundation, which she continues to build on through practice and exploration. She polished her skills while studying abroad for a semester through Syracuse Abroad’s in Prague, Czech Republic, and completed her education with the , part of the Syracuse University Dick Clark Los Angeles Program, which enabled her to connect with the film industry during her senior year.

Edelson also received a  (SOURCE) Fellowship to fund her senior thesis film “.” The SOURCE supports undergraduate research and creative inquiry. It provides financial assistance for original and innovative work, fostering student-driven exploration and development.

“I am proud to have begun my journey as a cinematographer at Syracuse University,” says Edelson. “I was able to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that deepened my appreciation for the art of filmmaking and prepared me for a professional career in the industry. I was especially fortunate to learn from professors such as , whose encouragement and support strengthened my love for cinematography and motivated me to pursue the art form with confidence.”

“The American Society of Cinematographers is one of the most prestigious and globally recognized associations in the film industry,” says Méndez, associate professor and program coordinator of film in the Department of Film and Media Arts. “Having one of our students receive such an honor is a clear confirmation that our film education effectively prepares students to compete on an international stage.”

Edelson’s cinematography has been awarded Best Cinematography by the Indian Independent Film Festival. Her work was also selected for the Kookai International Film Festival, Indie Shorts Mag Film Festival and Syracuse University’s New Filmmakers Showcase. Now based in Los Angeles, she works as a freelance filmmaker in the camera department.

National Science Foundation (NSF) funding for Syracuse University faculty research projects totaled $19.7 million in fiscal year 2025, an increase of $5.8 million over last year’s total, according to the .

NSF also recognized four faculty members with prestigious.

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

CAREER Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Year for NSF Funding

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

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

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

Support for Proposals

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

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

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

Jorge Morales ’26, a double major in history and anthropology in the with a minor in English and textual studies in the , has been awarded the highly competitive .

Morales is one of only 20 students nationwide to receive this prestigious award, which supports exceptional undergraduates in their pursuit of graduate studies in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

A and member of the , Morales has distinguished himself through his academic excellence, research achievements and commitment to public scholarship. He has already contributed original research to the field of Caribbean history, focusing on the legacies of colonialism, slavery and resistance in Jamaica and the corresponding implications for the broader Atlantic world.

“I am interested in studying the impacts of colonialism and colonial institutions on the development of Caribbean and Latin American nations, their cultures and their national identities,” says Morales, who is spending the summer conducting research in Puerto Rico to gain insights into the lives of enslaved individuals on Puerto Rican plantations for his senior thesis. “My family being Puerto Rican, I am especially interested in understanding the development of Puerto Rico and of Puerto Rican national identity, and it is this interest, and my experiences working with Dr. Tessa Murphy, which informs my current research.”

As a research assistant to , associate professor of history in the Maxwell School, Morales helped transcribe 19th-century slave registries from Trinidad, working with exceptional attention to detail, timeliness and conscientiousness to transcribe hundreds of pages of handwritten records. His work has been presented at numerous campus symposiums and published in CHRONOS, the University’s undergraduate history journal, where he also serves on the editorial board.

“Jorge is committed to drawing on his personal and professional interest to pursue a Ph.D. and academic career in history,” says Murphy. “His initiative, intellectual rigor and commitment to public history are extraordinary. He is already contributing new knowledge to the field.”

Morales’ application was supported by the (CFSA), where he worked closely with Director Jolynn Parker. “Jorge combines intellectual seriousness with warmth, humility and a deep sense of purpose,” Parker says. “He is exactly the kind of scholar the Beinecke Foundation seeks to support—one who is poised to thrive in graduate school and become a leader in his academic field.”

Morales plans to pursue a Ph.D. in history, with a focus on the Caribbean and Atlantic worlds, and has a long-term goal of becoming a professor or museum professional who brings marginalized histories to broader audiences.

“I am very happy to have been awarded the Beinecke Scholarship because it will provide me with resources that I can use to support my future research,” says Morales. “It will allow me to form connections with other students who are just as passionate about their work as I am.”

The Beinecke Scholarship provides $35,000 in funding toward graduate education as well as significant mentorship. Is is awarded to students who demonstrate superior academic achievement and a commitment to a career in research or the arts.

CFSA offers candidates advising and assistance with applications and interview preparation for nationally competitive scholarships. The nomination process for the 2026 Beinecke application will begin in October. Interested students should contact CFSA at 315.443.2759 or by email to cfsa@syr.edu for more information.

Oren Lyons Jr. ’58, H’93 and Roy Simmons Jr. ’59, H’14 formed a lifelong friendship that stems from their days starring for the Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team from 1955-58.

Recently, Lyons and Simmons were honored with the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award, which intends to “keep the legacy of the Onondaga stick maker alive, to promote the game’s sacred Indigenous roots and to honor members of the larger community who share Alfie’s love of lacrosse and his commitment to its growth,” according to a press release issued by the .

The dynamic duo captured multiple All-American honors playing for the Orange and have remained friends through their shared experiences with the lacrosse program.

Interwoven with their passion for Syracuse lacrosse, Lyons and Simmons have advocated to preserve the Native origins of their sport, educating current and future generations of players about the proud connection between lacrosse and Indigenous communities.

Both players excelled under head coach Roy Simmons Sr. during their Syracuse careers, with Lyons twice earning All-American honors as a goalie and Simmons Jr. twice claiming All-American honors at attack as a potent goal scorer. They helped the Orange go undefeated during the 1957 season, the program’s first unbeaten season since 1924.

Lyons is one of the first Native Americans to have attended Syracuse University, earning a degree in fine arts from the . He remains one of the most talented  in program history and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1992 and received the prestigious Spirit of Tewaaraton Award in 2015. As a Faithkeeper—one of the spiritual leaders of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation—Lyons advocates for environmental protections and the rights of Indigenous people. In 1983, Lyons co-founded the Iroquois Nationals, a team that represents the Haudenosaunee in international field lacrosse competitions.

Simmons was a lifelong friend of Jacques who often invited the stick maker to speak to his Syracuse teams—which featured many standout Iroquois players—about the history and Native connections to lacrosse. Simmons was the first coach in the NCAA Division I history to win five national championships and ranks sixth all-time with his six national titles. His teams posted a record of 290-96 during his 28-year coaching career. Simmons was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991, received the Spirit of Tewaaraton Award in 2009 and was inducted into the  on Feb. 20, 2022.

“[Their] lives and legacies stand as profound representations of what the game of lacrosse is about. Both Lyons and Simmons have walked alongside Alfie Jacques for decades, as advocates and storytellers. They have lived lives that reflect the deep spiritual and communal roots of the game,” the release said about their ties to Jacques, a master lacrosse stick maker and member of the Onondaga Nation’s Turtle Clan.

Lyons and Simmons will receive their awards during the 2025 Wooden Stick Festival in Syracuse, to be held Sept. 12-14.

For more information about the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award and past recipients, visit .

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.”

For the complete story, please visit the .

The trajectory of the is what Hollywood makes movies about.

“When I joined [in Fall 2021] there were only six other people on the team,” says Amanda Wheeler, a senior at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and co-president of the women’s ice hockey team. “For our games we had to borrow players from other teams because we often didn’t have enough [of our own] to start the game.”

Now, in the Spring 2025 semester, the team is fresh off of an undefeated (20-0) season and celebrating their recent win at the Women’s National Championship, a conference the team joined this academic year. “In the short time that I’ve been here, the team went from a relaxed, low-level program to one of the best women’s club hockey programs in the country,” says Elise Herrick, a junior at SUNY ESF and co-president alongside Wheeler.

Taking the team from a casual approach to being national champions in such a short amount of time is a credit to both the coaching staff and the players themselves. Christina Beam began coaching the team two years ago, and within those two years, she noticed the drive and commitment within the team change.

“The players are passionate about the game of hockey and the commitment to each other and the program,” says Beam. “At the end of last season, we did an ‘end of the year’ meeting with each of the athletes. We took their feedback seriously and developed a plan for this season. We shared our plan and expectations early on; this allowed us to all be on the same page and develop the program together.”

Along with implementing player feedback into the team strategy for the 2024-25 season, joining the AAU may have been the special ingredient needed to help the team truly take off. “Joining the AAU this year gave the team an opportunity to compete for a title; it may not sound like much to some, but to have an end goal is huge when you play competitive sports,” says Beam. “The women took our commitment seriously and it is evident by the season we played this year.”

The Orange completed their 2024-25 season in the College Hockey North Women’s Division undefeated, easily securing their place in the AAU National Championship, held March 6-9 in Jacksonville, Florida. But clinching a spot in nationals didn’t mean the work stopped.

“We spent a lot of time before the tournament setting expectations for ourselves, working our on-ice systems and mentally preparing for the games,” says Herrick. “We had never played [some of the teams], so we had no way of knowing how good they were going to be, but we knew that we had the skill to beat any team we faced as long as we played our game and stayed focused.”

Along with perfecting their skills on the ice, the team had to block out naysayers. “Despite being undefeated, there were a lot of people who didn’t think we would win, with some predicting that we wouldn’t even make it to the championship game,” Herrick says. “But the negative attention fueled us and made us even more determined to win.”

After winning their playoff games, including a close call against their opponent in the championship game , the University of Tampa, the team was nervous to get on the ice, but still as focused as ever on winning a title. “The score from that game [against Tampa the day before] was close and we all knew that Tampa would be coming out hard [in the championship] because of that,” says Wheeler. “I don’t think anyone [on our team] sat down during the entire game. It was constant cheering, singing and dancing, no matter what the score was. We just needed to calm our nerves and keep the energy up.”

The strategy to “keep the energy up” was a winning one. Near the end of the game. Ivy Dietrich ’27, assistant captain and a member of the team’s first line, scored a short-handed, empty net goal to put Syracuse up 4-2 and secure the championship. “It was a real full-circle moment for me since I’m the only person still on the team from that original seven-person roster,” says Wheeler. “Being there holding the trophy with everyone who’s helped build this team and supported us for the past few years was incredible.”

The team is already planning how to keep the momentum going into next season. “We keep moving forward, we continue to build on what we’ve done right and work on things we’d like to do better,” Beam says. “We stay humble, committed and remember the joy we get from playing ice hockey.”

As Herrick prepares to move into her senior year and assume full presidential duties, she wants to see the team continue to flourish, both on and off the ice. “I hope that we can maintain the values of our program and continue to provide a welcoming environment for female hockey players looking to continue their careers and find a supportive community,” says Herrick. “One of the most important parts of a hockey team is the energy, and I want us to continue having good energy for as long as the program is around.”

Students interested in joining the women’s club ice hockey team can learn more on the .

Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer  has announced the reappointment of as dean of the for a five-year term. The reappointment follows a comprehensive review process that included feedback from key stakeholders, including Newhouse faculty, staff and advisory board members.

“Dean Lodato took the helm of an already strong school and managed to make it even stronger,” Provost Agnew says. “His energetic and collaborative leadership and his emphasis on innovation, industry partnerships and an exemplary student experience have marked his five years as dean and led to many wins for Newhouse.”

Lodato became dean in July 2020, and his tenure has been marked by dynamic forward motion, expansion and success in several key areas for the school.

He was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the (IDJC) in Washington, D.C., to create new knowledge, foster a more informed and engaged citizenry and better equip students for success in media, communications, policy, governance and citizenship. He also established the undergraduate program, which dovetails with the work of IDJC and further strengthens Newhouse’s robust study away offerings, which also include and .

Under Lodato’s leadership, the school , making a Newhouse education more accessible to new populations and serving as a model for other Syracuse schools and colleges looking to expand online undergraduate education.

Lodato also spearheaded the creation and renovation of several learning spaces at the school. These include the , which provides co-working and co-location space to media and tech startups who want to work with talented Newhouse students, and the new , a hub for undergraduate and graduate students interested in a career in sports communications.

He has increased investment in research and creative activity, which has resulted in more than $7.3 million in sponsored research funding, and articulated the goal of strengthening the connection between communications and technology, particularly through .

Early in his time at Newhouse, Lodato implemented salary equity across Newhouse professional and support staff and faculty. He also has overseen a 17% growth in the faculty, representing a more diverse population.

“Working with the stellar faculty and staff of the Newhouse School has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and it has been my honor and privilege to serve as dean for the past five years,” Lodato says. “I am excited to continue our work together as we expand and realize our shared vision for the future of the school as a place that provides students with the best possible education and training for careers in communications. And I know that collective work is what makes Newhouse the top communications school in the country!”

Lodato joined the Newhouse School after more than 14 years at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he served as associate dean and associate general manager at Arizona PBS. He previously spent 16 years as an award-winning television reporter and anchor for network affiliate television stations in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Phoenix and Fort Myers, Florida.