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.

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.”

On April 28, 2025, a major power outage affected millions across Spain, Portugal and parts of southern France due to what authorities described as a “.” Although the exact cause was not immediately confirmed, concerns quickly arose about the possibility of a cyberattack. Such trepidation highlights how in today’s interconnected world, something as simple as a phishing email can trigger a chain reaction that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of millions.

Recognizing the exponentially growing importance of cybersecurity, the College of Arts and Sciences’ (A&S’)  (Forensics Institute) offers a  in partnership with the  (iSchool). This program is designed to equip future professionals with the critical skills needed to safeguard sensitive information and infrastructure while holding malicious actors accountable. The M.S. blends courses in digital forensics, cybersecurity and data analytics with advanced forensic science and crime scene investigation.

What Are Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics?

While closely interconnected, these disciplines represent proactive and reactive approaches to managing digital threats. Whereas cybersecurity focuses on preventing attacks and protecting digital infrastructure, digital forensics is concerned with investigating breaches in established cybersecurity and identifying the cause, scope and perpetrators of the attack.

With digital evidence now central to over 90% of criminal cases, as reported in the , the program equips students for careers in cybersecurity, digital investigations and intelligence analysis. They also gain hands-on experience through fieldwork at top-tier facilities, including federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense, along with various crime laboratories and prosecutor’s offices.

Learning from Leaders in Cybersecurity

A key strength of the program is the access students have to faculty who are actively engaged in cutting-edge, practical research. A prime example is , courtesy research professor and adjunct professor of forensics who also received a master’s degree in forensic science from A&S and a Ph.D. in cybersecurity from the Federal University of Technology Paraná in Brazil. When not teaching courses at Syracuse, he is conducting international research with organizations like the Brazilian Army at the Military Institute of Engineering.

“We focus on developing advanced simulated environments that can replicate everything from energy substations to entire distribution systems,” says Lemos about his current work. “These environments allow us to simulate cyberattacks and study system and device behavior, including the integration of physical equipment.”

Over the past decade, Lemos says the significant rise in attacks on critical infrastructure, such as the  in 2015 and the  in 2021, which significantly affected fuel supply to the U.S. East Coast, emphasize the growing need for highly trained professionals to work in both prevention and incident response.

Ensuring Grid Resilience

Lemos’ work in Brazil involves safeguarding that country’s power supply by exploring how systems react before, during and after an incident—without the risks or costs associated with testing real infrastructure.

“These simulations help uncover vulnerabilities, assess system resilience and evaluate the effectiveness of various detection and defense mechanisms. They also support the development of robust incident response plans and recovery protocols,” Lemos says. In turn, he brings this expertise and a deeper, more practical understanding of how to protect critical systems into the classroom at Syracuse, enriching the learning experience for students.

In his course, Computational Forensics, students are introduced to cutting-edge technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. These tools are vital in the field of cybersecurity to sift through vast amounts of network traffic data to detect unusual patterns. By tackling practical forensic problems, students develop both the technical expertise and an analytical mindset essential for careers in cybersecurity and digital investigations.

Lemos sees sharing the professional knowledge he’s gained as a meaningful way to give back, recognizing the pivotal role his A&S education played in shaping his career.

“My education at Syracuse University was foundational to the work I do today,” he says. “The combination of strong theoretical grounding and hands-on experience—guided by professors who are both researchers and practitioners—gave me the tools to engage with real-world cybersecurity challenges. I’m grateful for the opportunity to support students as they prepare for impactful careers in high-stakes fields like military operations and critical infrastructure systems.”

By combining rigorous academic instruction with applied learning and direct engagement with faculty leading global initiatives, the Forensics Institute equips students to confront today’s complex digital threats. This integrated approach aligns with the University’s and A&S’s priorities of preparing students for careers in emerging and innovative technologies.

Collin Capano ’05, G’11, director of the University’s new (OSPO), has been in the right place at the right time for breakthrough discoveries and innovative programming several times in his career.

His latest role is another opportunity to break new ground, and it’s also a homecoming for the double alumnus.

The OSPO is a multidisciplinary, cross-campus initiative intended to accelerate research and creative work by leveraging the use of open-source software code and adherence to open-source best practices. It is one of only about a dozen such offices operating at U.S. universities, so offers a chance to make high impact in that academic space and enhance the University’s research reputation through information and transparency, Capano says.

Also a physics research associate professor in the , Capano will continue his research in gravitational-wave astronomy while he directs OSPO, he says.

After earning bachelor’s and doctoral physics degrees at Syracuse, he gained more than a decade of experience in open-source code development and extensive experience in multi-messenger data analysis, statistics and high-performance computing. He has worked as a member of the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) Scientific Collaboration as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Maryland and as a high-performance computing facilitator and affiliate physics and math faculty member for the at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Perhaps his most distinctive “right place/right time” opportunity came in 2015 at the in Hannover, Germany, the largest research institute in the world specializing in general relativity, where he did postdoctoral research. Serendipitously, he was among the first scientists to observe the first from a long-ago collision of black holes in space. It was a monumental discovery that confirmed part of developed 100 years prior.

Capano, who grew up in the Adirondack town of Corinth, recently discussed plans for OSPO, his current research and what that breakthrough gravitational wave detection moment was like.

What led you back to Syracuse?

I was invited to apply for the OSPO director position and it sounded very interesting. It also presented a great opportunity to be closer to family again and for my daughter to grow up near her grandparents. And the things going on in Syracuse right now—Micron coming in and the Route 81 redevelopment—are exciting. The region is beginning a Renaissance, and the University is on an upswing too.  I’m excited to be part of the changes and see how the investment and growth plays out. It seems like a once-in-a-century thing.

What has been accomplished at OSPO so far? What’s ahead?

Over the past year, I got the office up and running. Now, I’m promoting open-source culture across the University and encouraging faculty and researchers from all disciplines to make their source code and research data available beyond campus and to the public. That transparency helps instill confidence in their research results and can gain wider recognition for the work.

We’re now developing workshops for faculty, students and staff on coding processes and tools; campuswide seminars and speaker presentations; perhaps a student code hackathon. I’m also working to have open-source code development as part of the standard considered for faculty promotions.

How did you become interested in physics research? What drew you to astrophysics and gravitational wave research?

My dad, who had a master’s degree in physics and was an electronics engineer, used to tell me fascinating things about relativity and quantum mechanics, and that piqued my interest.

In my second year of graduate school, I needed to pick a research advisor. I was a teaching assistant for a course on electricity and magnetism, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It was also ’s first semester as a professor here, and one night we sat together as we graded exams. Duncan [now a world-renowned gravitational wave expert, the University’s vice president of research and Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics] asked if I’d like to do an independent study. I did, and I’ve stayed with it.

I already knew of the gravitational wave group and the idea of doing experimental gravity appealed to me. If it weren’t for the two of us grading exams that night, I might have gone an entirely different route. I’m very glad I didn’t; I have been part of some once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

What do your two National Science Foundation research projects examine?

My research focuses on testing basic principles of gravity and nuclear physics using gravitational waves.

explores Einstein’s theory of relativity by testing it in extreme conditions near black holes using data from the to see whether the waves match Einstein’s predictions or if they reveal unexpected patterns. involves creating a cluster of Apple computers to accelerate the search for gravitational waves using LIGO data. That can help make gravitational wave research less costly, allowing for more ambitious searches, and making it possible for more researchers to contribute to the field.

What was it like at the front line of the first gravitational wave detection—one of the greatest physics discoveries of all time?

I was at , which was affiliated with LIGO and worked closely with the Syracuse gravitational wave analysis group. On that day a couple of colleagues in the office next to mine got an automated alert about a detection of the in space. They excitedly banged on my wall; I came over and they showed me a plot of the data that showed the characteristic “chirp” signal.

We were some of the , and the moment was surreal. My first reaction, and that for many others, was that it was a mistake. The lab could simulate those signals and did so regularly to test the infrastructure. When the control room confirmed that they hadn’t done a test, that’s when the reality sank in. The whole thing was a whirlwind! As co-chair of the LIGO subgroup devoted to exactly that type of signal, I was later in charge of compiling the data analysis on the event.

[Capano was one of 1,000 LIGO-affiliated scientists whose contributions were recognized for detection of the waves, earning them the and the . In 2017, three LIGO scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for the discovery.]

What next for gravitational wave research?

It’s a very bright and exciting future. Syracuse is a big part of it. We are laying the groundwork to build the next-generation detector, Cosmic Explorer, that will be able to detect every black hole merger occurring in the universe.

Pushing the frontiers of physics can lead to new, practical things in life—like how the discoveries surrounding magnetism and electricity affected the entire modern world. My hope is that future discoveries about gravitational waves will do the same and that over the next 20 years, we’ll uncover new fundamental findings about the universe.

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer today announced that has been reappointed to a five-year term as dean of the . Today’s announcement follows a comprehensive review process that includes feedback from key stakeholders, including ECS faculty, staff and advisory board members.

“In Cole’s nearly five years as dean, the College of Engineering and Computer Science has grown stronger on multiple counts and made great strides towards reaching a new level of excellence,” Provost Ritter says. “This is an exciting time for the college, and I can think of no better leader to shepherd the students, faculty, staff and alumni into this new era.”

Smith assumed leadership of ECS in October 2019. His tenure has been marked by several high points for the college. A massive renovation, which included multiple new lab spaces and the Allyn Innovation Center, served to modernize ECS buildings and facilities. The pending new Campos Student Center, supported by a recent $2 million gift that Smith helped secure, will further enhance the college’s physical space.

Smith oversaw the development of the new Syracuse University Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, an interdisciplinary center that brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, manufacturing processes, optimization and robotics to advance the science of semiconductor manufacturing. He also helped launch a new master’s degree program in , as well as the .

Under Smith’s leadership, ECS research expenditures grew by 30% during the 2022-2023 academic year over 2019 levels. Enrollment, faculty size and staff size are also on track to grow by 50% in the next four years as part of a plan Smith developed. He also helped guide the college toward .

“Engineering and Computer Science is driving regional, national and international growth in areas such as advanced manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, healthcare engineering, advanced computing technologies and materials science,” Smith says. “I have never been a part of a more exciting moment at the nexus of college, University, city and national growth. What we are doing here matters and will resonate for decades to come, and it is a true privilege to have the opportunity to realize the transformational opportunity that awaits Syracuse University and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.”

Smith came to Syracuse from Clemson University, where he held positions as associate provost for academic initiatives and chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering. His research focuses on integer programming and combinatorial optimization, network flows and facility location, computational optimization methods and large-scale optimization due to uncertainty or robustness considerations. In 2023, he was .

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

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

NEH Makes an Inaugural Visit to CNY Humanities Corridor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nomi Bergman

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brian D. Grossman

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

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

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

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

Stephen H. Hagerty ’91, G’93

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

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

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

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

Allegra F. Ivey G’99

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

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

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

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

Jeannine L. Lostritto ’90

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

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

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

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

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

Kirthiga U. Reddy G’95

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

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

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

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

The at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management welcomes Thomas Constable G’04, G’04, as its director and Ltc. (ret) John G. Dean IV  G’04 MBA, G’04, as associate director.

Both Constable and Dean are both graduates of the Defense Comptrollership Program (DCP) and earned dual master’s degrees—an MBA from the Whitman School and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs—as classmates in 2004.

Thomas Constable, director, Defense Programs

From 1987 to 2008, Constable was on active duty with the U.S. Army and is a retired civilian senior executive with the Department of Defense. He was the associate director of the Defense Program from August 2023 through February 2024 before moving into his current role.

Constable had a long career as a member of the senior executive service with the Department of Defense. Prior to joining the Whitman School, he was the principal assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs from 2022 to 2023 and the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for readiness from 2019 to 2022, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Constable also held the position of director of resource integration for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and as the associate director for military operations/comptroller for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, as well the senior financial official for the U.S. Army, Africa, and as a senior budget analyst for the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller.

As he settles into his role as director of Whitman’s Defense Program, Constable says, “I loved my own experience with this program, and the opportunity came at a time when I had 35 years with the Department of Defense,” he says. “I really wanted to teach but never had the chance. So, it all came together beautifully, and I haven’t looked back.”

Ltc. (ret) John G. Dean, associate director, Defense Programs

Dean started in his new role as associate director of Defense Programs in the Whitman School on April 1. He retired from the U.S. Army after 25 years of active duty service. Before joining the Whitman School, he was the chief of the Agency Contingency and Coordination branch of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in Alexandria, Virginia, from 2002 to 2024.

He worked for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as a regional chief of regulatory compliance and chief of chemical security in New York City from 2017 to 2022.  Before DHS, he served as the regional program manager for the Radiological Assistance Program, National Nuclear Security Agency in Idaho Falls, Idaho, from 2013 to 2017. He is also a freelance writer, organizational consultant and training developer.

“I am very pleased to come back to Syracuse University and the Whitman Defense Programs after 20 years,” says Dean. “I’m thankful for the knowledge I received here, and I’m eager to share my years of military and federal experience with students and Defense Program future leaders.”

“The Whitman School is fortunate to welcome Tom and John to the Defense Programs,” says J. Michael Haynie, executive dean at the Whitman School and the University’s vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, as well as a 14-year veteran as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. “Their collective experience both as active duty military and with various agencies within the Department of Defense will not only greatly benefit our students but will help our programs continue to reach a broader audience across the DOD and the national security community.”

Many of us felt the shakes from the this morning. The emergency alert came to cellular phones in Central New York about an hour and a half later. an associate professor in the iSchool at Syracuse University, shared his thoughts on this communication below. If you’d like to schedule an interview with him, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at .

McKnight writes: “The Northeast, fresh from experiencing a snowy April Nor’easter pummeling especially New Hampshire and Maine, and causing close to half a million to lose power, had a next shock with the 4.8 earthquake earlier today. Centered in New Jersey, but reportedly felt from Baltimore to Massachusetts, today’s minor rumble was far from the deadly threat Taiwan’s 7.2 quake a few days ago was. The impressive thing in the Taiwan quake was actually how well-built Taiwanese buildings are. Since while more than a thousand people were injured and there were deaths, without Taiwan’s now-strict building codes, the effects would have been far worse.

Which brings us back to the Tewksbury (N.J.) quake. Thankfully New York City, 45 miles away, reported no injuries.

What was noticeable, and alarming from an emergency communications perspective, was how slow authorities were to sound an alarm or send an alert. New York City’s ‘automated’ alert did not come out for more than 30 minutes after the quake, while New York State’s was even slower.

If the situation had been a tornado, or a more extreme quake, the slow official response could have had fatal consequences. Just a few days ago, for example, the Midwest experienced tornadoes and storms – while the National Weather Service itself was knocked off-line; not by the storm but by a hardware failure. The NWS ‘promptly’ restored operations 4 hours later; and announced they hoped to move to the cloud, Congress permitting, in coming years.

There is 1 common lesson: whether it is earthquakes shaking unexpected – or expected- places, Nor’easters, tornadoes.. the list goes on: resilient emergency communication matters. Not just for formal public safety authorities, but for all of us.

If we lost power while feet of snow fell (New Hampshire and Maine, today): how long could we maintain communication? (Never mind staying warm; ok that matters too).

If the Jersey quake was 7.3 and not 4.8…how bad would that have been? For buildings, and for emergency communication? (I shudder to imagine)

Whether we are worrying about emergency communication in a live emergency, or preparing for the future, considering our own vulnerabilities to disruptions, and the digital public infrastructure that we rely on today, whether National Weather Service, or state or city emergency services, or for our own daily digital needs: of you are not concerned, you are not paying attention.

We at Syracuse University have been paying attention.

We developed and evolved the Internet Backpack, which sustainably maintains connectivity anywhere on the planet, indefinitely; one way or another.

That matters to the 2.6 billion still off the Internet, even on a good day; and  to all of us, who might experience a need to receive or send emergency communications and obtain emergency connectivity, at any time; anywhere.”

Each semester, upper-level architecture students participate in the visiting critic program that brings leading architects and scholars from around the world to the school. Four studios will be held on campus this fall.

Li Han and Hu Yan (Drawing Architecture Studio)

and , co-founders of Beijing-based , will teach the visiting critic studio, “Building Stories: The Poetry in Everyday Space,” where students will showcase how architecture and space transcend their utilitarian functions to become integral components of storytelling.

Inspired by the backdrop of the multi-family house featured in the graphic novel “Building Stories,” the studio is conceived as an experimental exploration of a design approach based on narrative and sensitivity. Beginning with the interior design of a multi-family house and gradually expanding to encompass various scales and design domains, ranging from everyday items and furniture to architecture and urban landscapes, students will embody different roles and derive inspiration from everyday spaces in Syracuse, defining poetic moments through design and telling their own building stories. The entire design process—emphasizing intricate observation, detailed representation, multi-threaded storytelling and collage—is viewed as a comprehensive study of multi-family housing, spanning from the functional layout of living spaces to the lifestyles of residents, and from the cultural aesthetics of architecture to the historical memories of the city.

Han and Yan will give a , focusing on their upcoming exhibition, “,” on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Hosmer Auditorium at the Everson Museum of Art.

Da-Un Yoo (Ewha Womans University)

, professor in the Department of Architecture at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, will teach the visiting critic studio, “Extreme Living: 22nd Century Seoul Housing,” which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the publication “Towards a New Architecture” by Le Corbusier by exploring the ‘new architecture’ for the 22nd century.

Just as Le Corbusier explored the various housing typologies and lifestyles that new technologies would change in the era of automobiles, airplanes, ships and mass production about 100 years ago, students will imagine the future of urban housing based on the latest technologies such as autonomous vehicles, drone taxis and online telecommunication. Using Seoul as the site for their investigations, students will research scenarios for extreme living and design a high-density urban housing proposal for 22nd-century Seoul. In addition to typical studio sessions, students will travel to Seoul in the fall, as part of a one-week sponsored trip, to gain a greater understanding of the city’s extreme housing culture—the high-rise apartment buildings and neighborhoods resembling ‘towers in the park’—reminiscent of the city Le Corbusier predicted 100 years ago.

Yoo will give a on Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the atrium of Slocum Hall.

Bing Bu (Syracuse Architecture and INCLS)

, director of the Syracuse Architecture Three Cities Asia program, will teach the visiting critic studio, “Project Promised Land,” where students will examine “managed retreat” as a necessary measure in response to climate change induced natural hazards in the contexts of social, technological, economic, ecological and political aspects.

Climate change now feels more real than ever as we have witnessed New York City covered by wildfire smog or California deserts flooded by a hurricane in the past summer. Whether or not we have lost the tipping point in the war against global warming, it’s time to take actions to adapt to these new climate patterns. Structured in two phases, the research phase and the design phase, the studio will focus on a relatively new approach to increased coastal hazard risks—managed retreat, the purposeful and coordinated action to move infrastructure and people away from areas of high-risk of negative impacts due to climate change. In phase one, students will research climate change and managed retreat for Lake Ontario communities in upstate New York and represent their findings through visual mediums. In phase two, working in site-specific project teams, students will identify issues and challenges from a local view and establish their managed retreat frameworks, design proposals and means of implementation for the built environment in both sending and receiving sites.

This studio is a part of the “ launched earlier this year by the New York Department of State (DOS) to engage graduate and undergraduate students in DOS programs and projects that focus on climate change and climate justice. During the semester, students will access a wide range of data and information provided by the DOS and meet twice a month with DOS officials and regional staff, as well as in-house experts and trusted partners. The final works produced by students will be shared with policymakers, program managers and decisionmakers from the Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure as a visual tool, and incorporated into statewide policy and program guidance to be utilized by both DOS and other state agencies working on coastal and climate resilience.

Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis (DAVIDSON RAFAILIDIS)

and , co-founders of the architecture practice , will teach the visiting critic studio, “House for Everyone,” where students will look at an adaptive reuse project that exemplifies how architecture is both a private matter and a public good.

In this studio, students will examine a property located at the southern edge of the Adirondacks. Owned by a family with ties to Syracuse University, they have expressed an interest in opening up the use of the property, which has historically been a private summer home, and finding new ways that it can serve their private needs and serve a wider community. Students will analyze the existing buildings on the property: their materiality and construction, their apparent tectonic logics, the types of spaces they offer and their relationship to the landscape of the Adirondacks and the climate of upstate New York. They will study existing spatial typologies that have—either through design or happenstance—proven to be spaces for everyone: radically inclusive, and not bound to a specific program or user group, as well as a typology specific to the Adirondacks: “Great Camps.” Following these investigations, fragments of these studies will crosspollinate with documentation and exploration of the site—detailed measurements, exhaustive photos and an inventory of materials—taken from a sponsored site visit during peak fall foliage season. Through the complex process of adaptive-reuse, students will create outcomes that are typologically unclassifiable and alive, informed by the past and imaginings of the future, hopeful and provocative, populist and joyful.

Momentum continues to build around two of Syracuse Athletics’ most exciting and transformational projects—the JMA Wireless Dome and the John A. Lally Athletics Complex. Today, those projects received a significant boost from Syracuse University Trustee Edward “Ed” Pettinella G’76 and his family, whose philanthropic investments in the future of Syracuse University are further supported by his service to his alma mater, has made a new $3 million gift to support the John A. Lally Athletics Complex and the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project.

“We are grateful for the support and leadership of Ed and his family. Their commitment to the John A Lally Athletics Complex and the JMA Wireless Dome will enhance the experience for all of our student-athletes at Syracuse and our fans who attend events at the JMA Wireless Dome,” says Athletic Director John Wildhack. “Ed’s gift provides tremendous momentum to two projects that are critical components of our long term vision for Syracuse Athletics.”

This new commitment will support Phase 1 of the ongoing John A. Lally Athletics Complex project, which includes the construction of the One Team Olympic Sports Center and the Football Operations Center. These two facilities will combine to support all 600 student-athletes and include updated dining and nutrition spaces, locker rooms, and medical training and strength and conditioning facilties. Additionally, a portion of this commitment will support the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project and the construction of Miron Victory Court.

Pettinella has been an influential and impactful figure on Syracuse’s campus for years. He first arrived at Syracuse to pursue an MBA after graduating with a B.S. degree from SUNY Geneseo in 1973 and beginning his career at Community Savings Bank (CSB). After earning an MBA in 1976, he returned to CSB to blaze a trail as the bank’s first investment analyst. In the years following, he continued to build his impressive resume in banking as the president of Charter One Bank of NY and executive vice president of Charter One Financial Inc., as well as several management positions with Rochester Community Savings Bank, including chief operating officer, chief financial officer and chief investment officer. In 2001, Pettinella joined Home Properties, which owns, operates, develops, acquires and rehabilitates apartment communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. After initially serving as the executive vice president, he became president and chief executive officer and ran the company’s $7 billion real estate investment trust.

“Ed’s generosity is matched by his vision and informed by his business acumen,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He invests his time and philanthropy in faculty and academic initiatives that enhance both research and teaching, and in projects that transform the total student experience, both inside and outside the classroom. We are a much stronger university because of Ed.”

Pettinella’s success as a businessman is rivaled only by his impact on the communities in which he lives and works. In addition to his service as a Syracuse University Trustee, Pettinella is a member of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management Advisory Council and the Kuhn Real Estate Center Advisory Board. He received Whitman’s Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year Award in recognition of his career accomplishments and dedication to Syracuse University,. He was also named SU Dritz Trustee of the Year in 2016. His leadership philanthropy funded two professorships at Whitman and a scholarship for athletic graduate students. With the announcement of this new $3 million gift to support Syracuse Athletics, Pettinella and his family continue to lead the way in providing the resources Syracuse’s  faculty, coaches and students need to be successful. Their generosity also advances the Forever Orange Campaign, the comprehensive effort to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support for the University.

“As a proud Syracuse University alumnus, it’s an honor to support the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project and the Miron Victory Court as these projects are very instrumental to the future of Syracuse Athletics,” says Pettinella. “The combination of superior academics and exceptional athletics provides the student body with an unrivaled collegiate experience. I look forward with enthusiastic anticipation to watching our future students and student-athletes gain tremendous life experiences from these outstanding projects.”

The John A. Lally Athletics Complex and the reflect the commitment by Syracuse University to provide the best possible experience to all student-athletes, coaches, alumni and fans by improving infrastructure and resources that support all of Syracuse’s athletic programs. When complete, the will be a state-of-the-art academic and athletic village featuring a new Football Operations Center, One Team Olympic Sport Center and new Academic Center to serve all 20 sports teams and 600-plus student-athletes. The to reimagine the stadium experience, includes installation of upgraded seating and new premium offerings throughout the historic venue.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About the Legends Society

The Legends Society is an exclusive group of Syracuse fans, family and alumni who join in this shared vision and are actively supporting the John A. Lally Athletics Complex by making commitments to the capital campaign. Donors to the Legends Society enjoy unique stewardship opportunities in recognition of their support.

About the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project

aims to enhance the game day experience for all Syracuse fans, student-athletes, coaches, students and alumni. The second phase of the project, which was announced in December, includes the installation of upgraded chairback seating throughout a majority of the Dome and the introduction of new premium offerings, building upon earlier enhancements that included the installation of a new roof, the largest center-hung video scoreboard in college sports, air conditioning throughout the venue, lighting and sound enhancements, and an improved concessions experience.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit  to learn more.