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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The User View

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

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

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

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

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

Three Phases

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

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

A Model Partnership

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

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

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

Hands-On Rewards

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

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

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.

Back in 2019, Syracuse University archaeologist Christopher DeCorse was part of a team that made an unexpected discovery during fieldwork in coastal Ghana. While excavating the ruins of the 17th-century Dutch Fort Amsterdam, the researchers from Syracuse, the University of Rochester and the University of Ghana unearthed trade materials suggesting they may have found the location of an older English fort, Kormantine—England’s first outpost in Africa, built in 1631, and one of the earliest that sent enslaved Africans to the new colonies in the Americas.

Discovering a site of such historical import would be a major development, but the pandemic delayed further investigation until the summer of 2023, when DeCorse returned to Ghana to lead an extensive excavation. DeCorse, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Maxwell School’s Department of Anthropology, was supported by a $21,000 CUSE grant and an award from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) topping $125,000.

Joining DeCorse’s project were several Maxwell School anthropology students and alumni, including Samuel Amartey G’15 (M.A.) G’21 (Ph.D.), a Ghanaian national and currently a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, who served as the project field director; Sean Reid G’22 (Ph.D.), a research associate and lecturer at the University of Virginia; and doctoral candidate Matthew O’Leary.

The initial results were disappointing when the crew began to excavate for further evidence of the English fort this past June: they found more 17th-century artifacts, like ceramics and tobacco pipes, but mingled with plastics and other materials from 20th-century restoration projects.

Then Omokolade Omigbule, a Nigerian graduate student at the University of Virginia, dug a little deeper. “Suddenly he got down to a level with a very clear sizeable wall, almost three feet across, running diagonally across the room, and there was a clearly intact red clay floor,” DeCorse recalls. “We knew immediately: we have the wall of a fort that’s on a dramatically different orientation from the existing ruin. Although I believed traces of the fort would be present, the discovery of the massive, earlier wall was a huge surprise.”

Word of the breakthrough spread quickly, prompting a visit from BBC News and inquiries from other international media outlets. As the excavation continued, they found more and more clues to Kormantine’s long-buried past. “What we essentially uncovered,” says DeCorse, “were things that encapsulate the entire early history of this fort.”

Outpost of an Empire

Kormantine’s history involved numerous transformations as it grew from a small trading lodge into more substantial outpost, and a new community of Africans, attracted by trade opportunities, established the adjacent town of Abandze.

The original outpost burned down in 1640 and the English replaced it with a strengthened stone fort. These remarkable findings illuminate a critical period in Atlantic history. “This is really the first scramble for Africa,” explains DeCorse. “At this point in the 17th century, European nations are scrambling for colonies and for outposts in Africa, trying to take advantage of the trade that the Portuguese had been dominating. And it’s at this time on the Gold Coast when slaves replace gold as the major trade item.”

The Kormantine site provides important keys to better understanding this era, and the cultural and economic interactions between Africans and Europeans through an early outpost of empire. While there are documentary references to the fort, descriptions of its location and construction are very limited, DeCorse says.

Over the summer, DeCorse and the team uncovered several artifacts that offer insights into early 17th-century life at the fort. One example are small glass medicine bottles. “These medicine bottles and ointment jars would have been from trying to treat people with diseases that they were unfamiliar with,” says DeCorse.

While media coverage of the Kormantine discovery focused on the English fortification and its role in the slave trade, Amartey, the Ph.D. alumnus who was DeCorse’s student, notes that the African artifacts from the site are equally enlightening.

“We found several quern grinders, stone axes and ceramics,” he says. “They shed light on local practices and interactions between the British and local people. These items were likely used for food procurement and processing to support the fort’s garrison and crew members. To me, these materials show the complexities of European-African interactions.”

Refining Chronology

One of DeCorse’s favorite finds from across his career as an archaeologist is a locally made tobacco pipe from Kormantine that incorporates a stem from a European pipe. “It indicates this sort of cultural syncretism—a combining of European and African elements,” he says.

DeCorse has worked in West Africa for more than 40 years, focusing on transformations in Africa during the period of the Atlantic trade. Thirty years ago, he established the Central Region Project as a hub for archaeological work in Ghana. To date, the project has encompassed work on hundreds of archaeological sites and yielded eight dissertations at the University alone.

The work at Kormantine is far from complete. At the end of July, the team backfilled the site to protect it from the elements and other disturbances to the fragile structures until work can resume next summer.

Many of those who worked with DeCorse over the summer plan to continue with the project. “We will continue analysis and excavations next summer, and probably in 2025,” says Amartey.

Reid, DeCorse’s former student now at the University of Virginia, notes that some deposits uncovered this past summer may indicate yet a deeper level of history: they found what appear to be ground stone celts, called nyame akuma, that predate the fort and may represent a pre-Atlantic component of the site.

In the future, people across the globe will be able to virtually visit Fort Amsterdam and the excavations. DeCorse is a collaborator on a separate NEH-funded project, “Black Past Lives Matter: Digital Kormantin,” directed by the University of Rochester’s Michael Jarvis, that is creating a virtual tour of the site to be offered online.

Along with the ongoing work on the Kormantine site, DeCorse plans to publish short reports on the findings, to be followed by more detailed publications once excavations are complete. He is also fundraising for the project—the NEH grant requires $20,000 in matching funds from outside sources to unlock the full amount.

And in late September, DeCorse returned to Ghana—not to dig, but to share the story of the remarkable Kormantine discoveries with a film crew and reporters from CBS.

This story was written to by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. To read more, visit the .

 

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.

After more than two years serving as Co-Chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (REDC), Chancellor Kent Syverud today announced that he has concluded his service with the REDC.

“When I became Chancellor in 2014, I arrived as a native Upstate New Yorker, but a newcomer to Central New York,” says Chancellor Syverud. “I was honored then to be selected by Governor Cuomo as Co-Chair of the REDC.  My time as Co-Chair has been a wonderful opportunity to meet so many great people across the region and to work hard to win the $500 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI) award for Central New York.”

Appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in April 2014, four months after becoming Syracuse University Chancellor, Chancellor Syverud has served alongside his Co-Chair Robert Simpson, president of CenterState CEO.

“Now is the right time for someone new to step in and help lead the Council,” says Chancellor Syverud. “Earlier this summer, the University advanced its new and , along with the project, one of the largest construction and economic development projects in Central New York history. As we pursue that project and other new capital investments that will be made in our campus facilities footprint during the next decade, it is the right time for me to conclude my service on the REDC.”

During the Chancellor’s time as Co-Chair, the Central New York region was competitively awarded more than $580 million in economic development resources by New York State. This includes Central New York being selected in 2015 as one of three regions across New York to receive an historic $500 million as part of the Governor’s Upstate Revitalization Initiative.

“The commitment that Governor Cuomo has made to our region and all of Upstate New York is unlike that of any Governor before,” says Chancellor Syverud. “When the Governor took office in 2010, it was after decades of inaction in addressing the real economic issues the region faced. His vision has changed that dynamic and created new economic growth and opportunity in Central New York and beyond. I am proud to have played a small part in that success.”

“I want to thank all the members of the Central New York REDC for their dedication and hard work in supporting our region,” Chancellor Syverud said. “I especially want thank Rob Simpson for being a great partner and friend. I look forward to continue working with him and our community to help the whole world see Syracuse and Central New York as the best place anyone could want to be.”