was founded on a powerful premise: self-expression through writing holds transformative potential.

This year, the honored Project Mend with its 2025 Outstanding College-Community Partnership Award, the initiative’s efforts to empower justice-impacted individuals through writing and publishing.

The project, developed by , associate professor of writing and rhetoric in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a multimodal, grassroots-level, open-access national archive centered on the scholarly and creative work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities. It is grounded in a digital storytelling and publishing apprenticeship for justice-impacted people, providing practical skills and professional opportunities.

Complementing the effort is “,” a print and digital journal that publishes works by anyone impacted by mass incarceration, amplifying voices that are often marginalized or silenced.

“Both components concern the power of writing to bring about change, exploring how individuals learn to write themselves into new identities and new lives,” Berry says.

�ճ����‘s Outstanding College-Community Partnership Award specifically honors initiatives that embody collaboration and reciprocity between universities and communities. The Coalition’s array of programs and member projects help catalyze community-based writing for the public good.

Berry’s work exemplifies the spirit of the award through meaningful partnerships that center the voices of justice-impacted individuals.

David Todd talked about Project Mend’s transformative role at a  in the spring.

“Writing is one of the factors that boosted my confidence,” he said during the dialogue facilitated by the . “I was able to express myself, and when I’m able to express myself, people start to listen to me.”

The success of Project Mend has been made possible through partnerships with the Center for Community Alternatives and support from the Humanities New York Post-Incarceration Humanities Partnership, funded by the Mellon Foundation and the CNY Humanities Corridor.

At the University, Project Mend is supported by the Engaged Humanities Network, CODE^SHIFT (Collaboratory for Data Equity, Social Healing, Inclusive Futures and Transformation), the Humanities Center, the SOURCE, Syracuse University Libraries and the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition. Berry also received an award from the Office of Research’s Good to Great (G2G) Grant Program, designed to help faculty secure major external funding by supporting the revision of promising grant proposals.

The multifaceted support has helped Berry strengthen the initiative as it prepares for its next phase of growth. Its new work includes a series of animated films that highlight selections from the pages of “Mend.” On Thursday, Nov. 13, Wade and animator Evan Bode will premiered “Prison and Time,” adapted from a piece in the 2025 issue of the journal.

In January, Project Mend will also launch “Mend Fences,” a podcast series of recorded conversations inspired by contributions to the journal.

As Project Mend applies for new grants and reconfigures as a comprehensive national archive, it continues to demonstrate how writing can be a powerful tool for transformation. By giving formerly incarcerated individuals and their families platforms to share their narratives, Berry’s initiative creates opportunities for justice-impacted people to reimagine themselves, their communities and their futures.

The welcomed Donald Newhouse and his family back to Syracuse University to mark the with an afternoon full of celebratory events highlighted by the renaming of the plaza in between the school’s three buildings in the family’s honor.

The festivities Wednesday included a special luncheon, a tour of the complex for the family and a ceremony on the plaza, where Chancellor Kent Syverud and Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato unveiled the new name as hundreds watched from the Einhorn Family Walk.

The owner of Advance Publications, Donald Newhouse, is the patriarch of one of the first families of American publishing. Advance was founded by his father, Samuel I. Newhouse, in 1922.

In remarks on the plaza, Donald Newhouse recounted how he observed a meeting in the late 1950s between his father and then-University Chancellor William P. Tolley during which the idea for what would become the Newhouse School was conceived.

Donald Newhouse was one of the honored guests on Aug. 5, 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson joined S.I. Newhouse to . That day also happened to be Donald Newhouse’s 35th birthday.

“I am fortunate to have the chance in the same month that I celebrate my 95th birthday, to look back with overwhelming pride at the record of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. It is one of the great joys of my life,” Donald Newhouse said Wednesday.

“Thank you all for helping me celebrate this anniversary, and for your role in realizing the dream of my father and Chancellor Tolley.”

The Newhouse family is one of the largest donors in the University’s history, including the $75 million pledge by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation to the Newhouse School in 2020. That pledge was the single largest gift in the University’s history.

“There are so many amazing alumni of this school that I’ve met all over the world—editors, broadcasters, leaders in print, cable news and network newsrooms. They founded and led radio stations, PR agencies, advertising firms, countless ventures in the business, digital music and entertainment industries,” said before unveiling the plaza’s new name.

“All of them amazing people, all made possible because of the transformational gifts of Donald Newhouse and the Newhouse Foundation,” he added. “You’ve really, in a meaningful sense, shaped the trajectory of the University, the Newhouse School and most importantly, the careers of tens of thousands of our students and our graduates and faculty.”

Today, the Newhouse School offers and more than a dozen covering the gamut of fields in media and communications. The school also its first fully online bachelor’s program, in strategic communications, this year.

But what will not change, Lodato said, is an unwavering dedication to journalism education.

pledged to continue to work with newsrooms and journalism organizations on key issues like filling news deserts, and striving to ensure the diversity of newsroom staffs and leadership accurately reflects the communities they serve.

He cited expanded opportunities for students to hone their skills through study-away semesters in , or , or special trips such as of the recent Democratic and Republican presidential nominating conventions for professional media outlets.

Newhouse also combined the broadcast and digital journalism, and magazine, news and digital journalism programs, into starting this fall following state approval, the result of years of discussion with faculty.

Students will still choose one of two tracks under the new journalism major structure—broadcast and digital journalism, or magazine, news and digital journalism. But Lodato noted the change is reflective of how the Newhouse School pivots to meet the needs of an industry which increasingly is looking for journalists who can tell stories on multiple platforms.

“I can think of no better way of recognizing the vision and generosity of Mr. Newhouse and his extraordinary family than to reinforce our steadfast commitment to journalism and journalism education,” Lodato said.

Newhouse was joined Wednesday by several members of his family, including sons Steven and Michael, the co-presidents of Advance. Larry Kramer ’72, vice chair of the University Board of Trustees, offered remarks at the luncheon, as did Newhouse Dean Emeritus and , Kramer Director of the Syracuse University , and a professor of practice of journalism at the Newhouse School.

David Zaslav, the president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, spoke during a videotaped message.

Marie Achkar, a senior in broadcast and digital journalism, spoke on behalf of students at the luncheon. Jada Knight, a senior in television, radio and film, spoke on students’ behalf during the plaza ceremony, which was followed by a reception for the family, students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The following article was written by , a member of the Board of the Ukrainian Library Association and a visiting assistant teaching professor at the in the .

Ukraine is suffering. Our communities are being ruined. Our souls are devastated. But we are alive. On February 24, 2022, the Ukrainians suffered a powerful blow from Russia. Nowadays, the Ukrainian people are facing destruction and heavy losses. Our communities and people’s lives are being destroyed, and we need support and protection more than ever. Libraries, created thousands of years ago to support the vitality of communities, nowadays help Ukrainians to survive in war conditions and provide physical, informational, psychological, and spiritual protection.

Here are the many ways libraries support the community:

• Libraries are bomb shelters. From the first days of the war, many libraries provided physical protection. For example, Central City Library for Children in Mykolaiv is a 24/7 bomb shelter that can accommodate up to 180 people at a time.
• Libraries are volunteer centers. Many have become hubs of volunteer activity. Librarians, library patrons and community members are cooking dinners for those who fought and are being treated at local hospitals. Together with volunteer organizations, librarians and community residents collect and make clothes and products for refugees and for the front. In this way, a community of practice is being built – providing a sense of unity, social integration and security for new members of the community who left their homes to escape the war. Along with weaving camouflage nets, people are creating social nets in library spaces.
• Libraries are territories of goodness. Since 2014, when the first forced migrants from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea appeared, libraries have taken a proactive position. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine adopted an Order to launch the project, “Libraries as Community Support Centers in the Conditions of a War Threat: Working with Internally Displaced People.” According to the Order, libraries participate in helping those in need by actively participating in information, legal and educational work.
• Libraries help displaced people. Cooperating with state authorities, charity foundations, state structures, employment centers, psychological, social and legal services, libraries help displaced people find temporary housing and work, get information about their rights and ways to use them, renew social ties, get access to the Internet and computer equipment to continue studying, attend language courses, improve and acquire IT skills, and more.
• Libraries are hubs of digital education. About 6,000 libraries joined the national digital literacy campaign in Ukraine. Through the signing of the Memorandum on Cooperation between the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Library Association, many libraries have become digital education hubs.
• Libraries are media literacy training centers. An important direction of libraries is to increase the level of media literacy and the formation of critical thinking of the population, which is essential during this era of the information war. Many libraries organize lectures, trainings and webinars, and participate in media literacy weeks. Libraries joined the nationwide media literacy project from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. One of the latest initiatives supported by the Ukrainian Library Association is the recording of a series of conversations with famous Ukrainians about information hygiene and its role in everyday life through the lens of cultural, historical and personal experience.
• Libraries are sites of remembering. It is where the memories of the past are housed. Ukrainian Institute of National Memory noted that this war has brought up issues related to cultural characteristics, spiritual values and ideals, which determine the uniqueness of a community and its identity. The library is a memory institution that collects and preserves documented historical and cultural heritage. As such, libraries are integral to the politics of memory, helping people protect their values and identity.

Ideally, libraries’ memorial, socio-political, cultural, educational and other activities must be directed to the formation and establishment of national memory, contribute to the state’s information security and help its integration into the world humanitarian space.

Ukrainian culture is under the gun. Many libraries’ funds were lost, and buildings were damaged. 700 public and university libraries are damaged or destroyed and more than 4,000 are under occupation. An important achievement of the Ukrainian Library Association was the establishment of interaction with partners for reconstruction and the preservation of library and information resources, assistance to libraries to maintain service, and organization of efforts to restore damaged library buildings and lost library collections. At the same time, the American Library Association, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Library Association, launched the Fund for the Support of Ukrainian Libraries.

I am proud to say that among all the changes, what remains unchangeable is the dedication of librarians to their readers and the library work, the belief in victory and the capacity of the library community.

Visit the Syracuse Libraries website to .

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 .

Two years ago, Syracuse University launched , a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign that recently exceeded $1.052 billion in funds raised. Capitalizing on that momentum, Syracuse University’s Department of Athletics today announced it will seek to raise an additional $150 million as part of the Forever Orange Campaign with one singular goal in mind—elevating the student-athlete experience.

“The Forever Orange campaign has been transformative for Syracuse University as a whole and we are so grateful for the donors, friends and alumni who have provided support,” says John Wildhack, director of athletics. “We recognize that creating a truly superior student-athlete experience demands a focused initiative that aligns academic and athletic aspirations. Philanthropy is critical to creating an environment in which student-athletes can thrive in their sport, in the classroom and in their careers. As a department, we are competing to attract the most talented student-athletes from around the nation and globe. Creating an unprecedented student-athlete experience will require equally unprecedented donor support for those who choose to wear Orange.”

As part of Syracuse Athletics’ fundraising initiative, Manley Field House, which has been the hub of activity and the center of student-athlete life for Syracuse University’s athletics for nearly 60 years, will be, over time, transformed into the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, a state-of-the-art academic and athletics village that will benefit all student-athletes. Named after alumnus and three-time football letterwinner John Lally ’82, he and his wife, Laura, , which will be entirely funded by private philanthropy.

“John and Laura have been incredible partners over the years,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “We are grateful for their loyal support of Syracuse University—as donors, as champions and as fans. This is a defining moment for Syracuse University Athletics. The launch of this transformational project advances our trajectory to further create and foster a world-class culture of academic and athletic excellence.”

The first phase of the multi-million, multi-year project will commence in spring 2022 with the construction of a new front entrance. As part of this initial work, the Student-Athlete Academic Support Program will have an expanded state-of-the-art area to meet student needs through private in-person meeting spaces for expanded tutorial appointments and academic advising, along with career and life skills programming. Available to all student-athletes, the expanded academic support facility will house private rooms for student-athletes to utilize for completing class assignments or studying between classes. Additionally, early work will include an enhanced multi-display Hall of Champions experience. The display will celebrate the accomplishments of Orange student-athletes in the classroom and on the field in real time, as well as recognize alumni successes. This area will also serve as a gathering and event space that can be used for special events, along with day-to-day activities and programming.

Wildhack notes the revitalized complex will benefit all student-athletes at Syracuse University, improve recruiting and increase retention.

“Thanks to John and Laura’s generosity and the philanthropic support of other donors, our student-athletes are receiving a holistic experience that positions them to achieve their aspirations, on and off the playing fields,” says Wildhack.

The Lallys began thinking about how they could make an enduring impact on the University after retiring a few years ago. “It started with a donation to resurface one of the practice fields and the vision grew from there. Teamed up with Chancellor Syverud, John Wildhack and Head Football Coach Dino Babers, Laura and I became more and more excited about ways to impact the experience for generations of student-athletes to come,” says John Lally, a graduate of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and an offensive guard for the Orange from 1977-82. “It was clear to us they had the chemistry to accomplish great things, and that motivated us to take on a bigger role. We have been exceedingly happy with that decision.”

Originally from Clarence, New York, Lally is the former president and owner of PCB Piezotronics Inc., headquartered in Depew, New York. Together, he and Laura are active philanthropists, having supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western New York, along with supporting many other charitable organizations. In addition to their 2019 gift to create the Lally Complex, the couple also established an endowed scholarship to be awarded annually to a student-athlete on the football team.

This is a crucial time to be involved with the University, Laura says. “We believe in the leadership and the vision for Syracuse University, that makes a huge difference to us knowing that the University is in such good hands.”

Babers says he is grateful to the Lallys for their leading gift that will hopefully inspire others. “John is an incredible alumnus and storied Syracuse football player and, with Laura, they are an incredible team to help us reach new heights as a football program,” Babers says. “With their support, our student-athletes are positioned to s쳮d to their fullest potential.”

The new Lally Complex will support the academic and athletic experience of the 600 student-athletes across all sports at Syracuse University. Additional enhancements to the facility will be announced as new philanthropy is secured. As part of the vision for the Lally Complex transformation, the Department of Athletics is considering enhancements that include the creation of a new Football Operations Center; a One Team Center, which will be utilized by all of Syracuse University’s Olympic sports teams; a student-athlete academic center to expand resources for academic support and professional and career development; updated dining and nutrition facilities; renovated locker rooms, medical training and strength and conditioning facilities; and modernized facades on the exterior of the complex.

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 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 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.