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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When junior , an environmental engineering major in the , was growing up, her parents taught her the sensibility of re-using goods, thrifting what she needed and making the best use of everything she had. Around her Bentonville, Virginia, home, she picked up things at auctions, thrift stores and even out of the garbage. “Dumpster diving,” something she had wanted to try, became part of her routine once she arrived at Syracuse University.

One day, a Department of Public Safety officer stopped Lubkemann at a campus dumpster and asked for identification.  After confirming her student status, the officer recounted how the night before, he’d ejected a man who wasn’t a student for doing the same thing Lubkemann was doing.

“That was one of the most impactful experiences I’ve had, not only at the University but in my life,” Lubkemann explains. “To me, it was so unjust that a piece of plastic set me apart from others who might need things.” She says she recognized that removing the person from the scene “might have been the difference between a man and his dinner.”

After that incident, Lubkemann began to reflect on her privileged student status and the injustice that she could access found objects on campus while others were barred from obtaining those throwaway goods. “I grew up very privileged, but I was instilled with the value of not taking more than you need. There are things in the garbage that aren’t actually garbage. A lot of stuff is thrown away before its expiration date,” Lubkemann says. “I found my calling in environmental engineering due to the critical shortage of professionals in the field and by a passion for sustainability, which I see as not just an environmental issue but also a social and economic imperative.”

A ‘Revamped’ Idea

After observing high levels of textile waste on campus and how those without a vehicle have limited access to donate clothing or buy affordable used things,  Lubkemann devised the idea for her business, “.”

Her company is a research-based, pioneering, sustainability-driven mobile enterprise redefining textile waste management through a mobile thrift store and donation hub, currently operating from a repurposed minibus. It takes in discarded yet valuable textiles from their point of disposal and offers an accessible, community-centered solution that diverts waste from landfills while ensuring that high-quality secondhand goods remain in the local economy.

Lubkemann spoke about her idea with ,  Syracuse University Libraries strategic initiatives advisor and a faculty member in the . She encouraged Lubkemann to submit her idea for a mobile donation center/thrift store/re-distribution hub in the competition. Lubkemann then developed a 10-page business plan, entered the competition and won $5,000.

“I never thought anyone would find interest in this; I thought it was a pipe dream. Who would think a top U.S. university would invest in such a small idea? But Linda gave me the confidence to pursue it, and that was one of the things that totally launched me into this initiative. I like to say Revamped was born from a dumpster, which gives me hope any idea or dream can take shape if you work towards it. It’s really taken off from there,” she says.

Adding Funds, Growth

Lubkemann has continued to refine and grow her company and gain funding. She has won $25,000  from campus competitions since November 2024, including the at the , a award, the and research monies. Her achievements include the following:

• Obtaining a DBA (“doing business as”) certificate and starting a limited liability corporation (Ava Lubkemann LLC).
• Acquiring a minibus and outfitting it to serve as mobile thrift shop/donation center.

  

• Establishing a account for potential investors.
• Hosting pop-up sales, cross-campus co-branding events and creating a to distribute on campus.
• Researching textile waste distribution to define more community re-distribution channels.
• Contacting local businesses seeking storage space for additional collected items.
• Ideating two podcasts about Revamped and sustainable living.
• Asking the Sustainability Management group to add sustainable entrepreneurship student ambassadors.
• Contacting George Washington University and Lewis and Clark College to gauge their interest in replicating the Revamped program.

That’s hardly Lubkemann’s limit. From finding goods, to reworking and repairing them, to setting up the mobile store and planning distribution points, she does most of Revamped’s work herself, helped by , the company’s marketer, a student in the Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Ava is also a resident advisor, entrepreneur-in-residence at the  student business incubator, a part-time Orange Innovation Scholar worker and a research fellow on the ’s Carbon Capture Team. She continues to enter competitions such as and present at the . She’s also taking 17 course credits.

The Long View

The busy student has no shortage of vision, either. Lubkemann envisions expanding the company and hopes its success lets her form a 501C3 nonprofit organization to funnel a mass accumulation of textile waste to people who really need it.

“That’s what matters to me, trying to make a positive impact in the community. I was raised on the principle, ‘Wherever you go leave it a better place than you found it,” Lubkemann says. “I think that’s the core of making Revamped what I want it to be—a community-oriented program that connects universities with their communities and advocates for the little guy and people who are in need.”

Goods can be purchased from Revamped’s Instagram page, listing, or soon-to-launch website, revampedthrift.com. Lubkemann also plans to announce future campus sales and events via those avenues.

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.

A longtime city manager committed to cultivating future public servants. A retired managing director dedicated to volunteerism and philanthropy. A public health pioneer who has improved the lives of millions. An accomplished executive and entrepreneur committed to advancing sustainability.

In their varied pursuits, the four individuals above have represented the Maxwell School’s commitment to engaged citizenship and making the world better for all. For their efforts, Wally Bobkiewicz ’89, Cathy Daicoff ’79, Anuradha Gupta ’07 and Ken Pontarelli ’92 will be honored with centennial awards at the planned for Friday, May 31, in the Smithsonian Institution’s

The event will mark the Maxwell School’s 100th anniversary and serve as a gathering for alumni and friends to connect and celebrate. “We are thrilled to honor these four highly engaged and accomplished individuals who have, in a variety of ways and across sectors, demonstrated a commitment to Maxwell’s ideals,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke, who will serve as the event’s emcee.

The centennial celebration includes five additional honors: will go to alumni B. Ben Baldanza ’84, Carlisha Williams Bradley ’09, Mary Margaret Graham ’78, Lia Miller ’03 and Jessica Sun ’09.

The centennial award honorees are listed below.

Centennial Champion Award

Wally Bobkiewicz ’89

The Maxwell Centennial Champion Award recognizes dedicated volunteer engagement and philanthropy in support of the school, and there is no greater champion of the Maxwell School’s local government initiatives than Wally Bobkiewicz.

A career city manager who has worked in local government for more than 30 years, Bobkiewicz tirelessly channels his passion for public service to uplift communities as well as the careers of countless Maxwell students and alumni. For decades, Bobkiewicz has been a powerful force behind the scenes, working to nurture relationships, create professional opportunities and galvanize support among Maxwell alumni. He is de facto host and connector at annual local and city management conferences and networking events; and he inspires others to invest their time and money to support career development opportunities for students.

Since 2019, Bobkiewicz has served as city administrator of Issaquah, Washington. He was previously city manager of Evanston, Illinois, and Santa Paula, California, and worked in local government for Novato, California, and Long Beach, California. He is a former president of the Syracuse University Alumni Association and served on its board of directors from 2001-10. He is the recipient of the 2024 American Society for Public Administration National Public Service Award.

Centennial Steward Award

Cathy Daicoff ’79

For significant engagement, volunteer service and philanthropic support that have sustained the continued excellence of the school, Maxwell School Advisory Board Vice Chair Cathy Daicoff is the recipient of the Centennial Steward Award. A dedicated supporter of the school since earning an M.P.A. in 1979, Daicoff has served as a member of its advisory board for more than 25 years and maintained an increasingly generous level of giving throughout this time.

Daicoff’s gifts, including her $1.2 million endowment to establish the Marguerite Fisher Faculty Research Fund and a major gift for the creation of the Daicoff Faculty Scholars award, help the school attract and retain world-class faculty. In addition, she shares her expertise in domestic and international finance with the board and as a trusted career advisor to students and alumni interested in the field.

Daicoff retired in 2016 as a managing director at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services after 38 years with the company. Her career spanned management responsibility in U.S. domestic operations, Canada, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and global positions. She was the company’s first senior policy officer and director of policy training for Ratings Services, and she served for more than 20 years on the firm’s Analytics Policy Board.

Centennial Luminary Award for Global Health Equity

Anuradha Gupta ’07

For her profound impact in spearheading global initiatives that improve public health and increase equitable access to vaccines, Anuradha Gupta is the recipient of the Centennial Luminary Award for Global Health Equity.

Gupta’s work has helped to save and improve millions of lives. Currently, she is president of global immunization at Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., an organization dedicated to strengthening immunization in communities most affected by infectious diseases, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Prior to this, she served as deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (2014-22) in Geneva, where she oversaw programs across 73 countries and partnerships with WHO, UNICEF and The World Bank. She introduced the pivotal concept of zero-dose children, bringing inequities into global focus.

Previously, Gupta served in the Indian Administrative Service for 30 years, holding leadership positions in a wide range of areas including health, education, nutrition and finance. As mission director of the National Health Mission of India (2010-14), she ran the largest public health program in the world, achieving several public health feats which include polio eradication and a steep reduction of maternal and child deaths in India.

Centennial Luminary Award for Sustainability

Ken Pontarelli ’92

For his leadership and dedication to developing solutions that balance the economic need for growth with environmental sustainability, Ken Pontarelli is the recipient of the Centennial Luminary Award for Sustainability.

As a Syracuse University trustee, Pontarelli lends his deep expertise in financial markets and sustainability investing, earned over a 30-year career at Goldman Sachs, to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, resulting in environmental policy research that is grounded in a realistic understanding of markets and financial mechanisms. Together with his spouse, Tracey, he established the Pontarelli Professorship of Environmental Sustainability and Finance at the Maxwell School, currently held by Professor Jay Golden, founder and director of the Dynamic Sustainability Lab.

Pontarelli graduated from Syracuse University with a dual degree in economics, from Maxwell, and finance, from the Whitman School of Management, where he now serves on the advisory board. In 2018, Pontarelli founded Mission Driven Capital Partners, a New York City-based firm focused on sustainability investing. Two years later, he returned to Goldman Sachs, where he serves as partner and managing director and leads its sustainable investing group.

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.”