The (BBI) has been awarded two competitive grants from the , part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Together, the awards total $4. 5 million over three years and will bring a significant infusion of new research, education and outreach activity to BBI and the University.

“This is an amazing day for BBI,” says , BBI chairman and University Professor at the . “These awards are a testament to my BBI colleagues, the support of the Office of Sponsored Research and the entire Syracuse University community.”

Training the Next Generation of Researchers

A $750,000 grant will fund the Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training Program on the Future of Employment for People with Disabilities. , director of research for BBI and a research assistant professor in the College of Law, is principal investigator. Blanck is co-PI.

The program will recruit and train four postdoctoral fellows to study disability employment policy, practice and law, including the role of artificial intelligence in these areas. Fellows will join BBI’s Disability Employment Policy Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, work with faculty mentors and complete a community practicum with disability-led organizations.

“Employment among people with disabilities has reached historic highs, but a significant employment gap remains, and we need to study both,” Hyseni says. “This national program will train leading young career researchers to do that work.”

Syracuse mentors include , and of the , and of the . They are joined by scholars from Harvard and Rutgers Universities and the National Organization on Disability.

The application period for the 2026-27 fellowships opens Sunday, Nov. 1. is available on the BBI website.

Renewing ADA Support Across the Southeast

A $3.7 million competitive renewal will continue BBI’s leadership of the , with Blanck as PI. One of 10 regional centers in the ADA National Network, the center provides information, training and guidance across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. It reaches more than 1 million stakeholders annually.

“The Southeast ADA Center makes a positive difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families by fostering understanding of the ADA,” says , program director and co-PI, who is BBI’s director of outreach.

Over the next three years, the center will build partnerships among the disability community, government, business and community organizations, and produce new knowledge about employment, health care and economic self-sufficiency.

The —the nation’s first academic center dedicated to the advancement of interdisciplinary academics, independent research, policy engagement and support for creator-based ventures—today released the findings from its inaugural industry . Published monthly, these reports examine the issues creators, brands and audiences are talking about right now.

The inaugural edition examines public trust and credibility in news: specifically, how Americans weigh independent news creators against traditional journalists. The findings draw on a demographically representative survey of 1,001 U.S. adults conducted via Prolific.

Social media is now a core news source for Americans: 59% access general news from social media often or always and 55% get political information there at the same rate. Reliance runs highest among younger adults and those that identify as African Americans and Republicans.

YouTube ranks as the single most-used platform for political and election news at 16.5%, closely followed by broadcast and cable TV news (16.1%) and print and online news sites (15.7%). Combined, TV and news sites outpace YouTube nearly 2 to 1. Social platforms as a group, however, lead traditional sources 60% to 32%.

Perceptions of trust present a nuanced picture:

● 61% of Americans trust a well-known independent news creator as much as a
well-known professional journalist or a major news organization on political topics.
● 67% say doing the reporting matters more than formal journalism credentials.
● 86% trust independent news creators more when they publicly correct their mistakes, the strongest trust signal in the study.
● 79% still see a meaningful difference between an independent news creator and a
journalist.

Social media use and political affiliation both shape trust. Respondents who use social media for news and politics more often rate independent news creators as more credible.

Party lines matter too: compared with Independents, Republicans place greater trust in independent news creators, while Democrats place greater trust in professional journalists and news organizations.

Across these patterns, respondents recognize a clear distinction between independent news creators and professional journalists:

● 79% see a meaningful difference between an independent news creator and a journalist.
● Views divide on which is more trustworthy overall: 41% trust professional journalists
more, 35% disagree and 25% are neutral.
● Trust in independent news creators rises with social media news use. The link is weak
for professional journalists and absent for news organizations.

The findings show Americans trust independent news creators and professional journalists about equally on politics, but they see them as different roles. For both, the clearest path to trust is accountability: 86% say public corrections make them trust an independent news creator more.

More than 55% of publishers of independent local news organizations cite burnout as a concern, and about 52% view balancing journalism with business operations as one of their most pressing challenges, a finds.

Researchers behind the survey from Syracuse University’s����(IDJC) sought to examine the issues facing independent publishers as they seek to fill gaps created by the collapse of traditional local newsrooms.

Burnout is the most common challenge, cited by more than half of publishers, in the survey “.” Among those with 100-500 paying subscribers, 77% of publishers cited burnout as a challenge.

At that stage, the operation is “too successful to remain a hobby-sized operation, but not yet successful enough to become an adequately staffed business,” the report says.

The study was conducted by veteran news executive and educator��Merrill Brown, an IDJC visiting fellow, and researcher Jacob Spudich G’26, who graduated with a����from the����The institute is led jointly by Newhouse and the��.

Brown hopes the research helps inform the journalism industry and the public about the importance of understanding the current local news environment and the challenges facing entrepreneurs serving their communities.

“More financing, more training and more local support is required if the current independent local news revolution is going to be sustained,” Brown says.

The survey found a range of financial situations for publishers: roughly 1 in 4 drew their entire personal income from the outlet, while 1 in 5 earned less than 25% of their income from the venture—reflecting a need for publishers to draw from other income sources. Nearly 22% of publishers identified scaling their business beyond a one-person operation as their top financial hurdle.

Brown and Spudich argue the next phase of local news development should focus less on finding a single fix for the local news crisis and more on building the conditions, including raising capital, skills training and shared expertise, that let many different local solutions succeed.

Especially critical is entrepreneurial training, the report says, that places topics like revenue strategy, audience development and organizational leadership as core to the profession, alongside reporting, editing and storytelling.

“A business that survives because its founder works unsustainable hours is not yet a sustainable business,” the authors say. “A publication that depends upon a spouse’s salary or retirement income may produce excellent journalism but doesn’t necessarily provide a replicable economic model.”

Other key findings:

• Fewer than 5% became independent publishers out of necessity, and fewer than 2% said they would consider returning to a traditional newsroom.
• 3 in 4 respondents are highly dependent on a single distribution platform they����Dz�’t�����DzԳٰ��DZ�.
• 82% of respondents use advertising or sponsorships; more than half have used grants or fellowships and only 6.3% rely on subscriptions alone.

“We hope these findings can serve as a roadmap and support system for local journalism entrepreneurs, as well as a base on which additional research about efforts to rebuild local news can be built,” says Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the IDJC.

The study drew on a spring 2026 survey of 277 independent local news operators that yielded 112 completed responses from publishers in 37 states and Washington, D.C., and follow-up interviews with nine publishers.

For detailed survey findings and interview excerpts, read the full report, “.”

Six Syracuse University students won a national pitch competition to design Uber’s next on-campus Uber One experience, with the global ride-sharing and delivery tech company bringing the victorious racing-themed concept to campus Friday.

The Syracuse students competed against teams from 13 other universities, including the University of Southern California, the University of Texas and Penn State University. The winning students all attend the in the following programs:

• : Carolyn Ellis ’28 and Katie Huang ’27
• : Rebecca Lipset ’28, Emilie Oestreicher ’28, Sophia Volz ’28 and Paige Wyant ’27

The competition was organized for an Uber back-to-school campaign through Home From College, a professional development and networking platform that connects brands with college students.

The Newhouse team’s idea, “The One Garage,” took its thematic cues from Formula One racing. They went through an initial round of pitching before getting an opportunity to present their campaign to Uber, which selected their entry.

The company developed the concept into the “One Crew” theme, including a racing simulator, merchant rewards, a photo booth, gift bags and an Uber One sign-up station.

The Oct. 2 stop at Syracuse runs from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. on the Quad in front of Sims Hall and is open to all students who sign up for a free year of the Uber One membership.

It’s the latest destination on Uber One’s nationwide tour of campuses, following stops at Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin, Purdue University and Indiana University.

Syracuse University’s Center for the Creator Economy will host��the��second annual��, bringing together the top creators, industry executives and thinkers who work in this growing space. ��

This year’s theme,��“Owned and Operated,”��reflects the��upward momentum of the creator economy, a discipline with real infrastructure,��partnerships��and interest��in an age where��social media dominates trends and conversations.����

The event opens Thursday, Oct. 22, with a��kickoff��celebration��at 6 p.m.��in Flaum Grand Hall at the .��Whitman co-leads the����with the , bringing together��two leading��schools in their respective fields.����

The opening night program features��a keynote from��,��founder and CEO of COEY, an AI-first media technology company,��on��the past, present and future of the creator economy.��Murphy also founded��IZEA and��previously served as the company’s CEO.����

Launched in 2025, the center recently����as��its��new executive director.��Schram will recap the center’s first year��and present��findings from the center’s inaugural research study. The first night concludes with an��“Official After Glow” event at the��Gaming and Esports Center in Schine Student Center.��

Programming continues Friday, Oct. 23,��at the Whitman School��with��panels and workshops led by��alumni creators, influencers and industry professionals building the future of digital media.������

The Center for the Creator Economy is the first academic center of its kind. Its interdisciplinary work rests on four pillars:��academics,��research, policy��engagement��and support for creator-based ventures built by Syracuse��University��students,��alumni,��faculty��and��staff.��

Email��creatoreconomy@syr.edu��to learn more��about ’CUSE��Creator Con.����

On the Grosso family’s small farm in Tully, New York, everyone had responsibilities.

The rule was simple: the animals ate before the family did. Tractors needed fixing. Fences needed mending. There was always another project waiting.

It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught daughters Taylor, Sydney and Lauren Grosso lessons that would carry them far beyond the rolling hills of Central New York.

“We all have a strong work ethic,” says Taylor ’21, G’22. “There was always something to do.”

That work ethic led to the , where all three earned master of public administration degrees, the last completed by Lauren this past June. It wasn’t an orchestrated family tradition. Taylor switched paths after considering a career in medicine. Sydney discovered that public policy, not biochemistry, was her calling. Lauren chose the M.P.A. over a graduate degree in data analytics.

What each found at Maxwell was the same: mentors who challenged them, opportunities to tackle real-world problems and a community that continues to shape their careers.

The Grosso family’s Syracuse roots stretch back generations. Their grandmother worked at the University. Their mother, Michelle Grosso ’90, graduated from Syracuse and now works on campus. Two uncles attended.

“We would go up and visit my grandma in the Hall of Languages when we were kids,” Taylor recalls. “The campus just always felt like home.”

Taylor entered as a biochemistry major, conducting lab research toward medical school. Two years later, Sydney followed a pre-med path before realizing she was chasing someone else’s dream. Two years after that, Lauren arrived undecided before discovering policy studies through the program’s founder, Professor Bill Coplin, on both her sisters’ and mother’s recommendation.

“I found my passion,” says Lauren ’25, G’26.

Although all three sisters gravitated toward public policy as undergraduates, they did so through different lenses. Taylor augmented her M.P.A. degree with a certificate in security studies. Sydney combined public health, policy studies and Spanish before discovering a passion for national security. Lauren blended policy studies with data analytics, initially hoping to do policy advocacy for New York’s agricultural community.

The common thread was Maxwell, and more importantly, its people.

The People Who Shaped Them

For Taylor, that journey began with a campus job in the Maxwell School Dean’s Office.

Working alongside Dean David M. Van Slyke exposed her to new research opportunities, faculty mentors and policy questions. As she considered medical, law and graduate school, Van Slyke encouraged her to look beyond the paths she had envisioned.

“He opened my eyes to what I could do beyond what I was pursuing,” Taylor says. “He told me the M.P.A. is a great way to kind of figure out what you like, because once you go into the public sector, you can do so many different things.”

Van Slyke says he told Taylor early on that if she wasn’t going to study a Maxwell major, he “didn’t know why we were employing her.”

“She thought I was joking—I wasn’t,” he says. “That became the pattern with Taylor, Sydney and Lauren: figure out what they cared about, then show them the full range of what Maxwell could offer. What made it easy was who they are: humble, curious, appreciative, always willing to listen and asking good questions.”

For Taylor, research projects for Van Slyke led to a graduate assistantship with former Secretary of the Navy and NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe G’78, cementing her interest in governance and national security.

“Working with the two of them is where I found my love for policy research,” she says.

Although Sydney had decided to pursue the M.P.A. before Taylor enrolled, she also found herself working alongside O’Keefe—first conducting undergraduate research, then serving as his graduate assistant.

“He brought us into everything,” she says of O’Keefe, University Professor Emeritus and University trustee. “We were always the youngest people in a room full of people who had been in government or highly ranked admirals.”

“The Grosso sisters are mature well beyond their years, enthusiastically dive into anything they’re asked to do, energize those around them, and, as a bonus, are great fun to be with,” says O’Keefe. “Their parents raised three remarkable women who are the Maxwell vision of model citizens.”

Through O’Keefe, Sydney found herself in conversations with senior military leaders and astronauts, learning firsthand how policy decisions are made.

“They’re the kinds of experiences you just ��Dz�’t expect to have,” says Sydney ’23, G’24.

Although Taylor and Sydney insist they didn’t pressure Lauren to follow them into the M.P.A. program, she chose Maxwell for graduate school over a master’s program in data analytics. “Between the reputation of the degree and the people that I was surrounded by, Maxwell felt more like a family than just a school,” Lauren says.

“I got to see how much the faculty and the deans care about the students,” Lauren says. “I could see how much they genuinely want us to succeed.”

With Lauren’s graduation, Van Slyke says this is the first time since he became dean that there isn’t a Grosso in the dean’s office.

“We’ll notice their absence,” he says. “I know they’ll all make important contributions and I’m grateful for the engaged citizen leaders they’ll become.”

Two alumni have earned Creative Arts Emmy Awards, with Jason Blumenthal ’90 joining Janique Robillard ’08 as winners of golden statues this year.

Blumenthal picked up the honor at the����ceremony Monday night in Los Angeles as one of the executive producers for HBO Max’s “,” which won for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

Robillard earned her award during the����on Sept. 5. She was a producer for “,” which won Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. In 2025, Robillard also received an����for Best Documentary Short Film for “Death by Numbers.”

Another Newhouse graduate, Monica Levinson ’90, was nominated as an executive producer for FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,” also in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category.

Students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to work with acclaimed researcher and storyteller and the award-winning by applying for the 2026-28 Lender Center for Social Justice Student Fellowship. Berry, an associate professor of writing, rhetoric and composition in the , ��is the 2026-28 Lender Faculty Fellow.

Berry’s work explores how publishing and collaborative media production can create new opportunities for civic participation, public dialogue and professional development for people impacted by the criminal legal system.

Project Mend is a multimodal, grassroots-level, open-access archive of creative works and narratives produced by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities.

The of “,” a print and digital journal of published fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art, was released last spring.

For his work on Project Mend, Berry was awarded the $10,000 Syracuse Prize from . He was also recognized with the ‘s Outstanding College-Community Partnership Award.

Hands-On Experience

Lender Student Fellowships are open to graduate and undergraduate students from all schools and colleges. Five students will be selected to work with Berry as active co-creators alongside Project Mend’s interdisciplinary editorial and production teams.

Along with hands-on experience in collaborative scholarship, community partnership and public-facing media production, students will review and edit submissions, interview writers, develop podcasts, assist with film, multimedia and theater productions or conduct research on incarceration, reentry, community publishing and the public humanities.

Berry says he hopes student fellows “gain a richer understanding of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people beyond statistics or stereotypes… [and see] the humanities as having the potential to promote public dialogue and communication across difference.”

Stipends Provided

Undergraduate fellows receive a $2,000 stipend and graduate student fellows receive $5,000 across the two-year research term. They also have access to additional research funds and support. Fellows will present their work at a symposium in May 2028.

Application deadline is Friday, Oct. 2, at 5 p.m.

An information session will be held Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m. in 207 Bowne Hall. ��For more information, visit the .

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Syracuse University’s reputation as “Sportscaster U” will be on full display as alumni dominate the broadcast booths when the NFL kicks off the 2026-27 regular season this week.

If you’re looking for an Orange voice calling the action, chances are you’ll find one—more than a dozen alumni will provide TV, radio and streaming coverage of games this season.

Nearly all the play callers studied in the broadcast journalism program at the —a valuable reminder of why the Newhouse School continues to be a powerhouse destination for aspiring sports journalists.

“This is another area where the Newhouse School is truly second to none,” Newhouse School Dean Mark Lodato says. “We’re immensely proud of these graduates and their significant impact on the most popular sport in the United States.”

Also in the mix, two longtime analysts—Daryl Johnston ’89 and Dave Lapham ’74—played for the Orange and went on to standout NFL careers before entering the broadcast booth.

“Whether it is listening to a fellow ’Cuse alum while getting ready for my game or seeing a member of the Orange family one booth over in the press box, it gives me great pride to hear the fellow Syracuse voices calling the NFL on radio and TV every weekend,” says Mike Tirico ’88, the leading play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports. “Nothing proves that SU is THE place for sports broadcasters like the roster of alums calling NFL games.”

Where to Find the Orange Voices

Tirico will make the play-by-play calls for NBC/Peacock in the NFL opener today in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, with the New England Patriots visiting the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. Tirico will also call the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants showdown at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night for NBC/Peacock.

Noah Eagle ’19 will be on the call for Netflix on Thursday night from the Melbourne, Australia, Cricket Ground, where the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL’s first international game of the season.

Ian Eagle ’90 will be the play-by-play voice for CBS when the Buffalo Bills visit the Houston Texans on Sunday.

“I’m so proud to be an SU graduate and of how much Orange courses through my family’s veins,” he says. “Throughout my many years of traveling, I’m always excited to meet other Syracuse alums and share our experiences with one another. There’s no doubt it helped shape me into the person and broadcaster I am today.”

Andrew Catalon ’01 will call the play by play for CBS in Indianapolis when the Colts host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Dan Hoard ’85 and Lapham enter their 16th year together calling games for the Cincinnati Bengals Radio Network. Hoard will deliver the play by play, and Lapham, the former Orange and Bengals great now in his 41st year as a broadcaster, will provide analysis when Cincinnati hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

“It’s a privilege to be the voice of an NFL team and a joy to call games with my fellow SU grad Dave Lapham,” Hoard says. “Following his stellar playing career, Lap made a seamless transition into the broadcast booth where he has bonded with home team fans as well as any announcer in any sport.”

Johnston, the former Orange and Cowboys star, will add another Syracuse voice to the Bengals-Buccaneers’ game, when he shares his insights in his 21st season as an analyst for FOX NFL.

Anish Shroff ’04, in his fifth season as the play-by-play announcer for the Carolina Panthers Radio Network, will call the Panthers hosting the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Jason Horowitz ’05, the voice of the Las Vegas Raiders, will be in action for the Raiders Radio Network when the Silver and Black host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Andrew Siciliano ’96, in his third season as the play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network, will cover the action when the Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

“The NFL is the greatest show on Earth,” Siciliano says. “It’s great to be part of the Orange army calling games again this season.”

More Orange Voices on the Way

Other Orange broadcasters will be on the air in the coming weeks:

• Dave Pasch ’94 will join ESPN’s NFL coverage as a play-by-play announcer as the season gets underway.
• Jason Benetti ’05 will be on play-by-play calls for Westwood One Sports later this season.
• Greg Papa ’84, the voice of the San Francisco 49ers, is recovering from health issues and plans to return to the broadcast booth.

Interested in following in their footsteps? .

Story by Jay Cox

When Dean Terence Lau L’98 envisioned the Judicial Wall of Honor, he had a simple but powerful goal: to make visible what has always been true about Syracuse Law. That its graduates don’t just enter the legal profession, they rise to lead it, including from the bench.

The wall celebrates more than 400 College of Law alumni who have served as judges at every level of the American judiciary, federal and state, trial and appellate, from small claims courts to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Their reach spans the full arc of the law school’s history, beginning with Judge Blake of the Class of 1897 and extending to judges serving on the bench today.

For Dean Lau, the wall is both a tribute and a teaching tool. “We want current students to look up at those names and see what’s possible,” he says. “The legal profession demands more than mastery of doctrine. It demands character, integrity and a commitment to justice that outlasts any single case or career. The judges honored on this wall embody that standard.”

The wall also tells a story about path. Not every judge arrived at the bench by a straight line. Some came through decades of trial practice. Some through public service. Some through roads they never anticipated. What they share is a foundation built at Syracuse Law, and a willingness to keep building on it.

For students with judicial ambitions, offer a concrete first step to the bench. These prestigious roles offer invaluable insight into the inner workings of a courtroom and legal decision-making and allow budding attorneys the opportunity to develop their research and writing skills while working closely with judges.

Judge Rodney Thompson G’93, L’93, presiding judge, Family Division, New Jersey Superior Court, who has recruited or placed 11 Syracuse Law clerks and four externs over his career, believes the experiences and relationships forged in a judge’s chambers prove invaluable throughout a legal career. He strongly encourages students to pursue clerkships and externships, particularly with Syracuse Law alumni on the bench.

The Judicial Wall of Honor is not merely a display of achievement. It is an invitation for our current and future students to aspire, to serve and to understand that a legal education, at its best, shapes not just what you do but who you become.

The wall was formally unveiled on Wednesday, Aug. 26, following Justice for All: Opening Pathways to the Bench, a fireside conversation held in Dineen Hall with three distinguished members of the judiciary: Hon. Lillian Wan, Associate Justice of the New York State Appellate Division, Second Department; Hon. Meredith Vacca, United States District Judge for the Western District of New York; and Hon. Staci Dennis-Taylor L’14, Judge of Syracuse City Court. The panelists spoke about the challenges of pursuing a seat on the bench and what it means to serve once you get there.

Following the conversation, the panelists joined for the wall’s unveiling, welcomed by remarks from Dean Lau and Judge Thompson, before a reception brought together students, faculty and staff to celebrate the new tribute to Syracuse Law’s judicial legacy.

The dances were varied.

A shuffle reminiscent of the salsa followed by two bounces low to the ground. A modified running man on a spin, accompanied by high kicks. Hip sways punctuated by claps and a smile.

Those were the moves three customers busted out at a gas station in Halfmoon, New York, prompted by a sign at the register: “Want a discount? Show us your best dance move.”

The of the customers cutting a rug at Sunoco and Halfmoon Car Wash quickly went viral.

’24, social media coordinator for the business, says seeing the clips garner so much national attention is gratifying.

“We were not expecting this specific video to blow up or take off as it has, but being able to see my work being shared by all of these different news stations and the national news, being asked to be in interviews and people being curious about, ‘How did you come up with this?’ It’s definitely been extremely rewarding,” Sirtori told Syracuse University Today.

‘Our Goal Was to Bring a Smile’

For almost a year, Sirtori, who majored in in the , has been working as the communications coordinator for Bruce Tanski Construction and Development in Clifton Park, New York, running social media accounts for several businesses, including the Sunoco and Halfmoon Car Wash, owned by the company.

She came up with the idea for the video after seeing other businesses, like restaurants and bars, offer similar “dance for a promotion” opportunities.

Sirtori thought the gas station could offer a discount instead, knowing the biggest complaint from customers was the .

“We knew we wanted to do something to give back to our customers,” Sirtori says. “We were looking for a way to show them some kind of appreciation, and we knew this would definitely help them. Our goal was to bring a smile, bring some laughs to people.”

With the owner and store manager onboard, the Newhouse grad says the thought was that some regulars, who have been in the business’s videos before, might participate. At minimum, Sirtori thought they’d get a fun video they could post to their account.

Sure enough, most of the regulars saw the sign at the register and asked about it. Other customers, too, inquired, questioning if it was real. The manager behind the counter told them it was, and asked if they could record.

Ultimately, Sirtori said eight people danced for the discount, but only three were OK with their videos being posted on social media.

“We knew this would be a fun way to promote our store, but also give back to our customers,” Sirtori says.

A month after it was posted, , which features Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” as the soundtrack, has over a million views and nearly 100,000 likes on TikTok, along with thousands of comments.

“I love sharing my content and my videos with other people, and just [people] telling me that it made them laugh or made them so happy,” Sirtori says.

Applying Lessons From Newhouse��

Sirtori, who is responsible for ideation, filming, editing and posting the content for the businesses, says she uses the skills she learned at Newhouse daily.

When she arrived on campus, she didn’t know anything about filming, editing or post-production, so her first-year production classes were essential. Her time at also helped her refine her career goals, she says.

“I learned how to storyboard and how to properly write scripts and take your idea that you have and be able to execute it, whether it be a 30- to 60-second video or a 5-minute video. I’ve used all of those skills in this specific job,” Sirtori says. “I’m the only social media person, so I’ve really touched on every single skill I learned from pre-production to production and even post-production.”

Applying those skills on the job, Sirtori has learned not to give up on her ideas, and she advises current students to do the same.

“Don’t give up on yourself and always advocate for your idea and use your resources that you have at Newhouse,” she says. “Rent the equipment from . Go to your office hours. Listen to your professors.”

Since the dance videos went viral, Sirtori says the gas station likely will offer another fun option for customers. They’re currently brainstorming other ideas, such as “sing for a discount” or “dance battle for a discount.”

“We’re going to do another thing for our customers along that line,” she says. “It won’t be specifically dancing, but we liked how many customers and new people were coming into the store and asking us about it and wanting to be a participant in it. We’re like, ‘We have to do it again. We had to give them what they want.’”

Throughout her career, Nancy A. Mattison, Ph.D., ’69 took risks, forged new paths, broke glass ceilings and made decisions based on the “rocking chair theory,” which essentially suggests that one should consider any decision through the lens of being retired and rocking leisurely on a front porch.

“I would ask myself whether in my elder years I would be satisfied that I had taken advantage of as many opportunities offered as made sense,” Mattison says. “For example, if I did not take the opportunity—and risk—of moving to Europe, and pushing the envelope of what I could achieve as a woman, would I have regrets when I was older?”

Mattison’s recent $1.2 million gift to the is designed to give graduate students more opportunities to make rocking chair decisions.

“Financing one’s education always presents challenges, and some may forego a graduate program for that reason,” Mattison says. “This gift is intended to help allow a student to engage in graduate studies sooner rather than later.” And she believes Maxwell can help develop thinkers and leaders who will seize opportunities, take risks and help solve problems around the globe.

For Mattison, her undergraduate degree in international studies was the catalyst for graduate work and a fascinating career in healthcare policy, with a decidedly international focus.

A Curiosity About the World

Though she grew up on a dairy farm in Central New York, Mattison’s vision for her future was expansive, and Syracuse University nurtured both her intellectual curiosity and interest in the world.

Mattison’s college experience was inextricably intertwined with societal and global change: the Vietnam War was in full swing; Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated; the National Organization for Women was established with an active Syracuse chapter; curfews and dress codes were eliminated at the University.

After earning a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of South Carolina, Mattison brought an international perspective to the Center for the Study of Drug Development, an academic group studying public policies affecting medical innovation. This was soon followed by an active role in influencing those policies in positions at Novartis and Roche in the U.S. A move to Switzerland to work at Roche headquarters offered a chance to be more directly involved in international efforts.

Mattison then headed the London-based Pharmaceutical Partners for Better Healthcare, a global strategic policy group sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. Among other projects there, Mattison was instrumental in the creation of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, the first and only such global patient advocacy group, still influential in healthcare policy worldwide 30 years on. Ultimately, she returned to the states to launch The Mattison Group, an international consultancy specializing in healthcare policy and strategy.

“Each of these career opportunities was possible in part because I had such a strong grounding in international studies,” Mattison says. “It was both a challenge and a pleasure to work closely with people from so many different cultures, as part of a global community of interests.”

Mattison’s gift to Syracuse University recognizes its commitment to global citizenship and civic responsibility. “The University has always impressed me with its focus on community. It does not close itself off, but tries to be part of a community,” she says. “This gives students both invaluable opportunities and an important perspective.”

Creating Global Citizens

The Nancy Mattison ’69 Endowed Graduate Scholarship, enhanced in part by The Syracuse Promise scholarship initiative, will provide scholarship and financial assistance to Maxwell graduate students with a preference to those pursuing a master’s degree in international relations.

“Nancy is the embodiment of what it means to be a global citizen,” says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Throughout her career, she focused on improving the health of people around the globe. Her philanthropy maintains that vision, allowing our students to pursue similarly meaningful careers that make a tangible difference.”

“Nancy’s foresight is aligned with Syracuse University’s historic commitment to providing opportunities to talented students who dream big but need some support to deliver on those dreams,” says Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. “The Syracuse Promise initiative, when activated by the generosity of donors like Nancy Mattison, ensures that ambitious dreams remain within reach for every deserving and driven student.”

“Education clearly expands and hones one’s ability to understand how different countries and cultures view the world and how that affects both public and private decision-making,” says Mattison. “Universities are where the leaders will come from, people who can think critically and solve whatever problems we are facing.”

Inspiring Generations

As Mattison was making her own private decisions about “estate matters” she envisioned a gift that would have lasting impact. By combining an estate gift with enough current funding to make the graduate scholarship active now, Mattison can see the impact of her support for students during her lifetime.

This is not the first time Mattison has given the gift of opportunity. “Years ago, I established a smaller endowed scholarship in my mother’s name at her alma mater, Keuka College. It was one way of thanking her for encouraging me to pursue a career path that would be both intellectually challenging and make a positive contribution to the world,” she says. “I have been pleased with the benefits it has brought to students.” Doris A. Mattison G’60 also attended Syracuse, earning an M.A. from the in 1960.

Mattison is currently writing a biography of her mother, whom she describes as “an extraordinary ordinary woman who made a difference in all the lives she touched. She is one of those unsung women who represent and pass on the best of humanity.”

With her new gift to graduate students at Maxwell, Mattison is hoping to inspire new generations to pass on the best of humanity.

“Without reliable leaders, and thoughtful voters, the future is bleak,” she says. “Maxwell offers outstanding programs that are invaluable. Supporting that seemed to me to be just the right choice, particularly at this point in history.”

The documents that track the U.S. Territory of Guam’s legal history tell the story of a judicial system still coming into its own. Every statute, court opinion and legal publication represents another chapter in the evolution of the Pacific island’s legal system.

During the summers of 2025 and 2026, Sarah Elmore-Hernandez L’26 completed an externship at the , gaining a deeper understanding of the legal foundation behind the advocacy work she conducts for the community that is her home.

Completed as a requirement for����the externship immersed her in the office responsible for publishing Guam’s statutes, opinions for the Supreme Court of Guam and other legal resources relied upon by judges, attorneys, policymakers and the public.

“Going through Supreme Court opinions gave me a greater appreciation for how much Guam’s legal system has developed in a relatively short period and for the responsibility we have to continue building on it,” Elmore-Hernandez says, noting that, just over 50 years ago, the����reshaped Guam’s court system and led to the establishment of an independent judiciary, which only achieved status equal to the legislative and executive branches in 2004.

A Career Dedicated to Public Policy, Helping Survivors

Elmore-Hernandez began her career as a policy analyst at the Guam Legislature before advancing to chief of staff for senators on both sides of the aisle. Through those roles, she became passionate about addressing gender-based violence and helped advance legislation to strengthen protections for survivors.

That mission carries particular importance on Guam, where geographic isolation, a limited pool of practicing attorneys, and constrained resources can create additional barriers for survivors seeking legal assistance or a safe path out of abuse.

By the time she entered law school in August 2023, Elmore-Hernandez was working for the Judiciary of Guam as the director of policy, planning and community relations, as well as completing a Ph.D. in gender and politics. In February 2026, she was appointed director of Guam’s Bureau of Women’s Affairs, bringing her into the executive branch and completing a public service career spanning all three branches of Guam’s government. Today, she oversees grants from Guam’s Office on Violence Against Women and works to expand resources for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

“I have always believed policy is where I can have the greatest impact,” she says, noting that she hopes to one day establish a women’s law center on Guam. “For me, earning a law degree was never simply about becoming a litigator, but a stronger policy advisor and advocate—being better equipped to turn ideas into protections that make a difference in people’s lives.”

JDi Program Flexibility Allowed Her To Stay With Her Island Community

“I knew for some time that I wanted to go to law school, but it didn’t always seem practical,” Elmore-Hernandez says.

With no law school on Guam and the nearest ABA-accredited school located 3,800 miles away in Hawaii, pursuing a residential degree required leaving the island. The JDi program presented her with an alternative option where she could remain in Guam and continue her public service career while simultaneously earning a law degree alongside a cohort of experienced professionals from around the world.

The 14-hour time difference between Guam and Syracuse actually worked in her favor, allowing her to log on to online classes in the morning while continuing her professional responsibilities throughout the day.

Staying on Top of the Storm

Elmore-Hernandez has certainly faced plenty of challenges juggling full-time work, studies, and community volunteering. However, one last challenge remained before she could complete her law degree: Super Typhoon Bavi.

Guam is in the midst of “typhoon alley,” and while its 170,000 residents stay prepared, they could not avoid two typhoons that impacted the island this year. Just after recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April, the island was hit by Bavi in July. The storm left much of Guam without power, water, or internet services just days before Elmore-Hernandez’s final exams.

In fact, internet service was only partially restored when she logged on for an oral final exam on national security with the��,��professor of law, director of the����and professor of public administration in the��.

Still, she succeeded, completing her exams and degree in early August, as well as preparing to take the newly introduced NextGen bar exam.

Looking back, the experience with Syracuse Law’s JDi program was well worth all of her efforts, and she credits strict time management, encouragement from her mentors and support from faculty and others in her cohort at Syracuse Law, her husband, and her three shih tzus for helping her reach her goals.

“Guam is my home. It always has been and I can’t imagine serving anywhere else. That, and our sunsets are the best in the world!” she says. “If I can use what I’ve learned to make life better for the people in my community, particularly women, then I’m exactly where I need to be. The Syracuse Law JDi program helped me make that happen.”

Mira Lan Gaitanis, a second-year student in the , recently attended the 17th Annual International Disability Law Summer School, held by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the University of Galway. The theme was “The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Twenty Years On: New Horizons and Emerging Challenges.”

The three-day conference covered the convention’s drafting history through the gaps and emerging challenges now testing it, to its future and a participatory exercise imagining a revised treaty.

The College of Law and the Disability Law and Policy Program sponsored Gaitanis’ participation in the conference.

Gaitanis, a research assistant at the , says the conference provided “an honest reckoning with what the UNCRPD has and has not changed in disabled people’s lives; a reframing of the convention as one tool among many rather than the endpoint; and a clear sense that the next wave of leadership will come from the minds of young disabled people, working in collaboration with earlier generations who are living testaments to disability history and the current movement.”

She also presented a poster, “Presence Is Practice: Music, Independent Living and the Law as a Form of Advocacy.”�� The poster argued that advocacy does not only happen in courtrooms and legislatures, but happens every time a disabled person walks into a room that was not built for them and stays. The poster highlighted Gaitanis’ multi-dimensional advocacy through her music. A member of the Recording Artists and Musicians with Disabilities, Gaitanis has released three albums with the band Flat Moon Theory, with songs such as “See Me As I Am” and “Sparrow,” each illustrating her journey as a micropreemie with low vision and chronic pain.

The poster also traced her advocacy journey, including her first individualized education program meeting in fifth grade, her participation in the Florida Youth Leadership Forum, her involvement with Disability Rights Florida and her internships with AAPD and The Harkin Institute. It then illustrates her journey to Galway for the conference and her goal of serving as U.S. special advisor on international disability rights.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants were challenged with drafting new articles for the UNCRPD. Gaitanis served as her group’s envoy, coordinating with the other groups’ envoys in the exercise’s private Discord channel so that, where ideas overlapped, each group could carry forward a distinct proposal. The group proposed, among other things, amending Article 34 to seat a youth representative and create a youth subcommittee.

As part of the craftivism portion of the conference, Gaitanis created a zine titled “Reflections and Musings,” with the cover titled “Nothing About Us Without Us,” that combined collage, printmaking and handwritten notes from the week.

“There were so many incredible speakers, and my favorite part was the participatory exercise that let us imagine the improvements we would make to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” says Gaitanis. “My idea was to add a youth representative to the main board and create a subcommittee dedicated to youth and disability. I also deeply valued the panel ‘The Road Ahead: Bringing the UNCRPD into a New Era.’ We are at a turning point in disability rights history, and youth are the ones who can bring in the next wave through activism, community and collective action.”