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.”

As the Maxwell School enters a new academic year, three of its faculty and administrative leaders are stepping into expanded roles that will help guide the school’s direction—from its day-to-day operations to its role in the study of global affairs and law.

In the dean’s office, Bob Bifulco joins associate deans Gladys McCormick and Shana Gadarian as the associate dean for budget and administration, rounding out a leadership team assembled to ensure continuity following Carol Faulkner’s return to the faculty after nine years in leadership.

Meanwhile, Daniel McDowell is serving as associate director of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, and Yüksel Sezgin has been named director of the law, society and policy integrated learning major, succeeding founding director Gretchen Purser.

New Roles for Associate Deans

Carol Faulkner stepped down as senior associate dean on June 30 after more than nine years in a leadership role and has returned to the Maxwell faculty.

Faulkner’s tenure began in January 2017. She worked closely with department chairs and academic directors to strengthen Maxwell’s programs and played a central role in developing new undergraduate programs, including environment, sustainability and policy, and law, society and policy. She was also a trusted advisor to Dean David M. Van Slyke on faculty and academic matters.

“It has truly been a privilege to work with her,” Van Slyke wrote in a message to the Maxwell community, calling Faulkner “responsive, accountable and deeply mission driven.”

The leadership team, along with Van Slyke, consists of the following:

Gladys McCormick, associate dean for curriculum and academic initiatives, serves as the primary contact for undergraduate education, curriculum development, experiential and international learning opportunities, academic integrity, and ongoing initiatives to foster community and belonging.

She is a professor of history and the Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations.

Shana Gadarian, associate dean for faculty and research, leads faculty mentoring and development, promotion and tenure processes, research administration and external funding, and the strategic growth of centers and institutes. She is a professor of political science and the Merle Goldberg Fabian Professor of Excellence in Citizenship and Critical Thinking.

Bob Bifulco, professor and former chair of the Public Administration and International Affairs Department, has joined the dean’s office as associate dean for budget and administration, overseeing budgetary and financial strategy, resource planning, faculty workload, graduate program enrollment and funding, and long-term financial sustainability. A distinguished scholar and Maxwell alumnus, Bifulco brings deep institutional knowledge to the role.

“This leadership team will be instrumental in helping me lead the school through a challenging moment in the higher education environment while also identifying opportunities to strengthen Maxwell’s mission,” Van Slyke says.

McDowell Serves as Associate Director of Moynihan Institute

Daniel McDowell, the Maxwell Advisory Board Professor of International Affairs in the political science department, is serving as associate director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, where he also co-directs the institute’s Study of Global Politics speaker series.

McDowell’s research focuses on international political economy, with an emphasis on financial sanctions, international currency competition and financial crisis management involving the United States and China. He is the author of “Bucking the Buck: US Financial Sanctions and the International Backlash Against the Dollar” (Oxford University Press, 2023) and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, where he was a 2022-23 Wilson China Fellow.

His commentary and research have appeared widely in national media, including recent analyses for Bloomberg, Newsweek and the Financial Times on topics ranging from sanctions policy to the future of the dollar. McDowell earned a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 2012 and joined the Maxwell School as an assistant professor of political science.

The Moynihan Institute, endowed by the U.S. Congress to honor the legacy of former U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, supports faculty and student research on the peoples, cultures, governments and economies that shape international affairs through seven regional centers and a range of multidisciplinary research programs.

Sezgin Named Director of Law, Society and Policy Program

Yüksel Sezgin, associate professor of political science, has been named director of the law, society and policy integrated learning major, succeeding Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology.

Introduced by the sociology department in fall 2023, the integrated learning major, or ILM, allows students to pair a base major from Maxwell or another Syracuse University school or college with a concentration in either law, crime and society in the U.S., or comparative and international law. The program also includes a three-credit internship requirement that students can fulfill locally, through Maxwell-in-Washington or through study abroad.

Sezgin brings more than a decade of Maxwell leadership experience to the role. He is an O’Hanley Faculty Scholar, director of the Pre-Law Program in Europe, a senior research associate with the Middle Eastern Studies Program and a research affiliate of the South Asia Center. He also holds a courtesy appointment as associate professor in the Syracuse University College of Law.

His research examines legal pluralism and comparative religious law, including Islamic, Jewish and Hindu family law, and human and women’s rights in the Middle East and South Asia. He is the author of “Human Rights under State-Enforced Religious Family Laws in Israel, Egypt and India” (Cambridge University Press, 2013), which received the 2014 Gordon Hirabayashi Human Rights Book Prize from the American Sociological Association, and “Judging Through Narrative: Muslim Family Laws in Non-Muslim Courts” (Cambridge University Press, 2026). Sezgin earned graduate degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of London’s SOAS and the University of Washington.

Syracuse University students majoring outside the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications can now add journalism skills to their degree through .

When Austin Dewey L’26 found out his externship would take him to Copenhagen, Denmark, to present his patent research to the chief legal officer of an international corporation, he never expected his introduction to the city would include a last-minute dash to replace a suit the airline lost in his travels. But, taught him to think on his feet, and, in the end, he arrived dressed for success and well-prepared to demonstrate the knowledge he gained through his unique experiences in law school.

Combining Science, Technology and the Law

With an undergraduate degree in environmental science from Florida State University, Dewey thought he might be a marine biologist but changed his mind and headed to law school. He was particularly attracted to Syracuse Law for its����as well as the opportunity to pursue a career that touched on his interest in science and technology.

Last spring as a third-year law student, Dewey accepted an externship with , a Michigan-based firm specializing in intellectual property law (IP). Through that externship, he discovered an area he never knew existed before law school: patent law.

“My externship provided invaluable hands-on experience in this area of law, strengthened my research and analytical skills and offered a unique glimpse into the global practice of IP strategy,” he says.

Dewey was tasked with research for one of the firm’s clients,��, a Danish manufacturer of audio and home entertainment products, as it explored expansion in U.S. markets. He spent months digging through the client’s existing patents, identifying potential infringers and uncovering licensing opportunities that led to a freedom to market analysis.

Working remotely five hours a day, in addition to his coursework at Syracuse Law, was challenging but well worth it.

“The externship experience was awesome, and ultimately I was able to identify three potential infringement claims upon Bang & Olufsen’s intellectual property,” Dewey says. “After that, I worked with the firm’s partners to help develop the best legal strategies for the client.”

He created a detailed presentation outlining his findings and recommendations. The firm flew Dewey, along with another extern and partners Kevin Quinn and Mark C. Willard, to Copenhagen to present to its chief legal officer and legal team.

“It was so exciting to not only show my work to the client first-hand but also have the chance to see how this process works in actual practice,” says Dewey of the three-hour solo presentation. “I assumed their legal team had all of this information in-hand but was surprised my research was able to make them aware of some additional potential infringement that was going on.”

The brand’s partners asked a lot of strategic questions, and his research helped him supply answers with confidence.

“Millions of dollars were potentially at stake for Bang & Olufsen, and it really struck me that the work I did was contributing toward their decision making,” Dewey says. “It was such an opportunity for me to confirm my interest in IP law.”

One thing that left a real impression on him was Bang & Olufsen’s take on how European countries viewed their legal systems.

“It opened my eyes to a lot of differences, particularly how Europeans tend to be less litigious than Americans,” Dewey says. ”It was interesting to get that global perspective on the law.”

Dewey stayed in Copenhagen for an extra day, exploring an ancient castle, taking in the unique Scandinavian design and architecture, sampling amazing street food and walking around the city’s historic canal systems—making the experience even more memorable.

Law School ‘on a Whim’ Opened His Mind to IP

Dewey admits he started law school “on a whim with an open mind to see what it could offer me.” He credits L’99, executive director of the Innovation Law Center and professor of practice, as well as Distinguished Lecturer , for showing him ways to combine science and technology with the law.

“Professor Traficonte is a ‘tech guy’ like me and really helped me discover IP law, and Professor Gerling’s guidance at Syracuse Law’s ILC, where I was able to help real inventors protect their ideas, allowed me to see technologies I didn’t even know existed,” says Dewey, who spent two years of law school involved at the ILC and became a senior research associate.

Director of Alumni Relations Adrienne Lutz connected him with several alumni as career resources, which eventually led to the Willard Quinn opportunity.

“Syracuse Law understands that learning about the law in the classroom is only one aspect of a legal education, and seeing what’s done in actual practice adds another level,” Dewey says. “My externship at Willard Quinn was so impactful and proved to me how much I enjoyed this kind of day-to-day work. And I’ll never forget my visit to Denmark. IP, patents and technology are an evolving area of the legal field that are going to be extremely important in the future.”

Several factors shape how people bond with a beloved place, whether it’s a childhood hometown or a vacation spot. Usually those locations are physical ones, but with increasingly realistic digital and online worlds that can be accessed from almost anywhere, virtual spaces can easily keep pace in creating those deep connections.

That’s why some people feel so gratified playing a favorite video game like , become immersed in Gotham City streetscapes watching a movie, or get caught up in living out an assumed persona in a online community.

Those concepts reflect an arm of ongoing research by Professor , who oversees doctoral and master’s programs in and at the .

Bowman studies the cognitive, emotional, physical and social demands of interactive media content and how people experience emotional connections to meaningful locations in their lives.

Below, he shares how people develop bonds to places real and virtual, and why that happens.

For more information about SPIRE and “Sense of Place,” see “,” (Poetics, Bowman and Banks.)