spent nearly 30 years climbing the corporate ladder, working his way up to a director-level role that took him traveling the world.

So, when he arrived at the University’s in 2011, he found himself learning the rhythms of academia from a new post in the iSchool’s IT department.

And when, a decade into that role, he was asked to teach a course, he was initially hesitant to accept.��That one iSchool course soon became two, and before he knew it, he was teaching full time.

His industry background saw him become the professor of record for project management, the discipline he now oversees for the iSchool, alongside a capstone course built around real-world case studies with companies like Accenture and IBM.

His experience and his passion for teaching has resonated with students.

This year, Corsello, an assistant teaching professor, the Undergraduate Jeffrey Katzer Professor of the Year, nominated by students for his approach to bringing real-world experience to the classroom and fostering a supportive, but challenging, environment for students focused on practical application and professional development.

The impact of his relationship-driven teaching style is evident well beyond graduation: many former students return years later for career advice, and alumni consistently volunteer to help with his capstone case studies when he asks.

“I love the students,” he says. “Getting the award, it confirmed I’m doing the job I want to be doing.”

Below, Corsello shares more about his approach in the classroom and why he loves teaching undergraduates.

Two recent graduates from the University’s have 2026 Laureates of the , one of the highest honors bestowed by the nation’s engineering honor society.

Tova Fink ’26 and Sadie Meyer ’26, both members of Syracuse University’s New York Beta chapter of Tau Beta Pi, join a select group of just 130 laureates chosen since the recognition program began in 1982.

Tau Beta Pi, founded in 1885, is the second-oldest honor society in the United States and the only engineering honor society representing the full range of engineering disciplines. The laureate designation recognizes graduating members who have distinguished themselves through academic achievement, leadership and service to their communities.

Both Fink and Meyer studied biomedical engineering and held leadership roles within the University’s Tau Beta Pi chapter. ��Meyer was chapter president, and Fink was chapter vice president while also being active in campus organizations, including the Biomedical Engineering Society.

“Tova and Sadie represent the very best of what our biomedical engineering program strives to produce: rigorous, curious engineers who also lead with integrity and give back to their communities,” says Julie Hasenwinkel, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “This recognition from Tau Beta Pi is a tremendous honor, and one that Syracuse University is proud to celebrate.”

As part of the honor, Fink and Meyer have been invited to attend the Tau Beta Pi Association’s 2026 Convention, set for Oct. 8-10 in Tucson, Arizona. Each laureate and a guest will be recognized during the Laureate Banquet.

Tau Beta Pi has more than 600,000 initiated members and 255 collegiate chapters nationwide. The laureate program remains one of the association’s most exclusive honors, with fewer than three recipients selected on average each year since its inception.

The Office has recognized two volunteers for outstanding service in helping to maintain academic integrity standards and policies across the University.

Recipients of the 2026 Academic Integrity Outstanding Service Award are , assistant teaching professor in the and , associate director of the Experiential Center in the .

Dunham and Henderson exemplify the ��identified by the as essential to academic integrity work, says Kate Marzen, director of the Academic Integrity Office. Their handling of academic integrity cases and their visible support of the process make them exemplary models as volunteers, she says.

Dunham was recognized for managing academic integrity cases with thoroughness and precision, engaging fully in the process and embodying fairness without letting the complexities of cases hamper his focus on required procedures.

“His approach illustrates that the strength of the academic integrity process depends on faculty who take it seriously and implement it ethically,” Marzen says. “He supports students involved in the process, using hearing time to express his care for them, explain his thought process and ensure students know they can and will be successful. This approach reflects the understanding that academic integrity is educational and not punitive in its purpose.”

Henderson was honored for conducting her work in a meaningful way that illustrates the reliability of the academic integrity process, and for being one of the office’s most genuine and effective ambassadors, Marzen says.

“She brings a clear understanding of why academic integrity matters beyond the immediate classroom, demonstrating both institutional trust and care for students. She approaches every training, faculty conversation and academic integrity-related connection with openness about the office and positivity about the work. She repeatedly helps us build relationships and creates opportunities to engage with the campus community,” Marzen says. “That kind of peer advocacy is so valuable because it is often small moments made meaningful by role models like her that help build confidence in the academic integrity process.”

Henderson served as the Whitman School’s academic integrity coordinator for several years before moving into her current role and has continued volunteering as a hearing chair.

The Academic Integrity Outstanding Service Awards were launched last year;�� inaugural recipients were , associate dean for academic affairs in the , and , assistant teaching professor of in the .

The Office of Academic Integrity promotes and facilitates campus policies and best practices for integrity through educational initiatives for students, staff and faculty. For more information visit the Academic Integrity Office .

Three of Central New York’s most prominent champions for veterans, including Syracuse University ,�� were honored May 28 at Madison County Distillery in Cazenovia, as WCNY launched its first “Mission: Honor Our Heroes”—an event raising funds to keep local veterans’ stories on the air.

Chancellor Haynie, Col. F. William (Bill) Smullen III, U.S. Army (Ret.), a Syracuse alumnus and former director of the University’s national security studies program, and Rear Admiral John Paddock, co-founder of Honor Flight Syracuse, were honored by WCNY.

The event secured funding for continued production and distribution of “Honor Flight Syracuse,” ensuring the voices and experiences of local veterans reach audiences across the region.

“‘Mission: Honor Our Heroes’ reflects �°䱷��’s deep commitment to telling the stories of those who have served our country and our community,” said Mitch Gelman, president and CEO of WCNY. “We are honored to recognize these extraordinary individuals while bringing our community together to celebrate their leadership, sacrifice and lasting impact.”

“I am humbled to be recognized as an advocate for Honor Flight Syracuse and Central New York veterans,” says Chancellor Haynie. “I have always believed that the debt we owe to those who have served and sacrificed for our nation’s defense can never be repaid, but it certainly can and should be acknowledged and honored. That’s what has driven Syracuse University to be a leader in veteran education, and that’s why I’m so proud to be a supporter of Honor Flight Syracuse.”

An influential researcher and scholar, Haynie assumed the chancellorship of Syracuse University on May 11. He is the founder of the and has an extensive record of national public service.

His advocacy for service members and veterans also includes serving as chairman of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Federal Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach; vice chairman and later chairman of a White House Presidential Task Force on long-term reform at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and membership on the George W. Bush Institute Advisory Council and the VA’s Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Education. Before entering academia, Haynie served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force for 14 years.

Smullen G’74 is a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Army and U.S. State Department for more than 32 years. His last assignment on active duty was special assistant to the 11th and 12th Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William J. Crowe Jr. and General Colin L. Powell. He served as director of Syracuse’s in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs from 2003-21 and taught in the . He is the former CEO of Clear Path for Veterans.

“For so many years WCNY has been a partner in amplifying the Honor Flight mission, in telling the stories of Central New York veterans and in helping our community understand the contributions of those who have served,” Haynie says. “Today we’re working to ensure that mission can continue so every veteran who wants to be part of the Honor Flight experience has not only that opportunity but the chance to share their story through WCNY.”

, associate professor of writing and rhetoric in the (A&S), has been awarded the $10,000 Syracuse Prize from CNY Arts. Berry was recognized for his work with��, a community-engaged writing and multimodal publishing initiative that supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.

The inaugural Syracuse Prize honors community members who have made significant contributions to the cultural vitality and civic life of the City of Syracuse.��Berry accepted the award at a ceremony on May 14, with the recognition receiving coverage from regional media outlets, including and NewsChannel 9, both during a ��and on its ������Dz�������.

Founded by Berry in 2022, Project Mend is an open-access national archive developed in partnership with the����in Syracuse. The initiative centers the creative and scholarly work of people directly impacted by incarceration, offering paid editorial and design apprenticeships that provide participants with professional skills and pathways to future opportunity.

“I believe the arts should be accessible to everyone, including those rebuilding their lives after prison,” says Berry. “Initiatives like Project Mend remind us that creativity, storytelling and multimodal publishing are powerful forms of education, healing and community.”

A central component of the initiative is��“Mend,” a print and digital journal that publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art by incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. This spring, Project Mend celebrated the release of��“Mend’s”��, marking a significant milestone in the project’s continued growth and national reach.

Project Mend also serves as a high-impact experiential learning site for students. Many students first encounter the project through Berry’s courses in A&S and continue through internships and apprenticeships, translating their work with “Mend” into career pathways in publishing, communications, social services, nonprofit leadership and graduate study.

The Syracuse Prize is the latest in a series of honors recognizing Berry’s leadership on Project Mend. In 2025, he received the Outstanding College–Community Partnership Award from the Coalition for Community Writing, which recognized Project Mend’s collaborative and reciprocal engagement with justice-impacted communities. Berry has also received support through the University’s Office of Research’s Good to Great Grant Program, which supports high-impact initiatives with strong potential for national reach.

Additional funding has come from a Humanities New York Post-Incarceration Humanities Partnership, supported by the Mellon Foundation and the CNY Humanities Corridor. On campus, the project is further supported by the Engaged Humanities Network, the Humanities Center, the SOURCE, Syracuse University Libraries and the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition.

As the initiative continues to expand, so do opportunities for innovative forms of engagement. In spring 2026, Berry launched “,” a podcast that offers members of the team a space to reflect on themes explored in��“Mend.” The first episode, released in March and titled “Mental Health and Solidarity in Prison,” was inspired by Rebekha Nilsen’s 2026��“Mend”��article “,” extending the essay’s exploration of loss, care and resistance through collective conversation.

Berry is also developing a book,��“Literacy and the Humanities After Prison,” which examines how literacy and humanities-based practices shape the lives of people impacted by the criminal legal system.

James Tarby Jr. ’27 took notice in 2021 when Syracuse University began partnering with his unit, the 174th Attack Wing of the Air National Guard. The new program offered guard members tuition assistance that brought the University’s cost down to no more than the SUNY tuition rate. A year later, the University on his base.

Tarby watched as a few of his fellow airmen enrolled to pursue their degrees. By 2022, he decided it was his turn to finish a bachelor’s with the College of Professional Studies, which he had attempted to complete elsewhere previously.

This time, it stuck, and Tarby’s persistence has paid off as he has worked toward his bachelor of science in cybersecurity administration, with a minor in knowledge management. He is this year’s recipient of the Dr. Frank E. Funk Military Student Excellence Award from the .

The award honors Funk, who served as a navigator with the 463rd Bomb Group of the 15th Air Corps during World War II. He was shot down over Czechoslovakia and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war, later attending Syracuse on the G.I. Bill. The award recognizes Syracuse students who are current members of the military as they pursue their undergraduate degree with the College of Professional Studies, acknowledging those who exemplify the “highest standards of dedication, leadership and perseverance” as they balance the demands of their job and school.

Receiving the award is not something Tarby, who has served in the military for the last 26 years, takes lightly.

“That means a lot,” Tarby says. “My grandfathers were both military. One was World War II, one was in Korea, both in the Army. And for Dr. Frank Funk to have lived through what he lived through in World War II and persevering—it means a lot.”

Achieving What Felt Out of Reach

Tarby says it feels somewhat ironic to be recognized for his academic achievements now.

“I really was not a student who enjoyed school through high school,” he says. “I always was the kid that did the bare minimum, just to be able to play sports.”

After high school, he started out at SUNY Morrisville, but found it wasn’t right for him. He joined the Marines in 2000. He tried college again in the spring of 2005, after returning from a deployment to Africa, attending Columbia College of Missouri, which was on the base of the 174th Attack Wing.

In 2007, after his enlistment with the Marines ended, he joined the 174th Attack Wing, and attempted college again in 2017 through Southern New Hampshire University, but a deployment to Afghanistan interrupted his studies.

“To be here is just phenomenal,” Tarby says.

Tarby may not have considered himself a natural student, but Jonah Fugo, Tarby’s academic advisor, says his mentee “consistently stands out as a top student who approaches every class with dedication, balance and maturity.”

He always looked forward to meeting with Tarby, who he describes as “kind, flexible and responsive.”

“James is a model student in every sense,” Fugo says. “He embodies the qualities we hope to see in all of our learners, and it has been a privilege to support him in his academic journey.”

Tarby says settling on cybersecurity for a major was easy, given the work he does with the 174th Communication Squadron. He only recently learned he was just two classes short of having his minor in knowledge management, so he is pursuing those credits past this spring.

Tarby says he’s had an incredible experience with his advisors and instructors at Syracuse. Learning from teachers across the world with real-world knowledge who “genuinely care” has been a highlight, he says. One professor, he recalled, was in South Africa and was up at 3 a.m. to teach the class at 6 p.m. on the East Coast.

“It shows you how much they actually care to be doing it,” Tarby says. “There’s several other instructors that have provided information on getting certifications and pushing you into the real world, and they live the actual real world experience of the career field. So all around, it’s just been great.”

Setting An Example

Once he’s done with schoolwork, Tarby says he’s looking forward to being able to focus again on his family, bowling and coaching.�� Tarby is an amateur bowler, playing in a national tournament yearly, and he also is the head coach for the Chittenango High School trap team.

“It’ll be nice to just relax a little bit and not have to worry about the rush to make sure I’m getting stuff done on time,” he says.

Tarby says the best advice he has for those considering returning to school while working and balancing other life responsibilities is to be persistent.

“Don’t give up,” he says. “Look to the people around you. My wife has several degrees and she’s pushed me quite a bit, so look to the people around you for support. That’s the biggest thing you’ll find, that even if you have kids, the kids will push you hard, too.”

Showing his own kids that he could return and finish his degree was a significant motivator, he says.

“I wanted them to be able to see that it can be done, even as I consider myself the old guy, being able to have it done,” Tarby says. “My daughter graduates from high school in ’28 so for me, it was a push to be like, ‘Alright, gotta get it done before she graduates high school.’ It’s just that push, that’s what the drive has been.”

Three Newhouse School students set out to tell stories often overlooked: a business owner surviving a wildfire’s economic fallout, a traveling veterinarian’s life serving rural communities and a man lifting others out of homelessness. What they filmed earned top honors from the White House News Photographers Association—and lessons about the privilege of sharing someone’s story.

The annually recognizes the best in visual journalism with its “The Eyes of History” contest, and its calls out emerging journalists for their storytelling with video and photography.

The three honorees—Jess Van ’26, a photography major in the visual communications department; Kaitlin Campbell ’26, a broadcast and digital journalism major; and Alex Fairchild ’29, an active duty Marine Corps sergeant in the program—each approached their stories with the aim of looking past the obvious narrative and shared conviction that the people in front of their cameras deserved to have their stories told.

Jess Van: ��

Van was awarded first place in the category of in-depth features and documentary for her film “After the Ashes” on the economic impacts of the Los Angeles wildfires to small business owners in Pacific Palisades. The 13-minute documentary, which served as Van’s capstone project, follows Ruby, a nail salon owner whose building miraculously survived the flames but was still severely disrupted by the disaster.

Van, who is from Cambodia, has a personal connection to the Palisades. When she first came to the U.S. for school, she connected with two mentors who lived in the area.

She visited in March 2025 during spring break, months after the destructive fires swept through the community. Both mentors lost their homes in the fire.

“I always felt like it’s my second home,” Van says. “It was heartbreaking to see the town and the people that lost their homes. It’s not just property, it’s about memories and the connection that you have.”

Van, who minored in geography, decided to make a film focused on the impact to those who worked, but didn’t live, in the affluent neighborhood.

“The backbone of the place, like the gardener, the nail salon owner, the restaurant worker, who also were impacted by this fire,” Van says.

Through one of her mentors, she connected with Ruby, a nail salon owner, whose business survived the fires, even though everything around it burned to the ground. Still, the impact to Ruby’s livelihood was severe as the community’s local economy ground to a halt following the fires.

“It’s a privilege for me to be let in to someone else’s life,” Van says. “It’s their story, and the fact that they feel like comfortable enough to share their vulnerability with me is a privilege.”

In all, she spent 14 months working on the documentary, which she plans to continue submitting to film festivals.

“Hearing what people say after they watch the film, ‘I never thought about this’ and ‘This angle is very rewarding,’ we all know the disaster affects everyone, regardless of their economic background,” Van says. “But to have the opportunity to capture [it] in a way that people don’t really think about is the most important part. That’s the goal of the film, and to have that accomplished, and hearing that feedback, just feel really good.”

Kaitlin Campbell:

Campbell was awarded first place for her story “” in the category of broadcast news storytelling. Campbell wanted to do a feature story to push herself outside of the daily headlines she typically worked on. Driving around upstate New York, she was struck by the farms she passed and began brainstorming stories.

She began to notice, as she looked up farms in the area, that even separated by hundreds of miles, they listed the same veterinarian: Melanie Parker.

Campbell filmed Parker over the course of a few days and then put together the three-and-a-half minute feature. The story ultimately aired on , Newhouse’s broadcast and digital news outlet.

The best part of working on the story was getting to know Parker, Campbell says. Parker is someone, she says, who “hypes up other people, but doesn’t hype up herself.”

Having her story recognized by the White House News Photographers Association affirms for Campbell that she’s “doing the right thing” with her career.

“It just makes me feel like, ‘OK, I’m where I’m supposed to be,’” she says. “I’m supposed to be producing stories like these. I’m supposed to be getting out in the community and pushing myself.”

Alex Fairchild:

Fairchild was awarded second place in the category of broadcast news storytelling for his story “Hire Ground: A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out.”

Fairchild, an active duty sergeant in the Marine Corps, worked on the feature with classmates Dillon Buck and Devin Andrews as part of a broadcast journalism class with , associate professor and chair of broadcast and digital journalism at Newhouse. At the time, Fairchild was participating in the Advanced Military Visual Journalism program, but he is now pursuing an online .

The original goal, he says, was to do a story related to , a local nonprofit that hosts programs that help unhoused individuals in the Syracuse area.

“All of us had the mindset that the story is always more important than getting an assignment done,” he says.

The nonprofit connected Fairchild and his classmates to Kevin, a man who used to be unhoused but who now helps others through Hire Ground, a jobs program run by In My Father’s Kitchen. The story ended up airing on Spectrum News.

“The most rewarding part was actually being out there and participating in the work that In My Father’s Kitchen was doing,” Fairchild says. “Yes, we reached out to do a story on Kevin, but it ended up being an eye-opening experience for all of us and we met people that we’ll never forget.”

The University’s honored five of its alumni on April 30�� ,�� the school’s signature alumni recognition event. Held at the Syracuse University Washington, D.C., Center, the evening brought together members of the Maxwell community—alumni, faculty, advisory board members and friends of the school—for a lively, standing-room only celebration of careers that have spanned climate finance, diplomacy, food security, public administration and the law.

Dean David M. Van Slyke welcomed guests and set the tone for the evening with remarks that acknowledged both the weight of the current moment and the enduring relevance of Maxwell’s mission.

“We are gathering tonight at a moment when the ideals that animate this school—free inquiry, rigorous evidence, the willingness to engage across differences—remain under considerable pressure,” Van Slyke said. “Taken together, these five careers span climate, diplomacy, food security, equity and the law, but they share something more fundamental: a willingness to engage the hardest problems of our time with rigor, integrity and a genuine sense of public responsibility. That is what Maxwell prepares people to do, and these honorees have done it at the highest levels.”

Emily Fredenberg | Compass Award

The evening’s first honoree was Emily Fredenberg G’16, recipient of the Maxwell Compass Award, which recognizes an early-career alumna for professional accomplishments and impact. As senior officer of programs and advocacy at the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, Fredenberg has spent the decade since earning her M.P.A. degree and a master’s degree in international relations at Maxwell working to ensure that the world’s most vulnerable children have access to school meals—serving with the World Food Programme in Lebanon and Rwanda before moving to her current global role.

Reflecting on her time at Maxwell, Fredenberg credited not only her education but the community it gave her. She also offered a personal note: her husband, Sean Mills, a Syracuse University College of Law graduate, was at home in Alaska caring for their five-month-old son, Rhys.

“Becoming a new mom, this past year has made my work feel even more urgent,” Fredenberg said. “Holding my infant son, I feel the weight—and the hope—of the world he will grow up in which continues to motivate me. Maxwell helped shape my compass. It’s the place that taught me that service is not just a career path. It’s a lifelong journey.”

Susan T. Gooden | Charles V. Willie Advocate Award

Susan T. Gooden ��G’95, G’96, who received a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the Maxwell School, was awarded the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, named for the late Maxwell scholar and community activist. The award honors individuals whose contributions reflect Maxwell’s commitment to an environment that is welcoming to all and oriented toward engaged citizenship. Gooden is dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, a founding editor of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration, and a past president of the American Society for Public Administration.

Accepting the award, Gooden reflected on what the honor meant in the context of its namesake’s legacy—and of what citizenship demands.

“Maxwell instilled in me the belief that scholarship must engage the world it seeks to improve, and that it must inform policy, strengthen institutions and expand opportunity,” she said. “I accept this award with gratitude and with a continued commitment to advancing a public service that is thoughtful, engaged, grounded in equity and worthy of the communities it serves.”

Jeff Eckel | Bridge Award

Jeff Eckel G’82, founder and longtime CEO of HASI, received the Maxwell Bridge Award, which honors outstanding, transformative leadership in business with a commitment to advancing the public good. Eckel, who earned an M.P.A. from Maxwell, pioneered the use of finance as a tool for accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy, including overseeing HASI’s 2013 public offering as the first dedicated climate solutions investor and developing CarbonCount, a tool for measuring how efficiently capital investments reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In his remarks, Eckel drew a direct line from his Maxwell education to the investment philosophy that has guided his career.

“The Maxwell School instilled in me the idea that the public and private sectors do not have to be opposing forces,” he said. “Our investment thesis is that in a world increasingly defined by climate change, we will make superior returns investing in climate solutions—that you can do well by doing good, and that capital can be a powerful tool in the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

The public relations programs at the University’s have been recognized as the best in the country by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The Newhouse����and����public relations programs each received prestigious Silver Anvil Awards during the����on May 14 in New York City. The honor goes to the nation’s outstanding higher education programs in public relations.

, a professor of practice and chair of the PR department, and��, assistant teaching professor and director of the PR master’s program, accepted the awards for the Newhouse School.

PRSA is the leading professional organization serving the communications community through a network of more than 400 professional and student chapters in the United States and around the world. The Anvil Awards represent the highest standard of performance in the public relations profession.

The University’s����announced the winners of the 2026��, which recognize excellence in media industry reporting.

The top prizes were announced Tuesday night at an event in New York City that also featured a conversation with NBC News journalist and “Dateline” anchor Lester Holt,��.

Cheryl Wills ’89, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor for Spectrum News NY1, served as master of ceremonies.

Finalists were��. Chosen by a panel of journalists and journalism educators, the winners of the juried categories are:

Best Single Article/Story

Jesse Barron
The New York Times Magazine
“”

Best Profile

Antonia Hitchens
The New Yorker
“”

Best Commentary

Pamela Alma Weymouth
The Nation Magazine
“”

Best Media Newsletter

Oliver Darcy
Status

• “
• “
• “

Special Topic: Best Coverage of the Future of Late-Night Television

Kayla Cobb and Adam Chitwood
TheWrap
“”

John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting

Josh Dzieza
The Verge
““

Additionally, the following�� were formally presented:

Fred Dressler Leadership Award

NBC News award-winning journalist and “Dateline” anchor

Lorraine Branham Award

About the Mirror Awards

Established by the Newhouse School in 2006, the����honor the writers, reporters and editors who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public’s benefit. The competition is open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries in a format intended for a mass audience. Eligible work includes print, broadcast and online editorial content focusing on the development or distribution of news and entertainment. Winners are chosen by a group of journalists and journalism educators.