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America turns 250 this Independence Day, and Central New York is making sure the milestone gets the sky-high sendoff it deserves. From Skaneateles Lake to Brewerton, fireworks displays will light up the region all week long, and here’s where to plant your lawn chair.

Cayuga County

Auburn

The will perform at Emerson Park (6877 E. Lake Road) at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, with fireworks to follow. A reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place on Saturday, July 4, at 11 a.m. at the Ledyard Town Hall (1099 Poplar Ridge Road) in Aurora.

Fair Haven

will occur at 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.

Cortland County

Preble

Fireworks will be held at dusk on Saturday, July 4, at Dwyer Memorial Park (6799 Little York Lake Road). will precede the fireworks show.

Madison County

Cazenovia

will be held at dusk on Saturday, July 4, at Lakeland Park. Music by the Maria DeSantis Orchestra will precede the fireworks from 7 to 9 p.m.

Chittenango

Live music from Downshift on Tuesday, July 7, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. , with fireworks to follow at 9:30 p.m. occur at Recognition Park on Legion Drive.

Onondaga County

Brewerton

will be held on Friday, July 3, at dusk.

East Syracuse

The takes place on Wednesday, July 1, at 6:15 p.m. There will be a concert featuring music from Mood Swing, followed by fireworks, at Carrier Park (1033 Kinne St.).

The is Saturday, July 11, at 9:30 p.m. on the East Syracuse Elementary School field (230 Kinne St.). Music by Faded Vinyl will precede the fireworks from 6:15 to 9:15 p.m.

Manlius

The Village of Manlius’ show starts with a parade at 5 p.m., with fireworks to follow at dusk at the Village of Manlius (1 Arkie Albanese Dr.).

Skaneateles

The takes place on Thursday, July 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Skaneateles Community Center (97 State St.). An open house will feature activities, food and entertainment. Fireworks to follow at 9:30 p.m. at Austin Park.

Syracuse

An Independence Day Celebration and fireworks display will follow the Syracuse Mets vs. Worcester Red Sox games at NBT Bank Stadium, on Thursday, July 2; Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. Game time is at 6:35 p.m. each day. Fireworks will also be held after the games on the following dates: July 17-18, Aug. 7-8, Aug. 19, and Aug. 21-22, and Sept. 4-6 and 18-19. .

Oswego County

Mexico

will occur on Sunday, July 5, at 9:30 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 369 (5931 Scenic Ave.).

Oswego

, featuring a parade, block party and live music, occurs during the day on Sunday, July 5, with fireworks to follow at 9:45 p.m.

Sandy Creek

will occur on Wednesday, July 1, at 9:30 p.m. at the Oswego County Fairgrounds.

“Why have you traveled so far to be here? Why are you here?” Rev. Akhona Masiza asked the , local choirs and concertgoers at the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. “The world is out of tune. And yet, I marvel at the sight in this room.”

It was truly marvelous. In May, over 50 members of the Hendricks Chapel Choir (HCC) visited South Africa—the choir’s first-ever visit to the African continent. The HCC performed six times in 11 days, from Johannesburg to Cape Town and several places in between. HCC Director José “Peppie” Calvar set the tone before departure: “During these trips, the choir is building a global network of kindness that lasts for a lifetime. Our choir students will develop lasting connections with each other and with the South African students they meet along the way,” he said.

Lasting Connections and Beautiful Concerts

The tour’s first dual-billed concert featured the University of Johannesburg Choir and the HCC performing as peers—comparing notes and breaking bread before sharing the stage. Each choir performed separately, then combined their voices to sing “Tshotsholoza,” a well-known South African song traditionally sung by migrant workers. Baritone Samuel Mincey ’28 featured prominently in the lively number.

At Aan-die-Berg Gemeente, a Dutch Reformed church in Randburg, baritone Nick Dekaney ’26 sang his first solo on South African soil, performing “Hlohonofatsa,” a traditional South African song. The choir then visited Rietondale High School, where the energy was electric from the moment they arrived. Destiny, a Rietondale student, declared that she plans to sing forever, inspired by what she heard.

“An experience I will carry with me is singing with the Rietondale High School Choir,” said HCC member Aurelia Harp ’28. “Each and every student in that choir carries a true passion for music and everyone wanted to sing. The students had such a positive energy and it made me feel very welcome in their community and excited to sing.”

Culture, History and the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir

Between concerts, choir members immersed themselves in South Africa’s rich and complicated history. They visited the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s house and Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s house in Soweto, went on a safari in Pilanesburg, toured the Union Buildings in Pretoria and hiked in the Drakensberg Mountains. HCC members picked up greetings in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans, often wearing their “be kind.” shirts—wearing their hearts on their sleeves, both figuratively and literally.

A highlight of the Pietermaritzburg leg was a workshop with the internationally acclaimed Drakensberg Boys’ Choir. The two groups combined for vocal and physical warmups, exchanged songs and sang “Tshotsholoza” together, a fitting echo of the tour’s spirit of connection. The HCC also performed that evening at the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary alongside several local choirs, where soprano Eleanor Cjzakowski ’24 G’29 captivated the audience with the traditional spiritual hymn “I’ve Been in the Storm So Long.” Rev. Masiza’s challenge to the choir lingered long after the concert ended: they had come, he suggested, to relearn the dance of love and to make God known again as song.

Cape Town: The Final Leg

The final concert was held at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town—a venue rich with history from the anti-apartheid movement and long directed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Much like Hendricks Chapel, the cathedral is known as a place of prayer and a space where people of all faiths meet in common acceptance. The HCC shared the stage with the University of the Western Cape Creative Arts Choir, and well-known South African musician Zolani Mahola was thrilled to hear both groups perform the traditional isiXhosa tune “Bawo.” Organists Anne Laver, associate professor in the Setnor School of Music and University organist; Annie Spink G’26 and Michael Guarneiri ’28 also showcased their skills on the cathedral’s stunning instrument.

For several choir members who had graduated just a week before the trip, the Cape Town concert was more than the last show of the tour—it was the last time they would sing together in their current formation. The Western Cape choir students sent them off with a blessing before the evening wound down to a celebratory wrap-up dinner, where the surprises kept coming: a birthday serenade for Laver and a spontaneous announcement from Bryce Meuschke G’26, who shouted, “I got the job!” The choir erupted in applause.

A Legacy of Giving

“One of the things we hope with trips like this is for you to forge lasting friendships with each other,” said Calvar at the tour’s closing dinner. “The Hendricks Chapel Choir has a long legacy of these trips because people a long time ago had a great experience and they later gave a gift to support this trip. At some point we hope you can help the choir travel again and create new experiences.” Calvar closed with a line from the Prayer of St. Francis: “It is in giving of ourselves that we receive.” The Hendricks Chapel Choir is already looking ahead to Hendricks Chapel’s 100th anniversary tour to New Zealand in 2030.

Tashia Thomas Neal was born and raised in Syracuse. But despite supporting the city’s South Side for years, it wasn’t until she set foot on the soil at  to take pictures as part of the Southside Stories project that she learned about the urban farm tucked in the neighborhood.

She says that moment of community discovery is one of the key strengths of the Southside Stories, a community storytelling initiative that pairs Syracuse residents with professional photojournalists to document the people, places and programs enriching the neighborhood. The stories and images produced are then published on ,���ٳ��������Dz�������’���� and website.

The program launched in spring 2025, emerging from Southside Connections, a collaboration between Syracuse University’s  and 30 organizations across the city’s South Side. Residents are given the technical skills to document and celebrate the community, and give greater visibility to the mutual aid and everyday resilience happening in the neighborhood, which includes the historic 15th Ward.

For Thomas Neal, who was part of a recent cohort of residents trained through the project, the experience was gratifying.

“I’m gaining skills I can use for my own photography, even if I’m using my iPhone. I’m meeting new people in the group, and I’m also meeting people in the community I wouldn’t have met otherwise,” Thomas Neal says.

How It Works

, co-founder of Southside Stories, director of the Engaged Humanities Network and associate professor and Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences, says building up the capacity for residents to tell the stories of their own neighborhood is incredibly important. Not just for communicating to audiences outside the neighborhood but for “telling the story of the community to the community itself” as a way of building pride of place and recognizing the values and skills present.

Nordquist co-directs Southside Stories alongside co-founders Amy Toensing and Matt Moyer ’94, longtime photojournalists and documentary filmmakers who have worked for National Geographic for decades. Toensing previously was a faculty member at the , while Moyer is currently an adjunct professor. Together they run , working with Newhouse graduate Kayla Breen G’24.

Toensing and Moyer originally connected with Nordquist through a different Engaged Humanities Network collaboration with Syracuse University Art Museum, theprogram. Together, the three came up with the model of training community members for the Southside Stories project, which invites cohorts of participants—from high school-age students to older adults—to learn the basics of photography and visual storytelling.

The cohorts then pair with the photojournalists for field experiences to cover different stories in the neighborhood. Afterward, they review their work, critiquing it alongside the facilitators, and return to the field to get more images.

“What we’re doing is not only giving the foundation of understanding how composition and light and color and moment are going to influence an image and what it communicates; we’re also talking about the broader stories that exist, and then teaming up with them to give instruction and let them find their own story in this process,” Moyer says.

Toensing says discovery is an important part of the program as the cohort highlights the stories in the community.

“They’re getting outside of themselves, which is important for all of us, to leave our egos behind and become conduits for other people’s stories and to allow people to be seen,” she says.

What Participants Say

For Thomas Neal, the program has aligned with her professional work, but she says the storytelling project has helped her meet people who are doing work outside of her field and typical day-to-day.

“Being able to meet people who are doing great things and see the impact on other people in the community has been fantastic,” she says.

Over a dozen SU undergraduate and graduate students have been involved in projects associated with Southside Connections over the past two and a half years, and two—Destinyi Fernandez ’27 and Sandra Oduro G’28—have played significant roles in shaping the Southside Stories project as research assistants.

Fernandez is studying art photography in the  and serving as the undergraduate research assistant on the project. She participated in the Photography and Literacy program in high school, learning from Moyer and Nordquist before she arrived at the University. She says the experience with Southside Stories challenged her in new ways and helped her gain valuable skills for her photography, pointing to when she took photos at Ze Mart and had to approach and interview people.

“That definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, because as a photographer, I’m usually more of an observer,” she says. “This experience encouraged me to engage more directly with people through interviewing and storytelling, giving me guidance for communicating with people and conducting interviews.”

The experience has underscored that she doesn’t want to just produce a “pretty image.”

“I want it to have an impact,” Fernandez says. “I feel like I’ve learned so much from both [Southside Stories and the Photography and Literacy program] and how I can apply that to my academic life and my career moving forward.”

Why It Matters

So far, the program has published five stories on Salt, with half a dozen still in progress. Nordquist says as the program grows, he hopes different forms of storytelling will ultimately join the visual, documentary stories.

“Our intent with Southside Stories is to celebrate the people and the projects and the businesses and the organizations in South Side and the resiliency and the challenges, all of it,” Toensing says.

Ultimately, Nordquist says the hope is the program can become a self-sustaining, neighborhood-run network of storytellers.

“Collective action follows collective storytelling,” he says. “They’re intertwined and inseparable. So if we want to make real, lasting improvement of the city, of the region and of the University, then we have to take storytelling seriously, and we have to respect the power of stories.”

More than 350 industry leaders, researchers, manufacturers, startups, investors and government partners gathered in Rochester last week for the , a two-day event showcasing the rapid growth of one of the nation’s fastest-expanding semiconductor ecosystems. Syracuse University played a central role, leading the summit’s Innovation Expo and connecting University research with the companies and entrepreneurs working to turn it into products and jobs.

The summit highlighted the scale of activity stretching across Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester and Ithaca, making it clear that New York’s semiconductor ecosystem continues to grow stronger, with proliferating connections among research, manufacturing and workforce development.

Turning Research into Products

On day one, the Innovation Expo took center stage, featuring lightning talks from companies, universities and industry partners, including AIXTRON, Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, Syracuse University, the University at Buffalo, TOPTICA Photonics, TunaBotics, Nicslab, Era73 Technologies and others. Together they showcased emerging technologies, research breakthroughs and commercialization opportunities spanning photonics and integrated chip design, advanced materials and semiconductor devices, robotics and automation, testing and instrumentation, extended reality, and semiconductor manufacturing processes.

“The Innovation Expo provided a forum for scientists and engineers across academia, startups and established companies to learn about each other’s capabilities and needs and form partnerships for turning research into products and products into jobs,” says , vice president for research and principal investigator for the NY SMART I-Corridor’s .

Connecting Suppliers With Growing Demand

Day two featured the Supply Chain Exchange, where exhibitor showcases, one-on-one matchmaking meetings and panel discussions helped connect regional suppliers with growing industry demand. Companies including GlobalFoundries, Edwards Vacuum and Universal Instruments discussed purchasing needs and met directly with potential suppliers from across the corridor.

For businesses looking to enter or expand within the industry, the opportunities are no longer theoretical. Companies are actively seeking partners to supply bulk chemicals and industrial gases, logistics and warehousing, machined parts, robotics and automation systems, electronic components, electrical systems and sensors and advanced materials and thermal management solutions.

Workforce and Momentum

As semiconductor investments continue across New York, employers, educators and workforce organizations are focused on building the talent pipeline needed to meet future demand. As the summit discussion turned toward practical solutions and partnerships, perhaps the biggest takeaway was the sense of momentum. Across the corridor, organizations are making investments, launching initiatives and finding new ways to support the industry’s growth.

“The conversations that took place throughout the summit reinforced the tremendous momentum building across the NY SMART I-Corridor,” says Joe Stefko, president and CEO of OneROC and regional innovation officer for the NY SMART I-Corridor. “From supply chain development and workforce growth to research commercialization and international collaboration, the summit demonstrated how partners across sectors are working together to strengthen New York’s position in the global semiconductor industry.”

About NY SMART I-Corridor

The is a coalition of more than 100 organizations spanning businesses, higher education institutions, economic development groups and community-based organizations, convened by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, CenterState CEO and OneROC. Together, the coalition is positioning Upstate New York as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, innovation and workforce development.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) , authorized by the , provides funding for regional technology development with matching support from the Empire State Development

Where you live affects how healthy you are. That idea sits at the center of Miriam Mutambudzi’s research—and behind the two-year project she led as the 2024–26 .

is an associate professor of public health in the . Her work explores how conditions like housing, employment and economic stability shape people’s health over their lifetimes.

For the Lender fellowship, she and a team of student fellows set out to examine housing as a structural determinant of health, reviewing the research evidence and engaging directly with community members to understand how this plays out in Syracuse.

Working in partnership with the University’s and the , the team reviewed research on housing and health, then engaged community members directly through the (TMR) series. The fellowship culminated when student fellows presented as panelists at a TMR session—offering their findings to the public as emerging experts in the field.

We spoke with Mutambudzi recently about the team’s work.

What did the community tell you that the data couldn’t?

Community voices from sessions like “The Conditions of Home: Health, Safety and Access” described how housing quality, environmental safety, neighborhood conditions and instability affect daily stress, food access and overall health and well-being in ways that do not show up in traditional datasets.

These conversations also revealed gaps in existing evidence, particularly around how local housing policies, service systems and lived experiences intersect in Syracuse—areas that would benefit from further research to better quantify these issues and understand their impact.

How did TMR become part of that work?

As the landscape for relevant research shifted in ways outside our control, it became clear that data analysis alone was insufficient to fully capture the lived realities of housing disparities in Syracuse. TMR was a natural fit, as the focus was on housing and provided an opportunity to incorporate community-engaged work in a meaningful way, one I don’t think we could have replicated any other way.

What role did the student fellows play?

They were genuine research partners, leading development of data briefings drawn from publicly available sources and peer-reviewed literature, then building presentations for the TMR sessions that framed topics for the roundtable’s participants.

Prior to each session, fellows met with panelists to learn about their lived experience in Syracuse and their work, using these conversations to develop informed moderator questions for the roundtable discussions. That process ensured that each session reflected both rigorous evidence and real community knowledge.

How has this project informed your ongoing research?

This work has helped me see how housing shapes health and everyday life beyond what quantitative data alone can fully capture. It has broadened my understanding of how housing, as a structural determinant, independently shapes health outcomes and survival. I look forward to bringing these community insights into that ongoing research.

What does this work mean for people living in Syracuse, and other areas like it?

The patterns we are seeing in Syracuse connect to broader research on how structural disparity in housing shape health and survival across communities. This work points to the need for both local action and research that can better quantify these impacts and inform policy and practice.

Student Fellows

The 2024–26 Lender student fellow team consists of:

• Tomiwa “Tommy” DaSilva ’26, a double major in public health and policy studies and citizenship and civic engagement in the Maxwell School
• Adara “Darla” Hobbs ’22, G’26, a graduate student in Pan-African studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and recipient of a certificate of advanced studies in public management and policy from the Maxwell School. She is an alumna of the communication and rhetorical studies program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Jamea Candy Johnson ’25, G’26, a graduate student in public health in the Maxwell School and an alumna of the psychology program in A&S
• Sabrina Lussier ’26, a triple major in geography, citizenship and civic engagement, and environmental sustainability and policy in the Maxwell School
• Shreya Potluri ’27, an architecture major in the School of Architecture

Faculty in the (VPA) and the (A&S) have received (NEA) grants to support their community-engaged creative arts programs.

The awards—$20,000 for a collaborative filmmaking production program aimed at Syracuse City youth and $18,200 for two years of artist residencies at a campus-affiliated cultural center—reflect the University’s commitment to connecting academic and creative work with the Central New York community.

Teens With a Movie Camera

Now in its third year, “” brings about a dozen local high school students to campus each summer for a three-week media arts production collaboration. Working with film faculty and University students, teens ages 13 to 18 make original short films using smartphones and everyday objects and then present them publicly.

Their work has been shown at the and at . It has also been screened in national and international film festivals, including the Thomas Edison Film festival, where “” won an honorable mention; and in the New Year/New Work Film Festival at The Film-Makers’ Cooperative in NYC.

The program is co-led by , associate professor in VPA’s Department of Film and Media Arts; VPA film program alumnus G’23 and , a Guggenheim fellow and adjunct professor of photography at Onondaga Community College.

The trio is assisted by undergraduate and graduate film and media arts students. The program aims to empower teens by voicing their ideas through images and public presentation, according to Mišo Suchý. He says production relies heavily on improvisation “because it is undertaken as a zero-budget creative production based on the ethos of the tradition of independent cinema and low-budget experimental filmmaking.”

This summer’s program will explore themes of “defying gravity” and “overcoming the impossible.” Interested teens can apply on the program’s .

Community Folk Art Center

A second NEA grant of $18,200 will support “Rooted & Rising,” an artist residency program at the (CFAC), a University-affiliated cultural hub dedicated to promoting artists of the African Diaspora.

The residency is directed by , executive director of CFAC and assistant professor of African American studies in A&S. The grant will allow a program beginning in summer 2026 continuing through the end of 2027 that will support four artists over the two-year period. In addition to interacting with students in A&S programs, the artists will develop workshops, exhibitions, talks and free public events.

Jackson says the residencies will create meaningful opportunities for Syracuse University students to engage directly with working artists while also expanding access to arts programming for the Central New York community. They also offer the artists “the time, space and institutional support to develop new work grounded in public engagement and cultural dialogue,” Jackson says.

The project reflects CFAC’s mission to bridge scholarship, creative expression and community wellness through support of multidisciplinary artists.

More information about NEA grants and their impact on communities is available on the .

A recent major investment in Syracuse University research infrastructure has resulted in the installation of a field emission scanning electron microscope in the University’s (MRC) facility. The instrument has introduced dramatic new imaging capabilities to researchers at the University and at partner institutions in the region.

The new instrument demonstrates the University’s commitment to supporting and enabling cutting-edge research in important fields like biomedical engineering, materials science and quantum computing, says , director of research operations in the .

The Zeiss will serve researchers across disciplines and career stages, from advanced undergraduates and graduate students to postdoctoral scholars and faculty. The Zeiss also supports the campus research group and Central New York’s rapidly expanding semiconductor and quantum technology ecosystem. The instrument was funded by a $335,000 investment by the Office of Research, the and individual faculty contributors.

On Campus and Beyond

The microscope is part of the Office of Research’s efforts to build shared, core facilities available to users across the University and the greater Syracuse region, says , vice president for research. “Strong core facilities are a force multiplier for our outstanding faculty and student researchers, providing access to state-of-the-art scientific instruments without the burden of having to purchase and maintain them individually.”

“For researchers who once drove an hour to use a scanning electron microscope, that capability is now right here, benefiting researchers on our campus, in our community and throughout the region,” Steinbacher says. It also serves as a recruiting tool because it demonstrates to prospective graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty that state-of-the-art instrumentation is readily accessible at Syracuse, he says.

A Billionth of a Meter

Its resolution of 1.6 nanometers means the Zeiss can zoom down to the nanoscale, revealing details as small as a billionth of a meter, sharp enough to capture images of computer chip components, nanoparticles, bacteria and living cells, Steinbacher says.

It captures the shape and texture of an object’s surface in detailed, three-dimensional images versus thin cross-sections of materials. Because its electron beam works at lower energy levels, the microscope also offers highly detailed viewing of soft or non-metallic materials that typically are difficult or impossible to examine with older equipment, Steinbacher says.

Conventional electron microscopes require samples to be stripped of all moisture and placed under high vacuum, but some materials fall apart or change when dried out. Zeiss permits variable pressure imaging, so air pressure inside the imaging chamber can be adjusted to view samples that aren’t bone-dry. That lets researchers examine hydrogels, drug-delivery particles and biological samples in a more natural state. That capacity did not previously exist at Syracuse University or other area institutions, according to Steinbacher.

Who Will Use It

Biomedical and chemical engineering researchers can use the microscope to examine polymer film morphology. Environmental scientists can image rocks and fossils. Others will use it for battery technology research and catalyst design. The group and scientists in electrical engineering, computer science and physics can conduct device characterization—testing device effectiveness and checking for flaws.

, technical director of the , says the Zeiss enables exciting new levels of research. “It lets researchers image the surface appearance of synthetic materials, such as polymers or other engineered materials, and biological samples, such as cells, tissues and organisms, at higher resolution and better definition compared to existing instruments in the area.”

The instrument “is a critical addition to Syracuse’s growing suite of fabrication and characterization tools for next-generation quantum technologies,” says , assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “We’ll use it to image our superconducting devices at the nanometer scale, hunting down the surface defects and contaminants that limit their performance.”

, assistant professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, says the Zeiss will assist in prescreening superconducting qubit devices—the tiny, ultra-cold circuits that are the building blocks of quantum computers—from device batches fabricated elsewhere. “That will help us focus on the most promising devices and let students make the connection between the abstract shapes they draw on computer screens and the actual footprints of the tiny electrical circuits their designs imprint on the chips.”

For more information about of University instruments and facilities, visit the Core Facilities webpage.

When Candace Campbell Jackson arrived on the Syracuse University campus in 2015, she was uniquely qualified to take on the role of vice president and chief of staff on then-Chancellor Kent Syverud’s senior leadership team.

The chief of staff (COS) role was not common at universities at the time; it was most often found in the military and government. This was a role Campbell Jackson essentially defined in 2004 at the University of Akron, at a time when no other Ohio university had a COS and there were few in the nation.

Campbell Jackson brought to Syracuse deep insight into the significant impact a COS could have on a campus community and beyond. Now, after 11 years, she is concluding her term as and transitioning to a senior advisor to the chancellor role that will support Chancellor J. Michael Haynie’s new leadership team.

“These chief of staff jobs are all-consuming, as they should be,” says Campbell Jackson. “It demands your whole self and you give it, because a university changes lives by nourishing minds, igniting passions, shaping careers, inspiring entrepreneurship and artistic endeavors and enriching communities.”

The trusting relationships Campbell Jackson built with Syverud and the leadership team were the foundation for success. “The leaders you work with deserve your honest assessment of the situation,” says Campbell Jackson. “You have to master team dynamics and seek out the opinions of the entire team. I love it when someone tells me something I didn’t expect to hear and this new knowledge or perspective inspires more thought and deliberation. And if that results in an 11th-hour change of heart or mind, that’s good decision-making.”

“Candace has been one of the most important people in my professional life,” says Chancellor Emeritus Kent Syverud, who ended his tenure as chancellor in April. “When the hardest decisions were in front of us, I always wanted to know what she thought—not because she told me what I wanted to hear, but because I could always trust that she never would. We have navigated some of the most consequential moments in this university’s recent history together, and at every turn she brought clarity, honesty and an unwavering commitment to doing right by Syracuse and its people. Syracuse is better because of her candor, her steadiness and her judgment under pressure. And so am I for having worked alongside her.”

Cultivating Leadership on Campus

In her role as COS, Campbell Jackson facilitated and co-chaired the 150-person , comprising key executives from multiple departments. Her role was to ensure that each team member was able to articulate decisions with clarity and confidence, strengthening internal communications across campus.

“I have known Candace as a colleague and as a friend, and both of those experiences have made me a better professional,” says , who became the University’s 13th chancellor and president in April. “She is the kind of person who makes an institution work through an extraordinary dedication to the people and its mission. She brings a level of genuine care that is rare, and Syracuse has been the beneficiary of that for a long time. I have no doubt Candace will invest herself in her new role of advising me on leadership development, strategic partnerships and community impact matters with the same commitment and heart she brought to this place for the last decade.”

Campbell Jackson also cultivated leadership in new ways on campus, launching the (WiL) Initiative in 2018 to advance professional development for faculty and staff through education, awareness and mentorship. Reflecting on Campbell Jackson’s leadership, WiL participants praised her “genuine appreciation for people and commitment to creating opportunities for growth.”

Despite the enormous pressures on higher education, Campbell Jackson is optimistic for the students, faculty and staff at Syracuse University. “I believe the leadership is poised to take the University to new heights. It has been a pacesetter in so many ways and I can’t wait to see what lies just beyond the horizon.”

Forging Partnerships Beyond Campus

Campbell Jackson extended the impact of WiL well beyond the campus, spearheading a partnership between the and the nationally recognized Women Leaders in Sports organization, which is dedicated to accelerating the potential of women to positively impact sports. The partnership provides Falk students with mentoring, learning and internships, and supports professional development for Falk faculty.

According to , CEO of , “Candace has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to build meaningful partnerships, connect people around a shared vision and create opportunities that leave a lasting legacy. She approaches every conversation with a forward-looking, ‘next play’ mindset that inspires progress, growth and meaningful change. Her legacy will be measured not only by her accomplishments, but by the people and communities she has strengthened along the way, especially her commitment to investing in women leaders.”

It’s the “next play” mindset that has become a mantra of sorts for Campbell Jackson and a fundamental principle in her efforts to cultivate leaders and mentor students. “It is my absolute joy to develop relationships and watch my mentees flourish,” she says.

Car Shapiro ’23, who met Campbell Jackson when visiting Syracuse as a high school student, says, “She took me under her wing and helped time and time again at school, giving me the confidence to be myself. She often said, ‘Take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.’” Shapiro is pursuing a career in New York City with a degree in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises from the and a portfolio of connections.

Nurturing Creativity

The partnerships forged by Campbell Jackson during her tenure at Syracuse run deep in the arts community as well, reflecting her desire to nurture the creative talents and aspirations of students. After learning that the internationally renowned photographer Carrie Mae Weems lives in Syracuse, Campbell Jackson approached Syverud with the idea of creating an Artist-in-Residence program to bring prominent and emerging artists to campus to collaborate with faculty and students.

Syverud gave his full support, and Weems became the inaugural Artist-in-Residence in 2020, recently concluding her residency. She worked with students on several projects, providing new outlets for creative energies on campus and beyond and bringing national attention to the University.

Similarly, Campbell Jackson saw an opportunity to renew a partnership between the University and the prestigious Syracuse International Jazz Fest, now in its 40th year. “It was a chance to spotlight our talented students and faculty and bring them closer to famous artists like Kenny G, Gladys Knight, Herbie Hancock and Trombone Shorty.”

This year, the Syracuse University National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building will host the U.S. Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note on the festival’s opening night. The festival closes with a hosted by , featuring students and community singers. “This partnership is a gift to campus and community, and the opportunity for the connection and collaboration has just been magical,” says Campbell Jackson.

“Candace is a philanthropist in every sense,” says , president and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation. “She is beyond generous and unselfishly gives her time, treasure and expertise to so many. Her core belief is that relationships are foundational to building long-lasting partnerships. I have seen this demonstrated time and time again in her tenure at Syracuse University. She leans into innovation, problem-solving and collaboration in ways that have built and sustained relationships. This is her superpower.”

Leaving a Legacy and Looking Ahead

Campbell Jackson has been recognized for her contributions and impact with Syracuse University’s Chancellor’s Medal for Leadership (2021); the Trailblazer Award from Women Leaders in Sports (2022); by the Syracuse chapter of the American Heart Association (2023); the Fortitude Award from Delta Sigma Theta Syracuse Alumnae (2026); and the Higher Education Opportunity Program Robert L. Boney Service in Perpetuity Award (2026).

She continues to serve institutions beyond the University, as a trustee of Manlius Pebble High School; board of advisory member for the School of Education at her alma mater, Howard University; board member of Women Leaders in Sports and the National Grid Foundation; and member of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council.

Looking back at serving as chief of staff for Chancellor Emeritus Syverud for more than a decade, Campbell Jackson says, “I had a front-row view of his deep commitment to our entire Syracuse University family—students, faculty, staff, alumni, community and global partners. Chancellor Syverud is personally very modest, but he was so bold and ambitious about Syracuse University’s mission and role in this world. It has been the privilege of my career to serve alongside him on his executive team and be inspired by his leadership.”

Campbell Jackson’s “next play” has her looking forward to spending more time with her husband, family and close friends, whom she credits for guiding, inspiring, grounding and supporting her. In the true spirit of the quote, “Joyful is the accumulation of good work,” Campbell Jackson says she has been “blessed with opportunities to have done professionally and personally meaningful work at Syracuse University with people I so love and admire. It has brought me infinite joy and gratitude.”

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.”

hosted ’Cuse Collections this spring for the third year in a row, an event where students can drop off new and gently used items that they no longer need or are unable to take home at the end of the semester.

The collected items are provided to local organizations and nonprofits, and at the two collection sites on campus, Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students donated an estimated 85 bins of items.

Student volunteers helped oversee the drop-off sites and assist organizations in picking up the donated items.

The items (equivalent to over three dump-truck loads) were donated to seven local organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse, John 6:12, Lydia’s Attic, Rescue Mission, SEA Without Borders, Spanish Action League of Onondaga County and Huntington Family Centers, Inc.

“Donations collected through ’Cuse Collections help the Rescue Mission meet immediate needs in our community. Items like blankets, sheets and clothing are used directly in our emergency shelter services, while additional donations help stock Thrifty Shopper stores with affordable goods for local families,” says Luana Lovenguth, chief social enterprise officer at the Rescue Mission. “It’s a meaningful example of community impact and sustainability working together.”

These donations help keep items out of the waste stream, reduce the amount of energy used to create new products and benefit those in the Syracuse community.

If you’re interested in getting involved next year or are an organization that would like to partner with Sustainability Management, please reach out to sustain@syr.edu.

Together, they took a corner bakery-grocery and turned it into a new cornerstone of a Syracuse Northside neighborhood.

The project for design students from Syracuse University’s (VPA) and construction management students from (SUNY ESF) was both an experiential learning opportunity and a chance for them to undertake engaged citizenship in the year they worked with community residents and organizers of , a community nonprofit.

Students redesigned an aging, two-story bakery and apartment structure at 601 Park Street owned by Northside Futures into a modern building serving expanded residential and commercial needs. Northside Futures is a collaborative project of the Northside Learning Center and Justice Capital that focuses on workforce training and small business development, housing, remediation and property management, and community wellness and safety for residents of Syracuse’s Northside neighborhood.

The project provided real-world professional experience through the VPA course DES 451 (also known as “Meaningful Partnership”).

The cross-institutional collaboration also involves SUNY ESF course CME 454, , along with Northside Futures and the University’s .

The Real Thing

“This is not a hypothetical,” says , assistant teaching professor in the School of Design and program coordinator. “It has real users, real challenges and real goals. Students engaged deeply with the community, developed real solutions for real stakeholders and came away with a genuine understanding of what it takes to bring a project to life.”

Founded in 2017 by , professor in  VPA’s , the program became a formal service-learning initiative in 2022 through the Shaw Center. In addition to Dunham, , SUNY ESF associate professor in the Department of Sustainable Resources Management, is a co-teacher. ’84, transportation coordinator at the Shaw Center,  handles logistics.

During its first six years, Meaningful Partnership operated as a three-way collaboration among designers, construction managers and community stakeholders. This year it expanded to four components—with members of the Northside Futures cohort joining as active participants. They learned hands-on construction and trade skills alongside the students while accumulating design literacy for future independent community development. That model is an authentic co-design process where residents are positioned as empowered decision-makers shaping the future of their neighborhood, Lee says.

Two-Semester Overview

In the project, students from both institutions work together for a full year. Last fall, 19 environmental and interior design (EDI) students examined the facility, conducted site visits and client meetings, developed construction blueprints and presented final designs.

In the spring, 17 construction management engineering (CME) students joined them. They used the construction documents to prepare estimates, construction schedules, decide phasing and logistics, suggest value engineering strategies and explore sustainable grants and programs for the project.

Community-Centered Project

Dunham says direct communication with clients is essential to the project’s success.

“During our site visit students were able to speak directly with building owner Northside Futures and the building’s occupants (a residential tenant, the bakery owner and neighbors) and continued to obtain feedback throughout the process,” she says. “That kind of direct engagement with the people who live and work in these spaces is invaluable and it is very much part of what makes this process real.”

In addition to the bakery redesign, students developed alternatives for using an adjacent lot where a dilapidated garage was due for demolition.

Community members suggested building a library, day care center and a community/gym workout space for that structure. The client ultimately chose the idea of a laundromat, Dunham says, since it filled a real need, made sense financially as a revenue stream and was the right fit for the neighborhood.

Human Context

EDI student Ella Mchale says residents’ involvement expanded her understanding of the city and provided a true client experience.

“What we achieved goes so much deeper than just a design project,” she says. “Our community member Fatima helped ground us and gave us the real human context we needed to design with purpose. We took that seriously and created something accessible and meaningful while still bringing our own design concept to the table.”

EDI student and project manager Jolie Ramos says that despite language and cultural differences, “a bond was built based on the betterment of our shared community.”

“That exposure beyond our University bubble gave us the opportunity to not only engage with our community but to form intimate personal connections,” she says. “It was really beautiful to watch the relationships unfold and grow.”

Cultivating Community

“At its core, this project is about community, understanding and creating meaningful impact,” Dunham says. “The community representatives who came into our class shared their culture, needs and challenges and were a true voice for their neighborhood. The connections they formed with our students were genuine and those voices shaped everything. That deeply resonated with our students and it showed in everything they produced.”

Meaningful Partnership’s staying power results from an intentional and ongoing investment of time, interest and shared resources, says Lee.

“Community partnership is something that must be continuously cultivated and is grounded in relationship-building and trust,” she says. “It means sharing resources, lived experience, cultural knowledge and social awareness alongside academic expertise and a commitment to paying that knowledge forward.”

They came walking en masse down the Einhorn Family Walk—a 250-person strong contingent of students, faculty, staff and senior leaders led by Otto the Orange. They walked past the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications complex and past tulips wobbling in a brisk spring wind. They walked toward Crouse-Hinds Hall with a single, steady purpose: to rally in support of Chancellor Kent Syverud.

The “Go Gray in May Walk” was conceived by the Student Government Association (SGA) and held with the support of more than 60 recognized student organizations. The walk on April 28, had a dual purpose: to raise funds for the , in honor of Brain Cancer Awareness Month, and to support Chancellor Syverud, who announced on April 15 that he has been diagnosed with brain cancer and is undergoing treatment at University of Michigan Medicine.

Staff members of Syracuse University in DC also walked on April 28 in support of Chancellor Syverud and in solidarity with the Syracuse campus.

Letters and Messages of Support

In front of the Schine Student Center, before the walk, University community members, many clad in in gray, gathered to write personal letters of caring to Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen. Large posters with such messages as “Facilities Services (heart) U!,” “Stand With Our Orange Family” and “No One Fights Alone” were displayed on the façade of Schine.

“Being here is a deeply meaningful experience for me on both a personal and community level. It gives me the opportunity to stand in support of my first University boss and Chancellor during an incredibly difficult time, while also honoring the memory of my uncle, who lost his life to this disease,” said Liz Costa, office coordinator with Facilities Services. “Being surrounded by others who are here for similar reasons creates a strong sense of connection and shared purpose.”

Offering Prayers

Once gathered at Crouse-Hinds Hall, the Rev. Devon Bartholomew, Christian Protestant chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, thanked those assembled.

“Thank you all for coming today. Thank you Student Government Association for responding to Chancellor Syverud’s diagnosis by asking the right question: How do we respond? You have responded well with conscience and clarity,” Barthlomew said.

He then asked those gathered to join arms in prayer. “We pray for Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Chen and for their continued strength when they feel weakest. Let them experience peace and rest when things are uncertain. Give their sons courage as they support their father and mother. Fill each one with the love and the support that we are sending them from Syracuse when they feel alone.”

Bartholomew asked for prayers for all who are involved in the fight against cancer: for the diagnosed and the undiagnosed, for the families and friends, for the support services, for the doctors and nurses, for the counselors and chaplains, for the researchers and innovators. “We pray that progress is made in the advances of cancer research to prevent cancer and detect it early. We pray for treatments that will give longer life to those fighting cancer. We pray for families who support their loved ones,” he said.

“Lastly, I pray for those in our Orange Family who have been impacted by brain cancer, that they would be cared for by us as they work or study at Syracuse University and ESF,” Bartholomew said.

Max Lachut ’28, vice president-elect of SGA, was one of the walk’s organizers and leaders in the walk to Crouse-Hinds. He wanted to support Chancellor Syverud, appreciative of the Chancellor’s leadership and care for students.

“Chancellor Syverud has been extremely receptive and approachable. I emailed him after a University Senate meeting about a topic I was concerned about. He heard me out and provided valuable insight, and I felt truly heard,” he said. “That level of accessibility shapes the culture of an entire institution. It showed me how he views shared governance, and it is a standard I carry into my own leadership.”

More than 50 of Theta Chi’s Syracuse membership turned out to participate in the walk and posed for a group photo outside Crouse-Hinds Hall afterwards.

“We have had several members in the house whose family and friends have dealt with cancer or had cancer scares themselves, so we recognize the importance,” said Jake Karedes ’27. “We really wanted to come out here and show support for the community.”

SGA President German Nolivos estimated that more than $1,000 has been raised for the Brain Tumor Foundation, with donations continuing to come in. “What happened here on Tuesday is uniquely Syracuse—we show up for each other, we care and we are a family,” he said.

Well wishes for Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Chen can be shared on the .

Sixty student organizations. Gray ribbons. Handwritten letters. A prayer. On Tuesday, April 28, the University community will rally to respond to Chancellor Kent Syverud’s recent cancer diagnosis with an unmistakable show of community and solidarity.

(SGA), in partnership with 60 recognized student organizations, will host a Go Gray in May: Brain Cancer Awareness Month Walk. The event will begin at noon in the Schine Student Center with a walk to Crouse-Hinds Hall at 2:30 p.m. There, the Rev. Devon Bartholomew, Christian Protestant chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, will lead those assembled in a prayer.

Chancellor Syverud announced on April 15 that he has been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment at University of Michigan Medicine.

“After the news broke, our SGA executive team came together to ask ourselves one question: ‘How do we respond?’” says German Nolivos ’26, SGA president. “Chancellor Syverud has been there for all of us—through every hard moment this University has faced. This is our chance to be there for him and his family.”

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, and the event will raise funds for the . Organizers are encouraging members of the University community to consider making a monetary donation. “The most powerful thing we can do in this moment is fund the fight,” Nolivos says.

Those who donate $15 or more and submit a screenshot of their donation to , the SGA’s home on Instagram, can claim a free T-shirt at Schine at the April 28 event.

Participants in the walk are encouraged to wear gray and pick up a gray ribbon at Schine that day. There will be a community poster wall for students, faculty and staff to leave messages of support for Chancellor Syverud and anyone in the community affected by brain cancer. There will also be a letter-writing station where individuals can write personal letters of support to Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen.

Participating organizations span every dimension of campus life: fraternities and sororities, cultural and identity organizations, pre-professional societies, advocacy groups, athletic clubs, honor societies and more. Nolivos says this will be the largest coalition of student organizations ever assembled for a single awareness event in recent University history.

“When 60 organizations come together, that’s not just coordination—that’s conviction,” Nolivos says. “Every single one of these groups is choosing to show up. That means something. That tells you something about who we are as a university.”

Additionally, the SGA Assembly passed a formal resolution on April 15 extending formal gratitude and support to Chancellor Syverud.

“Chancellor Syverud has given this institution 12 years of transformational leadership,” says Nolivos. “He has shown up for students, for faculty, for staff and for this community through its hardest chapters. April 28 is our opportunity, all of us, to show up for him.”