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.

Syracuse University today announced the launch of a sweeping for Fall 2026, giving students an unusually complete set of pathways into one of the most consequential fields of the century.

The portfolio includes standalone �����������ǰ�’s and �������ٱ��’s degree programs, cross-disciplinary minors, hands-on co-curricular opportunities and research that together make up a single, coherent ecosystem.

“While AI degree programs are proliferating nationally, few institutions are bringing the full picture to market at once,” says , vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “This is an entire environment for students who want to master AI and shape what it becomes. Whether they want to build the technology, govern it or apply it to a wide range of disciplines, there is now a clear path for these students at Syracuse.”

Academic Opportunities in AI

The Syracuse AI portfolio includes new and degrees in artificial intelligence science; a new �����������ǰ�’s degree in ; a �������ٱ��’s degree in ; seven AI minors; a broad research portfolio across multiple schools and colleges; and a peer-led bootcamp designed to provide students with hands-on AI experience as soon as they arrive on campus.

“Artificial intelligence isn’t confined to a single classroom or discipline at Syracuse University—it’s woven into how our students learn, how our faculty conduct research and how we prepare graduates for a workforce being reshaped by this technology,” says , senior vice president for digital transformation, chief digital officer and interim dean of the . “From new degree programs to cross-campus research initiatives, we’re building an AI portfolio that reflects both the urgency and the opportunity this moment demands.”

The breadth and depth of this portfolio are what distinguishes the Syracuse approach. The �����������ǰ�’s in integrative artificial intelligence is designed for students who want to combine AI with other interests, from public affairs to design to the life sciences. The seven new minors let students in any major add AI fluency in areas like policy, ethics and data. And the AI Bootcamp, a student-led program offering stackable microcredentials, provides students with AI immersion even before they declare a major.

Students are also driving the momentum through the student-led AI organization, United AI, which gives undergraduates hands-on research experience through its Foundry program, cross-campus education initiatives and direct partnerships with leading AI companies.

“Students don’t experience AI as a single subject, and we didn’t want to teach it that way,” says , interim dean of the and associate provost for academic programs. “We built this portfolio so that a future engineer, a future policymaker and a future artist can all find a serious path into AI here and can start the moment they arrive on campus.”

Robust Research

Syracuse University boasts a robust and growing portfolio of research and creative activity related to artificial intelligence. With work spanning engineering, computer science, law, public policy, communications and the humanities, faculty and students are applying AI to challenges ranging from cybersecurity and health care to media literacy and the arts. This interdisciplinary momentum reflects the University’s commitment to advancing AI research that is both technically rigorous and grounded in real-world impact.

“Our faculty are not studying artificial intelligence in the abstract,” says , vice president for research. “They are building systems that detect synthetic media, investigating how algorithmic decision-making affects communities, developing new approaches to cybersecurity and creating new AI capabilities beyond today’s large language models. Students who come to Syracuse will learn from researchers who are actively shaping how AI is built, governed and understood.”

Learn more about artificial intelligence at Syracuse University by visiting .

The blueprint for a better building may be hiding beneath the forest floor.

To design sustainable, weather-resistant structures, is studying the fungal networks that span thousands of acres underground—among the most expansive living organisms on Earth.

Mycelium is the fiber network behind fast-growing mushroom colonies that can span miles. Its underground strands connect to transfer water, nutrients and minerals, helping mushrooms grow and eventually emerge aboveground.

Qin’s research explores how these natural fibers can be harvested, grown and engineered into high-performing materials that could reshape how we construct buildings for generations to come.

“We focus on how these mycelium fibers grow and flourish and how those fibers can be used to replace a lot of the synthetic polymers,” says Qin, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in the . “We then apply that knowledge to the fundamental mechanics behind designing the internal structures of buildings to make them lighter, stronger and more resistant to dynamic forces like impact from earthquakes.”

From the Forest Floor to the Laboratory

Qin’s team begins its work at the most fundamental level, with a single spore. Researchers introduce mushroom spores into a carefully prepared growing medium then use time-lapse imaging to monitor how the fibers grow, branch and connect.

By adjusting such environmental conditions as humidity, temperature and substrate stiffness, the group can influence how quickly and densely the mycelium network develops.

Once the network reaches maturity, it becomes a natural adhesive.

When introduced to biomass materials like wood chips or sawdust, mycelium fibers grow into the gaps between particles and bind everything together, functioning like a biological version of wood glue without any synthetic chemicals.

“The beautiful thing is you don’t need to use glue or any synthetic adhesive,” Qin says. “Instead, you just use this natural fiber system to bind biomass together, and it spontaneously grows.”

The result is a material that resembles medium-density fiberboard but is produced entirely from natural components.

Qin calls the bonding process “biowelding,” a technique that effectively joins wood components the way welding joins steel, but without heat, chemicals or combustion risk.

To optimize the recipe for these composite materials, Qin’s lab uses artificial intelligence. Because biomass sources vary widely in particle size and chemical composition, no single equation can reliably predict the best combination of pressure, temperature and material inputs.

Instead, the team runs large-scale experiments and uses machine learning tools to identify which variables produce the lightest, strongest and most durable results.

“Using machine learning and AI is a very powerful tool that helps us understand these complex systems and figure out the correlation between this complex structure and the performance of the materials in that structure,” Qin says.

A Greener Way to Insulate

One of the most promising applications of Qin’s research involves building insulation, and Qin has discovered that mycelium insulation avoids many of the traditional negatives associated with current insulation options like fiberglass, cellulose and polystyrene.

Mycelium comes from a renewable source that is petroleum-free and possesses a much smaller carbon footprint than other insulation choices. Qin’s research has also shown that mycelium provides effective insulation while allowing the building to breathe.

“It’s a sustainable source, a green material,” Qin says. “It’s also safer and cheaper for scaled manufacturing purposes.”

In collaboration with mechanical and aerospace engineering colleagues and and , an assistant professor in the School of Architecture, Qin is developing mycelium-based insulation panels specifically designed for building retrofits, targeting older houses across New York state that have proven to be energy inefficient.

In 2024, the University received $846,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop and demonstrate MycoCore, a product aimed at addressing a lack of low-carbon insulated façade systems for deep energy retrofits through a unique panelized solution manufactured with engineered bio-composites using regional agri-waste. Wilson serves as the principal investigator, while Qin, Bing and Jensen are co-principal investigators.

Mycelium research at the University began in 2019 with the interdisciplinary Mycelium Research Group—formed from internal research seed funding—examining mycelium building materials as one objective within the Architecture-led exploratory project.

Filtering the Air We Breathe

When Qin arrived at Syracuse University from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he created the , a research group studying biomechanics and biomaterials to improve the efficiency and performance of building materials.

His research earned Qin a in 2022. But in the beginning, while Qin recognized the benefits of using mycelium as an adhesive, he didn’t realize the mushroom’s unique network structure could also address air filtration challenges.

Working with Zhang and mechanical and aerospace engineering colleague , Qin’s lab is now exploring how mycelium materials can be integrated into heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to capture airborne particles and absorb chemical gases that slowly release from synthetic wood products, furniture and paint.

“Once we start to collect samples and put them in the microscope, we see this unique complex network structure,” Qin says. “Once we do the mechanical testing, we see how this complex network connects to the mechanical, thermal and many material responses. At that point, we start to explore many different applications.”

This work is supported by a Center of Excellence faculty fellowship Qin received last year.

Qin credits the NSF CAREER grant with allowing his team of student researchers to spend four years exploring mycelium’s potential.

“We knew mycelium can be used as an adhesive, but we knew much less about the insulation or the air filtering implications,” Qin says. “The NSF CAREER grant really allowed us to explore the fundamental scientific applications found in mycelium while discovering all of the related applications. It was a game changer.”

Seventeen students from Syracuse University, including students from the , , and , traveled to Asia in May as part of an 18-day study abroad trip for the   (SPM 440/SAL 440) class.  , associate professor of sport management, and  , professor of sport management, led the trip.

Traveling to Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo, the students learned about local sport ecosystems by visiting the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, Korean Sport Promotion Foundation, K-league, Chinese Soccer League, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and more. They learned about the globalization strategies of U.S. sport entities by meeting with NFL China, NBA China, MLB Asia and the PGA Tour; and studied the impact of mega sporting events by visiting Seoul’s Olympic Park, Beijing National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest, which played host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and 2022 Winter Olympic Games) and Japan National Stadium.

The Syracuse students engaged in joint classes with local students from Sungkyunkwan University and the Chinese University of Political Science and Law. They also  attended local events such as a Korean baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, Chinese soccer at Worker’s Stadium, Nike high school basketball at Wukesong Arena and Japanese baseball at Tokyo Dome.

The trip provided opportunities for cultural immersion, including gaming and esports, screen golf, kung fu and kendo, as well as sightseeing at the Korean National Palace, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Tokyo Samurai Museum.

“Taking in the beautiful grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace was a one-of-a-kind experience that can’t be expressed in words,” said sport management major Zach Siegel ’27. “You could feel the rich history and culture all around.”

The students kept a of their day-by-day experiences.

“This study abroad program was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We just didn’t just learn about sports management in a classroom, we experienced the culture firsthand,”  said sport analytics major Jeremy Shatzer ’28.

Story by Margie Chetney

A stereotype in the global education sector is that it’s especially difficult for students in STEM—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—to study abroad. Syracuse Abroad combats this thinking through special partnerships allowing STEM students to explore their fields in a range of countries, with access to cutting-edge laboratories and transformative experiential learning activities.

The University’s international STEM opportunities range from a special program for aerospace, bio, civil, computer, electrical, environmental and mechanical  to internships at the Istituto di Neuroscienze of Italy’s National Research Council through the .

Coding With Scottish Schoolchildren

In February, computer engineering major Hassatou Bah ’28 traveled with a delegation from the London Center to visit Lockerbie, Scotland, the site of the Pan Am Flight 103 Air Disaster in 1988. With support from the Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Experiential Learning, students studying abroad in London are invited to participate in a special Remembrance Exchange weekend each semester.

Remembrance resonates with Bah because of her family’s experience and sacrifice. “My family crossed an ocean to give me opportunities they never had. The students who were lost were crossing an ocean for an education. Like me, they held hopes for what Syracuse could help them become,” she says.

While in Scotland, Bah “paid it forward” with younger students. Lockerbie Academy hosted more than 100 P7 pupils (the Scottish equivalent of sixth graders) for a special transition day designed to give them a sense of what studying in secondary school would be like. Syracuse London students were asked to lead workshops for the transitioning pupils, with a special request for a session about computer coding.

During an hour-long workshop (which they delivered four times in a row for different groups), Bah and a classmate highlighted women who have contributed to the development of computers, such as Ada Lovelace and Katherine Johnson. They taught the basics of HTML and guided pupils in a hands-on activity to develop their own code to display and graphically transform their names on a website.

“As an engineer, I’m drawn to building. But what Syracuse and Lockerbie have built together is far greater than any system: it is a bridge of memory, compassion and human resilience,” Bah says.

Understanding Holistic Healthcare

In summer 2024, teaching professor Lisa Olson-Gugerty from the Maxwell School’s public health department travelled to the UK for a special section of “Understanding Health Systems: Macro and Micro Perspectives” (PHP 306), which examined differences between the U.S., UK and Europe in how public health is managed, how health science is funded and how healthcare is delivered.

Syracuse Abroad Global Ambassador Tommy DaSilva ’26, a student in the course, was blown away by the UK’s centralized health system, and credits Olson-Gugerty for providing “more global insight that I can take with me into a future of federal policymaking.”

That summer, DaSilva also took the “Green Britain: Science, Devolution and Climate Controversies in the UK” traveling class, through which he had the opportunity to visit the Welsh Parliament (Senedd). The Senedd has been a leading political body for investment in climate justice and science-led environmental management, as well as inclusive healthcare. The course’s field studies in Cornwall highlighted the interactions between marine conservation projects like the UK’s  and planetary health.

After a summer abroad, DaSilva returned to campus as a 2024-26 Lender Student Fellow, which provided the opportunity to see how lessons from their experiences abroad could improve the social determinants of health for vulnerable groups, especially in relation to housing.

Engineering Sustainable Communities 

In spring 2019, Anna Feldman ’21 spent a semester in Florence with Syracuse Abroad’s Engineering program. A year later, she was named a Udall Scholar for her dedication to pursuing environmental work.

Feldman’s community engagement included teaching young teenagers about water chemistry in Onondaga Lake, sharing her love for physics with local Syracuse pupils and helping kids at the Museum of Natural History learn to work with microscopes. She also contributed to a project on micropollutants in Kampala, Uganda, co-authoring a paper published in . Today, she works on stormwater resiliency and green infrastructure projects as a water resources engineer in New York City.

“I build hydrologic and hydraulic models to visualize the impacts of extreme storms on our natural and built environment,” says Feldman. She credits much of her interest in water resources to , professor of practice in civil and environmental engineering and an expert in urban stormwater management and smart sensing “whose notes on closed pipe flow I still use on the daily,” Feldman says.

Allyson Greenberg ’22, another alumna of the Syracuse Florence

Engineering program, was part of the spring 2020 class whose time in Italy was cut short by COVID-19. Despite her hasty departure, Greenberg has some great memories from her time abroad, including time spent in the Arctic Circle while on a traveling seminar about sustainability in Northern Europe. She went on to graduate with a BS in environmental engineering and an .

After graduating, Greenberg began working as a sustainable energy consultant. The role gave her insight into the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program, measuring and mitigating agricultural emissions, and the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings initiative, among others. The wide range of projects that she’d been exposed to allowed her to focus her interests, and this year she began a new job managing a program reducing residential greenhouse gases in Maryland.

Story by Becca Farnum

The team returned from the Formula SAE Michigan competition having outperformed every car the program has produced in the last 20 years—a milestone that marks a turning point for one of the University’s oldest engineering clubs.

The team’s entry, designated CR5, was the first car Citrus Racing designed entirely from scratch in six years. For the first time in 20 years, the team completed every dynamic event on the Formula SAE schedule. The CR5 car also cleared technical inspection before noon on the second day—a benchmark rarely achieved by any team in the field.

“Citrus Racing represents trust in the importance of self-guided learning,” says outgoing team leader Ryan Brennan ’26. “The result is that Citrus Racing alumni are growing not simply into engineers that can turn a wrench, but they are also learning how to work with each other across dynamic business, media, technical and social domains out of real need to operate well or suffer as an organization. We appreciate the help we received from across the . Without that help, Citrus Racing would not be nearly as strong as it is today.”

Citrus Racing is student run with faculty and staff advisors available for consultation. That model gives students opportunity take risks and learn from failures.

Brennan said the experience has shaped members into more than capable engineers. “Our members take full responsibility for every problem that lands at their feet—because they have to,” he says. “Citrus Racing is not just a club, it is an ECS sports team that transcends the years.”

New Leadership Named for 2026–27 Season

Nico O’Neill, a Ph.D. student in physics in the , will serve as the club’s president in the coming year. O’Neill has been managing much of the team’s back-end operations and was recognized for that work with the formal appointment.

Additional lead positions will be published on the once all appointments are finalized.

What Comes Next

Design work for the next Citrus Racing car is scheduled to begin by June 1, 2027. Incoming leadership will establish high-level improvement goals and set deadlines over the summer, following the same development calendar used in 2025. The team has committed to continuing development of internal combustion vehicles for the near term, while advancing electric vehicle research in parallel. Those interested in getting involved can reach the team’s leadership at formsae@syr.edu.

More Photos From Michigan

Syracuse University is at the center of a regional effort to develop the energy storage workforce of the future, serving as a core partner in the and spearheading the workforce development portion of its mission through administration of the Generating Regional Opportunities in Workforce (GROW) program.

“Syracuse University brings together research expertise, workforce development skills and community partnerships,” says Vice President for Research . “The Energy Storage Engine lets us put all of that to work for upstate New York by connecting the science happening in our labs to the jobs and training our region needs.”

The Energy Storage Engine was launched in January 2024 as one of 10 inaugural Regional Innovation Engines created by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Its aim: to make upstate New York a national hub for battery technology by bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and workforce trainers. Led by Binghamton University, the initiative recently entered phase 2 with a $45 million NSF grant.

Crucial Role

, director of strategic partnerships in the , co-coordinated workforce development during the engine’s first phase. “The energy storage sector is going to generate thousands of jobs in upstate New York,” he says. “That’s why workforce development is so important—it’s the bridge between the research happening in our labs and the economic impact we’re trying to create in our communities.”

The GROW program was established in late 2024 with a $2 million subcontract from Binghamton University. Together with Rome, New York-based nonprofit , Syracuse University oversaw the competitive grant program, which seeded battery and energy storage workforce training at institutions and organizations across Central and Western New York and the Southern Tier. A diverse cohort received $1.1 million in GROW awards: YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County; SUNY Broome Community College; Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT); Binghamton University; Alfred University; GreenForce Training Inc.; the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at RIT; and Syracuse University.

These institutions developed programs for a wide range of learners, from middle and high school pupils to college students to community members. Nearly 400 participants have benefited from GROW-funded programs—a number that will increase substantially in phase two.

“Two years ago, training for battery research and manufacturing was essentially fully concentrated in Binghamton at SUNY Broome,” Crampton says. “With funding from the Engine, training was expanded to form a network of curriculum and programs across upstate. Hundreds of people have been exposed to opportunities in battery technology, many of whom would have never before considered it as a career path.”

Breadth and Inclusion

SUNY Broome expanded a Power and Energy Management seminar series, hosted a residential STEM summer camp for middle and high school students, and trained career and technical education teachers across multiple BOCES districts. The YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County brought battery science to students in Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton, including facility tours and hands-on LEGO robotics activities at the middle school level.

NTID developed a battery technician training program specifically designed for the American Sign Language community, offering a one-day workshop and an 80-hour bootcamp. Forty individuals completed training, with several earning the Northeast New York Battery Technician Credential. GreenForce Training in Buffalo delivered six accelerated production associate courses to individuals facing barriers to employment—including single parents, refugees and returning citizens—achieving an 84% job placement rate.

At the higher education level, RIT developed an 18-hour Li-ion battery curriculum delivered as a three-day immersive workshop for Monroe Community College students. Binghamton University created a new Sustainable Energy Engineering track in its electrical engineering degree. Alfred University launched a credit-bearing course in machine learning prediction of battery lifetime, enrolling 33 students and hosting a summer session that included industry professionals from Raymond Corporation.

Syracuse University’s GROW-funded program brought clean energy and autonomous systems education to 28 high school students from the Syracuse City School District through a six-week summer workshop. All participants—approximately half of whom had no prior coding experience—completed the program, and 27 traveled to Boston for a national competition. A majority reported increased interest in pursuing engineering or computer science majors.

Looking Ahead

With the engine now entering phase two, the workforce development pillar is set to scale significantly. The initiative is targeting a hub-and-spoke model anchored by four regional coalitions—each led by a major research university—to coordinate enrollment growth, transfer agreements, experiential learning and employer engagement. Summer 2026 internship and undergraduate research cohorts are projected to double.

“The groundwork laid by the first GROW cohort has demonstrated that building a regional energy storage workforce is possible, and that it requires meeting learners where they are: in high school classrooms, community organizations and college labs across the region,” Crampton says.

Inside every human cell, a tiny structure called a lysosome acts like a recycling center, breaking down toxic waste, clearing damaged proteins and helping keep the cell functioning properly.

When that recycling center stops working because the lysosome loses the acidic conditions it needs to function, the consequences ripple outward. Waste builds up, proteins accumulate and eventually the cell’s internal systems begin to break down. This type of dysfunction is commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Newly published research from , assistant professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the , suggests that nanoscopic particles delivered into the body could help restore the recycling function, and in doing so, slow disease progression at its cellular root.

Instead of just treating symptoms, Zeng’s novel approach uses acidic nanoparticles to restore lysosomal function and repair the cell’s built-in cleanup system. The results of her study, , demonstrate this strategy in both cell and animal models of Parkinson’s disease.

“Rather than simply trying to block damage after it occurs, this approach aims to restore the cell’s own ability to clear toxic material and maintain homeostasis,” Zeng says. “We think this makes it especially promising, because it could be adapted to other diseases in which harmful proteins build up and the cell’s recycling system isn’t working properly.”

The study, published in April, was carried out in collaboration with assistant professor and his lab in the ’ Department of Biology. , part of the , work closely together to better understand the underlying disease mechanisms for conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

How the Research Works

Zeng focuses on developing tools to deliver therapies more precisely within the body. One such tool is nanoparticles—tiny spherical structures formed from long, flexible polymer chains.

How small exactly is nanosized? Ten to the power of minus nine, tinier than a cell itself.

“Think of them like long, soft chains that tangle together and eventually form a tiny ball,” she says. “That’s what makes a nanoparticle. Because they’re so small, cells can take them in pretty easily.”

Zeng is applying this nanoparticle-based strategy across multiple disease areas, including metabolic disorders and Parkinson’s disease, with a focus on addressing dysfunction at the cellular level—both to better understand early changes and to deliver more precise, effective treatments.

In Parkinson’s, impaired lysosomal function and toxic protein buildup contribute to neuronal damage. Lysosomes require an acidic environment to function, similar to how stomach acid helps break down food. In disease, this acidity is reduced and the “recycling center” function stops working, allowing waste to accumulate.

“You can think of it like stomach acid—helping break things down,” Zeng says. “Lysosomes need to stay very acidic to work properly. Our nanoparticles go into the cell, break apart, and release acid, which helps restore that environment. That’s how they get the lysosomes working again.”

Her newly published study demonstrated how restoring the pH environment in lysosomes reduced toxic protein aggregation, a hallmark of Parkinson’s, in both cell and animal models, thereby protecting the brain cells responsible for movement that are progressively lost during the disease.

Zeng’s work also suggests that lysosomal dysfunction may be an early indicator of disease, observed across conditions ranging from Parkinson’s to metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.

“When lysosomes start to lose function and you’re no longer able to clear unwanted material, it can signal that harmful processes are beginning to build up,” Zeng says. “It may serve as an early warning sign.”

For that reason, Zeng and Lo are also working to develop biomarkers that can detect changes in lysosomal pH at early stages.

What’s Next

The next step Zeng is taking with her nanoparticle research is tackling how to make them better at reaching the brain, where they’re needed.

The brain has a built-in security system called the blood-brain barrier, which helps protect the organ from harmful substances but also blocks most medicines from getting through. That means even good treatments may never reach the place they are needed to work.

To address this, Zeng is designing nanoparticles with features that can be recognized by receptors at the barrier, allowing more efficient transport into the brain.

“If you inject a drug, often less than 1% actually makes it into the brain,” Zeng says. “If we can improve how well it gets across the blood-brain barrier—even by several fold—it could make treatments much more effective, or allow us to use much lower doses. That’s why this step is so important.”

Looking ahead, Zeng is working to further validate and refine this approach with an eye toward potential clinical translation.

“There are already a few FDA-approved nanoparticle-based drugs and vaccines, mainly in cancer and infectious diseases, but not yet for neurodegenerative conditions,” she says. “At this stage, we are focused on testing in mouse models and building the foundation for future studies in larger animal models.”

She shares adjacent lab space with Lo, her close collaborator, and together they pursue interdisciplinary research to develop new tools and therapies for inflammatory, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.

Students interested in joining the lab are encouraged to reach out.

“We welcome inquiries from motivated students who are interested in our work,” Zeng says.

Two students whose ventures focus on accessible design and student well-being have been awarded Spring 2026 Intelligence++ Venture Grants through Syracuse University’s initiative, administered through .

The competitive funding program supports student innovators developing products, services and creative ventures that improve accessibility and quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities and neurodivergent communities.

This year’s recipients are Rudransh Rajput ’28 () and Cassia Soodak ’26 (). Both ventures emerged from the interdisciplinary Intelligence++ program, which combines accessible entrepreneurship, disability-centered design and innovation.

Rajput earned funding to advance development of RUDY AI, an AI-powered platform designed to help neurodivergent and socially vulnerable students build meaningful social connections and improve campus belonging.

A student in the and an 1870 Scholar, Rajput developed the idea after observing the growing problem of student isolation and disengagement on college campuses. The platform focuses on students who may struggle to navigate traditional social environments, including students with ADHD, autism, anxiety and related challenges.

“This grant means we can move from scrappy mode to building a prototype for discovery and validation,” Rajput says. “We know the problem is real because we’ve seen it firsthand on campus. This gives us the runway to get in front of more universities, refine the product with real student feedback and prove that you can measurably move the needle on retention and loneliness at the same time.”

Rajput will work closely with the Intelligence++ program and during the fall semester, focusing on user-centered product development and testing.

The second grant recipient, Soodak, is building a venture at the intersection of adaptive fashion, disability studies and nightlife culture. Her company, Ms. Spellled, creates sensory-friendly ravewear and club clothing designed specifically for neurodivergent individuals. The garments feature tactile and fidget-friendly elements intended to support sensory regulation while maintaining bold, expressive aesthetics.

Soodak, who previously served as an InclusiveU peer mentor and event planner, says the venture was inspired by her own experiences with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and sensory processing differences.

“Neurodivergent people shape rave culture, yet remain largely invisible within it,” Soodak says. “Ms. Spellled aims to redefine adaptive design as expressive, culturally relevant and empowering.”

The venture combines adaptive design with alternative fashion aesthetics through upcycled garments, tactile fabric manipulations, custom graphics and handmade pieces.

Soodak has already tested prototypes with neurodivergent users and models in both fashion-show and real-world rave settings, receiving strong feedback on both the sensory functionality and visual appeal of the designs. “With this funding, I will be able to transition Ms. Spellled from a thesis-based project into an actively developing fashion brand and business,” Soodak says.

She plans to use the grant to produce an initial collection of sensory-friendly garments, expand prototype testing and launch the brand through pop-up events and independent retail partnerships in New York City.

Soodak is a graduate of the Intelligence++ program and previously won a top student prize at the annual Intelligence++ Innovation Showcase, where student inventions are evaluated by industry experts and educators. Her work has also earned recognition within the University’s fashion program, including selection for a New York City design showcase and the Joan Rysitzky Prize for Excellence in Surface Design.

Her senior thesis collection, “DanceFloor Freaks,” explored Brooklyn techno clubs as safe spaces for neurodivergent and queer communities and became the creative foundation for Ms. Spellled. She has also participated in adaptive fashion networking events and developed relationships with organizations including Runway of Dreams and ARISE.

, associate provost for academic programs, has been appointed interim dean for the (ECS).

Hasenwinkel, a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence, was previously chair of the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and a faculty affiliate of the . She has previously served as ECS associate dean for academic and student affairs and senior associate dean. She will continue to serve concurrently as associate provost for academic programs.

“Julie’s extensive leadership and administrative experience positions her well to lead ECS during this time of transition,” says Provost Lois Agnew. “I am grateful she has agreed to take on this expanded responsibility.”

“I’m excited for the opportunity to serve as interim dean of ECS. This college has been my professional home throughout my career, and I am deeply committed to its extraordinary faculty and staff, and most importantly, our students,” says Hasenwinkel.

Two additional appointments will expand leadership support for the college.

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Professor will serve as senior associate dean for faculty affairs.

“ECS has outstanding people at every level and supporting them is what drives great outcomes for our students and our college,” says Henderson. “I’m grateful for the chance to serve in this role and look forward to working with Julie, Andria and the entire ECS community to strengthen the foundations that let our faculty, staff and students do their best work.”

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor will serve as interim senior associate dean of academic operations while continuing to chair the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with Julie, Jay, ECS faculty, staff and students to help our college continue to thrive, innovate and excel,” says Costello Staniec.

Agnew credited input from the broader ECS community, including department chairs, in shaping the transition plan.

“I am confident that under Julie’s leadership, the college will move forward with purpose and momentum,” says Agnew. “I am grateful to Julie, Jay and Andria for stepping up at an important moment and for their dedication to ECS and to Syracuse University.”

Editor’s note: This is the last in a five-part series spotlighting ’s global centers.

Marion Patsalides ’28 didn’t just study in Strasbourg—she biked its backstreets, soaked in its baths and became a regular at the neighborhood patisserie. A mechanical engineering major in the , Patsalides studied abroad in the Fall 2025 semester and found Strasbourg to be more than she imagined.

“Studying abroad changed my perspective on myself and the world around me,” she says. Here’s how Patsalides made the most of every week abroad.

Get a Bike

“Strasbourg is a super bikeable city! My favorite way to explore was on my bike. It really enhanced my knowledge of how to get around and helped me feel more like a local.

“There are relatively cheap bike rentals or a biannual bike sale where you can get your own bike. Make sure to get bike locks, a helmet and a bell. It is illegal to ride a bike in Strasbourg without a bell, so that is an absolute essential.”

Spend a Weekend at Home

“Most people going to Strasbourg plan to travel around Europe almost every weekend. Since you have no classes on Friday (most of the time) and many exciting places to visit, it’s very enticing to book lots of travel every weekend once you get there. Plan a ‘staycation’ for at least one weekend.

“During the week, you will have work or studying to do, including your own classes. Make sure you allot a weekend to stay in Strasbourg and explore the whole city. Visit Homme de Fer for shopping and food and Petite France for the quaint atmosphere. Get to know your home base. It is a whole destination on its own, and it’s worth it to spend the time really getting to know it.

“I spent a few weekends in Strasbourg, including two at the end of the semester when I explored the famous Strasbourg Christmas markets with the millions of tourists in the city at the time.

“Mid-semester, I spent a weekend in Strasbourg touring around parts of the city I hadn’t been to before, and I visited the Strasbourg baths with my host mom. The spa experience was amazing and very relaxing. Experiences like this one can’t be beat, especially when they’re one block away from home!”

Take the Train

“Weekend travel is a huge part of this program. Many people choose to fly around Europe, since Strasbourg Entzheim Airport is just outside the city. I used the airport a few times (all three for the UK to visit family). However, the experience of riding the trains is so worthwhile too. Strasbourg is a major European train hub, so many places are easily accessible by train from the Gare Centrale, which is in turn easy to access by bus or by the A, C or D trams.

“However, if you’re looking to save a little money or visit more places in Germany, just over the border is another large train station in Kiel, Germany. The Strasbourg trams have a stop right over the border at that station (A or D).

“Train journeys provide a beautiful, aesthetic view while getting you to most places in Europe quickly. I remember taking the TGV (French bullet train) to Paris having large windows and gorgeous views of the French countryside. Bring your passport to go over the border, and travel like the locals do!”

Skip the Starbucks

Many of us are reliant on our morning Starbucks, but that isn’t the only option in Strasbourg. There are cafes and patisserie everywhere. While Starbucks, McDonald’s and other fast food do exist in France, there are so many more options at reasonable prices. Strasbourg has a lot of different types of food, and so many amazing restaurants and cafes.

“Some of us students in my French 101 class used to visit Patisserie Gerber Jean around the corner from the Strasbourg villa every day after class, and we became regulars! Explore around your neighborhood and visit local restaurants and cafes instead of the big chains.”

Bring the Travel Guide

“Bring an English guidebook from home for some of the places you think you might travel to (including France). Oftentimes, simply looking on Google for a good restaurant can ensure that you miss hidden gems and small businesses, especially in large cities like London or Paris. With guidebooks, someone has done the leg work and found delicious food for you.

“Also, sometimes guidebooks can find better hotels or hostels that fit your needs. Personally, a Rick Steves recommendation saved me a lot of money in London when he recommended a family-owned hotel a 5-minute walk from Victoria Station with reasonable prices. Better experiences and food can be found with an actual book than Google or ChatGPT can get you.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already making substantial changes in every industry, shifting how we work, learn and organize our daily lives. But how can AI tools shape the field of building science? That was the central question at the Industry Summit on Artificial Intelligence for the Built Environment, organized by , Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and co-director of the (SyracuseCoE).

Structured as a working session, the May 4 summit featured expert panelists from industry, academia and government agencies, with 12 companies represented and a total of 35 participants. After opening remarks from Professor Dong, the first panel of the day explored AI applications in smart and human-centered buildings. Presentations included:

• From Equipment to Ecosystem: An AI Strategy for Thermal Energy Systems and the Built Environment, presented by Josiah Johnston, senior director of data science at Daikin Open Innovation Lab Silicon Valley
• AI in Buildings: A Perspective From the Field, presented by William Healy, senior director at TRC Companies
• Using AI for Building Optimization, presented by Evan Torkos, vice president for strategy at Nantum AI
• The Restoration of a Building or Home’s Comfort, a New Set of Opportunities With AI, presented by Michael Birnkrant, chief architect, service and aftermarket at Carrier Corporation

A moderated discussion led by SyracuseCoE’s executive director, , gave attendees a chance to dig deeper into these AI advances before breaking for a student poster session and lunch.

The afternoon panel widened the lens to AI’s role in building-connected infrastructure, covering the following topics:

• Load Flexibility and Electrified Commercial Buildings, presented by Mark Bremer and Julia Griffith from National Grid
• Hallucination of AI in Critical Infrastructure, presented by Herbert Dwyer, founder and CEO of EMPEQ
• A Semantic Foundation Unlocks Rapid Deployment of AI in the Built Environment, presented by Andrew Rodgers, co-founder of ACE IoT Solutions
• AI-Powered Communities: From Data to Resilience, presented by Nancy Min, co-founder and CEO of ecoLong
• Using GenAI to Accelerate Decarbonizing NYC Commercial Real Estate, presented by Thomas Yeh, consulting technical advisor, NYSERDA

The summit concluded with small group discussions: four breakout groups each co-facilitated by Syracuse University faculty and populated with a cross-section of academic and industry voices. This format ensured that the day’s themes were stress-tested in conversation and built the foundation for future collaborations. Dong plans to apply for funding for an interdisciplinary research center, such as a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, that will advance university-industry partnerships in the healthy buildings field.

The summit made clear that AI’s role in the built environment is no longer speculative—it is operational and growing rapidly. From smarter HVAC to grid-scale flexibility to community resilience, the challenge now is deploying these tools thoughtfully, sustainably and at scale.

This event was supported by the University’s  through their Team Building for Large, Collaborative Grants program.

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Lucas Heffler ’26 is heading to one of the most storied research institutions in the world. The chemical engineering senior has accepted a position at (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico—a facility synonymous with scientific breakthroughs and home to some of the brightest minds in the country. One of 17 National Laboratories supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, LANL has long stood at the frontier of discovery in science, engineering and national security.

Born out of the Manhattan Project during World War II, LANL made history as the birthplace of the atomic bomb. Today, the lab’s primary focus is to modernize the United States’ nuclear stockpile and maintain its safety, security and reliability. LANL’s scientists and engineers conduct advanced research in areas including national security, energy, geophysics and supercomputing.

Heffler will begin his position as a research and development engineer at LANL this summer. He became interested in the National Labs system through connections with (ECS) alumni and gained valuable industry experience through internships and the Nuclear Chemistry Summer Schools (NCSS), a Department of Energy workforce development program administered by the American Chemical Society. Heffler completed a six-week NCSS program at San Jose State University in California, where participants attend lectures, visit research facilities  and conduct hands-on laboratory exercises to build their expertise in nuclear chemistry.

Heffler took advantage of ECS resources like attending resume reviews and employer information sessions offered through Career Services.

“Getting that experience of just being comfortable talking to employers definitely helps while on job interviews,” says Heffler.

Looking back on his coursework, Heffler says that Chemical Engineering Laboratory I and II helped him discern his career interests and prepare to enter the workforce. Setting up experiments, analyzing data and writing technical reports are all skills he will rely on in his work as an research and development engineer.

Heffler found supportive faculty in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, including Program Director Katie Cadwell and his advisor, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering Radhakrishna Sureshkumar. He also appreciated the opportunity to take classes with professor Theodore Walker, who draws on his experience as a senior scientist for ExxonMobil.

“Having professors that have worked in industry and can look at things from an industry standpoint is enlightening,” Heffler says.

“Lucas possesses a rare combination of technical depth, creative insight and problem-solving skills,” says Sureshkumar. “After working closely with him as his advisor and instructor, I am delighted by his highly deserving appointment at LANL. He is a natural leader who will undoubtedly make major contributions to the profession.”