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.

To be notified of future events and opportunities, sign up for SyracuseCoE’s ���ǰ���.

From insightful conversations to shared reflections on meaningful work, the  (EHN) Community Showcase offered a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people come together in collaboration.

The event brought together faculty, students and staff from the University with community partners to celebrate projects that address local and regional needs and opportunities through research, teaching and creative work.

The third annual showcase featured panel discussions and table presentations highlighting dozens of initiatives connected to EHN, housed in the (A&S). Collectively, the showcased work represented collaborations across more than 50 departments from nine schools and colleges at Syracuse University, and partnerships with more than 75 community-based organizations.

Projects ranged from arts- and storytelling-based initiatives to STEM research and educational programs focused on community empowerment, environmental sustainability and cultural preservation.

“This is an annual event where we showcase all of the projects, courses and community engagement happening all across the city and region,” says Mary-Jo Robinson, program manager for the EHN. “The hope is to demonstrate the incredible work that’s being done, broaden exposure to these projects and help strengthen connections between partners.”

The event featured panel discussions, allowing speakers to share lessons learned, reflect on challenges and discuss opportunities to sustain and grow their work. Panels focused on EHN’s �����Ի��� initiatives, the new , sustained long-term partnerships and .

The showcase underscored the continued growth of EHN since its founding in 2020 by , Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement and associate professor of writing and rhetoric in A&S. Today, EHN supports more than 350 collaborators from across the University and works with dozens of community partners locally and nationally, from neighborhood-based organizations in Syracuse like the Northside Learning Center to the nation’s preeminent cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“The EHN approaches the humanities not as a bounded academic domain, but as a set of practices that span disciplines and permeate everyday life—across ages, institutions, cultures and communities,” says Nordquist. “The work of the EHN is to recognize, support and connect these practices so that we can collectively respond to the demands of the present while sustaining long traditions of reflection, inquiry, creativity and learning.”

Robinson emphasized that the event is as much about relationship-building as it is about visibility. “EHN exists to support this work and to help make connections,” she says. “When people come together in a space like this, it creates new possibilities for collaboration and helps ensure that community-engaged work remains central to the University’s mission.”

Free and open to the public, the Community Showcase welcomed attendees of all ages and backgrounds, reinforcing EHN’s commitment to accessibility and mutual exchange. As the network continues to grow, the annual showcase remains a key moment to reflect on the impact of community-engaged scholarship in Central New York.

Projects and courses represented at the event included: The Refugee Assistants Program’s Artisan Pathways, Black Women’s Art Ecosystems, Black/Arab Relationalities Initiative (BARI), CODE∧SHIFT, Deaf New Americans CODA Tutoring Program, Documenting the Haudenosaunee Influence on American Democracy (EHN Engaged Course), Environmental Storytelling Series CNY, Geography of Memory: Unsettling Stories (EHN Engaged Course), Hear Together, La Casita, Advanced Methods for Language Teaching (EHN Engaged Course), ME/WE Art Therapy Lab and Studio, Mindfully Growing, Narratio, Native America and the World: The Haudenosaunee (EHN Engaged Course), Natural Science Explorers Program, NOON, Not in the Books, Indigenous Values Initiative, Poetry and Environmental Justice (EHN Engaged Course), Project Mend, Public Scholarship Certificate Program, Safeguarding Syracuse Communities, Southside Connections/Southside Stories, Stories of Indigenous Dispossession Across the Americas (EHN Engaged Course), Teens with a Movie Camera, Traveling Teaching (EHN Engaged Course), Visualizing Care and Resisting Gentrification, We/Re-do Shakespeare (EHN Engaged Course) and Write Out.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! Surrounded by family, friends, faculty and their fellow students, the University celebrated its newest graduates during the annual Commencement ceremony in the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday, May 10.

NBC Sports broadcaster Mike Tirico ’88 returned to campus to deliver the keynote address. Acting Chancellor J. Michael Haynie conferred degrees on approximately 6,679 candidates.

These photos capture the energy, emotion and Orange pride of this milestone weekend. For more Commencement coverage, check out the keynote address by Tirico, Acting Chancellor Haynie’s remarks, a tribute to Chancellor Emeritus Kent Syverud’s leadership and student speaker and University Scholar Sadie Shaula Meyer ’26 addressing her fellow classmates.

(Photos by Amy Manley unless otherwise noted)

The in the College of Arts and Sciences observed Dalit History Month again this April with a two-part program featuring Chinnaiah Jangam, associate professor of history at Carleton University in Ottawa. Hosted on April 14 and 15, the program included a workshop and a public lecture exploring the history and present of Dalit communities in North America.

Dalit History Month was established by civil rights activists, inspired by Black History Month, to commemorate the intellectual legacy, activism and lives of caste-oppressed people, communities historically labeled “untouchables.”

Caste, a form of structural oppression originating in ancient India, divides people into categories at birth, and members of Dalit communities continue to face discrimination and violence both in South Asia and across the diaspora. The term “Dalit,” meaning “broken” or “oppressed,” was adopted as an act of political self-identification.

On April 14, Jangam led the Anti-Caste Methodologies workshop for graduate students and faculty in Sims Hall. The workshop explored approaches for writing history from anti-caste and critical-caste perspectives capable of countering dominant narratives.

A day later, Jangam delivered his public lecture, “Dalit Diaspora and Anti-Caste Movements in North America,” at Watson Theater. He examined what it means to be a Dalit in North America and argued that the Dalit diaspora on the continent is as old as that of the Savarna (dominant-caste Hindu) diaspora.

Drawing on stories of survival and resistance, he highlighted Dalit-led community mobilizations and social equity movements in the United States and Canada, and showed how intersectional solidarity is reshaping diaspora identity politics.

Jangam is the author of “Dalits and the Making of Modern India” and translator of “Gabbilam (Bat): A Dalit Epic,” which received the Association for Asian Studies A.K. Ramanujan Prize for Translation in 2024. He co-founded the South Asia Dalit Adivasi Network (SADAN) in Canada, whose advocacy led the Toronto District School Board and the Ontario Human Rights Commission to address caste discrimination.

The events were organized by faculty members and of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, with co-sponsorship from the Humanities Center, South Asia Center, LGBTQ Studies, History, CODE^SHIFT, English, Social Science Ph.D. program, Engaged Humanities Network, Feminist Pedagogy Collective, the Dean’s Office and the College of Arts and Sciences.

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.”

When President Joe Biden L’68, H’09 first visited the Syracuse University campus in 1965, he knew he wanted to attend law school. So when he had a few hours to spare while waiting for his then-girlfriend and later first wife Neilia Hunter to finish work, he decided to explore the University’s library.

Instead, he ended up walking into the dean’s office.

The 46th president recounted his serendipitous start at Syracuse University to an audience packed into the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in the ‘s Dineen Hall Tuesday for the unveiling of his portrait.

“By accident,” Biden said. “I swear to God, I thought I was walking into the library.”

When the woman running the office asked if he was there to see the dean, he told her he didn’t mean to come in but was thinking about law school. Before he knew it, he said she had him talking to the dean, who arranged a financial aid offer and a resident advisor position. An application was filled out before he left.

Syracuse, he told the audience, is where he began to see the pieces coming together that would shape his approach to law and public service throughout his career.

“Syracuse is a place where I began to develop an understanding of the powerful impact the law can have in making the world a better place,” Biden said. “I began to see how values I’ve learned at home, at my kitchen table with my mom and dad, were really reflected in American jurisprudence, in our institutions. As I saw through the torts and contracts and struggled with property law, my favorite course was constitutional law. I heard my parents’ words ringing in my ears, ‘Dignity, Joey, respect, fairness, equity, equality. That’s what America is all about.’”

A Portrait to Honor and Inspire

Celebrating Biden’s life of public service, the ceremonial unveiling of his portrait was witnessed by members of his family; University community members; and state and local officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80.

College of Law Dean Terence Lau L’98 told attendees the University was determined to honor Biden, who has maintained a close connection with the campus, delivering the Commencement addresses four times at the law school and at the University in 2009, in a way that was “impactful, lasting and inspirational.”

The portrait was commissioned by the University and painted by artist , one of America’s foremost portrait artists, whose works hang in the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the Pentagon.

“Our hope is that this portrait will inspire generations of law students to come, a proud reminder to every student who walks through our library doors of what is possible when you combine a Syracuse law education with the courage to serve something larger than yourself,” Lau said.

Jeffrey Scruggs, chairman of the University Board of Trustees, noted in his remarks that Biden’s connection to Syracuse “runs deep and long” and reflected on the former president’s impact on the community and Central New York though landmark legislation, including the and the .

“President Biden had the will to invest in great cities like Syracuse throughout the nation, and it’s here in Syracuse, at his beloved alma mater, where President Biden’s portrait will hang,” Scruggs said.

Scruggs said in Biden’s portrait, law students will be able to look up and see the face of someone whose life of service started in the same place their own careers will begin.

“To our law students, may that always serve as a reminder that there are no limits to where a Syracuse Law degree can take you,” Scruggs said.

A Lifelong Foundation and Community

Biden’s remarks reflected on the deep impact the University had on him both professionally and personally. He recalled the only head-to-head election he ever lost in his career was the race for class president his first year against classmate and Trustee William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68, who became a close friend.

“Since the time I left Syracuse, life has handed me significant highlights and very low blows,” Biden said. “The Syracuse community has been with me through it all.”

But what Biden said he was most proud of when he talks about Syracuse is his son, Beau L’94, who died in 2015 from brain cancer, and in whose memory the University established a scholarship.

“To be very honest with you,” Biden said. “I assumed one day Beau would be standing here and not me. I give you my word for that. He was more qualified and a hell of a man.”

Both he and his son took the legal grounding they found at Syracuse and carried it with them their entire time in public service, he said.

“Everything I did as an elected official was all an extension of what I learned here at Syracuse,” Biden said.

Biden said studying the Constitution at Syracuse, he began to understand democracy is the soul of the nation.

“Whatever my legacy may be, I hope it will be said that I never stopped striving for the cause of democracy,” he said. “And I hope that long after I’m gone, future classes of Syracuse law students see the portrait and are reminded not of me, but of the greatness and power of our democracy.”

For a second year, the University is hosting Micron Day on campus to showcase the innovation and future of technology education and careers in Central New York.

The event on April 21 will be a full-day celebration of technology, education and opportunity, bringing students, families, educators, industry leaders and community partners together to inspire the next generation of innovators in the region.

Last year’s event focused on Micron’s transformative $100 billion investment in the community with the development of their facility in Clay, New York, and their ongoing partnerships with the University. This year, Micron Day will highlight what is possible when there is strong collaboration between higher education and industry, illustrating the shared commitment between the University and Micron to build sustainable, tech driven pathways and opportunities for young people in Central New York.

“Micron Day represents how universities and industry can work together to create real, tangible opportunity for students while strengthening the regional economic ecosystem,” says Acting Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. “By engaging students early and showing them what’s possible, we’re helping them envision a future for themselves in technology that begins right here in Central New York.”

The centerpiece of the day will be a large-scale technology fair and tech expo in the Ensley Athletic Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., where hundreds of local students in grades 9-12 will be welcomed to explore interactive, hands-on exhibitions alongside University students, faculty, staff and members of the public. Exhibitions in the expo will be designed to spark curiosity and demonstrate how classroom learning connects to real-world applications and future careers.

The exhibitors will include a range of University schools, colleges, clubs and programs, as well as Micron camps and activities, community partner organizations, military and emergency response partners, higher education institutions and local tech employers.

“Micron Day allows us to connect with students and families long before careers begin and show how today’s learning leads to tomorrow’s opportunities,” says Janine Rush-Byers, director of strategic university partnerships at Micron. “The partnership with Syracuse University ensures we’re building a future workforce that reflects the talent, diversity and potential of this community.”

With exhibitions ranging from immersive demonstrations to creative problem-solving activities, the expo aims to meet students where they are and invite them to actively engage with technology.

A scavenger hunt-style experience that encourages students to move through the expo and interact with exhibitions while earning prizes for participation is also planned. Lunch will also be provided to the students; schools must register in advance.

“From hands-on exhibitions to interaction with students and professionals in tech industries, everything about this event is designed to keep students curious, engaged and excited about learning,” says A.J. Florkowski, program operations manager with the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and lead planner for Micron Day at the University.

After the expo, Micron Day will continue into the evening with additional programming focused on the families and caregivers of young people in the region.

From 5 to 6 p.m. in Marley Hall, an esports competition will be held in the University’s new Esports Classroom between Boise State and Syracuse. A town hall will take place afterwards, from 6 to 7 p.m., during which parents and students can learn more about the clubs, campus and programs available at both the University and elsewhere in the region. Exhibitor tables highlighting the different opportunities will be set up from 5 to 8 p.m.

With a focus on hands-on engagement, the goal of Micron Day this year is to reflect the long-term vision of the partnership between the company and University by acknowledging that today’s middle and high school students are the region’s future workforce, leaders and innovators.

“Our goal is to make Micron Day fun, interactive and inspiring—something students remember as the day they realized technology could be for them,” Florkowski says.

Two Syracuse University students are bringing TEDx back to campus Thursday with a question they want the entire community to wrestle with: What matters next?

, a community-organized offshoot of the popular series, will challenge and inspire attendees to think beyond the present about the research, innovation and technology that will shape our collective futures.

The lineup spans journalism, education, generative AI, mental health and digital storytelling, with speakers tackling everything from what urban classrooms can teach us to the power of true stories and the burdens we carry in silence.

“The tools are in our hands. We are the architects of tomorrow. We are the ones who are going to determine what matters next by what we give our attention to,” says Ryan Nkongnyu ’25, G’26.

Eight speakers, including University students, faculty and alumni, will share their insights into how research, innovation, technology and a creative mindset will shape the future and, hopefully, inspire attendees to “explore the things that matter as we shape our tomorrow,” says Nkongnyu, who earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and rhetorical studies from the and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in television, radio and film from the .

Nkongnyu and Sonia Issa ’24, G’25 are the event co-organizers and emcees who lined up the  speakers.

“People are searching for direction, clarity and purpose,” says Issa, who earned an undergraduate degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the . “This is a moment to learn from one another and leave with new ideas that help guide the next chapter of our collective journey.”

This year’s is Thursday, April 16, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building. The free event is open to students, faculty, alumni and members of the community and is co-sponsored by and the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation.

Nkongnyu and Issa sat down with SU Today to preview the event and share what attendees can expect.

Jeff Goldstein ’77, president of global theatrical distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, will address graduates at the School of Education (SOE) on Saturday, May 9, at 4:30 p.m. in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex.

Goldstein oversees all aspects of Warner Bros. Pictures’ distribution activities worldwide, including filmmaker and exhibitor relations, release dating and patterns, business strategy, sales and administration, and specialty/premium formats.

Additionally, he manages Warner Bros. Pictures’ extensive international distribution network, which includes both affiliate offices and third-party partnerships. Goldstein also partners on marketing, and his team is responsible for distributing a diverse range of films each year, including titles from Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and DC Studios.

A highly respected leader in the distribution field, Goldstein previously served as president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. He began his career at the company as an intern in the Los Angeles office and quickly climbed the ranks, holding various roles across regional sales offices.

Over the years, his leadership and expertise have been instrumental in shaping the company’s distribution strategy and global success.

Goldstein’s work has been central to Warner Bros.’ recent global box office success. In 2025, the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group surpassed $4 billion at the worldwide box office across 11 releases, delivering eight consecutive No. 1 openings (nine with “Wuthering Heights” in 2026) and seven straight debuts over $40 million.

Recent highlights include “A Minecraft Movie” approaching $1 billion worldwide following its record-setting $163 million domestic opening; “Sinners” becoming the highest-grossing original horror film domestically; “Final Destination: Bloodlines” earning the best opening and highest total gross in franchise history; “Weapons” achieving the largest August horror opening; and “The Conjuring: Last Rites” securing the biggest global horror opening ever.

Additionally, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” became Tim Burton’s second highest-grossing domestic release, while “Barbie” crossed $1.4 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history.

In a , Goldstein explains that the roots of his career “started in Syracuse,” soon after he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in special education: “I had an uncle who was in the entertainment business. He said, if you are interested, I can get you a summer job at Warner Bros.”

When asked what connects Syracuse University and his School of Education degree to his success as a movie executive, Goldstein says, “I got my entrepreneurial spirit by working jobs in the dining hall, as a residence advisor and in the business affairs office. While at Syracuse, I realized I had a bent for business, as well as the ability to teach others, mentor others, [and] be curious.”

Elle Key ’93, an award-winning film, television and commercial director, writer and producer, will deliver the 2026 convocation address to bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates of the at the college’s convocation ceremony on Saturday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.

Key earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration from VPA and was a starting goalie for the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team. She was born in New York City and is the co-president and founder of Bigger Picture Media Group.

Key spent her early years working off-Broadway with theater companies such as Malaparte, Naked Angels and the Atlantic Theater Company. She then went into television and film production and has helmed numerous national commercial campaigns as well as several projects for the NFL, the Pro Bowl, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, The Peabody Awards and The Gotham Awards.

She was officially the first female head writer for “The NFL Honors” in 2017. She came back and served as segment director, producer and head writer for “The NFL Honors” in 2021 and 2024. She was an executive producer on “Brain Games” for Disney/Nat Geo and was an executive producer with James Corden for “Game On!” for CBS.

Key is currently in development as creator and show runner for a new scripted streaming comedy series. She has been writing and directing with, and for, her Emmy and Peabody Award-winner partner, Keegan-Michael Key, for over a decade.

In 2022, Key won the Webby Award for Best Podcast Writing for her original Audible series “The History of Sketch Comedy.” Key, and the series that she created, wrote and directed, was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

She then followed her award-winning podcast with the book “The History of Sketch Comedy,” which became a best-seller, garnered rave reviews and quickly reached the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s comedy book list. “The History of Sketch Comedy” made 2023’s Barnes and Noble’s Best Books of the Year list as well as Vulture’s Best Books of 2023.

Key is a member of the Creative Coalition and Women in Film, and she is on the Leadership Council for RFK Human Rights.

Mike Tirico ’88, acclaimed NBC Sports broadcaster and dedicated alumnus, will deliver Syracuse University’s address Sunday, May 10, in the JMA Wireless Dome. The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m.

Tirico, who serves as vice chair of Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees, has built a career at the center of American sports broadcasting, calling play-by-play for “Sunday Night Football” and “NBA on NBC” and serving as the primetime host for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympics.

In February 2026, he became the first U.S. broadcaster ever to call the Super Bowl and host a Winter Olympics in the same year—a milestone that capped more than three decades in the profession he first pursued in the studios of WAER-FM, Syracuse University’s public radio station.

“Mike Tirico is the definition of an Orange success story,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He began his career right here on campus, and has gone on to become one of the most respected voices in sports broadcasting. His deep and lasting commitment to Syracuse University reflects the same values of excellence we hope to inspire in every graduate. We are honored and proud to welcome him home for this milestone celebration.”

“There is no place that has meant more to me than Syracuse University,” says Tirico. “Personally and professionally so much of what has defined my life traces back to SU. It is an incredible honor to be asked to address the Class of 2026 and welcome them to our proud family of Orange alums. I can’t wait to share this special day with the next group that joins our Forever Orange family.”

Broadcast Start

Tirico earned a dual bachelor’s degree in 1988 in political science from the and the and in broadcast journalism from the . He launched his broadcasting career at WAER-FM before joining WTVH-TV in Syracuse as sports director and serving as the play-by-play voice for Syracuse University basketball, football, lacrosse and volleyball.

Tirico joined ESPN as a “SportsCenter” anchor in 1991, eventually becoming the voice of “Monday Night Football” from 2006-15, one of only four play-by-play announcers to call primetime NFL games for at least 10 seasons. Over 25 years at ESPN and ABC Sports, he called the NBA, college football, college basketball, golf’s Masters and The Open, the FIFA World Cup and tennis championships, the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. In July 2016, he joined NBC Sports.

At NBC, Tirico is the play-by-play voice of “Sunday Night Football,” primetime television’s most-watched show for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years, and has served as the network’s primetime host for the PyeongChang, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris and Milan Cortina Olympics. In February 2026, he called Super Bowl LX and then immediately shifted to host the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, an unmatched broadcasting double that drew widespread acclaim. He was named the 2010 Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and has won five Sports Emmy Awards. In the summer of 2025, he was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame by a vote of his peers.

Dedication to the University

Tirico has remained closely connected to the University throughout his career. Elected to the Board of Trustees in 2016, he was elected vice chair in 2025 and serves on the board’s Executive, Advancement and External Affairs and Student Experience Committees. He has served on the board’s search committees, including for the dean of the Newhouse School, the athletics director and, most recently, the chancellor. His University service also includes membership on the Newhouse Advisory Board and the Advisory Board.

He has been recognized with the George Arents Award, the University’s highest alumni honor, in 2005; the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 1996; and the Newhouse School’s Marty Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media in 2017. He and his wife, Deborah Gibaratz Tirico ’89 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), established the Mike Tirico Scholarship Endowment and supported initiatives across the Maxwell, Newhouse and Whitman schools, WAER and Syracuse University Athletics.

Join Academic Affairs and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at the seventh annual on Friday, April 10, at 1 p.m. in the School of Education Commons in Huntington Hall. The celebration is open to the public.

The event will honor and celebrate faculty and staff for their efforts to examine and enhance student learning and operational success. Awards will be given in five categories:

• IE Champions, recognizing campus community members who advocate for meaningful assessment to enrich the student learning experience and operational effectiveness.
• Outstanding Assessment, recognizing a distinguished academic program, co-curricular program/unit, and functional unit for robust assessment and action planning to support decision-making.
• Best Engagement Strategies, recognizing programs/units for engaging faculty, staff and students in the assessment process.
• Best Use of Results, recognizing an academic program, co-curricular program/unit and functional unit for using assessment results to inform decision-making.
• Collaborative inquiry and Action, recognizing a program/unit that collaborates with others outside of their primary school/college/division to use the assessment process to enhance student learning and campus operations. Sharing data and discussing the story the data tells leads to actions that improve the student

Posters highlighting the work of 2025 Assessment Leadership Institute participants and 2025-26 recipients of the Student Engagement in Assessment grant will also be showcased.

Light refreshments will be served. today.

A time-honored celebration of academic achievement, leadership and military history was on full display at the JMA Wireless Dome during the 109th Chancellor’s Review and Awards Ceremony on March 27.

The annual tradition brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni and University stakeholders to recognize the accomplishments and success of cadets from the University’s Army and Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs.

The event is one of Syracuse University’s oldest traditions, originating in 1917 under the direction of then-Chancellor James R. Day. Among the cadets reviewed in that inaugural ceremony was future Chancellor William Pearson Tolley, who would later play a critical role in expanding access to higher education for veterans through his contributions to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the G.I. Bill.

This year’s ceremony featured a formal inspection of the troops by Chancellor Kent Syverud,  and the presentation of awards recognizing academic, leadership and civic excellence. Both University leadership and representatives from local veteran service organizations were on hand to present awards to the deserving cadets.

“Over the course of time our success is attributed to our military-connected students, and how they achieve their post-graduation goals,” says retired U.S. Army Colonel Ron Novack, executive director of the (OVMA). “Those ROTC cadets who are graduating in five weeks are going to take a very big step in their personal and professional lives. They’re going to go out and lead, they’re going to take the values that they learn from their families, their parents, the values they learn here at Syracuse University, and the values of the Army and the Air Force, and they’re going to go out and lead with distinction.  We couldn’t be prouder of them as they go out and embark on their careers.”

Top Cadets Recognized for Leadership and Academic Excellence

Among the highest honors presented were the General Edward C. Meyer Leadership Award and the Professor John A. and Dean Marion Meyer Scholar Award, given to top-performing cadets in the Army and Air Force ROTC respectively.

This year, the General Edward C. Meyer Leadership Award was presented to Sophia Terlecky ’26, a U.S. Army ROTC cadet, for demonstrating exceptional officer potential and leadership. Terlecky, a Buffalo, New York,  native, is enrolled  in the . She also serves as the cadet battalion commander for the Stalwart Battalion, and will receive a commission in the U.S. Army alongside 24 other Syracuse University Army ROTC cadets in May.

For the Air Force, The Professor John A. and Dean Marion Meyer Scholar Award was presented to Matthew Gratch, a cross-town ROTC cadet from Le Moyne College, for exemplary performance and inspirational leadership. Gratch, who is studying political science at Le Moyne, also serves as the mission support flight commander for Detachment 535 and will commission into the Air Force as an acquisitions manager.

“Being my fourth and final one, it hits a little different than it did in other years,” says U.S. Air Force ROTC Cadet James Hrdy ’26, a senior in the . “This program really challenges you, it’s taught me to appreciate certain things and I’m looking forward to working in the U.S. Air Force.”

The ceremony closed with a formal pass in review, a military tradition symbolizing honor and respect, as the cadets marched in formation across the field in front of their families and University leaders to showcase the military precision of basic unit drill and individual standards of each cadet.

To view a photo gallery of this year’s event, visit the .

Syracuse junior Flynn Ledoux ’27, an illustration major in the ’ (VPA) School of Art, has been selected as the winner of a VPA student design competition to create the official 40th anniversary poster for the 2026 .

Ledoux, who also majors in environment, sustainability and policy in the , will see his design featured on official 2026 festival materials and will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

In operation since 1982, Syracuse Jazz Fest has become one of the Northeast’s premier free admission music festivals, drawing world-renowned artists and tens of thousands of fans each summer to Central New York. Jazz Fest 40 will take place July 9–12, with hosted across campus and at Beak and Skiff Apple Hill Campus in LaFayette, New York.

The competition was created after Jazz Fest founder and Syracuse alumnus Frank Malfitano ’72 reached out to VPA Dean about holding a student poster design contest in honor of the festival’s milestone anniversary. The college issued a call for entries and received submissions from students across its schools and departments. Representatives of Jazz Fest then reviewed the entries and voted on the winners.

In addition to Ledoux, three other VPA students were recognized by the festival:

• Katerina Anastasopoulos ’26, a senior environmental and interior design major in the School of Design, received second place.
• Kelsey McMillin ’28, a sophomore illustration major in the School of Art, and Hayden Celentano ’26, a senior film major in the Department of Film and Media Arts, tied for third place.

“Jazz Fest has always been about bringing people together through great music, and this year we’re celebrating 40 years of doing just that,” says Malfitano. “Partnering with VPA to put a student’s work at the center of this anniversary felt exactly right—it connects our festival’s future to the next generation of artists.”

“The 40th anniversary of Jazz Fest is a milestone worth celebrating in a meaningful way,” says Tick. “Flynn’s design is a testament to the exceptional talent we have here at VPA, and we’re grateful to Frank for giving our students the chance to be part of this iconic community festival.”

Jazz Fest 40 is presented by Syracuse University with additional support from the New York State-Empire State Development Corporation in association with New York State Assemblyman Al Stripe, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and the Onondaga County Legislature, Visit Syracuse, National Grid, Amazon, JMA Wireless, RAV Properties, CNY Family Care, Empower Federal Credit Union, CNY Arts Council, the Central New York Community Foundation and numerous additional community partners across Central New York.

A climate finance pioneer. A diplomat who helped evacuate thousands from a war zone. A champion of global school nutrition. A trailblazing scholar of equity in public administration. A leader in the federal inspector general oversight community.These are the five alumni who will be celebrated at the annual Awards of Excellence on Thursday, April 30, in Washington, D.C.

The event, to be held at the Syracuse University Washington, D.C., Center in the heart of Dupont Circle, will also serve as an opportunity for the Maxwell community to reunite and celebrate the school’s enduring commitment to engaged citizenship.

Established in 2022, the Awards of Excellence program celebrates the contributions of the school’s alumni and friends to their fields, communities and society through work that reflects the Maxwell School mission and values. Recognition categories include the 1924 Award, Bridge Award, Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, Compass Award and Spirit of Public Service Award.

“We are honored to welcome members of the Maxwell community to join us for an evening of celebration and reflection,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Each year, this event reminds me of why our mission endures. This year’s honorees have built careers spanning climate finance, diplomacy, food security, public administration and the law—and in every case, they have used their Maxwell education as a foundation for making the world more sustainable, more humane and more just. I look forward to celebrating them and to welcoming our community back to Washington, D.C.”

The five 2026 honorees are Jeff Eckel G’82,  George Farag G’02, G’07, Emily Fredenberg G’16, Susan Gooden G’95, G’96 and Roslyn A. Mazer ’71.

Jeff Eckel—Bridge Award

For his commitment to improving our climate future, Eckel is the recipient of the 2026 Bridge Award, which honors exemplary leadership across sectors while advancing the Maxwell School’s mission of making the world a better place.

Eckel, who earned an M.P.A. from Maxwell, has spent four decades advancing climate-positive investing with the view that climate change is among the greatest challenges of our time. As chair of HASI and its CEO for the previous two decades, he pioneered the use of finance to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon climate solutions in the United States and the developing world.

He developed the HannieMae Trust, a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle for funding energy-conservation projects, oversaw HASI’s 2013 public offering as the first dedicated climate solutions investor, and created CarbonCount, a tool that measures how efficiently capital investments reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

George Farag—Spirit of Public Service Award

Farag is the recipient of the Spirit of Public Service Award, which honors individuals whose work has had widespread global impact and reflects the ideals of the Maxwell School. For more than 25 years, he has worked at the intersection of diplomacy, immigration and national security to advance U.S. interests and protect American lives. Farag earned master’s degrees in public administration and international relations and Ph.D. in anthropology from the Maxwell School.

Inspired by the Sept. 11 attacks, Farag joined the U.S. Department of State as a diplomat and consular officer in 2002. During five years of service in some of the world’s most volatile environments, he helped lead the evacuation of 15,000 Americans during the 2006 Lebanon War and was among the first U.S. diplomats to enter Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2013, he founded Silverline Strategies, a consulting firm whose operations now affect more than 3 million visa applicants each year across 15 countries. Farag received the Department of State’s Superior Honor Award and Meritorious Honor Award.

Emily Fredenberg—Compass Award

Fredenberg, who holds an M.P.A. degree and a master’s degree in international relations, is the recipient of this year’s Compass Award, given in recognition of her exceptional accomplishments and impact as an early-career alumna. In the 10 years since earning her Maxwell degrees, she has built a career dedicated to strengthening food security among some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Fredenberg is currently senior officer of programs and advocacy at the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, where she cultivates global partnerships to advance sustainable school meal programs worldwide. She previously served as a project manager at The Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing grants focused on combating the global food crisis. Before that, she spent six years with the World Food Programme, serving in Lebanon—helping the response to the Syrian refugee crisis—and in Rwanda, where she led communications strategy for the nation’s home-grown school meal initiative.

Susan Gooden—Charles V. Willie Advocate Award

Gooden is the recipient of the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, which recognizes alumni whose contributions reflect Maxwell’s commitment to creating an environment that is welcoming to all and oriented toward engaged citizenship. The honor recognizes her excellence in leadership, teaching and scholarship advancing inclusive governance and equity in public administration.

Gooden, who earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science at Maxwell, is dean and professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she co-founded the Research Institute for Social Equity.

She has authored six books and more than 100 academic journal articles and reports and is a founding editor of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration. An elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, she is a past president of the American Society for Public Administration, which honored her with the 2025 Dwight Waldo Award recognizing more than 25 years of preeminent contributions to the field.

Roslyn A. Mazer—1924 Award

Mazer is the recipient of this year’s Maxwell 1924 Award, which honors graduates for distinguished and sustained professional or civic leadership in the spirit of the school’s mission.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Maxwell, Mazer went on to provide vigorous oversight of government programs as inspector general of the Federal Trade Commission, inspector general of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and special investigative counsel in the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Earlier, she served in the Department of Justice, including as deputy assistant attorney general, guiding federal judicial nominees through the confirmation process.

Before entering public service, Mazer was in private law practice specializing in media and First Amendment law. Notably, she represented the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists as friend of the court in Hustler Magazine Inc. v. Falwell, the landmark Supreme Court ruling affirming First Amendment protection of satire. Today, she continues to advocate for cartoonists’ rights and free expression.