Aaron Lener ’27 still remembers the exact moment linguistics stopped being a subject he was curious about and became the work of his life.

As a high school senior sitting in on a historical linguistics class by , associate professor of linguistics in the , Lener heard about the Bantoid languages of West Africa.

By the time classes started that fall, he had a research proposal in hand and a seat on Green’s research team. Three years later, that early spark has grown into a body of work substantial enough to earn him a , one of the most competitive graduate fellowships in the country.

The Beinecke Scholarship provides substantial funding for the graduate education of young people of exceptional promise. It is open to junior-year college students and was created to enable them to be courageous in selecting research or creative-focused courses of graduate study in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Lener was one of 16 Beinecke Scholars selected from a national pool of nominated students in 2026.

Lener’s résumé is wide-ranging. He is a double major in linguistic studies and international relations, a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and is a 2026-27 Remembrance Scholar. He has engaged in fieldwork on endangered Nigerian languages, a policy internship in Brussels, Belgium, and a courtroom-observation stint in New York’s court system. During a study abroad semester in Strasbourg, France, he also held a position inside the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Social Rights, where he researched case law affecting more than 700 million people.

A Family Connection

All of Lener’s work around the power of language traces back to his home. Lener grew up in rural Homer, New York, 35 minutes from the Onondaga Nation, with a great-grandmother born to Mohawk Nation parents.

Hearing family stories about language repression left him, in his words, with “an acute understanding of the dangers of language loss,” an awareness that now animates his research on Jhar and Gwak, two severely understudied Jarawan languages spoken in Nigeria.

As the only syntactician on Green’s team, Lener has spent three years building an analysis of how these languages express negation, working from recordings gathered through WhatsApp calls with native speakers thousands of miles away.

It is at times frustrating work—Lener describes trying to parse grammatical structure over calls with motorcycles in the background—but it has already produced a first-author paper under review at Studies in African Linguistics and presentations at conferences from Cornell to the University of Notre Dame to the Annual Conference on African Linguistics in Buffalo.

Scholarship Based on Experience

Much of Lener’s distinctive scholarship draws on experience outside a linguistics department. His Russian minor, initially a personal interest, turned out to connect directly to his fieldwork.

Much of the foundational theory behind modern syntax emerged from the Russian Formalist movement. Lener has researched that history alongside his African-language work, a link made more urgent, he says, by Russia’s growing military presence in West African nations like Burkina Faso and Niger, not far from where his Jhar and Gwak language consultants live.

A summer with Education International in Brussels had him producing a policy toolkit on mother-tongue education for teachers’ federations across Africa. His work in Strasbourg, reviewing European Social Charter compliance and researching labor protections for platform workers, has little to do with Jarawan syntax on its surface. But Lener sees it as one more facet of the same conviction: that language, whether encoded in grammar or in law, is fundamentally about how people are seen and protected.

After noticing members of his own rural community were struggling to connect with the Spanish-speaking migrant workers who had recently moved there, Lener started a series of community Spanish classes in Homer. He later taught English to refugees from Ukraine, Sudan and Afghanistan through a Syracuse resettlement program. Showing people that unfamiliar languages and cultures “are not scary” is one of the most direct ways to combat the fear that comes from a lack of exposure.

Jolynn Parker, director of Syracuse’s , says Lener has “extraordinary energy, boundless curiosity and a keen analytical mind.”

“Aaron is poised to be a leader in the field of linguistics and to contribute meaningfully to the description and preservation of threatened languages,” she says.

As for the future, Lener is certain he will be using language to make a difference in the world.

“I want to look in the mirror and tell myself, with confidence, that I am doing something good for others,” he says.��

Angelie “Angie” Serrano Baéz ’27 has never been one to do things halfway.

The rising senior from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, is pursuing not one, not two, but three majors—political science, international relations, and law, society and policy in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, along with a minor in Latin American studies. And, she just completed a semester abroad at Syracuse University’s center in Madrid, Spain.

That drive extends well beyond the classroom. Serrano Baéz participates in the Renée Crown University Honors Program and Kappa Alpha Pi pre-law/pre-government professional fraternity. She is active with La L.U.C.H.A., the Latinx student organization, and the Puerto Rican Student Association, where she will serve as president in her senior year. She has also volunteered as a tutor with the University’s Literacy Corps and served as a peer mentor through the Wellslink program, which pairs incoming students with returning students.

Her combination of academic achievement and commitment to others made her the selection committee’s choice for the 2026-27 Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship, which honors a Maxwell School student who passed away from an undetected heart ailment while studying abroad in 2008.

The parallels between Serrano Baéz and Wanetik are striking. Wanetik majored in political science and international relations and was deeply engaged in campus and community life, including service work through his fraternity. Serrano Baéz shares that spirit of involvement. She volunteers with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and We Rise Above the Streets Recovery and Outreach, a nonprofit that serves homeless and marginalized members of the community.

When asked who inspires her, she says, “My parents, because they have worked so hard to make getting an education possible for me and for my siblings.”

In her senior year, Serrano Baéz plans to complete her international relations capstone and honors thesis and begin preparing law school applications. She is considering her options. Corporate law is one possibility. She credits the scholarship with helping keep that path within reach.

“Scholarships like this are such a meaningful way to honor the legacy of Syracuse community members while also supporting current students like me who might need a little extra help to pursue higher education,” she says. “Receiving the Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship has truly been a blessing, and I hope it also encourages other students to take advantage of the resources available to them and apply for opportunities like this.”

The 2026-27 selection committee included two Maxwell alumni: Marshall Spevak, who received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2010 and serves as CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, and Erin T. Hamilton, who received a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 2019 and works in the U.S. State Department. Hamilton received the Wanetik scholarship in spring 2018.

When Howard G. “Howie” Phanstiel ’70, G’71, H’22 was a student at Syracuse University, the state of the nation was not dissimilar to what it is today. “It was a time when the general public questioned both the capabilities and credibility of government. Were we getting straight answers about the war in Vietnam?” he recalls. “Meanwhile, New York City was under significant financial pressures and ultimately had to be bailed out by the state.”

Phanstiel saw his graduate education in public administration at the as an opportunity to improve the way government—local, state and federal—functioned. “I wanted to show people that it could work, that the trains could run on time, so to speak.” That aspiration drove his early career successes and is the underlying motivation for his continued support of Maxwell, its faculty and students. “Maxwell not only gave me the analytical skills to improve government; it gave me the confidence.” As a 22-year-old, he took a job in Wisconsin and was charged with briefing the governor on legislative issues and defending budgetary decisions. Phanstiel describes that early work in government as being “on the hot seat.”

Honoring a Dean, Endowing a Future

The latest gift from Howie and Louise Phanstiel is intended to ensure that motivated and talented students have the same opportunity to do graduate work at Maxwell and gain the skills and confidence to improve the way governments function. The Phanstiels’ $1 million gift creates the Dean David M. Van Slyke Endowed Scholarship. With an additional $500,000 match as part of The Syracuse Promise scholarship initiative, the fund will provide scholarship support for students for generations to come, and honor the contributions and impact that Dean Van Slyke has had on Maxwell.

“David lives and breathes Maxwell, traveling around the globe to raise funds,” says Phanstiel. “I don’t think there’s anybody in the world more dedicated to maintaining Maxwell’s No. 1 standing as the for public affairs. Louise and I are inspired by his level of commitment.”

“Howie and Louise have demonstrated a deep and lasting commitment to Maxwell, its students and the importance of public service over the nearly 20 years I have known them,” says Van Slyke. “Their generosity will help make a Maxwell education possible for talented students who want to serve the public good and strengthen the institutions our communities depend on. I am deeply grateful for their counsel and support and honored that they would associate my name with a scholarship devoted to those purposes. I hope their example inspires continued investment in the students who will lead and serve in the years ahead.”

“Howie Phanstiel is a rare example of someone whose vision, leadership and commitment to the public good have never dimmed,” says Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. “For decades, he and Louise have invested in Syracuse University, the Maxwell School and our students in ways that have shaped this institution profoundly. This scholarship is a testament to everything they believe in, and it will open doors for Maxwell students and future public servants for generations to come. On behalf of Syracuse University, we are deeply grateful to Howie and Louise.”

Phanstiel envisions that the Van Slyke Scholars, as they will be known, will choose to work in government, non-governmental organizations and charitable organizations, becoming the next generation of strong managers able to deliver on mission and goals in efficient and effective ways. Phanstiel himself moved on from government to leading organizations in both the public and private sectors—in healthcare, banking and finance—and always approached good management as good public service. He led the transformation of PacifiCare Health Systems from a Medicare HMO to a diversified Fortune 150 consumer health company offering affordable consumer-driven health products, including one of the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage plans.

A Lasting Pattern of Giving Back

After retiring from prolific and rewarding careers in the financial and healthcare sectors, Howie and Louise Phanstiel formed a private consulting and investing firm. They found ways to make their work most meaningful, investing in worthy causes, with Syracuse University and its students being major beneficiaries of their philanthropy.�� Their historic $20 million gift creating the in 2011 has opened the doors of opportunity to more than 125 students and included community service and civic engagement in the requirements for scholarship recipients. Phanstiel Scholars gain an appreciation for what it means to pay it forward, in time and treasure.

In addition to their own financial support of Maxwell, Syracuse Athletics and other programs, Howie is a life trustee on the Board of Trustees, and Louise is currently a voting member of the board. Howie serves on the Maxwell Advisory Board, and led fundraising campaigns that have inspired thousands of people to support the University.

Phanstiel says their latest gift is an investment in human capital. “For democracies to function successfully, they need citizens who are both informed and engaged,” says Phanstiel. “Our governments need public administrators who are skilled and motivated to make a difference and produce results that benefit others. The Maxwell School produces the kind of people who will do just that. The students I meet today want to make a difference. Louise and I want to make sure the economic pressures on those students are alleviated by scholarship support, to keep them in school so they can make that difference after they graduate and go on to serve the public interest.”

The FIFA World Cup comes to North America for the first time since 1994, with the U.S., Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 competition. From the economics of global sport to the politics of international competition, faculty experts can offer perspectives across multiple disciplines. All experts are available for print, broadcast and digital interviews.

For media assistance and interview coordination, contact��Keith Kobland via email at kkobland@syr.edu or by calling 315.415.8095.

Sport Economics and Analytics

Rodney Paul | rpaul01@syr.edu

is director of the sports analytics program and a professor in the Department of Sport Management in the David B. Falk College of Sport.

Paul is a sports economist with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and extensive experience consulting for professional leagues and teams. He has been featured on NPR, Forbes and in CFO Magazine on topics ranging from TV rights deals to franchise finances.

Paul can discuss the economics of hosting, including revenue projections, infrastructure costs and whether host cities recoup their investments. He can also explore ticket pricing, broadcast rights and the financial windfall for FIFA and its sponsor brands. Paul is also available to discuss how increased U.S. viewership and a home tournament could accelerate the growth of MLS and professional soccer investment in North America.

Football, Film and African Culture

Vlad Dima | vdima@syr.edu

is a professor of African American studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dima is the author of “The Beautiful Skin: Football, Fantasy and Cinematic Bodies in Africa” (Michigan State University Press), a landmark examination of soccer’s cultural meaning across the African continent. His research spans francophone cinema, cultural studies and the politics of sport as spectacle. He was recently interviewed by the Los Angeles Times on soccer’s growing popularity in the United States.

Dima can discuss the importance of soccer as a cultural identity and what the tournament means for African nations and diaspora communities; how media representations of African and Global South players shape narratives of race and nationhood; and the tournament as soft power—how countries use the World Cup stage to project national identity on a global screen.

Geopolitics and International Security

Corri Zoli |��cbzoli@syr.edu

is an associate teaching professor of political science and a senior research scholar in global affairs and international security in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs | College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Zoli is a scholar of international security, global conflict and the intersection of law and cross-cultural dynamics. Based in the Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute, Zoli’s interdisciplinary work addresses how international institutions navigate political tensions, a lens directly applicable to a tournament that brings together nations with competing global interests.

Zoli can speak about the World Cup as a geopolitical arena; how FIFA navigates relations with sanctioned states, contested territories and authoritarian hosts; what goes into security planning and counterterrorism logistics for a multi-city, multination tournament on U.S. soil; the diplomatic stakes when rival nations meet on the pitch; and what sport reveals about the limits of soft power.

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, journalists covering the Semiquincentennial will find no shortage of angles—from celebration and patriotism to polarization, history and the legacies still unresolved. Syracuse University has a deep bench of scholars ready to help reporters tell the full story.

Below is a reference guide to several��Syracuse University��faculty experts��and thought leaders��available on topics ranging from national identity to the democratic blueprint drawn by this land’s first��peoples.

For media��assistance��and interview coordination, contact��media@syr.edu.

How Has America Celebrated Its Birthday Before—and What Does Our Constitution Really Mean?

Carol Faulkner |��cfaulkne@syr.edu

is a professor of history in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

A specialist in 19th-century American history, constitutional history and social reform movements, Faulkner can offer a deep historical lens on how the United States has marked its major anniversaries—from the Centennial in 1876 to the Bicentennial in 1976—and what those celebrations reveal about the nation’s evolving sense of itself.

She can also speak to what the Constitution means as a living document and how its interpretation has shifted over time. Faulkner recently helped develop a free public course at the Maxwell School in conjunction with the 250th commemoration.

Can a Divided Nation Still Celebrate Together?

Shana Kushner Gadarian |��sgadaria@maxwell.syr.edu

is a professor and chair of political science in the Maxwell School.

A leading expert on American politics, political psychology and public opinion, Gadarian has spent much of her career studying how fear, polarization and partisanship shape the way Americans engage with shared institutions and national events.

As the country marks 250 years, she can address whether a deeply divided electorate can still find common ground in national celebration—and what the politics of patriotism look like in this moment.

The State of American Democracy at 250

Grant Reeher |��gpreeher@maxwell.syr.edu

is a professor of political science in the Maxwell School and a longtime observer of American political culture.

He can speak broadly to the health of U.S. democracy at this milestone, examining how the nation’s founding ideals are faring amid contemporary political pressures, what citizens expect from their government and how the meaning of democratic participation has evolved over 250 years.

Reeher is also a veteran media commentator on electoral politics and civic life.

The Blueprint America Forgot: Indigenous Roots of U.S. Democracy

Scott Stevens |��scsteven@syr.edu

is an associate professor and director of the Center for Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences, with expertise in Indigenous literature, history and cultural studies.

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, Stevens can speak to the often-overlooked story of how the democratic traditions and governance structures of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy—among other First Peoples—provided a foundational blueprint for the framers of the U.S. Constitution.

His work challenges and enriches conventional narratives about American democracy’s origins.

Nostalgia, Media and the Moments That Unite Us

Robert Thompson |��rthompso@syr.edu��

is founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture and a Trustee Professor of Television and Popular Culture in the .

Dubbed a “pop culture ambassador” by the Associated Press, Thompson has been a go-to voice for hundreds of media outlets on how Americans process shared national experiences through television, film and popular media. For the 250th anniversary, he can speak to how the media will cover—and shape—the celebration, as well as the role nostalgia plays in national identity and whether big national moments still have the power to bring a fragmented country together.��

Before the first match kicks off, a group of students has already run thousands of simulations to predict who will lift the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

The has published its , featuring game-by-game forecasts, heat maps and predictions for each group and for each nation.

President Evan Pegorsch ’27, a sport analytics and economics major in the and data analyst for the Orange’s men’s soccer team, and Noah Bair ’28, a sport analytics major, discuss their predictive model, who they think will win it all and the U.S. team’s chances of advancing out of their group and into the knockout stage.

What makes the model stand out?

Noah Bair: We wanted to study those contributing factors to team success at the World Cup—roster quality, previous World Cup experience, how teams have historically performed and whether a team has a veteran or a first-time coach—to think about our predictive model as sports fans rather than analysts. What important characteristics are missing, and how can we add to the research?

Evan Pegorsch: We’re providing the data to back up why we think a team is going to win or lose. We don’t just rely on FIFA rankings. We also factor in how many players each team has on the Ballon d’Or rankings [a list of the top 30 players in the world], how each team performs playing in different temperatures, how long the coach has been with the team and other key indicators. If you just went off the FIFA world rankings, our model overperformed that baseline by 15%.

Who are the favorites to win the World Cup?

Pegorsch: The consensus favorite is Spain, but my number one is France. Their attack is overpowering, they have enough depth in other key areas, and the defense is looking good. Then it’s Spain. Then you must include Messi and Argentina, which has great team chemistry and a willingness to fight for each other. Then I’d go with England and Portugal, which has a talented midfield and a defense that’s on the rise.

Bair: France is my number one, based on what they’ve done historically—they won it all in 2018 and were runners-up in 2022. That historical dominance along with the quality of players is going to take them very far. Then it’s Argentina. Anytime Lionel Messi is on the field you have a chance to win. Then I like Portugal. The quality in their midfield is second to none. England having a new manager is going to help, and this is an invigorated team with a lot of young talent that can bring home the trophy. I’m also high on the Netherlands. They have a deep team and one of the best benches in the World Cup.

What will be the impact of an expanded field and multiple co-host nations?

Bair: For the first time, we have three co-host nations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and 48 participating teams, the largest field in World Cup history. This will create an unexpected challenge. Unlike during their domestic season when matches are centralized and you might be traveling 30-40 miles for matches, these teams will be traveling across countries and for far greater distances than they’re used to, which could definitely impact the matches.

Pegorsch: Travel fatigue is going to be a big factor in this tournament. Teams will have to adapt to added travel and shorter rest times between matches. And adding more teams decreases the likelihood of every single country winning it all in our model. The top teams have a smaller chance of winning it all than they have in the past, because there’s more potential for upsets and more variance.

How far does the model think the U.S. will advance?

Pegorsch: Our model gives them a 4% chance to win it all. Being on home soil helps. I worry about the goalkeeper, which is a huge area of weakness. When you get later into the World Cup rounds, the chances of dealing with either a penalty kick or penalty kick shootout increase, and I don’t trust our goalkeeping there. But there’s a lot of excitement around the U.S. and it’s realistic for them to reach the quarterfinals.

Bair: As tournament hosts, they’ve been given a favorable draw and don’t have a great contender in their group. The U.S. is the favorite to win Group D [88.7% to advance] and make the knockout stage. The talent is there to make it to the quarterfinals, and the U.S. will get a boost playing in front of the home crowd. But realistically, I think the team will lose in the round of 16.

What’s a dark horse country with the talent to make a deep run?

Bair: Ecuador is an up-and-coming team with some quality players who have been on the rise since 2022. Because Ecuador doesn’t have that historic success on the national stage, the data will likely say they’re not going to go very far, but Ecuador has one of the best defenses in the world, and at the World Cup, defense can carry a team.

Pegorsch: The model is high on Norway. They have one of the best players in the world in Erling Haaland, and while Norway is 29th or 30th in the FIFA rankings [at the time the data was collected], we have them with the 11th best odds to win because they have strong attacking options.

The night Dan Zhang G’11 arrived in the United States, she slept on the floor of her empty apartment, dreaming of a new life.

She had $500 to her name—no safety net, no family nearby and she spoke only conversational English. She had an acceptance letter from the , a paying job as a teaching assistant, and an unshakeable belief that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

“I still remember that night when I was doing research on Maxwell,” Zhang says. “I told my dorm mate: ‘Only if I can get into Maxwell, I think I will be the luckiest person in the whole world.’”

She got in, and she completed a master’s degree. Today, Zhang—the chief financial officer of ClickUp, an AI productivity platform with more than 1,000 employees and clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies—is making sure the next generation of students has the support she once needed.

Zhang made a financial gift to the Maxwell School, jump-starting the which provides help to undergraduate and graduate students facing urgent needs including emergency travel, food, housing, visa issues and tuition.

The emergency fund relies on donor support, and Zhang is hoping fellow Maxwell alumni will join her in contributing to it. “Every gift, no matter the amount, can keep a student’s dream alive,” she said.

From Beijing to Syracuse

Zhang grew up in China, earned an undergraduate degree in sociology in Beijing and worked briefly as a journalist before deciding she wanted more. She was drawn to questions about gender inequality, organizational structure and how societies work, and she believed graduate study in the U.S. was the path forward.

Zhang received a string of rejection letters before the Maxwell School saw in her the skills and qualities other institutions overlooked. “That was really life changing because at the time I felt stuck and I was ready to give up,” she says, adding that the acceptance letter signaled, “‘We’re willing to take a chance on you—arms wide open.’”

The early days in the U.S. were challenging beyond the financial constraints.

“I came to this country like a blank canvas,” she says. “I had to figure out the culture, the values, the way everything works.”

People made all the difference, she said. At Syracuse and Maxwell, she said she easily found mentors like professors , and who offered moral support at critical moments, put American culture into context with her studies and encouraged her critical analysis.

One professor, , knew exactly what Zhang was facing. Ma had walked a similar path a decade earlier, coming from Nanjing University to study sociology in the U.S. Zhang says Ma told her, “‘The right support at the right moment changes everything. My door is always open.’”

Across campus, staff helped Zhang navigate systems she didn’t yet understand. The patience, she says, was everything.

“The faith they put in you—it’s like, ‘You’re going to do great, and you just need a little help and a little nudge to get you on the ramp,’” she says.

An Unconventional Path

With the encouragement of faculty, including math professor , Zhang pursued master’s degrees in sociology and applied statistics. The interdisciplinary combination raised eyebrows but proved transformative. While studying at Maxwell, she audited courses at the , chasing curiosity wherever it led.

“Maxwell encouraged students to branch out,” she says. “Every advisor, every mentor embraced that belief—to develop full-brain students and future leaders.”

After earning her degree in 2011, Zhang set out to build what she calls her own path. She joined Amazon as an entry-level financial analyst. Then she moved to an online travel company to study brand-building, then to Zynga, where she got her first taste of fast-paced Silicon Valley culture. Soon after came another opportunity, to join the “software as a service” (SaaS) industry.

Along the way, she earned another degree—a master of science in finance from the University of Illinois.

Then she did something that surprised even her colleagues: she left finance entirely.

Recognizing that she needed to understand the business from the inside out, Zhang spent three years in global sales strategy, traveling with top sales teams and learning how deals actually get made. It was unconventional for someone with her background, and exactly the kind of move she said Maxwell had trained her to make.

“I’m not building my resume,” she says. “I’m building my own path.”