For students earning a graduate degree entirely online, the chance to sit across from a professor or classmate in person can be rare.

Not so in the (A&S), where its highly regarded (MFT) program intentionally builds that opportunity into the curriculum. Recognizing the human-centered nature of the practice, a signature residency creates a valuable network for participants, while introducing them to the resources and dedicated professionals of the Syracuse University campus.

This year, 25 students traveled from states across the country for the program’s fourth graduate residency since 2020, an immersive three days of workshops, panel discussions and hands-on practice designed to turn distance learning into shared experience. Among the attendees were students from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington and New York.

The September residency gives students completing clinical training in communities nationwide a chance to come together in person to sharpen clinical skills, pursue professional development and build connections with peers and faculty. The reflective activities help students integrate their academic and clinical learning while deepening their understanding of systemic therapy and professional practice.

“One of the things I love about the residency is seeing students who already know each other online meet in person for the first time,” says , professor of practice and chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Science. “There’s such a nice moment of recognition because they aren’t meeting as strangers. They already have relationships with each other. Being together in Peck Hall gives them another way to connect, learn from each other and see themselves as part of a larger professional community.”

The residency reflects a broader commitment within A&S to address grand challenges facing society, particularly those tied to health and well-being. By training clinicians equipped to meet growing demand for mental health services, the program extends that mission beyond the classroom and into communities from coast to coast.

“What stood out to me this year was the openness and support of students across programs,” says , the MFT master’s program director. “Online students were meeting with residential students, watching their cases and offering beautiful support. Even without knowing each other, there was a level of openness and trust in their communication and feedback. Each student seemed to understand the delicacy of clinical work and worked as a team during observations.”

In a field built on human connection, that time together may be nearly as essential to a student’s training as anything covered in a syllabus.

“My cohort was already pretty connected in the online space, but spending time together added a layer of understanding and emotional safety we hadn’t experienced before,” participant Anne Esse says. “In an online course, you’re never sure if you’re just a sea of faces instructors see every week or not. It felt like they all knew us individuals, as if we’d been attending their classes in person.”

Fellow participant Nikki Shayer says all of the sessions and exercises “were excellent.”

“Each session was a different topic, of course, but each one made me think about things with a different eye,” she says. “I think that’s what I’ve been loving the most about this program, and about the residency experience—all the knowledge and wisdom shared just lingers, and I’m able to connect dots together that I wouldn’t have been able to before. It was really an enriching experience; I’d love to do it again.”

When Jordan Potash ’98 graduated from Syracuse University, he never thought his resume would keep bringing him back to campus.

“The last time I returned was in 2019, when the named a speaker series after me,” says Potash, a Washington, D.C., resident who is an author, educator and licensed art therapist.

Potash also is an advocate for “general peacebuilding and community development, leading arts-based dialogues to bridge differences.”

This ethos will be on display on Oct. 22, when he and student leaders headline the eighth annual Potash Keynote Speaker Series. They will engage in an informal panel discussion about LGBTQ+ community building, running from 7 to 9 p.m. in room 304ABC of the Schine Student Center.

The event, which is part of the University’s observance of , coincides with the center’s 25th anniversary.

“The discussion will touch on how queer culture has changed at Syracuse University,” says Emily Stewart, director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, which is a member of the University’s (IC). “It will examine how our center meets student needs today and how LGBTQ+ students and allies can contribute to change in the current landscape while taking care of themselves.”

Credited for laying the groundwork for the center as a student, Potash is excited to engage in an open dialogue about LGBTQ+ history and activism.

“Our identities and priorities are everything,” says Potash, who teaches art therapy at George Washington University. “It’s our diversity that makes the LGBTQ+ Resource Center viable and sustainable.”

‘I Wanted To Create Support Systems for People Like Me’

If anyone embodied interdisciplinary learning at the University in the late ’90s, it was Potash, a senior class marshal who majored in and studio arts in the .

Potash’s non-academic pursuits—he was a student leader, resident advisor and peer mentor—also shaped his trajectory. “I was heavily involved with , and what became the ,” he says.

Before his senior year, Potash heard about an LGBTQ+ safe space campaign at Beaver College (now Arcadia University) in suburban Philadelphia, where his mother worked and underwent LGBTQ+ ally training.

Not wishing to be outdone by Arcadia, he approached Barry Wells, then senior vice president and dean of student affairs, about bringing an ally training program to Syracuse University.

“I wanted to create support systems for people like me,” Potash says.

Numerous people rushed to his aid, including Missy Mathis-Hanlon G’95, now director of . She not only helped Potash put his ideas on paper but also encouraged him to expand the program into a center.

Convinced of its potential, Wells brought the proposal before the , which, in turn, passed a motion to form an ad hoc committee.

In 2001, more than two years after Potash graduated, the resource center opened its doors. “It was an unforgettable moment,” he says, smiling.

A Welcoming Space for All

Located on the first floor of the Schine Student Center, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center takes a holistic approach to education, health and wellness, and advocacy.

All are welcome at the center, which facilitates systemic change on campus and offers a range of services, resources and programs.

“I see it as a safe space for students dealing with issues about their sexual orientation and gender identity,” says Potash, whose advocacy is rooted in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. that were instilled in him by his mentor, Francis McMillan Parks. “It’s uplifting to see so many LGBTQ+ allies—friends, family members, colleagues—there, as well.”

Mathis-Hanlon says that, despite evolving societal and political pressures, the center remains true to the original vision.

“As part of the IC, the center is thoughtfully placed to help students embrace their intersectionality,” she says.

Potash admits that while the LGBTQ+ Resource Center remains a “group effort,” certain people, like founding director Adrea Jaehnig (who stepped down in 2010), have left an indelible mark on it.

“Adrea helped grow the center from a single-person office into a robust resource hub for the community,” he says. “She epitomized how to lead with care.”

Families, friends and supporters from all over the globe will be celebrating connections and football for Family Weekend 2026, Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 18. Family Weekend has been a core tradition of Syracuse University dating back to the 1950s.

“Families are traveling from 44 U.S. states and territories and 10 countries to spend time with their student,” says Missy Mathis-Hanlon, director of Parent and Family Services. “We have plenty of programming available, but we know that each family’s primary focus is checking in with and spending time with their student.”

Family Weekend Highlights

Families and supporters can learn more about what it’s like to be part of the Orange community over the fun-filled weekend. Highlights for Family Weekend can be explored below. Families and students can also download the or visit the for more information.

• Friday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Check-in begins at the Schine Student Center.
• Friday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: Experience the campus with a campus tour.
• Saturday, Oct. 17, 9:30-11:30 a.m.: Attend your student’s .
• Saturday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.: .

While online registration is now closed, students can still through Friday, Oct. 9, in 137 Schine Student Center.

Prioritizing Health Through Family Weekend and Beyond

While Family Weekend is a fun and exciting few days on campus, it’s also a great time for families to encourage their students to prioritize their health in the chillier months ahead, when flu season is at its peak.

“As students and families gather for Family Weekend, remember that flu season is here, and the best protection is an annual vaccine,” says Michele Frontale, supervising pharmacist for the Barnes Center at The Arch.

for students are scheduled on campus throughout October and November, including one during Family Weekend on Friday, Oct. 16, from 1-4 p.m. at 309 Barnes Center.

“Take a moment to encourage your student to book a flu vaccine appointment on the . Help them keep our whole campus community healthy!” says Frontale.

Helpful Things to Know:

• (will be updated through Oct. 9)

As he walked across the Shaw Quad during the Orange Blast Involvement Fair his freshman year, Jesús Tiburcio Zane ’27 was drawn to a particular table that felt like home and tradition and would connect him to others who would help him find his footing.

That table belonged to (La L.U.C.H.A.)—the University’s largest Latiné Recognized Student Organization (RSO) and one of its oldest, on campus since 1989.

Soon, executive board members, including Sidney Mejia ’25, G’26, then co-vice president of the RSO, began mentoring Tiburcio Zane, a first-generation college student, sharing their favorite study spots and dining hall recommendations.

“Those tips helped me thrive during my freshman year. With La L.U.C.H.A., I found a home for my Latiné culture and a place where I could share my Mexican traditions and customs,” says Tiburcio Zane, president of La L.U.C.H.A. and a dual major in accounting and entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises in the . “The group helped me find my people, my voice and my community on campus.”

Before she arrived on campus, Diana Bonilla-Prado ’28 made a thorough list of RSOs she hoped to join, with La L.U.C.H.A. among the top.

For Bonilla-Prado, a first-generation college student with family roots from El Salvador, joining La L.U.C.H.A. was a chance to strengthen her connection to her heritage, increase Latiné cultural awareness and give back.

After an introductory meeting with then-president Jasmine Rodriguez ’25, Bonilla-Prado says she knew right away she was where she was meant to be. Today, she serves as La L.U.C.H.A. co-vice president.

“When I came to Syracuse, everything about the college experience was brand new to me. La L.U.C.H.A. welcomed me with open arms and pushed me to become the best version of myself,” says Bonilla-Prado, who is studying political science in the and information management and technology in the .

The organization is open to all students, regardless of their cultural background or heritage. During , La L.U.C.H.A. organized several events, including “Nuestra Identidad,” an interactive cultural workshop designed to give students a space to explore, celebrate and share who they are; and Café con Leche, a conversation about the history of coffee in Latin America and the Caribbean.

To close out Latine Heritage Month, La L.U.C.H.A. and several other Latin student organizations will come together to enjoy food, music and fun games during , from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the Goldstein Auditorium in the Schine Student Center.

Bonilla-Prado and Tiburcio Zane sat down with Syracuse University Today to discuss their heritage and why students should join La L.U.C.H.A.

Join La L.U.C.H.A.

Tiburcio Zane and Bonilla-Prado are always looking to recruit new members. Interested students can email laluchasu@gmail.com or follow La L.U.C.H.A. on , , and .

On a lab bench at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Victoria Alwar ’27 spent her summer running tests to explore how a single genetic mutation disrupts electrical signals in the brain and heart. Gabriella Garcia ’26 explored challenges in behavioral therapy for children by testing setbacks through a video game simulation for adult participants. Annie Knobloch ’26 studied how different cannabinoid compound structures interact with human cannabinoid receptors.

All three Syracuse University students spent their summer down the road from campus, as participants in the . The 10-week fellowship, founded in 1994, draws nearly 40 students from across the country and works closely with . The two programs align their calendars, share social and professional development events and send students to present together at a joint Summer Research Symposium each year.

Over the past 10 years, 25 Syracuse undergraduates have taken part, making up as much as a fifth of the SURF cohort in some years. This year, it’s 14%.

, director of the SURF program, says Syracuse students have served as ambassadors for out-of-town participants over the years, and many continue working in their SURF labs throughout the academic year.

“There is no doubt that SU undergraduates play a vital role in the success of the SURF program, and in turn, they immensely benefit from the biomedical research environment at Upstate,” Herberg says.

SOURCE director Kate Hanson says the partnership contributes to a vibrant cross-institutional summer research community, bringing together students from Syracuse University’s five NSF- and NIH-funded programs, Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students and a small number of visiting high schoolers for shared activities that culminate in the Summer Symposium.

“Students learn from each other and are able to explore a broad range of the incredible research being done on the hill,” she says.

Gaining a Sense of their ‘Future Self’

As part of the SURF program, students get hands-on time in a working biomedical lab, often collaborating for the first time with a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow alongside the principal investigator/mentor in one of six research pathways. Through the mentorship, students learn to design and run rigorous experiments, analyze data and read and interpret scientific papers.

Weekly seminars also expose them to the range of research happening across campus and to their mentor’s personal career stories. A journal club—the program’s only formal course—gives them practice presenting and critiquing scientific papers in small peer groups.

Herberg says all SURF students are passionate about research but many are unclear on the nuances between a Ph.D. and an M.D./Ph.D. program—which is where career-focused workshops and “meet the dean” luncheons come in.

“From the feedback we receive, these sessions provide critical advice that has helped many SURF students clarify or substantiate their future plans,” he says.

The Final Piece of the Puzzle

Alwar, a dual major in biology and neuroscience in the College of Arts and Sciences, says she came into the summer with “two pieces of the puzzle”: bench research through fellowships at SU and Upstate and clinical exposure from an internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2025. But she hadn’t yet seen how a physician-scientist operates between the lab bench and the clinic.

“The specific structure of this program around dual identity (being paired with both a faculty mentor and a current physician) allowed me to get direct clinical experience alongside my bench work,” Alwar says.

She started the program thinking it would clarify what she wanted to study or which career path to pursue. Instead, she realized what kind of work environment she thrives in: one built on guidance and collaboration, where mentorship is within reach, but she’s given agency, too.

“One that can still allow me to be trusted with real independence and responsibility and treated as a capable emerging scientist rather than a closely supervised individual,” she says.

Broadening Interests

For Garcia, a biology major with a gerontology minor who is graduating in December, the path to SURF started at the Biology Research Fair in the Life Sciences Complex. That led to a mentorship with at Upstate, who connected her to work at a specialized behavioral clinic and later recommended the SURF program.

During the 10 weeks with the SURF Health Science pathway, Garcia worked in two specialized behavior clinics. Her project tackled a real clinical problem from a safe distance. Children with developmental disabilities often relapse into harmful behaviors once they leave the clinic’s structured environment, but testing that relapse directly would be unsafe. Garcia used a video game created by , a psychologist and pediatrics professor at SUNY Upstate, that simulates the three-stage progression of real-world therapy. The game allowed Garcia and fellow researchers to study how different reward strategies affect how well those skills hold up outside the clinic.

“This video game is a form of translational research that allows us to safely model these high-stress behavioral dynamics in a controlled lab setting through a video game,” she says. “Ultimately, this work helps build a foundation for clinicians to design stronger, more resilient treatment plans.”

Confirming a Path to a Ph.D.

Knobloch, a neuroscience and psychology major graduating in December, went into the SURF program on the heels of doing research at Upstate for about a year. She spent the 10 weeks in a cannabinoid pharmacology research lab studying how small structural changes in a compound alter its functional effect on the human brain’s cannabinoid receptors.

The experience allowed her to learn more about neuropharmacology in depth and confirmed her love of biomedical research. She knows after the fellowship that she wants to pursue her doctoral degree.

“I learned so much from my new friends and hearing about their research projects,” she says. “The faculty are so great and the research done here is so fascinating. It’s a great trial run of a grad school program.”

Applications for the 2027 SURF cohort open in late fall.

Most incoming first-year students spend the days before college shopping for residence hall essentials or learning their way around campus. Sylvia Howell ’30 spent them zooming through whitewater in a raft, soaring down a zip line and swapping stories around the campfire with dozens of classmates who had been strangers just days before.

It was all part of Syracuse University’s . Howell was one of 39 LOOP participants and eight student trip leaders who immersed themselves in outdoor challenges and activities at the in Croghan, New York. The three-day trip in August, hosted by -Outdoor Recreation as part of New Student Programs’ pre-Welcome Week, combined shared adventures and team-building activities that helped the students forge friendships.

“When I discovered LOOP, I was so intrigued by being in a new place but doing the same outdoor activities that I love so much,” says Howell, a neuroscience and biology major and longtime rafting enthusiast from Colorado. “I also knew that the other participants in LOOP must have had some like-minded hobbies and experiences that might give me a great group of adventurous friends.”

She found just what she was looking for. “The diverse, unfamiliar group who embarked on this trip over the course of the few days became connected to one another through each experience,” Howell says. “I am very grateful for the friends I made on this trip because they span a much wider range of social groups than I would have ever been able to dip my toes in had I just jumped right into campus.”

Niles Cowan ’30, a broadcast and digital journalism major from Vancouver, Washington, didn’t know a soul on the East Coast. A climbing instructor and Eagle Scout, Cowan appreciated sharing experiences with the other participants. “Back home I am really into backpacking and camping, so it seemed like a fun experience to meet people,” he says. “The ropes courses were fun, but whitewater rafting was hands-down the highlight of the trip.”

Team Building and Shared Experiences

The night before their departure, the students met on campus for introductions, team building and icebreaker activities. The first night of their Adirondack stay, trip leaders—upper-class students who went through the experience themselves—guided participants through a campfire discussion with games, stories, riddles and an open question forum, all designed to ease the first-year jitters of college life.

“We are all super open about our college experiences and things we have struggled with,” says Jackson Carrier ’27, an architecture major who has been an outdoor adventure trip and LOOP leader with the Barnes Center for three years. “We had a lot of the same fears as freshmen, and it’s good for the participants to see that and know that it all works out. It’s also good for them to see that their peers have the same fears and that they can be there to support each other.”

Finding an Outdoor Community

Back on campus, the adventure continues. Howell and Cowan, for example, have set off on new adventures with the . “This experience made me aware of the incredible outdoor experiences here at Syracuse,” Howell says.

For Scott Catucci G’21, associate director of outdoor recreation at the Barnes Center at The Arch, LOOP has been a mainstay program that he launched 21 years ago, the University’s second longest running pre-welcome program for incoming students. He’s grateful for LOOP’s success, saying it gives the students an immediate cohort of friends that grows even more back on campus and over the years has led to lifelong friendships.

“LOOP is good at building community and creating friendships, giving the students a kickstart on their college careers,” says Catucci, who hears from LOOP alumni that say the experience changed their lives. “It really gives them a sense of belonging.”

A recent campus event fueled by faculty expertise and passion brought accomplished professionals together with students for hands-on learning and training. It was the outgrowth of an industry partnership that could serve as a model for similar connections across campus.

, a professor of practice in public relations who previously served as the ’s associate dean for strategic initiatives, is the inaugural Provost’s Innovation Fellow. In that role, he is developing a Universitywide academic-industry strategy and working to support faculty in creating partnerships that provide experiential learning opportunities and professional connections for students.

We sat down with Horn to learn about how the Newhouse School’s thriving partnership with Sony Electronics has expanded to additional stakeholders across campus and how comparable partnerships might be developed at other schools and colleges to enhance student success.

For some students studying abroad in Italy, the fall semester began before they even reached . An 11-day traveling seminar took them from Ravenna to Venice and into Italy’s northeastern borderlands, where mosaics, monuments and centuries of cultural exchange became the starting point for their semester.

From Aug. 22 to Sept. 1, students joining Syracuse Florence for Fall 2026 traveled together as part of Empires of Exchange: The Visual Cultures of Power, Mobility, and Erasure in the Mediterranean, a signature seminar led by art history professor Sean Nelson. The class brought students face-to-face with the works and places they would be studying, using the cities themselves as part of the classroom.

In Ravenna, the group visited the Basilica of San Vitale and its celebrated mosaics. In Venice, students explored the city’s layered history at St. Mark’s Basilica and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Visits to Torcello and Aquileia took them farther into the northeastern reaches of the peninsula.

“The students visited several sites, traveling the distance the Romans did through time and space, chasing precious works of mosaic,” said Sara Muellner, who assisted  Nelson on the trip.

The itinerary reflected the course’s central questions: What happens when cultures meet, borrow from one another, and reshape what came before? How can the art and architecture that was left behind help us understand those encounters?

Students encountered evidence of the many communities that have shaped the region. Roman, Byzantine, Slavic, Arab, Ottoman, Jewish and Christian influences are part of the visual and cultural history explored throughout the seminar. Students examined how those influences moved across the Mediterranean, how they became part of shared urban spaces and how some histories became less visible over time.

The course focuses on the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, roughly the years 1000 to 1700, while also asking students to consider what those histories mean today. Questions of migration, cultural identity and European political identity remain connected to the histories of the cities and communities the students encountered.

The timing of the seminar made the experience particularly distinctive. Students began their study abroad experience together on the road, visiting major works and historic sites before settling into the classroom. By the time they arrived at the , they had already covered hundreds of miles and encountered centuries of history firsthand. Their semester began with a journey that gave them a different way of looking at the country—and at the Mediterranean connections that continue to shape it.

Three hundred years after the birth of James Hutton, the Scottish scientist known as the father of modern geology, Syracuse University students from the  (EES) walked the same landscapes that inspired many of his groundbreaking ideas. Hutton’s observations of rock formations along Scotland’s coast helped transform scientific understanding of Earth’s history, laying the foundation for today’s discoveries.

Joined by EES faculty and alumni, the students trekked across Scotland’s dramatic glens, crags and coastlines, visiting some of the world’s most important geological sites as part of an international field study. Opportunities like these are central to the (A&S) educational journey, where students across majors and academic disciplines are encouraged to move beyond the classroom and build hands-on research and analytical skills in their field.

In the Footsteps of Geology’s Pioneer

The trip marked the fourth international EES excursion in recent years, following previous visits to British Columbia, Iceland and Newfoundland. Led by professors �����Ի���, the program took students to three key locations: Glasgow, the Isle of Arran and Edinburgh.

The trip gave students the opportunity to visit the places where Hutton observed rock formations during the late 18th century, revealing Earth’s relentless, ongoing geological processes. These observations led Hutton to argue that the planet was far older than commonly believed, and that its history could be explained by processes we can see or infer through observation of the natural world, ideas that transformed scientific understanding of Earth’s evolution.

“He is to geology what Darwin is to biology and what Isaac Newton is to physics and mathematics,” Samson says.

A major destination was the Isle of Arran, often described as a geological miniature of Scotland because of the diversity of rock formations and geological features found across the island. Students were based for four days in the village of Lochranza, where they stayed at a field station and worked closely with a local geology expert who guided the group through important field sites.

Building Skills Through Experience

Students prepared for the trip by reading scientific literature related to the locations they would visit. Once in Scotland, however, the learning shifted from theory to direct observation—as it did for Hutton so long ago as he searched for field observations to support his revolutionary Theory of the Earth.

The group examined rock formations, geological structures and historic outcrops that have helped shape scientific understanding of Earth’s history. Among the highlights was a visit to the most famous angular unconformity described by Hutton, known as Siccar Point, a geological feature east of Edinburgh that demonstrates vast spans of geological time.

“This set of rocks changes your whole world view,” says Ivany.

At Siccar Point, Hutton saw evidence that Earth continually renews itself through cycles of sedimentation, uplift, mountain building and erosion, challenging the idea of a static world with a fixed endpoint. This insight led to his famous conclusion, “We find no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end,” capturing his view of Earth as a dynamic planet shaped by continuous cycles of change over immense spans of time.

“His insight completely transformed the study of our planet,” says Ivany. “This place is why we came on this trip.”

“Few people have ever seen it in person,” Samson says. “But this set of rocks is in every single geology textbook ever published in the entire world.”

Fieldwork challenged students to apply what they had learned in the classroom to direct observation. They were tested on their ability to identify and sequence rock samples based on evidence they had gathered in the field.

“They had to put specimens in order from oldest to youngest based on what we had learned at the geological outcrops,” Samson says.

The exercise required students to analyze, interpret and defend their conclusions using real geological evidence, mirroring the work performed by scientists working in the field.

The trip provided students with a valuable first opportunity to study geology at a professional field scale. Rather than examining samples in a laboratory or viewing photographs in a textbook, they worked directly with landscapes, rock formations and geological structures.

For Christopher Paradis ’28, an environmental geoscience major in A&S and an environment, sustainability and policy major in the , the expedition reinforced his passion for field-based science. After hearing about the opportunity from faculty, he was immediately drawn to Scotland’s rich natural history and globally significant geology.

“This experience has absolutely confirmed for me that I want to study a science that puts me out in the field as often as possible,” Paradis says. Exploring rocky riverbeds, rolling pastures and coastal cliffs gave him a firsthand look at landscapes shaped over hundreds of millions of years, bringing the geologic history he’s learned about through his coursework to life.

The Syracuse University experience connects coursework to careers. Starting during their first semester, students are immersed in professional development events and resources, preparing them for internships while building skills that result in post-graduation confidence and a toolkit to face evolving career landscapes today and throughout their careers.

The events offered during the Fall 2026 Career Week meet students where they are, and by hosting welcoming opportunities to strengthen resumes, network and practice elevator pitches, there’s something for everyone. Not sure about attending?

“Go anyway. You don’t have to be actively looking for a job or internship to get something out of a career event. You can ask questions, learn about an industry, practice talking to professionals or discover an opportunity you didn’t even know you would be excited about,” says Miracle Gross G’27. “You don’t have to enter a career event knowing exactly what you want to do with your life. You’re allowed to be curious, ask questions and figure things out as you go.

Fall 2026 Career Week

All students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Registration is encouraged. Learn more about preparing for Career Week in The Peel’s

“Syracuse University offers so many ways to speak with and connect with employers. The opportunity to connect with companies that are currently hiring and to learn what they are looking for in candidates is very exciting,” says Mirren Grimason ’29. “In my opinion, one of the best ways to learn how to do something is by actually doing.”

Student researchers participating in the 2025-26 fellowship in , will discuss their cultural experiences and research findings at a campuswide symposium .

The researchers took part in the program, which pairs  selected fellows with academic programs offered at locations. The center has offered student-faculty research fellowships on social justice issues for eight years and began offering shorter-term global research opportunities two years ago.

Students will share findings from their research on human rights issues arising from the in Chile.

Ohemaa Asibuo ’27 analyzed archived lists of victims of political retribution from records at Santiago’s . The international relations and Spanish dual major in the   and the analyzed data regarding Chileans who once supported Pinochet’s leadership but were later labeled as traitors.

Mauricio Paredes, director of Syracuse Abroad’s program, says Asibuo’s research of presenting the victims by demographic categories broke new ground and set the stage for further museum staff findings.

Asibuo regards her commemorative education work as “extremely important in preventing these types of things from occurring again. I hope to continue to advocate for using past historical events as warnings to help us navigate how we approach our futures.”

Jherlyn Brady ’27, a communication and rhetorical studies major in the , learned that Chile’s educational system “was used by the dictatorship to raise nationalism and neoliberalism. They closed institutions responsible for educating teachers; elites and the military created and governed their own schools. That exacerbated economic disparities that still affect Chileans today.” The experience “let me see the institution of education in a different context,” she says. “It can be either a source of social control or a tool of liberation.”

College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School political philosophy major Laila Terrell ’27 analyzed the rhetoric of , a women’s organization run by Pinochet’s wife. Though the group taught women skills for work and involvement in their communities, it also promoted the regime’s mantras and ideas about what women should be, Terrell says.

She observed that “these women could genuinely benefit from CEMA while also being part of an organization that helped support a violent dictatorship, making the idea of ‘empowerment’ much more complicated than it first appears.”

Sophia Ortiz-Heaney ’27, a Maxwell School economics and international relations dual major, says chatting with local residents and visiting former clandestine detention centers helped her “understand Chilean society on a more profound level. [They] pushed me to think about how history and movements shape the built environment…[and] understand the true extent to which the dictatorship has and still does impact the experiences, opportunities and everyday lives of Chileans.”

Also presenting are Mason Rosenbaum ’27 and Grant Montonye ’28, both international relations majors in the Maxwell School. Rosenbaum recalls conversations with Museum of Memory staff as “a particularly moving experience.” Montoye studied how Chilean constitutions were developed to justify Pinochet regime actions.

Madiou Bah ’27, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the , analyzed the use of propaganda and how governments use fear and media to control and maintain power.

Other students in the Syracuse Abroad Santiago Center program will now continue exploring those themes using teaching and learning materials developed by the Lender Global fellows, particularly those in the new .

As the reality and gravity of the terrorist attacks on the United States began to sink in on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Syracuse University community members rallied to act.

• Thousands flocked to a Maxwell-sponsored blood drive the next day, eager to donate, and a collection of supplies for rescue workers was quickly organized.
• Administrators gave daily updates from Hendricks Chapel, and faculty members shared their expertise with members of the media and in public forums.
• The Office of Student Affairs offered support to students, and a fund was established to help students directly affected by the attacks.

At gatherings, the University and larger community came together to express their grief and resolve.

Nearly 2,000 people gathered outside of Hendricks Chapel to attend a vigil sponsored by the Student Association (SA). In the first football game following the attacks, members of the cheerleading squad placed American flags on each of the then-Carrier Dome’s 50,000 seats. Spectators waved the flags during a special pre-game show performed by the Pride of the Orange Marching Band.

In Their Own Words

Perhaps one of the most poignant tributes to those lost in and affected by the tragedy were the Sheets of Expression, an initiative also sponsored by SA. For several days following Sept. 11, large white sheets were spread out on the grass on the Quad in front of Hendricks Chapel, offering members of the community a blank canvas to share their messages.

“We felt it was important to allow students a chance to grieve,” SA President Ben Riemer ’02 told Syracuse University Magazine in 2001. “It turned out to be a great-community building event.”

The messages reflected the mood of members of the community in the early days following the attacks.

Among the messages:

• “Forget Superman. My dad and all NYC firefighters are real superheroes. I love you, Dad. I love you Steve, Father Mike and everyone else who has passed away because of this. Never will our lives be the same. Please pray for all those missing.”
• “If everyone believed in ‘an eye for an eye’ the world would be blind (Ghandi).”
• “There is something wrong with this world.”
• “I can’t count how many times I have gone past the Pentagon. Someone has attacked my home (D.C.). Never did I think that would ever happen. If there is anything positive from this, it is my hope that Americans and the world will come closer because of this tragedy.”
• “8:45 a.m.”
• “Hug someone today because you can.”
• “Forgive us.”
• “I’ll never understand how this problem began but I’ll do anything I can to help fix it.”
• “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein).”
• “Terrorism is nothing new to our campus. In 1988 we dealt with the loss of 35 of our own students as well as many other innocent victims when Pan Am 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. Again, we relive the pain with the attack on America in the past few days. When is it ever going to stop? Why do innocent lives need to be lost to make a point? Those who were lost will never be forgotten. We will always remember you and work towards the promise of a better tomorrow.”

University community members were also given opportunities to share their thoughts on sheets on the first anniversary in 2002 and the 10th anniversary in 2011. All of the sheets are kept in the as part of the .

Riemer, now an attorney in Dallas, still remembers the deep impact on the SU community.

“We didn’t know if there were more attacks coming, most people assumed there were, and it was just a very scary and sad time,” he says. “We came up with the Sheets of Expression as a way for students to have an outlet to express themselves.”

He also remembers the vigil that SA held in Hendricks Chapel.

“The entire chapel was filled, shoulder to shoulder, and there was hardly a dry eye in sight. It was good to be together,” he says. “I remember walking out on the Quad and reading some of the things people had written and being overcome. I can’t believe it’s been 25 years.”

Anna Shuff G’26 has been contriving ways to spend more time in libraries since she was a kid.

“When I was very young I regularly attempted to extend visits to the public library indefinitely by running away from my mother to go hide in the stacks,” Shuff says.

In that way, she says graduating with a master’s degree in library and information science from Syracuse University’s to pursue a career in librarianship is just a culmination of her yearslong quest to never leave a library.

“I was drawn to a career in libraries because I love to learn—I love finding information, expanding my knowledge of the world and helping others to do the same,” Shuff says. “My choice to pursue archival work in particular emerged from my longstanding interest in history. I’ve always been fascinated by historical objects, whether they take the form of books, personal writings, textile or other materials.”

Pursuing that passion for preserving and caring for the historical record, Shuff spent the summer working in the University Archives, where her biggest project was to the collection’s . The task offered her the “incredible experience” to put into practice the skills she’d learned working in the Archives and from her time at the iSchool.

“The practical experience I obtained in the Archives will serve me for the rest of my career, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in such an incredible place,” she says.

Putting Classroom Learning to Work

With her interest in history, Shuff focused her studies at the iSchool on archives, special collections, museums and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Shuff says pursuing a master’s degree is an extension of the work she’s been doing for years, since she started volunteering for her local science museum as a teen and has found ways to work in libraries and museums ever since (during her undergraduate years at Bryn Mawr, she minored in museum studies).

She began working as a student archivist assistant at the University Archives in January 2025, but her work with the Peck papers offered some unique challenges.

Previously, the collection related to , a Methodist minister who helped found Syracuse University and later served as Dickinson College’s tenth president, was small and consisted mostly of his diaries.

The new materials Shuff worked to process, which were donated by Peck family descendants, included correspondence, writings, printed material and ephemera, which took time to inventory.

Also, some of the papers had survived a fire, and as a result, many had smoke and soot damage.

Shuff says the challenge allowed her to apply lessons she learned from a conservation and preservation course with , the University’s conservation librarian. She used a vulcanized rubber sponge to clean a portion of the papers impacted by the smoke and soot. The remaining papers affected by the fire will be tackled by the next student working in the Archives.

The Peck collection is about six or seven times larger with the addition of the new materials.

“There turned out to be quite a bit of material related to Syracuse University, including a copy of his agreement with the school to donate $25,000 after his death, as well as early drafts of the bylaws for the Board of Trustees and correspondence with other important individuals in Syracuse University’s history,” Shuff says.

A Model of Experiential Learning

Shuff, who received a Libraries’ Student Employee Award, says her experience working in the University Archives was one of the “most valuable aspects” of her time at Syracuse.

“I worked up from processing very small collections, some as small as a single folder or item, to those as large as the Peck papers,” she says. “I learned how to author finding aids, how to accession collections and even got the opportunity to work with a campus publication, Salt Hill Magazine, to acquire their collections for the Archive.”

University Archivist Meg Mason said in her nomination for Shuff’s employee award that the iSchool graduate student was always committed, not just to the mission of the archives, which are part of the in the , but also to learning as much as she could during her time with the department.

“While doing research for patrons, arranging and describing archival materials, writing social media posts and reaching out to other students about donating records to the University Archives, she not only serves SCRC but also the Libraries and the University as a whole,” Mason wrote.

Getting to know your roommate can feel intimidating. Making new friends in a new environment, too, can feel daunting.

When Mouna Toure ’27 arrived on campus for move-in, she had only a quick moment to say hello to her first-year roommate, Emma Donvito ’28, before Donvito headed to marching band rehearsal. It was their first in-person interaction after connecting online, and Toure was nervous.

But when Donvito returned, they spent time talking and sharing stories.

“It was pretty obvious to me we were going to be great roommates because we spent the whole night giggling,” she says.

Donvito also knew they would become friends based on their early online interactions and their similar personalities and hobbies.

“When we met in person, it was like I’d known [Mouna] for months already!” she says.

Elizabeth Swart ’29 recalls that she and her roommate, Valeria Lamadrid ’29, also didn’t meet until move-in. It felt overwhelming as they met while saying goodbye to family members.

It was awkward at first, going to different events together and not knowing anyone else, she says.

“But when we were standing in food truck lines at Citrus in the City, we had a lot of time to talk to each other, and I instantly realized just how much we had in common,” she says.

Cameron Froehlich ’29 described a similar experience meeting and befriending his first-year roommate, Westley Topps ’29.

“I was nervous about starting college, and I wanted to have a good relationship with my roommate,” he says. “I knew we were going to become friends when we started talking about music taste and found out we had similar hobbies.”

Toure says she wants new students to know it’s OK to feel anxious about being in a new place. Everyone is experiencing the same feelings, she says. What’s important is to be yourself.

“Keep calm, leave your room and remember we all bleed Orange!” she says.

As new students settle in on campus, Toure, Donvito, Swart and Froehlich shared their advice with Syracuse University Today for making friends during the early weeks on campus.

What’s one small habit, routine or boundary that you and your roommate built early on that strengthened your friendship?

Toure: If someone needed to call their family, the other would step out until the conversation was over. First year was a stressful time for me being 18 hours away from family. Whenever I needed to have a serious conversation with them, Emma would utilize the study room on our floor. I would do the same thing when she needed to talk with her family.

Donvito: One habit we set was staying organized. Creating a space that was welcoming for us and for others. We respected bedtime routines and communicated.

Swart: Communication is key. With both of us being heavily introverted it was difficult to initially connect and make conversation. I didn’t even have Val’s phone number until maybe three weeks into the semester, but once we had that line of communication it made things much easier to communicate what we were doing.

Froehlich: We respected each other’s space and established what our boundaries were as far as guests, sharing items and sleeping habits on the first night. This ensured we understood what the other person needed to feel safe and comfortable in our space and allowed us to grow our friendship.

What’s your advice for handling tougher moments of awkwardness or friction together?

Toure: As simple as it sounds, don’t let it fester. It is better to talk about the thing that is bothering you right away instead of circling back to it. You live with your roommate for around 10 months. You see every high and every low, and you have to navigate a shared space daily.

Donvito: Communication is key. It’s OK not to be best friends with your roommate, but you still need to create a positive environment to share. Utilize lounges in your dorm, go to the library to study, find a place that you can be by yourself if you need a break.

Swart: If you communicate with one another, it will be easier to combat any issues and even minimize them from the start.

Froehlich: Discuss mutual rules and boundaries early on and make a plan for how to handle conflict. If conflict comes up, follow your plan, whether that be talking immediately or giving the other person space. Work toward a mutually beneficial conclusion and apologize where necessary.

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to incoming students about roommate relationships/making friends that you wish someone had told you before your first year?

Toure: Leave your dorm room! It can be hard to put yourself out there. Attending events and club/org fairs and studying in random buildings on campus were some of the easiest ways I made friends. The most memorable way I made friends was by sitting in the study lounge on my floor.

Donvito: It’s OK to be uncomfortable during your first weeks on campus. But talk to people! Create study groups in class. Go on adventures with your roommate. Try new things. You will never know who you’ll meet!

Swart: Try new things and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. During your first weeks, talk to everyone and go to events. If you don’t meet your best friends in the first week, that is totally OK! Your people are still waiting for you somewhere on campus. Give yourself grace and don’t stress too much or take anything too seriously. Introduce yourself to the other people in your dorm hall and on your floor, that is a good place to find community and friends. If you are coming into your first year knowing nobody, it is all going to be OK. Chances are everyone else around you will be in a similar boat.

Froehlich: Everyone is just as nervous as you, go to events and talk to people. It’s OK if you don’t stay friends, but it’s a great way to make friends in the beginning and find people who might remain friends with you for the rest of the year and beyond. It can be scary, but college is a lot more fun with friends.

Get involved. Find your community. Be flexible with your career path.

Seated inside the JMA Wireless Dome for their first official gathering as Syracuse University students, more than 3,600 first-year and transfer students heard that core message Thursday morning from New Student Convocation student speaker Elyas A. Layachi ’27.

Layachi, a double major in mathematics in the  and inclusive adolescent education in the , told the new students that he thought his Orange path would be “linear”—a degree in aerospace engineering, an internship at NASA and a space exploration job before graduation.

But early in his first semester, a professor’s question about his interests and passions sent him toward a new academic course, one that led to research teams, clubs, religious organizations and community service.

“Changing majors, because one professor was willing to ask me an honest question, changed the trajectory of my time here and ultimately of my life,” Layachi told the crowd. “Every student in the Dome today has something powerful before them: the opportunity to learn and grow at this amazing institution.”

Those incoming students arrive from every corner of the map: 45 states, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 19 Indigenous nations and 55 countries.

Resist the Urge to Seek Comfort in This New Beginning

, a member of the Syracuse University community for more than two decades, began his remarks by noting a shared trait: the students were new to Syracuse, and Chancellor Haynie was new to his current leadership role.

While it can be easy for students to seek comfort in the familiar during times of change, Chancellor Haynie recommended employing the opposite approach, telling students to resist being “pulled toward wanting some assurance that the unfamiliar will quickly become familiar, and that the road ahead will smooth itself out.”

“At Syracuse, our obligation is to arm our students with the tools to think clearly under pressure, to lead with conviction while remaining open to the fact that they may be wrong, and to act with purpose even when the path is anything but clear,” Chancellor Haynie said.

Haynie pointed to Ethan, an orientation leader and a dual major in business and communications, as an example. Over the summer, Ethan told Chancellor Haynie that he was enrolling in a course where he’d learn to sing and play guitar, not to advance his major, but to “force himself out of his comfort zone,” Haynie said.

“New students, be like Ethan,” Haynie said. “Discomfort is where character is built. Discomfort is where leaders are made.”

‘This Window Will Only Be Open for a Brief Time’

As he stepped to the podium, brought with him a stuffed Otto the Orange, “the best mascot in all of higher education,” which elicited applause from the audience.

Referring to their time on campus as a “metaphorical window” that “will only be open for a very brief time,” Groves urged new students to take intriguing new classes, meet extraordinary people and always extend respect to everyone on campus.

“I want you to think about the kind of community you want to be part of and then act in a way that helps achieve that goal,” Groves said.

‘Determined to Make Their Mark on the World’

, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, reminded the incoming class that there is no such thing as a typical Syracuse University student.

While each student possesses differing academic and co-curricular interests and personal and professional goals, Syracuse University students “love their University in ways that are rare among college students” and are “bold, ambitious and determined to make their mark on the world.”

“You are bringing a personality, background, abilities, perspectives, interests and dreams that we’ve never encountered before,” Agnew said. “You’ll forge a path here that is your own, and you will leave a unique and extraordinary mark on the University through the life you create here.”

To conclude the convocation, the new students recited the charge, which dates back to 1871, and sang the alma mater, following the Orange tradition by swaying as the lyrics were sung.