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

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

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

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

鈥淒onations collected through 鈥機use Collections help the Rescue Mission meet immediate needs in our community. Items like blankets, sheets and clothing are used directly in our emergency shelter services, while additional donations help stock Thrifty Shopper stores with affordable goods for local families,鈥� says Luana Lovenguth, chief social enterprise officer at the Rescue Mission. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a meaningful example of community impact and sustainability working together.鈥�

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

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

For 性视界 University’s seniors, Commencement is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, a moment to celebrate earning their degrees.

But for the 10 seniors on the men鈥檚 lacrosse team, while the day was joyous, it was not a time for relaxing. They had to prepare for their next assignment: taking on Yale University in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament.

In a seesaw contest featuring eight ties and five lead changes, it wasn鈥檛 until senior 聽鈥�26 came up with two crucial saves with 16 seconds left to that senior co-captains 鈥�26 and 鈥�26 could exhale and celebrate on the turf field inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

Thomson, an attacker, scored three goals and added a pair of assists, and Dwan, a defenseman, scooped up five groundballs and caused a turnover to help lift the Orange into the quarterfinals for the third straight season.

Among the highlights of Commencement weekend: each senior had their graduation photos taken, wearing their cap and gown over their jerseys.

鈥淚 felt excitement and happiness, but also a feeling of sadness,鈥� says Thomson, who earned a communication and rhetorical studies degree from the . 鈥淭he best four years of my life are coming to a close. Having my parents [Amanda and Tim] in the building made it more emotional. My mom has now seen her youngest child graduate. I felt so many emotions when I was sitting on the Dome turf with my cap and gown on.鈥�

鈥淚t was a moment of reflection and gratitude for the great people and memories we鈥檝e made at this place,鈥� says Dwan, who also earned a communication and rhetorical studies degree.

Thomson and Dwan spoke with SU Today about the significance of graduating and winning an NCAA postseason game on the same day.

What were you more nervous about, Commencement or the first-round NCAA game?

Finn Thomson: I was more nervous about the game than graduation, because graduation is a celebration whereas the game鈥檚 outcome is out of my control. I knew I was going to graduate because I put the work in, but the game had yet to be played.

Billy Dwan III: For me, the playoff game where the season could have potentially ended was a more worrisome experience. Although graduation is a nerve-wracking time, I personally didn鈥檛 feel I graduated until our season was over.

How special is it to graduate in the morning and then kick off the quest for a championship in the afternoon?

Dwan: It hit me just how special of a day graduation would be during Selection Sunday the week before. We didn鈥檛 know whether we would be playing on Saturday or Sunday for the first round. When the bracket came out and we saw we were playing on the same day as graduation, it put everything into perspective. It鈥檚 a special experience.

Thomson: When I found out [Commencement] was the same weekend as our game against Yale, I was excited. There鈥檚 so much anticipation leading up to the day, and both events are about your hard work paying off. It was overwhelming, knowing that everything you鈥檝e put into your classes and the team is coming to an end, but it was also a super fun day. Not everyone gets to experience graduation from that perspective.

What would it mean to you to guide this storied men鈥檚 lacrosse team to a national championship during your senior year?

Dwan: Everything this place has given me, from an education to the relationships I have built, will last a lifetime. Having that storybook ending for my senior year, going out the right way and winning a national championship would mean the world.

Thomson: Guiding this team to a national championship in my senior year would mean everything to me. Leaving this program in a better place than you found it is always the goal, and winning a national championship would do exactly that. Raising that trophy is always at the back of our minds. We know what it takes and we’re going to do everything we can to get there.

After the win over Yale, 性视界 (13-5) defeated North Carolina 13-11 in the quarterfinals to advance into Championship Weekend. The Orange will face Notre Dame (12-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fans can , and .

If 性视界 wins, the Orange will play for the national championship at 1 p.m. on Monday.

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

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

鈥淪tudying abroad changed my perspective on myself and the world around me,鈥� she says. Here’s how Patsalides made the most of every week abroad.

Get a Bike

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

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

Spend a Weekend at Home

鈥淢ost people going to Strasbourg plan to travel around Europe almost every weekend. Since you have no classes on Friday (most of the time) and many exciting places to visit, it鈥檚 very enticing to book lots of travel every weekend once you get there. Plan a 鈥榮taycation鈥� for at least one weekend.

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

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

鈥淢id-semester, I spent a weekend in Strasbourg touring around parts of the city I hadn鈥檛 been to before, and I visited the Strasbourg baths with my host mom. The spa experience was amazing and very relaxing. Experiences like this one can鈥檛 be beat, especially when they鈥檙e one block away from home!鈥�

Take the Train

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

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

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

Skip the Starbucks

Many of us are reliant on our morning Starbucks, but that isn鈥檛 the only option in Strasbourg. There are cafes and patisserie everywhere. While Starbucks, McDonald’s and other fast food do exist in France, there are so many more options at reasonable prices. Strasbourg has a lot of different types of food, and so many amazing restaurants and cafes.

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

Bring the Travel Guide

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

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

When a mock chemical hazard call came in on South Campus last month, forensic science students from the (A&S) were granted a rare opportunity to watch and learn.

The New York National Guard’s 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (CST) conducted a multiday training exercise from March 31 through April 3, bringing together five agencies to simulate a coordinated chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response. For students in the College鈥檚 (Forensics Institute), the exercise became an uncommon window into the world their coursework is preparing them for.

“This offered an exceptional opportunity for students to connect what they have learned in their courses to a real-world scenario,” says Kathleen Corrado, Forensics Institute executive director. “Including communications, sample identification and collection, working with hazardous materials, and use of analytical field equipment that mirrors what they have used in their laboratory courses.”

The exercise, coordinated by the University鈥檚 Emergency and Environmental Risk Services division in partnership with A&S, is among the first times a live chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) field exercise has also served as an academic platform. Over two site visits鈥攐n March 31 and April 2鈥攕tudents observed multiagency incident command coordination, CST personnel collecting samples in full chemical proximity protective suits, and a mass-casualty decontamination corridor erected and operated by 性视界 Fire Department’s HazMat Response Team. All training used simulated materials only.

Joseph Hernon, associate vice president for emergency and environmental risk services, says the setting offered students something a classroom cannot replicate.

“When students step onto a scene alongside the New York National Guard’s 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, the 性视界 Fire Department HazMat unit and Onondaga County Emergency Management, they’re not just observing. They鈥檙e experiencing the actual tempo, communication and decision-making of a real CBRN response,” Hernon says. “That exposure is irreplaceable.”

Between the site visits on South Campus, the civil support team hosted a seminar in Lyman Hall for forensic science and other A&S students and faculty. The session covered their mission, demonstrations of portable detection equipment and a Q&A period.

Kevin Early, a master’s student in forensic science, says seeing the team’s analytical instruments in a field context reframed what he had learned in the lab.

“I really enjoyed seeing all of the scientific equipment that is employed and all of the differing applications of the machinery in the field,” Early says. “The mobile lab was so cool鈥擨 didn’t think that a GC-MS (gas chromatography鈥搈ass spectrometry) would be effective in a mobile capacity, so that was interesting.”

“What I hope students took away is a sense of professional context, and an understanding of where their skills fit within a much larger response system, and a recognition that the work they’re learning to do has real-world stakes,” he says.

Corrado says the partnership opened students’ eyes to career possibilities at the intersection of forensic science and national security, and that the CST is eager to continue the collaboration. “The members of the 2nd WMD-CST were clearly excited to share their expertise and experiences with our students, and they look forward to continued collaborations in the future.”

性视界 University Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair today announced the appointment of three senior leaders to the Department of Athletics鈥� executive team. Nicole Harris, Charles Small, Ph.D., and Yulander Wells Jr. each bring extensive experience in intercollegiate athletics administration and will drive the department’s strategic priorities across operations, student-athlete development and institutional growth.

“Championship programs are built on elite people, and Nicole, Charles and Yulander are among the most accomplished leaders in college athletics today,鈥� says Blair. 鈥淭hey bring experience across the ACC, B1G, Big 12 and SEC, as well as at Notre Dame, with a proven track record of postseason success. What makes this group especially powerful is that they have lived this experience as student-athletes and led it at the highest administrative levels. They understand the demands, the opportunities and the responsibility we have to deliver an unmatched experience for our student-athletes, and the forward-thinking mindset required to compete in this modern era. I’m thrilled to welcome them and their families to this incredible community. This is a significant step forward for 性视界 Athletics鈥攐ne that reflects both our ambition and the level of talent we are able to attract. I’m grateful to Chancellor Haynie for his continued support as we position 性视界 for sustained national success.”

Nicole Harris, Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator

Harris comes to 性视界 from the University of Toledo, where she served as deputy athletic director, chief operating officer and senior woman administrator. In her role, she provided executive leadership for strategic planning and daily operations across a 17-sport program and direct oversight of student-athlete support services, strength and conditioning, and NIL strategy and implementation. She served as sport administrator for football, women鈥檚 basketball and multiple other programs, while representing Toledo on the Mid-American Conference Administrators Council. During her tenure, Toledo experienced one of the most successful periods in department history, marked by sustained conference championship contention and postseason success. The football program鈥檚 performance included three top-65 NFL Draft selections over the past three years, one of just 13 programs nationally to achieve that distinction. Women鈥檚 basketball consistently led the conference in attendance and advanced to postseason play.

Prior to Toledo, Harris held senior leadership roles at Grand Canyon University and Florida Atlantic University, where she was recognized with the Award for Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Advising. She earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville, where she was a four-year varsity student-athlete for the women’s rowing team.

“Bryan鈥檚 vision for 性视界 is truly inspiring, and I鈥檓 honored to have the opportunity to join the department during such an exciting time,鈥� says Harris. 鈥溞允咏� has an incredible tradition, strong momentum and a bright future ahead. I look forward to working alongside Bryan and the entire athletics team to support our student-athletes and help build sustained success. My family and I are excited to join the 性视界 community and contribute to the continued growth of Orange Athletics.”

Charles Small, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Strategy Officer

Small joins 性视界 from the University of Washington, where he served as senior associate athletic director for sport administration and led the Big Ten department’s post-House Settlement strategy, coordinating more than 67 strategy sessions to modernize operations and build new infrastructure for the revenue-sharing era.

Small previously served as director of athletics at Valparaiso University, where he led the planning for a $120 million capital project and guided the program to consecutive years of record academic performance. Prior to his time at Valpo, Small spent four years at Iowa State University, where he served as sport administrator for men’s basketball and wrestling while leading sports medicine, compliance, strength and conditioning, academic support services and former student-athlete relations. Earlier in his career, he also held positions at the University of Arkansas and the University of New Orleans. Small holds a doctor of education from the University of Pittsburgh, along with a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Pitt. He was also a four-year member of the Pitt鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball program, where he won a pair of Big East championships, advanced to four NCAA Tournaments and made two Sweet Sixteen appearances.

“The vision Bryan has laid out for 性视界 Athletics is not only compelling, it鈥檚 inspiring,鈥� says Small. 鈥淭he work ahead is exactly the kind of challenge I came to this profession to take on. I look forward to helping shape the strategy and the structures that allow this program to compete at the highest level, on and off the field.”

Yulander Wells Jr., Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Operating Officer

Wells comes to 性视界 from the University of Notre Dame, where he has served as deputy athletics director for revenue, business and finance operations and most recently as deputy athletics director for athletics strategy. In those roles he had primary oversight of an operating budget in excess of $250 million, led the negotiation of a 10-year apparel partnership, provided strategic guidance for the department鈥檚 lucrative one-of-a-kind media rights extension with NBC and provided executive leadership oversight for more than $200 million in construction projects, as well as generating record ticket sales, and corporate partnership revenues. Additionally, he also helped lead a comprehensive NIL and revenue-sharing cap strategy for the department鈥檚 26 teams.

Prior to Notre Dame, Wells served as deputy athletic director for external operations and relations at Harvard University and held multiple senior roles at the University of South Florida, including chief financial officer. He began his career in intercollegiate athletics at the University of Florida and with Gator Boosters. Wells holds an MBA in operations and a bachelor of arts in finance from North Central College, where he was a three-year captain on the men’s basketball team.

“性视界 is a program with a national brand, an incredibly passionate fan base and a director of athletics with a clear vision for where it is headed,” says Wells. “I would like to thank Bryan Blair for selecting me to join him and the 性视界 community during this transformative time in college athletics. My family and I are excited, and I look forward to putting my experience to work building the business and operational foundation that gives our coaches and student-athletes every advantage and every resource they need to excel in the classroom, in the community and in competition.鈥�

Katherine McDonald, professor of public health in the and associate vice president for research for 性视界 University, with a from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)鈥攔ecognition of nearly two decades of scholarship advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities in research.

The AAIDD is the nation鈥檚 oldest and largest organization of professionals in the field and promotes evidence-based policies, research and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Sesqui Award for Research recognizes members for outstanding contributions and will be presented at the organization鈥檚 150th annual meeting in June in Chicago.

McDonald was nominated by peers and selected by the AAIDD board of directors for her work. Her professional journey is deeply personal: as a young person, she lived with people with intellectual disability in L鈥橝rche communities in 性视界, and outside of Geneva, Switzerland. She developed lifelong relationships and came to understand the pressing need to advance disability rights and belonging. Using socioecological theory and community-engaged research, her work focuses on the ethical, legal and social implications of research involving adults with developmental disabilities, as well as strategies to promote the responsible inclusion of people with disabilities in scientific study.

With collaborator Ariel Schwartz from the University of New Hampshire, McDonald created Research Ethics for All, an accessible research ethics education program designed specifically for community research partners with developmental disabilities. They also created the Equipped to Engage Toolkit which provides resources to support the engagement of people with intellectual disabilities as research partners.

McDonald鈥檚 research has been supported by grant funding from the National Institutes of Health; the U.S. Department of Education; the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research; and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, among others. She is published in leading journals including the Disability and Health Journal, American Journal of Bioethics and the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

McDonald is a faculty affiliate at the Aging Studies Institute, the Burton Blatt Institute, the Consortium for Culture and Medicine and in the disability studies program, and is a research affiliate at the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. As associate vice president for research, she supports faculty scholarship, strengthens mentoring and identifies strategic opportunities to advance the University鈥檚 research enterprise.

鈥淜atie鈥檚 research sits at the intersection of science and social justice, and this recognition from AAIDD reflects the significance of the real public health impact she has had over nearly two decades,鈥� says David Larsen, professor and chair of public health. 鈥淗er commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are not just subjects of research but active participants has set a global standard.鈥�

This marks McDonald鈥檚 third major honor from AAIDD; she received the Early Career Award in 2012 and the Research Award in 2023. She is also a fellow of the AAIDD and serves on the editorial board of Autism in Adulthood. Her work has also been recognized with a Chancellor鈥檚 Citation for Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction from 性视界 University in 2024.

鈥擲tory by Mikayla Melo

性视界 University today announced it will fund roughly $436 million in financial aid, scholarships, grants and related assistance, a 9% increase over the prior year driven by the University’s ongoing commitment to student opportunity and affordability.

“Financial aid is one of the most direct ways we make a 性视界 education possible for more students,” says Ryan Williams, vice president for enrollment services. “This increase reflects how seriously we take that responsibility, and we are excited about the students who will join our community in the fall.”

The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees recently approved the following rates for tuition, room and board, and fees:

• tuition for full-time undergraduates will be $69,180;
• the average room rate for most full-time new undergraduates will be $11,440;
• the Orange Unlimited meal plan that offers greater value and flexibility is now $8,360;
• the student activity fee will be $221;
• the residential internet and cable access and service fees will remain the same at $460;
• the co-curricular fee will be $280; and
• the health and wellness fee will be $908.

性视界 University strives to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for eligible students. Aid packages draw from a range of sources, including 性视界-funded scholarships and grants, federal and state aid, private scholarships, federal student loans and work-study opportunities.

and 性视界 University announced two significant milestones in their growing partnership: the opening of a new Visions branch on Marshall Street and the successful completion of the Student-Athlete Financial Empowerment Program’s inaugural year. Together they mark a deepening commitment to the financial well-being of the entire University community.

The new branch, located at 145 Marshall St., will bring accessible financial services directly to campus. It will feature on-site ATM access and one-on-one financial counseling, including dedicated support for bilingual students and community members, ensuring that every member of the 性视界 community has the tools and personalized guidance they need to build a strong financial future.

The branch opening coincides with a landmark moment for the Visions FCU Student-Athlete Financial Empowerment Program, a collaboration among Visions Federal Credit Union, 性视界 University Athletics, and . Over 150 students enrolled in the program鈥檚 inaugural class, including 34 student-athletes, gaining essential skills in budgeting, credit management, investing and long-term financial planning. Enrollment is now open for the Fall 2026 semester, and all 性视界 University students are encouraged to apply. To learn more visit .

鈥淚t鈥檚 all information that I can use in my day to day now, and I already feel like it’s helped me a lot,鈥� says Eve O鈥橲ullivan ’29, who is an entrepreneurship major and a student-athlete on the women鈥檚 rowing team.

Throughout the year, the Visions team extended its reach well beyond the classroom. The team conducted financial literacy workshops with several 性视界 varsity sports teams and for 性视界 University student veterans, in partnership with the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA), through regular webinars and networking events.

Visions鈥� President/CEO Ty Muse has served on the OVMA Board for more than two years, a reflection of Visions’ deep and ongoing investment in the community and the University’s longstanding leadership in veteran education and support.

鈥淭his collaboration exemplifies the best of what 性视界 University offers鈥攁n intersection of academics, practical and relevant experience, and community partnership,鈥� says Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School. 鈥淲e are proud to help our student-athletes develop the skills needed to thrive in a complex business world.鈥�

“This partnership continues to grow in ways that directly benefit our students, our student-athletes and our broader community,” says Tim Strong, Visions鈥� AVP of branding and community impact. “The opening of our Marshall Street branch, combined with the success of our inaugural cohort and our work with student veterans, reflects our deep investment in 性视界 and the people who call it home. We are just getting started.”

Miron Victory Court was the setting for the Faculty Research and Creative Excellence Celebration hosted by the April 27. The event served to honor faculty who earned prestigious external research awards, fellowships, grants and patents in 2025鈥攚hich translates to more than 280 distinct recognitions spanning every school and college at the University.

Incoming spoke at the event, praising the research enterprise and sharing his vision for continued growth.

鈥淚 am coming into this role with deep respect for what has been built here, and with equally deep conviction that our best days as a research institution are still ahead of us,鈥� he said.

Record Year for Sponsored Research

Sponsored research expenditures reached $95.6 million in 2025, a 5% increase over last year and a 49% increase over five years. Of the 178 faculty recognized at the event, 102 secured new sponsored project awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, New York State, various foundations, the private sector and other sources.

Haynie noted that the University鈥檚 鈥淩esearch 1鈥� Carnegie Classification places 性视界 among just 39 private doctoral universities in the nation recognized for the highest level of research activity.

鈥淭hat is not a statistic on a website,” he told the faculty. “That is a reflection of you鈥攜our publications, your discoveries, your doctoral graduates and the external investment that your reputations have attracted to this institution.”

Vice President for Research also spoke at the event. He emphasized the importance of research to the University鈥檚 educational mission.

鈥淪tudents do not choose 性视界 just because of our R1 classification,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey choose 性视界 because of what the R1 classification means: the opportunity to work with faculty who are doing the work we are recognizing tonight. That is the connection between the research enterprise and the educational mission of this University, and it is why our investment in research matters.鈥�

Brown also noted that, 鈥渞esearch attracts and retains our outstanding faculty, and those faculty bring the passion for what they do to our students, transforming them from consumers of knowledge to creators of knowledge and equipping them with the skills to solve challenges across the full breadth of human society.鈥�

Honoree Highlights

Among those celebrated at the event were six physics faculty who shared the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, one of the most prestigious awards in science. Three faculty were elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Four early-career faculty received prestigious NSF CAREER Awards spanning chemistry, electrical engineering and computer science, physics and political science. Six faculty received Fulbright awards.

Additional recognition included diverse book and paper awards, artistic grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and CNY Arts, patents and international honors. In addition, multiple faculty earned awards from their respective professional societies.

Commitment to Research

Haynie called on faculty to pursue ambitious, externally funded research agendas, to collaborate across disciplines, to invest in mentoring doctoral students and to publicly communicate the value of their scholarship.

鈥淭he challenges facing our world鈥攊n health, in technology, in democracy, in sustainability, in human understanding鈥攄emand exactly the kind of rigorous, creative, courageous scholarship that happens at a place like 性视界,鈥� he said.

Haynie offered a direct pledge: 鈥淚 will be an advocate for research, loudly and consistently. I will work to ensure that our faculty have the resources, the infrastructure and the institutional support they need to pursue ambitious ideas. Together, we will make sure that the next chapter of research at 性视界 University is the most consequential one yet.鈥�

likes to about a vocational aptitude test he took in sixth grade. It asked students which activities they preferred 鈥� things like fixing a bicycle, building things or working with people. When the results came back, they said he was best suited to be a teacher.

That gave everyone who knew him a good laugh.

“How the hell is this guy going to teach when he can’t get through his own courses?” Graver recalls them saying.

He was dyslexic before the word was widely known. To his teachers, he was just lazy. Reading and writing were extremely difficult and he failed German four times. A Latin professor even gave him a D and kindly asked him not to come back for the second semester.

This spring, Graver retires from the Department of Mathematics in the (A&S) after 60 years on the faculty. The 鈥渓azy鈥� student who struggled to read and write has authored five books and dozens of research papers spanning multiple mathematical fields. One such paper, originally dismissed as of no practical value, became foundational to algorithm design a decade later. The aptitude test, it turns out, was right.

Finding His Way to 性视界

Graver grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a working-class family, with no path to college.

After two years in the Navy, he used the G.I. Bill to attend Miami University in Ohio, where he planned to study forestry. A mentor redirected him toward a mathematics major instead and another visiting mathematician took him under his wing. By the time Graver finished his Ph.D. at Indiana University in 1964, his philosophy of teaching was already taking shape.

His first faculty position was a postdoctoral instructorship at Dartmouth. Combinatorics, the field of math related to counting and properties of finite structures, was more active in Canada than in the United States at the time. As it emerged as his specialty, Graver interviewed at the Universities of Alberta and Manitoba. Both offered him positions, but he still opted to interview at 性视界 University.

“This was a very, very friendly place,” he says. “One of the most collegial schools.”

Graver chose 性视界 and has been here ever since.

Working in the Corners

In a document he calls his “Mathematical Obituary,” Graver describes the research philosophy that guided his career with characteristic frankness. Rather than compete with the hotshots of the day who worked on the big, popular problems, he learned to 鈥渨ork in the corners,鈥� that is, find the connections others had walked past.

“I wasn’t setting out to make big changes,” he writes. “I just wanted to understand things better, and the research followed.”

That approach produced a body of work that moved across a variety of mathematical fields 鈥� algebraic topology, combinatorics and graph theory, rigidity theory, integer linear programming and, most recently, the combinatorial structure of fullerenes. His 1975 paper “On the Foundation of Integer Linear Programming I” was dismissed by its original referee as interesting but of no practical value. A decade later, as computer memory expanded, it became foundational to algorithm design. He still finds the reversal amusing.

His longest collaboration had been with聽. Their textbook “Combinatorics with Emphasis on the Theory of Graphs,” published in 1977 as volume 54 in Springer’s Graduate Texts in Mathematics series, remains a standard reference. Two decades later, the pair produced a second major work together. Graver also co-authored “Combinatorial Rigidity” with Brigitte and Herman Servatius, published by the , and wrote “Counting on Frameworks,” an accessible treatment of rigidity theory for the .

Collaboration is a key element to Graver鈥檚 career.

“I like working with coauthors,” he says, in part because dyslexia makes solo writing slow and error-prone. He is currently working on another book with a former graduate student.

Even small gains in a student’s sense of belonging can meaningfully聽. A new initiative is , connecting its highest-achieving first-year students with the community and support they need to thrive, so that they can make the most of their time in college.

Earlier this academic year, more than 300 A&S students were recognized at a Universitywide banquet for earning the聽. The ceremony was only the start of the college鈥檚 plan to support its top students.

“In Arts and Sciences, this banquet is just the beginning,”聽, A&S associate dean for academic initiatives and curriculum, told the scholars. “We have a whole series of events planned for you.”

The program builds on the University’s Invest in Success Scholarship, a $500 award granted to all first-semester students who earn at least a 3.75 GPA. This year, 302 students with an A&S major or who were undeclared and enrolled in the college qualified. Machia and , assistant dean for student success, launched the initiative to help those students form a community unique to A&S.

“What I wanted to do is help them find their people within their disciplines and their pathways faster,” Machia says.

To do that, 15 upper-division students serve as peer mentors, drawing from Coronat scholars, the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program, the College’s international peer mentoring network and recommendations from faculty and advisors. Each mentor was matched to a group of scholars by academic discipline, giving students a point of contact and a cohort of peers who share their academic interests.

鈥淚’m grateful for being part of a community of students who have similar struggles and experiences to me,” Jonathan Bispott ’29 says. “Especially having mentors who overcame trials I will soon face and having access to their ‘future knowledge’ has been really impactful.”

Events span social and academic programming. Scholars met for dinner at the Inn Complete where Machia placed icebreaker questions on the tables to spark conversation. An invitation to sit together at a 性视界 women鈥檚 basketball game followed. Lastly, Schaffling’s office organized a career immersion trip open exclusively to Success Scholars鈥攁n opportunity typically more common for upperclassmen鈥攇iving first-year students an early introduction to professional networking and alumni connections.

Brooke MacDonald 鈥�29, a psychology major with minors in business marketing and Asian/Asian American studies,聽 says she appreciates the many opportunities now open to her.

鈥淚t鈥檚 led me to meeting some amazing new people as both friends and networks,” she says. “I found it super helpful to have a mentor I could contact with any questions. With them being in the same major, it opened up perspectives for me.鈥�

gets a hands-on welcome on his first day on the job, climbing to the top of Crouse College to learn the 性视界 alma mater on the iconic chimes with the help of a Chimesmaster.

The Chimesmasters of 性视界 University are a closely guarded secret, with their identities revealed only after graduation. But on Chancellor Haynie’s first day, one of them took him under their wing in the bell tower above the Setnor School of Music in the .

Watch as Chancellor Haynie navigates the winding stairs of Crouse College, gets a crash course on the chimes keyboard and, with a little help, rings out the 性视界 alma mater over the campus he now leads.

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

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

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

The project provided real-world professional experience through the VPA course DES 451 (also known as 鈥淢eaningful Partnership鈥�).

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

The Real Thing

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

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

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

Two-Semester Overview

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

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

Community-Centered Project

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

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

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

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

Human Context

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

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

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

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

Cultivating Community

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

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

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