The University’s honored five of its alumni on April 30听 ,听 the school鈥檚 signature alumni recognition event. Held at the 性视界 University Washington, D.C., Center, the evening brought together members of the Maxwell community鈥攁lumni, faculty, advisory board members and friends of the school鈥攆or a lively, standing-room only celebration of careers that have spanned climate finance, diplomacy, food security, public administration and the law.

Dean David M. Van Slyke welcomed guests and set the tone for the evening with remarks that acknowledged both the weight of the current moment and the enduring relevance of Maxwell鈥檚 mission.

鈥淲e are gathering tonight at a moment when the ideals that animate this school鈥攆ree inquiry, rigorous evidence, the willingness to engage across differences鈥攔emain under considerable pressure,鈥� Van Slyke said. 鈥淭aken together, these five careers span climate, diplomacy, food security, equity and the law, but they share something more fundamental: a willingness to engage the hardest problems of our time with rigor, integrity and a genuine sense of public responsibility. That is what Maxwell prepares people to do, and these honorees have done it at the highest levels.鈥�

Emily Fredenberg | Compass Award

The evening鈥檚 first honoree was Emily Fredenberg G鈥�16, recipient of the Maxwell Compass Award, which recognizes an early-career alumna for professional accomplishments and impact. As senior officer of programs and advocacy at the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, Fredenberg has spent the decade since earning her M.P.A. degree and a master鈥檚 degree in international relations at Maxwell working to ensure that the world鈥檚 most vulnerable children have access to school meals鈥攕erving with the World Food Programme in Lebanon and Rwanda before moving to her current global role.

Reflecting on her time at Maxwell, Fredenberg credited not only her education but the community it gave her. She also offered a personal note: her husband, Sean Mills, a 性视界 University College of Law graduate, was at home in Alaska caring for their five-month-old son, Rhys.

鈥淏ecoming a new mom, this past year has made my work feel even more urgent,鈥� Fredenberg said. 鈥淗olding my infant son, I feel the weight鈥攁nd the hope鈥攐f the world he will grow up in which continues to motivate me. Maxwell helped shape my compass. It鈥檚 the place that taught me that service is not just a career path. It’s a lifelong journey.鈥�

Susan T. Gooden | Charles V. Willie Advocate Award

Susan T. Gooden 听G鈥�95, G鈥�96, who received a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the Maxwell School, was awarded the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, named for the late Maxwell scholar and community activist. The award honors individuals whose contributions reflect Maxwell鈥檚 commitment to an environment that is welcoming to all and oriented toward engaged citizenship. Gooden is dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, a founding editor of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration, and a past president of the American Society for Public Administration.

Accepting the award, Gooden reflected on what the honor meant in the context of its namesake鈥檚 legacy鈥攁nd of what citizenship demands.

鈥淢axwell instilled in me the belief that scholarship must engage the world it seeks to improve, and that it must inform policy, strengthen institutions and expand opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 accept this award with gratitude and with a continued commitment to advancing a public service that is thoughtful, engaged, grounded in equity and worthy of the communities it serves.鈥�

Jeff Eckel | Bridge Award

Jeff Eckel G鈥�82, founder and longtime CEO of HASI, received the Maxwell Bridge Award, which honors outstanding, transformative leadership in business with a commitment to advancing the public good. Eckel, who earned an M.P.A. from Maxwell, pioneered the use of finance as a tool for accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy, including overseeing HASI鈥檚 2013 public offering as the first dedicated climate solutions investor and developing CarbonCount, a tool for measuring how efficiently capital investments reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In his remarks, Eckel drew a direct line from his Maxwell education to the investment philosophy that has guided his career.

鈥淭he Maxwell School instilled in me the idea that the public and private sectors do not have to be opposing forces,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur investment thesis is that in a world increasingly defined by climate change, we will make superior returns investing in climate solutions鈥攖hat you can do well by doing good, and that capital can be a powerful tool in the transition to a low-carbon economy.鈥�

The public relations programs at the University鈥檚 have been recognized as the best in the country by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The Newhouse听听补苍诲听听public relations programs each received prestigious Silver Anvil Awards during the听听on May 14 in New York City. The honor goes to the nation鈥檚 outstanding higher education programs in public relations.

, a professor of practice and chair of the PR department, and听, assistant teaching professor and director of the PR master鈥檚 program, accepted the awards for the Newhouse School.

PRSA is the leading professional organization serving the communications community through a network of more than 400 professional and student chapters in the United States and around the world. The Anvil Awards represent the highest standard of performance in the public relations profession.

The University’s听听announced the winners of the 2026听, which recognize excellence in media industry reporting.

The top prizes were announced Tuesday night at an event in New York City that also featured a conversation with NBC News journalist and 鈥淒ateline鈥� anchor Lester Holt,听.

Cheryl Wills 鈥�89, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor for Spectrum News NY1, served as master of ceremonies.

Finalists were听. Chosen by a panel of journalists and journalism educators, the winners of the juried categories are:

Best Single Article/Story

Jesse Barron
The New York Times Magazine
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Best Profile

Antonia Hitchens
The New Yorker
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Best Commentary

Pamela Alma Weymouth
The Nation Magazine
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Best Media Newsletter

Oliver Darcy
Status

• 鈥�
• 鈥�
• 鈥�

Special Topic: Best Coverage of the Future of Late-Night Television

Kayla Cobb and Adam Chitwood
TheWrap
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John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting

Josh Dzieza
The Verge
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Additionally, the following听 were formally presented:

Fred Dressler Leadership Award

NBC News award-winning journalist and 鈥淒ateline鈥� anchor

Lorraine Branham Award

性视界 the Mirror Awards

Established by the Newhouse School in 2006, the听听honor the writers, reporters and editors who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public鈥檚 benefit. The competition is open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries in a format intended for a mass audience. Eligible work includes print, broadcast and online editorial content focusing on the development or distribution of news and entertainment. Winners are chosen by a group of journalists and journalism educators.

, director of research development for the arts and humanities in the and the (A&S), has been recognized with the 2026 Innovation Award from the (NORDP).

The award recognizes professionals who advance research development through partnerships, new tools and techniques or the creation and sharing of knowledge that produces demonstrable results. Workman and her NORDP colleague, Allison DeVries of Chapman University, received the award in recognition of the evolution of the (CASSH) affinity group, which they founded in 2022. The group, which has grown to more than 150 NORDP members across the country, helps them marshal and create collective resources and share best practices, case studies and challenges in support of faculty in the humanities, creative arts and social sciences areas.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to receive this award and proud to have had a part in bringing the CASSH group together four years ago when it seemed rare to have a designated arts and humanities research development staff member housed in an R1 institution,鈥� Workman says. The group has gained momentum 鈥渂ecause higher education recognizes the value of this support nationwide as integral to the national research landscape and vital to an individual institution鈥檚 research ecosystem,鈥� she says.

Workman came to 性视界 in 2019 and built a dedicated arts and humanities research development infrastructure from scratch. She now connects with more than 200 faculty across eight schools and colleges and partners with and several University-affiliated arts organizations.

Beyond campus, she is part of the , an 11-university consortium for collaborative research, teaching and programming. She co-leads its HF4 Corridor Futures and Initiatives working group with program manager Aimee Germain to offer professional development opportunities for faculty.

Impact on Faculty and Funding

Prior to Workman鈥檚 arrival, scholars navigated grant funding alone or through informal networks, often missing critical opportunities, says , senior director of research development in the Office of Research, who co-nominated Workman for the award.

She says Workman has contributed to faculty winning prestigious awards, including summer stipends, a and a grant. Workman has also supported a fellowship, an digital justice grant and several successful applications.

In 2025, Workman supported 64 grant proposals seeking $44 million in funding. She recently helped nine arts faculty and five organizations secure awards, making 性视界 the only university in the state to receive multiple awards in that cycle, Chianese says.

, professor of women’s and gender studies and director of the 性视界 University Humanities Center and the Central New York Humanities Corridor, says Workman鈥檚 Corridor support has deepened scholarly community across the region and has had significant impact on 性视界 faculty success.

“Sarah has been instrumental in several prestigious Mellon awards, including our first and ensuing New Directions fellowships and many other highly competitive awards and grants,” says May, who co-nominated Workman for the award. 鈥淢any of these awards have been substantial enough to transform individual career trajectories and drive transformational work at the University and in听 wider communities locally and nationally.” May says faculty frequently remark about how much they enjoy collaborating with Workman and appreciate her support.

, assistant professor of music history and cultures in A&S, credits Workman with helping her secure a , a first for 性视界 among 200 competing institutions. “I am deeply grateful for her thoughtful engagement with my research and for helping make its relevance accessible to a broader interdisciplinary readership,” Pe帽ate says.

, associate professor in women鈥檚 and gender studies in A&S, says Workman’s guidance “proved instrumental in shaping two grant proposals into competitive, fundable projects. Her careful feedback led to key revisions that directly contributed to securing a major award from a private funder. In a context of shrinking funding, Sarah’s leadership has been indispensable for the success of humanities’ interdisciplinary, social justice-centered research.”

While Workman focuses on the arts and humanities, the Office of Research supports faculty across disciplines through a broader research development team. Researchers across campus partner with team members on proposal development, funding searches, cohort writing programs for competitive federal awards and strategic guidance on funding opportunities. Faculty interested in support for their projects can learn more about .

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

Before the incoming class of sport analytics students take their first class in the听, they receive a life lesson from , chair of the sport analytics department.

Paul, a sports economist, highlights how recent graduates are blazing a trail across the sports landscape. He then tells the newest sport analytics students that they, too, are destined to make a lasting impact as some of the best and brightest minds.

鈥淚t can be scary starting off at college, but when they think about all the wonderful things they are going to accomplish in their careers, it鈥檚 rewarding seeing how excited students get about their futures,鈥� Paul says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what keeps me going.鈥�

The message hit home for Gavin Stein 鈥�26 and Jacob Kalamvokis 鈥�26, who assembled the nomination that helped Paul receive the (SOURCE) Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring.

鈥淗e鈥檚 sharing how sport analytics graduates are taking over the world, and that you’re all going to continue that,鈥� Stein says. 鈥淭o an 18-year-old freshman who hadn’t even taken a class yet, Dr. Paul鈥檚 words left a lasting impression.鈥�

鈥淚 was nervous after that speech, because I was just starting here, but I was ready to run through a brick wall. I knew I could do anything I wanted to,鈥� Kalamvokis says.

An Investment in the Next Generation of Leaders

The annual SOURCE Award is based on student nominations, honoring faculty members who provide exceptional guidance to undergraduate researchers. During the ceremony, which was held on March 26, Kalamvokis and Stein presented the award to Paul, reading excerpts from their nominations to those in attendance.

Stein and Kalamvokis say Paul is passionate about supporting student-driven research, and that, through a willingness to lend a helping hand or offer constructive feedback, Paul exemplifies what it means to invest in the next generation of sport analytics leaders.

Paul views his role as part cheerleader, part coach: there to share his expertise and position the students in a place where they can succeed.

鈥淎s educators, our end goal is to help our students live out their dreams by working in this industry,鈥� Paul says. 鈥淭hey put their faith in us to help them fulfill those dreams. We encourage them and set them up for success once they graduate.鈥�

Wins on the National Stage

The confidence Paul instilled in them on day one has fueled their growth as researchers.

Competing head-to-head against teams of law school students from across the country, Stein and classmates Liam Roberts 鈥�26 and Sam Otley 鈥�26 became the first team of undergraduate researchers to Tulane Professional Basketball Negotiation Competition in February.

Stein and Kalamvokis have also presented their research at marquee events, including the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Analytics Conference, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and the Arizona State NBA Trade Deadline competition.

鈥淔rom freshman year, I鈥檝e known I want to work in the NBA, but I truly couldn鈥檛 have imagined back then being in the position I am in now,鈥� Stein says. 鈥淭he trust and support that Dr. Paul showed in all of us from literally the second we stepped on campus is what has driven all of us to accomplish what we have at 性视界.鈥�

Kalamvokis and sport analytics Associate Professor presented 鈥淪tatistical Accuracy of Sports Betting Markets and Their Efficiency鈥� at the 2025 International Association of Sports Economists Conference in Las Vegas.

鈥淒r. Paul is a huge driving force for what the student researchers can do here. He鈥檚 such a special, unique leader,鈥� says Kalamvokis, named an inaugural Class of 2026 Falk College Scholar. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the beating heart of this program, the father of sport analytics on campus, and knowing he鈥檚 in your corner gives you freedom and the confidence to go out and pursue your dreams.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see what our students are capable of,鈥� Paul says. 鈥淕etting to watch our students grow and evolve, I鈥檓 blessed and lucky to be a part of that.鈥�

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

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

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

(Photos by Amy Manley unless otherwise noted)

Susan Wright 鈥�26 took her first class at 性视界 University in the fall of 1987, the same year she started working in the registrar鈥檚 office. Working full-time, she wasn鈥檛 able to take a class every semester, but credit by credit, balancing her job and personal life, she continued to forge ahead, earning an associate degree in 1998.

She immediately set her sights on her next degree鈥攁 bachelor鈥檚. Through the decades, after her work was done in the registrar鈥檚 office, she鈥檇 turn her attention to the class she was taking.

At Sunday鈥檚 Commencement, 28 years after she started working toward the degree, Wright听 graduated with magna cum laude honors, earning a bachelor鈥檚 in liberal studies and a minor in linguistics. She was also awarded the Nancy C. Gelling Award from the . The award is presented to the commuter, part-time graduate with the highest overall grade point average. It honors students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement while balancing the challenges of being part-time, commuter students.

Wright, 72, says she鈥檚 still floored by receiving the award.

鈥淚’m like me, really? I’ve just been plodding away,鈥� she says.

Pursuing Her Interests, One Credit at a Time

Wright worked in the registrar鈥檚 office until her retirement in 2021. Once she wasn鈥檛 working full-time, she was able to take classes during the day, which she says 鈥渕ade a big difference.鈥�

鈥淎 couple semesters, I took two because I could, because I couldn’t decide between which one I liked better,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o I did them both, and they just kind of snowballed, and here I am at the end.鈥�

Working in the registrar鈥檚 office through the years was rewarding. She enjoyed helping people across the University.

鈥淭he nice thing about being a student, as well as being staff, is you get to see both sides of it,鈥� Wright says. 鈥淵ou know how things are going in the classroom, as well as the things that need to be done in order to get that person to the classroom.鈥�Her first job in the registrar鈥檚 office was working as a frontline staff member, fielding questions from students who came into the office. This was long before MySlice or Self-Service.

鈥淵ou waited to talk to one of us, and we worked with you to try and figure out what the problem was and how to help and how to hopefully send someone away with a solution,鈥� she says.

Being a part-time student throughout her time in the office, she says, added another helpful layer in assisting the students who came in. Later, as her roles changed and grew, she went on to do more managing and building processes behind the scenes and working with the curriculum committee in the University Senate.

Wright says there were many times over the years when she couldn鈥檛 pursue her own classes, when there was too much going on with work or her personal life.

鈥淭hat’s why it’s taken so long,鈥� she says.

She was drawn to liberal studies because she loved that she had access to a broad spectrum of disciplines.

It led her to taking a few classes in criminal justice and a few in geography, which she wasn鈥檛 expecting to enjoy as much as she did. Over the years, the feeling was the same, that craving to learn more and more skills.

鈥淚 have very eclectic tastes, so I’m like, 鈥極h, a little of this, a little of that, how about some more of that? How about some more of that?鈥欌�� Wright says. 鈥淎nd it was nice to be able to do that and have that be a degree program.鈥�

Never Give Up

Wright says she hopes others considering pursuing a degree part-time take this lesson from her journey: don鈥檛 give up. Take it semester by semester, and if you need to take a break because of other things going on in your life, that鈥檚 OK.

She says not to let the fact that it might take time slow you down, just keep plugging away.

鈥淟ife will intervene, and you just kind of let life do its thing, and then you get back to it,鈥� she says.

Wright also recommends taking a look at what鈥檚 going on in your life and asking if you can put in the work needed for a class. If the answer is yes, go for it. If not, wait until the next time the class is offered, or look for another the next semester. She says to make sure you know the requirements for the degree you鈥檙e interested in, look at the course catalogue and consider whether the classes meet at times you can attend.

鈥淲hen I started, everything was on campus, in-person,鈥� she says.

These days there are a lot more offerings for online classes and programs available to students who are working full-time and pursuing a degree part-time, she says.

鈥淩eally the thing is, don’t give up, keep going,鈥� Wright says.

The University has been such a big part of her life as a staff member and student over the decades that Wright says she plans to keep supporting the campus as best she can. For now, she plans to embrace her free time in retirement as a graduate of the University.

鈥淚’m just going to enjoy my retirement, and then figure out what else I can learn?鈥� she says. 鈥淭here’s learning opportunities out there and honing some skills that I already have.鈥�

Ethan Coffel has built his research around one of the most consequential questions of our time: as the climate changes, what happens to the systems human society depends on?

For that work鈥攁nd for the teaching and service that have made him one of the 鈥檚 most distinctive junior faculty members鈥擟offel has been named this year鈥檚 recipient of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for Teaching and Research, the school鈥檚 highest honor for untenured faculty.

Coffel accepted the award and spoke at the Maxwell School’s Graduate Convocation today in Hendricks Chapel.

The Moynihan Award has been presented annually since 1985, when it was established by then-U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, himself a former member of Maxwell’s junior faculty from 1959 to 1961.

Coffel, assistant professor of geography and the environment, joined Maxwell in fall 2020 following a Neukom Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship at Dartmouth College and holds a Ph.D. in earth and environmental sciences from Columbia University.

His research centers on a simple but urgent idea: human society depends on a stable climate, and as that stability erodes, the consequences reach into food systems, water supplies, energy grids and more. He uses global Earth system models alongside geospatial and socioeconomic data to understand how climate extremes will reshape the world, and what that means for the people living in it.

His current NSF-funded project, detailed in a recent 性视界 University News feature, examines not just how climate affects crops, but how crops affect the climate around them. Corn and soybean fields across the Midwest may be moderating local temperatures, buffering the very heat waves that threaten them, and Coffel is working to quantify how much, and whether that effect will hold as the world warms.

Since joining Maxwell, Coffel has published 14 peer-reviewed journal articles, including five as lead author, in some of the field鈥檚 most prestigious outlets, including Nature Climate Change and Nature Food. His research has been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Guardian and the BBC. He has received two National Science Foundation grants, awarded in 2021 and 2023, totaling $942,713.

Peng Gao, professor and chair of the department, nominated Coffel for the award.

鈥淚n his five years at 性视界 University, Dr. Coffel has distinguished himself as an exceptional and reflective educator,鈥� Gao wrote. 鈥淗e approaches course design and instruction with careful deliberation, continuously refining his methods and introducing innovative approaches to enhance the curriculum and foster student engagement.鈥�

That reputation carries into the classroom. Coffel teaches two large-enrollment core courses, GEO 155: The Natural Environment and GEO 215: Global Environmental Change, and has developed three new courses expanding the department鈥檚 physical geography curriculum, including GEO 371: Climate Extremes and GEO 700: Seminar in Climate Science, a graduate-level course that draws students from earth science, geography and environmental engineering backgrounds alike.

Dean David M. Van Slyke praised Coffel鈥檚 contributions across all three pillars the award recognizes.

鈥淓than exemplifies what the Moynihan Award was created to honor鈥攁 scholar whose research pushes the field forward, whose students leave his classroom genuinely changed and whose commitment to this department goes well beyond what鈥檚 asked of someone at his stage,鈥� Van Slyke said. 鈥淭his is exactly the kind of recognition Ethan has earned, and we are proud to celebrate it with him.鈥�

Story by Catherine Scott

Every year, the recognizes the people who make graduate education at 性视界 University what it is, honoring the faculty members who mentor and inspire and the teaching assistants who support students while pursuing degrees of their own.

Faculty Awards

At a campus ceremony April 27, 听four faculty members received Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty ,听 honoring their impact on graduate education through teaching, research, creative activity and service. 听The awardees were selected by an interdisciplinary group of graduate students.

This year’s faculty honorees are:

• , professor and graduate program director of the television, radio and film program in the
• , assistant professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the (ECS)
• , assistant professor of biology in the (A&S)
• , professor of philosophy in A&S.

Teaching Assistant Awards

At the same ceremony, 36 teaching assistants were recognized with Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards for their contributions to the educational enterprise and for helping to create strong teaching and learning outcomes across the University. Awardees were nominated by their departments.

The honorees and their programs of study are:

• Rachel Ameen ’20, geography and the environment, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Sarah Appedu, information science and technology, School of Information Studies
• Zachery Robert Barrows Gonzalez, languages, literatures and linguistics, A&S
• Almila Basak G’23, political science, Maxwell School
• Julia Janina Viola Baumgarten, physics, A&S
• Caroline Anne Bowling, architecture, School of Architecture
• Shannon Burth G’23, mass communications, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Kirstin Len Clear, human development and family science, A&S
• Rein Desbiens ’23, chemistry, A&S
• Iwona Franczak G’23, sociology, Maxwell School
• Antonio Freiles G’25, philosophy, A&S
• Aliza Haskal, English, A&S

Also honored are:

• Jaihyun Jeon, business administration, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• Kennedy Reed Jones, communication and rhetorical studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Xiangjing Kong, psychology, A&S
• Shivam Kumar, electrical engineering and computer science, ECS
• Yifan Cheng Li, economics, Maxwell School
• Liam Victor Lieblein, philosophy, A&S
• Ash Lienemann, languages, literatures and linguistics, A&S
• Tyler Logie, earth and environmental sciences, A&S
• Desiree Laurel Martin, mathematics, A&S
• Kerry McNamara G’17, communication sciences and disorders, A&S
• Zaidao Mei G’20, electrical engineering and computer science, ECS
• Fasika Minda Melese G’19, instructional design, development and evaluation, School of Education

Additional recipients are:

• Chelsea Renea Morton, social science, Maxwell School
• Amanda Qi Ni G’21, women’s and gender studies, A&S
• David Aanuoluwa Okanlawon G’24, anthropology, Maxwell School
• Gizem Ozyazici, college science teaching, A&S
• Urmi Manoj Parekh, writing studies, rhetoric and composition, A&S
• John Sackey, biomedical and chemical engineering, ECS
• Sergio Saravia Lopez, sociology, Maxwell School
• Karie Nicole Schmitz G’22, mathematics, A&S
• Lauren Sdun, physics, A&S
• Soham Sinha, English, A&S
• Sabrina Marie Traver G’23, mathematics, A&S
• Jenna Marie Walmer, psychology, A&S

听

From partnering with students in the classroom to building cross-campus collaboration that led to real-time improvements, the University鈥檚 commitment to meaningful assessment took center stage at the seventh annual One University Assessment Celebration on April 10. The event, hosted by Academic Affairs and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE), included awards and poster presentations.

In her opening remarks, Julie Hasenwinkel, associate provost for academic programs, highlighted the importance of celebrating the many ways faculty, staff and students engaged in assessment across the University over the past year.

Awards were given in five categories.

• Institutional Effectiveness Champions: This award honors campus community members who champion meaningful assessment and who have made outstanding contributions to the University鈥檚 culture of improvement. The recipients were:
  • Academic programs: Xiyuan Liu, associate teaching professor, Dean鈥檚 Faculty Fellow for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Co-curricular programs: Emily Dittman, director, 性视界 University Art Museum
  • Course feedback: Magdel铆n Montenegro, part-time instructor, Spanish, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Shared competencies: ‘Cuse Works
  • Shared competencies student champion: Fetch Collective magazine
• Outstanding Assessment: This award recognizes a distinguished academic, co-curricular and functional area for overall robust assessment. The recipients were:
  • Academic: Library and information science master’s degree program, School of Information Studies
  • Co-curricular: Disability Cultural Center
  • Functional: Office of Pre-College Programs
• Best Engagement Strategies: This award recognizes the engagement of faculty, staff and students in the assessment process. The recipients were:
  • Faculty engagement: Ash Heim and Vera McIlvain, the biology department, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Staff engagement: Arts at SU
  • Student engagement: Linguistic studies master’s degree program, College of Arts and Sciences
• Best Use of Results: This award recognizes an academic, co-curricular and functional area for how assessment results are used in making decisions. The recipients were:
  • Academic: Bachelor’s of biomedical engineering degree program, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Co-curricular: LGBTQ+ Resource Center
  • Functional: 性视界 University Libraries
• Collaborative Inquiry and Action: This award recognizes a partnership that extends beyond a single school, college, division or unit and uses strong assessment methods and data as a catalyst for improvement. The recipient was:
  • First Year Seminar

Following the awards, 2025 poster presenters were acknowledged for their efforts to collaborate, experiment, reflect and innovate in their areas over this academic year. Assessment Leadership Institute faculty participants included:

• Ben Akih Kumgeh, Xiyuan Liu, Karen Martinez Soto, Anupam Pandey and Mehmet Sarimurat, mechanical and aerospace engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Alex M茅ndez Giner, film and media arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Ash Heim and Vera McIlvain, biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Jane Read, geography and the environment, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Nancy Rindfuss, nutrition and food studies, Falk College of Sport

Recipients of the 2025-26 鈥淪tudent Engagement in Assessment鈥� grant included:

• Civil and environmental engineering: Yilei Shi
• Civil and environmental engineering: Svetoslava Todorova
• Communication sciences and disorders: Charles Nudelman
• Environment, sustainability and policy: Jane Read
• Nutrition science: Claire Cooney, Nikki Beckwith
• Setnor School of Music: Klark Johnson
• School of Social Work: Nadaya Brantley
• The Writing Center: Collie Fulford

Closing the event, Laura Harrington, director of institutional effectiveness, reflected on the deeper meaning of the work: “At its root, the word 鈥榓ssess鈥� comes from Latin, meaning 鈥榯o sit beside.鈥� This is what it asks of us: to sit beside our work, take stock of what we see, and take action鈥� Assessment isn鈥檛 a requirement. It鈥檚 a practice,” Harrington said.

Explore photos, award highlights and full poster presentations on the .

Story by A鈥檡la James

, professor of public administration and international affairs in the , has received the 2026 SPAR Best Book Award (Edited Volume) from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) for her co-edited book “Pathways to Positive Public Administration: An International Perspective” (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024).

ASPA is a professional association with approximately 10,000 members worldwide, including government officials, scholars, students and nonprofit professionals. The Section on Public Administration Research鈥檚 Best Book Award recognizes works that achieve their research goals, are well-written and make a lasting contribution to public administration literature.

“Pathways to Positive Public Administration: An International Perspective” examines trust in government and negativity bias in politics. The book advocates for a more optimistic approach to the study of government and addresses a range of practices and tools for public administration. With 27 contributions, the book calls for social, evidence-based learning in public policy.

Nabatchi is the Joseph A. Strasser Endowed Professor in Public Administration and serves as director and senior research associate for the . She is also a senior research associate for the . Her research focuses on citizen participation, collaborative governance, conflict resolution and challenges in public administration.

Her work has been recognized with multiple 性视界 University honors, including the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award.

Story by Mikayla Melo

The 性视界 University Alumni Association will honor Chancellor Kent Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with the George Arents Award, the University鈥檚 highest alumni honor, at the 2026 Alumni Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 23, in Hendricks Chapel. The event is free and open to all alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the University.

Check-in begins at 4:30 p.m., with the awards ceremony beginning at 5 p.m. A complimentary reception with food and refreshments follows from 6 to 7:30 p.m. inside the Miron Victory Court.

Chancellor Syverud has led 性视界 University through a period of transformational change over the past 12 years, overseeing record enrollment, a landmark fundraising campaign and the establishment of 性视界 as the nation鈥檚 premier private university for veterans and military-connected students. His leadership has reshaped the University鈥檚 academic profile, physical campus and national standing.

Dr. Chen has built a distinguished career in environmental toxicology spanning state government, the National Institutes of Health and higher education. Throughout her tenure at 性视界, she has brought deep expertise and an unwavering commitment to students and the broader University community.

The 2026 Alumni Awards Celebration will also recognize four additional honorees: Ronald J. Taylor 鈥�15, G鈥�16, who will receive the Generation Orange Award for a career spanning education leadership, youth development and technology policy; Daniel A. D鈥橝niello 鈥�68, H鈥�20, who will receive the Military/Veteran Alumni Award in recognition of his distinguished U.S. Navy service and decades of transformative support for 性视界 University; Akima H. Rogers 鈥�92, who will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award for his deep and enduring engagement with the University community; and Diana Wege 鈥�76, who will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for her loyalty, service and distinguished career as a conceptual artist, curator and activist.

The event is complimentary, but seating is limited. to join the University community in honoring this year鈥檚 recipients.

Ten graduate students competed in the finals of this year’s (3MT) competition held recently at Bird Library. The annual event, sponsored by the , challenges participants to share highlights of their research and scholarship in succinct, engaging presentations lasting no longer than three minutes.

Three participants received recognition:

• Zehui Han, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering in the (ECS), won the competition with her presentation, . She received a 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip and a one-year gold membership in a professional organization of her choice (the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation).
• Terese Millet Joseph, a doctoral candidate in human development and family science in the (A&S) earned the People’s Choice award for . Her prize was a set of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones.
• Allie Thompson, a doctoral candidate in Earth and environmental sciences (A&S) earned an honorable mention for Using Hydrogen Isotopes in Leaf Waxes to Understand Ancient Rainfall.

Han鈥檚 winning project involves engineering smart urinary catheters that mimic nature鈥檚 immune defense system by using magnetically driven artificial cilia鈥攎icroscopic, hair-like structures on cells鈥攖o physically sweep away bacteria and prevent life-threatening infections.

She says winning the competition 鈥渨as both exciting and meaningful because it recognized not only the quality of the research but also the importance of communicating complex ideas clearly. Preparing for the competition showed me that presenting research in a way that connects with a broad audience is just as important as the work done at the bench.鈥�

鈥淛udging the Three-Minute Thesis competition is always exciting,” says Daniel Olson-Bang, director of professional and career development in the Graduate School. “I am continually fascinated by both the breadth of research our graduate scholars have underway and the quality of their presentations. This year, both aspects were particularly impressive.”

Glenn Wright, executive director of professional and career development in the Graduate School, says this is the school鈥檚 12th year hosting the competition. 鈥淧articipation and interest in the 3MT event continue to grow, and it is great to see that graduate students appreciate the professional development opportunity it represents. It also offers an excellent chance for them to showcase their research and skills.”

The other 3MT finalists (all doctoral candidates) are:

• Ava Breitbeck 鈥�22, college science teaching, A&S: Science for the Greater Good
• Fasika Melese 鈥�18, instructional design, development and evaluation, (SOE): What Happens When Future Educators Use GenAI Tools to Plan Lessons?
• Jacob Reese 鈥�25, English, A&S: Sustainable Play: Encouraging Ecological Behaviors Through Slow Video Game Mechanics
• Ilaria Siriner G鈥�25, cognitive psychology, A&S: How the Options Available Change What We Decide Is Right
• Mehrnoosh Nemati, biomedical engineering, ECS: A Window into the Placenta
• Hemalathaa Kasiviswanath Yuvaraja, instructional design, development and evaluation, SOE: Proof-of-Concept Augmented Reality iPad Application for Psychomotor Skill Learning: A Convergent Mixed Method Using Think-Aloud Protocols
• Nasim Khatibi, biology, A&S: New Targets, New Hope: Rethinking Rett Syndrome

Competition judges were of the ; , assistant professor of听 biomedical and chemical engineering in ECS; and Olson-Bang. Wright moderated the event.

was first developed at the University of Queensland in Australia and is now held at colleges and universities around the world.