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

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

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

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

鈥淭his is an annual event where we showcase all of the projects, courses and community engagement happening all across the city and region,鈥� says Mary-Jo Robinson, program manager for the EHN. 鈥淭he hope is to demonstrate the incredible work that鈥檚 being done, broaden exposure to these projects and help strengthen connections between partners.鈥�

The event featured panel discussions, allowing speakers to share lessons learned, reflect on challenges and discuss opportunities to sustain and grow their work. Panels focused on EHN鈥檚听听补苍诲听 initiatives, the new听, sustained long-term partnerships and听.

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

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

Robinson emphasized that the event is as much about relationship-building as it is about visibility. 鈥淓HN exists to support this work and to help make connections,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen people come together in a space like this, it creates new possibilities for collaboration and helps ensure that community-engaged work remains central to the University鈥檚 mission.鈥�

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

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

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 听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 听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, 听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.听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.”

In an age when artificial intelligence can generate content instantly, the human ability to write with clarity, originality and critical insight has become more essential than ever.

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) have ample opportunity to strengthen their writing through a rich landscape of publications and digital platforms. Aurantium, Broadly Textual, Intertext and Mend are among the outlets where students build strong portfolios, sharpen their professional communication skills and engage in experiential learning that prepares them for careers in writing, publishing, media and advocacy.

Aurantium: Making Philosophy Accessible and Alive

Like its namesake, 听(the Latin word for orange) is vibrant, inviting and full of fresh perspective. Founded in 2023, this student-led undergraduate philosophy journal was created to invite curiosity, creativity and conversation across disciplines. Supported by the and the Philosophy Club, the journal publishes two issues each year: one focused on the 性视界 University and SUNY ESF community and another open to contributors worldwide.

Essays, reflections, creative writing and artwork all find a home in Aurantium, making it a space where philosophy is explored not as an abstract exercise, but as a living, interdisciplinary practice.

For editor-in-chief Brielle Brzytwa 鈥�28, discovering philosophy was anything but immediate. 鈥淚n high school it felt abstract, inaccessible and frustratingly stuffy,鈥� she recalls. It wasn鈥檛 until college that philosophy began to feel meaningful, and that transformation shaped her vision for Aurantium. 鈥淧hilosophy doesn鈥檛 have to be confined to dense texts or exclusive academic spaces,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t can鈥攁nd should鈥攊nvite curiosity and conversation.鈥�

As editor-in-chief, Brzytwa has made accessibility a guiding principle. She describes the journal as a place where ideas are not only preserved but 鈥渟hared, challenged and reimagined,鈥� with an emphasis on amplifying a range of undergraduate voices.

Broadly Textual: Building Community Through Public Scholarship

For graduate students eager to share their ideas beyond the boundaries of academic journals, 听offers an inviting and meaningful platform. Overseen by William P. Tolley Distinguished Teaching Professor , the online publication highlights graduate student work designed for public audiences, featuring literary and cultural commentary, , and thoughtful explorations of digital media and identity. With its focus on a broad variety of subject matter, the publication encourages students to see scholarship as both collaborative and accessible.

Co-editor Elena Selthun first encountered Broadly Textual as a contributor during their first year of graduate study and quickly recognized its value. They describe the experience as 鈥渓ow-pressure and supportive,鈥� an ideal introduction to publishing. Equally important, Selthun was drawn to the publication鈥檚 commitment to public humanities. 鈥淭he public-facing nature of the blog allows graduate students to apply what we learn beyond academia,鈥� they say.

For fellow co-editor Meg Healy, the appeal initially lay in skill-building and community engagement. Over time, she gained a deeper appreciation for the publication鈥檚 role in demystifying the publishing process. 鈥淭here is a strong incentive to publish while in graduate school, but that can be daunting,鈥� Healy says.

Both editors emphasize the sense of connection the publication fosters. Selthun points out that graduate research can often feel siloed, and “Broadly Textual” helps bring students across departments into conversation.

Intertext: Celebrating Writing Across WRT Courses

For more than three decades, has celebrated writing by undergraduate students in the (WRT), and community partners. In April 2026, editors and contributors gathered to mark the release of the journal鈥檚 .

Reflecting on their involvement, editors Jules Vinarub and Kairo Rushing wrote in the introduction to the 2026 issue, 鈥淭his publication relies on the willingness of 性视界 University students to be vulnerable enough to let their truth be on display鈥攕haring themselves with you, allowing you to hear and see their stories.鈥�

Throughout the year, students met with publishing professionals and authors like Rand Timmerman, member of the at 性视界 University, whose essay about a is published in the 2026 issue along with a .

Any student who has taken a WRT course can submit their work to “Intertext,” and submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Students interested in joining the editorial team can enroll in WRT 340: Advanced Editing Studio. For more information, contact Professor Patrick W. Berry.

Mend: Amplifying Voices, Honoring Stories and Creating Purpose

听is an annual publication started by , WRT associate professor, and is dedicated to celebrating the lives and creative work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, as well as individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. Featuring fiction, poetry and nonfiction on a wide range of topics, the publication offers contributors the freedom to explore personal experience while centering dignity, creativity and voice.

Editor Drew Murphy 鈥�26, who is majoring in writing and rhetoric, and in psychology in A&S, first encountered Mend as a junior through an Engaged Humanities course, WRT 413: Rhetoric and Ethics after Prison, taught by Berry. Guest visits from formerly incarcerated writers involved with Mend left a lasting impression.

鈥淭heir stories represented a powerful intersection of my two majors, writing and rhetoric and psychology,鈥� Murphy says, describing the experience as one that immediately sparked curiosity on both personal and professional levels. When Murphy learned about internship opportunities with , the decision felt natural.

鈥淭he opportunity to work with impacted individuals while contributing to a publication that shares their stories has been meaningful for both my academic studies and future career ambitions,鈥� she explains.

As Murphy prepares for graduate study in social work, she credits Mend with deepening her belief that thoughtful writing can contribute to meaningful change.

No classroom lecture can replicate the experience of being face-to-face with the evidence of genocide. That’s the premise behind a School of Education (SOE) immersion course that brings students to Washington, D.C., to view historical records, talk with experts in human rights law and policy and worldwide atrocities issues, and experience the visual weight of bearing witness to atrocity crimes.

is a one-week, intense examination of those topics. It is both a standalone experiential inquiry excursion and a component of the SOE interdisciplinary minor, .

The course is open to any undergraduate and is led by G鈥�03 G’07, SOE associate professor, scholar in human rights and current secretary of the . It also includes extensive advance readings, a pre- and a post-trip online class and attendance at the , which is supported by SOE alumni Lauri M. Zell ’77 and Jeffrey M. Zell ’77, who also underwrite the D.C. trip.

Multiple Dimensions

Pre-trip, students read about active international court cases, global justice mechanisms and U.S. foreign policy on atrocity prevention. Then, over six days in D.C., they met experts on human rights law and issues, including representatives of the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, Disability Rights International, the Alliance for Peacebuilding, the Syria Justice Accountability Centre, No Business with Genocide, the Simon-Skjodt Center for Genocide Prevention, the Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice and former officials of the U.S. Department of State Office of Global Criminal Justice.

They also toured the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the U.S. Supreme Court听 and the Library of Congress. (VPA) alumna and artist 鈥�81 hosted the group for dinner at her D.C. home and an exhibition of her work around human rights, displacement and the refugee crisis.

At Ground Level

SOE inclusive adolescent education and history major Elijah Burke 鈥�27 calls the experience “one of the most formative weeks of my academic career,” providing “a ground-level understanding of this work unlike what I could learn in a classroom. It clarified the direction I want to take toward documentation, education, and advocacy in the international human rights space.”

Hailey Vanish 鈥�27, a social work (SOE) and psychology major in the (A&S), says the immersion “reshaped how I view my studies and the world by emphasizing the importance of awareness, accountability and global engagement.”

Alexa Price 鈥�28, a political science major, came to understand “not only how atrocities around the world start, but how the U.S. chooses to involve itself 鈥� the possibility of human rights work 鈥� and a glimmer of hope for a peaceful future.”

Initial Unawareness

Students are often initially unaware of historical atrocities and may not recognize how current events contribute to the potential for atrocities to occur, White says.

“Students are consistently surprised by how much they don’t know about what happened, why it happened, what the aftermath looks like, what reconciliation looks like, and the risk factors that lead individuals to commit atrocities,” White says. “They don’t know because we don’t teach human rights education in this country.鈥�

White says that by participating in the immersion, the students are 鈥渞eally bearing witness to the Holocaust, antisemitism and human rights violations, and becoming aware of what companies do business with countries that are carrying out atrocities, and [recognizing] that they have an obligation not to be silent about these things anymore. It is my hope they come back with the tools to engage with these issues beyond the classroom. This will mean asking harder questions of themselves, their families and friends and their communities 鈥� and holding people and institutions accountable and understanding that awareness is meaningless without action.鈥�

Hard, But Rewarding

Facing the intense subject matter head-on is genuinely hard to deal with but also deeply rewarding, White says, and students are fully engaged regarding the information they’ve taken in.

鈥淭hey talk about this as an amazing trip, how it’s horrible but also kind of invigorating because this is not an abstract idea anymore,鈥� White says. 鈥淭hey are learning from the people who are doing the work and realizing atrocities don’t happen in a vacuum, that there are real, material consequences of decisions that governments and policy makers make. They see that you can do something about this and they’ve been shown ways to participate in atrocity prevention.”

A&S mathematics major Leo Chen 鈥�26 says what he saw at the Holocaust Museum hit home. 鈥淒espite being heavy, it serves as an everlasting remembrance of all the lives lost and a forever reminder to future generations of one of the darkest chapters in human history, so that we must do better.”

Those factors also resonated with Destiny Katsitsatekanoniahkwa Lazore Whitebean 鈥�26, a dual major in communication and rhetorical studies in VPA and political science in the Maxwell School | A&S, renewing her long-standing question: “If we recognize the warning signs of genocide happening today but feel powerless or hopeless, what actions can individuals or communities take to help prevent mass atrocities?” She says the week “helped me see the many opportunities to get involved and make a difference.”

Aiden Boyer 鈥�28, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the , says he hopes many more people are able to access the immersion, calling it “a rare opportunity, a program that is a standout in this field.鈥�

As a Minor

The 18-credit provides a more extensive interdisciplinary look at international law, genocide crimes and social justice and human rights issues. Its overall goal is to create awareness of those issues so students can learn how to be responsible citizens in a democratic society.

Graduate students Jamea Candy Johnson ’25, G’27 and Adara 鈥淒arla鈥� Hobbs ’26 are taking their affordable housing research out of the classroom and directly to the landlords, developers and community organizers working to solve one of 性视界’s most pressing challenges.

Thanks to a revamped partnership with (TMR), a longstanding, community-focused series of events hosted by the , Johnson and Hobbs shared their findings directly with key public housing constituents.

The two students are conducting the research as , alongside three of their peers.

鈥淢y research focuses on the intersection of housing and health care, especially as it relates to economic stability, and this experience has only solidified that interest,鈥� says Johnson, who is on a pre-med and pre-law track while pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in public health from the .

鈥淲e need community-driven solutions to the problems facing 性视界. This needs to be about bringing people together from different backgrounds and perspectives and seeing what we can collectively do to address and solve the housing issue,鈥� says Hobbs, who in May will earn a master鈥檚 degree in Pan-African studies from the .

Research With the Community, Not 性视界 It

The collaboration with TMR pushed Johnson to conduct qualitative research after engaging directly with those who provide and build housing in the city, and not just those people who need housing.

鈥淚t turned out to be one of the best ways to conduct research,鈥� says Johnson, who works for both the Onondaga County Legislature and at the Salvation Army Women’s Shelter.

Rather than crunching numbers and visualizing datasets, the fellows conducted one-on-one interviews with each panelist before every session. They used those conversations to write discussion questions tailored to each speaker’s expertise, questions designed not just for academic audiences, but for the community members filling seats in the room.

Housing as a Health Issue

When panelists from Housing Visions鈥攚hich develops large multi-unit complexes鈥攁nd A Tiny Home for Good鈥攚hich builds small-scale permanent housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness鈥攄escribed how they partner with Helio Health and Upstate Medical to bring health care directly to residents in their units, it reframed the entire conversation.

“We’re not just talking about giving people housing. We’re talking about giving people health care. Health care plus housing is going to lead to better lifelong solutions overall,鈥� Johnson says.

It鈥檚 a point echoed by Hobbs, who was born and raised in 性视界.

鈥淎ccess to adequate health care, education and healthy food, that all comes underneath the umbrella of economic mobility,鈥� Hobbs says.

Lived Experience as Expertise

What surprised Hobbs most through the TMR process was being recognized as an expert by many of the community leaders she had long admired and respected.

“I’m not just taking something from the panelists, they’re learning something from me as well. I do know what I’m talking about. I do have something valuable to contribute,鈥� she says.

鈥淥ur lived experiences as locals and residents are the experiences that should be the change agents,鈥� says Hobbs, who has spent more than a decade working in the 性视界 City School District.

Sharing Their Research Insights

Johnson and Hobbs will participate in 鈥淔or 性视界 or With 性视界? What Lender Student Fellows鈥� Research Reveals 性视界 Housing and Health in 性视界鈥� during the . The session runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in Room 100A of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse Auditorium.

“This research program has really emphasized human connection more than anything, and I think that’s the greatest part,鈥� Johnson says.

鈥淣ow, I can bring those collective experiences back to my community and hopefully continue to make a difference,鈥� Hobbs says.

More than 280 people representing approximately 110 organizations gathered in downtown 性视界 recently for the 2026 Lender Expo. This is the second year the communitywide convening and dialogue has been hosted by the University’s , and the expanded schedule was made possible by a new sponsorship from .

The Lender Center addresses important social issues through interdisciplinary research, community engagement and faculty and student fellowships. The expo is among the most visible expressions of that mission, offering organizations an opportunity to share resources, build partnerships and engage in dialogue about the area’s most pressing needs, says , director.

The program opened with a “State of the Region” panel discussion featuring 性视界 Mayor , Onondaga County Executive , U.S. Rep. and 性视界 City Court Judge .

Also addressing the group was , chief administrative officer and president of health plans at , who discussed the company鈥檚 efforts to address community health needs. Workshops covered grant writing, mental health, data collection, legal services, artificial intelligence and conflict resolution. A session, “Where Service Meets Progress,” drew a wide audience on the second day.

The convening also included recognition for , president emerita of InterFaith Works and founding member of the Lender Center Advisory Group, who was honored for her many years of social justice advocacy and community service.

More Event Photos

Each semester, ended his introductory policy studies course in the the same way. He led his students to the first-floor foyer of Maxwell Hall, gathered them before the iconic statue of George Washington, and had them read aloud the Oath of the Athenian City-State engraved on the wall behind it.

The oath鈥檚 closing promise, to 鈥渢ransmit this city not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us,鈥� was in many ways the mission statement Coplin had been living since he arrived at 性视界 University in 1969 as an associate professor. Over the 56 years that followed, he founded the , mentored tens of thousands of students, authored more than 115 books and articles, and became one of the most honored and beloved teachers in the University鈥檚 history.

Coplin, professor of policy studies and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence, retired Jan. 1, 2026.

While he sought a quiet exit from a storied career, his legacy lives on in the impact on countless careers, and in the Bill Coplin Policy Studies Support and Experiential Learning Endowed Fund. Through Coplin鈥檚 estate, the fund will become permanently endowed, but it can immediately support policy studies students thanks to his initial contribution.

A devoted alumna is helping to build the foundation. Rebecca Edelman 鈥�03 has pledged to match up to $10,000 in donations made to the fund now through the end of March 2026.

鈥淐oplin鈥檚 insistence on action over theory and real skills over fluff has shaped every job I鈥檝e held, every pitch I鈥檝e made and every boardroom I鈥檝e entered,鈥� says Edelman, who now leads Caper Associates LLC, an education venture that seeks to address the gap between traditional learning and workforce readiness. 鈥淚 owe a great deal to this program, and I am proud to carry its purpose and values forward.鈥�

A Different Drummer

Coplin said he has always been an outlier in academia.

鈥淚 never followed a strict academic path,鈥� he says, pointing out that he finished his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins with a 3.2 GPA before earning a master鈥檚 degree and Ph.D. in international relations from American University. He emerged, by his own account, 鈥渃ompletely unconstrained by the reality of academia.鈥�

As a professor, he focused on practicality. What skills do students need? What experiences best prepare them for the real world?

He founded the policy studies undergraduate program in 1977 on the premise of those questions and around the belief that students should leave college ready to make a tangible difference. The program required 30 hours of community service, embedded directly into the curriculum.

Coplin never asked his students to be selfless idealists. 鈥淚 ask students, 鈥楧o you want to do good or do well?鈥欌�� he often said. 鈥淭he answer should be both, but unless you鈥檙e Mother Teresa, you should do well first.鈥�

His mantra, 鈥渄o well, and do good,鈥� became a guiding principle among alumni, who often referred to themselves as 鈥渄o gooders鈥� as well as 鈥淐oplinites.鈥�

Renee Captor 鈥�80 said his teachings served her well as an attorney and nonprofit director. 鈥淪kills really do win, and as it turns out, Excel is life,鈥� she says, offering a nod to some of Coplin鈥檚 sayings. Another of his favorites: 鈥淟ife is an aggregation problem.鈥�

Sam Underwood ’11 remembers receiving a less-than-ideal grade and pointed written feedback on an assignment from Coplin.

鈥淭hat was the first time anyone had told me in an academic setting that, if I was going to be successful, I needed to apply myself rather than just regurgitating the notes I had read from a book,鈥� says Underwood, who now leads one of Ohio鈥檚 fastest-growing startups. His message to Coplin: 鈥淵ou did well, and did good yourself.鈥�

性视界 University undergraduates are getting their moment to shine this spring, presenting original research and creative work to peers, faculty and the broader campus community across a series of symposia and showcase events running through the end of the semester.

鈥淔or a researcher, learning how to effectively present their work is a crucial part of the research process. Whether a student is sharing a completed project with conclusions, or a work-in-progress still in development, the dialogue and conversation with a broader audience is always clarifying,” says Kate Hanson, director of the (SOURCE). “Our undergraduates do incredible research, guided by dedicated faculty mentors, and our campus community is warmly welcomed to engage with and celebrate this work.鈥�

The SOURCE Spring Showcase includes the following:

Thursday, March 26

Lundgren Room, 106 Life Sciences Complex, 4-6 p.m.
The event will feature four 鈥淭ED-style鈥� student research talks and a presentation of SOURCE and Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) awards.

Friday, March 27

Life Sciences Complex Atrium, 2-4 p.m.
This interdisciplinary event will feature more than 100 students presenting research and creative activity.

The entire campus community is invited to attend the events.

A complete list of programs in March, April and May with event and registration details can be found on (check back for updated information).

Other symposia and research-related events this spring include:

• , Wednesday, March 25, 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m., Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center
• , Saturday, March 28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Life Sciences Complex Atrium
• , Friday, April 3, 9:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m., 608 Bird Library
• , Friday, April 10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Collegian Hotel and Suites, 1060 E. Genesee St.
• , Thursday, April 16, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Nancy Cantor Warehouse, Auditorium, Room 100A
• , Friday, April 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Milton Atrium, Life Sciences Complex
• , Friday, April 17, 10 a.m., 101 Newhouse 1
• , Tuesday, April 28, 3-5 p.m., 220 Eggers Hall
• , Wednesday, April 29, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Hall of Languages, multiple locations (complete schedule will be available on the after April 8)

In a world increasingly shaped by both connection and division, a diverse group of students is embarking on a distinctive journey of leadership and learning. The Global Interfaith Leadership Project (GILP), housed at Hendricks Chapel, represents a pioneering approach to preparing tomorrow’s leaders by combining religious and spiritual formation with practical civic engagement.

The program’s inaugural cohort, selected from across the University’s schools and colleges, brings together undergraduate and graduate students from varied faith traditions and backgrounds. From a Somali Banti student working to address food insecurity, to a chemical engineer coordinating interfaith dialogue, to a public administration student with White House experience, these scholars represent the rich tapestry of perspectives that GILP seeks to cultivate.

A Distinctive Approach to Leadership

What sets GILP apart is its “Roots, Reach and Results” framework鈥攁 holistic approach that moves beyond traditional interfaith dialogue. The program deepens students’ own religious or spiritual foundations (Roots), expands understanding and collaboration across traditions (Reach) and works to create tangible positive change in communities (Results).

“This project addresses a crucial need we’re seeing among students today,” explains Imam Amir Duri膰, GILP project director and assistant dean for religious and spiritual life at Hendricks Chapel. “Students are seeking meaningful opportunities to make a positive and profound impact. At the same time, we’ve witnessed a 150% increase in student participation in religious and spiritual programs at Hendricks Chapel over the past eight years. GILP brings these two trends together in a way that prepares leaders who can heal divides, imagine new possibilities and empower others in service to the common good.”

Diverse Backgrounds, Shared Commitment

The 2026 cohort members come from nine schools and colleges across the University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, spanning architecture, engineering, public policy and environmental science. Their varied academic pursuits reflect the program’s commitment to interfaith leadership across all disciplines.

Among the cohort is Abdirahman Abdi, a senior majoring in African American Studies from the South Side of 性视界. Drawing on his lived experience as a refugee, he co-founded the Sadaqa Foundation to address food insecurity in Kenya’s Dagahaley Refugee Camp鈥攅xemplifying the program’s emphasis on translating spiritual values into concrete community action.

Ronit Hizgiaev, a sophomore in the Maxwell School studying international relations and law, society and policy, brings her experience as multifaith chair for 性视界 Hillel. She has been instrumental in the Salaam Shalom program, where students learn Hebrew and Arabic to find common ground through language. “Ensuring everyone’s voices are heard and accounted for is a crucial value I hold,” she says.

Mian Hamid, a graduate student in the iSchool, serves as Hendricks Chapel’s interfaith engagement coordinator and convener of the Student Assembly of Interfaith Leaders. His role bridges the program’s academic learning with hands-on leadership development, rooted in both empathy and shared action for the common good.

Graduate student Gianna Juarez, pursuing a master of public administration in the Maxwell School, previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration and at United Way Worldwide. Her background in strategic implementation adds depth to discussions about translating interfaith values into policy and practice.

Beyond Dialogue: A Comprehensive Learning Experience

Scholars participate in weekly interactive sessions, civic projects and visits to local and regional faith communities. The program culminates in an international study journey and participation in the Interfaith America Leadership Summit.

The planned trip to Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina will offer particularly powerful learning opportunities. Students will examine Holocaust memory in Germany and the aftermath of the Bosnian War and Srebrenica Genocide. In Sarajevo鈥攐ften called the “European Jerusalem”鈥攖hey will explore centuries of interfaith coexistence at the crossroads of East and West, examining how religious and moral frameworks shape both the best and worst outcomes of human history.

A Tapestry of Faith and Purpose

The cohort spans a wide spectrum of religious and spiritual identities. Sandy Smith, studying forest ecosystem science at SUNY-ESF, brings a spirituality rooted in nature. “Nature teaches us that diversity is our greatest strength,” she notes, “and I believe that through interfaith collaboration, we will bring humanity to its greatest potential.”

Each of the 16 scholars is also developing a civic engagement project aimed at creating lasting change in the 性视界 community and beyond鈥攁ll grounded in the Roots, Reach and Results framework.

The GILP is a timely response to the challenges of our interconnected yet divided world. These scholars aren’t just learning about interfaith leadership鈥攖hey are living it, demonstrating that differences can be sources of strength and that a shared commitment to the common good can overcome division.

For more information about GILP at Hendricks Chapel, visit the .

The Lender Center for Social Justice is now accepting applications for the 2026-28 Lender Faculty Fellowship. The two-year research fellowship, now in its eighth year, supports faculty work on the causes of and solutions to complex contemporary social justice issues.

Application Deadline Is April 10

• The fellowships are open to full-time 性视界 University faculty.
• Applications are due by Friday, April 10, at 5 p.m.
• Details about the and required materials are available on the .
• Questions can be directed to听lendercenter@syr.edu.

What Support Does the Fellowship Provide?

• A stipend of $15,000 covering the faculty member鈥檚 work for two summers.
• An additional $5,000 per year allocated to support research initiatives ($10,000 total).
• Another $5,000 dedicated to cover costs of hosting a public symposium at the conclusion of the fellowship, when faculty and student fellows present their work.

Who Are Recent Faculty Fellows and Their Research Topics?

Recent fellows studied these issues:

• , associate professor of mathematics and mathematics education in the and , looked at how data literacy skills can be developed and how data can provide insights into community quality-of-life issues.
• , assistant professor of public health in the , examined economic policies that shaped housing and employment opportunities in 性视界 and the importance of community input and engagement in social issues
• , assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the , studied post-9/11 news media coverage and how it impacted specific communities.
• , professor of anthropology and Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies in the听Maxwell School, led a team that studied how AI systems can transform the concepts of autonomy, accountability, human rights and justice.
• , associate dean for strategic initiatives and research and Georgia Miller Associate Professor in the School of Design at the , assessed how building design impacted accessibility and use of a new women鈥檚 wellness center.
• , associate professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School, who , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Good Results, Engaging Research

“Over the past eight years, Lender faculty fellows and their student teams have taken innovative approaches to exploring a wide spectrum of social justice issues,” says , Lender Center director. “We are grateful for their good work and the up-to-date knowledge they have produced, and we are pleased that they have regarded their projects as engaging and transformative research opportunities.”

The sound of drills, hammers and sanders filled the Skybarn on South Campus on Feb. 20, as 141 student volunteers came together to build beds for children in the 性视界 community who don’t have one to call their own.

The partnered with the 性视界 chapter of to work toward SHP鈥檚 mission, 鈥淣o kid sleeps on the floor in our town.鈥�

Throughout the day, the energy inside the venue was upbeat. Students who had never picked up a power drill were guided by more experienced SHP volunteers, sawdust collecting on sneakers as bed frames took shape across the floor.

Over the course of two two-hour shifts, volunteers built 116 bed frames, surpassing the goal of 100 and more than doubling what was done during the inaugural build in 2024. There was laughter, encouragement and a shared sense of purpose that organizers said made the day unlike anything they had experienced before.

A Growing Commitment

The growth of the program has been striking. When SUVO first partnered with SHP on a 2024 build, the group completed 44 beds. In 2025, that number jumped to 88. This year’s total of 116 represents not just a record, but a reflection of deepening commitment across campus.

Students from a wide range of programs and organizations showed up to help, and novel fundraising efforts, such as pie-in-the-face events, helped cover the cost of materials. The planning team included SUVO President Ava Portney 鈥�26, Vice President Ryan Edwards 鈥�26, Secretary Lara Sare 鈥�26 and Treasurer Cody Wade 鈥�26.

性视界 Mayor Sharon Owens 鈥�85 stopped by and addressed volunteers, drawing a direct line between a good night’s sleep and a child’s ability to reach their potential. She noted that 10% of students in the 性视界 City School District lack a permanent address.

“No one’s potential is defined by where they live,” Owens said, “but their ability to be prepared to be the best they can be definitely is affected by how they live.”

She thanked the 性视界 students on behalf of the entire city, telling them the experience of giving to someone who may not be empowered to give to themselves would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Portney said the eagerness she witnessed among student volunteers was inspiring and proof that community, even in discouraging times, has a way of sustaining itself. “Community is the closest thing to good we can have as humans,” she said.

Wade told the volunteers that a bed is far more than a piece of furniture. “A bed is safety. It’s dignity. And most importantly, it’s hope.”

He urged every volunteer to go a step further and help deliver the beds into the community on a future Saturday. SHP expert volunteers bring community members directly into the homes of families in need to assemble and set up the beds on-site.

‘This Is Where You Sleep’

Dave Hoalcraft 鈥�85, a 性视界 native who worked for the University for 39 years, is now co-president of the 性视界 chapter of SHP. He described one of the deliveries he made in the community that remains at the forefront of his mind. A young girl pointed to a blanket and stuffed animal on the floor when telling him where her bed was. Once the bed was assembled, complete with new bedding, it dawned on her that she now had a safe and cozy place to rest her head at night.

鈥淪ixty times you gave us the opportunity to tell this little girl: 鈥楾his is where you sleep,鈥� Hoalcraft told the first shift of volunteers, which completed 60 bed frames. 鈥淵ou did a lot more than play shop today鈥攜ou gave 60 kids a warm, safe place to sleep.鈥�

With each passing year, more students have learned about the cause, spread the word and shown up ready to work.

The build has become one of the most anticipated volunteer events on campus, a rare occasion where the output is something tangible: a sturdy wooden frame, carefully sanded and assembled, that will soon hold a mattress, sheets, bedding and a sleeping child who might otherwise have had nothing beneath them but the floor.

For the children of 性视界 who will receive these beds, the impact may be difficult to measure but is impossible to overstate. As Mayor Owens said, everyone’s day begins with how they laid their head the night before. Thanks to 141 Orange volunteers, 116 more children in 性视界 will have a chance to take part in a good night’s sleep.

To volunteer for a bed build, bed deliveries, donate bedding or make a monetary donation, visit . For more information about SUVO activities, email suvo@syr.edu.

, a provider of 听home and community-based care across New York state, is partnering with the to support the 2026 Lender Expo on Wednesday, March 11, and Thursday, March 12, at the Marriott 性视界 Downtown.

The convenes public officials, nonprofit organizational leaders, service providers, community members and 性视界 University faculty, researchers and students for conversations 听about social justice issues affecting the region and ways to address them.

Featured Activities

• A 鈥淪tate of Our Region鈥� panel discussion with several elected officials: 性视界 Mayor , Onondaga County Executive , U.S. Representative , 性视界 City Court Judge and Nascentia Chief Administrative Officer and President of Health Plans
• A , 鈥淲here Service Meets Progress鈥�
• Workshops on grant writing, mental health, data collection, legal services, artificial intelligence and conflict resolution

Full Schedule, Tabling

View the . The expo is free and open to the public. Attendee is required; the sign-up deadline is Friday, Feb. 27.

Nonprofit and other organizations offering public services and information are welcome to host information tables. for tabling is required; details are available on the .

Last year, more than 200 people attended the expo and 80 nonprofit organizations showcased program information.

鈥淲e are thrilled that Nascentia Health has invested in this important communitywide gathering and excited about the essential conversations and ideas it will generate,鈥� says , Lender Center director. 鈥淣ascentia鈥檚 support has expanded the expo鈥檚 impact and assures that the critical conversations this event enables are more sustainable for the future.鈥�

Ryan Pyland, Nascentia Health associate vice president, marketing and communications,听 says, 鈥淲e are proud to partner with 性视界 University and the Lender Center for Social Justice for the 2026 Lender Expo. As a community-based health care organization, we see every day how collaboration strengthens outcomes for individuals and families across Central New York. Supporting this event reflects our commitment to meaningful dialogue, shared strategy and collective action that advance the health and well-being of the communities we serve.鈥�

There鈥檚 warmth emanating from the Noble Room in the lower level of Hendricks Chapel every Monday night whenever classes are in session.

Every sewing machine buzzes and hums as the members of the make handmade quilts that will keep vulnerable Central New Yorkers warm during the winter months.

鈥淭hose are chaotic nights. Everybody is working on a project that will end up at one of our partner charities,鈥� says quilting enthusiast Judy O鈥橰ourke 鈥�75, G鈥�10. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice knowing you鈥檙e helping someone out, and it鈥檚 nice knowing that something I enjoy doing is giving somebody else comfort.鈥�

O鈥橰ourke is one of 10-15 active members of the Hendricks Chapel Quilters鈥攃onsisting of students, staff, faculty and community members鈥攚ho put their love of sewing to good use weekly to produce beautiful quilts.

The common threads that keep members coming back? A love of quilting, a desire to find connection and a willingness to give back to the community.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a real camaraderie around this group,鈥� says George Athanas, the associate director for the Center for Learning and Student Success, who first joined the club 21 years ago. 鈥淭his reminds me of what quilting circles and quilting guilds used to be like, folks coming together to engage with their community, meet new people and learn along the way.鈥�

Helping Vulnerable People Feel Seen and Valued

Quilts are most frequently donated to the local chapter of , which builds beds for children in the community, to chaplains at SUNY Upstate Medical University, who deliver the quilts to terminally ill patients, and to food pantries who partner with听 on their community outreach efforts.

During last year鈥檚 weekly meetings, the Hendricks Chapel Quilters produced 59 quilts that were donated. Each finished product is signed with a tag noting that the quilt was created with love by the Hendricks Chapel Quilters. O鈥橰ourke says nearly 95% of the fabric, sewing machines and other materials used have been donated by generous community members.

鈥淭his reflects what service is all about, investing time and energy to make the world a better place,鈥� Athanas says.

Besides the added source of warmth, Jennie Prouty, InterFaith Works鈥� community engagement manager, says the recipients are often touched by the kindness and generosity of strangers who make time to create and then donate these intricate quilts.

鈥淭hese quilts are an opportunity for individuals and families in our communities, who often feel unseen, to know there are people who care deeply about their well-being,鈥� Prouty says. 鈥淭he element of them being handmade is a level of intentionality that many clients don鈥檛 typically receive.鈥�

Made With Love

In the fall, students in Liz Lance鈥檚 one-credit honors class, Quilting for Fun and Community, learn how to quilt alongside the Hendricks Chapel Quilters, who provide support and offer advice to the novice quilters.

鈥淭his is a unique offering,鈥� says Lance, who started teaching the course in the Fall 2024 semester. 鈥淭he average age of quilters is older and retired, but here, we have 20-, 21- and 22-year-old college students learning alongside our quilting guild. Spanning that age gap and bringing these people together is the most special part about this because it represents intergenerational learning, which can be hard to find.鈥�

O鈥橰ourke, who started sewing in childhood, picked up quilting in 1998 as the advisor to that year鈥檚 cohort of Remembrance Scholars. Those students wanted to make a Remembrance Quilt to honor the 35 性视界 University students who died in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.

Current Remembrance Scholar Joy Mao 鈥�26 had no prior experience quilting or sewing, so she was nervous when she walked into the Noble Room for her first class last fall.

Those nerves quickly melted away. On the first night, students were introduced to their sewing machine, which they would use throughout the semester. Mao learned about the tools she鈥檇 be using鈥攔anging from a needle and thread to a seam ripper and cutters鈥攁nd became more familiar with her machine as the course progressed.

Starting with four-by-four-inch quilting squares, Mao and her classmates are tasked with identifying the colors and patterns that will tell the story of their quilt. Each square consists of nine patches, and each finished quilt consists of 81 total squares. If time allows, students add borders, known as sashes, as filler between the squares.

During their last class, students stand before their peers and present their quilt, knowing their finished product will provide warmth to someone in need.

“You get to make with your hands and give with your hearts, and these quilts are all made with love,鈥� says Mao, who is studying television, radio and film in the and policy studies in the . 鈥淚t was great knowing we were creating something that would have an impact on and give back to the greater 性视界 community.鈥�

The hold meetings from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday evenings when classes are in session. No previous sewing experience is required, and all materials, as well as access to a sewing machine, are provided during the club鈥檚 weekly meetings. For more information about joining or donating fabric or sewing machines, please contact Judy O鈥橰ourke.

On a February morning, members of the University community sat down at their keyboards with a shared purpose: to pull the voices of history out of the archive and into the digital age鈥攐ne keystroke at a time.

Gathering at the on Feb. 13 to mark Douglass Day 2026鈥攖he annual national celebration honoring abolitionist Frederick Douglass鈥攆aculty, staff and students spent the afternoon transcribing collected documents from the Colored Conventions, a Black political movement that spanned seven decades in the 1800s.

The large-scale nationwide transcription effort is a way to broaden digital access to historical documents for all who are interested鈥攃ommunity members, educators and scholars.

鈥淭he Humanities Center is proud to participate in this shared project each year,鈥� says , professor of women鈥檚 and gender studies in the and director of the 性视界 University Humanities Center. 鈥淚n just a few short hours, we can all pitch in to make a rich trove of knowledge in Black historical materials widely available via digitization, rather than stored in hard-to-access archives or separated across the nation in different libraries.鈥�

Illuminating How Social Change Unfolded

The documents included meeting minutes, proceedings, newspaper articles, speeches, letters, transcripts and images, drawn from both before and after the American Civil War.

鈥淭his nationwide, and now international, collective effort really makes a difference,鈥� May says. 鈥淔or instance, thanks to previous Douglass Day 鈥榯ranscribe-a-thons,鈥� today, we can easily access the 性视界, New York, 1864 Colored Convention program, 鈥�.鈥� Reading the speeches and engaging with this program helps us understand how this movement for social change unfolded across the nation but also right here, in .鈥�

Some students who participated were surprised to learn how many Black newspapers there were in the mid-1800s, and they could see the role of print journalism in getting people together to organize and advocate for civil rights, May says.

For example, with morning and evening editions of Black papers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it became obvious in transcribing different stories and announcements that newspapers were key to political organizing and functioned more like an Instagram post does today鈥攇etting the word out and bringing people together around a cause.

The University began partnering with Douglass Day and hosting an event to coincide with the national effort in 2020.

鈥淲e look forward to keeping up the annual tradition in honor of Frederick Douglass and Black History Month,鈥� says Diane Drake, assistant director of the Humanities Center.

According to the , the political gatherings offered opportunities for free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans鈥攂oth men and women鈥攖o organize and strategize for racial justice. The first Colored Convention was held in 1830 in response to Ohio鈥檚 1829 exclusionary laws and a wave of anti-Black mob violence that had forced 2,000 Black residents to flee the state.

That first meeting brought Black leaders together to contest widespread discrimination against Black communities, and a movement was born. More than 600 Colored Conventions were held at the national and state levels from 1830 to the 1900s.

Douglass escaped slavery in Maryland as a young man and became a national leader in the abolitionist movement, renowned for his oratory skills, in Massachusetts and New York, and for his newspaper in Rochester, New York, The North Star, which was an important tool in abolishing slavery and advocating for women鈥檚 rights and civil rights. The paper鈥檚 motto summarizes Douglass鈥� inclusive approach to human rights nicely: 鈥淩ight is of no Sex鈥擳ruth is of no Color鈥擥od is the Father of us all, and all we are Brethren.鈥�

Common lore is that Douglass did not know the exact date he was born in 1818, so in emancipation he chose to celebrate his birth on Valentine鈥檚 Day, Feb. 14. The Annual Douglass Day event is planned each year at that time.

for individuals to assist with the transcription from home.