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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a Bike

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

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

Spend a Weekend at Home

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

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

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

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

Take the Train

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

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

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

Skip the Starbucks

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

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

Bring the Travel Guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From insightful conversations to shared reflections on meaningful work, the聽聽(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鈥檚聽听补苍诲听 initiatives, the new聽, sustained long-term partnerships and聽.

The showcase underscored the continued growth of EHN since its founding in 2020 by聽, 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.

The first time Carrie Mae Weems H鈥�17 came to 性视界, she was an emerging artist with a restless curiosity and a camera. That was in the early 1980s, when 鈥攖he internationally recognized artist residency program on the 性视界 University campus鈥攊nvited her to come and work. She did not yet know that the city, and the University, would shape her life in ways she could not have anticipated, including meeting her husband, photographer and Light Work director Jeffrey Hoone.

Nearly 45 years later, Weems has come full circle. Appointed in January 2020 as the University’s inaugural artist in residence, Weems spent six years weaving herself into the fabric of the institution she had first encountered as a young artist. She is now concluding that tenure, leaving behind a legacy as layered and far-reaching as the bodies of work that have made her one of the most celebrated artists of her generation.

鈥淐arrie Mae Weems鈥� work has long challenged the world to see with greater honesty and imagination, and she brought that same spirit to 性视界 University. Her presence here has strengthened our academic community in meaningful ways,鈥� says Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff to Chancellor Emeritus Kent Syverud. 鈥淲e thank her for her leadership, her artistry and the lasting imprint she has made on this campus. Carrie has defined possibilities for what the artist in residency can be, and for this we are truly grateful.鈥�

A Legendary Career

Over four decades, Weems has built a practice that spans photography, text, audio, video, installation and performance. Her series 鈥淔rom Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried鈥� repurposed 36 appropriated images from the 19th and 20th centuries to interrogate the relationship between African American subjects and photographic history. Her 鈥淜itchen Table Series鈥� turned domestic space into a stage for intimate, complex narratives of Black womanhood.

The institutions that hold her work read like a map of the world’s great museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Gallery of Canada, among many others. In 2014, she became the first African American woman to receive a solo retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, a milestone she noted had arrived “really late in the day.” Rather than simply presenting her exhibition, she transformed the Guggenheim’s auditorium into a five-day convening of artists, thinkers and performers

Her honors include the 2013 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2023 Hasselblad Award, the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship, the BZ Cultural Prize and the U.S. Department of State’s Medal of Arts. In October 2024, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. presented her with the National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony, the highest honor the United States government bestows upon artists. She was the first African American female visual artist to receive it. Weems has installed a permanent work that will be featured in the Barack Obama Presidential Library, opening to the public in Chicago on June 19.

Yet for all the accolades, some of Weems’ most telling work during her 性视界 residency happened in studios, classrooms and conference rooms.

Mentorship Flowing in Both Directions

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, Weems went to her studio. She designed posters, billboards and campaigns that honored frontline workers. What began as a response to the situation in 性视界 became a national effort, eventually spreading worldwide. Shopping bags carrying text that she composed were distributed at food banks. Buttons, masks and murals went out by the thousands. Students were at the center of the work, packaging materials, designing alongside her and earning wages she insisted upon.

That insistence on reciprocity, on the idea that mentorship flows in both directions, threads through everything she did at the University. She founded the Institute of Sound and Style, a rigorous workshop for teenagers in 性视界 struggling against the weight of community violence.

Graduate students served as her assistants on the project, and she was candid about what she received in return. “As much as I found that I was helping them,” she said, “they were helping me as much as I was helping them. I’m not simply the giver. I’m also the receiver.”

In April 2024, she traveled to Florence to deliver a public lecture鈥�”Resistance as an Act of Love”鈥攖o students enrolled in the , reviewing the work of studio arts students there. She then brought eight of those students to Venice for the Black Portraitures conference, held in concert with the Venice Biennale.

Her “Monumental Concerns” convenings, which she organized through the University and were held at the Museum of Modern Art, drew hundreds of scholars, artists and thinkers into conversation about monuments, memory and contested public space.

Engaging Deeply

鈥淭hrough her residency, Carrie Mae Weems has created opportunities for 性视界 University to engage deeply with some of the most pressing cultural conversations of our time,鈥� says Miranda Traudt, the University鈥檚 assistant聽provost for strategic initiatives and director of arts. 鈥淏y bringing together artists, scholars and communities, she has helped make this campus a hub for dialogue that shapes contemporary art and culture.鈥�

At the celebration marking the close of her residency, held March 16 at Light Work, Campbell Jackson reflected on what it had meant to work alongside her. “You’ve shown us how essential creativity is to the strategic future of this institution,” she said, “and to our broader society.”

Weems herself was characteristically humble. “I never think that I’m doing anything that is important,” she said. “I just feel that I need to work at things that matter to me, that uplift me, that inspire me, that carry me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, 聽(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, 聽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

聽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.

性视界 University has announced the appointment of two new members of the Board of Trustees. The newest members, David S. Klein 鈥�93 and Sean C. O鈥橩eefe G鈥�78, are both alumni who have earned accolades in their fields, including highest honors for their accomplishments, and both credit their studies at the University for providing the foundation and the tools for their success.

Also joining the board for the 2026-2027 academic year are new student representatives who will bring diverse viewpoints to board discussions. They are master鈥檚 student Thomas Andrew Kehoe III; third-year law student Anthony J. Ruscitto 鈥�22, G鈥�23, L鈥�27; rising junior Emily Castillo-Melean 鈥�28; and rising senior Asher Gonzalez 鈥�27. All representatives will report to the Board at Executive Committee and full board meetings.

鈥淲ith these two appointments, the board gains distinguished voices from industry and from public service鈥攁lumni who have reached the highest levels of their professions and remain deeply tied to 性视界. Further, adding someone with extensive experience in teaching and strategic management in higher education brings critical perspective to Board discussions and governance responsibilities,鈥� says Board of Trustees Chairman Jeff Scruggs. 鈥淲hat unites every member of this board is a deep commitment to 性视界 University and a shared desire to enhance the student experience and bring distinction to the academic and research enterprise. The student representatives add vital viewpoints to the work we do to strengthen the entire Orange community.鈥�

Continuing in their second terms to serve as are Dean Mark Lodato, academic dean representative; Professor Tula Goenka, faculty representative; and Andrea Rose Persin, staff representative.

David S. Klein 鈥�93

David Klein is founder and CEO of Greenwood Industries, a commercial roofing, architectural metal fabrication and custom building envelope solutions company. He also serves as CEO of Greenwood鈥檚 waterproofing and masonry subsidiary, TWC Phoenix. Greenwood Industries is the leading provider of commercial roofing and building envelope solutions in the Northeast and is the sixth largest roofing contractor and eighth largest masonry contractor in the United States.

Klein was in one of the first graduating classes of the precursor to the, the undergraduate program in information science and technology.

In March, 2025, he of the Board of Advisors to the iSchool. He serves on the Athletics Orange Council. In 2020, he and his wife, Elizabeth 鈥�93, established the George Klein Endowed Scholarship, honoring his father and providing students from the Worcester area with demonstrated financial need. He was a judge for the 2023 Whitman Orange Tank competition, and that year was presented with a 鈥機USE50 Entrepreneur Award, which celebrates the success of Orange business leaders across the globe.

Klein serves on the New England Center for Children President鈥檚 Council and is a member of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, the National Roofing Contractors Association, the New England Roofing Contractors Association and the American Subcontractors Association. He was given the Worcester Business Journal鈥檚 Large Business Leader of the Year Award in 2023.

He and his wife reside in Southborough, Massachusetts, and are the parents of sons Jake 鈥�27 (Newhouse School of Public Communications) and Ben 鈥�30 (), and daughter, Callie.

Sean C. O鈥橩eefe G鈥�78

Sean C. O’Keefe is University Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and International Affairs in the , where he held the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership from 2014 until his retirement in 2025. He concurrently served as a distinguished senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

After earning a master of public administration at 性视界 University, he worked for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.聽He returned to the Pentagon as Defense Department comptroller and CFO before serving as secretary of the Navy in the George H.W. Bush administration. 聽Later he served as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, and as deputy assistant to President聽George W. Bush before serving as聽NASA administrator.

Between public service appointments, O鈥橩eefe taught at Louisiana State University (LSU), as business school faculty at Pennsylvania State University and at Maxwell, first as the Louis A. Bantle Chair of Business and Government and director of the National Security Studies Program, then as University Professor and Phanstiel Chair in Leadership. He was chancellor at LSU in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

O鈥橩eefe was also chair of the board and CEO of Airbus Group Inc. and a vice president at General Electric Company. He currently serves as board chair of Satlantis, LLC, chair of the audit committee of the Battelle Memorial Institute, and board member of TexTech Industries and AIS, Inc. Previous board service includes DuPont, Computer Science Corporation, General Kinetics Inc., J. Ray McDermott S.A., and Sensis Inc.

In 1993, President George H.W. Bush and Secretary Dick Cheney presented O’Keefe with the Distinguished Public Service Award. He received the Department of the Navy’s Public Service Award in 2000 and has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from five institutions, including Loyola University New Orleans, his undergraduate alma mater.

At 性视界 University, he serves on the Institute for Veterans and Military Families Advisory Board and is a former chair of the Maxwell Advisory Board and a member of the Council of Chairs. He was the 1999 faculty recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Public Service and the 2011 recipient of the Arents Award.

Sean and Laura O’Keefe reside in northern Virginia and in Skaneateles, New York, and are the parents of three adult children and have two grandsons.

Graduate Student Representative: Thomas Andrew Kehoe III

Thomas Andrew Kehoe III is a master鈥檚 student in higher postsecondary education in the and a graduate assistant for academic and career advising within the Office of Student Success in the and Maxwell. In this role, he advises undergraduate students on career readiness and connects them with resources to support their professional development.

Originally from Vermont, Kehoe earned dual bachelor鈥檚 degrees in business management and marketing, with a minor in statistics, from Vermont State University Castleton. He received the Abel E. Leavenworth Leadership Award and the Leonard C. Goldman Distinguished Senior Award and served as Student Government Association president, student orientation coordinator, senior class treasurer and a member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Advisory Committee.

At 性视界 University, Kehoe has deepened his commitment to student advocacy, contributing to the Academic Integrity Office, serving as a recruitment officer for the higher postsecondary education program, and working as a graduate research assistant on a qualitative study examining how practitioners foster student success. Driven by a passion for student-centered leadership, he aspires to a career in higher education administration.

As the graduate student representative for the 2026-27 academic year, Kehoe participates, ex officio, on the Academic Affairs and the Student Experience committees.

Law Student Representative: Anthony J. Ruscitto 鈥�22, G鈥�23, L鈥�27

Anthony J. Ruscitto is a third-year law student in the College of Law, a 2025 Tillman Scholar and president of the Military and Veterans Law Society. He serves as a law student ambassador for the College of Law鈥檚 Admissions and Financial Aid Office and provides legal assistance to veterans as a student attorney in the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic. He has competed twice with the National Trial Team and completed an internship with the Onondaga County District Attorney鈥檚 Office, where he is returning as a 2L intern in summer 2026.

Prior to law school, Ruscitto earned a master of public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2023, during which he served as president of the 性视界 University Student Veteran Organization, and a dual B.S. in psychology and forensic science from 性视界 University in 2022. Throughout his studies, he volunteered as an EMT-B and CPR instructor with 性视界 University Ambulance.

Ruscitto served five years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, completing his honorable service in 2019 as a sergeant of Marines. As a weapons and tactics instructor and helicopter crew chief, he logged more than 1,000 mishap-free hours as Naval aircrew and served on two overseas deployments spanning more than 10 countries and territories.

As the law student representative to the board for the 2026-27 academic year, Ruscitto participates, ex officio, on the Academic Affairs and the Student Experience Committees.

Undergraduate Student Representative: Emily Castillo-Melean 鈥�28

Emily Castillo-Melean is a first-generation student from Miami and a rising junior in the Maxwell School and the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a double major in policy studies and citizenship and civic engagement.

A recipient of the Posse Foundation Full-Tuition Leadership Scholarship and an Our Time Has Come Scholar, she currently serves as president of the Student Government Association for its 70th session, having previously served as speaker of the Assembly. She represents the student body as a University Senator and as the undergraduate student representative to the 性视界 University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Her professional experience includes work with the New York State Democratic Party and the Onondaga County Legislature. She has been recognized with the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from the Our Time Has Come Program and the Robert F. Lucas Outstanding Lieutenant Governor Award from Key Club International (2024).

As undergraduate representative to the board for the 2026-27 academic year, Castillo-Melean participates, ex officio, on the Student Experience Committee.

Undergraduate Student Representative: Asher Gonzalez 鈥�27

Coming to 性视界 from Tampa, Florida, Asher Gonzalez is a rising senior, pursuing a dual major in television, radio and film in the Newhouse School and political science in the Maxwell School.

Gonzalez has demonstrated a strong commitment to student leadership and campus life, serving as vice president of university affairs for the Student Government Association and as the president of the Chabad House at 性视界 University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He will serve as the University Senate student caucus chair for the 2026鈥�2027 academic year. This past semester, he was one of 70 students selected globally to attend the McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character at the United States Military Academy at West Point, an honor for which he was nominated by Chancellor J. Michael Haynie.

In April 2026, Gonzalez received the 44 Stars of Excellence in Innovation: Event/Initiative Spotlight Award for leading the Universitywide Harvest Fest event in fall 2025. He is also a founding father of the Alpha Chi chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha at 性视界 University, where he served as the chapter鈥檚 first external vice president. Additionally, he is a former member of the University cheerleading team, contributing to school spirit and community engagement across campus.

As undergraduate representative to the board for the 2026-27 academic year Gonzalez participates, ex officio, on the Student Experience Committee.

Go back in time with this selection of historic images from the . The photos capture the evolution of the campus, student life and the community that has defined the University through the years.

To learn more about materials and photos in the University Archives, part of the in the , visit its .

A strong foundation in human biology is essential for students pursuing careers in medicine, nursing, physician assistance (PA) and the health sciences. For those students, anatomy and physiology鈥攖he study of the body’s structures and how they function鈥攊s often among the most demanding and consequential courses of their undergraduate education, serving as both a prerequisite for graduate programs and a proving ground for the scientific thinking those programs require.

Students have an innovative opportunity to build that foundation in the two-semester anatomy and physiology sequence taught by Vera McIlvain, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Biology in the .

The course draws more than 200 students per lecture including biology majors and other allied health students. Intentionally demanding, the comprehensive course covers the systems, structures and physiological processes that form the basis of human health. But what sets it apart, students say, is how it is taught.

McIlvain鈥檚 students don鈥檛 walk into class to hear a lecture for the first time鈥攂ecause the lecture has already happened. In what educators call a flipped classroom, McIlvain has built a library of more than 170 original instructional videos that students work through before they arrive: short, focused lessons on a platform that pauses to test comprehension in real time.

By the time students are in the room, the basics are behind them. That frees every minute of class time for the harder work: clinical application, concept mapping, real-time polling that surfaces misconceptions on the spot and the kind of problem-solving that mirrors how healthcare professionals actually think.

For Niamh McGuinness 鈥�26, a student planning to attend PA school after graduation, that approach has been transformative. 鈥淒r. V has helped me learn what study strategies are most effective for this type of learning,鈥� she says, 鈥渨hich is one of the most valuable takeaways from this course.鈥�

That preparation extends to how students are tested. McIlvain鈥檚 exams use a select-all-that-apply format designed to reveal what students actually know rather than what they can eliminate.

The course also extends beyond at-home and in-person lectures. Lab sections meet weekly, where sessions include exercises such as students examining slides of microscopic tissues using equipment McIlvain says produces images of textbook quality. Students capture their own micrographs of each tissue type, building a personal image library they use throughout the course.

On Jan. 2, Justin Dalaba鈥檚 phone rang.

It was his former professor, , who teaches photojournalism, documentary photography, filmmaking and visual storytelling at the , with a question.

Did Dalaba G鈥�25 want to come with him on assignment for National Geographic to photograph turtles under the Canadian ice? Before he could second-guess himself, Dalaba said yes.

鈥淚t was definitely a rare opportunity,鈥� Dalaba says. 鈥淭hose kinds of stories don’t just happen in that way. And he pretty much said, 鈥榃ell, we鈥檝e got to leave in about an hour. So are you ready to go?鈥欌��

Luckily, Dalaba had his go-bag ready and the batteries for his cameras were charged. Later that day, the Newhouse graduate was driving to Canada with his former graduate advisor.

Peering Under the Ice

The January assignment Snyder brought Dalaba onboard for is part of work he鈥檚 been doing for the last three years for the Preserving Legacies project. The organization funded by the National Geographic Society highlights how World Heritage Sites, along with cultural heritage and natural heritage sites, can be adapted to climate change. Working on a long-term grant, Snyder tells the stories of communities working to adapt and preserve the sites.

One of the stories he was assigned to work on was about how biologist Gr茅gory Bult茅 is studying a . The creatures are one of the world鈥檚 northernmost reptile species in the system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that runs from Ottawa to Lake Ontario. During the winter months, the turtles live underwater and bring their body temperatures down to near-freezing. They don鈥檛 eat, breathe or mate, waiting under the ice until they can emerge in the spring.

Bult茅, who has been studying the turtles for 20 years, has observed when ice thins during the winter, principally because of climate change, it allows river otters to slip under and eat the turtles. In 2022, he documented 10% of the turtle population in Ontario鈥檚 Opinicon Lake died, likely because of otters.

鈥淏ecause they can’t move, it’s a free snack,鈥� Snyder says.

In 2025, Snyder went up to do a story on Bult茅 and his work, but a blizzard prevented him from getting the images he needed.

For the return trip in January, Dalaba helped Snyder design a rig system to capture the images of the turtles under the ice. Not only was it freezing and underwater with low visibility, but they had to be sensitive to the turtles and avoid disturbing them.

鈥淭hey’re not supposed to move very much,鈥� Snyder says. 鈥淵ou have this tiny window to operate.鈥�

The videos and photos they captured were published as part of a in National Geographic, one of the publication鈥檚 most-viewed stories of the month. The images may also be the first-ever published of turtles under the ice.

What Went Into the Shoot

Snyder says the recent Newhouse grad proved 鈥渋nstrumental鈥� in helping him get video and photographs on the shoot.

鈥淗e’s both incredibly technically capable and he’s a very, very good image maker and storyteller,鈥� Snyder says. 鈥淗e can do that across platforms with photo, design, video, and that’s super, super important.鈥�

The shoot required them to get up at 4 a.m. and trek through the snow, pulling their gear on a sled across the frozen lake. At one point, the equipment got too cold and the mount they were going to use to submerge the camera broke, so they had to remount their gear on the fly.

The pair also had to work closely and build trust with Bult茅, listening when the scientist expressed concern about the impact on the turtles if they pushed the shoot longer.

鈥淭hat’s a powerful learning opportunity for someone working in the documentary space to understand鈥攊t’s not all about you, it’s not even all about the image,鈥� Snyder says. 鈥淎t the end of the day, it is about the ethics that underlie this practice. It is about relationships, and it is about doing the maximum amount of good with the work you’re doing.鈥�

He says Dalaba had the ability to be adaptive, not just with the changing weather around them and the physical demands of the assignment, but to be collaborative and responsive to the other people and species involved.

鈥淏oth the practice and the product of documentary work is relationship building,鈥� Snyder says. 鈥淵ou need to be highly relational. It’s a soft skill in a lot of ways, and he has this aplomb.鈥�

Dalaba and Snyder both came to photojournalism and documentary work with science backgrounds. Dalaba previously worked as a wildlife biologist in conservation, while Snyder is a geologist and climate scientist by training.

For Dalaba, working on the assignment felt like the culmination of his path as a wildlife biologist turned storyteller.

鈥淪eeing that come together went beyond the personal gratification and more of that deep hearted feeling of this is what a collaboration feels like,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was a collaboration between two storytellers, scientists, multiple climate custodians who are working to adapt their heritage in Canada.鈥�

The experience also resulted in additional work for Dalaba with Preserving Legacies. The former wildlife biologist says he鈥檚 excited to continue that work, telling stories of hope and resilience related to climate change.

Before the incoming class of sport analytics students take their first class in the聽, 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�