The blood-brain barrier is a tightly locked network of cells that protects and defends the brain from harmful substances and pathogens that could cause damage. While this barrier serves to protect our brains, in the case of finding cures for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, the blood-brain barrier has been a big obstacle.

Enter research from , the Milton and Anne Stevenson Endowed Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and department chair in the .

Working with undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, the uses theoretical and computational techniques to determine how to best enable the transport of drug molecules across the blood-brain barrier.

Nangia鈥檚 research led to the creation of the first molecular model depicting what the blood-brain barrier looks like, which has proven helpful in identifying what can and what cannot pass through the narrow tunnel into the brain.

Understanding that Alzheimer鈥檚 and cancer treatments are too large to pass through the blood-brain tunnel, Nangia鈥檚 group is advancing research to find a cure for Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚.

鈥淲e cannot break the blood-brain barrier because it’s essential for our survival,鈥� Nangia says. 鈥淭he trick is, how do you modulate the blood-brain barrier, so it becomes a little bit larger when the drug molecule goes through, but then closes back and becomes small again after the drug has gone into the brain?鈥�

Engineering Solutions to Diseases That We Cannot Cure Easily

As a biomedical and chemical engineer, Nangia is using her research to devise new ways to 鈥渆ngineer solutions to diseases that we cannot cure easily.鈥� Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚 certainly qualify, and Nangia is familiar with these debilitating brain-related diseases. A few members of Nangia鈥檚 extended family suffered through Alzheimer’s, and those experiences watching loved ones lose themselves and forget their identity had a profound impact on Nangia鈥檚 studies.

鈥淚n every situation, you see someone you knew very well, and you lose that person gradually over time,鈥� Nangia says. 鈥淥ut of the top 10 leading causes of death in America, Alzheimer鈥檚 and other brain-related diseases is the only one where there is no cure. That motivated my research.鈥�

Nangia and her students examine the interface of the blood and the brain cells using computational models of the brain, building upon the complex experimental research that has gone on for decades.

With a big assist from the on campus, which provides state-of-the-art computer facilities, the runs simulations over time that help better understand why certain molecules like water, alcohol and caffeine can successfully pass from the bloodstream into our brains, while cancer treatments are unable to penetrate the barrier.

鈥淭o devise a treatment, we would have to either push the tight junction walls of the blood-brain barrier to make it bigger for a bigger drug molecule to go through to the brain or modify our drugs to be so small that they’re at the same order of magnitude as a molecule of caffeine, which can pass through the tunnel,鈥� Nangia says.

Next Steps for a Cure

The next steps leading to a cure involve taking the models created in Nangia鈥檚 lab and, collaborating with researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard听Medical School,听the University of Michigan and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, examining the effectiveness of these models through testing on mice.

Using the same modulators utilized on campus, the tests will expand the subject鈥檚 blood-brain barrier to see if the injected substance can successfully pass from the bloodstream into the brain. If the intended results can be achieved, next steps include thinking about widespread clinical trials and, eventually, obtaining approvals from the Food and Drug Administration.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long road to a cure, but it starts with the first fundamental understanding that we obtained through our models,鈥� Nangia says.

Research Success Hinges on Students

Since coming to campus, Nangia has taken great pride in mentoring more than 100 student researchers, from undergraduates and master鈥檚 students through doctoral and postdoctoral students.

The students come from different backgrounds ranging from biomedical and chemical engineering to biology and neuroscience. Since computational modeling sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines, Nangia says interested student researchers need only bring a willingness to contribute and her lab will have students contributing within two to three months.

鈥淭he students鈥� contributions are critical, because all the work we’ve been doing is all dependent on our students,鈥� Nangia says. 鈥淭he success of this research program lies on the shoulders of the students who have gotten involved with our lab.鈥�

Once they graduate, Nangia says her researchers have found work in the pharmaceutical industry, in the research and development fields and by applying their computational skills to help companies design new drugs.

After completing a Ph.D., Nandhini Rajagopal G鈥�16, G鈥�21, one of Nangia鈥檚 student researchers, started working with antibodies to apply a different perspective to treating Alzheimer’s and other brain-related diseases. Now, she is a scientist at Genentech leading the company鈥檚 computational modeling efforts.

鈥淭he tools that she’s using she learned at 网爆门 through the research computing environment she was in,鈥� Nangia says. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been able to make a difference in the real world for a company that is strategically examining the blood-brain barrier.鈥�

Black holes are among the most studied, but least understood cosmic phenomena for astrophysicists. These objects derive their name from the fact that nothing, including light, can escape the grasp of their immense gravitational field.

physicist , who researches how stars are consumed by black holes, explains that black holes range in mass, with the smallest鈥攃omparable to our sun鈥攆orming from stellar evolution.

Starting with hydrogen, massive stars burn through fuel in their cores through nuclear fusion. Between fusion stages, the core contracts, releasing gravitational energy that causes the star’s outer layers to expand. This process progresses through increasingly heavier elements like helium and carbon until the star produces iron, at which point the fusion process halts.

鈥淭he star can鈥檛 release any more energy through fusion, and all the pressure being generated from that energy release stops,鈥� Coughlin says. 鈥淭he core starts to collapse under its own self-gravity. That collapse continues until it forms a neutron star, which can ultimately collapse to a black hole.鈥�

Coughlin has examined black holes and tidal disruption events, one of the cosmos鈥� most extreme occurrences where the gravitational field of a supermassive black hole repeatedly tears apart or shreds a gigantic star. His team’s groundbreaking research offers a rare glimpse into the feeding habits of a supermassive black hole using a predictive model to forecast when stars will be shredded and torn apart as it is spaghettified.

Coughlin stopped by the “‘Cuse Conversations” podcast to discuss the different types of black holes, how hungry black holes can shred distant stars and other cool secrets of the cosmos.

From building beds for children in need and making sandwiches for hungry neighbors to spreading holiday cheer through handwritten cards, hundreds of 网爆门 students give back to their community every year through their involvement with their .

Now, it鈥檚 time to honor the passion of these student leaders through the , which awards valuable funds to the student groups with the most unique donors and the most social media interaction during October.

Last year, the captured the Fall 2024 Challenge, while claimed the Spring 2025 Challenge.

Every child should have access to a bed when they go to sleep. That’s the driving force behind the annual bed-building project. Student leaders like Ryan Edwards ’26 have helped build 132 beds over the past two years, partnering with the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter to get the beds to Central New York children who need them.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the most rewarding thing I鈥檝e done,鈥� says Edwards, SUVO鈥檚 vice president and a senior computer science major in the . 鈥淒elivering these beds to people is a life-changing experience. I鈥檓 so grateful to make a difference, and it鈥檚 so great knowing we鈥檙e able to enrich their lives.鈥�

On Service Saturdays, Nolan Singh ’28 and his peers partner with nonprofits like We Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach, the Salvation Army and the Nottingham. These efforts culminate in 鈥淭he Big Event,鈥� the University’s largest student-run community service project.

鈥淚t’s a great way to get involved, meet new people and give back,鈥� says Singh, OrangeSeeds鈥� public relations chair and a sophomore political science major in the . 鈥淏ut you also grow personally and professionally while immersing yourself in the needs of the community.鈥�

With the Fall 2025 Challenge in full swing, Edwards and Singh stopped by the “‘Cuse Conversations” podcast to share why they give back, how volunteering has shaped them as leaders and why every student should volunteer.

Over the past 25 years, the world has witnessed the birth of the World Wide Web, the explosion of social media and the transformation of phones from push-button landlines to pocket-sized computers.

The impact of artificial intelligence has the potential to be the most transformative technological advancement yet, says , associate professor of magazine, news and digital journalism and program director of the master鈥檚 program in the .

鈥淚 think AI is underhyped,鈥� Peruta says. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e going through right now is maybe even more important and going to have more of an impact than the World Wide Web, social media and mobile phones.鈥�

In his research and teaching, Peruta explores issues around AI, including how AI that creates content will impact the future of media and how people working in media and communications must adapt to new technologies.

Peruta stopped by the “鈥機use Conversations” podcast to discuss the state of AI, share helpful tips for using AI into our daily lives and explains what sets the University apart as a higher education leader in AI.

听Dean Jeremy Jordan looks at the academics of sport through four lenses: business, human performance, technology and community well-being. Innovation and novel ideas drive all those areas in this first-of-its-kind college to focus on sport-connected disciplines.

With the official launch of the newly reimagined Falk College of Sport, 网爆门 became the first leading research institution in the country to offer a rigorous standalone college aimed at preparing students to drive innovation in and provide leadership for sport-related fields and industries.

鈥淭his was a great opportunity to focus on the business and science of sport moving forward, providing opportunities for students to create thought leadership and new knowledge through our work and research,鈥� says听. 鈥淵ear over year, sport continues to grow. Most recently, the growth of women鈥檚 sport has been significant and impactful, and it鈥檚 exciting for Falk College because that鈥檚 another opportunity for us to work with new and emerging leagues as they grow.鈥�

Jordan stopped by the 鈥溾�機use Conversations鈥� podcast to discuss the changes in Falk College, how the college鈥檚 four areas of academic excellence will strengthen its reputation as a global leader and how a multifaceted approach will elevate sport across campus.

Check out听episode听听featuring Jordan. A听transcript [PDF]听is also available.

When Erika Mahoney ’12 graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, she had no idea that her journalism training would one day help her navigate the most devastating chapter of her own life. Today, the former National Public Radio news director has channeled her expertise into “,” a deeply personal podcast that explores trauma, grief and resilience following her father’s death in the 2021 mass shooting at King Soopers, a Colorado grocery store.

“The day my dad died, part of me died too including my identity,” Mahoney says.

The tragedy thrust Mahoney, a seasoned journalist, into an unfamiliar position. Suddenly, she was the subject of the story rather than the one covering it. She found herself conflicted when interview requests began flooding her inbox.

“I was honestly torn on whether I should speak out or not,” she says. “I had spent a decade asking people to share their hard stories with me. Ultimately, I said yes to doing interviews because I wanted to show the world that my dad was a human being who shouldn’t have had to run for his life in a grocery store parking lot.”

Questions Lead to Connections

What began as a desire to honor her father’s memory evolved into something much larger. The shooting left Mahoney with many questions and the reporter within her needed to find the answers.

Four years later, Mahoney has created a podcast that not only tells her story but explores what she calls the “web of pain鈥濃�攖he far-reaching impacts and unexpected connections that extend well beyond the immediate victims of mass violence.

“I’m really asking people to walk with me from the day of the shooting through the trial and the years in between when I’m grappling with grief and trauma,” Mahoney says.

One of the most surprising discoveries in Mahoney’s journey was finding love stories emerging from tragedy. In the third episode of “Senseless,” she shares the story of Logan, a store employee who survived the shooting and helped others to safety, and Olivia, who lost her mother in the attack. The two survivors eventually found each other and fell in love while processing their shared trauma.

“So often we talk about the hard parts of grief and it’s so hard, but there are also some beautiful things to come out of it,” Mahoney says.

Newhouse Training

“Senseless” is built on a foundation of research, interviews and storytelling鈥攋ournalism skills Mahoney learned in college and has sharpened throughout her professional life in broadcasting.

“Newhouse has been fundamental in my career as a TV reporter, a radio reporter and now as a podcaster,” she says. “I still have professors鈥� comments in the back of my head. They’re still there.”

However, Mahoney acknowledges she can’t be objective, a tenet of journalism, while producing the podcast. Sharing this personal story requires her to be vulnerable, raw and real. “It would be disingenuous to pretend that it didn’t happen to me,” she says.

A Message of Hope

The transition from daily news reporting to long-form podcasting has allowed Mahoney to explore stories with unprecedented depth. She says she’s discovered the power of patient storytelling, which has required a significant adjustment to her usual process but has proven transformative.

“What I hope people take away is that we can get on the other side of these hard, hard things,鈥� Mahoney says. 鈥淭hat we can find joy again.鈥�

She says she’s learned how to find joy through the process of producing her podcast and sharing her story. She also feels a sense of pride; she’s proud of the podcast and proud of herself for “getting back up after this.”

“I would give it all back to have my dad back,” Mahoney says. “But I’ve learned to slow down, live boldly, raise my voice. I think life is so much shorter than we really think it is.”

There鈥檚 a new father-son sportscasting team on the national scene, one with a decidedly Orange background: Ian 鈥�90 and Noah Eagle 鈥�19.

Ian finished his second year as the lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and has crafted an award-winning career calling NFL, NBA and college basketball games on a variety of national broadcast networks. He鈥檚 also the longtime Brooklyn Nets TV announcer for the YES Network.

Noah is a rising star, working the Super Bowl and serving as the voice of Team USA basketball at the Olympics, the radio voice of the Los Angeles Clippers, and broadcasting French Open tennis and countless primetime college football and basketball games.

鈥淲hen Noah was calling Team USA basketball games at the Summer Olympics, I was watching as a fan but also as a proud father and as a broadcaster who studies what the broadcaster is saying and what information they鈥檙e using in the moment,鈥� Ian says. 鈥淚 was blown away by Noah鈥檚 calls, his coverage and his choice of words in the moment. He crushed it, and he’ll always have that moment for the rest of his life.鈥�

Growing up, Noah always saw how excited his dad was calling games and thought it could be a fun career option to pursue.

鈥淚 see it’s possible and knew what to expect with this job and what comes with it, but I didn鈥檛 do anything with that until I got to Syracuse,鈥� Noah says. 鈥淏y the time I got there as a freshman, I was singularly focused and really had a feeling of what I wanted to do so I could attack it.鈥�

The Eagles were both nominated for a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Play-by-Play, and on June 30, Ian will receive the National Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sports Media Association.

Sportscasting and a love for 网爆门 runs in the Eagle family. Ian earned a broadcast journalism degree and Noah earned a broadcast and digital journalism degree from the . Ian鈥檚 wife, Alisa (Terry) Eagle 鈥�90, earned a retailing degree from what is now the , and his daughter, Erin 鈥�21, earned an advertising degree from Newhouse.

In honor of Father鈥檚 Day, the Eagles stopped by the 鈥溾�機use Conversations鈥� podcast to discuss their special bond and reflect on the important role 网爆门 has played in their lives.

Before came to 网爆门 as a civil and environmental engineering professor, he had always been interested in ways to protect our environment and natural resources.

Growing up an avid camper and outdoors enthusiast, Driscoll set about studying the large-scale effects of pollutants on the natural environment, earning a civil engineering degree from the University of Maine and both a master鈥檚 degree and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Cornell University.

When he arrived on campus in 1979, Driscoll completed a dissertation examining the impact of acid rain on lakes in the Adirondacks, including the acidity effects on fish populations.

Later this summer, he will return to the Adirondacks to study how those lakes are recovering from acid rain and mercury pollution.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting and a great opportunity to continue this research and work alongside partners like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell, the Ausable Freshwater Center, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to carry on this important work,鈥� says Driscoll, the University and Distinguished Professor of Environmental Systems Engineering in the .

Driscoll, one of the nation鈥檚 leading experts on pollution research, developed a series of predictive environmental models that explore how chemicals in soil, water and vegetation change when exposed to air pollutants. He has devised strategies to reverse the damaging effects of acid rain and mercury contamination in lakes, including leading efforts to successfully restore nearby Onondaga Lake鈥攐nce one of the most polluted lakes in the country鈥攁fter developing new methods for decreasing mercury pollution.

鈥淲e’ve seen improvements in air quality. We’ve seen recovery from acid rain and other air pollutants,鈥� Driscoll says. 鈥淗uman generated air pollution really impact the environment on a very large scale. However, ecosystems can be quite resilient. With effective air quality management they can come back from rather significant disturbances.鈥�

On this episode of the 鈥溾�機use Conversations鈥� podcast, Driscoll discusses the magnitude of his research, how he uses models to both understand the disturbances and lead restoration efforts and reflects on some of his successful remediations.

How would you describe the magnitude of your research?

When I started on the acid rain problem in the 鈥�70s, the country was just becoming concerned about the effects of air pollution from a human health standpoint. There was relatively little analysis or discussion on those impacts on lakes, soil, vegetation and wildlife. This was a large-scale problem. We’re talking about air pollution from the Midwest impacting areas hundreds of miles downwind, and at the time a lot of people didn’t believe it was possible and were skeptical of the effects of air pollution.

That research led me to other problems like the issue with mercury deposition and climate change. The early work on acid rain really informed and guided my subsequent research.

How are models used to understand the effects of these disturbances and to lead remediation efforts?

We were interested in developing a model that we could use as a tool to validate our understanding of the phenomena of air pollution on ecosystems but also make projections on how the ecosystems might recover under different emission control strategies. I learned a lot from interactions with my biological colleagues and soil scientists.

We expanded and applied these models to the Adirondacks and national parks, particularly the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. About 10 years ago, we made projections for how the park might recover from decreases in acid rain. Now, they want us to go back and use our model to see how well those projections did because acid rain emissions decreased.

How successful have these remediation initiatives been?

Remediation is a real challenge for something like acid rain. We’ve done remediation in Onondaga Lake and that’s been wildly successful because it’s a relatively local problem. But acid rain affects high elevation areas. From Georgia up to Maine, those soils and waters have been heavily impacted.

We have done experiments where we’ve added base chemicals like limestone, commonly used in gardens to neutralize acidity, and then looked at the response of the system. We know from those experiments that if we restore bases like calcium and magnesium to the soil this can neutralize the acidity that is toxic to plants and fish and that we can recover the ecosystems. The trouble is the footprint of acid rain is massive, and it’s very difficult to do that on any meaningful scale.

We’ve learned we have to focus on emission reductions to recover these听ecosystems, particularly the soil. Lakes recover relatively quickly, but the soil develops over tens of thousands of years and recover slowly.

Community engagement. Reciprocal learning. Service to others through volunteering.

Those were the principles behind the creation of the in 1994 under the direction of then-网爆门 Chancellor Kenneth Shaw and his wife, Mary Ann, who also served as the associate of the Chancellor.

The Shaw Center represented Kenneth and Mary Ann鈥檚 promise to the University and Central New York community that student learning would hold the highest priority on campus, promoting volunteer service as a fundamental component of the student experience.

For 30 years, the Shaw Center has proudly served as the University鈥檚 hub for academic community engagement. By giving back to nonprofits and organizations around Syracuse through service learning and volunteering, the campus community engages in the high impact practice of experiential learning.

When senior Claire Ceccoli 鈥�25 learned that there were children who didn鈥檛 have a bed to sleep on at night, she chaired the annual bed-building project that benefits the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Through efforts she spearheaded the last two years, 132 beds have been built and donated to children in need.

鈥淲e want to help the community, and we鈥檙e also learning from them. It’s a two-way street, doing this work with that reciprocal learning mindset,鈥� says Claire Ceccoli 鈥�25, a Shaw Center leadership intern who is studying public relations in the and psychology in the .

Derek Wallace 鈥�00 was in the first group of tutors in the Syracuse City School District during the summer before his sophomore year. He eventually took over as Literacy Corps student manager, planting the managerial and entrepreneurial skills that inspired him to become CEO of Golden Fork Media and founder of the children鈥檚 book series and brand, 鈥淜alamata鈥檚 Kitchen,鈥� a multimedia property that uses the power of food to help children get excited to experience all that their world has to offer them.

鈥淚t’s hard to imagine what I would be doing or where I would be if I wasn鈥檛 given those opportunities to do well, do good and create change in the community under the mentorship of [Shaw Center Associate Vice President and Director] Pam Heintz,鈥� says Wallace, who earned dual degrees in policy studies from the and public relations from the Newhouse School.

On April 21, the and ahead of the event, Wallace and Ceccoli discuss how their involvement with the Shaw Center transformed them into leaders in their communities.

What drew you to the Shaw Center?

Wallace: I wanted to do impactful things, and the Shaw Center felt like that鈥檚 exactly what we were trying to do. There was an innovative vision for how we would leverage the skillset of the students in a way that wasn’t just learning in a classroom. It was applied learning and skills applications outside of the classroom that not only benefited our careers as students but also built bridges to the community.

Ceccoli: What drew me to the Shaw Center was the people. Every intern and staff member is so passionate about the work they’re doing. My whole life, I’ve been interested in mission-driven work and nonprofit work. Having an office at the University that’s committed to these initiatives and getting students into the community, I don’t think I could have found a better or more natural fit.

What activities did you organize with the Shaw Center?

Ceccoli: As president of the 网爆门 Volunteer Organization, we鈥檝e partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an incredible nonprofit organization, to build beds for children in the community. The Syracuse chapter has delivered 6,000 beds within our area. They always wanted to do a bed build on campus with our students, so I pitched this idea and the staff at the Shaw Center were so supportive. The leader I鈥檝e become today is largely a result of my experiences at the Shaw Center.

Wallace: As a Literacy Corps tutor, I worked in an inclusive kindergarten classroom, reading to children with autism and getting them excited about literacy. I wound up taking over as the student manager, which was one of the best leadership experiences I ever had. Along with my classmate, Chad Duhon, we launched Shooting for A鈥檚, an athletic and academic program that invited fifth and sixth graders to come to campus, meet some of their athlete heroes and learn civics lessons. We also launched a service and experiential learning program, Balancing the Books, in partnership with the Whitman School.

How did the Shaw Center influence your career aspirations?

Wallace: My career started at the Shaw Center in children’s literacy, and now I’m the co-creator of a children’s book series. It鈥檚 a full circle moment for me. The passion I have for the work I do, what led me down this path were the values I learned and the lessons taught at the Shaw Center. Chancellor Shaw, Mary Ann Shaw, Pam Heintz and [Maxwell School] Professor Bill Coplin believed in my abilities to make a difference and they provided mentorship that put me on this path and I couldn鈥檛 be more grateful.

Ceccoli: I know this is the type of work I want to do for the rest of my life. This passion that I see in these community organizations and the change that is possible when people take their skills and step up for their community is something that I want to model for the rest of my life.

The cutting-edge weight loss and diabetes research developed by medicinal chemist has offered significant and consistent weight loss and glucose control to its recipients through peptide-based treatments.

Doyle and his fellow collaborators reported that two new peptide compounds颅颅鈥擥EP44 and KCEM1鈥攃onsiderably reduce body weight and normalize blood glucose levels without causing the typical negative side effects experienced by patients who take currently available GLP-1-based anti-obesity drugs.

Doyle, the Jack and Laura H. Milton Professor and Dean’s in the , focuses his research on pharmaceutical drug development for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. He says that while the first-generation of weight-loss drugs did lead to results, there was a problem: while weight loss occurred, it was almost a reaction to taking the GLP-1 peptide, and that weight loss came with a cost.

Due to side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, 70% of patients who started taking these drugs were not taking them one year later, and that 30% stopped taking the drugs within three months, generating a very low patient tolerability for the drugs, Doyle says.

The recent discoveries Doyle and his collaborators introduced at conferences of the American Chemical Society and The Obesity Society give hope for those battling obesity and type 2 diabetes. The methodology behind these peptide and similar weight-loss compounds could also hold the key to treating two other public health crises: cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., and opioid addiction.

鈥淎s medicinal chemists, we are focused on using peptides, or small proteins, to treat neuroendocrine disorders, primarily disorders that affect the brain,鈥� says Doyle, the Dean’s Professor of Chemistry and adjunct associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. 鈥淲e are looking at addiction, cravings, food intake, body weight reduction, glucose regulation, all those complex endocrine issues that are prevalent today.鈥�

On this 鈥溾�機use Conversation,鈥� Doyle discusses his breakthrough weight loss research, the important role students play in advancing his research, and how, through philanthropy, his work has come to life.

How has this field evolved over the years?

The major change in the last 10 years is the creation of these GLP-1 drugs, exemplified by Ozempic and Zepbound. Until these drugs existed, there were no safe, viable weight loss alternatives. Diet and exercise have always been on the table, of course, but for people who needed or wanted a pharmaceutical intervention, there was nothing that could achieve anything greater than the 5% body mass index [BMI] loss that you’d be looking for to have any kind of clinical benefit.

With the creation of the first real breakthrough drug, Victoza, you were seeing that 5% BMI decline from a pharmaceutical perspective, and that was a huge success. That set the stage for these newer, more potent and more active weight-reducing drugs. But those initial drugs were often once- or twice-a-day injectables, and patients didn鈥檛 want to do that. In these last few years, we have upwards of 10% and greater body mass reduction coupled with once-a-week injectables. That has really broadened the appeal and created quite a phenomenon.

How did we proceed from the first generation of weight loss drugs to where we are now?

There was this discovery that this little hormone that you make in your stomach, if made long-acting and then injected, could trigger food intake reduction. We realized that and did pharmacological science to improve its half-life, make it hang around longer so it would maintain what was normally only a very short activity in a human. We drove that appetite off switch. The discovery of GLP-1鈥攁nd what GLP-1 could do鈥攈asn鈥檛 won a Nobel Prize yet, but it is going to. I wouldn’t be surprised this year if you see the Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of GLP-1 because it has revolutionized weight loss.

How has Syracuse’s Center for Science and Technology enhanced your studies?

Within my own lab, we have multiple large scale peptide synthesizers that allow us to produce gram quantities of these drugs. We have multiple purification setup systems so that we’re able to purify to 99%, and we have cell labs that can screen for the required receptor binding.

We also have artificial intelligence and a molecular operating environment, these computational chemical approaches to aid in design. We can start from a concept on a piece of paper, begin to design something computationally and then physically make it in the lab. If it makes the grade, we put something in place that outlines what we want the drug to be able to do, and if it meets those criteria, it goes out into preclinical animal models at the University of Pennsylvania in this case. We’ll look and see if what we’ve created here is manifesting the effect we want it to in that preclinical model. If not, we go back to the drawing board. But if it does, we call that a hit and we’ll begin the process of optimizing it for development.

How do our students assist with your research?

They’re the ones who are in there grinding out the production, the purification, the screening, the failures and the redesigning. They bring passion and intellect. They’re wonderful. They roll up their sleeves. They jump wholeheartedly into all the aspects of drug development. I have to be willing to trust them that they’ll do it right. They have that sense of confidence, inquisitiveness and can-do. Every day they surprise me with some wonderful question or clever idea.

As part its academic strategic plan, 鈥�,鈥� the University is committed to removing barriers and creating opportunities so that all undergraduates can study abroad or away before they graduate.

More than 50% of students explore the world through a center, says Nicole Collins, director of strategic partnerships and outreach with Syracuse Abroad. With over , there鈥檚 a unique opportunity for every student.

While the spring has traditionally been when the majority of students study abroad, Collins says there鈥檚 been a in recent years. Among the reasons why Collins says students should consider studying abroad in the fall:

• More likely to get into the program and secure the housing type you want.
• More scholarships and grants available, including $2,000 per student grants for Central Europe and Santiago, Chile.
• Special fall-only programs and events, including Oktoberfest and Christmas markets.
• Experiment with locations that aren’t easy to visit later in life.
• Unique cultural opportunities for food lovers who study in Florence, Italy, including truffle hunting, chestnut harvests and festivals, olive oil harvesting and tasting, grape harvesting, and more.
• Easier for parents and family members to visit.

鈥淥ur students are realizing the amazing opportunities available in the fall,鈥� Collins says. 鈥淲e have great need-based and merit-based scholarship opportunities available for students in the fall, plus there鈥檚 less demand.鈥�

Thinking of studying abroad in the fall? The is March 15.

The below Q&A spotlights how, through their semesters abroad, students Moore and Anna Meehan 鈥�26 underwent transformative experiences by immersing themselves in a new country.

Sophia Moore 鈥�25

Academic majors:听Television, radio and film (); sociology ().

Semester Abroad: Fall 2023 at the in Santiago, Chile.

Why was Santiago the destination for you? I figured that I would have an opportunity at some point in my life to be able to travel to Europe, but to travel to South America, that was a rare opportunity. And I really wanted the chance to immerse myself in a culture that I was completely unfamiliar with in a country that I was completely unfamiliar with, with the safety net of doing it through Syracuse Abroad.

What role did your host family play to help you get acclimated? My host family encouraged me to go out and do everything that Santiago had to offer. Every day, my host mom would check in and offer up a couple of places to check out. She was always pushing me to get out of the house and go explore the city because it鈥檚 important to take advantage of every moment. I wouldn鈥檛 have had access to that kind of cultural ambassadorship to Chile if I wasn鈥檛 living with a host family.

How close did you become with your peers in the Santiago program? We lived something so life-changing together, experienced so much culture and were exposed to this lifestyle that’s so different from the U.S. In five months, we all became very close, and that’s something that just is a bond for life.

What did you learn about yourself from your time studying abroad? Studying abroad somewhere where the language spoken is not my first language was a real challenge. Every day, I would wake up and push myself to just do a little bit more, speak in Spanish a little longer, think a little harder and get myself a little more comfortable with the language and with the space. But as time went on, just coaxing myself into doing a little bit more showed me that I have a level of resilience that I wasn鈥檛 aware of before I went abroad.

Anna Meehan 鈥�26

Academic majors:听International relations (); Russian language, literature and culture, and music history and cultures ().

Semester Abroad: Fall 2023 through the program (based in Wroclaw, Poland). Meehan visited Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany.

Why was Central Europe and Poland the destination for you? My aunt studied abroad in Poland when she was about my age, and after hearing her stories, it just made sense that I study abroad here too. This program covered World War II history. The Holocaust and Judaic studies. The Soviet Union. My research is on the political culture in former Soviet countries, so this was a really good opportunity to go live in and get a great educational experience studying something relevant to my degrees.

How did you acclimate and adjust to life in your new home? I remember getting off the bus after flying into Wroclaw and feeling calm and comfortable. Part of that is because I spent so much time in my childhood and at Syracuse reading about and studying Poland, and I knew one day I would get there. When I did, it just felt right. I had a revelation while I was studying abroad and now my plan is to go back to Poland for the long-term after college.

How close did you become with your peers in the Central Europe program? If you go through the experiences of visiting those three concentration camps like we did, it’s inevitable that you will grow close to these people. Sure, at first we were all shy and getting to know each other, but within the first two weeks, I saw people who didn’t know each other at all before the program supporting each other and helping everyone go through and process these really difficult concepts and emotions from the difficult places we visited. We still keep in touch, and we all got back together for a reunion this fall that was really special.

How did your semester abroad complement your academic goals and aspirations? I wanted to dedicate my studies to understanding the politics and history of Eastern Europe so I could learn more about my field of international relations and Russian language, literature and culture. I thought going to Poland would be a good way to see Eastern Europe in a more modern sense. But when I got there, I saw so many non-governmental organizations who used culture as the basis for healing the tensions of the refugees from Ukraine who have crossed the borders, and how art and music can really play a central role in that process. This drove me to eventually declare my music history and cultures major.

I also ended up going to an entire week of cultural festivals in support of Belarusians who had to flee Belarus and relocated to Poland. I went to plays, gatherings and concerts and left feeling like I understand my mission from a different perspective. I still want to promote how art, music and culture promote healing, but now it鈥檚 on a much more personal level.

With the arrival of the new year, many people view this as the ideal time to figure out the changes they’d like to make in themselves as part of a new year, new you mentality.

Instead of making huge, sweeping goals, , a professor of practice in the School of Social Work in the , says focus on a few small, implementable changes.

Marchese, a licensed clinical social worker, is a big proponent of the benefits of small tweaks leading to sustainable change when it comes to successfully following through on resolutions.

鈥淚f you are looking to who you want to be, that鈥檚 great, but you need to consider who you are and where you are,鈥� says Marchese, whose research explores mind-body wellness. 鈥淩ealize that you鈥檙e a work in progress who is going to be a work in progress your entire life.鈥�

The challenge is not to compare ourselves to others and accept who we are right now. Marchese encourages people to figure out 鈥渨hat you would want to change about yourself and how can you begin that change?鈥�

On this 鈥溾�機use Conversation,鈥� Marchese offers tips and best practices for sticking to those New Year’s Resolutions, provides tips to help achieve the change you want to see and examines how mental health and well-being impacts overall well-being.

What pointers can you offer up to help people stick with their resolutions?

A lot of us enter the new year with high expectations, and oftentimes we’re setting ourselves up for failure. It’s really the small changes that are more attainable.

There’s an old saying that says three weeks is a habit. Many people have weight loss goals. Instead of saying 鈥業 need to lose this much weight by this time,鈥� what about my eating could I change? And it can鈥檛 be I need to restrict everything that I eat. Let me start with one thing I am going to change. Perhaps it鈥檚 what I have for breakfast. Let me focus on that for three weeks or a month, changing the types of food I鈥檓 eating and not necessarily the amount of food I鈥檓 eating. Maybe it鈥檚 snacking throughout the day. What snacks can I change up instead of just trying to diet?

Being able to set smaller, more attainable goals and then tweak the goal moving forward leads to more satisfaction, and a greater ability to feel proud of an accomplishment because you set a smaller goal instead of this long-term, unattainable goal.

What are some accountability recommendations to help people reach their goals?

Because everything is electronic, we can constantly be tracking our goals, and sometimes trackers can be extremely helpful. Other times, they can be harmful. If people are looking at their fitness tracker and thinking they鈥檙e a failure because they didn鈥檛 get in their 10,000 steps today, that鈥檚 not going to be helpful because all it will do is serve to defeat you. What are the things that can serve to motivate you versus defeat you?

Having a buddy, someone to work on your goals with, is great. It helps keep you accountable and it makes pursuing your goals more fun. Journaling can be super helpful if it鈥檚 done in the right context of tracking your progress.

But you need to cut yourself some slack because there are going to be days where you aren鈥檛 able to work on your goals because you weren鈥檛 feeling well. And that鈥檚 okay.

How you would define self-care, and what are the different kinds of self-care?

Self-care can show up in a lot of different ways. Do you feed yourself nutritious food? Do you have a regular sleep routine? Do you exercise your body if you鈥檙e able to do so? When we talk about holistic health, there are five parts that make us whole: our physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual parts of self. When there’s a disruption or a problem in one area, it’s going to permeate all of those other areas.

When it comes to the social piece, do you make time to call or spend time with the people that you care about? Do you do things in your life that give you meaning and purpose? Can you find a work-life balance? For a lot of folks, that鈥檚 hard, but not all of this has to be on you. In workplace settings, could we have shared care or communal care that’s going to help everyone’s wellbeing?

Yes, there are ways that we鈥檙e responsible for our self-care, but there are also ways our friends, the agencies and organizations that we work for and our communities can help with our self-care too.

Instead of wallowing in what could have potentially been the lowest moment of her life, Kathrine Switzer 鈥�68, G鈥�72, H鈥�18 used the adversity she overcame during her historic run at the Boston Marathon as fuel to inspire women around the world.

Switzer, who in 1967 became the first woman to officially run and finish the Boston Marathon when she entered as K.V. Switzer using bib number 261, contended not only with the grueling course and frigid race conditions, but also a physical challenge from race director Jock Semple. Around mile four, Semple leapt out of the photographers鈥� press truck and headed straight for Switzer and her contingent of runners from 网爆门.

As Semple tried to rip Switzer鈥檚 bib off the front and back of her grey Syracuse track sweatshirt, Switzer was frightened. Her coach, Arnie Briggs, the University鈥檚 mailman and a veteran runner at the Boston Marathon, tried to convince Semple that Switzer belonged in the race, to no avail. Only after Switzer鈥檚 boyfriend, Tom Miller, a member of the Orange football and track and field teams, blocked Semple, was Switzer free to continue chasing down her pursuit of history.

In that moment, Switzer followed Briggs鈥� advice to run like hell, driven to prove Semple and the other doubters wrong by finishing the race. She hasn鈥檛 stopped running with a purpose since.

鈥淎s I was running, I realized that if these women had the opportunity, just the opportunity, that鈥檚 all they needed. And by the time I finished the race I said, 鈥業鈥檓 going to prove myself, play by their rules and then change those rules,鈥欌�� says Switzer, an emeritus member of the听听of Sport and Human Dynamics鈥櫶�.

鈥淔rom the worst things can come the best things and that鈥檚 what I tell students whenever I speak to classes. If something is wrong, there鈥檚 an opportunity to change it, and we can then reverse it. When you鈥檙e training for a marathon, you鈥檙e out there for hours by yourself. I loved to use that time to take on a problem and solve it,鈥� says Switzer, who earned bachelor鈥檚 degrees in journalism from the听听and English from the听, and a master鈥檚 degree in public relations from the Newhouse School.

After her triumph in Boston, Switzer would complete more than 40 marathons, including winning the New York City Marathon in 1974, and she was instrumental in getting the women鈥檚 marathon included in the Summer Olympics. Switzer鈥檚 global nonprofit,听听(an homage to her Boston race bib), has helped thousands of women discover their potential through the creation of local running clubs, educational programs, communication platforms and social running events.

On this 鈥溾�機use Conversation,鈥� Switzer discusses making history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, why she鈥檚 never stopped advocating for the inclusion of women in sports and what it means to be a proud alumna whose running career was launched as a student on campus.

Check out听听featuring Switzer. A听transcript [PDF]听is also available.

How did you use the Boston Marathon experience to create more running opportunities for women?

I was raised by parents who said you know right from wrong, so always go for what鈥檚 right. I knew it was going to be time-consuming, but I knew it was important to both correct the error the establishment had made, but more than that, I wanted women to know how great you can feel when you鈥檙e running. When I was running, I felt empowered. I felt like I could overcome anything. Running is naturally empowering, it鈥檚 a super endorphin high, and I wanted women to experience that.

One of the issues I wanted to solve was getting the women鈥檚 marathon into the Summer Olympics. It came down to opportunities and I wanted to create these opportunities, so [once I was working for Avon Cosmetics] I created the Avon International Running Circuit, a series of races around the world that are for women only, where we could make every woman feel welcome and treat her like a hero.

Eventually, we had 400 races in 27 countries for over a million women around the world. We had the participation, we had the sponsorships, we had the media coverage and we had the international representation. In 1981, by a vote of nine to one, women鈥檚 marathon was voted into the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. That was an incredible feeling.

What has running given you?

Running has given me just about everything. It鈥檚 given me my religion, my husband, travel opportunities, my health and wellness, but the biggest thing it has given me is this听perspective on myself, this empowerment and belief in myself that I can do whatever I set out to accomplish.

What kind of impact has 261 Fearless had in empowering and lifting up other women through running?

We鈥檝e already proved that, regardless of your age, your ability or your background, if you get out there and put one foot in front of the other, you鈥檙e going to become empowered. If you want to lift a woman up, show her how to run.

We need to do it at the grassroots level and invite women around the world to have a jog or a walk with one of our more than 500 trained coaches. We鈥檙e working village by village, city by city, country by country to spread the word on the life-changing benefits of running, and we鈥檝e worked with nearly 7,000 women in 14 countries and five continents so far. 261 was perfect for this mission. It became a number that means being fearless in the face of adversity. People have told me that 261 Fearless has changed their lives and that they鈥檙e taking courage from what I did.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

网爆门 has a long, proud history of serving our veterans and military-connected students that dates back to World War I and the post-World War II era when thousands of veterans embarked on their journey to a college degree through the G.I. Bill.

One of the central organizations on campus that helps the University accomplish this mission is the听听(OVMA), which, for the last 10 years has played a critical role in helping veterans, military-connected students and their family members pursue their higher education dreams.

Dwayne Murray 鈥�97 is living out his dream job as the OVMA鈥檚 deputy director, and he鈥檚 proud of the work the organization does through its programs and initiatives while serving as the University鈥檚 central hub for veteran and military-connected students.

鈥淭he OVMA sets our veteran and military-connected students with an opportunity to go through the entire life cycle of being connected to 网爆门, from being recruited to when they graduate with their degrees,鈥� Murray says. 鈥淲e provide student success opportunities, immersion trips, job readiness activities and an outstanding 100% job placement rate thanks to our career services office.鈥�

Murray was a track and field student-athlete on campus and earned degrees in sociology (听and听) and information management and technology () before enlisting in the U.S. Army immediately after graduating.

Following a decorated 25-year active-duty career in the Army, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer, Murray returned to his alma mater in June 2022 to take on this latest career challenge, which blends his passion for his country with his drive to help veteran and military-connected students achieve their goals.

鈥淭o be at the intersection of where I鈥檝e had some of the most formidable experiences of my life as a student, and then to combine that with the purpose, direction and motivation that comes from being in the Army, I had to take advantage of this opportunity,鈥� Murray says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the only calling for me that was bigger than continuing to serve in the military because I could pay back my institution, I could pay back the students that walk these halls and I could share those lessons I鈥檝e learned and experiences I鈥檝e had with our campus community.鈥�

On this 鈥溾�機use Conversation,鈥� Murray discusses the impact the OVMA has had on campus and around the world, explores what sets 网爆门 apart as a best place for veterans and shares his love for working with veterans and military-connected students.

Check out听. A听transcript [PDF]听is also available.

Global Impact as a Best Place for Veterans

Murray says the commitment to our veterans and military-connected students is 鈥渂aked into our DNA as a University,鈥� including the advent of the Student Army Training Corps, which was the forerunner to the Army ROTC. 网爆门 was also home to one of the first Air Force ROTC programs on a college campus in the nation.

Among the many ways the OVMA and the University help facilitate the transition from active duty to student, Murray points to:

• a simplified, streamlined admissions process, including waiving application fees, which has led to a 300% increase in enrollment over the last 10 years;
• customized support services;
• innovative and creative programming under the leadership of Director of Veteran Career Services Jennifer Pluta G鈥�15 that has yielded a 100% job placement rate for student veterans;
• a welcoming and inclusive environment, featuring various affinity groups;
• strong cross-campus relationships that lead to expanded opportunities for students; and
• significant scholarship opportunities that eliminate financial barriers to a degree.

Add it all up and Murray says it鈥檚 easy to see why Military Times consistently ranks 网爆门 among the 鈥渂est place for veterans鈥� among private universities.

鈥淲e are fully committed to enhancing the opportunities for our students, and these efforts have led to a global impact,鈥� Murray says. 鈥淲e have close to 60 veterans enrolled in the听听fully interactive hybrid online juris doctorate program [known as JDinteractive], which gives our veterans and military-connected students the opportunity to earn their law degree completely online. We have students in the Defense Comptrollership program, that earn an MBA from the听听and a master鈥檚 degree in public administration through the Maxwell School. They go on to serve as leaders in their civilian agencies or their military branch of service.鈥�

National Veterans and Military Families Month

While Murray has always seen 网爆门 as part of his identity鈥攚hen he was 7 years old, his grandmother bought him a Syracuse sweatshirt from the Salvation Army that became a cherished possession鈥攖he University is also ingrained in his family.

Dwayne鈥檚 wife, Alison Murray 鈥�01, currently serves as the assistant dean for student assistance with Hendricks Chapel, where she is responsible for religious and spiritual outreach programs and services that assist students seeking holistic support. Alison, who earned a nursing degree on campus, served in the Army for more than 20 years.

With November being National Veterans and Military Families Month, the Murrays are an outstanding example of service to country and passion for giving back to students.

鈥淎lison is a nurse by trade, and Hendricks Chapel is like a hospital in that she can diagnose folks and provide them with the type of support and assistance they need to grow, thrive and be successful,鈥� Dwayne says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing feeling knowing we share this strong connection with our alma mater.鈥�

With the increase of misinformation and disinformation on the internet and social media, our brains struggle to process what we鈥檙e seeing and whether an image, a video clip or a story is real or not.

Faculty members听听and听听have studied the trends and created tools to help discern what鈥檚 real and what is synthetic when it comes to content posted online and on social media.

Stromer-Galley is an expert in political campaigns and misinformation and is a professor in the听; Davis is an expert on misinformation and disinformation detection. He is a research professor with the Office of Research and Creative Activity in the听, and is also co-director of the听.

鈥淒epending on where people are getting their information, the quality and credibility of that information could be quite low,鈥� Stromer-Galley says. 鈥淚t leaves the public more vulnerable to state actors who are trying to engage in disinformation campaigns or U.S.-based malignant actors who are trying to manipulate the public for their own ends.鈥�

鈥淥ur brains have not evolved as fast as the technology, and so we are still as vulnerable as we ever were to the same sorts of approaches at being deceived, intentionally or unintentionally,鈥� Davis says. 鈥淲ith this new digital landscape and digital speed and scale, we need digital tools to help us protect ourselves from ourselves sometimes, and sometimes from that malicious information ecosystem.鈥�

On this 鈥溾�機use Conversation,鈥� Stromer-Galley and Davis offer up tips and tools you can use to help spot misinformation, share advice to help us be better-informed consumers of information and social media, and analyze the latest research on misinformation trends in the upcoming presidential election.

Check out听听featuring Davis and Stromer-Galley. A听transcript [PDF]听is also available.

Semantic Forensics Helping Detect What鈥檚 Real and What鈥檚 Fake

Davis is involved with the Semantic Forensics program, whose work is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Through his efforts with DARPA, Davis is helping to advance research into the detection of disinformation and misinformation in the media.

Semantic forensics is the understanding of not just whether something is real or fake, Davis says, but also delves into the why. What was the intent? Who was the target?

In its fourth year of concentrating on this research area, Davis has been developing digital tools that identify synthetic, manipulated media. The program evaluates the detectors being used, striving to understand what they can and can鈥檛 do when it comes to identifying synthetic media, as well as how effective they are at spotting real or synthetic content.

鈥淲e can say with confidence that this detector works for detecting these kinds of fake, synthetic images at a 98% accuracy, and it is capable of doing this but not being able to do that. They鈥檙e not a panacea, but here鈥檚 what they can do, so we learn how to use these detection devices properly and use them appropriately,鈥� Davis says. 鈥淭hen there鈥檚 the development of the tools and the modeling of the threat landscape. How do we create controlled versions of what we know is going on out there in the wild so that we can study, train and better understand our capabilities.鈥�

Investigating Social Media Spending Trends and Messaging Behind Political Ads

Stromer-Galley, who leads the University鈥檚听听听team, has studied misinformation trends in this presidential race and other top 2024 contests.

After the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer, the ElectionGraph team explored the money being spent by the candidates, political action committees, political parties and unknown actors that mentioned presidential candidates in advertisements on both Facebook and Instagram.

The aim was to 鈥渧isualize the firehose of information and misinformation coming at voters from groups with a jumble of motives, ties and trustworthiness ahead of the 2024 elections,鈥� Stromer-Galley says.

The findings showed that:

• negative social media advertising in the presidential race increased after the assassination attempt;
• nearly 3,500 Facebook pages from outside organizations spent $55 million over the past year in an effort to influence the public this election season; and
• there was a pattern of 鈥渃oordinated inauthentic behavior鈥� among some outside organizations, including a large network of Facebook pages running ads (costing an estimated $5 million) aimed at scamming the public under the guise of supporting a presidential candidate鈥檚 campaign that garnered roughly 234 million impressions.

鈥淭o our surprise, there was a large network of individuals and organizations that we didn鈥檛 know who was behind this that were running scam ads targeted to people who are activated and excited about the presidential election. They were capitalizing on their enthusiasm by turning over their credit cards and then they鈥檙e getting scammed,鈥� Stromer-Galley says. 鈥淲hile Facebook is trying to take down those pages, the scammers continue to stay a step ahead.鈥�

Tips to Ward Off Misinformation

When you find yourself aimlessly scrolling through social media without thinking about the validity of what you just saw, that act makes you fully engaged in the platform and susceptible to misinformation or disinformation.

Users are encouraged to embrace cognitive friction when scrolling, because, according to both Davis and Stromer-Galley, the social media apps are designed for you to absorb content at face value, without applying deeper thought to who was behind the post or what their intent might be. By increasing friction, you take the proactive step of slowing down and contemplating the legitimacy of a post.

Both Davis and Stromer-Galley say that the best defense to misinformation and disinformation campaigns is knowledge, urging people to get their news from a wide-range of diverse, traditional media outlets, and to not solely rely on social media as a reliable news source.