Former Íű±ŹĂĆ men’s soccer standout was on his way home from a recent training session when he received the message that would change his life.

As his phone dinged, Robinson saw a WhatsApp message from Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the (USMNT), containing a video message announcing that Robinson had earned a spot on the .

“I was so excited. I rushed home and called my family. It was a special moment for sure!” Robinson says in an exclusive interview coordinated by the USMNT.

Robinson, a defender for the Orange during the , will become the first Orange alumnus to play for the USMNT at the World Cup, which kicks off Thursday. The U.S. will play Paraguay at 9 p.m. Friday in the team’s opening match in Inglewood, California.

“[This] feels great. Obviously, it’s been an honor to be here in this group, but it’s just a dream come true,” says Robinson, a native of Arlington, Massachusetts, who plays for in Major League Soccer (MLS). “It’s a surreal moment to be here to represent the country, represent the nation in the world’s biggest tournament. I’m definitely honored.”

Sweet Redemption Following Devastating Injury

The satisfaction of making the U.S. roster is even sweeter when Robinson thinks back to where he was four years ago, watching the 2022 World Cup as a fan instead of suiting up for the U.S. Robinson, who was widely considered to be one of the team’s top prospects heading into the Qatar World Cup, was sidelined with a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg.

The hard work and long days rehabbing from the leg injury were all worth it when Robinson found out he made the national team roster.

“I’m so thankful for my support group, my friends, my family and my loved ones that motivated me and got me in this position,” Robinson says. “Thankfully, I got back from that injury and was able to continue to compete with the national team and here I am.”

Lifelong Lessons Learned at Syracuse

Robinson started all 42 games during his Orange career as a key contributor on head coach ‘s squad that won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship and made its first College Cup appearance during the 2015 season. Robinson scored eight goals and added one assist during his two seasons and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.

“To represent Syracuse means a lot because I have so much love for the University,” Robinson says. “I love being a part of Orange Nation and everything Syracuse [represents]. I was there for three great semesters and have so many memories, so many people that I met that are now lifelong friends.”

One of the people who made the biggest impression on Robinson during his time on campus was McIntyre, who like Robinson was a center back during his playing days. Robinson credits McIntyre with teaching lessons that extended well beyond soccer.

“Mac taught me a lot about what it means to work hard, to compete and to stay focused. To be vocal and be comfortable with being uncomfortable as a center back trying to push forward and lead a group of guys,” Robinson says. “He challenged me, but that challenge helped me be ready for the MLS once I was drafted. He taught me a lot on and off the field, so I’m forever grateful.”

After leaving Syracuse to pursue his professional soccer dreams, Robinson was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLS Super Draft by Atlanta United. Robinson signed a contract with FC Cincinnati in 2024 and has been a regular presence for the USMNT, representing the U.S. at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and appearing in 40 matches since his national debut in 2019.

Among his international competition highlights was scoring the in extra time to lift the U.S. past Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

At the World Cup, Robinson will be joined by Tajon Buchanan, who is representing Team Canada. Buchanan played for the Orange in 2017 and 2018, scoring 12 goals with six assists during his two seasons.

Before the first match kicks off, a group of students has already run thousands of simulations to predict who will lift the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

The has published its , featuring game-by-game forecasts, heat maps and predictions for each group and for each nation.

President Evan Pegorsch ’27, a sport analytics and economics major in the and data analyst for the Orange’s men’s soccer team, and Noah Bair ’28, a sport analytics major, discuss their predictive model, who they think will win it all and the U.S. team’s chances of advancing out of their group and into the knockout stage.

What makes the model stand out?

Noah Bair: We wanted to study those contributing factors to team success at the World Cup—roster quality, previous World Cup experience, how teams have historically performed and whether a team has a veteran or a first-time coach—to think about our predictive model as sports fans rather than analysts. What important characteristics are missing, and how can we add to the research?

Evan Pegorsch: We’re providing the data to back up why we think a team is going to win or lose. We don’t just rely on FIFA rankings. We also factor in how many players each team has on the Ballon d’Or rankings [a list of the top 30 players in the world], how each team performs playing in different temperatures, how long the coach has been with the team and other key indicators. If you just went off the FIFA world rankings, our model overperformed that baseline by 15%.

Who are the favorites to win the World Cup?

Pegorsch: The consensus favorite is Spain, but my number one is France. Their attack is overpowering, they have enough depth in other key areas, and the defense is looking good. Then it’s Spain. Then you must include Messi and Argentina, which has great team chemistry and a willingness to fight for each other. Then I’d go with England and Portugal, which has a talented midfield and a defense that’s on the rise.

Bair: France is my number one, based on what they’ve done historically—they won it all in 2018 and were runners-up in 2022. That historical dominance along with the quality of players is going to take them very far. Then it’s Argentina. Anytime Lionel Messi is on the field you have a chance to win. Then I like Portugal. The quality in their midfield is second to none. England having a new manager is going to help, and this is an invigorated team with a lot of young talent that can bring home the trophy. I’m also high on the Netherlands. They have a deep team and one of the best benches in the World Cup.

What will be the impact of an expanded field and multiple co-host nations?

Bair: For the first time, we have three co-host nations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and 48 participating teams, the largest field in World Cup history. This will create an unexpected challenge. Unlike during their domestic season when matches are centralized and you might be traveling 30-40 miles for matches, these teams will be traveling across countries and for far greater distances than they’re used to, which could definitely impact the matches.

Pegorsch: Travel fatigue is going to be a big factor in this tournament. Teams will have to adapt to added travel and shorter rest times between matches. And adding more teams decreases the likelihood of every single country winning it all in our model. The top teams have a smaller chance of winning it all than they have in the past, because there’s more potential for upsets and more variance.

How far does the model think the U.S. will advance?

Pegorsch: Our model gives them a 4% chance to win it all. Being on home soil helps. I worry about the goalkeeper, which is a huge area of weakness. When you get later into the World Cup rounds, the chances of dealing with either a penalty kick or penalty kick shootout increase, and I don’t trust our goalkeeping there. But there’s a lot of excitement around the U.S. and it’s realistic for them to reach the quarterfinals.

Bair: As tournament hosts, they’ve been given a favorable draw and don’t have a great contender in their group. The U.S. is the favorite to win Group D [88.7% to advance] and make the knockout stage. The talent is there to make it to the quarterfinals, and the U.S. will get a boost playing in front of the home crowd. But realistically, I think the team will lose in the round of 16.

What’s a dark horse country with the talent to make a deep run?

Bair: Ecuador is an up-and-coming team with some quality players who have been on the rise since 2022. Because Ecuador doesn’t have that historic success on the national stage, the data will likely say they’re not going to go very far, but Ecuador has one of the best defenses in the world, and at the World Cup, defense can carry a team.

Pegorsch: The model is high on Norway. They have one of the best players in the world in Erling Haaland, and while Norway is 29th or 30th in the FIFA rankings [at the time the data was collected], we have them with the 11th best odds to win because they have strong attacking options.

The night Dan Zhang G’11 arrived in the United States, she slept on the floor of her empty apartment, dreaming of a new life.

She had $500 to her name—no safety net, no family nearby and she spoke only conversational English. She had an acceptance letter from the , a paying job as a teaching assistant, and an unshakeable belief that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

“I still remember that night when I was doing research on Maxwell,” Zhang says. “I told my dorm mate: ‘Only if I can get into Maxwell, I think I will be the luckiest person in the whole world.’”

She got in, and she completed a master’s degree. Today, Zhang—the chief financial officer of ClickUp, an AI productivity platform with more than 1,000 employees and clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies—is making sure the next generation of students has the support she once needed.

Zhang made a financial gift to the Maxwell School, jump-starting the which provides help to undergraduate and graduate students facing urgent needs including emergency travel, food, housing, visa issues and tuition.

The emergency fund relies on donor support, and Zhang is hoping fellow Maxwell alumni will join her in contributing to it. “Every gift, no matter the amount, can keep a student’s dream alive,” she said.

From Beijing to Syracuse

Zhang grew up in China, earned an undergraduate degree in sociology in Beijing and worked briefly as a journalist before deciding she wanted more. She was drawn to questions about gender inequality, organizational structure and how societies work, and she believed graduate study in the U.S. was the path forward.

Zhang received a string of rejection letters before the Maxwell School saw in her the skills and qualities other institutions overlooked. “That was really life changing because at the time I felt stuck and I was ready to give up,” she says, adding that the acceptance letter signaled, “‘We’re willing to take a chance on you—arms wide open.’”

The early days in the U.S. were challenging beyond the financial constraints.

“I came to this country like a blank canvas,” she says. “I had to figure out the culture, the values, the way everything works.”

People made all the difference, she said. At Syracuse and Maxwell, she said she easily found mentors like professors , and who offered moral support at critical moments, put American culture into context with her studies and encouraged her critical analysis.

One professor, , knew exactly what Zhang was facing. Ma had walked a similar path a decade earlier, coming from Nanjing University to study sociology in the U.S. Zhang says Ma told her, “‘The right support at the right moment changes everything. My door is always open.’”

Across campus, staff helped Zhang navigate systems she didn’t yet understand. The patience, she says, was everything.

“The faith they put in you—it’s like, ‘You’re going to do great, and you just need a little help and a little nudge to get you on the ramp,’” she says.

An Unconventional Path

With the encouragement of faculty, including math professor , Zhang pursued master’s degrees in sociology and applied statistics. The interdisciplinary combination raised eyebrows but proved transformative. While studying at Maxwell, she audited courses at the , chasing curiosity wherever it led.

“Maxwell encouraged students to branch out,” she says. “Every advisor, every mentor embraced that belief—to develop full-brain students and future leaders.”

After earning her degree in 2011, Zhang set out to build what she calls her own path. She joined Amazon as an entry-level financial analyst. Then she moved to an online travel company to study brand-building, then to Zynga, where she got her first taste of fast-paced Silicon Valley culture. Soon after came another opportunity, to join the “software as a service” (SaaS) industry.

Along the way, she earned another degree—a master of science in finance from the University of Illinois.

Then she did something that surprised even her colleagues: she left finance entirely.

Recognizing that she needed to understand the business from the inside out, Zhang spent three years in global sales strategy, traveling with top sales teams and learning how deals actually get made. It was unconventional for someone with her background, and exactly the kind of move she said Maxwell had trained her to make.

“I’m not building my resume,” she says. “I’m building my own path.”

Where you live affects how healthy you are. That idea sits at the center of Miriam Mutambudzi’s research—and behind the two-year project she led as the 2024–26 .

is an associate professor of public health in the . Her work explores how conditions like housing, employment and economic stability shape people’s health over their lifetimes.

For the Lender fellowship, she and a team of student fellows set out to examine housing as a structural determinant of health, reviewing the research evidence and engaging directly with community members to understand how this plays out in Syracuse.

Working in partnership with the University’s and the , the team reviewed research on housing and health, then engaged community members directly through the (TMR) series. The fellowship culminated when student fellows presented as panelists at a TMR session—offering their findings to the public as emerging experts in the field.

We spoke with Mutambudzi recently about the team’s work.

What did the community tell you that the data couldn’t?

Community voices from sessions like “The Conditions of Home: Health, Safety and Access” described how housing quality, environmental safety, neighborhood conditions and instability affect daily stress, food access and overall health and well-being in ways that do not show up in traditional datasets.

These conversations also revealed gaps in existing evidence, particularly around how local housing policies, service systems and lived experiences intersect in Syracuse—areas that would benefit from further research to better quantify these issues and understand their impact.

How did TMR become part of that work?

As the landscape for relevant research shifted in ways outside our control, it became clear that data analysis alone was insufficient to fully capture the lived realities of housing disparities in Syracuse. TMR was a natural fit, as the focus was on housing and provided an opportunity to incorporate community-engaged work in a meaningful way, one I don’t think we could have replicated any other way.

What role did the student fellows play?

They were genuine research partners, leading development of data briefings drawn from publicly available sources and peer-reviewed literature, then building presentations for the TMR sessions that framed topics for the roundtable’s participants.

Prior to each session, fellows met with panelists to learn about their lived experience in Syracuse and their work, using these conversations to develop informed moderator questions for the roundtable discussions. That process ensured that each session reflected both rigorous evidence and real community knowledge.

How has this project informed your ongoing research?

This work has helped me see how housing shapes health and everyday life beyond what quantitative data alone can fully capture. It has broadened my understanding of how housing, as a structural determinant, independently shapes health outcomes and survival. I look forward to bringing these community insights into that ongoing research.

What does this work mean for people living in Syracuse, and other areas like it?

The patterns we are seeing in Syracuse connect to broader research on how structural disparity in housing shape health and survival across communities. This work points to the need for both local action and research that can better quantify these impacts and inform policy and practice.

Student Fellows

The 2024–26 Lender student fellow team consists of:

• Tomiwa “Tommy” DaSilva ’26, a double major in public health and policy studies and citizenship and civic engagement in the Maxwell School
• Adara “Darla” Hobbs ’22, G’26, a graduate student in Pan-African studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and recipient of a certificate of advanced studies in public management and policy from the Maxwell School. She is an alumna of the communication and rhetorical studies program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Jamea Candy Johnson ’25, G’26, a graduate student in public health in the Maxwell School and an alumna of the psychology program in A&S
• Sabrina Lussier ’26, a triple major in geography, citizenship and civic engagement, and environmental sustainability and policy in the Maxwell School
• Shreya Potluri ’27, an architecture major in the School of Architecture

Serena Williams made headlines this week with her return to professional tennis at age 44, entering the doubles draw at the HSBC Championships in London after nearly four years away from the sport. But beyond the fanfare, what does her comeback actually demand of her body?

Matthew Armstrong, assistant professor in the Department of Exercise Science in the David B. Falk College of Sport, says the cardiovascular realities of competing at 44 are significant—and measurable.

The most concrete factor, Armstrong explains, is maximum heart rate (HR), which declines approximately 0.7 to 1 beat per minute per year—a rate that holds regardless of sex or training background. Over two-plus decades of a career, that adds up.

“A 20-year-old would be able to achieve a max HR about 24 BPM higher than a 44-year-old Serena,” Armstrong says. “That is a large delta that would make a difference.”

As for the reconditioning process itself, Armstrong says the fundamentals don’t change much at the elite level. “Realistically, the training is the same. It’s just hard work that needs to be done in order to get to a level that you can compete at.”

One key variable, he notes, is how active Williams remained during her hiatus. “If she has done very little training during her break then the comeback will be difficult—but if she has been training consistently, even though it would not be to a pro athlete standard, then this would make it easier.”

Elite athletes do carry certain cardiovascular advantages into later career stages—structural adaptations like enlarged chamber size and increased stroke volume that make the heart more efficient—but those advantages only go so far against the natural decline in aerobic capacity that comes with age.

With the HSBC Championships beginning June 8, Armstrong says the most fascinating question may be one that only time—and performance data—can answer: whether Williams’ speed, power and endurance on court today match what she brought to the game in the past.

Professor Armstrong is available for interview. If you’d like to connect with him, send written questions or learn more, email Daryl Lovell: dalovell@syr.edu.Ìę

When Chie Sakakibara first traveled to an Iñupiaq community in Arctic Alaska as a graduate student, an elder gave her advice that would define her career.

“Never disappear,” she told her.

For generations, researchers had come to Indigenous lands, documented stories and environmental knowledge, and left—often without returning results or sustaining relationships. Community members asked Sakakibara to do something different: to document climate change from their perspective and to show that they were not simply victims of environmental disruption, but creative and resilient people adapting to change.

“I was honored, and I stayed,” Sakakibara says. “Placing yourself in a community means reciprocating and emphasizing their priorities, not just your own interests.”

More than two decades later, she is still returning.

Now an associate professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Sakakibara has built her scholarship around long-term collaboration and Indigenous research sovereignty—the idea that communities themselves should guide how their knowledge is used, represented and shared. Another focus of her work: the interconnected survival of people, animals and environments in a rapidly changing Arctic.

“Chie’s work is a model of what engaged scholarship looks like at Maxwell,” says Shana Kushner Gadarian, associate dean for research and professor of political science. “By centering Indigenous voices and building lasting partnerships across the globe, she demonstrates that rigorous research and genuine community responsibility are not competing values—they are inseparable ones.”

Connecting Communities

Sakakibara’s current initiative, “Indigenous Northern Landscapes: Visual Repatriation and Climate Knowledge Exchange,” connects the Iñupiaq people of Arctic Alaska with the Ainu community of northern Japan to explore environmental memory, cultural preservation and climate adaptation.

Both communities have endured land dispossession and the suppression of traditional language and faith. Both have retained and revitalized Indigenous ways of being—the Iñupiat through their relationship with the bowhead whale, sea ice and tundra; the Ainu through kinship with the brown bear, salmon, rivers and forests of Hokkaido.

“Their voices are only getting stronger through connecting and building relationships with other Indigenous communities and their allies within and beyond academia,” says Sakakibara, a research affiliate for the East Asia Program in Maxwell’s Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs and a member of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program and Center for Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Her project employs repeat photography alongside community-led ethnography, fieldwork, oral history, archival research and collaborative museum curation. It emphasizes Indigenous knowledge and collaboration and juxtaposes early 20th-century and contemporary images, revealing sea ice loss, coastal erosion and shifting subsistence patterns due to environmental transformation.

Working with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the project collaboratively produces environmental knowledge by interpreting these historical photographs with the Indigenous descendants of the communities where they originated.

Future work will involve storymapping, participatory digital storytelling and traveling museum curation bridging Syracuse, Arctic Alaska and Japan.

Challenging the Myth

A persistent misconception frames Indigenous cultures as unchanging and separate from the modern world. Sakakibara sees that stereotype as an obstacle to effective climate policy.

“When policymakers or scientists assume that Indigenous peoples are merely relics of the past, they fail to recognize that communities like the Iñupiat and Ainu actively observe, interpret and respond to environmental change,” she says. “That blocks opportunities to incorporate Indigenous expertise into climate solutions.”

Iñupiat hunters continuously adjust whaling routes in response to sea ice change. Ainu communities combine historical ecological knowledge with contemporary observations to protect salmon runs. These are dynamic systems of environmental monitoring refined over generations, not static traditions.

Rather than separating Western science from Indigenous knowledge systems, Sakakibara argues the two must be in conversation, especially as policymakers confront accelerating climate disruption. Climate change, she notes, is not solely a scientific challenge but a cultural and political one.

“Climate disruption is among the most consequential challenges of our time, with implications that span policy, governance, culture and human well-being,” says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Our students benefit from the wide-ranging expertise and experiences that Professor Sakakibara and colleagues provide.”

Students as Research Partners

Sakakibara brings her knowledge back to Syracuse—into classrooms, workshops and partnerships that give students direct exposure to the communities and questions at the center of her work.

In July 2024, Sakakibara partnered with public history experts from

StoryCollab to facilitate a on campus with Ainu collaborators. That same year, Sakakibara brought two Haudenosaunee undergraduate students to Japan to participate in workshops with Ainu community members, contributing to mapping projects and oral history initiatives conducted across English, Japanese and Ainu.

One of those students, Katsitsatekanoniahkwa Destiny Lazore ’26, is a member of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and a 2025 Udall Scholar in Tribal Public Policy. Hearing the stories of  Ainu community members resonated in a personal way.

“It reminded me of what my own ancestors experienced, the struggle to protect culture, revitalize language and reclaim sovereignty,” says Lazore. “There was something powerful in recognizing that shared desire: the simple but profound wish to safeguard your people, your traditions and your future for the next generations to come.”

Rooted in Relationships

Sakakibara’s  project has cultivated partnerships with major institutions including the Penn Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Yale Peabody Museum, the National Museum of Ethnology in Japan and the Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies at Hokkaido University.

“The core goals—centering Indigenous knowledge, documenting environmental change and supporting cultural sovereignty—remain active and impactful,” Sakakibara says, adding that the elder’s advice—never disappear—remains central to her approach. “Research is about relationships. And relationships require responsibility.”

Story by Catherine Scott

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

“It 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’s rewarding seeing how excited students get about their futures,” Paul says. “That’s what keeps me going.”

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

“He’s sharing how sport analytics graduates are taking over the world, and that you’re all going to continue that,” Stein says. “To an 18-year-old freshman who hadn’t even taken a class yet, Dr. Paul’s words left a lasting impression.”

“I 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,” 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.

“As educators, our end goal is to help our students live out their dreams by working in this industry,” Paul says. “They put their faith in us to help them fulfill those dreams. We encourage them and set them up for success once they graduate.”

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 ’26 and Sam Otley ’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.

“From freshman year, I’ve known I want to work in the NBA, but I truly couldn’t have imagined back then being in the position I am in now,” Stein says. “The 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 Syracuse.”

Kalamvokis and sport analytics Associate Professor presented “Statistical Accuracy of Sports Betting Markets and Their Efficiency” at the 2025 International Association of Sports Economists Conference in Las Vegas.

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

“It’s amazing to see what our students are capable of,” Paul says. “Getting to watch our students grow and evolve, I’m blessed and lucky to be a part of that.”

Students everywhere commonly dream of gliding straight from a high-profile internship into a job with the same employer. That dream came true for three sport management majors from David B. Falk College of Sport who interned at The Montag Group in recent years.

Based in New York City, The Montag Group represents more than 200 of the nation’s top sports broadcasters, along with coaches, chefs, and entertainers (see accompanying story). Its Founder & President is Sandy Montag ’85, a highly respected 40-year veteran of the sports industry.

Using Falk College Connections

To get her internship, Caroline Johnson ’21 started by connecting with Kate Ruben ’15, who was The Montag Group’s intern coordinator. Today, Ruben is director of brand marketing for Excel Sports Management. She’s also a member of the , a group of Falk College’s most committed young alumni who provide guidance to current students.

Johnson interviewed and got the internship. But disaster hit only a few months before her start date. In March 2020, much of the country began shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montag Group decided to continue its internships, but to make them remote.

“I was completely remote,” Johnson says, “but I still loved it. They did a great job of making me feel like I was still part of the team.”

The diverse projects helped her see what areas of sport management interested her the most,  Johnson says.

She interned from June through December 2020, an unusually long time because The Montag Group let Johnson add her capstone project to the normal three-month internship. Then near the end came a surprise: Ruben told Johnson that Sandy Montag was looking for a new executive assistant and asked if she was interested in the job.

“I obviously said yes,” Johnson says.

She says she believes Ruben helped pave the way for her hiring.

Johnson still had to finish her final semester at Falk College, so between classes she had Zoom calls with Montag’s current assistant to learn the job. She started working at The Montag Group immediately after graduating.

The Montag Group was acquired in 2022 by THE·TEAM, and today, Johnson is senior manager of operations for the company’s in-house speaker’s bureau. Once a client signs a contract for a speaking appearance, Johnson takes over to handle all the logistics.

“No two events are the same,” Johnson says, “so it’s a lot of variation day-to-day, which I like.”

Falk College’s sport management program is “completely the reason I am where I am today in my career,” Johnson says.

“The attention you get as a student is just one of a kind, and the professors are so knowledgeable and they have real-world experience,” she says. “They really stressed the importance of putting yourself out there professionally, putting your best foot forward professionally, and making connections as early as possible with people in the industry.”

Johnson made many of those connections through her work with the Íű±ŹĂĆ chapter of , where she served as vice president and then president, and with the . In her junior year, Johnson co-chaired the club’s annual . Her work in both groups gave Johnson many opportunities to connect with Falk College alumni.

Creating His Own Job

As his remote internship at The Montag Group started winding down, Luca Giacobbe ’22 was on a companywide Zoom call when someone said the agency was going to hire a couple of entry-level people.

“I’m the only one on the call that wasn’t working for the company full time,” Giacobbe says, “So my alarm bells start going off. How can I get considered for one of these jobs?”

He told the agency’s internship coordinator that he was “super interested” in staying, and she told him to hang tight because they were early in the process. He continued working hard, both on projects and on developing his colleagues’ trust. Those efforts included spending a week in Manhattan at The Montag Group’s office so he could meet his colleagues in person.

A day or two before his internship ended, a new meeting suddenly appeared on Giacobbe’s calendar. It was with Sandy Montag.

Montag told Giacobbe that he’d done a great job, and a lot of his colleagues had advocated for hiring him. Would he like to be Montag’s executive assistant? After thinking it over, he said yes.

From that start, Giacobbe has risen to become the agency’s communications manager – a new position he created with guidance and support from his colleagues.

“There’s opportunity for our agents and our clients to be out talking about the sports industry and to position ourselves as thought leaders,” Giacobbe says.

Speaking engagements, panel discussions, podcasts, social media, article placements and other outlets all offer opportunities, he says.

At Falk College, Giacobbe remembers that professors and advisors, including advisors specifically dedicated to internships, emphasized networking and connecting students with alumni.

“The biggest thing that I learned from Syracuse was about relationships and building meaningful ones, not just having a call with someone and not talking to them again,” Giacobbe says.

For more than a decade, The Montag Group, the New York City agency that represents many of the nation’s top sportscasters, has been a pipeline into sports broadcasting and management for interns from the and seniors pursuing their capstone projects.

Sandy Montag ’85, the company’s founder and president and a legend in the sports industry, admits he bleeds Orange. But Montag says he’s partial to Íű±ŹĂĆ students because they’re better prepared than students from other universities.

“I think with Syracuse interns you know what you’re getting,” Montag says. “They’re hardworking and they really have their finger on the pulse of the industry. They’ve studied it, they’ve asked the right questions, they’re industrious, they take charge and they don’t always need a lot of direction.”

That strong background is essential because interns at The Montag Group may undertake a variety of projects involving research, marketing, development and team building.

“I have found that Syracuse students are the best positioned to really jump into a company and do some real work while they’re here,” Montag says.

Some Falk College interns slide straight into full-time jobs at The Montag Group when their internships end.

Most of The Montag Group’s 200-plus clients are sportscasters, including industry leaders such as Bob Costas ’74, Mike Tirico ’88, Scott Van Pelt, Beth Mowins G’90, Jim Nantz, James Brown, Tracy Wolfson, Rebecca Lobo and Julie Foudy. It also represents entertainers, chefs, coaches and athletes in their off-the-field projects.

Communication is key to the agency’s business, and Montag says Syracuse students have better communications skills than most others.

“Some students that come in want to tell you everything that they know,” he says. “I was taught that you learn more by listening than by talking. Syracuse students ask really good questions, not just how I got started but questions specific to our industry about representation and what we look for in a good broadcaster. I like inquisitive people who ask good questions and who you can tell have a real interest in what you’re doing.”

A large majority of The Montag Group interns are from Syracuse, Montag says. Most are from Falk College, although some come from the . The agency typically has one or two interns each semester and two or three in the summer, along with capstone students.

Learning the Business With John Madden

Montag was a sports nut from a young age. He remembers at age 8 waiting after the end of basketball games at Madison Square Garden so he could snag the notes and stat sheets of his idol, Marv Albert ’63, commonly known as “the voice of basketball” for his broadcasts of NBA games. Ironically, years later Montag became Albert’s agent.

He was on the varsity basketball and soccer teams in high school but didn’t play much. While on the bench, he kept stats. He also started writing game stories for his local newspaper.

The powerful relationship between Montag and Íű±ŹĂĆ almost didn’t happen. Dreaming of a career in sports broadcasting, he applied for admission into Newhouse. The alternative that was presented to him by Syracuse was a degree in speech communications in the , which he accepted, knowing he could still take a few classes at Newhouse outside of his major.

“I quickly pivoted into production and stats work,” he says.

Montag honed his resourcefulness during his years at Syracuse. He got a job writing for the , the independent student newspaper. When a guy in his dorm who was the lead football manager said the team needed another manager, Montag jumped at the opportunity.

As he worked in the athletic office one day, someone said ESPN was on campus and needed a person to do stats for that night’s basketball game.

“I’m like, I’ll do that in a second,” Montag remembers.

He sat in the front row at the game next to broadcaster Dick Vitale, to whom he fed point and rebound stats. ESPN paid him $50. Forty years later, Vitale has been a longtime client and friend of Montag.

The ESPN producer said he’d pay Montag $100 the next week for two days’ work if he could get to Pittsburgh. Recalling that an upstart airline, People Express, had an ad in the Daily Orange offering an hourly wage and free travel to employees, Montag hustled to the Syracuse airport. He got a job doing reservations one day a week and made it to Pittsburgh.

It was the first of 100 such assignments that eventually found him working stats after graduation for John Madden, who had shifted from an accomplished NFL head coach to sportscaster. That led to him becoming Madden’s assistant, traveling with him from game to game by train (Madden’s preferred mode of travel). Without the distraction of cell phones and other electronic devices, they talked, played cards and drank beer.

“We hit it off and developed a relationship,” Montag says.

Before the start of the Spring 2026 semester, members of the (GMB), a registered student organization (RSO), traveled to Panama with a shared goal of providing essential medical care and conduct community health research in rural areas.

The expedition offered 37 students a unique opportunity for experiential learning, cultural immersion and leadership development outside the traditional classroom setting.

A Global Effort for Local Impact

Global Medical Brigades is a student-led organization dedicated to providing sustainable health care to under-resourced communities abroad. By mobilizing student volunteers and health care professionals, the chapter works to improve health outcomes and empower local communities through education and medical assistance.

“The Íű±ŹĂĆ chapter of GMB is part of a larger international movement that has facilitated over 1.5 million patient consultations globally over the past 20 years,” says Keona Bukhari-Adams ’27, the newly elected president of the chapter.

During the week-long brigade, students assisted health care professionals in treating over 250 community members who face significant barriers to medical access.

“Global Medical Brigades is a small part of a much larger global effort to assist rural communities with extremely low physician densities,” Bukhari-Adams says. “It has reshaped my understanding of culture and solidarity in ways that challenge traditional perceptions of what it means to live a life of wealth.”

Community-Driven Fundraising

To finance the mission, 37 student volunteers raised a total of $90,000, each with a $2,430 donation goal. Through local partnerships and personal advocacy, students engaged the Syracuse community to fund trip costs and essential medical supplies.

Becky Roby ’26, the chapter’s vice president, raised $2,030, while Ava Mastalir ’28, the vice president of membership and outreach, raised $2,500 through outreach to family and friends.

“This experience alone made me want to fundraise and participate in our next brigade,” Roby says. “Every trip is special in its own way and I was grateful that I was able to have another experience in Panama.”

On campus, the organization hosted several benefit nights where a portion of the proceeds supported the trip, including events at Chipotle, luv handlz and Purple Banana.

Clinical Care, Field Research and Community Engagement

The trip focused on clinical support and patient care. Students took vitals, assisted doctors in dental extractions for children and helped treat older patients who had not received physical checkups in years.

Students also participated in public health research and spent an entire day conducting community health surveys. This research involved interviewing local women about menstrual and sexual health to understand existing education gaps.

Participants sharpened their professional skills by navigating language barriers and learning local dialects to better console and educate patients. The brigade also worked with local leaders to ensure that disease prevention and hygiene education would have a lasting benefit for the community long after the students departed.

“The primary skill I learned in Panama was how to interact with patients who were nervous or confused, and how to care for them even with the challenge of a language barrier,” Mastalir says.

Leadership Opportunities and Friendships

The experience also served as a catalyst for student leadership on campus. Many participants, motivated by previous trips to Guatemala, utilized the Panama brigade to further their commitment to global health. Roby says the trip provides “hands-on experience in global health and service that cannot be replicated in a classroom.”

Beyond clinical experience, the brigade fostered a strong sense of community among the students themselves. For students considering future brigades, participants emphasize the value of stepping outside one’s comfort zone.

“I loved the friendships I built during the trip, and we still constantly stay in touch,” Roby says. “Being part of something so meaningful created a strong sense of community and belonging for me on campus.”

The Íű±ŹĂĆ Global Medical Brigades chapter continues to welcome students of all majors who are interested in global experiences and meaningful service.

Story by Kate Jackson ’26, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

In Jamaica, where track and field stars like Usain Bolt (eight-time gold medalist) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (five-time gold medalist) captured national glory at the Summer Olympics, children grow up wanting to emulate their heroes.

But for every Bolt or Thompson-Herah, thousands of aspiring track and field athletes will never qualify for the Olympics. For them, they compete because they love their sport, not because they envision winning a gold medal.

Recognizing the important role support systems play in the development of teenagers into adults, a team of three students in the built a holistic vision for supporting elite youth athletes in Jamaica during the Grand Final of the fifth annual in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“Our focus was on preparing these students for a future outside of athletics. We wanted to give them the support they needed to succeed where they were at, but also to experience success once they’re done competing,” says Cooper Feldstein ’28, a sport management major.

The Falk students were invited to compete in the undergraduate event at the Grand Final after claiming first place in the semifinals back in December. , assistant teaching professor of sport management, served as the group’s advisor throughout the process.

Helping Athletes Feel Heard and Supported

At the Olympic Museum, Feldstein, Noah Bair ’28 and Angel Rooks Orton ’28 applied the lessons learned through their Falk College classes and presented their solution to a contemporary challenge in sports management.

The group selected Jamaica because of the country’s recognizable brand and success on the global stage, but also because of the national pride its citizens derive from the sport, and because of how many children take up sprinting.

To learn more about Jamaica’s youth track and field landscape, focusing on athletes ages 15 to 18, the students interviewed former Jamaican sprinter Kemardo Tyrell, now an assistant professor of research at Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. Tyrell spoke to the unique pressures facing Jamaica’s youth athletes.

The group focused on increasing athlete retention (especially among girls), improving academic success and programming, enhancing sport participation and addressing growing mental health challenges.

Knowing most won’t make a successful career in athletics, the Falk team “wanted to help ensure that these elite athletes feel heard and are protected while they are committed to their sport,” Bair says.

“We wanted to look at what the path of a youth athlete looks like, not only in terms of athletic success and accomplishments, but in their academics and their life outside of track,” says Bair, a sport analytics major. “What we found was there are wide gaps in how well students can build a sustainable and enjoyable career in athletics.”

Prioritizing Mental Health and Well-Being

Their research into the trends among Jamaica’s youth track and field competitors showed that if an athlete didn’t develop a positive mindset from an early age, they wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure of competing at the highest level.

“We needed to understand how we could provide them with the stability that they would need to perform to the level that they can actually get to, with how much pressure these kids are facing every day,” Feldstein says.

As one of their cornerstones, the team proposed developing an app as an all-encompassing support system, serving as a communication tool between coaches and their athletes.

Wanting athletes to stay present and in the moment while balancing academics with athletics, the trio came up with weekly mental wellness check-ins where the youths could discuss what’s on their mind.

“These elite athletes are facing a ton of pressure to succeed,” says Rooks Orton, a sport management major. “There are needs we’re trying to meet in Jamaica, and the app can help athletes stay in their program longer, enjoy their sport more and build habits to be successful in sports and in life.”

Leveling the Playing Field

According to research conducted by the group, once a female athlete turns 13, the chances of her quitting her sport are two times greater than those of her male counterparts.

“These females often get discouraged from competing because there isn’t a great support system in place, and because, for many girls, they don’t have examples of successful female athletes to look up to,” Rooks Orton says. “With the app, girls can ask questions, learn from successful women athletes and get the support they need to stay in sports at a high level.”

While the Orange trio didn’t win the Grand Final, the lessons learned from this global experience will stay with them as they prepare for a career in sports.

“This has been a formative experience,” Feldstein says. “The opportunity to work on this high-level professional project will prepare us for the future.”

“It was an honor representing Falk College and Syracuse on the world stage,” Bair says. “We put our best foot forward thanks to the incredible work we’re doing at Falk.”

Rooks Orton agrees. “It’s cool to be in a position where we’re constantly learning about the industry,” she says.

This experience was made possible by the generosity of Jeff and Andrea Lomasky, whose son, Marc Lomasky ’12, is an alumnus of the sport management program.

A climate finance pioneer. A diplomat who helped evacuate thousands from a war zone. A champion of global school nutrition. A trailblazing scholar of equity in public administration. A leader in the federal inspector general oversight community.These are the five alumni who will be celebrated at the annual Awards of Excellence on Thursday, April 30, in Washington, D.C.

The event, to be held at the Íű±ŹĂĆ Washington, D.C., Center in the heart of Dupont Circle, will also serve as an opportunity for the Maxwell community to reunite and celebrate the school’s enduring commitment to engaged citizenship.

Established in 2022, the Awards of Excellence program celebrates the contributions of the school’s alumni and friends to their fields, communities and society through work that reflects the Maxwell School mission and values. Recognition categories include the 1924 Award, Bridge Award, Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, Compass Award and Spirit of Public Service Award.

“We are honored to welcome members of the Maxwell community to join us for an evening of celebration and reflection,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Each year, this event reminds me of why our mission endures. This year’s honorees have built careers spanning climate finance, diplomacy, food security, public administration and the law—and in every case, they have used their Maxwell education as a foundation for making the world more sustainable, more humane and more just. I look forward to celebrating them and to welcoming our community back to Washington, D.C.”

The five 2026 honorees are Jeff Eckel G’82,  George Farag G’02, G’07, Emily Fredenberg G’16, Susan Gooden G’95, G’96 and Roslyn A. Mazer ’71.

Jeff Eckel—Bridge Award

For his commitment to improving our climate future, Eckel is the recipient of the 2026 Bridge Award, which honors exemplary leadership across sectors while advancing the Maxwell School’s mission of making the world a better place.

Eckel, who earned an M.P.A. from Maxwell, has spent four decades advancing climate-positive investing with the view that climate change is among the greatest challenges of our time. As chair of HASI and its CEO for the previous two decades, he pioneered the use of finance to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon climate solutions in the United States and the developing world.

He developed the HannieMae Trust, a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle for funding energy-conservation projects, oversaw HASI’s 2013 public offering as the first dedicated climate solutions investor, and created CarbonCount, a tool that measures how efficiently capital investments reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

George Farag—Spirit of Public Service Award

Farag is the recipient of the Spirit of Public Service Award, which honors individuals whose work has had widespread global impact and reflects the ideals of the Maxwell School. For more than 25 years, he has worked at the intersection of diplomacy, immigration and national security to advance U.S. interests and protect American lives. Farag earned master’s degrees in public administration and international relations and Ph.D. in anthropology from the Maxwell School.

Inspired by the Sept. 11 attacks, Farag joined the U.S. Department of State as a diplomat and consular officer in 2002. During five years of service in some of the world’s most volatile environments, he helped lead the evacuation of 15,000 Americans during the 2006 Lebanon War and was among the first U.S. diplomats to enter Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2013, he founded Silverline Strategies, a consulting firm whose operations now affect more than 3 million visa applicants each year across 15 countries. Farag received the Department of State’s Superior Honor Award and Meritorious Honor Award.

Emily Fredenberg—Compass Award

Fredenberg, who holds an M.P.A. degree and a master’s degree in international relations, is the recipient of this year’s Compass Award, given in recognition of her exceptional accomplishments and impact as an early-career alumna. In the 10 years since earning her Maxwell degrees, she has built a career dedicated to strengthening food security among some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Fredenberg is currently senior officer of programs and advocacy at the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, where she cultivates global partnerships to advance sustainable school meal programs worldwide. She previously served as a project manager at The Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing grants focused on combating the global food crisis. Before that, she spent six years with the World Food Programme, serving in Lebanon—helping the response to the Syrian refugee crisis—and in Rwanda, where she led communications strategy for the nation’s home-grown school meal initiative.

Susan Gooden—Charles V. Willie Advocate Award

Gooden is the recipient of the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, which recognizes alumni whose contributions reflect Maxwell’s commitment to creating an environment that is welcoming to all and oriented toward engaged citizenship. The honor recognizes her excellence in leadership, teaching and scholarship advancing inclusive governance and equity in public administration.

Gooden, who earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science at Maxwell, is dean and professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she co-founded the Research Institute for Social Equity.

She has authored six books and more than 100 academic journal articles and reports and is a founding editor of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration. An elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, she is a past president of the American Society for Public Administration, which honored her with the 2025 Dwight Waldo Award recognizing more than 25 years of preeminent contributions to the field.

Roslyn A. Mazer—1924 Award

Mazer is the recipient of this year’s Maxwell 1924 Award, which honors graduates for distinguished and sustained professional or civic leadership in the spirit of the school’s mission.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Maxwell, Mazer went on to provide vigorous oversight of government programs as inspector general of the Federal Trade Commission, inspector general of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and special investigative counsel in the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Earlier, she served in the Department of Justice, including as deputy assistant attorney general, guiding federal judicial nominees through the confirmation process.

Before entering public service, Mazer was in private law practice specializing in media and First Amendment law. Notably, she represented the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists as friend of the court in Hustler Magazine Inc. v. Falwell, the landmark Supreme Court ruling affirming First Amendment protection of satire. Today, she continues to advocate for cartoonists’ rights and free expression.

Íű±ŹĂĆ is home to more than a dozen registered dietitians spread across the , , , and the . Recently, they started meeting as a cross-campus coalition.

The group came together through Molly Morgan, associate director of in Human Resources, who joined the University last year and quickly realized that dietitian colleagues were embedded across a range of schools, colleges and units.

She floated the idea of regular meetups, and the response was unanimous. The coalition’s goal: foster collaboration, align on best practices and amplify the collective impact of their work across the campus community.

As we celebrate in March, six dietitians with wide-ranging expertise share the myths they spend the most time correcting—and the tips they wish more people would actually try.

Myths Worth Busting

‘NČčłÙłÜ°ùČč±ô’=±á±đČč±ôłÙłóČâ

The word “natural” on a label feels reassuring, but it’s an overgeneralization. Plenty of natural substances—lead and arsenic among them—are anything but good for you (remember the apple juice scare of 2024?). Meanwhile, some artificial additives serve real purposes: extending shelf life, improving texture or boosting a food’s nutritional profile. The takeaway? Read the full label, not just the buzzword. — Nikki Beckwith, M.A., RD, CDN, director of the master of arts in nutrition science program, Falk College

Carbs Are the Enemy

A lot of people think that carbohydrates make you gain weight, but in reality they are the body’s main energy source. Whole carbs like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains deliver fiber, vitamins and sustained energy. The real issue isn’t carbs themselves; it’s the type and quantity people reach for. — Ashley Russo-Leone, M.A., RD, CDN, CNSC, assistant director of nutrition management, Campus Dining

Your Body Needs an Annual Detox or Cleanse

A common myth is that you need to detox or do a “cleanse” at least once per year. The human body has its own detoxification crew working around the clock: the liver, kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system, colon and skin. Most healthy bodies do not need help eliminating toxins and harmful substances. They need consistent, balanced nutrition. — Ashley Russo-Leone, M.A., RD, CDN, CNSC, assistant director of nutrition management, Campus Dining

A ‘Nutritionist’ and a ‘Registered Dietitian’ Are the Same Thing

In most states, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist—no degree, no exam, no oversight required. Becoming a registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), on the other hand, requires rigorous education, supervised practice hours, a credentialing exam and ongoing continuing education. If you’re managing a health condition, navigating food allergies or fine-tuning athletic performance, that distinction matters. — Molly Morgan, RDN, CDN, CSSD, associate director of health and wellness for faculty and staff

Tips Worth Trying

Think 80/20, Not All-or-Nothing

Dietitians are not the food police. A more sustainable framework: about 80% of the foods you choose should align with your health goals and nutritional needs, leaving 20% for flexibility. Perfection isn’t the point, consistency is. — Jessica Garay, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, CSCS, FAND, assistant professor of nutrition and food studies, Falk College

Push Back on the Protein Hype

From protein coffee foams to meat add-ons at every counter, today’s marketing makes it seem like more protein is always better. It’s important, sure, but excess calories from protein can lead to weight gain just like excess calories from anything else. Most people can meet their daily needs without the extras, and over-focusing on protein can crowd out variety and other essential nutrients. Unsure how much you actually need? A registered dietitian can help. — Nikki Beckwith, M.A., RD, CDN, director of the master of arts in nutrition science program, Falk College

Breakfast Breaks the Fast—Literally

After a full night of sleep, your body’s energy tank is running on empty. Skipping breakfast extends that deficit and can leave you dragging well into the afternoon. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Even a small meal with protein and complex carbs can make a noticeable difference. — Jessica Garay, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, CSCS, FAND, assistant professor of nutrition and food studies, Falk College

Feeding Kids? Stock Smart and Let Them Play

When it comes to young eaters, two strategies go a long way. First, focus less on curating a perfect diet and more on what’s visible and convenient in the house. Kids tend to grab what they see, so keeping fruit, yogurt, nuts and whole-grain snacks at eye level—while limiting ultra-processed options—quietly shapes better habits without mealtime battles.

Second, let little ones explore. Touching, smelling, squishing, and yes, making a mess with food are legitimate steps toward acceptance. Food play is food learning, and pressuring a child to “just take a bite” often backfires.Ìę— Maryam Yuhas, Ph.D., RD, assistant professor of nutrition and food studies, and Lynn S. Brann, Ph.D., RDN, FAND, associate professor of food and nutrition studies, Falk College

Hungry at Night? Eat. (Just Eat Smart.)

Hunger is hunger, regardless of what time the clock reads. If you’re genuinely hungry at night, eat something, ideally a reasonable portion with both carbohydrates and protein. Protein promotes fullness and helps slow the rate at which carbs hit your bloodstream, which beats the alternative of raiding the chips bag on autopilot. — Jessica Garay, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, CSCS, FAND, assistant professor of nutrition and food studies, Falk College

Since Russia invaded Ukraine just over four years ago, roughly 500,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed and 1 million people injured. Millions of Ukrainians currently live under Russian occupation. At least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and deported to Russia. Millions have fled the country.

These sobering statistics were shared by Brian Taylor, professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, as he introduced Oxana Shevel, a leading scholar who grew up in Ukraine, for a talk reflecting on the ongoing war and the possibilities of what’s to come.

Before Shevel took the microphone, Taylor, a renowned expert on Russian politics himself, asked the audience to observe a moment of silence “for those who have suffered as a result of this war.” Students, faculty and staff who filled the Hall of Languages conference room quietly bowed their heads.

Shevel, who grew up in Kyiv during the Soviet era, directs Tufts’ International Relations Program, is president-elect of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies and vice president of the Association for the Study of Nationalities. Her talk at Syracuse, titled “Russia’s Invasion, Ukraine’s Resistance and Prospects for Peace,” was hosted by Moynihan’s Center for European Studies with support from the College of Arts and Sciences’ Russian Program within the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics.

The talk was the latest in a series of events and initiatives by the Maxwell School intended to expose community members to unique perspectives and lend greater understanding to the conflict’s legal, strategic and humanitarian dimensions. Maxwell is home to a community of faculty including Taylor, Michael Williams, the Hon. James E. Baker and Vice Admiral Robert Murrett (U.S. Navy, retired) who research the rule of law, international politics, and peace and security, and are helping build networks of scholarship and training to support democracy in Ukraine. They have spearheaded programs such as the US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge to support the country’s bourgeoning veteran population and have contributed to research and commentary in major media outlets.

Growing Identity

During her talk, Shevel shared a view from her co-authored book, “Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States” (Polity Press, 2024), that the roots of Russia’s war on Ukraine lie not in NATO enlargement but in the growing identity and regime divergence between the two states since 1991. She cited Russia’s confidence in its security, the improbability of Ukraine’s NATO entry from the beginning, and Russia’s desires for far more than Ukrainian neutrality.

“Russia is deporting children, trying to re-educate them, banning Ukrainian books, destroying Ukrainian culture,” she said. “These actions have nothing to do with hard security and everything to do with identity.”

The lecture centered on what Shevel calls the “escalatory cycle”—the cycle of events and growing differences between Russia and Ukraine that eventually led to war. “It progressed gradually,” she said. “The more Ukraine pulled away, the more Russia pushed. The more Russia pushed, the more Ukraine pulled away.”

Throughout the escalatory cycle, Shevel identified several critical junctures—times of ideological split between Russia and Ukraine that could have been mended, but were not. Each was an opportunity to end the cycle, and each an identity divergence that built on the last, leading to the point of no return, she said.

The start of the cycle came with the 1991 Soviet collapse, often called a “civilized divorce,” dissolving the 15 united republics peacefully. “In Russia, this was seen not as a divorce, but as an opportunity to draw closer together again later, perhaps not in the Soviet Union, but in some other form,” she said. “The idea that Ukraine would permanently separate was not widely accepted in the Russian political class.”

As Shevel identified further critical junctures—such as the 2004 Orange Revolution and 2014 Euromaidan protests—her own experience of the post-communist region offered a personal dimension.

“I remember how things were taught,” she explained. She recalled clicking to the presidential website after Yanukovych’s election and finding that all mention of the 1932-33 Ukrainian famine had vanished.

War Not Likely to End Soon

Shevel expressed doubt that the Russo-Ukrainian war is likely to end anytime soon.

“The war has been horrendous for Ukrainian society. The people are tired. I have family there, sleeping in tents in Kyiv,” she said.

Though data shows that Ukrainians are slowly becoming more open to compromise in some areas, they do not believe that negotiations alone will lead to peace. “Ukrainians know what they’re fighting for,” she said.

When her formal remarks concluded, several students asked Shevel a range of questions, including about the role of the United States in supporting Ukraine.

Shevel said the U.S. could help Ukraine by applying greater pressure on Russia. “We do have leverage,” she said, “both economic and military—we just aren’t using it how we should be.”

Shevel ended the lecture on a note of hope. For the war to end, she said, Russia needs a fundamental mindset shift—whether that comes from new leadership or outside pressure. Russia needs to understand it will not gain more than it already holds.

“There has to be a leader in Russia who decides Russia can still be important without Ukraine,” she said.

Story by Catherine Scott