What happens when students are allowed to use artificial intelligence to solve cybersecurity challenges? That question took center stage as (EECS) Professor hosted a capture-the-flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition at the , bringing together 20 undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students.

Unlike traditional CTF competitions, participants in this event were allowed to use modern AI assistants, such as ChatGPT and Claude, while solving challenges. The competition was designed not only to test technical skills, but also to explore how AI is transforming the way students learn and approach complex cybersecurity problems.

“Cybersecurity education is evolving rapidly with the rise of AI tools,” Hoque says. “This competition gave us a unique opportunity to observe how students use AI in real time—whether it helps them think more deeply about problems or simply speeds up solutions. Understanding that distinction is critical for the future of computer science discipline.”

Participants competed individually across 10 challenges spanning beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. The top three performers—Weixiang Wang (first place), Annepu Sai Charan (second place) and Armani Isonguyo (third place)—were ranked based on the number of challenges solved and the speed at which they completed them. Students described the experience as both exciting and challenging, noting that AI could guide their thinking but still required careful verification.

“This reflects how we approach computer science and cybersecurity education at Íű±ŹĂĆ,” says Alex Jones, the Klaus Schroder Professor and chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. “AI tools are only as effective as their operators. They do not replace expertise. Dr. Hoque’s work is a great illustration of this approach. We emphasize deep fundamental knowledge while also encouraging the use of AI. This ensures our graduates can effectively use, evaluate, guide, and validate AI-driven solutions.”

To better understand the educational impact of AI-assisted problem solving, Hoque collaborated with Farzana Rahman, an expert in computing and AI education. Together, they are investigating how students use AI tools, whether those tools support meaningful learning and how they influence confidence and problem-solving strategies.

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how students engage with complex technical tasks,” says Rahman. “AI can be a powerful learning aid, but we need to understand how to use it without compromising deep technical learning.”

Hoque plans to expand the CTF initiative by offering additional training sessions and forming student teams for regional and national competitions, further strengthening cybersecurity engagement within the EECS community.

The event is part of Hoque’s broader efforts, including , to advance education at the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

As two silver robotic dogs chased each other around the turf field inside the Ensley Athletic Center, 20 school-aged children reacted with excitement as they watched a robotics demonstration put on by .

Closer to the middle of the field, a Central New York high school student picked up a video game controller to steer a metallic robot with pointy spikes toward a target of balloons set up by .

These hands-on demos were just two of dozens of exhibits as part of the second Micron Day on Tuesday. The day’s events brought together more than 700 students—along with families, educators, industry leaders and community partners—to spotlightÌę potential career opportunities available in STEM.

“These programs give these students an invaluable opportunity to see what’s next for them,” says Kim Burnett ’91, Micron’s lead for social impact and community development. “They leave feeling like they can pursue a career in STEM and that they belong in the STEM field. When you give kids opportunities to have fun and learn while being meaningfully engaged, it adds up to a great day.”

The most popular exhibit at the Micron Day Tech Expo was the virtual reality (VR) education table. Students lined up to wear VR headsets that took them inside Cornell University’s cleanroom and introduced them to the semiconductor industry.

“This is a unique educational opportunity. These students are face-to-face with me in the cleanroom,” says Tom Pennell, Cornell Nanoscale Facility’s workforce development program manager. “All day I kept hearing students say, ‘that’s so cool!’ We’ve created scalable educational content that gets students excited about the possibilities by blending curiosity with the fun aspects of STEM.”

Getting Excited About STEM Possibilities

There were exhibitors conducting demonstrations and answering questions from 35 different organizations—including 13 representing Íű±ŹĂĆ—as well as Micron camps and activities, community partner organizations, military and emergency response partners, higher education institutions and local tech employers.

For students like Om Vaidya, a freshman at the in the Syracuse City School District, the day sparked something. Vaidya envisions a career in STEM and hopes to one day work in robotics.

“This has been a great learning experience. I’m always excited about STEM possibilities, and after today, I know more about what it will take to get a job in STEM,” Vaidya says. “The robotic dogs were really cool, and it tied back to what we’re learning in school about how the sensors and actuators work to power the robots.”

The STEAM High School was among the dozens of schools that attended Micron Day. For educators like Jody Manning, executive director of STEAM High School, the hands-on, interactive activities served to enhance and complement the lessons being taught in the classroom, creating a more authentic learning environment.

“Students need to realize just how many opportunities are available for them in STEM fields. Having Íű±ŹĂĆ and Micron serve as those key collaborators to make everything work for a day like this is crucial,” Manning says. “This sends a very clear message that we’re all in this together when it comes to creating STEM opportunities for the greater Syracuse area.”

Anyone Can Do This

After the robot dog demonstration, the middle and high school students were quick to approach Jiayu Ding G’26 and his classmates, eager to learn more about how the robots were able to easily move and chase after each other.

Over the summer, Ding helps run a six-week program where high school students gain coding skills and build robots from scratch.

Sharing the lessons from those classes with the students at Micron Day was a rewarding experience for Ding, who will graduate with a Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering in May.

“Everyone loved the demonstrations with the robot dogs, that was definitely making many of the students curious about the technology,” says Ding, a member of the . “It makes me happy seeing how excited the students are about STEM. They want to know everything there is to know about this technology. The great part is anyone can do this.”

After the expo, Micron Day featured additional programming focused on the families and caregivers of young people in the region. There was an esports competition in the University’s new Esports Classroom, followed by a town hall that educated parents and students about the clubs, campus and programs available at both the University and elsewhere in the region.

Micron Technology’s expansion in North Syracuse is expected to generate thousands of high-tech jobs in the coming years, but many Central New York (CNY) workers don’t yet have a clear path into those roles.

A new Íű±ŹĂĆ initiative called Q-SUCCEED-CNY—Quantum and Semiconductor Upskilling for Career Change through Experiential Education Deployment in Central New York—aims to change that. The workforce development program, led by faculty in the , helps adult learners with no prior technical background explore and prepare for careers in semiconductor, photonics and emerging quantum technologies.

“We are trying to tap into a larger community that has no prior technical background and awareness of this field, not those community members who already have tech background or who have already decided to pursue tech careers,” says Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor , who leads the program.

Who It’s For

Q-SUCCEED-CNY specifically targets people who may not have considered the tech sector: blue-collar workers, mid-career professionals in non-technical fields, veterans and individuals without STEM backgrounds. Through industry-aligned workshops, career exploration activities and hands-on experiential learning, participants build foundational technical skills and industry connections. Upon completing the program, participants receive a $2,400 stipend.

The initiative is led by Hasanovic alongside electrical engineering and computer science professors and , with project coordinator Anusha Ghimire managing operations and community partnerships.

How It Works

The program offers structured exposure to semiconductor, optics and quantum technology careers through a combination of educational programming and direct engagement with industry partners. It is supported by a broad network of affiliated organizations committed to regional workforce development, including Micron, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse City School District Adult Education, Westcott Community Center, Manufacturers Association of Central New York, NY CREATES, Cornell University, Toptica Photonics and Jubilee Homes.

How to Apply

Applications are open at . For more information, contact the Q-SUCCEED-CNY team at mhasanov@syr.edu or anghimir@syr.edu.

Shivam Kumar, a first-year Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Assistant Professor research group, recentlyÌęidentifiedÌęaÌęsecurity vulnerability in the Linux kernel,Ìęa keyÌęcomponentÌęof countless computing systems and the largest open-source project in existence.

For many people, the Linux kernel operates invisibly in the background. But its reach is enormous: servers, supercomputers, Android devices, embedded systems and cloud infrastructure all run some variant of it. “From the servers to the cloud, Linux is the silent engine powering virtually the whole internet,” says Hoque.

Working to Reduce Security Vulnerabilities

Kumar is a member of the (SecuritYÌęof NetworkedÌęsystEms), led by Hoque. The SYNE Lab works to reduce security vulnerabilities in computer software, developing tools that can automatically detect and repair potential vulnerabilities.

Kumar’s research focuses on a specific component of the Linux kernel: Non-Volatile Memory Express over TCP (NVMe/TCP), a communication protocol that enables data transfer between computing servers and remote storage systems over standard Ethernet networks. Widely adopted in modern data centers, the technology helps boost application performance, particularly in artificial intelligence training workloads and shared storage environments.

“In a desktop or laptop, the disk where data is stored is physically inside the machine,” Kumar says. “In contrast, computing servers often rely on storage located elsewhere—for example, in a remote storage server that houses a large pool of high-performance NVMe solid-state drives. NVMe/TCP is one of the protocols that allows computing servers to access these remote storage pools over a network while delivering performance that is close to having the drives locally attached.”

The SYNE Lab team is working on building anÌęautomated tool that will systematically find vulnerabilities in operating systems. In their preliminary testing, Kumar found a vulnerability thatÌębad actors could easily exploit.ÌęBy sending malicious input from a client machine, an attacker couldÌęcrashÌęa remote storage server, posingÌęa serious threat to data centers and the infrastructure they support.ÌęKumar discovered aÌęmissing input validation: the kernel code was not properly checkingÌęincoming data before processing it.

After discovering the vulnerability, Kumar and Hoque contacted the Linux developer team and spent several weeks working back and forth to reproduce the issue and create a fix. The SYNE Lab developed both a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the vulnerability and the patch itself.

Kumar originally came to Íű±ŹĂĆ as a master’s student, but after taking one of Hoque’s courses, his interest in operating systems grew. In 2025, he was accepted into the computer science Ph.D. program and is now a teaching assistant for CSE 486: Design of Operating Systems—the same topic that sparked his interest in pursuing his Ph.D.

“A student from ECS contributing to the security of the Linux kernel is a landmark achievement for the department,”Ìęsays Hoque. Kumar’sÌępatch has now been merged into the main Linux kernelÌęcodebase,Ìęwhere it will be pushed to all developers building on the platform going forward.

When Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC’s “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Feb. 1, investigators turned to the tools of forensic science—fingerprints, DNA and digital evidence from her cell phone and Ring doorbell camera.

More than two months later, the case remains unsolved, but it has put a spotlight on the pivotal role forensic science plays in active investigations, says , executive director of the (FNSSI) in the .

“Everyone wants to be their own forensic scientist, but it’s a very difficult job,” says Corrado, who co-founded the Onondaga County Cold Case Task Force and was director of the Onondaga County Crime Laboratory for more than 20 years. “You’re looking at minutiae for a long time, and you don’t always get that exciting result, something that can help solve the case.”

In the highly technical, ever-evolving field of forensic science, here are five things you may not have known about the work.

1. You Can’t Rush Forensic Science

Thirty years ago, when Corrado first entered the field, she says most people didn’t know about forensic science until the rise of fictional TV shows like “Quincy,” “CSI” and “NCIS,” which brought widespread interest to the field.

Now, with more people listening to true crime podcasts and watching true crime shows, Corrado says the public can feel a misplaced sense of frustration when a case isn’t immediately solved.

“The public may wonder why it takes investigators so long to get back DNA tests or toxicology results, but these things take a while,” Corrado says. “There’s a lot of pressure on forensic scientists to get things done faster, but we need to work meticulously and document everything. The last thing you want to do is rush and make a mistake.”

2. New Advancements Help Solve Cold Cases

New technological advancements have allowed investigators to obtain a profile from a very small amount of DNA. Instead of relying on blood or saliva, Corrado says investigators can gather DNA from items of clothing worn by a suspect or through something they touched.

Corrado says forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) is taking on a larger role, comparing collected DNA samples with publicly available databasesÌęon genealogy websites. FIGG has helped crack such high-profile cold cases as the Golden State Killer attacks, and Corrado says FIGG can be used in active investigations like the Nancy Guthrie case.

“Law enforcement can search these commercially available genealogy databases to expand their search,” Corrado says. “Instead of just looking at convicted individuals in the CODIS national DNA database; we can also search anyone who has contributed DNA to the genealogy database. Once there is a close match in the database which could be a distant relative of the perpetrator, genealogists can build family trees using public records to narrow down a list of candidates. The technology has been a real game changer.”

3. It’s About More Than Connecting a Suspect to a Crime

One of the most common misconceptions she encounters is that forensic scientists are only there to connect a suspect to a crime. Their job is to factually observe evidence, determine what it reveals and present findings to both sides in a criminal or civil case.

“It’s not our job to determine someone’s guilt or innocence,” Corrado says. “While a large amount of the work done by crime labs results in tying someone to the scene of a crime, many times the work we do excludes someone. It’s not just about tying people to a crime; it’s also helping to ensure that people aren’t wrongfully convicted.”

4. Classroom Experiences Range From Crime Scenes to the Courtroom

FNSSI courses include a crime scene analysis class, where students learn how to document potential sources of evidence, including crime scene photography. The class culminates with students examining a mock crime scene.

In the forensic DNA classes, students analyze biological evidence and identify different body fluids. Some courses provide students with experience testifying as a key witness in a mock trial before a prosecutor and defense attorney.

Students also explore the legal issues facing forensic scientists and learn how to maintain quality control when examining potential evidence.

“Forensic science changes rapidly,” Corrado says. “We give our students the foundational knowledge to understand what is going on now in the field, and then we tell them it’s on them to stay up to date on the latest trends by reading journal articles and attending conferences.”

5. Taught by Those Who Do the Work

Many of the full-time and adjunct faculty are either former forensic scientists or currently work as practitioners for agencies like the Onondaga County Center for Forensic Science, the New York State Police Department and the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Other faculty members work with forensic science companies to conduct biological, human and microbial DNA and forensic chemistry research, creating an opportunity for students to learn the most current procedures and technologies while also making connections in the field.

Students are also encouraged to intern with a local crime lab, medical examiner’s office or a federal agency.

“Receiving that exposure to current technologies while making connections is the best way for students to ensure they’re staying current in the field. It can really help them with their future career,” Corrado says.

The FNSSI also collaborates with DNA analysts from crime labs and coroners from across the state, training practitioners on the latest technological advancements in the field.

“These agencies need help bringing new technologies into the field, someone to make sure it works before the crime labs start implementing it,” Corrado says. “We collaborate with these organizations to help further the progress of forensic science.”

Ask what keeps him up at night about artificial intelligence and you won’t get a single answer.

The University’s senior vice president for digital transformation and chief digital officer is tracking several threads at once: how AI can reshape higher education, why the job market isn’t collapsing the way headlines suggest, what it will take to rebuild trust in online content, the need for regulation and where the University’s massive stores of data fit into all of it.

Rubin shared some of his recent thinking as a panelist at a Maxwell School fireside chat on digital transformation and AI in New York state. Here are four takeaways.

and the hosted students, researchers, industry leaders and government officials this week for the , putting Central New York’s rapidly expanding semiconductor and quantum technology ecosystem on display.

Held under the theme, “New York State Talent and Technology—Shaping the Future,” the daylong event at Goldstein Auditorium drew participants from NNN partner institutions across the state and from sponsors including , , , , and .

The University has made significant investments to anchor the region’s semiconductor and nanotechnology future. It also leads the for the , a federally designated consortium accelerating semiconductor innovation across Central New York. Together with , the University invested $20 million to build the (CASM) to train the next generation of semiconductor technicians and engineers.

Through the University’s , nearly 500 veterans have enrolled in semiconductor workforce training programs. The University also holds a $1 million NSF ExLENT grant providing adult learners, including mid-career professionals and veterans, with hands-on exposure to semiconductor, quantum and optical technologies. And the University’s now includes 18 faculty across three departments, with the 8,000-square-foot Quantum Technology Center expected to open this summer.

A Major PartnerÌę

“The investments Syracuse has made in facilities and faculty have positioned us to be a major partner to industry,” says University Vice President for Research . “Our faculty and labs allow our students to gain the skills that employers need. Events like the NNN Symposium are where students meet the people who will hire them, where faculty learn what industry needs and where the connections are made that turn research training into careers.”

Keynote addresses came from , chief business officer of GlobalFoundries and a Íű±ŹĂĆ engineering alumnus; , senior vice president and executive director of and , senior director of U.S. expansion programs for Micron. A workforce development panel brought together representatives from , , , and . Student researchers from NNN partner universities across the state presented their work in oral and poster formats, followed by a career fair connecting students directly with hiring companies.

Forefront Future

“The innovation and collaboration on display shows that Central New York is at the forefront of America’s nanotechnology and semiconductor future,” says Ìęinnovation concierge, NY SMART I-Corridor, workforce development pillar lead for the Upstate NY Energy Storage Engine and director of strategic partnerships for Íű±ŹĂĆ’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. He and Yoanna Ferrara, director of technology innovation in the Office of Research, organized the symposium. “We will carry this momentum forward by continuing to deepen partnerships between upstate New York universities, industry leaders and government to strengthen New York’s semiconductor ecosystem.”

Three Íű±ŹĂĆ faculty members—, and —have been named fellows of the (AAAS). The highly prestigious designation recognizes extraordinary achievements and contributions to the advancement of science.

Fifteen Syracuse faculty members have been named AAAS Fellows since 2004. This is the first time the honor has gone to three professors in a single year.

“This is one of the most distinguished honors a researcher can receive, and I am incredibly proud that three of our exceptional faculty members have earned this recognition,” says Lois Agnew, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “Their work reflects Íű±ŹĂĆ’s deep commitment to advancing knowledge that matters, both within our fields and for the world at large. We congratulate them on this well-deserved honor and look forward to the continued impact of their scholarship.”

Duncan Brown

Brown, the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics in the (A&S), has served as the University’s vice president for research since 2022. An internationally recognized leader in gravitational-wave astronomy, he was a founding member of the search for merging black holes that led to the discovery of gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

His current research focuses on the development of Cosmic Explorer, a proposed next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave observatory, and the use of gravitational-wave observations to explore the nuclear equation of state.

AAAS recognized Brown for “foundational contributions enabling the search for and discovery of gravitational waves from black hole and neutron star coalescences, and for leadership in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Cosmic Explorer.”

Kevin Crowston

Crowston is a distinguished professor of information science in the . His research explores how information and communication technology—particularly the internet and artificial intelligence—changes the way people work. He and his colleagues have explored Free/Libre Open Source Software development, citizen science, data science teamwork and the future of journalism, using a mix of observation, theory-building and tool design. His most recent project, supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, examines the impact of generative AI on human skill development and retention, particularly in programming.

AAAS recognized Crowston for “distinguished contributions to information science through groundbreaking research on coordination theory and virtual organizations, exceptional editorial leadership and dedicated service building interdisciplinary communities studying technology-mediated work.”

Lisa Manning

Manning is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Physics in A&S. Her research uses computer modeling and physics-based theory to understand how groups of cells behave in living tissue and how materials like glass or sand deform and break down.

Her work has real-world implications for cancer, wound healing, embryonic development and asthma. In 2019, she was named a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), an honor given to just half of 1% of the professional organization’s membership. She served as founding director of the from 2019-23.

AAAS recognized Manning for “distinguished contributions to the theory of mechanical response and adaptation in biological materials.”

Distinguished Group

Brown, Crowston and Manning join 12 other Syracuse faculty members previously named AAAS Fellows: , distinguished professor of physics (2024); , professor of physics and interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science (2023); , associate professor of biology (2023); , professor of electrical engineering and computer science (2018); , University Professor of Environmental Systems and Distinguished Professor, civil and environmental engineering (2017); , professor of physics and A&S interim associate dean for creativity, scholarship and research (2016); , dean emeritus and professor emeritus of biology (2013); , professor emerita of physics (2013); , professor emeritus of Earth and environmental sciences (2012); , professor emeritus of biology (2011); , professor of biology (2007); and , professor emeritus of political science (2004).

When two black holes collide and merge, they don’t go quietly. Instead, the resulting mega black hole rings like a struck bell, radiating energy outward through space-time in the form of gravitational waves.

The gravitational wave signal produced when two black holes merge is called the ringdown, and for physicist ’05, G’11, and his doctoral student Alex Correia, studying the ringdown may hold the key to rewriting our understanding of the universe.

Capano, research associate professor in the , and Correia, a third-year Ph.D. student, are part of a growing field of gravitational wave astronomy, a discipline that was barely possible a decade ago and is now producing results that could one day surpass even Einstein’s greatest work.

“We’re hoping to prove that Einstein was wrong,” says Capano, whose research has been funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). “We’re hoping to find some deviation from Einstein’s theory of general relativity, because that would point the way to a better, deeper understanding of our universe.”

Through black hole spectroscopy, a technique for analyzing how black holes merge, Capano and Correia want to learn if there are any discoverable abnormalities that could lead to significant breakthroughs.

Helping Us ‘Hear’ the Universe Better

Gravitational waves are invisible, high-speed ripples in the fabric of spacetime, and they were first recorded on Sept. 14, 2015, a landmark moment that confirmed Einstein’s prediction, made within his theory of general relativity, that gravitational waves exist.

But Einstein’s theories don’t just predict that black holes exist. They describe black holes with specific properties that can essentially be “heard,” detected through the damping energy produced when a black hole rings. That ringing, Capano explains, produces distinct modes or notes, much like striking a key on a piano.

“The question is, can you see more than one of these frequencies, or more than one of these notes, in the ringdown?” Capano says. “Is there a C note and an E note, or is there just a C note? That’s an important question because if you can see more than one note, then you can do some of these advanced tests of general relativity to see if the signal is consistent with it or if something could point to some new physics.”

Searching for an Answer in the Noise

The ringdown signal Capano and Correia are tracking fades almost instantly, swallowed by noise in milliseconds. Extracting meaningful measurements requires cutting-edge computational methods.

“A lot of what I’m working on is trying to figure out efficient ways of cutting out the earlier part of the signal because we’re only interested in the ending part, the ringdown,” says Correia, who has published several papers with Capano highlighting their findings. “We have a signal and we want to extract the actual parameters of the black holes merging, their masses, their angular momentums and their frequency.”

Capano and Correia developed a method to explore whether these colliding black holes were producing one note or multiple notes. Initially, their findings couldn’t prove either outcome conclusively, but then, last year, there was a detection that was three times stronger than the initial discovery of gravitational waves.

Before the results were made public, Capano and Correia ran simulations to project what the ringdown waveform would look like, and when the findings were released six months later, they matched what Capano and Correia had predicted.

“We found strong evidence in favor of seeing at least one of those notes in the signal,” Correia says. “With that strong signal, it seems to suggest that yes, you can clearly see more than one note; you can see two notes in the ringdown.”

Strong Bond Forged Between Mentor and Mentee

For Correia, the path to Syracuse ran through the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where he first began working with Capano as a master’s student.

When Capano joined the Syracuse faculty, Correia followed along, drawn by both continuing to work with his mentor and the strength of the gravitational waves research at the University.

“Alex is a very good student and he’s methodical with his research,” Capano says. “He has a good handle on both the theories and the computational, day-to-day work that drives this research forward.”

The work behind their research can be grueling, spending month after month “grinding away at problems without knowing why they happen,” Correia says.

That dedication earned Correia a trip to Scotland for the preeminent gathering of scientists working in relativity and gravitational waves, the combined International Conference on General Relativity and GravitationÌęand Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves.

“That’s the most rewarding part, sharing this groundbreaking research with people and getting insight from other researchers,” says Correia, whose trip was funded by Capano’s NSF grant.

Every major physics breakthrough began with an experiment that revealed a crack in the prevailing theory. Capano and Correia are hunting for that crack.

“We’re hoping gravitational waves will turn up experimental evidence that shows the current paradigm doesn’t explain everything,” Capano says. “Once we have that experimental evidence, someone will be able to turn that into new theories, which is exciting.”

In the College of Arts and Sciences, students do more than simply learn about the world. They learn how to change it for the better, thanks to a liberal arts education that gives them the versatility to make a difference in whatever direction life leads.

Consider graduates from the (EES). Working alongside faculty whose expertise ranges from solid earth sciences to paleoclimatology to water resources, they gain hands-on experience through field work, geochemical and geophysical methods, quantitative analysis and professional skills development. This comprehensive training as scholar-scientists prepares students to shape environmental policy, advance climate science, innovate sustainable solutions and inspire public engagement with the natural world.

A&S recently caught up with EES alumni whose prominent roles include advising Congress on environmental legislation and designing sustainable footwear. Their diverse career paths reflect how an A&S education equips graduates to solve problems that demand both subject-matter expertise and humanistic insight.

Bringing Sustainability to Footwear

Walk into any major shoe store, and you might spot a product inspired by Earth sciences alum Pete Lankford ’87, ’92. Among iconic designs he helped create is Timberland’s , known for its distinctive golden-tan color. During his career at Timberland, Lankford didn’t just design trend-driven footwear; he also pioneered sustainability in the industry through the Earthkeepers brand, using eco-friendly materials and design principles.

Lankford’s path to becoming a pioneer of sustainable footwear was far from linear, but his time at Íű±ŹĂĆ provided the crucial foundation. After initially enrolling in Syracuse’s architecture program, he discovered the field wasn’t the right fit. Drawing on his family background, where his father was an oceanographer and geology professor, he switched to Earth sciences. There, he developed a passion for studying the Earth that would carry throughout his career.

“The thing I love about geology, and this is why it translates to design, is you have to imagine what was there before,” he says. “You have to imagine the forces that created what you’re seeing. You’re not just looking at what’s there. You’re trying to figure out what was there and what happened.”

A pivotal moment that shaped Lankford’s career trajectory came during his junior and senior years at Syracuse, when he took on a work-study position in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. His responsibilities ranged from preparing thin sections of rock samples for microscopic analysis to photo-documenting paleontology specimens for graduate students and faculty, as well as assisting with the construction of test equipment.

It was during this time that his supervisor, who was a department technician in EES and was also a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Industrial Design (ID) program, introduced him to the field of ID. “The idea instantly appealed to me,” Lankford recalls, attracted to the opportunity to create diverse products and master the entire design process.

Lankford stayed at Syracuse to pursue a second undergraduate degree in Industrial Design. This unique combination of Earth science and design became his signature advantage during his 18 years at Timberland, where CEO Jeffrey Swartz tapped him to lead sustainability initiatives. Lankford’s geological knowledge proved extremely important to this work.

“If you’re going to think about sustainability, you have to understand the carbon cycle,” says Lankford. “My degree in a field of science also taught me the power of a logic-based approach to problem solving—for example, through the scientific method of observation, hypothesis, testing, evaluation and conclusions.” His foundational education in science became invaluable as he pioneered sustainable footwear, creating what he calls his “critical creative mindset” that allows him to shift fluidly back and forth between ‘what if’ and then ‘how.’

After his time at Timberland, Lankford joined Erem, a startup founded by the Swartz family to advance sustainable footwear even further. There, he developed performance desert hikers designed to return safely and completely to the Earth—able to reenter the carbon cycle without causing harm. Erem described this approach as “bio-circular,” highlighting the footwear’s ability to break down naturally and responsibly.

“That was probably the biggest career challenge in my life,” Lankford says, describing months spent sourcing eco-friendly materials like dry, twisted linen thread from obscure manufacturers. The Erem work became what he calls “the best work I’ve ever done,” landing a product that changed the industry conversation from whether sustainable performance footwear was possible to how competitors could catch up. For Lankford, his Syracuse education, bridging Earth Sciences and Industrial Design, was the first step toward his trailblazing career in sustainable footwear.

Informing Environmental Policy on Capitol Hill

Keeping our oceans safe requires a complex set of specific regulations. From managing fishing quotas to protecting marine ecosystems as climate change threatens habitats, the United States Congress can legislate and provide important oversight to safeguard this critical resource. Without congressional intervention, some short-term interests could damage the ocean ecosystems that humanity depends on for its survival and prosperity. But in order to act on policy proposals, members of Congress must first understand them. That’s where Caitlin Keating-Bitonti ’09 comes in.

Keating-Bitonti works as a natural resources policy specialist for the Congressional Research Service, where she applies her scientific training to help members of Congress make informed policy decisions. She uses analytical skills she developed at Syracuse, such as synthesizing complex information, evaluating evidence objectively and communicating findings clearly, as the backbone of her daily work.

“What I like about the job is helping them get the information they need to make their own sound decisions,” she explains. She takes pride in knowing that behind the scenes, “things aren’t very political. Both sides are just trying to do good policy, and we’re trying to help them with the research and analysis to get them there.”

Being able to apply her knowledge to make a difference for the better is something she aspired to as a student at Syracuse, where she worked with EES Professor . During her first semester, she began working in Ivany’s paleontology lab, a position she maintained throughout her undergraduate years.

That early research experience proved transformative. With Ivany’s mentorship, Keating-Bitonti wrote and published a peer-reviewed paper in the journal , a significant milestone at that stage of academic training. The research examined ancient shell fossils from the U.S. Gulf Coast to understand what Earth’s climate was like 52 to 54 million years ago—one of the warmest periods in recent geological history. Her findings revealed that ocean temperatures then were surprisingly similar to today, just a few degrees warmer, offering insights into what our planet might look like as it continues to warm.

The mentorship model she experienced at Syracuse continues to shape her approach to her work. Just as Ivany gave her autonomy while providing guidance, Keating-Bitonti now helps policymakers navigate complex issues by presenting options without bias.

“The Earth sciences department just went above and beyond for me,” she says when reflecting on her time at Syracuse. Her education—particularly Ivany’s encouragement to tackle challenging research, embrace intellectual rigor and persevere through setbacks—built the foundation for a career serving the public good through analysis that shapes national policy.

When Jean-Laurent Lareyre was paired with a Syracuse student for an engineering class assignment in 2023, he had no idea where that connection would lead.

The project at Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in Strasbourg, France, sparked something unexpected: a passion for helping American students navigate life abroad.

Since that initial pairing, Lareyre—who goes by JoJo—has become an invaluable guide and friend to more than sixty (ECS) students studying in France.

What began as tutoring in physics and electrical engineering classes has evolved into something far richer. Lareyre now helps students explore Strasbourg and the surrounding Alsace region, introducing them to hidden gems and local experiences they might otherwise miss.

“They are curious and want to experience life in Strasbourg,” says Lareyre. “I love when they invite me along. I want them to discover every part of student life at INSA and in Strasbourg.”

Lareyre’s own international background makes him a natural cultural bridge. Originally from Mauritius in East Africa, he also lived in China as a child and now speaks Chinese, French-Creole, German and English fluently.

“For me, it’s important to communicate with everyone,” he says. “We’re all engineers. We have the same skills, so we relate to each other well.”

His adventures with Syracuse students and staff have included mountain hiking trips. He understands their desire to make the most of studying abroad—it mirrors his own journey.

“I wanted to go abroad. I didn’t see myself always staying in the same country,” Lareyre says. “My parents traveled a lot, and I want to be like them.”

“JoJo has been a tutor, mentor and friend to years of Syracuse and ECS students studying abroad. He has been a wonderful role model—a high-achieving engineering student with an international perspective and a warm, engaging and fun personality. We’ve adopted him as fullyÌę Syracuse,” says John Goodman, the director of the .

Now balancing graduate studies at INSA with an engineering position at a pharmaceutical company in Strasbourg, Lareyre isn’t certain where his career will take him next. But he hopes the connections he’s made will come full circle.

“It would be so much fun to reconnect with students I met in Strasbourg when I’m in the United States,” he says. “Maybe someday they’ll be my guides.”

A new minor in artificial intelligence science and engineering is designed to equip students with essential knowledge and skills in one of today’s most transformative fields. The minor, offered through the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), will launch in the Fall 2026 semester.

New technologies such as Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are changing paradigms. The entire technology industry is pivoting toward the embrace of artificial intelligence. Coding agents are changing the way software is developed. Retrieval-augmented generation is changing the way companies manage data, and new systems promise further disruption. The new minor is designed to prepare students to thrive in this environment—providing them with skills highly sought after by employers in the age of AI.

The 18-credit program combines core computing principles with specialized AI coursework, preparing graduates to navigate and contribute to the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. It can be easily paired with other STEM majors.

The minor requires completion of 18 credits divided into two components:

Computing Foundations (nine credits): Students build essential technical skills through coursework focused on computational disciplines, establishing the groundwork necessary for advanced AI study and providing the programming and mathematical basis to understand advanced concepts such as language models and supervised machine learning.

AI Fundamentals and Programming (nine credits): These courses delve into artificial intelligence concepts, methodologies and applications, enabling students to develop expertise in this cutting-edge field. Courses include a strong focus on machine learning, using generative AI systems to create software and understanding large language models for various applications such as retrieval-augmented generation.

This minor is open to all University undergraduate students. It is designed for students seeking to enhance their primary degree with AI competencies.

Graduates of the program will possess key knowledge in artificial intelligence, positioning them competitively for careers in technology, research, data science and emerging AI-driven industries. As organizations across sectors increasingly integrate AI into their operations, this minor provides students with highly sought-after qualifications.

For more information about admission requirements and course offerings, students should contact their academic advisor or Priyantha Kumarawadu, associate teaching professor of electrical engineering and computer science and computer science undergraduate program director, at spkumara@syr.edu.

Six Central New York businesses that are working to advance semiconductor manufacturing capabilities have received funding of more than $350,000 through the new .

“Íű±ŹĂĆ is an economic engine in Central New York due to our strategic focus on strengthening partnerships, meeting the emerging needs of regional employers and preparing our students for the future,” saysÌę, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation. “The NY THRIVE awards administered by the Collaboration and Commercialization Center are a prime example of how the University is stepping up to build the innovation economy of tomorrow in our community.”

The program provides companies with access to academic research capabilities, specialized equipment and faculty expertise to accelerate the development and commercialization of semiconductor technologies. It’s administered by the Íű±ŹĂĆ-led NY SMART I-Corridor’s , and includes partners Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester and University at Buffalo.

“The NY THRIVE awards exemplify the power of industry-academic partnerships in advancing semiconductor manufacturing innovation,” says , vice president for research and principal investigator of C3. “Íű±ŹĂĆ is proud to serve as a catalyst for technological advancement in New York’s growing semiconductor ecosystem. By connecting companies with world-class research facilities and faculty expertise, we’re helping to build the next generation of manufacturing capabilities that will strengthen our regional economy and position New York as a global leader in semiconductor innovation.”

NY THRIVE recipients are:

TTM Technologies Inc. (Syracuse) will collaborate with the research group led by , professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), to evaluate sintering interface processing for printed circuit board manufacturing, investigating the effects on post-process state to improve interconnect reliability between adjacent layers.

TunaBotics (Syracuse) is leveraging R&D resources (space, equipment and personnel) at Íű±ŹĂĆ through the research group led by , associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in ECS, to test prototypes of compliant robotic grippers for advanced electronics manufacturing applications.

IBEX Materials (Buffalo) will demonstrate the feasibility and effects of repurposing silicon waste from the semiconductor industry as a core feedstock for advanced lithium-ion battery anodes, addressing environmental impact reduction in semiconductor manufacturing.

Menlo Micro (Ithaca) will establish next-generation through-glass via (TGV) solutions for its microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switches, which are already in significant commercial use in RF, high-speed digital, quantum compute and AC/DC power applications, including AI data centers, industrial automation and building infrastructure. This award strengthens Menlo Micro’s market leadership and ongoing scaling efforts to advance glass substrate technologies critical for next-generation MEMS and microelectronic solutions.

OWiC Technologies (Ithaca) will scale up manufacturing of small photoelectronic electrochemical synthesizers (SPECS), breakthrough millimeter-scale wireless semiconductor devices for high-throughput electrosynthesis.

Photonect Interconnect Solutions Inc. (Rochester) will review and fabricate components for their prototype PIX-Attach, a first-of-its-kind, laser splicing system for high-volume photonic integration. The project will directly support prototyping, production-level V1 development and testing to enhance durability, precision and thermal stability.

“This first round of THRIVE Innovation Vouchers marks another important step in translating the NY SMART I-Corridor’s vision into tangible results for businesses across Upstate New York,” says Joseph Stefko, regional innovation officer for NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub. “By giving companies direct access to world-class research facilities, advanced equipment and technical expertise, we’re lowering barriers to commercialization and accelerating the growth of a stronger, more competitive semiconductor ecosystem. These vouchers don’t just support individual firms; they strengthen the entire innovation pipeline that is positioning Upstate New York as a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing, innovation and supply chain.”

About NY SMART I-Corridor

The NY SMART I-Corridor is a federally designated Tech Hub with a coalition of over 100 organizations—spanning businesses, higher education, economic development groups and community-based organizations. Together, they are positioning Upstate New York as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, innovation and workforce development.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) , authorized by the , provides funding for regional technology development with matching support from the Empire State Development .