Ryan Schram, a veteran industry leader and strategic advisor at the intersection of content, commerce and creativity, has been named the inaugural executive director of ������’s Center for the Creator Economy.

A first-of-its-kind academic center on a U.S. college campus, the�� aligns strengths at ������ in entrepreneurship, media, communications, athletics and digital infrastructure, charting how higher education can prepare students for the 21st-century economy. Launched last fall, the center is led jointly by the����and the��—two of the top schools in their respective fields.

Schram, who will start Aug. 3, will guide the center’s growth as it expands its academic programs, research and industry partnerships. His appointment brings a practitioner’s perspective to the University’s trailblazing initiative.

��������������ٳ󲹲԰�������for his vision that created the center.

“Syracuse has done what no other university has: build the first academic center for the creator economy with the ambition of becoming the global authority on curriculum, research and rankings in this space,” Schram says. “As someone who has spent the last decade and a half building businesses in this industry, I see real value in leading it from a practitioner’s vantage point. I am excited for what we will build together in the years to come.”

Schram’s 25-plus year career includes extensive experience across public and private companies. He was recognized as a Top 10 Global Chief Operating Officer at the 2023 OnCon Icon Awards and as a Top 101 COO by Boardroom Media in 2022.

Most recently, Schram worked at Particle Wave, where he was managing partner for the boutique advisory firm that counsels leading companies on navigating the rapidly evolving creator economy. He also spent 13 years, including 12 as president and COO, at IZEA, a global leader in professional services, technology and talent representation.

Before IZEA, he was��group��vice��president at Merkle (formerly HelloWorld/ePrize) and held roles of increasing responsibility at Westwood One and iHeartMedia.

“Ryan brings the vision, industry experience and entrepreneurial mindset needed to lead the Center for the Creator Economy at this pivotal moment,” says , dean of the Newhouse School. “He understands how storytelling, audience development, technology and business come together in today’s media landscape. We are looking forward to working with Ryan to build a vibrant hub at the University that leads across the evolving creative economy.”

“The creator economy represents one of the fastest-evolving sectors of the global economy, and Ryan has spent his career helping organizations navigate that change,” says , interim dean of the Whitman School of Management. “His practitioner perspective, combined with his commitment to innovation and collaboration, will help ensure the Center for the Creator Economy continues to shape how we prepare future business and creative leaders.”

Poised to Flourish��

The Center for the Creator Economy enters its second year with expanding programming and positive momentum. The University is launching a creator economy minor this fall, providing a new path��for students to build careers in content creation, digital entrepreneurship and the��practitioner��ecosystem reshaping how ideas, audiences and businesses are��built��online.

Besides courses from Whitman and Newhouse, the minor includes electives offered by other schools and colleges, including a Name, Image and Likeness class offered from the , and Music Industry Marketing and Media from the .

Programs and academic offerings from the center are available to students from all schools and colleges at the University, and the minor’s interdisciplinary design reflects the scope of the creator economy itself. According to Goldman Sachs Research, nearly 50 million people globally work as full- or part-time creators, and the sector could be worth $480 billion by 2027.

The center’s physical home at the Newhouse School, which opened this past spring, features areas for collaboration and programming, and new podcast production booths are slated to open in the fall.

Eleven ������ students and alumni have been selected as 2026 recipients of awards, with three additional students named as alternates. The prestigious program, which funds English teaching assistantships and study/research grants in more than 140 countries, will send this year’s Syracuse cohort across four continents to teach, conduct research and build cross-cultural connections.

The 2026 recipients are the following:

• Bobby Battle ’26 (School of Education), English Teaching Assistantship (ETA), Spain
• Christian Bevilacqua ’24, G’26 (School of Education, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences), study grant, United Kingdom
• Gabriel Calloway ’26 (Maxwell School and A&S), ETA, Brazil
• Andrew Danik G’23 (Maxwell School), research award, Namibia
• Molly Grow ’26 (School of Education), ETA, South Korea
• Troyesha Parks ’22, G’23 (Falk College of Sport, Maxwell School), ETA, Taiwan
• Maya Philipp (Ph.D. in biology, College of Arts and Sciences), Azores Regional Government Research Award, Portugal
• Sarah Schreiber ’26 (Maxwell School and A&S), ETA, Cambodia
• Iona Volynets ’24 (Maxwell School and A&S), research award, Kazakhstan
• Anya von Wolff ’26 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), Fulbright Combined Award, Austria
• Ernestine Whitaker G’26 (Ph.D. student in anthropology, Maxwell School), study grant, Italy

Three additional students were named alternates: Nathaniel Hasanaj ’25 (Maxwell School and A&S), ETA, Kosovo; Sarah Leonard ’26 (School of Education), ETA, Spain; and Lilyan Minicozzi ’26 (VPA), study grant, United Kingdom.

Two of the recipients—Maya Philipp and Sarah Schreiber—show the two sides of the program up close: one heading abroad to conduct research, the other to teach.

Maya Philipp: Tracking Whales in the Azores

Philipp will spend her Fulbright year in the Azores, working with researchers at the Institute of Marine Science–Okeanos at the University of the Azores to study sperm whale distribution and behavior.

Her project draws on high-resolution biologging tags that capture audio, location and movement data from whales, paired with satellite oceanographic data, allowing her to model where the animals are likely to be and what they’re doing at any given time.

The work will form the third chapter of her doctoral dissertation, which examines how large whales’ movement patterns reveal the “prey landscapes” they navigate in shifting marine environments.

Philipp’s research carries real stakes beyond her dissertation. The Azores sit along one of the busiest shipping corridors connecting the Americas and Europe, and rising vessel traffic has coincided with a growing number of sperm whale injuries and deaths. By predicting where whales will surface and travel, Philipp’s models could help ships steer clear of high-risk zones, reducing collisions while also helping whale-watching operators locate the animals.

Beyond the science, Philipp sees the year as a chance to deepen her Portuguese and immerse herself in local life, serving as a cultural ambassador as much as a researcher.

“By the end of the program, I hope to come away with insights that can help protect sperm whales while serving the local economy, and collaborations that will continue well after my time as a Fulbright researcher,” she says.

Sarah Schreiber: Teaching English in Cambodia

Schreiber says her background in international relations and environmental policy gives her a unique perspective on the English��language learning classroom.

“I have been a language student myself many times, which will aid me in understanding my students’ needs and designing exercises that work best for them,” she says. “My studies at Syracuse taught me the intercultural communication skills necessary to succeed.”

Her interest in Cambodia traces back to an undergraduate paper on women under the Khmer Rouge, which she wrote for a course on atrocity studies. It left her wanting to understand more about how Cambodia has rebuilt itself over the past three decades. She’s spent the months leading up to her departure studying Khmer and connecting with fellow Fulbright grantees headed to the region.

Beyond the classroom, Schreiber plans to volunteer after school hours running English clubs, and possibly a dance club as well, as part of a broader effort to serve as a thoughtful guest in the country and a genuine cultural bridge between Cambodia and the United States.

All students were assisted by the (CFSA) in the preparation of their Fulbright applications. Students and alumni interested in the 2026-27 Fulbright cycle should contact the CFSA at cfsa@syr.edu.

When the Orange women’s basketball team earned its spot in the NCAA Tournament this spring, head coach ’89 wasn’t expecting company from incoming Chancellor J. Michael Haynie on Selection Sunday.

“I’m not thinking anyone is going to come over to our party,” Legette-Jack says of the appearance by Haynie, who had just been named the University’s 13th president and chancellor a week and a half earlier. “And not only did he come, but he stayed almost to the very end. He celebrated with the team and the fans.”

For Legette-Jack, the moment said something about who Haynie is. “He’s a listener. He’s an enthusiast. He’s very intelligent,” she says. “I sense that he’s going to see all of us and our goodness, and if we have struggles, he’s going to be an ear to listen.”

That leadership instinct—to show up, pay attention and treat people like they matter—runs through the accounts of students, faculty, community leaders and national figures who have worked alongside Haynie during his nearly two decades at ������.

He Meets People Where They Are

When , professor and director of the in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and a member of the chancellor search committee, invited Haynie to tour the Nancy Cantor Warehouse earlier this spring, she noticed something right away: he came alone.

“There was no driver, no ‘handlers,’ no entourage of any kind,” Stokes-Rees says. “It feels like he really prioritizes doing things himself and taking the time to make personal connections.”

As they walked through the fashion design studio on the seventh floor, Haynie recognized the first student they encountered, by name. He knew her sorority and that he was having dinner with them the following Tuesday.

“This little moment is a perfect example of who he is,” Stokes-Rees says. “Truly student-focused, super friendly and energetic with everyone he meets. He brings a genuine desire to be actively involved in all aspects of University life.”

Legette-Jack sees the same quality in how Haynie communicates. “He can come to your level of communication,” she says. “You don’t feel like you’re speaking to somebody way above you.”

He Listens First, Then Acts

Thomas O’Brien ’25, a VPA film program alumnus and project coordinator with the , traces his working relationship with Haynie to a single moment.

As a junior, O’Brien was invited to speak at New Student Convocation in the JMA Wireless Dome. Afterward, in the green room, Haynie handed him a neon sticky note with his email address and two words: “Let’s talk.”

“I still have the sticky note to this day,” O’Brien says.

Within two weeks, O’Brien was in Haynie’s office discussing his social media business. Over the following year, their conversations shifted. It was no longer about O’Brien’s venture, but explored a bigger question: How could ������ meaningfully explore the creator economy?

That exchange helped lay the groundwork for the Center for the Creator Economy, a joint initiative between the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where O’Brien develops programming for student creators as the center’s first full-time employee.

“He saw me, heard me and wanted me to succeed. He gave me a shot, and I took it,” O’Brien says. “That’s what university leaders should always aim to do.”

Leonel “Leo” Aviles ’26, a recent graduate of the , Marine Corps veteran and outgoing president of the , experienced a similar pattern of connection leading to opportunity.

After getting to know Aviles through veteran events and regular meetings with the organization’s executive board, Haynie introduced him to Erik Smith, president and CEO of Saab’s U.S. operations, during a Syracuse football game where Aviles was honored as a Hometown Hero. That introduction led to Aviles securing a position as a cyber analyst at Saab after graduation.

“He did this simply because he wanted to help,” Aviles says. “He saw potential in me and took the initiative to create an opportunity without expecting anything in return.”

He Has the Record to Match

Haynie’s reach extends well beyond campus. Bob McDonald, who served as U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) from 2014-17 and is the former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble, first sought out Haynie as a leader in the veterans space. McDonald asked him to serve as vice chair of the VA’s external advisory committee. When the chair stepped back for family obligations, Haynie became the de facto leader.

“He deserves credit for the transformation of the VA, raising trust among veterans from 47% to near 80%,” McDonald says. “He knows how to lead and is great at building strategic partnerships and robust systems that deliver results.”

That reach is visible in the work Haynie built at Syracuse and championed nationally. Megan Andros, director of workforce and veterans at The Heinz Endowments, has worked alongside Haynie for more than a decade through the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), which he founded.

What stays with her is his knack for seeing challenges before others do. Years ago, she was invited to a meeting Haynie convened with the U.S. Department of Defense, bringing higher education and the military together to collaborate—rather than compete—in the face of shared recruiting and enrollment pressures, long before those pressures became the crisis confronting universities today.

“He recognizes the most important issues early, and he gets the right people in the room to work on them before they become crises,” Andros says. “That combination of foresight, conviction, and the ability to move people toward a shared goal for the greater good is exactly what Syracuse needs as it steps into its next chapter.”

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon witnessed Haynie’s steady, guiding hand during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recruitment of Micron Technology to the Central New York region.

“I think certainly his military background played out during the pandemic as the JMA Wireless Dome turned into essentially one of the largest healthcare testing facilities,” McMahon says of Haynie’s track record of leading the University’s COVID response. “Being able to get the school open, and have it stay open, with the rigorous regulatory environment that we were in was a testament to his leadership.”

McMahon sees that same steady hand at work as the region positions itself around Micron’s planned semiconductor investment. “This next chapter is one where the University has real opportunities to grow in disciplines that maybe historically they weren’t competing in,” he says. “He understands the opportunity at hand.”

Back on campus, Stokes-Rees sees a university positioned to meet the moment.

“At a time when higher education faces real disruption, Syracuse needs a leader who leans into innovation rather than away from it, and that is exactly who Mike Haynie is,” she says.

Sam Kurland ’26 spent more than five years in and out of hospitals to treat chronic brain inflammation when she was 10 years old. Kurland’s doctors eventually diagnosed her with autoimmune encephalopathy, caused by an infection.

The PET scan that displayed widespread inflammation in her brain became the inspiration for Kurland’s business venture: a line of high-end fashion garments featuring blown-up imagery of brain scans, cancer cell slides and histology printed onto clothing and accessories.

“I want to turn something scary into something beautiful,” says Kurland, who earned a graphic design major from the and a minor in fashion design from the . “You wouldn’t even know you were looking at medical imagery when you’re looking at the pieces.”

Kurland arrived at the without a business plan, a legal entity or a clear sense of what came next.

On her first visit, Sarah Schreiber ’26 sat down and produced a document highlighting Kurland’s business goals—including her dream of one day dressing celebrities for the Met Gala—that served as the foundation for a business plan.

“She got the ideas in my head and turned them into something concrete,” Kurland says. “That was the moment when I thought, okay, I can actually do this. We’re all going through this totally new experience of starting our businesses together.”

Turning a Concept Into a Product

Kurland hopes to launch her clothing line—featuring dresses, blouses, handbags, ties and pocket squares—for presale by the end of the month.

A scan of Kurland’s brain tumor adorns the front of a tank top, while imagery of her sister’s rare thoracic injury inspired another of Kurland’s fashion pieces.

Twenty percent of proceeds will go directly to the specific medical research initiatives depicted in each piece. Kurland has been in contact with medical research facilities to secure additional imaging.

“What we wear matters. I’m trying to bring meaning back to clothing. There is emotional resonance and value that goes beyond something looking cute,” Kurland says.

Kurland plans to launch on Coveted, a mobile fashion marketplace founded by fellow LaunchPad member Naheem Cadiz III ’28.

That kind of peer-driven support defines the LaunchPad experience for many student entrepreneurs.

Finding His Place, Then Paying It Forward

Shahaan Khan had just started working at the LaunchPad when he overheard a student entrepreneur, Haley Greene, discussing the difficulty of finding a reliable backend developer for her mental health app, Miirror.

Khan, who is pursuing a master’s degree in applied human-centered AI from the , helped Greene better understand behavioral patterns of Miirror’s app users, including how and where users were engaging with the platform. Just as important, Khan showed where users were abandoning the app.

Last semester, Khan held weekly AI office hours at the LaunchPad for students seeking guidance on AI tools to advance their ideas.

“When I’m in the LaunchPad, I just think of it as all my friends,” Khan says. “It’s a warm environment, an open-concept space where everybody cares about helping solve the problems we’re all working on.”

Competitors Who Coach Each Other

After Kurland and Greene competed for Hult Prize funding, Greene approached Kurland with a suggestion for improving her pitch.

As she listened to Kurland’s pitch, Greene noticed that Kurland’s personal story—her years spent in the hospital and the medical journey that inspired the brand—wasn’t featured prominently enough in the presentation. Greene pulled up Kurland’s slide deck and started rearranging it.

“Haley said, ‘Your story is your product,’” Kurland says. “‘That’s so much more powerful.’ And she’s right. It’s not like anyone can just make this. It’s because of my passion for helping fund medical research that makes it what it is.”

Kurland incorporated the feedback, restructuring her pitch deck to lead with the more personal narrative rather than the product itself.

“That’s just the kind of supportive environment we have among entrepreneurs on campus,” Kurland says. “Students don’t view each other as competitors. Everyone is willing to offer advice and feedback to help you improve your idea.”

Learning Together, Growing Together

When entrepreneur Jacob Kaplan ’27 expressed interest in wearing one of Kurland’s pieces at a LaunchPad pitch event, she decided to branch out into menswear.

“I almost turned a blind eye to that possibility, but thankfully, I was able to connect with the right people who opened my eyes to a whole new audience,” Kurland says.

For Kurland and countless student entrepreneurs, the LaunchPad doesn’t simply offer access to resources; it provides a community where students can bounce ideas off each other.

“I don’t have a team,” Kurland says. “But it feels like I’m not doing it alone. If I’m stressed or I don’t know what the next move is, I can go, and there are people there who are willing to help. That collaborative space is truly special.”

“Why have you traveled so far to be here? Why are you here?” Rev. Akhona Masiza asked the , local choirs and concertgoers at the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. “The world is out of tune. And yet, I marvel at the sight in this room.”

It was truly marvelous. In May, over 50 members of the Hendricks Chapel Choir (HCC) visited South Africa—the choir’s first-ever visit to the African continent. The HCC performed six times in 11 days, from Johannesburg to Cape Town and several places in between. HCC Director José “Peppie” Calvar set the tone before departure: “During these trips, the choir is building a global network of kindness that lasts for a lifetime. Our choir students will develop lasting connections with each other and with the South African students they meet along the way,” he said.

Lasting Connections and Beautiful Concerts

The tour’s first dual-billed concert featured the University of Johannesburg Choir and the HCC performing as peers—comparing notes and breaking bread before sharing the stage. Each choir performed separately, then combined their voices to sing “Tshotsholoza,” a well-known South African song traditionally sung by migrant workers. Baritone Samuel Mincey ’28 featured prominently in the lively number.

At Aan-die-Berg Gemeente, a Dutch Reformed church in Randburg, baritone Nick Dekaney ’26 sang his first solo on South African soil, performing “Hlohonofatsa,” a traditional South African song. The choir then visited Rietondale High School, where the energy was electric from the moment they arrived. Destiny, a Rietondale student, declared that she plans to sing forever, inspired by what she heard.

“An experience I will carry with me is singing with the Rietondale High School Choir,” said HCC member Aurelia Harp ’28. “Each and every student in that choir carries a true passion for music and everyone wanted to sing. The students had such a positive energy and it made me feel very welcome in their community and excited to sing.”

Culture, History and the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir

Between concerts, choir members immersed themselves in South Africa’s rich and complicated history. They visited the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s house and Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s house in Soweto, went on a safari in Pilanesburg, toured the Union Buildings in Pretoria and hiked in the Drakensberg Mountains. HCC members picked up greetings in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans, often wearing their “be kind.” shirts—wearing their hearts on their sleeves, both figuratively and literally.

A highlight of the Pietermaritzburg leg was a workshop with the internationally acclaimed Drakensberg Boys’ Choir. The two groups combined for vocal and physical warmups, exchanged songs and sang “Tshotsholoza” together, a fitting echo of the tour’s spirit of connection. The HCC also performed that evening at the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary alongside several local choirs, where soprano Eleanor Cjzakowski ’24 G’29 captivated the audience with the traditional spiritual hymn “I’ve Been in the Storm So Long.” Rev. Masiza’s challenge to the choir lingered long after the concert ended: they had come, he suggested, to relearn the dance of love and to make God known again as song.

Cape Town: The Final Leg

The final concert was held at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town—a venue rich with history from the anti-apartheid movement and long directed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Much like Hendricks Chapel, the cathedral is known as a place of prayer and a space where people of all faiths meet in common acceptance. The HCC shared the stage with the University of the Western Cape Creative Arts Choir, and well-known South African musician Zolani Mahola was thrilled to hear both groups perform the traditional isiXhosa tune “Bawo.” Organists Anne Laver, associate professor in the Setnor School of Music and University organist; Annie Spink G’26 and Michael Guarneiri ’28 also showcased their skills on the cathedral’s stunning instrument.

For several choir members who had graduated just a week before the trip, the Cape Town concert was more than the last show of the tour—it was the last time they would sing together in their current formation. The Western Cape choir students sent them off with a blessing before the evening wound down to a celebratory wrap-up dinner, where the surprises kept coming: a birthday serenade for Laver and a spontaneous announcement from Bryce Meuschke G’26, who shouted, “I got the job!” The choir erupted in applause.

A Legacy of Giving

“One of the things we hope with trips like this is for you to forge lasting friendships with each other,” said Calvar at the tour’s closing dinner. “The Hendricks Chapel Choir has a long legacy of these trips because people a long time ago had a great experience and they later gave a gift to support this trip. At some point we hope you can help the choir travel again and create new experiences.” Calvar closed with a line from the Prayer of St. Francis: “It is in giving of ourselves that we receive.” The Hendricks Chapel Choir is already looking ahead to Hendricks Chapel’s 100th anniversary tour to New Zealand in 2030.

When the students in Orange Juice perform at the this summer, they won’t just be playing a set—they’ll gain the full festival experience.

Based in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) , Orange Juice will take the stage at Jazz Fest for the fourth consecutive year on Friday, July 10, at 5 p.m. at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York. The jazz combo features Griffen Beebe ’27 and Gianna Moore ’27 on vocals, Mason Manteau ’26 and William Angus ’26 on saxophone, Kai Wong ’27 on piano, Owen Wernow ’26 on guitar, Robert Wilhelm ’27 on bass and Vito Vetere ’26 on drums. While the competitive ensemble is open to all ������ students by audition, the current members are music industry or sound recording technology majors in Setnor.

“Jazz Fest allows our students to not only perform at a high level in a professional setting, but experience all of the performances, meet the artists and go behind the scenes,” says John Coggiola, who directs the ensemble and is an associate professor of music education and area coordinator of jazz and commercial music (JCM) in Setnor. “It’s an incredible opportunity for students who plan to work in the music industry.”

Coggiola credits Frank Malfitano ’72, Jazz Fest’s founder, for supporting the students and providing them with the opportunity to be part of a major music festival. “He always makes sure they are treated like professionals,” Coggiola says.

Preparing for the festival performance is its own form of professional development. Although the members of Orange Juice aren’t physically together on campus, they are working to curate a diverse 55-minute set that draws from across the jazz spectrum, including original compositions by Manteau and Angus. The ensemble’s vocalists also allow the group to reach into contemporary popular music for selections to perform.

The group discusses which pieces to include, who will solo and how arrangements should be tailored to the specific strengths of the musicians. Two weeks before the full ensemble comes together to rehearse, individual members prepare their own parts and improvisations independently. Full rehearsal days are scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, and Thursday, July 9, in Shaffer Art Building—just before the group heads to watch the U.S. Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note kick off the festival that Thursday evening.

“The whole thing unfolds organically,” says Coggiola. “The students take each piece they want to perform and make it their own—reshaping the style, form, melody, harmonic progression and arrangement until it becomes something they’re ready to put on stage. Through this process, they’re developing real skills: how to make creative decisions under pressure, how to build a performance structure and how to work within it as they craft their final set list.”

The result is a show the students genuinely own and have the confidence to perform. “Orange Juice is special because we are quite involved compared to other school ensembles,” says Vetere. “We get to arrange, compose and integrate ourselves rather than read charts straight down. It feels more personal and creative, which is what I think making music should always feel like.”

“Orange Juice has helped me come out of my shell both in a personal and musical sense,” says Moore. “It has been such an amazing experience working with such talented musicians and learning to deeply connect with the music we make.”

For a group that is accustomed to performing at major campus events—most recently the University’s Board of Trustees dinner and VPA’s convocation ceremony in May—Jazz Fest represents something larger: a place in the ongoing story of jazz.

“So many talented musicians have played here before us, and many more will play in the years to come,” says Angus. “I’m glad I can be a contributor to a tradition that is keeping jazz music alive.”

������ is a proud sponsor of the Syracuse International Jazz Fest, a four-day celebration of world-class jazz music and community spirit, taking place July 9-12 at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York, and on the ������ campus. All Jazz Fest events are free and open to the public. For the full schedule and artist lineup, visit��.

Tashia Thomas Neal was born and raised in Syracuse. But despite supporting the city’s��South��Side for years, it��wasn’t��until she set foot on the soil at����to take pictures as part of the��Southside Stories project that she learned about the urban farm tucked in the neighborhood.

She says that moment of community discovery is one of the key strengths of the��Southside Stories, a community storytelling initiative that pairs Syracuse residents with professional photojournalists to document the people, places and programs enriching the neighborhood. The stories and images produced are then published��on��,��the��program’s����and website.

The program launched in spring 2025,��emerging��from��Southside Connections, a collaboration between ������’s����and 30 organizations across the city’s��South��Side.��Residents��are given��the technical skills to document and celebrate the��community,��and��give greater visibility to��the mutual��aid and everyday resilience happening in the neighborhood, which includes the historic 15th Ward.

For Thomas Neal, who was part of a recent cohort of residents trained through the project, the experience was gratifying.

“I’m gaining skills I can use for my own photography, even if I’m using my iPhone. I’m meeting new people in the group, and I’m also meeting people in the community I wouldn’t have met otherwise,” Thomas Neal says.

How It Works

, co-founder of��Southside Stories, director of the Engaged Humanities Network and associate professor and��Dean’s��Professor of��Community��Engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences, says building up the capacity for residents to tell the stories of their own neighborhood is incredibly important. Not just for communicating to audiences outside the neighborhood but for “telling the story of the community to the��community itself” as a way of building pride��of��place and recognizing the values and skills present.

Nordquist co-directs Southside Stories alongside co-founders Amy Toensing and Matt Moyer ’94, longtime photojournalists and documentary filmmakers who have worked for National Geographic for decades. Toensing previously was a faculty member at the��, while Moyer is currently an adjunct professor. Together they run��, working with��Newhouse graduate��Kayla Breen G’24.

Toensing and Moyer originally connected with Nordquist through a different Engaged Humanities Network collaboration with ������ Art Museum, theprogram. Together, the three��came up with��the model of training community members for the��Southside Stories project, which��invites cohorts of participants—from high school-age students to older adults—to��learn the basics of photography and visual storytelling.

The cohorts then pair with the photojournalists for field experiences to cover different stories in the neighborhood. Afterward, they review their work, critiquing it alongside the facilitators, and return to the field to get more images.

“What we’re doing is not only giving the foundation of understanding how composition and light and color and moment are going to influence an image and what it communicates; we’re also talking about the broader stories that exist, and then teaming up with them to give instruction and let them find their own story in this process,” Moyer says.

Toensing says discovery is an important part of the program as the cohort highlights the stories in the community.

“They’re getting outside of themselves, which is important for all of us, to leave our egos behind and become conduits for other people’s stories and to allow people to be seen,” she says.

What Participants Say

For Thomas Neal, the program has aligned with her professional work, but she says the storytelling project has helped her meet people who are doing work outside of her field and typical day-to-day.

“Being able to meet people who are doing great things and see the impact on other people in the community has been fantastic,” she says.

Over a dozen SU undergraduate and graduate students have been involved in projects associated with Southside Connections over the past two and a half years, and two—Destinyi Fernandez ’27 and Sandra Oduro G’28—have played significant roles in shaping the Southside Stories project as research assistants.

Fernandez is studying art photography in the����and serving as the undergraduate research assistant on the project. She��participated��in the Photography and Literacy��program in high school, learning from Moyer and Nordquist before she arrived at the University.��She says the experience with��Southside Stories��challenged��her��in new ways and��helped her gain valuable skills for her photography, pointing to when she took photos at Ze Mart and had to approach and��interview��people.

“That definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, because as a photographer, I’m usually more of an observer,” she says. “This experience encouraged me to engage more directly with people through interviewing and storytelling, giving me guidance for communicating with people and conducting interviews.”

The experience has underscored that she doesn’t want to just produce a “pretty image.”

“I want it to have an impact,” Fernandez says. “I feel like I’ve learned so much from both [Southside Stories and the Photography and Literacy program] and how I can apply that to my academic life and my career moving forward.”

Why It Matters

So far, the program has published five stories on Salt, with half a dozen still in progress. Nordquist says as the program grows, he hopes different forms of storytelling will��ultimately join��the visual, documentary stories.

“Our��intent with��Southside Stories is to celebrate the people and the projects and the businesses and the organizations in��South��Side and the resiliency and the challenges, all of it,” Toensing says.

Ultimately, Nordquist��says the hope��is��the program can become a self-sustaining, neighborhood-run network of storytellers.

“Collective action follows collective storytelling,” he says. “They’re intertwined and inseparable. So if we want to make real, lasting improvement of the city, of the region and of the University, then we have to take storytelling seriously, and we have to respect the power of stories.”

The presents “John Thompson ’72: Infinite Variation” at the Bernard and Louise Palitz Gallery in New York City through Sept. 29. Featuring works that span Thompson’s entire career, from his roots at ������ to his most recent prints, the exhibition examines his distinct approach to nature and printmaking.

Traditional printmakers create custom matrices for each new print, whereas Thompson re-uses existing matrices as building blocks, recombining and reimagining them across compositions. It’s an approach rooted in the studio culture he encountered at Syracuse as a student, where, as he puts it, the message was “experiment, experiment, experiment.”

The practice, which inspired the exhibition’s title, surfaces a sustained, close observation of nature. Notably, Thompson highlights the waving grasses, vertiginous stalks, and rippling ponds seen throughout the natural world, but specifically in the gardens—including his own—that he loves.

“To think about a world without gardens and flowers and art and music—why bother?” says Thompson. ”There’s an enduring quality in creating artwork … it provides hope for society.”

The exhibition holds a particular significance for the Art Museum, which presents the work of an alumnus on a New York City stage. “Many printmakers treat the matrix as a means to an end. John treats it as a collaborator,” says curator Melissa Yuen. “Each new composition is in dialogue with everything he has made before.” Thompson received a B.F.A. from Syracuse’s in 1972 and the exhibition traces the arc of his career which began here and has since earned international recognition.

Thompson holds additional degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.A.), Babson College (MBA) and Massachusetts College of Art and Design (M.F.A.), where he has also taught.

He maintains studios in Waltham, Massachusetts, and Harpswell, Maine, and collaborates with master printers Peter and James Pettengill at Wingate Studio in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, and Susan Oehme at Oehme Graphics in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

His work is held in public collections, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Center and Mt. Auburn Hospital, and has been exhibited at Adelson Galleries, Childs Gallery and the Sunshine Museum in Beijing, among venues nationally and internationally.

Reflecting on the opportunity to share his work in New York, Thompson returned to a theme that has guided his practice: generosity. “A successful piece of art on the wall should be thought about the same way we do concerts and things,” he says. “It’s something to be shared amongst many, not to be hidden away.”

The ������ Art Museum stewards a collection of more than 45,000 works spanning 4,000 years. Located in the Shaffer Art Building on the ������ campus, the museum serves as a museum-laboratory for teaching, research and community engagement and provides free admission for all. The museum’s Bernard and Louise Palitz Gallery in New York City extends that mission to a wider audience. For more information and gallery hours, please visit .

Two students whose ventures focus on accessible design and student well-being have been awarded Spring 2026 Intelligence++ Venture Grants through ������’s initiative, administered through .

The competitive funding program supports student innovators developing products, services and creative ventures that improve accessibility and quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities and neurodivergent communities.

This year’s recipients are Rudransh Rajput ’28 () and Cassia Soodak ’26 (). Both ventures emerged from the interdisciplinary Intelligence++ program, which combines accessible entrepreneurship, disability-centered design and innovation.

Rajput earned funding to advance development of RUDY AI, an AI-powered platform designed to help neurodivergent and socially vulnerable students build meaningful social connections and improve campus belonging.

A student in the and an 1870 Scholar, Rajput developed the idea after observing the growing problem of student isolation and disengagement on college campuses. The platform focuses on students who may struggle to navigate traditional social environments, including students with ADHD, autism, anxiety and related challenges.

“This grant means we can move from scrappy mode to building a prototype for discovery and validation,” Rajput says. “We know the problem is real because we’ve seen it firsthand on campus. This gives us the runway to get in front of more universities, refine the product with real student feedback and prove that you can measurably move the needle on retention and loneliness at the same time.”

Rajput will work closely with the Intelligence++ program and during the fall semester, focusing on user-centered product development and testing.

The second grant recipient, Soodak, is building a venture at the intersection of adaptive fashion, disability studies and nightlife culture. Her company, Ms. Spellled, creates sensory-friendly ravewear and club clothing designed specifically for neurodivergent individuals. The garments feature tactile and fidget-friendly elements intended to support sensory regulation while maintaining bold, expressive aesthetics.

Soodak, who previously served as an InclusiveU peer mentor and event planner, says the venture was inspired by her own experiences with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and sensory processing differences.

“Neurodivergent people shape rave culture, yet remain largely invisible within it,” Soodak says. “Ms. Spellled aims to redefine adaptive design as expressive, culturally relevant and empowering.”

The venture combines adaptive design with alternative fashion aesthetics through upcycled garments, tactile fabric manipulations, custom graphics and handmade pieces.

Soodak has already tested prototypes with neurodivergent users and models in both fashion-show and real-world rave settings, receiving strong feedback on both the sensory functionality and visual appeal of the designs. “With this funding, I will be able to transition Ms. Spellled from a thesis-based project into an actively developing fashion brand and business,” Soodak says.

She plans to use the grant to produce an initial collection of sensory-friendly garments, expand prototype testing and launch the brand through pop-up events and independent retail partnerships in New York City.

Soodak is a graduate of the Intelligence++ program and previously won a top student prize at the annual Intelligence++ Innovation Showcase, where student inventions are evaluated by industry experts and educators. Her work has also earned recognition within the University’s fashion program, including selection for a New York City design showcase and the Joan Rysitzky Prize for Excellence in Surface Design.

Her senior thesis collection, “DanceFloor Freaks,” explored Brooklyn techno clubs as safe spaces for neurodivergent and queer communities and became the creative foundation for Ms. Spellled. She has also participated in adaptive fashion networking events and developed relationships with organizations including Runway of Dreams and ARISE.

Faculty in the (VPA) and the (A&S) have received (NEA) grants to support their community-engaged creative arts programs.

The awards—$20,000 for a collaborative filmmaking production program aimed at Syracuse City youth and $18,200 for two years of artist residencies at a campus-affiliated cultural center—reflect the University’s commitment to connecting academic and creative work with the Central New York community.

Teens With a Movie Camera

Now in its third year, “” brings about a dozen local high school students to campus each summer for a three-week media arts production collaboration. Working with film faculty and University students, teens ages 13 to 18 make original short films using smartphones and everyday objects and then present them publicly.

Their work has been shown at the and at . It has also been screened in national and international film festivals, including the Thomas Edison Film festival, where “” won an honorable mention; and in the New Year/New Work Film Festival at The Film-Makers’ Cooperative��in NYC.

The program is co-led by , associate professor in VPA’s Department of Film and Media Arts; VPA film program alumnus G’23 and , a Guggenheim fellow and adjunct professor of photography at Onondaga Community College.

The trio is assisted by undergraduate and graduate film and media arts students. The program aims to empower teens by voicing their ideas through images and public presentation, according to Mišo Suchý. He says production relies heavily on improvisation “because it is undertaken as a zero-budget creative production based on the ethos of the tradition of independent cinema and low-budget experimental filmmaking.”

This summer’s program will explore themes of “defying gravity” and “overcoming the impossible.” Interested teens can apply on the program’s .

Community Folk Art Center

A second NEA grant of $18,200 will support “Rooted & Rising,” an artist residency program at the (CFAC), a University-affiliated cultural hub dedicated to promoting artists of the African Diaspora.

The residency is directed by , executive director of CFAC and assistant professor of African American studies in A&S. The grant will allow a program beginning in summer 2026 continuing through the end of 2027 that will support four artists over the two-year period. In addition to interacting with students in A&S programs, the artists will develop workshops, exhibitions, talks and free public events.

Jackson says the residencies will create meaningful opportunities for ������ students to engage directly with working artists while also expanding access to arts programming for the Central New York community. They also offer the artists “the time, space and institutional support to develop new work grounded in public engagement and cultural dialogue,” Jackson says.

The project reflects CFAC’s mission to bridge scholarship, creative expression and community wellness through support of multidisciplinary artists.

More information about NEA grants and their impact on communities is available on the .

The University is again a proud sponsor of the , a four-day celebration of world-class jazz music and community spirit, taking place July 9-12 at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York, and on the ������ campus.

As it marks its 40th anniversary, the Syracuse International Jazz Fest enters an exciting new era, expanding its footprint while staying true to its roots. This year’s lineup includes such internationally acclaimed artists as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Tower of Power, Gunhild Carling, Hejira, Dumpstaphunk, and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, along with the University’s own student jazz ensemble, Orange Juice.

The grand finale of the Syracuse International Jazz Fest, Return to Community: A Sunday Gospel Jazz Service, will be held Sunday, July 12, at , featuring a special performance by the Winston-Salem State University Concert Choir and local ensembles.

Opening Night: Celebrating the Nation’s 250th Anniversary With the Airmen of Note

������ and the Syracuse International Jazz Fest are proud to co-present a special opening night on Thursday, July 9, at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building (NVRC), 101 Waverly Ave., Syracuse. The United States Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note will take the stage at 6 p.m.

Presented in association with the University’s , the evening will feature an exclusive Upstate New York regional performance by the world-renowned USAF Airmen of Note, an 18-piece jazz ensemble, musically celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Admission is free with priority given to Syracuse-area veterans; . Free parking is available in the University Avenue Garage, located at 1101 East Adams St.

Student Ensemble Performance: Orange Juice

Among the festival’s featured performers is the jazz combo, a standout student ensemble of instrumental and vocal performers from the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ . They will perform at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 10, in the tasting room at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette.

The ensemble performs regularly in concerts on campus and at community events throughout the year. This will be the ensemble’s fourth appearance at the Syracuse International Jazz Fest under the musical direction of , director of jazz and commercial music in the Setnor School.

Fusing Gospel and Jazz

Wrapping up the festival, Hendricks Chapel’s will offer a unique blend of spiritual inspiration and musical artistry. The event will begin at 3 p.m., with a pre-event outdoor community luncheon preceding the service. Both are free.

Hendricks Chapel invites the community to this uplifting experience that fuses and celebrates gospel and jazz music, highlighted by special guests the Winston-Salem State University Concert Choir, the Syracuse Community Choir, composed of Syracuse-area residents, and the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble.

All Syracuse International Jazz Fest events are free and open to the public.

For the full schedule and artist lineup, visit .

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

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

In a seesaw contest featuring eight ties and five lead changes, it wasn’t until senior ��’26 came up with two crucial saves with 16 seconds left to that senior co-captains ’26 and ’26 could exhale and celebrate on the turf field inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

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

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

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

“It was a moment of reflection and gratitude for the great people and memories we’ve made at this place,” says Dwan, who also earned a communication and rhetorical studies degree.

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

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

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

Billy Dwan III: For me, the playoff game where the season could have potentially ended was a more worrisome experience. Although graduation is a nerve-wracking time, I personally didn’t feel I graduated until our season was over.

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

Dwan: It hit me just how special of a day graduation would be during Selection Sunday the week before. We didn’t know whether we would be playing on Saturday or Sunday for the first round. When the bracket came out and we saw we were playing on the same day as graduation, it put everything into perspective. It’s a special experience.

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

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

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

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

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

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

With an extraordinary and unique gift valued at more than $1.2 million, the School of Design in the is likely to become a travel destination for fashion researchers, haute couture designers and sewing enthusiasts worldwide. The school has received thousands of stunning designer garments, books, patterns and accessories that once belonged to an iconic figure in the fashion industry: Claire B. Shaeffer.

Shaeffer’s career path, from aspiring circus performer to couture expert and educator, is fascinating. Her relationship with ������ is equally intriguing, given that it began when she was 80 years old after she reached out to a professor who shared her passion “for reading garments,” including every stitch, hem and buttonhole.

“Claire was all about delving one layer deeper to understand and show how each garment was constructed,” says Jeffrey Mayer, professor of fashion design and coordinator for the fashion design program. Shaeffer reached out to Mayer after seeing a book he co-authored, “Vintage Details: A Fashion Sourcebook,” which documents 160 garments found within the Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection at ������.

Shaeffer was impressed by the detailed photography, from hems to buttons. She told Mayer she wanted her next book to have similar photography. “That’s what fascinated Claire, how things were created,” Mayer says. “She went down rabbit holes to understand every detail of design.”

A Collection of Garments, Patterns and Books

Shaeffer’s relationship with Mayer blossomed, and when she began to think seriously of where she might want her collection of more than 2,500 garments, patterns and books to end up after her lifetime, she chose ������, a teaching institution where students could learn from the study of each garment and pattern.

Shaeffer began her own studies in fashion design in the early 1960s after initially exploring the idea of circus performance. Proficient in acrobatics, she enrolled in the circus curriculum at Florida State University after high school. Her broad shoulders and slight build made it difficult to find clothes that fit, so she began to sew her own wardrobe. After realizing that basic patterns just wouldn’t fit her frame, she switched her academic interests and professional pursuits, turning a fascination with detail into a distinguished career.

Throughout her life, Shaeffer collected examples of haute couture and designer ready-to-wear and studied others in museum collections, design workrooms and factories. She excelled at the analysis of garment construction details and sewing techniques.

Shaeffer taught classes at the College of the Desert in Palm Springs, gave workshops, wrote dozens of magazine articles and books, developed instructional videos, had her own , and created the Claire Shaeffer Custom Couture Collection of patterns for Vogue Patterns. She received the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers Lifetime Achievement Award and the American Sewing Guild Sewing Hall of Fame Award.

A Dedication to Precision

Mayer was a former designer of women’s wear himself and a specialist in 20th-century fashion and construction techniques. He knew of Shaeffer’s history and stature, but never foresaw working so closely with this icon of industry. Given his personal history, though, it seemed destined. Mayer was the son of a seamstress.

“I would sneak into my mother’s room and, at the age of 6, I would start cutting out patterns,” Mayer says. When his mother saw him so engaged with very pointy scissors, she told him: ‘If you’re going to do this, you’re going to do this right.’”

Similarly, Shaeffer taught countless students of fashion how to do things right and came to believe that ������’s program was similarly dedicated.

Before her passing in January 2025, she had shipped close to 1,000 pieces from her collection to the school. Afterward, Mayer and Kirsten Schoonmaker, fashion design collections manager, flew out to Palm Springs and worked with Shaeffer’s sons to pack up another 1,500 pieces.

The gift perfectly matched the mission of the Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection and Research Center: “…to provide the University and broader community with access to exemplary garments and accessories that reflect high standards of craftsmanship, design and stylistic significance. With a sustained focus on the object itself and its material, structural, and aesthetic integrity the collections advance the preservation, study and interpretation of these works.”

Pieces of History

Among the many works that will be available for study is a Chanel suit recognized around the world and a part of American history. It is the “twin” of the suit worn by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

There are dozens of Chanel pieces in the collection, along with pieces by many other iconic designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Givenchy and McQueen, and such American designers as Adrian, Norman Norell, James Galanos, Geoffrey Beene and Bill Blass.

“This collection is a unique gem,” says Michael Tick, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “Its value is truly priceless. I had the pleasure to visit with Claire and her late husband many times in Palm Springs. More than once I expressed to them how excited our students and visitors to the collection will be to learn from her extensive body of work.”

Mayer says that Shaeffer received offers from other academic institutions to house pieces of her collection, but ������ was the one place willing to keep her collection together, including all the clothes, patterns, books and even handbags from her personal closet. That willingness means generations of students will be the beneficiaries of an extraordinary woman’s talents, determination and dedication.

“Our students don’t just design, they learn to actually make things, from concept to garment,” says Mayer. “We fall into that ‘maker space’ in our approach and we are honoring Claire’s commitment to detail, process, research and design.”

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

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

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