More than 280 people representing approximately 110 organizations gathered in downtown Syracuse recently for the 2026 Lender Expo. This is the second year the communitywide convening and dialogue has been hosted by the University’s , and the expanded schedule was made possible by a new sponsorship from .

The Lender Center addresses important social issues through interdisciplinary research, community engagement and faculty and student fellowships. The expo is among the most visible expressions of that mission, offering organizations an opportunity to share resources, build partnerships and engage in dialogue about the area’s most pressing needs, says , director.

The program opened with a “State of the Region” panel discussion featuring Syracuse Mayor , Onondaga County Executive , U.S. Rep. and Syracuse City Court Judge .

Also addressing the group was , chief administrative officer and president of health plans at , who discussed the company’s efforts to address community health needs. Workshops covered grant writing, mental health, data collection, legal services, artificial intelligence and conflict resolution. A session, “Where Service Meets Progress,” drew a wide audience on the second day.

The convening also included recognition for , president emerita of InterFaith Works and founding member of the Lender Center Advisory Group, who was honored for her many years of social justice advocacy and community service.

More Event Photos

Each semester, ended his introductory policy studies course in the the same way. He led his students to the first-floor foyer of Maxwell Hall, gathered them before the iconic statue of George Washington, and had them read aloud the Oath of the Athenian City-State engraved on the wall behind it.

The oath’s closing promise, to “transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us,” was in many ways the mission statement Coplin had been living since he arrived at Íű±ŹĂĆ in 1969 as an associate professor. Over the 56 years that followed, he founded the , mentored tens of thousands of students, authored more than 115 books and articles, and became one of the most honored and beloved teachers in the University’s history.

Coplin, professor of policy studies and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence, retired Jan. 1, 2026.

While he sought a quiet exit from a storied career, his legacy lives on in the impact on countless careers, and in the Bill Coplin Policy Studies Support and Experiential Learning Endowed Fund. Through Coplin’s estate, the fund will become permanently endowed, but it can immediately support policy studies students thanks to his initial contribution.

A devoted alumna is helping to build the foundation. Rebecca Edelman ’03 has pledged to match up to $10,000 in donations made to the fund now through the end of March 2026.

“Coplin’s insistence on action over theory and real skills over fluff has shaped every job I’ve held, every pitch I’ve made and every boardroom I’ve entered,” says Edelman, who now leads Caper Associates LLC, an education venture that seeks to address the gap between traditional learning and workforce readiness. “I owe a great deal to this program, and I am proud to carry its purpose and values forward.”

A Different Drummer

Coplin said he has always been an outlier in academia.

“I never followed a strict academic path,” he says, pointing out that he finished his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins with a 3.2 GPA before earning a master’s degree and Ph.D. in international relations from American University. He emerged, by his own account, “completely unconstrained by the reality of academia.”

As a professor, he focused on practicality. What skills do students need? What experiences best prepare them for the real world?

He founded the policy studies undergraduate program in 1977 on the premise of those questions and around the belief that students should leave college ready to make a tangible difference. The program required 30 hours of community service, embedded directly into the curriculum.

Coplin never asked his students to be selfless idealists. “I ask students, ‘Do you want to do good or do well?’” he often said. “The answer should be both, but unless you’re Mother Teresa, you should do well first.”

His mantra, “do well, and do good,” became a guiding principle among alumni, who often referred to themselves as “do gooders” as well as “Coplinites.”

Renee Captor ’80 said his teachings served her well as an attorney and nonprofit director. “Skills really do win, and as it turns out, Excel is life,” she says, offering a nod to some of Coplin’s sayings. Another of his favorites: “Life is an aggregation problem.”

Sam Underwood ’11 remembers receiving a less-than-ideal grade and pointed written feedback on an assignment from Coplin.

“That was the first time anyone had told me in an academic setting that, if I was going to be successful, I needed to apply myself rather than just regurgitating the notes I had read from a book,” says Underwood, who now leads one of Ohio’s fastest-growing startups. His message to Coplin: “You did well, and did good yourself.”

Íű±ŹĂĆ undergraduates are getting their moment to shine this spring, presenting original research and creative work to peers, faculty and the broader campus community across a series of symposia and showcase events running through the end of the semester.

“For a researcher, learning how to effectively present their work is a crucial part of the research process. Whether a student is sharing a completed project with conclusions, or a work-in-progress still in development, the dialogue and conversation with a broader audience is always clarifying,” says Kate Hanson, director of the (SOURCE). “Our undergraduates do incredible research, guided by dedicated faculty mentors, and our campus community is warmly welcomed to engage with and celebrate this work.”

The SOURCE Spring Showcase includes the following:

Thursday, March 26

Lundgren Room, 106 Life Sciences Complex, 4-6 p.m.
The event will feature four “TED-style” student research talks and a presentation of SOURCE and Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) awards.

Friday, March 27

Life Sciences Complex Atrium, 2-4 p.m.
This interdisciplinary event will feature more than 100 students presenting research and creative activity.

The entire campus community is invited to attend the events.

A complete list of programs in March, April and May with event and registration details can be found on (check back for updated information).

Other symposia and research-related events this spring include:

• , Wednesday, March 25, 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m., Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center
• , Saturday, March 28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Life Sciences Complex Atrium
• , Friday, April 3, 9:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m., 608 Bird Library
• , Friday, April 10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Collegian Hotel and Suites, 1060 E. Genesee St.
• , Thursday, April 16, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Nancy Cantor Warehouse, Auditorium, Room 100A
• , Friday, April 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Milton Atrium, Life Sciences Complex
• , Friday, April 17, 10 a.m., 101 Newhouse 1
• , Tuesday, April 28, 3-5 p.m., 220 Eggers Hall
• , Wednesday, April 29, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Hall of Languages, multiple locations (complete schedule will be available on the after April 8)

In a world increasingly shaped by both connection and division, a diverse group of students is embarking on a distinctive journey of leadership and learning. The Global Interfaith Leadership Project (GILP), housed at Hendricks Chapel, represents a pioneering approach to preparing tomorrow’s leaders by combining religious and spiritual formation with practical civic engagement.

The program’s inaugural cohort, selected from across the University’s schools and colleges, brings together undergraduate and graduate students from varied faith traditions and backgrounds. From a Somali Banti student working to address food insecurity, to a chemical engineer coordinating interfaith dialogue, to a public administration student with White House experience, these scholars represent the rich tapestry of perspectives that GILP seeks to cultivate.

A Distinctive Approach to Leadership

What sets GILP apart is its “Roots, Reach and Results” framework—a holistic approach that moves beyond traditional interfaith dialogue. The program deepens students’ own religious or spiritual foundations (Roots), expands understanding and collaboration across traditions (Reach) and works to create tangible positive change in communities (Results).

“This project addresses a crucial need we’re seeing among students today,” explains Imam Amir Durić, GILP project director and assistant dean for religious and spiritual life at Hendricks Chapel. “Students are seeking meaningful opportunities to make a positive and profound impact. At the same time, we’ve witnessed a 150% increase in student participation in religious and spiritual programs at Hendricks Chapel over the past eight years. GILP brings these two trends together in a way that prepares leaders who can heal divides, imagine new possibilities and empower others in service to the common good.”

Diverse Backgrounds, Shared Commitment

The 2026 cohort members come from nine schools and colleges across the University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, spanning architecture, engineering, public policy and environmental science. Their varied academic pursuits reflect the program’s commitment to interfaith leadership across all disciplines.

Among the cohort is Abdirahman Abdi, a senior majoring in African American Studies from the South Side of Syracuse. Drawing on his lived experience as a refugee, he co-founded the Sadaqa Foundation to address food insecurity in Kenya’s Dagahaley Refugee Camp—exemplifying the program’s emphasis on translating spiritual values into concrete community action.

Ronit Hizgiaev, a sophomore in the Maxwell School studying international relations and law, society and policy, brings her experience as multifaith chair for Syracuse Hillel. She has been instrumental in the Salaam Shalom program, where students learn Hebrew and Arabic to find common ground through language. “Ensuring everyone’s voices are heard and accounted for is a crucial value I hold,” she says.

Mian Hamid, a graduate student in the iSchool, serves as Hendricks Chapel’s interfaith engagement coordinator and convener of the Student Assembly of Interfaith Leaders. His role bridges the program’s academic learning with hands-on leadership development, rooted in both empathy and shared action for the common good.

Graduate student Gianna Juarez, pursuing a master of public administration in the Maxwell School, previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration and at United Way Worldwide. Her background in strategic implementation adds depth to discussions about translating interfaith values into policy and practice.

Beyond Dialogue: A Comprehensive Learning Experience

Scholars participate in weekly interactive sessions, civic projects and visits to local and regional faith communities. The program culminates in an international study journey and participation in the Interfaith America Leadership Summit.

The planned trip to Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina will offer particularly powerful learning opportunities. Students will examine Holocaust memory in Germany and the aftermath of the Bosnian War and Srebrenica Genocide. In Sarajevo—often called the “European Jerusalem”—they will explore centuries of interfaith coexistence at the crossroads of East and West, examining how religious and moral frameworks shape both the best and worst outcomes of human history.

A Tapestry of Faith and Purpose

The cohort spans a wide spectrum of religious and spiritual identities. Sandy Smith, studying forest ecosystem science at SUNY-ESF, brings a spirituality rooted in nature. “Nature teaches us that diversity is our greatest strength,” she notes, “and I believe that through interfaith collaboration, we will bring humanity to its greatest potential.”

Each of the 16 scholars is also developing a civic engagement project aimed at creating lasting change in the Syracuse community and beyond—all grounded in the Roots, Reach and Results framework.

The GILP is a timely response to the challenges of our interconnected yet divided world. These scholars aren’t just learning about interfaith leadership—they are living it, demonstrating that differences can be sources of strength and that a shared commitment to the common good can overcome division.

For more information about GILP at Hendricks Chapel, visit the .

The Lender Center for Social Justice is now accepting applications for the 2026-28 Lender Faculty Fellowship. The two-year research fellowship, now in its eighth year, supports faculty work on the causes of and solutions to complex contemporary social justice issues.

Application Deadline Is April 10

• The fellowships are open to full-time Íű±ŹĂĆ faculty.
• Applications are due by Friday, April 10, at 5 p.m.
• Details about the and required materials are available on the .
• Questions can be directed toÌęlendercenter@syr.edu.

What Support Does the Fellowship Provide?

• A stipend of $15,000 covering the faculty member’s work for two summers.
• An additional $5,000 per year allocated to support research initiatives ($10,000 total).
• Another $5,000 dedicated to cover costs of hosting a public symposium at the conclusion of the fellowship, when faculty and student fellows present their work.

Who Are Recent Faculty Fellows and Their Research Topics?

Recent fellows studied these issues:

• , associate professor of mathematics and mathematics education in the and , looked at how data literacy skills can be developed and how data can provide insights into community quality-of-life issues.
• , assistant professor of public health in the , examined economic policies that shaped housing and employment opportunities in Syracuse and the importance of community input and engagement in social issues
• , assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the , studied post-9/11 news media coverage and how it impacted specific communities.
• , professor of anthropology and Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies in theÌęMaxwell School, led a team that studied how AI systems can transform the concepts of autonomy, accountability, human rights and justice.
• , associate dean for strategic initiatives and research and Georgia Miller Associate Professor in the School of Design at the , assessed how building design impacted accessibility and use of a new women’s wellness center.
• , associate professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School, who , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Good Results, Engaging Research

“Over the past eight years, Lender faculty fellows and their student teams have taken innovative approaches to exploring a wide spectrum of social justice issues,” says , Lender Center director. “We are grateful for their good work and the up-to-date knowledge they have produced, and we are pleased that they have regarded their projects as engaging and transformative research opportunities.”

The sound of drills, hammers and sanders filled the Skybarn on South Campus on Feb. 20, as 141 student volunteers came together to build beds for children in the Syracuse community who don’t have one to call their own.

The partnered with the Syracuse chapter of to work toward SHP’s mission, “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”

Throughout the day, the energy inside the venue was upbeat. Students who had never picked up a power drill were guided by more experienced SHP volunteers, sawdust collecting on sneakers as bed frames took shape across the floor.

Over the course of two two-hour shifts, volunteers built 116 bed frames, surpassing the goal of 100 and more than doubling what was done during the inaugural build in 2024. There was laughter, encouragement and a shared sense of purpose that organizers said made the day unlike anything they had experienced before.

A Growing Commitment

The growth of the program has been striking. When SUVO first partnered with SHP on a 2024 build, the group completed 44 beds. In 2025, that number jumped to 88. This year’s total of 116 represents not just a record, but a reflection of deepening commitment across campus.

Students from a wide range of programs and organizations showed up to help, and novel fundraising efforts, such as pie-in-the-face events, helped cover the cost of materials. The planning team included SUVO President Ava Portney ’26, Vice President Ryan Edwards ’26, Secretary Lara Sare ’26 and Treasurer Cody Wade ’26.

Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens ’85 stopped by and addressed volunteers, drawing a direct line between a good night’s sleep and a child’s ability to reach their potential. She noted that 10% of students in the Syracuse City School District lack a permanent address.

“No one’s potential is defined by where they live,” Owens said, “but their ability to be prepared to be the best they can be definitely is affected by how they live.”

She thanked the Syracuse students on behalf of the entire city, telling them the experience of giving to someone who may not be empowered to give to themselves would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Portney said the eagerness she witnessed among student volunteers was inspiring and proof that community, even in discouraging times, has a way of sustaining itself. “Community is the closest thing to good we can have as humans,” she said.

Wade told the volunteers that a bed is far more than a piece of furniture. “A bed is safety. It’s dignity. And most importantly, it’s hope.”

He urged every volunteer to go a step further and help deliver the beds into the community on a future Saturday. SHP expert volunteers bring community members directly into the homes of families in need to assemble and set up the beds on-site.

‘This Is Where You Sleep’

Dave Hoalcraft ’85, a Syracuse native who worked for the University for 39 years, is now co-president of the Syracuse chapter of SHP. He described one of the deliveries he made in the community that remains at the forefront of his mind. A young girl pointed to a blanket and stuffed animal on the floor when telling him where her bed was. Once the bed was assembled, complete with new bedding, it dawned on her that she now had a safe and cozy place to rest her head at night.

“Sixty times you gave us the opportunity to tell this little girl: ‘This is where you sleep,” Hoalcraft told the first shift of volunteers, which completed 60 bed frames. “You did a lot more than play shop today—you gave 60 kids a warm, safe place to sleep.”

With each passing year, more students have learned about the cause, spread the word and shown up ready to work.

The build has become one of the most anticipated volunteer events on campus, a rare occasion where the output is something tangible: a sturdy wooden frame, carefully sanded and assembled, that will soon hold a mattress, sheets, bedding and a sleeping child who might otherwise have had nothing beneath them but the floor.

For the children of Syracuse who will receive these beds, the impact may be difficult to measure but is impossible to overstate. As Mayor Owens said, everyone’s day begins with how they laid their head the night before. Thanks to 141 Orange volunteers, 116 more children in Syracuse will have a chance to take part in a good night’s sleep.

To volunteer for a bed build, bed deliveries, donate bedding or make a monetary donation, visit . For more information about SUVO activities, email suvo@syr.edu.

, a provider of Ìęhome and community-based care across New York state, is partnering with the to support the 2026 Lender Expo on Wednesday, March 11, and Thursday, March 12, at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown.

The convenes public officials, nonprofit organizational leaders, service providers, community members and Íű±ŹĂĆ faculty, researchers and students for conversations Ìęabout social justice issues affecting the region and ways to address them.

Featured Activities

• A “State of Our Region” panel discussion with several elected officials: Syracuse Mayor , Onondaga County Executive , U.S. Representative , Syracuse City Court Judge and Nascentia Chief Administrative Officer and President of Health Plans
• A , “Where Service Meets Progress”
• Workshops on grant writing, mental health, data collection, legal services, artificial intelligence and conflict resolution

Full Schedule, Tabling

View the . The expo is free and open to the public. Attendee is required; the sign-up deadline is Friday, Feb. 27.

Nonprofit and other organizations offering public services and information are welcome to host information tables. for tabling is required; details are available on the .

Last year, more than 200 people attended the expo and 80 nonprofit organizations showcased program information.

“We are thrilled that Nascentia Health has invested in this important communitywide gathering and excited about the essential conversations and ideas it will generate,” says , Lender Center director. “Nascentia’s support has expanded the expo’s impact and assures that the critical conversations this event enables are more sustainable for the future.”

Ryan Pyland, Nascentia Health associate vice president, marketing and communications,Ìę says, “We are proud to partner with Íű±ŹĂĆ and the Lender Center for Social Justice for the 2026 Lender Expo. As a community-based health care organization, we see every day how collaboration strengthens outcomes for individuals and families across Central New York. Supporting this event reflects our commitment to meaningful dialogue, shared strategy and collective action that advance the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”

There’s warmth emanating from the Noble Room in the lower level of Hendricks Chapel every Monday night whenever classes are in session.

Every sewing machine buzzes and hums as the members of the make handmade quilts that will keep vulnerable Central New Yorkers warm during the winter months.

“Those are chaotic nights. Everybody is working on a project that will end up at one of our partner charities,” says quilting enthusiast Judy O’Rourke ’75, G’10. “It’s nice knowing you’re helping someone out, and it’s nice knowing that something I enjoy doing is giving somebody else comfort.”

O’Rourke is one of 10-15 active members of the Hendricks Chapel Quilters—consisting of students, staff, faculty and community members—who put their love of sewing to good use weekly to produce beautiful quilts.

The common threads that keep members coming back? A love of quilting, a desire to find connection and a willingness to give back to the community.

“There’s a real camaraderie around this group,” says George Athanas, the associate director for the Center for Learning and Student Success, who first joined the club 21 years ago. “This reminds me of what quilting circles and quilting guilds used to be like, folks coming together to engage with their community, meet new people and learn along the way.”

Helping Vulnerable People Feel Seen and Valued

Quilts are most frequently donated to the local chapter of , which builds beds for children in the community, to chaplains at SUNY Upstate Medical University, who deliver the quilts to terminally ill patients, and to food pantries who partner withÌę on their community outreach efforts.

During last year’s weekly meetings, the Hendricks Chapel Quilters produced 59 quilts that were donated. Each finished product is signed with a tag noting that the quilt was created with love by the Hendricks Chapel Quilters. O’Rourke says nearly 95% of the fabric, sewing machines and other materials used have been donated by generous community members.

“This reflects what service is all about, investing time and energy to make the world a better place,” Athanas says.

Besides the added source of warmth, Jennie Prouty, InterFaith Works’ community engagement manager, says the recipients are often touched by the kindness and generosity of strangers who make time to create and then donate these intricate quilts.

“These quilts are an opportunity for individuals and families in our communities, who often feel unseen, to know there are people who care deeply about their well-being,” Prouty says. “The element of them being handmade is a level of intentionality that many clients don’t typically receive.”

Made With Love

In the fall, students in Liz Lance’s one-credit honors class, Quilting for Fun and Community, learn how to quilt alongside the Hendricks Chapel Quilters, who provide support and offer advice to the novice quilters.

“This is a unique offering,” says Lance, who started teaching the course in the Fall 2024 semester. “The average age of quilters is older and retired, but here, we have 20-, 21- and 22-year-old college students learning alongside our quilting guild. Spanning that age gap and bringing these people together is the most special part about this because it represents intergenerational learning, which can be hard to find.”

O’Rourke, who started sewing in childhood, picked up quilting in 1998 as the advisor to that year’s cohort of Remembrance Scholars. Those students wanted to make a Remembrance Quilt to honor the 35 Íű±ŹĂĆ students who died in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.

Current Remembrance Scholar Joy Mao ’26 had no prior experience quilting or sewing, so she was nervous when she walked into the Noble Room for her first class last fall.

Those nerves quickly melted away. On the first night, students were introduced to their sewing machine, which they would use throughout the semester. Mao learned about the tools she’d be using—ranging from a needle and thread to a seam ripper and cutters—and became more familiar with her machine as the course progressed.

Starting with four-by-four-inch quilting squares, Mao and her classmates are tasked with identifying the colors and patterns that will tell the story of their quilt. Each square consists of nine patches, and each finished quilt consists of 81 total squares. If time allows, students add borders, known as sashes, as filler between the squares.

During their last class, students stand before their peers and present their quilt, knowing their finished product will provide warmth to someone in need.

“You get to make with your hands and give with your hearts, and these quilts are all made with love,” says Mao, who is studying television, radio and film in the and policy studies in the . “It was great knowing we were creating something that would have an impact on and give back to the greater Syracuse community.”

The hold meetings from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday evenings when classes are in session. No previous sewing experience is required, and all materials, as well as access to a sewing machine, are provided during the club’s weekly meetings. For more information about joining or donating fabric or sewing machines, please contact Judy O’Rourke.

On a February morning, members of the University community sat down at their keyboards with a shared purpose: to pull the voices of history out of the archive and into the digital age—one keystroke at a time.

Gathering at the on Feb. 13 to mark Douglass Day 2026—the annual national celebration honoring abolitionist Frederick Douglass—faculty, staff and students spent the afternoon transcribing collected documents from the Colored Conventions, a Black political movement that spanned seven decades in the 1800s.

The large-scale nationwide transcription effort is a way to broaden digital access to historical documents for all who are interested—community members, educators and scholars.

“The Humanities Center is proud to participate in this shared project each year,” says , professor of women’s and gender studies in the and director of the Íű±ŹĂĆ Humanities Center. “In just a few short hours, we can all pitch in to make a rich trove of knowledge in Black historical materials widely available via digitization, rather than stored in hard-to-access archives or separated across the nation in different libraries.”

Illuminating How Social Change Unfolded

The documents included meeting minutes, proceedings, newspaper articles, speeches, letters, transcripts and images, drawn from both before and after the American Civil War.

“This nationwide, and now international, collective effort really makes a difference,” May says. “For instance, thanks to previous Douglass Day ‘transcribe-a-thons,’ today, we can easily access the Syracuse, New York, 1864 Colored Convention program, ‘.’ Reading the speeches and engaging with this program helps us understand how this movement for social change unfolded across the nation but also right here, in .”

Some students who participated were surprised to learn how many Black newspapers there were in the mid-1800s, and they could see the role of print journalism in getting people together to organize and advocate for civil rights, May says.

For example, with morning and evening editions of Black papers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it became obvious in transcribing different stories and announcements that newspapers were key to political organizing and functioned more like an Instagram post does today—getting the word out and bringing people together around a cause.

The University began partnering with Douglass Day and hosting an event to coincide with the national effort in 2020.

“We look forward to keeping up the annual tradition in honor of Frederick Douglass and Black History Month,” says Diane Drake, assistant director of the Humanities Center.

According to the , the political gatherings offered opportunities for free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans—both men and women—to organize and strategize for racial justice. The first Colored Convention was held in 1830 in response to Ohio’s 1829 exclusionary laws and a wave of anti-Black mob violence that had forced 2,000 Black residents to flee the state.

That first meeting brought Black leaders together to contest widespread discrimination against Black communities, and a movement was born. More than 600 Colored Conventions were held at the national and state levels from 1830 to the 1900s.

Douglass escaped slavery in Maryland as a young man and became a national leader in the abolitionist movement, renowned for his oratory skills, in Massachusetts and New York, and for his newspaper in Rochester, New York, The North Star, which was an important tool in abolishing slavery and advocating for women’s rights and civil rights. The paper’s motto summarizes Douglass’ inclusive approach to human rights nicely: “Right is of no Sex—Truth is of no Color—God is the Father of us all, and all we are Brethren.”

Common lore is that Douglass did not know the exact date he was born in 1818, so in emancipation he chose to celebrate his birth on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The Annual Douglass Day event is planned each year at that time.

for individuals to assist with the transcription from home.

Before becoming a doctor, students go through approximately 11 years of rigorous education, from earning a bachelor’s degree to attending medical school and completing their residency.

Beyond medical knowledge and technical training, today’s most effective physicians know that explaining symptoms and diagnoses clearly is just as important. When patients understand their health, they receive better care.

Through a collaboration between the and , the Targeted Rural Health Education (TRHE) program is training aspiring rural doctors to clearly communicate complex medical issues to patients.

Working with , a former health reporter and current Newhouse School faculty member, student doctors in (RMSP) research a story idea, think about the appeal of the topic and create an op-ed piece that transforms their medical opinions into an easy-to-understand, informative public health article.

“We’re helping these medical school students understand the needs of their patients, and we’re equipping them with the skills to explain complex medical diagnoses in easy-to-understand ways so their patients feel like they can trust them,” says Bavis, professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the Newhouse School.

Gaining Skills to Last a Lifetime

TRHE has become an important part of director Lauren Meyer’s RMSP curriculum at SUNY Upstate. Third- and fourth-year medical students training in rural hospitals and doctor’s offices learn the importance of using local newspapers to share vital public health information.

“We tie this to their clinical experience because we want those students to see what’s going on in that community,” Meyer says. “Through hands-on experiences, they’re able to identify possible topics that are timely and relevant to that population.”

Last spring, three enrolled students completed the virtual class and published news articles that live on the as a reminder of the positive impact effective communication plays in rural medicine. Five more aspiring rural doctors took the class during the Fall 2025 semester and are working on publishing their articles.

“In medical school, they’re used to scientific writing for journals and papers and clinical notes in patient charts. But now, they’re learning how to communicate with their patients,” Meyer says. “These students will carry this experience with them through the rest of their medical careers.”

The Trouble With Chainsaws

Over the course of three virtual sessions, aspiring doctors like fourth-year medical student Nate Barott brainstorm their story idea, devise a pitch for their op-ed and then produce a finished story to run in local publications, whether online or in print.

Translating complex scientific writing into clear, accessible language helped Barott become a more effective communicator. It also highlighted the importance of informing rural communities about key public health issues.

During his 10-week rotation in Glens Falls, New York, Barott saw numerous instances where individuals came to the emergency room after injuring themselves operating a chainsaw. Those interactions changed his perspective on the practice of medicine in the community he was serving, and were the inspiration for his op-ed: .

“I drew on my own experiences with chainsaws growing up in Canandaigua, New York, and what I saw while in Glens Falls, and came up with some easy-to-understand advice that the audience could take away from the article,” Barott says.

As he works to become a doctor, Barott says this experience will help him establish trust and become a better communicator with his patients, and form relationships with the local media in his community to promote public health initiatives. And he hasn’t ruled out writing additional informative news articles.

“This experience helped me relate to what my patients were going through. I learned new ways to communicate with patients and gained more empathy for what patients are dealing with after being injured by a chainsaw,” Barott says. “It’s so important to establish trust with our patients, and this will definitely help me in my future career as a physician.”

After serving her country as a U.S. Navy Seabee and continuing her service in the Air National Guard, Nadia Morris-Mitchell ’24, G’26 is answering a new call: teaching. The Syracuse native has enrolled as a in the University’s , where she is pursuing a master’s degree in .

Seeing the Impact

The Baldanza Fellows program, a partnership of the School of Education, and several Central New York school districts, aims to recruit and retain teachers who bring diverse life experiences to the classroom. Fellows receive tuition assistance, a stipend and a guaranteed teaching position in a partner district upon graduation.

“Nadia is paired with the Syracuse City School District, so she will have a middle or high school teaching position in special education when she successfully completes the program,” says , professor and program coordinator. “Local school districts are looking for teachers who bring varied life experiences into the profession, and we know this benefits students. With her military background, Nadia exemplifies the kinds of life and work experiences the fellows program supports. We are excited to have her and look forward to seeing the impact she will have on Syracuse students over her career.”

Helping the Community

Morris-Mitchell began her educational journey as a part-time undergraduate in creative leadership through the . While completing a bachelor’s degree, she continued serving in the Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing public health team—a unit responsible for disease monitoring, occupational safety and vaccination programs for nearly 2,000 members. She continues to serve during her graduate studies.

Her commitment to service extends beyond the military. She works part-time as a fitness instructor and volunteers in her community, balancing what she calls “organized chaos” with a disciplined routine shaped by her years in uniform. “In the military, I got used to waking up early and getting things done,” she says. “Even today, it’s lights out at 10 p.m.”

Morris-Mitchell’s decision to teach was sparked by outreach from the School of Education’s graduate admissions team. Recognizing the need for special education teachers in Syracuse, she embraced the opportunity. “Joining a program like this fulfills me and gives me more purpose,” she says. “It makes me feel as though I’m helping the community.”

One of Us

As part of her application process, Morris-Mitchell interviewed with the Syracuse school district, in anticipation of being offered a teaching position when she graduates. Beginning her program in summer 2025, she already has two field experiences under her belt, one in the Solvay Union Free School District and another helping teach English language arts in Syracuse’s Nottingham High School.

Mitchell-Morris says her field experiences have helped her to understand resource disparities between city schools and the suburban high school—Cicero-North Syracuse—she attended: “This experience has opened my eyes to differences in classroom behaviors and class management.”

Moreover, her keen eye and military understanding of logistics and public health have led her to notice other distinctions, such as how many Syracuse students rely on city transportation instead of school buses or the narrow food choices at Nottingham’s sports complex concession stand. “There’s little choice other than hot dogs and chips in an area of food insecurity,” says Morris-Mitchell. “It makes me wonder why things here have to be at a bare minimum.”

Most importantly, she says, the students in her placement classes “have been great” and—an especially good sign for the Baldanza Fellows program—some have voiced appreciation about having a teacher who looks like them: “‘You’re one of us,’ they’ve said to me.”

The Nutrition Initiative consists of three programs:ÌęBooks and Cooks, a literacy, culture, and cooking collaboration with Syracuse City School District elementary schools;ÌęFood Busters, a program for Syracuse high school students that explores the science behind food through hands-on activities and experiments; andÌęCooking on the Hillside, where Hillside employees in theÌę program provide cooking lessons to Syracuse high school students.

Shaw Center Assistant DirectorÌęÌęoversees a team of seven Nutrition Initiative leadership interns who create the curriculums, purchase and prepare food, and arrange travel for Nutrition student volunteers who participate in the program.

The current faculty advisors from the Department of Nutrition—Associate Teaching Professor Ìę(Books and Cooks), Associate ProfessorÌęÌę(Food Busters), and Associate Teaching ProfessorÌę (Cooking on the Hillside)—suggest and review lesson plans for the interns.

The leadership interns for the fall 2025 semester included Nutrition Initiative coordinator Zoya Ansari ’26 (nutrition science major), Trinity Delgado ’27 (exercise science major in the Falk College), Sophie Denham ’27 (neuroscience and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences), Lily Judelsohn ’28 (nutrition major), Natalie Kloman ’27 (nutrition major), Mae Neuman ’27 (nutrition major) and Tracey Rodriguez ’27 (nutrition science major).

For the leadership interns, the common threads for joining the Nutrition Initiative are their fascination with nutrition, and their interest in giving back to the Syracuse community.

“Nutrition is important, especially for young children and teenagers to keep their bodies going and to maintain their health to prevent other problems,” Ansari says. “So going into these classrooms and teaching children nutrition is very important, and we’re doing it in a fun way that makes them excited about making food and trying it.”

Story by Matt Michael and Cathleen O’Hare

In an era when artificial intelligence (AI) can aid in diagnosing diseases, serve as a virtual health assistant and help discover life-saving pharmaceuticals, there are certain irreplaceable human skills that algorithms cannot replicate.

At the College of Arts and Sciences’ (HDFS), students are developing empathy, cultural humility and critical reasoning through innovative courses that prepare them for some of health care’s most challenging moments.

Helping to lead this effort is , professor of practice in HDFS. Her courses, rooted in hands-on and community-engaged learning, represent a growing recognition that the future of health care depends not just on technical knowledge, but on uniquely human abilities that ease patients’ often stressful experiences.

At the heart of Cameron’s classes are what’s referred to as object-based learning. This pedagogical approach uses physical or visual objects as the primary focus for teaching and educating. Instead of learning solely from textbooks or lectures, students directly engage with real objects, artifacts, artworks, specimens or other tangible materials to develop critical thinking, observation and analytical skills. This fall, students in her class, HFS 400: Healthcare Communication, studied works from the s collections to discover how art can deepen their capacity for sensitive, compassionate patient care.

“In the age of AI, these kinds of classes become more important,” says Cameron, whose collaboration with the Art Museum was supported by their Faculty Fellows program. “This art-centered teaching method strengthens [students’] core humanistic and cognitive skills. The uniquely human skills of interpretation, narrative building and empathetic understanding become even more central to professional identity, which AI can’t do.”

Visual Thinking in Health Care Education

Inside the Art Museum, Cameron’s students aren’t just viewing paintings. Instead, they’re practicing the observation and listening skills that will one day help them in the real world. Students select works of art that represent one of medicine’s most difficult moments: death notification.

In the clinical setting, death notification, or the process by which medical professionals inform family members or loved ones that a patient has died, is considered one of the most difficult and emotionally challenging tasks health care providers must perform.

The approach draws on visual thinking strategies (VTS) increasingly adopted by medical schools nationwide. Rather than memorizing facts, students learn to carefully observe, interpret multiple perspectives and communicate effectively—skills directly transferable to patient care.

Research published in the journal indicates VTS-based interventions consistently help develop crucial clinical competencies, with several studies showing statistically significant improvements in observational skills among medical students and residents.

For Sophie Heieck ’26, a pre-med student who plans to pursue a career in pediatrics, the museum experience has taught her something textbooks cannot. “As someone who is very fast paced and always on my toes, it was extremely beneficial to slow down, and really tune into my senses and what I saw and interpreted from what I was looking at,” says Heieck. “Medicine can be really fast paced at times and can often leave patients feeling like a number or a statistic. It is important to build that rapport with them.”

Heieck, who aspires to become a physician in her hometown of Geneva, New York, and to address health care disparities there, selected artwork portraying a poignant final moment between a loved one and the deceased.

After reviewing Federico Castellon’s work “Stop Him & Strip Him I Say,” she reflected on how it reinforced the importance of respecting grief and recognizing that individuals cope with loss in different ways—insights essential for delivering difficult news.

Sophia Kuber ’26, an HDFS major who plans to pursue a doctorate in occupational therapy after graduation, had a similar revelation. She chose to analyze Castellon’s “And the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all,” a work that explores universal themes of mortality.

Reflecting on the piece, Kuber noted how it shaped her understanding of death—revealing that cultural and personal beliefs influence how people perceive it. She observed that many

interpret death as a shared destination, a concept reinforced by the artwork’s depiction of bodies intertwined, evoking both the physical reality of burial and the symbolic unity of life’s end.

“This style of learning has allowed me to view heavily discussed topics in this course in a new light,” says Kuber. “Art has given me a new perspective on issues such as death notification that I would not have been exposed to without the help of the SU Art Museum.”

Through her analysis, Kuber discovered how cultural background shapes how people perceive death—insights directly applicable to patient care. “This experience will allow me to use what I learned to consider different perspectives of all medical situations and help me re-evaluate my decision-making for all patients in the best way possible,” she says.

“A lot of research and practice shows that our in health care profession training and medical school,” says Cameron. “So one of the benefits of leaning into the patient experiences is really honing your skills of observation and perspective taking.”

The pedagogical innovation aligns with recommendations from the Association of American Medical Colleges, which emphasizes competencies that extend far beyond scientific knowledge. Students are learning to be better observers and interpreters, developing health care communication skills they’ll use not just with patients and families, but also within health care teams.

“We’re unlocking these new ways of thinking and processing, which enhances their abilities and their skills,” says Cameron.

For their final project, students will present the artwork they’ve chosen, explaining how it captures themes of health care communication and death notification. The public is invited to attend the presentation on Dec. 9 at 9:30 a.m. at the Art Museum. The exercise transforms abstract concepts into visceral, memorable understanding—exactly the kind of deep learning that prepares students for the emotional complexity of real clinical settings.

Cameron’s course demonstrates the power of collaboration across the University. She partnered with Kate Holohan, the Art Museum’s curator of education, who helped design the curriculum and lead the museum sessions. Holohan’s expertise in using art for VTS and object-based learning was pivotal in creating meaningful interactions between students and artworks. This cross-disciplinary partnership—bridging health sciences and arts education—shows how shared university resources can spark innovative learning experiences.

Connecting With Pediatric Patients

Building on this foundation of experiential learning, Cameron is developing another innovative program: a teddy bear clinic scheduled to launch in fall 2026 at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse. The initiative will teach pre-health students to communicate effectively with pediatric patients by using play as a teaching method.

“One of the really well studied and well applied practices is play as an approach to teaching and learning for children,” Cameron says. Students will learn developmentally appropriate approaches to communicating about health topics, from explaining what a stethoscope does to preparing children for procedures like getting stitches or an IV.

“Our students will be using play to teach children around very general and basic introductory topics,” says Cameron. “The teddy bear becomes the patient.”

The clinic will feature different stations at the MOST, which already hosts health-related educational programming for the Syracuse community. Local families will be invited to bring their children and their favorite stuffed animals to learn about health care through interactive play, while Syracuse students practice crucial communication skills in a low-stakes, supportive environment.

Cameron credits support from A&S’ (EHN) for helping refine the project. As part of the initiative, she receives funding and cohort-based pedagogical and logistical support to help her students apply their scholarly knowledge and skills to serve the public good.

“It’s really a collective of thoughtful faculty who are intentionally designing courses with students and our community in mind,” she says. EHN’s cohort meetings provide opportunities for faculty to share insights and receive feedback that strengthens their teaching approaches.

Real Skills for Real-World Impact

Both initiatives reflect Cameron’s core mission as a professor: preparing students for the health care field by connecting theory to practice through simulation and real-world experience.

“My main goal is to orient our students to the field of health care,” Cameron says. “And so a lot of it is theory and evidence. But we take it to the next step and allow them to apply what they’ve learned.”

As AI continues to transform health care delivery, these experiences are a reminder that medicine remains fundamentally a human endeavor. The ability to comfort a grieving family, to explain a diagnosis with clarity and compassion, to recognize the unspoken fears in a child’s eyes—these are the skills that help clinicians provide truly excellent care.

For Syracuse students preparing to enter health care professions, the path forward involves not just mastering technology, but cultivating the irreplaceable human capacities that make medicine an art as well as a science.

Playing in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Maintaining high marks in the classroom. Seeking career-launching internships.

The time management skills required of the student-athletes on campus are impressive, but despite those obligations, many student-athletes prioritize giving back to the community that cheers them on to victory through service projects.

With Thanksgiving approaching, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is once again partnering with Wegmans to provide between 300 and 400 turkeys to families in need around the holidays.

Anna Rupert ’26 has participated in the drive for the last two years and says it is especially important for her to spread some holiday cheer and help people enjoy a turkey dinner at Thanksgiving.

“It’s amazing to see how this act can impact someone’s life. Service creates bonds and creates friendships. Through service, we become more well-rounded, holistic leaders on campus,” says Rupert, a member of the women’s soccer team studying economics () and philosophy ().

Setting a Positive Example

The turkey drive is just one of the ways Orange student-athletes are supporting the community through service.

Rupert and some of her teammates also volunteer at the Central New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, playing with and taking dogs for walks at the shelter.

“Volunteering is about setting an example of what it looks like to be a student-athlete,” says Rupert, vice president of SAAC. “Once our student-athletes are out in the community, they’re able to see how their efforts are making a difference. We are leading by example and showing what it means to represent Syracuse.”

Service Fuels Holistic Development

The importance of community service was instilled in Sydnie Waller ’27 from a very early age. When she was 5 years old, Waller remembers accompanying her parents, DarKenya and Sean Waller, to food banks near their home in Nashville, Tennessee.

When Sydnie first arrived on campus as a member of the women’s volleyball team, she sought ways to give back to the community. Those efforts have included reading to and playing games with area school children, and serving up hot meals, sorting food and washing dishes at food banks.

Through her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Waller is also involved in three different food-based community service projects leading up to Thanksgiving.

“I volunteer because I have the ability to give back and I’m trying to do something to make a change,” says Waller, a marketing major in the . “We all have an obligation to our community. It’s important to look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know that you made a difference with the time you had.”

A Role Model for Children

Whenever Angelica Velez ’27 and her women’s basketball team play inside the JMA Wireless Dome, they know the Central New York community is rooting for them. Children from the Syracuse Central School District and other elementary, middle and high schools can always be found in the stands.

Velez says the team relies on that support to transform the Dome into the “Loud House,” and knowing how much the community shows up for the team fuels her service efforts.

Last year, after transferring from Louisiana State University, Velez spent roughly 80 hours volunteering, giving back to the Syracuse Rescue Mission and the Food Bank of Central New York, preparing meals at the Samaritan Center and making care packages for children.

“Giving back brings me joy. I really enjoy being able to impact somebody else’s life,” says Velez, a communication and rhetorical studies major in the .

“I can be a role model for the kids in the community. For them getting to know me on a personal level is humbling and allows me to grow as a leader because I understand the impact we’re having through service.”

Giving Back What They Have Received

The SAAC features students from every intercollegiate athletics team coming together to make a difference on campus and in the community through professional development and networking opportunities, cultural celebrations and community outreach.

Within SAAC, the Community Outreach Committee connects interested student-athletes with more volunteer opportunities in the community. Opportunities exist to assist those facing homelessness through a partnership between the Samaritan Center and We Rise Above the Streets.

Last spring, during Sandwich Saturdays, Emma Klein ’25, G’27 would spend three hours making sandwiches and distributing them to Central New Yorkers. Hoping to entice others to join in, Klein sent out texts in the team’s group chat. She was amazed at how quickly her teammates answered the call to assist. Soon there were seven to eight of Klein’s teammates handing out sandwiches.

“Seeing the impact we can have on our community was really touching. You don’t realize that the littlest things mean the world to someone,” says Klein, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and is pursuing a master’s in engineering from the . “I’m grateful and fortunate for everything the Syracuse community has given me. I want to be able to give back what I have been given.”