High temperatures and humidity couldn鈥檛 dampen the enthusiasm of workers from across Central New York, including members of the University community, who gathered at Onondaga Lake Parkway on June 9 for the annual Syracuse WorkForce Run.

Due to the heat, organizers adjusted the format from a 5K run to a 2-mile walk. The event raised funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York.

网爆门 turned out in force with 340 participants鈥攖he second-highest total among all competing companies and organizations. Otto the Orange was on hand to rally the Orange team members.

Each June, the in the Office of Human Resources sponsors the University鈥檚 participation in the WorkForce Run as part of its mission to empower employees to live balanced, healthy lives.

鈥淲e were thrilled to have record numbers of 网爆门 employees celebrating health, teamwork and Orange pride,鈥� says Alex Dietrich, interim chief human resources officer. 鈥淭he WorkForce Run embodies what we believe at the University鈥攖hat focusing on well-being is essential to who we are as an institution. When our employees thrive, our entire university community benefits.鈥�

For many, the WorkForce Run is an annual tradition. Jon French, associate teaching professor and undergraduate director of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, has participated since 2018, when the event was known as the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge. He keeps coming back for the sense of community it creates.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to get out with friends and colleagues in a different setting鈥攖o see people off campus, outside of a conference room or a Zoom meeting,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou connect with others who maybe you didn鈥檛 realize also had an interest in running. It鈥檚 also great that it鈥檚 open to all ability levels.鈥�

The event also drew first-timers, including Elisha Glover, a custodian with Facilities Services who had signed up three years in a row but was finally able to participate this year.

鈥淚 was determined to get it done this year,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 found the event because I鈥檓 always trying to stay healthy and informed, so I often sign up for things through the Wellness Initiative. My motto: if you fail, keep on trying!鈥�

Inside every human cell, a tiny structure called a lysosome acts like a recycling center, breaking down toxic waste, clearing damaged proteins and helping keep the cell functioning properly.

When that recycling center stops working because the lysosome loses the acidic conditions it needs to function, the consequences ripple outward. Waste builds up, proteins accumulate and eventually the cell鈥檚 internal systems begin to break down. This type of dysfunction is commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson鈥檚.

Newly published research from , assistant professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the , suggests that nanoscopic particles delivered into the body could help restore the recycling function, and in doing so, slow disease progression at its cellular root.

Instead of just treating symptoms, Zeng鈥檚 novel approach uses acidic nanoparticles to restore lysosomal function and repair the cell鈥檚 built-in cleanup system. The results of her study, , demonstrate this strategy in both cell and animal models of Parkinson鈥檚 disease.

鈥淩ather than simply trying to block damage after it occurs, this approach aims to restore the cell鈥檚 own ability to clear toxic material and maintain homeostasis,鈥� Zeng says. 鈥淲e think this makes it especially promising, because it could be adapted to other diseases in which harmful proteins build up and the cell鈥檚 recycling system isn鈥檛 working properly.鈥�

The study, published in April, was carried out in collaboration with assistant professor and his lab in the 鈥� Department of Biology. , part of the , work closely together to better understand the underlying disease mechanisms for conditions including Alzheimer鈥檚, Parkinson鈥檚 and multiple sclerosis.

How the Research Works

Zeng focuses on developing tools to deliver therapies more precisely within the body. One such tool is nanoparticles鈥攖iny spherical structures formed from long, flexible polymer chains.

How small exactly is nanosized? Ten to the power of minus nine, tinier than a cell itself.

鈥淭hink of them like long, soft chains that tangle together and eventually form a tiny ball,” she says. “That’s what makes a nanoparticle. Because they’re so small, cells can take them in pretty easily.”

Zeng is applying this nanoparticle-based strategy across multiple disease areas, including metabolic disorders and Parkinson鈥檚 disease, with a focus on addressing dysfunction at the cellular level鈥攂oth to better understand early changes and to deliver more precise, effective treatments.

In Parkinson鈥檚, impaired lysosomal function and toxic protein buildup contribute to neuronal damage. Lysosomes require an acidic environment to function, similar to how stomach acid helps break down food. In disease, this acidity is reduced and the 鈥渞ecycling center鈥� function stops working, allowing waste to accumulate.

鈥淵ou can think of it like stomach acid鈥攈elping break things down,鈥� Zeng says. 鈥淟ysosomes need to stay very acidic to work properly. Our nanoparticles go into the cell, break apart, and release acid, which helps restore that environment. That鈥檚 how they get the lysosomes working again.鈥�

Her newly published study demonstrated how restoring the pH environment in lysosomes reduced toxic protein aggregation, a hallmark of Parkinson’s, in both cell and animal models, thereby protecting the brain cells responsible for movement that are progressively lost during the disease.

Zeng鈥檚 work also suggests that lysosomal dysfunction may be an early indicator of disease, observed across conditions ranging from Parkinson’s to metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.

“When lysosomes start to lose function and you鈥檙e no longer able to clear unwanted material, it can signal that harmful processes are beginning to build up,” Zeng says. “It may serve as an early warning sign.”

For that reason, Zeng and Lo are also working to develop biomarkers that can detect changes in lysosomal pH at early stages.

What鈥檚 Next

The next step Zeng is taking with her nanoparticle research is tackling how to make them better at reaching the brain, where they鈥檙e needed.

The brain has a built-in security system called the blood-brain barrier, which helps protect the organ from harmful substances but also blocks most medicines from getting through. That means even good treatments may never reach the place they are needed to work.

To address this, Zeng is designing nanoparticles with features that can be recognized by receptors at the barrier, allowing more efficient transport into the brain.

“If you inject a drug, often less than 1% actually makes it into the brain,” Zeng says. “If we can improve how well it gets across the blood-brain barrier鈥攅ven by several fold鈥攊t could make treatments much more effective, or allow us to use much lower doses. That鈥檚 why this step is so important.”

Looking ahead, Zeng is working to further validate and refine this approach with an eye toward potential clinical translation.

鈥淭here are already a few FDA-approved nanoparticle-based drugs and vaccines, mainly in cancer and infectious diseases, but not yet for neurodegenerative conditions,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t this stage, we are focused on testing in mouse models and building the foundation for future studies in larger animal models.鈥�

She shares adjacent lab space with Lo, her close collaborator, and together they pursue interdisciplinary research to develop new tools and therapies for inflammatory, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.

Students interested in joining the lab are encouraged to reach out.

鈥淲e welcome inquiries from motivated students who are interested in our work,鈥� Zeng says.

Where you live affects how healthy you are. That idea sits at the center of Miriam Mutambudzi鈥檚 research鈥攁nd behind the two-year project she led as the 2024鈥�26 .

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

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

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

We spoke with Mutambudzi recently about the team鈥檚 work.

What did the community tell you that the data couldn鈥檛?

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

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

How did TMR become part of that work?

As the landscape for relevant research shifted in ways outside our control, it became clear that data analysis alone was insufficient to fully capture the lived realities of housing disparities in Syracuse. TMR was a natural fit, as the focus was on housing and provided an opportunity to incorporate community-engaged work in a meaningful way, one I don鈥檛 think we could have replicated any other way.

What role did the student fellows play?

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

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

How has this project informed your ongoing research?

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

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

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

Student Fellows

The 2024鈥�26 Lender student fellow team consists of:

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

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

The awards鈥�$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鈥攔eflect 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 鈥溾�� won an honorable mention; and in the New Year/New Work Film Festival at The Film-Makers’ Cooperative听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 Mi拧o Such媒. 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鈥檚 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 网爆门 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 鈥渢he 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 .

A recent major investment in 网爆门 research infrastructure has resulted in the installation of a field emission scanning electron microscope in the University鈥檚 (MRC) facility. The instrument has introduced dramatic new imaging capabilities to researchers at the University and at partner institutions in the region.

The new instrument demonstrates the University鈥檚 commitment to supporting and enabling cutting-edge research in important fields like biomedical engineering, materials science and quantum computing, says , director of research operations in the .

The Zeiss will serve researchers across disciplines and career stages, from advanced undergraduates and graduate students to postdoctoral scholars and faculty. The Zeiss also supports the campus research group and Central New York鈥檚 rapidly expanding semiconductor and quantum technology ecosystem. The instrument was funded by a $335,000 investment by the Office of Research, the and individual faculty contributors.

On Campus and Beyond

The microscope is part of the Office of Research鈥檚 efforts to build shared, core facilities available to users across the University and the greater Syracuse region, says , vice president for research. 鈥淪trong core facilities are a force multiplier for our outstanding faculty and student researchers, providing access to state-of-the-art scientific instruments without the burden of having to purchase and maintain them individually.”

鈥淔or researchers who once drove an hour to use a scanning electron microscope, that capability is now right here, benefiting researchers on our campus, in our community and throughout the region,鈥� Steinbacher says. It also serves as a recruiting tool because it demonstrates to prospective graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty that state-of-the-art instrumentation is readily accessible at Syracuse, he says.

A Billionth of a Meter

Its resolution of 1.6 nanometers means the Zeiss can zoom down to the nanoscale, revealing details as small as a billionth of a meter, sharp enough to capture images of computer chip components, nanoparticles, bacteria and living cells, Steinbacher says.

It captures the shape and texture of an object鈥檚 surface in detailed, three-dimensional images versus thin cross-sections of materials. Because its electron beam works at lower energy levels, the microscope also offers highly detailed viewing of soft or non-metallic materials that typically are difficult or impossible to examine with older equipment, Steinbacher says.

Conventional electron microscopes require samples to be stripped of all moisture and placed under high vacuum, but some materials fall apart or change when dried out. Zeiss permits variable pressure imaging, so air pressure inside the imaging chamber can be adjusted to view samples that aren鈥檛 bone-dry. That lets researchers examine hydrogels, drug-delivery particles and biological samples in a more natural state. That capacity did not previously exist at 网爆门 or other area institutions, according to Steinbacher.

Who Will Use It

Biomedical and chemical engineering researchers can use the microscope to examine polymer film morphology. Environmental scientists can image rocks and fossils. Others will use it for battery technology research and catalyst design. The group and scientists in electrical engineering, computer science and physics can conduct device characterization鈥攖esting device effectiveness and checking for flaws.

, technical director of the , says the Zeiss enables exciting new levels of research. 鈥淚t lets researchers image the surface appearance of synthetic materials, such as polymers or other engineered materials, and biological samples, such as cells, tissues and organisms, at higher resolution and better definition compared to existing instruments in the area.鈥�

The instrument 鈥渋s a critical addition to Syracuse’s growing suite of fabrication and characterization tools for next-generation quantum technologies,鈥� says , assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. 鈥淲e’ll use it to image our superconducting devices at the nanometer scale, hunting down the surface defects and contaminants that limit their performance.鈥�

, assistant professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, says the Zeiss will assist in prescreening superconducting qubit devices鈥攖he tiny, ultra-cold circuits that are the building blocks of quantum computers鈥攆rom device batches fabricated elsewhere. 鈥淭hat will help us focus on the most promising devices听and let students make the connection between the abstract shapes they draw on computer screens and听the actual footprints of the tiny electrical circuits their designs imprint听on the chips.鈥�

For more information about of University instruments and facilities, visit the Core Facilities webpage.

When Candace Campbell Jackson arrived on the 网爆门 campus in 2015, she was uniquely qualified to take on the role of vice president and chief of staff on then-Chancellor Kent Syverud鈥檚 senior leadership team.

The chief of staff (COS) role was not common at universities at the time; it was most often found in the military and government. This was a role Campbell Jackson essentially defined in 2004 at the University of Akron, at a time when no other Ohio university had a COS and there were few in the nation.

Campbell Jackson brought to Syracuse deep insight into the significant impact a COS could have on a campus community and beyond. Now, after 11 years, she is concluding her term as and transitioning to a senior advisor to the chancellor role that will support Chancellor J. Michael Haynie鈥檚 new leadership team.

鈥淭hese chief of staff jobs are all-consuming, as they should be,鈥� says Campbell Jackson. 鈥淚t demands your whole self and you give it, because a university changes lives by nourishing minds, igniting passions, shaping careers, inspiring entrepreneurship and artistic endeavors and enriching communities.鈥�

The trusting relationships Campbell Jackson built with Syverud and the leadership team were the foundation for success. 鈥淭he leaders you work with deserve your honest assessment of the situation,鈥� says Campbell Jackson. 鈥淵ou have to master team dynamics and seek out the opinions of the entire team. I love it when someone tells me something I didn鈥檛 expect to hear and this new knowledge or perspective inspires more thought and deliberation. And if that results in an 11th-hour change of heart or mind, that鈥檚 good decision-making.鈥�

“Candace has been one of the most important people in my professional life,鈥� says Chancellor Emeritus Kent Syverud, who ended his tenure as chancellor in April. 鈥淲hen the hardest decisions were in front of us, I always wanted to know what she thought鈥攏ot because she told me what I wanted to hear, but because I could always trust that she never would. We have navigated some of the most consequential moments in this university’s recent history together, and at every turn she brought clarity, honesty and an unwavering commitment to doing right by Syracuse and its people. Syracuse is better because of her candor, her steadiness and her judgment under pressure. And so am I for having worked alongside her.”

Cultivating Leadership on Campus

In her role as COS, Campbell Jackson facilitated and co-chaired the 150-person , comprising key executives from multiple departments. Her role was to ensure that each team member was able to articulate decisions with clarity and confidence, strengthening internal communications across campus.

“I have known Candace as a colleague and as a friend, and both of those experiences have made me a better professional,鈥� says , who became the University鈥檚 13th chancellor and president in April. 鈥淪he is the kind of person who makes an institution work through an extraordinary dedication to the people and its mission. She brings a level of genuine care that is rare, and Syracuse has been the beneficiary of that for a long time. I have no doubt Candace will invest herself in her new role of advising me on leadership development, strategic partnerships and community impact matters with the same commitment and heart she brought to this place for the last decade.”

Campbell Jackson also cultivated leadership in new ways on campus, launching the (WiL) Initiative in 2018 to advance professional development for faculty and staff through education, awareness and mentorship. Reflecting on Campbell Jackson鈥檚 leadership, WiL participants praised her 鈥済enuine appreciation for people and commitment to creating opportunities for growth.鈥�

Despite the enormous pressures on higher education, Campbell Jackson is optimistic for the students, faculty and staff at 网爆门. 鈥淚 believe the leadership is poised to take the University to new heights. It has been a pacesetter in so many ways and I can鈥檛 wait to see what lies just beyond the horizon.鈥�

Forging Partnerships Beyond Campus

Campbell Jackson extended the impact of WiL well beyond the campus, spearheading a partnership between the and the nationally recognized Women Leaders in Sports organization, which is dedicated to accelerating the potential of women to positively impact sports. The partnership provides Falk students with mentoring, learning and internships, and supports professional development for Falk faculty.

According to , CEO of , 鈥淐andace has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to build听meaningful partnerships, connect people around a shared vision and create opportunities that leave a lasting legacy. She approaches every conversation with a forward-looking, 鈥榥ext play鈥� mindset that inspires progress, growth and meaningful change.听Her legacy will be measured not only by her accomplishments, but by the people and communities she has strengthened along the way, especially her听commitment to investing in women leaders.鈥�

It鈥檚 the 鈥渘ext play鈥� mindset that has become a mantra of sorts for Campbell Jackson and a fundamental principle in her efforts to cultivate leaders and mentor students. 鈥淚t is my absolute joy to develop relationships and watch my mentees flourish,鈥� she says.

Car Shapiro 鈥�23, who met Campbell Jackson when visiting Syracuse as a high school student, says, 鈥淪he took me under her wing and helped time and time again at school, giving me the confidence to be myself. She often said, 鈥楾ake care of your people and they鈥檒l take care of you.鈥欌�� Shapiro is pursuing a career in New York City with a degree in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises from the and a portfolio of connections.

Nurturing Creativity

The partnerships forged by Campbell Jackson during her tenure at Syracuse run deep in the arts community as well, reflecting her desire to nurture the creative talents and aspirations of students. After learning that the internationally renowned photographer Carrie Mae Weems lives in Syracuse, Campbell Jackson approached Syverud with the idea of creating an Artist-in-Residence program to bring prominent and emerging artists to campus to collaborate with faculty and students.

Syverud gave his full support, and Weems became the inaugural Artist-in-Residence in 2020, recently concluding her residency. She worked with students on several projects, providing new outlets for creative energies on campus and beyond and bringing national attention to the University.

Similarly, Campbell Jackson saw an opportunity to renew a partnership between the University and the prestigious Syracuse International Jazz Fest, now in its 40th year. 鈥淚t was a chance to spotlight our talented students and faculty and bring them closer to famous artists like Kenny G, Gladys Knight, Herbie Hancock and Trombone Shorty.”

This year, the 网爆门 National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building will host the U.S. Air Force Band鈥檚 Airmen of Note on the festival鈥檚 opening night. The festival closes with a hosted by , featuring students and community singers. 鈥淭his partnership is a gift to campus and community, and the opportunity for the connection and collaboration has just been magical,鈥� says Campbell Jackson.

鈥淐andace is a philanthropist in every sense,鈥� says , president and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation. 鈥淪he is beyond generous and unselfishly gives her time, treasure and expertise to so many. Her core belief is that relationships are foundational to building long-lasting partnerships. I have seen this demonstrated time and time again in her tenure at 网爆门. She leans into innovation, problem-solving and collaboration in ways that have built and sustained relationships. This is her superpower.鈥�

Leaving a Legacy and Looking Ahead

Campbell Jackson has been recognized for her contributions and impact with 网爆门鈥檚 Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Leadership (2021); the Trailblazer Award from Women Leaders in Sports (2022); by the Syracuse chapter of the American Heart Association (2023); the Fortitude Award from Delta Sigma Theta Syracuse Alumnae (2026); and the Higher Education Opportunity Program Robert L. Boney Service in Perpetuity Award (2026).

She continues to serve institutions beyond the University, as a trustee of Manlius Pebble High School; board of advisory member for the School of Education at her alma mater, Howard University; board member of Women Leaders in Sports and the National Grid Foundation; and member of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council.

Looking back at serving as chief of staff for Chancellor Emeritus Syverud for more than a decade, Campbell Jackson says, 鈥淚 had a front-row view of his deep commitment to our entire 网爆门 family鈥攕tudents, faculty, staff, alumni, community and global partners. Chancellor Syverud is personally very modest, but he was so bold and ambitious about 网爆门鈥檚 mission and role in this world. It has been the privilege of my career to serve alongside him on his executive team and be inspired by his leadership.鈥�

Campbell Jackson鈥檚 鈥渘ext play鈥� has her looking forward to spending more time with her husband, family and close friends, whom she credits for guiding, inspiring, grounding and supporting her. In the true spirit of the quote, 鈥淛oyful is the accumulation of good work,鈥� Campbell Jackson says she has been 鈥渂lessed with opportunities to have done professionally and personally meaningful work at 网爆门 with people I so love and admire. It has brought me infinite joy and gratitude.鈥�

Three of Central New York’s most prominent champions for veterans, including 网爆门 ,听 were honored May 28 at Madison County Distillery in Cazenovia, as WCNY launched its first “Mission: Honor Our Heroes”鈥攁n event raising funds to keep local veterans’ stories on the air.

Chancellor Haynie, Col. F. William (Bill) Smullen III, U.S. Army (Ret.), a Syracuse alumnus and former director of the University鈥檚 national security studies program, and Rear Admiral John Paddock, co-founder of Honor Flight Syracuse, were honored by WCNY.

The event secured funding for continued production and distribution of 鈥淗onor Flight Syracuse,鈥� ensuring the voices and experiences of local veterans reach audiences across the region.

鈥溾�楳ission: Honor Our Heroes鈥� reflects 奥颁狈驰鈥檚 deep commitment to telling the stories of those who have served our country and our community,鈥� said Mitch Gelman, president and CEO of WCNY. 鈥淲e are honored to recognize these extraordinary individuals while bringing our community together to celebrate their leadership, sacrifice and lasting impact.鈥�

鈥淚 am humbled to be recognized as an advocate for Honor Flight Syracuse and Central New York veterans,鈥� says Chancellor Haynie. 鈥淚 have always believed that the debt we owe to those who have served and sacrificed for our nation鈥檚 defense can never be repaid, but it certainly can and should be acknowledged and honored. That鈥檚 what has driven 网爆门 to be a leader in veteran education, and that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 so proud to be a supporter of Honor Flight Syracuse.鈥�

An influential researcher and scholar, Haynie assumed the chancellorship of 网爆门 on May 11. He is the founder of the and has an extensive record of national public service.

His advocacy for service members and veterans also includes serving as chairman of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Federal Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach; vice chairman and later chairman of a White House Presidential Task Force on long-term reform at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and membership on the George W. Bush Institute Advisory Council and the VA’s Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Education. Before entering academia, Haynie served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force for 14 years.

Smullen G鈥�74 is a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Army and U.S. State Department for more than 32 years. His last assignment on active duty was special assistant to the 11th and 12th Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William J. Crowe Jr. and General Colin L. Powell. He served as director of Syracuse鈥檚 in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs from 2003-21 and taught in the . He is the former CEO of Clear Path for Veterans.

鈥淔or so many years WCNY has been a partner in amplifying the Honor Flight mission, in telling the stories of Central New York veterans and in helping our community understand the contributions of those who have served,鈥� Haynie says. 鈥淭oday we鈥檙e working to ensure that mission can continue so every veteran who wants to be part of the Honor Flight experience has not only that opportunity but the chance to share their story through WCNY.鈥�

, associate provost for academic programs, has been appointed interim dean for the (ECS).

Hasenwinkel, a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence, was previously chair of the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and a faculty affiliate of the听. She has previously served as ECS associate dean for academic and student affairs and senior associate dean. She will continue to serve concurrently as associate provost for academic programs.

鈥淛ulie鈥檚 extensive leadership and administrative experience positions her well to lead ECS during this time of transition,鈥� says Provost Lois Agnew. 鈥淚 am grateful she has agreed to take on this expanded responsibility.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the opportunity to serve as interim dean of ECS. This college has been my professional home throughout my career, and I am deeply committed to its extraordinary faculty and staff, and most importantly, our students,鈥� says Hasenwinkel.

Two additional appointments will expand leadership support for the college.

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Professor will serve as senior associate dean for faculty affairs.

鈥淓CS has outstanding people at every level and supporting them is what drives great outcomes for our students and our college,鈥� says Henderson. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for the chance to serve in this role and look forward to working with Julie, Andria and the entire ECS community to strengthen the foundations that let our faculty, staff and students do their best work.鈥�

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor will serve as interim senior associate dean of academic operations while continuing to chair the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to have the opportunity to work with Julie, Jay, ECS faculty, staff and students to help our college continue to thrive, innovate and excel,鈥� says Costello Staniec.

Agnew credited input from the broader ECS community, including department chairs, in shaping the transition plan.

鈥淚 am confident that under Julie鈥檚 leadership, the college will move forward with purpose and momentum,鈥� says Agnew. 鈥淚 am grateful to Julie, Jay and Andria for stepping up at an important moment and for their dedication to ECS and to 网爆门.鈥�

, associate professor of writing and rhetoric in the (A&S), has been awarded the $10,000 Syracuse Prize from CNY Arts. Berry was recognized for his work with听, a community-engaged writing and multimodal publishing initiative that supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.

The inaugural Syracuse Prize honors community members who have made significant contributions to the cultural vitality and civic life of the City of Syracuse.听Berry accepted the award at a ceremony on May 14, with the recognition receiving coverage from regional media outlets, including and NewsChannel 9, both during a 听and on its 听辫谤辞驳谤补尘.

Founded by Berry in 2022, Project Mend is an open-access national archive developed in partnership with the听听in Syracuse. The initiative centers the creative and scholarly work of people directly impacted by incarceration, offering paid editorial and design apprenticeships that provide participants with professional skills and pathways to future opportunity.

鈥淚 believe the arts should be accessible to everyone, including those rebuilding their lives after prison,鈥� says Berry. 鈥淚nitiatives like Project Mend remind us that creativity, storytelling and multimodal publishing are powerful forms of education, healing and community.鈥�

A central component of the initiative is听鈥淢end,鈥� a print and digital journal that publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art by incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. This spring, Project Mend celebrated the release of听鈥淢end鈥檚鈥澨�, marking a significant milestone in the project鈥檚 continued growth and national reach.

Project Mend also serves as a high-impact experiential learning site for students. Many students first encounter the project through Berry鈥檚 courses in A&S and continue through internships and apprenticeships, translating their work with 鈥淢end鈥� into career pathways in publishing, communications, social services, nonprofit leadership and graduate study.

The Syracuse Prize is the latest in a series of honors recognizing Berry鈥檚 leadership on Project Mend. In 2025, he received the Outstanding College鈥揅ommunity Partnership Award from the Coalition for Community Writing, which recognized Project Mend鈥檚 collaborative and reciprocal engagement with justice-impacted communities. Berry has also received support through the University鈥檚 Office of Research’s Good to Great Grant Program, which supports high-impact initiatives with strong potential for national reach.

Additional funding has come from a Humanities New York Post-Incarceration Humanities Partnership, supported by the Mellon Foundation and the CNY Humanities Corridor. On campus, the project is further supported by the Engaged Humanities Network, the Humanities Center, the SOURCE, 网爆门 Libraries and the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition.

As the initiative continues to expand, so do opportunities for innovative forms of engagement. In spring 2026, Berry launched 鈥�,鈥� a podcast that offers members of the team a space to reflect on themes explored in听鈥淢end.鈥� The first episode, released in March and titled 鈥淢ental Health and Solidarity in Prison,鈥� was inspired by Rebekha Nilsen鈥檚 2026听鈥淢end鈥澨齛rticle 鈥�,鈥� extending the essay鈥檚 exploration of loss, care and resistance through collective conversation.

Berry is also developing a book,听鈥淟iteracy and the Humanities After Prison,鈥� which examines how literacy and humanities-based practices shape the lives of people impacted by the criminal legal system.

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) mourns the passing of Meredith Lillich, professor emerita of art history, who died on March 18, 2026, at the age of 94. A member of the University鈥檚 faculty for more than four decades, Lillich was an internationally recognized scholar of medieval stained glass, a dedicated teacher and mentor and a foundational figure in the modern study of Gothic art.

Born in Chicago, Lillich demonstrated an early devotion to intellectual pursuits. After double majoring in English and art history at Oberlin College and graduating in 1953, she traveled to Europe on a Fulbright fellowship, taking part in a formative abroad experience that sparked what would become her life鈥檚 scholarly focus: medieval stained glass.

Lillich would go on to earn a master鈥檚 degree in art history from Cornell University in 1957 and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1969. While finishing her dissertation, 鈥淭he Stained Glass of Saint-P猫re de Chartres,鈥� she joined the A&S faculty in 1968. She remained at the University until her retirement in 2010, shaping generations of students and playing a central role in establishing A&S as a hub for research and teaching on medieval art.

Her research took her frequently to Europe, where she was known for her determination and fearlessness in the field. Undeterred by cramped staircases, great heights or the less hospitable corners of medieval buildings, Lillich, her听, climbed听into hard-to-reach spaces in churches (i.e., triforia, towers and clerestory levels) to study stained glass up close. These efforts yielded landmark publications, including 鈥淭he Armor of Light: Stained Glass in Western France, 1250鈥�1325鈥� and 鈥淭he Gothic Stained Glass of Reims Cathedral,鈥� along with numerous influential articles.

Among her many honors, Lillich received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, the National Gallery of Art鈥檚 Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies and multiple Fulbright awards. At Syracuse, she was recognized with the Wasserstrom Prize for Outstanding Graduate Teaching (1987), the Arts and Sciences Special Service Award for Service to Field (1989) and the Chancellor鈥檚 Citation for Exceptional Academic Achievement (1999).

, Distinguished Professor of Art History and Chair of the听听in A&S, recalls Lillich鈥檚 immense scholarly stature and international reputation. 鈥淗er colleagues used to call her the 鈥楺ueen Bee of Medieval Art,鈥� and for good reason,鈥� Franits says. 鈥淢eredith received prestigious academic recognition abroad, particularly in France, where her scholarship was widely respected and influential.鈥�

Beyond her scholarly achievements, Lillich was deeply revered as a mentor, and her influence extended far beyond Syracuse through the students she trained. Former student听, now an associate professor of medieval art history at the University of Virginia, credits Lillich with shaping both his intellectual orientation and professional ethos. 鈥淚 affectionately refer to Meredith as my 鈥榤edieval momma,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淗er model of academic excellence, devotion to family and research output are a model for anyone to follow. Her passion for stained glass studies was unrivaled.鈥�

Her colleagues and former students describe Lillich as a scholar whose curiosity was tireless. By understanding both the people behind the art and the meaning embedded in their work, Lillich believed society could gain deeper insight into the cultures that shaped these artworks and the values they still reflect.

Lillich鈥檚 expertise made her a sought-after authority worldwide. She was a central and foundational figure in the American chapter of the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi, an international scholarly initiative devoted to the study, documentation and preservation of medieval stained glass. Her influential work on subjects such as Cistercian grisaille, band windows (which are clerestory windows featuring horizontal narrative strips) and collaborative research at institutions including the Corning Museum of Glass continues to shape the field. Colleagues across the discipline described her as 鈥渇iercely brilliant,鈥� a 鈥渇orce of nature,鈥� and one of the founding mothers of American stained-glass scholarship.

Meredith Lillich leaves behind a legacy of rigorous research and devoted teaching. Her influence endures not only through her work and students, but also through her family. She is survived by two daughters, Victoria A. Lillich and Olivia P.L. Hilton; and four grandchildren, Rebecca Lillich Kr眉ger, Miles Hilton (Lis Meiss), Rupert Kr眉ger and Aaron Hilton (Enjolique).

, director of research development for the arts and humanities in the and the (A&S), has been recognized with the 2026 Innovation Award from the (NORDP).

The award recognizes professionals who advance research development through partnerships, new tools and techniques or the creation and sharing of knowledge that produces demonstrable results. Workman and her NORDP colleague, Allison DeVries of Chapman University, received the award in recognition of the evolution of the (CASSH) affinity group, which they founded in 2022. The group, which has grown to more than 150 NORDP members across the country, helps them marshal and create collective resources and share best practices, case studies and challenges in support of faculty in the humanities, creative arts and social sciences areas.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to receive this award and proud to have had a part in bringing the CASSH group together four years ago when it seemed rare to have a designated arts and humanities research development staff member housed in an R1 institution,鈥� Workman says. The group has gained momentum 鈥渂ecause higher education recognizes the value of this support nationwide as integral to the national research landscape and vital to an individual institution鈥檚 research ecosystem,鈥� she says.

Workman came to Syracuse in 2019 and built a dedicated arts and humanities research development infrastructure from scratch. She now connects with more than 200 faculty across eight schools and colleges and partners with and several University-affiliated arts organizations.

Beyond campus, she is part of the , an 11-university consortium for collaborative research, teaching and programming. She co-leads its HF4 Corridor Futures and Initiatives working group with program manager Aimee Germain to offer professional development opportunities for faculty.

Impact on Faculty and Funding

Prior to Workman鈥檚 arrival, scholars navigated grant funding alone or through informal networks, often missing critical opportunities, says , senior director of research development in the Office of Research, who co-nominated Workman for the award.

She says Workman has contributed to faculty winning prestigious awards, including summer stipends, a and a grant. Workman has also supported a fellowship, an digital justice grant and several successful applications.

In 2025, Workman supported 64 grant proposals seeking $44 million in funding. She recently helped nine arts faculty and five organizations secure awards, making Syracuse the only university in the state to receive multiple awards in that cycle, Chianese says.

, professor of women’s and gender studies and director of the 网爆门 Humanities Center and the Central New York Humanities Corridor, says Workman鈥檚 Corridor support has deepened scholarly community across the region and has had significant impact on Syracuse faculty success.

“Sarah has been instrumental in several prestigious Mellon awards, including our first and ensuing New Directions fellowships and many other highly competitive awards and grants,” says May, who co-nominated Workman for the award. 鈥淢any of these awards have been substantial enough to transform individual career trajectories and drive transformational work at the University and in听 wider communities locally and nationally.” May says faculty frequently remark about how much they enjoy collaborating with Workman and appreciate her support.

, assistant professor of music history and cultures in A&S, credits Workman with helping her secure a , a first for Syracuse among 200 competing institutions. “I am deeply grateful for her thoughtful engagement with my research and for helping make its relevance accessible to a broader interdisciplinary readership,” Pe帽ate says.

, associate professor in women鈥檚 and gender studies in A&S, says Workman’s guidance “proved instrumental in shaping two grant proposals into competitive, fundable projects. Her careful feedback led to key revisions that directly contributed to securing a major award from a private funder. In a context of shrinking funding, Sarah’s leadership has been indispensable for the success of humanities’ interdisciplinary, social justice-centered research.”

While Workman focuses on the arts and humanities, the Office of Research supports faculty across disciplines through a broader research development team. Researchers across campus partner with team members on proposal development, funding searches, cohort writing programs for competitive federal awards and strategic guidance on funding opportunities. Faculty interested in support for their projects can learn more about .

hosted 鈥機use Collections this spring for the third year in a row, an event where students can drop off new and gently used items that they no longer need or are unable to take home at the end of the semester.

The collected items are provided to local organizations and nonprofits, and at the two collection sites on campus, 网爆门 and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students donated an estimated 85 bins of items.

Student volunteers helped oversee the drop-off sites and assist organizations in picking up the donated items.

The items (equivalent to over three dump-truck loads) were donated to seven local organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse, John 6:12, Lydia鈥檚 Attic, Rescue Mission, SEA Without Borders, Spanish Action League of Onondaga County and Huntington Family Centers, Inc.

鈥淒onations collected through 鈥機use Collections help the Rescue Mission meet immediate needs in our community. Items like blankets, sheets and clothing are used directly in our emergency shelter services, while additional donations help stock Thrifty Shopper stores with affordable goods for local families,鈥� says Luana Lovenguth, chief social enterprise officer at the Rescue Mission. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a meaningful example of community impact and sustainability working together.鈥�

These donations help keep items out of the waste stream, reduce the amount of energy used to create new products and benefit those in the Syracuse community.

If you鈥檙e interested in getting involved next year or are an organization that would like to partner with Sustainability Management, please reach out to sustain@syr.edu.

Ads generated by artificial intelligence are nearly indistinguishable from human-made ones, but new research shows they consistently underperform compared to human-made work when it comes to predicting short-term sales impact.

罢丑别听 from global research firm Ipsos in collaboration with two faculty members from the听 tested 20 ads across 10 brands with 3,000 U.S. respondents. They found that human-made ads outperformed their AI counterparts, though the gap between the two was surprisingly slim.

The study paired existing human-made ads, produced before 2021 to ensure AI tools were not used, with fully AI-generated counterparts built from the same strategic brief, the document that ad professionals use to outline objectives, messaging and tactics for a campaign. Ads were then viewed by real consumers.

The results challenge assumptions the advertising industry can no longer afford to ignore, faculty 听补苍诲听 say, while the project overall reflects Newhouse鈥檚 commitment to train students with the skills and forward-thinking strategies needed to be effective and ethical communicators.

The Research Team

Peruta, director of the听听M.S. program, and Riby, professor of practice in the听, led the University side of the study. Ryan Barthelmes, senior vice president of creative excellence at Ipsos, guided the project for the research firm.

Peruta oversaw the technical process of deconstructing existing ads and building the pipeline to produce their AI counterparts. AI was assigned to do everything a creative team would do, from interpreting strategy to developing a concept to producing the final spot.

鈥淭he human ads and the AI ads started from the same brief,鈥� Peruta says. 鈥淭he only thing that changed was who made them, and that鈥檚 exactly what we wanted to measure.鈥�

Riby brought advertising strategy and creative expertise, including insights drawn from her The Big Idea in Advertising class, where Newhouse students have spent three years creating AI-generated ads and evaluating the results.

The 10 brands selected for the project spanned various sectors, including consumer packaged goods, fashion, automotive and technology: Cheerios, Chewy, Febreze, Fiat, H&M, Old Navy, Herbal Essences, Ray-Ban Meta, TurboTax and Visa.

Raina Rice 鈥�26, an advertising major, supported the project behind the scenes, helping organize and manage the ad assets across all 10 brand pairings.

What They Found

The study produced three findings that promise to generate conversation across the advertising industry.

• Consumers largely cannot tell the difference.听Only 13% of viewers who saw an AI-generated ad were at least somewhat confident it was made by AI鈥攖he same share as viewers who suspected human-made ads were AI-generated. With 40% of all viewers uncertain either way, the line between human and machine-made advertising is blurring quickly.

• Despite that perceptual similarity, a measurable effectiveness gap emerged.听Using Ipsos鈥� sales-validated measures of advertising performance, human-made ads over-indexed against the benchmark by 11 points on average, while AI-made ads under-indexed by five. In practical terms, human ads are predicted to drive stronger short-term sales impact. AI can produce credible work, but on average it does not move the needle the same way.

• AI performed best when the brief was straightforward and product-driven, but struggled when the creative challenge called for storytelling, emotion or a genuine point of view.听The strongest result in the study came from the Cheerios pairing, where a deeply human brief produced the highest combined effectiveness scores across both versions.

鈥淓very semester in my class, I watch students create AI ads about themselves, and not one of them has ever loved their output enough to put it on their refrigerator,鈥� Riby says. 鈥淭hat reaction is the premise of this entire study. If the creators themselves are underwhelmed, why would we expect consumers to feel differently? The data now backs that up.鈥�

An Industry Perspective

Barthelmes says the study addresses a question the advertising industry has been circling but is reluctant to answer directly.

鈥淓very [chief marketing officer] is being asked whether AI can replace their creative agencies, and creative directors are wondering about their futures,鈥� Barthelmes says. 鈥淭his research gives us a framework for that conversation. AI is a powerful tool, but the data shows that the human capacity for storytelling and emotional connection still creates a measurable competitive edge. The future is humans and AI working together.鈥�

Looking Ahead

The Newhouse-Ipsos partnership reflects the school鈥檚 broader investment in industry-facing research that shapes how the next generation of communicators understands and works alongside AI.

The study鈥檚 key recommendation is clear: do not settle for 鈥済ood enough.鈥� AI has an important role in modern campaign strategy and execution, but it is not a replacement for the human-led creativity needed to deliver a competitive advantage.

New research in the journal听听by Maxwell postdoctoral scholar Dustin Hill, Professor of Public Health Dave Larsen and a team of researchers has found a strong connection between the prevalence of genetic variations of the COVID-19 virus and higher community transmission.

Testing wastewater to detect viruses in a community is a well-established scientific practice. But knowing the prevalence of a disease has always presented challenges, with science relying on sheer volume and concentration of virus load found to make inexact assumptions.

The team, which included colleagues from SUNY Upstate Medical University, SUNY College of听Environmental Science and Forestry and the New York State Department of Health, looked closely at existing data and genomes from wastewater surveillance collected during the COVID-19 emergency, measuring genetic variation through small, insignificant changes in the virus genome, and comparing that to transmission levels.

To put it simply: they found that the more variation in the viral material in wastewater, the more people were infected.

鈥淣ot only do infections rise when diversity of the virus increases, infections decline as diversity declines,鈥� says Hill, the study鈥檚 lead author. 鈥淲e tested three different ways to measure diversity of the virus genome in wastewater, and all three measures predicted infections with extremely high statistical power.鈥�

While the study analyzed COVID-19, this connection could change how wastewater surveillance is used not just to detect, but to measure disease transmission with implications for monitoring other diseases, including influenza, measles, polio and future viruses that may arise.

鈥�These findings open up new areas of exploration in genetic epidemiology,鈥� says Larsen. 鈥淲e will now be able to estimate transmission from sequencing data, something that has previously not been possible.

Key Takeaways From the Study

• Genetic diversity measured in wastewater is highly predictive of community infection numbers, and superior to current methods that use concentration
• Wastewater genetic data can tell us more than just what variants or subtypes are circulating in each community
• Methods can be applied to any pathogen found in wastewater that can have genetic material sequenced

鈥淭his is exactly the kind of research Maxwell exists to support鈥攔igorous, evidence-based and consequential well beyond the laboratory,鈥� says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. 鈥淭he collaboration between Professor Larsen, Dr. Hill and their partners at the New York State Department of Health is a model for how transformative research unfolds: without a roadmap, assembling the right collaborators, working through what didn’t work and ultimately arriving at findings that can make communities healthier and safer. The ability to move from detection to prediction changes what policymakers can do, and when they can do it. That’s not just scientific progress鈥攖hat’s the public good.”

The research project grew from a partnership between 网爆门, the New York State Department of Health, SUNY Upstate and SUNY ESF that began in March of 2020, in the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak.

As the virus first spread in New York and elsewhere, Larsen proposed using wastewater to detect and monitor the virus at 网爆门. He assembled a team of researchers from Syracuse and nearby universities to begin developing the wastewater surveillance technology that would eventually become critical to New York State鈥檚 response to the disease and developed into the听.

鈥淭he wastewater program was further developed in 2022 by the addition of sequencing of the detected virus, work that was undertaken by the 5-site sequencing consortium set up by the Wadsworth Center in 2021,鈥� says Kirsten St. George, director of the Virology Laboratory at the Wadsworth Center and co-author of the study. 鈥淭he sequence data generated by the consortium provided the information needed for the genetic variation analysis and transmission correlations reported in this study. Initiated to monitor circulating and emerging variants of the virus, the sequence data generated by the consortium has now proven to be a powerful tool for additional applications.鈥�

In 2024, the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network was designated as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Northeast Region Center of Excellence.

鈥淭he valuable partnerships the department and our world-renowned Wadsworth Center have developed with 网爆门, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical University are leading to important new discoveries that are advancing our understanding of not only how to detect COVID in wastewater, but also how to analyze those samples to better predict community transmission,鈥� says New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. 鈥淭he researchers involved in this study remain on the cutting edge of scientific discovery that could change how we look at other pathogens in wastewater, including polio, influenza and measles and establishing wastewater sampling as a reliable public health early warning system for public health threats.鈥�

This latest research, in the article titled 鈥�,鈥� appears in the May 14 issue of听Science, a leading outlet for scientific news and research.