Nearly four decades after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 claimed 35 网爆门 students, a new cohort of scholars is keeping their memory alive.

The Remembrance Scholarships, now in their 37th year, were founded as a tribute to鈥攁nd means of remembering鈥攖he students studying in London and Florence through 网爆门 who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

Significant support for the Remembrance Scholarships has been provided by Jean Thompson 鈥�66 and 网爆门 Life Trustee Richard L. Thompson G鈥�67 in memory of Jean Taylor Phelan Terry 鈥�43 and John F. Phelan, Jean Thompson鈥檚 parents; by Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus Steven Barnes 鈥�82 and Deborah Barnes; by The Syracuse Association of Zeta Psi in memory of Alexander Lowenstein; and by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation.

Selection Process

Remembrance Scholars are chosen in their junior year through a competitive selection process. Applicants submitted an essay and a reflective response in multimedia, artistic, musical or written format as part of a comprehensive application. The application evaluation committee is composed of University faculty and staff and current Remembrance Scholars. The $5,000 scholarships are awarded on the basis of community impact, leadership, creativity and thoughtful academic inquiry.

鈥淭he Remembrance Scholars bring something exceptional to our University: a commitment to learning, to leading and to giving back. Through their accomplishments, they carry forward the legacy of the students for whom these scholarships were created. Recognizing them is both a privilege and a point of deep pride for 网爆门,鈥� says Lois Agnew, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer.

The Remembrance Scholars plan the Remembrance activities held at the University each year, and the cohort will be recognized during a convocation in the fall.

2026-27 Remembrance Scholars

The 2026-27 Remembrance Scholars, their hometowns, majors and schools and colleges are the following:

• Victoria Alwar of Homa Bay, Kenya, a biology major and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Madiou Bah of Bronx, New York, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and an economics major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and A&S;
• Sigourney Bell of Birmingham, Alabama, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School and member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Nasya Simone Bellard of Concord, North Carolina, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S;
• Tyler Branigan of Delhi, New York, a policy studies major and economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S, an environment, sustainability and policy major in the Maxwell School and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Teaghan Brostrom of Sacramento, Califorrnia, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Keona Bukhari-Adams of Springfield, New Jersey, a neuroscience major and psychology major in A&S;
• Mason Burley of Webster, New York, an inclusive adolescent education major in the School of Education and history major in the Maxwell School and A&S;
• Samuel Esteban Cornell of Houston, Texas, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and finance major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management;
• Eliora Enriquez of Doon, Iowa, a film major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA);
• Quinn Gonzalez of Wantage, New Jersey, a nutrition major in the David B. Falk College of Sport and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Jiya Gumaste of Ashburn, Virginia, a chemistry major and neuroscience major in A&S;
• Shivika Gupta of Rochester, New York, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S and law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School;
• Abigail (Abi) Handel of Newton, Massachusetts, a biology major in A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Alexis Heveron of Rochester, New York, a chemical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS);
• Emily Hunnewell of Chicago, Illinois, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a business management major in the Whitman School;
• Daniella Jacob of Millburn, New Jersey, a health and exercise science major in the Falk College and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Sydney Kincaid of Seattle, Washington, a music education major in VPA and the School of Education;
• Kennedy King of Pasadena, California, an anthropology major and political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S, an art history major in A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Chloe Anjolie Kiser of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, an advertising major in the Newhouse School and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Carmen Lee-Bennett of Buffalo, New York, a biology major in A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Aaron Lener of Homer, New York, a linguistic studies major in A&S, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Haonan (Eric) Ma of Beijing, China, a student in the School of Architecture;
• Carter J. Moreland of Dallas, Texas, a political science major and an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S;
• Darren Murphy of San Ramon, California, an applied mathematics major in A&S, an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Sophia Hoyos Murray of Northborough, Massachusetts, a psychology major and biology major in A&S;
• Matilda Nichols of Fairfield, Connecticut, a chemistry major and forensic science major in A&S;
• Will Parsons of Albany, New York, a chemical engineering major in ECS;
• Alana Ramirez-Velez of Manati, Puerto Rico, a biology major and neuroscience major in A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Ella Roerden of Syracuse, New York, an anthropology major and international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S;
• Sreshtha Thangaswamy of Edison, New Jersey, a political science major and economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S;
• Halle Varney of Potsdam, New York, a psychology major in A&S;
• Cara Williams of Greenwood, Indiana, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a political philosophy major in A&S and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program;
• Katie Wood of Clifton, Virginia, a musical theater major in VPA and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program; and
• Chelsea Zhang of Suzhou, China, and Hayward, California, a student in the School of Architecture.

When Vincent 鈥淰inny鈥� P. Longhi Jr. 鈥�78 started to consider ways to give back to 网爆门, he thought about his father, Vincent Sr., and his son, Matteo.

His father died from a massive heart attack in 1960, when Vinny was just 7 years old. Matteo Longhi G鈥�15 followed in his father鈥檚 footsteps and spent three graduate years at Syracuse, where he earned master鈥檚 degrees in violin performance and music education.

To both honor his father and support students like his son who want to excel as musicians and teachers, Vinny Longhi created the $135,000 Vincent Paul Longhi Sr. Endowed Scholarship for students in the 听补苍诲听听(厂翱贰)听.

The Longhi Scholarship is combined with a 50% match through听The Syracuse Promise听scholarship fundraising initiative, bringing the total amount to more than $200,000.

It was important to Vinny Longhi that the scholarship benefits students who want to become music teachers because he spent his entire career as a special education teacher, and Matteo is now a music teacher in the Syracuse area.

鈥淚n both my case and Matteo鈥檚, Syracuse was a place where we fulfilled our potential through some special teachers,鈥� Vinny says. 鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for Syracuse, maybe it would be a little different story. This is just something to give back.鈥�

Through music education students, the scholarship also will give back to the Syracuse community.听, professor of music and director of the , says that through the efforts of , associate professor and former chair of the music education program, and听, associate professor and current chair, the program had 100% placement for graduates in recent years. Many of them, like Matteo, are now building renowned music programs in schools throughout Central New York.

鈥淚 want to express my gratitude to Vinny and his family for paying it forward because that鈥檚 exactly what it is, creating opportunities for students to get fantastic training and have this great experience at Syracuse,鈥� Warren says. 鈥淭hen they go out into the schools and produce wonderful musicians, but most importantly, wonderful people.鈥�

A Positive Environment

Vinny grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Yonkers, a suburb of New York City. His entire extended family lived in Yonkers, and while he does not have a lot of memories of his father, he does remember that Vincent Sr. was a gregarious man who was the life of the party at their large family gatherings.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the reason the scholarship is named after my father, because he really didn鈥檛 have anything to look back on in terms of recognition of his life,鈥� Vinny says.

His mother supported the family by working as a dental hygienist for the Westchester County dental clinic, and Longhi enrolled at 网爆门 in 1972. He initially wanted to become a journalist, but he had second thoughts after his freshman year and took a few years off before returning with the goal of becoming a teacher.

In the SOE鈥檚 groundbreaking special education program, Vinny says he was guided by several prominent mentors, including former Dean Burton Blatt, a pioneer in humanizing services for people with intellectual disabilities and namesake of the听; Blatt鈥檚 wife, Ethel D. Blatt G鈥�77, who trained special education undergraduate students; professor and director of special education James F. Winschel, Jr. 鈥�71, G鈥�73, who later became SOE’s associate dean for administration; and professor and Dean Emeritus 听G鈥�73, Ph.D.鈥�73.

鈥淪yracuse was a place where we fulfilled our potential through some special teachers,” Vinny says. “It was a very positive environment, and with the people I mentioned along with the special education professors and others, I found them very warm and supportive.”

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Growing up, Matteo Longhi recalls his mother loved music and played guitar and piano, but neither she nor her husband were trained musicians. But they encouraged their children to take music lessons, and Matteo became a talented violinist who honed his skills with the New York Youth Symphony in Manhattan.

After receiving a music degree in violin performance from Ithaca College, Matteo was interested in becoming a teacher, and a friend who was attending Syracuse for violin told him about the University鈥檚听.

After graduating from Syracuse, Matteo spent five years leading the grades 7-12 orchestra at Chittenango middle and high schools before joining West Genesee High School in Camillus, where he is director of violin and orchestral studies in a district that has been 听among the 鈥淏est Communities for Music Education鈥� for 17 consecutive years.

鈥淚 had teachers I always liked and respected in high school, and your teacher on your primary instrument is an important figure in your development,鈥� Matteo says. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 something nice about working with young students and giving them an outlet to participate in music and have this artistic experience.鈥�

No one understands that teacher-student connection more than Vinny Longhi, and with the help of the Vincent Paul Longhi Sr. Endowed Scholarship there will be a new wave of students like Matteo who will leave the music education program to make the world a better place through music.

鈥淚 know it鈥檚 kind of corny, but it鈥檚 the gift that keeps on giving,鈥� Warren says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the impact on the current students, but it鈥檚 also the impact that they鈥檙e going to have on their students. And this gift will make that possible.

Three 网爆门 students鈥攐ne researching proteins, one mapping geothermal heat beneath Greenland’s ice sheet and one engineering bacteria-fighting surfaces for medical implants鈥攁re recipients of the 2026 Goldwater Scholarship.

They are the following:

• Mallory Brown 鈥�27, a neuroscience and statistics major in the (A&S) and a member of the ;
• Kenna Cummings 鈥�27, a geology major in A&S; and
• Khuong Pham 鈥�27, a biomedical engineering major in the (ECS) and a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program.

罢丑别听听was established by Congress in 1986 to honor U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, the five-term senator from Arizona. The program provides a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to students who intend to pursue research careers in these fields. The Goldwater Foundation received 1,485 nominations this year from around the country and 454 students were selected for the scholarship.

Each 网爆门 Goldwater Scholarship nominee worked with the (CFSA) to prepare their application. A faculty committee, headed by, professor of chemistry in A&S, selected Syracuse鈥檚 nominees for the national competition.

鈥淲e are so proud of Kenna, Khuong and Mallory. They each stand to make significant contributions to their respective fields, and society, throughout their scientific careers, and it is exciting to see them honored with this award,鈥� says Melissa Welshans, assistant director of CFSA. 鈥淭he selection of three Syracuse students this year is a testament to the robust support for undergraduate research and excellent faculty mentorship students receive here.鈥�

Mallory Brown

Pursuing a statistics major turned out to be the decision that defined Brown鈥檚 research career. That mathematical foundation gave her an edge in the lab, and she has put it to use across two distinct research environments.

In the lab of , associate professor of biology and chemistry in A&S, Brown works with intrinsically disordered proteins, working to understand their 听behavior in live cells and under heat stress. She worked to experimentally quantify the chemical structure of RTL8, a protein known to interact with the UBQLN2 protein.

Brown also performed research with Amanda Cremone-Caira at the BRAiN Lab at Merrimack College, where she applied her statistical skills to a child development study, uncovering meaningful patterns of disagreement between caregiver and teacher assessments of preschool behavior, patterns previously unreported in literature.

Brown is drawn to large, complex data sets and the hidden stories within them. But she is equally motivated by the knowledge that her findings could reshape how researchers understand ALS and early childhood development. In the future, she hopes to conduct research and teach at a university, paying forward the mentorship that shaped her own path.

Kenna Cummings

Cummings came to geophysics with a goal already in mind: a career in geothermal energy. That clarity of purpose led her to the Geophysics Computing Lab of, assistant professor of Earth and environmental sciences in A&S, where she found her research question.听Scanning the seismology literature on geothermal gradients beneath Greenland, she noticed that paper after paper overlooked the ice sheet itself, despite its potential as a surficial indicator of ground temperature.

Now, guided by Russell and graduate student Isaac Rotimi, Cummings uses the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method to constrain shallow layers like the ice sheet and investigate how elevated geothermal temperatures affect basal conditions that drive melting, icequakes and sliding. The work matters beyond Greenland since accurately distinguishing geothermal from climate-driven ice loss is essential for building better climate models.

For Cummings, the research is inseparable from its real-world stakes. She envisions leading a lab at a geothermal energy company, working at the intersection of science, industry and policy to make geothermal systems more efficient and more widespread. She is equally focused on the risks, such as induced seismicity, heat pollution and impacts on water resources. Earth systems, she says, are complex and interconnected, and responsible innovation demands that researchers understand them fully before intervening.

Khuong Pham

Pham鈥檚 research sits at the intersection of chemistry, biology and engineering. Working to design antimicrobial peptoids鈥攕ynthetic molecules that mimic the infection-fighting proteins our bodies naturally produce–he is helping develop “self-defensive” surfaces for implanted medical devices like joint replacements. His challenge is to engineer peptoids that cluster just enough to withstand the body’s environment yet remain ready to deploy against invading bacteria on contact.

This work builds on a strong computational foundation developed through his research with , Milton and Ann Stevenson Endowed Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and chair of biomedical and chemical engineering in ECS, where he has honed skills in molecular simulation, Python scripting and high-performance computing, tools that have proven transferable across every research environment he has entered. He has also conducted research at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit盲t in Munich, Germany, in Alena Khmelinskaia鈥檚 Protein Design and Self-Assembly Group through the support of a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates.

Pham hopes to one day lead his own research lab as a professor, applying computational tools to design responsive proteins and biomaterial systems that address problems in medicine and biotechnology.

CFSA seeks applicants for the Goldwater Scholarship each fall; the campus deadline is mid-November each year. Interested students should contact CFSA at听cfsa@syr.edu.

More than two decades before his passing, Dr. Kedar Karim Adour made a decision about how he wanted his family name to be remembered. That kind of focus and planning has resulted in a $7.6 million gift to the University in the form of a scholarship that will benefit countless students.

Working with the Office of Gift Planning back in 2002, Adour established the Zina Adour Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of his mother. Kedar Adour passed away Nov. 1, 2024, and now the scholarship has been fully funded through his charitable gift annuities, trust and beneficiary distributions.

鈥淐haritable planned giving is thoughtful and a smart way to give a gift that can benefit you during your lifetime and benefit others afterwards,鈥� says Jason Tripp, executive director of the Office of Gift Planning. Well-planned giving can bring income to the donor, reduce their tax burden and ultimately 鈥渓eave a tremendous charitable legacy.鈥�

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e leaving a legacy, you鈥檙e trying to make a statement about what鈥檚 really important to you, and that鈥檚 exactly what my great-uncle Kedar did,鈥� says Jason Adour, who remembers his great-uncle as a dedicated physician who wanted his research and work to be meaningful, even groundbreaking. Jason says Kedar鈥檚 work ethic, focus and determination to educate other physicians and patients helped 鈥渃hange the world鈥� specifically in the treatment of Bell鈥檚 Palsy, a neurologic disorder that affects the facial nerve and is often managed by both neurologists and otolaryngologists (ENTs).

A Passion for Education and Health Care

Adour attended 网爆门 as an undergraduate for one year, and completed his medical degree there (before the medical college evolved into today鈥檚 SUNY Upstate Medical University). An ENT specialist, Adour鈥檚 focus on education and health care defined his life鈥檚 work鈥攁nd his passion for both wasn鈥檛 lost on his relatives.

Jason鈥檚 mom still has the teddy bears dressed as doctors that Adour gave her two sons. 鈥淯ncle Kedar wanted my sons to go to 网爆门 and to become doctors,鈥� says Colleen Adour. Though Jason pursued a different path in health care, becoming a doctor of physical therapy, he appreciated his great-uncle鈥檚 influence. When he was a young boy, Kedar gave him an anatomical model of the inner ear. 鈥淔orty years later, I still have it in my clinic and use it to educate patients,鈥� says Jason, a recognized expert in vestibular disorders and a preferred provider for ENT physicians. 鈥淚 use that model weekly and think of Kedar often.鈥�

Kedar Adour鈥檚 journey to professional and financial success was not easy and that, too, was motivation for his desire to create a scholarship in his mother鈥檚 name. His parents had emigrated in 1912 to Clark Mills in Oneida County, New York, seeking opportunity and the freedom to marry. Zina Abraham was from Syria and a Christian; Abdel-Karim 鈥淪am鈥� Adour was from Lebanon and a Muslim. Marriage was forbidden for the couple. They came to America to marry, settled in a farming community and had 10 children, including Kedar.

鈥淢y mother drummed it into our heads that education is the pathway to a better life,鈥� Adour told a writer for 网爆门 Magazine in 2003. 鈥淯nfortunately, my mother died while I was in high school, but I know she would have been absolutely thrilled that I became a doctor.鈥�

Honoring Family

Growing up, Adour was especially sensitive to the challenges facing Arab American children, particularly those desiring higher education. The scholarship in his mother鈥檚 name was designed to help others overcome those same hardships. 鈥淓ducation is what takes you ahead,鈥� Adour said in the article. 鈥淚f people want to leave something of importance behind when they die they should leave a legacy of education.鈥�

Adour鈥檚 philosophy is especially poignant today, with institutions nationwide working to make higher education more accessible and affordable for students. Endowed scholarship gifts like Adour鈥檚 are particularly valuable, as they provide permanent financial support for future generations.

鈥淲e are deeply grateful to Dr. Adour for having the foresight to create this scholarship and the incredible opportunities it will provide students as a result,鈥� says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. 鈥淭he Adour family legacy will be forever woven into the fabric of 网爆门, and it鈥檚 an honor to carry his vision forward.鈥�

Prolific Researcher

A story Adour told about his medical school experience captures the intensity with which he approached his studies and was written in a letter to the editor in the Upstate Medical Alumni Journal (Winter 2019). 鈥淎 favorite Upstate memory involves Dr. Phillip Armstrong, professor of anatomy at Upstate, who had the charming habit of taping a penny to the blue book of superior test answers. I desperately wanted one of those pennies and on the final written exam, I wrote pages and pages. When my blue book was returned, I had earned a penny, along with the comment, 鈥楴ot for quality but for quantity!鈥� When I finally write my autobiography, I will call it 鈥楢 Penny for the Doctor.鈥欌��

Though Adour never authored his own biography, his published research was prolific, including papers titled听 鈥淭he Bell Tolls for Bell鈥檚 Palsy鈥� and 鈥淢ona Lisa Syndrome: Solving the Enigma of the Geoconda Smile.鈥澨� 鈥淢y great-uncle knew how to artfully construct the title of a paper, how to make things 鈥榮ticky鈥� and compelling in the way he wrote up his research results, which made them more memorable,鈥� says Jason Adour.

In the medical field, Kedar Adour will be remembered for those 鈥渟ticky鈥� titles and the ground-breaking research that transformed treatment for countless patients. At 网爆门, he will be remembered for a well-planned gift that will transform the lives of countless students through the Zina Adour Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Amid the rhythm of early morning drills and the high demands of military service, Ty Tran 鈥�24 knew he could not compromise his duties in pursuit of higher education.

Tran, having served through multiple deployments and duty stations throughout his eight-year career in the U.S. Navy, naturally approached his education with the same enduring discipline and purpose. Now a seasoned leader in operations and team leadership, Tran recounts his journey with deep care, reflecting on the critical role of his service in shaping his experience in education and the workforce.

When Tran began researching where to pursue higher education, he knew he had to be intentional with both his time and resources. He sought institutions that were equipped to support both his academic goals and the demands of military life. During this search, he returned to a critical question: At what place would he fit and feel supported as both a student and a service member?

Learning to Lead With Empathy

The stood out immediately with its flexible learning, strong advising and a culture built around supporting working professionals and military service members.

The real anchor came in the form of his advisor, Cherri Wells, whose mentorship carried him through deployments, breaks, cross-country moves and degree changes. Over four years, Wells became more than an advisor but a guiding light amidst the uncertainty and challenges of balancing service and studies.

鈥淏efore Syracuse, I was very focused on structure and execution鈥攄oing my job well, checking the boxes,鈥� says Tran. 鈥淏ut my experience here, especially the people who鈥檝e guided me, taught me to look beyond that. I鈥檝e learned to lead with empathy and to see the value in slowing down and truly learning from the process.鈥�

As that stability took root, so did Tran鈥檚 sense of direction. He initially entered the program under the liberal arts core, but soon shifted toward a more focused path, a blend between his passion for leadership, operations and creativity.

The college’s track became the ideal path to his long-term dream of working in the beauty and luxury marketing industry. Tran lauded the program鈥檚 versatility, allowing him to merge the leadership skills he had developed through years of military service with a longtime dream of his.

Ultimately, Tran鈥檚 discipline and commitment to growth led him to the 鈥攁n opportunity rooted in the very values he had embraced both in the U.S. Navy and the classroom.

Becoming a Seinfeld Scholar was not a mere accolade for him but an embodiment of his journey throughout military service and education. It was a celebration of individuals like Tran who overcame significant personal and professional obstacles to realize their own unique aspirations. The program鈥檚 credo, 鈥淣ever Give Up,鈥� became a guiding philosophy as he pursued a non-traditional educational path.

Embracing a Mosaic of Experiences

Among fellow Seinfeld Scholars, Tran reveals what he calls a 鈥渕odern folklore,鈥� individuals whose stories carried their own forms of magic. Veterans, parents, career changers, students rebuilding their lives鈥攁ll under one guiding philosophy. Despite their vastly different paths and challenges, Tran recognized pieces of himself in those stories, and pieces of them in his own.

Today, Tran sees his education as more than a credential. He reflects on his journey as a veteran and student, seeing his life as a mosaic of experiences that have shaped who he is and who he continues to become.

He embraces persistence, wisdom and the courage to pursue his goals relentlessly. He encourages others to move forward thoughtfully, balancing discipline with compassion, and to trust that their paths will unfold with purpose.

In sharing his story, Tran shows that purpose is not found in a single moment, but in the steady, deliberate steps that carry us forward, and he hopes others will find their own sense of direction along the way.

Story by Katie Huang

The (CSE), launched last fall, brought together the University鈥檚 student support programs into a single administrative structure in order to build synergies and better serve students.

As of last week, those programs are now together in a single physical space as well, at .

鈥淭his move truly creates a centralized hub for student success, academic support, engagement and persistence,鈥� Assistant Provost for Academic Programs and CSE Director Tommy Powell says. 鈥淚t brings together multiple high-impact student support offices with a shared mission: helping students thrive academically, personally and professionally from their first day on campus through graduation.鈥�

CSE serves all undergraduate students, with a focus on student transition and adjustment to college; academic skill-building and coaching; retention and persistence; engagement, belonging and experiential learning; and clear communication and coordination across support services.

CSE comprises multiple programs working closely together:

• First Year Seminar
• Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS)
• Retention and Student Success
• SOURCE (Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement)
• Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising
• Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
• McNair Scholars Program
• Our Time Has Come Scholars
• Remembrance Scholars
• STEP (Science and Technology Entry Program) and CSTEP (College Science and Technology Entry Program)
• Shaw Center for Public and Community Service
• Living Learning Communities

Student-Athlete Academic Services, located in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, is also a core part of the CSE.

The building is located at the corner of Sims Drive and College Place, adjacent to Sims Hall. Drop-ins are welcome.

For more information, call 315.443.2005.

The 鈥攈oused in the University鈥檚 School of Education鈥攈as received a $1.8 million gift to further support student scholarships through the Genovese Social Work Scholars Program. The scholarships are named for , G鈥�83, G鈥�13, Ph.D., associate teaching professor and graduate master of social work (M.S.W.) director, in recognition of her teaching, student support and service in the community.

The new gift, which is the largest scholarship investment ever made to the School of Social Work, provides $1 million for a permanent, endowed scholarship fund; $500,000 through a Syracuse Promise funding match that will expand the endowment鈥檚 reach; and a pledge of a further $300,000 in current-use funds to provide immediate support for incoming M.S.W. students. The donation builds on a pilot gift of $300,000 that currently supports 13 .

The gift helps the anonymous donors realize their vision of expanding access, reducing financial barriers and supporting the next generation of social workers; expanding the population of social workers during a national shortage; and supporting students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and dedication to community-centered practice.

鈥淚 thank the donors for their steadfast commitment to the School of Social Work and to the profession, and I applaud their deserved recognition of Professor Genovese,鈥� says School of Education Dean . 鈥淭his gift will catalyze our efforts to recruit urgently needed social work professionals. It not only creates more access to the profession, it is also a tangible way of telling our students that we believe in you.鈥�

, associate professor and director of social work, says the donation supports students who, in turn, “support the most vulnerable among us.”

鈥淕enovese Scholarships represent hope and opportunity for talented students who are committed to community-centered practice,” she says. “Now, even more scholars will graduate prepared to address our most urgent societal needs, and they will do so with less debt and more freedom to choose meaningful public service careers.鈥�

Genovese says the support for the scholarship program establishes the University as a national leader in social work education and workforce development.

鈥淚t reinforces our ability to prepare graduates who address mental health care, veterans鈥� services, elder care, substance abuse and other urgent societal needs,” she says. “I am deeply moved that this program bears my name, but what truly matters is what it makes possible for our students. I am so proud of our outstanding scholars, who are making a significant difference in our community.鈥�

鈥�11, faculty director for online programs and strategic initiatives, School of Education; associate teaching professor, School of Social Work; and Genovese Scholars advisor, says the donation enables the School of Social Work to “recruit and prepare more students who are called to public service in places such as VA hospitals, high-needs schools and community health facilities.鈥�

鈥淚n terms of widening access to professional degrees, promoting student excellence through experiential learning and amplifying community impact, the goals and vision of our donors align perfectly with those of the University,” he says.

The Genovese Scholars Program is open to all residential M.S.W. applicants pursuing either traditional or advanced standing tracks. Candidates should first apply for the and then express interest in a Genovese Scholarship by contacting Adrienne Renfroe, coordinator of graduate admissions, recruitment and student services, at alrenfro@syr.edu or 315.443.1443.

Current Genovese Scholars and Community-centered Internships

• Rebecca Anderson
  Assisting clients from Syracuse-area hospitals and nursing homes access mental health, housing and other services. Recently, Anderson helped organize a Thanksgiving meal drive for homeless clients.
• Asher Baykitch 鈥�25
  Interning at Helio Health, which provides treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse. Recently, he assisted with the .

• Kristen Boyd
  Serving the Syracuse’s Center for Community Alternatives, including performing intakes for clients in the Emerging Young Adults Domestic Violence Court.
• Maya Carter 鈥�25
  Working at the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Health Care for Homeless Veterans program. Recently, she assisted with the .
• Caden Denslow 鈥�25
  Assisting US Probation and Pretrial Services, identifying mitigating factors for persons who have committed a federal crime. Denslow is also a field supervisor for 网爆门 Ambulance, and recently he assisted with the .
• Lily Grenis
  Helping Syracuse Jewish Family Services provide programs for adults with dementia or developmental disabilities. Recently, she coordinated the annual campus Fall Food Drive for Huntington Family Centers.
• Alayna Higdon
  Interning at Vera House, where she assists with educational, clinical and other services for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
• Amanda (“AK”) Keeler
  Assisting the College of Law’s Veterans Legal Clinic with services to at-risk and unhoused veterans, including VA benefit applications, discharge status upgrades and legal advocacy related to service-connected injuries. Recently, she coordinated the annual campus Fall Food Drive for Huntington Family Centers and assisted with the .
• Meg Kiesa
  Targeted Case Manager for Liberty Resources, which provides services to people with developmental disabilities, mental health challenges and substance abuse issues. Kiesa also volunteers with Seventh Heaven Pet Recuse.
• Alexis Maag 鈥�25
  Human Resources specialist at Helio Health, which provides treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse. Maag also volunteers with Sunshine Horses, a rescue facility for horses in need that works with youth and adult volunteer programs.
• Katie Pascale
  Interning with Peaceful Schools, which offers social-emotional learning in schools serving high-needs communities. Pascale is also leading weekly community restorative circles for young female athletes.
• Shakir Thomas
  Coaching youth basketball at Nottingham High School. Recently, Thomas assisted with the .
• Tyler Vitallo
  Currently, Vitallo is a bell ringer for the Salvation Army Christmas Drive, and recently he assisted with the .

The Mark and Pearle Clements Internship Award applications are open now for juniors, seniors and graduate students of any major who seek to further their career development through undertaking self-initiated unique internship opportunities. The award provides students with financial support to pursue meaningful, hands-on experiences that would otherwise be financially out of reach.

The awards typically range from $1,500 to $6,000, and the funds can assist with internship-related travel, accommodations, living expenses and required materials.

Applying for the 2025-26 Clements Internship Award

This year鈥檚 application period closes Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 11:55 p.m. Applicants are responsible for developing and obtaining their own internships before submitting the application for a Clements Award, as well as securing a faculty or staff sponsor letter. Students must also complete a Handshake application and the Clements Internship Award Qualtrics Survey by the application deadline. Visit the for complete details.

Exploring New Terrain

The 2024-25 Mark and Pearle Clements Internship Award enabled听 Elizabeth Henson ’25 to kick off her post-grad life in Alaska to intern with the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) for eight weeks, where she conducted glacial research and learned mountaineering skills.

鈥淚 really enjoyed every part of the program. The faculty, staff and students were great. Everyone was so motivated to be there, and I learned so much from everyone,鈥� says Henson, who graduated with a degree in geology last May. 鈥淲e had lectures throughout the summer, both about mountaineering skills and topics in glaciology. We were also able to help with a variety of research projects, from short day trips to multiday work.鈥�

The largest project Henson was able to work on during her time with JIRP involved glacial isostatic adjustment, the slow, ongoing movement of land due to the removal or addition of major ice sheets.

鈥淎s the ice sheet is melting and losing mass, the land beneath starts to rise up since there is less weight sitting on top of it, so the elevation of the [Juneau Icefield] area is changing and impacts local sea level,鈥� says Henson. 鈥淭here are a few historical GPS points scattered along the icefield where elevations were measured back in the 90s. Our team went out and remeasured them to look at uplift levels as the icefield has been melting.鈥�

In between the important scientific research she helped conduct, Henson鈥檚 internship with JIRP allowed for unique and fun outdoor experiences as well. 鈥淎ll of the camps were on nunataks [mountain peaks that protrude from ice fields or glaciers], so we were able to ski right out of camp,鈥� says Henson. 鈥淭here were countless ski days. I got to go on a few hikes and check out some glacial lakes. I went in a few crevasses and ice caves. I got to go to some of the most beautiful places and do some of the coolest things.鈥�

Henson鈥檚 summer internship with JIRP proved to be incredibly beneficial for her future professional endeavors. 鈥淚 learned so much and made so many connections to help guide my career,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 talked to a few professors about grad school and have that as a possibility in my future. I also learned about some jobs in Antarctica that I might apply for, and I have people willing to write letters of recommendation for them. I am so grateful to have had this experience!鈥�

For questions about the Mark and Pearle Clements Internship Award, visit the , email Career Services or call 315.443.3616. Students are also encouraged to learn more about the annual , with applications scheduled to open Tuesday, Feb. 10.

As the founder of the highly successful construction services firm Component Assembly Systems (CAS), Lew Rapaport鈥檚 life鈥檚 work can be seen throughout some of the country鈥檚 most iconic structures: Yankee Stadium, Carnegie Hall and the Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center, to name just a few.

But the most important legacy we have, he says, is the way that we treat others.

鈥淣obody blooms alone,鈥� says Rapaport ’59 of his achievements as the chairman and CEO of CAS.

鈥淚f you get there,鈥� he adds, 鈥測ou didn’t do it on your own鈥攖here were a lot of people behind you.鈥�

Rapaport, who received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in American studies from the 听in 1959, credits a 鈥渉uge amount of folks鈥� with helping him to get where he is today, including the professionals at CAS and his wife, Susan, a 1959 graduate of the who had her own successful career.

He also credits the lessons he learned as an undergraduate at Maxwell. To help others just starting out and to show their gratitude to Maxwell and celebrate its recent 100th anniversary, Lew and Susan Rapaport have the Maxwell Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship fund.

鈥淭his generous gift by Lew and Susan demonstrates their enduring commitment to supporting Maxwell and 网爆门 in a most meaningful way鈥攂y reducing the financial burden on undergraduates, enabling them to focus on their academics and related learning opportunities,鈥� says Dean David M. Van Slyke. 鈥淲e are grateful to the Rapaports for their longstanding friendship and generosity to Maxwell, not only because of the benefit to our students, but also because their gift may inspire generosity among others.鈥�

The $100,000 gift marks the Rapaports鈥� second endowed scholarship at Maxwell; in 2018 they the Susan and H. Lewis Rapaport Endowed Scholarship to benefit undergraduate students studying history or political science.

Modest Beginnings

Growing up in Queens, Lew Rapaport鈥檚 work ethic and business sense were shaped by his grandfather, a plumber and business owner on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and his father, an architect who owned his own firm. However, the younger Rapaport鈥檚 main interests were not construction; they were American history and military history.

鈥淚 read just about every book my high school library and the local library had on the Civil War,鈥� he says.

Rapaport came to the University in 1955 as a young ROTC candidate during the Korean War. 听He began taking classes in history and economics, eventually declaring a major in American Studies.

鈥淭he professors I had, some of them were world famous,鈥� he says. 鈥淪tuart Gerry Brown was one of the foremost experts in the United States on Ralph Waldo Emerson.鈥�

He credits the school with helping to broaden his perspective, see the world from multiple viewpoints and to understand how democracy works.

Another Maxwell professor, W艂adys艂aw Kulski, served in the Polish foreign ministry before World War II and helped to negotiate the Anglo-Polish military alliance.

鈥淗e used to read to us every day from ‘Pravda,’ telling us what they were saying from the Russian point of view and then read from ‘The New York Times’鈥�and there were two different stories,鈥澨� Rapaport says. 鈥淚 realized right away 鈥� you needed world information and you needed information from people who were there and lived it, like Dr. Kulski.鈥�

He also learned how to disagree respectfully while staying true to his values鈥攁n especially important lesson for today鈥檚 undergraduates, he says.

Rapaport recalls an incident on campus in which an anti-war protest group tried to disrupt ROTC marching drills.

鈥淚 said to myself when it was all over, and I would say this today to young people: Stand up for what you think is right. You may not agree with my side, and I may not agree with your side,” he says. “But you must try to negotiate.鈥�

Meanwhile, Rapaport鈥檚 fianc茅, Susan, transferred to the University from Skidmore College and earned a business degree from Whitman.

Helping Hands

By the time Lew and Susan graduated from the University in 1959, the Korean War had ended. The two married before Lew went into the Army and graduated from the U.S. Army Artillery and Missile School at Fort Sill, later serving as a training officer at Fort Dix. After completing his service, he took a job as a construction supervisor for the Webb & Knapp Co. in New York City, which built the Lincoln Towers.

Soon, in 1964, he and a co-worker started a small business of their own, called Score Carpentry鈥攖he precursor to CAS. Their first project was the Gas Pavilion Building at the New York World鈥檚 Fair. Over the next six decades, Rapaport grew the company nationally with eight locations in major cities throughout the U.S.

A longtime Maxwell School Advisory Board member, Rapaport is a Life Trustee of the USS Constitution Museum in Boston and a member of the Patriots Circle of the World War II Museum in New Orleans. In 2024, the Maxwell School awarded Rapaport the Centennial Changemaker Award in Economic Development.

Key to his success, Rapaport says, has been his enduring credo.

鈥淣ever give up,鈥� he says, adding, 鈥渁nd always do unto others as you would have done unto you.鈥�

Eight 网爆门 students and alumni were named as 2025 recipients of awards through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Five students were also chosen as alternates.

The 听funds a range of awards that include English teaching assistantships (ETA) and study/research grants in over 140 countries.

The 2025 recipients are the following:

• Phoebe Ambrose 鈥�22 (food studies in the former David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and citizenship and civic engagement in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), study grant, United Kingdom
• Sofia DaCruz 鈥�25 (citizenship and civic engagement in the Maxwell School, selected studies in the School of Education and women鈥檚 and gender studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S)), English teaching assistantship (ETA), Slovak Republic
• Alexandria Johnson 鈥�24 (international relations in the Maxwell School and A&S), ETA, Belgium
• Morgan Meddings 鈥�25 (inclusive elementary and special education in the School of Education), ETA, Madagascar
• Jessie Norton 鈥�25 (Spanish language, literature and culture and Spanish education in A&S and the School of Education), ETA, Spain
• Kerrin O鈥橤rady 鈥�25 (biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and neuroscience in A&S), study grant, United Kingdom
• Zoe Prin, a graduate student in international relations in the Maxwell School, ETA, Moldova
• Virginia Walker 鈥�25 (international relations and policy studies in the Maxwell School), ETA, Mongolia

The 2025 alternates are the following:

• Yesmine Chikha 鈥�25 (communications design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA)), ETA, Spain
• Sacha Norton 鈥�25 (selected studies, School of Education), ETA, Kenya
• Katarina Sako 鈥�24 (biology and neuroscience in A&S), study grant, United Kingdom
• Lindy Truitt 鈥�25 (communications design in VPA), study grant, United Kingdom
• Neha Tummalapalli 鈥�23 (architecture in the School of Architecture), study grant, Italy

Phoebe Ambrose

Ambrose was a 2021-22 Lender Center Fellow. She contributed to several projects in the areas of food security, justice and sovereignty, including a Farm to School initiative听with the Syracuse City School District and the creation of a Food Justice Atlas. She also was an active volunteer with Pete鈥檚 Giving Garden.

After graduation, Ambrose joined the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program. She was based in Key West, Florida, and worked with the Star of the Sea Foundation (SOS), the largest hunger-relief nonprofit in the Florida Keys. As an agricultural specialist, she created hands-on curriculum for local elementary schools on sustainable agriculture using an in-classroom aeroponic Tower Garden and built and managed the SOS Eco Farm, an urban aeroponic farm comprising 60 nine-foot-tall Tower Gardens.

SOS was awarded an Urban Agriculture Innovative Production grant in 2023 to bring local agriculture to the Florida Keys, as the environment there does not support traditional in-ground agriculture. In addition to growing 15,000 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs annually, Ambrose conducted farm tours, community events, school field trips and mini-agricultural lessons, and worked with a partner nonprofit to build agricultural skills and knowledge for adults with disabilities. 鈥淚t was an absolute joy to be part of a powerhouse organization that made such a profound impact on the community,鈥� she says.

In her Fulbright experience, Ambrose will attend Royal Holloway, University of London, to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in Global Health: Food Security, Sustainability and Biodiversity. The program partners with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which conducts leading botany research and has the world鈥檚 largest plant conservation program.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to build on my knowledge of plants/agriculture and explore emerging agricultural technologies and practices,鈥� Ambrose says. 鈥淔or my dissertation, I plan to study crop wild relatives (plants that are closely related to our current crops but have evolved naturally and therefore contain more resilient traits and qualities), specifically corn鈥檚 crop wild relative, teosinte and its impact on soil health.鈥�

Morgan Meddings

Meddings was a member of the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program and completed an award-winning thesis on how book banning of children鈥檚 literature is affecting classrooms. She also worked as a substitute teacher in the Syracuse City School District after completing her student teaching.

After spending the spring 2024 semester in Strasbourg, France, she knew wanted to teach abroad in a French-speaking country after graduation.

鈥淚 also wanted to find an experience outside of the westernized classrooms I had already been exposed to,鈥� she says. Meddings will be an English teaching assistant at Le Centre National d鈥橢nseignement de la Langue Anglais (CNELA) in Antananarivo, Madagascar鈥檚 capital city, and engage with the community through additional engagement and service projects. She is especially eager to engage with initiatives that promote literacy in Madagascar鈥攁n interest she developed while volunteering for her local library in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

鈥淚 am beyond excited to bring my passion for teaching abroad and cannot wait to learn from the teachers and students I will be working with in Madagascar,鈥� she says.

Students interested in applying to the Fulbright program should contact the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising at 315.443.2759 or cfsa@syr.edu.

The first recipient of a scholarship established in honor of the Hon. Norman A. Mordue 鈥�66, L鈥�71 is second-year law student Tyriese Robinson.

The Northern District of New York (NDNY) Federal Court Bar Association (FCBA) Hon. Norman A. Mordue 鈥�66, L鈥�71 Law Scholarship provides a student with the means to pursue a legal education and follow in the footsteps of Judge Mordue, a decorated war hero who served as chief judge for the NDNY and taught trial practice at the College of Law as an adjunct professor. The NDNY FCBA established the scholarship after the passing of Judge Mordue in December 2022.

Robinson, a native of South Carolina, served in the U.S. Air Force. He was a GeoBase engineering technician and lead honor guard trainer at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. After the Air Force, Robinson completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology at Clemson University where he served as a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs federal work-study student, president of the Clemson Student Veterans Association and in a number of volunteer roles across campus.

After graduating from Clemson, he selected Syracuse Law for his legal studies due to the University and college鈥檚 dedication to serving veterans.

鈥淚 decided to come to law school because I felt that there was tension between how my community viewed the law, and how the rest of the country viewed the law. I was already familiar with one aspect of the tension, so I decided to learn the other. I wanted to learn the law,鈥� says Robinson.

At the College of Law, Robinson is a student attorney in the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, a member of the Military and Veterans Law Society and a volunteer with the Cold Case Justice Initiative.

Judge Mordue served as the senior U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of New York, where he was a judge from 1998 until his passing in December 2022. A 2022 recipient of the college鈥檚 , Judge Mordue was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for actions during the Vietnam War as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

When informed that he was receiving the Mordue Scholarship, Robinson said, 鈥淭he astonishing things that Judge Mordue has done, both in uniform and on the bench, inspire humility. To me, being selected as the inaugural recipient of this scholarship means that I must continue to strive for excellence in honor of Judge Mordue鈥檚 legacy. Judge Mordue鈥檚 scholarship will serve as a valuable resource so that I can not only graduate, but graduate in a manner that upholds the dignity and reputation of Syracuse Law.鈥� Upon graduation, Robinson plans to become a prosecutor.

The scholarship will be awarded during a tailgate celebration held at the College of Law Saturday morning before the Syracuse Orange take on the Army West Point Black Knights in football at the JMA Wireless Dome on Sept. 23.

Those interested in supporting the Mordue Scholarship, please visit the .

Recent graduate Maggie Sardino 鈥�23 authored an article,听, featured recently in听, an online initiative of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) Foundation highlighting higher ed-based humanities projects. She graduated in May 2023 with two bachelor’s degrees: one in writing and rhetoric from the College of Arts and Sciences, and a second in citizenship and civic engagement from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

The article shares the impacts of her experience as a student research assistant with the听听(EHN), founded and directed by听, associate professor of writing and rhetoric and Dean鈥檚 Professor of Community Engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). An initiative for publicly engaged research, teaching and creative work, EHN supports and connects teams of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff working on community-based arts, humanities and STEM projects with historically marginalized communities in Syracuse and Central New York.

In her article, Sardino describes what engagement in community-based humanities can look like. To tell the story of residents living in Syracuse鈥檚 public housing, she shared some lessons learned through the process of writing and directing听. The documentary used local storytelling to present the history of Syracuse鈥檚 15th ward, a neighborhood that was razed in the 1930鈥檚 to make room for new public housing, Pioneer Homes, originally intended for white families. By the 60鈥檚 the area was a thriving community with Black and Jewish families and businesses that was largely demolished for the construction of I-81, a highway cutting through downtown Syracuse. The documentary exposes current resident frustrations about the proposal to redevelop the area again. Sardino used the process of making the documentary to engage the community directly through panel discussions, gaining coverage by local news outlets. The project provided a voice to under-represented individuals in the renewal process. This led to increased accountability and input on the redevelopment project from a wider range of stakeholders.

Sardino was recently named a 2023 recipient of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Funded by the British government beginning in 1953, the Marshall Scholarship finances outstanding American students to study in the United Kingdom. Sardino is 网爆门鈥檚 fifth Marshall Scholar. With this scholarship, she will pursue a master鈥檚 degree in digital humanities at King鈥檚 College London, followed by a master鈥檚 degree in applied anthropology and community arts at Goldsmiths, University of London.

In addition to her work with EHN, Sardino, raised in Syracuse, is both the Coronat and Remembrance Scholar, was named a听听Research Assistant in 2020 and studied in Victoria, British Colombia as a听听Intern in 2022. She is also a member of the听.

While at 网爆门, Sardino maximized the opportunities these awards and scholarships presented to further her research, scholarship and civic engagement. In her article, she describes how her student experiences solidified her commitment to pursuing community-based storytelling as a career path. In particular, she cites how the collaborative relationships with EHN faculty, students, staff and community partners helped her realize the power of public humanities to expand important cultural discussions to effect change.

The (OVMA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 OVMA Spring Scholarships. Funded entirely by the generosity of donors, these scholarships support the broad community of military-connected students at 网爆门. The scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis, and most are specifically focused to support select groups of military-connected students.

The OVMA has awarded more than half a million dollars in scholarships since 2017 and will continue making scholarships available each semester with more than $1.2 million available for scholarship opportunities. The growing availability of scholarship programs wouldn鈥檛 be possible without the support of the university鈥檚 military-connected alumni and supporters. Their contributions allow the OVMA to offer more opportunities and support to military-connected students ranging from professional networking events specifically hosted for military-connected students, on and off-campus activities, and cost-free career immersion trips where military-connected students are able to meet face to-face with leaders from some of the largest companies in the country.

Military-connected students using their G.I. Bill benefits may have their tuition covered and receive a housing stipend, but the G.I. Bill benefits have certain limitations that can leave student veterans scrambling to fill the gaps in finances. This is particularly true during the summer and winter months when most military-connected students are not enrolled in classes, which means they do not receive monthly payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover their living expenses.

The recipients of the OVMA Spring Scholarships are:

OVMA Family Member & Dependent Undergraduate Scholarship,听awarded to Allison Crossman ’23

Crossman, a military spouse, is a senior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts pursuing an undergraduate degree in communications and rhetorical studies.

鈥淎s a non-traditional student, my decision to return to school with three young children was not made lightly. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I look forward to attending 网爆门 College of Law this fall,鈥� Crossman says.

Gerald B. Faigle Jr. and Robert M. Faigle Student Veteran Endowed Scholarship, awarded to Karl Cutler

Cutler is an active-duty U.S. Army captain currently enrolled in the Whitman School of Management鈥檚 online MBA program. Originally from Mattituck, New York, he is currently stationed in Hawaii where he serves as a Field Artillery Captain with the 25^th Infantry Division.

鈥淚 would like to serve another ten years in the Army, completing my twenty-year commitment to serving our nation. After that, I hope to move back to New York and become a financial advisor, putting all that I have learned at Syracuse to work for the betterment of my community,鈥� Cutler says.

Louis A. and Patricia H. Mautino Veteran Endowed Scholarship, awarded to Joshua Kompf 鈥�23 and Justin Sauve 鈥�25

Kompf is a U.S. Army veteran currently studying creative leadership with the College of Professional Studies. Originally from Jordan, New York, Kompf became a Green Beret and served for eight years with four deployments to Afghanistan.

鈥淕rowing up just outside Syracuse in the town of Jordan, choosing Syracuse was easy. I always wanted to attend 网爆门, and once my time serving in the United States Army was complete, I finally made it a reality,鈥� Kompf says. 鈥淢y experience thus far at Syracuse has been phenomenal. Every class I take is an opportunity to share and experience views and opinions different than my own, opening my mind to endless possibilities.鈥�

Sauve is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is a sophomore at the College of Engineering and Computer Science where he studies mechanical engineering. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in the aerospace industry

鈥淒ue to being a student veteran, I have the added financial responsibilities of supporting a family, the financial stresses of pursuing an education instead of employment have, at times, been significantly greater than the academic stresses and curriculum. The support awarded through this scholarship will significantly help me pursue my educational goal of obtaining my bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering,鈥� Sauve says.

Wilder J. Leavitt and Mary P. Morningstar Scholarship for Military-Connected Students, awarded to Samirah Crawford 鈥�26 and Kamileh Rivera ’23

Crawford is a military dependent and first-year biomedical engineering student at the College of Engineering and Computer Science. After graduating she plans on joining the U.S. Air Force Reserve and continuing to pursue a graduate degree.

鈥淭his scholarship will significantly impact me, allowing my education to be more affordable, reducing the stress involved with the cost of an excellent education, and helping me to complete my engineering degree successfully. I plan to graduate with my biomedical engineering degree and promote STEM for young girls, especially in underprivileged or underserved communities, to provide a spotlight on all of the career fields and opportunities in this field,鈥� Crawford says.

Rivera is a senior studying neuroscience and biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the daughter of a U.S. Army veteran and is originally from Bayamon, Puerto Rico. After graduating, she plans to pursue a career in medicine with the intent of returning to Puerto Rico to help those in need.

鈥淭his donor-funded scholarship has impacted me in many ways. Not only does this award relieve financial hardships for my family and me, but it鈥檚 rewarding to know that someone believes in my education. I feel honored to be chosen and will not take this opportunity for granted,鈥� Rivera says.

Lucy and Joseph Napoli Veterans Scholarship, awarded to John Nipper 鈥�23

Nipper is a U.S. Navy veteran who is currently studying international relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He plans to continue his education and earn a master鈥檚 in public administration after graduation. Nipper, originally from Fort Myers, Florida, was also recently elected as the President of the Student Veterans Organization at 网爆门.

鈥淎fter my tour of duty, I felt a pressing call to public service, which led me to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 in international relations and public policy. I aspire to advance cyber policies that improve the safety of the American people, understand policy barriers to cybersecurity and digital diplomacy, identify successful solutions, and help implement them,鈥� Nipper says.

Richardson Family Scholarship for Military Family Members and Dependents, awarded to Karyne Brown 鈥�26

Brown is a military dependent with a parent who served in the U.S. Army. Originally from New Jersey, Brown is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences who was selected for the Renee Crown University Honors Program.

鈥淭his scholarship will allow me to devote more time to academic endeavors and extracurriculars by relieving much of my financial stress. In my first semester, I struggled to find that balance, and, now, not only has the stress been relieved but helps to mitigate the problem itself. After Syracuse, I hope to live in New York City and work at a financial firm,鈥� Brown says.

Flanik Family Scholarships for Student Veterans, awarded to Ryan Simmons 鈥�24

Simmons, is a U.S. Air Force veteran who is currently enrolled in the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, studying cybersecurity administration as a remote student. Originally from Chenango Forks, New York, Simmons aims to earn a commission with the U.S. Space Force where he hopes to work in cyber security.

鈥淥ver the past year I鈥檝e been here, the professors, the student body, and even the administration staff have only reaffirmed that coming to Syracuse was the right decision for me.听 I鈥檝e made many professional connections and even friends along the way.听 Some of the professors I鈥檝e had have really been a blessing when it comes to not just imparting class knowledge but also firsthand experience of their professions,鈥� says Simmons.

Interested in supporting 网爆门鈥檚 growing commitment to educating servicemembers, veterans, and their families? Want to learn how to contribute to their future academic success? Consider donating to the .

The is pleased to announce the recipients of The Dottle Family ROTC Cadet Scholarship for 2023. The scholars were selected through a competitive process assessing the applicant鈥檚 academic standing, physical aptitude, citizenship and potential success as a leader in the U.S. Army or U.S. Air Force. The scholarship is awarded each year and is given specifically to future leaders who participate in one of 网爆门鈥檚 ROTC programs.

Paul Dottle, who served as an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army Reserves during the mid-80鈥檚, established the scholarship while serving as the chair for the OVMA鈥檚 advisory board. While Dottle was growing up, his father served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. The experience of growing up in the military culture, and having served himself, left Dottle with a desire to give back to a community he held so much respect for.

The scholarship allows the to recognize deserving cadets within their programs, and many of the university鈥檚 graduates have gone on to become part of the university鈥檚 list of notable veteran alumni for their accomplishments after graduating from 网爆门. The scholarship is meant for those who have not already received a full ROTC scholarship and is designed to offset the cost of finishing their degree.

For 2023, the recipients of the Dottle Family ROTC Cadet Scholarship are:

Hunter Burns 鈥�25 鈥� Air Force ROTC

Burns is pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering from the . He says one of his more memorable experiences at 网爆门 was being a member of the Color Guard for the 网爆门 vs Duke University men鈥檚 basketball game in 2022.

鈥淚 decided to join Air Force ROTC because I wanted to serve in the military, that鈥檚 something I am passionate about. I also wanted to go to college and get a degree, so this was the decision that made the most sense for me. After graduation, I plan on entering active duty as an officer in the Air Force.鈥�

James Hrdy 鈥�26 鈥� Air Force ROTC

Hrdy is studying bioengineering at the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He plans on commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and would like to pursue available options to attend medical school after graduation.

鈥淚 will never forget when Syracuse hosted the 2022 Battle of New York. Detachments from across New York stayed for two nights in the JMA Wireless Dome while participating in a wide range of activities. I got to meet other people with different aspirations from different schools, and I was able to explore the Dome at night.鈥�

Benjamin Johnson 鈥�24 鈥� Air Force ROTC

Johnson, who grew up with a father in the U.S. Coast Guard, is studying computer engineering at the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He says the wanted to come to 网爆门 because of the school鈥檚 reputation for academic excellence, and its unwavering support for military-connected students.

鈥淢y overall experience at 网爆门 has been nothing short of amazing. The University has provided me with numerous opportunities to learn and grow, both academically and personally. After Syracuse, I plan to pursue a career in the United States Space Force as a developmental engineer.鈥�

Aizhan Moore 鈥�26 鈥� Air Force ROTC

Moore is enrolled at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, where she studies bioengineering. Her father, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, inspired Aizhan to serve in the military, which is why she鈥檚 in ROTC today.

鈥淢y most memorable experience as a cadet so far has been the Battle of New York. It was a really cool experience, and I had a great time meeting new people. I hope that joining the Air Force might also be a way for me to travel and learn more about the United States, as well as other countries around the world.鈥�听

Suleiman Salim 鈥�25 鈥� Army ROTC

Salim is an economics student at the . His intent is to attend law school at 网爆门, and one of his most memorable experiences as an ROTC cade was completing his first 12-mile conditioning hike with a ruck sack.

鈥淚 joined ROTC for the opportunity to better myself and push myself past both my mental and physical limits.鈥�

Charles Tang 鈥�24 鈥� Air Force ROTC

Tang, a political science student at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, says he wants to attend law school after graduation, with the intention of ultimately becoming a judge advocate officer in the U.S. Air Force.

鈥淧articipating in the AFROTC program has shaped me into a developing leader by continually introducing new challenges. The program has drastically impacted the trajectory of my life goals, where I never imagined the possibility of serving in the military prior to college.鈥�

Joshua Tapia 鈥�24 鈥� Army ROTC

Tapia, a junior with the , studies biology and grew up in nearby Baldwinsville, New York. Tapia also works as a martial arts instructor, teaching Kenpo, and has an internship focused on marketing, resource management, accountability, personnel scheduling and task delegation.

鈥淎fter graduating I plan to commission as an officer and pursue my career moving forward, I hope to get a job in Air Defense Artillery. I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for this scholarship, as it has allowed me to continue to support myself and my family whilst focusing on my education and classwork.鈥�

Emily Weaver 鈥�24 鈥� Air Force ROTC

Weaver is a Cadet Lieutenant Colonel and the Deputy Group Commander for 网爆门鈥檚 Air Force ROTC Detachment 535, making her the second cadet in command. She is dual majoring in earth science and forensic science with the College of Arts and Sciences.

鈥淚鈥檓 extremely grateful that I was selected for the Dottle scholarship. It鈥檚 a testament to the fact that the University and its alumni, especially Mr. Dottle, truly care about the military connected students. Coming to Syracuse, it鈥檚 not the cheapest, it鈥檚 a nice university to go to and that obviously comes with the cost. The fact that he鈥檚 willing to provide monetary support for all my endeavors, whether it鈥檚 academic, military, or even something like pursuing my private pilot鈥檚 license. It means a lot to know they really value, and are investing, in my future as an officer in the military.鈥�

For more information on scholarships and academic opportunities provided through the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, please visit their website at .