Syracuse University’s military-connected community came together for an evening of celebration during the annual (SVO) Ball and Awards Banquet. The formal event, held each year during the spring semester, acknowledges the accomplishments of the veteran community at the University and serves as an evening of camaraderie before the academic calendar is overtaken by final exams.

This year’s event featured a 1950s-themed evening held at the at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, welcoming military-connected students, faculty, staff and supporters for a night of dinner, awards, music and dancing, as well as an opportunity to win prizes in a raffle drawing to benefit next year’s SVO functions.

The evening opened with a solemn remembrance of POW and MIA service members, before SVO President and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Leonel “Leo” Aviles ’26, an information management and technology major in the , welcomed guests and introduced the keynote speaker for the evening.

This year’s guest speaker was Killian Hartough ’19, PT, DPT, a Coast Guard veteran and Syracuse native whose path reflects a story of perseverance the SVO community knows well. Hartough spoke of his early setback in higher education that eventually led him to enlisting in the Coast Guard. After serving for four years, Hartough developed a deeper sense of drive and commitment to accomplishing his goals that allowed him to persevere through higher education and helped him find his way to working at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Syracuse as a physical therapist.

Acknowledging Commitment to Service

Each year, both the SVO and the (OVMA) use the event to present their annual awards. While some awards presented are intended for laughs with light-hearted jokes about military service, other awards are considered prestigious among the military-connected community on campus.  Among the awards presented this year:

The SVO Best for Vets Award was presented to Varun “G” Gollapudi ’27, a junior on a pre-med track and decorated Army medic who served four years on active duty as a 68W combat medic, including a deployment to Afghanistan, and continues to serve today as a staff sergeant and detachment sergeant for a forward surgical team. The award recognized Gollapudi’s consistent presence and genuine investment in the SVO community.

The SVO Outstanding Staff Member of the Year Award was presented to Charlie Poag ’22, communications manager for the OVMA, recognized for his availability, mentorship and tireless support of the SVO, including his work capturing events through photography and media coverage that has helped tell the story of the veteran community at the University.

The SVO Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year Award was presented to Andrew Patterson L’24, a recently licensed attorney affiliated with the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, recognized for his empathetic, non-judgmental approach to helping student veterans navigate complex VA benefit issues and his meaningful impact on the lives of veterans across campus.

The Impact Veteran Award was presented for the first time this year to Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and founder of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Chancellor-elect. Haynie’s foundational role in building a culture of veteran support at Syracuse, from the launch of the IVMF in 2011 to his direct engagement with student veterans, was cited as the basis for his selection of the inaugural award.

The Danny Facto Student Veteran Work Study Award, presented by the Office of Veteran Success, was awarded to Raul “Rudy” Rosique ’24, G’26. The award honors the memory of Danny Facto, a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was the first VA work-study student at the University. Facto attended the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics before his death in a motorcycle accident in July 2009.

The OVMA Student Veteran of the Year Award was presented by OVMA Executive Director Ron Novack, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, to Raul “Rudy” Rosique ’24, G’26. Rosique was recognized for his standout commitment to the military-connected community at the University and is the first student veteran to receive the prestigious award twice, having also earned it the previous academic school year.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive this award for a second time,” Rosique said. “When I got here in 2021, I did not really have many family members or friends and the SVO really brought me in. I’ve just really wanted to give everything I possibly can to this organization and this school. It has truly paid me back ten-fold. I truly can not think of my life being any better without the support of the staff and faculty and staff at Syracuse University.”

Aviles closed the formal portion of the evening by celebrating the graduating class of 2026, reading the names of student veterans crossing the finish line this year before handing off the gavel to the incoming SVO executive board for the 2026–2027 academic year:

• President: Varun Gollapudi ’27
• Vice President: Edgar De Mesa ’28
• Treasurer: Hunter Pyke ’27
• Secretary: Donovan Rosas-Banuelos ’30
• Public Affairs Officer: Manuel Villavicenciosolano ’27
• Community Outreach Coordinator: James Piedrasanta G’27
• Online Student Ambassador: Ty Tran ’26

“Honestly, I’m ecstatic, I’m truly honored,” says incoming SVO President Gollapudi. “I came to this university with just the notion of going out and getting a degree, I never thought I’d be part of a community of like-minded people or being a part of something bigger than myself here. We already know that Syracuse University is the best place for veterans. What that means to me is that Syracuse University, as a whole, gives us veterans who have walked a different path in life than the everyday person, the support to go out and be the best of themselves. I want to be able to build up the rest of my fellow veterans to go out and make an impact in their respective communities, and our community as a whole.”

Reflecting on his tenure before passing the torch, Aviles expressed gratitude for a community that gave him a sense of purpose.

“As a first-generation college student and a veteran, this role has meant a lot to me,” Aviles said. “The friendships, the trust, and the way we show up for each other, that’s what makes the SVO what it is.”

Join Academic Affairs and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at the seventh annual on Friday, April 10, at 1 p.m. in the School of Education Commons in Huntington Hall. The celebration is open to the public.

The event will honor and celebrate faculty and staff for their efforts to examine and enhance student learning and operational success. Awards will be given in five categories:

• IE Champions, recognizing campus community members who advocate for meaningful assessment to enrich the student learning experience and operational effectiveness.
• Outstanding Assessment, recognizing a distinguished academic program, co-curricular program/unit, and functional unit for robust assessment and action planning to support decision-making.
• Best Engagement Strategies, recognizing programs/units for engaging faculty, staff and students in the assessment process.
• Best Use of Results, recognizing an academic program, co-curricular program/unit and functional unit for using assessment results to inform decision-making.
• Collaborative inquiry and Action, recognizing a program/unit that collaborates with others outside of their primary school/college/division to use the assessment process to enhance student learning and campus operations. Sharing data and discussing the story the data tells leads to actions that improve the student

Posters highlighting the work of 2025 Assessment Leadership Institute participants and 2025-26 recipients of the Student Engagement in Assessment grant will also be showcased.

Light refreshments will be served. today.

Peter and Aphrodite Tsairis turned grief into purpose following the death of their daughter Alexia in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Their commitment is galvanized through an initiative named after their daughter, honoring Alexia’s passion for photography and promoting the power of visual storytelling to shed light on significant issues around the world.

In recognition of the Tsairises’ dedication and generosity that dates back more than three decades, the presented the couple its highest honor, the Newhouse School Medal for Distinguished Service, during a ceremony held March 27 at the school.

It is thought to be the first time that Newhouse had awarded the medal since 1977, when legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite received the award from publisher S.I. Newhouse, for whom the school is named.

“It is fitting and long overdue that we recognize Peter and Aphrodite for their contributions to the mission of the Newhouse School and their extraordinary efforts to promote the power of visual storytelling,”  said before awarding the medal.

The ceremony took place during this year’s judging weekend for The Alexia competition. Before an audience that included their family and friends, along with Chancellor Kent Syverud, Chancellor-elect J. Michael Haynie and Provost Lois Agnew, the Tsairises thanked Lodato and highlighted the decades-long collaboration with previous deans and visual communications faculty.

From Tragedy to Purpose: The Story Behind The Alexia

was a 20-year-old photography major in Newhouse when she was one of 35  killed in the terrorist bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, as they were returning home from a semester abroad in London. The victims are honored on campus in a memorial in front of the Hall of Languages.

Now in its 35th year, the initiative  has become an internationally recognized granting organization that supports documentary photographers and filmmakers worldwide. Also, the  is a marquee experiential learning opportunity at the University for visual communications students.

“The welcoming support extended from Newhouse to us for these 35 years is the glue that has held us all together, united in one goal—to inspire visual storytellers to go where we cannot, to bring us stories that enlarge our understanding and to give us hope in the future of humanity. Thank you so much,” Aphrodite Tsairis said.

The Tsairises remain close with David Sutherland, professor emeritus of visual communications and the former Alexia Chair. Sutherland taught their daughter in London and worked with the couple to establish The Alexia following the tragedy.

A Legacy of Support for Visual Storytellers Worldwide

Over its history, the foundation has awarded about $1.7 million in grants to 170 student and professional photographers and filmmakers through annual competitions.

Peter and Aphrodite Tsairis “might not realize that they have affected [the lives] of that many students around the world,” Sutherland said. “The ones that they gave awards to obviously ended up with life-changing events—getting scholarships and grants.”

The Alexia also has deep roots with the current Alexia Endowed Chair, , an associate professor of visual communications.�� who also teaches graphic design and writing in the Newhouse School, is The Alexia’s curator of communications, design and exhibitions.

Aphrodite Tsairis said The Alexia will continue to thrive under the leadership of the Strongs.

“Your story is not the darkness. You refused to stay there,” Bruce Strong told the Tsairises from a podium. “You struck a match. That small act of creating light in a moment of overwhelming darkness became something far greater.”

The Newhouse School Medal for Distinguished Service recognizes friends of the school whose contributions have a lasting impact on students, the Newhouse School’s mission and the wider world.

A climate finance pioneer. A diplomat who helped evacuate thousands from a war zone. A champion of global school nutrition. A trailblazing scholar of equity in public administration. A leader in the federal inspector general oversight community.These are the five alumni who will be celebrated at the annual Awards of Excellence on Thursday, April 30, in Washington, D.C.

The event, to be held at the Syracuse University Washington, D.C., Center in the heart of Dupont Circle, will also serve as an opportunity for the Maxwell community to reunite and celebrate the school’s enduring commitment to engaged citizenship.

Established in 2022, the Awards of Excellence program celebrates the contributions of the school’s alumni and friends to their fields, communities and society through work that reflects the Maxwell School mission and values. Recognition categories include the 1924 Award, Bridge Award, Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, Compass Award and Spirit of Public Service Award.

“We are honored to welcome members of the Maxwell community to join us for an evening of celebration and reflection,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Each year, this event reminds me of why our mission endures. This year’s honorees have built careers spanning climate finance, diplomacy, food security, public administration and the law—and in every case, they have used their Maxwell education as a foundation for making the world more sustainable, more humane and more just. I look forward to celebrating them and to welcoming our community back to Washington, D.C.”

The five 2026 honorees are Jeff Eckel G’82,  George Farag G’02, G’07, Emily Fredenberg G’16, Susan Gooden G’95, G’96 and Roslyn A. Mazer ’71.

Jeff Eckel—Bridge Award

For his commitment to improving our climate future, Eckel is the recipient of the 2026 Bridge Award, which honors exemplary leadership across sectors while advancing the Maxwell School’s mission of making the world a better place.

Eckel, who earned an M.P.A. from Maxwell, has spent four decades advancing climate-positive investing with the view that climate change is among the greatest challenges of our time. As chair of HASI and its CEO for the previous two decades, he pioneered the use of finance to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon climate solutions in the United States and the developing world.

He developed the HannieMae Trust, a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle for funding energy-conservation projects, oversaw HASI’s 2013 public offering as the first dedicated climate solutions investor, and created CarbonCount, a tool that measures how efficiently capital investments reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

George Farag—Spirit of Public Service Award

Farag is the recipient of the Spirit of Public Service Award, which honors individuals whose work has had widespread global impact and reflects the ideals of the Maxwell School. For more than 25 years, he has worked at the intersection of diplomacy, immigration and national security to advance U.S. interests and protect American lives. Farag earned master’s degrees in public administration and international relations and Ph.D. in anthropology from the Maxwell School.

Inspired by the Sept. 11 attacks, Farag joined the U.S. Department of State as a diplomat and consular officer in 2002. During five years of service in some of the world’s most volatile environments, he helped lead the evacuation of 15,000 Americans during the 2006 Lebanon War and was among the first U.S. diplomats to enter Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2013, he founded Silverline Strategies, a consulting firm whose operations now affect more than 3 million visa applicants each year across 15 countries. Farag received the Department of State’s Superior Honor Award and Meritorious Honor Award.

Emily Fredenberg—Compass Award

Fredenberg, who holds an M.P.A. degree and a master’s degree in international relations, is the recipient of this year’s Compass Award, given in recognition of her exceptional accomplishments and impact as an early-career alumna. In the 10 years since earning her Maxwell degrees, she has built a career dedicated to strengthening food security among some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Fredenberg is currently senior officer of programs and advocacy at the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, where she cultivates global partnerships to advance sustainable school meal programs worldwide. She previously served as a project manager at The Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing grants focused on combating the global food crisis. Before that, she spent six years with the World Food Programme, serving in Lebanon—helping the response to the Syrian refugee crisis—and in Rwanda, where she led communications strategy for the nation’s home-grown school meal initiative.

Susan Gooden—Charles V. Willie Advocate Award

Gooden is the recipient of the Charles V. Willie Advocate Award, which recognizes alumni whose contributions reflect Maxwell’s commitment to creating an environment that is welcoming to all and oriented toward engaged citizenship. The honor recognizes her excellence in leadership, teaching and scholarship advancing inclusive governance and equity in public administration.

Gooden, who earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science at Maxwell, is dean and professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she co-founded the Research Institute for Social Equity.

She has authored six books and more than 100 academic journal articles and reports and is a founding editor of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration. An elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, she is a past president of the American Society for Public Administration, which honored her with the 2025 Dwight Waldo Award recognizing more than 25 years of preeminent contributions to the field.

Roslyn A. Mazer—1924 Award

Mazer is the recipient of this year’s Maxwell 1924 Award, which honors graduates for distinguished and sustained professional or civic leadership in the spirit of the school’s mission.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Maxwell, Mazer went on to provide vigorous oversight of government programs as inspector general of the Federal Trade Commission, inspector general of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and special investigative counsel in the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Earlier, she served in the Department of Justice, including as deputy assistant attorney general, guiding federal judicial nominees through the confirmation process.

Before entering public service, Mazer was in private law practice specializing in media and First Amendment law. Notably, she represented the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists as friend of the court in Hustler Magazine Inc. v. Falwell, the landmark Supreme Court ruling affirming First Amendment protection of satire. Today, she continues to advocate for cartoonists’ rights and free expression.

The 10th Annual One University Awards Ceremony, an event to honor members of the Syracuse University community who are making a difference through academics, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service, will be held Friday, April 17, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

Two major awards—the Chancellor’s Medal and the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence—will be bestowed. The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Student-Athlete Award, the Seinfeld Scholar Award, the Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence, the Meredith Teaching Recognition Award, the Enduring Values Award, the William Pearson Tolley Medal and the Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award.

Emeriti faculty who retired in 2025 and employees who celebrated years of service milestone anniversaries in 2025 will also be recognized. This year’s University Scholars, Senior Class and School and College Marshals, and Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will also be honored.

All members of the University community are invited and encouraged to attend. A reception will follow in the lobby of the Heroy Geology Laboratory.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided at the ceremony. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact University and Advancement Events at UAevents@syr.edu.

Twelve graduating seniors have earned the title of 2026 Syracuse University Scholar—the highest undergraduate honor the University awards—recognized for their academic excellence, independent research and creative work, and contributions to their fields. The scholars were selected by a Universitywide faculty committee.

“It is a great privilege to recognize our University Scholars and all they have accomplished—from academics to research to service—over the course of their undergraduate years,” says Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew. “These graduating seniors have truly distinguished themselves, and I have no doubt that the contributions they make beyond Syracuse will be as remarkable as the ones they have made here.”

The 2026 Syracuse University Scholars are the following:

• Daniel Baris, a sport analytics major in the David B. Falk College of Sport, a statistics major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Juinkye Chiang, a student in the School of Architecture and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Rylie DiMaio, a health and exercise major in the Falk College and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Julia Fancher, a physics major and an applied mathematics major in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Edward Lu, a music composition major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a music history and cultures major in A&S;
• Gustavo Madero Carriles, a political science major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and A&S and a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications;
• Sadie Meyer, a biomedical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) and mathematics major in A&S;
• Jorge Morales, a history major and anthropology major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Maya Philips, a biology major and communication sciences and disorders major in A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Nathan Torabi, a political science, citizenship and civic engagement and law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• Gianna Voce, a computer science major in ECS and a neuroscience major in A&S; and
• Qiong Wu, a general accounting, finance and business analytics major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S; a mathematics major in A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

The scholars will be recognized at the University’s Commencement ceremony on May 10 in the JMA Wireless Dome. The student Commencement speaker will be chosen from among their ranks.

Molly McConnell, a Ph.D. candidate in composition and cultural rhetoric in the (A&S), was selected as the 2026 winner of the prestigious Mary Hatch Marshall Essay Award for her work titled “Working with Microbes: The Collaborative Nature of Techne.”

A&S and the Syracuse University Library Associates will host a on Wednesday, April 8, at 1 p.m. Anyone interested in attending can register by emailing libevent@syr.edu by April 3.

McConnell, this year’s recipient, will receive a $1,000 prize. Her essay explores what it means to consider a domestic, small-scale fermentation practice as a techne. She frames techne as a collaborative effort and questions what that collaboration means for the practice itself as well as the actors involved. McConnell relies on work in the field of more-than-human studies and in the social study of microbes, along with various work on fermentation as a practice, to think about how humans collaborate with microbes and what power dynamics are at play in that situation. This article asks about the temporality and intimacy in the collaboration when fermentation is viewed as techne.

McConnell’s essay was chosen from those submitted by A&S graduate students currently enrolled in African American studies; English; art and music histories; languages, literatures and linguistics; philosophy; religion; and writing studies, rhetoric and composition.

McConnell will be graduating in May. She serves as an editor for , an organization that publishes creative work of people impacted by the carceral system, and she volunteers for .

Professor Mary Hatch Marshall was a founding member of the Library Associates and holds a distinguished place in the college’s history. In 1952, she became the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of English Literature —the first woman appointed a full professor in the college— after having joined the faculty four years earlier.

Library Associates established the annual Mary Hatch Marshall Award to honor and help perpetuate her scholarly standards and the generous spirit that characterized her inspirational teaching career, which lasted through her retirement in 1993. Members of Library Associates, Marshall’s friends and family, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and the Central New York Community Foundation all contributed to the endowment, established in 2004, that funds the award.

Library Associates are a group of dedicated Syracuse University Libraries supporters who help to raise funds and accessibility for the Libraries’ special collections, rare books and manuscripts through opportunities like the Faculty Fellows program.

Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness (IE) are pleased to announce a call for nominations for .�� will be accepted through Friday, March 20.

Nominations are requested for individuals, programs and units whose exceptional efforts have contributed to a culture of improvement at the University.

The assessment awards recognize faculty, staff and students for their efforts to examine and enhance learning and campus operations. The event will showcase meaningful and sustainable practices undertaken to provide students with an unsurpassed learning experience.

“The One University Assessment Awards highlight the vital connection between assessment and student success,” says Julie Hasenwinkel, associate provost for academic programs. “I’m eager to recognize the thoughtful, evidence-based approaches our faculty and staff are taking to enhance learning outcomes and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to academic excellence. This work exemplifies how we continuously refine our programs and services to better serve our students.”

The seventh annual One University Assessment Celebration will be held Friday, April 10 at 1 p.m. in the School of Education Commons in Huntington Hall. Awards will be announced in the following categories:

• Institutional Effectiveness Champions, featuring two new awards: Student Champion for Shared Competencies and Course Feedback Champion
• Outstanding Assessment in an Academic, Co-Curricular and Functional Program/Unit
• Best Student, Faculty and Staff Engagement
• Best Use of Results
• Collaborative Inquiry and Action

Visit the for more information about the nomination process, award descriptions, past recipients, and prior event photos. If you have any questions, please contact the Assessment Working Team.

Milton Santiago, assistant professor of visual communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, has received the 2026 Innovation in Teaching Award (BEA)—one of the organization’s most prestigious honors for media educators.

The Washington Post won the 2026 Toner Prize for national political reporting for a series of stories that documented the impact of sweeping federal government policy changes.

The Chicago Tribune has won this year’s Toner Prize for local political reporting for “64 Days in Chicago: The story of Operation Midway Blitz,” a series that examined how the Trump administration’s immigration policy unfolded in Chicago, including mass raids and public protests.

The winners of the annual were announced Feb. 27 by the  . Awarded annually by the Newhouse School, the Toner Prizes recognize the best political reporting of the past year. They are named for Robin Toner ’76, the first woman to hold the position of national political correspondent for The New York Times.

Toner Prizes Ceremony Set for March 23

The honors will be formally presented March 23 at the in Washington, D.C., where CBS justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane ’98 will serve as master of ceremonies. The ceremony will be preceded by a conversation with award-winning journalist, podcaster and author Kara Swisher and moderator Shelly Palmer about political reporting in the age of technology, artificial intelligence and social media. Palmer is the at the Newhouse School.

In addition to the winners, ProPublica took an honorable mention in the national political reporting category for a story that was co-published with The New Yorker.

The judges were:

• Christina Bellantoni, journalism professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, columnist and former editor-in-chief at Roll Call.
• Ann Compton, retired Emmy Award-winning reporter for ABC News and the first woman to cover the White House for network television.
• Lucy Dalglish, professor and dean emeritus at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland; former executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; attorney and former reporter and editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Beverly Kirk, director of Washington programs and professor of practice of broadcast and digital journalism at the Newhouse School, with more than two decades of experience in journalism working at national and local outlets.
• Rick Rodriguez, former executive editor and senior vice president of The Sacramento Bee. He later joined the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University as professor of the Southwest Borderlands Initiative.
• Maralee Schwartz, former national political editor and reporter at The Washington Post. She held fellowships at the Harvard Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government, and the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard.
• Joseph B. Treaster, professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. A prize-winning reporter, he spent more than three decades as a reporter and foreign correspondent at The New York Times.

Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting

Winner: The Washington Post

Reporters: Hannah Natanson, William Wan and Meryl Kornfield

Entry: “The year Trump broke the federal government”
(Subscription may be required.)

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Judges’ Comments

“This series was powerful, vast, richly detailed and just gutting.” (Bellantoni)

“Beautifully written…the visuals are powerful.” (Compton)

“The insight into the affected families was touching and horrifying.” (Dalglish)

“An emotion-provoking account of the human impacts of the Trump/DOGE federal job cuts.” (Rodriguez)

Honorable Mention: ProPublica and The New Yorker

Reporters: Andy Kroll, Lisa Riordan Seville, Katie Campbell and Mauricio Rodríguez Pons

Entry: “The Shadow President”

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Finalists

• Bloomberg News, “Trump Crypto Grift,” Zeke Faux, Anthony Cormier, David Kocieniewski, Muyao Shen, Max Abelson and Leonardo Nicoletti
• The New York Times, “Holding Trump Accountable,” Peter Baker, Charlie Savage, Eric Lipton, David Yaffe-Bellany, Bradley Hope, Tripp Mickle, Paul Mozur, Helene Cooper, Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmit
• NPR, “Trump’s revamped SAVE system,” Jude Joffe-Block, Miles Parks, Ben Swasey and Brett Neely
• ProPublica, “The Breakdown of Democracy in North Carolina,” Doug Bock Clark
• Reuters, “The Revenge of Donald Trump,” Ned Parker, Peter Eisler, Linda So, Mike Spector, Joseph Tanfani, M.B. Pell, Benjamin Lesser, Isaac Vargas, Nate Raymond and the Reuters team

Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Political Reporting

Winner: Chicago Tribune

Reporters: Andrew Carter, Gregory Royal Pratt, Laura Rodríguez Presa, Caroline Kubzansky and Jason Meisner

Entry: “64 Days in Chicago: The story of Operation Midway Blitz”

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Judges’ Comments

“Riveting narratives documenting the human impacts of federal immigration raids on local communities. Stories like these take extensive research and effort to gain the trust of people in the super-charged environment. The writing was clear and compelling.” (Rodriguez)

“The depth of reporting in a response to breaking news that drew national attention is impressive.” (Bellantoni)

“Spectacular work, beautifully written and reported—made all the more powerful by the photography.” (Schwartz)

Finalists

• CalMatters, “Digital Democracy,” Ryan Sabalow
• Chicago Tribune, “Inside Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s Campaign Contributions,” Ray Long, Rick Pearson, Addison Wright, Dan Petrella and Jeremy Gorner
• The Indianapolis Star, “God and politics,” Alexandria Burris, Kayla Dwyer and Hayleigh Colombo
• The Texas Tribune, “A billionaire megadonor’s political awakening,” Kate McGee and Carla Astudillo
• (Albany) Times Union, “New York’s Public Campaign Finance Program,” Emilie Munson

About the Toner Prizes

First presented in 2011, the Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting highlight and reinforce quality, fact-based political reporting—work that illuminates the electoral process, reveals the politics of policy and engages the public in democracy.

They are named after Robin Toner, who covered five presidential campaigns, scores of Congressional and gubernatorial races and most of the country’s major political figures during her nearly 25-year career at The New York Times. A 1976 graduate of Syracuse University, Toner earned a bachelor’s degree as a dual major in journalism from the Newhouse School and political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Toner died in 2008, leaving a husband and two young children. To honor her legacy, family and friends established the Toner Program in Political Reporting at the Newhouse School.

After years of podium finishes and back-to-back undergraduate team titles, the in the Falk College of Sport has made winning at the (NCSAC) into a habit. This year, the program didn’t just return to the top—it dominated.

Senior Austin Ambler captured the overall undergraduate individual title, and the team of Ambler, Daniel Griffiths and Daniel Baris claimed the undergraduate team championship, with all three landing in the top 10  in overall points.

For the four sport analytics majors who made the trip, Ambler, Griffiths, Baris and Jessica Fackler, the result was the payoff of a disciplined, collaborative preparation process built around one guiding principle: do the work before you ever step in the room.

“Winning the overall undergraduate individual title was incredibly rewarding,” Ambler says. “The competition featured so many talented and high-performing students, so being named first among them is something I’m truly proud of. It validates the hard work, preparation and support system that went into getting to that moment. Representing Syracuse and Falk College means a great deal to me.”

Preparation Was Key

The students’ preparation was shaped by weekly sessions with , who led the group through practice data sets, varied prompt scenarios and repeated five-minute presentation drills in the months leading up to the competition.

“This year’s team had strong analytical skills and was eager to discuss how to improve,” says Rafique. “The students were very engaged in discussing strategies to optimize their points. We had a good plan going into the first day of the championship. However, some delays and obstacles forced us to improvise, and the students did an amazing job of maintaining their composure and persevering throughout the day.”

Rafique’s teaching emphasizes not just technical proficiency, but the ability to communicate findings clearly and persuasively under pressure.

“The weekly preparation sessions with Dr. Rafique completely changed how I think about data storytelling,” Griffiths says. “The check-ins and iterative feedback meant that by the time we got to competition weekend, we weren’t starting from scratch, we were refining. That preparation gave us a massive advantage compared to teams who were building everything last-minute.”

Fackler described a similar transformation in how she approached the competition’s core challenge.

“I originally had a completely different perception of what the competition was about,” she says. “Those sessions made me quickly realize I needed to pivot. They taught me that I needed one simple idea and basically sell it to the judges.

Competition Strategy

Beyond the preparation, the Syracuse team arrived in Nashville with a collective strategy for the competition weekend itself. NCSAC features not only the signature presentation competition but also a series of side events and challenges, and the four students approached each one with intention.

“The team dynamic was both competitive and highly collaborative,” Griffiths says. “We pushed each other internally to be better, but we were also very intentional about optimizing how we worked together.”

For Ambler, the hours of weekly preparation paid dividends from the first moments of competition.

“I immediately felt my preparation click into place once the competition began,” he says. “Elements from my practice presentations translated directly into my final delivery, and having a strong foundation from the practice data, study guide, and weekly prep sessions allowed me to start confidently. This head start let me focus on refining and building upon my presentation rather than starting from scratch, which made a noticeable difference in my performance.”

For Baris, the competition’s most memorable moment came from watching his own growth across rounds. “What stands out the most to me is probably my presentation,” he says. “I felt like it improved every time I presented it as I got more and more comfortable.”

Griffiths found his most striking moment in the broader picture of what NCSAC represents. “The moment that stood out most was realizing, right before my presentation, just how diverse the field of sports analytics really is,” he said. “Seeing 50-plus students compete with backgrounds in marketing, engineering, business, fan engagement, it made the experience feel bigger than just the competition itself.”

“Beyond the win, I hope students leave with confidence that they can tackle complex, real-world problems and compete at a high level,” says Rafique. “Experiences like this build resilience, teamwork and the ability to communicate ideas clearly under pressure. I hope they see themselves not just as students completing a project, but as emerging professionals who can meaningfully contribute to the field of sports analytics.”

Griffiths offered a challenge to the next generation of Falk competitors. “It takes more than just coding and analytical skills to compete at this level,” he says. “It requires determination, adaptability and the courage to make decisions under uncertainty. This competition is designed to identify future leaders in sports analytics. If that mindset excites you, then this is absolutely the competition for you.”

, associate professor of writing and rhetoric and director of the Writing Center in the , a 2026 Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) . The recognition comes in the Monograph category for her book “” (Rutgers University Press, 2025).

The CCCC Outstanding Book Awards honor exceptional scholarship in composition and rhetoric, recognizing works that advance the field through innovative research in pedagogy, practice, history and theory.

Fulford, who joined Syracuse in fall 2025, is a writing and rhetoric scholar who studies the writing practices and educational histories of adult undergraduate and graduate students. Her research highlights the need for more age-inclusive institutional cultures in higher education, including broader approaches to research, policies, student services and teaching practices.

Her award-winning book presents case studies of diverse adult learners at a historically Black university. Through these stories, Fulford argues for increased attention to the needs and strengths of degree-seeking adult students, particularly the writing practices they bring from their nonacademic life experiences. The book aims to amplify adult students’ voices and educational histories so that faculty, staff and administrators can learn from them and make higher education more inclusive.

Prior to joining the faculty at Syracuse, Fulford taught writing and rhetoric while directing writing programs at the University at Buffalo and North Carolina Central University. She holds a Ph.D. in English Composition and Rhetoric and an M.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a B.A. in English from Keene State College.

Fulford will accept the Outstanding Book Award at the CCCC Annual Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on March 6, 2026.

, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and professor of international relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has received the 2026 Sol Tax Distinguished Service Award from the . The award ceremony will take place March 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the organization’s 86th annual meeting.

Presented each year to a member in recognition of long-term and outstanding service, the award is named for Sol Tax, a pioneering anthropologist who advanced the concept of “action anthropology” emphasizing collaborative, community-engaged research designed to produce practical benefits. Tax played a key role in institutionalizing anthropology, including founding the journal Current Anthropology.

The Society for Applied Anthropology works to address local and global challenges through anthropology, and to deepen understanding of the world through sociocultural and environmental lenses. It promotes research, education and practice that serve the public interest through awards, meetings, mentorship, networking, professional development and publications.

Rubinstein previously served on the society’s Founders Endowment, Public Policy and Sol Tax Award committees. He was also a founding board member of the Higher Education TIG, an interdisciplinary group that connects anthropologists with higher education scholars, practitioners and administrators from various fields, and dedicated long-term leadership to the Commission on Peace and Human Rights of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences.

Rubinstein is a senior research associate for the , the , the and the .

He specializes in political and medical anthropology and has conducted research in the United States and internationally, including in Egypt, where he resided for four years, as well as throughout the Middle East, Belize and Mexico.

In July 2025, Rubinstein was honored with the Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching. Awarded annually to a faculty member from Maxwell and the College of Arts and Sciences, the prize honors the legacy of the late William Wasserstrom, a noted professor of English at Syracuse University who died in 1985. Wasserstrom was known for his broad intellectual interests, profound impact on learning and dedication to the graduate seminar.

Story by Jacob Spudich

Nine  graduate students have been selected to receive  the Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work at a ceremony hosted by the Graduate School on .

The event takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. in 312 Lyman Hall and will include presentations by the recipients. The campus community is invited to attend; .

This year’s competition drew applicants from programs and departments across the University. Winners were chosen by a panel of faculty members who serve on the . Honorees receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 award.

The 2026 Graduate Dean’s Award winners are:

• Yanbei Chen (instructional design, development and evaluation, School of Education), “Preparing Future Teachers for Responsible AI Use: AI-Related Teaching Anxiety, Protective Resources and Implications for Teacher Education”
• Jessica Hogbin (history, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), “Innumerable Melancholies: Medicine, Mental Health and Human Nature in Renaissance Italy, 1450-1650”
• Dian Ling (multimedia, photography and design, Newhouse School of Public Communications), “Documentary Film, ‘The Cycle Breaker’”
• David Ojomakpene Moses (chemical engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science [ECS]), “Designing ‘Smart’ Catalysts for Cleaner and More Efficient Chemical Manufacturing”
• Christine Eunseol Park (public relations, Newhouse School), “Narrative Structure and Explanatory Link Strength in Low-Fit Corporate Social Advocacy: An Experimental Study of Perceived Authenticity”
• Michael Seitz (bioengineering, ECS), “Engineering Poly(ethylene) Glycol Hydrogels as Synthetic ECM”
• Aditya Srinivasa (social science, Maxwell School), “Imagining Infrastructure: The Rise and Fall of Interstate 81”
• Elina Ruiqi Su (social psychology, College of Arts and Sciences [A&S]), “Perceiving to Provide: How Partner Attachment Perceptions Inform Buffering Behaviors”
• Jiayue Yu (art photography, College of Visual and Performing Arts [VPA] ), “After the Photograph”

In addition, five students received honorable mention:

• Kaia Kirk (political science, Maxwell School),  “The Black Cabinet: The Role of Movement-State Actors in Institutional Development and Policy Change”
• Katie Mulligan (illustration, VPA), “Tales of Rattlesnake Gulch: An Illustrated History of Cicero Swamp”
• Bixuan Ren (mass communications, Newhouse School), “Who Deserves to Belong? The Influence of Partisan News and Anti-Immigrant Misinformation on Immigrant Deservingness and Policy Preferences”
• Aliza M. Willsey (mechanical and aerospace engineering, ECS), “Development of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Emission Control Technology for Combustion Systems”
• Wusirige (human development and family science, A&S), “Family Processes and Children’s Development across Social and Cultural Contexts”

“The Graduate School is pleased to recognize these students as among the many talented scholars who are contributing to our community every day,” says Peter Vanable, Graduate School dean. “We applaud their ongoing progress in research projects and creative initiatives and enjoy the opportunity to showcase their work to the University.”

The University Alumni Association, in partnership with the Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, announced the who will be honored during the . On April 23, the awardees—chosen by the SUAA’s Board of Directors for their embodiment of the Orange spirit through their remarkable achievements, leadership and service—will be honored in Hendricks Chapel.

The George Arents Award is the University’s highest alumni honor and recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields. As they prepare to conclude their remarkable service to the University, this year’s Arents honorees are Chancellor Kent Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen. Chancellor Syverud has led the University through a period of transformational change over the past 12 years, from record enrollment and a landmark fundraising campaign to establishing Syracuse as the nation’s best private university for veterans. Dr. Ruth Chen is a Professor of Practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with a distinguished career in environmental toxicology spanning state government, the National Institutes of Health and academia.

Ronald J. Taylor ’15, G’16 will receive the Generation Orange Award, which recognizes graduates from the past decade for career success, community engagement and overall commitment to the University. Taylor has built a career at the intersection of education leadership, youth development and technology policy, including a role on TikTok’s global product policy team focused on youth safety. He currently serves as the inaugural executive director of the New York Collegiate Institute under the Institute for Responsible Citizenship.

Diana Wege ’76 will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for her loyalty and service to the University. A New York-based conceptual artist, curator and activist, Wege has dedicated her career to raising awareness of environmental destruction and nonviolence. Her work appears in collections including the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, and her educational initiative through nonprofit WOVEN has led to a meaningful partnership with SU’s School of Education.

Daniel A. D’Aniello ’68, H’20, P’04 will receive the Military/Veteran Alumni Award, which highlights exceptional meritorious service and achievement in the military and beyond. A U.S. Navy veteran and co-founder and chairman emeritus of The Carlyle Group, D’Aniello has been one of Syracuse University’s most transformative benefactors, a lifetime member of the Board of Trustees and co-chair of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families Advisory Board.

Akima H. Rogers ’92, P’29 will be awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award for his deep and enduring commitment to Syracuse University. Rogers, director of academic initiatives at Montgomery College, has remained actively engaged with SU as a member of the Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council and as co-founder of the annual DC Orange & Blue BBQ, which started in his backyard in 2009 and now draws hundreds of alumni from across the country.

The awards celebration is complimentary, but space is limited. Registration for the 2026 Alumni Awards Celebration is .