'Cuse Conversations

Beginning as early as the 15th century, the lives of more than 12.5 million men, women and children of African descent were forever altered as they were forced into the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Wanting to capture the important details found in these registries, Tessa Murphy , associate history professor in the Maxwell School , collaborated with Michael Fudge , a professor of practice in the  Sc...

Bob Costas '74 grew up idolizing New York Yankees' Hall of Fame outfielder Mickey Mantle, and he loved listening to baseball on the radio. When he arrived at Syracuse University in the fall of 1970, Costas just wanted to one day land a radio play-by-play job in baseball. Little did Costas know he would one day wind up in Cooperstown as a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer alongside Mantle...

Brianna Sclafani L’23, G’23 is a 3L law student in Syracuse University’s College of Law, graduate student in the Maxwell School’s master of public administration program, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Global Rights and Organizations/Impunity Watch and chair of the University’s inaugural Community Review Board. The Community Review Board (CRB) was established in 2021 following an independent re...

Like most children, Thomas Wilson '23 grew up watching television. But his preferred shows weren't cartoons. Rather, he loved watching the local and national newscasts, dreaming of one day being a reporter. A senior studying broadcast and digital journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Wilson is...

Feb. 24, 2023 marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Professor Sean McFate teaches classes at Syracuse University's Maxwell School and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. On this ‘Cuse Conversations podcast episode, McFate, one of Syracuse University's faculty experts on the war in Ukraine, discusses the anniversary of the war in Ukraine. McFate is one of the world’s leading e...

For the last 19 years, the WellsLink Leadership Program has transformed the lives of first-year students of color at Syracuse University through mentoring and a series of structured academic, social and cultural enrichment activities. Scholars like Josh Ortega '25 and Sophia Moore '25 achieve success and develop into leaders on campus through their time in WellsLink, a nationally-recognized leader...

Tom Coughlin '68, G'69 is a two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the New York Giants who won 170 games during his NFL coaching career. A successful front office executive, Coughlin has a new book out, " A Giant Win ," describing how, in Super Bowl 42, his Giants shocked the football world by knocking off Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played. Th...

Ian McIntyre took over the Syracuse University men’s soccer program in 2010, and the Orange won five matches combined over his first two years. But from the moment he assumed the role of head coach, McIntyre has been building up the program, and on Dec. 12, his team reached the pinnacle, claiming Syracuse's first national championship thanks to a thrilling win over Indiana University in penalty ki...

Emma Rothman '21 was 12 years old when she had a heart transplant. It’s easy to understand why Emma is still working to process everything that’s happened in her life to this point. In this ’Cuse Conversation, Emma talks about her health journey, her Syracuse University experience and how writing her book, " Things My Therapist Doesn't Want Me to Say: Ten Years Post Heart Transplant, " has helped...

For the last 25 years, the School of Education has offered aspiring inclusive education teachers a unique opportunity to hone their skills as student teachers in New York City through the Bridge to the City program . It's an immersive, semester-long experience where student teachers are placed in partner schools in urban neighborhoods to learn under the watchful eye of cooperating teachers. Tom Bu...

For more than a decade, hundreds of talented students in the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts entertain the Syracuse University community each December with live musical performances during Holidays at Hendricks . Jose "Peppie" Calvar is director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir and artistic director of Holidays at Hendricks, and he spends 18 months organizing each...

As she looks to make her mark on the Syracuse University women's ice hockey team, Britni Smith, just the second head coach in program history, is relying on a key principle that helped the Orange soar to new heights in recent seasons: No one will outwork the Orange. Smith comes to Syracuse with a decorated resume, excelling as both a defenseman with St. Lawrence University and an accomplished assi...

Diane Schenandoah ’11 joined the staff at Syracuse University last July as Honwadiyenawa’sek—the Haudenosaunee word for “one who helps them.” Firmly rooted in her Haudenosaunee heritage—her mother was a clan mother of Oneida Nation’s wolf clan; her father an Onondaga Nation chief—Schenandoah brings teachings of gratitude, faith, peace and inner resilience to students who meet with her. As Honwadiy...

The United Way of Central New York has been making a difference by providing residents with access to essential resources for 100 years, and the Syracuse University community has supported the United Way through its employee giving campaign since 1972. The campaign kicked off on Oct. 14 and runs through Dec. 16. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Michael Frasciello , dean of the College of Professional S...

In her work as a therapist, Rachel Johnson '17, G'19 knew she was making a difference in the lives of her patients. But she also realized her work wasn't impacting an often overlooked segment of the population when it comes to mental wellness and holistic health: Black people. So she founded Half Hood Half Holistic in her adopted hometown of Syracuse as a holistic wellness business that allows Bla...

Mindy Fried ’72, G’75 is a sociologist, a teacher, an author and the creator, producer and host of “The Shape of Care” podcast. On the podcast, she tackles the topics of eldercare and caregiving in this country from a unique perspective—approaching her work through the lens of both her education as a sociologist and her experience a caregiver for her father before he passed away about a decade ago...

The Syracuse University campus community is embarking on an important five-year journey of self-discovery and self-improvement, revamping its Academic Strategic Plan (ASP) to position itself as a leading global institution that attracts the best students and accomplished faculty who are respected thought leaders. The goals are ambitious: creating an unsurpassed student experience that is guided an...

Stacey Simms ’93 is an award-winning podcaster and author who has been sharing stories, advice and news about diabetes on her Diabetes Connections podcast , through her blog and in two books: “The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom” and “Still the World’s Worst Diabetes Mom.” In this ’Cuse Conversation, she talks about her approach to raising a son with diabetes and how she’s found professional success as...

Food was always at the epicenter of Ashia Aubourg's '18 life, and she dreamed of being a chef until an experience at an award-winning restaurant in Boston helped Aubourg realize an important lesson: not everyone has the same access to food. Aubourg started thinking about food inequality and food justice, and headed to Syracuse University to be one of the first students in Falk College's fledgling...

As a student at Oberlin College, Ethan Bair experienced such a meaningful connection with Hillel and with his rabbi that he was inspired to become a rabbi. Something about building community and teaching the ways of the Torah to college students resonated with Bair, who earlier this summer was named Hillel at Syracuse University's new rabbi and will serve as Jewish chaplain at Hendricks Chapel. An...

The Office of Community Engagement is hosting Food Insecurity Awareness Week to raise awareness about food insecurity issues on the Syracuse University campus and in the city of Syracuse. On this 'Cuse Conversation, we spotlight the incredible, data-driven work being done on campus to address food insecurity and food justice. Colleen Heflin, associate dean, chair and professor in the Maxwell Schoo...

In his new book, " There’s Just One Problem… True Tales from the former, one-time, 7th most powerful person in WWE, " Brian Gewirtz ’95 pulls back the curtain on professional wrestling by sharing “fascinating and hilarious” stories (those are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s adjectives!) from his fifteen-year career with the WWE. Gewirtz describes how earning The Rock’s trust first led to a job in prof...

For the first time in more than a decade, the Syracuse University women’s volleyball program has a new head coach: Bakeer Ganesharatnam, the seventh women's volleyball coach in school history. Ganesharatnam boasts an impressive coaching resume and has a reputation for helping student-athletes achieve success on the court and in the classroom. Ganesharatnam discusses what made the position so appea...

What does it take to keep 21,000-plus students safe on a thriving residential campus located in the heart of an urban area? On this ’Cuse Conversation, we go behind the scenes with Craig Stone , associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services , who joined Syracuse University this past spring. Campus safety is a critical undertaking on any college campus, and S...

Syracuse University is preparing for more than 4,000 first-year students to arrive on campus this week for Syracuse Welcome, the University’s new student orientation program. Syracuse Welcome represents the first steps in a student’s Syracuse University journey, and on this 'Cuse Conversation, Carrie Grogan Abbott G'03 , director of New Student and Family Programs , discusses what students and the...