'Cuse Conversations

Leaving behind your family and friends and embarking on your Syracuse University journey can feel daunting to both the student and their family members. As the University prepares to welcome thousands of first-year students to campus for Syracuse Welcome, we invited Amie Freling '89, a well-known interior decorator, home décor expert and social media influencer, to share her tips on how to take a...

More than 12 million Ukrainians have fled their home since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the sovereign nation on Feb. 24. Facing a violent present and an uncertain future, the fates of these women, children and elderly Ukrainians is up in the air. But one organization is providing medical assistance to these refugees: Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders as it is known i...

As the United States celebrates Pride Month, the 'Cuse Conversations podcast wanted to spotlight the LGBTQ+ community here at Syracuse University. Alex Middleton '22 recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology from the communication sciences and disorders program in the College of Arts & Sciences. Alex discusses how they knew since middle school they wanted to be a...

Dino Babers is a family man. Entering his seventh season as Syracuse University's head football coach, Babers has always preached the value and importance of family as Syracuse’s head coach. On a special Father's Day 'Cuse Conversation, Babers shares stories from a childhood spent growing up on a military base with a father, Luther, who served in the Navy for 21 years, how that upbringing influenc...

Father Gerry Waterman has been making a difference in the lives of Catholic students on the Syracuse University campus since 2016. As the University's Catholic Chaplain, Father Gerry brings people together for sermons and service, and he is proud to share his faith with the campus community. Father Gerry discusses how the Catholic Center provided a sense of community to Syracuse students during th...

After spending the last 25 years in leadership roles in higher education, Mary Grace Almandrez takes over on June 1 as Syracuse University’s new vice president for diversity and inclusion. Almandrez discusses why she is so passionate about making the Syracuse University campus a welcoming place for all, shares what diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility means to her, and explains why the F...

April is a time for the Syracuse University community to come together and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This year’s theme is “Regrounding: Celebrating Our Identity,” focusing on sharing and celebrating the pride, strength and joy demonstrated by our on-campus AAPI community. It’s an important theme, especially following the challenges of the last two years,...

Katie (Rowan) Thomson '09, G’10 helped grow the Orange women’s lacrosse program into a perennial power during her four years on campus. An electrifying playmaker, Thomson graduated as Syracuse’s all-time leader in points (396) and assists (164). A three-time All-American, Thomson’s teams won the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament game in 2007 and later reached its first Final Four in 2008. Thoms...

It’s a musical Cuse Conversation with Joanie Leeds '00, 2021 Grammy Award winner for best children’s music album. She teamed up with a female producer and several talented female musicians to create "All the Ladies, " an album designed to entertain, inspire, educate and empower. Joanie shares the story of her journey and the chances, odd jobs and interesting gigs she took along the way to becoming...

As a kid growing up in Utica, David Essel wanted to be an NBA star. While he walked on to the Syracuse University men's basketball team, his time at the University ultimately led him on a very different professional journey.  He's built a successful career writing about and supporting people through addiction recovery, relationship difficulties, grief counseling and professional challenges. V...

Andrew Siciliano '96 doesn't know how he got so lucky. Every Sunday is surreal as he brings highlights from around the NFL to millions of fans around the world as host of DIRECTV's RedZone Channel. As Super Bowl 56 approaches, Siciliano will be in Los Angeles as part of NFL Network’s coverage of the big game. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Siciliano discusses the Super Bowl and the role he will play...

The Winter Olympics are underway in Beijing, and Team USA’s top athletes have their sights set on winning gold on the world stage. But before these athletes compete, many of them work on developing healthy nutrition habits with Maggie McCrudden '14, the food and nutrition registered dietitian for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee who leads Team USA’s nutrition program. McCrudden, a former...

When Jared Kraham '13 was sworn in as the mayor of Binghamton on Jan. 1, he made history as the youngest mayor in the city’s 220-year history. On this Cuse Conversation, Kraham shares how his time at Maxwell and Newhouse influenced him to become a politician, and why Syracuse University inspired him to join the next generation of policymakers and make a difference in his hometown. Kraham discusses...

On the surface,  Rob McClanaghan '01  seemed to be "living his best life." As a skills trainer for some of the NBA's biggest superstars, he was traveling the world in private jets, sitting courtside at big games and had just published a book about his work with the league's elite. But McClanaghan says that lifestyle was a "façade" that was hiding his struggles with anxiety and depression...

When he was in the third grade, Marv Albert '63 decided he wanted to become a sportscaster. Albert followed his passion and studied journalism at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before long, Albert was calling Syracuse Chiefs games alongside fellow Orange legend Carl Eilenberg H'53 . But Albert's big break came when another all-time Syracuse great, Marty Glickm...

Felisha Legette-Jack ’89 was a standout for the Syracuse University women's basketball team who recently became the University's first female student-athlete to have her jersey number retired high atop the Dome. Playing basketball and earning dual degrees in child and family studies and psychology transformed Legette-Jack's life, and now, Legette-Jack is helping to change the lives of her student-...

Ever since he was a child, Jim Morris ’77, G’78 dreamed of creating visually appealing films that connect with audiences; as the president of Pixar Animation Studios, he is living out that dream. Forty-four years after his first animated film, Morris produced the Academy Award-winning Pixar hit "WALL-E," bringing his love of movies full circle. Morris, one of the 2021 Arents Award winners , reflec...

Greg Sankey G’93 never forgot the important lessons he learned about leadership and crisis management during his pursuit of a master’s degree in education from Syracuse University's School of Education. As COVID-19 was threatening to shut down college athletics in the spring of 2020, Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, relied on his Syracuse education to guide one of the most...

Bana Miller's '04 career focuses on advocating for our nation's veterans and their families. And with good reason, as Miller's husband is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Miller has seen first-hand the difficulties facing veterans and their families as they transition from active duty to civilian life. This summer, Miller was accepted into the 2021 Class of the George W. Bush Institute's Stand to Veter...

When he was just 14 years old, Kevin Richardson H'20 and four of his friends were arrested and charged with raping and beating a white woman in Central Park. The case flamed racial tensions across the country, as Richardson and his friends, who would be known as the Central Park 5, were vilified in the media and deprived of their rights by the police during a three-day interrogation. Without foren...

Jeff Rossen '98 has established himself as one of television's top consumer reporters through his "Rossen Reports" series. He's won awards for his work on NBC's Today Show and as Hearst Television's national consumer correspondent.  On Sept. 11, 2001, Rossen was a rookie reporter for WABC-TV in New York City. In this 'Cuse Conversations podcast, he talks about what he experienced and what he...

Scott Hanson '93 has enjoyed a decorated sportscasting career since graduating with a broadcast journalism degree from Newhouse in 1993. But the role that he's best known for is hosting NFL RedZone, the live, whip-around the league show dedicated to providing fans of all 32 teams with an up close look at every touchdown, every big highlight, and every dramatic finish. It’s a unique role for Hanson...

Kevin Dong '09, G'11 didn't know what direction he wanted to take his career, until a transformative experience at Syracuse University helped Dong find his wings. An operations analyst for JetBlue Airways, Dong collects and studies data and feedback from customers to improve the flying experience. Dong discusses how COVID-19 impacted the airlines and how the airlines are working to make customers...

Ola Idowu '14 knows the important role mentors play in the life of young professionals. Idowu, who works in internal events at Twitter, is also the CEO of Sisters in Media , which provides mentor opportunities to young Black professionals seeking a career in media. Through networking events, job postings and a vibrant network of talented mentors, Idowu's company makes it easier to highlight the re...

U.S. Army veteran Matt Zeller G’06 wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the heroic actions of Janis Shinwari, the interpreter who intervened when Zeller's unit was ambushed in Afghanistan. Now, Zeller is fighting to save thousands of U.S. allies who played a pivotal role for the military in fighting the Taliban through an organization he co-founded, No One Left Behind. Zeller discusses the efforts...