Syracuse University’s African American and Latino Alumni Magazine Fall 2018 | Vol. 7 | No. 2 ManuscriptSyracuse OTHC Scholars Nordia Mullings, Nerys Castillo-Santana and Amber Hunter OTHC Scholars Nordia Mullings, Nerys Castillo-Santana and Amber Hunter Office of Program Development Syracuse Univerity 640 Skytop Rd, Second Floor Syracuse NY 13244-5160 315.443.4556 f 315.443.2874 programdevelopment.syr.edu pdevelop@syr.edu Opinions expressed in Syracuse Mancuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of its editors or the policies of Syacuse University. © 2018 Syracuse University Office of Program Development. All rights reserved. Rachel Vassel ’91 Assistant Vice President, Program Development Arianne Dowdell G’96 Senior Director, Operations and Partnerships Adrian Prieto Director of Development, Program Development Miko Horn ’95 Director, Alumni Events Angela Morales-Patterson Assistant Director, Alumni and Donor Engagement Susan C. Blanca Administrative Specialist, Program Development Angela Morales-Patterson Editor-in-Chief Renée Gearhart-Levy Writer George Bain Editorial Assistance Quinn Page Design LLC Design Melanie Stopyra Project Manager ManuscriptSyracuseOffice of Program Development Syracuse Univerity 640 Skytop Rd, Second Floor Syracuse NY 13244-5160 315.443.4556 f 315.443.2874 programdevelopment.syr.edu pdevelop@syr.edu Opinions expressed in Syracuse Mancuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of its editors or the policies of Syacuse University. © 2018 Syracuse University Office of Program Development. All rights reserved. Rachel Vassel ’91 Assistant Vice President, Program Development Arianne Dowdell G’96 Senior Director, Operations and Partnerships Adrian Prieto Director of Development, Program Development Miko Horn ’95 Director, Alumni Events Angela Morales-Patterson Assistant Director, Alumni and Donor Engagement Susan C. Blanca Administrative Specialist, Program Development Angela Morales-Patterson Editor-in-Chief Renée Gearhart-Levy Writer George Bain Editorial Assistance Quinn Page Design LLC Design Melanie Stopyra Project Manager ManuscriptSyracuse INSIDE THIS ISSUE 29 16 6 18 26 Contents From the ’Cuse 2 Alumni Enjoy Martha’s Vineyard 3 OTHC Mentorship Program 4 OTHC Leadership Program 5 Student Spotlight 6 Our Time Has Come Scholarship Donor List 10 Campus News 14 Alumni News 20 Alumni Milestones 26 In Memoriam 27 CBT Wins Gold Case Award 29 Our Alumni Bleed Orange! On the Cover FALL 2018 | 1 FROM THE ’CUSE SOMETHING NEW! It’s difficult to start something new. Often, we tend to hold on to what is familiar, comfortable, and safe. Back in the day, we used to say that someone is “feeling brand new” when that person was being bold, sassy, happy with, or proud of themselves. It was about having a new attitude and going somewhere you may not have gone before. Alumni, we see that you’re doing new things. Lyric Lewis is staring in a new television show. Sam Zamarripa has purchased a new media company. Traci Dennis has a new doctoral degree. Cheryl Wills has a new passion. Josh Aviv has invented a new product. Me’Shae Brooks Rolling has a new business. We’re so proud to call all of you Orange. In this issue of Syracuse Manuscript, you’ll hear about key enhancements to our campus—new and improved facilities aimed at meeting the needs of our students, alumni, faculty and staff. We are transforming campus buildings such as the Schine Student Center and Archbold Gymnasium, making important improvements to our stadium and adding new buildings like the National Veterans Resource Center. This change represents our progress as a university and our collective hard work to ensure that SU is the best that it can be. Within the Office of Program Development, we are making progress in providing greater service to alumni and students of color. We continue to enhance the Our Time Has Come Leadership Program with your help, we have hired new (alumni) staff and we’re moving to new division offices that will foster greater partnership with our colleagues. We’re developing new strategies for regional engagement, and we’re launching a new giving campaign. The Empower Campaign, which aims to double the number of OTHC Scholars over the next two years, is underway. If 4,000 alumni give just $500 per year this year and next, we will achieve this goal. Might you join us? With your help, we’ll introduce you to 100 Our Time Has Come Scholars when you’re back for CBT 2020. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve already increased our cohort 38 percent since 2016, welcoming 58 OTHC Scholars this academic year. Nothing is more rewarding to us than being able to assist a greater number of students through the scholarship program. Be sure to read about Marcus Lane, Abigail Covington, Nerys Castillo-Santana, and JoJo Herrera, a few of the amazing scholars highlighted in this issue. Because of you, they’re thriving in new and promising ways. Keep supporting the next generation, reinventing yourselves, and doing new things. We are here for it and will always celebrate with you when you’re feeling brand new. With Orange Love, Rachel Vassel ’91 Assistant Vice President, Office of Program Development 2 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Two hundred alumni of color took part in alumni programming held on Martha’s Vineyard in August. Activities included an opening reception and clambake hosted by Karina Wilkinson G’88, a pool party hosted by Keith Brown ’82, and bike tour of the island with refreshments at the home of A. Lynn Bolles ’71. While great fun was had rain or shine, a clear highlight was the opening reception and clambake, featuring a conversation with Cathy Hughes H’01, the founder of Urban One (formerly known as Radio One), the largest African American-owned and -operated broadcast company in the nation. Hughes gave a candid account of her journey—from her childhood in Omaha, Nebraska, to becoming a single mother at age 16, to her rise as a media mogul—and also touched on current events impacting the African American community. “She was tremendously forthright and insightful in everything she shared,” says Rachel Vassel ’91, assistant vice president of program development. In 2016, the communications school at Howard University was renamed the Cathy Hughes School of Communications, after a multimillion gift from the Catherine L. Hughes and Alfred C. Liggins III Foundation. Nonetheless, Hughes, who received an honorary doctor of letters degree from Syracuse University, made it clear she was proud of her Syracuse connection, praising the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the training it provides for future generations of journalists. “It felt like she was talking to family,” says Vassel. “You could hear a pin drop.” Martha’s VineyardCBT: FALL 2018 | 3 PAY IT FORWARD OTHC Mentorship Program Pairs Alumni with Scholars Many students supported by the Our Time Has Come Scholarships are first-generation college students or come from families with limited professional experience in guiding students on areas such as securing internships, creating a professional resume, or evaluating job offers. Knowing that many African American and Latino SU alumni were once in that same position, the Office of Program Development has created a mentoring program for OTHC Scholars. The goal is to pair an alumni mentor with each of the OTHC Scholars annually, based on professional interests. “We plan to pair students with alumni based on the student’s major and professional interests,” says Angela Morales-Patterson, assistant director of alumni and donor engagement. “The goal is for our scholars to receive advice from alumni—by phone, Skype, or in person—that will help them make decisions about their future careers.” Participation in the OTHC mentor program is a one- year commitment. “OTHC scholars will be assigned a new mentor each year so that they can develop multiple relationships,” says Morales-Patterson. “Our alumni tell us how meaningful it is to help students financially through the OTHC Scholarship program. This is just another way for them to contribute.” Alumni interested in serving as mentors to OTHC Scholars should reach out to Angela Morales-Patterson at aamorale@syr.edu or fill out the mentor application on the Program Development website. 4 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT OTHC Leadership Program Provides Professional Development Last fall, the Office of Program Development launched the Our Time Has Come leadership program. An effort to augment the financial support provided by the scholarship program, the OTHC leadership program provides monthly professional development programming to help students prepare for adulthood and the working world. The leadership sessions offer TED Talk-style presentations given by successful alumni or other professionals of color, who share their own career journeys or offer specific skills training. “We have received tremendous feedback on the programs from our Scholars,” says Angela Morales- Patterson, assistant director of alumni and donor engagement. “They appreciate the skills they are developing but also really value the opportunity to meet and network with alumni and other professionals who had similar origins as themselves.” In its inaugural year, the leadership program included sessions with Don Vassel ’89, CEO of 100 Black Men of Atlanta; attorney Maria Melendez ’89; Vaughn Irons ’97, founder and CEO of APD Solutions; Evelyn Carter ’90, division manager of community affairs for Wegmans; and Jena Burgess ’09, author and professional development consultant. This year’s speakers include Jessica Santana ’11, G’13, founder of the technology startup New York On Tech, who was an OTHC Scholar while an undergraduate in the Whitman School of Management before earning a Certificate of Advanced Studies and a master’s degree from the School of Information Studies. “The OTHC Scholarship was an important resource during my time at SU,” says Santana. “I’m excited for this new component of the program. I think this will give Scholars the opportunity to gain the skills necessary to thrive in their careers before they graduate and enter the workforce and will help build their social currency, which is very important in today’s job climate.” Other alumni who will share their experiences with students this year include Cheryl Wills ’89, Evin Robinson ’12, G’14, Melanie Littlejohn G’97, Kisha Miller ’93, and Karina Wilkinson G’88. Students will also hear from Andre’ Kennebrew, senior manager of field operations for Chick-fil-A, Inc. A new component to the program this year is corporate immersion visits, where students have the opportunity to spend the day experiencing the culture of a specific business. On November 2, 30 OTHC Scholars spent the day at Turner Broadcasting in New York City, a visit facilitated by Kristin Bragg ’93, senior vice president of ad sales and strategic planning. “It was a unique opportunity for students to go behind the scenes and see the business operations of a major broadcast company,” says Arianne Dowdell G’96, senior director of operations and partnerships for program development. The Office of Program Development is in the process of developing corporate partnerships to help underwrite the cost of the leadership program and is also offering a naming opportunity for the program for a significant donor interested in making an impact on the next generation of OTHC Scholars. Alumni interested in participating in the Leadership Program or in assisting with financial support should contact Angela Morales-Patterson at aamorale@syr.edu. FALL 2018 | 5 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Abigail Covington ’19 is capping off her Syracuse University career with one of the institution’s most prestigious honors for undergraduate students: Senior Class Marshal. One of two students selected for the honor, Covington will represent her class at University-wide events and programs this year and in May will lead the Class of 2019 and carry her class banner to open Syracuse University’s 165th Commencement. “I wanted to have a larger impact on campus and open up the activism I was doing outside the black community. I felt that was a space where I could have that kind of impact,” says Covington of her decision to apply for the position. “It’s been a really great experience so far.” Being named Class Marshal is only the latest recognition of Covington’s academic and leadership achievement. The Bowie, Maryland, native is also a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, Emma Bowen Foundation Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and an Our Time Has Come Scholar. Covington was named an OTHC Scholar before her junior year. “That fall was CBT, and it was really wonderful to participate in CBT programming and meet alumni who had contributed to the fund,” she says. “I’ve been closely aligned to the program and the other scholars ever since because I’ve found so much value in the people I’ve met.” Covington majors in writing studies, rhetoric, and composition—with minors in public communications, and information technology, design, and startups—and has earned Dean’s List honors every semester. Professionally, she is interested in merging communications with media and technology, specifically digital media strategy. “By combining programs at Newhouse and the iSchool with the writing program, I’ve kind of been able to create my own program,” she says. “What I want to do really exists at the center of those three things.” Covington has served as a social media intern on campus with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and interned for three summers with global communications marketing firm Edelman. She’s also involved with CLLCTVE, a student-run creative agency focusing on social media. She is applying to graduate school to study new media management. Outside of the classroom, Covington has held leadership positions in a variety of campus organizations, including vice president of internal affairs for the Black Leadership Network and co-chair of programming for Empowering Minds, and served as a contributing writer with Femme Noire, a mentor with Straighten Your Crown, and a member of the WellsLink Leadership Program. “I really am just a regular student,” she says. “I just see the ability to impact the spaces I occupy. I believe that whenever we as people are put in new spaces, it’s not simply to exist. I hold myself responsible to transform the environments that I’m in.” ABIGAIL COVINGTON ’19 6 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Marcus Lane Jr. ’19 is spending fall semester of his senior year in South Africa, studying multiculturalism and human rights through the School for International Training. The program is an opportunity to explore how the legacy of European colonialism and apartheid shaped and continues to determine social conditions in a multicultural South African society, he says of his remarkable experience that includes time living with local families and two weeks in a rural village. “We delve into the construction of race in a South African context, as well as how other identity markers—such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class—structure the past and future of South Africa,” says Lane, who is learning isiXhosa, one of the 11 national languages of South Africa, primarily spoken by the indigenous amaXhosa people. At the end of the semester, he hopes to intern at the Alternative Information Development Centre, an organization dedicated to the production and promotion of alternative knowledge and analysis to enable popular movements for social, economic, and ecological justice. It’s a perfect fit for Lane, a policy studies major with a sociology minor from Hartford, Connecticut, who hopes to work as a community organizer after graduation. He’s already had some experience. After interning with the Central New York chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Lane started a campus chapter of the NYCLU. He says that, in addition to working as a resident advisor in Haven Hall, “taught me the arts of advocacy, communication, and leadership through the most profound challenges.” Lane spent summer 2018 as a community organizing intern with The Bronx Defenders, helping with community outreach to engage Bronx residents about immigration, criminal justice reform, family reunification, education, housing, police accountability, and other issues. He was able to pursue the internship through the support of an SU Clements Internship Fellowship, which allows students to hold unique internships that would not be possible without financial help. Lane, a member of the Renée Crown Honors Program, is also a WellsLink Leadership Program graduate, a former member of the New Registered Student Organization (RSO) Review Board, a former Student Association assembly member, a library assistant at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the African American Studies Department, and a writer for The New Narrative, covering social and political issues. And he’s an Our Time Has Come Scholar. “As a first-generation student from a low- income background, the OTHC Scholarship is not only an honor, it is a necessity. I financially struggled throughout my first two years at Syracuse University, which inevitably impacted my academic performance and well-being,” says Lane, who was also selected as a Remembrance Scholar for 2018-19. Receiving the OTHC Scholarship at the beginning of his junior year provided financial and personal security by covering the costs of living expenses and academic materials. “As importantly, I found a home in the Office of Program Development and a family in the company of my fellow scholars,” he says. “I will not be able to reflect on my time at Syracuse University without thinking about my membership in the OTHC community.” MARCUS LANE JR. ’19 Marcus Lane Jr. ’19 is spending fall semester of his senior year in South Africa, studying multiculturalism and human rights through the School for International Training. The program is an opportunity to explore how the legacy of European colonialism and apartheid shaped and continues to determine social conditions in a multicultural South African society, he says of his remarkable experience that includes time living with local families and two weeks in a rural village. “We delve into the construction of race in a South African context, as well as how other identity markers—such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class—structure the past and future of South Africa,” says Lane, who is learning isiXhosa, one of the 11 national languages of South Africa, primarily spoken by the indigenous amaXhosa people. At the end of the semester, he hopes to intern at the Alternative Information Development Centre, an organization dedicated to the production and promotion of alternative knowledge and analysis to enable popular movements for social, economic, and ecological justice. It’s a perfect fit for Lane, a policy studies major with a sociology minor from Hartford, Connecticut, who hopes to work as a community organizer after graduation. He’s already had some experience. After interning with the Central New York chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Lane started a campus chapter of the NYCLU. He says that, in addition to working as a resident advisor in Haven Hall, “taught me the arts of advocacy, communication, and leadership through the most profound challenges.” Lane spent summer 2018 as a community organizing intern with The Bronx Defenders, helping with community outreach to engage Bronx residents about immigration, criminal justice reform, family reunification, education, housing, police accountability, and other issues. He was able to pursue the internship through the support of an SU Clements Internship Fellowship, which allows students to hold unique internships that would not be possible without financial help. Lane, a member of the Renée Crown Honors Program, is also a WellsLink Leadership Program graduate, a former member of the New Registered Student Organization (RSO) Review Board, a former Student Association assembly member, a library assistant at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the African American Studies Department, and a writer for The New Narrative, covering social and political issues. And he’s an Our Time Has Come Scholar. “As a first-generation student from a low- income background, the OTHC Scholarship is not only an honor, it is a necessity. I financially struggled throughout my first two years at Syracuse University, which inevitably impacted my academic performance and well-being,” says Lane, who was also selected as a Remembrance Scholar for 2018-19. Receiving the OTHC Scholarship at the beginning of his junior year provided financial and personal security by covering the costs of living expenses and academic materials. “As importantly, I found a home in the Office of Program Development and a family in the company of my fellow scholars,” he says. “I will not be able to reflect on my time at Syracuse University without thinking about my membership in the OTHC community.” MARCUS LANE JR. ’19 FALL 2018 | 7 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT When Nerys Castillo-Santana ’19 began her technical internship at GE last summer, she initially felt discouraged that her coding skills weren’t up to par. She reached out for guidance to Dwight Perry, who she’d met through Our Time Has Come Leadership Development programs the previous school year. “He really became my mentor,” says Castillo-Santana, a senior from the Bronx, New York majoring in information management technology. “He coached me in how to persevere through an obstacle and be the best underdog I could be.” That guidance paid off. At the end of the summer, Castillo-Santana was offered a full-time position after graduation in GE’s prestigious Digital Technology Leadership Program. Over two years, she will rotate through four different technical roles within the company and, at the end, will be placed in a senior position in the sector of her choice. “The program really accelerates your career,” she says. Castillo-Santana is all about networking. A big reason she chose Syracuse University was because of the alumni network and professional connections the school afforded. “I knew going to SU, I would most likely have a job when I graduated,” she says. But she’s worked hard at making connections. A finance minor, Castillo-Santana has been actively involved in the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) chapter, serving as senior vice president last year. It was through that organization that she secured top-notch internships each summer—financial internships at Ernst and Young after freshman year and KPMG after sophomore year, and her technical internship at GE this past summer. Castillo-Santana was named an Our Time Has Come Scholar at the beginning of her junior year, something she regrets not pursuing earlier. “The program has provided great professional development opportunities and amazing connections in the business community,” she says, “I’ve also gotten to know other scholars that I had never even seen on campus before, which provides even more networking opportunity. As scholars, we’re a really close community.” Castillo-Santana, who is spending fall semester studying in Madrid, has tried to pay it forward by serving as a role model to younger students. She has mentored preteen girls in the Syracuse community through Straighten Your Crown, and worked as a math instructor and tutor for high school students in the Say Yes to Education program. “I offer them a lot of guidance on college prep stuff too,” she says. “I try to help them from my experiences.” NERYS CASTILLO-SANTANA ’19 8 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT From a young age, Joleyne “JoJo” Herrera ’19 loved to draw and knew she wanted to pursue art as a career. The Queens, New York, native assembled all her high school artwork into a portfolio and submitted it to college art programs. Herrera chose Syracuse University, in part, because SU offered her the most assistance in grants and scholarships. “Paying for college on my own was not an option,” she says. “I also wanted to see what it would be like to get out of New York City and my comfort zone.” That transition was harder than anticipated, says Herrera, now a senior majoring in illustration and computer gaming in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “It took me awhile to find students I could relate to and have fun with,” she says. That all changed by her sophomore year, particularly after being named an Our Time Has Come Scholar. “The other students that are part of it and the programs we attend provide a sense of community that has only continued to grow with time,” she says. And financially, she says the scholarship has been important in helping fund all of her art endeavors at SU. “Art supplies are very expensive,” says Herrera, who is supported with a Lois and Martin J. Whitman Scholarship. Herrera has also found community through her sorority, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., which spends a lot of time on service projects such as voter registration and raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It’s great to be involved with groups of like-minded people who are focused on graduating and have goals in front of them,” she says. For Herrera that includes refining her craft. She works mostly with pen and ink and with digital illustration and, outside of class, has enjoyed working with other illustrators as the art director of Out Crowd Magazine during her junior year. “It was nice to take the reins and work on things that weren’t just for professors,” she says Herrera hopes to pursue her passions further in graduate school and is exploring programs in design and technology. She wants to make an impact as a woman of color in the field. “I take a lot of pride in where I come from,” she says. “The market I’m going into is very white and male-dominated, so it’s sometimes not that encouraging for other people. I’d like to be in a position to change that tone and look forward to being a role model for other artists to have a creative safe space to express themselves.” JOLEYNE “JOJO” HERRERA ’19 From a young age, Joleyne “JoJo” Herrera ’19 loved to draw and knew she wanted to pursue art as a career. The Queens, New York, native assembled all her high school artwork into a portfolio and submitted it to college art programs. Herrera chose Syracuse University, in part, because SU offered her the most assistance in grants and scholarships. “Paying for college on my own was not an option,” she says. “I also wanted to see what it would be like to get out of New York City and my comfort zone.” That transition was harder than anticipated, says Herrera, now a senior majoring in illustration and computer gaming in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “It took me awhile to find students I could relate to and have fun with,” she says. That all changed by her sophomore year, particularly after being named an Our Time Has Come Scholar. “The other students that are part of it and the programs we attend provide a sense of community that has only continued to grow with time,” she says. And financially, she says the scholarship has been important in helping fund all of her art endeavors at SU. “Art supplies are very expensive,” says Herrera, who is supported with a Lois and Martin J. Whitman Scholarship. Herrera has also found community through her sorority, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., which spends a lot of time on service projects such as voter registration and raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It’s great to be involved with groups of like-minded people who are focused on graduating and have goals in front of them,” she says. For Herrera that includes refining her craft. She works mostly with pen and ink and with digital illustration and, outside of class, has enjoyed working with other illustrators as the art director of Out Crowd Magazine during her junior year. “It was nice to take the reins and work on things that weren’t just for professors,” she says Herrera hopes to pursue her passions further in graduate school and is exploring programs in design and technology. She wants to make an impact as a woman of color in the field. “I take a lot of pride in where I come from,” she says. “The market I’m going into is very white and male-dominated, so it’s sometimes not that encouraging for other people. I’d like to be in a position to change that tone and look forward to being a role model for other artists to have a creative safe space to express themselves.” JOLEYNE “JOJO” HERRERA ’19 FALL 2018 | 9 LIST OF DONORS OUR TIME HAS COME SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Gifts received for Our Time Has Come from February 22, 2018-September 30, 2018 GIVING LEVEL OF $25,000 OR MORE Lois and Martin J. Whitman Undergraduate Scholarship Anonymous Third Avenue Management LLC In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 GIVING LEVEL OF $10,000 -$ 24,999 Homer L. Harrison Endowed Scholarship Anonymous GIVING LEVEL OF $5,000 -$ 9,999 Allman-Manning Vocal Music Memorial Scholarship Rosalyn Y. Allman-Manning ’75 Black/Hispanic Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in Engineering Charles J. Willis Jr. ’90 Connie Orlando ’89 Endowed Scholarship Constance M. Orlando’89 Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Endowed Scholarship Michael E. Blackshear ’91 and Rhonda Blackshear Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Scholarship Endowment Peter G. Henriques ’80 and Jeanne O. Henriques Donor pins were given to alumni who returned for CBT GIVING LEVEL OF $1,000-$4,999 AKA Iota Upsilon ChapterAlumnae Endowed Scholarship Rachel A. Williams ’04 Allman-Manning Vocal Music Memorial Scholarship The Concord Baptist Church of Christ; Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson, In memory of Stanley Manning Class of ’74 Endowed Scholarship Tenzer V. Cunningham ’74 Delta Beta Executive Alumni Foundation Endowed Fund Lt. Col. Elegear J. Primus ’83, In memory of Felix “Phil” Romain ’85 Col. Tyrone M. Woodyard ’85, In honor of Phil Romain ’85 and Pieces of A Dream–Spring ’84 Helena Mitchell Scholarship Helena Mitchell G’78, Ph.D.’87 and William C. Lindsey Jr. Hispanic/Black Undergraduate Scholarship Gift Fund Catherine L. Hughes ’01 Keith Brown and Victor Holman Scholarship Keith M. Brown ’82 and Maria M. Perez-Brown Lt. Col. Victor Holman ’82 and Dakota Holman ’83 Lois and Martin J. Whitman Undergraduate Scholarship Liz Armstrong, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Stuart H. Coleman and Meryl S. Rosofsky, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund in memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Arnie Jacobs, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Kathleen Peratis, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation, Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Syracuse 8 Endowed Scholarship Fund Attorney Admissions Fee Fund for the District of New Jersey Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Endowed Scholarship Fund in Public Communications L. Kelly Atkinson Jr. ’79 Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Scholarship Endowment Freddy Morales ’97 Anthony L. Noble ’99, In honor of Irma Almirall-Padamsee Peter C. Perry ’82 Heidi A. Ramirez Ph.D. ’96 Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Pi Iota Chapter Dr. Lisa M. Lewis ’92 10 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Gifts received for Our Time Has Come from February 22, 2018-September 30, 2018 GIVING LEVEL OF $ 500 - $ 999 AKA Iota Upsilon ChapterAlumnae 1975 Legacy Graduate Scholarship Rachel A. Williams ’04 Class of ’74 Endowed Scholarship Nadene Moore ’74 Delta Beta Executive Alumni Foundation Endowed Fund Jose A. Cruz ’99 A. Maurice Etheredge ’85, In honor of Alvin Johnson, Phil Romain ’85, Gerald Claxton, In memory of Ron Mantley ’54, Donald Dade ’51, Winfred Jones ’77 and Max Finley ’98 Delta Sigma Theta Endowed Scholarship Fund Lori J. Smith-Britton ’92 and Milton Britton Jr. Candice L. Carnage ’90 Lois and Martin J. Whitman Undergraduate Scholarship Harold Drachman, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 New York Community Trust, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Alexandra Reardon and Mr. Joseph Reardon, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Beth Williams and Mr. Allen Williams, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Program Development Gifts Lorenzo Rhames ’89 Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Scholarship Endowment Ada L. Agrait ’94 Kristin P. Bragg ’93 Lt. Col. Victor Holman ’82 and Dakota Holman ’83 Kisha L. Miller Esq. ’93 Laura L. O’Brien ’99 and Timothy J. O’Brien Dr. Clarybel Peguero ’97 Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Pi Iota Chapter Liza Baird-Appiah Kathryn S. Brown ’06 Stephanie C. Crump-Faber ’86 Tamekia Flowers-Ball ’97 Sheridan N. Jack-Browne ’96 Melissa Jackson Holloway Esq. ’91 Andrea Wright ’96 GIVING LEVEL OF $ 100 - $ 499 African American Accounting Alumni Endowed Scholarship Kim Gatewood ’89 AKA Iota Upsilon ChapterAlumnae 1975 Legacy Graduate Scholarship Michelle C. Walker-Davis ’83, G’85 and Martin J. Davis ’05 Michele W. Williams ’82 and Jonathan Williams ’08 Allman-Manning Vocal Music Memorial Scholarship Cheryl L. Manning Waithe ’87 Alpha Phi Alpha Delta Zeta Endowed Scholarship Lawrence A. Ford ’80 Geoffrey A. Johnson ’78, G’83 and Avon M. Hart-Johnson Laraine B. Jones ’75 and Rufus E. Jones ’75 Black/Hispanic Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in Engineering Brian K. Jones ’88 and Terri L. Jones Class of ’74 Endowed Scholarship Joseph H. Cruz ’74 and Francine Gennuso Corning Scholars Program Endowed Fund Brian K. Jones ’88 and Terri L. Jones Delta Beta Executive Alumni Foundation Endowed Fund Robert Gregg Antonio Martinez, In honor of Phil Romain ’85 Delta Sigma Theta Endowed Scholarship Fund Lori L. Brown ’89 and Sanford E. Brown ’89 Francis C. Carrero ’10 Deborah W. Foster ’75 and Leon A. Foster Jr. Kimberly N. Harris ’09 Vikki A. Ismael ’90 and Matano Ismael Laraine B. Jones ’75 and Rufus E. Jones ’75 Stephanie Navarrete ’14 Shawn R. Outler ’89 Graduate Black or Hispanic Endowed Scholarship/Grant Fund Rachel R. Roberts-Pickett G’05, G’06 and Steven A. Pickett Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Endowed Scholarship Keith J. Johnson ’89 and Lisa M. Johnson Akima H. Rogers ’94 and Lt. Col. Pia W. Rogers ’98, G’01, L’01 Charles A. Wynder Jr. ’86 and Bethany Wynder Latino Alumni Network of Syracuse University (LANSU) Scholarship Fund Joseph H. Cruz ’74 and Francine Gennuso Anthony J. Otero ’96 Lois and Martin J. Whitman Undergraduate Scholarship Isabel K. Brach, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Michael Buono, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Beth Connor, In memory of Martin J. Whitman’49, H’08 Kristina Fox, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Gerald Hellerman, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Yang Lie, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Eric Mower ’66, G’68 and Judith C. Mower ’66, G’73, G’80, Ph.D.’84 William Witkin and Mrs. Joan Witkin, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 FALL 2018 | 11 LIST OF DONORS OUR TIME HAS COME SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Gifts received for Our Time Has Come from February 22, 2018-September 30, 2018 GIVING LEVEL OF $ 100 - $ 499 Major Grant Williams Memorial Scholarship Janice Humphrey Brynda Martin, In memory of Major Grant Williams Paris Noir Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship Francis C. Carrero ’10 Gaynor D. Hall ’04, In honor of Illona V. Hall Deirdre L. Poe-Sanders ’85 and Mr. Fred Sanders Na’Tasha J. Webb-Prather ’11 Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Theta Xi Chapter Scholarship Godfrey K. Brobbey ’03 Greston D. Gill ’14 Grant A. Mayes ’13 Christopher M. Moncrief ’14 Donald H. Saint-Germain ’12 Syracuse 8 Endowed Scholarship Fund Zahid Siddiqui The Alumni Group of the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble Living Legacy Fund Angela D. Peterson ’83 Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Scholarship Endowment Alejandro S. Amezcua G’05, Ph.D.’10 Marnie Annese G’15 and Annemarie Deegan Jeffrey J. Blodgett ’71, G’80 and Diane E. Blodgett Justin M. Blount ’93 Karen G. Brown ’04 Ana M. Ceppi ’86, G’88 and Alejandro R. Ceppi ’88 Dr. Llewellyn J. Cornelius ’82 and Lydia Cornelius Paula J. Davis ’76 Tara A. Favors ’95 and Dale Favors Robert L. Ferebee Clairan J. Ferrono ’73 Rosie A. Garcia ’09 Bernard F. Gipson Jr. ’70 Hyacinth L. Hewan ’82 Jason A. Jackson ’05 Kirk P. Jackson ’77 and Aisha Jackson Kim D. Lunn ’89 and Leslie Lunn Delita M. Marsland Sean P. McCready ’04 and Tiffany A. Roy ’06 Traci A. McMurray ’96 Injil Muhammad ’86 and Michele S. Muhammad ’87 Lucas E. Phillips Jr., Esq. ’73 Shamieka T. Preston ’97 James B. Rattray ’72 and Paula C. Rattray ’72 Ameer Rogers G’17 Leah S. Sheppard ’88 Ianna A. Small ’97 Marcus J. Solis ’91 Jennifer A. Sully G’10 and Rey P. Sully G’10 Jeffrey H. Tour ’79 Don C. Vassel ’89 and Rachel E. Vassel ’91 Victor Vega ’74 and Rhona Vega Michael F. Viti Rachel A. Williams ’04 Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Pi Iota Chapter Grant A. Mayes ’13 Roslyn L. McLin ’93 GIVING LEVEL UP TO $ 99 Angela Y. Robinson Endowed Scholarship Ayesha DeMond-Angell G’03 and Tracy L. Angell Delta Sigma Theta Endowed Scholarship Fund Candace S. Carter ’99 Nadene Moore ’74 Sade K. Muhammad ’12 Graduate Black or Hispanic Endowed Scholarship/Grant Fund Ayesha DeMond-Angell G’03 and Tracy L. Angell Hispanic/Black Undergraduate Scholarship Gift Fund A. Alif Muhammad ’71 and Janean Muhammad Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Endowed Scholarship Steven Schmidt, In honor of Mike Askey ’70 Lois and Martin J. Whitman Undergraduate Scholarship Lawrence J. Beaser and Rochelle R. Beaser, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Elizabeth H. McCollum, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Sylvia Nissen, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Evan R. Strain, In memory of Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08 Major Grant Williams Memorial Scholarship Douglas M. Bloodsworth and Bernice J. Bloodsworth Joseph H. Cruz ’74 and Francine Gennuso Janice O. Johnson, In memory of Major Grant Williams Peggy Tunstall Paris Noir Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship Ann D. Bailey ’88 Laura E. Baker ’85 Natasha J. Benjamin ’11 Paul A. Benjamin and Synette L. Benjamin Kassidy N. Lundy ’16 Syracuse 8 Endowed Scholarship Fund Charles H. Woods Jr. ’72 Chester R. Lett ’80 and Danette S. Lett Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Endowed Scholarship Fund in Public Communications Ayesha DeMond-Angell G’03 and Tracy L. Angell Martin N. Timins ’68 and Ruth Timins 12 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Gifts received for Our Time Has Come from February 22, 2018-September 30, 2018 GIVING LEVEL UP TO $ 99 Undergraduate Black and Hispanic Scholarship Endowment Valandrhah Abraham ’18 Austin J. Adams ’18 Anjelica C. Alarcon ’18 Zakiyyah A. Alston G’18, In honor of Malik A. Alston Danielle Alvarez ’18 Alia Anamaria ’18 Keisha-Gaye Anderson ’96 Anisha S. Andrews ’18 Kimberly Arreola Yvette Asumeng ’18 Ashia R. Aubourg ’17 Jessica Banks ’18 Akilah S. Baptiste ’18 Jane A. Bean-Folkes ’80 and Laurie A. Folkes Abhishek Vasisht Bhaskar G’16 Alicia M. Blaisdell-Bannon ’74 Cedric T. Bolton G’18 Ryan F. Bolton Joniran Boone ’94 Gerald A. Brown ’18 LaVasia S. Bullard ’05 Taesha A. Callaghan ’18 Destiny A. Castro ’18 Arlene W. Centeno ’18 Kalijah A. Chapman Taryne B. Chatman ’18 Karen Cheung ’18 Uchechukwu N. Chukwuma ’18 Cassandra J. Claboine ’85 Darriea B. Clark ’18 Bryce N. Clark ’18 Sharod K. Clerge ’18 Lorraine Y. Collins G’06 Kathryn M. Colon ’13 Chasity S. Cooper ’11 Kara M. Cooper ’18 Jordan D. Correia ’18 Sharon R. Cross G’18 Adriana M. Danner-Vega ’18 Cheyenne A. Darcy Amaya ’18 Oloruntobi Dare ’18 Malcolm-Ali Davis ’18 Zoya A. Davis ’18 John W. Davis G’08 William E. De La Vera Vera ’18 Gayle A. Dennis ’58 Calvin A. Dennis G’18 Jason T. Diaz ’06 and Michelle L. Diaz PA-C, RD’06 Bryan S. Dumas ’07 William E. Durant G’92 Taqiyyah S. Ellis ’93, G’95 Monica E. Escribano ’18 Angelina Espino ’18 Dr. Earl Y. Young ’92 and Tanya Ess-Young Wendy F. Fast ’64 Autumn F. Figueroa ’04, G’06 Janet B. Flores Kirsten M. Fraser ’18 Donald E. Frost ’05 and Monique V. Frost Jade A. Fulce ’08 Holly J. Funches G’18 Alannah M. Gamble ’18 Jisselle J. Garcia ’18 Kiara Garcia ’18 Reginald Gardner Sarah Gardner ’18 Alice M. Garrastegui ’18 Natalie Garza G’08 Robert T. Getty III G’97 Jacqueline Gibson G’18 Stuart M. Ginsburg ’66 and Laurie Orlando ’87 Pedro J. Gonzalez ’76, ’78 Sofronia C. Gould ’18 Jacob Griffiths-Randolph ’18 Angel L. Guerrero ’18 Yomidalys Guichardo ’17 Ciara W. Harrington ’18 Anthony L. Herbert Jr. ’15 Kamalishe P. Hiraldo ’18 Jasmine J. Hunt G’18 Fareeza Islam Hanif G’18 Jethro Jean-Baptiste G’18 Cameron A. Jenkins ’18 Angela Johnson Mara M. Julin ’18 Diasia J. Kittrell-Robinson ’18 Linda M. Koritkoski ’99 Allyson Koval ’18 Aquila E. Leon-Soon ’01 Michelle R. Mancha ’90, G’91 and Donald J. Mancha Jasmine N. Mangum ’16 Andrea C. Marsh ’87, G’97 and Jason Rubin Angela L. Marsh-Coan ’18 Alexus Martin ’18 Danielle Masursky G’18 Maisel Mazier ’99 Jacqueline P. McManus ’89 Sergio Menacho ’01 Diamond L. Miles Dr. Natasha A. Mitchell G’97 Zendrea K. Mitchell ’98 Rachel P. Mitchell ’18 Florence S. Mitchell Ph.D.’87 Theodore E. Molloy ’06 Kaylynn B. Mora Ana S. Morris ’18 Ensonn Morris Jr. ’18 Katherine M. Morris ’18 Kiana Mosley ’18 Soudeh Motamedi G’08 Khalia I. Muhammad ’18 Brandyn M. Munford ’18 Rachel E. Murello ’18 Jared L. Nelson ’18 Elijah E. Newsome ’18 Chizobam Nwagwu ’18 Audrey L. O’Donnell ’18 Chelsea Ogun ’17 Nicole Osborne ’14 Billie Owens ’18 Giorgio Parlato G’18 Asile Patin ’18 Kalvin A. Peary Kristian A. Perez ’18 Ronald J. Perez ’99 Deanna M. Polanco ’18 Jamaya A. Powell Shibani Rathnam ’18 Kristen L. Reeves ’14 Khairi Z. Reynolds ’18 Manuel P. Rivera ’03 Matthew Rivera Marcus Robinson ’18 Christopher R. Roper ’85 Amanda N. Rowley ’18 Najheri Salley ’18 Leslie A. Sanchez ’18 Paola C. Santiago ’18 Steven Schmidt, In honor of Elbert English Terry Y. Smallhorne ’86 Jermaine Soto G’11 Richard J. Spears ’84 Jacqueem Spratley ’17 Hillary S. Stallings ’14 Sheridan Street ’17 Jennifer S. Sweet ’18 Alyssa L. Swierk ’18, In memory of Mary Zoccollilo Jessica A. Szela ’18 Ronald James-Terry Taylor ’15, G’16, In honor of Alpha Phi Alpha Delta Zeta Chapter Balda S. Tirone ’18 Robinson Torres ’18 Laura L. Tracey ’94 David E. Trotman-Wilkins ’90 and Della Trotman-Wilkins Sydney M. Tukes ’18 Tajlakim A. Turner ’18 Ileana Ungureanu G’06, Ph.D.’11 Sarah I. Valenzuela ’16 Rebecca Vasconcellos ’18 Tanya E. Vialva-Duke G’18 In honor of Claudia Vialva Kayla Vidal ’18 Dr. Kadesha D. Washington ’93 Taylyn Washington-Harmon ’16 Telia A. West ’18 Wendy Williams ’90 Omar P. Woodham Ph.D.’10 and Ann-Marie Woodham Sue-Ann Wynter G’17 Wainie D. Youn ’07 Manny M. Zapata ’18 FALL 2018 | 13 CAMPUS NEWS Trevor Noah to Headline SU MLK Celebration Comedian and author Trevor Noah, host of the Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Central, will visit Syracuse University as part of SU’s 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration January 27, 2019, at the Carrier Dome. Noah will take part in an on-stage conversation, talking about his acclaimed memoir, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, reflecting on the life and legacy of Dr. King, and discussing the global impact of the civil rights movement. “Not only is Trevor Noah a popular television personality and the most successful comedian in South African history, his recent and renowned text has proven to be informative, formative, and deeply transformative,” says the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel and co-chair of the 2019 MLK Celebration. “By showing the connections among Soweto, Selma, and Syracuse at our 2019 MLK Celebration, we will recognize the global impact of the civil rights movement and consider how we, too, may receive the freedom to flourish as citizens of the world.” Born in Johannesburg in 1984, Noah began his career as a comedian, presenter, and actor in his native South Africa in 2002. He hosted several show for the South African Broadcasting Corp. and performed in stand-up comedy tours across South Africa. He was creator and host of Tonight with Trevor Noah from 2010 until 2011, when he relocated to the United States. Noah was named one of “The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media” by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 and 2018, and Time magazine named him to its Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, for 2018. Born a Crime was selected for the 2018-19 Syracuse Reads Program, a shared reading initiative that is part of the First-Year Experience for all new SU students. In the book, Noah, who was born in South Africa to a black South African mother and a white European father, recounts his childhood growing up during the last days of apartheid and the opportunities and adventures with his mother in the period that followed. The University provided more than 3,900 special softcover copies and e-copies of the book to all incoming first-year and transfer students in June and also made copies available to current students, faculty, and staff through the SU Bookstore. 14 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT CAMPUS NEWS Multidisciplinary Center for Social Justice Established Marvin Lender ’63 and his wife, Helaine Gold Lender ’65, have capped their lifelong commitment to social justice and greater understanding among people with a $5 million gift to fund the Lender Center for Social Justice at SU. The multidisciplinary center, located in the School of Education, will include research support, symposia, and faculty and student fellowships. With an underlying mission to develop ethical and courageous citizens, the center will support innovative and multidisciplinary research of contemporary social problems while providing proactive and concrete approaches and solutions. The center will also launch an innovative faculty and student fellowship program and annual symposium, supporting collaborative research and engagement related to issues of social justice. Each year a faculty member will be named a Lender Faculty Fellow and be provided support to lead a two-year project in collaboration with five Lender Student Fellows. The Lender Fellows team will work with individuals and institutions from across campus, the community, and nation to develop and propose innovative ways of engaging contemporary social issues and to promote the pursuit of social justice. Marvin Lender, a Life Trustee of Syracuse University, is a founder of Lender’s Frozen Bagels, along with his brother Murray. Recently, they were recognized by the American Society of Baking for their entrepreneurship and for “bagelizing” America and the world. After the sale of Lender’s to Kraft Foods in 1984, Marvin devoted his time to philanthropy and helping others. “The work of the Lender Center will be another part of the extensive legacy that Marvin and Helaine Lender have established in working for social justice and creating a forum for dialogue on global issues,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. Last February, Syracuse University created the Unsurpassed Student Experience Diversity and Inclusion Grant program to support diversity programs and practices that deepen understanding and engagement across multiple areas of difference—including racial, ethnic, religious, disability, nationality, and veteran status, among others—with awards up to $5,000. The first eight grant recipients were announced in May and charged with developing one-year pilot programs ready to launch for the 2018-19 academic year. The funded projects include: Crosscultural Engagement of First-Year Students, an initiative to provide first-year human development and family science majors with an opportunity to explore issues surrounding diversity and inclusion through a seminar that will include active learning experiences that challenge them to engage with cultures and communities other than their own. Fostering Resiliency in Undergraduate Women of Color in STEM. This program seeks to help women STEM students of color develop the knowledge and strategies essential for personal resiliency and success, focusing on building a sense of community and belonging and helping students develop a network of allies to support their individual success and foster an inclusive environment. Haudenosaunee Influence on American Culture will create a course that focuses on the Haudenosaunee and their influence on American culture. The course will be a “signature experience” that taps into the significance of the University’s location in Onondaga Nation territory. Stories Untold, a workshop series to increase contact between Syracuse University drama students and working artists whose stories—in their work or their pathway to making it—are underrepresented in the department. Disability, Aging, Trauma, and Veterans Issues in Health Care. This interdisciplinary course will bring together health humanities and disability studies pedagogy and research methods for students interested in pursuing careers related to health, well-being, and aging. Diversity Dialogue will engage up to 15 student leaders in a dialogue group with their peers to help foster recognition and understanding of individual and group differences. Participants will learn to appreciate different identities and life experiences, and enhance their ability to work in multicultural teams and thrive in diverse workplace settings. First-Year Global Peers will appoint high-achieving students who have global experience to serve as global peers for First- Year Forums. Through their insights and their engagement with first-year students, they will help foster a sense of familiarity and enhanced understanding across cultural differences. Project Transition will focus on enhancing the student experience, persistence, and graduation rates of first-generation and underserved students by addressing the role that families play. The program will develop programming and activities to better connect and engage families of first- generation students with the University and assist them in supporting their student through the transition from high school to college. First Diversity and Inclusion Grants Announced FALL 2018 | 15 CAMPUS NEWS Program Development Expands Staff Miko Horn ’95 Miko Horn ’95 has joined the Office of Program Development as director of alumni events. Horn comes to SU with significant event planning experience, most recently as director of events for the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation, where she collaborated with the National Basketball Association and several community partners and organizations to strengthen relationships between fathers and children. Horn also launched her own firm, Epic Sports and Events, serving high-profile athletes, community organizations, sports teams, and national brands. During the Coming Back Together 2017 Reunion, Horn volunteered her time and leveraged her deep alumni connections to help launch the CBT Celebrity Basketball Classic, one of the highlights of the weekend. Horn has also served on the SU Alumni Club of Atlanta as the event co-chair, responsible for the annual Atlanta Student Send-Off and many other club events. She is working on creating signature regional events for the Office of Program Development, including a Vanessa Williams concert and reception in New York City, a gala with keynote speaker in Washington, D.C., and a golf tournament in Miami. “I am excited to work on regional events that will continue to build awareness and raise funds for the Our Time Has Come Scholarship supporting students of color with financial need at Syracuse University,” says Horn. “I’m fortunate to work for a university where diversity and inclusion across the board matters, and it’s an honor to work along staff and fellow alums who support those efforts. We have several exciting events on the horizon, and I look forward to successful fundraising efforts and engagement opportunities with alums, corporate partners, and brands across the country.” Arianne Dowdell G’96 Arianne Dowdell G’96 is the Office of Program Development’s new senior director, operations and partnerships. Dowdell will support the overall management of the Office of Program Development, including CBT reunion planning, corporate partnerships, foundation giving, and Our Time Has Come Scholarship fund administration. Most recently, Dowdell served as director of events and special programs at VirginiaCommonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, where she led the special events team in planning major university events. Before VCU, Dowdell served as director of events at Rockefeller University in New York City, managing 120 internal and external events annually. In addition to event and general management experience, Dowdell has been successful in raising sponsorship dollars, managing vendors, creating corporate partnerships, and overseeing budgets, staff, and volunteers. She has experience organizing and implementing communications strategies to promote giving and event participation. “The chance to continue my career at Syracuse under the direction of Rachel Vassel was an opportunity I did not want to pass up,” says Dowdell. “The team in Program Development is dedicated to increasing funding for our Scholars and furthering the engagement of alumni, and I am confident that we will continue to progress the work we do.” khristian kemp-delisser ’01 Named LGBT Resource Center Director khristian kemp-delisser ’01 joined Syracuse University in April as the new director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, which seeks to boost engagement from alumni and friends who hold or care about LGBTQIA+ identities. Some new initiatives at the center include working with faculty, staff and students to bring accessibility and LGBT-inclusion throughout campus, building strategic relationships with Syracuse-area social justice organizations and engaging alumni through special programming. “As an alum, khristian brings a great passion for Syracuse and supporting students as they shape their own Syracuse experience,” says Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience. “In addition to khristian’s familiarity with our campus, their experience as an educator and student life professional supporting LGBTQIA+ students and fostering inclusive campus climates will greatly enhance the student experience.” kemp-delisser’s first priority was recruiting and hiring talented and diverse staff, bringing new leadership and visibility to the office. This allows the LGBT Resource Center to provide community building, outreach and visibility, and intellectual and leadership development that centers the experience of people with marginalized sexualities and genders on campus and in the Syracuse region. “This was the community that launched me and now is welcoming me back to lead the LGBT Resource Center,” says kemp-delisser. “I am energized and excited to return to my alma mater to work with the University community to support, educate, and celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities and students with marginalized genders and sexualities.” kemp-delisser previously served as assistant dean and director of LGBTQ initiatives at Colgate University, where they played an instrumental role in developing the Gender Pronoun Service, increasing gender-inclusive restrooms, supporting peer-to-peer sexual assault prevention education initiatives, and strengthening programs for the LGBTQ and ally communities. Before joining Colgate, kemp-delisser held roles in the African/Latino/Asian/Native American (ALANA) Student Center at the University of Vermont and in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center at the University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign. kemp-delisser earned a bachelor’s degree in newspaper journalism and English and textual studies from Syracuse University. An active student leader, they served as president of Pride Union and received multiple honors. kemp-delisser earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies and a master’s in higher education and student affairs administration from the University of Vermont. For more information about how to get involved with the LGBT Resource Center, contact lgbt@syr.edu. 16 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT CAMPUS NEWS New Appointments at SU Keith A. Alford, associate professor, chair of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics School of Social Work and graduate program director, has been named to the newly created post of interim chief diversity officer, charged with strengthening ongoing efforts to identify and propose solutions to ensure a more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. In this role, Alford reports directly to the Chancellor, serves on the Chancellor’s Executive Team, and provides executive leadership, oversight, and vision in the administration of services, programs, policies, and procedures related to advancing Syracuse University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Alford will also serve as a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council, an advisory group created to support a formal search a permanent chief diversity officer. Alford’s areas of specialization include mental health service delivery to children and families, culturally specific programming for children in out-of-home care, contemporary rites of passage programming, and loss/ grief reactions among African American families. Through his teaching, he is involved with a National Science Foundation grant supporting the training of diverse undergraduates in conducting trauma research with veterans. He also serves on the Faculty Senate Committee on Diversity and is a member of the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council. Eboni J. Britt G’07 has joined Syracuse University as executive director of marketing strategy, responsible for partnering with the schools and colleges across campus to identify opportunities to further promote key messaging and to amplify the Syracuse University story overall. Britt joined SU from Kodak, where she served as a public relations and communications manager, and previously worked in the Syracuse University Human Resources Department. Alyssa Campbell has been named director of equal opportunity and inclusion in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services, where she will work collaboratively with University leadership and Human Resources to create and implement strategies to further foster a culture of inclusion. Campbell will provide advice, counseling, and conflict resolution services to employees in matters relating to a range of employee relations issues; investigate complaints of discrimination and bias; conduct internal audits of the University’s recruitment and other employment practices; and serve as a liaison with compliance agencies. She will also play a strategic role in the development and implementation of the University’s Affirmative Action Plan, as well as in the implementation of individual administrative and academic units diversity plans. Campbell previously served as a labor and employment/higher education attorney with Bond, Schoeneck, & King in Syracuse. Kishi Animashaun Ducre, associate professor of African American Studies, is the inaugural associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the College of Arts and Sciences. She will use her new role to further an intellectual climate of dignity and respect. As a teacher-scholar, Ducre is interested in how social categories—ethnicity, race, class, gender, sexuality, privilege, power—intersect with one another and are constructed, maintained, and challenged. She says that Arts and Sciences, with its wide academic breadth and focus on intellectual fearlessness, encourages deep dialogue about equity and inclusion. She is the author of A Place We Call Home: Gender, Race and Justice in Syracuse and co-editor of Addressing Environmental and Food Justice toward Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline Poisoning and Imprisoning Youth. Her honors and awards include a 2011 Fulbright fellowship at The University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago and a major grant from the Ford Foundation to study gender and environmental justice in Central New York with fellow principal investigator and AAS professor Linda Carty. James Haywood Rolling Jr. G’91, dual professor of art education and teaching and leadership in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and the School of Education and the chair of art education, has been appointed VPA’s inaugural director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Rolling is considered a national leader in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially with his work on behalf of the National Art Education Association, where he has served on the executive board and serves on the new task force on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rolling has written grant project proposals garnering more than $2 million of external funding since 2014. He is the founder of the 4A Arts & Creative Literacies Academy, a college-community partnership between Syracuse University Art Education and Dr. Edwin E. Weeks Elementary School. He has been a commissioner-at-large on the NAEA Research Commission since 2014 and is its newly elected associate chair. Tonya Strong-Charles has been named executive director of media relations, serving as a senior strategist for Syracuse University’s media relations efforts. In addition to overseeing the media relations team, Strong-Charles will collaborate with campus constituents to media train University ambassadors, coordinate media events, and ensure Syracuse University is being presented authentically and effectively to target audiences. Strong-Charles joined Syracuse from John Carroll University in Cleveland, where she also served as executive director of media relations. FALL 2018 | 17 CAMPUS NEWS Campus Update Alumni on campus for Orange Central shared a common observation: “Man, there is a lot of construction going on.” Indeed, major changes are afoot. Here is an update of some of the exciting new structures and improvements underway: Archbold Gym Transformation. Imagine a state-of-the-art health, wellness, and recreation complex with interactions among students, faculty, and staff, right in the heart of campus. This will be the Barnes Center at The Arch. Made possible through the vision and generosity of Board of Trustees Chairman Steven W. Barnes ’82 and his wife, Deborah, this project will bring together SU’s recreation services, health services, health promotion office, and counseling center in one facility. The new complex will feature a modern, multi-floor fitness center, a world-class rock climbing wall, multi-use pool, a multi-activity sports court, and fully accessible locker rooms and restrooms. There will also be spaces designed for special programming, including meditation, mindfulness programs, and other therapies. The Barnes Center at The Arch is scheduled to open in fall 2019. NationalVeterans Resource Center. A new home for SU’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families is under construction on South Crouse Avenue, between Marshall Street and Waverly Avenue, in a lot that previously housed open parking. Conceived as an exemplar of academic, government, and community collaboration, the NVRC will function as the center of veteran life on campus, in the local community, and across Central New York, housing vocational and educational programs to advance the economic success of the region’s and the nation’s veterans and military families. The NVRC is scheduled to open in spring 2020. South Crouse Changes.The buildings that housed student off- campus haunts Hungry Charlie’s, Funk ’n Waffles, and the Orange Crate Brewing Co. were razed in April to make room for an eight- story luxury student apartment building, The Marshall, one of many that have sprung up adjacent to campus in the last several years. AND COMING SOON: Schine Student CenterAddition and Renovations. An addition on the south side of the building will provide space to allow all student organizations to be located within the building, as well as provide flexible study lounges and event and program space. A significant makeover to the building will include enhanced accessibility throughout; an upgraded dining experience with additional seating and varied dining options; and an opened and expanded central atrium with student lounge space. Construction will begin in May 2019. Carrier Dome Upgrade. In early October, the University announced the Board of Trustees had approved a $118 million upgrade to the Dome, which will include a new fixed roof, a vertically hung scoreboard, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, improved accessibility, added Wi-Fi capabilities, and air conditioning. Visitors to the stadium will begin to experience enhancements in fall 2020, with all features expected to be complete by fall 2022. To view renderings and construction webcams of these projects and others, visit campusframework.syr.edu. 18 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT CAMPUS NEWS Students Create Puerto Rican Students Association Out of adversity can come action. That was the case for Karina Méndez ’21 and Nicole Pacateque ’21, both natives of Puerto Rico who felt isolated and frustrated while away at school last year in the wake of Hurricane Maria. After returning to campus from Christmas vacation—their first time home to see the devastation firsthand—they recruited two other Puerto Rican friends, Jeffrey Albelo ’19 and Christian Borrero ’21, to create the Puerto Rican Students Association. All of their families had suffered hardships from the hurricane. “There was no organization on campus that brought us together,” Méndez told The Daily Orange. “This was a thing that should’ve been done years ago. We’re kind of breaking through barriers.” The students went through the formal process of becoming a registered student organization last spring and held their first meeting in early September. Pacateque says the group is intended to be a home away from home for Puerto Rican students and operates on three pillars: strengthening the Puerto Rican community, helping descendants connect with their roots, and promoting the culture to the broader student body. The group’s first project was co-sponsoring “Voces en Exilio,” a premiere performance of original music for choir and Caribbean percussion composed by José “Peppie” Calvar, assistant professor and assistant director of choral activities at the Setnor School of Music and director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir, along with other Latino organizations on campus as part of Hispanic Heritage Month 2018. The musical performance was inspired by people displaced by Hurricane Maria. The Puerto Rican Students Association is looking to grow. “Puerto Rican culture is so loving and eclectic that it’s so open to everybody,” Méndez says. “If you feel that you’re ethnically alone on this campus, come to one of our meetings.” Syracuse Celebrates Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month The Syracuse University campus celebrated its annual month-long observance of Latino/ Hispanic Heritage with a series of events that provided the campus and local community with opportunities to reflect on, learn about, and experience the rich traditions of Latino culture. The celebration, sponsored by SU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, kicked off September 14 with the annual Latino/Hispanic Heritage Parade down the Einhorn Family Walk, followed by the exhibit opening festivities at La Casita. Each year, La Casita presents an inaugural event commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month with a new exhibition that invites community participation and an assembly of meaningful artifacts that honor the traditions, struggles, and resilience of the Latino/Hispanic experience. This year was no exception. ¡CUBA! featured a collection of paintings, photography, video, memorabilia, and cultural relics examining life in Cuba and the refugee experience through visual and personal narratives from six Syracuse-area Cuban artists. As always, the opening event showcased great music, dancing, and a delicious tasting of traditional Caribbean cuisine. Equally inspirational was the premiere performance of Voces en Exilio, a musical piece composed by José “Peppie” Calvar and performed by the all-student Hendricks Chapel Choir. Calvar’s latest work was inspired by the journey of the Puerto Rican people and is a tribute to the families displaced from their homeland, many of them now living in Syracuse. The program was a collaboration among La Casita, SU’s Puerto Rican Student Association, and La LUCHA and included presentation of the short film A Year After Hurricane Maria. The musical piece was performed a second time as part of 2018 Syracuse Symposium on Stories, co-produced with the Humanities Center, the Latino-Latin American Studies Program, Art & Music Histories, and the Office of Community Engagement at Syracuse University, this time accompanied by guest speaker Jonathan Walton, professor of religion and society at the Harvard Divinity School. A hallmark event of the month-long celebration was the Fiesta Latina, held September 22. The annual gala event included Latino cuisine, live entertainment, and an awards presentation. SU College of Law Professor Suzette Meléndez was honored with the Trailblazer Award, given in recognition of exemplary leadership, selfless acts, and dedication to the Latino community of Syracuse University and civic engagement with the Syracuse community. Meléndez is teaching professor and director of the Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic at the College of Law. The Distinguished Alumni Excellence Award is given in recognition of an alumnus who is committed to advancing the values and goals of Syracuse University’s Latino students, as well as their dedication in enhancing individuals around them. This year’s recipient was Joe Cruz ’74, a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences who is retired from IBM. “Joe Cruz stays connected with Syracuse University and is a great mentor to Latino students and others,” says Julissa Pabon, coordinator of mentoring programs in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and co-chair of the event along with Angela Morales-Patterson, assistant director of alumni and donor engagement in the Office of Program Development. FALL 2018 | 19 ALUMNI NEWS Traci Cohen Dennis ’90, Ph.D. Education Matters As an undergraduate English major in the College of Arts and Sciences, Traci Cohen Dennis ’90 volunteered to help children improve their reading skills at Syracuse’s Dunbar Center— and found her life’s calling. “That’s where my love of teaching started,” says Dennis, now a professorial lecturer and director of undergraduate teacher education at American University in her hometown of Washington, D.C. In the years since graduating from Syracuse University, Dennis has focused on a career imparting knowledge to a wide range of students, from serving as an adjunct instructor at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago to teaching English in middle and high schools in California. She has served as acting director of the Frederick Douglass Academy Elementary School in Los Angeles and as manager of curriculum and professional development for the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, D.C. After earning a master’s degree in journalism and public affairs from American University, Dennis took a career detour to work in corporate communications for United Airlines and nonprofit organizations. “After working in those roles, I went back to teaching, which is my passion,” says Dennis, who recently earned a doctorate in educational leadership and management from Drexel University. In her job at American University, she is an advisor for secondary teacher candidates interested in math, science, social studies, and English language arts, and manages the program’s selection process. Dennis credits her Syracuse University education with playing a large part in her success and recalls how determined she was to attend the University. Her father, the late Vincent H.Cohen Sr. ’57, L’60, played basketball for Syracuse, and became a renowned lawyer in D.C. Honored by the University with the Arents Award for Excellence in Law, a recipient of the LetterWinner of Distinction award, and named to the All Century Team, he returned to campus at least once or twice a year, with his family. “Growing up, Syracuse meant college to me,” Dennis says. “I remember my college counselor at Sidwell Friends, the small, private school I attended, asking me where I wanted to go and I said Syracuse! He told me I couldn’t just apply to one school but I insisted I was going to Syracuse.” He finally did convince her to apply to other schools, but Syracuse was always at the top of the list. Her brother, Vincent H. Cohen Jr. ’92, L’95, also followed in their father’s footsteps, earning undergraduate and law degrees from Syracuse University, and practicing law in Washington, D.C. “My brother and I say without Syracuse University, there would be no us, since this is where our mom—a Syracuse native—and dad met,” Dennis laughs. Because her time at SU has meant so much to her, Dennis maintains her connections to the University. She returned to campus last year for Coming Back Together (CBT) African American and Latino alumni reunion, and attends alumni events in D.C. “There are many SU alumni in the D.C. area and we have so many positive experiences to share,” she says. “My own experience was such a positive one—it was the catalyst to make me think I could do a master’s and doctorate. It built the foundation that I am academically sound and could do well in future endeavors.” One of her favorite SU memories is of the 1992 CBT IV, for which her father served as chair. She was invited to a roundtable discussion for student-athletes, featuring such SU Athletics luminaries as Jim Brown ’57, David Bing ’66, and Floyd Little ’67, and moderated by her father. “One of the things my father told the student-athletes was to finish their education, to be sure to earn their degrees,” she says. “Otherwise, it was like throwing the monetary value of their scholarship away. That resonated with me because my father was a scholar-athlete and stressed academics over everything else. I remember being so proud of him for giving such great advice.” To honor his memory, the Cohen family has established the Vincent H. Cohen Sr. Scholarship though Our Time Has Come. “Education was very important to my father, and that trickled down to us,” she says. “The scholarship is the perfect way to immortalize his name, and to give back to Syracuse, which he loved so much.” 20 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT ALUMNI NEWS Cheryl Wills ’89 Uncovering History In her 25-year career, Emmy-winning broadcast journalist Cheryl Wills ’89 has interviewed a coterie of celebrities, newsmakers, and world leaders. But the most compelling story she’s ever told may just be her own family history. Long haunted by her father’s premature death—he died in a motorcycle accident when she was just 13—Wills started doing genealogical research on ancestry.com to learn more about his background. “There were so many holes in his story. I barely knew the man,” says Wills, news anchor for New York City’s Spectrum News NY1 and host of the public affairs talk show In Focus with Cheryl Wills. Her discovery—that her father’s great-greatgrandfather Sandy Wills had fought in the Civil War—led to three books. Die Free: A Heroic Family Tale was published in 2011, followed by an illustrated children’s book, The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills in 2015, and a YA book, Emancipated: My Family’s Fight for Freedom in 2017. The response has been overwhelming. Wills became the first journalist invited to address the General Assembly of the United Nations—about the impact of slavery on her family—during the UN’s Remembrance of Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; gave a talk at the National Archives with historian Ken Burns; and has traveled nationwide speaking to schoolchildren and college students about her family story and the contributions of black soldiers during the Civil War. “One of the questions that would always come up, is ‘Where is your grandfather buried?” says Wills. She had no answer. Wills has a singular mission to find Grandpa Sandy’s remains and give him a proper military burial. “In my view, a Civil War soldier should not be buried in an unmarked grave,” she says. With the assistance of a previously unknown cousin who contacted her after the publication of Die Free, Wills located the plantation where her Grandpa Sandy and his wife were once slaves, now owned by descendants of the same family. With the assistance of an archeology crew, Wills says she hopes her family members’ remains can be located and confirmed through DNA testing, and relocated to the Tennessee National Cemetery. “They’ll be given a full-scale military burial. What didn’t happen when he died in 1889 will happen in the 21st century.” Her quest, the subject of a documentary film in progress, has implications beyond her own family. “You can go to Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, anywhere there were slaves, they were dumped in mass graves,” says Wills, who is founder and commander of the New York State chapter of the Sons and Daughters of the United States Colored Troops, a national organization based in Washington, D.C. “This is an epidemic throughout this country; we as a people don’t know who we are.” And she’s working on a book about Grandpa Sandy’s wife, Emma. “She proved to be extraordinary as well,” says Wills. With assistance from a professional genealogist, she uncovered an oral deposition Emma Wills gave after being denied her husband’s military pension benefits after his death. “This was routine at the time because people born into slavery typically had no birth certificates or other records to confirm their identity,” Wills says. “But even though Emma couldn’t read, she’d had the slave master’s son record her marriage and the births of all of her children in her bible. After Sandy’s death, she hired a lawyer and gave an oral deposition that told her life story. That was the holy grail.” In March, Wills was honored with the Commander’s Medal from the U.S. Department of the Army, the fourth-highest public service decoration the Department of the Army can bestow upon a civilian. She believes she was destined to resurrect Sandy and Emma’s legacy. “My love of writing, history, and research, my Newhouse School education, and years of journalism experience—every road brought me here,” she says. “When you marry what your ancestors did to your own purpose, I believe you become far more powerful. You are there because someone made you possible.” FALL 2018 | 21 ALUMNI NEWS Josh Aviv ’14, G’17 Entrepreneurial Vision If Josh Aviv ’14, G’17 has his way, electric vehicles are going to become the norm. He believes the only thing standing in the way is a lack of infrastructure to support rapid charging, resulting in “range anxiety” for potential users. His startup company, Spark Charge, aims to eliminate that obstacle. Spark Charge has developed an ultrafast charging unit that fits in the trunk of a car, allowing electric vehicle owners to charge any time, anywhere. “You can be sitting in the middle of a cornfield and take the charger from out the trunk of your car, plug the car in, and begin charging the vehicle right there on the spot,” says Aviv, who earned an undergraduate degree in economics and master’s degree in information management. The unit itself can be recharged from any standard electrical socket, similar to re-charging your phone. It’s a concept that has generated a lot of excitement. In 2017, Spark Charge won $192,000 in entrepreneurial competitions, taking first place in the New York State Business Plan Competition, Fusehub, and the Blackstone Launchpad Techstars Demo Day, among others. And in October, the company gained a huge boost by winning the $1 million top prize in the Buffalo startup competition, 43North, an initiative to grow the economy of Western New York. In addition to the cash prize, Aviv will receive formal mentorship, 12 months of free incubator space, marketing assistance, and freedom from New York State taxes for 10 years, both for both his company and his employees. He plans to move Spark Charge from Syracuse to Buffalo in early 2019 and says the $1 million investment will go toward hiring and manufacturing. Aviv says the idea for Spark Charge came as an undergraduate economics major, when he was driving around Syracuse in a friend’s borrowed Jeep. He was astonished by how quickly he used up $20 worth of gas. “It was drinking gas like water,” he recalls of the car. At the time, he was enrolled in an environmental economics class and started researching cars that used alternative fuel sources. That’s where he learned about range anxiety. “Automotive technology is ahead of infrastructure,” says Aviv, a Texas native who transferred to SU after earning an associate’s degree from Richland College. “People are hesitant to purchase vehicles they knew are more sustainable for fear of the inability to readily charge them.” His original business idea centered around stationary charging units for electric vehicles. As a graduate student at the School of Information Studies, Aviv participated in the Information Technology, Design, and Startups program. He also received significant mentorship in starting his company from the Syracuse Center of Excellence, where the company is now based, and SU’s Blackstone Launchpad. In appreciation, Spark Charge donated a set of his original prototype electric chargers to Syracuse University in 2017. The chargers, located in Booth Garage, “get a ton of use,” says Aviv. “When they were first installed, it was unclear how many people would be using them,” he says. “What we’ve found is that there’s often lines to get a charge because the demand is so high. We’ve seen professors, employees, campus visitors. Graduation week was especially busy.” Spark Charge began accepting pre-order of its first 1,000 portable charging units, which will be manufactured this fall. “All the development and hard work we’ve invested in this, we’re finally taking the cloak off and saying, ‘This is our vision. Come and get it,’” says Aviv. “There’s not much standing in our way.” 22 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT ALUMNI NEWS Samuel Zamarripa G’78 Targeted Media For nearly 40 years, the weekly Spanish-language newspaper Mundo Hispánico has served the greater Atlanta Latino population, the last 14 under the Cox Media umbrella. But when Cox put the newspaper’s content online, it noticed something interesting. The local Atlanta website had a significant readership from far-flung areas with lots of Spanish speakers, such as Texas and California. Today, mundohispánico.com is the third-largest Spanish- language digital media site in the United States, attracting up to a million viewers a day, something its new owners hope to continue to build on. Earlier this year, both the newspaper and digital media company were acquired by a partnership of Mexican American entrepreneurs led by Samuel Zamarripa G’78. “Cox did a great job of growing this asset, but we’re going to fine-tune it and make it contemporary to the cultural, political, and economic issues facing the Spanish-speaking community today,” says Zamarripa, chairman and principal shareholder. “We recognize the importance of news that’s meaningful, related to things such as status, immigration, and children, and we also value what is current in the culture in terms of music, lifestyle, and food, because we are part of that same world.” A serial entrepreneur, Zamarripa has a track record of recognizing opportunity. He founded a private equity firm in 2007 and, in 2014, helped found Intent Solutions, a medical technology company that has developed a patented medication dispensing device that helps patients avoid pill addiction. The device dispenses a set dosage of a medication only when a patient is supposed to take it and employs a biometric fingerprint scanner so no one but the patient can access the medication. Usage data is transferred to the cloud, where physicians and pharmacists can access it. “Technologies like ours have a big role to play in improving adherence,” says Zamarripa, the CEO. “Our device provides a level of safety that didn’t exist before, and it gives doctors the ability to monitor patients more carefully.” Interestingly, Zamarripa began his career in government service. After earning a master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, he was recruited as a planner for the State of Georgia Department of Human Resources. Later, he served as a key aide to Andrew Young during his unsuccessful bid for governor. In 2000, Zamarripa was elected to the Georgia State Senate, becoming the state’s first Hispanic senator. He served as secretary of the State Economic Development Committee and member of the committees on Insurance, Science and Technology, and Transportation. After retiring from the Senate, Zamarripa co-founded the Essential Economy Council, a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that assists in educating elected officials and business leaders on the value of Georgia’s most essential labor. He spent 13 years as a director of the insurance company AssuranceAmerica, is a trustee of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and a Life Trustee of Syracuse University. Through the years, he’s had his hand in a variety of successful business ventures. “I’m always interested in ideas and creating things,” he says. “I’m motivated by smart people who want to make things happen.” He’s also the author of two novels of magic realism and is working on a third, a story about the incarceration of immigrants in the American South. Zamarripa’s current venture into media marries his cultural and political identity with his business and technology expertise. He hopes mundohispánico.com can provide opportunity for talented young bilingual journalists from Syracuse University. “If you’re Latino and Spanish-speaking and have that great Newhouse training, give us a call,” he says. FALL 2018 | 23 ALUMNI NEWS Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling G’90 Planning Big Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling G’90 thinks big. After 23 years working in event planning, she’s taking her career to the next level with the first franchise in the Northeast of EventPrep Inc. a large-scale event planning and procurement company with a major footprint in the federal contracting space. EventPrep was launched by two veterans who had planned events throughout their military careers. The company—based in Central Florida with franchise owners across the country— focuses its contracting nationwide for corporations, associations, and government and military programs that require event and meeting space, catering, and overnight accommodations. Rolling is uniquely qualified to join the EventPrep team. After earning a master’s in public administration from SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Rolling began her career working as a federal auditor in the U.S. Government Accountability Office. After relocating to New York City, she transitioned into special events management, obtaining a certificate in meeting and conference management from New York University. She has assisted with coordination of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as with events at Fortune magazine and the New York Stock Exchange. As senior events coordinator with the New York City Office of the Mayor during the Giuliani administration, she helped plan and execute Yankees ticker tape parades, award ceremonies, receptions, press conferences, and dinner galas. “Working at City Hall and Gracie Mansion was event-planning boot camp heaven,” she says. Rolling next spent 10 years doing event planning at Syracuse University, most recently as director of special events and conferences for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, crisscrossing the country to co-manage entrepreneurship conferences for veterans. One of her biggest responsibilities was sourcing, procuring, and contracting space from major hotel brands, and it was one of her contacts at Hilton Global who recommended her to the principals at EventPrep. “I feel as if my journey in the events, conferencing, and hospitality industry has been preparing me for this moment in time,” says Rolling, who met her husband, SU Professor James H. Rolling Jr., while both were SU graduate students. Rolling finalized her franchise purchase in May and is already in the sourcing process for Strong Bonds, a nationwide military program that reunites returning service members with their family members. Although the goal is to secure these large-scale contracts, Rolling says no event is too small for her attention. “My team and I look forward to providing a superior customer experience, whether servicing meetings and conferences for 10, 100, or 1,000 attendees,” she says. Her firm has two primary services. The first is sourcing, procuring, and contracting hotels, which she will do at no charge for individuals or organizations because it is standard industry practice for brokers to receive a commission from the hotel. By processing more than 3,000 meetings per year, EventPrep possesses tremendous buying power, which ultimately saves money for its clients. “I have access to proprietary software that lets me efficiently source for clients and provide them a side-by-side comparison of proposals,” Rolling explains. “I can present the options to the client in an efficient manner and save them an enormous amount of time and research.” EventPrep also does full-service, fee-based event planning for meetings, conferences, and conventions anywhere in the United States or abroad. In addition to planning events, Rolling spent many years teaching basic financial literacy and has been active in the Syracuse community. She served as a board member of the Syracuse Rescue Mission for six years, where she continues to volunteer, and is a member of the WISE Women’s Business Center Advisory Board, the executive board of the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance, and on the steering committee of the Human Services Leadership Council. “I am excited to own a franchise of this caliber and look forward for the growth opportunities to come,” she says. 24 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT ALUMNI NEWS Lyric Lewis ’07 Comedic Talent Lyric Lewis ’07 loves to make people laugh. She’s living the dream, as both a member of the main company at The Groundlings, L.A.’s premier improvisation school and performance center, and as a regular cast member of the new NBC comedy series A.P. Bio. “I get the best of both worlds,” she says. “I still get to do sketch and improv for live audiences, and I also get to shoot an amazingly funny network TV show. This is probably better than what I imagined for myself when I set out to be an actress.” It didn’t happen overnight. Lewis moved to Los Angeles in 2008, a year after earning a B.F.A. in acting from Syracuse University. She has worked steadily, rising through the ranks at The Groundlings and booking guest spots on a variety of television series before landing a role on the CW’s MADtv in 2016. That show only lasted a season but provided great exposure for Lewis’s comedic talent. “Once you land a recurring role in a series, your name comes up much earlier in the pilot audition process,” says Lewis, who was a finalist for roles in two network series when she landed A.P. Bio. “From the beginning I felt like this was my job,” she says. “The pilot script was the first one that made me laugh out loud.” Lewis plays saucy history teacher Stef on the series, currently filming its second season, and has been singled out for her performance by Entertainment Weekly magazine as its new “comedy crush.” “It sounds so cliche, but it’s truly been a perfect experience,” she says. “As a cast, everyone was excited to be there from day one. The chemistry is great. Our writers are great. I really do feel like we got lucky.” Given that she’d been weaned on theater camp as a kid, there was never any question about what Lewis would study in college. The only question was where—Syracuse or NYU? That question was settled the minute she and her mom stepped foot on the SU campus to visit. “We both loved that it was a real college campus,” Lewis recalls. “I was going to study theater, but I was also going to have a real college experience.” Coming from St. Paul, Minnesota, Lewis loved Syracuse’s East Coast vibe. She was already used to cold weather, although lake effect snow was a brand new experience. “And I’m not mad if I never see it again,” she jokes. Although the focus of Syracuse’s drama program was classical training for the stage, Lewis found her calling in comedy. “We had someone come in and do ‘clown acting’ with us for a week, which is a little like improv. That’s what got me excited,” she says. “I just wanted to be goofy all the time.” Outside of her program, Lewis was a member of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc. (known as NANBPWC), and participated in The Vagina Monologues at Hendricks Chapel. “It was fun to do theater outside of the drama department and meet all kinds of women who weren’t drama majors,” she says. Lewis is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta. In April, Lewis was one of six female alumnae who participated in a “Women in Comedy” event sponsored by the SU Los Angeles Alumni Club. “We were there at different times, but we all got our start at SU,” she says. “It reminded me how small the world truly is.” Her message: “Even if the road looks very hard, keep on keeping on, because you never know what may happen.” FALL 2018 | 25 ALUMNI NEWS Alumni Honored at Orange Central This year’s Orange Central debuted the Syracuse University Alumni Awards Celebration, rolling out the Orange carpet to honor some of its most talented and successful alumni with a cocktail party, awards ceremony, and after-party. The next morning, 133 alumni and students came out to meet and celebrate their own at the Multicultural Awardee Breakfast, hosted by the Office of Program Development. This year’s event celebrated the following award winners: Dr. Sharon Brangman ’77 received the George Arents Award, SU’s highest alumni honor. Brangman is a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor at Upstate Medical University, where she recently was honored as the inaugural chair of the Department of Geriatrics. She is also director of the Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and the Nappi Longevity Institute. Brangman earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences and a medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University. She completed internship, residency, and geriatric fellowship programs at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. She is board certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine. A national leader in the field of geriatric medicine, Brangman has received many honors, including Best Doctors of Northeast Region, the Chancellor’s Award for Faculty Service, and Hartford Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Award. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Geriatrics Society for 10 years and completed terms as president and chair of the board. She serves as chair of the board of the Association of Geriatric Academic Program Directors, after completing a term as its president. Evin Floyd Robinson ’12, G’14 and Jessica Santana ’11, G’13 were honored with the Generation Orange Award, presented to young alumni who have made significant contributions to their communities and to the University. Robinson and Santana are the cofounders of New York On Tech (NYOT), a nonprofit organization that provides greater access to technology and innovation to low-income and underrepresented students. NYOT offers immersive programs for high school students that include internship opportunities, mentoring, and after-school educational programming. Robinson received a bachelor’s degree in economics, and communication and rhetorical studies and a master’s in information management. Santana earned a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in information management and technology. Both were named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for education in 2017. William Welburn ’75, formerly the executive director of institutional diversity and inclusion, has been promoted to vice president for inclusive excellence at Marquette University. Shawn Outler ’89 was named chief diversity officer of Macys, Inc. In this role, she will serve as the retail giant’s primary diversity and inclusion rep and co-chair the Diversity & Inclusion Business Council, a group of cross-functional leaders throughout the organization responsible for overseeing diversity and integration into the business. Connie Morales ’96 is a District 1 judge- elect for New York Civil Court Bronx. Derrell Smith ’10, G’13 and Yari Blanco are engaged to be married. Alumni Milestones 26 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT IN MEMORIAM Lt. Col. William Baker G’65 Lt. Col. William Baker G’65, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, died September 24. Baker was born in 1931 in Amsterdam, Georgia. He graduated as valedictorian of his class from the college preparatory program of Attapulgus Vocational High School in 1949. He was a Georgia State Quiz Contest winner, earning a full scholarship to Howard University, where he graduated cum laude. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Military Graduate Award as first in his class in his ROTC program. Baker received an MBA in controllership from Syracuse University, later distinguishing himself at the Ballistic Research Laboratories, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where he published The Role of Cost Discounting in Weapons Systems Evaluations in 1969, which the U.S. Department of Commerce sold globally for more than 40 years. The work is archived by the National Science Foundation. Baker received the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and other medals for service in Vietnam, but his life’s achievement was the re-investigation of the Brownsville, Texas, incident of 1906, for which he received the Pace Award from Secretary of the Army in 1973. After being charged with shooting up the city of Brownsville, every soldier assigned to the all-black unit of the 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry was discharged without honor and barred forever from enlisting in the Army or Navy and from civilian employment with the government. The soldiers professed their innocence, and even their white commander said he believed that all the black soldiers were in their barracks at the time of the shooting and that their rifles did not appear to have been fi red. Baker had heard this story from his grandfather as a child. In 1972, he was assigned to the Pentagon to work in the new Army Equal Opportunity Program, where he helped develop a system for black soldiers to express their concerns to the chain of command. When he heard the Brownsville case was to be re-opened for investigation, he asked for and received permission to assist. After extensive research, Baker prepared a case that spurred the Secretary of the Army to reverse the decision made by President Theodore Roosevelt and correct the injustice by changing the discharges of these soldiers to honorable; legislation compensating widows and survivors was signed by President Richard M. Nixon. Baker was honored at a White House ceremony in 1973 and given the Army’s Pace Award for meritorious service, where Secretary of the Army Robert F. Froehlke praised him for bringing “favorable acclaim to the Army in the field of civil rights.” Baker went on to work as a financial manager for Rohm and Haas Chemical Company, Philadelphia, (now Dow Chemical) and retired in 1993. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and a charter member of the Delta Epsilon Boule, Sigma Pi Phi fraternity. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Dr. Bettye Foster Baker; two children, William Rhett Baker and Janet-Lucylle Baker, Esq.; three grandchildren, Julianne Frances Walker, Andrew Bryant Walker, and Wesley Baker Walker; four sisters, Catherine Baker Scarver, Ethel Baker, Priscilla Baker, and Dr. Helga Baskett-Tippitt; and his brother, Samuel Baker. FALL 2018 | 27 IN MEMORIAM Michelle J. McCollin ’86 Michelle J. McCollin ’86, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, died August 12 while traveling in Greece while on sabbatical from her faculty position at Slippery Rock University. Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, McCollin moved to Brooklyn as a child and attended the Bronx High School of Science before earning a bachelor’s degree in African American studies and international relations at Syracuse University. She completed two master’s degrees in education before earning a doctorate from Southern University and A&M College. McCollin joined Slippery Rock University in 2004 as an assistant professor of education and was promoted to associate professor in 2010. In 2012, she founded a humanitarian organization called Eyes4Africa, which provides vision resources, such as eyeglasses and educational supplies, to people in Africa. As of last summer, McCollin had made five trips to Nigeria, donating more than 8,000 prescription eyeglasses with a goal of distributing 20,000 glasses by 2020. “It’s about being an advocate for change in whatever environment you find yourself in,” McCollin said in 2016. “Eyes4Africa is my advocacy in an international level for people with vision disabilities or limitations. I teach my students the importance of paying it forward with whatever resources we have access to. It’s a powerful lesson in humanity.” McCollin was on sabbatical from Slippery Rock, completing a Fulbright Scholar Program at Hanoi National University in Hanoi, Vietnam. In one of her last public Facebook posts, she urged friends to “be well, be blessed, be courageous, be brave” and to “live your best life.” Melvin L. Mason ’96 Melvin L. Mason ’96, of New Haven, Connecticut, died September 26. Mason was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He came to Syracuse University to study journalism, serving as a writer for The Daily Orange and interning at New York Newsday. After his graduation from Syracuse in 1996, Mason went on to work as a reporter for the Courier Observer in Potsdam, New York, then became a reporter for the Daily News Record in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2002. In 2006, he took a job as a reporter for the Connecticut Post and moved to Derby, Connecticut. He joined the Hersam Acorn Newspapers as a reporter for The Darien Times in 2013 and became editor of the Stratford Star in 2015. A lifelong sports fan, Mason spent his free time following his favorite teams—the New York Yankees, the New York Jets, the New York Rangers, and the Syracuse Orange. He was devoted to his wife, Alison, and stepdaughter, Laura. He is also survived by his brother Alfonzo; sisters Marlene and Genevieve; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and colleagues. 28 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Syracuse University’s triennial Coming Back Together reunion was awarded a Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in its annual awards program, which recognizes excellence and best practices in college and university advancement. SU’s entry, titled “Coming Back Together at Syracuse University: A Unique Approach to Diverse Alumni Engagement,” won the Gold Award in the category of Diversity Programs. CASE judges were impressed that the program blended two underrepresented segments of the alumni community together for a common experience (African American and Latino alumni), with a significant increase in participation, and with the increase in fundraising from $200K+ in 2014 to more than $1 million. “We also loved how students were included in the planning and execution, how engaged the Chancellor was in the events, the use of notable alumni, and the different events that were added,” they wrote in their evaluation. CBT has been hosted by the Office of Program Development since 1983. “The participation level of the refreshed reunion in 2017 underscores the importance of targeted events that engage diverse alumni in unique and culturally relevant ways,” says Rachel Vassel ’91, assistant vice president for program development. FALL 2018 | 29 Manuscript Syracuse Office of Program Development Syracuse University 640 Skytop Rd., Second Floor Syracuse NY 13244-5160 Syracuse Manuscript Readers Do you enjoy receiving the Syracuse Manuscript in your mailbox twice a year? Tell us what you value about Manuscript, your African American and Latino alumni magazine. Please send us your feedback at pdevelop@syr.edu Dr. Sharon Brangman ’77 with OTHC Scholars at the Multicultural Awardee Breakfast during Orange Central Weekend.