SUMMER 2020 | VOL. 9 | NO. 1 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S BLACK AND LATINO/A ALUMNI MAGAZINE Manuscript Syracuse Our Time Has Come alumnus Nahnsan Guesh ’19, G’20 CONTENTS 2 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Herbert Byrd Pays Back Career Success With Support for Engineering Students D espite the passage of time, Herbert L. Byrd Jr. G’95 well remembers the financial struggle of getting his education. “I remember my last year as an undergraduate working part time and taking 10 classes to graduate,” he says. And as a master’s student in electrical engineering at Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, he was floored by the cost of engineering textbooks. Nearing the end of a successful career, Byrd wants to give back by helping young Black students pursuing the field of engineering. Byrd is president and CEO of MOJA, a Virginia-based information technology and intelligence analysis company that supports the U.S. intelligence community and national-level decision-makers with custom software solutions and intelligence analysis. “Knowing the hardship that I experienced, I felt that if I can help someone get that book they need to so that they can be prepared for class, that’s something. I’ve received letters of appreciation from students saying it helped them graduate.” —Herbert L. Byrd Jr. G’95 In 2005, he established the MOJA Book Fund in the College of Engineering to help defray the cost of textbooks for needy students. “Knowing the hardship that I experienced, I felt that if I can help someone get that book they need to so that they can be prepared for class, that’s something,” Byrd says. “I’ve received letters of appreciation from students saying it helped them graduate.” Nagged by statistics showing low numbers of Black students pursuing STEM fields, Byrd wanted to do more. Recently, he and his wife set up a $1 million bequest in their estate plan to establish the Herbert and Beverly Byrd Scholarship, with a preference to support Black students enrolled in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Because the gift was created as part of Syracuse University’s Invest Syracuse program, the University created a second five-year scholarship that is currently active. “It gives me a lot of pleasure to know that I am helping students achieve their professional goals,” he says. Byrd got his own start working for IBM, first developing large mainframes and later in software development and management. After transferring back to his native Virginia, he started his own company providing software development services and systems administration to the federal government. In addition to running a successful company, Byrd is an avid historian and enjoys writing about little-known aspects of history. His research on the enslavement of the Irish in the early British colonies resulted in the book Proclamation 1625: America’s Enslavement of the Irish, published in 2016. The book shares the mostly untold story of how the Irish were the primary source of slave labor in the British American colonies and the British West Indies, including many Virginia plantations, for nearly 180 years. “At the time, the Irish were classified as ‘colored,’” Byrd says. More recently, he researched the origin of streets that bear Union names in his hometown of Hampton, Virginia, located in the heart of the Confederacy. “The interesting thing about studying history is that you often find things aren’t what you thought they were,” he says. 4 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT BENARDETT JNO-FINN ’06 Healthy Skin, Healthy Lives A s a native of the Caribbean, Benardett Jno-Finn found that her most difficult transition coming to Syracuse University as an undergraduate was acclimating her skin to the harsh Syracuse winters. “I had extreme issues with dry patches on my face and arms,” she recalls. “At the same time, I had to walk to class in the blistering cold.” A dermatologist diagnosed Jno-Finn with eczema, dermatitis and keratosis pilaris. After a costly and largely disappointing search for effective products to treat her ailments, she began exploring natural alternatives. It helped that Jno-Finn was a biochemistry major. Born on the island of Dominica and raised on St. Croix, she grew up drinking “bush tea” made from native herbs and using homemade remedies, aloes for cuts and noni leaves for sprains. Jno-Finn spent a few years being her own guinea pig, researching natural ingredients and creating products that addressed her needs. “These products worked very well for me, and the difference was immediately noticeable,” she says. “I shared my creations with family and friends who made recommendations on how I could improve the products.” A Ronald McNair Scholar, Jno-Finn spent a summer in Graz, Austria, conducting research with the National Science Foundation after graduation. In 2007, she moved to New Orleans to take a job with the Mayor’s Office of Health Policy working on HIV/AIDS initiatives. pursuing it full time. Initially, Jno-Finn sold her products through retailers like Whole Foods, but she has transitioned to a wholesale model, supplying beauty salons and spas and selling direct to consumers through her website, senicanaturals.com. Each Sénica product is made by Jno-Finn from scratch using premium natural butters, herbs, oils and essential oils. Through the years she has developed more than 70 products but maintains a core inventory of 24. “The beauty of the products is they work from head to toe and can be used by anybody, not just someone who has a skin issue,” says Jno-Finn, who won the 2011 Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the State of Louisiana. “They can be used by everyone in the family.” Over 13 years, Jno-Finn has developed a loyal customer base that includes an active user Facebook page, “Sénica Family.” In the course of counseling those customers and friends about their skin care issues, she found her role expanding from product consultant to wellness coach. “The conversation may start with talking about someone’s repositioning of Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower. Currently, he is design manager on a series of retail projects for one of Gensler’s global clients. Like his older brother, Oswaldo is committed to diversifying his profession. While a Syracuse undergraduate, he founded the Society of Multicultural Architects and Designers, known as SMAD. As vice president (2015-16) and then president (2017-18) of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects, he initiated the organization’s Project Pipeline Architecture Camp, which provides underserved students the chance to work with architects and other professionals in the building industry. The program attracted 150 middle school-aged participants last summer. “It may propel some of them to careers in architecture, but at the very least, it shows these students that they can be active participants in their own environments and neighborhoods and have a positive social impact on their communities,” Oswaldo says. The success of that program led to the development of workshops at 20 local schools and a 16-week program for high school students that allows them to be actual participants in designing and renovating a space for a local nonprofit. More than 2,000 students have been impacted by Project Pipeline since 2015. “It’s one thing to be exposed to a profession and another to be comfortable in the space,” says Oswaldo of his motivation. “I want the students I work with to feel there’s a place for them in this industry.” LIA MILLER ’99, G’03 Representing AmericanInterests Abroad I n her 15 years as a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State, Lia Miller has lived and worked in locales ranging from Washington, D.C., to Oman, Nicaragua, Tunisia, Bolivia and—since August 2019—Armenia. As chief of the public affairs office of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, Miller is responsible for cultural programming, public messaging and engagement on behalf of U.S. government agencies in Armenia. “It’s an interesting part of the world, given its geopolitical location,” says Miller of the landlocked country, which is bordered by Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and Russia. “The United States’ history and relationship with Russia and Iran is very different than Armenia’s, which is part of what makes this such an interesting place to live and work.” Becoming a diplomat wasn’t Miller’s original career path. As an undergraduate at Syracuse University, she was an Our Time Has Come Scholar majoring in social work and African American studies, and she participated in a gamut of extracurriculars, from performing with the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble and the Creations Dance Company to serving in leadership for the Student African American Society and as the student representative to the Board of Trustees. She went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University, which placed her in a community center in the Bronx working with underserved youth, many from immigrant and often culturally isolated families. “I realized very quickly that the time those children were in my care were the only moments I knew for certain they were safe,” Miller says. “As soon as they went back out the doors of the community center, they were immediately vulnerable and potentially unsafe in the difficult circumstances and environments they lived in.” Deciding she wanted to pursue her profession in a way other than as a frontline social work practitioner, Miller was inspired to go back to graduate school to make a difference through policy. And as a proud Syracuse alumna, she was well aware of the top-ranked public administration program at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. As she explored financing options, Miller learned about the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship Program, which supports education to prepare students from historically underrepresented groups for careers in the foreign service. Miller’s grandfather had been a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and her mother grew up in Indonesia and Brazil. Her grandparents opened a travel agency in their retirement, and Miller spent many days there as a young child learning and dreaming about the world beyond her Serving as a foreign service officer has allowed Lia Miller and her family to travel the world. own. She became intrigued by the possibility of an international career. The Pickering Fellowship funded Miller’s dual master’s degrees in public administration and international relations, and she now moves from post to post with her husband and two school-aged children. In addition to numerous State Department performance awards, Miller has been named Regional Foreign Policy Expert– Women of Color Advancing Peace, a Black American National Security and Foreign Policy Next Generation Leader, an Excellence in Government Fellow, and a Center for American Progress Leadership Institute Fellow, among other recognitions. As a woman of color, Miller feels a responsibility to model the foreign service as a possible career path for others. That’s a big reason she’s stayed committed to the field. “As I rise, I am holding the door open so others can come behind me and make the foreign service truly reflect the best of what American society has to offer, to show different faces and perspectives, and to share all of America’s stories and experiences,” Miller says. The views expressed are Ms. Miller’s own and not necessarily those of the U.S. government. 10 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Kenyona Chaney K enyona Chaney ’20 was attracted to Syracuse University from her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, by the top-ranked S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. In her four years, the aspiring public relations professional has made the most of her education, securing high-level internships to gain real-world professional experience. The summer after her sophomore year, Chaney interned with Ampro Industries, a hair-care company based in Memphis, where she helped promote events, write press releases and weekly email marketing campaigns, and manage social media. “I found a popular influencer who was using one of their products and now she has her own line within the company,” says Chaney, who remotely continued managing the company’s social media through the middle of this year. Chaney spent spring semester 2019 in New York City, where she was a public relations intern at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment during the day and took classes at night. Her internship allowed her to help high-visibility clients such as Oakley, Reebok, Blundstone and Anheuser-Busch with press and social media. She also served as a PR/social media assistant for Syracuse University’s Fisher Center. While she was in New York City, Chaney was selected to participate in the TIME 100 Summit, a live-event extension of the annual TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world. The daylong summit convened leaders from diverse sectors, ranging from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to businesswoman and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. “It was an amazing experience to hear the speakers and network with the other people attending, who were top notch,” she says. Back on campus this academic year, Chaney served as a Newhouse Ambassador and as president of the Syracuse University Juvenile Multicultural Program, better known as JUMP Nation. Chaney previously served as public relations chair and vice president of the organization, which provides tutoring and mentoring for students at Nottingham High School and Clary Middle School in the City of Syracuse with a goal of keeping them on track for college. “My experience with JUMP Nation has really shaped me to be the leader I am today,” she says. Chaney drew from her professional and leadership experiences to contribute to the #NotAgainSU protest, helping to coordinate public relations for the movement. “In addition to protesting and wanting change, I feel like I was able to execute the skills that I’ve developed through the years to combine personal activism as sort of a professional launching point,” she says. While Chaney pursues work in public relations, she is thankful to the Our Time Has Come program for helping her get there. “The scholarship eliminated my need to take out loans for my last two years of school,” she says. “That in itself is significant. But the programming turned out to be just as meaningful. I appreciate the networking opportunities and alumni helping instill skills to make us the best we can be in the workplace.” Diamond Cole H aving grown up in Syracuse, Diamond Cole ’20 says her college transition was eased by her familiarity with Syracuse University—she’s worked in the Office of Multicultural Affairs since she was 16 through the SummerWorks program. And as an undergraduate, she has been able to make the most of internship opportunities because of her connection to the Syracuse community. Cole is a public health major in the David B. Falk School of Sport and Human Dynamics. After she earns her bachelor of science degree, she plans to attend graduate school for public health with a goal of working with underserved populations, perhaps someday as a state health commissioner. She’s currently interning at the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, which assists Syracuse youth who are at risk of not graduating from high school. Cole is facilitating a health intervention program to help students understand that healthy eating leads to better educational success, and she has written successful grant proposals to Wegmans and the Food Bank for donations to increase students’ access to healthy food options. Previously, Cole helped tutor adults for their high school equivalency exam so they could maintain their monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. She also worked on a youth awareness campaign for the Upstate Poison Control Center and conducted a health intervention initiative through the Onondaga Health Department’s Women, Infants, and Children program, giving out coupons at the Central New York Regional Market. “I think these agencies trust me because I’m local, and they know I’m in touch with the community here,” Cole says. On campus, Cole participated in ’CuseEats, an initiative that gives students a say in the food options they see in the dining halls. “We introduced more vegan and vegetarian food options, educated students on different meals they can create with the food that is present, and gave them different hacks that they can use in the dinning halls,” she says. This year, she continued to work as an office assistant at the Office of Multicultural Affairs and participated in the fullCircle and Dimensions mentoring programs. Cole is a Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) ambassador and has recruited more than 30 students into the program. “My role is to be the face and spokesperson for CSTEP and help with recruitment and student engagement through events that CSTEP hosts,” says Cole, who has been an invited presenter at two CSTEP statewide conferences, presenting public health research on “Addiction in the African American Community,” “Access to Healthy Foods Through a Health Initiative for High School Students” and “Education of Social Inequalities to Increase the Quality of Life of African Americans and Other Marginalized Groups Within Onondaga County.” Cole is also program lead for the Science and Technology Entry Program for high school students, leading tutoring sessions on Saturdays. “We help students prepare for Regents exams and SAT and ACT tests, and we take them on college tours,” she says. “I participated in the program while in high school, so now I can give back and have students see me as an example.” In addition, Cole was a peer-to-peer mentor with InclusiveU, a program that serves students with intellectual disabilities, partnering with five Orange After Dark events. “I was able to create a space for students with intellectual disabilities to feel like they belong and are accommodated in a college environment,” she says. Cole emphasizes the importance of mentorship, something she’s benefitted from through the Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Scholarship program. “Having adults who look like me set an example and actually care that I succeed has given me the confidence to get out there and do things,” she says. None of this would have been possible without the scholarship itself. “My financial aid and OTHC Scholarship truly broke down the barrier to being able to afford Syracuse University. “College is a time to find yourself and know yourself beyond academics and GPA,” says Cole. “I’ve learned a lot about myself through the OTHC program, and I am thankful for every opportunity that has been presented.” 12 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Myles Morgan A s an undergraduate student researcher in biologist Sandra Hewitt’s lab, Miles Morgan ’20 explored the role of the glutamate transporter xc-. The research, ongoing since his first year at Syracuse University, investigates how loss of that transporter impacts the seizure threshold in mice with a genetic mutation. “I’m trying to document if and how mice without the transporter seize differently from mice with the transporter,” he explains. “A seizure happens when there is an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain. This transporter helps regulate one of those, so we’re looking at what role that transporter plays in the seizure threshold.” Morgan, a biology major, came to Syracuse University with the intent to become a physician. Knowing that research is an important component of a medical school application, he got involved the first semester of his first year. “It’s definitely increased the depth of how I study biology, both in terms of technique and in learning neuroscience I wouldn’t have learned in the classroom,” says Morgan, who grew up in Marietta, Georgia, but attended high school in Delaware. Morgan later joined the Renée Crown University Honors Program and wrote a thesis based on his research. He’s also attended scientific meetings, a neuroscience conference in Canada last summer, and another neuroscience conference in Missouri in April. “This research has been a major part of my college experience,” he says. Outside of class and lab, Morgan volunteers in the Emergency Department at Upstate University Hospital. He also serves as president of Qolor Collective, an organization that fosters community for queer and trans students of color on campus, and he is a mentor with both the Undergraduate Research Office and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program. He became an Our Time Has Come Scholar in his sophomore year. “The professional development and networking opportunities have been outstanding,” says Morgan. “Having the opportunity to speak with alumni physicians in particular has been very motivating and helpful.” Morgan intends to spend several months after graduation studying for the MCAT, and he plans to enter medical school in the 2022-23 academic year. In the meantime, he hopes to work in a research lab. “Being involved with all of these different programs has really made me more comfortable with who I am and what I need to do my to pursue my career,” he says of his Syracuse experience. “The opportunity to do research and mentor students has allowed me to really step out of my comfort zone. I’ve made great friends too.” Myles Morgan Ahone Koge A hone Koge ’20 is on the path to medical school, and all of her efforts at Syracuse University have been intended to move her forward on that path. The psychology major from Silver Spring, Maryland, is secretary of the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, a member of the Alpha Chi Sigma chemistry honor society, and a student researcher in the Close Relationship and Healthy Living Lab in the Department of Psychology. Koge is assisting Professor Brittany Jakubiak on research assessing attachment patterns and communication styles between couples. “We interview couples and observe their dynamic when they’re put in different circumstances that we give them,” she explains. “We try to see how touch influences their interaction, and we also observe how communication influences their interaction during a given time period.” Last summer, Koge was a research institute intern with the Epilepsy Foundation, working on research related to preventing sudden death from epilepsy. During the summer after her sophomore year, Koge was fortunate to participate in the prestigious Summer Health Professions Education Program at the University of Iowa, a six-week summer program for undergraduate students interested in health professional careers. Koge spent her time shadowing an OB-GYN/family medicine doctor who was also the chair of her department. “It was deeply influential,” she says. “I made great connections when it comes time to apply for medical school and also with current medical students there who gave me great advice about developing a medical profile.” Despite her drive and successes, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Koge entered Syracuse University as a biology major and found herself struggling. “I like biology, but it wasn’t my passion,” she says. As a first-generation student—her parents are from Cameroon— Koge struggled with wanting to make her parents proud by following the path they expected. Ultimately, she changed her major to psychology, which better reflected her interests. Mentorship she received through the WellsLink Leadership Program and elsewhere helped her to persevere. “My advice to younger students would be to take advantage of all the resources available,” she says. “Try to refrain from comparing yourself to peers who came in from more competitive schools. It does get better.” At the start of her junior year, Koge became an Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Scholar. “OTHC helped me expand my friend group through this community of people who are very intelligent and come from different majors and different class years than mine,” she says. With medical school on the horizon, she is grateful for the financial support that reduced her loan burden. Koge plans to pursue either a master’s degree or medical post-baccalaureate degree to enhance her academic profile and then apply to medical school. “It’s a long road, but Syracuse University was a good place to start,” she says. 14 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Izmailia Sougoufara I n January, the Syracuse University community observed Identity Week with programming that celebrates diversity on campus while helping students draw the connection between identity and mental health. “Identity Week is a conversation catalyst surrounding topics of identity and intersectionality, while also hosting a safe space for self-expression and education,” says Izmailia Sougoufara ’20, a Barnes Center at The Arch mental health peer educator and creator of the event. “Self-understanding builds a foundation for connecting with others. It provides the opportunity to be aware that someone’s experience, for a multitude of reasons, may be very different from yours.” Sougoufara got involved as a volunteer with the Peer Education team as a sophomore and was promoted to team leader last year. “We have a lot more visibility now being in the Barnes Center,” she says. “It’s a really fun way to be involved and connect with other people.” A double major in neuroscience and biology, Sougoufara says participating in the Paris Noir program the summer after her sophomore year had a major impact on her understanding of her own identity. “Studying the African diaspora in Paris taught me a lot about my culture and heritage that I didn’t understand,” she says. “It connected me with a lot of other students of color and had a significant impact on the way I see myself and navigate a space.” Paris Noir is one of three Syracuse Abroad programs Sougoufara has participated in. She spent her first semester in Florence through the Discovery Program, and in her junior year spent a winter break in India. “I’m interested in international medicine and want to be as culturally competent as possible,” she says. Although Sougoufara came to college with an associate degree (her Cleveland high school had a joint program with a local community college), she wanted a full four-year experience to make the most of opportunities she wouldn’t have been able to fit into just two years. She was able to do that through the support of financial aid and scholarships, including Our Time Has Come (OTHC). “The scholarship is a big reason I’ve been able to stay here for four years. It has actually increased over time, which has been super helpful,” she says. Sougoufara is a McNair Scholar and was named a Remembrance Scholar as a senior. She has also participated in the Biology Distinction Program, working as a lab assistant in the biology department as a sophomore and junior. Currently, she is conducting research on the dynamics of proteins in ciliated cells at Upstate Medical University with Professor Peter Calvert, her mentor through the program. She spent last summer conducting research full time through the McNair Summer Academy. “I was able to collect a lot of data and really advance my research, “ she says. Sougoufara has applied to master’s programs in biomedical engineering, which she plans to follow with medical school. As she closes out her Syracuse University journey, Sougoufara reflects on her scholarship experiences—particularly OTHC—as a highlight. “When I got back from studying abroad my first semester, I felt really isolated,” she says. “This was my first experience at a predominantly white institution, and particularly as a woman of color in STEM, I was really searching for community.” She found it at her first OTHC gathering. “Coming into a room and seeing a bunch of people who looked like me, who were welcoming me, really made me feel like I belonged,” she says. “The OTHC scholarship program provided more than just financial support over my four years. The program’s investment in personal and professional development resources largely impacted my retention.” Izmailia Sougoufara OTHC Scholars Honored for S ix Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Scholars have been honored by the Office of Multicultural Advancement with Academic Achievement Awards, recognizing their superior academic performance and commitment to volunteerism. All six have GPAs ranging from 3.9 to 4.0. ALEX AGUIRRE ’20 Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona Major: Biochemistry and neuroscience What’s Next: Attending medical school at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo. How OTHC Has Helped: “I credit my successes on campus and beyond to having the financial and moral support from OTHC donors and peers. The program provides an environment that makes you feel at home with students who look just like you and encourages collaboration to advance minority status on campus and in professional settings.” SYMONE ANDREWS ’20 Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island Major: Political science and forensic science What’s Next: A gap year, followed by attending Johns Hopkins University School of Education to obtain a master’s degree through the Urban Teachers program. How OTHC Has Helped: “It’s important to feel as if you have a support system away from home and OTHC always provided that. Thank you for fostering a comforting, supportive and stimulating environment.” MYLES MORGAN ’20 Hometown: Marietta, Georgia Major: Biology What’s Next: Studying for the MCAT and applying for the 2021 medical school cycle. How OTHC Has Helped: “The weekend workshops were great experiences—valuable for networking purposes and also seeing the opportunities available after graduation. These helped give me motivation to keep studying and working toward my goals.” 16 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT or Academic Achievement DAKOTA CHAMBERS ’22 Hometown: Columbus, New Jersey Major: Sociology and television, radio and film What’s Next: Junior year and beginning her honors thesis project, which will be either a feature film script or TV show bible (a document used for show pitches that gives information on the program’s characters, setting and other important details). How OTHC Has Helped: “The support of the OTHC program has been invaluable. Being around other high-achieving students and connecting with successful alumni of color motivate me to be the best student I can be.” CAMERON GRAY ’22 Hometown: Washington, D.C. Major: Film What’s Next: Building her artistic portfolio, making films and writing screenplays, including development of her senior thesis project, which will explore cross-cultural education and engagement. How OTHC Has Helped: “I have met countless alumni who have imparted wisdom and been great encouragers and been introduced to successful mentors in the fields of entertainment and communications. But most importantly, I was welcomed into a strong support system of amazing people who continually inspire me to use what I have to also make change.” NATHENA MURRAY ’22 Hometown: Ossining, New York Major: Biology and neuroscience What’s Next: Participating in a summer program (now virtual) through the Wake Forest School of Medicine, as well as the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and McNair summer programs, followed by junior year. How OTHC Has Helped: “Being an OTHC Scholar has instilled a drive to succeed and be the best I can be. As an OTHC Scholar, I walk with my head held high, knowing that I have a network of individuals supporting and rooting for me no matter what. The unwavering support keeps me going.” If you’d like to support Our Time Has Come Scholars, please give to OTHC at alumni-of-color.syr.edu/ give-now/. If you’d like to mentor a student, visit alumni-of-color. syr.edu/connect/ othc-mentor-application/. GIVING LEVEL OF $15,000 - $35,000 Vincent Cohen ’92 and Lisa Cohen GIVING LEVEL OF $10,000 - $14,999 Peter Henriques ’80 and Jeanne Henriques GIVING LEVEL OF $5,000 - $9,999 L. Atkinson ’79 Wesley Dias ’74 Ava DuVernay Gisele Marcus ’89 Amir Rahnamay-Azar Phaedra Stewart ’91 Gwynne Wilcox ’74 Charles Willis ’90 GIVING LEVEL OF $3,000 - $4,999 Arthur Floyd ’15 Ronald Gill ’81 Maria Melendez Hinkley ’89 and Alan Hinkley ’90 S. Kraemer ’75 and Linda Kraemer ’76 Janice Long ’87 GIVING LEVEL OF $1,000 - $2,999 Victor Banks ’84 Sharon Barner ’79 and Haywood McDuffie Kristin Bragg ’93 and Marlowe Bragg Emanuel Breland ’57 Richard Brown ’81 Candice Carnage ’90 Zhamyr Cueva ’93 Tenzer Cunningham ’74 Mark Darrell ’79 and Vivian Darrell ’80 Andrew Dawson ’79 and Katrina Bryant-Dawson Phillip Dunigan ’76 Robert Edwards ’85 and Michele Edwards Lawrence Ford ’80 Leonard Garner ’74 and Robin Garner Archie Gilchrist ’75, G’76 Jacquenette Helmes ’91 Victor Holman ’82 and Dakota Holman ’83 Mark Jackson and Candace Jackson Felix James ’95 Milton Johnson ’83 and Rebecca Johnson ’82 Casper Jones ’89 Kenneth Kuilan ’96 Seretta McKnight ’83 Freddy Morales ’97 Jesse Mejia ’97 and Liany Arroyo Lisa Lewis ’92 Floyd Little ’67 and DeBorah Little ’14 Helena Mitchell Lindsey ’78 and William Lindsey Jr. Jason Olivo ’95 Shawn Outler ’89 Oliver Quinn ’72 Melissa Rich ’71 and R. Rich Jamal Salmon ’12 and Amber Valverde Rachel Williams ’04 GIVING LEVEL OF $500 - $999 Ada Agrait ’94 Sylvana Bonner ’96 and Kenyon Bonner Andrea Capers ’95 and Ronald Capers Claude Cowan ’68 and Faye Cowan Frances Gonzalez ’13 June Grant ’87 Jacqueline Jacobs ’98 Luis Lozada ’05 Donovan McNabb ’98 and Raquel-Ann McNabb ’98, G’99 Frederick Michel ’67 Kevin Miller ’88 and Myra Miller ’95 Cynthia Mitchell ’73 and Louis Mitchell ’73 Robert Mitchell G’75 Michael Murphy ’81 Kellie Porter ’99 Catherine Miett Poteat ’90 Heidi Ramirez ’96 Joachim Rogers ’93 and Tanya Mahan-Rogers Peter Scales ’71, G’73, G’76 and Martha Scales Debra Schoening ’81, G’83 and Kenneth Schoening ’05 Jennifer Sully G’10 and Rey Sully G’10 Jose Vilson ’04 Heather Keets Wright ’92 and Mark Wright GIVING LEVEL OF $100 - $499 Ian Abraham Reginald Acloque ’99 and Demetria Acloque Stella Adegite ’09 Janell Agyeman ’74 Folashade Akande ’03 Maryann Akinboyewa ’15 Rosalyn Allman-Manning ’75 Karen Alston Morris Anderson G’88 Laura Baker ’85 Tracy Barash ’89 Michael Barbosa ’96 and Shameka Barbosa ’96 Renard Barnes ’87 and Tiffani Johnson Barnes ’89 Bernadette Headley Biggs ’85 Starr Bland ’85 and Gregory Bland Carolita Blythe ’89 A. Bolles ’71 and James Walsh Mariama Boney ’96, G’98 Eric Booker G’00 Laurie Boucicaut ’19 Simone Boucicaut and Henri Boucicaut Bernard Bregman ’54 Rahman Bugg ’96 Diane Chesley ’74 Shiu-Kai Chin ’75, G’78, G’86 and Linda Milosky Eric Coffield ’94 Lillian Collins Donna Cooper ’83 Leslie Copeland-Tune ’90 Jermie Cozart ’97 Shari Crittendon ’84 Beverly Cunningham Brittany DeSantis ’15 and Andrew Brown ’16 Karen Dias-Martin Rafael Disla ’06 Brianna Downing ’99 and Gregory Downing Stephanie L. Dyer ’74 Marci Edwards ’90 Yesnith Edwards ’00 and Troy Edwards Sarah Fajardo ’94 and Eduardo Fajardo ’94 Andrea Fant-Hobbs ’82 and Bradford Hobbs Sheila Fleming Lawrence Ford ’80 Michelle Frankson ’84 Jason Fraser ’12 Linda Fuller ’76 Rosie Garcia Greston Gill ’14 Darice Gonzalez ’80 Stacey Hamilton ’89 Vicki Hamilton Kimberly Harris ’88 Kimberly Harris ’09 Christian Harley ’14 Kasandra Harley ’91, G’93 Anthony Herbert ’15 George Heyliger ’83 Trinace Hickson ’08 Victor Holman ’82 and Dakota Holman ’83 Miko Horn ’95 Barbara Ingraldi ’85 Vaughn Irons ’97 Felix James ’95 Michael James ’94 and Carla Miller-James Juleen Johnson ’07 Steven Johnson and Tomiko Johnson Demetrise Jordan-Downs ’99 and Katherine Jordan-Downs Carol LaBelle ’59 Edgar Lambert ’95 Joseph La Roche ’88 and Wendy La Roche ’87 Lisa Lattimore ’91 and Todd Lattimore Michelle Lee ’90 Roshone Ault Lee ’99 Patricia Leon-Guerrero ’04 and Kwame Griffith Valerie Lewis ’90 Dana Liferiedge 18 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT Sonia Mack Tiffany Macon ’12 Delita Marsland and M. Tobias Shayla McCullough-Collins ’05 and David Collins Deanna McKinney Cheryl McLeod ’79 Traci McMurray ’96 Allison Mitchell ’08, G’09 and Nehemiah Solomon Yolanda Mitchell ’13 Tiffany Mitsui ’04 Rhonda Mona ’94 Raymond Moran ’16, G’17 Anwar Nasir ’06 Lea North ’08 and Alex North Brandy Oakley ’05 Elizabeth Osei-Tutu DaeShawn Parker ’16 Eric Patterson G’12 and Angela Morales-Patterson John Pinter G’70 Lori Porcher ’86 Rosalind President Charles President Willie Pressley Adrian Prieto Betty Pristera ’68 Maria Quiroga and Alvin Shiggs LaVonda Reed Kim Riley Andres Rivera ’15 Donna Rucker Larry Sampson ’69 Linda Saulsby Michelle Saunders-Smith Gina Sharpe ’84 Paul Shelton G’74 and Lillie Shelton Pamela Sheppard ’07 Carolyn Silas ’90 Lenee Simon ’94 Kendall Slee Danielle Smith Jeffrey Street and Tracy Street Charla Stuart ’89 Kanique Swinson ’16 Ronald James-Terry Taylor ’15, G’16 Aisha Thomas-Petit ’98 and Colomb Thomas-Petit Juwan Thompson ’18, G’19 Brandon Thorpe ’96 and Jennifer Thorpe Aron Tobias Heather Travier ’97 and Damian Travier ’98, G’17 Patricia Trowers-Johnson ’81 Kisha Turpin ’97 Carmen Villeta-Garcia ’07 Jasmin Waterman ’03 William Watts ’95 Diane Wiener Maxine Williams ’77, ’79, G’81, G’98 Jonathan Williams ’08 and Michele Williams ’82 Frank Williams ’92 Tuwanda Williams ’88 Ronald Wilson ’92 Omar Woodham G’10 and Ann-Marie Woodham Yolanda Wright ’92 Zahir Ynoa ’08 Darnell Young ’99 Brittany Zaehringer and Peter Zaehringer Annis Zheng ’19 GIVING LEVEL OF $5 - $24.99 Diaraye Barrie ’17 Tarik Bell ’11 Nia Boles ’15 Raymon Brewer Samantha Brown ’19 Jerrel Burgo G’18 and Danielle Burgo Samantha Cardenas ’14 Octavia Charles ’11 Dina Clark ’92 LaVerne Collins ’80 and Stephen Stevens Abigail Covington ’19 Milton Escoto Crispin ’19 Bodeline Dautruche ’17 Tiffani Davis ’14 Taylor Davis ’14 Noelia de la Cruz ’11 Shanelle Drakeford ’15 Dalton Dupree ’15 Brianna Dutton ’17 Noelle Ellerbe ’95 Glenda Ellis Candice Frank ’14 Chelsea Gill ’16 Jason Gonzalez ’97 Jennifer Gonzalez ’15 Cara Harris-McCargo ’11 Crystal Hendriks ’18 Celestine Henry ’23 Daniel Hernandez ’15 and Nadine Louis Katherine Hoole ’13 and Raghu Menon Nicholas Yuen Hui Geraldine Huff Oladotun Idowu ’14 Tiwana Jackson ’98 Buell Johnson and Patricia Johnson Kayla Jones Candace Jones ’03 Kafele Khalfani ’96 Vance Kimber and Jeanette Kimber Aulton Kohn ’07, G’09 Yvenique Lovinsky ’16 Toni Mackey ’16 Jasmine Mangum ’16 Bobbi Mason Candra McKenzie ’06 Nicole Zumaya Merida Chelsea Mikell ’15, G’17 Dulce Morales ’18 Deloris Moses Natalie Mota ’16 Jesus Ortiz ’16 Nicole Osborne ’14 Clyde Owusu ’13 Brenna Pereira ’14, G’18 and Joseph Underberg ’14 Sterling Proffer ’08 Aaron Quisenberry Vivienne Quow ’15, G’16 Morgan Ramsey Karen Reynolds DeVon Robinson G’19 Vivian Roman ’95 Michael Roman ’14 Diane Rowley Nicole Sanoguel ’23 Kelvin Sherman ’14 Kyle Simmons ’20 Bryan Smith Michael Smith ’12, G’13 Victor Suarez ’15 Siara Sutton ’14 Milena Toro ’14 Celina Tousignant ’09, G’19 Sierra Vaden ’17 Sahar Vahidi ’11 Cristalyn Vargas ’08, G’12 Terry Walker and Patricia Walker Kadesha Washington ’93 Ruth White Ashley Wilbert Kimberly Williams ’16 Kenneth Williams Shannon Williamson ’14, G’16 Amalya Winters Aechari Wright Shafin Zaman ’19 Manny Zapata ’18 20 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT CAMPUSnews University Community Honors “A Living L T he Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, was the featured speaker for Syracuse University’s 35th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Warnock embodied the event theme, “A Living Legacy,” as the youngest person to serve as senior pastor of the historic church, which was founded in 1886. Known as “America’s Freedom Church,” it was home to the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., senior pastor from 1931 to 1975, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was co-pastor from 1960 until his assassination in 1968. According to Syracuse University junior Ashley Laird, co-chair of the event, the celebration theme was selected in response to the rash of race-related incidents on campus this academic year and intended to express the University’s commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible campus environment. In his opening remarks, Chancellor Kent Syverud referenced King’s 1965 visit to Syracuse, when more than 1,000 people packed the dining hall in Sims Hall to hear King’s message about economic disparities and inequality in education. “In the last few months, our community has been exposed to hate and fear and racism and anti-Semitism,” said Syverud. “In the face of this...I am so thankful to so many who have come forward with courage and with voice and with action to express our values. We must all reaffirm the values of Syracuse University and our region to do the right thing for all of our students and all who live here.” Following with his keynote address, Warnock exhorted the more than 2,000 in attendance to come together in unity to fight bigotry and hate, saying, “Let’s not turn on each other, but turn toward each other.” At a time when open bigotry and racism have become rampant in America, “It’s not enough to be non-racist,” Warnock said. “We have to be anti-racist. We have to stand up and say, ‘No, never again.’” Held annually since 1985, the University celebration is the largest on-campus event in the United States to honor King’s legacy. The event also included performances by Dominique’s Dance Creations, and the Syracuse University’s 2020 MLK Community Choir singing with gospel group Heaven’s Fire and the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble. Unsung Hero Awards were presented to local community members who make a positive impact in the lives of others, though their efforts may not be widely recognized. This year’s awards went to Keri Courtwright, Lemir Teron, Justine Hastings ’21, Jack Ramza ’22 and Pedro Abreu G’02. CAMPUSnews Increased Funding Earmarked for Faculty Diversity H iring diverse faculty members is highly competitive, with top candidates often receiving multiple offers for faculty positions. In an effort to successfully hire, retain and develop a diverse faculty—which Syracuse University leaders say is critical to the University’s mission—increased funding has been designated to accelerate the pace and more strongly incentivize hiring of faculty from underrepresented groups. The Diversity Opportunity Hires initiative will provide a rotating fund to support cost-sharing through the Office of Academic Affairs for recruiting underrepresented faculty into open positions across all schools and colleges. The program will support 10-15 new positions, with funding split equally between the Office of Academic Affairs and the school or college, and will fully renew approximately every three years. Additional central funding is being earmarked to support interdisciplinary cluster hiring when a faculty member from an underrepresented group is hired for the second round of cluster hire positions. Cluster hiring involves hiring multiple scholars in at least two schools/colleges in related areas, based on shared, multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary research interests, and was prioritized as part of the launch of the Invest Syracuse initiative in 2017. A first round of cluster hires was held in 2018; the second round is currently underway. The new funding builds on the University’s Signature Hires initiative launched in mid-2018, which aims to strengthen teaching and research capacity through the addition of high-caliber new faculty members. The Signature Hires initiative also included financial incentives to schools and colleges for diversity hiring. “The composition of our faculty should reflect our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility,” says Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith A. Alford. “A diverse faculty signals future possibilities to our underrepresented students and further affirms their presence on campus. Diversity brings different perspectives and understandings and inspires new ideas and innovations.” Meredith E. Davis Named Associate Vice President of Student Engagement M eredith E. Davis, Ph.D., joined Syracuse University in February as associate vice president of student engagement. She will oversee the offices of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Multicultural Affairs and Student Activities, Student Centers and Programming Services, the Center for International Services, the Disability Cultural Center and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center. “Meredith brings an incredible depth of experience spanning student life,” says Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience. “Her deep commitment to building community and supporting student achievement in and out of the classroom will help us continue to elevate the engagement, leadership and identity development of our students.” Davis joined the University from Rhodes College, where she served as the associate dean of students, divisional strategy, inclusion and involvement. In this inaugural role, Davis developed greater connections and intersections across the student experience in areas of student involvement, Greek life, orientation, diversity and inclusion. She also supported the college’s creation of a first-year experience seminar, bias education response, student programming board activities and intercultural and cross-cultural training. Previously, Davis served as the manager of school programs and instructional relations at the National Civil Rights Museum, cofounder and associate director of the Office of Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, director of the Upward Bound program at Coppin State University and director of the African American Cultural Center at Towson University. “I look forward to working with students, faculty and staff to advance our student engagement model and the multidimensional approaches toward inclusion and community so that we can support student success, co-curricular satisfaction and personal development,” she says. Davis earned a Ph.D. in women’s and gender studies from Rutgers, an M.A. in African American studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a B.A. in sociology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. CAMPUSnews Staff Changes in the Office of Multicultural Advancement A ngela Morales-Patterson has been named director of operations and partnerships in the Office of Multicultural Advancement. In this role, Morales-Patterson will lead corporate and foundation partnerships for the Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Scholarship and Leadership programs, as well as administrative operations for the unit. Morales-Patterson has been part of the multicultural advancement team for 21 years, most recently serving as assistant director of alumni and donor engagement. She has managed the OTHC Scholarship program, mentored hundreds of students and built solid relationships with alumni and parents. She has helped plan several CBT reunions and executed numerous student events and regional alumni gatherings, resulting in increased loyalty and giving to Syracuse University among multicultural populations. Morales-Patterson serves on many University committees, partnering with colleagues to ensure that the engagement of diverse communities is represented. Maria J. Lopez ’05, G’12 has joined the Office of Multicultural Advancement as assistant director of scholarship programs. Lopez has oversight of all facets of the OTHC Scholarship Angela Morales-Maria J. Lopez ’05, G’12 Ariel Maciulewicz Patterson program, plans and executes all multicultural advancement student and on-campus events, supports the grant application and donor management process and manages social media. Ariel Maciulewicz has joined the Office of Multicultural Advancement as administrative specialist, supporting the multicultural advancement team with all functions of the office, including scheduling and coordinating programming, managing event registration and making travel arrangements. CAMPUSnews Bea González to Retire After 36 Years D uring her 36-year student affairs career at Syracuse University, Bea González says her focus has always been about creating opportunities, helping others achieve their educational goals and promoting access and equity. “I’ve seen it over and over again,” she says. “If you change the trajectory for an individual, you can change the trajectory for their entire family.” González, who has served as vice president of community engagement and special assistant to the Chancellor since 2015, leaves a legacy of lives changed for the better when she retires this summer. “Bea has been a champion of our community and of students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences for nearly four decades,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. When González joined the University in 1984, she had the choice of two academic advising positions, one at University College, the other at the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). She chose University College because she had seen the impact it had on her own parents, who were able to take English language classes there in the 1960s, even though they had not attended high school. “I understood the value of what continuing education provided my parents and my family,” she says. González was named executive director of HEOP and community and public services in 1991. After serving as director and associate dean of student support services, she was appointed interim dean of University College in 2004 and dean in 2007, the University’s first woman dean. She developed a national reputation as a leader in the field of continuing education, serving as president of the University Continuing and Professional Education Association. González was first set to retire in 2015, at age 62. But after the Chancellor asked her to reconsider other opportunities, she decided putting her focus on the University’s community engagement activities was a good fit for her experience and interests. A nearly lifelong resident of Syracuse—her family moved from Puerto Rico when she was 3—González has been a longtime community servant. Concurrent with her professional life at the University, she was elected to the Syracuse City School Board and served two terms as president of the Syracuse Common Council. The first Latina in both roles, she brought a new voice to the table and sought to infuse inclusion into those organization’s efforts and activities. A self-described “connector,” González set out to leverage institutional resources to address community challenges in the City of Syracuse and build a climate of economic inclusion. Under González’s leadership, the University has streamlined the hiring process for entry-level jobs in facilities and dining, working with such community organizations as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and Jubilee Homes to recruit for positions. She also worked with key community partners to recruit for 102 new residence hall officer positions, more than half of those hired from underrepresented groups. “If we take someone who’s been unemployed or underemployed and move them into full-time employment here, then we’ve started to change the trajectory for that person and that person’s family,” she says. “That was what inspired me about University College and I brought that same philosophy to community engagement.” The University also initiated a process to hire women and minority contractors on campus construction projects. And in an effort to buy local when possible to boost the Central New York economy, the University reassessed its procurement process and has increased its spending with local small businesses. González says she’ll continue her civic involvement in retirement. A longtime board member of the Syracuse Stage, she also serves on the boards of the Community Foundation and the Onondaga Historical Association, and was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to serve on the State of New York Mortgage Authority Board. “I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities,” she says. “I have to say thank you every day for my blessings.” ALUMNInews Lambda Upsilon Lambda BecomesFirst Latino Organization toLaunch Endowed Scholarship I n 1991, six Latino students at Syracuse University established a chapter of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc., founding the school’s first Latino fraternity. Although they came from varied backgrounds—Dominican, Puerto Rican and Ecuadorean— each of them sought to fill the void of their Latino culture missing from their college experience. “We were looking to create something that felt like home,” says founding member Ken Kuilan ’96. In December, a group of Lambda Upsilon Lambda alumni signed an agreement with Syracuse University to launch an endowed scholarship, the first Latino Greek organization at the University to do so. “We lead from the front,” Kuilan says. Although their agreement with the University is to create a $50,000 endowment, the group has greater ambitions. “We hope to someday be able to fully fund a Latino student’s education,” says Jason Olivo ’95. According to Frances Gonzalez ’13, the scholarship reinforces the fraternity’s mission to support Latino students in achieving a four-year college education. “This is what we do as a fraternity, so creating this scholarship is a way to continue to support that mission as alumni,” he says. “COVID is only going to increase the scholarship need for first-generation students, and that has ignited the fire for us to give back.” Although the scholarship fundraising effort was launched prior to the pandemic, organizers say that COVID-19 has actually strengthened their effort. “COVID has pointed a spotlight on the increased need for student scholarships,” says Jesse Mejia ’97, who served as Coming Back Together co-chair in 2017. “The economic downturn has had a devastating impact on low-wage earners. Those low-wage earners are our parents, and this pandemic, through the lens of the scholarship fund, has reinforced our belief in our fraternity’s mission to support the Latino community.” Kuilan says that communication among the organization’s brotherhood—from founding members to current brothers—has increased dramatically during the pandemic. “We have our 30th anniversary coming up next year, so along with COVID and CBT in 2021, there’s a lot of energy devoted to staying connected, which only helps our fundraising effort,” he says. Creation of the scholarship fund was spurred in part by the philanthropy of Zhamyr “Sammy” Cueva ’93, a founding member who donated funds in 2017 to place benches on the Syracuse University Quad honoring the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations groups on campus. Cueva is also a member of Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Advancement Alumni Council and a mentor in the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Program. At the same time, Olivo was engaged in conversations with Rachel Vassel ’91, assistant vice president of multicultural advancement, about making a major commitment to Our Time Has Come. He wanted to give back in a way that was personally meaningful to him, and after soul searching about the impact he wanted to make for Syracuse University students, he joined forces with Cueva, Kuilan, Gonzalez and Mejia to launch the La Unidad Latina–Theta Chapter Endowed Scholarship fund. “Collectively, we share the desire to lead from a position to support a Latino cause, and we are proud to carry the Syracuse University flag to help our community prosper,” Olivo says. Cueva adds that the scholarship is a way to thank the University that “took a chance on us,” he says. “Now we have the opportunity to take a leadership role in supporting others.” 30 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT ALUMNInews Kishauna Soljour WinsNational Dissertation Award K ishauna Soljour ’13, G’19 is no stranger to achievement. As an undergraduate at Syracuse University, Soljour was named a Remembrance Scholar and a University Scholar, and she served as Senior Class Marshal, graduating magna cum laude. In May 2019, Soljour became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in history from Syracuse, winning the University’s top dissertation prize for Beyond the Banlieue: French Postcolonial Migration & the Politics of a Sub-Saharan Identity. In December 2019, Soljour received the nation’s most prestigious award for doctoral dissertations, the Council of Graduate Schools/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award in Humanities and Fine Arts. She is the first Syracuse University recipient of the award. Soljour’s dissertation research explores the Black presence in Paris, France, from post-World War II to present. She spent four summers in Paris conducting archival research and also lived in Paris for 18 months under a research grant, conducting interviews for the 35 oral histories included in her dissertation. “The hallmark of my dissertation is the focus on oral histories that examine the triumphs and challenges of migrating and navigating daily life as immigrants,” says Soljour. “I’ve been able to capture stories of ordinary people that are not often considered.” Her research reveals that entrepreneurs, activists, artists, authors and teachers have contributed to contemporary French society in spite of shortcomings in state policy toward immigration and acculturation. Soljour’s interest in Black Paris began the summer after her sophomore year, when she participated in Paris Noir, a Syracuse Abroad program that explores the African diaspora in Paris and includes independent research projects. Soljour, a dual major in television, radio and film and African American studies, chose to focus on Black journalists. She continued to expand on that research for her senior capstone project in the Renée Crown University Honors Program and ultimately decided to pursue it in greater depth at the graduate level. She chose to continue her studies at Syracuse University because the history department faculty embraced her vision for a synergy between academia and public service. “My work brings the two worlds together in ways that other universities wouldn’t have let me do both at the same time,” says Soljour, who also served as a teaching associate for the Paris Noir program for four summers. To help inform her understanding of the migrant experience, Soljour ran community engagement programs with migrant communities through Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE) Syracuse. “I wanted to have that proximity to communities that I was talking with on a research level, but also to give back,” she says. Soljour, who was named a 2019 Forbes Under 30 Scholar last October, is currently a senior program manager for Working in Support of Education, a national educational nonprofit based in New York City. She runs a social entrepreneurship project that has students—many of them immigrants— examine a community issue they care about, write a proposal with a plan to implement change, and then compete for $30,000 in scholarships. Soljour is also continuing her research, actively collecting interviews with plans to turn her dissertation into a book. “The immigration debate is dominating political campaigns and popular commentary. My research brings a new lens to the transnational conversation by looking at contributions made by immigrants in ways that are often overlooked,” she says. 32 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT ALUMNInews Kappa Alpha Psi AlumniGroup Exceeds $50,000 Goal— Now Hopes to Raise $150,000 W hen the Delta Beta Executive Alumni Foundation (DBEAF) of Kappa Alpha Psi at Syracuse University was established in 2013, one of the group’s first initiatives was to launch a fundraising campaign to raise $50,000 to create an endowment within the Our Time Has Come Scholarship by Coming Back Together 2020. The brothers have surpassed that amount and now say they have the potential to triple their initial goal. The turning point came last summer. As the group closed in on achieving its $50,000 goal, a challenge was issued from an anonymous donor: If the group could raise an additional $50,000, the donor would match that amount, bringing the Kappa’s gift, and their endowment, to $150,000. “We’re very close,” says Phil Bauknight ’76, DBEAF president. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to impact future students. We need everyone to do what they can to make this happen.” Bauknight says the funds have been largely raised by individual gifts from Syracuse Kappas (and in some cases, matching gifts from their employers), as well as fundraising events sponsored by groups of brothers. For instance, a holiday gathering in New York City hosted by recent graduates yielded $2,000. From the beginning, the goal was to have 100 percent participation. “We’d like to have a minimum $100 gift from every member of every line,” says Kevin Jones ’80, DBEAF vice president. “We’re 95 percent there.” “It’s a way of motivating and holding brothers accountable while also providing some friendly competition and bragging rights,” says founding member Tony Martinez, a member of the Sentinel Force of Five Spring 1987 line. “You know, ‘My line gave good.’” The Delta Beta chapter was founded at Syracuse University in 1951 and has inducted 30 lines during its history. In January 2013, following the funeral of influential member Wayne Brown ’78 in October 2012, a group of Kappa alumni came together to organize DBEAF. The organization has two major goals—to preserve and promote its brotherhood and to fund educational scholarships for high-achieving African American and Latino/a students in need of financial assistance at Syracuse University. “We didn’t want the only time we got together to be at funerals,” says Bauknight. “Our goal is to use our expertise, energy, time and enthusiasm to try to make the world a little better for students of color coming through Syracuse and to be a support and a force for positive change.” Both efforts are clearly a success. The group’s members convene monthly via conference call and at events around the country held several times a year. They look forward to awarding their first scholarship in fall 2020 and, depending on the final outcome, the potential to impact more than one student per year. “As a fraternity, our motto is ‘achievement in every field of endeavor and training for leadership,’” say Martinez. “And if we’re going to be leaders on campus and in the alumni community, then this is one way to practice what we preach. ” 34 | SYRACUSE MANUSCRIPT IN MEMORIAM Tanya Heidelberg-Yopp ’85, of Detroit, Michigan, died on November 13, 2019, from brain cancer. Heidelberg-Yopp earned a degree in telecommunications management from Syracuse University, a law degree from New York University School of Law and a degree in management development from Harvard Business School. She excelled in an array of fields, most recently serving as interim chief executive officer of United Way for Southeastern Michigan after having served as its chief operating officer. She also held executive positions with Motown Music, MTV Network and Nickelodeon Movies, and she served as a senior vice president for Compuware Corporation. With her husband Roger, she was also part-owner of the downtown Detroit restaurant Savannah Blue, named in honor of their daughter, Savannah. Heidelberg-Yopp’s numerous accolades included Black Enterprise’s Top 50 Power Brokers in the Entertainment Industry; Ebony magazine’s Women at the Top of the Entertainment Business; National Association of Minorities in Cable Hall of Fame; the Syracuse University Chancellor Citation for Outstanding Young Alumni and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Award of Excellence. Heidelberg-Yopp was a member of The Links and Delta Sigma Theta sorority. “Her faith allowed her to bravely face her health challenges without fear, but with grace and courage,” says her sister, Karen Heidelberg Barnwell. “She knew that faith is stronger than fear and demonstrated this to her family.” Heidelberg-Yopp is survived by her husband, Roger; her daughter, Savannah; her mother, Vera Heidelberg; her sister; and numerous other family members and friends. Jacqueline Wilson ’93, Emmy-winning producer of the television show RuPaul’s Drag Race, died on September 11, 2019. Wilson joined the series as a super­vising producer in its second season and was promoted to co-executive producer. She had finished production on season 12 of the series shortly before her death. Wilson was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for her work on RuPaul’s Drag Race, winning two. “I could never express in words her invaluable contribution to the success of Drag Race and to all the lives of those who were fortunate enough to have worked alongside her,” says RuPaul Charles. Days later, when Charles won his fourth consecutive Emmy as Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program, he dedicated the award to Wilson. Prior to her decade with Drag Race, Wilson’s credits included Basketball Wives, the short-lived competition series I Want to Work for Diddy, and The Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best. Uchechukwu “Uche” Chukwuma ’18, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, died on December 20, 2019, in a car accident. Chukwuma graduated from Franklin Township High School in 2014 as vice president of her class. At Syracuse University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in African American studies and was also the founder of Light on Ebony. She was a student at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and planned to become an entertainment lawyer. Chukwuma worked at Walker & Associates in Atlanta from late summer 2018 to fall 2019, starting as an intern and gradually working into a paid position as director of legal and hip-hop affairs. Chukwuma loved hip-hop music and played the violin and flute. She was also an avid traveler and was known as a mentor, great friend, loving sister, caring daughter, budding entrepreneur and social butterfly. She is survived by her parents, Oliver and Gloria Chukwuma; her brother, Obumneme Chukwuma; her sister, Ekeoma Chukwuma; and a host of cousins, aunts, uncles and extended family. Allan González, a senior from Union City, New Jersey, died on January 30 after accidentally falling into Onondaga Creek in downtown Syracuse. González came to Syracuse University as a recruited lacrosse player. He was a systems and information science major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, on schedule to graduate in May 2020. Gonzalez was also a talented musician who enjoyed singing and played guitar, piano and saxophone. He is survived by his parents, Jeffrey González and Maria Delgado-González; sisters Amber Rose González and Alyssa Marie González; and grandparents Elvia Jara and Jorge Delgado. continued on page 36 JUNE 9, 2020 Dear Members of the Syracuse University Community: T hese last two weeks have revealed hard truths about ourselves, our institutions and our country. These are truths that Black Americans know all too well. Anti-Black racism has created economic disparity, health inequity, toxic environments in many schools and workplaces, and policing that has at times been unjust and, at its worst, deadly for Americans like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. I am sickened by it. It is on all of us to end it. These last two weeks have also given some signs of hope. I am inspired by the passion from protesters around the country, and in our own city. Their powerful message is simple—that the lives of our Black friends, neighbors, co-workers and strangers must matter. To all of us. We haven’t lived up to that basic ideal. We need to acknowledge where we have fallen short and where we must change. That work needs to happen at Syracuse University, and I want to share with you how we are moving forward to create meaningful and lasting change. Public Safety Review This summer, former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has begun an independent review of our Department of Public Safety (DPS). Ms. Lynch served under President Barack Obama and is respected for her work in the area of police-community relations. I have asked her to evaluate how DPS operates and what changes we need to make to protect all of our students, including our Black students, who report being treated differently than their white peers. We are asking the hard questions that universities and cities must grapple with. The answers may be difficult for some to hear. For example, how do we create a model where the focus is truly on public safety and not policing? Do we need to rethink how we train our officers? To what extent do DPS personnel need to be armed on campus? The review will include interviews with students, DPS personnel at all levels, University leadership and other members of our campus community. It will be fair and comprehensive. I expect it will lead to recommendations for significant change. I am also directing the following immediate steps by our Department of Public Safety: . freeze the hiring of five approved officers within DPS pending the independent review; . form a Public Safety Citizen Review Board, composed of members of the Syracuse University community, to hear, review and recommend action to the chief of DPS regarding complaints made by University community members; and . release and publicly post standard operating procedures for police conduct in the use of force, as previously requested by students. Commitments to Change Our Campus This summer, we continue to fulfill our campus commitments, making consistent progress to meet the expectations of all our students. In the last several months, we have achieved many milestones. They include an updated and approved Code of Student Conduct with new guidelines for perpetrators and bystanders of racist incidents and crimes; investing $5 million for scholarships and programs like the Higher Education Opportunity Program, Student Support Services and Our Time Has Come; increasing the Office of Student Living (OSL) budget by $500,000 for resident advisor diversity programming and hiring a new assistant director of diversity and inclusion within OSL; hiring new and diverse counselors at the Barnes Center; implementing mandatory diversity training for faculty and staff; requiring all first-year students to undergo a newly updated anti-racism and anti-Semitism training program; and allocating an additional $600,000 for volunteer programming in the City of Syracuse. There is more work to do. Not only are we committed to fulfilling our previously made promises, we plan to take this work even further. In addition to our campus commitments, the Board of Trustees Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion continues its work that began in December. In recent months, hundreds of students, faculty and staff have engaged with this Special Committee and with the Independent Advisory Panel working on behalf of the Special Committee. Input from students will directly inform their recommendations. I anticipate their updates and preliminary recommendations to be delivered this summer. Important Conversations As we take action, we need to be engaging with one another in difficult and critical conversations. This week, our Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be hosting a virtual discussion with renowned politician, commentator and attorney Bakari Sellers that will be open to members of our community. We will have an open conversation about racial inequality, institutional racism and how the killing of Black Americans has led our country to this moment of significant change. In this unique time in our country’s history, we must look within ourselves and to one another to expect progress and action. We have an opportunity before us. Let’s resolve to make progress together. Sincerely, Chancellor Kent Syverud Our Time Has Come alumna Joleyne Herrera ’19 Office of Multicultural Advancement 640 Skytop Rd., Second Floor Syracuse, NY 13244-5160 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED COMING BACK TOGETHER /2020 A Virtual Gathering Mark the date on your digital calendar: October 16. A time to visit with fellow alumni, honor traditions and learn new things, all while supporting today’s students. It’s a free day-long virtual event that includes: • Book talk with a nationally known author • Career Development Workshop • Community Forum on COVID 19 and Social Justice • Our Time Has Come fundraiser • Virtual CBT after party Registration for this virtual event will open in August. For additional information please visit alumni-of-color.syr.edu/events or call 315.443.4556.