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Sixty student organizations. Gray ribbons. Handwritten letters. A prayer. On Tuesday, April 28, the University community will rally to respond to Chancellor Kent Syverud’s recent cancer diagnosis with an unmistakable show of community and solidarity.

Student Government Association (SGA), in partnership with 60 recognized student organizations, will host a Go Gray in May: Brain Cancer Awareness Month Walk. The event will begin at noon in the Schine Student Center with a walk to Crouse-Hinds Hall at 2:30 p.m. There, the Rev. Devon Bartholomew, Christian Protestant chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, will lead those assembled in a prayer.

Chancellor Syverud announced on April 15 that he has been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment at University of Michigan Medicine.

“After the news broke, our SGA executive team came together to ask ourselves one question: ‘How do we respond?’” says German Nolivos ’26, SGA president. “Chancellor Syverud has been there for all of us—through every hard moment this University has faced. This is our chance to be there for him and his family.”

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, and the event will raise funds for the Brain Tumor Foundation. Organizers are encouraging members of the University community to consider making a monetary donation. “The most powerful thing we can do in this moment is fund the fight,” Nolivos says.

Those who donate $15 or more and submit a screenshot of their donation to @cusesga, the SGA’s home on Instagram, can claim a free T-shirt at Schine at the April 28 event.

Participants in the walk are encouraged to wear gray and pick up a gray ribbon at Schine that day. There will be a community poster wall for students, faculty and staff to leave messages of support for Chancellor Syverud and anyone in the community affected by brain cancer. There will also be a letter-writing station where individuals can write personal letters of support to Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen.

Participating organizations span every dimension of campus life: fraternities and sororities, cultural and identity organizations, pre-professional societies, advocacy groups, athletic clubs, honor societies and more. Nolivos says this will be the largest coalition of student organizations ever assembled for a single awareness event in recent University history.

“When 60 organizations come together, that’s not just coordination—that’s conviction,” Nolivos says. “Every single one of these groups is choosing to show up. That means something. That tells you something about who we are as a university.”

Additionally, the SGA Assembly passed a formal resolution on April 15 extending formal gratitude and support to Chancellor Syverud.

“Chancellor Syverud has given this institution 12 years of transformational leadership,” says Nolivos. “He has shown up for students, for faculty, for staff and for this community through its hardest chapters. April 28 is our opportunity, all of us, to show up for him.”

When almost 6,000 first-year and transfer students filled out their First Year Seminar (FYS 101) course feedback over the previous two years—a response rate of nearly 72%—the University listened.

The result was a revamping of FYS 101 for fall 2025 that puts student voices at the center of one of the most important transitions in a young person’s life.

The 15-week, one-credit course brings together all first-year and transfer students for a weekly 55-minute seminar built around discussion, experiential activities and written reflection on what it means to become part of a new community. Each section of the course is co-taught by a lead instructor (faculty/staff/graduate students) and a peer leader (undergraduate students).

The course, established in 2021, was meaningfully redesigned based on direct student feedback. “The changes we made weren’t driven by assumption,” says Shannon Hitchcock Schantz, who directs the program through the University’s Center for Student Excellence. “Students told us what was working and what wasn’t, and we built from there.”

The redesigned course follows a deliberate content arc—“Self, Campus, Community”—that guides students through an inward-to-outward journey over the semester. New case studies and structured group work have been woven into the curriculum, giving students framework to process their experiences together rather than in isolation.

Last fall’s cohort showed marked gains on most of the course outcomes, Schantz says. And last week, the curriculum revision received the Collaborative Inquiry and Action award at the One University Assessment Celebration. That event recognizes faculty and staff for examining and enhancing learning and operational success, highlighting exemplary assessment efforts and showcasing impactful initiatives that enhance teaching, learning, operations and the student experience.

Lead Instructors Sought

Nick Stines, assistant director of new student programs in Student Experience, has served as a lead instructor. “My highest satisfaction in teaching FYS 101 is seeing students grow into themselves socially, academically and personally over such a short period of time,” he says. “I love watching students who walked in feeling unsure, quiet or overwhelmed begin to participate more, build confidence and recognize that they belong at Syracuse.”

That sense of belonging—sometimes elusive in a student’s first weeks on campus—is the driving purpose behind FYS 101, Schantz says. Now shaped by the students it serves, the course is stronger than ever.

Applications Due April 24

Applications are now open for Fall 2026 FYS 101 lead instructors. The role is open to faculty, staff and graduate students without assistantships. Curriculum, course guides, rubrics and Blackboard infrastructure are already in place, so instructors facilitate rather than build from scratch. Instructors receive a stipend of $2,500 per section.

The application deadline is Friday, April 24. For more information, email firstyear@syr.edu or call 315.443.9035.

Through leadership, academics and an unwavering commitment to the Orange community, annually two students earn one of the most distinguished honors of a Syracuse University undergraduate career, being named the Senior Class Marshals. For the Class of 2027, the Student Experience division is proud to announce William Lewandowski ’27and Alyssa Limjuco ’27 as the rising Senior Class Marshals.

Together they will guide their graduating class during Commencement, play a role in recommending the Commencement speaker and engage directly with senior University administrators to discuss student experiences and perspectives. Among other responsibilities, Lewandowski and Limjuco will represent their class at Universitywide events and build connections with alumni.

“From integrity, heart and academics, to a genuine passion for community, William and Alyssa embody everything we hope to cultivate in our students. As Class of 2027 Senior Class Marshals, they have earned this honor not just through achievement but through both big and small intentional daily actions that have culminated into what it means to truly have Orange pride,” says Sheriah N. Dixon, associate vice president for the Student Experience division, dean of students and chair of the selection committee.

William Lewandowski

Originally from Lockport, New York, Lewandowski is preparing to enter his final year at Syracuse University more than 60 years after his grandfather, Dr. James Olson ’60, had his own student experience. Despite the distance, he says he has always found a piece of home within the Orange community.

Sharing an alma mater not only deepened Lewandowski’s bond with his grandfather but illuminated shared lifestyle philosophies that have ultimately built a foundation for being a Senior Class Marshal.

“Every time I would go back home from Syracuse University, I would talk to him and he loved hearing all my stories and what I was doing on campus,” says Lewandowski. “As a dentist for 50 years, he impacted so many people with his quality of care but also with his humility and willingness to accept payment in the form of homemade cookies or plants for his garden. He didn’t care who you were, he just wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of others. He taught me that true joy in life comes from people. It’s the people at this University that make it so great. I learned that very early on as a first-year student within the Whitman Living Learning Community.”

A Whitman Leadership Scholar and member of the dean’s list, Lewandowski is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He has worked as a peer mentor and lead ambassador, showcasing the Whitman student experience for prospective and admitted students.

Throughout his undergraduate career his pursuit of experiential learning has propelled him into countless opportunities offered by Syracuse University. Weaving together hands on experience in venture capital, consulting, content marketing and private equity, Lewandowski’s internships have spanned Triangle Insights Group, 5Point Venture Partners and Blue Star Innovation Partners.

Helping student entrepreneurs and working to spark student interest in entrepreneurship, Lewandowski has spent much of his time immersed in the University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Additional highlights include his participation in the Couri Hatchery Business Incubator, where he has served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and as an Entrepreneurship Fellow. Expanding into content creation, he has been published in Poets&Quants, “Syracuse Stories: How I Helped Launch The First Academic Center Dedicated to the Creator Economy,” and Ecology Prime, “The Future of Upstate New York.”

“Syracuse University gave me a platform to be who I want to be,” says Lewandowski. During his undergraduate career Lewandowski has showcased where his academic rigor meets real-world impact. He has worked to help launch the new Center for the Creator Economy and has further harnessed his entrepreneurial spirit by starting two businesses. Clique Sports is a digital platform focusing on connecting college athletes with professional athletes regarding guidance and mentorship, and WM Media is focused on adding DJ and photography services to local events.

“To me, being Orange is about the people—making an impact on the lives of others to help them achieve their goals,” says Lewandowski. “Syracuse University is a place where new ideas are encouraged and innovation is supported. There are big changes approaching the University and as the Class of 2027 we can become agents of change and leave our mark, which is quite a special opportunity.”

Alyssa Limjuco

Alyssa Limjuco may have joined the Orange community from Silver Spring, Maryland, but she grew up in a military family, which meant moving between different places and school systems. These experiences quickly taught her how to adapt and understand different spaces and people, a skillset rooted in community building and empathy, that she has strengthened throughout each of her undergraduate experiences.

“I try to lead with empathy, stay open-minded and be someone who helps bridge gaps between groups,” says Limjuco. “Being selected as a Senior Class Marshal felt like recognition of a lifelong learning process. Not just the end result of my undergraduate experience but each time it has taken and will take, to get comfortable, to find my voice and to become someone who contributes meaningfully across different spaces while also fostering connections.”

As a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Limjuco is a dual major in film and sociology. Her dedication to academic excellence is quickly realized through multiple scholarships alongside membership in the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, being a Renée Crown University Honors Scholar and never missing a dean’s list placement.

As an Honors Academic Enhancement Awards recipient, studying abroad in Bologna, Italy, become possible. During this time she immersed herself in experiential learning weaving together classes that explored film history, visual strategy and preproduction planning, alongside Cinema Ritrovato, the world’s leading festival of restored cinema. Professional development highlights also include serving as the communications manager for the OrangeReels Film Festival and producing viral digital content as the Project FreeFall video editor.

“What Syracuse University gave me was permission to explore fully and commit deeply. Receiving honors and merit-based scholarships, including support to study abroad, affirmed that interdisciplinary work was not only possible here but valued,” says Limjuco.

Limjuco’s involvement spans widely as an active member of communities both on and off campus. On campus she has helped to connect veterans and military families with relevant support programs through the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, she serves as the National Panhellenic Conference vice president of communications, as an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, a VPA peer coach, a Shaw Center STEM literacy tutor, OTTOthon team captain and as president of the Boxing Club. Globally, she amplifies the mission of Habitat for Humanity International, as video production and editing intern and as a volunteer for Habitat’s Women Build, a program that builds stronger and safer communities.

“The legacy I hope to leave is one of connection, demonstrating that involvement across disciplines, identities and roles strengthens a campus rather than divides it. I hope to be remembered as someone who embraced the full breadth of Syracuse University, someone who led with intention, while believing and supporting through intentional actions, that the University is at its best when students are encouraged to bring all parts of themselves into the spaces they serve.”

Before the start of the Spring 2026 semester, members of the Syracuse University chapter of Global Medical Brigades (GMB), a registered student organization (RSO), traveled to Panama with a shared goal of providing essential medical care and conduct community health research in rural areas.

The expedition offered 37 students a unique opportunity for experiential learning, cultural immersion and leadership development outside the traditional classroom setting.

A Global Effort for Local Impact

Global Medical Brigades is a student-led organization dedicated to providing sustainable health care to under-resourced communities abroad. By mobilizing student volunteers and health care professionals, the chapter works to improve health outcomes and empower local communities through education and medical assistance.

“The Syracuse University chapter of GMB is part of a larger international movement that has facilitated over 1.5 million patient consultations globally over the past 20 years,” says Keona Bukhari-Adams ’27, the newly elected president of the chapter.

During the week-long brigade, students assisted health care professionals in treating over 250 community members who face significant barriers to medical access.

“Global Medical Brigades is a small part of a much larger global effort to assist rural communities with extremely low physician densities,” Bukhari-Adams says. “It has reshaped my understanding of culture and solidarity in ways that challenge traditional perceptions of what it means to live a life of wealth.”

Community-Driven Fundraising

To finance the mission, 37 student volunteers raised a total of $90,000, each with a $2,430 donation goal. Through local partnerships and personal advocacy, students engaged the Syracuse community to fund trip costs and essential medical supplies.

Becky Roby ’26, the chapter’s vice president, raised $2,030, while Ava Mastalir ’28, the vice president of membership and outreach, raised $2,500 through outreach to family and friends.

“This experience alone made me want to fundraise and participate in our next brigade,” Roby says. “Every trip is special in its own way and I was grateful that I was able to have another experience in Panama.”

On campus, the organization hosted several benefit nights where a portion of the proceeds supported the trip, including events at Chipotle, luv handlz and Purple Banana.

Clinical Care, Field Research and Community Engagement

The trip focused on clinical support and patient care. Students took vitals, assisted doctors in dental extractions for children and helped treat older patients who had not received physical checkups in years.

Students also participated in public health research and spent an entire day conducting community health surveys. This research involved interviewing local women about menstrual and sexual health to understand existing education gaps.

Participants sharpened their professional skills by navigating language barriers and learning local dialects to better console and educate patients. The brigade also worked with local leaders to ensure that disease prevention and hygiene education would have a lasting benefit for the community long after the students departed.

“The primary skill I learned in Panama was how to interact with patients who were nervous or confused, and how to care for them even with the challenge of a language barrier,” Mastalir says.

Leadership Opportunities and Friendships

The experience also served as a catalyst for student leadership on campus. Many participants, motivated by previous trips to Guatemala, utilized the Panama brigade to further their commitment to global health. Roby says the trip provides “hands-on experience in global health and service that cannot be replicated in a classroom.”

Beyond clinical experience, the brigade fostered a strong sense of community among the students themselves. For students considering future brigades, participants emphasize the value of stepping outside one’s comfort zone.

“I loved the friendships I built during the trip, and we still constantly stay in touch,” Roby says. “Being part of something so meaningful created a strong sense of community and belonging for me on campus.”

The Syracuse University Global Medical Brigades chapter continues to welcome students of all majors who are interested in global experiences and meaningful service.

Story by Kate Jackson ’26, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Spectrum News and the Newhouse School of Public Communications are launching a dynamic partnership that will provide students with hands-on experiences and professional development opportunities in journalism and media production.

The new initiative reinforces the Newhouse School’s commitment to working with newsrooms on innovative ways to support local news. Student-produced content will enhance Spectrum News coverage across the country and provide viewers with a look at top issues from the perspective of Newhouse student journalists.

“This collaboration brings real-world experience to the classroom and underscores our commitment to fostering the next generation of journalists,” says Mike Bair, executive vice president of Spectrum Networks. “We’re supporting students as they embark on their journalism careers and providing a pathway to create a sustainable future for local news, supported by these talented emerging reporters.”

Bair and Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato announced the joint initiative March 23 at the Toner Prizes Celebration in Washington, D.C., an event that honors the best political reporting. More than 40 Spectrum News journalists and executives then traveled to Newhouse for a March 26 panel discussion about the initiative, followed by about a dozen programs to help students better understand the challenges and opportunities of local newsrooms.

Sessions covered topics including investigative journalism, sports reporting, data analytics and building social media brands. Newhouse students also had the exclusive opportunity for reel and resume reviews with members of the Spectrum News team.

As part of the broader initiative, Spectrum News journalists will collaborate with Newhouse faculty to teach production and investigative journalism classes in Syracuse. Students will also have the opportunity to take part in an internship program that would place them in newsrooms across the country.

Organizers are also planning a distinctive field study program that will provide students the chance to report on significant events like the 2026 midterms from Washington, D.C., and coverage in Los Angeles of Major League Baseball and the 2028 Olympics.

“This unprecedented partnership with such a respected media platform will blaze a new trail in how news organizations and universities can work together to serve local communities,” Lodato says.

As part of the initiative, student journalism will be showcased across Spectrum News social media channels, along with web and mobile platforms, starting in the fall.

“Experiential learning has always been at the heart of a Newhouse education,” Lodato says. “This collaboration, which places our students alongside some of the best journalists in the business while reporting for real audiences, is exactly the kind of transformative opportunity that defines Newhouse’s legacy of excellence in journalism education.”

Students will produce local news coverage and an issues-based magazine show for Spectrum News networks, and student reporting will contribute to the Syracuse network’s daily on-air sports coverage. Additional content will be produced as the partnership develops, providing local student perspectives on the important issues of the day to Spectrum News viewers across the country.

“We are building a mutually beneficial partnership with the Newhouse School that supports both the professional development of emerging journalists and our recruiting efforts for Spectrum News,” says Paul Marchand, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Spectrum. “Many Syracuse University alumni have gone on to become leaders and journalists at Spectrum News, and this collaboration will deepen those connections while helping us identify and nurture new talent for our newsrooms.”

When Tyler Neary ’27and Orion Goodman ’27 scattered flyers across campus last spring advertising a new AI club, they saw a critical need: students needed to be included in conversations about a technology that would fundamentally reshape their futures.

“AI was at the point where it could help people in every single major, in every single profession, in every single job,” says Neary, a civil engineering major who co-founded United AI with Goodman, a biomedical engineering major, both in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). “We realized this was no longer just a computer science thing.”

What started as a room of 10 people has grown into United AI, a recognized student organization (RSO) with more than 100 members representing every single school and college and most majors. Since its fall semester launch, the club’s focus has been democratizing AI literacy and ensuring students from all disciplines have a seat at the table as this technology transforms society.

The group will host a Universitywide AI Summit on Saturday, April 25, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, featuring industry speakers, demonstrations and faculty research showcases.

Why Students Need Leadership in AI Development

For Goodman, the urgency became clear watching rapid AI development. “When I’m going through college, watching AI capabilities escalate, it can be disempowering—and I figured my peers may be feeling the same way,” he says. “It felt threatening because there’s a small group of people making decisions about how the technology is being used, and others feel like they’re being left behind.”

That sense of being sidelined drove the co-founders to create what Neary describes as an empowerment space. “Something that we say a lot in the club is: don’t get used by AI, use AI to your benefit,” he says. “We’re the ones who are going into the workforce leading the charge and determining how we will use this technology now and into the future.”

The message resonated. Within weeks of tabling at campus events, students from ECS, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Whitman School of Management and the College of Visual and Performing Arts were showing up to meetings, eager to understand how AI would affect their fields and futures.

Bringing Humanities and STEM Into Conversation

When Alex Kahn ’27, a junior studying citizenship and civic engagement and political philosophy in the Maxwell School | College of Arts and Sciences, discovered United AI, he wasn’t looking for coding or technical skills, but was compelled by the policy implications of AI that were dominating news headlines. “AI was in every story, across every industry, and it felt like there was no escaping it and how it will affect you,” Kahn says.

As United AI’s recruitment director last fall, Kahn became instrumental in broadening the organization beyond its engineering roots. His approach focused on relevance rather than technical expertise. The interdisciplinary composition has transformed conversations within the club.

“Having people from different majors and disciplines means having that understanding that everyone’s mind works differently,” Kahn says. “The people who are writing code are not thinking the same way as the person majoring in fine arts, and having that creativity along with those technical skills, you’re able to build and think much differently.”

Goodman appreciates what non-engineering perspectives bring to the table. “As conversations around AI progressed, I began asking, ‘Where are the artists? Where are the policymakers? Where are the humanities majors?’” he says. “A lot of the population was not behind building this technology and still isn’t—but how do we provide a space for them to learn and join the conversation?”

From Concept to Creation: Student Projects Take Shape

United AI goes beyond theoretical discussion to hands-on application. Through four-week project cycles, students receive funding, access to premium AI tools and mentorship to develop their ideas.

Paige Siciliano ’29, a computer engineering major, led a second-place winning project during her first semester on campus. Her team’s AI-powered schedule builder, still under development, helps students manage their time by generating personalized daily plans based on individual learning styles, fixed commitments and flexible tasks.

For Siciliano and her teammates—Neha Redda ’29 and Ria Yagielski ’29—the project provided more than AI experience. “It really helped us find a way into the community of Syracuse, and it helped us feel like we belonged,” she says.

Building Community Around Shared Curiosity

Beyond projects and programs, United AI has cultivated what Kahn describes as “a school of thought on campus.” During a debate night last semester, members discussed everything from business applications to environmental impacts to personal usage philosophy, with some participants there simply to understand the technology rather than use it. “Being surrounded by club members and in this community of lifelong learners, we focus our educational efforts to not just learn the technical side, but also on practical application,” Kahn says.

Siciliano emphasizes the club’s welcoming atmosphere. “We came in as first-semester freshmen, two weeks into school. It didn’t matter if we had no background knowledge in AI or all the knowledge in the world—they create an atmosphere that makes you want to learn about it and continue to grow.”

To join United AI, visit the club’s website. To learn more, follow the organization on Instagram or LinkedIn.