Dear Orange Friends,
As we kicked off the academic year and the observation of the University’s 150th anniversary, we committed to a goal of asking our students, faculty and staff to donate 15,000 hours of service to our community. I am proud to say that that goal was met and surpassed during the fall semester. Now, we want to double our impact by logging an additional 15,000 hours this semester.
Dear Orange Friends,
This week, my wife, Ruth, and I welcomed a special group of international students into our home for dinner. These students are from countries affected by the federal government’s travel ban. Ruth invited a lot of additional students at the last minute, because of news reports that the administration may extend the policy as soon as next week to additional countries that may include: Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania. We have students from all of these countries except Sudan.
Dear Orange Friends,
We are proud and grateful here at the University to have been part of the recent launch of the ACC Network, which has debuted in more than 35 million homes this fall. All of our athletic teams have received significant national exposure through the network, and our students in several schools and colleges have been getting daily hands-on experience in producing content, including live broadcasts.
Dear Orange Friends,
Syracuse University students and faculty are working across disciplines on path-breaking biotechnology research. This includes medical devices that aren’t limited by the possibility of infection. It includes new treatments that specifically target disease, so that broad-spectrum antibiotics and chemotherapy are a thing of the past. And it includes heart valves or replacement joints that can dynamically adapt their structure to a body’s needs.
Dear Orange Friends:
Lots of people visiting campus this summer have commented that, despite all the construction going on, the place has never looked better. This is because of the incredible good work of a great team in Campus Facilities, Administration and Services. The place looks good in part because the team has been paying attention to the details, such as restoring Lincoln’s statue in front of the Maxwell School, the Hendricks Chapel steps and the cupolas atop Crouse College.
Dear Orange Friends,
Recently, I wrote this opinion essay for U.S. News & World Report about veterans in higher education. I hope you will enjoy reading it.
Dear Orange Friends,
Syracuse University’s 150th anniversary begins this summer. I am writing today to give you a preview of a small portion of the events planned for our yearlong sesquicentennial celebration. Starting with Welcome Week in August, Syracuse University will provide opportunities throughout the year to study and understand our past, present and future.
Dear Orange Friends:
I heard a student’s story during Commencement that I would like to share. This student’s story struck me as a tremendous example of the power of determination, the lessons that international students can teach us, and the ways that a Syracuse University education can have impact on individuals, communities and—ultimately—the world.
Dear Orange Friends:
Like so many in our Orange community, I watched with concern and dismay all weekend as horrific hate crimes were committed in Pittsburgh, where 11 Jewish congregants were killed and many injured at a peaceful house of worship. I felt similar despair late last night, when I learned that two African-Americans were slain in an apparent hate crime while in a grocery store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky.
Dear Orange Friends:
Ruth and I have been adopted by a new dog. She is a rescue and is now seven months old; we think she is a Terrier/German Shepherd mix. I’ve attached a picture.