Syracuse University School of Education welcomes four new faculty members in fall 2025, bringing expertise in literacy and learning; inclusive teacher preparation and special education; counseling and counselor education; and K-12 educational leadership. “Our new faculty strengthen the School of Education’s research and teaching capacity in some of our core academic offerings—inclusive teacher preparation, mental […]
It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Syracuse University School of Education Advisory Board member Felicia Walker ’87, P’17. What started as a trip with friends to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania has become a commitment to build out and maintain a pre-school/kindergarten in a small village close to the city of Arusha, some 100 […]
“I know special education because I lived special education,” writes Carly Rosen ’14 on her website advocateforaction.org. At school, Rosen developed her own learning style, which, “along with having an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and later a 504 Plan to support me, had a meaningful impact that led to great success.” Rosen’s advocate was her […]
It started with trivia nights at the Inn Complete and a mutual fandom of Orange sports and grew into a life filled with Orange pride, campus milestones and a little one who thinks Otto the Orange runs the world. For Brianna G’20 and Kevin Shults G’20, Syracuse University isn’t just where they work—it’s where their […]
As point guard for the Orange women’s basketball team, Raquel-Ann “Roxi” Nurse McNabb ’98, G’99, P’25 was known for helping her teammates “make buckets”—a lot of buckets. The 1997 Syracuse University Athlete of the Year, two-time MVP, and three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star still ranks fifth in all-time career assists at Syracuse. Twenty-five years later, […]
Instructional design program alumnus Lawrence “Larry” Swiader ’89, G’93 has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, education, and technology—a path that’s taken him from the early days of analog editing as a student in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications to leading cutting-edge educational projects using artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality […]
The University’s first inclusive study abroad trip has redefined what inclusive higher education looks like, blending immersive cultural experiences with academic exploration of inclusive education across borders. This two-week program, held in June 2025, brought together students with and without intellectual disability, reflecting a commitment to making global education more inclusive and accessible to everyone. […]
Laura Rouse holds a Certificate of Advanced Study (2017) and Ed.D. (2022) in Educational Leadership from Syracuse University School of Education. Her doctoral dissertation—”Unveiling the Unmarked Implications for Culturally Responsive Educational Leadership”—explores the ways Whiteness exists in predominately White rural pre-K through grade 12 public education. In 2024, Rouse founded Supernal Insights LLC, an educational […]
NY teachers push for AI protections in the classroom (Spectrum News | July 3, 2025) At a recent rally in Ithaca, teachers called on state lawmakers to protect the uniquely human side of their profession. Many fear that without regulation, AI tools could replace core parts of their job — and damage the critical teacher-student […]
When the latest national trend toward challenging children’s books in community and school libraries came to her small Western Pennsylvania town, Morgan Meddings ’25 was shocked and dismayed, but not intimidated. An honors student and inclusive elementary major, Meddings channeled her energy into developing a school curriculum designed to defend challenged books. This project was […]
Fretting over fireworks: Dealing with sounds, sights and smells this Independence Day (Via Spectrum News | July 3, 2025) The Fourth of July celebrates America’s independence, usually with concerts, cookouts and, of course, fireworks. Fireworks are meant to be exciting and bring joy to viewers, but for some military veterans, the displays can trigger tough […]
In May 2025, Syracuse University School of Education said “farewell” to Nick Piato G’22 after three years as program coordinator for The SENSES Project, which seeks to increase sense of belonging for students through the use of music and podcast creation. SENSES is an initiative of the TRIO Student Support Services program, part of SOE’s […]
Carolyn Fernandes ’25 remembers walking out of an interview for a design internship that she ended up not getting. She wondered if fidgeting with her nails—a common, repetitive expression of her nervous energy every day—was misconstrued as a sign of not paying attention and a reason for her not getting the position. Fernandes is part […]
You could say that lacrosse is in Neal Powless’s blood. Powless G’08, the University ombuds, is a school counseling master’s program alum and a member of the Onondaga Nation Eel Clan. He is the son, grandson, and brother of legendary lacrosse players. Powless picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time at age 2. […]
Some officials say New York’s phone ban good for students (Spectrum News | June 5, 2025) It’s a new law that will impact K-12 students across the Empire State – internet-enabled devices won’t be allowed in schools from bell to bell. School districts are required to have a new written policy posted on their website […]
Holding a Ph.D. focusing on special education and teaching and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Disability Studies from Syracuse University School of Education, Katie Ducett G’22, G’23 is an assistant professor at SUNY-Cortland, a short drive south from Syracuse on Interstate 81. “The department I am a part of is called Foundations and Social […]
My Kindergarten Class Taught Me What’s Really at Stake in Mahmoud v. Taylor (The Nation | June 2, 2025) Twenty-five years ago, I was teaching kindergarten in Wisconsin. It was time for the annual unit on families. As any good early childhood teacher knows, when you teach a family unit, you need picture books that […]
The number of school districts considering banning cell phones during the school day is on the rise nationwide. At least eight states have banned smartphones in public school classrooms, while 28 states (including New York) have proposed a ban on student smartphone usage. Other states are exploring a variety of ways to limit cell phone […]
Maria Murray of The Reading League Earns State Honor (Syracuse Post-Standard | May 16, 2025) Maria Murray, president and CEO of The Reading League, has been named one of the 2025 Exceptional Women of Central New York, an annual award presented by New York State Assemblymember Pamela J. Hunter. Murray is among 10 women recognized […]
Lab THRIVE, short for The Health and Resilience Interdisciplinary collaboratiVE, is making significant strides in collegiate mental health research. Launched by an interdisciplinary Syracuse University team in 2023, the lab focuses on understanding the complex factors affecting college students’ adjustment to campus life, with an emphasis on both risk and protective factors that influence psychological […]
Why Amy Coney Barrett May Have Sat Out Huge Supreme Court Case (Newsweek | May 22, 2025) U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the lone jurist on the High Court who did not participate in a ruling that blocked creation of the first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in the nation. The resulting 4-4 […]
From quarter notes to the quarter finals! Out of the 200 quarter finalists in the Grammy Foundation’s 2026 Music Educator Award, no less than five are Syracuse University graduates. In the running for 2026 are: Erin L. Althen ’03, G’04, Westhill (Syracuse, NY) High School (Legacy Applicant) Laura H. Del Rosso ’17, G’18, Lower Manhattan […]
The Intelligence++ program is an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative among Syracuse University Libraries, the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education’s InclusiveU, which is housed in the School of Education, and the College of Visual and Performing Art’s School of Design. The program began as an interdisciplinary course (DES 400/600) that encourages students from across campus to […]
The end of the academic year is a time to celebrate scholarly and personal achievements, and as 2024-2025 concludes, Syracuse University School of Education proudly salutes graduate and undergraduate students who represent the best the School has to offer. That includes, for the second year in a row, the undergraduate winner of the coveted David […]
Syracuse University is honored to announce a generous $100,000 endowed scholarship from the Live Like Liam Foundation in support of the School of Education’s InclusiveU. This meaningful gift will expand access to the University’s flagship program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The scholarship was established in loving memory of Liam Zoghby, a cherished […]
Visionary philanthropist and innovative businessperson Judith Greenberg Seinfeld ’56, H’25 received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during Syracuse University’s 2025 Commencement exercises on May 11, at the JMA Wireless Dome. A leader in business and in service to others, Seinfeld has made extraordinary contributions to social causes, communities and the arts and has […]
A 2023 Selected Studies in Education (SSE) and Sociology double major, Rebecca (Luyao) Kang ‘23 is currently studying for an Education Policy master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania. During her SSE internship, Kang was a student consultant to the Partnership for Inclusive Education and Students Consulting on Education. Originally from China, in her home […]
Intercollegiate Athletic Advising and Support Certificate of Advanced Study graduate Michael Grace ’25, a defense/longstick midfielder on the Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team team, is among four players selected in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) draft, held on May 6, 2025. Grace, a USILA William C. Stiles Memorial Outstanding Defenseman Award winner while playing for […]
The cross-campus Intelligence++ initiative held its inclusive design showcase on April 29, 2025 in the Bird Library on the Syracuse University campus. A collaboration among Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse Libraries, the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) School of Design, and Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, Intelligence++ is an interdisciplinary initiative focused on […]
Between a frigid polar plunge in Oneida Lake, girl-powered workout sessions with Girl Gains and late nights at Orange After Dark, Syracuse University InclusiveU student Michaela Skye Mazur ’28 is never without something to do. As one of many participants in InclusiveU’s Peer2Peer program—which pairs InclusiveU students with peer partners from across campus to build […]
How the U.S. Betrayed International Students (TIME | April 29, 2025) Momodou Taal, a Cornell University international student who brought a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, didn’t appear for his March 25 court hearing in Syracuse, N.Y. The day before he filed the lawsuit, which requested an injunction on two of President Donald Trump’s executive orders for […]
Through a Syracuse University funded research project, undergraduate School of Education (SOE) seniors Denaysha Macklin ’25 and Emma Wareing ’25 are continuing research to investigate barriers women of color face in advancing from K-12 teachers to school leaders. The project—called “Pipeline to Educational Leadership Positions for Women of Color,” now in its fifth year—utilizes qualitative […]