'Cuse Conversations

Student veteran Katrina Bradley ’27 has dealt with her fair share of adversity, but instead of letting those obstacles knock her down, Bradley chooses to embrace a positive, can-do attitude. Bradley has gone from working on helicopters asan armament specialist in the U.S. Air Force to studying social work in the School of Education. As she prepares to graduate in May, Bradley is focusedon helping others and plans to use the degree to either help fellow women service members who experienced trauma or support children who suffered trauma. Social work is the ideal career path for Bradley, who, since transitioning from active duty to civilian life, has studied nursing and worked as a medical assistant and an emergency medical technician before going back to school. “I’ve always been interested in helping others, and as I was [transitioning] out of the Air Force, I wanted to find a careerwhere I could give back,” says Bradley, a Syracuse native. “I’m planning to go for my master's degree and then hopefully get licensed. Eventually, I want to start up my own nonprofit organization.” Bradley comes from a long line of veterans in her family; her great-grandfather served in World War I, her grandfather served in World War II, her father served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and her brother served in the Air Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As she navigates the path to a bachelor’s degree, Bradley says she’s made the most ofthe opportunities afforded to her by the University, which has built a longstanding reputation as one of the best places for veterans. “I’m thankful for the veterans group and the different veterans organizations. If I reach out and ask for help in our group chat or have a problem, somebody's willing to speak up and help you with that,” Bradley says. “It's such a great community that I don't know what I would do without the veterans in the group. They've all been so helpful. We've got each other's backs when we need it.” On a Veterans Day-themed episode of the “’CuseConversations” podcast, Bradley reflects on the University’s commitment to veterans and military-connected students and shares why she loves being involved and giving back to her fellow veterans on campus.

Before Bryan Blair became Syracuse University’s 12th athletics director, he was a walk-on, an undersized nose tackle for the Wofford College football team who, through hard work and determination, became a starter heading into his junior year. Blair lost his job because he didn’t perform up to the coach’s expectations, but displaying a tenacity that would foreshadow his rise to prominence as one of college athletics’ most innovative leaders, Blair wound up reclaiming that starting role and was named a team captain for his senior season. “I’m really proud of that journey. So much of what I went through as a student-athlete is emblematic of where we're at today in college athletics, where you've got to find a way to yes,” says Blair, who started his new role on July 1. “You've gotto find a way to push through adversity and rally your teammates to do something nobody else thinks is possible. That’s very much our plight today.”Blair understands what it takes to position student-athletes, coaches and support staff for success. With a strong background in student-athlete development and revenue generation, Blair came to Syracuse University with a reputation as a builder of championship programs, a generator of innovative revenue strategies and a believer in the transformative power of higher education.As the Orange’s fall sports teams ramp up play, Blair wants members of the campus, alumni and Central New York communities to know that, since arriving on campus, he has been working tirelessly to help Syracuse Athletics “get ourswagger back.” “This block S means something across this country. We are a big deal. We've got to embrace being a big deal and performlike the big deal that we are,” Blair says. “Among our student-athletes, coaches and support staff there is a shared alignment and understanding of what Syracuse Athletics looks like at its best and how it benefits this broadercommunity and this campus. Syracuse Athletics is special.”On the latest “’Cuse Conversations” podcast, Blair outlines his vision for the department, reflects on his journey to SyracuseUniversity, shares what success will look like this year and explains how people can get involved with One Orange Alliance, the Name, Image and Likeness marketing agency serving all 20 varsity sports.

We all do it countless times a day. Tap our smartphones, fire up our laptops and tablets and log into social media to see if we have any new notifications. the average American reaches for their digital device approximately 186 times each day, according to a recent study of 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Our screens have become a vital part of our day-to-day lives, but sometimes, having access to technology can cause us to not be present in our interactions.“The effects are pervasively harmful in terms of their impact on how people relate to each other and how people make connections. Those real-life interactions with other people are what give us richness to our lives,” says Matt Mulvaney, undergraduate program director and associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in College of Arts and Sciences.“It is important that we become more mindful about and intentional about how we're using our technology, ensuring we have safer times and spaces where we do allow for that non-task specific use. But it's becoming difficult, especially in the classroom,” says Zahra Vahedi, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Psychology in A&S.On the latest “’Cuse Conversations” podcast, Mulvaney and Vahedi examine the complex roles our digital screens play in our lives and offer tips to reestablish a healthy relationship with our devices.

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, Maxwell School scholars are taking a fresh look at the big ideas that launched American democracy and why they still matter today.  This July 4 marks a milestone Independence Day: America’s Semiquincentennial, with celebrations nationwide reflecting on the country’s founding and its evolving democratic experiment. At Syracuse University, the Maxwell School ledthat reflection through USA@250, a free public lectureseries exploring U.S. history, politics and society from the Revolution to the present. All sessions are available on Maxwell’s YouTube channel.Maxwell faculty experts ⁠⁠Carol Faulkner⁠⁠, professor of history and senior associate dean, and ⁠⁠⁠Shana Gadarian⁠⁠⁠, professor of political science and associate dean for research, helped guide those conversations, connecting the founders’ aspirations to the challenges facing American democracy today.On this episode, Faulkner and Gadarian reflect on the enduring power of the Declaration of Independence, the debates that shaped the nation’s political identity, and why the questions the founders wrestled with still feel relevant today.

The blood-brain barrier is a tightly locked network of cells that protects and defends the brain from harmful substances and pathogens that could cause damage. While this barrier serves to protect our brains, in the case of finding cures for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the blood-brain barrier has been a big obstacle.  Enter research from Shikha Nangia, the Milton and Anne Stevenson endowed professor of biomedical and chemical engineering and department chair in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Working with undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students, the Nangia Research Lab uses theoretical and computational techniques to determine how to best enable the transport of drug molecules across the blood-brain barrier. Nangia’s research led to the creation of the first molecular model depicting what the blood-brain barrier looks like, which has proven helpful in identifying what can and what cannot pass through the narrow tunnel into the brain.Understanding that Alzheimer’s and cancer treatments are too large to pass through the blood-brain tunnel, Nangia’s group is advancing research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. On this episode, Nangia will explain the findings of her research, share how students help advance this work, discuss how the Interactive Biomaterials Research Experiences for Undergraduates site on campus prepares participants for successful careers in science and engineering, and explores her role as a Syracuse University Art Museum faculty fellow.

Black holes are among the most studied, but least understood cosmic phenomena for astrophysicists. These objects derive their name from the fact that nothing, including light, can escape the grasp of their immense gravitational field. College of Arts and Sciences physicist Eric Coughlin, who researches how stars are consumed by black holes, explains that black holes range in mass, with the smallest—comparable to our sun—forming from stellar evolution.Starting with hydrogen, massive stars burn through fuel in their cores through nuclear fusion. Between fusion stages, the core contracts, releasing gravitational energy that causes the star's outer layers to expand. This process progresses through increasingly heavier elements like helium and carbon until the star produces iron, at which point the fusion process halts.“The star can’t release any more energy through fusion, and all the pressure being generated from that energy release stops,” Coughlin says. “The core starts to collapse under its own self-gravity. That collapse continues until it forms a neutron star, which can ultimately collapse to a black hole.”Coughlin has examined black holes and tidal disruption events, one of the cosmos’ most extreme occurrences where the gravitational field of a supermassive black hole repeatedly tears apart or shreds a gigantic star. His team's groundbreaking research offers a rare glimpse into the feeding habits of a supermassive black hole using a predictive model to forecast when stars will be shredded and torn apart as it is spaghettified.Coughlin stopped by the "'Cuse Conversations" podcast to discuss the different types of black holes, how hungry black holes can shred distant stars and other cool secrets of thecosmos.

From building beds for children in need and making sandwiches for hungry neighbors to spreading holiday cheer through handwritten cards, hundreds of Syracuse University students give back to their community every year through their involvement with their Recognized Student Organizations.Now, it’s time to honor the passion of these student leaders through the Fall 2025 Student Organization Challenge, which awards valuable funds to the student groups with the most unique donors and the most social media interaction during October. Last year, the Syracuse University Volunteer Organization (SUVO) captured the Fall 2024 Challenge, while OrangeSeeds claimed the Spring 2025 Challenge. Every child should have access to a bed when they go to sleep. That's the driving force behind the SUVO's annual bed-building project. Student leaders like Ryan Edwards '26 have helped build 132 beds over the past two years, partnering with the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter to get them to Central New York children who need them.On Service Saturdays, Nolan Singh '28 and his OrangeSeeds peers partner with nonprofits like We Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach, the Salvation Army and the Nottingham. These efforts culminate in “The Big Event,” the University's largest student-run community service project.With the Fall 2025 Challenge in full swing, Edwards and Singh stopped by the "'Cuse Conversations" podcast to share why they give back, how volunteering has shaped them as leaders and why every student should volunteer.

Over the past 25 years, the world has witnessed the birth of the World Wide Web, the explosion of social media and the transformation of phones from push-button landlines to pocket-sized computers. The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to be the most transformative technological advancement yet, says Adam Peruta ’00, G’04, associate professor of magazine, news and digital journalism and program director of the Advanced Media Management master’s program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.“I think AI is underhyped,” Peruta says. “What we’re going through right now is maybe even more important and going to have more of an impact than the World Wide Web, social media and mobile phones.”In his research and teaching, Peruta explores issues around AI, including how AI that creates content will impact the future of media and how people working in media and communications must adapt to new technologies. Peruta stopped by the "'Cuse Conversations" podcast to discuss the state of AI, share helpful tips for using AI into our daily lives and explains what sets the University apart as a higher education leader in AI.

David B. Falk College of Sport Dean Jeremy Jordan looks at the academics of sport through four lenses: business, human performance, technology and community well-being. Innovation and invention drive all of those areas in this first-of-its-kind college to focus on sport-related disciplines. With the official launch of the new Falk College of Sport, Syracuse University became the first leading research institution in the country to offer a rigorous standalone college aimed at preparing students to drive innovation in and provide leadership for sport-related fields and industries.Jordan stopped by the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast to discuss the changes in Falk, how the college’s four areas of academic excellence will strengthen its reputation as a global leader and how a multifaceted approach will elevate sport across campus.

In this moving “‘Cuse Conversation,” Newhouse School graduate Erika Mahoney ’12 discusses her powerful new podcast, "Senseless." Mahoney, a former television and radio news reporter, shares her journey through trauma, grief, resilience and recovery and reflects on her decision that led a seasoned journalist to open up about her own story after her father was killed in the 2021 mass shooting at a Colorado grocery store.