Class of 2020 Commencement events to be held Sept. 17-19
Syracuse University will host a Commencement ceremony—delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and other celebratory events for the Class of 2020 during the weekend of Sept. 17–19.
Commencement will be held Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Stadium. This University-wide ceremony, where Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud will formally confer degrees, is for all undergraduate, graduate and doctoral candidates. Doors open at 8 a.m.
Following Commencement, all 2020 Newhouse graduates and their families are invited to join Dean Mark J. Lodato and the faculty and staff for a celebratory reception. The event will include a dean’s welcome, recognition of participating graduates and an opportunity to reconnect with faculty. A precise time and location will be announced soon; stay tuned for details.
For more information about Commencement activities for the Class of 2020, see the event listing.
Chris Bolt Named WAER Professional-in-Residence
Veteran broadcaster transitions from GM role, reinforces station’s dedication as training ground for student journalists.
Chris Bolt has been named professional-in-residence at WAER, marking a new chapter in the award-winning journalist’s three-plus decade career at the public radio station.
The move reinforces WAER’s longtime commitment to serve as a training ground for Syracuse University student broadcasters. Bolt has served in multiple roles at the station, including the past three years as general manager, when he worked to deepen the station’s ties to Newhouse after WAER officially became part of the school in 2021.
Bolt started his new position on July 1. He holds a master’s in broadcast journalism from Newhouse and started his public radio career as a student intern at WAER before moving into a reporter/producer role.
“Chris is ideally suited to serve as professional-in-residence,” Dean Mark J. Lodato said. “He has trained and mentored hundreds of students and remains committed to guiding the next generation of journalists while continuing to provide impactful coverage of Central New York.”
A search will take place for a new GM. As part of the transition, Joe Lee, former WAER general manager and director, returned to the station this month as interim GM.
Newhouse Creative Advertising Students Among 15 Worldwide Winners in 2025 Communication Arts Student Showcase
The “Plastic is a Weapon” poster campaign for Ocean Conservancy was created by student art director Chon Kei Chan.
Two Newhouse School creative advertising students won in the prestigious 2025 Communication Arts Student Showcase this spring. They were among only 15 winners globally and were the only two creative advertising students to win.
Each year, the Communication Arts magazine March/April edition recognizes outstanding student work in advertising, design, photography and illustration from around the world. Winners are selected for “pushing boundaries with innovative work,” according to the Communication Arts Student Showcase competition.
Student art directors Chon Kei Chan and Olivia Valcourt were honored for their exceptional first-ever advertising campaigns, created in their foundational Portfolio I and II courses.
“Wild Within,” a clever print ad campaign for Taste of the Wild, was created by student art director Chon Kei Chan.
Chan’s award-winning work includes “Plastic is a Weapon” for Ocean Conservancy, “Wild Within” for Taste of the Wild and “Born Wild, Drives Wilder” for Jeep. These campaigns were created in Portfolio I taught by Mel White, a professor of practice.
“Breaking Point,” a striking print ad campaign for The Trevor Project, was created by student art director Olivia Valcourt.
Valcourt was recognized for “Breaking Point” for The Trevor Project and “Bounce Back” for Casetify, both created in Portfolio I taught by White, as well as “World in Focus” for Warby Parker from Portfolio II taught by Kevin O’Neill, a professor of practice.
“Bounce Back,” a funny print ad campaign for Casetify, created by student art director Olivia Valcourt.
Chan and Valcourt’s award-winning campaigns were featured in the Communication Arts March/April 2025 print magazine. These honors demonstrate the strength of Newhouse creative advertising students’ work right from their first creative advertising courses.
Written by Molly Egan, senior in the creative advertising track at Newhouse.
Newhouse Creative Advertising Students Dominate at 2025 Clio Awards
On May 13, the 2025 Clio Awards recognized Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with five awards: two Silver Clios, two Bronze Clios and one Shortlist Clio. These wins earned Newhouse’s creative advertising program global recognition in one of the most competitive competitions in the world. Winning a Clio is a huge deal. For creative advertising students, it is career-launching, and for industry professionals, it’s career-making. The Clio Awards is one of the top advertising competitions in the world.
Newhouse creative advertising students broke new ground back in 2020, winning five Clios for the first time ever in one year. And this year, they did it again.
“Break the Sound Barrier” for Spotify Awarded Two Silver and Two Bronze Clio Awards
Leading the way was “Break the Sound Barrier,” a student digital AI idea for Spotify that makes music streaming more inclusive for the deaf community. This AI idea was created by art director Marlana Bianchi and copywriter Molly Egan, in Portfolio III taught by professor of practice Mel White. This idea won two Silver Clios and two Bronze Clios across four separate competition categories.
It won a Silver Clio Award in Student Digital/Mobile: Artificial Intelligence, where it was one of only three winners worldwide. It also won a Silver Clio Award in Student Innovation: Digital/Mobile, standing as one of six winners globally.
The campaign won a Bronze Clio Award in Student Branded Entertainment & Content: Digital/Mobile, again as one of three winners worldwide, plus a second Bronze Clio Award in Student Digital/Mobile: Apps, as one of three global winners.
“Ease of Assembly” for Ikea Awarded a Shortlist Clio Award
“Ease of Assembly” campaign for Ikea.
A Shortlist Clio Award went to “Ease of Assembly,” a student print ad campaign for Ikea by copywriter Avery Schildhaus. It was created in Portfolio II taught by professor of practice Kevin O’Neill and won a Shortlist Clio Award in the Student Print category, as one of just four winners worldwide.
Newhouse’s wins at this year’s 2025 Clio Awards reaffirms the world-class creative talent coming out of the creative advertising program.
Written by Molly Egan, a senior in the creative advertising track at the Newhouse School.
The Racket About Padel: Newhouse Students Partner with Global Media Firm to Track Rise of Sport
Report cites Padel as fastest-growing sport in U.S.
Why all the racket about Padel? Newhouse School students and faculty collaborated with a global communications consulting firm to release a report about the emerging sport’s rapid rise in popularity.
The report, “Celebrities, Community, Content, and Competition: Padel’s Meteoric Rise in U.S. Popularity,” identifies key reasons behind the explosive growth of Padel, a racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash.
Factors include more ways to stream Padel tournaments, an increase in community-focused clubs and the influence of celebrity enthusiasts like actress Eva Longoria and Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter.
“Padel in the U.S. won’t be just a sport—it will be a cultural phenomenon,” said Ben Nichols, founder of the firm, Padel 22. “We’re seeing the same kind of momentum that once launched pickleball, but this time with a broader lifestyle appeal.”
Baneet Bains ’25, a master’s graduate in public relations, led the Newhouse students that produced the report through the Padel 22 partnership. They were supervised by Brad Horn, professor of practice of public relations and associate dean for strategic initiatives at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Said Nichols: “As a former PR student myself, a big part of my mission is to support students in finding their way into the sport industry at a time when Padel is growing rapidly across the country.”
“To have been able to partner with one of the very best public relations programs in the United States has been an honor,” he added. “I’m thrilled Newhouse has been able to blaze the trail in the college sector by producing this industry-first report.”
What is Padel and Why is it Booming?
Padel is typically played in pairs, as doubles, on an enclosed court that is about one-third the size of a tennis court. In Padel, balls can be played off the walls.
There is some social media-fueled debate about how to pronounce the word. Nichols said the correct pronunciation is “PA-dell” (like “paddle”), though some players in the United States call it “pah-DEL.”
Either way, it’s considered the world’s fastest-growing sport, the report said. In the United States, Padel has gained traction through celebrity endorsements, increased exposure through digital content and investment in elite clubs and tournaments.
According to the Padel report released Wednesday, U.S. court construction skyrocketed from fewer than 30 in 2020 to more than 600 in 2024, with projections of 30,000 by 2030.
“Media growth and engagement serves as one of the key drivers of the success of emerging sports across the U.S.,” said Olivia Stomski, director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center. “The report shows that a combination of celebrity influence, community activation and content creation are all key drivers in Padel’s emergence.”
Hands-on Learning at the Newhouse School
For the Newhouse team, the collaboration offered students a valuable opportunity to work on a high-profile project about an emerging sports trend, the first research of its kind about Padel in the United States.
“Providing students with hands-on learning opportunities in global sport communications is central to the Newhouse approach of integrating classroom knowledge with real-world impact,” Horn said. “This academic-industry intersection defines the value of a Newhouse educational experience, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, thanks to our industry partners and their desire to help our students succeed.”
Bains, who graduated in May, led a team that ranged from first-year to graduate students.
“This project was the ultimate hands-on experience of what we’ve been learning in the classroom,” she said, “working together in a setting that mimicked a professional environment.”
Immersion Trip Gives Newhouse Students In-Depth Look at Sports Media Industry
Newhouse online master’s in communications students came to campus in June for their summer 2025 immersion program, where they received a behind-the-scenes look at the sports media industry. The two-day program centered around storytelling through the lens of sport. From sports documentaries to live reporting, students dove into the process and art behind careers in sports communications, focusing on current trends in sports media, how content is created for Syracuse Athletics and other sports entities, and where college athletics is headed.
During the program, students networked, toured athletic facilities and the Newhouse Sports Media Center, listened to guest speakers, and worked on a project that required strategy and creativity.
(All photos courtesy of Kelly Lux)
Newhouse School Names 2025 Emerging Technologies Faculty Fellows
The Newhouse School at Syracuse University has announced its 2025 Emerging Technologies Faculty Fellows, recognizing three faculty members whose innovative projects explore the intersection of media, technology and education. Nick Bowman, Adam Peruta and Bruce Strong will present their work to Newhouse colleagues at a workshop during the academic year.
Now in its second year, the fellowship program encourages research and innovative teaching initiatives that integrate generative artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies into the curriculum. The goal is to empower students to use such tools in productive and responsible ways, reinforcing Newhouse’s reputation as a forward-thinking academic community.
Nick Bowman
Associate Professor, Communications
Director, Mass Communications Ph.D. program
Director, Media Studies master’s program
Bowman will focus on how generative AI can enhance both the teaching and understanding of statistical analysis in media studies. His project explores two key areas: using AI to support instruction in basic and advanced statistical techniques; and leveraging AI to critically evaluate statistical claims in media and communication scholarship.
Adam Peruta
Associate Professor, Magazine, News and Digital Journalism
Director, Advanced Media Management master’s program
Peruta will examine the world of synthetic influencers — AI-generated personas engineered for social media marketing — and teaching students the AI tools and platforms used to build them. His initiative also explores automating social media content assets to understand how these systems reshape brand engagement and audience interaction.
Bruce Strong
Associate Professor, Visual Communications
The Alexia Endowed Chair
Strong will use the fellowship to bridge traditional image-making with emerging digital tools. He aims to equip students with creative and technical skills while also fostering critical thinking about authorship, truth and originality in visual media. By expanding students’ understanding of these cutting-edge tools and encouraging collaborative exploration, Strong hopes to help them find their voices in a rapidly evolving creative landscape.
Last year, Newhouse named Rebecca Ortiz, Milton Santiago, Erika Schneider and Jason Webb as the inaugural recipients of the fellowship program.
The Intersection of Art and Advocacy
Kate Warren is a CNY Pride leader, and instructor at the Newhouse School, who blends creativity, education and activism.
One of the first things that Kate Warren G’24 did when she took over the CNY Pride Parade and Festival was to figure out how to sustain excellence. And then try to improve on it.
“CNY Pride was already doing great work,” recalls the self-styled photographic artist, who has co-led festivities with Carin Wolfe G’17, G’18 since 2021. “We just shifted the parade lineup from a logistical exercise to a festive block party.”
No small feat to be sure. Converting the 40-year-old parade’s staging lot into a vibrant street party is a labor of love for Warren. A point of pride, so to speak. Among her and Wolfe’s many responsibilities are vendor recruitment, programming, logistics and operations.
The duo also is part of an intrepid team of volunteers, including CNY Pride’s board of directors, that provides year-round programming, advocacy and support to the area’s LGBTQIA+ community.
“CNY Pride reflects our perseverance and resilience,” says Warren, noting the “juxtaposition of identities” in New York’s Rust Belt Region, including a particularly large working-class queer community.
For this reason, Warren considers the CNY Pride Parade and Festival a “call to action.” “I want to help create a safer, more welcoming world for everyone,” she adds.
A Palpable Influence
Syracuse—the city and the university—is like a second home to Warren, who resides in New York’s Hudson Valley. She commutes to campus weekly to teach photography in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
It was Warren’s desire to teach that compelled her to apply for VPA’s M.F.A. program in art photography. Honing her classroom skills while working alongside such prominent professors as Doug DuBois, Laura Heyman and Susannah Sayler was a dream come true.
“Kate was an enthusiastic and motivated teaching assistant, always brimming with ideas and passion,” DuBois recalls. He credits the success of this year’s graduating class of B.F.A. art photography majors, in part, to her “palpable influence and enthusiasm.”
Warren takes the praise in stride, insisting that teaching is a reciprocal process—a two-way street where students should be treated as “future colleagues.”
“On the first day of class, I tell my students that I’m here to give them knowledge, information and support—tools they can use regardless of their career path,” says the VPA part-time instructor, whose impactful photography has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair. “Teaching is an extension of my personal values.”
Kicking Off a New Year: Newhouse Graduate Program Boot Camp
A new class arrived Monday for the start of the Newhouse School’s graduate program boot camp, a six-week summer session that kicks off the academic year and provides incoming students with the tools to succeed.
The typical boot camp structure consists of classes all day each weekday, with schedules fluctuating depending on the program. The summer 2025 boot camp began with a welcome session, followed by introductory program meetings and time to socialize with fellow graduate students.
(All photos by RC Concepción)
Bandier Master’s Program Launches
The incoming students include the inaugural class of the Bandier Master’s in Music Business program. First announced last year, the program expands on the success of the prestigious undergraduate program in the recording and entertainment industries.
The new master’s program offers students the same top features that set apart the undergraduate program, delivering hands-on experiences, training for cutting-edge skills needed to make students job-ready upon graduation and access to the large and loyal networks of Bandier and Newhouse alumni. Billboard magazine has never published its list of the world’s top music business schools without including the Bandier program.
New Associate Dean for Professional Graduate Programs
The introductory session Monday also served as handoff of sorts as veteran journalism faculty member Joel Kaplan (above, left) introduced Carolyn Hedges, the new associate dean for professional graduate programs. Kaplan, who previously served in that role, is taking over this year as director of the Goldring Arts, Style and Culture Journalism master’s program.
“Getting to Know You” Time
Boot camp does build in some time for fun and bonding, too. Events this summer include a trip to the zoo and a Syracuse Mets minor league baseball game, plus an ice cream social at the end of July.
Above left, professor Michael Schoonmaker (left) speaks to the television, radio and film master’s students. Above right, Bridget Lichtinger, director of the Career Development Center (left), Dean Mark Lodato and CDC assistant director Melissa Figueroa listen to remarks during the welcome session.
Thinking Strategically: Opportunities Abound for Newhouse Students Interested in Advertising, PR
Newhouse students interested in a career in strategic communications can work with real-world clients from around the country without leaving Central New York. And they’ll gain that hands-on experience working in firms run by student leaders eager to help others learn and grow.
Advertising students can work at TNH, the largest student-run ad agency in the nation. For public relations students, Hill Communications has established itself as a top student-run firm since launching two decades ago. Learn more about these opportunities that help students apply the skills they’re learning in the classroom to use helping real clients build their brand and strengthen their reputation.
TNH
“The reason I started [TNH] was because we have no advertising industry in Syracuse,” said Ed Russell, associate professor and chair of the advertising department. “Every spring semester we had students that wanted to do internships, but we had nowhere to send them. We started this just so they would have the ability to gain that experience.”
Russell serves in an advising role to the student leadership, which this past spring included Cole Meredith ’25, TNH president. He described TNH’s mission as an avenue to give students practical experience in the advertising world and a better sense of life at an ad agency.
Taking on real-world clients from Central New York and around the country, TNH is structured like a professional ad agency. Notable clients have included Bacardi, Nissan, Doritos and Tide. Each client has a tangible problem that needs to be solved, Meredith said, and students work hard to find a solution.
“We do everything we can to produce the client work on a timely schedule, so each week progresses towards a final presentation,” Meredith said.
During a typical week, student teams meet and work to develop pitches and campaigns for clients. Students engage in strategic planning, audience analysis, media planning and more. Through these partnerships, students make meaningful professional connections, meet deadlines, provide deliverables and gain practical experience.
Periodic LinkedIn workshops and alumni speaker panels also provide career-building skills and opportunities for mentorship.
“Every year that I’ve been part of TNH, I’ve met a whole new group of friends,” Meredith said. “Everybody is so happy to be there, and everyone wants to do the work, so you meet a lot of like-minded people, and it’s great to form those connections.”
Russell encourages all Syracuse students to join, regardless of discipline and experience. Every year, TNH continues to grow and open the door for Newhouse students to succeed in the world of advertising. He gives a lot of the credit to students like Meredith who have poured their time into TNH.
“When I retire soon, this is going to probably be my proudest accomplishment, and it’s not my accomplishment, it’s Cole’s,” Russell said.
Hill Communications
A student-run boutique public relations firm at the Newhouse School, Hill Communications was led in 2024-25 by Aviya Garg ’25, with professor of practice and department chair Anthony D’Angelo serving as faculty adviser.
Also known as “Hill Comm,” the firm is a “classic learn-by-doing exercise [where] you’re confronted with real client challenges or problems,” D’Angelo said. It’s up the Hill Comm “to come up with strategies that meet a need and then equip the strategies with the practical tools. It’s both the strategic thinking and the tactical development.”
Students can fill a variety of positions within Hill Comm, beginning as early as their first semester on campus. Members develop expertise in social media, press releases, content creation, media outreach and more, with many tasks overlapping with concepts students are learning in the classroom. They also expand their professional network, as reflected in the Spring 2025 semester’s alumni panel and networking event Hill Comm hosted with SUPRSSA and healthcare PR agency Chamberlain PR.
“This is exactly why we do what we do: Expose students to new and unexpected corners of the communications industry, helping them discover paths they may not have previously considered,” Garg said.
“Hill Comm makes you stand out in a number of ways, whether it’s deepening your impact with Newhouse, but also, if you want to apply for an internship or a job, this is great experience to have on your resumé and a great organization to be part of if you want to grow your relationship with other PR students,” Garg added.
One of Hill Comm’s clients is the Annietober 365 Foundation, which works to fund leukemia research while honoring Newhouse student Annie Eisner, who passed away from the disease in 2023. As giving back is another essential piece of Hill Comm’s mission, working with the foundation has been particularly inspiring for Garg.
“It’s been a really great collaboration to keep the memory of a fellow PR student alive and give back to a wider community to spread awareness on a really serious illness,” Garg said.
“This is exactly what I signed up to do,” she added. “How can we exercise our PR skills while making an impact?”
Alicia Hoppes is a rising sophomore visual communications student at the Newhouse School.
Newhouse in the News
Some recent media appearances or interviews by Newhouse School faculty, or stories about Newhouse programs and initiatives.
Anthony Adornato, Broadcast and Digital Journalism
- U.S. State Department Supports Journalist Training Program at RTK (RTK Live)
- RTK interview (YouTube)
Nina Brown, Communications
Joshua Darr, Communications
Roy Gutterman, Magazine, News and Digital Journalism
J. Christopher Hamilton, Television, Radio and Film
- Mayor Bass issues directive to bring film, TV production back to L.A. (KNX-FM (Los Angeles)
Joel Kaplan, Magazine, News and Digital Journalism
Farem Karimkhan, Advertising
Robert Thompson, Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture
- Taylor Swift, Blake Lively and why the internet is obsessed with ‘girl feuds’ (USA Today)
- Loretta Swit, Emmy-winning ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on ‘M.A.S.H.,’ dies at 87 (The Washington Post-subscription required)
Bill Werde, Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries
- After lengthy feud, Taylor Swift buys back masters for first six albums (The Washington Post-subscription required)