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.

How your online habits and information are really used in a data-privacy obsessed world

You’ve probably heard news stories and government hearings about data privacy. People are concerned about the information that’s gathered about their online activity, shopping and search habits, and even personal data. Products are marketed guaranteeing to stop any digital snooping about you.

On this episode of “Newhouse Impact,” Beth Egan, an associate professor of advertising, takes a deep dive into how advertisers use such information to target messages to those most likely to buy their products or services. She also warns the cancellation of all online data could severely limit accessibility of information on the internet – since those ad dollars pay for a lot of the content most people expect to get for free. Egan also shares concerns about government efforts to limit data gathering and use as being ill informed.

Egan has a Ted Talk, “Why Data Sharing is Important & how the Internet Works Without It,” to inform people further about online data, why you see certain ads online and how few businesses really know want to know your identity.

Newhouse in the News

Makana Chock, Communications

• What’s the recipe for Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies? Small towns, mystery men and baked goods. (Yahoo! Entertainment)

Joel Kaplan, Magazine, News and Digital Journalism

• MSNBC duo faces backlash over ‘Hitler’ comments and Trump meeting (CHCH)
• Forced sale of InfoWars to The Onion ‘a great marriage,’ says expert (CBC)

Margaret Talev, Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship

• Killing of Hamas leader roils busy week in presidential politics (“Here & Now” WBUR (Boston))
• Uncomfortable Nikki Haley backers weigh their options with Election Day looming (NBC News)
• A house divided: How two generations of Black men with opposing political views live under the same roof (NBC News)

Robert Thompson, Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture

• Not even Taylor Swift could help Kamala Harris secure the presidency. Here’s why (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Netflix and Lifetime Ask: What if Christmas Movies Were Sexy? (The New York Times-subscription required)
• ‘Wicked’ isn’t just a movie, it’s a lifestyle: How merchandise connects fans with fantasy (Yahoo! Entertainment)

Roy Gutterman, Magazine, News and Digital Journalism

• Future of Alex Jones’ Infowars in hands of bidders at bankruptcy auction (NBC News)
• The Wickliffe Middle School shooting at 30: Roy S. Gutterman (Cleveland.com)

Bill Werde, Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries

• YMC Special Episode (Your Morning Podcast)

Charisse L’Pree, Communications

• Understanding the American Dream with the “Make America Dream” project (WSYR)

Beth Egan, Advertising

• What forcing Google to sell Chrome could mean (AFP)

Q&A: Julia Terruso ’11, National Political Reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer

As a national political reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Julia Terruso ’11 spent most of the past year covering the presidential election campaign—a rewarding but demanding endeavor given Pennsylvania’s status as a battleground state.  

“This was the busiest, craziest election cycle—and just year— I’ve ever had as reporter. It was a privilege to have a front seat to history, and to have my state be so central to everything,” said Terruso, a graduate of the journalism program. “But it was so exhausting.” 

One of about seven reporters on the politics team in 2024, Terruso said she and her colleagues traveled to close to 70 cities or towns around Pennsylvania in the last six months alone before the November election.  

“National attention is always good, because it pushes especially regional papers like the Inquirer to step their game up even more … we don’t want to be outperformed on our home turf,” she said. “And I’m really proud of the work we did.”  

Part of the Inquirer team that also won the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Political Reporting, Terruso returns to Newhouse on Tuesday to join other 2024 Toner Prize winners at the annual Toner Lecture at Hergenhan Auditorium. Here, she answers questions about the award-winning work and her career path after Newhouse.

Tell us more about the series that won a Toner Prize. 

Before the presidential election consumed my life, there was a very important election in Philadelphia, which was to elect the 100th mayor of the city. Huge credit to our City Hall bureau, which was part of that election coverage. We really wanted to cover the election from all angles. One angle was that in 100 mayors, Philadelphia had never elected a woman. 

So, there were a number of women who ran and really exploring why that was, who these women are and the issues that were most important to voters. We actually did a poll with a nonprofit that was just asking Philadelphians what issues mattered the most to them. And I think in election coverage, you often see the horse race, and we did a lot of that too, but the issue coverage, I think, was really key, because we were able to identify [that] crime was a big issue for a lot of voters, quality of life, and then you saw kind of how the candidates campaigned in Philadelphia.  

Is there a particular class or professor that influenced you at Newhouse? 

Despite my current job, when I was in college, I had no interest in politics. I found it kind of dull. … But in (a political reporting class with Charlotte Grimes, professor emerita of journalism), she really stressed how everything coincides with politics. How you can write a sports story that deals with politics, you can write a food story that deals with politics— everything is entwined in it, and I think that got me more interested in political reporting and thinking about political reporting a little differently.  

I loved my whole experience, and, you know, really credit it with my career. 

Do you have any advice that you can share with students who want to cover politics? 

Experience is key, wherever you can get it …  I work for a very traditional publication that has internships, but there are a lot of other places where, you can go and intern, whether it’s on Capitol Hill in D.C. or state capital reporting. And if there are specific topics that you’re interested in, becoming a bit of an expert (on those topics) is always a good and  smart thing to do. 

Any last tips you’d like to share with Newhouse students? 

Enjoy and soak up as much as you can out of the experience that you have on campus. … For me, it was only four years, but I still am such good friends with so many people from Syracuse. Those memories are just so vivid and in my mind, so enjoy and work hard. 

2024 Student Entrepreneur Impact Prize Winners

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad) announced the winners of the 2024 Impact Prize competition for social entrepreneurship, held on Nov. 13 at Bird Library.

Student teams pitched their respective social impact ventures for a chance to win a total of $15,000 in prizes, supported by generous donations from Libraries’ donors. This year’s winners are:

• 1^st Place: $6,000 awarded to Elizabeth Paulin ’24 (College of Arts and Sciences) of Paulin Capital.
• 2^nd place: $4,500 awarded to Jordan Pierre ’23, G’24 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), founder of Voice.
• 3^rd place: $3,000 awarded to Olutosin Alabi G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech.
• Runner-Ups: $500 each awarded to Ava Lubkemann ’27 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), founder of ReVamped; Alie Savane ’25 (Arts and Sciences), founder of Beta Kola; and Dylan Bardsley ’26 (Whitman School) and Mark Leaf ’27 (Engineering and Computer Science), founders of Clarity.

Newhouse School’s Real Chemistry Emerging Insights Lab Releases 2023-2024 Fluency Report

The Newhouse School’s Real Chemistry Emerging Insights Lab (EIL) is excited to announce the release of its signature study, “The 2023-2024 Fluency Report: Mental Health.” The EIL specializes in analytics, artificial intelligence and digital media for various communication purposes. 

“Our goal with this year’s Fluency Report was to deepen our understanding of how mis/disinformation impacts mental health trends across generations,” said Jason Davis, a research professor and co-director of the Real Chemistry Emerging Insights Lab. “By examining the unique challenges and factors influencing each age group, the report provides valuable insights that can guide more effective communication strategies tailored to the needs of diverse generational audiences.”  

During the 2023-2024 academic year three separate studies were conducted through the lab, exploring various intersections of mental health, media and generational impact. Each study focused on unique aspects of these relationships, offering detailed analyses and valuable insights into their respective areas of research. 

The team, which included student researchers led by Davis and fellow researchers and faculty members Hua Jiang and Regina Luttrell, studied the effects of mental health on different U.S. generational groups in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the intersection of U.S. politics.  

“Working with students is crucial to the success of our initiatives,” said Luttrell, senior associate dean and co-director of the lab. “Engaging students in projects like the Fluency Report not only enriches their educational experience but also ensures our work is grounded in diverse viewpoints and forward-thinking solutions. Their fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and dedication bring invaluable energy and creativity to our research.” 

That research focuses on three generational cohorts, Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964), Generation X (1965-1980) and Generation Z (1997-2012), to explore the impact of mental health post-pandemic and in the context of the U.S. 2020 election year, as well as the upcoming U.S. presidential election in fall 2024. 

Grad School is Unexpected  

Grad school is unexpected. When I came to Syracuse, I had never lived away from home. Having gone to college three blocks away from my house, I didn’t have to worry about paying for laundry or missing my bed, because I could go home whenever I wanted and still be near my classes. It was the best of both worlds – being independent and having that safety net. I quickly realized that it’s a lot of responsibility to take care of myself, stay on top of my school work, have two jobs, keep in touch with my friends and visit my family as much as I can. I’ve learned so much about myself, like how I enjoy going to bed early and waking up early, especially with the reward of a beautiful sunrise. I’m okay with spending time by myself, especially if I get to catch up on my favorite shows and reading books. 

Grad school is living in Syracuse for four months and still feeling like every day is brand new. During bootcamp, the magazine, news and digital program had a vey regimented schedule. I would get on the bus at 8:04 every morning and come to Newhouse for class. We’d have a lunch break between 12 and 1 p.m., and resume class for the next four hours. On Mondays and Tuesdays we had the same class and Thursdays and Fridays we’d have another. Wednesdays came with a much needed end time earlier than 5 p.m. We did this for six weeks, yet every day we learned something new, we pitched a new idea or revised existing stories. On the weekends, I’d go to the gym, sleep in or explore nature, especially Green Lakes State Park. For one of my stories, I even attended Shakespeare in the Park’s production of “West Side Story.” 

Grad school is setting 100 alarms a day. I came to Newhouse thinking I was really organized and had everything figured out. I had that only partially wrong, because I just got more creative with my organizational methods. Now, well into my second semester, I’m fully reliant on doing what my alarms tell me to do, whether that be to get out of bed or leave for class. I have perfectly timed alarms in anticipation that I’m going to snooze them, especially the one that tells me to get out of bed. People told me to prepare for the seasonal depression, but it wasn’t until our first break was in sight that I realized how much I needed it. Most of our professors have noticed the burnout creeping in, and are attuned to when we are stressed and look like we haven’t slept. 

Grad school is having friends even when I said I wasn’t going to make any. I thought being in journalism school meant that I would be surrounded by my competition, but the more time I spend with my cohort, I realized that I had nothing to be worried about. My cohort is made up of my friends and people who understand me more than anything. Every time we share our work in class or someone gets published, it’s a shared moment of joy. 

Grad school is full of surprises, and I’m just along for the ride. 

Fall Abroad: Exclusive Programs and Opportunities Students Can’t Miss

It’s almost time to apply for Syracuse Abroad’s fall 2025 study abroad programs. Learn more about what students can expect during a fall semester abroad.

Exclusive Fall-Only Programs

The fall semester provides unique study abroad opportunities for students in various academic disciplines and degree plans. Programs like Exploring Central Europe, Engineering in Strasbourg and Spanish Immersion in Santiago are specifically designed for the fall semester. Filled with immersive learning experiences, built-in program travel and unique courses, the fall is an ideal time to explore opportunities abroad.

The Student Perspective

Sophia Moore ’25, who is studying television, radio and film in the Newhouse School while minoring in Spanish, spent the Fall 2023 semester in Santiago, Chile. Interested in improving her Spanish and learning about Chilean culture, Moore entered the semester with an open mind and was eager to learn more about Latin American culture while absorbing the Spanish language around her.

From embarking on the program’s iconic Signature Seminar in Buenos Aires to meeting new friends and classmates, Moore’s semester abroad got off to a good start. “Buenos Aires, Santiago, and all the other locations I visited while abroad were some of the most stunning, culturally rich places I’ve ever visited, and that in itself was enough to excite me for the semester,” Moore says.

While studying at local universities, friendships were formed in culturally enriching courses. With travel to Patagonia, Cusco, Peru and Montevideo, Moore’s semester was filled with new cities, new friendships, new cultures and new connections. “My semester in Santiago was life-changing. The city itself is modern, clean and well-connected. I look back fondly on my mornings spent commuting to school and feeling like a local,” Moore says.

Newhouse Associate Professor Anthony Adornato Named Fulbright Specialist to Kosovo 

The BDJ department chair, Adornato will travel in summer 2025 to the southeast European country for the nearly three-week Fulbright Specialist assignment. He will train staff at Radio Television of Kosovo in new trends in media and communication.  

The Specialist Program, which is part of the larger Fulbright Program, was established in 2001 by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is designed to provide opportunities for short-term academic collaboration (two to six weeks) for faculty and professionals from the United States.  

Previously, Adornato was named a Fulbright Scholar in 2020 and spent a semester teaching and conducting research at universities in Milan. Adornato explored the impact of mobile and social media on journalism and journalism education in Italy.  

Newhouse Impact: Fall Symposium Set for Dec. 6; Research and Creative Activity Updates

The next Newhouse Impact Symposium will take place Friday, Dec. 6. Held in the fall and spring each year, the symposium showcases and celebrates the school’s wide range of student and faculty research and creative activities.

The Newhouse School’s Office of Research and Creative Activity sponsors the symposium. Visit the event listing for more information, including a list of presenters.

Newhouse Impact Podcast

A collaboration between WAER and the Newhouse School, the podcast provides another platform to share the research and creative work of students, faculty and staff across a range of topics in media and communications. Recent episodes include:

• “How concerned should you be about AI-generated content in media and communications?” Faculty guests: Jason Davis and RC Concepción.
• “Extended Reality: What are we seeing in immersive media and what is it doing to us?” Faculty guest: Makana Chock.
• “Women’s opportunities in sports media: On the rise?” Faculty guest: Olivia Stomski.

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Recent accolades, highlights and notes

Jon Glass co-wrote a book “Occupancy 250: Fans, Bands and Fried Chicken: The Stories of Einstein A Go-Go.”

Arien Rozelle, along with several Newhouse students, hosted a panel discussion at the PRSA Northeast District conference.

Jason Davis talked on a podcast about developing tools to detect what’s real and what’s fake when it comes to content posted online and on social media.

Nick Bowman and Dan Pacheco are part of the interdisciplinary team assisting with a project that engages refugee and immigrant youth in immersive STEM storytelling.

Nausheen Husain led a data journalism project that investigates the expansion of secretive units in the federal prison system.  

Anthony Adornato was named a Fulbright Specialist to train journalists in Kosovo on best practices for reporting across platforms.

Brad Horn wrote an article on global anti-doping.

Newhouse School faculty members and doctoral students are participating in the National Communication Association convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Bryce Whitwam was featured on the podcast “Sinica.”

Doug Barrett’s monograph, “Experimenting the Human: Art, Music, and the Contemporary Posthuman,” was reviewed in the peer-reviewed journal Music & Letters.

The ElectionGraph project at the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship released findings on negative ads on Facebook and Instagram.

Roy Gutterman, director of the Tully Center for Free Speech, was the featured speaker at Finger Lakes Community Colleege for the Oct. 23 presentation, “Free Speech and Title VI: Implications for Higher Education Institutions.”

Jason Davis discussed fake news headlines in an CBS News article.

‘Surprise!’ Newhouse Alumni Release 2nd Independent Feature Film

For their next film, Newhouse alumni Rosie Grace and Nate Hapke focused on a surprise. 

Graduates of the television, radio and film (TRF) program in 2014, Grace and Hapke couldn’t wait to get to their next project after debuting their first feature, “Two Dash One One,” in 2022.   

“We’re not people who wait for the next opportunity,” said Hapke, an Emmy Award-winning director and filmmaker. “We make our own opportunities.”  

That ambition resulted in their second feature, “Surprise!,” which was acquired by Freestyle Digital Media and released on Aug. 13, 2024. The film tells the story of a surprise birthday party-that’s actually an engagement party-that gets repeatedly and hilariously derailed by the attendees. Hapke directed, produced, wrote and acted in the film; Grace wrote and produced. 

“Surprise!” is the second feature film released by their independent production company small/TALL Productions, and they’re currently in production on their third feature film, “We’re Bad at This.”

A TRF 235 course at Newhouse brought Hapke and Grace together, and a Newhouse LA study away semester—Hapke attended in 2012 and Grace in 2013—was instrumental in helping set them up for success in their filmmaking careers, Grace said. The foundational lessons—whether it was production scheduling techniques courtesy of Newhouse LA director Robin Howard, screenwriting or how the film industry functions—stick with Grace to this day.

Those skills came in handy during “Surprise!,” which takes on a more lighthearted tone than “Two Dash One One.” In searching for a story for “Surprise!”, Hapke and Grace looked towards their personal lives for inspiration. The duo, who were dating at the time of filming (and are now married), said they felt the pressure of engagement and marriage from the people around them. They channeled those dynamics into their screenplay.  

“The whole movie is about communication, which means we have miscommunication, which leads to so much humor and drama for the story,” Grace said. 

With a story in place, the script and cast for “Surprise!” came about organically. Much like “Two Dash One One,” the production team was overflowing with Syracuse University and Newhouse School alumni, including their frequent collaborator and TRF program alumnus Nicholas Ferreiro ’15, the film’s editor and director of photography.

“Nick and I have been working together since I was a sophomore [at Syracuse] and he was a freshman,” Hapke said. “It’s amazing to think back to when we were first in that Newhouse classroom [for an extracurricular,] and all these people have a shared interest and desire, but we don’t necessarily have the skill set. So let’s learn the skill set together, and here we are 13 years later. ” 

And more than a decade later, Hapke still enjoys the hurdles that sometimes come with independent filmmaking.

“I love the challenge of pushing the boulder up the hill because I would rather do [that] and fail, then not do because I was scared of failing,” he said. 

Those challenges included the “Surprise!” production shutting down for a few months due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests; Hapke and Grace faced similar struggles with their film “Two Dash One One,” which was written and shot during the pandemic. 

The key to navigating the challenge was “really making sure everybody’s bought in and communicating what the stakes are,” Hapke said. Once the team was on the same page about best practices and pre-production, they moved forward with “Surprise!”

 Hapke said he hopes that the drive that he and Grace have as independent filmmakers inspire Newhouse students to create their own opportunities.

“Making a short film is a lot of work, but you don’t make it in a day,” he said. “You start today. You pick your shooting date and you break it up into a million pieces and you figure out ‘what can I do today to start that ball rolling up the hill?’” 

Added Grace, “Make something, have the experience of creating, and get to walk away knowing you did it.” 

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“Surprise!” is available for viewing on AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV, Dish Network and Sling TV, Vubiquity, Hoopla, Amazon, Apple TV,  Microsoft (Xbox), Google Play, and YouTube Movies. The DVD is now available via Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com, Walmart.com, and barnesandnoble.com.