Dear Alumni, Families and Friends:

As we close out 2025 and look ahead to the new year, I find myself reflecting on what makes this college extraordinary—and it always comes back to you. The impact Arts and Sciences alumni are making across every field reminds us daily why our work matters and inspires our vision for the future.

This holiday season, I'm filled with gratitude for this community and genuine excitement about what's ahead. In January, I'll be sharing our new Academic Strategic Plan—a bold vision developed over the past year with faculty, our alumni board and University leadership that will shape the next chapter of the College of Arts and Sciences.

If it's been a while since you've been engaged with the College of Arts and Sciences, this is the moment to reconnect. Something significant is happening here, and it's going to change what it means to be part of this college.

Without revealing too much, I can tell you this: we've identified four interconnected areas where A&S has both the depth of expertise and breadth of perspective to make real impact on the world's most urgent challenges. These pillars will focus our extraordinary faculty talent and the energy of more than 5,000 students in ways that build on our legacy while meeting this moment.

Why does this matter to you? Because an Arts and Sciences degree from Syracuse has always meant something distinctive. Our graduates don't just understand complex problems; they solve them. You've proven that for generations across every sector and industry. This strategic plan honors that legacy while ensuring the next generation of A&S graduates leaves campus even better equipped with the critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative skills that are becoming more valuable than ever, particularly as artificial intelligence transforms how we work and amplifies what makes us distinctly human.

Here's just a glimpse of what's happening right now:

• Nature-Inspired Solutions - Faculty and students at our BioInspired Institute are harnessing cellular biomechanics as a new approach to cancer, asthma and other conditions resistant to traditional medicine.
• Award-Winning Storytelling - Creative writing faculty won the 2025 National Book Award while mentoring the next generation of writers exploring morality in turbulent times.
• Community-Engaged Humanities - Faculty and students are partnering with 50+ Syracuse organizations to address mass incarceration, climate resilience and educational equity.

The year ahead will bring changes as we sharpen our focus on strategic priorities. Like all leading universities, we'll be thoughtfully reviewing our academic portfolio to ensure our programs align with where students and the world are heading, allowing us to invest resources where they'll have the greatest impact.

I can't wait to share our strategic plan with you in January. Watch for it and know that your continued connection to this college means everything as we move forward together.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with possibility.

With gratitude,

Behzad Mortazavi
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences