As Syracuse University's largest and most academically diverse college, A&S is home to researchers working across the humanities, sciences and mathematics. That breadth enables students to engage in work aligned with their interests while encouraging collaborations that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. The result is an intellectual ecosystem where new ideas emerge at the intersections of fields and where complex questions can be approached from multiple perspectives.

The evening showcased projects aligned with the four pillars of the College's ASP: Climate Change and the Environment; Health and Well-Being; Culture, Community and Change; and Innovative Technologies. Together, these areas reflect a strategic effort to leverage the College's strengths to address some of the world's most pressing challenges while creating meaningful opportunities for student engagement and discovery.

Those opportunities, and the research ecosystem that makes them possible, were central themes of the evening, according to Gregory Hoke, associate dean for creativity, scholarship and research in A&S.

"It is wonderful to bring together so many of our talented faculty and students for this event and to share their accomplishments with our alumni on the board," Hoke says. "Our faculty pour so much into their work advancing knowledge, enriching the student experience and helping strengthen Syracuse University's research enterprise. It’s an honor to host an event recognizing them."

For student attendee Kenna Cummings ’27, the event reflected one of the strengths of the A&S research environment: the chance for students to become active participants in discovery. As an undergraduate researcher in EES, Cummings says she initially had little understanding of what undergraduate research entailed, but quickly found a community eager to help students get involved. Faculty mentors and peers encouraged her to pursue research aligned with her interests, ultimately enabling her to jump into the science behind her passion for geothermal energy. That supportive environment has helped her thrive as a researcher, contributing to her selection as both a Goldwater Scholar and Astronaut Scholar.

“Contributing to research as an undergraduate has been such an unexpected joy in my college career,” Cummings says. “The department was incredibly supportive at every step of the process. I met with numerous potential advisors who were invested in helping me find research that was meaningful to me, which really exemplifies how committed the Earth sciences department is to student success.”

As a major driver of the University's R1 research designation from Carnegie, signifying high levels of research activity and expenditures, the College generates important scholarship that advances knowledge, attracts external funding and strengthens Syracuse's reputation as a leading research institution.

In remarks during the event, A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi credited the College community for creating the conditions that allow innovative research and scholarship to thrive.

"The work being celebrated tonight didn't happen because of the College of Arts and Sciences," Mortazavi said. "It happened because of you."

He emphasized that consequential research depends on a collective commitment to supporting discovery. "Great faculty work doesn't happen in isolation," Mortazavi said. "It requires support, investment, belief and the desire to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves."

In addition to remarks from Mortazavi, Jamie Winders, vice provost for faculty affairs, and Peter Vanable, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School, spoke about the vital role A&S plays in Syracuse University's research and educational landscape, noting the College's contributions to research, graduate education and interdisciplinary collaboration across campus.