Campaign News

’Cuse Athletics Fund Raises Record-Breaking $45M in 2022-23 to Support Syracuse Student-Athletes

The ’Cuse Athletics Fund (’CAF) raised $45 million in support of Syracuse University Athletics during the 2022-23 fiscal year, a 54% increase from last year’s second largest total and now marks the highest fundraising year for athletics in school history. The record-breaking generosity was made possible by 11,396 donors—the largest number of donors to support the program and only the second time ’CAF has eclipsed 10,000 total members.

Ed Pettinella G'76 and His Family Lend Their Leadership Support to Athletics Projects

Momentum continues to build around two of Syracuse Athletics' most exciting and transformational projects-the JMA Wireless Dome and the John A. Lally Athletics Complex. Today, those projects received a significant boost from Syracuse University Trustee Edward "Ed" Pettinella G'76 and his family, whose philanthropic investments in the future of Syracuse University are further supported by his service to his alma mater, has made a new $3 million gift to support the John A. Lally Athletics Complex and the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project.

This new commitment will support Phase 1 of the ongoing John A. Lally Athletics Complex project, which includes the construction of the One Team Olympic Sports Center and the Football Operations Center. These two facilities will combine to support all 600 student-athletes and include updated dining and nutrition spaces, locker rooms, and medical training and strength and conditioning facilities. Additionally, a portion of this commitment will support the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project and the construction of Miron Victory Court.

3rd Thonis Endowed Professorship Announced

On the drive from his home in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to his alma mater in Syracuse, New York, Michael G. "Mike" Thonis '72 says he counts rock formations, knows all their geological names and notices "as they suddenly become very dark and very mysterious." The highly successful business executive, financial advisor, philanthropist and Syracuse University life trustee remains passionate about geology and Earth science-his major as an undergraduate, and the focus of his most recent gift to the Forever Orange Campaign and the Faculty Excellence Program.

Thonis and his wife, Susan, recently gifted $1.34 million to establish the Thonis Family Professorship III of Earth Science. As part of the Faculty Excellence Program, the University contributes an additional $666,000 to the gift amount to fund the professorship. This is their third endowed professorship supporting the geosciences, though each recipient is distinctive in their research and teaching. This latest gift supports the work of Zunli Lu, professor of Earth and environmental sciences, who joined Syracuse University in 2011.

New Support for Transformational Experience at JMA Wireless Dome

James D. Kuhn '70, G'72 and his wife, Marjorie, have provided a substantial new commitment to support the Forever Orange Campaign for Syracuse University and Phase II of the multimillion-dollar, multi-year effort to reimagine the stadium experience. The gift creates a new premium field/courtside space within the JMA Wireless Dome and provides an upgraded fan experience for premium seat holders for all five Syracuse Athletics programs that compete in the facility.

Syracuse Athletics Cuts the Ribbon on New Entranceway

On February 17, in front of more than 100 esteemed donors, coaches, student-athletes and University leaders, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Svyerud, Director of Athletics John Wildhack '80 and lead donors John A. '82 and Laura Lally cut the ribbon to officially mark the opening of the John A. Lally Athletics Complex entranceway.

The first milestone in the ongoing multi-million-dollar, multi-year capital campaign to build a new home for the Orange will welcome all visitors to the John A. Lally Athletics Complex. When completed, it will stand as a state-of-the-art academic and athletics village serving all 20 Syracuse University teams and more than 600 student-athletes.

A Gift to Create Agents of Change in Visual Storytelling

When Xin Liu was awarded an Alexia grant more than 30 years ago, it accelerated her career in ways she could not have imagined as a child growing up in China. Today, with her extraordinary $2 million gift, Liu is ensuring that the spirit of The Alexia endures in perpetuity to inspire "agents of change" throughout the world. As co-founder and president of The Enlight Foundation, Liu has focused her philanthropy on projects and people who share a desire to create equal educational opportunities around the globe and nurture social entrepreneurs and change-makers.

Through the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, Syracuse University is providing an additional $1 million to enhance the impact of the Enlight Foundation's $2 million gift. The funding creates The Alexia Endowed Chair and provides continuous support for the grants, and for teaching, research, fellowships, programmatic and educational opportunities to inspire more impactful storytelling.

Jones Brothers Target New Football Operations Center With Gift to Syracuse Athletics

Years after making their presence felt on the gridiron, the Jones brothers are committed to impacting the Orange football program well into the future. Arthur ’09 and Chandler Jones ’15, who dominated the line of scrimmage for Syracuse from 2005 through 2011, are helping to position Syracuse Athletics—and every person who wears the Orange—for success for years to come. The brothers announced a seven-figure commitment in support of the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, a state-of-the-art academic and athletics village that will benefit more than 600 student-athletes. Their commitment will assist with construction of the new Football Operations Center at the Lally Athletics Complex.

A Transformative Gift for Syracuse Abroad Florence

In support of academic excellence and the University’s expansion as a global institution, Life Trustee Daniel D’Aniello ’68, H’20 and his wife, Gayle, are donating $10 million to significantly enhance the Syracuse Abroad Florence program. The D’Aniellos’ gift will expand opportunities for students, attract exceptional faculty and improve facilities in Florence, Italy. In honor of the couple’s gift, the program will be renamed the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence.

Investing in the Bedrock of Discovery: New Endowed Professorship in Quantum Science

Kathy Walters ’73 and her husband, Stan ’72, can look back over 50 years and easily track the impact Syracuse University had on their lives, but their newest gift to their alma mater looks far into the future, for generations to come. “We are investing in the people who do the research that will lead to discoveries that make our world a better place, even decades from now,” says Walters. “Great professors are generation-creators. They impact students and society over decades, even beyond their own lifetimes.”

The new gift establishes the Kathy and Stan Walters Endowed Professorship for Quantum Science to support the research, salary and teaching of a professor inside the physics department in the College of Arts and Sciences and to promote the study of quantum sciences. Because the gift is part of the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, the University amplifies the power of their philanthropy.

$5 Million Gift to John A. Lally Athletics Complex Honors the Winning and Giving Spirit of Floyd Little

As a member of the Syracuse University band, Howard “Howie” Phanstiel ’70, G’71, had an up-close view of the greatness of No. 44 Floyd Little ’67, H’16. From his seat on the sidelines, instrument in hand, Phanstiel vividly remembers the speed and determination Little displayed in carrying the football for the Orange. They were contemporaries as students who became friends later in life, bonded by their passion for their alma mater.

Now, Phanstiel and his wife, Louise Phanstiel, are paying tribute to the Syracuse University legend, pledging a $5 million gift to the Forever Orange campaign that will enhance the student-athlete experience in alignment with the vision of the $150 million fundraising initiative recently announced by the Department of Athletics. In recognition of the Phanstiels’ generosity, an atrium entryway commonly referred to as the Little Atrium will be named in honor of Little.

The Gift of a Professorship to Inspire Generations of Engaged Citizens

Reflecting on her student years at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Merle Goldberg Fabian ’59 credits her experience with “the most amazing group of professors” for inspiring her recent $3 million gift to establish an endowed professorship in citizenship and critical thinking. Fabian’s classes in citizenship, American literature and philosophy and a semester spent studying in Washington D.C. fed her interest in public affairs and the obligations of citizens to be knowledgeable and active participants in democracy.

Ensuring Success for Veterans and Their Families

This week the Syracuse University community came together to dedicate and formally open the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, and to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). At the dedication event, U.S. Navy veteran and Life Trustee Daniel D’Aniello ’68, H’20 and his wife, Gayle, announced a $30 million gift to secure the future and long-term success of the IVMF. The gift, which builds on the D’Aniello family’s $20 million gift in 2018 to help construct the NVRC, will support the creation of an endowment to provide annual operational support for the IVMF, ensuring it remains the nation’s leading academic institute focused on the concerns of America’s more than 20 million veterans and their families.

Making History and Exceeding Goals: What It Means to Be Forever Orange

Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is a clarion call “to show the world what Orange can do.” The response so far has been spirited and inspiring: Syracuse University has raised more in private philanthropy than at any other time in its history, surpassing $1.048 billion raised toward the $1.5 billion goal.

A Legacy Gift and New Institute to Advance Innovation in Life Sciences and Business

They have lived conservatively, which has allowed them to build an estate that achieves a shared dream—to help humanity for generations to come. Their recent gift to Syracuse University will do just that, advancing academic excellence and innovation in both the life sciences and business.

Gift to Newhouse Students: Providing Opportunities for the Curious

Opportunity is defined as a situation that makes it possible to do something you want to do. For Henrietta “Etta” Fielek ’70, G’77, the opportunity to attend her dream school—Syracuse University—was made possible by scholarship support and financial aid. Now, she’s ensuring that others have similar opportunities, especially those who are driven by the same kind of passionate curiosity that inspired her.