Campaign News

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.

Philanthropy that Empowers Students to Succeed in STEM

When Ed Mitzen ’88 graduated from Syracuse University, he could never have imagined that he would one day own a multimillion-dollar company and employ hundreds of people. But the man who dreams big—and achieves those dreams—also never forgot his humble roots. Maybe that’s why his company’s philosophy is all about leveling the playing field—a philosophy that also guides his philanthropy, including a recent $1 million gift to Syracuse University as part of the Forever Orange campaign.

Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University Raises $1B

Less than 20 months after the public launch of a historic giving campaign with the ambitious goal of raising $1.5 billion, Syracuse University today announced it has reached the $1 billion milestone. The funds raised as part of Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University will fuel research, faculty recruitment, world-class teaching and learning, expanded financial aid and immersion programs, a powerhouse athletics program, entrepreneurship, innovation and more for generations to come.

Couple Loved Syracuse University and Embraced Maxwell School Mission

“My parents literally grew up with nothing. Their own parents were poor immigrants from Ukraine and Bessarabia—an area that is now Moldova and part of Ukraine,” says Mitch Katz ’88, of his parents, Stanley ’54, G’56 and Cecilia Katz ’55. “The University is where they met, fell in love and began their life journey together, which took them all over the globe. The Maxwell School opened a window into that world for my dad.”

“My folks were proud of the Maxwell School’s mission of educating students about their responsibilities as citizens of the world and directing them to use their talents and success to provide opportunities to others,” says Mitch. And now, through the Katz’s recent $2 million gift to Syracuse University’s Forever Orange campaign, graduates of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs may be similarly inspired to make an impact on the world.

Helping Students Chase Their Dreams

Herbert L. Byrd Jr. G’75 and his wife, Beverly, are determined to help students overcome tough odds and achieve their dreams. The couple set up a $1 million bequest in their estate plan to establish the Herbert and Beverly Byrd Scholarship in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. A tribute to their son David, the scholarship was created with a preference to support Black students enrolled in Syracuse University’s engineering programs. Because the gift was created as part of the University’s Invest Syracuse initiative, the University created a second five-year scholarship that is currently active.

Painting the Globe Orange in a Virtual World

With more than 260,000 alumni living in 171 countries around the globe, the challenges posed by a global pandemic presented opportunities for those teams responsible for engaging alumni in programs and events.

Martin Bandier ’62 to Establish Marquee Scholarship Program for Students Pursuing Careers in the Music Industry

Legendary music publishing executive and Life Trustee Martin Bandier ’62 has made a substantial gift to establish the most prestigious scholarship program available to students aspiring to careers in the music industry.

The gift, the latest in support of Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University’s $1.5 billion goal, will support the creation of The Martin Bandier Scholarship. The scholarship will provide critical financial support for students from underrepresented populations who are enrolled in the Bandier Program in Recording and Entertainment Industries in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Bandier founded the program in 2006.

Philanthropic Spirit that Never Loses Sight of the Goal

Brett Jefferson ’88 likes to cite the book titled “David and Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell, when reflecting on life’s challenges that confronted him as a boy. The book explores the power of the underdog and the role of adversity in shaping our lives. Jefferson’s recent pledge of $2.5 million to the Syracuse University Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Endowed Fund and the Athletics Framework pays tribute to the program that shaped this “underdog” and kept him on a path to personal and professional success.

Inspired by Student-Athletes to Put Even More ‘Skin in the Game’

John Wildhack ’80 uses the word “connective tissue” to describe the ties that bind him and his family to Syracuse University. “It’s an incredibly unusual place that has been part of my family since the day I was born, with a passion for the Orange community that has persisted through the generations,” he says. His father, sister, brother and nephews all attended. His young son Tommy has his sights set on Syracuse. And that connective tissue grew even stronger this year, with a $1 million pledge from John and his wife, Amy, to the Athletics Framework supporting the future of the athletics program.