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Thirty-five students have been chosen as the 2024-25 Syracuse University Remembrance Scholars. Of the 35 students named as scholars, 20 have participated in Syracuse Abroad programs.

The scholarships, now in their 35th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through Syracuse University who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

“Remembrance Scholars represent Syracuse University at its best through their academic achievements, their leadership skills and their contributions to the University,” says Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter. “They reflect the talent and promise of those students whose memories they honor. We are very proud to call them members of our University community.”

The Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars plan the Remembrance activities held at the University each year. The scholars will be recognized during a convocation in the fall.

The 2024-25 Syracuse Abroad alumni Remembrance Scholars, their hometowns, majors and schools and colleges are the following:

• Alba Aljiboury of Syracuse, New York, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), an information management and technology major in the School of Information Studies and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Madrid Summer Session, summer 2023
• Adam Baltaxe of Arlington, Virginia, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a Spanish major in A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Discovery Madrid, fall 2021; Santiago Center, fall 2023
• Tanner Boshart of Jackson, New Jersey, an economics major and history major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a finance major in the Whitman School of Management and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Strasbourg Center, fall 2023
• Danis Cammett of Washington, D.C., an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, applied data analytics major in the School of Information Studies, a member of the Crown Honors Program and a member of the University’s Army Reserve Officer Training Program; Strasbourg Center, spring 2023
• Natalie Dolenga of Lincolnshire, Illinois, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Madrid Center, spring 2024
• Charlotte Ebel of Urbana, Illinois, a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, a women’s and gender studies and German major in A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Managing Global Brands of Sport program, summer 2023
• Luke Elliott of Leesburg, Virginia, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School, a public relations major in the Newhouse School and a member of the Crown Honors Program; London Center, spring 2024
• Abigail Jones of Mashpee, Massachusetts, a public relations major in the Newhouse School, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; The European and Global Internship Program in Brussels, summer 2023
• Rajan Joshi of Dallas, Texas, an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Florence Center, spring 2024
• Sierra Kaplan of New York, New York, a health humanities major in A&S; a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Exploring Central Europe, fall 2023
• Sophia Moore of Burbank, California, a television, radio and film major in the Newhouse School, a sociology major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Santiago Center, fall 2023
• Mark Nzasi of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a neuroscience and psychology major in A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Discovery Madrid, fall 2021
• Jenna Poma of Queens, New York, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Florence Center, fall 2023
• Alekhya Rajasekaran of Visalia, California, a biotechnology major in A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Madrid Summer Session, summer 2023
• Olivia Reid of Richmond, California, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; London Center, spring 2024
• Yifan “Ivan” Shen of Shanghai, China, a student in the School of Architecture, a music history and cultures major in A&S, and a member of the Crown Honors Program; Florence and London Center, spring and fall 2023
• Joshua Spodek of Wayne, New Jersey, a history major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a social studies education major in the Maxwell School and the School of Education and a member of the Crown Honors Program; London Center, spring 2024
• Alyssa Sutherland of St. Louis, Missouri, a public health major in the Falk College; a women’s and gender studies major in A&S and a member of the Crown Honors Program; World Partner: SIT India: Public Health, Gender, and Sexuality, spring 2024
• Evelina Torres of Houston, Texas, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School and a member of the Crown Honors Program; and World Partner: DIS Copenhagen, spring 2024
• Leondra Tyler of Cicero, New York, a neuroscience and psychology major in A&S; World Partner: Yonsei University, spring 2023

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Twelve seniors have been named as the 2024 Syracuse University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. Six students are also Syracuse Abroad alumni.

The Syracuse University Scholars Selection Committee, a Universitywide faculty committee, selected the scholars using criteria that included coursework and academic achievement, independent research and creative work, evidence of intellectual growth or innovation in their disciplinary field, a personal statement and faculty letters of recommendation.

The 2024 Syracuse University Scholars Syracuse Abroad alumni are:

Alana Coffman, an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; World Partner: Amideast Area and Arabic Language Studies in Morocco Fall 2023

Mitchell Mazza, a psychology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Madrid Summer Session Summer 2021

Yasmin Nayrouz, an English and textual studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences, a public relations major in the Newhouse School and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; London Center Fall 2022

Mariana Pérez Lugo, a nutrition science major in the Falk College and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Madrid Center Spring 2023

Julius Rauch, a finance and entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises major in the Whitman School of Management; Madrid Summer Session Summer 2022

Iona Volynets, an international relations and history major in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Strasbourg Center Spring 2023

View all 2024 scholars

Syracuse University students who study abroad praise it as a life-changing experience. With Syracuse Abroad, experiential learning meets a powerful global network, allowing students to expand their personal and professional impact. “Going abroad and experiencing people, experiencing nations, experiencing countries, and experiencing cultures fundamentally alters who you are as a person, and it changes you for the better,” says Danis Cammett ’25 of his time in Strasbourg, France.

Along with Cammett, Kaden Warner ’24, who studied in London, England, and Callie Amill ’24, who studied in Madrid, Spain, gathered to share their experiences and insider tips for students thinking about studying abroad. They discussed several important issues, including housing, cost and budgeting, support and safety, academics, and why the fear of missing out dissipates as unique experiences overseas abound.

Watch video

The University is welcoming our Syracuse Abroad center directors to main campus at the end of this month from Florence, London, Madrid, Strasbourg, Santiago and Wroclaw/Central Europe. From Monday, March 25, through Friday, March 29, students, faculty and staff will have opportunities to meet the directors and student alumni for Coffee & Conversation sessions about the exciting programs, initiatives and experiences available at centers overseas.

Read more: Connections & Conversations with Center Directors

From early February to early March, Syracuse Madrid hosted four different weekend “mini-trips” to Barcelona! Around 50 students attended each of the weekend trips. The trips are part of the new one-credit Mapping Madrid CAS course, although the destination may change by semester, the first round of trips were to Barcelona, which is only a 3 hour train ride from Madrid.

After taking a bullet train to Barcelona Friday morning, the itinerary included a walk down Las Ramblas, the city’s iconic main boulevard, and a visit to the lively Boqueria Market. While in town, professors gave a tour of the gorgeous Gothic Quarter and the Cathedral of Barcelona, after which students enjoyed several hours of free time and a buffet dinner back at the hotel.

Saturday was jam-packed–a breakfast buffet at the hotel, a tour of the modernist architecture in the city center, a tour of Gaudí’s famous Casa Milà, and a visit to none other than the Sagrada Familía itself, all followed by some more free time.

On Sunday, students and staff visited the Barcelona Maritime Museum and took a boat from the port around the Mediterranean Sea, then boarded a bullet train back to Madrid in the evening.

Details and photos provided by Cat Braza, Syracuse Madrid Communications team

For the second consecutive year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Syracuse University a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. students. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Student Program cohort.

Discovery Madrid program alum Kiana Khoshnoud ’23 is currently engaged in an English teaching assistantship in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. She says her Fulbright experience has been life changing.

“Becoming an educator has brought so much challenge and joy into my life. Tajik students are incredibly respectful, and I have been able to connect with hundreds of students,” she says. “Moreover, on the weekends, I get to pursue one of my passions, horseback riding.”

Read more about Fulbright Scholars

Syracuse University students studying in France gain new insights into democracy while broadening their global perspectives.

Charlotte Bingham ’27 had never traveled outside the United States until last fall, when she enrolled at Syracuse Strasbourg in France, one of Syracuse University’s five study abroad centers. The first-year student wasted no time exploring the historic, diverse city, built on an island in the River Ill and straddling the French-German border.

In November, Bingham was one of 10 Syracuse students who, as part of their coursework for “Politics of the European Union” (PSC 405) and “European Human Rights” (PSC 429), had the rare opportunity to serve as official rapporteurs at the World Forum for Democracy. As notetakers, they reported on key discussion points at the three-day event, which was attended by representatives from more than 80 countries and focused on defending democracy and human rights.

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It is not every day that Syracuse University partners with an international organization representing more than 700 million people.

The Council of Europe and Syracuse University have announced a new agreement that strengthens and expands an existing relationship by providing internships for students studying abroad in Strasbourg, France, as well as research opportunities for students and faculty. 

This partnership adds internships for those studying in Strasbourg, France, as well as research opportunities for faculty and students interested in human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

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Alumnus, philanthropist and Life Trustee Daniel D’Aniello ’68, H’20 was recently celebrated by the city of Florence, Italy, for his dedication to the city and his support of the Syracuse Abroad program in Florence. In a ceremony hosted by the mayor of Florence, D’Aniello was presented with the keys to the city. University leadership, students, faculty and staff and local dignitaries attended the ceremony on Oct. 19 in the city’s town hall, Palazzo Vecchio.

“We are honored to open this ceremony in Palazzo Vecchio to give you the keys of the city, which is a sign of our friendship—our way to say to you thank you for your love and for your passion for our city, for our community,” Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, said.

D’Aniello, an alumnus of the Florence abroad program, has recalled his time in Florence as some of the most memorable of his college career and his recent support of the program and future generations of students reflects his deep connection.

Read the full story

On the evening of Monday, November 13, Syracuse University Madrid hosted a student-led symposium titled “Transcultural Approach to the Sustainable Development Goals: A Personal Journey Abroad.” Roughly two-thirds of the fall 2023 student cohort presented projects on behalf of five different classes in the economics, Spanish, psychology, earth science, and business departments. 

“One of the best parts of living in Europe as a student is the unique opportunity to look first-hand into different cultures, governments, and ways of thinking, and being able to share that was incredible,” says Michaela Warren ’24, Communications and Rhetorical Studies major in VPA.

The core idea behind the symposium was to “help students reflect on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) setup by the UN to be achieved in 2030.” Michaela notes that the symposium was a “phenomenal opportunity to share new knowledge and learn, while also practicing teamwork to develop presentations and public speaking skills.”

Student presentations included:

• Earth Science: What are the SDG’s and what would we like them to be?
• Economics of European Integration: Taking action: Examples of EU policies to achieve the SDG’s.
• Healthcare in Europe: Air Quality in China: How pollution is costing the country money and Botswana and how to deal with the third objective of the SDG’s.
• Doing Business in Europe: Sustainability and renewable energies in Turkey and Economic Sustainability and circular economy in the German public transportation sector.
• De Madrid al Cielo: Madrid como ciudad sostenible
• Drugs and Human Behavior: The impact of addiction on health and wellbeing, The relationship between drug abuse and quality education and Consequences of drug abuse on peace and justice.

The symposium brought together professors, staff and students from different courses and disciplines to examine the present sustainability goals and how they will impact the future.

“Highlighting sustainability was the perfect topic choice due to the range of angles students were able to discuss in different regions. It was also an important community-building opportunity for students to collaborate on topics they are exploring in different classes”, says Micaela Warren.

“Great symposium,” says Dr. Juan Iso, Spanish language and literature professor. “Students went from global to local emphasizing the importance of achieving sustainable development goals in order to shape a better future for all.”