News

One diverted flight. One friend doused in clam pasta. One night in a pub basement, too choked up to sing “Piano Man.” Mairead Connolly ’28 went to Florence with a plan and came back with something better—the kind of stories that don’t fit in a caption and a confidence she didn’t know she was looking for.

Connolly, a resident of Watertown, Massachusetts, is a forensic science major and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences. She studied abroad for the fall 2025 semester through Syracuse Abroad and now serves as an Abroad global ambassador.

“I went during the fall for a fresh start, but also because I believe it makes so much sense to experience warm, cool and a bit of cold weather than to arrive there when it’s cold and dark,” Connolly says. “During the fall, you can experience the summer vibes but also experience the Christmas markets.”

Here are her recommendations, in her own words, of five things to do to get the most out of your Florence study abroad experience.

Read the top 5 recommendations for studying in Florence

Thirty-five students have been chosen as the 2025-26 Syracuse University Remembrance Scholars, 21 of which are Syracuse Abroad program alumni and Global Ambassadors.

The Remembrance Scholarships, now in their 37th 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 are chosen in their junior year through a competitive selection process. Applicants submitted an essay and a reflective response in multimedia, artistic, musical or written format as part of a comprehensive application. The application evaluation committee is composed of University faculty and staff and current Remembrance Scholars. The $5,000 scholarships are awarded on the basis of community impact, leadership, creativity and thoughtful academic inquiry.

The Syracuse Abroad alumni named 2026-27 Remembrance Scholars, their hometowns, majors, schools and colleges, and study abroad programs are the following:

• Madiou Bah of Bronx, New York, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and an economics major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and A&S; Santiago Center, spring 2026
• Sigourney Bell of Birmingham, Alabama, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; London Center, spring 2026
• Tyler Branigan of Delhi, New York, a policy studies major and economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S, an environment, sustainability and policy major in the Maxwell School and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; World Partner: University of Sydney, fall 2025
• Teaghan Brostrom of Sacramento, California, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Strasbourg Center, fall 2025
• Keona Bukhari-Adams of Springfield, New Jersey, a neuroscience major and psychology major in A&S; Short-term program: EuroTech, spring 2026
• Mason Burley of Webster, New York, an inclusive adolescent education major in the School of Education and history major in the Maxwell School and A&S; Exploring Central Europe, fall 2025 & Global Ambassador
• Samuel Esteban Cornell of Houston, Texas, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and finance major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; Strasbourg Center, spring 2025 & Global Ambassador
• Eliora Enriquez of Doon, Iowa, a film major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA); summer programs, summer 2025 & 2026
• Quinn Gonzalez of Wantage, New Jersey, a nutrition major in the David B. Falk College of Sport and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center, fall 2024
• Jiya Gumaste of Ashburn, Virginia, a chemistry major and neuroscience major in A&S; Florence & London Summer Session, summer 2023 & Global Ambassador
• Daniella Jacob of Millburn, New Jersey, a health and exercise science major in the Falk College and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Summer program: Machu Picchu Trek, summer 2025
• Chloe Anjolie Kiser of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, an advertising major in the Newhouse School and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center, spring 2026
• Aaron Lener of Homer, New York, a linguistic studies major in A&S, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Strasbourg Center, spring 2026
• Haonan (Eric) Ma of Beijing, China, a student in the School of Architecture; Florence Center: Architecture, spring 2025
• Carter J. Moreland of Dallas, Texas, a political science major and an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S; Strasbourg Center, spring 2026
• Darren Murphy of San Ramon, California, an applied mathematics major in A&S, an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; London Center, spring 2026
• Matilda Nichols of Fairfield, Connecticut, a chemistry major and forensic science major in A&S; Madrid Center: Health & Science, fall 2024
• Ella Roerden of Syracuse, New York, an anthropology major and international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S; Discovery Florence, fall 2023; Santiago Center, spring 2025; Exploring Central Europe, fall 2025 & Global Ambassador
• Sreshtha Thangaswamy of Edison, New Jersey, a political science major and economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S; Discovery Florence, fall 2024 & Global Ambassador
• Halle Varney of Potsdam, New York, a psychology major in A&S; Florence Center, fall 2025
• Cara Williams of Greenwood, Indiana, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a political philosophy major in A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Exploring Central Europe, fall 2025; Madrid Center, spring 2025

Nash Newton ’27 offers his recommendations for what to study, explore and engage in during a semester abroad in London.

Newton, a resident of Portland, Oregon, is a policy studies major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs | College of Arts and Sciences with a focus on citizenship and community engagement. He studied abroad for the fall 2025 semester through Syracuse Abroad, and now serves as a Global Ambassador.

Newton took classes in marketing, politics and environmental sustainability efforts, among others. Through trips, he performed field studies and explored historic locations throughout the city of London and various parts of the UK such as Liverpool, Cornwall, Lockerbie, Scotland, and Cardiff, Wales.

Read his top 5 recommendations for studying in London

Twelve graduating seniors have earned the title of 2026 Syracuse University Scholar—the highest undergraduate honor the University awards—recognized for their academic excellence, independent research and creative work, and contributions to their fields. The scholars were selected by a Universitywide faculty committee.

Eight of the twelve 2026 Syracuse University Scholars are Syracuse Abroad alumni:

• Juinkye Chiang, a student in the School of Architecture and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center: Architecture, fall 2024
• Rylie DiMaio, a health and exercise major in the Falk College and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Summer Session, summer 2024
• Julia Fancher, a physics major and an applied mathematics major in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Summer Program: Education and Inclusion In Post-Apartheid South Africa, summer 2023
• Gustavo Madero Carriles, a political science major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and A&S and a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; Madrid Center & UAM, spring 2024, World Partner: CIEE: China in a Global Context, spring 2025; Syracuse Abroad Global Ambassador
• Maya Philips, a biology major and communication sciences and disorders major in A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; World Partner: DIS Copenhagen, spring2025; Syracuse Abroad Global Ambassador
• Nathan Torabi, a political science, citizenship and civic engagement and law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center, spring 2025; Syracuse Abroad Global Ambassador
• Gianna Voce, a computer science major in ECS and a neuroscience major in A&S; Florence Summer Session, summer 2024
• Qiong Wu, a general accounting, finance and business analytics major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; an economics major in the Maxwell School and A&S; a mathematics major in A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, Madrid Summer Session, summer 2023, Singapore Summer Internship program, summer 2024

View all University Scholars

The role of entrepreneurship driving economic development in Kenya. Education systems and the propaganda machines behind them in Eastern European socialist states. The preservation of Polish castles and their use for telling the country’s history.

Those are just three of the independent research projects seven Syracuse students pursued internationally last year as Tyler Center Fellows, supported by a $20,000 grant to Syracuse Abroad and the Syracuse Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) by the Tyler Center for Global Studies.

The University has once again received an award from the Tyler Center for 2026 and is accepting applications for fall 2026 fellowships based in Santiago and Strasbourg.

Read full story

Students at the Syracuse Strasbourg Center recently met with the European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho, who shared insights into her professional path and experiences as an ombudswoman. The event was part of the center’s European politics speaker series held throughout the month of February.

In addition to the ombudsman, a recent session was held at the European Parliament with European Member of Parliament Dario Nardella (Italy), who was also the Commencement speaker at Syracuse in 2024.

As the European Union Ombudswoman, Anjinho is responsible for investigating cases of maladministration within institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union. These issues involve matters related to transparency, delays in access to documents or the management of funds. She described herself as a public servant, bridging European citizens and EU policy-making bodies through building trust and legitimacy.

Read full story

Six more students are taking their interest in social justice to the Southern Hemisphere as Lender Global Student Fellows in a unique study abroad opportunity that furthers their research skills and broadens their knowledge of an important period in Chilean history.

The students, based at the Syracuse Abroad center in Santiago, are continuing work initiated by two previous student fellows last fall. They are exploring the human rights violations of the Pinochet dictatorship in that country and contributing to work that is underway at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in documenting the stories of victims and creating biographical profiles in their memory.

Read full story

The renovation at Villa Rossa was made possible as part of a 2022 gift by alumnus Daniel D’Aniello and his wife, Gayle.

The historic Villa Rossa has welcomed generations of University students to Florence—and a recent renovation has made it even more inviting.

University staff and Italian officials gathered Jan. 19 to inaugurate a new accessible entrance to Villa Rossa, the home of the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence, at the Piazza Savonarola campus.

The entryway—made possible as part of a $10 million gift by alumnus Daniel D’Aniello ’68, H’20 and his wife, Gayle, in 2022—sits level with the sidewalk and offers more space and improved lighting to community members going in and out of the building.

Read full story

Syracuse Santiago center director Mauricio Paredes shares his passion for the vibrant arts scene, natural beauty and cultural experiences that await Syracuse Abroad students.

Mauricio Paredes has a weekend ritual with his family: visiting a different museum in Santiago every week. As director of Syracuse University’s Santiago center, he’s on a mission to share that same cultural enthusiasm with students.

“There’s something for everybody looking to enjoy a cultural and transformative study abroad experience in Santiago,” Paredes says. “For any students considering a study abroad, I encourage you to take advantage of the cultural advantages of Santiago.”

Those advantages are considerable. Culture permeates every corner of Chile’s capital city, extending far beyond vibrant concert halls and historic art museums into the streets, parks and natural landscape.

Read full story

European leaders, academics and youth representatives gathered in Strasbourg, France, on Nov. 26 and 27 for the inaugural Europa Power meetings, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at debating, and laying out plans for, building a “Superpower Europe.”

The summit tackled questions about Europe’s future, including proposals for an all-Europe stock market, a pan-European military force, and the creation of transferrable pension systems across member states. Day one convened at the historic Palais Universitaire of the University of Strasbourg, while day two took place at the European Parliament. The first vice president of the Parliament, Sabine Verheyen of Germany, delivered remarks to participants.

Syracuse University played an important role in the landmark gathering held in Strasbourg and was the only U.S. institution present.

Read full story