2016 Falk College Magazine

Summer 2016

Bridging the past, building the future: Welcome to the new Falk Complex at Syracuse University.

College celebrates move, new facilities at campus-wide dedication.

Hands-on learning prepares students for careers in nutrition.

From understanding the benefits of a local Dogs 2 Vets program to therapies used specific to P.T.S.D., Falk students, faculty, alumni focus on helping Veterans, military families.

Pictured on the front cover, the entranceway to the Falk College Complex. The Falk Complex, signifies a key milestone: for the first time in Falk College's history—which dates back to 1917 when the School of Home Economics began as a course in the College of Agriculture—its academic disciplines and administrative offices are housed in a central location. The front cover photo is courtesy of Steve Sartori.

Dean's Message

College News

Students

Teaching, Research & Scholarship

Alumni

Supporting Falk College

Dean: Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Eileen Lantier, Ph.D., R.N.

Associate Dean of Research: Deborah Monahan, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Student Services: Renie Kehres, Ph.D., R.N.

Academic Department Chairs: Robert Moreno, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Child & Family Studies; Thom deLara, M.S.W., M.B.A., Professor of Practice, Department of Marriage & Family Therapy; Rick Welsh, Ph.D., Falk Family Endowed Professor of Food Studies, Department of Public Health, Food Studies & Nutrition; Carrie Jefferson Smith, M.S.W., D.S.W., Associate Professor, School of Social Work; Michael D. Veley, M.P. S., Rhonda S.Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management, Department of Sport Management

Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs: David A. Salanger

Director of Communications, Executive Editor: Michele J. Barrett G’92

Events and Alumni Manager: Kate Veley

Contributors: Shannon Andre, George S. Bain, Michele J. Barrett, Margie Chetney, Kim Desmond, Kathleen Haley ’92, Rachel Linsner, John Martin, Matt Miselis ’16, Kate Veley

Design: Executive Art

Principal Photography: Alejandro Garcia, Steve Sartori, Syracuse University Archives

Production Coordinator: Melanie Stopyra

The Falk College Magazine is published by the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University. It is distributed free to alumni, friends, partners, students, faculty, and staff.

Direct correspondence to: Editor, Falk College Magazine Office of the Dean 440 White Hall Syracuse, New York  13244, 315.443.2027, falk.syr.edu | falk@syr.edu 

Dear Alumni and Friends, 

“A place where something normally or naturally lives or is located.” That is how the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word home. To our alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff of Falk College, welcome home.

For Falk College, the past year encompassed a multi-phase transition from eight different main and off-campus locations to our new home at the Falk Complex. On October 23, 2015, hundreds of Falk students, faculty, and staff stood side-by-side with our campus and community partners, alumni, donors, and friends during a joyous ceremony. Our College benefactors, David and Rhonda Falk, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud, and the chairs of our College’s Board of Visitors and Department of Sport Management Advisory Board, Corey Schneider and Brandon Steiner, conveyed the pride, enthusiasm, and gratitude everyone in Falk College continues to feel today.

For the first time in the College’s history— which dates back to 1917 when the School of Home Economics began as a course in the College of Agriculture—Falk College’s academic disciplines and administrative offices are housed in a central location. The final phase of our move will conclude this summer when reconstruction of the commercial and experiential kitchens is complete. In the meantime, our work moves ahead purposefully and deliberately.

Without a doubt, it is a privilege to work with our dedicated alumni and friends, students, faculty, and staff whose commitment to Falk College and willingness to share a collective vision for it are the driving forces that help us prepare our students for life-changing careers.

Sincerely, 

Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D. 
Dean, Falk College 

Pictured in this section: An image with six people posed in the large stairwell of MacNaughton Hall. Falk College’s dedication event included many families and friends. Falk parents and donors, Steven and Cathy Tabak, are pictured holding a photo with Dean Murphy and their family, including Rachel ’15 C.F.S., Max ’16 S.P.M., and Aaron ’19 S.P.M.

For Falk College, 2015 encompassed a multiphase transition from eight different main and off-campus locations to our new home at the Falk Complex. On October 23, 2015, hundreds of Falk students, faculty and staff stood side-by-side with our campus and community partners, alumni, donors, and friends during a joyous ceremony.

Falk College is the alumni home to the Colleges of Agriculture, Home Economics, Human Development, Human Services and Health Professions, and Human Ecology, and the Schools of Nursing and Social Work.

As part of the event celebration, the College’s newest Falk Endowed Professors were introduced (see related article), and the Dean Diane Lyden Murphy Endowed Scholarship was announced (see related article).

The dedication ceremony was followed by a reception and open house, including an opportunity for all guests to sign a commemorative tree that will hang in Falk College. The dedication included the premiere of the documentary David Falk: Agent of Change.

The Falk College Complex is situated in the adjoining White and MacNaughton Halls, which the College of Law vacated in its move to its new home, Dineen Hall. The two buildings were renovated extensively, with generous support from many loyal Falk College alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff. The facility includes technology upgrades to many classrooms, new computer labs, breakout study areas, a student lounge, and on-site food services.

A newly expanded Student Services suite includes a Meditation Room to support the holistic wellness of students, faculty, and staff. A Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education (ACE) Center offers a hands-on learning laboratory to prepare students with traditional and emerging professional competencies critical to nutrition practice. A generous and visionary gift from Falk College alumna Rhoda Dearman Morrisroe ’69 made the ACE Center possible (see story).

The Milton Conrad Technology Lab doubles as a student classroom and computer lab that meets the latest programming trends in event and sport venue operations and will provide students live game-day production experiences. The lab was made possible by a generous donation by Richard and Linda Ritholz, whose son Julian ’18 is a sport management major. More than three years of planning went into the convergence of Falk College’s academic departments and its administrative offices. Key campus partners include the Offices of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, Learning Environments, Physical Plant, and Purchasing. 

Pictured in this section: Five students are posed next to the front of the Falk College Complex; these student ambassadors welcomed guests and assisted during the ceremony. David and Rhonda Falk are posed together at the entry to Falk College. A crowd of several hundred people sitting and standing on the patio outside Falk Complex prior to the ceremony.  Chancellor Syverud shakes hands and talks with College benefactors David and Rhonda Falk prior to the ceremony with Dean Diane Murphy in the background. 

At Falk College’s October 2015 dedication, the College’s Board of Visitors and Sport Management Advisory Board announced the Dean Diane Lyden Murphy Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship provides financial assistance to undergraduates enrolled in Falk College whose mission encompasses educating students for social responsibility and justice. Through a purposeful combination of classroom study, scholarship, practice, and service to others, the recipient of the Dean Murphy Endowed Scholarship is committed to opening the doors of access and opportunity and restoring hope, particularly for those in greatest need, as a graduate of Syracuse University’s Falk College.

As a leader, teacher, mentor and friend, Dean Murphy continues to inspire others through her values and principles of care, compassion, empowerment, community, and social justice. This scholarship created in her honor will support generations of future students, instilling in them a sense of connection with the world around them and the necessary skills to make a difference in it. For more information about supporting this scholarship, visit falk.syr. edu, or contact David Salanger at 315.443.4588 by phone or email at dasalang@syr.edu. 

Pictured in this section: Brandon Steiner, Dean Murphy and Corey Schneider are posed together in front of the entryway to Falk College during the dedication ceremony. Dean Murphy and Brandon Steiner both hold a large framed certificate for the new endowed scholarship while Corey Schneider stands next to them.

The Falk College Dedication Ceremony on October 23 celebrated the past, present and future of the college. The generous support of donors made the new facilities possible. During the event, building donors were recognized, including Falk space and operations manager, Dianne Seeley, Linda and Richard Ritholz, and Susan Klenk.  After the ceremony, the premiere of the documentary, David Falk: Agent of Change was featured in Grant Auditorium.

Pictured in this section: Dianne Seeley receives a gift from a Falk College student ambassador during the Falk College dedication ceremony. Linda and Richard Ritholz receive a gift and shake hands with a Flak College student ambassador during the Falk College dedication ceremony. Susan Klenk and Dean Diane Murphy are posed in the large stairwell of MacNaughton Hall with Susan holding a framed photograph. Ceremony attendees are seated in Grant Auditorium watching the documentary David Falk: Agent of Change. An image shows a fifth floor portion of the Falk College complex still under construction; the final phase of construction will conclude in Summer 2016 when the teaching kitchens and Klenk Café on the fifth floor of the Falk Complex are completed. The director of the social work baccalaureate program, Bette Thoreck, is signing the commemorative thumbprint tree celebrating the important day in Falk College history, next to her is a Falk College student ambassador. 

As part of their visionary and purposeful commitment to academics as a path to success, Syracuse University alumni David B. Falk ’72 and Rhonda S. Falk ’74 established a series of endowed professorships in each of the seven academic disciplines of Falk College. At the Dedication Ceremony, three additional faculty were named Falk endowed professors: