December 12, 2024

What a year!

From the awe-inspiring feats of the Olympic Games to the breathtaking wonder of a rare eclipse and the tension of the presidential election 2024 was a year of extraordinary moments — all of which, in some way or another, played themselves out at Susquehanna University through the actions and talents of the university’s students, faculty and staff.

A dedicated group of students registered more than 400 of their peers to vote in the 2024 election. Voter registration happened through various events, including the annual Activities Fair, visits to classrooms, club meetings, sports teams and Greek organizations, tabling in Susquehanna’s Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center and Blough Weis Library and more.

As the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games unfolded in Paris, one of Susquehanna’s own was there. Allison Fordyce traded roles when she was one of two coaches selected nationwide by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association to be coached by master field hockey coaches from around the world.

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered on Deg Lawn to view the long-awaited solar eclipse. Jennifer Carter, assistant professor of physics at Susquehanna, brought her expertise and specialty telescopes to view the celestial show.  

Faculty, students and alumni shine

At Susquehanna, awards season lasts all year long. In 2024, faculty, students and alumni made Susquehanna proud:

• Olu Onafowora, department head and professor of economics, named among the top 20% of the nation’s leading Black economists and the preeminent economist in Pennsylvania
• Geneive Henry, Charles B. Degenstein professor of chemistry, was the first to be appointed a CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research) Fellow under the newly branded CUR Fellows Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Leadership.
• Andrea Lopez, associate professor of political science, was named a public policy fellow by the Wilson Center, one of the world’s top think tanks dedicated to nonpartisan counsel and insights on global affairs to policymakers.
• Sports media alumnus Aleksandr Washuta ’21 was among the Vegas Golden Knights Emmy Award–winning production staff recognized for their coverage of the professional hockey team’s 2023 Stanley Cup Championship banner-raising ceremony.
• International studies and political science alumna Layren McDannold ’23 was awarded the Anne Wexler Scholarship in Public Policy from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to pursue her master’s degree in public policy while conducting research into climate change in Australia.
• Creative writing and publishing & editing double major Emily Hizny ’24 was appointed to the Peace Corps. At the time of Commencement, she was readying for a nearly 5,000-mile journey to North Macedonia for a two-year commitment.
• Computer science major KaMeron Hopkins ’26 was awarded the prestigious and highly competitive Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship by the U.S. Department of State — one of only 15 awarded annually in the United States.
• Art history major Alex Gabriel ’24 was awarded an FAO Schwarz Fellowship in social impact to serve as a fellow at the Museum of the City of New York.    

A championship year for the River Hawks

Approximately one-third of Susquehanna’s students participate in at least one of the university’s 23 NCAA DIII athletics teams. In 2023, several of those teams brought home Landmark conference championships, including field hockey, football, men’s and women’s indoor track and men’s outdoor track. The men’s basketball finished its season as the runner up after competing in the team’s third Landmark championship game in five seasons.

The River Hawks football team achieved a history-making win when they toppled No. 3 St. John’s University in the NCAA Championship third round game on Dec. 7. The No. 6 River Hawks will return to Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Susquehanna’s Douglas Arthur Stadium for the NCAA Elite Eight game versus No. 21 Bethel University at noon Saturday, Dec. 14.   

Research spans all academic schools

Susquehanna thrives on a foundation of undergraduate research. Through the diverse and impactful work of students and their faculty mentors, Susquehanna’s community of scholars proves that research isn’t just an academic exercise — it’s a gateway to making a difference:

• Eric L. Hinton, director of bands and head of the music department, is setting the stage for inclusive scholarship by presenting a model for the ethical performance of African American music in predominantly white institutions.
• Hualu Zheng, assistant professor of management and marketing, delved into consumer behavior, analyzing how shoppers respond when sale prices fall short of their expectations.
• Matt Persons, professor of biology, joined forces with students this summer to see if spiders might become an unexpected ally in controlling spotted lanternflies, a highly destructive invasive species.
• Professors Sophie Charvet and Jack Holt, alongside ecology major Michael Rose ’25, turned their focus to aquatic ecosystems, isolating and cultivating key mixoplankton species critical to sustaining life in local waters.
• Aisha Upton-Azzam, assistant professor of sociology, is working to restore justice to history by revisiting and amending the record of lynching in the United States.
• Ian Rudy ’24 under the guidance of Matt Wilson, director of Susquehanna University’s Center for Environmental Education and Research made water testing more accessible with Turbidivision, an innovative, first-of-its-kind app that measures water turbidity through user-uploaded photos.  

Funding supports expansion, support services, research

The university was awarded more than $13 million from several agencies to fund of initiatives that support students, research and the community:

• The 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation awarded the university $10 million to support the expansion of the university’s Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center into a premier event space for the campus community and the central Susquehanna Valley. Construction will begin in 2025.
• The U.S. Department of Education granted Susquehanna $2.1 million to enhance student programs that build a stronger sense of belonging and address evolving mental health needs, ultimately bolstering retention and graduation rates.
• The Richard King Mellon Foundation bestowed to Susquehanna nearly $600,000 to help the Freshwater Research Institute expand environmental education, workforce development and tools for collaborative research.
• The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women awarded $375,000 to support the VIP Center’s work to prevent sexual assault and relationship violence on campus.
• The Sherman Fairchild Foundation granted Susquehanna nearly $300,000 to support summer research.  

We’re reaching new heights

Susquehanna ascended in three key national college rankings — The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report — that measure the country’s top universities and their success for delivering outstanding educational, financial and career outcomes for their students.

The rankings begin with a list of over 3,000 U.S. institutions, narrowing to the top schools. In the WSJ/College Pulse guide, Susquehanna ranked at No. 189 — a leap of more than 80 spots above its previous ranking. At No. 308, Susquehanna rose more than 100 spots in the Forbes ranking. Susquehanna rose four places to No. 103 in the U.S. News & World Report Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking.  

Long time, no see…

Two longtime Susquehanna establishments made a welcome return.

More than 600 first-year students joined faculty and staff for SU GIVE (Get Into Volunteer Experiences), a day of volunteering at 24 community sites in the surrounding area. This year marked the event’s resurgence since it was curtailed during the Covid pandemic.

After a 14-year hiatus, Susquehanna celebrated the relaunch of SU Press with publication of Practice for Becoming a Ghost, a collection of short stories by author and alumnus Patrick Thomas Henry ’08. Founded in 1944, Susquehanna University Press, or SU Press, was established through a donation from author, philanthropist and physician Frederic Brush. In 1981, the press partnered with Associated University Presses, but when AUP ceased production in 2010, SU Press went on indefinite hiatus.  

New programs offered in the arts, business and sciences

The 2023–24 academic year brought new majors in theatre, chemistry management and data science, as well as a minor in watershed studies.

Additionally, a new partnership with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine offers Susquehanna graduates acceptance into the medical school’s early admission program, while another partnership with Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, will prepare SU undergraduate students to pursue their Doctor of Audiology or Optometry, as well as Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, at Salus, now known as Salus at Drexel University.