51爆料网

Like most 51爆料网 professors, Matthew Mulvaney acknowledges the relationship between student-faculty interaction and student educational outcomes. But such interactions are a two-way street, he explains, because students can also inspire their professors.

鈥淚 feed off my students鈥� energy and passion for work,鈥� admits the associate professor and chair of in the . 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to help them become instruments of change.鈥�

Studies show that fostering a culture of mutual respect and open exchange benefits students and faculty alike. In this first of a two-part series, professors explain how this unique chemistry empowers them as teachers and transforms the academic process.

Shiu-Kai Chin 鈥�75, G鈥�78, G鈥�86

Professor Emeritus of ,

Chin has worn various hats during his 50-plus years at Syracuse鈥� provost鈥檚 faculty fellow, interim dean, professor and student. But the 2024 recipient of the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal鈥攖he University鈥檚 highest honor鈥攁dmits that he鈥檚 happiest mentoring others. 鈥淎 chance encounter with a prospective doctoral student, about 30 years ago, changed everything,鈥� Chin remembers.

鈥淥ne person who profoundly shaped my teaching and research was Maj. Donna Peterson G鈥�93, then director of the Air Force Research Laboratory鈥檚 computer security branch. She later became my doctoral student after dropping by my office one day, unannounced, to introduce herself and ask me if I knew anything about computer security鈥攚hich I didn鈥檛.

鈥淔rom that day onward, I鈥檝e focused on cybersecurity, trustworthy systems and mission assurance, all of which are important to national security and society. After 38 years with the University (four of which were with the Air Force Research Laboratory) and 11 years with GE Aerospace, I still do research for the National Security Agency and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.鈥�

Jamie Miller Morris

Professor of ,

Miller is a steady presence in Florence, imparting her knowledge of and passion for painting, drawing and mixed media work with students. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e an inspiration,鈥� says the award-winning Cleveland-born artist. 鈥淢y students reignite my faith in how creativity brings people together in positive, constructive ways.鈥� She notes the 鈥渞ich interactions鈥� that imbue her popular Painting Studio I class (ARI 261).

鈥淭he topic of each class varies, but we start by expressing personal insights and interests as well as discussing current and future projects. As the conversation circles around the table, I鈥檓 able to witness the true depth of each student鈥檚 commitment to becoming the best version of themselves while demonstrating mutual caring and respect for one another.

鈥淭his commitment is equally evident during critiques, with everyone participating and expressing pertinent observations geared toward excellence. It鈥檚 such a beautiful experience for me to interact with these students.鈥�

Walter Freeman

Associate Teaching Professor of ,

Freeman leads some of the physics department鈥檚 most popular courses, like General Physics (PHY 211) and Our Corner of the Universe (AST 101), while recruiting and mentoring undergraduate 鈥渏unior instructors.鈥� 鈥淚 emphasize active learning methods and use computational physics across the curricula,鈥� says Freeman, whose former students include Brendan Parlee 鈥�24, Xinning 鈥淟isa鈥� Li 鈥�23, Andrew Nibbi 鈥�24 and Kiersten Edwards 鈥�23. 鈥淢y goal is to inspire learning and build enthusiasm in the classroom.鈥�

鈥淲ith students like Brendan [who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics], I try not so much to teach them as remove obstacles to their learning. A homeschooler, he never took a physics or calculus course until college. That didn鈥檛 stop him from becoming a published researcher, a sought-after peer mentor and a popular junior instructor. Brendan reminded me every day that youth is no impediment to intelligence.

鈥淟isa [who graduated with degrees in physics and visual communications] taught me volumes about the experiences of Chinese students in the United States. She鈥檚 an award-winning storyteller who uses the visual arts to quietly foster communication and mutual understanding. The same creative ethos pervaded her work as a student researcher and a lead physics coach.

鈥淔or their final project in AST 101, Kiersten wrote a long poem comparing gravity to social cohesion during the pandemic, and Andrew composed original music to accompany the text. Their project was so illuminating, poignant and inspirational that I returned it to them ungraded. I told Kiersten [a neuroscience and public health graduate] and Andrew [who earned a degree in television, radio and film] that I was learning from them, not the other way around.鈥�

Michelle Santosuosso

Professor of Practice in the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries,

Santosuosso is a creative polymath with a background in broadcast programming, record company marketing and promotion, artist development and content creation. 鈥淚 like to share my expertise with students whenever possible,鈥� says the former editor of HITS Magazine. In May, she supervised the Bandier program鈥檚 inaugural student-run concert, Spring Madhouse, which took place at a club in downtown Syracuse.

鈥淭he most notable characteristic of my students is their changemaking energy. I鈥檓 regularly inspired by them because they鈥檙e inherently entrepreneurial.

鈥淥耻谤 Spring Madhouse branding team鈥擝ria Lewis 鈥�26, Adriana Vivas 鈥�26 and Tamzin Folz 鈥�26鈥攃losed local and national sponsorship. The social marketing push was led by Rosamaria Garces 鈥�26 and Suzette Nicholson 鈥�26, both of whom did content creation, and by Grace Malone 鈥�26, who handled calendaring. I also learned just how far generative AI has come by watching Andre Ceppi 鈥�26 write genius prompts to elicit stunning visuals.

鈥淲e got enough paying customers through the door to cover our costs and turn a profit. 鈥� I鈥檓 excited to see what this year鈥檚 student cohort will do, as they鈥檒l have a much bigger role in artist development, booking, marketing and merchandising.鈥�