The Public Affairs Playlist: Meet Professor Nadine Wedderburn

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This excerpt is taken from “A Deep Dive With Nadine Wedderburn.” Read the full story.

Professor of Public Affairs and Policy Nadine Wedderburn joined Empire State University in 2010, witnessing the university’s transitions in the last sixteen years and delivering course material throughout it all. Wedderburn teaches in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences while simultaneously conducting research focused on the Caribbean, sociology, and criminal justice, among other topics. 

Wedderburn’s vibrant background populates the screen; a large map of the Caribbean displayed behind her head. Her braids drape neatly over her shoulder as she smiles.

Can you tell me about your hometown and upbringing?

Wedderburn: I was born in the parish of St. Ann in Jamaica of the West Indies in the Caribbean. My hometown is Salem, a small district. We refer to what the United States would call towns or villages as districts in Jamaica. It is a small fishing village. I live right by the sea, and that has also made a lifelong impression on who I am today.

I look forward to going home because it’s sort of a ritual for me. My mother is still there, so we go to the beach every morning to begin the day. Being from Jamaica, the country is known for tourism, and people go to the beach as part of their vacations. For me, it’s a little different. I like to commune with the fisher people on the beach, find out how things are going with them.

It’s also a remembrance of how my ancestors got to the island in the first place—knowing that people of African ancestry came to the island by way of the transatlantic slave trade, on ships. I always have thoughts of what that must have been like and how that has changed the landscape over time.

What were some of your early interests and passions?

Wedderburn: I’ve always loved to learn. I learned to play the piano at a very young age, so I developed a deep love for music early on. For me, music is more than the genre, it’s a language. I like to think that it’s also helped develop my critical and analytical mind.

I also developed a love for math early on. And perhaps, just interesting people. Growing up in Salem, I was constantly around people of all walks of life. From early on, I was always seeing people from other parts of the world coming to my little town. I’ve always been curious about what other people’s lives are like. I also love to read. I developed a rabid appetite for reading early on.

Let’s talk about your professional trajectory. What drew you to Empire State University, and what are some of the courses you teach?

I started a degree in mathematics at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. At the time, my father thought that getting a degree in math wasn’t promising professionally, so he encouraged me to look into engineering.

It took me to Rochester Institute of Technology, and I completed a degree there in civil engineering technology. For a number of years, I worked in construction management and then went back to school and did a master’s in engineering management at Florida Institute of Technology. I worked following that degree as well. Then, around the September 11 attacks, I was in Florida working in construction management, and we were laid off because the company was based in New York.

I started looking at a doctorate in urban planning because that’s what I really wanted to do to begin with. I had hopes of going back to Jamaica to get involved in land planning and urban development. At the time I entered Florida International University and started looking at the urban planning program, it wasn’t quite turning out to be what I wanted, so I moved into the public administration program, and I graduated with a Ph.D. in public affairs.

The common advice when you have a Ph.D. is to go into teaching. I took the advice about teaching quite seriously and started pursuing jobs in higher education.

I went to Latham—at the time—for my interview with SUNY Empire, got hired, and haven’t looked back since. I teach in the public affairs program. Some of my courses are Public Policy, Public Administration, and Social Welfare Policy.

I’ve also taught courses like Cultural Diversity Competence, Diversity in the Workplace, and more recently, I’ve been teaching Race, Crime, and Justice. And, of course, with my love of the Caribbean, if the need arises, I may also teach a course in Caribbean Studies. In higher education, the assumption is that you specialize in one area, but my life has been quite interdisciplinary, and I believe in bringing that to my teaching.

What topics does your research center on?

Wedderburn: My teaching informs my research, and I believe in keeping my teaching as current as possible. I find myself researching sociology, criminal justice, and politics a lot.

On a more direct level, I spend a lot of time looking at slavery archives in Jamaica, because my current research wants to get at the origins of education policy in Jamaica.

In a few days, you’re presenting “A Soundtrack for Liberation.” What can you share about this project?

Wedderburn: Thanks to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, I received a grant to prepare this multimedia presentation. I had read Ruha Benjamin’s “Imagination: A Manifesto,” and it’s a powerful book to me. What it says is that imagination is liberating, yet many people’s ability to imagine, or their being granted permission to even imagine, has been restricted.

There is a sense that we think of imagination as this sort of illusory, magical thing, right? That, if all we’re going to do is sit and imagine all day long, we’re not going to get very far. But she points to the fact that everything begins with that—imagination—good and bad. Imagination is power.

And then, of course, I shared my love of music earlier. As a Jamaican, logically, I always fall back on Bob Marley. I thought, what if I put together a soundtrack for Ruha Benjamin’s book to make the presentation more engaging?

How do you encourage your students to think about their roles as future public administrators in creating change?

Wedderburn: I would like to think that my teaching inspires students to be changemakers. What I try to do is find real-life situations that match the curriculum and talk about that—whether in a reflection, paper, or discussion post—so they get to share and learn from each other in that way.

Beyond Bob Marley, what is on your personal soundtrack? What music inspires your work?

Wedderburn: My playlist is a mixture of classic reggae, up to the 1980s, then dancehall. I also love African music, what’s known as Afrobeats, which is sort of a misleading term. To me, all the music of the diaspora is Afrobeats, because how are you going to listen to salsa and not hear the drums in that? Where do you think that came from?

And finally, what is one thing you feel is important to share this Black History Month?

Wedderburn: Though we set aside a month to recognize the achievements and history, Black history is celebrated every month in many households across the country. Black people celebrate achievements every day; Black people’s history is ever-present with them. It’s important for others to recognize that fact, because this country’s successes and failures have a lot to do with how Black history is celebrated.

A Deep Dive with Nadine Wedderburn, Professor of Public Affairs and Policy

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Professor of Public Affairs and Policy Nadine Wedderburn joined Empire State University in 2010, witnessing the university’s transitions in the last sixteen years, and delivering course material throughout it all. Wedderburn teaches in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences while simultaneously conducting research focused on the Caribbean, sociology, and criminal justice, among other topics.  

Her vibrant background populates the screen; a large map of the Caribbean displayed behind her head. To the left, a dense collection of books—keywords like “caste” and “metaracism” are discernible from the computer camera’s vantage point—and in the right-hand corner, a colorful purple and green tapestry with a pattern. Her braids drape neatly over her shoulder as she smiles.

Can you tell me about your hometown and upbringing?

Wedderburn: I was born in the parish of St. Ann in Jamaica of the West Indies in the Caribbean. The parish of St. Ann is one of 14 parishes in the country—the island is divided into parishes based on colonial history. St. Ann, on the northern side of the island, is the third-largest parish. My hometown is Salem, a small district. We refer to what the United States would call towns or villages as districts in Jamaica.

Salem is where I grew up, where my parents raised me. My parents are from other parts of the island, but they made their home in Salem, off Runaway Bay in St. Ann—that has shaped my life. It is a small fishing village. I live right by the sea, and that has also made a lifelong impression on who I am today.

I look forward to going home because it’s sort of a ritual for me. My mother is still there, so we go to the beach every morning to begin the day. Then, I walk on the beach, do a few laps up and down getting some morning exercise. Being from Jamaica, the country is known for tourism, and people go to the beach as part of their vacations. For me, it’s a little different. I like to commune with the fisher people on the beach, find out how things are going with them.

It’s also a remembrance of how my ancestors got to the island in the first place—knowing that people of African ancestry came to the island by way of the transatlantic slave trade, on ships. I always have thoughts of what that must have been like and how that has changed the landscape over time.

What were some of your early interests and passions?

Wedderburn: I’ve always loved to learn. I learned to play the piano at a very young age, so I developed a deep love for music early on. For me, music is more than the genre, it’s a language. I like to think that it’s also helped develop my critical and analytical mind. There’s so much about music that’s mathematical.

I also developed a love for math early on. And perhaps, just interesting people. Growing up in Salem, I was constantly around people of all walks of life. From early on, I was always seeing people from other parts of the world coming to my little town. I’ve always been curious about what other people’s lives are like. I also love to read. I developed a rabid appetite for reading early on.

Do you have a favorite book? If so, what is it?

Wedderburn: I’ve had favorite books at different stages in my life. Right now, my favorite book is called “Homegoing.” It’s written by a Ghanaian-American woman, Yaa Gyasi. It’s my favorite right now because of the style of writing or structuring the book. It follows generations of Africans through two sisters’ lives and their family life cycles in alternating chapters. It’s fictional, but it’s based on historical facts.

When I was growing up, my favorite books were the “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories” by Carolyn Keene. It was a challenge, because it wasn’t easy to get those books in Jamaica at the time. I’d go to the library and find them, and then there were some missing ones … every now and again, if I had a relative that was coming from the U.S., they might bring me two books. We would also do exchanges with friends at school.  

[Wedderburn enthusiastically shares more titles, particularly the “Sweet Dreams” novel series. Her face lights up as she lists the books of her teenage years.]

Going back to your perspective as a native Jamaican—and this is a loaded question—is “ethical tourism” possible in Jamaica?

Wedderburn: In my mind, any activity that extracts resources from a place or people without any deliberate return or reciprocity—and by deliberate, I mean meaningful—cannot be ethical.

I would say the same for exploitation, if you’re going to take advantage of people without considering what their needs are in a fair and just manner. People say, “well, people are getting jobs, right?” Yes, but at what rate of pay? People are getting jobs, but there is no thought about how their families and children are being cared for.

I still see things like these happening in Jamaica, and they continue to happen at remarkable rates. I remember when hotels in Jamaica were probably no more than 100 rooms. Sprawling landscapes are what hotels are all about now—they take up all the beachside properties, with very little access for Jamaican people who live there. It remains to be seen what sorts of remedies we can put in place to address those issues.

Let’s talk about your professional trajectory. What drew you to Empire State University, and what are some of the courses you teach?

After finishing high school, I started university. Speaking to my love of math, I started a degree in mathematics at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. At the time, my father thought that getting a degree in math wasn’t promising professionally, so he encouraged me to look into engineering. He thought that had a promise of a more lucrative career upon graduating, so I did it.

It took me to Rochester Institute of Technology, and I completed a degree there in civil engineering technology. For a number of years, I worked in construction management and then went back to school and did a master’s in engineering management at Florida Institute of Technology. Around the September 11 attacks, I was in Florida working in construction management, and we were laid off because the company was based in New York. Everything in New York shut down for quite a while.

I thought, “I don’t know what I’m going to do—let me go back to school.” I started looking at a doctorate in urban planning because that’s what I really wanted to do to begin with. I had hopes of going back to Jamaica to get involved in land planning and urban development. At the time I entered Florida International University and started looking at the urban planning program, it wasn’t quite turning out to be what I wanted, so I moved into the public administration program, and I graduated with a Ph.D. in public affairs.

I went to Latham—at the time—for my interview with SUNY Empire, got hired, and haven’t looked back since. I teach in the public affairs program. Some of my courses are Public Policy, Public Administration, and Social Welfare Policy.

I’ve also taught courses like Cultural Diversity Competence, Diversity in the Workplace, and more recently, I’ve been teaching Race, Crime, and Justice. I teach the Public Administration Capstone. With my love of the Caribbean, if the need arises, I may also teach a course in Caribbean Studies. I’ve taught courses for Black women writers at a women’s and gender studies residency. Even courses like Diversity in the Workplace have been informed by my training in public administration. In higher education, the assumption is that you specialize in one area, but my life has been quite interdisciplinary, and I believe in bringing that to my teaching.

I enjoy teaching educational planning because I like seeing how students bring their own experiences to their learning to help them complete their degrees. Credit for Prior Learning has been an important part of my teaching journey.

What topics does your research center on?
Wedderburn: My teaching informs my research, and I believe in keeping my teaching as current as possible. I do a lot of research in order to teach. I find myself researching sociology, criminal justice, and politics a lot. I don’t claim to be a political researcher, but I read widely to stay current.

On a more direct level, I spend a lot of time looking at slavery archives in Jamaica, because my current research wants to get at the origins of education policy in Jamaica. In order to do so, I have to go back to pre-emancipation times, because what we call public education really started with how enslaved people were informed and made aware of their situation at the time, and their rights. A lot of that was controlled, as you can imagine. I’m interested in finding out how much enslaved people educated themselves in community, so that’s where my research engines are spent these days. The time before last that I was home, I went to the archives at the National Library of Jamaica to get some information.

How do you encourage your students to think about their roles as future public administrators in creating change?
Wedderburn: I would like to think that my teaching inspires students to be changemakers. In higher education, we constantly dance between the curriculum to be taught and what students want. Students come to us with their own ideas and questions about what the course can offer them.

What I try to do is find real-life situations that match the curriculum and talk about that—whether in a reflection, paper, or discussion post—so they get to share and learn from each other in that way. I challenge them with difficult questions, because it gets them to go a bit deeper than the surface.

In a few days, you’re presenting “A Soundtrack for Liberation.” What can you share about this project?

Wedderburn: Thanks to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, I received a grant to prepare this multimedia presentation. I read Ruha Benjamin’s “Imagination: A Manifesto,” and it’s a powerful book to me. What it says is that imagination is liberating, yet many people’s ability to imagine, or their being granted permission to even imagine, has been restricted.

There is a sense that we think of imagination as this sort of illusory, magical thing, right? That, if all we’re going to do is sit and imagine all day long, we’re not going to get very far. But she points to the fact that everything begins with that—imagination—good and bad. Imagination is power.

I thought of making a presentation on that. I’m sure she’s not the first or only one to have brought this up, but Benjamin brings it into the current moment. She asks, how much do we encourage each other to imagine? So, teachers, how do you encourage students’ imagination and creativity while teaching? Even looking at the government—because as a public policy person, policies are not created in a vacuum. We can be more creative with our public policy if we’re going to truly serve all the people we intend to serve. What does that say for policy makers, elected officials, to be able to imagine newer and better things?

And then, of course, I shared my love of music earlier. As a Jamaican, logically, I always fall back on Bob Marley. I thought, what if I put together a soundtrack for Ruha Benjamin’s book to make the presentation more engaging?

It comes down to five songs interspersed with quotes from Benjamin’s book to encourage our community to imagine a new world, a better world, or at least begin to think of the power of imagination to make a better life for all of us. I’m looking forward to presenting it and hearing what people have to say.

Beyond Bob Marley, what is on your personal soundtrack? What music inspires your work?

Wedderburn: My playlist is a mixture of classic reggae, up to the 1980s, then dancehall. I like Tanya Stephens, Shaggy, Beres Hammond and Beenie Man. My dancehall taste probably falls off around the year 2000. I like R&B—love Mary J. Blige. I also love African music, what’s known as Afrobeats, which is sort of a misleading term. To me, all the music of the diaspora is Afrobeats, because how are you going to listen to salsa and not hear the drums in that? Where do you think that came from?

I like happy music, but music that is soulful—a lot of what we call “oldies,” artists like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke. I love jazz because of my love for piano music.

What’s one song you think everyone should listen to?
[Wedderburn laughs, bewildered at the prospect of choosing just one song. She decides to take some time to think and later sends an email with her selection: “Just Do You” by India.Arie.]

And finally, what is one thing you feel is important to share this Black History Month?
Wedderburn: Though we set aside a month to recognize the achievements and history, Black history is celebrated every month in many households across the country. Black people celebrate achievements every day; Black people’s history is ever-present with them. It’s important for others to recognize that fact, because this country’s successes and failures have a lot to do with how Black history is celebrated.

Dentist Goes Back to School to Learn the Business Side: Angélica Farfan on Finding the Spanish BBA

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Following her move from Mexico to the United States, Mexico City-trained dentist Angélica Farfan began to rebuild her career without a local dental credential. Fortunately, she discovered a door intended for her to walk through—a Spanish-language Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Empire State University.

Farfan experienced a harsh reality that many foreign professionals face when she relocated to the United States—credentialing barriers to employment and education. For many, studies completed outside the U.S. are not recognized upon entry to the country—often, they find themselves back at square one where their academic and professional careers are concerned.

Credential verifications pose barriers—they are not free of cost, incur translation expenses for those whose documents are not in English, and often involve long waits. For those with medical credentials, verifications are even more complex. However, not having them done has been known to land many highly skilled professionals who migrate to the U.S. in positions of underemployment. Without verification, years of specialized training can mean little in a new country, but not everyone can afford to undergo the verification process while going without a paycheck.

Farfan—who was top of her class in dentistry school and subsequently headed two private practices in Mexico City—ran into this roadblock. She had to figure out how to reframe her career.

Born and raised in Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City, Farfan felt called to the medical field at an early age. “I truly love my profession,” she says, noting that she decided to become a dentist at the young age of 13. “There were many obstacles in my way, but never anything that could stop me from pursuing my path,” she adds. Ever driven, she believes in making the most of the opportunities one has access to.

Her desire to contribute to the well-being of patients motivated her to pursue a degree in dentistry at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). By the time she finished the program, she had earned the Gabino Barreda Medal for the best GPA of her graduating class. At UNAM, she also studied orthodontics, though she was unable to formally specialize in it at the time due to financial barriers.

Eventually, Farfan and her family made the decision to move abroad to the U.S. “The first year, I dedicated myself to studying English so I could work,” she explains. It wasn’t until her second year in the country that she was employed as part of a team hired by dental clinics to provide orthodontic services. Still, Farfan couldn’t help but feel held back— “Since I don’t have a dentistry or orthodontics degree that counts here, I don’t earn what a credentialed orthodontist earns,” she points out.

In her journey to learn English, a language school advised Farfan to pursue her GED. The thought of it felt like backpedaling—she already had college credentials, so she was hesitant. “They said it would help with my English, so I enrolled in the classes … I wasn’t interested in the GED itself; my goal was something else,” she explains.

An avid reader, Farfan typically visited the library to borrow books twice a week. It was on one of these outings that she came across an advertisement in La Voz, which announced the launch of SUNY Empire’s Spanish BBA.

“I feel really proud of my language. I’d love to speak English at the same level I speak Spanish, but I haven’t managed to yet. When I saw the announcement for a bachelor’s degree entirely in Spanish, I said, “That’s me!” What did they ask for? The GED. I had it, so I started,” she says. Propelled by the encouragement of her husband and daughter, Farfan wasted no time in applying.

Embarking on this academic journey posed a pivot in Farfan’s career—one that she was glad to make. She approached this change with enthusiasm: “A lot of people have asked me why I’m studying business administration when I’m a dentist,” Farfan laughs, “Because I already know dentistry—I need to learn administration! I’m very excited about the opportunity to go back to school.”

The Spanish BBA was designed for learners like Farfan, who are in search of a door to empowerment and economic mobility that honors the preference to learn how they do best: in their native language. To the dentist, language matters. “I could have done it in English,” she asserts. “I’ve done many things in English. It’s never been a matter of language stopping me. What [this program] gives you is comfort—knowing that you understand word for word, and being able to clearly express what you think.”

Farfan has experienced the program thus far as a growth opportunity, learning to navigate online learning, finding motivation in challenging courses, and realizing that the concepts taught by her professors are as applicable to daily life as they are in the world of business. “It’s changing my perspective a lot,” she comments. Looking beyond, she recognizes how significant a program like this is on a larger scale: “Thank you for thinking of Latinos, so we can continue growing professionally,” she says.

Five-Minute Feature: Winnie Yu, Director of Communications for Advancement and Community Engagement

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Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now!

What led you to your career path?

As a child, I always enjoyed reading and writing, and was especially fond of magazines. In second grade, my mom gave me money for the school bake sale, and I spent it on copies of YM, a magazine for young teenagers. So even though I always said I wanted to be a doctor, my actions suggested otherwise.

I wound up going to Syracuse University to study magazine journalism, and worked as a magazine editor, newspaper reporter, and freelance writer. When it was time to get a “real job,” I landed at the NYS Department of Health, then made the leap to higher ed by going to SUNY System Administration and in 2021, arrived here at SUNY Empire.

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire?

I love meeting and talking to our alumni! SUNY Empire has an incredible and growing pool of graduates who have taken their degrees and gone on to do great things, whether it’s in their careers or in their communities. Many of them have lived very interesting lives.

I’m thinking of Alborz Noorani ’16, who came to us after being banned from a college education in his native Iran for being of the Baha’i faith. He is now training to become a surgeon in Toronto. There’s also Edwin Gibson ’12, who overcame his stutter to become a prolific stage actor and member of the award-winning cast of “The Bear.” And Dora Cervantes ’18, ’19 and Julie Frietchen ’18, ’19, close friends who came to SUNY Empire together and have since achieved high level positions at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. I could go on and on.

Our alumni are wildly talented and are out there making an impact. Many also have very fond memories of their time at SUNY Empire and will reel off names of professors and mentors they had.

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?

I actually have two. One was early on when I was just out of college and working as an intern at The Wall Street Journal. I wrote a story about the challenges that Asian American managers face, and the story landed in the European and Asian editions. Back then, there was no Internet, so this was the equivalent of going viral!

The other special moment grew out of a book I wrote for the American Academy of Pediatrics called “Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know.” Though I collaborated with two pediatricians, I did all the research and writing, and I knew almost nothing about autism when I started. I was thrilled when the book won the 2013 Medical Book Award from the American Medical Writers Association, in the Public/Healthcare Consumers category.

Why is it important to share alumni and donor stories with the university community?

This is so important! Alumni and donor stories go hand in hand when it comes to demonstrating the impact and importance of what we do at SUNY Empire. Alumni stories showcase the accomplishments and talents of our graduates; donor stories demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on our students as they make their way to becoming alumni. Of course, many of our alumni are donors, who want to pay it forward by giving back.

Sharing these stories with our university community affirms that the work we do every day — no matter how seemingly insignificant — is making a huge difference in the lives of our students, as well as their families, communities, and chosen professions.

What’s a quote or saying that resonates with you?

Again, I have two. In college, I had a magazine professor named John Keats who told us that every story should be summed up in this way: “What in 10 words or less is all this nonsense about?” In other words, the essence of a story should always be easily summarized. It really applies to anything we write or present. His quote later became the title of a book about his thoughts on good writing, compiled posthumously by one of his students.

The other quote comes from Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Her words speak to the power of collaborating. Whether it’s colleagues coming together on projects, neighbors uniting to protest something in their community, or friends and family working in harmony to face a challenge, there is always strength and power in numbers.

SUNY Chancellor King Visits Empire State University to Highlight SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program  

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SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program Ensures SUNY’s Academic Excellence is Fully Affordable for Active-Duty Service Members, Members of the National Guard, and Members of the Reserves 

Empire State University Was One of 24 Campuses to Launch SUNY’s New Military Tuition Rate for Active-Duty Service Members in Spring 2026, On the Path to System-Wide Implementation in Fall 2026 

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today visited Empire State University to highlight SUNY’s Military Tuition Rate Program. The program, which began at select SUNY campuses in the Spring 2026 semester and will expand System-wide this fall, ensures that SUNY’s academic excellence is fully affordable for active-duty service members, members of the National Guard, and members of the Reserves.  

“SUNY’s military-connected students enrich our campuses through their accomplishments and diverse life experiences,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “I applaud Empire State University for being a leader in ensuring our active-duty and veteran students have access to the high-quality, affordable SUNY education to pursue their dreams. There is a place at SUNY for every student, and we are proud to honor our active-duty and veteran students for their leadership, skills, and dedication to their country.” 

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY is dedicated to ensuring our veteran, active-duty, and military-connected students have access to an affordable, excellent education at the campus of their choice. As an inaugural adopter of SUNY’s Military Tuition Rate Program, Empire State University has shown that it is a leader in supporting our military-connected students throughout their academic journeys.”  

Empire State University was an inaugural adopter of the SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program, a system-wide initiative that ensures active-duty service members, members of the National Guard, and members of the Reserves can access a high-quality, affordable SUNY undergraduate degree or microcredential program in-person or online without additional costs or barriers. The program addresses a long-standing challenge faced by active-duty service members whose federal tuition assistance often falls short of full tuition at public universities.  

Empire State University President Lisa Vollendorf said, “Empire State University was founded to meet students where they are — and for 55 years, that has included the men and women who serve our country. Removing financial barriers for service members has long been part of that commitment. With military-connected enrollment at a five-year high, we know this work matters.” 

State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner said, “Empire State University, located in Saratoga Springs, is once again, leading the way in empowering learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals. Noted for its stewardship in online learning, Empire State University is now a leader within the SUNY system for its inaugural adoption of the SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program. Thanks to this new tuition program along with the newly established on-campus Veterans clinics, our Veterans will have a much-needed centralized hub of educational, financial and community support services – all of which will help ensure Military service members’ future success. Of course, I hope our Veterans consider New York, ideally upstate New York, not just their college alumni state, but their home, well beyond graduation. I am grateful to Empire State University for its dedication to flexible, accessible, and affordable education for all students, especially for the men and women who are bravely serving our country.”      

This year, Empire State University has seen enrollment of active-duty, National Guard, and Reserves members increase 4.7%, and veteran enrollment has increased 5%, compared to the previous year. Overall, military-connected enrollment at Empire State University has seen an 8.4% increase, and the university is at a 5-year high with more than 1,000 military-connected students enrolled so far this year. Additional active-duty, National Guard member, Reserves member, and veteran with registration still open for enrollments are expected in the Spring Express Term 2 and Summer 2026 semesters, putting the campus on track to exceed last year’s enrollment. 

SUNY is committed to supporting veterans and military-connected students on their path to a college education. SUNY’s dedicated one-stop shop website, www.suny.edu/military, includes information on available credit for military service and experience; tuition assistance, such as the Veterans Tuition Awards program approved by Governor Hochul; specialized scholarships, and dedicated campus services like veteran lounges and associations for all 64 SUNY campuses. The website also connects veterans with services offered by the counties where each campus is located, helping them stay close to home and community, and is regularly updated as new information becomes available.  

To further support veterans and military-connected students, SUNY launched the Veterans Enrollment and Support Internship Program, appointed SUNY’s first-ever Assistant Director of Enrollment for Military and Veteran Recruitment, expanded prior learning assessment to help both adult learners and current and former military members to advance their careers, and SUNY also provides free college application waivers for military-connected students year-round, to up to seven campuses. 

Two Empire State University Students Receive SUNY Building Bridges Grant

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Empire State University students Yolanda Brown and Sine Rofofsky have been selected as recipients of SUNY’s Building Bridges civic engagement leadership awards. Working together, the pair are one of five student groups across the SUNY system to win the award, which bestows a $5,000 grant to teams leading projects that help unify their university communities.  

Brown and Rofofsky’s project is called “Bridging Perspectives: A Peer-to-Peer Cohort-Based Initiative for Culturally Aware Conflict Resolution.” According to Brown, it “focuses on creating culturally responsive, community‑centered pathways that strengthen trust, communication, and collaboration.” 

“Public higher education is uniquely able to bring students together and provide opportunities for them to learn from and with one another,” SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said. “Empowering our students to participate in constructive conversations and engage with all members of their campus communities is vital to SUNY’s commitment to civic engagement and academic excellence. This grant program demonstrates how SUNY students are leading the way to foster connection on their campuses and engage in civic engagement and civil discourse.” 

Get to Know Ju Kim, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

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Ju Kim is dean of the recently formed College of Arts and Sciences. Ahead, he shares his love for teaching physics, goals for the new college, and commitment to student success. 

What inspired your career path? Did you always envision a career in academia? 

My career path was inspired by a deep curiosity about how the world works and a desire to help others make sense of complex ideas. I initially entered college with aspirations to become an aeronautical engineer. However, after taking my first university-level physics course, I became captivated by the elegance and explanatory power of physics. That experience fundamentally shaped my direction. 

While I did not always envision a career in academia at the outset, teaching and mentoring students quickly became a calling. Over time, I came to see higher education not only as a place for discovery and learning, but also as a powerful vehicle for expanding opportunity, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students to contribute meaningfully to society. That realization ultimately led me to pursue a long-term academic career that integrates teaching, scholarship, and leadership. 

You’ve taught physics for 23 years. Why that subject?  

What I enjoy most about teaching physics is helping students understand and appreciate how the physical world operates at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Physics provides a unifying framework for understanding nature, and guiding students to see connections between theory, experimentation, and real-world phenomena is deeply rewarding. Watching students develop confidence as they begin to think like scientists has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career. 

You’re the dean of the new College of Arts and Sciences. What’s one goal you have for the college, and how are you hoping to achieve it? 

One of my primary goals for the new College of Arts and Sciences is to leverage its collective strengths across the arts, humanities, sciences, mathematics, and technology to better support existing programs and develop innovative interdisciplinary offerings. I want the college to serve as an academic home that encourages collaboration, creativity, and intellectual integration. 

I hope to achieve this by working closely with students, faculty, department chairs, other deans, and university partners. By fostering open communication, strategically aligning resources, and supporting faculty-driven initiatives, we can create new opportunities for students and better prepare them for their academic, professional, and civic futures. 

What excites you most about your job? 

What excites me most about my role is the opportunity to work with both internal and external stakeholders to support student success and faculty success. Serving as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences allows me to collaborate closely with faculty and students to advance the mission of Empire State University. 

I am energized by the chance to help shape academic programs, support innovation in teaching and scholarship, and remove barriers that impede student progress. I strongly believe that the university’s success is inseparable from that of its students and faculty, and contributing to that shared success is deeply meaningful to me. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your approach to your role as dean? 

One aspect of my approach that I would emphasize is my commitment to collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven leadership. I believe effective academic leadership begins with listening to and understanding the needs and aspirations of students, faculty, and staff and building trust through transparency and shared purpose. 

I also view my role as one of stewardship: supporting academic excellence while ensuring that institutional decisions align with long-term sustainability and equity. My background as a faculty member, department chair, and dean allows me to approach leadership with empathy, respect for shared governance, and a strong focus on student success. 

Get to Know Kjersti VanSlyke-Briggs, Dean of the College of Education

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Kjersti VanSlyke-Briggs is dean of Empire State University’s College of Education. Ahead, she shares the story behind her career path, goals for the college, and passion for learning.  

What inspired your career path? Did you always envision a career in academia?  

I never envisioned myself as an academic. It was a path that I landed on and continued to follow as someone that is excited by new opportunities for growth. I am a first-generation college graduate and originally went to college for adolescent English education. I completed my bachelor’s and master’s in back-to-back programs at SUNY Brockport and then began teaching high school English.  

After a couple of years in the classroom, I decided to take a class nonmatriculated at SUNY Binghamton in the Ed.D. program as an opportunity to increase my salary as a teacher. One thing led to another, and I ended up enrolling in the program and completed it part-time while still teaching high school. I had no plans to move into academia at that time and just thought of it as a way to grow as an educator. As luck would have it though, I was highly involved at the time with the New York State English Council and a colleague there encouraged me to apply for a position at SUNY Oneonta as an assistant professor in adolescent education. 

How did you transition from teaching to a leadership role? 

I was at SUNY Oneonta for 20 years and in that time, I had a lot of roles. I moved my way up to full professor, served as the inaugural director of the Faculty Center, served as chair of my department, and served as a provost fellow. I credit that transition to other people seeing leadership in me when I did not see it myself. My drive to help people and programs improve and my love of collaborative growth is what propelled me forward into these roles. I also had the benefit of an amazing mentor who was herself an excellent example of compassionate and thoughtful leadership. She encouraged me to take advantage of opportunities like SUNY SAIL, our own on-campus leadership development programs, and external opportunities like AASCU’s Emerging Leaders Program. Each one of these steps led me to the next. 

You’re the dean of the new College of Education. What’s one of your goals? 

This is an exciting time to be in the College of Education. Our programs are seeing fast-paced growth in enrollment, increasing opportunities to form partnerships with external offices and schools, and we are embracing opportunities to develop new programs to respond to an increasing demand for teachers across the state. New York state does not have enough teachers, and SUNY Empire is finding innovative ways to help working adults, such as helping paraprofessionals scale up and earn their teaching credentials. We are leaning into stackable programs and building strong relationships between our undergraduate and graduate programs. There is space for us to serve educators across their career arc not only in p-20 (pre-K through college) spaces, but beyond through professional development partnerships and fueling the work of lifelong learning for educators.  

If you weren’t working in higher ed, what would you be doing? 

There is so much I’d love to do, and I sometimes threaten to go back to college for additional degrees just for the sake of learning. If I could, I would love to pick up classes in sociology or anthropology for fun. I’d make a great lifelong student. I also sometimes wonder how it would turn out if I followed my original plan from when I was a teen. Leaving high school, I debated teaching English or moving into librarianship. When doing my master’s, I worked in the college library and assisted the research librarians. In an alternate universe, I get my M.S. in information and library science and work in a university as a librarian, likely still ending up in a dean capacity as the director of a library. In my years as a professor, some of the best projects I worked on were in partnership with our library. 

A Deep Dive With Doug Gruse, Chief Marketing Officer

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Doug Gruse spends his days overseeing marketing strategy for Empire State University. As chief marketing officer, he works with his team of 17 to create meaningful campaigns that resonate with potential students.

But for Gruse, the job goes beyond enrollment numbers. At the core of his passion for marketing is the desire to make the field a more honest and creative one—a philosophy that guides each decision the team makes. For the last three years, he has worked to make the university’s image embody its mission, centering the authenticity and uniqueness that characterize SUNY Empire learners.

In Saratoga Springs, Gruse sits at his office desk, almost in line with the far corner of the room. Behind him, windows flank his left and right, and in the space between them, next to his head, hangs an abnormally large clock shaped like a wristwatch. Whether it tells the time or is purely decorative is unknown. Gruse sports square-shaped tortoiseshell glasses, a plaid stone-gray suit jacket over a charcoal-colored shirt, and a two-tone grey bowtie.

Can you tell me about your hometown?

Gruse: I moved a few times. I was born in Indiana, and when I was in grade school, we moved to Louisiana—that’s what I would consider home. I have lived in seven different states. I attended middle school, high school, and college in Louisiana, but I’ve been in New York for 18 years now, which is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere.

Do you mind if I ask why you moved around so much?

Gruse: Maybe I have wanderlust. When I was a kid, we moved because my dad moved with his company and had good opportunities in Louisiana. It was very “fish out of the water” for us, but it was also cool. After that, I wanted to see different things.

I ended up moving to New Jersey when I met my husband. He’s from New Jersey and we were dating long-distance. I said, “Why not?” He subsequently moved to Louisiana for me. After we went through a couple of hurricanes together, we decided to go somewhere else. His criteria were that it couldn’t be 100 degrees every day, there couldn’t be hurricanes, and there couldn’t be animals that can kill you. So, New York was a pretty good fit. I moved here for a job; we’ve been here ever since and love it.

What was your upbringing like?

Gruse: When I really think about the heart of my family, my mom was from Northern Michigan—a little resort town—and her family had a restaurant there. In my childhood, we would go every summer and spend most of it with my grandparents. A lot of that centered on the restaurant.

I was in the kitchen helping my grandfather—it was probably more annoying than helpful, but it was exciting for me. My grandmother was a nurse. She would go to work all day, and then come back and still do work at the restaurant. We’d have our family meals there. It was such a big part of our identity that it’s what I think about when it comes to family.

[A day after his interview, Gruse sends a photo of his great-grandparents, Fremont “Mont” Withers and his wife, Zelma—the founders of “Mont’s” restaurant—white-aproned and leaning against the establishment’s entrance. It was taken sometime in the 1930s, Gruse says.]

When I was in kindergarten, my dad was a news reporter. There was a local zoo that he had featured in some stories, and a tiger at the zoo had a litter of cubs that she had rejected. The zoo director took one of the cubs in, somebody else took in another, and my family fostered the third one for six months. I named her Ginger, which was my favorite character on Gilligan’s Island, because in my head there was a point where she wore a tiger-striped dress. Somehow, in kindergarten it just made sense. I had the best show-and-tell experience of any kid.

Ginger grew fast. She was big by the time we had to give her up. It was really sad. After the foster period, my mom was contemplating keeping her, maybe building a large enclosure, but my dad said no.

Out of curiosity, how different was it from caring for a cat or a dog?

Gruse: It was similar to a cat. I’ve had cats and dogs, and we had a pet dog at the time who did not love having a tiger in the house, especially as the tiger grew and would kind of prey on her.

There was special food we had to feed her. It came in a can and was called ZuPreem—it’s very strange that I even remember that. It was like wet cat food, though at first, we were bottle feeding her. It didn’t feel that abnormal. She was very affectionate. Who could ask for more in kindergarten, right?

What were some of your early interests?

Gruse: I was always reading and making art. Those were my big things. I’m the youngest of three, and my middle brother and I shared a bedroom—we’re only a year and a half apart in age—and he was very good at convincing me of the things I should want for Christmas, which were really things that he wanted.

For example, Star Wars was a big part of our childhood, and I liked it, but wasn’t into the toys. Yet, that became a huge part of my Christmas list every year. At the same time, I would get lots of books and art supplies, so I was all set.

Let’s fast forward to college. If I’m not mistaken, I think you went to school for journalism.

Gruse: I did. I was in the journalism school at Louisiana State University, and my focus was in advertising.

Did you work as a journalist at some point?

Gruse: I did. It’s funny. My dad was a newspaper editor, and I spent a lot of time with him in his office. I swore I would never work for a newspaper. Then when I moved to Philadelphia, a job opened up at a newspaper and I thought, OK, I guess I’ll do that for a while. I ended up working in newspapers for 16 years and in fact moved up here following a job in journalism.

What was your beat?

Gruse: I covered arts and entertainment and features, and then ultimately became the online editor because I saw technology was changing. I thought I needed to embrace that, and it was a good opportunity for me to learn. Throughout my career, I call myself a slasher—not in the sense of Freddy Krueger, but I’ve had a lot of different jobs. I’ve found that I’m a writer slash editor, slash designer, slash marketer. The industry has changed so much, and I’ve jumped around.There’s so many different things that I’ve had to be, and I like that. I think that actually fits my personality really well. I get bored.

The nice thing about journalism—and I assume advertising, too—is that every day does look a little bit different.

Gruse: Well, especially marketing today. I mapped things out three years ago when I started at SUNY Empire, and we’ve evolved so much just by paying attention to what’s going on both in and outside of higher ed and thinking about how people are consuming information, how they’re connecting with culture, and then making sure that we’re meeting them where they are.

How do you think your journalism background informs your work as a marketer?

Gruse: Everything for me really is storytelling. Whether it’s doing visual art or working as a writer, I’ve always liked telling other people’s stories. And I think good marketing today focuses on that. It’s what our campaigns here at the university focus on. We’re telling our students’ stories and why we make sense for our students and letting them drive that narrative authentically. It’s so moving. It’s exciting. It never gets boring. I love talking to our students. I love hearing how we’ve changed their lives in ways that they never thought would be possible. That’s the great thing. I’ve always believed in higher ed. Knowing that higher education can be accessible to everyone at SUNY Empire and seeing that every day is very meaningful to me.

How do you define marketing and how is it an effective tool for the university?

Gruse: When I was in college, marketing was thought of as selling. It had this very manipulative, corporate feel. That was one thing I never loved about it. I always wanted something that was honest, and I think it’s evolved a lot because consumers are savvier. Marketers have had to realize they need to be authentic to optimize their messaging.

For me, marketing today is communication and matching people to the products and services that they would value. That’s the great thing about my job here—I feel good about the product that we’re marketing. It’s something I really believe in. We’re very honest in our messaging. We help the people who need us the most make a decision to get where they need to go for that next step in their lives.

SUNY Empire students vary widely in age. How do you tailor marketing campaigns to a multigenerational audience?

Gruse: I’ve done a lot of research on generations and how they differ. It’s important to think about the motivations of each one and how we connect with them through messaging, but also where they’re engaging. At the university, we have marketing tracks for undergrads that we call Gen. Z, and it’s basically 18- to 24-year-olds. Then we have what we call millennial-plus, and that focus is ages 25 to 45. Before, the university was marketing to 18- to 65-year-olds, and the messaging and delivery were exactly the same. So, we’ve really thought about what that 20-year-old needs to hear from us and what that 35-year-old needs to hear from us.

In the How You Do University campaign, we’re telling student stories, but we’re connecting students to similar students so they can see themselves and be inspired by people who are very similar to them. I think there’s a lot of meaning in that … we have students entering at different phases of life, so their stories are all different. How do we connect them? How do we tell that story in a way that feels individualized, but also cohesive? That’s where I think understanding the generations is very important.

What have previous experiences taught you about what makes a good team?

Gruse: When I think about what I value in a team, it’s seeing everyone’s perspective and bringing it all together. I’ve tried to build a team that’s diverse. I want them to really understand our students, which are themselves very diverse and eclectic. I want each of them to have an authentic voice.

We have a brand, and we have to adhere to brand standards, certainly, but I want to know how everyone on the team fits within that brand. I want us to always try to push boundaries a bit, and sometimes you have to rein it in. However, for creatives, it’s important that work doesn’t become routine and that they feel like there’s an opportunity to grow. I always try to encourage that.

Everyone has the thing that they’re good at. The way they see the world is unique. Even if there are just slight differences in people’s life paths, it reflects in perspective. It’s good to play to the strengths of each individual.

We have one last question for you, and it’s kind of a silly one. We’ve noticed that you’re always wearing a bow tie. Why?

Gruse: One of my Boomer bosses had a policy that proper men wore ties to work if they wanted to be respected. I thought it was ridiculous. I went and bought ties, and they drove me crazy because they’re long. I’d catch them in the car door or my desk drawer. I thought, why do I have this weird fabric just hanging here from my neck? It seemed so weird, especially for work. So I thought, I’m going to wear that tie that you’re demanding, but I’m going to wear a bow tie. Having come from the South, bow ties are sort of proper culture. So it was a little bit of sticking it to the man to wear one. And there’s a little bit of irony to it. I just think it’s kind of funny. So how do you be professional but still add a little humor? That’s why I like wearing bow ties. And now it’s become such a thing that if I’m not wearing one, people comment on it. It’s a little bit of snark as to why I wear a bow tie, but also now I really do love them.

[With a smile, he says he probably owns at least 60 bow ties. Later, after counting them, he reveals that he owns 96.]

What do you look for in a bow tie?

Gruse: So, it has to be one that I can tie myself; pretied bow ties are a no. I’m holding on to this principle. So that would be the first thing. And second, I like patterns. That’s important to me, and I want them to be playful in some way, ideally. And I really like to mix and match patterns in general. So, like a plaid jacket, a funky bow tie, a striped shirt.  I think it’s funny. You’ve got to have a quirk, right?

Behind the Scenes with Special Events 

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From virtual academic conferences and town halls to in-person commencement ceremonies attended by thousands, the Special Events team plans a wide range of gatherings for Empire State University. Ahead, Director Danielle Heller, Events Specialist Mallory Holman, and Events Operations Coordinator Danielle Boardman offer a glimpse of the team that executes some 30 functions per year.  

What does a typical day look like for you? 

Boardman: That’s such a great question. I don’t know if there is one because even just yesterday and today are vastly different. I think it kind of depends on where we are in the ebb and flow of things. We each have our own little nooks and crannies of the things that we do. I know Danielle’s already starting to field questions about Annual Meeting, and we’re already starting rooming lists, getting proposals, and finalizing scripts for all the different components of the event. I think people don’t realize all the things that go into each component. There’s runs of show, there’s scripts, there’s technology requests—all these background details that go into just that one thing that people see.  

Heller: Ditto, I totally agree with Danielle. The only other thing I would say is that we do a lot of laughing in our office because sometimes it’s just a lot of brainstorming. So we go really far to every extreme, and then we kind of hone it back to what’s realistic and what we can actually do. I like to think that we laugh a lot because we’re kind of a silly group, but then we hone it back and say, okay, this is actual work that we have to do. 

Holman: Highly agree that no typical day-to-day really exists for us necessarily, but it always involves certain things like checking in, following up, and tracking items on our to-do lists. I also think we maintain a good balance of individual work and group work. Like Danielle Boardman mentioned, we all have our little areas within things, but then we all also follow the project as a whole to make sure all the parts are done and all groups of attendees are considered.  

What is in your event planning bag of tricks—something you always have with you on the day of an event? 

Boardman: Orthopedic inserts. That’s the first thing that came to mind. Good inserts and good shoes.  

Heller: That’s a tough one. I’m thinking of what I have in my little purse when I’m walking around any event, and that’s chapstick, hand sanitizer, and water. And stretchy pants, because you’re always on the floor no matter what event you’re doing; you’re fixing something on the floor, you’re tying a shoe, you’re doing something. 

Holman: In similar fashion, I will say anyone who’s been to a commencement staffing meeting with us will know my answer, which is compression socks. I feel like these answers sound silly, but they’re all things that support the humans behind the task. On the event day, it comes down to the customer service aspect of the job. Obviously, there’s a lot leading up to it too, but there’s so much that goes into putting our best faces forward. I think anything that supports our physical bodies and prepares us to be there, be present, be available, and be good at what we’re doing the day of is important.  

Boardman: I also feel like we need to add a large fountain Coke. Usually at some point throughout any event you will see the event staff with a Coca-Cola, not a Pepsi. We do have a brand. I know as a university we can’t promote sides, but we are definitely Team Coca-Cola. And I will say, in a practical sense, our reMarkable tablets have made a huge difference in our lives too. You probably won’t see us too far without these babies just because they have the run of show on them, they have the floor plans on them. We can walk into a room and be like, OK, that table needs to be moved there; this isn’t what was on the setup. 

What’s something about your work that might surprise people? 

Holman: The care and effort that goes into everything. I think the backbone of what we do is the structure of an event— making sure all of the ducks are in a row, all of the requests have been placed, and all of the coordination has been done in the background— but then also putting heart into everything. When an event goes well, it means a lot to us. When we get good feedback or we see smiling faces and happy people, that fuels us to go forward.  

Heller: We have a lot of support within the university—a lot of wonderful people that we work with weekly, monthly, or bi-weekly that we talk to a lot. We also talk to event attendees so much during peak commencement season. Whether it’s on the phone, through e-mail, or whatever kind of messaging we’re doing, it’s like 70 students a day. We’re getting thousands of emails and calls from not only students but faculty and staff here at the university that we’re trying to provide information to. That can be a challenging part of our job. We are constantly talking to people and trying to put the best and most accurate information out there to put someone’s mind at ease.  

The other thing is that we have to make a lot of data-informed decisions that aren’t necessarily easy ones. We have to factor in the focus at the time, the theme of the event, the budget, who’s attending, and what we need to accommodate all people and make them feel comfortable. It’s the nitty-gritty details of small things like is there a gluten-free pasta for this meal to big things like moving thousands of people from one room to the next. I like to put that out there because we’re always collecting information so we can improve our events moving forward. We’re taking any kind of feedback people are providing into consideration as much as we can. 

Boardman: I want to echo all of that. I think you’re sensing a theme, but we do have a hive mind, as we like to say every once in a while. But I don’t think people realize how much time we spend on the event evaluations and how much we take those things to heart—how granular we get with the wording on a form based off that feedback or how many hours Mallory is spending on a menu to try and figure out what would appease the hundreds of restrictions and preferences that we get for specific events. There’s also the professional development—talking to other colleges and universities around the nation and asking what do you do? What works for you? What isn’t working? How can we better X,Y, and Z?  

What’s your favorite part of the job?  

Heller: Honestly, my favorite part is working with the team here. When I started, I worked with the wonderful Susan McFadden who taught me everything and was so amazing to learn from before she retired. But then with the department and the needs of the university growing, we were able to bring Mallory on, which was huge. Danielle was actually on that hiring committee, which is so funny. And then Danielle joined the team a little bit later. I feel like we have the best time. I have to say too that Tiffany Williams is incredible. She’s the administrative assistant for the department, and the fourth member of this team. It’s so wonderful to work with humans that care about other people and care about what they’re doing and have a feel for what the university is standing for and try to push that momentum forward. I think we have a common goal.  

Holman: Anytime anyone asks me what do you do at your job, what do you like about it, or why the heck have you been there for 16 years, I think it comes down to the people. One of my other favorite parts is that we are always looking for ways to improve. It’s a continual, ongoing thing. We’re always trying to fine tune and get things just right for the audience that we’re working with, and I really like that. I don’t think we’ve had a single event that we’ve fully copied and pasted from one to the next. We’re always willing to build on what has been done so far. Apart from the people, the willingness to grow keeps the work interesting and fun. 

Boardman: Ditto. I think you throw three people in one shared space, and it can go wrong in a lot of different ways. We got very lucky that our dynamic works out really well. We joke around that there’s good cop, bad cop, and logical cop, and that shifts depending on the situation and the feedback, but the team is great. The extended team is great. Working as closely as we do with marketing, security, and facilities and operations and having those great relationships is amazing. It’s great to work with all the different people across the university. Also, we’ve joked about this from time to time, but every day, it’s like there’s a new jigsaw puzzle on your desk that you have to put together. And when it clicks, it clicks—and it’s awesome.