Syracuse University Teams Up with Global Organization Gen.G to Boost Student Engagement, Expand Hands-On Learning Opportunities in Esports
Sport Management News
From Syracuse to South Korea
The partnership between Syracuse University and Gen.G will bring Gen.G’s Campus Takeover conference and program to Syracuse to celebrate the University’s soon-to-be-completed esports hub in the center of campus at the Schine Student Center.
Syracuse University and global esports and gaming organization Gen.G are collaborating on a multiyear partnership designed to enhance student engagement opportunities and support the University’s first-of-its-kind esports communications and management bachelor’s program.
The partnership will feature participation in the Gen.G Practicum Abroad, which offers students the opportunity to take part in an intensive, three-week program to study in South Korea. The partnership will also bring Gen.G’s Campus Takeover conference and program to Syracuse to celebrate the University’s soon-to-be-completed esports hub in the center of campus at the Schine Student Center. Campus Takeover events draw students, faculty, professional leaders and other stakeholders from around the world to discuss key issues and emerging trends in the esports and gaming industries.
Syracuse University is the first major university in the country to offer an esports bachelor’s program. The degree is offered jointly by the Newhouse School of Public Communications and Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
“As a leader in esports education, it is essential for Syracuse to deliver to the right mix of academic excellence and hands-on experiences to our students,” said Joey Gawrysiak, executive director of the esports degree program. “Given Gen.G’s outstanding track record of delivering educational programming that resonates with students, we look forward to building this important partnership in a growing field.”
The Gen.G Practicum Abroad program will offer Syracuse students an expansive hands-on learning experience in the heart of the esports industry in South Korea. The program led by Gen.G professionals includes custom esports programming, mentorship by industry professionals, special lectures, industry “lunch-and-learns” and professional networking, all while immersing students in Korean culture and its history in esports. Students will visit competitive organizations and gaming publisher studios.
Students will also take part in Gen.G’s award-winning Campus Takeover event, which will be hosted for the first time on the Syracuse campus in fall 2025. The free-to-enter conference will focus on supporting the esports ecosystem in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, promoting academic, broadcast and competitive excellence through informative panels and seminars featuring industry professionals. The Campus Takeover at Syracuse will also be the first to feature an innovative business case study competition.
“Syracuse and Gen.G believe education plays a critical role in the future development of esports and gaming globally, so we’re committed to delivering hands-on experiences for the students who seek a rewarding career in our industry,” said Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G. Hur and Yugina Yan, the company’s assistant director of operations for education will serve as development advisors to the Syracuse’s esports program.
Last spring, Gen.G hosted industry lectures for students in the Department of Sport Management in Falk College sand a marketing lecture exclusively for Syracuse esports students during the League of Legends World Championships in Berlin.
Gen.G’s commitment to education is celebrating its fifth year with its Gen.G Foundation, a $1 million pledge over the next 10 years to advance the importance of education in the esports and gaming industry. The foundation awards scholarships to more than 40 students across the United States. Gen.G also operates the Gen.G Global Academy, the world’s first fully integrated academic esports program in Korea.
About Gen.G
United under #TigerNation, Gen.G’s core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. With an emphasis on education, DEI initiatives, and innovative partnerships, Gen.G is a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for gaming. Its unique portfolio of teams includes the Seoul Dynasty (Overwatch League), League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the Gen.G & Gen.G Black VALORANT teams, the PUBG Gen.G team, and the NBA2K’s Gen.G Tigers (the first non-NBA owned team in the NBA 2K League). Gen.G has also been a major proponent in seamlessly bringing in non-endemic brand partners to the world of gaming and esports, including 1Password, Burberry, Crocs, King’s Hawaiian, McDonald’s, Mobil1, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, and more. Gen.G also operates the Gen.G Global Academy, the world’s first fully-integrated academic esports program in Korea. Gen.G’s teams, content creators and corporate staff work out of their offices in Los Angeles, Seoul and Shanghai. For more information, visit GenG.gg or follow on Twitter @GenG.
About Syracuse University’s Esports Communications and Management program
Syracuse University’s first-of-its-kind Esports and Communications Management B.S. program is offered jointly by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, which on July 1, 2025, will become the Falk College of Sport focusing entirely on sport-related disciplines. The program includes three tracks: Esports Business and Management, Esports Communications, and Esports Media and Design. It prepares students for an exciting career in esports and related industries through classes in event management and marketing, broadcasting/production, communications, content creation, entrepreneurship, strategic communications, and esports experience and design.
Running With A Purpose
How Trailblazer Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72, H’18 Uses Running to Motivate and Inspire Women Around the World (Podcast)
Kathrine Switzer (wearing bib number 261) is harassed by Boston Marathon race director Jock Semple (in black) while she is running in the marathon. Switzer’s boyfriend at the time, Tom Miller (wearing bib number 390), delivers a block to Semple that frees up Switzer to continue running. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Herald)
Instead of wallowing in what could have potentially been the lowest moment of her life, Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72, H’18 used the adversity she overcame during her historic run at the Boston Marathon as fuel to inspire women around the world.
Switzer, who in 1967 became the first woman to officially run and finish the Boston Marathon when she entered as K.V. Switzer using bib number 261, contended not only with the grueling course and frigid race conditions, but also a physical challenge from race director Jock Semple. Around mile four, Semple leapt out of the photographers’ press truck and headed straight for Switzer and her contingent of runners from Syracuse University.
As Semple tried to rip Switzer’s bib off the front and back of her grey Syracuse track sweatshirt, Switzer was frightened. Her coach, Arnie Briggs, the University’s mailman and a veteran runner at the Boston Marathon, tried to convince Semple that Switzer belonged in the race, to no avail. Only after Switzer’s boyfriend, Tom Miller, a member of the Orange football and track and field teams, blocked Semple, was Switzer free to continue chasing down her pursuit of history.
In that moment, Switzer followed Briggs’ advice to run like hell, driven to prove Semple and the other doubters wrong by finishing the race. She hasn’t stopped running with a purpose since.
’Cuse Conversations: How Trailblazer Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72, H’18 Uses Using Running to Motivate, Inspire Women Worldwide
Instead of wallowing in what could have potentially been the lowest moment of her life, Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72, H’18 used the adversity from her historic run at the Boston Marathon…
Read the transcript
“As I was running, I realized that if these women had the opportunity, just the opportunity, that’s all they needed. And by the time I finished the race I said, ‘I’m going to prove myself, play by their rules and then change those rules,’” says Switzer, an emeritus member of the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ Department of Sport Management Advisory Council.
“From the worst things can come the best things and that’s what I tell students whenever I speak to classes. If something is wrong, there’s an opportunity to change it, and we can then reverse it. When you’re training for a marathon, you’re out there for hours by yourself. I loved to use that time to take on a problem and solve it,” says Switzer, who earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and English from the College of Arts and Sciences, and a master’s degree in public relations from the Newhouse School.
After her triumph in Boston, Switzer would complete more than 40 marathons, including winning the New York City Marathon in 1974, and she was instrumental in getting the women’s marathon included in the Summer Olympics. Switzer’s global nonprofit, 261 Fearless (an homage to her Boston race bib), has helped thousands of women discover their potential through the creation of local running clubs, educational programs, communication platforms and social running events.
On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Switzer discusses making history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, why she’s never stopped advocating for the inclusion of women in sports and what it means to be a proud alumna whose running career was launched as a student on campus.
How did you use the Boston Marathon experience to create more running opportunities for women?
I was raised by parents who said you know right from wrong, so always go for what’s right. I knew it was going to be time-consuming, but I knew it was important to both correct the error the establishment had made, but more than that, I wanted women to know how great you can feel when you’re running. When I was running, I felt empowered. I felt like I could overcome anything. Running is naturally empowering, it’s a super endorphin high, and I wanted women to experience that.
One of the issues I wanted to solve was getting the women’s marathon into the Summer Olympics. It came down to opportunities and I wanted to create these opportunities, so [once I was working for Avon Cosmetics] I created the Avon International Running Circuit, a series of races around the world that are for women only, where we could make every woman feel welcome and treat her like a hero.
Eventually, we had 400 races in 27 countries for over a million women around the world. We had the participation, we had the sponsorships, we had the media coverage and we had the international representation. In 1981, by a vote of nine to one, women’s marathon was voted into the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. That was an incredible feeling.
Kathrine Switzer speaks to students in Falk College Professor Lindsey Darvin’s Sport Management “Race, Gender and Diversity in Sport Organizations” class. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)
What has running given you?
Running has given me just about everything. It’s given me my religion, my husband, travel opportunities, my health and wellness, but the biggest thing it has given me is this perspective on myself, this empowerment and belief in myself that I can do whatever I set out to accomplish.
What kind of impact has 261 Fearless had in empowering and lifting up other women through running?
We’ve already proved that, regardless of your age, your ability or your background, if you get out there and put one foot in front of the other, you’re going to become empowered. If you want to lift a woman up, show her how to run.
We need to do it at the grassroots level and invite women around the world to have a jog or a walk with one of our more than 500 trained coaches. We’re working village by village, city by city, country by country to spread the word on the life-changing benefits of running, and we’ve worked with nearly 7,000 women in 14 countries and five continents so far. 261 was perfect for this mission. It became a number that means being fearless in the face of adversity. People have told me that 261 Fearless has changed their lives and that they’re taking courage from what I did.
Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.
John Boccacino:
Hello and welcome back to the ‘Cuse Conversations Podcast. I’m John Boccacino, senior internal communications specialist at Syracuse University.
Kathrine Switzer:
I realized that, if these women had the opportunity, just the opportunity, that’s all they needed. And by the time I finished the race, I said, “Okay, I’m going to be a better athlete, get my credibility together here, prove myself, play by their rules, whatever they are, and change those rules.” I wanted women to know how great you can feel when you’re running. As long as I ran, I felt empowered, I felt like I could overcome anything. And it is, running is naturally empowering, it’s a super, super endorphin high and so it’s very, very beneficial for thinking and clarity and I did a hell of a lot of thinking. When you’re trainingfor a marathon, you’re out there for hours alone and you can take on a problem and solve it.
John Boccacino:
Well, our guest on this episode of the ‘Cuse Conversations podcast is Kathrine Switzer, the inspirational and trailblazing rnne r who made history as the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967 but her story is so much more involved than just that date at the Boston Marathon. Kathrine has made a habit out of breaking barriers and, because of her courage in the face of adversity, millions of women have become empowered through the simple act of running. Kathrine has completed more than 40 marathons in her career, including winning the New York City Marathon in 1974.
In 2015, along with four of her friends, Kathrine launched 261 Fearless, a global non-profit that empowers women through running, helping thousands of women around the world discover their self-worth and their potential through customized education and running opportunities. The 261 is an homage to the bib number that Kathrine sported when she successfully ran the 1967 Boston Marathon as K.V. Switzer. Kathrine, it’s an impressive resume you’ve got, I appreciate you making the time, thanks for joining us.
Kathrine Switzer:
Thank you, John, for having me here. I’m an orange girl through and through and it’s wonderful to be back on campus and talking to you.
John Boccacino:
Really, you can tell through and through that you bleed orange and we’ll go through the whole arc, your running career started here at Syracuse. But I know it can be difficult but I do want to go back to that day, the day that has defined and launched your brand and your reputation as being someone who supports and empowers women through running. What was that like with the Boston Marathon, the emotions? What was going through your mind as you and your cross-country coach, and I want to call him a coach because Arnie Briggs was a volunteer but he really played a key role that we’ll get to in your career here, what was going through your mind heading down to Boston?
Kathrine Switzer:
Well, I’ve got to back up, John, honestly, because the story actually began out on the Drumlins Golf Course. I had gone in to see the track coach a couple of days before and asked if I could run on the men’s cross-country team because, at my previous college, I was recruited to run the mile for the men so that they could get points and they had no problems with it. And when I came to Syracuse and I asked the coach since there was no women’s sports teams in those days-
John Boccacino:
Before Title IX, of course.
Kathrine Switzer:
Yeah. But not just running, there was no field hockey, no lacrosse, nothing, nothing. So, I said, “Okay, I’m going to run,” so I asked the coach if I could run on the men’s cross-country team. And he said, “No, it’s against NCAA rules but you can come out and work out with the team if you’d like to.” And I said, “Well, fine, Coach, where do you go?” and he said, “Drumlins,” I said, “Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And just before I closed the door, I heard him burst out laughing and say to his colleagues, “I think I got rid of that one.” I was so upset because I said, “Well, what am I going to do now? Am I really welcome or I’m not welcome?” And I said, “No, I’m going to show up. He said I would be welcome, I’m going to show up,” and I went out there. I was very nervous, very nervous. And you know what happened? All the guys on the team came running over to me and saying, “Wow, we’d never had a girl before, this is great.”
And one guy in particular was Arnie Briggs, a volunteer coach, he was the university mailman but he had an ex-marathoner and now he was injured and older, he is 50. He said, “We’ve never had a girl here before and I’ve been training with this team for 31 years. I’m now just a volunteer helping out with the team every afternoon and then I do a jogging if I can and then I go back to the post office.” And so, he saw me out running with the guys and, of course, I couldn’t keep up, I was really slow and he started jogging with me. And he got over his injuries slowly, slowly, slowly because I was slow on the grass and he would regale me every day with a story about his career as a marathon runner. He’d run the Boston Marathon 15 times and it was the day he was the hero in his own life. It was the day when he was more than just a postman, it was the day when people cheered for him, he would finish in the top 10, he was a pretty good runner. The girls at Wellesley would run out and kiss him and his name was in the newspaper.
And so, he inspired me so much to run long, we left the cross-country course and we went out and ran on the roads and we ran longer and longer and longer. And then one day I said I wanted to run the Boston Marathon too and he said, “Oh,” he said, “It’s too bad but a woman can’t do it.” And I said, “What do you mean she can’t do it?” and then I said, “I can do it,” and he said, “Oh, no, no. No woman could do 26 miles.” And I said, “Well, we’re running 10 miles now, Arnie,” and he said, “Ten miles is not 26.” But we argued and I told him a woman had run the Boston Marathon the year before without numbers, he didn’t believe it and he said, “I’ll tell you what, if you show me in practice that you can run Boston, I will take you and if you can do that distance.” And so, one day we did, we ran 26, I said that wasn’t far enough, let’s run another five, we ran 31 and he passed out at the end of the workout and that’s when he said, “You can go to Boston.”
True to his word, he helped me sign up, he insisted I officially enter the race. He said, “You’re a card- carrying member of the Athletic Federation, you’ve got to sign up for the race,” and so I signed up. Being a journalism student, I wanted to be a sports writer so I’d be signing my name, K.V. Switzer so I put down … I wanted to be J.D. Salinger too. So, I put down K.V. Switzer on the entry form, not to defraud them because that’s how I’d been signing my name, also my dad had misspelled my name on my birth certificate and everybody always misspelled Kathrine so I just decided to be K.V. Switzer. Anyway, the entry was accepted. I didn’t know that it was going to be an issue, there was nothing about gender on the entry form or in the rule book. So, now I’ve laid the story open to people, okay? The background is extremely important.
John Boccacino:
Absolutely.
Kathrine Switzer:
Yeah. So, showed up at Boston ready to run, it was pouring cold, freezing rain and snow. It was a real Syracuse day but it was the worst day in the history of the Boston Marathon in terms of weather before and up to 2018 when they had a hurricane, the absolute worst day, miserable conditions and everybody was really getting hypothermia and everything else. But at any rate, I started the race, again, the men were welcoming to me and, about a mile and a half into the race, the press truck went by, went crazy seeing a girl in the race and I was so proud of myself and Arnie was proud of me and my boyfriend had come along from the track team and he was a hammer thrower but, if a girl could run, he could run. And then came the official’s truck and on the official’s truck was the race directors and the race director completely lost his temper. He jumped off the bus and ran after me and attacked me in the race and tried to rip off my bib numbers and started screaming at me, “Get the hell out of my race and give me thosenumbers,” and calling me other names, “Get out of my race. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.” And Arnie was trying to bat him away and it was really … And this was right in front of the press truck, okay? And I was in tears, I was trying to get away from him and he was pulling me by the sweatshirt when my hammer-throwing boyfriend threw a crossbody block into him and sent him out of the race, boom, on the side of the road. And then Coach Arnie said, “Run like hell,” and down the street we went. Now, you know what, John, you’re laughing-
John Boccacino:
Well, I-
Kathrine Switzer:
Okay. No, no. See, it’s a hilarious story.
John Boccacino:
Because of the adversity but also you had such a great team around you. And I’m laughing because it’s such an antiquated notion to think that a woman can’t … Back then, give our audience a little perspective too because the reason women didn’t run marathons, there were a whole bunch of preconceived notions that were out there.
Kathrine Switzer:
Right, but this official had bought into all of that but also he felt he was defending the rules in the race. But I said, “There are no rules and there was nothing about gender on the entry form.”
John Boccacino:
You paid your $3.
Kathrine Switzer:
I did.
John Boccacino:
You were eligible to run in that race.
Kathrine Switzer:
Right, right. I think it’s, what, 350 now or whatever but, at any rate, it was a very ugly situation and I was so upset. I thought I had really screwed up this important race, that some how I had stepped in the middle of something that was really sacred and made it bad and the press were all over me, “When are you going to quit? When are you going to quit? What are you trying to prove?” And I turned to one of them and said, “I’m not trying to prove anything, I’m just here to run,” and I’m going … God, I was only 20 years old and they were so harassing that I just looked down and then I said, “You might as well go to the front because I’m not dropping out of the race.” And finally, they left me and I turned to Arnie and I said, “I’m going to finish this race in my hands and my knees if I have to because everybody’s telling women they can’t do it and then they pull opportunities away from them so we can’t prove otherwise.” And in those days, try to imagine this, 1967, you weren’t even allowed to enter or apply to Harvard or any of the Ivy League schools and how are you going to get a law degree and compete with somebody who has a Harvard law degree? Then they say we were giving women opportunities but they can’t do it anyway. Well, of course you can’t do it if somebody’s going to try to rip your number off, right?
John Boccacino:
Yeah.
Kathrine Switzer:
Anyway, I went on, I finished the race, I forgave the official someplace around 21 miles when I didn’t have any emotions left, I realized he was a product of his time, that was his problem, and that I was going to have to make some changes in his attitude and other attitudes. Again, the guys in the race were wonderful, very supportive and then I was thinking, “Well, why aren’t other women here? What’s the problem?” And I was cynical about it, I said, “Women just not getting it,” and then I realized, hey, come on, you had parents who encouraged you, you had a cross-country team who encouraged, you had Arnie and that made all the difference. And suddenly I realized that if these women had the opportunity, just the opportunity, that’s all they needed. And by the time I finished the race, I said, “Okay, I’m going to be a better athlete, get my credibility together here, prove myself, play by their rules, whatever they are, and change those rules.”
John Boccacino:
The series of photos that the Boston Herald put out there, they’re iconic, they were part of Times 100 Most Memorable Photos. How much did the visual component of what you went through help to really with the groundswell of changing minds and changing perspectives on this?
Kathrine Switzer:
It was huge, John, it was everything. I think, two things. One, if I had walked off the course, this would be a ha-ha moment type of thing and the other thing were the photographs. And as a journalism student, I learned so much from this experience because I realized that the media made all the difference. And one of the media problems I had was that a lot of the reporters reported that I didn’t finish so they didn’t stick around to see that … It took me four hours and 20 minutes but they reported that I hadn’t finished and that was wrong. And if you’re going to be a good reporter, at the Newhouse School they taught us, get the facts, stick it out until you get the facts. And in fact, one of the reports came from the New York Times. So, what did I do? Knowing that the New York Times was the be-all end-all, everybody at Newhouse knew that the New York Times was it, I called them up, I said, “Hey, you made a mistake here, how about a little reprint, just correction? I just want you to know I finished the race, it’s important for people to know that.”
And the reporter on the other end who had reported it started taking notes and, Sunday edition, I was all over the front page of the Sunday edition with the most fabulous story and wonderful interview and that really helped change the tide as well because other journalist sources picked it up. But yeah, so it was a very good education for me that way but it was a long haul after that changing regulations. Again, here at Syracuse, I stayed here, took work after I graduated and worked on my master’s degree at night and, during that time, organized Syracuse Track Club which became the Syracuse Chargers and we began … I learned how to do race direction, I put on a race every Tuesday night, learned how to get sponsorship, learned how to get prizes, not prize money, but prizes and sponsorships, and then learned how to work the regulations. Sat out my little time with the Athletic Federation, came back, took a leadership role and decided I would make change from within which you need to do. So, that led to then creating the work to get to the Olympic Games which we can talk about.
John Boccacino:
A lot of people, when faced with their darkest moment, you have the two choices. Are you going to fight or are you going to fight? And you chose to fight and it’s so applaudable what you did because, eventually, your persistence led to the women’s marathon being admitted to the Summer Olympics in 1984 and the groundswell and popularity of running. What was your thought process? Why did you take that option and say I’m not going to let what happened to me happen to other people who want to follow in my footsteps?
Kathrine Switzer:
Because it was wrong. I was raised by parents who said you know right from wrong so go for what’s right. And I knew it was going to be very time-consuming and discouraging and a lot of cat calling, the hate mail I received was not nice but I received really good mail so I threw that hate mail away and kept a good mail. I wasn’t really trying to challenge them, I was just trying to correct the error that the establishment had made but, more than that, I wanted women to know how great you can feel when you’re running. As long as I ran, I felt empowered, I felt like I could overcome anything. And it is, running is naturally empowering, it’s a super, super endorphin high and so it’s very, very beneficial for thinking and clarity and I did a hell of a lot of thinking. When you’re training for a marathon, you’re out there for hours alone and you can take on a problem and solve it.
One of the things I solved is what is going to take to get the women’s marathon in the Olympic Games? So, every night I would think of another part of that problem and then finding a solution and the solution again and again came to opportunity. And what I did then, by the time I had gotten my master’s degree, I just said, “Okay, I’m going to go to the Munich Olympics, I’m going to work as a journalist, freelance journalist, and I’m going to try to figure out how to make this happen and I’m going to meet some political people there.” Well, the Munich Olympics were a real trial by fire, it was a horrible situation and I realized suddenly that this is very political at lots of different levels. When you are going to murder 11 Israeli athletes, there’s a lot going on here and that certainly takes precedence. So, we’re getting the women’s marathon in the Olympic Games but it is still a series of prejudices and discriminations, so I was more determined than ever and what I did is I said, “Okay, opportunity, create the opportunity. “So, I thought, hey, if I create a series of races around the world that are for women only in the streets, make every woman welcome and treat her like a hero, make it feminine, make it non-competitive, competitive at the front if you want to be but make every woman regardless of age or ability welcome. And so, what’s going to make that happen? Sponsorship. I’d learned that getting trophies for Syracuse and so I said, “Okay,” so I wrote up a business proposal. So, again, my journalism degree came in really handy, wrote a really gangbusters proposal and decided to shop it around. And I decided to take it to Avon Cosmetics first because everybody knew Avon, it’s a women’s company, it’s cosmetics, it’s safe for a woman, if you see what I mean. It’s okay, it’s a lipstick. And so, I took it to their executives thinking they’re never going to buy this thing but here it is. I got a called the next day from the guy I gave it to and he said, “You know, we’ll probably never do anything with running but, honestly, this proposal is just incredible. And if you can think like this, we would love you to work for us.” I said, “Nah, he’s just joshing me.”
And I said, “Oh, great. Well, thanks, I’m glad you liked it.” He said, “So,” he said, “Would you be interested in working for us?” “No.” He said, “What would it take to have you here to work for us?” And so, I knew he was joshing me so I was making all of $13,000 a year that year, it was big pay, I said, “30,” and he said, “That wouldn’t be a problem.” And that’s when I learned you should ask for what you’re worth. I had no idea that I could earn $30,000 and I thought, “Oh, my God, am I up to the job?” Suddenly
self-doubt and I said, “You’re up to the job.” I went in there, we launched that thing, short story now. Eventually, we had races in 27 countries for over a million women, 400 races, it was a huge global program. And I took it to places like Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, they’d never even had women’s sports much less open road race, the women came by the thousands.
John Boccacino:
Ooh.
Kathrine Switzer:
Yeah. And so, now I had the data and statistics to present to the International Olympic Committee. We had the participation, we had the sponsorship, we were on media all over the place and we had performances, and we had the international representation that they essentially had to vote when those federations voted, and they voted in the women’s marathon in 1981 for the ’84 games by a vote to nine to one. So, there we go.
John Boccacino:
And I love the fact that … And I mentioned earlier, you talked about opportunities for women, giving them the equal ground. Running for you, I see the smile light up and your eyes light up when you talk about running on the race. What is it about running for you that has been just so rewarding and so fulfilling?
Kathrine Switzer:
It’s given me everything. Everybody, they ask the question what is the number one thing, I’ll just say, listen, running has given me just about everything. It’s given me my religion, it’s given me my husband, it’s given me my travel, my job, my perspective but the biggest thing I think it has given me, my health, my wellness and all that kind of stuff, but the biggest single thing is it’s given me me. It’s given a perspective on myself and given me empowerment and belief in myself and that’s what everybody in theis lacking at some time where they are and say, “Oh, my God, can I do that?” and I just go out for a long run and take a deep breath, yeah, you can do this. So, it is quite miraculous and it’s easy and it’s cheap.
John Boccacino:
And anybody can do it anywhere.
Kathrine Switzer:
Anybody can do it anywhere.
John Boccacino:
Well, I love too the fact the humble origins of … Because, really, you could say that your running career did start here at Syracuse when you were working with the cross-country team and Arnie and everything and I want to bring this back to the Syracuse connection for a second. What drew you to Syracuse to study journalism, to study English and then go on and get the public relations master’s degree?
Kathrine Switzer:
Well, what drove me to come to Syracuse was the following. First of all, in high school, I was the first graduating class so we were the first all the way through for four years. And when I first went into this high school, I wanted to work on a high school newspaper and I wanted to write sports because the women weren’t getting any coverage, the girls were not getting any coverage and we actually had a field hockey team and a softball team. So, I got some pump by writing my sports stories and I loved the journalism and I loved the writing so, throughout high school, I carried on with the journalism. And then, when I went to college, my parents lived in Virginia and they really wanted me to go to a state sponsored school. So, there was only one co-ed school in the whole of Virginia at the time which was Lynchburg College, which is now Lynchburg University, and I went there for two years and one of my creative writing teachers was a Syracuse grad, her name was Wilma Washburn and she had a journalism degree.
And so, I took her journalism courses, we would talk about Syracuse, she would talk about her Syracuse days. I took a creative writing course and did well in that as well and I realized it was writing that I really loved and so I’d said, “Look, to earn a living as a writer, as a journalist, as a girl, especially one who wants to write sports, you better have the best damn passport in the world.” And I looked and I said there’s Columbia, there’s Missouri, there’s Syracuse. Syracuse accepted, Syracuse I went to and I never looked back. I had that passport and that was really, really essential and I thought I had a pretty good education. Fueled by the work I was doing, organizing, running events and learning how to do the marketing, I said, “Really, my passion is also journalism, public relations, marketing, that combination of making an event happen and making change and combining all those things,” so I went back to … Actually, my masters is in public relations.
John Boccacino:
Running gave you who you are, Syracuse gave you the skills to fine tune yourself and find what you want to do with your career. Is there a tangible lesson that you learned here at Syracuse that is with you every day everywhere you go that sticks with you?
Kathrine Switzer:
Yeah, the weather. I’ve got to tell you, it was the worst conditions I think ever in the history of Syracuse is the year I was there. We had nine meters of snow that year. We didn’t see bare ground from October until May and I trained through that for the Boston Marathon and it was tough. There were nights that it was 30 degrees below zero, I’m not kidding you, and we were out there just in a sweatsuit. Arnie and I running in that stuff, in pitch black and the blizzards and stuff like that and I realized I was really tough. So, when I got on the starting line of the Boston Marathon ’67, everybody else is getting hypothermia, hey, this is a spring day for us. But I say it metaphorically meaning that, when all the conditions around you are bad and you can thrive and learn from them, there’s no opportunity, really, that’s a bad one and that’s what I learned. And I’m sorry, the university, of course, yeah.
John Boccacino:
Sure, of course, and the fact that you’ve come back and I know … We’ll talk about speaking to students and the advice but I want to ask you one question. I get the sense, when you start something, you finish it and that was exemplified by the Boston Marathon, you were not going to let the race official prevent you from finishing, you weren’t going to let the adversity stop you. Where did you learn that lesson of you need to finish what you start and you need to be prepared for what you’re going into?
Kathrine Switzer:
From my father, absolutely, absolutely. He said, “Honey, when you start something, you better finish it,” and his voice was echoing in my ears when the press was saying, “When are you going to drop out? When are you going to drop out?” And I felt like I really did want to go drop out, I just wanted to go hide, I felt so ashamed and embarrassed, and they were humiliating me and my father said, “You start something, honey, you finish it,” and so definitely did so that was really, really important to me. Another thing is it was my dad who started me running because I wanted to be a high school cheerleader, whoo. My dad said, “Oh, honey, you don’t want to do that, life is to participate, not to spectate and you shouldn’t cheer for other people, people should cheer for you.” And I said, “Well, Dad,” and he said, “Your school has something new, it’s called a field hockey team and, if you ran a mile a day, you’d be the best player on the team.” He was a very motivating guy.
And I said, “I can’t run a mile,” and he said, “Sure you can, you can go right now and you can run a mile.” And I said, “I can’t,” and he said, “Come on, I’ll show you.” We went outside, measured the yard, seven laps, he said, “Okay, just do it, just try it,” and I took off and he said, “No, no, no, go slow. It’s not about fast, it’s about finishing the job.” I remember all these things. And so, when I finished, I said, “Dad, I did it, I did a mile,” and he said, “Yeah, now you do it every day.”
John Boccacino:
That lesson clearly stuck with you though too.
Kathrine Switzer:
They do, they do, yeah.
John Boccacino:
And I love hearing the beginnings of where people come from and what shaped their careers that they take on and I love what you’ve done with 261 Fearless, the fact that you’ve got more than 5,000 women, girls of all ages, of all backgrounds, all abilities coming together. You mentioned this earlier but what do you think is the biggest impact that 261 Fearless has had in the ways of empowering and lifting up other women through running?
Kathrine Switzer:
John, it’s an early question because we’re really only 10 years old and we’re in 13 countries already. This is a non-profit and non-profits, foundations, et cetera, really only reach their fullness after a couple of decades so we are on the right track which is terrific. So, the influence we’ve already have is we have proved that, regardless of your age, your ability or your background or whatever, if you could get out and put one foot in front of the other, you’re going to become empowered. If you want to lift a woman up, just show her how to run but she needs a friend. And women, we look at all the modern women out running, there are thousands and thousands of them but there are so many women who are isolated or restricted by religious convention or social convention or cultural mores or the old myths that I grew up with which is, if you run, your uterus is going to fall out so you’re terrified. Do I really want to run or get big legs and turn into a man? Those are all the things they told us and those myths still exist. And so, you say, okay, well, how are you going to reach these women? Well, you need to do it at the grassroots level and you need to take them by the hand and say, “Hey, look, this isn’t about being competitive, it’s just about come out and have a jog or a walk with us and go get coffee or something afterwards.” And yet, these women who are taking you by the hand, they are trained coaches so we have them as, really, people who know how to do that and reach out to them. And we are going to work and we are working village by village, city by city, country by country and just going in at the grassroots level and the word spreads. My dream, after getting the women’s marathon in the Olympic Games, I remember I was doing the TV broadcast by that time, another Newhouse score. I came out of the stadium and said, “Okay, we did that. We got the women’s marathon in the Olympic Games,” at 90,000 people screaming and 2.2 billion viewers, unbelievable, that’ll change the world I said.
It was only about a week later you hit that postpartum funk and I thought, “Oh, that’s really great for women who can train and go to a race. How about those women who they’re under a burka in Afghanistan or North Africa or they’re isolated in their home with domestic abuse? How are we going to reach those women?” And suddenly, that old bib number, 261, became a number meaning fearless in the face of adversity and it absolutely went viral. People were telling me it’s changing my life, I’m taking courage from you and what it really means is that they need a symbol to make something happen and that’s what inspired us to create the non-profit 261 Fearless. Not a business, a non-profit.
John Boccacino:
Absolutely. And 261 Fearless is … And the fact that the bib number … Is it even possible to comprehend you didn’t enter the Boston Marathon looking to make history but, out of that troubling moment, just how much good has come from that?
Kathrine Switzer:
I know but from the worst things can come the best things and that’s what I’m going to be telling the class today. I said, “If something is wrong, there’s an opportunity to change it, that we can then reverse it. You look at what’s the solution to this? Let’s do the solution.”
John Boccacino:
Well, the last question I have for you, Kathrine, and I’m so grateful for you making the time, you’ve had such a lovely story to share with our audience here. You’re talking to students coming up here for fall classes, you obviously love running and you love Syracuse. If somebody asked you to define what does it mean to be an alumna of Syracuse University, what would you say?
Kathrine Switzer:
I would say that it is a very powerful thing and that it is … I was going to say a sisterhood and a brotherhood. It is a very important friendship and network and a sense of unity, of purpose. And certainly, I think, in Falk, which is a new school relatively and it’s Syracuse but growing wildly and powerfully into something that is educating students for a universal language. Sports is a universal language, sports doesn’t need Spanish, English, whatever. You’re watching a soccer game, you know what’s going on here. And running is a universal language and so, through this universal language, I think getting an education that enhances that understanding globally is going to only increase the luster of Syracuse University.
John Boccacino:
I’d be remiss, I have one more question that I think you’ll appreciate me asking you before we wrap up here. Tell our audience about the work you’re hoping to achieve with the university, our library and our archives.
Kathrine Switzer:
Oh, boy, I had a wonderful meeting this morning with them and I have … I guess I’m a hoarder at a certain point but I couldn’t bear to give up any of the videos or film or writing or the brochures and all the work we had done leading to get the women’s marathon in particular into the Olympic Games and I kept it all. And my husband, very, very gratefully to me, went down to my basement and at least put them in boxes by year. But there is a ton of material and it’s now very valuable and I’m hoping that the acquisition and my gift of all of that material to Syracuse University Library will result in probably the biggest collection and best collection of women’s running history, marathon history anyway, distance running in the world. And it is a joy to think that it will be public accessible which I think is everybody’s ambition.
John Boccacino:
It’s really a treasure trove of memories to go down and share it with the future generations because we need to keep telling these stories of overcoming adversity and, again, I can’t thank you enough. Kathrine Switzer has been our guest here on the ‘Cuse Conversations Podcast, a revolutionary trailblazing pioneer who is humble as can be too. We’ve really enjoyed your stories, thank you so much, Kathrine.
Kathrine Switzer:
Thank you, John, great to be here. Go Orange.
John Boccacino:
Thanks for checking out the latest installment of the ‘Cuse Conversations Podcast. My name is John Boccacino signing off for the ‘Cuse Conversations Podcast.
A Syracuse University News Story by John Boccacino was originally published on December 9, 2024
20 Years of Kindness
Charity Sports Auction to Benefit Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse
Featured items at this year’s Charity Sports Auction will include a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signed playing card, a guitar signed by Sting, and a Carmelo Anthony signed Syracuse University jersey.
The 20th Annual Charity Sports Auction, presented by the Sport Management Club in the Falk College, will benefit the Central New York-based non-profit Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse–and every dollar raised will stay within Syracuse and Onondaga County.
Entirely student-run, the event will be hybrid, with bidding opening online via Classy Live on Dec. 8 and continuing in-person on Dec. 10, when the Syracuse University men’s basketball team takes on Albany in the JMA Wireless Dome. Online bidding will close at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
The Rescue Mission strives to put “Love into Action” through providing emergency shelter, clothing, and three meals a day every day of the year in Onondaga County. Services including spiritual care, access to mental health professionals, substance abuse programming and physical health services.
“Hearing about all of the great things the Rescue Mission does solidified my determination to help those in need here at home,” says Paige Haines, director of events and community engagement at the Rescue Mission.
Over the past 19 years, the auction has raised more than $713,000 for Central New York nonprofit organizations. Featured items this year include a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signed playing card, a guitar signed by Sting, a Carmelo Anthony signed Syracuse University jersey, and more.
To further the auction’s mission of community impact, this year’s auction title sponsor is Apex Entertainment. Apex’s support underscores the commitment to making a meaningful difference in the CNY community.
To learn more about the Charity Sports Auction and to register, visit the auction website. Follow on X (@SPM_Auction) and Instagram (@SPM_Auction) for the most up-to-date event information.
This story was submitted by students in the Sport Management Club.
Another Milestone
Falk College’s Sport Analytics Program Receives STEM Designation
Sport Analytics Director Rodney Paul (right, standing) speaks to students and Falk College benefactor David Falk (left, center) at a reception last April for sport analytics students who represented Syracuse University in national competitions during the Spring semester.
The expanding Sport Analytics program in Falk College’s Department of Sport Management recently reached another significant milestone as it was granted the prestigious Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) designation.
This recognition from the U.S. Department of Education is a testament to the program’s academic rigor and alignment with the evolving needs of the sport analytics industry. The major, minor, and Certificate of Advance Study programs now stand alongside the Master of Science degree, which was launched in 2023. Under the leadership of Director Rodney Paul, the Sport Analytics program will be an anchor of the new David B. Falk College of Sport, the first college on a high-research activity campus (R1) to focus on sport-related disciplines.
The College of Sport, which will officially start July 1, 2025, will also include a new research institute focused on sport and will connect business, digital media, technology, and other areas to fuel innovation in sport and health outcomes.
“For Falk College, this elevates our programs to be on par with other schools and colleges who have a STEM designation,” says Jackie Dorchester, program coordinator for the Sport Analytics program. “This allows us to be eligible for grants and funding for quality research that will be a focus of the College of Sport – research that’s being done by students as well as faculty.”
To obtain the STEM designation, Dorchester undertook an extensive assessment of similar programs and diligently applied for the change in Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). Following a comprehensive review process by Falk College, Syracuse University, and New York State, the designation was implemented at the start of the Fall 2024 semester. This meticulous process ensures the credibility and value of the STEM designation, particularly as the Department of Homeland Security uses CIP codes to determine STEM fields for student visa purposes.
While sport analytics students focus on sports, the skills they learn in the program cover a vast range of skills in demand in today’s job market, including mathematics and statistics, databases and SQL, programming languages, economics and econometrics skills, data science techniques, and effective communication.
This esteemed STEM designation will not only enhance the program’s reputation, but help it attract the best international students. It serves as a testament to the program’s commitment to prepare students for top analytics positions both in the United States and abroad.
“It broadens our applicant pool – enriching the variety of perspectives in our classrooms and programs – and opens doors for international students seeking study and employment opportunities through STEM-designated VISAs,” Dorchester says. “Domestically, it provides greater access to grants and federal funding for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, ensuring that education remains an inclusive and transformative opportunity for all.”
Visit the Department of Sport Management academic programs web page to learn more about sport management, sport analytics, and esports in Falk College.
Falk College FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions for the Human Dynamics Go-Forward Plan
On Nov. 13, Syracuse University announced a go-forward plan to reshape the future of its human dynamics programs and reposition them for short- and long-term success. Here are frequently asked questions about the announcement:
What is the main objective of reshaping Syracuse University’s human dynamics programs?
The primary goal is to reposition and strengthen these academic programs to ensure their success and growth both in the short- and long-term. By consolidating programs and aligning them with colleges that have stronger academic synergies, Syracuse University aims to enhance the community impact, drive enrollment growth, advance research excellence, and better serve students and the broader communities in human, health, and social services.
What specific changes are being made to the human dynamics programs?
The reshaping plan involves the following key changes:
- Human Development and Family Science will merge with Marriage and Family Therapy, becoming one department (i.e., HDFS) within the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Public Health will move to the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
- The School of Social Work will be housed in the School of Education.
These changes are designed to improve academic collaboration, expand research opportunities, and better align these programs with complementary academic disciplines.
When will these changes take effect?
The changes will go into effect on July 1, 2025. Students graduating before July 1, 2025, will participate in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics commencement ceremonies, and students graduating after July 1, 2025, will be participating in the commencement ceremonies of their new school or college. All students impacted by this transition will continue to receive their diploma from Syracuse University that includes their degree.
How were these changes determined?
These changes were based on an extensive four-month assessment conducted by the Human Dynamics Task Force, which involved input from faculty, students, alumni, and community stakeholders. The task force analyzed the current state of these disciplines, both on campus and at peer institutions, and provided recommendations, which in large part informed the go-forward plan.
Will students already enrolled in these programs be impacted by these changes?
Students currently enrolled in these programs will continue their studies as planned. Starting in Fall 2025, students enrolled in these programs will be placed within the school or college that houses their respective degree program.
Where will faculty and staff in the human dynamics programs be located after the changes?
Faculty and staff in the human dynamics programs will remain physically located in MacNaughton and White Halls–and Peck Hall for the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy–for the foreseeable future, even after the programs are realigned with other colleges.
What are the benefits of these changes for students and faculty?
For students, these changes will lead to stronger academic programs with greater interdisciplinary collaboration, enhanced research opportunities, and better preparation for future careers in human, health, and social services. For faculty, the realignment fosters stronger collaborations across colleges, supporting faculty scholarship and providing a more robust environment for research excellence.
Why is Syracuse University making these changes now?
The changes reflect Syracuse University’s commitment to adapting to the evolving educational landscape and ensuring that its human dynamics programs are positioned for long-term success. This restructuring will allow the programs to better meet the needs of students, faculty, and the communities they serve, while fostering greater academic synergies and promoting growth.
What role did the Human Dynamics Task Force play in these decisions?
The Human Dynamics Task Force, co-chaired by Falk College Associate Dean of Human Dynamics Rachel Razza and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School Peter Vanable, played a central role in assessing the current state of the programs, gathering feedback from stakeholders, and formulating strategic recommendations. Their work involved cross-disciplinary collaboration and was instrumental in shaping the final plan for the realignment of these programs.
What is the long-term vision for the human dynamics programs at Syracuse University?
The long-term vision is to create stronger, more integrated programs that foster greater collaboration across disciplines and elevate the university’s impact in fields like human development, public health, marriage and family therapy, and social work. By realigning these programs with other colleges, the university aims to drive enrollment growth, enhance research, and better prepare students for professional careers in the human, health, and social services fields.
Go-Forward Plan
Syracuse University to Reshape the Future of Its Human Dynamics Programs, Reposition Them to Create Academic Synergies and Drive Excellence
Following four months of deliberate assessment and cross disciplinary collaboration by members of the Human Dynamics Task Force, Syracuse University today announced a go-forward plan to reshape the future of its human dynamics programs and reposition them for short- and long-term success. The plan includes the consolidation of two departments and relocation of all human dynamics programs from the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics to other schools and colleges with stronger academic synergies.
“From the beginning of this process, my priority has been developing and implementing a plan that repositions and strengthens the human dynamics academic programs, research and communitywide impact,” says Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “This repositioning elevates our human dynamics programs, fosters stronger collaborations across colleges, advances faculty scholarship and better serves our students and the communities we serve.”
In June, task force members began assessing the current state of the human dynamics disciplines, both on campus and at peer institutions, aggregating feedback from key stakeholders and compiling recommendations for how these programs can be positioned for success and growth in the future. As part of the go-forward plan:
- Marriage and family therapy will merge with human development and family science and become one department within the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Public health will join the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
- Social work will be housed in the School of Education.
These changes, informed in large part by task force recommendations, are designed to enhance the academic and community impact of these programs, grow enrollment, drive research excellence and strengthen the University’s long-standing commitment to preparing professionals to thrive in human, health and social services. They will go into effect July 1, 2025.
“I am grateful to the members of the task force for their thorough, thoughtful and strategic recommendations. I also extend my appreciation to the many students, faculty and staff who provided feedback along the way—through surveys, engagement sessions and other opportunities for submitting input. Their participation in this process and candid feedback were invaluable,” says Provost Agnew.
Today’s news follows an April announcement that the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics will become the Falk College of Sport, the first standalone college on an R1 campus that specifically focuses on sport through a holistic academic lens. As part of the Falk transformation, the University convened the Human Dynamics Task Force, co-chaired by Rachel Razza, associate dean for human dynamics, and Peter Vanable, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School. The task force, which consisted of human dynamics faculty representatives elected from each department, staff and community partners, delivered a final report to the provost last month.
“This work required a commitment to collaboration, a willingness to engage in challenging but necessary dialogue and a shared focus on the immediate and long-term future of the human dynamics academic disciplines,” says Vanable. “Associate Dean Razza and I are grateful to our fellow task force members for their time, dedication and outstanding work. We also appreciate the provost’s commitment to upholding the spirit of our recommendations and look forward to seeing these programs thrive in the future.”
Razza says, “Syracuse University has long been a leader in interdisciplinary education. The task force agreed that taking a reimagined approach to the human dynamics programs furthers our mission to provide students with a robust, future-focused education that emphasizes both theory and practice. I believe all members of the human dynamics community—students, faculty, staff and Central New York partners—benefit from this important realignment.”
Students currently enrolled in these programs will transition to their new schools and colleges effective July 1, 2025. Students enrolling in these programs in fall 2025 will matriculate into the school or college housing their academic program.
A Syracuse University News story originally published on Nov. 13, 2024.
Sports Marketing Insight
Sports Marketing Expert Brandon Steiner Shares Stories with Falk Students
During his recent visit to Falk College, sports marketing expert Brandon Steiner (center) visited with sport management students, from left to right, Dashiell Geller, John Mastrangelo, Griffin Goldberg, Grey Gutfreund, alum Andrew Amell, Erin Moore, Livia McQuade, and Tynan Weathers.
When you combine a great storyteller with a lifetime of great stories, you get . . . Brandon Steiner.
Steiner, who graduated from Syracuse University in 1981 and served as founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia for more than 30 years, visited the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics earlier this fall to speak with students from Falk’s Department of Sport Management. Steiner is chair of Falk’s Sport Management Advisory Council.
From his humble beginnings growing up in a low-income neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, to working his way through Syracuse, to the creation of Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia, and to the formation of his current companies, The Steiner Agency and Collectible Xchange, Steiner had plenty of colorful stories and business advice to share with the students.
Steiner first met with students from two Sport Management classes: Assistant Teaching Professor Alexia Lopes’ “Principles of Sport Management” class, and David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management Rick Burton’s “Managing the Sports Organization” class. Following the classes, Steiner had lunch with eight current sport management students (and one alum).
During Brandon Steiner’s meeting with sport management students, his “discussion on both the NIL space and women’s sports brought in real world cases of how he viewed issues and solutions,” says student Tynan Weathers.
We asked two of those eight students, Erin Moore and Tynan Weathers, to discuss their experience with Steiner. Here’s what they wrote:
Erin Moore ‘25, Sport Management major, Emerging Sport Enterprise minor
“When given the opportunity to attend a lunch with Brandon Steiner, I couldn’t pass it up! From the moment he walked through the door, his passion for the sports industry was undeniable. Listening to his stories about working with New York Yankees legends like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera was incredible and they showcased his passion for building personal relationships with clients and consistently delivering beyond expectations.
“It was also inspiring to hear how he’s mentoring younger players, like current Yankees infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, to help them develop not just on the field but in their careers beyond it. During the lunch, he stressed the importance of going the extra mile, thinking outside the box, and developing strong relationships—values that have been key to his success in the industry. Overall, I’m incredibly grateful to Mr. Steiner for taking the time to share his insights with us and to Falk College for offering such a unique opportunity.”
Tynan Weathers ’25, Sport Management major, Food Studies/Business minors
“Talking with Brandon Steiner was certainly an enlightening experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories he detailed to us with subjects ranging from Derek Jeter to Oswaldo Cabrera. Mr. Steiner has a passion for the sports industry as well as a major passion for Syracuse University and specifically the Sport Management program. His discussion on both the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) space and women’s sports brought in real world cases of how he viewed issues and solutions.
“However, my favorite portion of the discussion is the fact that he seemed genuinely interested in our backgrounds, as he asked questions to learn more about who we are and our areas of interest moving forward. A major piece of advice I took away is the importance of being able to dedicate time and make sacrifices that others aren’t willing to make. That’s what puts you ahead of your competition.”
Steiner Student Support Fund
Last academic year, Steiner worked with the Falk College advancement team and Department of Sport Management to create the Brandon S. Steiner Sport Management Student Support Fund that “supports health, housing, education, and overall wellbeing of Syracuse University undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Sport Management in Falk College.”
The Steiner Student Support Fund awards support for a single academic year, and students can apply for funds by completing this survey. A student can’t be awarded funding more than twice.
In addition to the Steiner Student Support Fund, there are other opportunities and awards available to students in Falk College. Please visit the Awards and Scholarships page on the Falk website for more information on how to apply.
‘Go Out and Get It’
Running Legend Kathrine Switzer Visits Falk College to Discuss 261 Fearless and Advocating for Women’s Sports
Kathrine Switzer, who has been at the forefront of change in women’s sports for more than 50 years, spent a recent afternoon speaking with students in the Sport Management “Race, Gender & Diversity in Sport Organizations” classes taught by Assistant Professor Lindsey Darvin.
When Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72 famously became the first woman to officially run in the Boston Marathon in 1967, women in the United States could not apply for, yet alone own, their own credit cards.
In fact, women weren’t allowed to own credit cards until 1974, when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act enabled women and minorities to obtain credit cards and loans. That was a critical time for women in America, and Switzer continued the athletic and social revolution she started in 1967 by winning the New York City Marathon in 1974.
“In the 2024 New York City Marathon (on Nov. 3), there will be 52,000 runners and 27,000 will be women, and you can bet that all 27,000 have their own credit cards and will spend millions of dollars in New York City,” Switzer told students during a recent visit to the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
Switzer, an emeritus member of the Falk College Department of Sport Management Advisory Council, visited Syracuse and Falk College Oct. 24 for a variety of reasons, including a discussion with Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center about creating a collection of Switzer’s artifacts related to her career and women in running. Switzer discusses this collection, her time at Syracuse, her Boston Marathon experience, and more in an entertaining ’Cuse Conversations podcast scheduled for early December.
Kathrine Switzer will be the featured guest on an upcoming ’Cuse Conversations podcast with host John Boccacino from Syracuse University’s internal communications team. The podcast was recorded in the Falk College podcast room and is scheduled to air in early December.
At Falk, Switzer spent the afternoon speaking with students in the Sport Management “Race, Gender & Diversity in Sport Organizations” classes taught by Assistant Professor Lindsey Darvin. From breaking barriers in the Boston Marathon to becoming the driving force behind the inclusion of the women’s marathon in the Olympics starting in 1984, Switzer has been at the forefront of change in women’s sports, and she encouraged the students to “let your mind run wild” when thinking of the impact they can make.
“Look at the format of the (2024) Olympic Games in Paris and the events that took place there,” she said. “Whoever heard of half of these (sports), but they’re inspiring and viable. You have so many things you can get involved in and get creative with.
“Things may not be easy,” she added. “You’re going to hit a lot of brick walls, people may laugh at you, but stick with it, finish the job, and try to create something wonderful – and you will.”
Switzer has never stopped running – she is the first woman to run a marathon 50 years after her first one – and she has never stopped advocating for the inclusion of women in sports. In 2017, Switzer launched 261 Fearless as a global nonprofit organization to empower and unite women through the creation of local running clubs, educational programs, communication platforms, and social running events.
The number 261 is a nod to her bib number in the 1967 Boston Marathon that the race director tried to take from her. Switzer’s boyfriend, who was running along with her, pushed the director to the side and Switzer finished the race. Like Switzer on that day in Boston, 261 Fearless is focused on women’s empowerment and putting one foot in front of the other to finish the race.
“If you want to lift a woman up, show her how to run,” Switzer said. “We look at all the modern women out there running and there’s thousands and thousands of them, but there are also so many women across the world who are isolated or restricted by religious convention, or social convention, or social mores.”
Since its inception, 261 Fearless has trained and mentored over 500 coaches who have worked with nearly 7,000 women in 14 countries and five continents through education programs and women-only running clubs.
“After getting the women’s marathon in the Olympics Games, I thought that was great for women who can train and compete in a race but what about those women under a burqa Afghanistan or enslaved in their home with domestic abuse, how are we going to reach them?” Switzer said. “That’s what inspired us to create 261 Fearless.
“Suddenly, that old bib number became a number that meant fearless in the face of adversity,” she added. “From the worst things, come the best things. If something is wrong, there’s an opportunity to change it.”
At this year’s New York City Marathon – the 50th anniversary of Switzer’s win in the event – 261 Fearless created The Fearless 50, a team of 50 runners who are passionate about supporting women and understand the transformative power of running. As part of this initiative, The Fearless 50 is hosting a fundraising brunch on Nov. 2 and Falk College is a proud sponsor of that event where Switzer will be the featured speaker. The Falk College logo will also be featured on the bibs worn by The Fearless 50 runners.
Brooke Siket ’25, a sport management major in Falk and marketing minor in the Whitman School of Management, is one of the volunteers who’ll be working at The Fearless 50’s events. Siket, who currently works as a facilities and game management intern for Syracuse University athletics, was notified of this opportunity with The Fearless 50 through Internship Placement Coordinator Beth Perez and she was offered the internship after an interview with Kim Chaffee, 261 Fearless’ administration and communications manager.
“I was invited to attend all their weekend events, including a panel with Peloton, a panel with Kathrine Switzer, the brunch to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her victory at the New York City Marathon, and a cheer zone between Peloton and 261,” said Siket, who is a Falk College Peer Advisor and Ambassador and a member of the Charity Sports Auction team and the Sport Management and Women in Sports and Events (WISE) clubs.
“I am looking forward to marathon weekend as I will be able to interact with other volunteers, Kathrine Switzer, and others,’’ Siket said.
During the weekend, it’s likely that Switzer will at some point repeat the inspiring message that she gave to Falk College students during her visit when one asked about the best piece of advice Switzer had for them.
“Show up! Nothing happens when you stay at home,” Switzer told the students. “What’s out there may be scary, but you have to face it and that’s what opportunity is. When the world won’t give it you, you have to go out and get it.”
In 2018, Switzer delivered the commencement address at Syracuse University. To learn more about Switzer’s history and ongoing advocacy work, visit her marathonwoman.com website.
‘My Eyes Lit Up’
After An Exciting Campus Visit, Izzy Kaplan Joins First Class of Esports Majors
Emily and Stephen Kaplan could see it in their daughter’s eyes.
When then-high school junior Isabelle “Izzy” Kaplan visited Syracuse University in March 2023, the University had just announced it would be offering a new, first-of-its-kind degree program focused on esports starting in the fall of 2024. The Esports Communications and Management program would be offered jointly by the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and the Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Kaplan was already interested in majoring in communications, but she also enjoyed playing esports and was excited when she heard about this new major during her visit. When she later told her mother that she wanted to attend Syracuse and enter this groundbreaking program, Emily Kaplan wondered what took her daughter so long.
“My parents support me being happy; they want the best for me,” Kaplan says. “They were there when I was told about this program, and they saw how my eyes lit up. When I mentioned it to my mom, she said, ‘You know, I’m surprised you’re just saying something about it now because I saw how you first looked, and I’d thought you’d immediately jump on that.’”
Kaplan, who’s from Long Island, New York, is now a member of the inaugural esports class. The program is unique because it features three tracks that combine elements of Falk College and the Newhouse School – esports business and management, esports communications, and esports media and design – and as Kaplan starts her academic career, she’s leaning toward the communications track.
But for now, first things first, and Kaplan is one of about 20 students taking Esports Executive Director and Professor of Practice Joey Gawrysiak’s Introduction to Esports class. Gawrysiak says the introductory class is designed to help students understand the esports ecosystem how it operates in society and at Syracuse, and to get them excited about the major because of the hands-on opportunities they’ll experience throughout all of their courses.
“An esports education is not about just classroom learning, and it’s not just about preparing students to work in esports,” says Gawrysiak, who built the esports program at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, before coming to Syracuse. “It’s about preparing them to have a very successful career by the time they graduate in whatever career it might be, whether it’s esports, esports adjacent, the entertainment industry, traditional sports, broadcast journalism, business, or whatever they might want to get into.”
Esports Executive Director and Professor of Practice Joey Gawrysiak, shown here teaching the Introduction to Esports class, says Syracuse University’s esports program was built to prepare students for a successful career in esports and various other professions.
As she navigates her first semester on campus, Kaplan is splitting her time with Newhouse and Falk, taking basic courses such as Communications 117 and 100 with Newhouse and Principles of Sport Management with Falk. To learn more about why Kaplan chose Syracuse and the esports major, we sat down with her for this Q&A:
How did you get interested in esports, and had you ever considered a career involving esports?
I was 3 or 4 years old when I got my first video game. We loved playing Mario Kart and all the Super Mario games, and it’s been present in my life ever since.
I didn’t think about taking a career approach to it until about last year, because I actually found out about it when I toured Syracuse for the first time. I was interested in communications, I was looking at Newhouse, and I met someone who was working on developing the (esports) program.
This was before any of these people (the esports staff) were here. So, it was still just an idea being developed and they said it’s a very new program, very experimental. Not a lot of other schools have tried it to this level, and I thought that was cool because I love video games, and I’m interested in the fact that it’s communications.
What was the discussion like with your parents when you told them you wanted to be an esports major?
They like innovation, and this was brand new. They were a little worried because especially over (COVID) quarantine, everyone was a bit of a hermit, and I was on video games a lot. And they were concerned that maybe I’d be playing it too much here.
But then I started explaining to them that it wasn’t really the playing aspect – it was more the communications, forming connections, and networking – and they were interested. They thought I could really do something with this, and they thought it was also super cool that this field is becoming more balanced with males and females.
Would you like get more involved with the management and production side of esports events on campus?
Yes, I’d love to be involved. I’m helping right now with the development of a club team, which will hopefully be a varsity team next year.
And it’s not just me. Everything here is very group oriented. You’re never alone doing this kind of stuff, which is nice, and I never feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. There’s always some sort of guidance or someone else who’s also clueless so you don’t feel as bad!
My main goal is to obviously be friendly with everyone here, but also find connections and network through this very connected area because everyone seems to know everyone in this. It’s a little scary, but it’s also super cool and convenient.
What do you envision your next four years to be like in this major?
For me and the program in general, everything is going to be very experimental because this is year one, it’s still brand new and so fresh. And I think that’s exciting because it’s a pilot program and everything’s still being developed. Classes are still being developed.
There are three paths that you could take with this, so that’s all still being figured out. And no one fully knows where you’re going to end up. But the fact that there’s a lot of flexibility with this makes it very interesting.
It’s going to be a good learning experience, not just as a student, but probably for everyone working here. And I think it’ll be successful.
This spring, Kaplan will have an opportunity to take the Business of Esports class with Gawrysiak, and the Esports Production class with Esports Communications and Management Co-Director and Newhouse Professor Olivia Stomski and College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Chris Hanson. Gawrysiak says the students will be encouraged to engage in the program outside of the classroom through joining a team, helping to manage a team, managing one of the esports and gaming centers on campus, or taking advantage of travel abroad opportunities.
To learn more about the esports program, tracks of study, and experiential learning opportunities, please visit the Esports Communications and Management web page.
‘College of Opportunity’
Falk Connections Help Take Livia McQuade from Syracuse to Paris
For sport management major Livia McQuade ’25, the path from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University to Paris for the Paralympic Games went like this:
After learning about an internship opportunity with the Olympus Sports Group (OSG) on the Department of Sport Management Careers web page, McQuade reached out to Internship Placement Coordinator Beth Perez for more information. OSG is a management and marketing agency that provides top sponsorship opportunities and marketing strategies for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Through Perez, McQuade learned that recent Sport Management graduates Elena Randolph ’24 and Jacob Bennett ’24 strongly endorsed OSG after both had interviewed with the organization and Bennett worked there as an athlete relations intern. From there, McQuade discovered that OSG’s Director of Athlete Relations Jessica Leonard ’16 was a Sport Management alumna and “connecting with her jumpstarted this experience from the first interview all the way to the Paralympics,” McQuade says.
“I preach that Falk College is better known as the ‘College of Opportunity’ and this internship is the purest reflection of that,” McQuade says.
Thanks to her Falk connections and stellar academic background, McQuade spent this past summer with OSG in Loveland, Colorado. McQuade, the executive vice president of the Sport Management Club in Falk College and co-chair of the club’s 2024 Charity Sports Auction, says she wants to work with the Olympic and Paralympic Movement following graduation and this internship has been an invaluable step in that process.
We asked McQuade to describe her experience working for OSG at the Paralympic Games in Paris and here’s what she wrote:
“Over the summer and into this Fall semester, I have been an athlete relations intern with Olympus Sports Group. I worked under OSG Founder and President and former U.S. speed skater Ian Beck and Syracuse University alumna Jessica Leonard, and much of my internship was centered around the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Through the summer months and while four of our Olympic swimmers were competing in Paris, I worked on the backend reviewing and supporting contract negotiations for athlete partnerships, preparing athletes’ speaking outlines, updating athlete websites, and project managing the upcoming book release for one of our most prominent athletes (Jessica Long).
“At the beginning of September, I took a hiatus from my classes in Falk to attend the Paralympics with OSG’s incredible leadership team and nine of our competing athletes. Our roles on the ground in Paris were largely dedicated to celebrating our athletes at their events; we cheered for Jessica Long in Para Swimming, Sarah Adam and Joe Delagrave in Wheelchair Rugby, Noah Malone and Susannah Scaroni in Para Track and Field, Dennis Connors and Jamie Whitmore in Para-Cycling, and Steve Serio and Trey Jenifer in Wheelchair Basketball. All while proudly decked out in USA apparel!
“All other responsibilities centered around any of our athletes’ media or speaking appearances. This included trips to Team USA House, Bridgestone House, and Toyota House, as well as a luncheon with Bank of America and International Paralympic Committee Board members. Of all the places and moments we witnessed, the one that sticks with me the most is attending Para Swimming: Seeing the notorious Olympic/Paralympic-sized pool, being in a packed arena, and just being in that atmosphere was an ‘I made it’ moment for me.
“I am incredibly grateful and fortunate to work with Ian and Jessica at OSG. For the remainder of the Fall semester, I am continuing to work with OSG in a limited role with the addition of our newly hired intern and Capstonee, Sport Management major (and Syracuse track and field hurdler) Kirstyn Schechter ’25. While Kirstyn takes over the responsibilities I held this summer, I will focus mostly on coordinating media opportunities and schedules for the release of Jessica Long’s new book, “Beyond the Surface,” set to publish on October 1!”
Interested in a career in the sport industry? Visit the Department of Sport Management webpage to learn more about academic programs, experiential learning, and career opportunities.
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