FalkTalk Newsletter

Using an interdisciplinary approach, students in human development and family science gain well-rounded exposure, exploring topics such as immigrants and cross-cultural issues, mindfulness and self-regulation in children, and gerontology, the study of aging. With a strong foundation in human development, alumni enter the professional world as informed global citizens, well equipped to promote human health and social justice, and are competitive candidates for advanced degrees in fields such as medicine, education, research, and others.

Careers for food studies alumni are as wide-ranging as the issues food studies seeks to address. Some major career prospects include employment with government agencies at all levels dealing with food and agriculture issues; food-oriented non-governmental organizations that work on sustainability and food security issues; the health and wellness industry, and; food processing, preparation, service and distribution firms.

The New York State Department of Health has selected the SARS-CoV-2 Early Warning Wastewater Surveillance Platform (SARS2-EWSP) to pilot a statewide coronavirus transmission early warning system. Once fully operational, it will enable municipalities to better track increases and decreases in coronavirus transmission and make more informed decisions regarding reopening and closing businesses and schools. “Tracking the coronavirus in wastewater provides a cost-effective method of understanding community-level transmission dynamics,” says Syracuse University epidemiologist and Falk College public health associate professor David Larsen, who leads the SARS2-EWSP team.

The Aging, Health and Neuroscience research cluster searches for relationships between our brains, our behavior and our well-being. Falk College exercise science associate professor Kevin Heffernan is an expert in vascular function. Sharing his knowledge and skills with those of sociology professors Janet Wilmoth and Andrew London enables the interdisciplinary team to investigate fundamental questions about how our physiology is linked to societal factors.

Falk College social work professor of practice Tracey Musarra Marchese trains the next generation of social workers to address challenges of online interaction, digital divide and social isolation. Marchese is a practicing psychotherapist and clinical social worker who also trains other practitioners in trauma processing techniques. She has been helping her clients and fellow practitioners navigate how societal changes in response to COVID-19—including the transfer of so many transactions and interactions to online—affect mental health and mental health work.

In the Falk College Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, faculty supervise doctoral students who provide free mental health services to area residents. Hands-on, experiential learning permeates the curricula and technology is improving the speed and efficacy of treatment. “Teletherapy is here to stay,” says Falk Family Endowed Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy Linda Stone Fish. “The pandemic has forced us to integrate it into our teaching, research and practice. The opportunities outweigh the challenges.”