Orange Central, Syracuse University’s annual homecoming and reunion weekend, is a special time when alumni and their families come home to ’Cuse to celebrate school spirit, catch up with old friends and professors, and honor our outstanding alumni.
This fall, when thousands of alumni and their families return to campus, the alumni awards festivities will have an exciting new look.
The Syracuse University Alumni Association is proud to announce the inaugural Syracuse University Alumni Awards Celebration, honoring the 2018 winners of the George Arents Award, the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award and the Generation Orange Award.
Celebrating talented and accomplished Syracuse alumni across generations, Orange Central’s premier event occurs on Friday, Oct. 19, featuring a cocktail party from 5-6 p.m., followed by the awards celebration at 6 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. The evening will culminate in an after-party with live music, drinks, food and desserts in Schine’s Panasci Lounge.
Tickets for the cocktail party and awards celebration are $25 via Early Orange pricing (register by Sept. 18) or $30 after Sept. 18. Generation Orange alumni pricing for graduates of the last 10 years is $20. The celebration will include cocktails and food stations.
Tickets for the cocktail party, awards celebration and special after-party are $65 (Early Orange pricing), $75 (after Sept. 18), and $50 (Generation Orange). The after-party will feature cocktails, food stations, heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
The George Arents Award is Syracuse University’s highest alumni honor, created to recognize those who are pioneers and leaders in their fields. The Arents Award honors the legacy of George Arents, a successful manufacturer who served on the Syracuse University Board of Trustees from 1930 until his death in 1960.
This year’s honorees are Kevin Bell ’74, H’16; Dr. Sharon Brangman ’77; Emme ’85; Joseph Strasser ’53, G’58; and Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79.
Bell has worked at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo for more than 40 years, including serving as president and CEO of the Lincoln Park Zoological Society, which manages and operates the zoo. Bell has served on the Wildlife Conservation Management Committee and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Dr. Brangman, a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, recently was honored as the inaugural chair of the Department of Geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She is also director of the Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and the Nappi Longevity Institute.
Emme is an iconic, world-renowned supermodel and a leader in the fashion industry. A TV personality, brand spokesperson, consultant and author, Emme has been a strong advocate for positive body image and self-esteem.
Strasser is a lifelong public servant who dedicated his career to improving public finance in municipal governments. A past Eggers Award winner, he recently made a $3 million philanthropic commitment to create a permanently endowed and named professorship in public administration at the Maxwell School.
Yabroudi is the CEO of Dubai Contracting Co., where he also served as a site engineer, a project manager and deputy managing partner. A member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, he has spearheaded multiple charitable activities and endowment funds, and helped fund the renovation of the University’s Link Hall.
The Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award was established out of deep respect and admiration for Chancellor Eggers to honor senior alumni who have coupled their leadership and service to society with loyalty and service to Syracuse University. The award recognizes alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago
This year’s honorees are Larry Bashe ’66, G’68, Helen Lefkowitz ’60 and Fred Silverman ’58.
Bashe served on the Syracuse University Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2004-12, including two years as president. He was also a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and the advisory boards of the Maxwell School and the Burton Blatt Institute. Bashe was chair of his 50th reunion committee during Orange Central 2016.
Lefkowitz, a founding partner of the law firm of Lefkowitz and Poulos in New York City, focused her career on issues of domestic violence, child abuse and juvenile delinquency. Lefkowitz and her late husband, Joel ’58, founded the SU Alumni Club in Suffolk County.
Silverman is the only person to direct programming at the NBC, ABC and CBS television networks and was executive producer of “Matlock,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Diagnosis Murder.” He is president of The Fred Silverman Co., a production and consulting business, and a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
The Generation Orange Award is presented to young alumni who have made significant contributions to their communities and to the University.
This year’s honorees are Evin Floyd Robinson ’12, G’14 and Jessica Santana ’11, G’13.
Robinson and Santana are the cofounders of New York On Tech (NYOT), a nonprofit organization that provides greater access to technology and innovation to low-income and underrepresented students. NYOT offers immersive programs for high school students that include internship opportunities, mentoring and after-school educational programming.
Orange Central 2018 will bring together the entire Syracuse University community for a celebration of our alma mater Oct. 18-21. To register for any of the nearly 50 Orange Central programs—including the Syracuse University Alumni Awards Celebration—visit orangecentral.syr.edu.
