In recognition of exceptional scholarship and innovative academic and professional activities, Madonna Harrington Meyer and J. Michael Haynie have been reappointed to four-year terms as University Professors, one of the highest honors the University bestows on faculty members. In making the announcement, Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, says the reappointments are a testament to the fact that both Harrington Meyer and Haynie continue to make unique, valuable and profound contributions to the intellectual life of the University through interdisciplinary endeavors and research in critical areas of societal concern.
Madonna Harrington Meyer
Harrington Meyer is a Laura J. and Douglas L. Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence and a faculty member in the sociology department in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She studies how public policy shapes people’s everyday lives and how sociodemographic variables such as gender, race, class and disability can create variances in life experiences.
She also serves as a senior research associate at both the Center for Policy Research and the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. Additionally, Harrington Meyer is a faculty affiliate at the Aging Studies Institute and a research affiliate at the Center for Aging and Policy Studies. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the society’s highest ranking, and was presented the Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar Award by the American Sociological Association Section on Aging and the Life Course.
Harrington Meyer has authored, co-authored and co-edited several critically acclaimed books on grandparenting, care work, gerontology challenges and gender inequality in old age. They include “Grandparenting Children with Disabilities” (2020), “Grandparenting in the United States” (2016) and “Gerontology: Changes, Challenges, and Solutions” (2016). Two other books were named winners of the Gerontological Society of America’s Kalish Book Award: “Grandmothers at Work: Juggling Families and Jobs” (2014) and “Market Friendly or Family Friendly? The State and Gender Inequality in Old Age” (2007). Her work appears in leading journals, including American Sociological Review, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Gender & Society and Social Problems. Her research has been reported in The New York Times, NPR, U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor and Los Angeles Times.
“Madonna constantly finds new areas to focus on and explore through her scholarship in sociology,” says Ritter. “Her unique way of identifying and framing social questions has produced important findings about major cultural shifts in society. Her dynamic work has greatly contributed to our understanding of the complex family dynamics of the 21st century.”
J. Michael Haynie
Haynie is Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and the Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship. He is widely regarded as a leading scholar of innovation, entrepreneurial decision-making and business strategy. A former officer in the U.S. Air Force, Haynie founded Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) in 2011 as the nation’s first interdisciplinary academic institute created to advance the policy, economic and wellness concerns of veterans and families. To date almost 200,000 veterans and military family members have benefited from the IVMF’s cost-free career preparation and business ownership programs, significantly advancing the University’s national reputation as a leader and innovator in non-traditional educational programming.
In 2013, Haynie’s advocacy on behalf of veterans with disabilities was the subject of a feature story on the CBS News program 60 Minutes, and in 2020 Time Magazine identified Haynie as one of 16 national leaders working to create a more equitable America. He has also served on multiple federal advisory boards and commissions and is frequently asked to provide expert testimony before Congress on issues related to small business and veterans. Most recently, Haynie was appointed to the Federal Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Education for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2021, Haynie was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal for his leadership of the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year he represented Syracuse University on the statewide team that successfully courted Micron Technology to locate a new, $100 billion production facility in Syracuse. Haynie now leads a program office coordinating the University’s engagement with the chip manufacturer.
“Mike is a visionary who is masterful at identifying significant societal needs and then applying entrepreneurial principals, policy development and leadership strategies to meet those needs,” says Ritter. “His innovative solutions, particularly in support of veterans and military families, have far-reaching impact, transforming lives and opening new opportunities for individuals and entire communities to thrive.”
Fewer than 20 individuals have been awarded University Professor recognition over the University’s nearly 153-year history. Currently, 10 other faculty hold the title. The designation is awarded by the Chancellor and Board of Trustees.
