More Than a Viral Video
The Wolf, the Trap, and the Longstanding Relationships Behind a Scientific Breakthrough
Summer 2026 Issue
Inside This Issue
More Than a Viral Video
The Wolf, the Trap, and the Longstanding Relationships Behind a Scientific Breakthrough. Long before the footage circulated, Kyle Artelle had been immersed in the complex, often surprising world of wolf behavior, and his work continues to reshape how we understand the species.
From ESF to Disney: It’s a Small World After All — Benjamin Boisclair ’15
Boisclair had worked for Disney earlier, as an intern. At ESF, he’d worked on the Annual Fund calling drive, and one of the alumni on his list was an original designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At the alum’s urging, Boisclair had applied for an internship at Disney, where he’d fallen in love with the company and the West Coast.
Alumni Profile: Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian, Ph.D. ’20
Patricia Kaishian was instinctively drawn to nature as a child. In 2023, Kaishian became curator of mycology at the New York State Museum. As curator, Kaishian conducts her own research, including a long-term, intensive study of a forest in Rensselaer County.
Message from the Director of Alumni & Donor Relations
I am incredibly excited to continue this work together and hope this year brings you a little closer to ESF.
Relaunching the ESF Alumni Ambassador Program
ESF Alumni Ambassador Program is returning this summer. Over 50 Ambassadors across 17 states had been part of the program, and in the years that followed, nearly 200 alumni continued to volunteer for student-focused outreach efforts in other ways.
Be Mighty Campaign Summary
We are thrilled to announce that as of June 30, 2026, we surpassed our $40-million fundraising goal, raising over $43.5 million, and the campaign has officially closed.
ESF Golf Tournament
The ESF community came together on June 26 for a spectacular day on the greens at The Links at Erie Village, where the annual ESF Golf Tournament for Student Success drew a record field of golfers and an impressive roster of sponsors.
Making Headlines: Highlights from Across Campus and Beyond
The stories below highlight the remarkable work happening across ESF, and the impact it’s having well-beyond our campus borders.
Graduates of Distinction
Graduates of Distinction will be formally honored in September during Fall Fest: Homecoming & Family Weekend. Lewis H. "Lew" Payne '84 (Lifetime Achievement), Sam Gordon, AICP '97. '01, '05 (Notable Achievement), and Sarah Welz '18 (Incipiens Quercu).