Looking Forward

While Mahoney has been formally affiliated with ESF since 2018 when she was appointed chief operating officer, her relationship with the College dates back to her service with the county. She initiated the “Save the Rain” project that helped reduce sewer system overflows that contributed to the pollution of Onondaga Lake; ESF faculty and students were involved in some of those projects. “ESF was a natural fit for me because some of the most important things I did in the county were done with support from ESF,” she said.

When Mahoney talks about ESF students now, she praises their focus
and maturity, and refers to them collectively as “Climate Warriors” who are ready to take on the most challenging environmental issues of our time.
Her appreciation extends to the ESF faculty and staff who are conducting research and developing solutions to climate change, as well as the staff that helps shape the student experience and keep the College operating.

Mahoney is laser-focused on positioning faculty and staff to do their best work while enhancing the education and future prospects of ESF students. She’s committed to helping ESF maintain its reputation as the most distinguished institution in the country dedicated to the study of the environment and building a sustainable and resilient future. She is also overseeing some highly visible changes that will help enrich the student experience and make the College more competitive: the complete renovation of Marshall Hall, the addition of a café in Moon Library, new space for some of ESF’s most impactful centers and research programs, and much-needed infrastructure changes that will make the campus more accessible.

ESF Magazine reflects on Mahoney’s first year in office and highlights what she looks forward to accomplishing in the months to come.

Successful Reopening of Campus

Every semester since the pandemic began, ESF has navigated unique and challenging situations, relying on science to guide the decisions that best serve our College community. While all of us had hoped to be back to “normal” this academic year, coronavirus variants unfortunately changed those plans a bit. We continue to take precautionary measures to protect everyone’s health and safety, and Mahoney is confident that ESF’s resilience and adaptability will help us continue to persevere.

We were thrilled to welcome our students back to our campuses and continue to do the best we can to deliver ESF’s world-class teaching and training. Under Mahoney’s leadership, the College community is working equally hard to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff stay healthy and work in a safe environment.

World-Class Faculty, Staff, Students

When Mahoney updates stakeholders about ESF, she is quick to point out the achievements of those around her. Among the newest success stories are Dr. Samuel Mukasa, who recently arrived at ESF as executive vice president and provost after an accomplished career as a researcher and university administrator; Dr. Mariann Johnston, the director of ESF’s Ranger School, who was named a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters; and Mark Lichtenstein ’85, executive operating officer for the College, who was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Recycling Coalition.

She also takes tremendous pride in the accomplishments of ESF students, including graduate student Michael Mahoney, who was honored by the New York State Geographic Information Systems Association for developing soft- ware that simplifies the process of creating interactive 3D visualizations of landscapes; Brie Hymes ’21, one of just 23 EOP students chosen to participate in SUNY’s new Pre-Medical Opportunity Program, who is now a student in SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program; and Ph.D. student David Bullis ’13, ’20, who received an honorable mention in the inaugural SUNY Chancellor Distinguished Ph.D. Graduate Dissertation Awards for his work on land snails. Beyond academics, three ESF athletics teams won national championships this past fall.

Early in her first year, Mahoney said her immediate focus would be the faculty. She then led the administration in green-lighting the hiring of 10 new faculty members this academic year. Many are already onboard. In ESF’s new podcast, Mahoney interviews some incredibly impressive members of ESF’s all-star faculty. The first six episodes garnered nearly 3,000 listens. Season 2 will launch this spring.

Building & Strengthening Relationships

Mahoney is focused on building relationships beyond campus for the benefit of the College.

Amid the bustle of campus activities, ESF was proud to host a number of guests at the Syracuse campus. These visitors provided an opportunity for Mahoney to highlight the important work that faculty and students do and to reinforce the urgency of their contributions to solve some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.

• New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli visited ESF to tour campus, meet some faculty and staff, and talk about climate change with students.
• New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball came to campus.
• Dr. Healy Hamilton, chief scientist at Nature Serve, kicked off ESF’s Global Conservation Lecture Series with a discussion on the effects of climate change on biodiversity and how digital maps can help save species from extinction.
• The Central Region of the American Council of Engineering Companies met with ESF students to discuss opportunities and issues in engineering.
• SUNY representatives stopped by campus twice and met with Mahoney at the New York State Fair.

ESF in the High School is a priority growth initiative for Mahoney. ESF’s signature secondary school/college partnership program helps students prepare to be leaders in the stewardship of our natural and designed environments, and to be effective citizens for the 21st century. It also provides exposure to ESF’s programs that students might not otherwise receive. This past fall, ESF hosted its first ESF in the High School Open House, during which several qualifying attendees were offered acceptance into the College for next fall. Mahoney is looking forward to strengthening the reach and impact of ESF in the High School in the coming year.

Another partnership Mahoney is intent on building is with Syracuse University. As our alumni can attest, ESF’s relationship with SU is central to our operations and the services that students enjoy. Mahoney sees opportunities to expand what ESF and SU have already built so that both campuses can benefit even more from what the other uniquely offers.

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion

Under Mahoney’s leadership, ESF is living its commitment to promoting diversity and supporting the success of minority students. In 2021, the College announced a new four-year partnership between its Center for Native Peoples and the Environment and The Nature Conservancy, which includes an $800,000 grant to help create co-learning between the Center, the Conservancy, and Indigenous communities. The College also received a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation to help drive the success of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math. ESF will receive $250,000 over the next five years to provide highly qualified students in underrepresented minority groups with mentors, research opportunities, and financial support as they pursue studies or careers in STEM fields.

Getting ESF Noticed

One of Mahoney’s goals is to increase ESF’s visibility and remove “hidden” from the often-heard description of the College as “SUNY’s hidden gem.” So where better to start than the Quad, which will host the graduation celebration this spring? “Let’s bring our biggest academic celebration home to our own campus,” Mahoney said. “This is where our students achieved their success; this is their alma mater. Let’s celebrate here, where it all happened.”

Media coverage is on the rise again, with major national media outlets poised to report on ESF’s effort to restore the American chestnut tree to forests in the eastern United States.

The College has also remained in the public eye because of some highly visible rankings: ESF is No. 9 on the Princeton Review’s list of Top 50 Green Colleges and No. 5 on the Sierra Club’s list of Cool Schools. “Our rankings are a testament to the dedication and drive of our students, faculty and staff to addressing the pressing environmental issues facing the world today,” Mahoney said. “ESF continues to maintain its place as a national leader for sustainability in higher education.”

ESF will also freshen its image with the launch of a new website this year.

Getting ‘the Big Things Right’

In considering her first year at ESF and plans for the coming months, Mahoney expressed optimism about the College’s future and confidence in the people she works with and, most importantly, the students who entrust ESF with their education.

“ESF gets the big things right. We have an incredible student body. Their maturity and focus, and the work they’re willing to do to earn a degree from ESF is impressive. Our research is amazing,” she said. “The exciting part of this job for me is I can play a role in building a foundation around this incredible group of people.”

Mahoney believes that ESF’s work has never been more important, our students have never been more valuable upon their graduation, and our research has never been more needed.

“This is ESF’s time to shine, and I am so very happy and energized to work here with our people as we build a path forward together,” she said. “Despite the challenges that remain, there are many opportunities ahead, and my administration stands ready to support and assist our faculty, staff and all of our students as we move ESF forward at this critical time.”

Claire B . Dunn is a writer and director emeritus of the ESF Office of Communications and Marketing.