Lauren Newman, a 2010 graduate of the B.S. in Information Management and Technology program at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool), has been selected as one of 17 Engagement Fellows from the Syracuse University Class of 2010.
The Engagement Fellowship is a year-long program supported by the Kauffman Foundation that contributes to a year of paid employment at a local company, a non-profit organization, or as an entrepreneur in Central New York. It also offers remitted tuition for graduate courses at SU and arranges for professional and faculty mentors.
The Engagement Fellowship program launched in 2009 with five fellows. Fellow iSchool student Robert Sherman ’09, G’11 was a member of the inaugural class of Engagement Fellows. Sherman is co-founder and Chief Technology/Financial Officer of Brand-Yourself.com, an Internet-based enterprise for job seekers. The company is based in the Syracuse Technology Garden, an incubator for CNY start-ups.
Newman, a native of Parish, N.Y., will spend her fellowship year as an employee of the Syracuse-based company Synapse Partners. The company provides risk management and insurance products to other organizations, especially those with an environmental focus. Synapse Partners has also invested in several sustainability initiatives in the community. Newman will leverage web technologies to enhance and grow the company’s sustainability initiatives. She also hopes to help Synapse Partners move into the realm of social media.
Newman is excited that the fellowship allows her to stay in Central New York. “One of the goals of the Engagement Fellows program is to keep graduates of Syracuse University in the Syracuse area, where they can apply their knowledge and help the community in a variety of disciplines,” she said. “I feel that Syracuse is a very underrated area in terms of job growth and innovation. Hopefully, the program will encourage graduates to look beyond the snow and construction and see that Syracuse has many opportunities for them to apply their education and really benefit the community.”
“[This is] where I grew up,” she added, “and I want to take advantage of all the opportunities the city has to offer.”
Newman will also start her graduate studies at the iSchool this fall, where she has been accepted to the master’s program in telecommunications and network management. She feels the iSchool has prepared her well for her graduate studies and new position at Synapse Partners.
“Many of the courses that I took at the iSchool really play into my day-to-day job at Synapse,” Newman said. “I’ve taken courses in web design, network management, consulting, and presentational speaking, and learned how to use many different technologies (hardware and software) — all of which helped me develop very useful skill sets.”