Binghamton University

Hannah Jiang ’26 grew up in Brooklyn, New York, as the daughter of a chef and a hairstylist. Starting in middle school, money was hard to come by; she began working at age 14 to help her family make ends meet. These experiences instilled in her a strong work ethic and deep compassion. A double major in philosophy, politics, and law (PPL), as well as sociology, Jiang dedicated a large part of her college experience to volunteering.

Harpur College’s Creative Writing program has an exciting series of events lined up for the fall semester, including a multi-day visit by an influential poet, literary critic, and Harvard professor whose class on Taylor Swift went viral (opens in a new window). The semester kicks off with a welcome-back mixer for the campus creative writing community from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Jay S. and Jeanne Benet Alumni Lounge, located in Old O’Connor Hall.

Streptococcal sore throat — strep throat for short — is one of the nastier maladies of childhood, causing fever, swollen tonsils, and the namesake sore throat. The bacterial infection can linger even after treatment, turning otherwise healthy children into carriers. “Around 8 to 10% of kids will stay colonized with strep even after the antibiotics are done,” said Binghamton University Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Laura Cook. “They no longer have symptoms.

Binghamton University welcomed residential students back to campus with the Aug. 26 opening of Launch Point, a new space-themed gaming lounge in Mountainview College’s Appalachian Collegiate Center. Residential Life and Information Technology Services (ITS) built the futuristic, fully loaded space with the goal of providing an accessible place for students to enjoy everything from casual gaming sessions with friends to competitive gameplay. The lounge operates as a year-round LAN party.

Allan '62 and Diana Lyons have made a significant gift to establish the Allan '62 and Diana Lyons Endowed Faculty Fellow in the School of Management – the first endowed faculty fellowship for the accounting program. With a commitment of $500,000, the donor family has strategically structured their gift to impact SOM now, while ensuring it lives on in perpetuity through their estate.

Binghamton University Parent and Family Programs is welcoming students and their families to Family Weekend 2026, kicking off Friday, Sept. 18. Co-hosted by New Student Programs, this annual tradition offers a dynamic lineup of events designed to showcase the University’s spirited campus life, academic excellence, and tight-knit community. Registration for Family Weekend 2026 is open online until Sept. 11. Families may also register in person on Friday, Sept. 18, or Saturday, Sept. 19.

Binghamton University is celebrating the most successful fundraising year in its 80-year history, with a record-breaking $101.6 million raised during the 2026 fiscal year (FY26). In addition to marking the first time Binghamton has raised more than $100 million within a single fiscal year, this $101.6-million milestone represents a 25% increase from the University’s second most successful fiscal year to date, when $80.7 million was raised during fiscal year 2023.

A reimagined fall festival, celebration of the University's 80th anniversary, and a return to campus by one of Binghamton University's most notable alumni are expected to make this year's Homecoming the biggest and best ever. The campus community is welcome at the weekend-long celebration planned for Friday-Sunday, Oct. 2-4. Homecoming will be preceded by inauguration events for President Anne D'Alleva. A number of inauguration events are open to all.

Nadia Mirza-Romero ’19 loves to learn. Once at Binghamton University, they maximized every opportunity: summer courses, winter courses, working as a teaching assistant, and pursuing research experiences in a lab. All told, they ended up with three majors: cell and molecular biology, Arabic Studies, and history, along with a minor in Middle East and North African Studies.

Called the “forgotten war” by humanitarian organizations, the stories of Sudan’s civil war often go untold. And so do the stories of its complex mixture of people, of both Arab and African heritage. Through her research, Binghamton University Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies Mary Youssef seeks to bring these stories to light — including those from Sudanese writer Abdel Aziz Baraka Sakin, whose work was banned by his homeland’s government.