The Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies boasts an amazing community of more than 2,000 active alumni.
Graduates of our program have gone on to great success in a wide variety of career fields, including education, law/public policy/politics, media, organizational communication/business, and public relations/marketing. Many of them return to campus to speak with and provide valuable mentorship opportunities to current CRS students. We are equally proud of all our alumni and eager to share their stories.
Alumni Profiles
How does a degree in CRS relate to a professional career, years into the future? Alumni explain in their own words how their education set them up for success immediately after graduation and later in life.
Chapin Springer ’04 chose CRS because he didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up (and still doesn’t). Today he works as a communications officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, educating and presenting on what the foundation does.
Gregory Boilard ’14 combines his love of working with people and theater for Disney Theatrical as a communication and publicity specialist.
Working at the White House became a reality Michelle Lane Cull ’96 upon graduation. Connections she made as a student in addition to her coursework opened this door for her—the door to “her whole life.”
If Gerry McNamara ’06 couldn’t play ball, he wanted to talk about it. The CRS program at Syracuse University gave him the base to move forward with his career—from being a player to becoming an assistant coach at a university known for its basketball program.
Media producer, educator, and world traveler Terrance Smith ’11 has collaborated with National Geographic, TED, and met with ambassadors and foreign dignitaries. He also runs a local food bank, produces commercials for nonprofits, and is a school administrator as well.
Evin Floyd Robinson ’12 is a technology consultant for one of the world’s largest technology consultant firms. He also is co-founder New York on Tech, a non-profit that teaches underrepresented students how to be successful in the technology space. Robinson was also a 2016 Forbes Under 30 Change the World Competition finalist.
Coaching basketball isn’t all about muscle. CRS alumnus and basketball coach Michael Hopkins ’93, former member of Syracuse University’s men’s basketball coaching staff, has to make a lot of speeches and presentations. If it wasn’t for the CRS classes he took as a student, Hopkins wouldn’t have the ability to communicate a message as effectively and be where he is today.
Marc Mason ’12 found the skills needed to succeed in a high-pressure industry through the CRS program, which trained him for the workforce and provided practical skills for every day.