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ESF President Joanie Mahoney
President Mahoney To Be Recognized with Honorary Degree from Syracuse University
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — May 7, 2026 — SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) President Joanie Mahoney will be among those recognized with honorary degrees from Syracuse University at SU’s 2026 Commencement on Sunday, May 10. Mahoney will also deliver the SU College of Law commencement address for the Class of 2026. That ceremony on Friday, May 8,in the JMA Wireless Dome.
“Syracuse University is an institution that has played an important role in shaping my values and commitment to public service,” Mahoney said. “This honorary degree is especially meaningful to me because it is coming from a community that has made a lasting impact on my life.”
Mahoney has dedicated her career to community, environmental stewardship and the advancement of Central New York.
She earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing management from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1987 and a juris doctor from the College of Law in 1990.
Mahoney began her legal career in private practice at Harris Beach before serving for five years as a criminal prosecutor in the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. She served on the Syracuse Common Council from 2000-03. In 2008, she became the first woman elected Onondaga County Executive, a position she held for three terms.
As County Executive, she created the Save the Rain green infrastructure program and helped lead efforts that transformed Onondaga Lake and championed the Say Yes to Education partnership.
Mahoney was appointed president of ESF in November 2020, the first woman to lead the College since its founding in 1911.
She serves as co-chair of SUNY’s systemwide Sustainability Advisory Council and has sustained the partnership between ESF and SU, ensuring collaborative academic programs, shared student opportunities and joint diplomas.
Mahoney has also served as chair of the New York State Thruway Authority, and currently serves on the College of Law’s Board of Advisors.
Fellow honorees include: Dr. Ruth Chen, a professor of practice in biomedical and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University; Dr. Mantosh Dewan, president, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and the Alan and Marlene Norton Presidential Chair at Upstate Medical University; Clifford J. Ensley, founder and chief executive officer of Leisure Merchandising Corporation; Linda M. LeMura, president of Le Moyne College; and Chancellor Kent Syverud, the 12th chancellor and president of Syracuse University.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.