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Humanities Center Administration

Vivian M. May

Director, Humanities Center
Principal Investigator, CNY Humanities Corridor
Professor of Women's and Gender Studies

301 Tolley Humanities Building 315.443.2228

Vivian M. May has published widely on Black feminist intellectual histories, intersectionality, and feminist theory and literature. In addition to numerous articles and chapters, she is author of two books: the first, Anna Julia Cooper, Visionary Black Feminist (Routledge, 2007), shows how Cooper deserves a much wider audience for her innovative and often daring contributions to a Black feminist public sphere. Her most recent book, Pursuing Intersectionality, Unsettling Dominant Imaginaries (Routledge, 2015), demonstrates how often intersectionality is resisted, misunderstood, and misapplied and pushes for more meaningful engagement with intersectionality’s radical ideas, histories, and justice orientations. She also served as President of the National Women’s Studies Association (2014-2016).

Diane Drake

Assistant Director, Humanities Center

301 Tolley Humanities Building 315.443.5708

Diane Drake joined the Syracuse University Humanities Center in July 2015, fresh from fulfilling a Canon Fellowship and chairing an events committee while assisting the Associate VP/Dean of Students at Northern Illinois University. Prior to bringing her versatile writing, design, and project management skills to higher education, Diane served as communications and events manager, creative services director, and writer-producer for various public and commercial broadcasters in the Midwest, having earned her Bachelor’s degree in Radio-Television from Southern Illinois University.

Diane is instrumental in conceptualizing, promoting, and administrating the Center’s annual programming and fellowship initiatives and counsels the director on a broad portfolio of collaborative projects related to both the Humanities Center and the CNY Humanities Corridor (administratively housed at Syracuse).

Aimee Germain

CNY Humanities Corridor Program Manager

301 Tolley Humanities Building

As Program Manager for the CNY Humanities Corridor, Aimee Germain works collaboratively with the Corridor's multi-institutional leadership team to provide strategic direction, fiscal management, and programming. She is a resource for humanities faculty seeking to forge intellectual and pedagogical partnerships with colleagues across the region.

An academic and non-profit administrator for over 20 years, Aimee has worked at a variety of institutions, big and small. Most recently, she served as Program Manager for the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. Aimee's areas of expertise span budgeting, alumni and foundation relations, graduate student admissions, event management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. A Michigan native who was an opportunity program alumna and first-generation college student, Aimee received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and her Master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Miguel Rodriguez

Budget Associate, Humanities Center and CNY Humanities Corridor

301 Tolley Humanities Building 315.443.9451

Miguel Rodriguez is a lifelong central New Yorker, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from LeMoyne College and currently working toward an MBA at Syracuse University. Prior to joining the Humanities Center team in January 2022, he worked with local and offshore clients of BNY Mellon and most recently administrated payroll and payables for the employees and programs of Syracuse Abroad. Two beautiful, active dogs keep him busy at home.

Miguel plays key roles in the forecasting, accounting, and reporting needs of both the Humanities Center and the CNY Humanities Corridor -- administratively housed at Syracuse. He appreciates how the Humanities Center and Corridor provide unique opportunities for people to connect in ways that help better the world.

Jacqulyn Ladnier

Administrative Specialist, Humanities Center

301 Tolley Humanities Building 315.443.7192

Prior to joining the HC team in July 2023, Jacqulyn worked as the Assistant Director for STEP and CSTEP at Le Moyne College where she advised students at the college and in high schools throughout the Syracuse County School District. Raised in Mississippi, Jacqulyn received her Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Mississippi before completing her Master’s degree in English at Syracuse University. In this new role at the HC, Jacqulyn provides key operational and administrative support to the Humanities Center, CNY Humanities Corridor, and Engaged Humanities Network.

Gregg Lambert

Dean's Professor of the Humanities
Founding Director of the Syracuse University Humanities Center (2008-2013)
Principal Investigator, CNY Humanities Corridor (2008-2019)

306 Tolley Humanities Building 315.443.7192

Gregg Lambert was the founding director of the Syracuse University Humanities Center and Principal Investigator of the CNY Humanities Corridor, establishing the permanent endowment of the Corridor in 2014 through a 3.5 million dollar matching award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Professor Lambert has also created several other multi-institutional and collaborative research initiatives, including the Society for the Study of Biopolitical Futures and the Perpetual Peace Project. In 2013, he was elected as a member of the International Advisory Board of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes. Author of more than fifteen books in contemporary philosophy and critical theory, he currently serves in the Humanities Center as Dean’s Professor of the Humanities.