WASHINGTON, D.C. — Syracuse University (SU) says it has opened a new center in Washington, D.C. and held a Sept. 24 event to mark the occasion.

The center, located at 1333 New Hampshire Ave. in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, will serve students, faculty, staff, and alumni, SU said in its announcement.

Mike Tirico, a 1988 Syracuse graduate who handles hosting and play-by-play duties for NBC Sports, hosted the event. The speakers included Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud; along with Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer; and J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation.

“Building on an already thriving presence in the nation’s capital, the center will enhance the University’s global influence and impact,” SU contended in its announcement.

“This city is a place our students want to be. It’s a place they want to live. And it’s a place they want to build their futures and careers after they graduate,” Syverud said in the SU announcement. “Our students studying away here benefit from Syracuse’s academic strength and deep connections in policy, government, media and law.”

The event included a panel discussion examining the changing landscape of collegiate sports and public policy. The panelists were James Phillips, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference; Felisha Legette-Jack, Syracuse University women’s basketball coach; and Tirico.

Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, moderated the discussion.

The Washington, D.C. center houses the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship and serves as a home base for study-away programs offered by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and the College of Law — through which hundreds of students live, learn, and work in the city every year.

Washington, D.C. is home to more than 15,000 alumni, many of whom connect with students as teachers, mentors, and internship supervisors, SU said.