Syracuse University to dedicate Mower Faculty Commons

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University Libraries is planning to dedicate the Judith C. and Eric Mower Faculty Commons in Room 548 of Bird Library.

The dedication is set for Sept. 8, Syracuse University announced.

Both Judith and Eric Mower are Syracuse graduates. Eric Mower is known for his Syracuse–based company called Mower, an advertising, marketing, and public-relations firm. He is approaching his 55th year with his Mower agency, which is one of the largest independent agencies in the country, operating in multiple cities in a dozen states.

Judith (Judy) Mower has been chair of the Syracuse Libraries advisory board since 2017. She is also a retired organizational-development consultant with expertise in leadership development, quality improvement, governance, and public-participation practices.

As an adjunct professor in Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, she focused on those topics for graduate students preparing for careers in nonprofit or government management. She earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Syracuse.

About the Mower Faculty Commons

The 5,000-square-foot Mower Faculty Commons is designed for faculty gathering, meeting, and working independently, or with colleagues across campus, Syracuse University said. It includes seating for casual interactions or more structured meetings, including individual workspaces, small gathering spaces, some soft seating, and meeting rooms.

Faculty, including adjunct and emeriti, can be use the space for informal meetings, faculty training, video conferencing, research collaboration, or “any number of academic and research scenarios,” the school said. Faculty can access the Mower Faculty Commons by swiping their RFID-enabled Syracuse University ID card.

The Mower Faculty Commons opened this past January, but crews recently completed renovations to the space, including new furniture and technology, with support from the Mowers, Syracuse University said.