Syracuse Sun

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad has announced the recipients of its 2024-2025 Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Innovation Scholars and Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar awards. Anthony J. Thomas, a senior at the School of Information Studies, and Fatim Cisse, a junior at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, have been named Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Innovation Scholars. Aidan R. Turner, a junior at the School of Architecture, has been named the Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar for the upcoming academic year.

Anthony J. Thomas’ entrepreneurial endeavors include building websites/web design, information security systems, and home security systems. He has experience working in retail as a technology associate on both hardware and software.

Fatim Cisse’s entrepreneurial experience includes owning Womb’s Yoga, an organization that provides mindfulness workshops and support groups for Women of Color. Cisse is passionate about maternal health care and women’s wellness. She also previously served as a researcher in Health and Wellness Services through the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Innovation Scholars program is funded by a multi-year gift from Todd B. Rubin, an alumnus from the School of Architecture class of 2004. The program directly supports employment for entrepreneurial students focused on innovation, diversity, and inclusion at LaunchPad. Rubin was honored with Syracuse University’s 2014 Generation Orange Award for philanthropy and serves on the Syracuse University Libraries Advisory Board. He is currently president (minister of evolution) of The Republic of Tea.

Aidan Turner is a fifth-year architecture student minoring in real estate at Martin J. Whitman School of Management. A member of Blackstone LaunchPad since 2021, Turner’s entrepreneurial endeavor includes Grater Things Threads, a premium garment design company supporting his two clothing brands. He was awarded Whitman’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in both 2022 and 2024.

The LaunchPad Watson Scholar position is funded through a gift from the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund to honor Hunter Brooks Watson's life, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit following his passing in 2016 after a car accident.